Chapter 165: After the All-Star Game

"I... I have a stomachache. I'm going to the toilet first. Wait for me when I come back. You must wait for me!" Justin Bieber said, his gaze falling on the basketball handed to him by Jiang Hai. To be honest, he was reluctant to accept it, but it wasn't his style to simply give in.

With that, he quickly decided to make his escape—by claiming he needed to use the bathroom. He wasn't giving Jiang Hai any chance to react.

He swatted Jiang Hai's hand away and ran off, ignoring the boos and jeers from the crowd. His only focus was to get away as quickly as possible—he couldn't take it any longer.

"Boo!" The crowd erupted as they saw him flee in a panic, with nearly everyone giving him the middle finger. Some people close to him were shouting insults, but it only fueled his determination to leave even faster.

"Hey, you're really shameless," Jiang Hai chuckled, watching Bieber flee. He then slowly walked back to his seat, tossing the basketball behind him. Just like the two previous long shots, the ball swished effortlessly into the basket as if guided by an invisible force.

"Wow, ym, ym, ym!" The crowd erupted in cheers, now completely focused on Jiang Hai's shot, no longer caring about Bieber. "Ym" was short for "yelloan," a reference to Jiang Hai's skin tone, as the crowd had no idea what to call him. This wasn't unusual; in the United States, such references to skin color were common.

Jiang Hai smiled and waved at the crowd before sitting down next to Moses Adams. Despite the attention he was garnering, Jiang Hai had no intention of playing again. After all, he didn't need the approval or the money from these people.

"Wow, boss, you're incredible! Have you ever considered joining the NBA? Maybe I should be your agent!" Moses Adams said, clearly impressed by Jiang Hai's performance.

"Don't you know how valuable the cattle on my farm are? Do I really need the NBA?" Jiang Hai rolled his eyes with a laugh. Moses Adams grinned; he knew all too well the potential of Jiang Hai's farm business. After all, Jiang Hai had 20,000 cows, each worth around $50,000, adding up to a massive fortune. In contrast, even LeBron James, one of the NBA's most successful players, hadn't made that much money in his entire career.

When the players from both teams began warming up, they occasionally glanced at Jiang Hai, fully aware that they were in the presence of something extraordinary. Even in the TNT studio, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal were discussing Jiang Hai.

By now, it was clear that Jiang Hai was drawing more attention than the game itself. Even the head coaches of both teams approached him, hoping to recruit him. However, Jiang Hai had no interest in joining either the Warriors or the Hawks. The estate was his priority, and he wasn't about to give that up.

Both coaches sighed in defeat. They had hoped to sign Jiang Hai, but with him so fiercely independent, they knew it was unlikely.

Soon after, the 2015 NBA All-Star Game kicked off. The starting lineup for the American Empire team included Payton, Oladipo, Pope, Noel, and Zeller. The World Team featured Schroeder, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, Mirotic, and Gobert. The game was a clash of two teams, one representing the United States and the other the world, and it was one of the most intense All-Star games in recent memory. The World Team ended up winning 121-112, marking the lowest combined score since 2006.

Andrew Wiggins, the top pick of that year's draft, was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Rookie Challenge.

The subsequent Hall of Fame press conference and other events were of little concern to Jiang Hai. After the game, he and Moses Adams returned to their hotel. Meanwhile, some low-quality videos from the All-Star Rookie Challenge began circulating online, especially one featuring the brief one-on-one between Jiang Hai and Bieber.

The video, though short—only around two minutes—captured intense moments that left viewers shocked, whether they were basketball fans or not. It quickly went viral, sparking various reactions. Some speculated it was staged, others believed it was part of a movie. Meanwhile, some fans defended Jiang Hai, while others criticized him.

Justin Bieber, an international star, had a massive following, and as the video reached China in the afternoon, it quickly became a hot topic there as well. But none of this fazed Jiang Hai. By the time the news spread, he was already back in his room, taking a shower before settling into bed for a well-deserved rest. For him, it had been a fun and fulfilling day.

The next day, the second day of All-Star Weekend, featured the individual competitions. Bosh's team dominated the Shooting Stars event for the third consecutive year. Meanwhile, Jiang Hai's impressive long shots had many speculating if he could challenge Bosh's claim to this title. However, Jiang Hai wasn't interested in any of the competitions. He had no need for such fame.

The winners of the day were: Beverley from the Rockets in the Skills Challenge, Stephen Curry of the Warriors in the Three-Point Contest, and rookie Zach LaVine from the Timberwolves in the Dunk Contest. LaVine's jumping ability was incredible, but Jiang Hai's own skills were still on a different level.

The third day marked the main event—the NBA All-Star Game. The Eastern Conference starting lineup included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, John Wall, and Kyrie Lowry, while the Western Conference starters were Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, James Harden, and Stephen Curry.

The first half of the game was more about fun and performance, with highlights galore. The second half, however, was where the real competition began.

Throughout the game, there were also many musical performances, including one by Ariana Grande, which Jiang Hai, admittedly, wasn't very interested in. As a matter of habit, he would typically change the channel during halftime performances, though today, he found them somewhat more tolerable.

During the game's intermission, Moses Adams returned from outside. "Boss, are you interested in attending the dinner after the All-Star Game?" he asked.

"Dinner? What do you mean?" Jiang Hai asked, intrigued.

Moses explained that the NBA holds a dinner after the game every year, attended by elite players and socialites. The event was designed not only for networking but also to forge connections with wealthy individuals who had an interest in basketball, such as potential investors.

Jiang Hai, however, wasn't interested. After all, he didn't need to play the game to get ahead.

(End of chapter.)