"We have an old saying: Where there's a will, there's a way! Today's meeting was just to put some pressure on him—I'll make him nod!"
As Chen Yilun and the others held their little meeting, Coach Malone wandered into the parking lot.
"What are you doing here, you sellout!"
Divac glared fiercely at Malone.
Divac had always thought Malone was on their side, but at the meeting earlier, Malone had been the first to oppose Chen Yilun. He never expected it—Mike Malone, with his thick eyebrows and upright look, had betrayed the team!
"No, no, no—Mike is with us."
Chen Yilun quickly held back the furious Divac. "I told Mike from the start, and he fully supported trading Cousins."
"What?!"
Divac froze, then quickly realized. "So the two of you were just playing a double act in the meeting room?!"
"What else did you think?"
Chen Yilun pulled Malone closer, and the four of them huddled together, whispering. "Think about it—if both the coaching staff and front office stand united and demand to trade Cousins, with our boss's petty nature, he might agree, but next season he'll definitely plant spies in our ranks. Do you really want every move we make to be shackled?"
"No way. What good would that do for the team?" Peja voiced his confusion.
"You just don't get it!" Chen Yilun snapped, leaving the three speechless.
"I know how he thinks. He'd rather drag the team down than give up control."
"That's despicable!"
Divac clicked his tongue. "So what do we do now?"
"Cousins has to be traded! Right now, he's just made the All-Star team—this is peak trade value!" Chen Yilun pressed on. "As for how to make the boss agree, leave that to me. I'll give him an offer he can't refuse."
...
Late at night, inside Ranadive's luxurious villa.
Anjali carried in two cups of steaming hot traditional Indian chai, carefully setting them down in the living room.
"Thanks." Chen Yilun took one, meeting Anjali's eyes that wished him luck.
"I know exactly why you're here, and I won't agree! Trading Cousins is digging our own grave!"
Ranadive sipped his tea, still brimming with anger.
Chen Yilun stared at the steaming earthy-brown liquid in his hand.
"Vivek, you know as well as I do—not trading Cousins is what's really digging our grave."
"What did you just say!"
Ranadive's temper, which had slightly cooled, flared right back up.
With a loud "bang," he slammed his cup onto the coffee table. Anjali, eavesdropping from outside, flinched in fright.
But Chen Yilun didn't move an inch.
"Vivek, you're the owner of this team—one of the thirty owners in the league. Your information has to be more up-to-date than mine. Even I know Adam Silver is pushing for league reform. Don't tell me you don't understand what that means."
"Of course I know what it means! But that doesn't mean I should dismantle a playoff team for it!" Ranadive shot back.
"It's not dismantling—it's evolving this team into a true contender!"
Chen Yilun suddenly raised his voice.
"I know exactly what you're worried about! You're afraid that once Cousins is gone, there won't be another star to fill the gap, and next season you won't make as much money as this year!"
"Nonsense!" Ranadive roared, stung at his sore spot, like a lion about to pounce.
"Vivek, I can't work like this! You can't expect me to deliver without giving me the tools to work with! How am I supposed to fulfill my promise? How am I supposed to turn this team into a championship contender?"
Ranadive caught the implication in his words and sneered. "So if I don't agree, you'll resign? Don't think I don't know—Golden State has been recruiting you. Even 'the Logo' has openly said they want to groom you as his successor!"
"I never said that!"
"But that's what you meant!"
The two men's heated argument suddenly gave way to an uneasy silence.
Though Ranadive disliked Chen Yilun, firing him—or worse, letting him leave for another team—was impossible.
He already knew Chen Yilun was all but guaranteed to win Executive of the Year. Letting him walk now would be suicide.
Beyond that, Chen Yilun had poured his heart into the team. If he left, morale would collapse. And the media would definitely dig out the reasons, branding Ranadive as petty and vindictive. After that, what quality front-office staff would ever work for him again?
With that thought, Ranadive's tone softened.
"Why are you so determined to trade DeMarcus? Is he really that bad?"
"We must trade him!" Chen Yilun saw the opening and pressed harder.
"DeMarcus may be a ticket-seller for a weak team, but we're chasing a championship, aiming for greater glory. DeMarcus has to go—we need a true leader!
And as for revenue, don't worry. I'm confident our financials will hit new heights next year!"
"Oh?"
At those words, Ranadive finally showed real interest. "And what guarantee do you have?"
"July." Chen Yilun revealed his final trump card.
"In July, the Chinese national team will accept my invitation to play a friendly in Sacramento. I've also secured deals to boost our broadcast presence in China by 50% next season."
"More importantly—"
Now Ranadive was leaning forward on the sofa, listening intently.
"The Chinese Basketball Association and I are partners. They'll help us negotiate with the NBA's China office. Starting next season, whether it's jersey sales or media coverage, the Chinese market will give us proper respect.
And don't forget—we also have the Indian market. So tell me, why wouldn't I be confident that our financials will rise to a whole new level?"
Finishing his pitch, Chen Yilun locked eyes with Ranadive.
After a long silence, Ranadive finally asked, "Can you guarantee these resources will really come through?"
It worked!
Chen Yilun was ecstatic inside, though his face remained solemn. "I'll stake my career on it."
As expected—when dealing with ruthless owners, dreams and glory mean nothing. Show them real profits, and they'll change their tune instantly.
Chen Yilun left Ranadive's villa in high spirits.
But what he didn't know was that after he left, Ranadive stood at the door, smiling as he watched him go.
"Dad, why are you smiling?" Anjali asked as she came up beside him.
"I'm smiling at Chen Yilun." Ranadive closed the door with a grin.
"I underestimated him. I thought he'd be easy to handle, but he's tougher than those old foxes in the league. In such a short time, I'm already following his lead."
"Then why are you happy? Don't you hate it when subordinates tell you what to do?" Anjali asked, confused.
"I hate foolish subordinates who assume they know best. But Chen Yilun—"
"He's on the level of a partner."
Ranadive slowly sank back into the sofa.
"My dear daughter, haven't you always said you want to learn team operations? In a few days, go report to the team. Chen Yilun will be a good teacher for you."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser