Now they had shaken off their earlier gloom, each of them beaming with smug satisfaction.
Their wine glasses were full, and they each had an arm around a woman.
Charlie Hannum had a cigar between his lips, smoke curling from it as he burst into laughter. "This is the life. Finally, this is the life! Hahahaha!"
George Shig downed several gulps of wine, then laughed too. "Without Pang Bo, the team's lost a key piece on both ends of the floor and has only five players left. Their next game is against the Jazz at Devil's Home Court. To borrow an old saying from China, everything's in their favor—time, place, and people. Hahaha! Let's see how Wang Yi wins now."
Amir Khan was excited too.
He shoved a bill into the cleavage of the dancer beside him, gave her a big kiss, then laughed and said:
"I've been waiting for this shit for almost a month. I've been pent up this whole time, but now we've finally got good news! Hahahaha!"
"Let's just sit back and enjoy the show next game."
Kim Tae-hyun rolled his shoulders and said, "Without that big oaf, the team has no center. Next game, they'll be begging me to play. Hahahaha!"
But Gates shook his head. "No. You can't play next game."
Kim Tae-hyun immediately flared up. "Why?"
I've been waiting a month for my chance to play, and now you're telling me I can't?
Fuck you!
Gates took a sip of wine and explained unhurriedly, "If he won't let us play, then we don't play. If he tells us to play, then we play. What does he think we are?"
"We need to put some pressure on him. None of us will play next game. Let him see whether that little Japanese guy, Hachimura,