"Tayshaun, I'm telling you—what the hell are you doing?!"
The moment Chen Yilun stepped into the room, he froze in shock.
Prince was lying naked on the bed, completely absorbed in a video on his phone.
Seeing Chen Yilun walk in, Prince immediately sat upright.
"Nothing, just watching some videos."
He then casually turned his phone screen toward Chen Yilun.
"Hey, hey! Watching it yourself is one thing, why are you showing it to—huh?"
Chen Yilun started to cover his eyes, but his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the video.
A sturdy white-haired old man was energetically trimming a cow's hooves.
"You… actually like watching this?"
Chen Yilun gave Prince a complicated look.
"It's great. Super relaxing."
Prince smiled.
"Anyway, boss, what brings you here?"
"Right—got distracted talking nonsense and almost forgot the real reason."
Chen Yilun pulled over a chair, sat down in front of him, and continued:
"Remember what I told you earlier today?"
"The draft maneuvering strategy? Of course. It shocked me so much I even took notes."
Prince started to get up to grab his notebook.
"Alright, alright, no need. As long as you remember it!"
Chen Yilun quickly stopped him.
"We came to Michigan to pick a player and help push him up the draft board."
"Who?"
Prince had just learned the concept that afternoon, and now the boss wanted to apply it—he was immediately excited.
"Jaren Jackson Jr.?"
"He won't work."
Chen Yilun stroked the stubble on his chin in thought.
"Jaren Jackson Jr. doesn't need us to boost him. He'll land a high pick on his own. So here's the plan."
He beckoned Prince closer, and Prince leaned in.
"We're going to work on Miles Bridges."
"Him?"
The image of the strong, athletic wing instantly appeared in Prince's mind.
"He's got a good foundation," Prince admitted after thinking it through.
"He's already projected around the lottery. We just need to nudge him forward a bit."
"So what do I do?"
Prince perked up. By now he could tell Chen Yilun was teaching him some high-level GM tactics.
"Here's what you'll do."
Chen Yilun gestured as he explained.
"Tomorrow we'll go back to Michigan again. I'll focus on watching Jackson. You stay behind and keep an eye on Bridges. After we leave, you stay here and quietly get in touch with his camp."
Then Chen Yilun added:
"But not too quietly. Other teams need to notice."
"Understood!"
Prince immediately caught on.
The idea was simple: Chen Yilun openly approached Jackson, while Prince secretly approached Bridges.
To everyone else, it would look like one obvious target and one hidden one.
But the truth?
Both Jackson and Bridges were smokescreens.
The player Chen Yilun truly wanted was still hidden beneath the surface.
"I get it."
Prince nodded firmly. "Don't worry, boss. My acting is top tier. They'll take the bait."
"Remember!"
Chen Yilun emphasized, still uneasy.
"No matter what opinion I had about Bridges before, you must send one message to the outside world."
"That kid is a good person."
...
...
"You're saying Chen Yilun toured Michigan for a couple days, returned to Sacramento, but left Prince behind?"
In the Atlanta office, Mike Budenholzer frowned as he listened to the report.
"Yes,"
the Hawks' assistant GM reported seriously.
Although Budenholzer had stepped down from his role overseeing team operations, everyone knew it was just to quiet the outside noise. Internally, the team still consulted him on important matters.
"Our intel says Prince didn't speak with Jaren Jackson Jr. at all. Instead, he conducted a full evaluation of Miles Bridges, and as of today, he's already begun contacting Bridges' camp."
"Bridges, huh?"
Budenholzer took a sip of coffee.
"I know him. Talented forward. Is Chen Yilun preparing for when Durant eventually leaves?"
Even though the Kings looked unstoppable right now, the league shared one belief:
With the current salary cap, Yilun couldn't keep that core together for long.
At the end of this season, Booker would be up for an early extension.
The Kings were bound to undergo major changes that summer.
Bridges might very well be part of Chen Yilun's insurance plan if he couldn't keep Durant.
"Give me a detailed rundown of their recent scouting schedule," Budenholzer instructed.
The assistant immediately continued:
"Although Yilun has looked at a lot of players, his main focus seems to be Kentucky's Kevin Knox, Alabama's Collin Sexton, Duke's Wendell Carter, and of course, Miles Bridges."
He paused, then added:
"Apparently, Yilun even contacted Missouri—planning to scout Michael Porter Jr. in a few days."
What was happening?
Budenholzer frowned.
"Is he planning to rebuild the entire roster?"
Sexton was a great perimeter ball-handler.
Knox could space the floor from outside.
Bridges and Porter Jr. were ideal forward builds.
Carter was a promising shooting big man.
Put together, they could form a cost-efficient starting lineup.
Was Yilun really planning to tear down the team and rebuild?
The thought flashed through Budenholzer's mind—then he burst out laughing at how absurd it sounded.
"How stupid would someone have to be to bury themselves like that?"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser