Then this group split into two parts, one believing they must decisively eradicate this son of the devil to save Earth.
Another part, however, believed they should worship him as a new faith, that only by believing in Ah Gan could they survive the apocalypse.
This second part was naturally the minority of minorities, problem children among problem children, shouting "Ah Gan is a spy" while also calling for "belief in Ah Gan to escape divine punishment."
The activities of this group peaked on New Year’s Eve, as they gathered in the New York area for a torchlit assembly, planning to storm City Hall on the 1st to rescue Ah Gan.
Of course, two hours later, due to leaked information, the group was arrested by the New York police for disturbing public order and was detained for three days.
However, a small number managed to evade police capture and protested in front of New York City Hall on the afternoon of the 1st, demanding an end to Ah Gan’s "persecution."
After yet another lengthy and dull hearing, Gan Guoyang exited City Hall and felt quite touched to see this group supporting him with signs, thinking they must be his fans.
He even considered shaking hands or signing autographs, but Quentin quickly intervened, telling him, "They’re not your fans; they’re your followers."
"What? Followers? The ones calling me Gan Zu?"
"No, they’re the ones... who see you as the son of Satan, believing you’re here to destroy Christ."
"That’s fucking nonsense. It’s simply alarmist talk. How could I, an Asian, be Satan’s son... Unless my dad is Satan?"
Quentin realized the boss might have missed the point. Sometimes he had an unusual line of thinking about such matters, which Quentin found strange.
But without thinking much further, as Gan Guoyang’s bodyguard, Quentin’s duty was to immediately get Gan Guoyang away from any dangerous place, keeping a distance from those people was most crucial.
To ensure safety, Gan Guoyang left New York overnight and flew directly to Toronto. After the match against the Lakers on the 1st, the Trail Blazers would challenge the Toronto Raptors on the 3rd as visitors.
This would also be a significant match.
Without Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers lost to the Lakers at home.
Without Gan Guoyang guarding the inside, Shaquille O’Neal rampaged freely in the Three Second Zone.
This season, O’Neal delivered his career-best performance, averaging 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game.
He’s displaying a dominant performance on both offense and defense, and just by looking at the stats, he’s reached 80% of Gan Guoyang’s level, which is quite high.
In the battle at Portland, O’Neal exploded with 41 points, demolishing the strong inside line formed by Sabonis, Wallace, and Little O’Neal.
As expected, without Gan Guoyang as the backbone and lacking the assist of a small forward for trapping and distruption, solely relying on inside defense is inadequate against O’Neal.
After losing this battle, the Trail Blazers’ record dropped to third in the Western Conference, while the Los Angeles Lakers remained atop the Western Conference, neck and neck with the Celtics from the Eastern Conference.
A regular-season loss isn’t frightening for the Trail Blazers right now. The key is to find the problem and figure out a solution.
Bird attempted to make some trades before the All-Star game to adjust the current roster, ideally making the team’s age structure more reasonable.
However, Gan Guoyang suggested it would be best not to trade. Maintaining stability from start to finish is more important than constant changes.
Since Gan Guoyang joined the Trail Blazers, the team has virtually not made any mid-season trades and has always played with one roster throughout the season.
Back in his rookie years, when the Trail Blazers wanted to trade away Vandeweghe, Gan Guoyang advised against it, even though it seemed like a decent trade with Vandeweghe being exchanged for Marques Johnson.
But Gan Guoyang valued team stability and unity more, feeling that he could compensate for the difference in hard power and that it wouldn’t hurt to endure a little.
On a spiritual level, the positivity and unity in the team locker room need everyone’s effort to maintain, and the situation of one bad apple spoiling the bunch hasn’t occurred with the Trail Blazers.
"Our roster doesn’t have major problems; the playoffs test not only the roster but also will and unity... Nowadays, teams often overlook these aspects, always wanting to recruit players with better stats, stronger abilities, and better lineup combinations, but that doesn’t necessarily make for the best team. Larry, I hope you consider this more carefully. I want everyone who joins the Trail Blazers this season to get a ring. A true ring, won on the stage of the finals."
Gan Guoyang’s words moved Bird. He knew Gan Guoyang didn’t want to disturb veteran stalwarts like Terry Porter and Sabonis.
In fact, after this season, they’re likely to retire, as they truly can’t keep up anymore. Once they retire, the Trail Blazers will lose a batch of assets for nothing.
Theoretically, while they’re still in decent shape, some trades can optimize the team’s age structure and secure some assets for the future, preparing for the post-Gan Guoyang era.
Indeed, some teams called Bird with trade requests. Teams like the Spurs and Timberwolves were eager to acquire a veteran point guard like Porter with his wealth of experience.
Additionally, teams like the Heat and Warriors were keen on acquiring Sabonis to strengthen the center position, as Sabonis still had fuel in the tank.
But after careful consideration and listening to Ah Gan’s advice, Bird decided to forego the idea of trading in pursuit of a three-peat, possibly the last championship of the Ah Gan era.