Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 112 Good Night
The stars from the East and West were warming up in their respective halves of the court. In the East, Howard was putting on a series of funny dunks, while James and Wade were playing alley-oop games; the atmosphere looked relaxed and enjoyable.

The Western Conference half was relatively quiet.

Kobe, who loves to show off in these kinds of situations, wasn't playing, so everyone practiced on their own. And then there's Yao Ming, that incredible guy, who was actually practicing half-court shooting, which made Xu Ling dizzy.

Xu Ling, on the other hand, was just doing his usual stretching, shuttle runs, and shooting. It seemed that he was the only one seriously preparing for a game.

As the biggest party animal on the Western Conference All-Star team, Allen Iverson couldn't help but say to Xu Ling, "Rookie, we're all here to have fun, why do you look like you're going to war?"

"I'm still learning how to play," Xu Ling replied.

"Just relax." Iverson said, about to walk away, but then suddenly remembered something, turned back with a smile, and added, "Also, keep an eye on those damn fingers of yours."

Oh my God, Xu swears that if anyone talks about his fingers again, he will kick their ass with the Terminator 1 he's standing on!
At this moment, Yao Ming, who had taken several mindless half-court shots in a row, came over to Xu Ling for advice: "Xiao Xu, is there any secret to half-court shooting? No matter how I use my fingers, I can't aim accurately!"

Xu Ling glanced at his feet and then at Yao Ming's buttocks.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, what did you just say?"

Not long after, the referee blew his whistle, and the game officially began. After the jump ball, the pace instantly quickened. Just as everyone expected, the opening phase was pure showmanship. The defense was practically non-existent, and the offense consisted of dazzling individual displays and alley-oops.

Xu Ling was involved, but in a very "Xu Ling" way.

Chris Paul dribbled up the court and saw Xu Ling speeding down the court. He then lobbed the ball high, and Xu Ling, understanding perfectly, soared into the air and completed a clean and crisp alley-oop dunk.

After scoring, he didn't roar or act silly; he simply gave Paul a high five.

He ignored the cheers of the New Orleans crowd.

This is surprising.

For those unfamiliar with him, this is truly frustrating, because Xu Ling exudes a straightforward "this is just a job" attitude rather than an ingratiating "my job is to make you happy" attitude, and he refuses to interact with the audience.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars were on offense, and after a few passes, the ball reached LeBron James.

At that moment, Xu Ling was the one defending him. This scene instantly raised the noise level of the scene by eight octaves, and all the cameras focused on him.

James clearly wasn't planning on going all in at this point. He dribbled to the three-point line, a relaxed smile on his face, signaling his teammates to spread out, preparing for a fun, long-range three-pointer. He calmly adjusted his rhythm and jumped, just as the ball was about to leave his fingertips.
A figure suddenly leaped up like a ghost!
Without warning, Xu Ling jumped up with all his might, his right hand outstretched, and with lightning speed, he fanned the basketball in James's hand.

His speed and jumping height are astonishing, and his blocking motions are terrifyingly realistic.

"This completely took LeBron by surprise, Doug! The All-Star game was supposed to be relaxed, but Eli's competitive instincts suddenly kicked in! Look at that speed, he made LeBron hesitate at the last moment, and his shooting motion was completely distorted!"

Legendary commentator Mav Albert captured this moment.

James was completely unprepared for Xu Ling's attack at this moment and in this manner. What kind of defense is that in an All-Star game? The immense psychological interference and the momentary shock completely distorted his shooting motion; his shot was flat and hard, the ball hitting the front edge without even touching the rim, resulting in an embarrassing "airball"!
The ball landed on the ground and bounced a few times.

A moment of silence fell over the entire stadium, followed by a burst of loud exclamations and laughter.

Xu Ling landed, his face showing no smugness, but rather a seemingly apologetic smile. After seeing the ball miss the baseline, he turned around, bent down to pick up the ball, and shrugged at James.

Eli smiled and shrugged. Looks like a prank!

Albert's partner, Doug Collins, chuckled mischievously, "I don't think LeBron would take this as a joke."

James' smile froze on his face, turning ashen in an instant. He forced a smile, trying to convey an "I'm okay" expression, but it looked worse than a grimace. He felt a surge of anger rush to his head—this was blatant mockery! In front of fans worldwide, he'd been scared into airballing a shot by this damn Chinese guy with a defensive fake? But this was the All-Star Game; he couldn't get angry, or even show too much concern, or he'd seem petty.

Xu Ling acted as if nothing had happened, passing the ball to his teammates and launching an attack.

Moreover, Xu Ling did not continue to cause trouble for James, as if what had just happened was truly a prank.

The first half ended in this strange yet lively atmosphere.

The score was high, and the performance was excellent, but everyone's conversation seemed to revolve around Xu Ling.

Xu Ling didn't even need to score many points to become the star of the show.

They not only overshadowed the better-performing Eastern Conference All-Stars, but even the host Chris Paul remarked, "Now I know why you're living in the headlines."

The word "住" (zhu, meaning "to live") is used exceptionally well.

Xu Ling shrugged and said, "That's because people are too gossipy."

"Can I gossip a little too?" Paul leaned closer and asked, "What's going on between you and LeBron?"

"Pass me a few more balls, and I'll tell you."

"That's easy to do."

The tacit understanding and affinity between Xu Ling and Paul is a rare and precious thing.

Fortunately, they don't have any obvious conflict of interest right now. Fortunately, Paul's personality is restrained enough that he won't easily cross Xu Ling's bottom line. The two hit it off as soon as they met during the regular season.

However, this did not prevent the Western All-Stars from being dominated by the Eastern All-Stars from the second half onwards.

James seemed to have channeled all the frustration of being outmaneuvered by Xu Ling in the first half into dominance on the court. Like a heavy tank advancing at full speed, he repeatedly crushed the loose defense of the Western Conference, either scoring with powerful attacks or drawing double teams before delivering brilliant passes to his teammates. Wade, on the other hand, used his lightning speed to frequently tear apart the defense.

Chris Paul and Brandon Roy struggled to keep the West's offense going, but the East was gaining momentum.

Moreover, this is ultimately an All-Star game, and no one will be playing seriously on defense. So, if one side gets into a hot hand, they could easily take the game away.

The point difference had grown imperceptibly. With five minutes remaining in the game, the scoreboard showed 138-124, giving the Eastern All-Stars a 14-point lead.

The atmosphere inside the New Orleans arena became somewhat subtle. The Eastern Conference bench was relaxed, and Dwight Howard had even started mimicking the podium gesture with his teammates.

The Western Conference called a timeout. The players headed to the bench. Xu Ling wiped his sweat with a towel and looked up at the scoreboard.

Although there is still some time, the gap of 14 points makes it difficult for the Eastern Conference All-Stars to catch up unless they don't want to win.

Byron Scott said a few words about not giving up, and before it was over, he threw up his hands and ignored everything.

The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.

During an Eastern Conference offensive possession, James called for the ball in the low post on the right side. He was being guarded by Xu Ling.

After receiving the ball with his back to the basket, James didn't rush to attack. Instead, he held Xu Ling firmly and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Relax, rookie, your showtime is almost over."

As he spoke, James suddenly leaned back, using his weight advantage to knock Xu Ling back half a step, then easily flipped over and completed a jump shot with almost no interference.

As the ball went in, James retreated to defend. As he passed Xu Ling, he shrugged and gave a meaningful smile: "See? It's that simple."

"Oh, LeBron is trash-talking Eli! Are these two controversial figures now going head-to-head on the All-Star stage?"

As soon as Albert finished speaking, Collins, standing beside him, added with a smile, "That's for sure, LeBron will never forget Eli's fingers."

That sounds so strange.

However, back on the court, Xu Ling himself wasn't interested in the All-Star Game. He figured losing was no big deal; he was a die-hard Barkley fan and believed anyone who took the All-Star Game seriously was a fool.

But if James insists on nagging himself after scoring, then he has no choice but to get up and thrash around a bit, regardless of whether it's useful or not, just to respond to a few shots first.

