If this had happened earlier, Wang Yi would have agreed without hesitation, but now he gave it some thought first.
He couldn't focus only on his own performance and disregard China as a whole.
Pang Bo was the hope of the next generation of Chinese basketball. If Wang Yi retired one day, Pang Bo, who was more than ten years younger, would likely become the backbone of China Basketball.
He also wanted to use this World Cup as an opportunity to help Pang Bo improve.
In the end, Wang Yi shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't meet that request. I can be the best-performing player, but I may not be a player who's on an entirely different level from everyone else, because basketball is a team sport."
Tamim hadn't expected Wang Yi to answer that way. He paused, then said, "I'm sorry for making such an outrageous request. In that case, consider this yacht my apology and a gift to you."
Wang Yi glanced sideways at him. "You just wanted an excuse to give me a yacht, didn't you?"
Tamim smiled. "That's right. I just wanted to give you a little something. Will you accept it?"
Wang Yi thought to himself, As the saying goes, once you've taken someone's gifts, it's hard to refuse their requests. Well... I can afford to be a little soft-hearted, as long as I don't go soft on the basketball court.
Then Wang Yi boarded the yacht with Tamim.
They were in the Persian Gulf. Though the desert lay behind them, the sea stretched out before them.
The cool night breeze made Wang Yi feel wonderfully at ease.
But the sea looked dark and deep at night, like an endless expanse of blackness.
When he looked up, though, the sky was filled with stars.