"Li Feng, what the hell do you mean? Fxxk!" Jenna said indignantly, a layer of frost covering her pretty face.
Since they started dating, Jenna had always been gentle and amiable in front of Li Feng, never having lost her temper with him.
"Jenna, what's wrong? I was just about to tell you..."
"I know everything. Your mother, my future mother-in-law, is sick. Why didn't you take me with you to see her?"
Li Feng was dumbfounded.
Although their relationship was intimate, they had never discussed marriage, nor had they met each other's parents.
Li Feng was mentally prepared for the possibility that they might break up if they didn't get along.
However, Jenna's behavior today clearly indicated her intention to return to China with Li Feng, dragging a suitcase.
"Jenna, I... I didn't not want to bring you, but my mother is already hospitalized. You're so busy with work, I thought I shouldn't bother you..."
"Is work more important, or is family more important? Do you mean you don't want to marry me in the future?"
Li Feng was suddenly moved. He pulled Jenna into his arms, tears streaming down his face—
"Jenna, I will marry you. I want to marry you..."
Seeing that he still had time, Li Feng picked up Jenna and walked towards the bedroom.
Jenna was both shy and anxious, calling out in a soft voice, "Aren't we going to the airport? You..."
"I'll manage the time..."
...
That evening, Li Feng and Jenna appeared at the airport in Beijing, China.
Many fans were waiting for Li Feng at the airport, but Li Feng didn't stop. Under the protection of security, he quickly left the airport and headed towards his hometown with Jenna.
When Li Feng saw his mother at the hospital, he felt a pang of sadness, as the blood in her body was his.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back." Li Feng and Jenna walked to the bedside.
Jenna also greeted them in her broken Chinese: "Uncle, Auntie, you are well..."
Li Feng's father, Li Tongshun, who had just turned fifty, was stunned to see Li Feng returning with a foreign girl.
"Xiao Feng, this is..."
Seeing that his mother looked better, Li Feng held her hand and said, "Dad, Mom, this is my girlfriend, her name is Jenna."
"Jenna? That sounds like a Chinese name. What's her dad's name?"
"No, no, Dad, that's a transliteration. Her full name is English, Kendall Jenner."
"Kendall..."
"Alright Dad, let's not talk about this for now. How is Mom?"
"Alas, your mother had surgery yesterday. The doctor said the blood loss wasn't significant, and as long as she doesn't get agitated or angry, she'll be fine."
Li Feng saw his mother move her lips, unable to speak, and comforted her a few times.
"Mom, I'm back this time, and I can stay for many days. Don't worry."
Seeing that his mother was out of danger, Li Feng's heart was put at ease.
Jenna took out a gold card from her bag and handed it over, saying in English, "Uncle, please accept this card. Use it to get the best doctors for Auntie. If possible, I hope to go to the United States to treat Auntie."
Li Feng was also taken aback. Jenna hadn't mentioned giving money beforehand, but he didn't stop her, as it was Jenna's gesture.
Li Tongshun couldn't understand English, but he roughly understood Jenna's intention and quickly pushed it away.
"Xiao Feng, your girlfriend... Jenna... means to give me money, right? No, no, the money you give me is enough..."
Li Feng thought for a moment. If he refused directly, Jenna might misunderstand.
"Dad, please accept it. This is Jenna's kind gesture. When she was in the United States, she kept talking about wanting to visit you both."
Seeing Li Feng's request, Li Tongshun accepted the card.
"Uncle, the password for this card is Li Feng's birthday. You can withdraw money from any international bank."
Li Feng relayed the message. Li Tongshun was very touched, not expecting this foreign girl to be so thoughtful.
In the evening, Li Feng and Jenna stayed at the hospital to take care of his mother. The next morning, they returned to the hotel to rest.
Jenna was really something. Even though she hadn't adjusted to the time difference yet, she held on and stayed with Li Feng at the hospital for a night.
When they returned to the hotel, Li Feng asked, "Jenna, how much money is in that card? I'll give it back to you later, after all, we're not married yet."
Jenna's expression darkened again: "What do you mean? You're haggling with me over this little money?"
"How much is it?"
"Two million. If you return it, I'll go back to the United States immediately!"
Seeing Jenna's sincerity, Li Feng hugged her and said softly, "My dear Jenna, thank you so much. I'm so happy that you came back with me!"
...
The NBA playoffs were still in full swing.
Li Feng's departure seemed to have given a shot in the arm to all the playoff teams in the league, except for the Knicks.
Returning to their home court, the Celtics welcomed the third game of the series.
Despite the other Knicks players giving their all, without Li Feng, their overall strength was significantly weaker.
In the end, the Celtics won by 17 points, tying the series.
The fourth game was similar to the third, and the Knicks lost again.
The series was tied at 2-2!
And Li Feng's return date was still undecided.
All fans felt regret. Li Feng's absence had made the Knicks instantly lose their championship competitiveness.
Perhaps, this was fate!
Three consecutive championships were incredibly difficult. As soon as the team encountered problems, they would lose the championship.
The games in other series were also very intense.
After defeating the Magic 4-2 in the first round, the Heat were leading the Bulls 3-1.
In the Western Conference second round, it was quite unexpected. The Spurs swept the Clippers 4-0.
The Thunder were leading the Lakers 3-1.
The "Big Four" of the Thunder had shown their potential, and their significant lead over the Lakers indicated that the league's generational shift was at hand.
The next game captured the attention of hundreds of millions of fans, as several series had reached match point.
Returning to their home court, the New York Knicks were united in spirit.
Yao Ming knew Li Feng's importance, but with the situation as it was, he had to show his attitude.
Therefore, Yao Ming announced that they must win this game and also declared that he would take on the offensive responsibility.
As the fifth game began, the Knicks played with one heart and soul, achieving a dream start amidst the cheers of the audience.
In the first quarter, with over five minutes played, the Knicks led 15-6, a nine-point advantage.
Yao Ming alone scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, proving to be a dominant force in the paint.
It was evident that Yao Ming was truly giving his all!
However, at the start of the second quarter, the Celtics increased their intensity, and Yao Ming was met with fierce double-teams.
At 8 minutes and 41 seconds of the second quarter, while turning for a layup, Yao Ming was knocked down by Garnett and O'Neal.
Yao Ming clutched his knee, sitting on the ground in pain.
All the Knicks fans' hearts sank...
It's over, it's over...
The team doctor quickly ran over and performed a brief examination. They discovered that Yao Ming had a knee problem and decided that he could not play any further in this game.
But Yao Ming disagreed and wanted to continue playing, but the coach and his teammates persuaded him.
After all, he was no longer a young man, over thirty years old, and had played three consecutive NBA Finals, resulting in significant physical wear and tear.
Yao Ming eventually withdrew from the game.
Without Li Feng and Yao Ming, the Knicks could no longer hold on.
In the third quarter, the Celtics went on a scoring run, blowing out the game.
In the end, the Celtics emerged victorious, taking a 3-2 lead over the Knicks and reaching match point.
And there was still no news of Li Feng's return.
The results of other games were also out.
The Heat defeated the Bulls 4-2 in the East, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the West, the Spurs defeated the Clippers 4-0, and the Thunder defeated the Lakers 4-1.
The Spurs and the Thunder would face each other in a final showdown to see who would emerge from the Western Conference!
The Heat fans and LeBron James' fans were overjoyed.
They believed that once the Knicks were eliminated, the Heat's Big Three would fear no one, and this year would surely be their championship.
LeBron James also confidently stated in an interview, "We will not only win this year's championship! We will win it next year, the year after, and the year after that!"
Indeed, LeBron had this confidence. Apart from Li Feng's Knicks, no other team could stop the march of the Heat's Big Three!
Knicks fans were filled with despair recently. The three-peat that was within their grasp had vanished like smoke.
If they had known before the playoffs began that the team had no hope of winning the championship, they might have been psychologically prepared.
But with the games going so well, Li Feng's sudden return to China was a twist that many fans couldn't accept.
The sixth game was about to begin, and there was still no news of Li Feng's return.
Yao Ming's injury assessment also came out: he would need at least a week of rest before he could play again.
This meant he would miss the next game.
If the Knicks were eliminated by the Celtics, then Yao Ming and the other Knicks players would have to go home and fish.
Although it was regrettable, there was nothing they could do. Life was like this, and things were unpredictable.
...
The sixth game between the Knicks and the Celtics was about to tip off.
This was at the Celtics' home court, and many Celtics fans were already preparing to celebrate their victory.
Although the Heat's Big Three were also very strong, the fans knew that the Knicks, with Li Feng, were the most formidable.
As long as they could overcome the Knicks, they could contend with other opponents!
...
At the Celtics' pre-game press conference, Garnett and Pierce were interviewed.
A reporter asked, "Mr. Garnett, the Celtics have secured match point. Do you have confidence in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals?"
Garnett said with a smug curl of his lips, "Of course, we have confidence. We will definitely reach the Eastern Conference Finals!"
"If Li Feng and Yao Ming were playing, would you still have confidence?"
The reporter had trapped Garnett.
Garnett's lips moved, but he remained silent.
He knew that if Li Feng played, the Celtics would undoubtedly lose.
But the current situation was: Li Feng couldn't return at all!
So Garnett gathered his courage and roared, "Even if Li Feng and Yao Ming were here, we wouldn't be afraid! We are going for the championship!"
The reporter smiled and didn't say anything more.
Another reporter turned to Pierce and asked, "Mr. Pierce, you played at your peak in the first two games, averaging 28 points. How many points do you think you'll score in today's game?"
Pierce chuckled, "Today? I'll score 35 points today!"
The reporter's eyes widened, "Really? The Knicks will fight hard today!"
"What's the use of fighting hard? Our strength is evident. Today is the final game."
...
The Celtics, from top to bottom, were all confident and ready to welcome victory.
The media was the same. The Knicks, without Li Feng, were simply no match.
The players from both sides were warming up on opposite ends of the court, and the game was about to begin.
The Celtics' side was lively, with players chatting and laughing with each other, appearing very relaxed.
In contrast, the Knicks' side was dispirited, with players looking serious and speaking little.
Although Lowry and Yi Jianlian occasionally shouted encouragement, it had little effect. The team's overall strength was inferior, and no matter how hard they tried, it was useless.
Moreover, this was the Celtics' home court, and their morale was not as high.
The most arrogant was Pierce, who deliberately walked to the Knicks' side and shouted loudly, "Don't blame me for not telling you in advance. Today we will beat you by 20 points! If you surrender early, we can win by a little less..."
Those words were infuriating. Yi Jianlian, burning with anger, immediately jumped over and pointed at Pierce, shouting, "What the hell are you? If Li Feng and Yao Ming were here, they'd beat the shit out of you!"
Pierce's expression changed. He hadn't expected Yi Jianlian to bring that up.
In a previous game, Pierce had been beaten to a pulp, becoming a laughingstock among fans.
"Say that again, and see if I don't crush you later!" Pierce pointed at Yi Jianlian and roared arrogantly.
Yi Jianlian didn't back down and raised his fist as if to strike.
Players and coaches from both sides quickly rushed over to separate them.
The reporters were delighted. This was extremely explosive material.
Without Li Feng and Yao Ming, this game was already lacking excitement. If a fight broke out, the ratings would be higher.
...
As the players from both teams entered the court, the Knicks players came out one by one, with Yi Jianlian being the last.
After all, at this point, only Yi Jianlian and Lowry were the core players of the Knicks.
Unexpectedly, after Yi Jianlian came out, the arena announcer suddenly stopped.
It seemed something had happened, as the technical table personnel left and headed towards the player tunnel.
The fans in the arena didn't know what was happening and stood up, looking towards the technical table.
After a while, the arena announcer declared—
Knicks player Li Feng would play in today's game!
The announcement shocked the entire arena!
Not only the Celtics players and fans, but even the Knicks players were stunned.
Li Feng was back?
How was this possible? There hadn't been any rumors before!
Everyone in the arena looked towards the player tunnel—
And there, Li Feng slowly walked out!
The Knicks teammates were ecstatic and all rushed over, surrounding Li Feng!
However, the Celtics side objected.
Because according to NBA regulations, the starting lineup must be confirmed 30 minutes before the game.
This meant that no changes to the lineup were allowed within 30 minutes.
However, the Celtics were disappointed, because Li Feng's return was to save the league, to save the NBA!
Since Li Feng's departure, the NBA playoff ratings had plummeted.
The NBA was a commercial league; whoever could save the ratings was the boss!
Michael Jordan was the same back then.
When Jordan retired, even U.S. stock prices fell, showing Jordan's influence at the time.
Although Li Feng hadn't reached that level yet, the NBA ratings had indeed fallen off a cliff after Li Feng's departure!