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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, the front of the NBA headquarters was packed with media from around the world. Live broadcast vehicles lined the street like an army, and reporters were tense, their cameras focused on the conference hall, on the glass door that symbolized the order of basketball.
A press conference was about to rewrite history.
Silver stepped onto the stage, impeccably dressed in a suit. Although his expression was calm, a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. In front of him lay a thick stack of papers, but he did not flip through them; instead, he took a deep breath and cast his gaze upon the crowd below, a sea of reporters waiting like sharks eager to see who would falter.
He raised the microphone, his voice slightly tense yet commanding.
"Dear media friends, thank you for being here today. I know that in the past few days, the league has faced unprecedented controversy and division. But because of this, we must choose to confront it rather than evade it."
The reporters below stirred restlessly, with one immediately raising a hand and shouting:
"Excuse me, President Xiao, is this pressure coming from the Zhang Family? Are you unable to accept defeat? Is the Trick Team influencing your decisions?"
Another reporter quickly followed up: "Is this rematch meant to quell violent protests? Has there been an official compromise?!"
Yet another sports network reporter jumped in: "Or is it that the Heavenly Kings Team simply can't be relied upon and needs a second game to save face?!"
The scene erupted into chaos, flashes from cameras illuminating the room as noise filled the air.
Silver frowned slightly but did not back down. He raised his hand to signal for silence.
"I need to clarify one thing." His tone became firm, even carrying a rare hint of anger.
"This game is based on mutual consent; it is neither forced nor manipulated."
"They want more than just victory; they want—an indisputable outcome."
"Therefore, the rematch will take place—in seven days. We will hold it at a neutral venue, with no audience present, broadcasting live throughout—no edits, no delays, no special effects—only basketball and the truth."
The venue fell silent for a few seconds, only to erupt once more.
"Who will appoint the referee?"
"How can you guarantee fairness?"
"Will there be a public technical review?"
"Will the player roster change? Is Jay Chou still the coach?"
Silver did not answer each question individually; he simply gazed at the reporters, their eyes burning with the desire for news, as if he were speaking to society as a whole.
"I... I can only say so much."
He paused, then looked up at the ceiling illuminated by the reporters' lights, murmuring a final remark:
"May God... bless America."
With that, he set down the microphone and turned to leave, his silhouette stretching long under the flashing lights.
In that moment, the entire world understood—this was not just a Rematch; it was Judgment Day.
When Silver announced "the Rematch in Seven Days," it felt as if the whole world had been struck by lightning—not a blackout, but a plunge into a frenzy of neural overload.
This was not a countdown to a game; it was Earth's preparation for a seven-day festival leading up to the final judgment.
On the first day, the entire nation went wild with gambling.
Las Vegas was packed to capacity, and underground betting across America exploded; even legitimate betting companies declared, "System overloaded, please place your bets later."
The betting options were endless—
Who would score first?
Who would commit the first technical foul?
Would Xiao Fu suddenly rush onto the court to play?
Would the competition turn into a musical during halftime? There were even bets placed on whether Jay Chou would sing "Nocturne" in the fourth quarter and unleash his Nunchaku Combo.
The next day, the United Nations held an emergency meeting. Yes, that's right, the United Nations. This was due to citizens from various countries taking to the streets to protest in support of different factions. Supporters of the Trick Team occupied the square in front of the Louvre Museum, shouting, "Mother Zhang is the order of the world!" Meanwhile, supporters of the Heavenly Kings Team played a giant LED display in Shibuya, broadcasting Harden's step-back for 72 consecutive hours, causing complete traffic chaos. The Secretary-General of the United Nations had to step in, stating, "We urge both teams to settle this peacefully; please stop rushing into airports shouting 'not a step back!'"
On the third day, the music industry fell into chaos. The remix of "Not A Step Back" shot straight to number one on Billboard. Zhang Jianing's inspirational quotes were adapted into a Lo-fi Chill Beat, becoming the top background music for YouTube study sessions worldwide. Jay Chou announced that he would create a brand new battle theme song titled "Slam Dunk Secret" specifically for the competition and perform it live on the day of the event, with lyrics and music co-written by him and Lin Shu-Wei (who only contributed one line: "you know, that's just how America is").
On the fourth day, global corporations went wild trying to capitalize on the hype. McDonald's launched the "Harden Step-Back Double Layer Burger," with the tagline: "Take a bite; there's no turning back." Nike released a limited edition KD sneaker called "God's Fadeaway," with a QR code on the sole that, when scanned, displayed a 3D animation of Bill giving Poole the finger. Tesla announced that their cars would autonomously drive to the arena's perimeter that day, playing "Nunchaku" and "Ceasefire Wound" on repeat.
On the fifth day, world leaders began to take sides. The Prime Minister of Canada spoke in Parliament wearing a "TEAM BEAL" headband: "We support silent but accurate assassins." President Biden was caught off guard during a press conference when asked who would win; he hesitated and quietly said, "I remember when I was young... I played basketball... I shot better than Poole." As a result, stock markets plummeted that day.
On the sixth day, Poole exploded during a live stream. He streamed for five hours straight, loudly proclaiming, "I am the main character! I will take on Bill one-on-one; I will soar and dunk; I will rap while doing flips at halftime!" He then took off his shirt and revealed a gold foil outfit, claiming it was "the holy garment of the main character." At the end of his stream, he did a handstand selfie and said to the camera, "Mother Zhang said that as long as I'm cool enough, even if I lose, I've won." This stunt caused TikTok's "Poole Challenge" to go viral, with teenagers around the world crazily imitating his handstand speech.
On Day Seven, Mother Zhang held an international press conference.
She walked onto the stage in a pristine white suit, resembling an angel, yet her tone was as cold as hell:
"We haven't lost; we've merely delayed our victory."
"That match was a Social Experiment."
"This Rematch is not just about winning or losing—it's the decisive battle between the New World and the Old World."
She picked up a glass of red wine, gazing into the camera with a smile:
"I'm waiting for you to step into my Restricted Area, to bleed more Nosebleeds. Hehehe."
The world held its breath.
At that moment, the Heavenly Kings Team released a video: Jay Chou stood in the center of the basketball court, wearing a trench coat, with Nunchaku hanging at his back. He turned his head and softly said:
"You think we only sing?"
"Seven Days have passed—it's time for us to speak through basketball."
The screen went black, and subtitles appeared:
FINAL GAME: The Intersection of Gods and Trickery.
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