Chapter 120: Havoc in Heaven

Qin Ruolin lived in a villa complex in Yanjiao, and it was already past ten when Lin Feng arrived.

At this hour, the massive villa was occupied only by Qin Ruolin and her assistant, Xu Lili. Qin was curled up on the living room sofa, covered by a blanket, while Xu attended to her with meticulous care.

Lin Feng sat down beside her. Due to her illness, Qin’s face was pale, and she looked quite frail.

"You seem to be very ill. Should I take you to the hospital?" Lin Feng asked, a sense of tenderness rising within him as he looked at her haggard appearance.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest. Going to the hospital is too much trouble." Seeing Lin Feng, a faint smile graced her lips. "I heard you passed the tryout for the New York Knicks. Congratulations."

"You’re well-informed. That must have been Qin Han’s doing," Lin Feng said with a smile.

"Speaking of Xiao Han, he’s certainly caused you a lot of trouble lately," Qin Ruolin sighed softly.

"He has been quite a handful," Lin Feng shrugged. "But I’ve gotten used to the trouble. Besides, I actually feel a bit lost now that I don't hear him nagging in my ear."

Qin Ruolin smiled, pressing her lips together; she knew her brother’s personality all too well.

"Let’s talk business." Qin Ruolin forced herself to sit up on the sofa and spoke with a serious expression. "It is true that your friend hacked the Basketball Association’s official website, but he didn't implicate you. The Association only released that statement to suppress your momentum because you openly challenged their authority."

Lin Feng nodded. "I know. The Association is just killing the chicken to scare the monkey, showing everyone the consequences of resisting them. As for my friend, I absolutely believe he hacked the site, but I would never believe he tried to frame me."

"Is that why you rushed back so quickly?" Qin asked.

Lin Feng hummed in agreement. "Even though he didn't consult me before hacking the site, he did it to stand up for me. Now that he’s in trouble, I can't just stand by."

Qin Ruolin nodded and said, "My old man said he would handle your situation, including your friend’s."

"This?" Lin Feng frowned. "Director Qin wouldn't help me for no reason, would he?"

"Of course he isn't doing it for no reason." Qin Ruolin gave him a resentful look. "But even as stubborn as he is, he wouldn't just watch his son-in-law be toyed with by others."

"Son-in-law...?" Lin Feng scratched his head. "This misunderstanding is only getting deeper..."

"It’s all Xiao Han’s fault for saying those things on the live broadcast." Qin Ruolin shook her head and continued, "However, the old man isn't doing this solely to help you. He said he needs a catalyst—a catalyst to change the current model of the Basketball Association."

"Oh?" Lin Feng was slightly surprised. "What kind of reform does Director Qin want to implement?"

"I don't know the specifics, but he says that for years, our country’s major ball sports have either been stagnant or regressing, which proves that the existing system is deeply flawed. He believes that both basketball and football should adopt Western models. He tried to push for reform before, but faced immense resistance within the Sports Bureau because reform threatens certain people’s interests. It’s not easy to initiate, and to succeed, he needs a catalyst—a reason, one that is strong enough to silence everyone. Right now, he believes the catalyst for reforming the Basketball Association has arrived, and that catalyst is you!"

"Me?" Lin Feng looked blank.

"Yes. He said you’ve already turned the Basketball Association upside down; why not add more fuel to the fire?" Qin Ruolin rubbed her forehead and looked at Xu Lili. "Didn't the old man say he was coming to talk to Lin Feng in person? Why isn't he here yet? My head hurts so much..."

"If your head hurts, get some rest."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Qin Weiguo’s voice echoed from the doorway.

"Old man, you’re finally here," Qin Ruolin breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Director Qin," Lin Feng stood up to greet him.

Qin Weiguo frowned. "There are no outsiders here; there’s no need for such official titles."

"Alright, Uncle Qin..."

"Yes, that’s better." Qin Weiguo beckoned to Lin Feng. "Let’s go to the study to talk, and let Ruolin get some rest."

"That works."

Lin Feng followed Qin Weiguo into the study. Xu Lili brewed a pot of tea for them and then tactfully withdrew.

"Ruolin must have told you about my thoughts," Qin Weiguo said while sipping tea.

"Yes," Lin Feng nodded. "But I don't quite understand—what can I do?"

"There is plenty you can do. The current Basketball Association is like the Heavenly Court, and you are Sun Wukong. What you need to do now is cause a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace. In fact, you’ve already started, but I hadn't realized it before and underestimated your strength. I used to think you were, at best, a wild monkey incapable of making much of a splash. But I heard you passed the NBA tryout and have even negotiated a contract. That’s why I believe you can be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven—you have the ability to turn the 'Heavenly Court' upside down!" Qin Weiguo said with a look of longing. "The reform I’ve been planning for so long might finally come to fruition."

"Uncle Qin, I still don't quite understand. If I cause a ruckus, you can push through reforms?" Lin Feng asked.

Qin Weiguo smiled and nodded. "I don't just need you to cause a scene; I need you to make it big—the bigger, the better. However, there is a prerequisite: you must secure your footing in the NBA. You don't need to achieve extraordinary stats; a stable bench position will suffice. Of course, if you can shine, it will be even more helpful for my plan."

"So, in short, I only need to do two things: cause trouble for the Basketball Association, and play well in the NBA?" Lin Feng asked, finding it hard to believe. It seemed too simple.

Qin Weiguo nodded. "You could put it that way."

"Is it really okay to cause as much trouble as I want?" Lin Feng asked, unsure.

"Of course. Even if you tear a hole in the sky," Qin Weiguo said.

"Can I really act like Sun Wukong wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Palace?"

"Yes!"

"But Sun Wukong was eventually suppressed by the Buddha..." Lin Feng curled his lip.

"Do you think I would suppress you?" Qin Weiguo took a sip of tea and smiled at him.

"Uh, I suppose... not?"

"Don't worry, even if I wanted to suppress you, Ruolin wouldn't let me!" Qin Weiguo laughed and shook his head.

Lin Feng rubbed his hands together. "With your word, Uncle Qin, I feel much better. Well, I’m going to go post on Weibo now. I’ve been holding back because I was afraid they’d make things difficult for my friend..."

Qin Weiguo smiled and shook his head. "Do whatever you like. But I must be going now. I hope you’ll keep our conversation today to yourself."

"Wait, Uncle Qin, is my friend alright?" Lin Feng called out as Qin was about to leave.

"Don't worry, he won't suffer any injustice; he’ll just lose a few days of freedom," Qin Weiguo said.

"Oh, that’s a relief."

Knowing that Ou Lin was safe, the weight was finally lifted from Lin Feng’s heart.

Five minutes later, Lin Feng updated his Weibo.

*Regarding the lifetime ban from a certain Shoe Association:*

*First, is your Association a joke? I never registered with you, so on what grounds are you giving me a lifetime ban?*

*Second, since you’ve issued a public statement, I will continue to file appeals against this "punishment"!*

*Third, my personal advice is that your Shoe Association should disband immediately, as your existence is the greatest obstacle to the development of basketball in this country.*

*Fourth, I hereby announce that from now on, not only will I not participate in the national team, but I will never again appear on the CBA court (unless the Shoe Association dissolves, in which case that’s a different story).*

*Finally, one more announcement: I have just passed the tryouts for the New York Knicks. If the Shoe Association has the ability, they are welcome to come to the NBA court and ban me...*