So Xu Ling said to Paul, "Let me shoot a few threes. If I miss, that's fine."

"You still want to win?" Paul asked with a smile.

"I just want to give the fans more performances," Xu Ling said calmly.

That's so damn righteous.

Paul didn't believe a word of it, but he didn't reject it either.

The game continued. The Western All-Stars were on offense, but after several passes, they couldn't find a good opportunity. Eventually, the ball came to Xu Ling, who was positioned at a 45-degree angle on the left, a step away from the three-point line.

Bosh was somewhat lax in his defense against Xu Ling.

Bosh gestured with his hand, believing that shooting from that distance was unwise, especially when trailing by a large margin.

However, Xu Ling did not make any extra adjustments, nor did he even jump completely. He simply used the power of his toes to push off the ground quickly, leaned his body slightly backward, and gently flicked the ball with his wrist.

The basketball arced high and swished through the net amidst the slightly noisy crowd!
127 is better than 138
At first, nobody really paid attention to that three-pointer.

When it was the Eastern All-Stars' turn to attack, James attempted a mid-range jumper, but the ball bounced off the rim. The Western All-Stars secured the rebound, and Paul quickly advanced the ball. He saw Xu Ling had already silently moved to a position two steps beyond the right three-point line.

Paul's pass was precise and accurate.

The moment Xu Ling received the ball, Wade, who had switched onto him, was already in front of him. Wade's defense was far more serious than Bosh's; his hand almost blocked Xu Ling's face.

But Xu Ling did not hesitate at all. He jumped up and shot, his movements as fluid as a machine. His shooting rhythm was not changed by the defense at all. The basketball once again flew past Wade's fingertips like a precision-guided missile.

Hit again!

130 is better than 138!

"Wow! Another three-pointer! Eli Xu! The gap is back to 8 points!" Mike Breen's tone began to rise and fall.

The roar inside the stadium grew louder, and some fans stood up.

Two consecutive three-pointers cast a slight shadow over the atmosphere that had seemed to have the game decided. Xu Ling still didn't celebrate; he didn't even high-five Paul who passed the ball. He simply quickly returned to defense, his sharp eyes scanning the Eastern All-Star team's offense.

James sensed something was wrong. He yelled at his teammates, "Watch him! Don't give him an open look!"

However, the overly relaxed Eastern All-Stars had Wade attempt a three-pointer, which missed again.

The Western All-Stars launched another counterattack.

Paul quickly got the ball, and by the time Xu Ling received it in the frontcourt, James had already retreated.

James lowered his center of gravity, spread his arms, and looked fierce. He was determined to defend this shot, completely extinguish the flames of the Western Conference's comeback, and avenge the defeat in the first half.

The entire audience held their breath! All the cameras were focused on this highly anticipated rivalry in the center circle!
At this moment, Xu Ling was three meters away from the three-point line at the top of the arc, which is an extremely long three-point distance. James slightly widened the defensive space, and he will regret this decision.

Xu Ling didn't make any fancy dribbling moves. He simply made a very quick shooting fake, but James didn't jump easily. But just as James slightly raised his center of gravity due to the fake, Xu Ling suddenly pulled up and jumped.

Right there, in front of LeBron James! He chose to take a super long three-pointer!
"What is going on?!"

Someone in the stands gasped in surprise.

James's reaction was already at its limit; he jumped with all his might to block the shot, but Xu Ling's release point was too high and his shooting speed was too fast.

The basketball, as if propelled by a rocket booster, flew from Xu Ling's hands with incredible power and arc, hurtling towards the distant basket.
Those familiar with Xu Ling unanimously recalled his legendary performance in the NCAA, his incredible three-pointers from beyond the arc, and his iconic logo shot.

then
Whoosh!!!
A crisp, resounding swishing sound echoed once more!

The gap has been narrowed to just 5 points!
Xu Ling looked at James, whose face was extremely pale, and smiled, "Perhaps the show has only just begun."

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

The New Orleans Arena exploded; the deafening roar nearly lifted the roof off.

