Chapter 125: Investment Plan, Busy Day
The next morning, Chen Yan opened his eyes to see the clock blinking—10 a.m.
Two games in one day had seriously drained him. Luckily, the Suns had a scheduled day off, giving him a much-needed breather.
He glanced down and saw Taylor still curled up in his arms, fast asleep.
She was clearly wiped from the game last night.
Chen Yan smirked to himself. Yeah, we're gonna need more "training sessions" like that… she needs to build stamina. Can't have our off-court chemistry messing with our rhythm.
Not wanting to wake her, he carefully slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen.
After last time's breakfast—those tragic blackened eggs Taylor cooked—he decided it was in everyone's best interest if he handled it today.
When Taylor finally woke up and saw the simple yet delicious breakfast laid out, her eyes lit up. She gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek.
"You're the best," she mumbled, still half-asleep.
As usual, Chen Yan pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the morning headlines while sipping his coffee.
"China Derby! Chen Yan drops 40-5-5 in a monster performance!"
"Lighting it up! Chen Yan leads Suns to dominate the Rockets!"
"Battier praises Chen Yan post-game: 'The kid's legit!'"
"Suns blow out Rockets in China Derby showdown!"
"Giant Hands! How Chen Yan controls the rock like a magician!"
"Frustrated Yao throws towel on the bench—talks privately with Chen Yan after the game!"
Taylor sat next to him with a piece of toast in her hand, skimming through the articles too. Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and she slapped her hand on the table.
"Babe! Look at this!" she said excitedly, pointing at the screen. "Viewership numbers are out—your game broke records!"
Chen Yan raised an eyebrow as she pulled the laptop closer.
The broadcast numbers were jaw-dropping. Last night's China Derby pulled in a whopping 260 million viewers globally—over 200 million of those from China alone.
That's insane...
Veteran commentator Yang Yi called it a milestone game. Two Chinese players starting in an NBA regular season meant the nation had officially arrived on the global basketball stage. Yang predicted more and more Chinese kids would now pick up the sport, inspired by what they saw.
National team coach Jonas echoed that sentiment, saying the game signaled real growth for Chinese basketball. Even former coach Harris, who rarely weighed in on current affairs, admitted he never thought a regular season game could attract such a massive audience.
NBA Commissioner David Stern even went on record, thanking Chinese fans and promising more games featuring Chinese talent—and more cultural integration between the NBA and China.
It was clear the outside world was buzzing about the record. But to Chen Yan? It was just another game.
Sure, before tip-off he'd been hyped. But after playing through it, he realized the "China Derby" was really just another regular season match—just with more cameras and headlines.
His system confirmed that too—just 4 measly Honor Points earned. That said it all.
But it wasn't just hoop news that had him trending. The gossip columns were on fire too:
"Golden Boy & Pop Princess: Basketball's rising star and music's sweetheart go public!"
"Breaking: Chen Yan's girlfriend revealed—and you won't believe who she is!"
"Speed Racer: Chen Yan rushes Taylor Swift back home post-game—guess why?"
"Public Display: Chen Yan shows off Taylor Swift—female fans are devastated!"
"Kim Kardashian says: 'I don't care if he's taken. I still like Asian men.'"
Taylor scrolled through the headlines and laughed out loud.
"Oh no," she said with mock concern, nudging his arm. "Did you just lose half your female fanbase overnight?"
Chen Yan shrugged with a smirk. "Those fans? They're just here for the hype. Real ones care about what I do on the court."
Taylor raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Okay then, Mr. Serious. What about Kim Kardashian? You're telling me a body like that didn't even get a reaction?"
Chen Yan laughed. "Not my type. She's what—five-foot-three? I'd need a step ladder just to kiss her."
Taylor burst out laughing. Despite his cold, killer presence on the court, Chen Yan always managed to crack her up with his dry humor.
"Alright, funny guy," she grinned. "What about you? Is this whole 'going public' thing gonna mess with your game or my career?"
Chen Yan turned the question back on her. "You worried it'll hurt your image as a pop star?"
Taylor proudly puffed out her chest. "Please. I'm a Grammy-level artist. Being your girlfriend's just bonus content."
Chen Yan chuckled, patting her head gently. She really was the full package—talent, looks, and confidence to match.
Later that afternoon, Taylor flew back to Los Angeles. Her new single, See You Again—written by Chen Yan—was in post-production. It was set to drop online within the week.
Chen Yan was curious how well it would do. Different era, different trends. Still, whether it blew up or not, he didn't mind. It was just something fun, a side hobby. Basketball was his real stage.
After dropping Taylor off at the airport, he headed straight to the gym. Even on an off day, Chen Yan didn't take it easy. An hour of strength work, followed by another 90 minutes of solo shooting drills. That kind of grind was his version of rest.
Later in the evening, he met up with his agent to go house-hunting.
The $10 million endorsement check from Li-Ning had landed in his account. Time to stop renting and buy a place in Phoenix. But Chen Yan wasn't just thinking about a roof over his head—he was thinking long-term. Investments. Asset growth. Financial security.
He'd seen too many NBA legends fall off after retirement—broke, bankrupt, forgotten. But then there were the smart ones. Jordan. Kobe. LeBron. Guys who built empires off the court, just as dominant as they were on it.
Chen Yan wasn't going to wait until year ten to figure it out. The plan was already in motion.
Through Bill Duffy, his agent, he'd connected with some Wall Street money managers and investment firms. The goal was to build his own financial team soon.
First step? Tech.
He planned to invest in emerging tech companies. The next decade would be the Internet boom—Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple. He wasn't missing that ride.
And real estate? Absolutely. Especially back home in China. He knew the market was going to explode, especially in Tier 1 cities. Getting in early was key.
But the crown jewel of his future portfolio?
Bitcoin.
As a time traveler, Chen Yan had the cheat code.
He knew exactly what was coming: The concept would drop in November 2008, with coins released in 2009. At the start, $1 could get you 1,300 Bitcoins. One coin cost less than a penny. By 2017? Over $10,000. And in 2021? North of $50,000 a pop.
No stock, no property, no sneaker deal could touch that kind of return.
His plan was to set up an investment company in Hong Kong. That way, when Bitcoin took off, he could funnel the gains back to China through Hong Kong's financial network.
Later that night, while resting at home, Chen Yan got an email from Eric Miller—the lead designer of his signature sneakers at Li-Ning.
Eric wanted feedback on the combat boot prototype: the logo, shape, and colorway.
As promised in his contract, Chen Yan had full creative control. He studied the designs, made tweaks that matched his personal style, then fired off a reply.
When he looked up at the clock, it was already 11 PM.
Even on an off day, Chen Yan had been grinding nonstop—from breakfast with Taylor, to the gym, to real estate, to investments, to sneaker designs.
This wasn't just about basketball anymore.
It was about building a legacy—on the court, and off it.
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