It turns out that when someone has nothing to do, time flies by.
After the trade deadline, Chen Yilun entered the most relaxed stretch of his year.
For the past two months, he had been sleeping in as late as he wanted, flying around the country with the team to watch games for free, or dropping by NCAA universities to eat and drink with coaches—all on the team's tab.
The only official duty he had was attending the NCAA's famous "March Madness."
And to be fair, those games were incredible—unlike the NBA, they were pure, unfiltered basketball.
Young players poured sweat on the court, battling for the honor that represented the pinnacle of North American college basketball.
Just as Chen Yilun was slouched in his office chair, ready to drift through another lazy day, Malone walked in.
"Coming with us to Los Angeles tomorrow?"
"What for? I've still got a pile of work to do." Chen Yilun tapped at his keyboard, pretending to be busy.
"Cut it out. I know exactly what you've been doing these past two months," Malone said dryly, cutting straight through Chen Yilun's poor act.
"I didn't call you out before, but this is the final game of the season. You're really not going to show up?"
"Wait, final game?"
Chen Yilun blinked at him, then quickly looked at the calendar on his computer.
"Hold on, it's April 14 already?"
Tomorrow, the 15th, was indeed the last game of the regular season.
"How's our record?"
Coach Malone nearly rolled his eyes into the ceiling. "You've got some nerve asking that. You're supposed to be the team's manager, and you don't even know our record?"
"Hey, that just proves I trust you." Chen Yilun laughed it off.
"You're unbelievable, you sly fox."
Malone sighed and continued. "Anyway, tomorrow's result doesn't matter much. Right now, our record is 52 wins, 29 losses.
"We're two games behind the Spurs in the standings and three games ahead of the Mavericks. So no matter what, we'll enter the playoffs as the seventh seed in the West."
"Seventh, huh? That's good enough." Chen Yilun brightened immediately at the numbers.
The goal this year was simply to make the playoffs. Whether they bowed out in the first round wasn't his concern.
Unless something unexpected happened, the Western Conference standings would be:
1st: Golden State Warriors
2nd: Houston Rockets
3rd: Los Angeles Clippers
4th: Portland Trail Blazers
5th: Memphis Grizzlies
6th: San Antonio Spurs
7th: Sacramento Kings
8th: Dallas Mavericks
The Pelicans, who originally held the eighth seed, had been squeezed out.
"Alright then, let's go." Chen Yilun gathered the papers on his desk. "After all, we finally made the playoffs. That's worth celebrating."
...
That night, the Staples Center was packed, even though the Lakers sat at the bottom of the Western Conference. In their final game, Coach Byron Scott benched all his starters, essentially surrendering in hopes of securing a better draft pick in the summer.
But Los Angeles, as one of the league's biggest markets, still filled the arena to capacity.
Malone also sat Cousins and CJ to preserve them for the playoffs, starting LaVine and Oden instead.
The Kings won easily, closing the season with a 53–29 record.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings players couldn't hold back their excitement any longer. They stormed the court in celebration.
"Congratulations to the Kings! After eight long years, they're back in the playoffs!"
Back home, the game was broadcast live in a special segment.
Yang, at the studio desk, spoke with excitement.
"What an incredible turnaround. In just one year, their record nearly doubled. No doubt, the Kings are this season's biggest dark horse!"
"If nothing unexpected happens, Chen Yilun should have the Executive of the Year award locked up," Commentator Wei Ping added.
"His brilliant trades were absolutely crucial to the Kings' rise this year!"
"Exactly. As the seventh seed in the West, the Kings will face the second-seeded Rockets in the first round. Wei Ping, what's your prediction for that matchup?"
"I wouldn't dare predict!" Wei Ping laughed, waving his hand. "For so many of us back home, Kings vs. Rockets is like choosing between family. All we can hope is that they give us a thrilling series!"
While the mood in China was celebratory, the streets of Sacramento had already erupted into a festival.
Long-suffering Kings fans flooded the streets in jerseys, celebrating like they'd already won it all.
"You've done well. Making the playoffs this year has given our board a huge boost of confidence!"
In Ranadivé's office, Chen Yilun and Malone sat side by side on the guest sofa while Ranadivé paced excitedly back and forth.
Truth be told, none of this had been in his expectations.
When he lured Chen Yilun away from the Spurs, Ranadivé had only intended him to be a placeholder, a scapegoat if things went wrong. Yet without fanfare, Chen had delivered something huge.
"Boss, even though now's not the best time, I need to remind you," Malone said, seeing Ranadivé getting carried away.
"Making the playoffs is great, but we're still a step behind the West's top teams."
"I know that." Ranadivé waved dismissively.
"I won't judge by results. My only demand is that the team shows heart—win or lose, make the games worth watching."
The excitement of the playoff series would directly affect ticket sales next year. One way or another, the Kings had to put on a show.
"Don't worry, boss, we'll deliver!" Malone answered quickly, seizing the chance before Ranadivé changed his mind again.
"You've all worked hard this season. I'll bring it up with the board—both of your bonuses will be doubled!"
...
Get early access (40 chapters ahead) plus other series available only on P@treon
[email protected]/GhostParser