novelraw Chapter 70: Straightforward Northeastern-Style Interviews
Chapter 70: Straightforward Northeastern-Style Interviews
The revelry in the locker room lasted for a long time before gradually subsiding.
Beer bottles and champagne foam crunched underfoot on the floor. Team members slumped against benches, some dozing with their trophies in hand, others belting out "Ode to the Motherland" off-key. Lin Hao leaned against a cabinet, the ice pack on his ankle mostly melted, icy water trickling down his trousers and into his socks, but he was oblivious, only repeatedly rubbing the gold medal around his neck, still warm from his body.
"Haozi, stop standing there! The press conference is about to start, and the reporters are practically breaking down the doors of the press center." Zhao Dabao rushed in carrying a clean national team jacket, and couldn't help but gasp when he saw the mess on the floor. "My goodness! Did you guys tear down the locker room? Bago's shoulders are something else! He's even warped the door. Won't the organizers make us pay for this later?"
Lin Hao forced a smile, took the jacket and draped it over his shoulders. The fabric rubbed against the wound on his left chest, causing him to wince slightly in pain. "Fine, I'll pay. I can just deduct it from my prize money. Besides, we won the championship, so what's wrong with tearing down a locker room?"
"Come on," Zhao Dabao straightened his collar and lowered his voice, "The leaders of the Basketball Association specifically instructed us to say less of what we shouldn't say at the press conference, especially about that biased referee and the South Korean team. Just use official platitudes to get by and don't cause trouble."
Lin Hao didn't speak, but raised an eyebrow, a hint of arrogance flashing in his eyes.
The press center was already packed, with flashes of light going off like a storm. When Lin Hao limped into the venue, the previously noisy scene instantly fell silent, followed by thunderous applause.
He walked to the center of the stage and sat down, next to Coach Jiang Xingquan and Yao Ming. Coach Jiang patted his leg and whispered, "Don't force yourself. If you really can't, just sit down and talk."
Lin Hao shook his head and straightened his back.
At the start of the press conference, the reporters' questions were relatively mild, mostly concerning the game's proceedings and their feelings about winning the championship. Yao Ming and Coach Jiang took turns answering, their words appropriate and watertight. Then, a reporter from South Korea stood up and asked in broken Chinese, "Mr. Lin Hao, what do you think of the South Korean team's performance today? Many South Korean fans believe that the Chinese team's victory was not honorable, relying on home advantage and biased refereeing."
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room erupted in uproar.
Coach Jiang's face instantly darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Hao grabbed the microphone first.
Instead of getting angry, he grinned, his thick Northeastern accent carrying throughout the venue through the microphone: "How was the South Korean team's performance? Hahahaha, that was 'great'!"
"I've played basketball for so many years, and I've never seen anyone use more dirty tricks than them." Lin Hao counted on his fingers, "Tug on clothes, pull arms, step on feet, grab groin, the variety of tricks is more than the sauerkraut jars my grandma makes. In the last three minutes, Fang Chengyun scratched three bloody marks on my collarbone. I even suspected that he had practiced the Nine Yin White Bone Claw."
"As for home advantage?" Lin Hao scoffed, pointing to his ankle, which was swollen like a bun. "Is this what you call home advantage? If the referee were really biased towards us, he would have been sent off eight times already. We win by fighting, by sheer hard work and blood, not by those underhanded tricks."
"And let me tell you South Korean fans," Lin Hao leaned forward, his eyes sharp as knives, "next time we meet, we'll still win. And we'll win even more decisively, leaving you no chance to even make excuses."
His words were delivered with resounding force, silencing the entire room. The South Korean reporter's face flushed red and then paled; he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word, and slunk back down.
Immediately following, the entire audience erupted in even louder applause and cheers. Chinese reporters clapped excitedly, and camera flashes went off wildly once again.
Zhao Dabao, sitting in the audience, covered his forehead, both laughing and crying: "Oh no, this kid's gotten carried away again. He's definitely going to get a scolding from the boss when he gets back. But... that scolding was fucking satisfying!"
The live broadcast of the press conference instantly went viral across the entire internet.
The topic exploded on Weibo's trending searches. The three hashtags #LinHaoKoreanTeamHasMoreSneakyMovesThanSauerkraut#, #HowSatisfyingItIsForNortheasternersToRoastPeople#, and #LinHaoWillWinNextTime# dominated the top three spots on the trending search list, and the number of views exceeded one billion in just one hour.
Netizens were in an uproar:
"Hahahaha, the Northeastern dialect is so effective at insulting people! The metaphor of a 'pickled cabbage jar' is brilliant!"
"Lin Hao is so tough! He doesn't tolerate any bad habits!"
"I cried. He played the whole game despite his injury, and then he had to be questioned by the Koreans. Anyone would be angry in that situation?"
"This is what Chinese players should be like! Skilled, spirited, and neither arrogant nor humble!"
After the press conference, Lin Hao did not accept any individual interviews and rushed back to Beijing with the rest of the group overnight.
The plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at 10 a.m. the next day.
The moment Lin Hao pushed his suitcase out of the arrival gate, he was completely stunned.
The entire airport terminal was packed to capacity, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of fans, waving Chinese national flags and banners proclaiming "Lin Hao MVP" and "Pride of Chinese Basketball," chanted in unison the moment he emerged.
"Lin Hao! MVP!"
"China! Champions!"
The deafening shouts almost lifted the airport ceiling.
Lin Hao's eyes instantly reddened. He stopped and bowed deeply to the fans.
"Thank you everyone! Thank you all for coming to pick us up!"
The fans became even more excited, surging forward to shake his hand and get his autograph. Security personnel had to form a human wall to barely maintain order.
"Dabao, take the canned peaches out of the trunk," Lin Hao suddenly turned to Zhao Dabao and said.
Zhao Dabao was taken aback: "Huh? Why are you moving canned food? Wasn't that for you to take back and eat?"
"Just move it when I tell you to," Lin Hao said with a smile. "So many fans have come all this way to pick us up; we can't let them come for nothing."
Zhao Dabao slapped his forehead and quickly ran out to move the canned goods. A little while later, he and several staff members pushed back three full boxes of canned yellow peaches.
Lin Hao picked up a can, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to the little girl at the front: "Little friend, here you go. Eating canned yellow peaches will make you strong and healthy, and you can play basketball and win championships in the future."
The little girl took the can of food, her eyes sparkling, and said in her sweet, childish voice, "Thank you, Brother Lin Hao! I want to be as amazing as you when I grow up!"
Lin Hao smiled, patted her head, and then continued to distribute canned food to the fans behind him.
"Don't push, everyone, there's enough for everyone!"
"Handle it slowly, be careful not to drop it!"
The golden canned peaches shimmered in the sunlight, like tiny suns. The fans received the cans, their faces beaming with joy. The previously chaotic scene instantly transformed into a heartwarming one.
A reporter squeezed up to Lin Hao, holding a microphone, and asked, "Lin Hao, why did you think of distributing canned peaches to the fans?"
While twisting the can lid, Lin Hao casually replied, "Isn't this a tradition in Northeast China? Eating a can of yellow peaches is good for anything. If you win a championship, celebrate with a can of yellow peaches; if you're sick, a can of yellow peaches will help you recover faster. I hope everyone will be happy after eating this can."
The reporter then asked, "So what are your plans next? Are you going back to the United States immediately to prepare for the new season's training?"
Upon hearing this question, Lin Hao stopped what he was doing. He looked up at the densely packed fans in front of him, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.
"No," he said, each word distinct, his voice carrying throughout the airport terminal through the microphone. "The first thing I'll do upon returning home isn't to go back to America, nor is it to rest."
"I want to start a youth training camp."
The entire room fell silent instantly.
Lin Hao took a deep breath and continued, "I know that Chinese basketball is still lagging behind the world. My individual victory doesn't mean anything; only when more young people step up can Chinese basketball truly become strong."
"I will personally teach at this youth training camp. There will be no tuition fees, and food and accommodation will be provided. As long as you love basketball, are able to endure hardship, and are not afraid of fatigue, you can sign up. I want to teach them everything I learned in the United States without reservation, and cultivate more Chinese players who can play in the NBA."
"I named this youth training camp Spark."
"A single spark can start a prairie fire. I believe that one day, Chinese basketball will be like that spark, igniting the entire world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence, followed by a deafening roar of applause and cheers.
"Good! Well said!"
"Spark Youth Training! I want to sign up!"
"Lin Hao is awesome! There's hope for Chinese basketball!"
Countless fans were moved to tears, waving their national flags vigorously.
Just then, a cold system notification suddenly rang in Lin Hao's mind:
[Ding! Host has achieved a national-level honor: Leading the Chinese men's basketball team to win the Asian Championship!]
[Triggering a special temporary buff: National Honor!]
[Buff effect: All attributes +5%, Duration: 30 days!]
[Note: Bringing glory to the nation is an unparalleled honor! Your efforts are changing the fate of basketball in this country!]
Lin Hao was slightly taken aback, then a bright smile appeared on his lips.
Looking at the sea of red before him, and at those young and hopeful faces, he felt a surge of strength within him.
He knew this was just the beginning.
His legend, and the legend of Chinese basketball, has only just begun.
That afternoon, Lin Hao did not linger in the capital and boarded a flight to Fengtian.
As the plane soared into the sky, he saw the city below grow smaller and smaller through the window, eventually becoming a blurry outline.
Zhao Dabao sat next to him, scrolling through the news on his phone, muttering to himself, "My god, what you just said is trending again! The whole internet is talking about Xinghuo Youth Training now, the registration hotline is ringing off the hook! Lots of companies are coming to us asking for sponsorships, we're going to be rich!"
Lin Hao leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and smiled.
Making money was not his goal.
What he wants is for more children who love basketball like him to avoid the detours he took and the unnecessary grievances he suffered.
He wanted to plant a seed of basketball on this black soil.
Then, watch it take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.
Fengtian, I'm back.