Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Public Opinion

At the game site, after Zhao Dong and Ma Long had left, the referee issued a penalty. Ma Long was given a second-level malicious foul and sent off the court immediately. This was perhaps the harshest penalty for Malone's elbow. In the past, even if he had elbowed a superstar, it might not have even resulted in a foul. Some people in later years even described the league's leniency toward Malone's elbows, comparing them to Mutombo's finger wagging—both actions often excused by the league. For Zhao Dong, the referee also called a second-level malicious foul and sent him off the court.

At that moment, in Chicago, the Bulls were leading the Lakers at halftime. After the game, Jordan impatiently asked about the Knicks vs. Jazz game.

"What?" He was stunned when he heard that the postman had elbowed Zhao Dong in the back of the head while he was dunking from behind, causing Zhao Dong to fall motionless. "No, no, how could he do that?" Jordan repeated, shaking his head. But when he heard that Zhao Dong had violently retaliated and beaten Ma Long, Jordan was completely stunned.

"Michael, the game between us and the Knicks should only involve basketball, nothing else," Pippen advised at that moment.

"Of course, we've always just played basketball. Didn't we do the same when we faced the Detroit Pistons and Lambier?" Jordan responded.

Pippen nodded and glanced at Rodman, who chimed in, "Don't look at me. What do you want me to do? I'm not a postman. I just do a few tricks, say some trash talk, and draw a few offensive fouls."

Jordan leaned against the cupboard and said thoughtfully, "That kid, he's really ruthless. The postman must be ashamed of himself."

"Look, ABC is showing footage of the Knicks and the Jazz," a player shouted, pointing at the TV on the wall. Jordan and the others looked, and sure enough, they were interrupting the earlier broadcast.

"This is no longer defense. It's shameful! A player like that doesn't deserve to win a championship," Pippen said, shaking his head when he saw Malone's elbow hit Zhao Dong in the back of the head.

"I think so too," Jordan nodded in agreement. Then, when they watched Zhao Dong beat Ma Long violently, they applauded for a while, with Jordan cheering enthusiastically. But when Zhao Dong's kick landed, Jordan's face twitched several times.

"This kid, when he holds a grudge, he takes action right away!" Jordan thought of the troubles he had with Zhao Dong and immediately had a headache. He regretted what he had done that day.

In the end, the Knicks won the game 108-88, defeating the Jazz by 20 points, with Malone absent. Meanwhile, Zhao Dong had just finished his medical examination, and Van Gundy received a call from Thibodeau, confirming there were no major issues. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Jeff, I've managed to keep Zhao Dong's injury under wraps. I recommend putting him on the injury list temporarily. We can make the situation seem more serious if needed. We can't let the postman get away with this."

Chapter 70: Public Opinion

"He must be punished by the league. Severe punishment," Thibodeau reminded.

"I know," Van Gundy responded.

"It's a crime! Karl Malone is killing people! He's trying to kill Zhao Dong! He's attacking from behind, it's almost like murder... Zhao Dong isn't dead—God protected him, God is wearing the number 46 jersey tonight..." Van Gundy began to passionately defend Zhao Dong at the post-game press conference.

"NO, NO, NO! You can't say that, Zhao Dong's behavior is even worse!" Jerry Sloan immediately countered.

"How can you say that? Jerry, you're an experienced coach—how can you encourage your players to blatantly attack others on the court?" Jeff Van Gundy looked at Jerry Sloan incredulously, his voice rising with anger. "Zhao Dong retaliating against Malone was pure rage, and he lost his temper because Malone nearly killed him. His actions are understandable. If this went to court, judges and jurors would get it. But Malone's actions? That's inexcusable! That's a crime!"

Jerry Sloan opened his mouth but couldn't respond effectively. He wasn't particularly good with words, especially against Van Gundy's pointed arguments. He cursed under his breath, frustrated that Malone didn't manage to eliminate Zhao Dong entirely with that elbow.

Meanwhile, Zhao Dong lay in the hospital bed, frustrated by his circumstances. He hated this environment, especially because he had already endured enough time lying in a hospital bed in his previous life. He opened the system screen and noticed a notification: The host defeated Karl Malone in a non-basketball manner, and the relevant sniper mission has been canceled. The Stockton sniper mission was not completed and has been canceled.

"Damn Malone, I hope you choke on Viagra soon," Zhao Dong muttered, deeply disappointed by the lack of any rewards. He cursed under his breath, thinking how he had gained nothing from it. He was also now facing potential suspensions and fines, with his team management preparing to appeal to the league officials. Any fines would be covered by the team.

At that moment, there was a sound of footsteps outside, followed by the door opening. A group of people, including Oakley and Ewing, walked in.

"Zhao Dong, how do you feel?" Oakley asked with a relaxed smile after hearing about his situation.

"It's not good. I don't like it here," Zhao Dong replied with a laugh.

"Be patient," Oakley said with a grin.

Ewing placed a backpack on Zhao Dong's hospital bed. "Here, this is for you."

Zhao Dong opened it to find a large stack of Playboys, some game consoles, and even a few boxes of TT—probably part of these guys' personal stash. Larry Johnson added with a mischievous grin, "Listen, I noticed a few nurses around here who are pretty cute. You can charm them with your looks, and you'll be fine."

"Get out!" Zhao Dong said with a black expression.

After Ewing and the others left, Zhao Dong's friends from the Seawolves visited him, along with some ex-girlfriends, and even a few international students. Among them was Lin Min, whom Zhao Dong had just met—the one called "Akagi Haruko."

Back in China, because of the time difference, it was daytime, and the news of the stadium violence had already spread. Most of the media outlets were attacking Zhao Dong, accusing him of discrediting his country on the international stage. Zhao Dong smiled indifferently. As someone reborn, he knew all too well how the domestic media operated in this era—utterly servile and eager to please.

From the morning, North American media began to eagerly sensationalize last night's stadium violence. "The Scariest Elbow Ever!" With this headline, the New York Athletic not only criticized the Jazz and Malone but also took aim at the league officials: "It is the league's tolerance over the years that has made Karl Malone increasingly unscrupulous..."

"Murderous Defensive Action!" The New York Daily ran with this headline. The New York media were all unified in their attack on Malone and the Jazz, as well as league officials. New York, being the financial center of both the United States and the world, has one of the most influential media groups globally. Driven by this, many media outlets across the U.S. also joined in criticizing Malone and the Jazz. Soon, the entire public discourse seemed to align on one side.

This shift in public opinion wasn't driven by media conscience but by commercial interests. Attacking Malone at this time would win more approval from fans, boosting newspaper sales—it was more about business than morality. However, some media outlets did go in the opposite direction, fiercely condemning Zhao Dong's violent behavior. These were mainly Utah-based media, but they lacked the influence of the New York media and were quickly drowned out in the storm of public opinion.

(End of Chapter)

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