All the spectators, regardless of which team they supported, couldn't help but jump up, clutching their heads, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.

"An incredible goal! Eli suddenly erupted at a moment when the game seemed to be decided, hitting three consecutive three-pointers! Each three-pointer was farther than the last! His performance completely changed the course of the game!"

Xu Ling's face remained expressionless, unmoved by the clamor of the crowd. He high-fived Paul, who excitedly came to celebrate with him, and shouted, "Keep passing me the ball!"

Paul responded without hesitation, though he was also somewhat helpless. New Orleans was clearly his home court, but now, the entire stadium was cheering for Xu Ling.

That wretched, charming woman!

Across the commotion, James stood still, hands on his hips, his face grim.

He watched helplessly as Xu Ling sank such an incredible shot over his head, feeling powerless and speechless. It required a bit of luck, a bit of timing, a burst of form, and it just so happened to be at this moment!
James was probably the player the Eastern All-Stars most wanted to win this game, but unfortunately, Xu Ling completely turned the tide. Starting with those three three-pointers, the Western All-Stars reignited their fighting spirit, while the Eastern All-Stars remained lazy, which was not conducive to them holding onto their remaining lead.

A short while later, Xu Ling hit his fourth three-pointer.

The New Orleans arena descended into utter madness as the Eastern All-Stars lost their lead with two minutes remaining, allowing the Western All-Stars to take a 12-point lead before the game ended.

In the final game, the Western All-Stars defeated the Eastern All-Stars 156-144.

Xu Ling, who shone brightly in the first half and performed brilliantly in the last five minutes of the second half, scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, snatching the AMVP award from the Kings in a way that James found most unacceptable.

"You have to admit, the NBA truly is a place where miracles happen!" Mav Albert summarized the final five minutes in his signature voice. "Eli Xu's sudden madness, just like his performance in the Celebrity Game the other afternoon, dominated the court. He dismantled LeBron James's entire night's efforts in just five minutes! Fortunately, no one wagged their fingers tonight. Victory belongs to the Western Conference All-Stars, and to every spectator tonight!"

Then it was Xu Ling's turn to give her acceptance speech.

"Some people took the whole game seriously but never expected that I would become the AMVP in the end," Xu Ling said, holding the trophy. "Who would have thought this would happen?"

Those with ulterior motives have already started to laugh.

Because Xu Ling was attacked by angry LeBron James fans on Twitter after he wagged his finger at James, he then posted a similar tweet.

Now, the same words are being spoken again, though not explicitly stated, everyone knows who they are referring to.

After the victory, all that remains is the noise that everyone wants to avoid.

Holding the trophy, Xu Ling's face didn't show much joy, but rather a calm after achieving his goal, and a slight sense of disorientation from being surrounded by cameras from all over the world.

Reporters swarmed in like a tide, their cameras practically shoving into Xu Ling's face, bombarding him with questions about the final five minutes, about LeBron, and about the All-Star MVP.

Xu Ling gave a brief reply, his eyes subconsciously searching for a way to escape temporarily.

Just then, Xu Ling's gaze pierced through the throng of people and met that of a figure on the sidelines.

Just then, his gaze froze.

On the outskirts of the crowd, in the shadow of the VIP section, a figure leaned back comfortably in his chair, as if the noise of the world had nothing to do with him.

Michael Jordan didn't leave; he didn't even get up. He just sat there, an unlit cigar between his fingers, his deep gaze piercing through the bustling crowd, precisely locking onto Xu Ling.

That look wasn't one of admiration, but rather more like that of a top connoisseur examining a piece of art that had piqued his interest, with a hint of amusement and a touch of inquiry.

In his previous life, as a member of the post-00s generation, Xu Ling didn't really have a real sense of Jordan's status as the GOAT. Moreover, Jordan's presence in the Chinese basketball community was often used by fans to suppress the secondary GOAT, Mr. James.

