While Chen Yilun and the others were chatting, both teams had already wrapped up their warm-ups and were getting ready to take the floor.
Seeing the starting lineup step onto the court, Chen Yilun couldn't help but frown.
"That starting point guard isn't right."
He muttered under his breath as he studied Kentucky's lineup. The starting point guard was someone unfamiliar—definitely not the player he had expected.
"Do you have someone particular in mind?"
Prince picked up on the subtle shift in his mood and asked immediately.
"This starting point guard is a senior Kentucky developed in-house. He's entering next year's draft, but he's projected to go undrafted."
"Nothing worth watching there."
Stretching his neck, Chen Yilun glanced toward Kentucky's bench, and sure enough, he spotted that familiar buzz-cut figure.
"Keep an eye on him. Huh? That kid's here too? When the two of them get on the court, make sure you focus on them."
Following his lead, Prince and Anjali both turned to look at the Kentucky bench.
A slender, buzz-cut guard was chatting with a player beside him who wore short, messy locks.
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,"
Chen Yilun listed the names as if he were reading from memory.
"And next to him is Immanuel Quickley."
"We need to evaluate both of them thoroughly. If they fit our team, we cannot let them slip."
Every time he visited Kentucky, Chen Yilun felt the same thing:
No wonder people call Kentucky the NBA's military academy—the talent pipeline here was terrifyingly deep.
"Alexander, huh?"
Hearing the name, Prince nodded with recognition.
"He's from Canada, right? Heard he's really solid. Might even have a shot at a lottery pick if things break right."
"Quickley's a sophomore. He was average last season, but rumor has it Calipari plans to feature him heavily this year."
Chen Yilun nodded in agreement.
This being the first minor-conference game of the season, it wasn't surprising that Calipari hadn't promoted Alexander to the starting lineup yet.
...
As the game progressed, Prince continued introducing players on the floor with expert fluency.
Tonight's matchup really did feature quite a few future NBA names.
Aside from Alexander, Quickley, Vanderbilt, and Sexton, Kentucky also had first-round-caliber players like PJ Washington and Hamidou Diallo, plus rotation-level guys like Davion Mintz, Sacha Killeya Jones, and Isaac Humphries—players who had bounced around the league doing short stints.
Alabama's roster was noticeably lighter.
Besides Sexton, they only had fringe contributors like John Petty and Donta Hall.
When Alexander finally checked in, he immediately became the center of attention.
After all, in today's matchup, he and Sexton had the strongest star potential.
After watching a few possessions, Prince clicked his tongue and said,
"He's definitely a good one."
Anjali nodded.
"Great physical profile for a pressure guard who can handle touches. But the skill set is still rough. If we draft him, he'll need real development."
Hearing this, Chen Yilun looked at her in surprise.
"Looks like you didn't just sit around in Stockton. Your eye for talent has gotten way sharper compared to your time with the team."
"You know it!"
Anjali lifted her chin proudly.
"I'm not here to be a decoration. I'm going to have a spot among the league's top female executives someday."
"Alright, alright."
Just as they were chatting, something in the corner of Chen Yilun's vision made him pause.
"What's she doing here?"
His brows pressed together as he spotted a familiar, fashionably dressed figure not far away.
"Who's that?"
Anjali had noticed her too and asked curiously.
"Bonnie-Jill Laflin. Assistant GM of the Lakers."
The last time he had seen Bonnie was back when he had just moved to Sacramento and helped organize a friendly match for the China national team.
He hadn't expected to run into her again here of all places.
"So that's Bonnie."
Anjali gave the woman—still elegant and confident—a glance.
"Heard she's a tough one."
"There's no such thing as an easy character in this league."
Chen Yilun said calmly.
"Going from cheerleader straight to assistant GM of the Lakers… she didn't get there on just a pretty face."
...
Just as he expected, the moment the game ended, Bonnie stood up and made her way toward them, her pencil skirt swaying with every step.
"Long time no see, Yilun."
Her voice was sweet and sticky, almost syrupy—something that instantly reminded you of a Kardashian accent.
A shiver crawled up Chen Yilun's spine.
Good thing he was wearing long sleeves today—otherwise his arms would've been covered in goosebumps.
"You're such a busy man. People like us barely get the chance to run into you."
Before he could respond, Bonnie turned her attention to Anjali with a bright, knowing smile.
"You must be Anjali. I met your father at a cocktail party in Los Angeles recently—he mentioned you. Didn't expect you to be even more beautiful in person."
After a few pleasantries, Bonnie casually steered the conversation to her real intention.
"So, Yilun, you came all the way to Kentucky with such a big crew. Who are you scouting?"
"What scouting?"
Chen Yilun laughed it off.
"Calipari reached out and said he wanted to catch up, so I came over. What about you? Anyone you're interested in?"
Bonnie's eyes flashed with a hint of frustration.
"Don't even bring it up."
She adjusted the strap on her shoulder and sighed.
"Good players are impossible to find these days. Last year, I tried to sign Yi from your national team. Negotiations were going great, but it still fell through."
Chen Yilun's mouth twitched.
"As if it didn't fall through because of your contract," he thought.
Bonnie was referring to the previous summer, when the Lakers had offered Yi Jianlian—who had dominated the Olympics—a training camp deal so he could join their summer league team.
After the camp, the Lakers tried to sign him to a supposed eight-million-dollar contract.
But the deal was full of restrictions and add-ons.
It advertised "eight million," but the guaranteed amount was only a few hundred thousand.
The moment the details leaked, the entire league erupted.
Even the NBA Players Association reached out to Yi directly, warning him not to sign because the contract would set a terrible precedent—one that could harm the livelihood of all players moving forward.
Under those circumstances, Yi Jianlian had no choice but to reject the Lakers' offer.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser