82: A teammate's "advice"

Lin Feng opened the door.

The Nick Young standing at the door was a world apart from the image in his memory of someone who always wore a goofy smile.

He wasn't smiling; he just looked at Lin Feng with a complex emotion in his eyes that Lin Feng had never seen before.

There was worry, scrutiny, and a hint of the understanding that comes from someone who has been through it all.

"Lin."

Nick Young spoke, his voice low.

"I saw the news."

He didn't beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.

"I'm not here to gossip."

"I'm here to warn you."

Lin Feng stepped aside to let him in.

Nick Young walked into the luxurious apartment, looked around, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and the brilliant night view outside.

He didn't whistle or marvel at the luxury as he usually would.

He turned to face Lin Feng, his expression still serious.

"The water here is much deeper than you think, Lin."

Nick Young, a player known in the league for being 'unreliable' and the 'isolation king,' seemed like a different person at this moment.

He was like an old veteran who had survived many years in the vanity fair of Los Angeles.

"In this city, it's too easy to destroy a star."

"Sometimes, the one who defeats you isn't even an opponent on the court."

His gaze became somewhat distant, as if he were remembering certain past events.

"Here, the women around you can be scarier than your opponents."

"I've seen too many talented guys fall because of this."

"One day they're the chosen one, and the next they're drowned in media vitriol, entangled in various sex scandals, their form plummeting until they eventually fade into obscurity."

"They will dig up everything about you—your past, your family, every word you've said—and then look at it through a magnifying glass to distort and fabricate."

"You think you're just dating? No, in their eyes, this is a headline that can be converted into US dollars."

Nick Young's tone was calm, but every word carried a chilling sense of reality.

Lin Feng listened quietly.

He knew everything Nick Young said was true.

But he hadn't expected that the first person to come and tell him this wouldn't be Kobe or his Agent David, but this teammate who usually seemed the most unreliable.

"We all heard what Kobe said at the press conference today."

Nick Young's eyes refocused on Lin Feng's face, becoming incredibly serious.

"He handed the future to you."

"To be honest, at first, many people weren't convinced, including me."

"But after tonight, everyone shut up."

"All of us are counting on you, counting on you to lead this bunch of old, weak, sick, and disabled players to do something great—at least, make the damn playoffs!"

"So..."

Nick Young took a step forward, staring into Lin Feng's eyes.

"Don't let all that messy stuff ruin everything at a time like this."

"That wouldn't just ruin you; it would ruin all of us and ruin Kobe's expectations."

The room fell silent.

Lin Feng could see a kind of sincerity in Nick Young's eyes.

It wasn't feigned; it was a heartfelt desire for victory and concern for the team's future.

At this moment, Lin Feng suddenly felt that he wasn't fighting alone.

Behind him stood a team.

There stood a group of teammates who craved victory just as much as he did.

This sudden sense of belonging to a team was like a warm current, dispelling the irritation and pressure in his heart caused by Yoona's arrival.

"Thank you, Nick."

Lin Feng spoke, his voice equally solemn.

"I understand."

He didn't offer much of an explanation, only a promise.

"I will handle everything."

Nick Young looked at him, and from Lin Feng's calm and determined gaze, he understood something.

The serious lines on his face finally relaxed, revealing a familiar, somewhat roguish smile.

"Good."

He patted Lin Feng's shoulder.

"Don't let us down, Your Majesty."

With that, he turned, gave a cool wave of his hand, and walked out of the apartment.

The door closed.

Lin Feng was alone in the room once again.

He stood there, digesting the "advice" Nick Young had brought.

He picked up his phone, which had been tossed on the sofa.

On the screen was a message he had just received.

It was from Yoona.

The content of the message was a short sentence and an address.

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

"I'm at..."

It was the address of a top-tier luxury hotel in Beverly Hills.

Lin Feng looked at the address, and his brow furrowed again.

He closed his eyes.

Eye of the Heavenly Emperor!

His brain began to work at high speed.

Countless images and possibilities flashed and were deduced in his mind.

Scene one: He changes clothes, puts on a hat and mask, and drives to the hotel.

Scene two: At the hotel entrance, paparazzi disguised as passersby press their shutters the moment he gets out of the car.

Scene three: He walks into the hotel lobby, the gazes of the front desk staff, the phone cameras of guests hiding in corners... countless invisible lenses are aimed at him.

Scene four: The next day, TMZ, major entertainment headlines, and sports headlines are all set off.

"Confirmed! Lakers' New King's Late-Night Private Meeting with K-POP Diva!"

"Secret Romance Exposed! Lin Feng's Public Image Crumbles!"

Bombs of public opinion are detonated one after another.

Fan wars, sponsors' doubts, team pressure, Kobe's disappointed eyes... all the consequences presented themselves in his mind like clear lines of cause and effect, finally converging into one result.

Walking right into a trap.

No.

Going directly to see her was the stupidest choice.

This game of chess couldn't be played like that.

He needed a plan.

A plan that could break the deadlock, or even take the initiative and move everyone's attention away from Yoona.

A foolproof strategy.

Lin Feng opened his eyes, walked to the wine cabinet, and poured himself a glass of water.

The cold liquid slid down his throat, clearing his mind even further.

A bold, even somewhat crazy idea gradually took shape in his heart... The next day.

The entire North American online world was once again boiling because of Lin Feng.

But this time, what ignited public opinion wasn't his god-tier performance on the court, nor was it that Korean girl who had come from afar.

It was another woman whose name also resonated across the globe.

TMZ, North America's largest gossip media outlet, published a set of exclusive high-definition photos in the most prominent position on their homepage.

The background of the photos was the entrance to the Lakers' heavily guarded private training facility.

A blonde figure wearing a simple summer dress and sunglasses stepped out of a black minivan.

She was tall and had a powerful aura; even in a candid shot, she was as beautiful as a painting.

It was none other than the music diva, Taylor Swift.

What was even more explosive were the next few photos.

Taylor Swift walked into the training facility without any obstacles.

On the sidelines, she stood side-by-side with Lin Feng, who had just finished training and was covered in sweat, talking intimately.

The clarity of the photos was extremely high, even showing the undisguised gaze of a smile and admiration as Taylor looked at Lin Feng.

And the headline TMZ provided for this set of photos was even more simple, direct, and explosive.

【Exclusive Visit! Taylor Swift and Lin Feng's "Training Facility Date"!】