Thanks to LeBron, the King was indeed useful at the critical moment.
If the game hadn't been about to start, Tang Long would have loved to plant a kiss on LeBron right then and there.
...
"Gal Gadot, you cheat, didn't you say you were busy?"
The three women had all come to Cleveland discreetly, so they bought seats far apart. Now, after trading places with fans, the three were sitting together again.
As soon as she sat down, Scarlett Johansson glared at Gal Gadot with displeasure and demanded, "And you have the nerve to talk about me? Didn't you say you were on set and couldn't get away? Then why are you here?"
"I'm here to supervise you!" Scarlett retorted stubbornly.
The two women stared at each other, the air crackling with a sour tension.
Taylor Swift, sitting on the far end, took shallow breaths nervously, afraid that her breathing would be too loud and attract their attention.
Back when they had a video call, everyone had claimed they were too busy. Now, they were all gathered together, meeting before the game. It was too awkward.
Taylor also feared that the argument would shift to her, especially since she thought she'd gotten a good deal, only to realize everyone else had the same idea.
She just wanted to be invisible right now, to keep her two sisters from noticing her.
So, she quietly shifted to the side.
But her movement only drew the attention of the other two.
Scarlett and Gal Gadot, who had been trading barbs, suddenly fell silent and stared directly at Taylor.
"Taylor, I think you owe us an explanation!"
"Yeah, after I trusted you so much, you turned out to be the most cunning one, even more cunning than that Scarlett woman!"
Scarlett was displeased. "Gal, what do you mean by that? What do you mean, 'more cunning than me'?"
"Did I say anything wrong?"
"You didn't say anything wrong, you just forgot to mention that if anyone is the most cunning, it's definitely you."
Seeing the two sisters bickering again, Taylor let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Now, she didn't even dare to move. She could only shrink herself, trying her best to be invisible.
However, after a few more exchanges, Gal Gadot and Scarlett simultaneously turned their gaze back to her.
"Taylor, we're still waiting for your explanation!"
Taylor weakly glanced at the two of them. "If I said I also had some free time and came out spontaneously, would you believe that explanation?"
"What do you think?"
The two women let out synchronized snorts. Scarlett, in particular, rolled her eyes. "Taylor, I thought you were the most innocent girl among us three. Now I realize I was wrong, and very wrong. You're the most cunning one among us!"
"Yes, I think so too," Gal Gadot chimed in.
Taylor was speechless. She suddenly realized that these two had miraculously joined forces.
"If everyone lied, then no one lied. How about we let this slide?"
The three women exchanged glances, snorted again, and then, as if by unspoken agreement, their lips curved upwards, blooming like flowers.
The three women huddled together, lost in a moment of pure joy, as if wandering through a field of flowers.
"Hmph, since our targets have been revealed, I won't hold back."
Scarlett looked at Gal Gadot and Taylor Swift. "Even though we are all sisters, when it comes to matters of the heart, there's no giving way!"
"That's what I wanted to say too," Gal Gadot said, looking directly at her two sisters, who were both rivals and friends. "I advise you to stop daydreaming. Tang and I are the perfect match!"
"On what grounds? Just because you can brag? Because you're slutty, or because you have long legs?"
Scarlett scoffed. "Do only you have legs? My legs are no worse than yours, and they're even whiter!"
As she spoke, Scarlett slowly crossed her legs.
Her legs were white and straight, her porcelain-like skin as delicate as could be broken by a flick of a finger. Her legs were so white they almost glowed, both devilish and eye-catching.
The fact that a certain Mr. Durant in the future would drink her bathwater was the best proof.
"On what grounds, just because I..."
Gal Gadot suddenly stopped speaking, almost letting something slip.
If Scarlett knew she had secretly signed up to learn Chinese, Scarlett would surely follow suit.
Now with the addition of the cunning Taylor, she had to keep it a secret.
When they discovered she could chat with Tang Long effortlessly in Chinese, they would surely be shocked.
Gal Gadot couldn't help but commend her own wit.
Scarlett completely dismissed it, thinking Gal Gadot was just boasting. But Taylor's brow furrowed, a gut feeling telling her that Gal Gadot was definitely planning something in secret.
No, she had to find out what Gal was up to.
...
"Pau Gasol, what are you planning to do after the game? Going on vacation? I advise you not to go to Spain. Everyone goes to Spain for vacation, it's so unoriginal. How about I recommend a great place for you?"
The tense game had the fans of both sides holding their breath.
On the court, at the jump ball line.
Tang Long, completely relaxed, was recommending vacation spots to Pau Gasol.
"Pau, don't listen to that annoying guy, focus on the ball in the referee's hands."
"Kobe, that's not right of you."
Tang Long smiled and looked at Kobe. "Kobe, how can you speak of your teammate like that, calling him unprofessional? That's not right."
Kobe blinked. "I was talking about you, I wasn't talking about Pau."
"Yes, you were," Tang Long exclaimed. "You told Pau to focus on the ball in the referee's hands, implying that Pau wasn't focused on the game, which means he's unprofessional, right? Kobe, you have to believe in your teammates! Look, I really believe in LeBron."
LeBron James turned his head away, pretending not to know Tang Long.
This guy was usually very serious, but whenever he stepped onto the court, his mouth became too talkative.
It really affected people's mentality!
*Beep!*
The referee blew the whistle, and Tang Long and Pau Gasol leaped for the ball tossed by the referee at the same time.
Having lost the jump ball to Tang Long for four consecutive games, Pau Gasol had been frustrated for four games. Now, he absolutely refused to lose the jump ball to Tang Long again.
Therefore, as he jumped, he deliberately used his body to push towards Tang Long, intending to use his physical advantage to shove Tang Long aside.
"Pau, I'm very disappointed in you. How could you use such a shameful move?"
Pau Gasol's massive body surged towards him. Tang Long almost gasped for air, feeling like a human bulldozer was pushing him.
Fortunately, his reaction was quick enough. As Pau tried to push him out, Tang Long placed a hand on Pau's shoulder and used his momentum.
His body suddenly shot up a few inches. He pressed down on Pau's shoulder and tipped the ball towards LeBron.
"Foul, referee, he fouled!"
The referee hesitated for a moment, but then ignored Pau and signaled for the game to continue.