Chapter 8: One Punch KO

On the 22nd, the Seaweed team defeated the Seagulls on the road, eliminating their opponents and advancing to the second round. Tang Bei once again put up a stat line of 30+10, adding 7 massive blocks, though he also committed 6 turnovers and 5 fouls, making only 6 of 16 free throws.

During this game, another opponent was injured. Over the course of the match, Tang Bei had knocked his opponents over—either by dunking on them or colliding with them—five times, ultimately resulting in a left knee injury for one of them.

On the 24th, the second round began. The Seaweed team held home-court advantage against the Albany Landlords, a team known for their exceptionally aggressive and brutal style of play. Because of this, on-court conflicts were frequent, and the Landlords were dubbed the "CBA Bad Boys," making them the most difficult team to deal with in the league.

"Bang!"

Tang Bei scored the first basket with a ferocious two-handed slam. His primary opponent today, the Landlords' starting center—the 210-centimeter, 120-kilogram giant Ingram Bass—collapsed to the floor after being dunked on.

"F*** you!"

The hot-headed Bass scrambled up, looking disheveled, and hurled profanities at Tang Bei, who had already retreated to mid-court, chasing after him while still shouting insults. Tang Bei, much faster than Bass, reached the paint first. As Bass charged into the lane, Tang Bei blocked his path, crossing his arms over his chest and settling into a wide, low stance.

"I'll crush you!"

A fierce glint flashed in Ingram Bass's eyes. He charged like a wild bull, his elbows tucked in front of his chest as if to protect himself.

"Thud!"

Their bodies collided, the heavy impact echoing clearly. Tang Bei took a large step backward from the force, but Bass, lacking sufficient explosive power and momentum, let out a grunt and flipped backward, landing on the floor at Tang Bei’s feet once again.

"WOW!"

More than three hundred fans were in attendance—more than in the first round—and they erupted into excited cheers, the intense physicality sending their adrenaline surging. Just then, the Landlords' shooting guard, Hans Green, drove from the right wing into the paint. Tang Bei pivoted back to defend the rim and, with a swift leap, pinned Green’s layup against the backboard.

"WOW!"

The spectacular backboard-pinning block sent the crowd into another frenzy.

"Sh*t!"

Bass, dizzy and disoriented from the recoil of the earlier collision, cursed as he scrambled back to his feet. As Tang Bei passed the ball and cut toward the basket, passing right by Bass, the frustrated and humiliated player suddenly extended his foot to trip him.

"Damn!"

Tang Bei caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. In a split second, he tapped his left toe forward and launched himself into the air. Despite his quick reflexes, his left foot was still clipped.

"Thud!"

As he was about to hit the floor, he caught himself with his hands, executing a perfect tactical forward-roll landing. Back home, he had been the size of a seven- or eight-year-old by the time he was four. He had trained with the local militia, practicing target shooting and receiving paramilitary training. Combined with self-protection techniques from martial arts, he remained uninjured.

"Boo!"

This was the Seaweed team's home court, and the three hundred fans immediately erupted in boos directed at Ingram Bass.

"Tweet!"

The head referee blew the whistle, halting the game. On a whim, Tang Bei didn’t stand up immediately. Instead, he pushed off with his feet, did a handstand, and began performing handstand push-ups. After a few, he switched to one-armed handstand push-ups. This move, which tested balance, coordination, core strength, and muscle control, was an advanced variation of the standard push-up.

"WOW!"

Seeing this show of dominance, the fans erupted in wave after wave of cheers. The Seaweed players, both on and off the court, clapped and cheered for him excitedly.

"One, two..."

The fans began counting along with his movements.

"F*** you!"

"Get him!"

Bass, completely enraged by Tang Bei’s provocation, lost his head and charged. The other Landlords players followed suit; fighting was second nature to them. Tang Bei immediately side-stepped Bass’s shove and, upon rising, was met with a flurry of punches from the opponent.

"A trained fighter?"

Tang Bei was slightly surprised, but if they wanted to fight, he wouldn't hold back. He slid back with two small steps, causing Bass to miss his strikes, then seized the gap in Bass’s defense to slide forward, delivering a fierce, heavy straight right hand.

"Tweet, tweet, tweet..."

The referee blew his whistle frantically, but it was clear the situation had spiraled out of control as players from both sides began arguing and shoving. Just then, with a loud "thud," Bass, who had been throwing punches at Tang Bei, suddenly arched backward and crashed stiffly onto the hardwood floor, motionless.

"KKKKKK... KO!"

"China Tang has KO'd Ingram Bass with a single punch!"

The portly commentator, Chuckley Hans, leaped from his seat, grabbed the microphone, and shouted "K" in extreme excitement. The bald commentator, Baron Bass, added excitedly, "My God, I want to know how many pounds of force was in that punch. How does it compare to Mike Tyson?"

Chuckley Hans yelled back, "No, no, no! Tyson’s power doesn't compare to the 'Cannon' George Foreman—that was over a thousand pounds! Tang is a big man; he should be compared to the heavy hitters!"

As everyone looked on, they saw Bass’s face covered in blood, his nose shattered, and the man himself knocked completely unconscious. Upon seeing this, the on-court scuffle stopped instantly. The players looked toward Tang Bei with expressions of genuine fear.

Tang Bei glanced at his right fist, which was stained with blood. Looking disgusted, he crouched down and wiped his hand on Bass's jersey. This seemingly brutal act sent a chill through everyone present, especially the Landlords' players.

The power of that single punch granted Tang Bei an aura of ferocity, establishing a formidable deterrent. Even the "CBA Bad Boys" were too terrified to move, and the conflict ended completely. The unconscious Bass was assessed a flagrant foul and carried off the court, ejected from the game. Tang Bei’s response was deemed self-defense, and he was not penalized—not even with a common foul.

Following the conflict, the Landlords' morale plummeted, and the Seaweed team easily secured the win. Two days later, thanks to another 30+10 performance, Tang Bei led his team to a 2-0 series sweep, eliminating the Landlords and advancing to the CBA Finals. Over the two second-round games, aside from Bass, who was KO'd by Tang Bei, two other players were injured—both by colliding with him. In four playoff games, he had injured more than one player per game on average. In the CBA, his reputation for ferocity and the fear he inspired had already spread far and wide.