After hanging up the phone, Chen Yilun cleared his slightly hoarse throat.
Damn it, I've poured my heart and soul into this team until my voice is gone. I really need to take some time off and enjoy life.
Just as Chen Yilun stood up to pour himself a glass of water—while wondering which South American beach he might visit for his vacation—there was a knock on his office door.
"Come in!"
Anjali walked in carrying a stack of documents, with Mike Malone following behind her.
"Boss, here are this month's financial statements. If everything looks fine, just sign them and I'll have accounting file them."
Chen Yilun took the report and skimmed through it quickly.
"Why has the revenue from the shops around the arena increased so much?"
As a General Manager, Chen Yilun had to know more than just basketball operations. Accounting, finance, even psychology—all were areas he needed to be familiar with. That's why he immediately noticed something off in the numbers.
"There's an additional note under item eight."
Anjali bent down to point it out. "We checked the breakdown of merchandise sales. The main driver was jerseys, which have seen a major spike."
"The analysts concluded that since we reshaped our core this season, many fans who used to buy Cousins jerseys are now purchasing new ones to support the team. Booker and Jokić jerseys, in particular, have exploded in sales."
"Oh, I see it now." Following Anjali's words, Chen Yilun found the note in the eighth section.
"Booker's popularity is really taking off."
A player's jersey sales are always a good measure of their popularity.
As a rookie, Booker quickly attracted a large fan base after joining the Kings. His jersey sales kept climbing, even showing signs of surpassing LaVine, who had just put up standout performances this month.
After finishing the report, Chen Yilun signed his name with a flourish.
When Anjali left, Malone, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, stood up.
"Any news?"
"You're more impatient than I am." Whenever it was just the two of them, Chen Yilun completely relaxed.
He motioned for Malone to sit, then lit a cigarette casually.
"This trade is still early. We're looking to move up, and those old foxes won't give in that easily."
"Got a target in mind?" Malone probed.
"My target has always been the same." Chen Yilun took a deep drag before continuing. "Jimmy Butler. He's my only choice."
"Jimmy? Why him?"
Malone frowned. Sure, Butler had been impressive these past two seasons, but physically he seemed average. To Malone, that meant limited upside.
"Don't just look at the surface," Chen Yilun explained. "You also have to consider his mentality."
"His mentality?"
"Exactly!" Chen Yilun said firmly, pulling a roster sheet from the folder on his desk.
"The biggest problem with our team right now is identity." He pointed at the names one by one, running through his assessment.
"Gay is fine as the veteran presence in the locker room, but he's too laid-back. He can't push the young guys hard enough."
"CJ is more of a secondary option—he's not built to lead. And Jokić? Forget it. The kid's still immature and nowhere near ready to lead."
"That's why we need someone who can truly ignite the players' hunger to win. Butler is the best choice for that."
"Is he really that special?" Malone asked, skeptical.
"He is!" Chen Yilun nodded forcefully. "No one else compares."
Chen Yilun knew very well what was coming.
The great Jimmy Butler would go on to become one of the league's most extraordinary players.
He would become the very definition of toughness.
The Heat under his leadership would terrorize the Eastern Conference.
Butler kept defying expectations, becoming a symbol of resilience for anyone battling against the odds.
A player like that—Chen Yilun was determined to get him, no matter the cost.
"If you believe in him that much, I've got no objections."
Seeing Chen Yilun's firm conviction, Malone stopped arguing.
Experience had taught him that once his partner set his mind on something, it was best to stay quiet.
For small moves, Chen Yilun might consider his opinion. But when it came to big trades, it was always his call.
And every time Chen Yilun had been stubborn, the results had proven him right.
Whether it was promoting CJ or trading Cousins, both decisions—at least so far—had been the right ones.
So this time too, Malone placed high expectations on his judgment.
"So, did the Bulls make an offer?"
"They offered nothing worth a damn!"
Chen Yilun snapped angrily. "That bastard is asking for three first-round picks."
"What?!"
Malone jumped like a cat with its tail stepped on.
Even in 2015, when first-round picks hadn't skyrocketed in value yet, that price was outrageous.
"That's why I didn't agree. I'm just stringing him along for now."
Chen Yilun waved his hand, signaling Malone not to get worked up.
"Besides Chicago, the Zen Master also came asking, but they've got nothing decent to offer."
"There's still time. Over the next few days, I'll keep testing the waters around the league, try to rope in more teams. That'll put some pressure on the Bulls."
"That works."
Malone let out a breath of relief. He had been genuinely afraid Chen Yilun might make an impulsive deal.
For some reason, Chen Yilun carried a strange sense of urgency this season.
It felt like he was trying to cram two years' worth of work into one.
"Don't rush it. Push too hard and it'll backfire."
Malone couldn't help but remind him.
"I know, don't worry. I've got it under control."
Chen Yilun waved him off.
It wasn't surprising he was impatient. If Malone knew about the future dynasty of the five-star Warriors,
he'd probably be even more anxious than Chen Yilun himself.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser