I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 213 The rich rely on money, heroes rely on ruthlessness, and the poor rely on technology (Two-in-One)

When "Black Panther" at 4 a.m., "Optimus Prime" with his death-defying philosophy, and "Flying Man" soaring with one eye attracted widespread public attention, the "Prison BA" propaganda campaign had achieved an undeniable initial success.

People across the United States, regardless of their initial attitude of curiosity, disdain, or morbid interest, have turned their attention to these "star athletes" who are behind bars but have inspiring or bizarre stories.

This is where the biggest difference, or rather the "unique feature," of "Prison Basketball League" compared to all other sports leagues becomes apparent.

The complexity and depth of the backgrounds of "Prison Basketball" players far surpasses that of any purely commercial sports league.

Today, Fox River Private Prisons operates more than 20 private prisons in nine states, primarily Illinois, housing a staggering number of over 20,000 inmates.

Behind this enormous number lies a microcosm of America's recent turbulent history:
Among them were "illegal immigrants" from the south.

This refers to the mass arrests and imprisonment of Black people by Southern states before and after Wakanda's rise, driven by panic and repression, without due process of justice. For many of them, the "crime" was simply their skin color or political stance.

There were “rebels and sympathizers” imprisoned during the national emergency, including genuine Wakanda supporters, radical union members, anti-war activists, and a large number of striking workers implicated, covering various ethnic groups.

Of course, there are also those "outsourced" or transferred from various state prison systems, including violent criminals, fraudsters, gang members... a motley crew of all sorts of people. They are "villains" in the traditional sense.

The inaugural "Prison BA" tournament featured eighteen teams from Fox River State Penitentiary in these nine states.

So to be precise, the first "Prison BA" was the American Midwest Prison Basketball League, but who cares, the publicity was spread throughout the United States.

Each prison selects a team, which represents not only the outcome of the game, but also the clash between different prison cultures, different prisoner groups, and even different criminal backgrounds.

The grudges, entanglements, racial conflicts, and ideological clashes behind it all... its rich storytelling is like an inexhaustible mine, enough to keep you talking for three days and three nights.

Now that public interest has been piqued, The Sun has started releasing even more bombshell news!

First, why are these prisoners willing to participate in the ball game, and even play so hard?

Was it because of coercion in prison?
No, The Sun clearly told the public that every player who participated was there voluntarily.

The answer is: You can earn "honor points" by playing ball games.

"Prison BA" has set up a points system: a player's performance on the court - points, rebounds, assists, victories and even "fighting spirit" - can be converted into real "honor points".

These points can be exchanged for anything within the Fox River Prison system.

Yes, anything.

Like "illegal immigrants" yearning for freedom, points can be redeemed for "American citizenship"—this "American citizenship" is not just about legal residency, but a status of being "superior," a guarantee that you will never be treated as an "illegal immigrant" again.

For those who have been wrongly accused (or believe they have been wrongly accused) and their "rebels and sympathizers," points can be redeemed for opportunities to appeal for retrial or have their cases reviewed, offering a glimmer of hope for redress.

Even criminals who have actually committed crimes can use points to redeem women, exclusive items... oh no, I mean, they can redeem reduced sentences, priority for parole hearings, and even privileged living conditions inside prison.

In short, as long as you have enough points, you can live a hundred times better in prison than outside, because they can get you access to both legal and illegal private prisons—don't doubt the "good working relationship" between Fox River State Penitentiary and the state governments.

Of course, The Sun will not report information that is detrimental to social harmony, but the news that has already been released, such as "points can be exchanged for money" and "points can be exchanged for opportunities to become famous (such as endorsements or work contracts after release from prison)," is enough to cause an uproar among the public.

"I want to play basketball in prison too!"

This is the first reaction of many people at the bottom of society who are struggling under the heavy pressure of life after seeing the report.

My God! This isn't a prison, it's a paradise for striving!
Do you really think it's easy to get by in a "free" world?

If there is a clear and visible path to "success" and "enjoyment" through one's own "effort" (playing ball), then going to jail is not necessarily a bad thing!

Although this impulse was quickly suppressed by reason, after all, who knows how much of what The Sun said is true and how much is false?

But the seed has been planted, and people's attention to "Prison Basketball" is no longer limited to sports competition.

The extent to which of these claims were true and false was soon revealed in a much larger wave of propaganda.

This time, it wasn't just The Sun going it alone; a series of sponsors who sensed the huge business opportunities and social influence also joined in.

The Sun clearly divided the participating players into three factions and created "profile cards" and promotional narratives tailored to each of them:

The first faction is the talent-based faction, represented by Black Panther.

This group of players possesses visible and enviable athletic talent. They run faster, jump higher, and have outstanding physical coordination; they are natural athletes.

They represent the ultimate potential of the human body, and their storylines are relatively "pure," making them easy to package as traditional inspirational icons. Therefore, they are most favored by mainstream commercial brands.

Among them, Nike's sportswear and footwear brand, which is led by Anne and is newly established under Victoria's Secret, has signed "Black Panther" as one of its first brand ambassadors.

—The first task Anne set up in Victoria's Secret's design department was to design sportswear for the "Prison BAs." Interestingly, these sportswear, and even the sneakers that followed, were manufactured by Fox River State Prison, highlighting a self-sufficient, self-sufficient supply chain.

Nike has even started running ads featuring the "Black Panther" sweating profusely under prison lights, accompanied by the tagline: "On the sports field, talent is invincible!"

And "When someone more talented than you works even harder than you, it's invincible!"

This is the narrative that is most easily understood and accepted by the public.

There is a general consensus that talent plays a decisive role in competitive sports.

The main point of curiosity is whether the talents touted by the "Black Panthers" are truly as invincible as the advertisements claim.

The second group is the elite group represented by players like the "One-Eyed Flying Man".

This group may possess athletic talent, but it's not top-tier. Their "distinctive feature" lies in their experience as "heroes" and their tough style on the field.

Most of them have gang tattoos, fierce eyes, and a tough playing style. They are good at exploiting loopholes in the rules and psychological intimidation, which makes them popular with underground forces such as the Chicago Mafia and the Irish Gang.

The Chicago Mafia and the Irish Gang naturally wouldn't miss such a grand event. On the one hand, they set up underground gambling dens; on the other hand, they promoted the "Heroic Faction" through various media channels.
"A hero in defeat is still a hero on the field!"

"We are the Bad Boys Legion! Tremble beneath us, you cowards!"

This faction has sparked a clear division in public opinion.

Some respectable members of the public are disgusted by its portrayal of violence and "bad boy" image, believing it to be a stain on the spirit of sports.

However, another segment of the public, especially young people, who are deeply fascinated by the rising and rebellious "hero culture," highly admire this school of thought.

What's the point of playing ball? Hitting people is fun! And if you could kill people while playing ball, that would be even more... (beep, you've been banned by various media outlets)

As for the third faction, it is the poor faction represented by "Optimus Prime".

This group consists of "three-no" individuals on the field: mediocre athletic talent, some even with disabilities; lacking ruthless methods and connections; and without any obvious resource advantages.

From any perspective, they seem like cannon fodder destined to be crushed by the talented and the heroic, and logically, no sponsor would be interested in them.

On the contrary, the sponsors who stood up for them were just as powerful as the former two.

Because their sponsor is a pharmaceutical company.

This was something that even Logan found very surprising.

He then realized that in this day and age, mainstream public opinion did not consider taking drugs to participate in competitive sports to be immoral or unhealthy.

Well, it seems that in later generations in America, mainstream public opinion doesn't necessarily consider taking drugs to participate in competitive sports to be immoral.

Conversely, the public these days harbors immense curiosity and even anticipation regarding how to overcome the limits of human physiology through drugs, hormones, and other means. Even the military hopes to improve soldiers' physical capabilities through medical means.

So, who will dare to say "America has no history" in the future? In some matters, such as the public's love for "drug use," it is a long-standing tradition.

Many pharmaceutical companies have also keenly seized this opportunity, investing heavily in the research and development of various "energizers" and "strengthening agents" that claim to enhance physical strength, explosive power, endurance, and even numbness and pain.

New drugs naturally need to find people to test them and promote them. Coincidentally, "Prison BA" can meet both of their needs at the same time.

Fox River Prison has established "deep cooperation" with more than ten pharmaceutical companies, providing these companies with a large number of "voluntary" trial participants. In return, the pharmaceutical companies actively provide "technological" products such as "energizers," "energy supplements," and "muscle enhancers."

Logan had read the descriptions of these "technological" products, which basically claimed to be omnipotent and capable of curing everything. He said that if you took a dose now or now, you would instantly feel energetic and full of inexhaustible strength.

If one dose doesn't work, then another dose will definitely be effective.

—According to some pharmaceutical companies, they also send these products directly to doctors across the country for them to try for free, and the doctors say they are good after trying them.

Well, even the military supports it, what can Logan say?

All I can say is respect and best wishes!
Given the prevailing social atmosphere, "Prison BA" naturally didn't engage in any "restriction technology" practices. On the contrary, it openly promoted this as a major selling point.

Pharmaceutical companies launched a propaganda offensive across various media outlets, with highly inflammatory slogans such as "The rich rely on money, the poor rely on technology" and "Empower the poor, defeat the gifted freaks and bad boys!"

Yes, unlike the old saying that "the rich rely on technology, and the poor rely on mutation," the current version of the answer in competitive sports is "the rich rely on money, and the poor rely on technology."

The wealthy, talented athletes—like Black Panther who has secured endorsement contracts—can afford better logistical support and training guidance, but for the poor, improving athletic performance through "drug technology" is their only option.

—At least in the first "Prison BA" competition, The Sun made it clear that the talented and the elite were not allowed to use "drug technology," which, to some extent, was indeed to ensure "fairness"!
As expected, the emergence of this faction brought about enormous controversy.

Many people strongly criticize the use of "drug technology" in competitions as unethical, violating the principle of fair competition, and potentially causing irreversible damage to athletes' health.

However, the majority of the public, especially the vast poor, support this.

In their view, talent is an inherent "inequality," and money is an insurmountable chasm. If "drug technology" can provide a shortcut for "poor people" with no background to challenge the former two, even if it's just on the basketball court, they would be happy to see such a "comeback."

As a result, the public opinion field was in an uproar:
"What kind of skill is it to win a game by taking drugs?"

"Are the poor destined to be crushed by talent and money their entire lives? Technology is also a form of strength!"

In particular, the debate over "how much chance do the poor have of winning" was fiercely contested in various bars, homes, and newspaper columns, reaching unprecedented levels of interest.

Thus, The Sun released a wealth of informational cards, and various sponsors contributed money and effort, using their respective channels and rhetoric to turn this prison basketball league into a major social discussion about talent, violence, technology, class reversal, and the dream of redemption.

People quickly took sides and cheered for their preferred faction. Before the "Prison BA" battle even officially started, supporters were already "fighting it out" offline.

Enough! You've successfully piqued my interest! So, when exactly is the Prison BA starting?!

At this point, the White House seemed to have caught this strong public opinion and, in response to the people's urgent needs, issued a statement praising "Prison BA" as "an innovative attempt at social reform" and officially listing it as a key demonstration project of the "American Spirit Revitalization Plan," which would receive a series of support measures.

The statement also announced that, in order to demonstrate the government's support for this "model project," President Coolidge will personally attend the inaugural "Prison BA" opening match!
This undoubtedly added fuel to the fire of public opinion!

The day before the opening match, The Sun's front page offered a fitting commentary on the upcoming spectacle, reflecting the spirit of the times:

"The rich rely on talent, the heroes rely on ruthlessness, and the poor rely on technology—everyone has a bright future!"

……

(End of this chapter)