December 25 – Christmas Day
December rolled on, brutal and relentless. The Knicks' December schedule was a gauntlet, and the wear-and-tear began to show.
Shawn Marion and Manu Ginobili, the two promising rookies, struggled with consistency. Some nights, they lit up the floor; others, they disappeared. The grind of the NBA was setting in, and it was affecting the Knicks' rhythm.
But where the rookies faltered, Zhao Dong rose.
He unleashed an offensive storm. Six straight games of 40+ points, each one more dominant than the last. Whether pulling up from mid-range, slashing through double teams, or dishing out pinpoint passes, Zhao Dong was everywhere. He carried the Knicks on his back through December, stacking win after win.
Meanwhile, the 76ers stumbled, losing back-to-back games to the Lakers and Spurs. The gap in the standings widened. The Knicks, with a record of 23–4, now had a firm grip on the top seed in the league.
Christmas Day brought two high-stakes matchups:
Lakers vs. Spurs.
Knicks vs. Pacers at Madison Square Garden.
The Pacers, sitting third in the East, were a legitimate threat. Still running their classic motion offense, they relied on ball movement, deadly shooting, and backdoor cuts. They led the league with 7.1 threes per game—not flashy, but deadly when hot.
But not tonight.
MSG turned into a defensive clinic as the Knicks shut down Indiana's rhythm. The Pacers couldn't get into a groove and fell victim to Zhao Dong's relentless pace.
Final score: Knicks win again.
From the luxury box, Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld kept his eye on a young forward off Indiana's bench: Al Harrington, the 25th pick from the 1998 draft.
Grunfeld pulled up his file.
Rookie season shortened by the lockout.
Suffered a knee injury.
Only played 21 games, averaging just 7 minutes.
This season: 17 minutes, 6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds.
Not eye-popping stats, but Harrington was young, cheap, and full of upside. With Knicks ownership pushing to cut payroll, Grunfeld saw an opportunity. He floated Gary Trent as trade bait.
Indiana's answer?
"Not even close."
The Pacers saw Harrington as a future core piece. Grunfeld got the message:
It's not that they won't trade—your chips just suck.
---
December 31 – Year's End
The Knicks ended the year on fire: 26–4, still the best record in the NBA.
But outside the hardwood, the world was shifting.
On Wall Street, the Nasdaq crashed through the psychological barrier of 4,000, ending the day at 3,995. The bear market had officially arrived.
Zhao Dong's private hedge group, Storm Capital, cashed in a massive set of short positions. Gains were locked in—profits secured.
That evening, Zhao Dong got on the phone with Lindsay, who had just returned from an operations report in Hong Kong.
"Eve, how's the Huifeng Holdings data coming along?"
"I've got full breakdowns on nine key managers with A-share control. Five of them are tied to Tianlong—either directly or through partners."
"Good. Start the negotiations. We need Huifeng secured as fast as possible."
---
The Plan: Control the Capital
Zhao Dong wasn't after Huifeng for vanity.
Tianlong Investment Bank was already a giant in the capital markets—but investment banks don't handle deposits or loans. If Zhao Dong wanted true influence in Hong Kong and deeper integration into the mainland economy, he needed a commercial bank.
That's where Huifeng Holdings came in.
$60 billion USD market value
AB share system: 15% A-shares (with voting/control), 85% B-shares (no voting rights)
HQ in China, but legally based in the UK
Wholly-owned branch in Shanghai
Zhao Dong's move was simple:
Use Tianlong's political and financial clout.
Partner with domestic state-owned banks to fund the buyout.
Acquire 15% of A-shares and take control of Huifeng's management board.
Negotiations with the five Tianlong-affiliated managers should be easy. The other four? Not so much. Zhao Dong and Lindsay already began mapping out interest swaps to close the deal.
But if it fell through?
Zhao Dong had a backup plan: build a rival trading bank from scratch, and challenge Huifeng head-on using Tianlong's resources.
---
New Year's Eve – December 31, 11:50 PM
The last night of the century.
Zhao Dong lounged in his penthouse, phone to his ear. Lindsay was on the line.
"Wheee~"
"What's got you giggling like that?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Guess."
"…You're pregnant?"
"Ding ding ding!" Lindsay laughed. "Thirty days. The old doc from the Health Bureau confirmed it today."
"You serious? That's amazing!"
"Wait—guess again."
"…Twins?"
"Nope. Quadruplets!"
"What?!" Zhao Dong sat bolt upright. "Four?!"
He heard his mom laughing in the background, unable to contain herself.
"Sweetheart," Lindsay said, still laughing.
"The doctor said it's four. It's a big nest!"
"Don't call it a nest!" Zhao Dong choked on his drink.
They laughed. They cried. Then they started talking about the future—kindergartens, college, even grandkids.
January 1, 2000 – New Millennium
The new century arrived with big news.
At 10 a.m., the league announced the Player of the Month—Shaquille O'Neal took the honors this time. But Zhao Dong had his own trophy to claim.
He was back on top of the MVP rankings.
In December, Zhao Dong averaged:
44.0 points
11.0 rebounds
11.0 assists
43 minutes per game
Zero games missed
The Knicks were the best team. He was the best player.
But even that wasn't the biggest news.
The NBA's All-Star voting results dropped, and Zhao Dong had done it—he'd broken the all-time vote record.
Michael Jordan's 1997 record of 2.45 million votes was shattered.
Zhao Dong became the most-voted All-Star in NBA history.
And this wasn't just hype. This was dominance—pure, undisputed influence in the world of sports.
Not just in the NBA.
Not just in China.
But across the globe—from Wall Street to boxing rings to basketball courts.
January 1 — New Year, Same Dominance
The new year began with fire, both on and off the court.
While professional boxing still held massive influence across America, Zhao Dong wasn't just holding his ground in the NBA—he was dominating. With two world championship belts across boxing's four major organizations, his reach extended far beyond the hardwood.
Back in New York, his dominance continued to carry the Knicks.
---
January 2 — Knicks vs. Spurs: Statement Game
In their first game of 2000, the Knicks hosted the Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
San Antonio came in with a plan: Popovich threw Tim Duncan at Zhao Dong, hoping the Big Fundamental's length could neutralize the league MVP front-runner. Meanwhile, David Robinson worked to overpower Danny Fortson, a matchup they believed they could exploit.
The strategy worked—to a degree.
But the Knicks had other weapons.
Manu Ginobili and Jerry Stackhouse erupted on the perimeter, torching the Spurs' guards and slicing through their defense. The Knicks controlled the tempo and executed down the stretch.
Final score: Knicks win again—season sweep against their likely Finals rival.
---
January 7 — Knicks vs. Lakers: Rivalry Renewed
Two days later, the Knicks faced the Lakers at home in their final regular season meeting. The Lakers were locked in—seeking revenge after an earlier loss.
And this time, they delivered.
Shaq was a force, Kobe played with edge, and the Lakers executed like a contender. The Knicks' rookies Marion and Ginobili both struggled, and the team couldn't recover.
Final: Knicks 92, Lakers 101. Loss number five.
It was a wake-up call. The Lakers tied the season series and reminded the league that the West was just as deadly.
---
January 8 — The Road Begins
The Knicks hit the road with a matchup in Boston.
That same day, the NBA officially launched the All-Star voting campaign.
At 8 p.m., Zhao Dong placed a call from the hotel to check in on Lindsay, who was at the hospital for a pregnancy scan.
"Honey, it's confirmed. Quadruplets. Hehe…"
Her voice came through his phone around 9:30, brimming with joy. Zhao Dong nearly dropped the phone.
"Four? Are you serious?"
"Yep, four little dragons," Lindsay giggled. "I'm heading to a finance summit now—just wanted you to know."
Zhao Dong couldn't contain the happiness. He immediately called a team meeting at the hotel.
"Everyone gets a red envelope—$100,000 each!"
The locker room exploded with cheers. Coaches too raised their hands playfully.
"Feilong, even we deserve a little something, right?" grinned assistant coach Van Gundy.
"We didn't get a piece of the investment pool," said Thibodeau.
"Let 'em have it," said Don Nelson, laughing.
"Alright, alright. $100K to each coach too!" Zhao Dong waved, laughing."
January 9–11 — Injury Hits
After beating the Celtics in Boston, the Knicks headed to Detroit for their next matchup.
There, disaster struck.
Danny Fortson, the Knicks' starting power forward, went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly. He clutched his left knee and didn't get up.
The team won the game, but Fortson flew back to New York immediately.
At 5 p.m., the diagnosis came in: torn meniscus. Surgery required. Minimum three months out.
Later that night, Zhao Dong received the call.
"Boss… what do I do? I haven't even signed my next deal yet…" Fortson's voice trembled.
"What's the doctor say?"
"Minimally invasive repair. No removal. But… three months minimum."
"Danny, stay calm. You'll be back before the playoffs. I'll set aside $2 million more in investment for you. Just focus on rehab. Your future's safe with me."
Fortson nearly broke down on the line.
"Boss… thank you. I'm counting on you."
But after the call, Zhao Dong's smile faded.
"Trouble…" he muttered.
Fortson was their top rebounder and interior enforcer. His absence left a major void.
Coach Nelson moved Kevin Willis and Gary Trent into the rotation, but the inside game suffered. The defensive workload shifted squarely onto Zhao Dong's shoulders.
Still, the Knicks pushed forward.
---
January 31 — End of the Month Report
Even with added pressure, Zhao Dong didn't flinch. He ramped up his minutes and intensity, leading the Knicks through a tough schedule.
They dropped two more games, but still finished the month at 35–7, maintaining the best record in the NBA.
But media narratives shifted.
"Is Zhao Dong doing too much?"
"If the Knicks burn him out before April, it's over."
Management approached him quietly to suggest tapering minutes in February. Zhao Dong refused.
"No coasting. We fight every game. I'll rest in June—after we raise the banner."
No one could talk him down.
---
February 1 — MVP Watch & Big Business
The Knicks prepped for their next home game against the Magic.
That morning, the league announced the Player of the Month for January:
Zhao Dong. Again.
He remained atop the MVP leaderboard, ahead of:
Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers)
Tim Duncan (Spurs)
Allen Iverson (Digital Team)
But that wasn't all.
Zhao Dong received news from the front lines of his empire:
Tianlong Investment Bank had completed negotiations with two of the nine A-share holders of Huifeng Bank. The takeover was officially underway.
China-EU trade talks were progressing well.
Most importantly, Hong Kong cancelled the 85,000-housing plan, sending the Hang Seng Index soaring to 12,000. Property values rebounded, and middle-class families trapped in negative equity since 1997 were finally climbing out.
The real estate market was recovering.
Zhao Dong smiled. The port city was stabilizing. The storm had passed. Now, it was time to expand.
---
The Knicks capped off their pre-All-Star schedule with a road win against the Warriors.
They entered the All-Star break at 42–7, still first in the league.
In the first five games of February, Zhao Dong averaged 18 rebounds per game, totaling 90 boards, including a monstrous 26-rebound night.
The Knicks were hot again, riding a five-game win streak into All-Star Weekend.
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