September 25, 8:30 AM, Boston.
You can't hide fire with paper.
Bob Ryan, a senior columnist for the Boston Globe, was the first to get the news. At 3 a. m., he received a very brief call from his contact at the Boston Police Department headquarters, " Bob, get dressed and head to Tufts New England Medical Center. Chris Paul Pierce has been stabbed 11 times at a nightclub."
By 8 a. m., the area outside the emergency building at Tufts Hospital was like a hornet's nest.
More than twenty media outlets' broadcast vans blocked the entire Washington Street. Reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, attempted to break through the security cordon set up by hospital personnel.
Is Chris Paul Pierce still alive?!
"Is it true that he was rumored to have had his throat slit?!"
Where is the Celtics' management?!
9:30 a. m., Celtics headquarters, emergency meeting room.
Public relations director Mark Sullivan slammed a stack of briefings he had gathered overnight onto the conference table.
The team's head coach, Rick Carlisle, and the chief lawyer from the legal department were seated in the conference room.
"The situation is getting out of control." Mark turned on the projector, and the screen was filled with draft headlines from major media outlets, already formatted and ready to be sent.
The Boston Globe: " Celtics player stabbed in nightclub, fate unknown"
ESPN Breaking News: " Boston Pain: Chris Paul Pierce in Critical Condition After Being Stabbed 11 Times"
"That's not even the worst part." Mark pressed a button on the remote, switching to the audio waveform of a local radio station. "WEEI Radio's morning program has exploded. The host is leading listeners in a discussion: Why would the defending champion's key player be at a notorious nightclub at 1 a. m.?"
"The boss previously issued an extremely strict 'nightclub ban'," Rick Carlisle frowned. "If we make this public..."
"Absolutely not!" the legal counsel immediately interrupted, his tone stern. "Before the criminal case is settled, we absolutely cannot admit to any internal team rules or player violations! If we do, the media focus will instantly shift from 'murder' to ' Celtics mismanagement.' Even in court, the defense attorney could use this to imply that the player's own misbehavior led to the tragedy. We cannot hand them a weapon!"
The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.
"So how should we handle the press conference this afternoon?" Rick Carlisle asked.
Mark Sullivan took a deep breath, demonstrating the professionalism of a top public relations expert. "Based on the first principle of crisis public relations, our strategy must be: set the tone, segment, and control the narrative."
He wrote three words heavily on the whiteboard: victim, crime, support.
"Our narrative framework has only one line: Chris Paul is a pure victim, this is a horrific crime, and the team will use all resources to support him and pursue the matter to the end. As for all the sensitive issues regarding the nightclub, the ban, and whether Artest was present... our unified statement is: 'The case is under investigation, no comment.'"
"But that will anger journalists; they'll think we're hiding something," Rick Carlisle said worriedly.
"Then let them check the police files." The conference room door was pushed open, and Lin Qi strode in.
He hadn't even changed his clothes; his right hand was still wrapped in a thick bandage oozing blood, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Boss." Everyone immediately stood up.
"I heard everything." Lin Qi walked to the head of the table and sat down, looking around at everyone. "Do as Mark says. First priority: protect Chris Paul from further damage from public opinion. Second priority: send those bastards with knives to jail. As for whether the media is happy or not, whether the team's image is damaged..."
Lin Qi sneered, "I'll personally handle the press conference this afternoon."
Noon, TD Garden Plaza.
Unlike the media's jubilation and skepticism, Boston fans displayed pure loyalty and grief.
Hundreds of fans spontaneously gathered in front of the famous " The Cardinal " Auerbach statue in the square. Some held up signs that read "Pray for Chris Paul," while others covered the brick walls of the square with blessing cards and flowers.
A ten-year-old boy wearing a No. 34 jersey, his eyes red and swollen, was being led by his mother. Facing the reporters' cameras, he choked up and said, "Uncle Chris Paul is a hero of Boston... I don't want him to die, I want him to come back to play."
The city is praying for a 22-year-old.
At 2:00 PM, at the Celtics headquarters, in the press conference room.
More than eighty reporters were crammed into the huge press conference hall, with even the aisles filled with cameras.
When Lin Qi walked into the hall accompanied by Mark and Wallace, the flashbulbs went off instantly, turning it into daytime, and the sound of camera shutters was as dense as a downpour.
Lin Qi walked to the front of the podium, placed his hands on it, and his right hand, wrapped in bandages, was particularly noticeable.
The noisy meeting room miraculously quieted down under his gaze.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lin Qi's voice was deep and penetrating, "Early this morning, our player Chris Paul Pierce was subjected to an extremely vicious attack in downtown Boston. He suffered multiple stab wounds and is in serious condition."
"The good news is that, thanks to the intensive care efforts of the top medical team at Tufts Hospital, Chris Paul is now out of immediate danger. Although he remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit, he has survived."
A low murmur rippled through the audience.
"I'll only emphasize two points," Lin Qi said, holding up two fingers. "First, this is a heinous crime against an innocent person. Second, the Celtics have officially hired a top-tier legal team, and we will spare no effort to ensure the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve! Now, questions."
All the reporters in the room raised their hands at the same time.
" The Boston Globe, Bob Ryan," Lin Qi named.
"Mr. Lin," the veteran reporter's eyes were extremely sharp, "According to police reports, the attack occurred at a nightclub around 1 a. m. As the team's core player, why was Chris Paul in such a chaotic place at that time?"
This is the most insidious and deadliest problem... victim blaming.
Lin Qi stared at him, his gaze unwavering. " Bob, Chris Paul was at a place with a valid business license and didn't break any Boston laws. But he was stabbed 11 times, and the person with the knife broke the law. You mean the person who was stabbed is at fault? Do you want to read what you're saying?"
"Whether it was 1 a. m. or 1 p. m., whether it was a nightclub or the Boston Public Library, no one deserved to suffer such a deadly attack. If you want to discuss nighttime safety, you should interview the mayor at City Hall. Here, we are only discussing a victim who just survived surgery."
A brilliant counterattack, shifting the blame directly to the crime itself.
ESPN commentator Chris Blue immediately stood up. "Mr. Lin, there are rumors that the team has a strict curfew and a 'nightclub ban.' Does Chris Paul's behavior constitute a serious breach of discipline? Is there a loophole in the team's management?"
"I will not publicly discuss the team's internal management regulations," Lin Qi said, his tone becoming extremely firm. "But I absolutely do not accept the absurd logic that 'management loopholes led to the attack'! Does strict management dull the knives in the hands of those thugs?"
"Our players are adults, not criminals. The team does not provide 24-hour armed escort services. The only loophole in this incident is that there are still crazy people stabbing people randomly on the streets of Boston!"
The scene was completely silent. Lin Qi's powerful aura completely intimidated the reporters who were trying to dig deeper into the gossip.
"One last question," Mark interjected at the opportune moment.
A reporter from the New York Times stood up and asked the question that fans across the country were most concerned about.
"Mr. Lin, Pierce's injury will inevitably cause him to miss a significant number of games. Will this tragedy affect the Celtics ' game plan for the new season? Are you still confident in defending your title?"
Upon hearing this question, Lin Qi fell silent.
Five full seconds passed before he looked at the sea of cameras below the stage, his voice becoming extremely hoarse, yet every word carrying immense weight.
To hell with the new season. To hell with defending the title.
The entire stadium was stunned; even the head coach, Rick Carlisle, turned to look at him in horror.
"What the hell are you guys still concerned about at a time like this?" Lin Qi stared intently at the camera, as if speaking to someone through the screen. "Pay more attention to Chris Paul Pierce. Pay attention to whether he can stand up healthy again, whether he can breathe and live normally."
"Basketball is just a job, but we just almost lost a family member. This press conference is now adjourned."
After speaking, Lin Qi turned around without hesitation and strode out of the press conference hall, where flashbulbs were still going off wildly, leaving behind a room full of reporters in an uproar.
Now, he needs to go back to the hospital.