Late Night on April 22, 2000, Boston's New Garden.
The noise subsided, and most of the searchlights on the dome had been turned off. Lin Qi stood alone in a luxurious VIP box on the upper floor, looking down at the empty stadium through the darkened glass.
The staff had just finished the final floor waxing before the playoffs began; the natural wood floor gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the dim lighting.
With a record of 65 wins and 17 losses, they are ranked first in the entire league.
This is the impressive record the Boston Celtics achieved through sheer grit, sweat, and defense during this six-month-long regular season.
But Lin Qi knew very well that the regular season was just a long warm-up. The real meat grinder would officially start tomorrow.
He turned around and walked back to his private office, hidden behind the VIP box. Under the desk lamp, a top-secret document, compiled overnight by the data analysis department, lay quietly. " Rasheed Wallace - In-depth Analysis Report on Technical Fouls in the 1999-2000 Season".
Lin Qi lit a cigarette and opened the cardboard cover.
It not only records Rasheed's staggering 38 technical fouls this season, but also includes photos of key moments from each game, the timing of the calls, and most importantly, the name of the referee on duty.
Lin Qi's fingers, holding a cigarette, slowly glided across a row of densely packed tables. As he delved deeper into the data, a strange statistical bias began to surface.
Key referee call distribution.
Tim Donaghy: Officiated 11 Celtics games, called 9 technical fouls on Rasheed.
Joey Crawford: Officiated 8 Celtics games, called 7 technical fouls on Rasheed, and ejected 1 time.
Other referees: scattered, and most of them had obvious causes of physical conflict.
Lin Qi's fingertip hovered heavily over the name " Tim Donaghy," then stopped.
He took a deep drag on his cigarette, his eyes sharpening behind the bluish-gray smoke. As a transmigrator, he knew this name all too well.
In 2007, this very name sparked the most notorious gambling scandal in NBA history. The FBI's thunderous investigation completely exposed the league's glamorous facade... Donaghy not only participated in illegal gambling for a long time, but also used his refereeing power to precisely manipulate the odds and point differentials of games.
His most common tactic is to target those hot-tempered "troublemakers." By calling a few unwarranted fouls on these players early in the game, or by directly provoking them with technical fouls, he can easily disrupt a team's offensive and defensive rhythm, thus causing the overall score to slide in the direction he has bet on.
Rasheed Wallace was one of the hardest-hit areas targeted by these corrupt referees back then.
"But it's only the year 2000, and these parasites..." Lin Qi exhaled a smoke ring and sneered, "So they've already started playing these games so early."
He stubbed out his cigarette, picked up the disposable, untraceable phone on the table, and dialed a few numbers that weren't saved in his contacts.
"Beep... beep..."
A few seconds later, the call was answered. A deep, metallic male voice came through the receiver. "Mr. Lin, what can I do for you?"
"I need to hire a private investigation team." Lin Qi leaned back in his leather chair, his tone as calm as if he were ordering takeout. "Target group: Current NBA referees."
There was less than a second of silence on the other end of the phone, then he quickly got into work mode. "The specific dimensions of the investigation?"
"Offshore bank statements, underground gambling dens' financial transactions, large debts, and their call records with Las Vegas or East Coast gambling syndicates." Lin Qi's gaze was fixed on the list on the table. "I don't need baseless gossip; I just need evidence that will bring them to their knees. Bank statements, recordings, witnesses—everything that can be used as evidence in court."
"The referees' union is a very closed circle, and it's involved in illegal gambling, so the investigation chain is very deep," the person in charge said calmly. "This requires extremely high authority and massive financial support."
"The budget is five million US dollars, which will be deposited into your Switzerland account first thing tomorrow morning. We can add more if needed." Lin Qi gave a figure that would drive any top private investigator crazy without hesitation. "I won't rush you on time, but just don't alert them. However, if you discover any recent betting activity targeting Boston, you must intercept it immediately and report it to me."
"Understood. Who are the key targets to monitor?"
" Tim Donaghy," Lin Qi uttered the name coldly. "Also, while you're at it, look into Joey Crawford. The old bald guy might not be involved in gambling, but he's an extremely arrogant paranoiac. Get me all the dirty laundry from his private life. I want to make sure I have enough leverage to shut them up when necessary."
"Received. Start the program immediately."
The call ended.
Lin Qi walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the empty stadium.
A business league is never just a contest between five basketball players. Off-court capital, betting odds, and shady dealings are often more deadly than on-court tactics.
Lin Qi took a deep breath, a hint of violence flashing in his eyes.
"Trying to use my team as an ATM? I'll make you pay the price."
April 23, New Garden.
Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs: Boston Celtics host Detroit Pistons.
An hour and a half before the match, Lin Qi appeared at the scorer's table in a well-tailored custom suit. He calmly picked up the official officiating list for the evening.
Referee: Dick Bavetta.
Assistant Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford.
Lin Qi glanced over them and nodded slightly. These were some of the referees with decent reputations in the league, David Stern clearly didn't want to cause controversy in the opening game of the playoffs.
After putting down the roster, Lin Qi turned and walked out of the scorer's table, returning to the home team's locker room.
Pushing open the door, the adrenaline-pumping tension of pre-battle hit you right in the face.
Garnett, wearing heavy noise-canceling headphones, sat in front of the closet, muttering to himself with his eyes closed, as if giving himself a pre-game mental pep talk. Gary Payton had his arm around Pierce's shoulder, and the two were talking in hushed tones. Mutombo sat quietly in the corner, arms crossed, eyes closed, resting.
Rasheed Wallace sat on a bench, expressionless, wrapping thick white bandages around his ankles.
The competition officially began at 8 PM.
The New Garden was packed to capacity, and the sea of green erupted in deafening cheers.
From the very first second, the Celtics adopted a suffocating defensive stance.
Pistons star Grant Hill started with a badly injured left ankle, attempting to receive the ball at the high post and facilitate play. Eddie Jones, who was responsible for guarding him, gave him no chance to breathe, pressing him closely from the moment he received the ball, using intense physical contact to wear down Hill's lower body.
Hill made a difficult pass, Stackhouse received the ball on the wing, attempting to force his way past Pierce. But just as he completed his turn, Garnett had already moved laterally into position, blocking his path.
Stackhouse was forced to jump and take the shot.
"Clang!"
Under the basket, Mutombo blocked Pistons center Clifford Robinson's waist and secured the rebound with one hand.
"Get down!" Gary Payton shouted.
Pierce and Eddie Jones both accelerated towards the frontcourt, Gary Payton delivered a precise long pass. Pierce received the ball, forced his way past the retreating defender, and scored a layup, drawing a foul in the process...
2+1.
This fast break became a microcosm of the entire game.
At the end of the first quarter, the Celtics led 32-17. The Pistons committed as many as 7 turnovers in the quarter, and Grant Hill was substituted due to severe ankle pain and did not return to the game.
Rasheed Wallace came on as a substitute in the second quarter.
Without the targeted foul troubles of the regular season, Rasheed unleashed his full offensive firepower. He hit two consecutive pull-up three-pointers from beyond the arc. On the defensive end, he swatted a layup from Pistons backup guard out of bounds.
Billups ' steady playmaking, coupled with Rasheed's powerful outside shooting, allowed Boston's second unit to instantly dismantle the opponent's defense.
At halftime, the score was 62-38, and the suspense of the game had already ended.
The second half became garbage time. Stackhouse tried to catch up through frequent individual plays, but Garnett made several solid blocks in the paint, completely shattering the Pistons ' last hope of a comeback.
In the fourth quarter, Doc Rivers substituted in an all-reserve lineup, with Brad Miller and Bruce Bowen both making their appearances.
The match ended with a score of 118-85. It was a complete and utter victory for the team.
In the post-game press conference hall, cameras and microphones were pointed at head coach Doc Rivers.
" Doc, the first game was won so easily. Does that mean the Pistons pose no threat to you at all?"
Doc Rivers shook his head. "This is the playoffs, no game is easy. The players executed the tactics perfectly tonight. We locked down their passing lanes with our defense, and that's our most comfortable rhythm."
" Garnett contributed 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks in just 28 minutes. How would you rate his performance?"
"He's one of the league's top competitors, and the playoffs are his stage to showcase his talent," Doc Rivers replied.
Meanwhile, deep inside the stadium, in the president's office.
Lin Qi paid no attention to the noise of the press conference. He sat at his desk, the dim light from the computer screen shining on his face, his expression calm.
The resounding victory in the first match did not cause much of a stir, which was expected.
His gaze fell on the encrypted email address on the desktop.
A new email notification pops up, with only a short line of text in the body.
[ Donaghy's secret accounts have been located, and the source of the funds is being traced.]
Lin Qi looked at the screen without saying anything, but simply picked up the cigarette pack next to the ashtray and lit a cigarette.
The firelight flickered briefly in the dim room.
"This is just the beginning."
He stubbed out his cigarette and closed the computer screen.