Chapter 039: Divine Maple Descends from the Heavens

The scene of the match.

There were four minutes and fifty seconds left before the game ended.

The score on the court: 106 to 84.

Jiangning was trailing by 22 points. With less than five minutes remaining, the gap seemed an insurmountable chasm.

Shen Ziqiang called a timeout. Faced with this deficit and the dwindling time, all he could do was tell his players to relax, to try for three-pointers.

An inexplicable sadness hung over the entire Jiangning bench. After all, they had been so close to the championship they had long dreamed of.

Now, their championship dream was about to shatter once more...

No one knew if they could make it back to the finals next year. The competition in the league was growing fiercer by the day, and no team could guarantee consecutive finals appearances. In fact, this year was Jiangning’s best chance at the title. They had the finest domestic players, outstanding foreign talent. But as their main players fell one by one to injury, the team plummeted into darkness, losing three straight games. Just when everyone thought Jiangning would once again fall in the finals—

Lin Feng burst onto the scene, single-handedly saving the team and two match points, dragging the finals into a winner-take-all Game Seven!

It was he who reignited the flame in the hearts of millions of Jiangning fans!

It was he who pieced together their shattered dreams!

And now, it was he who, with his own hands, was about to bury everything he had given them.

Every Jiangning fan believed that if Lin Feng could take the court, the game would not be as it was now.

But, as the CCTV commentator had said, there is no "if" on the stage of competitive sports!

...

Online.

Lin Feng’s microblog comment section was once again flooded by Jiangning fans.

Let’s Wander Together: Lin Feng, have you forgotten your promise? Do you know how many Jiangning fans shed tears of happiness when you said “I dare!” six days ago? A man's word is worth a thousand gold! If you’re still a man, appear on the court! Now, on behalf of all Jiangning fans, I still want to ask you: Lin Feng, do you dare to bring the championship trophy back to Jiangning??? Please answer me!!!

Wu Xiaonao’s Magic Castle: Lin Feng, the Divine Feng Guard will always support you. I still believe you won’t let all your friends down!

Big Mouth 618: Damn you, Lin Feng! Do you know what it feels like when hope is shattered? If you can’t shoulder responsibility, don’t make promises!

Dragon Sea Soul: Missing Person Notice! Jiangning Jaguars Club’s famous star Lin Feng disappeared this evening, last seen with renowned pop diva Qin Ruolin at her Music Kingdom. If you have any information, please tell Lin Feng—millions of Jiangning fans are waiting for him in front of their TVs, we won’t leave until he shows up!

...

Jiangning City.

At the Heat Bar, nearly a hundred die-hard Jiangning fans gathered to watch this Game Seven, among them Lin Feng’s father, Lin Changdong.

With the team trailing by a huge margin, the fans in the bar were all in low spirits, especially Lin Changdong. He had hoped to witness his son lift the championship trophy, but to his shock, Lin Feng had not appeared in this crucial game. He’d called Lin Feng dozens of times, but could never get through.

“Sigh, looks like that’s it for this game.”

“Damn it, if only Lin Feng were here!”

“Old Lin, what’s your son playing at? I heard he went off to join some ‘Original Good Songs’ show, why don’t you stop him?”

“Yeah, he could’ve waited until after winning the championship before joining a singing competition!”

“All right, knock it off. When that kid gets back to Jiangning, I’ll give him a piece of my mind!” Lin Changdong said angrily. He was fuming over Lin Feng running off to participate in ‘Original Good Songs.’

“Old Lin, if you want to teach Lin Feng a lesson, we’re all behind you! It’s not like we’re being petty—your son really is out of line. All of Jiangning pinned their hopes on him, and he goes off to some damn music show. He needs a good thrashing!” The last speaker was Zhou Shouqiang, owner of the Heat Bar. He had once played for Jiangning and was Lin Changdong’s teammate before retiring and opening the bar.

“All right, everyone, it’s about time to head out, I’m switching channels. I don’t want to watch Beicheng win the championship!” Zhou Shouqiang called out, “And settle your tabs, the championship’s lost, I’m not hosting anyone tonight. Damn, this is heartbreaking!”

...

At the match, in the commentator’s booth.

“There’s not much time left for Jiangning. If they can’t close the gap to around ten points in the next two minutes, this game is hopeless,” Duan Wei said.

“Yes, they’re standing at the edge of the cliff. One more step and it’s a bottomless abyss! The only way to avoid falling is for a miracle to happen, just like in Game Five! Honestly, I still hope Lin Feng comes out, even if Jiangning ultimately loses. At least, for their fans, there would be no regrets, and also—”

“Sorry to interrupt, Coach Liu Nan, but the director just told me our intern reporter Meng Tong has live footage from outside the arena. Let’s take a look.” As Duan Wei finished speaking, the TV screen split. The lower right corner showed the game paused, while the main screen switched to outside the stadium, where a tall figure was running at full speed. Seeing that figure, millions of Jiangning fans waiting in front of their TVs were instantly brought to tears.

The figure sprinting towards the stadium was the one they had worried over all match, the one they loved, hated, obsessed over, and adored—Lin Feng!

“Oh my God! Lin Feng!!”

“It’s Lin Feng!!!”

Duan Wei, Liu Nan, and every fan watching gasped in unison.

Home fans also saw the scene on the big screen above the arena. Instantly, the festive atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.

They could not forget how, just six nights ago, the championship that was already won was snatched away by this man!

They could not forget how, just six nights ago, this man stunned the entire Beicheng arena with one incredible three-pointer after another!

They could not forget how, just six nights ago, in the last second of the match, this man soared and launched the final three-pointer, clinching the game!

To Jiangning fans, Lin Feng was an angel, a superhero.

But to Beicheng fans, Lin Feng was Satan, their inescapable nightmare.

The Game Five buzzer-beater, the slaughter in Game Six, still fresh in memory!

And now, just when everyone believed the championship was settled, he had returned!!!

...