Chapter 048: The Matter Escalates (Part Two)

Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin were still on their way to the hospital when news of the altercation exploded online.

“Shocking! Newly crowned MVP assaults Beicheng fans after the match!”
“Finals end in chaos—rumor has it Lin Feng and Beicheng fans brawled!”
“Internet abuzz: Lin Feng clashes with Beicheng fans, Qin Ruolin possibly involved!”
...

Major news portals all published similar headlines almost simultaneously. The moment the story broke, it triggered a massive storm across the internet.

After all, just half an hour ago, Lin Feng was still the celebrated hero worshipped by thousands. He had singlehandedly turned the game around, leading his team to clinch their first league championship, and was crowned Finals MVP—a glory beyond compare!

While the fever of Jiangning’s victory was still spreading, this “scandal” of Lin Feng allegedly assaulting Beicheng fans erupted. How could anyone not be shocked?

In an instant, all eyes were drawn to this incident.

Yet the details from each site were scant; they merely stated that Lin Feng and Beicheng fans had exchanged blows, that Qin Ruolin was present, and included a single photo from the scene. In the image, every Beicheng fan looked furious, while Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin were only visible from behind. There were no reports about the cause, outcome, or any developments of the incident.

Even so, the event’s popularity soared. On Weibo, sports forums, and every news site’s comment section, chaos reigned.

“Damn, is this for real? Someone please tell us the truth!”
“It must be true, just look at Lin Feng—he doesn’t seem like a good guy at all!”
“Upstairs must be a Beicheng fan.”
“Another Beicheng fan chiming in.”
“No matter what, I support Lin Feng. If only because he brought Jiangning the championship!”
“You upstairs are ridiculous. What’s the use of great skills if you have bad character? Today he hits Beicheng fans, tomorrow he might hit you!”
...

“Let’s not jump to conclusions before the facts are clear, okay?”
...

On Lin Feng’s Weibo comment section:

Wu Xiaonao’s Magic Castle: Divine Feng’s Guard is on standby. Until the truth comes out, all trolls stirring trouble are advised to show some respect. Insult our Divine Feng and we’ll expose your accounts!
A Cup of Tea: If you trust Divine Feng, tap the top right corner to show your support!
IQ Overload: Front row! Selling bottled water, sunflower seeds, and grilled fish snacks~~!
Big Mouth 618: Lin Feng, we want the truth! Qin Ruolin’s Music Kingdom, we want the truth!!
Dragon’s Sea Soul: You can clearly see in the news photo that there are over twenty Beicheng fans, and only Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin! Yet the headline claims Lin Feng assaulted Beicheng fans? A mutual brawl? Editor, where’s your integrity? Have you ever seen one person beat up over twenty others???
...

The incident continued to escalate.

Soon, there was a new development. A Weibo user named “Black and White” published a lengthy post, claiming to be one of the Beicheng fans “assaulted” by Lin Feng.

“As someone directly involved, I think it’s necessary to clarify the entire sequence of events so the public can see a certain someone’s ugly true colors!”

“After the finals’ award ceremony, I and over twenty friends from the Blue Storm Fan Association went to the parking lot to get our cars and head home. That’s when we ran into Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin, who were also heading to their car. Many of us are fans of Qin Ruolin, so we approached her for an autograph. At first, the diva was going to sign for us, but Lin Feng saw many of us wearing Beicheng jerseys and told her to refuse. He even made a ‘trash’ gesture at us!”

“When Lin Feng did that, some of us were upset and booed him. He immediately started cursing, calling Beicheng trash and saying our fans had no class.”

“We fired back, but out of nowhere, Lin Feng charged over and kicked the vice president of our Blue Storm Fan Association to the ground. When we confronted him, he slapped one of us. We simply couldn’t take it anymore, so a fight broke out. But Lin Feng is an athlete, tall and strong—we were no match for him. Several of us were hurt, myself included. We called the police, and now everyone’s at the station waiting to give statements!”

“Here are a few photos from the scene—see for yourselves!”

The post contained four pictures: two captured Lin Feng mid-punch, while the other two were injured selfies of two men—one with a swollen black eye, the other missing a tooth. Both looked miserable.

At first, this post didn’t make much of a splash since “Black and White” had few followers. However, Beicheng’s head coach Wang Chunsheng immediately reposted it, commenting, “Assaulting fans is intolerable behavior. The Basketball Association must punish him severely! The authorities must act!”

With Wang Chunsheng’s endorsement, the post went viral. The public had been waiting for “answers,” and since “Black and White” provided “photographic evidence,” nearly everyone who saw it believed his account.

Lin Feng instantly became the nation’s punching bag.

His Weibo was the first battlefield for netizens to vent their outrage. The page was flooded with insults, and even some fans who had supported Lin Feng before now turned against him.

Even within the Divine Feng Guard, fierce debate broke out, splitting into two camps: one steadfastly loyal to Lin Feng, the other choosing neutrality, refusing to take any further action in support until Lin Feng offered an explanation.

Online condemnation of Lin Feng grew louder and louder, with many prominent figures speaking up as well.

Zhou Ziqian: “He even hits fans? That’s disgraceful and uncivilized! If I ever beat him on ‘Music PK Show,’ will I get beaten up too?”
Jiang Kai: “His basketball isn’t that impressive, but he sure can fight. Impressive indeed!”
Chen Xi: “He wins the game, then assaults our fans? Unbelievable! I strongly urge the Basketball Association to ban such players from the league!”
CCTV Host Duan Wei: “News like this is shocking. Such a talented athlete on the court, yet off the court, he does something like this. One can only sigh, and hope it was just a momentary lapse.”
Official account of the Basketball Administration Center: “We are currently investigating the conflict between Lin Feng and Beicheng fans. Once the investigation is complete, we will announce the results and any disciplinary actions regarding the players involved.”

Watching the waves of outrage online, Lin Feng couldn’t help but frown, “It seems things have gotten out of hand.”
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