85: The Three Queens' "Declaration of War"

The homepage of the TMZ website.

That headline, more striking and explosive than daylight, burned fiercely into Yoona's pupils like a branding iron.

[The Diva Was Just a Smokescreen? Lin Feng’s Late-Night Rendezvous with a Mysterious Woman, Staging the Emotional Drama of the Year!]

Below the headline was a surveillance screenshot that was blurry, yet still clearly showed the profile of Lin Feng!

The shura field had been completely exposed and detonated!

Lin Feng’s heart sank to the bottom at that moment.

He knew he had underestimated the power of these media hyenas.

Almost simultaneously, the phone in Lin Feng’s pocket began vibrating frantically at an unprecedented frequency.

The buzzing sound was like the death warrant of the Grim Reaper.

Countless calls and messages surged onto the screen like a breached tide, instantly overwhelming the entire interface.

David Falk.

Head of the Los Angeles Lakers Public Relations Department.

Team Manager Kupchak.

There were even several unfamiliar numbers from the League Headquarters.

His public relations team was completely paralyzed at this moment.

Three romantic relationships were exposed simultaneously, involving two world-class Divas and one Top K-Pop Idol.

A scandal of this magnitude was unheard of in the entire history of the NBA.

"How could this happen..."

Yoona's voice was shaking uncontrollably. She stared intently at the phone screen; that surveillance screenshot was a judgment letter to her.

"How did they manage to capture..."

Lin Feng didn't speak. He took Yoona's phone and closed the glaring webpage.

Then, he took out his own phone, which was about to explode, and immediately pressed the power-off button.

The world was finally quiet, for now.

"It's okay."

He held Yoona's shoulders, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I'm here. The sky won't fall."

His voice was steady, as if the massive storm outside had nothing to do with him.

But just then, Yoona's phone lit up again.

It wasn't a call, but a social media notification.

The source of the notification was Taylor Swift's official account.

She had just posted an update.

There was no picture, no video, just a short English lyric.

“I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”

(I knew you were trouble when you walked in.)

This lyric came from one of her most popular singles.

But the meaning was self-evident when posted at this particular moment.

This was a public statement.

It was a separation, a drawing of a clear line, and even more, a resentful "victim" declaration.

She told the world in the most Taylor Swift way possible—that she was also one who had been kept in the dark.

Yoona looked at the English sentence. Although she couldn't fully understand it, she recognized the word "trouble."

She could also sense the overwhelming rage of a Queen emanating from behind that sentence.

Her face grew paler.

Things were heading in the worst and most chaotic direction.

And this was only the beginning.

A few minutes later, another news story popped up.

Hollywood's top actress, Scarlett Johansson, issued a brief yet powerful statement to the media through her spokesperson.

"Mr. Lin and I are merely friends."

"However, I believe that adults have the right to choose their private lives, and this should not be over-interpreted or interfered with."

This statement was a masterpiece.

On the surface, it severed all ties, with the phrase "merely friends" cleanly distancing herself.

But the latter half seemed to be defending Lin Feng, adopting a sophisticated, condescending attitude of watching a show.

As if saying: This Little Lion has caused quite a bit of trouble, but that's his own business.

It was a sophisticated show of support, and also a sophisticated form of distancing.

This woman was always so clever, so flawless.

If Taylor's response was a sharp sword aimed at Lin Feng, then Scarlett's statement was a shield watching the fire from the other side of the bank.

Two Queens, two completely different attitudes.

Making the already chaotic situation even more turbulent.

Lin Feng looked at these two news items, his heart turning cold.

He realized for the first time how powerless his proud [Eye of the Heavenly Emperor] was outside of the basketball court.

He could see through all the tactics on the court, but he couldn't see through the hearts of these three women.

Just then, Yoona, who had been silent, suddenly made an unexpected move.

With trembling hands, she opened her personal social media account.

Her Agency had just released an official statement claiming that she and Lin Feng were just ordinary friends, and their late-night meeting was to discuss future music collaboration.

This was a weak and unbelievable excuse.

But Yoona uploaded a new photo below that official statement.

In the photo, she wasn't visible, only an open notebook.

The notebook was densely covered with Chinese Pinyin and characters.

The handwriting was graceful, showing the dedication put into practicing.

And below the photo, she added a sentence in Korean.

"I am trying hard to enter your world, so please wait for me."

This sentence formed a stark contrast with the cold statement from her Agency.

This was a girl's most helpless yet bravest confession right in the eye of the storm.

She chose neither to distance herself nor to hide.

She used her most clumsy yet most sincere way to show her feelings to everyone, including Lin Feng.

Lin Feng looked at the photo and the Korean sentence, his heart feeling tightly clenched by a hand.

Three top Goddesses.

Responded to the incident in three completely different ways.

One publicly drew a line.

One ambiguously watched the fire from afar.

One bravely rushed into the fire like a moth.

The public opinion nuclear bomb detonated by TMZ completely spiraled out of control after the three female leads personally stepped in.

Lin Feng's image plummeted from the highly anticipated "Los Angeles Golden Boy" in just a few hours.

"Playboy."

"Time Management Master."

"The NBA's Number One Scumbag."

Various labels filled with mockery and denigration surged toward him overwhelmingly.

His commercial value was hanging by a thread.

Several major brands he was negotiating with began to adopt an ambiguous attitude.

There were even rumors that some brands were considering suspending all cooperation with him.

The League President's Office also conveyed a severe warning through his Agent, demanding that he immediately resolve his personal image issues and avoid bringing negative impacts to the entire league.

Internal and external troubles.

Lin Feng was caught in the biggest public relations crisis, and life crisis, since obtaining the System.

He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the Presidential Suite, looking at the still-bustling Los Angeles night view outside, yet feeling trapped in an airtight cage.

Yoona, in his arms, had cried herself to sleep due to excessive shock and exhaustion.

He gently carried her to the bed and tucked her in.

Then, he walked back to the living room alone and lit a cigarette.

He didn't know how he should conclude this affair.

Apologize? Apologize to whom?

Explain? Who would listen to his explanation?

This game of chess seemed to have reached a stalemate.

Just as he was frantic and at a loss.

The phone he had turned off rang persistently again after being switched back on.

The name on the caller ID made Lin Feng's pupils contract slightly.

Kobe Bryant.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered the call.

On the other end of the line, there was no questioning, no anger, only silence.

After a long pause, Kobe's familiar, husky voice finally spoke, unusually calm.

"Come to the Arena."

Lin Feng was stunned.

"Right now, the only thing that can save you is basketball."