1994: I Became a Literary Master in America

On June 17, in addition to the World Cup, the fifth game of the NBA Finals was played.

With Vernon injured and suspended, the Rockets' decline became increasingly apparent.

Everyone thought the Knicks would win easily, but the game turned into a close contest from the very beginning.

Dream, too, displayed the domineering aura of the top four centers.

Even with one key player missing from the starting lineup, they didn't back down. Their dazzling footwork shone through Madison Square Garden, almost completely outmaneuvering Patrick Ewing. While Vernon was suspended, Kenny Smith stepped up.

Four consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter turned the tide of the game.

Then Hakeem Olajuwon unleashed his full potential, scoring two consecutive and-ones in the final three minutes, completely crushing the Knicks.

In the original timeline, the Knicks were originally going to win this game.

But with the emergence of the Dream, history was changed in one fell swoop, and they took the lead in the match.

The Knicks' home-court advantage disappeared after this game, as the next two games were played at the Houston Rockets' home court.

After failing to secure a match point at home, the Knicks' fortunes took a sharp turn for the worse.

This is America, after all. Even though the World Cup has kicked off in a grand manner, it is still overshadowed by the NBA games.

The Knicks are in grave danger.

On the 18th, Italy's home stadium, the Stadium of Giants, will face Ireland.

New York is definitely Italy's home turf.

Just imagine the five major families, and you'll know the immense advantage Italians hold in this city.

Then, the first defeat to Ireland was truly unexpected.

In pre-match predictions, Italy was the clear seeded team, while Ireland, although a strong European team, was clearly weaker than Italy.

Ireland's odds of winning this match are 4.8, which also reflects the gap between the two sides.

result……

Xu Shengjie received $96,000!

So much so that on the 19th, the phone at home kept ringing again.

Zhang Ping'an excitedly said on the phone, "Jeff, who are you betting on for the next game? Please help me!"

Xu Shengjie coldly replied, "Justin, the reason I gave you guidance before was because we are neighbors and friends."

But even now, you won't call me "father."

Zhang Ping'an remained silent for a moment, then said coldly, "If you're not afraid of being beaten to death by Kenny, I'll call you father. Do you dare to accept?"

"That guy surnamed Zhang, he didn't even call for reinforcements."

"That depends on your attitude."

"In the next match, Romania vs. Switzerland, I bet on Switzerland to win 4-1."

"No way, Romania is not weak. They just beat Colombia 3 to 1."

A 1-4 defeat to Switzerland?

Believe it or not, it's a secret.

"I see!"

Zhang Ping'an didn't say anything more. As for whether he would go and buy it, that wasn't Xu Shengjie's concern.

Winning the first game turned 20,000 into 100,000.

He's bet everything on Switzerland, with odds of 5.3. If they win, his 100,000 will become 500,000...

Moreover, he had already placed his bets in advance for the third game.

If the result comes out on the 22nd, I'll go all in on Argentina losing.

Argentina has been unstoppable in this World Cup. Led by Maradona, with players like the "Son of Wind" and Batistuta, their squad is formidable. Meanwhile, Bulgaria, Nigeria, and Greece in their group are clearly no match for Argentina. Their opening match saw a resounding 4-0 victory over Greece; and their second match, a 2-1 win against Nigeria, further solidified their dominance.

At that time, no one thought Argentina would have any problems.

Therefore, in the third match between Argentina and Bulgaria, the odds of Bulgaria winning are 1:6.5. Xu Shengjie has already placed a bet on the outcome of this match, and if Bulgaria wins, he will receive a prize of three million...

So, take a gamble, and you might just turn a bicycle into a motorcycle.

Let's put in the effort and trade the motorcycle for a Ferrari.

He just didn't want to talk about it, lest people become suspicious.

Monday arrived, and Julie was busy again.

Her rehearsal schedule was very busy, so she dared not let her guard down.

In her words, she needed this stage play to gain her father's approval, and then she could obtain more resources.

When will your script be ready?

Why are you asking that?

"You need to budget for everything in advance, including the team and funding."

I suggest you find an agent to handle these things for you; otherwise, just the trivial matters will drive you crazy.

Do you have any good recommendations?

"certainly……"

Julie was about to say a few names, but then she changed the subject.

"As for New York, I recommend Sam Cohn, one of the co-founders of ICM, which is headquartered in Manhattan. Especially since you are a director, screenwriter, and author, it aligns well with Mr. Cohn's expertise in literature and film and television talent management."

Besides Sam Cohen, Mr. Robert Lantz is also a suitable candidate.

He's a leading figure in independent filmmaking, upholding creative freedom, refusing to join major studios, and possessing extensive old-school connections on Broadway and in Hollywood.

She paused for a moment at this point.

"But I don't recommend you contact them now. Even if you do manage to reach them, they are unlikely to take you seriously."

Jeffrey, your talent is unparalleled, but now you need to prove it to people.

As a second-generation star, Julie's understanding of the American film and entertainment industry is far superior to that of Xu Shengjie, an outsider.

"So what do you think I should do?"

"Find a producer, not necessarily someone famous, but someone who can handle everything except for creation and filming, allowing you to create freely and easily. Once your first work is successful, big names will come looking for you."

"It's two different things to take the initiative to recommend yourself versus to be approached by someone else."

Xu Shengjie wholeheartedly agreed and nodded in agreement.

"However, I cannot recommend a producer for you."

Most of the people I know are Broadway producers, and they don't have a strong foundation in the film and television industry.

Furthermore, since my debut, I've only acted in one film, *The Terminator*. As for the producer of that film, let's not even mention it.

That's terrible!

Even Angelina Jolie, a newcomer to the industry, thinks so, and the fact that this movie flopped speaks volumes.

"Then I'll consult someone else."

"Well, this is your first work, so I think you should play it safe."

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

Xu Shengjie rode his motorcycle and took Julie to the subway station.

He then checked the time; it was still early.

So I turned a corner and went to the teahouse on Baoli Street.

Every day at this time, Master Wu would have morning tea at the teahouse here and chat with some local bigwigs.

A few days ago, Xu Shengjie said he would come to visit, but for the next two days, he was busy writing and living a shameless life with Julie, so he didn't have time... Today, he finally has some free time and can visit Master Wu.

Just as he had expected, Master Wu was indeed having morning tea with a group of old men.

Master Wu was delighted by Xu Shengjie's arrival and chatted with him warmly.

"You seem a bit weak lately."

"what?"

"But I heard from Erwin that you found a foreign girlfriend, which is normal."

Back when I was your age, I also couldn't wait to stay in bed for days and nights.

Around that time, I met a black girl... she was something else, a little wildcat. We stayed home for a whole week without going out.

"Master Wu, you're just bragging."

An elderly man with a ruddy complexion next to him smiled and said, "Are you talking about that black girl named Rebecca?"

Hehe, I wonder who secretly went to Master Zheng's clinic and got a few doses of aphrodisiac medicine...

"Hey, Mr. Chen, stop spreading rumors."

Rebecca was really infatuated with me back then.

"I'm the most handsome man in Chinatown, no doubt about it..."

"Shameless."

"Old man, are you looking for trouble?"

"Meow!"

"What are you saying?"

The two started arguing, which made Xu Shengjie feel extremely awkward.

The elderly man surnamed Chen was also his teacher. He had taught him the circle hand technique of White Crane Fist at a martial arts school. His name was Chen Keye, a White Crane Fist master who opened a White Crane Fist school on East Broadway. In the 1980s, he used the circle hand technique to resolve a labor conflict in Chinatown and quelled the brawl without injuring a single person. He was known as the "Compassionate Boxer" and was also a master of Chinese martial arts.

As for the Master Zheng they mentioned, he was Zheng Manqing.

The Yang-style Tai Chi master opened a martial arts school on Madison Street… However, when Xu Shengjie became his disciple, Master Zheng had already passed away many years ago, so he never experienced Master Zheng's kung fu firsthand. But Master Zheng had a disciple who opened a martial arts school in Boston.

This boxer has a son who is now a kung fu actor in Hong Kong and will become famous in mainland China in the future for his "I want to fight ten" act.

……