There's no way around it; LeBron James' peak period was just too long. He has enough accolades and formidable statistics, giving him a unique advantage in the secondary GOAT category. If you're talking about championships, other secondary GOAT candidates don't have an absolute edge over him. If you're talking about dominance, whether it's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, or Kobe Bryant, they all have narrative flaws. With comparable accolades, statistics become a key factor that sets him apart from the crowd. Of course, some will still dig up Bill Russell's grave and preach the supremacy of championships, but if we're talking about the Lord of the Rings' championships, Danny Smith's GOAT status becomes questionable.

Therefore, this is Mr. Zhan's advantage in the sub-GOAT track. Whether it is good or bad, he has that all-encompassing comprehensiveness. Even when you randomly click on a post on the Internet questioning whether Kishimoto Masashi draws manga without thinking, such as why Jiraiya was invisible the whole time Orochimaru invaded Konoha, you can still see someone replying: "That's because the ninja characters of Konoha Village did not step forward."

But now, seeing that Jordan seemed to want to talk to him, Xu Ling's heart skipped a beat.

That said, he first made a name for himself by associating with Jordan when he was at Texas Tech.

Both morally and logically, we should have a chat with them.

So, after dealing with the reporters present, Xu Ling took the initiative to walk towards Jordan.

Jordan didn't speak immediately. He slowly brought the cigar to his nose, took a gentle sniff, as if savoring the intertwined scent of victory and defeat in the air.

After a long pause, GOAT finally raised his eyelids, his voice deep and magnetic, as if echoing: "They said you were a troublemaker. Now it seems they were being too kind."

Xu Ling's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't reply.

Jordan's gaze swept over Xu Ling's less-than-respectful face, and a smile curled at the corner of his lips: "To ruin someone's entire evening's performance with the last five minutes. That's more than just 'trouble'."

"I'm just playing ball," Xu Ling gave the classic, universal answer of a ball game player.

“You’re not this humble in front of reporters.” Jordan, of course, didn’t take such words seriously. “Tell me, did you enjoy the last five minutes? Did you enjoy that feeling where the whole world thought the outcome was decided, but you rewrote the ending?”

"enjoy?"

Actually, Xu Ling wasn't really enjoying it. If the king hadn't made those sarcastic remarks at the end, he might have already started slacking off and waiting for the time to run out. But since the other party made a gesture, he definitely had to respond, and as a result, he responded a bit too much, leading to this outcome.

"I just did what I was supposed to do. That's how a game should be played, isn't it?"

But this was the All-Star Game, a game nobody cared about. Jordan believed that if James hadn't been about to win the All-Star MVP, Xu Ling probably wouldn't have put up that performance in the last five minutes.

However, this young man did not want to be honest with each other.

It didn't matter; Jordan didn't need him to admit anything. He was just excited to smell a familiar scent in a young man after a long time.

He couldn't help but wonder how he would beat this person if he were still playing.

But it's just a thought.

"Heh." Jordan let out a cryptic chuckle, his all-seeing brown eyes seeming to pierce through Xu Ling's soul. "Say what you will, tonight's game is going to be very interesting."

Xu Ling didn't know what to say to this senior with such a high status. Well, whatever you like?
"Remember this feeling," Jordan concluded. "But be careful, those who like to put a knife to someone's throat will one day find themselves with a knife pointed at them."

After saying that, Jordan prepared to leave.

Xu Ling could roughly understand what GOAT meant; he simply wanted to express his appreciation and give an early warning about the future.

Perhaps GOAT would also like to get to know Xu Ling.

Xu Ling was right. When he returned to the locker room, Roderick Craig excitedly told him, "Bro, you know what? MJ's people just gave me their contact information and said that if you need anything, you can call MJ anytime!"

“Really?” Xu Ling wasn’t surprised. “I just talked to him.”

"Who did you talk to? Michael Jackson?"

"Um"

“OMG!!!”

Xu Ling had long since shed the mindset of looking up to these superstars, and even Jordan's goodwill was simply set aside by him.

Clearly, his good friend wasn't used to engaging in equal dialogue with these big shots based on his status and position.

"Be more composed," Xu Ling said. "There will be many more incidents like this in the future."

"Such a thing? Does it refer to stealing the All-Star MVP from LeBron?"

(End of this chapter)