The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 107 The Postman, Be Brave

On February 15th, Tang Bei called the Consulate General in Houston.

There is no Chinese consulate in Miami; its affairs are handled by the Consulate General in Houston. He has some matters to consult.

Hummer gave him an H1 last time, and after driving it for a while, he felt it was very good, so he spent $7 to buy a high-end customized version to drive in China.

He only told Eric Fleischer after placing the order, and then he learned that shipping cars from the United States back to the US was considered an import/export matter and required import/export procedures.

Export procedures to the US are relatively straightforward; today they've come to inquire about how to handle import procedures from China.

Tang Bei was also a sports star, and almost all the staff at the consulate general knew him. They immediately explained the relevant legal provisions to him.

According to domestic laws, only certain individuals are allowed to purchase a car in the United States and bring it back to China. For example, employees of overseas companies stationed in China or students studying in the United States can import one car duty-free.

If these specific individuals want to import a second vehicle, they must go through extremely strict approval procedures, and even if they can prove that it is for personal use and not for sale, the likelihood of approval is very small.

Once approved, it can only be carried out as general import trade, and the combined tariff, value-added tax, and consumption tax may reach 300%.

Furthermore, individuals do not have import and export trade qualifications and need to entrust an import and export trading company, which requires a high agency fee.

“Mr. Tang Bei, your status is similar to that of an international student in the United States, which meets the requirements for importing a car duty-free, but you need to go through a qualified import and export company as an agent.”

"Okay, thank you."

On February 17, 1993, the Heat defeated the Pistons at home, ending their schedule before the All-Star Weekend.

The Heat have significant injury problems. As the season progresses, their rotation sometimes consists of only nine players, leading to a significant drain on the players' stamina. In February, they achieved a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, losing to the Suns, Nets, and Cavaliers.

With a record of 30 wins and 19 losses, a winning percentage of 61.2%, the Heat have fallen back to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

At 8:30 a.m. on the 18th, Tang Bei and his group boarded a passenger plane bound for New York.

The signing ceremony took place on time at 2 p.m.

Tang Bei secured a contract with FILA, Inc. in the United States, along with a first-year endorsement fee of $600 million in cash.

However, the details and amount of the contract were not disclosed. It was only announced that Tang Bei received 10% of the company's shares and a 5-year contract.

In addition, the shoe brand is named "Tang", abbreviated as TB, and the TB first generation of shoes will be released before the start of the playoffs.

In addition, the company will immediately invest funds to establish a branch of the Tang brand in China, initially launching mid-to-low-end sports shoes.

Eric Fleischer cautioned, "Don, FILA in the US has taken a huge gamble; all its funds have been invested in this plan. If it fails, bankruptcy is inevitable."

Tang Bei asked, "Isn't Fila's headquarters involved?"

Fleischer said, "FILA in the United States is an independently operated company, which means that the operating rights of FILA in the United States have been sold, and the head office has no right to interfere."

He then added, “The Chinese market is very important. Their market research personnel went there at the end of last year and are still there now.”

Fila in the US saw the potential in the mid-to-low-end athletic footwear market there, a massive market with at least 700-800 million people—the potential was huge, and that was the biggest reason they signed you.

Fila USA invited many media outlets to participate, including ESPN.

With the television program airing across the United States, Tang Bei became known to the public as the third NBA player to receive a signature shoe contract.

Regardless of what others said, the three super centers were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred when they found out, and they thought to themselves, "This world is so unfair."

"I never wear any Fila products."

But the first person to fire on Fila was the postman Carl Malone.

Superstars only earn a few hundred thousand dollars a year for shoe endorsements, so why should a damn rookie, especially a Chinese guy, get a signature shoe contract?
The second to fire a shot was surprisingly Pippen, who spoke to the media in a sarcastic tone:
“What kind of low-end brand is Fila? My eldest son bought a pair yesterday, and I threw them in the trash.”

At 3 p.m., Tang Bei had already boarded the plane bound for Salt Lake City.

Once on the plane, Eric Fleischer reminded him, "Tang, you're Chinese, and you have a strong personality and style. You've made a lot of enemies in the league, and you might be ostracized by the All-Stars. Jordan was ostracized the first time he participated in the All-Star Game, so you need to be mentally prepared."

That's not surprising. Tang Bei thought for a moment and said, "It's alright. I can make friends through martial arts. You can't be friends without fighting."

"what?"

Eric Fleischer and John Liu were both stunned.

"Any news about that Japanese man?" Tang Bei asked.

"Not yet."

Eric Fleischer shook his head and said, "You're so big, your strength and explosiveness can easily overwhelm him, and your speed isn't bad either. The level difference is too great, and your swordsmanship is excellent. He won't easily decide to challenge you. If you lose, you'll be finished like Siegel."

At this time, in a residence somewhere in eastern Japan, Masahiro Miyazaki is facing immense pressure.

After returning to Japan, he shut himself away, cut off all contact with the outside world, and devoted himself entirely to the training of kendo.

Although he declared his intention to challenge Tang Bei, he had not actually made up his mind. Tang Bei's enormous physique, terrifying talent, and powerful swordsmanship put immense psychological pressure on him.

His delay in issuing a challenge to Tang Bei has greatly displeased the Japanese martial arts community, as have the media.

The title of Sword God, forged over many years, has become shaky in a short period of time.

Outside his residence, extremists frequently staged demonstrations, pressuring him to immediately challenge Tang Bei.

In the martial arts world, especially the swordsmanship world, many seniors often visited him, urging him to challenge Tang Bei.

The reputation of the Heavenly Demon Dojo, which he founded, has declined.

This unprecedented and unparalleled god of swordsmanship in Japan has fallen into a state of confusion.

At 9 p.m., Tang Bei and his two companions arrived in Salt Lake City on a passenger plane, and checked into the hotel arranged by the Alliance at 10:30 p.m.

At 5 a.m. on the 19th, Tang Bei got up to do his morning exercise as he has done for more than a decade.

Just after eight o'clock, the noise in the corridor outside increased, and he stopped practicing his skills.

I went out for breakfast and saw Pippen, Jordan, and a group of All-Stars, who were also probably going to have breakfast and were waiting for the elevator.

After looking around and seeing no reporters, not even hotel or league staff, he rushed over, pushed Larry Johnson aside, and slapped Pippen on the shoulder, causing Pippen's shoulder to tilt, his legs to tremble, and he almost knelt down.

Grabbing Pippen by the back of the neck, Tang Bei said coldly, "Pippen, which brand of sneakers do you endorse? Tell me so I can throw it in the trash."

Someone said: "The Nike Air Maestro sneakers released in November 1992 were team sneakers endorsed by All-Stars such as Pippen, John Stockton, and Tim Hardaway, and were the third tier of contracts."

"Oh, the third tier, huh? No wonder they're jealous of my contract."

Tang Bei glanced at the screen and saw that it was Thomas, the Smiling Assassin, who was speaking.

"Let go, please let go!"

Pippen was terrified. His entire neck and tailbone went numb and he couldn't feel anything. He thought he was going to be paralyzed.

"Don, you can't do this," Jordan quickly stopped him.

Tang Bei loosened the nerves, and Pippen's legs went weak. If Jordan hadn't caught him, he would have collapsed.

Nike?

Tang Bei glanced at Pippen's feet and said, "I'll buy two pairs of those worn-out shoes that you and Karl Malone endorse, then throw them away in front of the media."

"And you, Karl Malone."

He turned around and saw the postman.

"Boy, what do you want to do?"

Karl Malone spat out a furious remark through clenched teeth.

The elevator doors opened, but no one went in; everyone wanted to see what was going on.

Tang Bei looked at Larry Johnson in the crowd and said, "Larry, tell him how we resolved the conflict. I think your approach was good, very manly."

Larry Johnson scoffed and said to Karl Malone, "Find a room, close the door, and have a one-on-one fight. Winner takes all."

Tang Beichong gave Larry Johnson a thumbs up. Although this short guy wasn't very good at playing basketball, he was tough and had a good character.

His conflict with Larry Johnson was a struggle over interests; there was no right or wrong.

He said to Karl Malone, "The postman is a man, so you should resolve our conflict using his methods, okay?"

"OK."

Almost all the All-Stars are here; Karl Malone couldn't possibly refuse.

He knew very well that if he refused, the reputation of being tough would be gone forever; he would be seen as a coward, and wherever Tang Bei was, he would have to disappear.

Moreover, he also wanted to take revenge on Tang Bei, preferably by breaking a few of Tang Bei's bones or giving him a severe concussion that would require a hundred stitches.

"Postman, if I beat you up by myself, then I'm bullying you. How about I find you a helper?" Tang Bei suddenly said.

"Oh..."

The postman was so angry that his forehead throbbed and he felt dizzy; it seemed like his concussion was about to flare up again.

Who is the better fighter among them?

"They're both very strong, aren't they?"

"The postman learned his lesson, Tang should be more capable."

"No, that was on the court. The Mailman wasn't on guard when he shot. They haven't played against each other off the court. They'll only know who's better after they play against each other."

A group of All-Stars were discussing amongst themselves. Tang Bei spotted another short guy, waved him over, and shouted, "Barkley, don't look at the others, it's you. I know you want to hit me. Come out, you're in the party. I'll take on two of you."

"Wow, Barkley and Don also have a conflict?"

"Why not? There was a media report last time that Tang threw Barkley off the court."

"Isn't Barkley supposed to be a great fighter? Even he couldn't beat Don?"

"Don is a guy who's even better than Steven Seagal."

"Come on, Tang is definitely a noob in front of professional fighters."

A group of All-Stars have started gossiping again, and the key is that their voices are very loud, with no attempt to hide anything.

"Fuck you!"

Barkley was furious. "I've been avoiding you, but you've gone too far. I'm going to beat you to death this time!"

He looked at the postman; the two didn't get along, and since they were both in the West, the competition was fierce, even hostile.

The postman remained silent. Although his relationship with Barkley was bad, it was definitely better than with Tang Bei. Moreover, Barkley was quite skilled, and he wouldn't object to teaming up with him to deal with Tang Bei.

Seeing that the mailman didn't object, Barkley yelled at Tang Bei, "Tang, the two of us are going to take on you. If we lose, don't try to cheat."

Tang Bei smiled and said to Pippen, "Pippen, count me in too, I'll take on three of you."

"NO!"

Pippen was never known for his toughness, nor was he afraid of losing face; he decisively refused.

Barkley egged him on: "Idiot, it's three against one, are you afraid we can't win? The Mailman's elbow, my grappling, you just need to stab him in the ass from behind."

Tang Bei glanced at Barkley and clenched his fist.

"You're afraid of three against one?"

The postman shamelessly emphasized.

“OK, count me in, I’m going to teach him a lesson.” Pippen was also furious, staring at Tang Bei and nodding hatefully.

"Sardine, I know you want to hit me the most. I'll give you a chance and see if you can pull it off." Tang Bei looked at O'Neal.

"My name is Great Shark, don't give me random nicknames."

O'Neal was a little flustered. He was genuinely afraid of Tang Bei, but the four-on-one situation was also tempting.

"Sardine, you're in the top tier, one against four."

Tang Bei made his decision without waiting for O'Neal to calm down, and O'Neal surprisingly did not object.

He then looked at Jordan and asked, "Air Jordan, you injured three of your teammates in the last game, what about you?"

Jordan retorted irritably, "Do I have a personal conflict with you? Don't bite people here. Let's settle things on the court."

Tang Bei gave a thumbs up and nodded, saying, "You and Pi Lao Er are indeed on different levels. He's a bit despicable; jealousy has driven him mad. He'll never amount to anything. You, on the other hand, are."

"This bastard!"

Being slapped in the face in front of a group of All-Stars made Pippen so angry that his legs went weak.

Jordan seemed to have a sense of mutual respect for Tang Bei.

He simply couldn't understand why Pippen would target Tang Bei because of his signature shoe contract. Perhaps, as Tang Bei said, jealousy really does drive people crazy.

"Ewing, what about you?" Tang Bei stared at Ewing again.

Ewing shook his head and said, "We'll talk about this after Oakley recovers. He said he'll settle that score with you sooner or later, and even if he can't win, he'll have to fight you again."

Tang Bei gave a thumbs-up for the third time, nodding appreciatively and saying, "You're loyal and have guts. If you do it again, I'll break even more of his bones."

"what?"

