stonecrandall Chapter 43 Spike's Scheme
Chapter 43 Spike's Scheme
2009年1月13日，上午10:00。
Li Xiangbei's apartment in Tribeca, Manhattan, New York.
The morning sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and onto the floor.
He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, shirtless.
The body in the mirror was strong and powerful, but the taut muscles were covered with the marks left by last night's fierce battle.
His arm bore the scratches left by Pierce, and his chest had a large bruise—a souvenir of Garnett's brutal collision.
Although the system strengthened his physique, these superficial injuries and pains were real.
"hiss……"
"Those old guys, they really went all out."
He walked out of the bathroom and turned on the TV in the living room.
ESPN's flagship program, First Take, is rebroadcasting highlights from last night's game.
On the screen, Mike Breen was yelling the classic "Bang!" and the scene of Li Xiangbei hitting the buzzer-beating three-pointer to win the game was being replayed over and over again.
The headline was extremely eye-catching: "New York has a new Ewing? No, he is the first Li Xiangbei."
In the studio, Charles Barkley is arguing with Smith:
"I take back what I said before! I don't care if his votes were rigged or not, but his performance last night... God! He shut Garnett up! Did you guys see that game-winning shot? I felt like he even had time to fix his hair in mid-air! That was God wearing the number 8 jersey!"
Smith, on the other hand, wore a smug expression that said, "I told you so."
"This is the son of New York! This is the leader we need! From this day forward, Madison Square Garden belongs to the Lee family!"
Li Xiangbei watched TV, a slight smile playing on his lips.
[System Notification: First-ever game-winning shot against the defending champions, reputation points greatly increased]
[Achieved Special Title: Celtics Buster]
[Effect: When playing against the Boston Celtics, your shooting percentage is slightly increased (+3%), and you are less affected by their trash talk.]
"The Celtics' nemesis?"
Li Xiangbei smiled and took a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"That sounds good. I think it'll be even more popular in Boston next time."
……
8:00 PM.
Brooklyn, Greenburg.
This is Spike Lee's private mansion.
As a renowned Black director in Hollywood and one of the Knicks' most fervent and famous die-hard fans, he did something big tonight.
He hosted a private victory celebration dinner for the entire Knicks team.
In New York's world of fame and fortune, this is an extremely high level of courtesy.
It's worth noting that Spike Lee usually wouldn't even give the mayor face, but he treats Knicks players, especially those who bring in victories, like his own sons.
Inside the banquet hall, the lighting was soft and the music was gentle.
"Li!! My child!!"
Spike Lee, dressed in an extremely flashy orange suit and wearing a Knicks baseball cap, rushed over excitedly as soon as he saw Li Xiangbei and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Do you know how long I've waited?!"
The short director's eyes were slightly red.
"In the '90s, Reggie Miller killed us, Michael Jordan killed us. We shed too much blood and tears at Madison Square Garden! Finally! Finally, there's a killer wearing our own jersey!"
"That goal last night... Oh God, I watched it at least a hundred times! It was so beautiful! It was art!"
Li Xiangbei smiled and let the enthusiastic old man shake his arm.
"Thanks, Spike. This is just the beginning."
"That's right! This is just the beginning!"
Spike Lee produced an exquisite gift box as if by magic.
"This is a gift for you. It's one of a kind."
Li Xiangbei opened the box. Inside was a custom-made orange director's hat, exquisitely crafted.
On the front of the hat, embroidered in gold thread, were the words:
"The director of Madison."
"Put it on," Spike Lee said solemnly. "From tonight onwards, you'll be writing the script for Madison Square Garden."
Not far away, at the buffet table.
Randolph, holding a huge Boston lobster and with his mouth stuffed full of meat, was rambling on to David Lee next to him.
"See that, David? That's what you call style!"
Randolph pointed to Li Xiangbei, who was being introduced to celebrities by Spike.
"Following the boss means not only wearing a Rolex, but also getting to eat at Spike Lee's house. That's life! Back when Marbury was around, we could only go to those smoky nightclubs. This is class! This is what class is!"
David Lee smiled and nodded, then raised his glass and took a sip.
Indeed, the victory after last night's fierce battle has changed the entire team's temperament.
That image of the "big brother" has been deeply imprinted in everyone's mind.
……
9:30 PM.
The banquet reached its climax.
A blonde woman in a black backless evening gown appeared on the terrace, arm in arm with Li Xiangbei.
Scarlett Janssen.
Although the two did not publicly acknowledge their relationship to the media, everyone in this top-tier celebrity circle tacitly understood it.
The evening breeze was slightly cool.
Li Xiangbei tilted his champagne glass slightly, and his tie was a little loose.
Scarlett stretched out her long, slender fingers and gently straightened his tie, then smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit.
"You are now the king of New York."
Scarlett leaned close to his ear, her voice tinged with a hint of teasing and pride.
"And me? I'm the king's woman?"
Li Xiangbei turned his head to look at those eyes that were still bright in the night. He reached out and gently put his arm around Scarlett's slender waist.
"No."
Li Xiangbei chuckled lightly, his tone carrying an undeniable domineering air.
"You are my queen."
Scarlett smiled, a smile that could make anyone forget their inner troubles.
Just then, several local entertainment program hosts walked over.
"Lee! Do you have anything to say about tomorrow's game? The opponent is the New Orleans Hornets, and Chris Paul is currently the best point guard in the league."
Upon hearing this question, Li Xiangbei's smile became even more languid and confident.
After last night's life-or-death battle against the Celtics, his mindset has completely changed.
If he was once the challenger who wanted to dethrone the emperor, now he has begun to view his opponent in a different light.
"Paul?"
Li Xiangbei swirled the champagne glass in his hand, watching the bubbles rise within.
"He's a great point guard. He's very skilled and his passing is very accurate."
Li Xiangbei paused, then looked up.
"However, before we enjoy the real feast of LeBron James..."
"We need a delicate dessert to whet our appetites."
The host was stunned. An appetizer? A dessert?
That's Chris Paul! The god of point guards!