That night, Chen Qiang followed Hu Shi and attended the two female pilots' round-the-United States flight fundraising charity dinner.

There were not many Chinese who came to the dinner, on the contrary, many Americans came to this charity dinner, and the two heroines of the dinner were like stars holding the moon, surrounded by a group of Yankees.

I have to say that the two female pilots are still very popular with the Americans, and the envoys are sought after by many American men, and a large group of greasy middle-aged and elderly men have put on a dog-licking appearance at this time, and continue to pay tribute to the two female pilots.

In this era, there is still a big cultural difference between China and the United States, and if you put it in China, women will learn to fly an airplane, and what kind of flight will be done around the United States, so showing up is definitely out of place in the eyes of many people, and those old scholars will even quote scriptures and classics and criticize them bitterly.

In the United States, this kind of independent and courageous behavior can be recognized, even many male pilots may not dare to do such a thing as flying around the United States, but the two women dare to try it, which is very appetizing to Americans, and many Americans like this kind of independent women. Among these old American men who attended the dinner, I don't know how many of them wanted to kiss Fangze.

"It's really unfair, if it were a male pilot, there wouldn't be so many people." Chen Qiang said secretly in his heart.

In terms of attracting fans, women do have more advantages than men, perhaps because women are easier to attract fans, so the male stars in the future are becoming more and more girly, and the more they dress up, the more they are liked by female fans.

The guests all went to watch the two female pilots, no one paid attention to Chen Qiang, Chen Qiang was also happy, he found a corner to sit down, poured a glass of champagne, and enjoyed a moment of comfort.

"Chen, is it alone?" A voice suddenly sounded from the side, Chen Qiang turned his head to look, and it was a middle-aged man in his early forties who spoke.

"Mr. Bi, it seems that you are the same, you are also a person." Chen Qiang said with a smile.

The middle-aged man, whom Chen Qiang had just met at the dinner, was Claire Francis Bie and was the head coach of the Brooklyn Blackbirds basketball team.

Claire Beaks is an ancient god in basketball, and he led the Brooklyn Blackbirds to a 95% win rate in the past year, which is also the highest win rate in NCAA basketball.

In 1952, Claire Bey became the head coach of the Baltimore Bullets, who later moved to Washington and changed their name to the Wizards, now known as the Washington Wizards.

At the same time, Claire Bie still thinks that the innovator of basketball rules, the three-second rule in basketball, is what Claire Bie advocates.

Such an ancient god of basketball was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968, and it can be said that he was the representative of college basketball from the thirties to the fifties.

As the two chatted, they talked about the upcoming NCAA National Invitational Finals, which were played against the Brooklyn Blackbirds and Chicago Loyola.

Future NCAA teams are spread across the United States, so the NCAA is divided into more than 30 leagues, and only 64 teams will eventually make it to March Madness, the final stage of the National Championship.

In the thirties, the American college basketball league was also hosted by the NCAA, and the national invitational part of it was equivalent to the playoffs of the college league, and in the future, this national invitational tournament gradually evolved into the NCAA Division I league, which is the so-called NCAA "March Madness".

The National Invitational has only six teams, and although there are relatively few teams, the National Invitational still represents the highest level of basketball in the United States and even in the world. After all, at that time, the NBA had not yet been established, professional basketball was still in its infancy, and college basketball was the top league.

The final of the National Invitational was played by the Brooklyn Blackbirds against Chicago Loyola, and both teams entered the finals undefeated, so this final has attracted the attention of the United States, which is definitely no less attention than the future Warriors and Cavaliers to tie seven.

There have been a lot of major events in Europe recently, such as the war panic in Romania, such as the German occupation of the Memel region, such as the fighting between Slovakia and Hungary, but these news have almost been ignored by the American media, and it is the coverage of this game that has been replaced by the report. In the eyes of Americans, this NCAA Finals may be more important than the World War.

The media bombarded repeatedly, how could Chen Qiang not know about this game!

I only heard Claire Bi ask: "Chen, who are you more optimistic about in the upcoming finals?" ”

"Of course I'm optimistic about your Brooklyn Blackbirds." Chen Qiang replied.

"But Loyola Chicago is also very strong, and they have never lost this year!" Claire Bie spoke.

"Didn't you Brooklyn Blackbirds also reach the finals with a winning record? The newspapers say that you will have a big chance of winning! Chen Qiang said.

"It's all New York newspapers, but that's not what Chicago newspapers say." Claire Bie said with a smile.

"I'm not from New York, but I live in New York, so I'm going to support the Blackbirds no matter what." Chen Qiang responded.

"Thank you for your support." As she spoke, Claire Bi took out a ticket from her arms, then handed it to Chen Qiang, and continued: "Chen, this is the ticket for the day of the final, you are welcome to come and watch the game." ”

"Claire Bie isn't here to deliver tickets, is she? The hype of this game is quite hot, so it won't even sell tickets! Chen Qiang complained in his heart, but still took the ticket from Claire Bigh.

A moment later, Claire Bie came to another person, and after a few words, she pulled out a ticket. And this scene was also seen by Chen Qiang.

"This Claire Bie is really here to deliver tickets."

……

All NCAA National Invitational events are held at Madison Square Garden.

Those familiar with sports will be familiar with Madison Square Garden, after all, there have been too many classic games and too many historical moments in this stadium.

The 1939 Madison Square Square was primarily used for boxing and occasional other sports until 1946, when the stadium was leased to the Knicks, and it became a basketball mecca.

The two participating teams were also considered giants at the time.

In 1939, the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers in baseball, the New York Giants in football, and the New York Rangers in ice hockey have all been established, but in basketball, the New York Knicks have not yet been established, so the Brooklyn Blackbirds have become the representative of New York basketball culture.

The Brooklyn Blackbirds belong to Long Island University, and even in the future, the Blackbirds are regulars in the NCAA Division I League, but their luck has always been not good, such as the 2011 first round to meet the second-ranked North Carolina in that year, and the first round in 2012 to meet the first-ranked Michigan in the first round, these are the top teams in the NCAA, so many of the Blackbirds' Division I league experience is a round trip.

In the thirties and forties, the Brooklyn Blackbirds were a well-deserved giant, their status in the NCAA is equivalent to that of Duke University today, and in terms of record, Blackbirds' head coach Claire Bie is indeed better than Duke University's old K.

The Brooklyn Blackbirds are up against Chicago's Loyola University, one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States, with a well-known medical department that has won basketball tournaments. And in the thirties and forties, Loyola Chicago was also the top team in the United States.

The future Loyola University is no longer a basketball powerhouse, and they can't even make it to the first division. The only thing people remember is a player named Donte Ingram, a Loyola college graduate, who participated in the draft but was not selected, and later signed a training contract with the Mavericks, but was quickly cut.

Both teams were giants at the time, and the competition between them could be described as a needle-to-needle, but at the game site, Chen Qiang watched drowsy.

The final score was 44-32, and the New York Blackbirds won the championship with a victory over Loyola Chicago. With such a score, it's no wonder that Chen Qiang is drowsy!

The next day, in the newspapers in New York, everyone praised the Blackbirds, especially the Blackbirds' offense, which was almost blown to the sky, and almost all the newspapers were saying how good the Blackbirds' offense was.

With 44 points in one game, future junior high school students may be better than this, but in that era, it was called "excellent offense".

Because in basketball at the time, there were no 24-second or 30-second offensive violations. Theoretically, the attacking side can hold the ball for an unlimited amount of time, even if they don't attack the whole game.

Imagine that there is no limit to the offensive time of the attacking side, they can dribble, pass the ball all the time, look for the right opportunity, and then launch an attack, an attack may take three to five minutes, the offensive rhythm is slower than football, such a basketball game, how can there be anything to watch.

Putting down the newspaper in his hand, Chen Qiang pursed his lips disdainfully.

"Such a slow-paced game can also blow flowers, a group of American buns who have never seen the world, and when they have the opportunity, let you see what real basketball is, and scare you to death!"

……

At the end of March, bad news came from China that Chongqing sent agents to Hanoi, Vietnam, to assassinate the defected President Wang, but it ended in failure. After the failure of this assassination, the Japanese became more vigilant, and it was difficult to carry out another assassination.

At the same time, the news of the loss of Nanchang also came, but the Japanese also paid a huge price for gnawing Nanchang, with more than 13,000 casualties.

In April, the defense of Lushan also ended, the squadron fought alone for nine months, suffered heavy casualties, and finally only more than 800 people retreated to Minshan, and the Japanese army occupied Lushan.

In Europe, the Spanish Civil War ended once and for all, Franco became the ruler of Madrid, beginning his rule over Spain that lasted for more than three decades.

And Italy began to invade Albania, and in the face of the "World War II cute" Italy, the king of Albania did not choose to resist and directly yo-yo.

Unlike the tensions in Europe, Americans had a happy Easter holiday, and on Easter Day, African-American singer Marianne Anderson performed at the Lincoln Memorial in front of an audience of 75,000 people, which became the talk of the town. For Americans, Marianne Anderson's singing is no less important than the coming war in Europe.

Then, on April 30, Americans will also have a big holiday, that is, the opening of the New York World Expo.

The Brooklyn Blackbirds game, Marianne Anderson's concert, and the New York World Expo, three events that captured the nation's attention and left Americans with no time to focus on things outside the United States.

Americans in peace can watch games, listen to concerts, and visit the World Expo.

On the other side of the globe in China, 40,000,000 people are suffering.

Europe, which is separated from the United States by an Atlantic Ocean, is also in constant fear because of the upcoming war.

Peace is so good!

……

In the morning, there were no customers in the gym, and several fitness coaches hired by Chen Qiang were gathering in the rest area to drink coffee and chat.

Chen Qiang also joined them, although Chen Qiang is their boss, but the age is about the same as that of several people, everyone is the same age, and they can be regarded as having a common language.

It's like the start-up team of some technology companies in the future, whether it's the boss or the employee, everyone is the same age and has a common language, so they will work together for a goal, and it will be easier to succeed in the end.

At this time, footsteps sounded from outside, Chen Qiang thought that there was a customer coming to the door, and immediately got up to greet him, but saw a middle-aged man walking in with a young man, each carrying a big bag.

"Mr. Chen, I have already made all the sportswear you ordered!" The man spoke.

"It's Mr. Lieber, just bring things in. Want to drink something? What about coffee? Chen Qiang picked up a coffee cup.

"A piece of candy is fine, thank you." The man, Lieber, said as he moved the big bag into the gym.

The middle-aged man's name was Jack Lieber, a Jewish immigrant from Romania, who was a tailor. Chen Qiang planned to order a batch of sportswear with comfortable materials and novel styles for his gym, so he found Jack Lieber.

Chen Qiang poured two cups of coffee, handed them to Jack Lieber and the young man behind him, and said at the same time: "Mr. Lieber, your business must be very good recently, and you have hired apprentices!" ”

"I can't afford an apprentice, he's my son, Stanley Martin Lieber. He's about to graduate from high school! Jack Lieber introduced.

"Hello, Mr. Chen." The young man said a little shyly, while curiously looking at the gym equipment around him.

Boys of this age are more interested in these sci-fi-looking machines.

"Stanley, do you want to try it?" Chen Qiang asked.

"Is that okay?" Stanley Lieber showed an eagerness to take the plunge.

"It's okay, go try it." Chen Qiang said disappreciatively.

Stanley Lieber happily fiddled with the gym equipment, while Chen Qiang opened his pocket and began to inspect the goods.

Jack Lieber's craft is still very good, he used to be a garment factory worker, knew how to use a cloth cutter, lost his job during the Great Depression, and had to rely on his craft to support his family. So he knows the art of mass production of clothing.

"The clothes are nice. Mr. Lieber, you wait a moment, and I'll get you the balance. After Chen Qiang finished speaking, he was about to return to the office and took out the prepared balance from the safe.

As I passed by the fitness area, I happened to see Stanley Lieber curiously swinging the dumbbells in his hand.

It was at this moment that a book fell out of Stanley Lieber's pocket.

"Your book is gone." Chen Qiang picked up the book and looked closely, it turned out to be a "Detective Comics". And the cover of this detective manga is a man dressed in gray, wearing a mask, and wearing a bat cape.

"Batman!" Chen Qiang immediately said the name of the cover character.

"Mr. Chen, do you also watch Detective Comics?" Stanley Lieber asked.

"No, but I've heard of Batman." Chen Qiang said that he exchanged this "Detective Comics" for Stanley Lieber.

"But this is the first time Batman has appeared! And the 27th issue of this "Detective Comics" was also just released today. Stanley Lieber said puzzled.

On May 1, 1939, in the 27th issue of "Detective Comics", Batman appeared in front of people for the first time. And Chen Qiang obviously didn't know that this was Batman's first appearance, so he blurted out Batman's name.

"Hehe......" Chen Qiang laughed dryly twice to hide his embarrassment, and then he used to change the topic** and said: "Who do you think is more powerful, Batman or Superman?" ”

"Superman must be a man! Superman has superpowers, he's so powerful he can lift a Ford, he's able to jump over a building, and he's faster than a train! Stanley Lieber replied.

"Won't Superman fly?" Chen Qiang asked subconsciously.

"Oh, that's a great idea, if Superman could fly, that's really awesome!" Stanley Lieber seems to have begun to associate Superman with flight.

Superman appeared in 1938's "Action Comics", the original Superman was not so awesome, he couldn't fly, he didn't have laser eyes, and his strength was only able to lift a car, and the others were faster and higher, probably like Captain America's level.

Chen Qiang then asked, "Do you know what Batman's superpower is?" ”

Stanley Lieber thought for a moment and replied, "Batman doesn't seem to have superpowers." ”

"No, he has superpowers." Chen Qiang said categorically.

"And what are Batman's superpowers?" Stanley Lieber asked.

Chen Qiang smiled slightly: "Very rich!" ”

……

Seeing off the Lieber father and son, Chen Qiang suddenly became interested in Batman's comics.

"It turns out that Batman has just been born today, should I buy a few copies and collect them. Batman and Superman are both from DC Comics, I don't know how Marvel is now, and that old man Stan Lee is there now. If you have the opportunity, meet him and take a photo, and it's best to trick you into getting a few copies of Iron Man's original manuscripts. ”

Unbeknownst to Chen, "Stan Lee" was actually a pen name.

At the beginning of the month, ask for a guaranteed monthly pass, thank you.