August 10th — Lindsay arrived in Hong Kong with her team.
That same day, the Hang Seng Index dropped below 7,000 points.
Two days later, on August 12th, the Chinese men's basketball team departed for Athens.
"Zhao Dong, what's the goal this time?" a reporter asked just before the team boarded the bus.
"Our basic goal?" Zhao Dong stepped up with a calm expression. "Top four."
His words lit up the press like a spark to dry grass. Cameras flashed. Reporters grinned with renewed energy.
"Top four? Damn, that means we could actually win a medal this time!" one reporter gasped.
"Wait, that alone would break history. Is he just bragging?" another asked, skeptical.
"Has Zhao Dong ever run his mouth without backing it up?" someone replied.
"Uh… actually, he really doesn't talk nonsense," the skeptic admitted with a chuckle.
Back in the previous timeline, this World Championship was a flop without NBA stars—low attendance, low buzz. But this time? Zhao Dong's presence changed everything.
When Team China arrived in Athens, even the chairman of the organizing committee came to the airport to greet them. A deputy secretary-general from FIBA was there too.
The organizing committee pulled out all the stops—premium training facilities, VIP transportation, and top-tier accommodations. China's team got the red-carpet treatment.
"This is a first in our nation's history," team leader Liu Yumin said with a proud smile. "Our national basketball team has never been treated this well overseas."
"Well, that's what happens when you've got Zhao Dong in the squad," Jiang Xinquan joked. "He's the biggest superstar at this whole tournament."
August 17th — the Hang Seng Index slipped below 6,500 points.
Market whispers turned ominous. Some said it could collapse past 4,000. If that happened, two-thirds of Hong Kong's wealth would vanish. Families across the region could face financial ruin.
And as the markets trembled, the World Championships tipped off.
Team China landed in Group B, sharing the bracket with the American squad.
With Zhao Dong and Hu Weidong—who had sharpened his game in the NBA—the Chinese team was stacked. They stormed through the group stage, even taking down a ragtag American team. China finished first in their group and punched their ticket to the quarterfinals.
Zhao Dong wasn't just a superstar—he was the spotlight. Without other NBA players in the mix, he stood alone at the top. Every camera, every fan, every headline focused on him. Whenever Team China played, the arena overflowed.
Back in Athens, Huang Zhiwen—once a sales rep—jumped on the wave. He launched a flagship store in the city and rode Zhao Dong's global fame to start expanding his brand in Europe.
Then came the knockouts.
In the quarterfinals, China faced off against Australia. One win from the semis—one game away from history.
August 26th — Zhao Dong delivered. A 30-point triple-double. Dominant on every end. Under his lead, China toppled Australia and made the final four for the first time in national team history.
The semi-finals were set for the 28th—China vs. the USA.
But halfway around the world, Hong Kong was bracing for a different kind of battle.
This Monday was futures settlement day for the Hang Seng Index. It was the moment of truth for the Quantum Fund, led by Soros and the other short sellers. If the Index didn't rally by close, they'd cash in with massive profits.
But if it surged?
They'd be crushed.
The key number was 7,500 points. Below that, the short sellers won big. Above that, they burned billions.
At the time, the index hovered dangerously close to 4,000.
Reversing the crash would take a mountain of money—possibly all of it.
In the middle of a thunderstorm in Kowloon, with rain hammering the windows and tension spiking, Hong Kong's people turned their eyes toward Central.
The Chinese central bank stepped in. $145 billion in US dollars—over 100 billion Hong Kong dollars—was mobilized, tapping into the entire national foreign exchange reserve.
Chinese-funded institutions in Hong Kong were all ordered to join the defense.
Lindsay and her team were stationed in a tall building near the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Per her agreement with Zhao Dong, she brought $2 billion—17.5 billion HKD—to the table.
The bell rang at ten o'clock.
The market exploded.
Soros and his allies targeted two pillars of the Hang Seng Index: HSBC Holdings and Hong Kong Telecom. The sell-off was ruthless, crashing into the market like a tidal wave.
In the first five minutes, HK$4 billion in trades hit the floor.
But the Hong Kong government didn't flinch.
They bought everything.
No matter how much was dumped, they took it all. Full defense mode—no room for retreat.
Troops were stationed across all 33 Hang Seng Index constituent stocks. Their strategy? Absorb the storm. Buy every share. Hold the line.
By 10:35 a.m., total transactions hit HK$40 billion. That's nearly 1.2 billion per minute.
"It's time for a decisive battle. We've got to break that 4,000-point line. If we shatter their psychological barrier, we'll control the tempo from here on out."
During the lunch break, Soros contacted several European funds—his pre-arranged reinforcements, his final line of financial ammo.
When the market reopened in the afternoon, both sides jumped into a head-on clash. There was no turning back now.
The short side—made up of international speculators—went all in, dumping everything they had into shorting HSBC Holdings, a major heavyweight in the Hang Seng Index.
At that moment, all eyes across the globe zeroed in on the battleground.
The Hong Kong government mobilized 30 billion Hong Kong dollars. Minute by minute, tens of millions in USD and HKD collided violently.
Each movement in the Hang Seng Index translated to a battle worth billions.
At 15:10, the index was still struggling just below the 7,500-point mark. Time was slipping away.
Lindsay sat still, her eyes locked on the screen. Calm. Cold. Focused. She was calculating—every movement of both the bulls and the bears mapped out in her mind.
Zhao Dong had once told her, "China will give it everything to protect Hong Kong."
And now, from the flow of capital coming in, she saw it clearly—he was right.
"My man just stepped into his game... I guess it's my turn now."
She glanced at the time—3 o'clock in Hong Kong, same as in Greece.
"Prepare to take over."
"All futures sell orders—take 'em all."
At 15:15, she gave the command.
"What?!"
Her subordinates were stunned.
Looking at the current situation, it was obvious—the bears were in control. The bulls were losing steam. If they stepped in now, they'd be catching a falling knife.
"Execute the order. Now."
Lindsay's tone turned icy, and her almond-shaped eyes narrowed like blades.
"Yes, President."
Everyone moved quickly, suppressing their doubts.
Ten minutes passed. Lindsay's fund had already burned through 20% of its capital. The futures sell pressure was still relentless.
The men glanced at her nervously, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"Ease up a bit. Give them a signal," she said calmly, raising her hand.
"Whew…"
They breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But none of them really understood—signal to who? Was Storm Fund cooperating with someone behind the scenes?
—
"President Zhang, the pace of incoming funds slowed just now. Looks like they're running low. In just ten minutes, they've already poured in 3 billion Hong Kong dollars."
From a nearby office, someone made the report.
"Three billion?!" President Zhang's brows furrowed. "Can we trace it? Who's behind this?"
"No luck tracing it. It might be a Chinese-backed institution jumping in early. We don't have any foreign allies, so it must be one of ours. Sir, this capital laid down the path. We can follow it. Should we begin?"
"…"
President Zhang wiped the sweat from his brow. The funds he held were China's last stash of foreign exchange reserves. Once they were gone—they were gone.
Around him, the office was packed. All eyes were on him. The pressure was suffocating.
—
"Stop the takeover."
At that moment, Lindsay gave the new order.
"President Zhang, they've cut the inflow. If we don't follow up, their sacrifice goes to waste!"
Bang!
President Zhang slammed his fist down on the table.
"Start the buy! Full throttle on futures! And tell every Chinese financial institution—it's time to fight!"
—
Lindsay stared at the screen. Twenty seconds later, a new wave of capital surged into the market, tearing through the sell orders.
Her sharp eyes flickered.
"Resume purchases. No holding back. In a decisive battle, we go hard. You have to press forward, overwhelm them, and flip those shorts into longs."
—
"President Zhang, that second wave is back! It's aggressive! It's scooping every large order and wiping the short side clean. The shorts are hesitating now. Should we keep pressing?"
"Hell yes!"
President Zhang's voice echoed across the room.
—
In this massive financial showdown, Lindsay charged in first—Storm Fund led the assault by swallowing every futures order dumped by international hot money.
Her aggressive charge signaled the call to arms. All Chinese capital followed her lead, surging into the market like a tidal wave, completely overwhelming the short sellers.
Cornered, many shorts had no choice but to flip long, then turn around and pressure the remaining short positions—creating a vicious chain reaction.
It was a total slaughter for the shorts.
—
The shockwaves from the futures market hit the stock market instantly. Massive buying poured in, and the Hang Seng Index began its surge.
At 15:40, it smashed through the 7,500-point barrier.
BOOM!
The moment that line was crossed, all of Hong Kong erupted.
"It's over…"
Soros and the other short-selling bosses sat pale-faced, stunned by the reversal.
—
Ten minutes later, the Hang Seng Index soared past 8,000 points.
At the closing bell—16:00—it settled around 8,321 points. The futures settlement point landed at 8,378.
Soros had lost—badly. In both the foreign exchange and futures markets, he took a crushing hit.
In the original timeline, the Hang Seng Index had only climbed to 7,820 points. But in this new timeline—with Lindsay on the field—the short sellers suffered losses ten times greater than before.
Total short losses in the Hong Kong market exceeded 12 billion USD.
"Find out who backed that fund. I want names. Every damn one of them," Soros ordered weakly as he prepared to leave Hong Kong—defeated, physically and mentally.
—
Meanwhile, in Greece—
Zhao Dong dropped another 30+ point triple-double, leading China's men's basketball team in the semifinals.
They made history—again—advancing to the finals.
—
After the buzzer, Zhao Dong picked up the phone and called Lindsay.
"Babe, congrats. We won," Lindsay's voice came through, calm but proud.
"Thanks, wifey. I won here too."
In just half an hour during the Hong Kong battle, Lindsay's Storm Fund cleared over 1 billion USD from futures alone.
She immediately reinvested that capital into the Hong Kong stock market—grabbing massive amounts of Chinese stocks at low prices.
On August 29th, Yugoslavia defeated Russia to advance to the finals.
On August 30th, Russia bounced back and beat Team USA, securing third place in the World Championships. The United States, surprisingly, walked away with only a fourth-place finish.
That same day, Lindsay arrived in Greece.
After the meeting, Lindsay said, "Honey, I bought up a bunch of Chinese company stocks. Our info is probably gonna get noticed back in China."
Zhao Dong shrugged casually. "If they find out, they find out. What's there to be afraid of?"
Zhao Dong added. "And technically, we're helping the country. You should get Chinese nationality just for that."
She laughed. "You think I deserve it?"
"Of course," Zhao Dong nodded. "But don't rush. We're still working and living in the U.S., and you're in finance on Wall Street. If you become a Chinese citizen now, it'll be way less convenient."
Lindsay was a little surprised but quickly agreed. "You're right. I've got multiple citizenships—Spain, Switzerland, the U.S. It's super convenient. And Wall Street hasn't had any issue with it."
---
September 1st — Finals Day
The leader of the Yugoslavian team used to be Lakers' center Vlade Divac, but due to NBA rules, he wasn't allowed to play in this tournament. Toni Kukoc, another big name, was also absent for the same reason.
The current face of Yugoslavian basketball was Dejan Bodiroga, drafted 11th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 1995 NBA Draft. But he famously turned down the league, saying:
"Why should I go to America when I can enjoy the comfort of success in Europe?"
Standing 205 cm tall and weighing in at 105 kg—the same as Zhao Dong—Bodiroga was technically a point guard. But like Magic Johnson, he could play one through three, sometimes even more. He was nicknamed the White Magician.
His backup was Peja Stojaković, the 14th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but Peja also missed this tournament due to NBA participation rules.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Bodiroga and Divac had led Yugoslavia to a silver medal, going undefeated in group play and only losing to Dream Team III, which featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley.
Over his European career, Bodiroga racked up 11 MVP awards and 19 championships. He became known as one of the greatest international players who never set foot in the NBA.
Tonight, Zhao Dong would be matching up with him directly.
As someone who had lived through this era once before, Zhao Dong knew just how dangerous Yugoslavian basketball was. This was the last united team before the country splintered into separate nations, each producing elite talent—Luka Dončić, Goran Dragić, Nikola Jokić, Jusuf Nurkić, Bogdan Bogdanović, and more.
Yugoslav players were naturally tall and skilled. While they didn't have the raw athleticism of NBA stars, their shooting touch, elite passing, high basketball IQ, and teamwork were world-class.
As Chinese basketball legend Ma Jian once said:
"Yugoslavia's baseline is third place. Competing for second or even first isn't surprising."
---
Pre-Game Media Interviews
Both teams held interviews before tipoff.
"Bodiroga," a reporter asked, "you're expected to face Zhao Dong in the finals. What's your opinion of him? Do you believe you can beat him?"
"I want to experience what it's like playing against the NBA Finals MVP," Bodiroga said confidently. "But yes, I believe I can beat anyone who stands in front of me on the court."
He wasn't arrogant—just proud and certain.
Later, a reporter turned to Zhao Dong.
"What's your take on Bodiroga? Do you believe you can stop him?"
"He's got NBA superstar potential," Zhao Dong said with a grin. "But he's not my matchup. I'm gonna dominate on both ends."
"Is your goal to bring home the championship?"
"We're in the finals now," Zhao Dong replied. "We ain't here for second place."
---
Game Time
For the final, the Chinese team rolled out a frontcourt of Dazhi and Battelle. On the perimeter: Sun Jun, Zheng Wu, and Zhao Dong, who would be running point.
"We've got size inside—not worse than Yugoslavia," said Sun Zhenping during CCTV's live broadcast. "But our overall height and depth are still a little behind. Mr. Song, how do you see our odds tonight?"
"In terms of total talent, we're still the underdog," Song Shixiong replied. "But Zhao Dong is an X-factor. If he can clamp Bodiroga and go off offensively, we got a real shot."
Sun Zhenping nodded with a smile. "They call Bodiroga the White Magician. And Zhao Dong? The NBA's been calling him a mix of Magic and Barkley. Dude can run all five positions. I like our chances."
---
Opening Tip
Dazhi stepped into the circle against Yugoslavian center Tomasevic. The ball went up—and Dazhi won the tip.
China had the first possession.
The game was broadcast live on ESPN across the United States.
Back in Chicago, Bulls head coach Phil Jackson was glued to the screen. His focus was locked on two players: Zhao Dong—the man standing in his path to a repeat title—and Dazhi, a member of his own squad.
Jeff Taylor and Jack Ramsey were on the call.
"This is a battle between two basketball philosophies," Jack said. "Zhao Dong's raw power and versatility versus Bodiroga's smooth, all-around game."
"Zhao Dong's been called the Golden Tyrant of Asia," Jeff added. "But tonight, he'll need more than that nickname. He's facing the best Europe has to offer."
As the game tipped off, fans in China, the U.S., and across Europe held their breath.
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