"Huh?"
When Jamal Murray made his request, both Gay and Rose were taken aback.
"That doesn't seem appropriate," Rose said after a moment of hesitation. He had noticed Murray's tattoos earlier and understood what they meant—but he didn't want to get into that.
Instead, he asked, "Isn't Jamal Crawford your mentor? Why come to me?"
Murray looked slightly awkward. "Crawford's too busy—and he's not my mentor. He helps a lot of kids back in Seattle. I don't want to take up more of his time."
Rose studied Murray for a moment. The intent in Murray's eyes was clear.
"Let me think about it."
Murray nodded and left.
Gay watched him go and muttered, "His ambition's bigger than I thought. Kid's aiming high."
Choosing Rose made sense—Crawford had built a long career as an elite sixth man, but Rose had reached the top of the league. Mentoring under him meant a higher ceiling.
"You think I should take him?" Rose asked.
Gay blinked. "Didn't you say earlier his background was complicated? Now you're considering it?"
Rose sat back down. "Yeah—but that's something he didn't choose. Coming to me? That is his choice. If he wants a fresh start, becoming my mentee is part of that."
Gay nodded slowly. "In that case… yeah, taking him in might really help him."
"I'll talk to Coach Malone tonight," Rose said. "We're new here—I should get his approval."
...
That night, after Rose explained the situation, Malone waved it off. "Handle it however you think is best."
Seeing the coach's relaxed reaction, Rose finally felt certain.
Chen Yilun added from the sofa, "Honestly, mentoring him would be good. We brought you here to guide our young guys. But Rose, Murray is just the first—more will come later."
He stood and smiled. "Picture it: Derrick Rose becoming the leader of Sacramento's backcourt. Years from now, our starting guards could all be your protégés. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"
Rose suddenly pictured himself late in his career—or retired—pointing proudly at a young star on the court.
"See that? The one dominating out there—that's my mentee."
The idea fired him up instantly.
"Got it, Coach, Chen—I'll keep shining on this new battlefield."
..
Before long, the entire team knew about the rumor that Murray had taken Rose as his mentor.
Some were secretly annoyed, others whispered about it, but it never grew into anything serious.
After all, it wasn't a major issue. The team's real goal remained the same: keep winning!
"Going out again?"
Anjali pouted as she watched Chen Yilun pack.
"Oh, my lady…"
Chen Yilun swept all the papers on his desk straight into his briefcase.
"This time, I really can't take you along."
"This trip is personal business. Bringing you would make no sense."
"Personal business? What are you going to do?"
"I told you—it's personal. How could I tell you?"
As he spoke, Chen Yilun glanced at Divac waiting at the door.
"Vlad, I'll be gone for two days. Keep an extra eye on things at home."
"Do you need a blackout?"
Chen Yilun tilted his head, thought for a moment, then shook it.
"No. No blackout, no secret meetings this time. If anything comes up, just call me."
With that, he picked up his briefcase and left the office without looking back.
…
This trip was for a plan he had laid out long ago—one he'd secretly named after a historical allusion: The Quiet Takeover.
After his talk with Coach Snyder, Chen Yilun had kept a low profile. The main reason was simple: every spot in the league had someone in it. Forcing someone out would draw attention from the league and from other teams.
But now, an opportunity had arrived.
The "Second Account Scandal" involving Philadelphia GM Bryan Colangelo had exploded.
The so-called scandal, when stripped down, was that after taking office, Bryan Colangelo had operated several anonymous burner accounts online, using them to criticize his predecessor Sam Hinkie and even current franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid.
Once exposed, Bryan Colangelo's reputation imploded on the spot, and he immediately lost all control within the organization.
Originally, this scandal should have surfaced next May—
but due to the Butterfly Effect triggered by Chen Yilun's actions, it broke half a year early.
With something like this erupting, Bryan Colangelo naturally couldn't stay.
Even his father, Jerry Colangelo, suddenly found his position within the team awkward.
And the vacancy in Philadelphia was exactly what Chen Yilun was after.
…
He flew overnight to Philadelphia. No one came to greet him at the airport. After checking into his hotel, he sat silently for a moment, then dialed a number.
"You've arrived?"
Mike Brown's voice came through the line.
"Yeah. Are you coming now or tomorrow?"
"I'll come now. We've got a home game tomorrow, and I'm not sure I'll have enough time."
Brown hung up immediately.
A few dozen minutes later, he appeared at Chen Yilun's door.
Chen Yilun let him in and noticed how much thinner he looked.
"You've lost weight. What's going on? Not so easy being the top guy, huh?"
He teased as he looked at Brown.
"Don't even bring it up."
Brown dropped onto the sofa the moment he stepped inside.
"Management here in Philly is a mess. The owner wants to meddle. The Colangelo father and son want their slice. Anything I try to do gets blocked. Things were so much easier when I worked under you."
Brown's gaze locked onto Chen Yilun.
"Ever since this blew up, I've been waiting for you to come save me. Got any plans yet?"
"I've got ideas, but nothing fully formed."
Chen Yilun lit a cigarette.
"Forget me for now. What's your situation?"
"What do you think it is?"
Seeing that Chen Yilun didn't offer him one, Brown took the cigarette pack himself, pulled one out, and lit it.
"That's just how I am—I don't bring cigarettes, but if someone's got them, I smoke. If they don't offer, I ask."
"Owner Josh Harris wants to use this incident to clear the Colangelo family out entirely. He told me he's thinking of bringing Coach Brett back to stabilize things."
The Brett Brown he mentioned was the Spurs-system coach referenced earlier.
He had deep ties to the 76ers. Back when Sam Hinkie launched the 'Trust the Process' strategy, it was Brett who carried it out. He was considered a long-serving figure in the organization. Since Josh had fired Sam Hinkie himself, he obviously wouldn't bring him back—making Brett the most logical choice.
"I'm not familiar with Coach Brett. You go talk to him."
Chen Yilun leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"If he's willing to work with me, great. If he's not that interested in the position, then he should let it go. I'll find him a head-coaching job somewhere else later."
"I'm planning to give the open position to Blackstone."
"Blackstone?"
Brown raised his eyebrows at the name, then nodded.
"Yeah… that could work."
He stood up and began pacing.
"Blackstone did a solid job under Trajano before going to your team. He handled Jokić's extension himself. He's earned a respectable reputation across the league. If Brett refuses to return, I can push the flames higher on my end. This really might work."
Mid-stride, he suddenly paused.
"But will you actually let him go? If I remember right, besides you, Blackstone is the only one who can really carry the weight. You're willing to send him off?"
"I have to."
Chen Yilun exhaled.
"He joined my team because I promised him a GM spot within two years. A year has already passed. I have to make good on that."
Hearing the explanation, Brown finally felt at ease.
"Alright. We'll do it your way."
He rubbed his hands together, excitement showing.
"Great! Finally, I won't be fighting alone in Philadelphia anymore."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser