The Golden Age of Basketball

There's a game against the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow, and with the regular season nearing its end, rest is becoming increasingly important.

As I was about to leave, Old Tang ran over to Ah Gan and said, "Sonny, there's something I need to tell you. I guess Michael Jackson might run into some trouble soon. You should find time to talk to him. Did you see his interview on Oprah's talk show?"

Gan Guoyang replied, "I watched a little. I don't usually have time to watch TV. Didn't he go on the show to clear his name? I can go back and ask my wife. She must have watched it all."

"Michael is a good person. I've got news that someone is out to get him. Remind him to be prepared."

"I will. Did you tell Michael? Who wants to get him?"

"I can't say that. It's a secret within the circle. In short, it's not simple. Sonny, Michael has so much, but his ability to protect himself is too weak. You're more mature than he is, and you're so close. I think only you can help him. Championship is important, but don't forget your best friend. You're both extremely busy people, but no matter how busy you are, you're still human. Make time to care for each other. Go visit his Dream Manor, Sonny, it's up to you."

Tang Jianguo said a lot at once, then bid farewell to Gan Guoyang and left.

At that moment, Gan Guoyang suddenly felt that his previous impressions of Tang Jianguo might have been wrong.

For instance, he used to think that Tang might sit on the fence regarding Jackson's issues and betray friends.

But now, it seemed, if trouble were to happen to Jackson, Old Tang might actually stand firmly by his side.

During 1992-1993, Jackson's fame kept rising, and along with it, so did the negative news.

Gan Guoyang subscribed to several newspapers, and every day, he could see news about Jackson in the entertainment sections.

Most of this news pointed to some terrible rumors, such as skin bleaching, questions about his sexual orientation, and suspicion of drug use.

Gan Guoyang vaguely remembered that during this time, there was also a huge scandal waiting for Jackson, one that would ruin his reputation and exhaust him physically and mentally.

However, in a previous life, Gan Guoyang wasn't very focused on entertainment news, so his understanding wasn't deep.

Remembering what Old Tang said, he returned to the hotel and called Jackson the next day to ask if he was in Los Angeles.

Jackson was happy to get Gan Guoyang's call and said, "Oh Sonny! I'm in Los Angeles, eating Kentucky at home. Do you want to come join?"

"Can't you eat something nutritious? You're so skinny already! Why are you still eating Kentucky? Even more outrageous, you've opened a Kentucky right at home!"

"I just love Kentucky. Eating it makes me feel like I'm reliving my childhood. Come join me, Sonny?"

Jackson's voice was as gentle as ever, and every time Gan Guoyang got angry with him, it felt like punching a pillow.

There was no way around it. At noon, Gan Guoyang took a car to Santa Barbara County, to Michael Jackson's famous Dream Manor.

In 1988, Jackson bought this land and built a private amusement park akin to a Disney theme park here.

It had castle-like structures, a carousel, a ferris wheel, roller coasters, and other amusement facilities—it's a paradise for children.

Michael Jackson didn't have children of his own yet and lacked confidence in starting a family, but he loved children very much.

He invited many children to live in Dream Manor with him, keeping him company through the monotonous and tedious daily life.

Jackson was someone who never had a childhood. His musical career began when he was just a little boy.

While other children played with peers and visited amusement parks with their parents, Jackson was always performing or on the road to perform.

As he grew up, his life was further filled to the brim with commercial activities and music, barely finding any spare time.

There was a large crack in the puzzle of his personality that needed to be filled with childhood happiness.

So he built this children's paradise and hoped to make up for the regrets of his childhood by living with them.

Gan Guoyang often wanted to warn his friend that doing this might cause huge trouble.

For a public figure, especially one with such high fame and immense wealth.

Exposing his private life to so many people is extremely, extremely dangerous.

Because driven by greed, people can do all sorts of bad things and trample on any line of ethics.

In this regard, Gan Guoyang was much more mature than Jackson; he always protected his privacy well.

Moreover, his inner circle was small, and he only used people he trusted, making it hard for outsiders to break in.

At their level of wealth and fame, guarding against insiders was most crucial; outsiders couldn't often catch anything tangible.

The biggest fear was insiders spreading rumors, leaking nonexistent dirt, or framing with unfounded charges.

Once a fortress is breached from within, the external wolves will keep coming to tear it apart.

Since it's all risk-free dealings, someone can fill their belly if they manage to tear off a piece.

Additionally, Gan Guoyang had connections with various political forces backed by a large organization supporting him.

Michael Jackson was too naive, lacking political protection, and in America's fierce media environment, he was full of vulnerabilities.

His soaring public stature and enormous wealth accumulation weren't armor protecting him, but rather like a child holding a gold brick in a bustling market, making it almost inevitable for him to get attacked.