Ewing was stunned. Shouldn't you two appreciate each other?
"puff!"

A group of All-Stars burst out laughing.

The five entered Tang Bei's room, and after closing the door, a group of All-Stars immediately sprang to attention outside, eavesdropping.

“I’ll be the bookmaker, I’m betting on the Mailman to win,” Jordan said.

"Larry, you know Don best, which side are you betting on?"

Last time, the Knicks lost to Tang Bei even though they had several players. Ewing didn't have as much confidence in the Mailman as he did in Jordan, so he asked.

Larry Johnson said, "Don's boxing skills are at least top amateur heavyweight level. In a one-on-one fight, none of the four men, including the Mailman, could last a round, or even a few punches."

"what?"

"Top-tier amateur heavyweight, isn't that close to professional level?"

"A professional heavyweight boxer, Tang is that strong?"

A group of All-Stars were very surprised.

Jordan looked at Larry Johnson, who then said, "But now it's one against four, so I don't know."

"I also pressure the postmen."

"Tang definitely can't beat four of them at once. He's too arrogant. I'll bet on the postman and the others."

All-Stars were clamoring to bet on the Mailman's four players, so Jordan couldn't continue his winning streak and had to give up.

Inside the room, Tang Bei said, "Let's get this straight first. This fight will settle our scores. If you lose, you have to accept it and behave properly in front of the winner from now on. Otherwise, I'll beat you up every time I see you, OK?"

Barkley immediately shouted, "Let's get this straight, we're going to participate in the All-Star Game. We can't make a big deal out of this, and we can't lose face."

Tang Bei immediately retorted, "Fuck you, Barkley, if you're too scared to fight, get out of here, or I'll slap your face."

"Tang, you're going to get what's coming to you today."

Barkley's face turned red instantly. After shouting something, he threw a punch and charged forward, thus beginning a chaotic brawl between one man and four.

Tang Bei stood in the corridor behind the door, which was only one meter wide. To his left was a wall, to his right was the bathroom, and opposite was the bedroom.

His position created a one-man defense; although there were four opponents, only one could rush up.

"Oh!"

With his left arm blocking and his right arm rising, he delivered a Tai Chi-style ground-striking blow, striking Barkley's skull from above.

"Buzz!"

Barkley felt as if a giant bell was tolling in his head, and he suddenly felt like he was floating.

This is why Tang Bei didn't dare to exert his full strength. Otherwise, with his explosive power and the force of thousands of pounds, if he were to strike with his hammer, he could at least give Barkley a severe concussion, if not shatter his skull.

Bones can generally withstand a maximum force of 500 kilograms. The skull may be slightly higher, so a solid punch could still cause a fracture.

"on!"

"Hit him!"

As Barkley charged forward, Pippen and O'Neal stayed at the back, shouting enthusiastically, forming a lively duo.

"Fuck you!"

The mailman knew he couldn't be trusted just by looking at Pippen and O'Neal. He cursed and then rushed up after Barkley.

At this moment, Tang Bei grabbed Barkley's shoulders with both hands, even though he was already stunned by the beating. In Salt Lake City in February, the temperature was around zero degrees Celsius in the morning. Barkley was wearing a thick wool coat, and Tang Bei held him tightly.

"Go to hell!"

He shook Barkley twice like he was shaking a giant vat, then suddenly flipped him up with terrifying force, lifting the 200-pound Barkley and throwing him onto the bed.

"Where am I? What am I doing? Am I still alive?"

Barkley flew up and landed on the bed, rolled twice, and slammed into the headboard with a thud. He was completely stunned and bewildered, as if his soul had left his body, and just lay there panting.

"squeak!"

The mailman who rushed up saw Barkley, who weighed about the same, being thrown into the air. That was a piece of flesh weighing over 200 pounds! His liver and gall bladder trembled, and he slammed on the brakes.

"God, I shouldn't have come in."

"This guy is a devil!"

Pippen and O'Neal, who were cheering from behind, were terrified when they saw this scene, like chickens with their throats being choked.

"come!"

Tang Bei looked at the postman and encouraged him, "Be brave. Even if you break a bone, it will heal in a few months. It's okay."

"Boy..."

The postman wanted to say something.

(End of this chapter)