After Chen Yilun finished speaking, CJ sat down on the bed, looking completely drained—as if his soul had been pulled right out of him.
From a rational standpoint, Chen Yilun had already done more than enough for him.
He hadn't put CJ on the trade block. Instead, he was letting him walk away as a completely free agent. From a business perspective, both Chen Yilun and the Kings were taking a huge loss.
They had spent three years developing CJ, only to get nothing in return—a move that would be considered a disaster for any general manager.
Yet Chen Yilun still said it so calmly and clearly.
"Is it really over?"
CJ finally spoke after a long silence, his voice trembling, almost on the verge of tears.
"This is the best outcome."
Chen Yilun patted his shoulder. "But like we told LaVine before—farewells may be the main theme of life, but as long as we keep moving forward, there'll always be a chance to meet again."
"Sacramento will always be your home. If things don't go well out there, just let your brother Chen know. As long as I'm still in Sacramento, you'll always have a place to return to."
"Yeah!"
CJ nodded hard.
"Boss, hearing you say that really puts my mind at ease. Meeting you at the start of my career was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."
As they talked, CJ's mood lightened noticeably.
"Boss, you don't know how tough these past few days have been. I was worried you'd trade me, and now Tang Zhou's leaving too…"
"Hold on!"
Chen Yilun cut him off sharply. CJ looked up, startled, only to see his boss staring at him with a look of shock and anger.
"What did you just say? Tang's leaving?"
At that moment, Chen Yilun's face twisted into something terrifying—like he was about to devour someone.
"Huh?"
CJ froze. "He didn't tell you?"
"He… didn't!"
Chen Yilun shot to his feet, furious, his voice rising in raw anger.
"He didn't tell me something this big beforehand?!"
Seeing Chen Yilun like an enraged lion, CJ instantly realized he'd said too much.
"Boss, calm down! Hey, hey—"
Before he could finish, Chen Yilun lunged forward like lightning, grabbing CJ's arm so hard it hurt.
"Explain it to me, and make it clear. He was doing perfectly fine here—why would he suddenly want to leave?"
CJ swallowed nervously, his voice trembling.
"I'm not exactly sure. I just heard something happened back home. He can't stay here anymore… he has to return."
"Bullshit!"
Chen Yilun cursed, storming toward the door.
"Whether he stays or not is up to me! Since when did anyone else get to decide that?"
As the door slammed shut, CJ wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Man, that was terrifying. When the boss gets angry, he's like a freaking volcano about to erupt!"
Actually, with what CJ had just said, Chen Yilun had already guessed the reason—something must have happened back in China.
But what truly made him furious was that Tang Zhou hadn't said a word to him, choosing instead to carry the burden alone.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
A series of loud knocks echoed through the hallway.
"Coming, coming! Huh? Sir, what are you—hey!"
Tang Zhou, still half-asleep, opened the door only to be shoved back inside by an enraged Chen Yilun.
"You brat!"
Chen Yilun, still catching his breath from running, glared at him. "Trying to run away, huh?"
Tang Zhou froze for a moment, then forced a bitter smile.
"So you already know, sir?"
"If I hadn't found out, were you planning to wait until you slapped your resignation letter in my face?"
Chen Yilun paced around the room, grabbed a bottle of water, and downed half of it in one go.
"I don't care what your reason is! This is the NBA—go ask anyone in Sacramento who calls the shots here. I don't care what trouble you've gotten into; as long as you're still here, I'll make sure you're protected!"
Hearing those angry yet protective words, Tang Zhou felt his eyes sting.
"But sir, please believe me. Leaving the team really is the best choice."
Seeing that Chen Yilun had calmed down slightly, Tang Zhou finally began to explain.
"You've never asked about my family, but you can probably guess. My family is…"
"Stop right there. If we keep talking about that, they'll cut the broadcast!"
Tang Zhou gave a wry smile.
"Anyway, something happened back home. If I stay with the team, it'll cause problems for your future operations."
"Problems, my ass!"
Chen Yilun felt like he'd already used up a year's worth of swear words tonight.
"I'm the team president! There are over a hundred players and staff under my watch. Whether it's difficult or not—that's for me to decide, not you!"
Even after saying that, he still wasn't done. His mouth kept going.
"And don't think you're doing me any favors by leaving! I'm not part of that circle anyway. As long as you stay, we'll both keep fighting our way through this league—and I'd like to see who dares to say otherwise!"
"Sir!"
Tang Zhou suddenly raised his voice, cutting him off.
"I've always respected you like a mentor, but I know I was never really your student."
He helped Chen Yilun sit down before continuing.
"But the time I've spent learning from you this past year and more—it's been the most fulfilling period of my life. This situation isn't as simple as you think. We're both trapped by circumstances beyond our control."
As he spoke, Tang Zhou turned around, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his bag, and took out two. He handed one to Chen Yilun.
"When did you start smoking?"
Chen Yilun asked, curious as he accepted it.
"Just recently."
Tang Zhou lit his cigarette first, then clumsily lit his own.
"Sir, you shouldn't get involved in this. You can't. Just like you've always taught me—people like us might look glamorous to outsiders, but deep down, we're just high-class laborers."
"Don't worry about me. I've already made arrangements back home. Even without your protection, I'll take care of myself."
"So what will you do after you go back?"
Chen Yilun asked, his voice rough and low.
"Don't worry, sir!"
Tang Zhou's eyes brightened again as he spoke.
"When I first came to the U.S. to study, I'd already decided to dedicate my life to basketball. I'll keep working in this field when I go back—and honestly, I really love what I'll be doing."
"Far from the halls of power, but close to the game."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser