219. The Big Three's Celtics in the Season Opener

Dolan didn't waste any words, "Chen, I've heard you're a master at stocks..."

Dolan meant to consider Li Chen's opinion, and then, based on his own judgment, decide whether or not to buy the stocks.

Actually, Bill Duffy regretted it after revealing this to Dolan. He knew that Easterners were good at making money quietly, and he was afraid that Li Chen get angry and stop hanging out with him, which would be terrible for him. So he immediately told Li Chen about it.

That's why Li Chen was both surprised and not surprised.

In fact, Li Chen had long wanted to use Dolan as a connection to form a community of shared interests with NBA owners, which would be beneficial to his future plans.

And this is the perfect stepping stone.

So Li Chen generously shared his thoughts on stocks.

He added, "Mr. Dolan, we need to drive up Google's stock price as quickly as possible so we can make a lot of money."

It was clear that Li Chen wanted Dolan to invite other friends to join, but Dolan was perfectly aware of Li Chen's purpose.

However, that was real money. Although Li Chen spoke eloquently and logically, he still maintained his rationality.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright! Let me see if they're interested."

Dolan actually just wanted to see how the market went; if Google stock really did rise, then it wouldn't be too late for him to buy it.

Li Chen didn't urge them; after all, they would be the ones who would suffer if they bought it late.

Because Li Chen invested a whopping 20 billion, Google's stock rebounded extremely quickly, rising to $100 in just one month.

This made Dolan somewhat regretful, so after calling Li Chen again to confirm that the stock was continuing to rise, he decisively bought $100 million worth of Google stock.

Of course, Dolan is a shrewd man. The reason Li Chen told him about this way to make money was to leverage his connections.

He called over a few NBA owners with whom he had a good relationship. Of course, he also told them the truth: Li Chen had given him the information.

Of course, Li Chen and his fellow bosses knew that he was not only the greatest player in the NBA, but also a financial genius whose talents were wasted on basketball.

Their 20 billion yuan profit proves everything, so they have great trust in Li Chen's judgment.

Meanwhile, a major event also occurred in the NBA league.

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge made a brilliant move, bringing about a major roster overhaul for the Celtics, recruiting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics at great cost.

For a time, the Celtics overtook the Knicks to become the biggest favorite to win the NBA championship.

Dolan panicked and sent Allan Houston to find Alvin Gentry.

By the way, Allan Houston has finally retired. He retired contentedly after winning three championships. In this life, with Li Chen's interference, Allan Houston can be considered one of the few winners in life.

A moment later, Allan Houston arrived at Alvin Gentry's office and said, "Coach, Mr. Dolan wants to see you."

Seeing Allan Houston dressed impeccably in a suit, Alvin Gentry jokingly said, "Allan, you're not a player anymore, we're colleagues. Just call me Alvin."

Allan Houston scratched his head and chuckled, "I'm used to it."

Alvin Gentry smiled, shook his head, put down his pen, and casually asked, "Alan, do you know what Mr. Dolan wanted to ask me for?"

"Oh! It's about strengthening the team for next season. The Celtics are building a Big Three, and Mr. Dolan is getting anxious."

Alvin Gentry put on an "I knew it" look, then stood up and walked out of the office with Allan Houston.

Meanwhile, Li Chen had already arrived at Dolan's office.

He sat across from Dolan's desk, acting nothing like a subordinate.

This is not hard to understand, after all, Li Chen's abilities forced even the proud Dolan to acknowledge his talent in finance.

That's how American businessmen are; you can only gain respect if you have money.

Now that he's gone, the Knicks have no shortage of offensive options, except for a point guard.

However, good point guards are extremely hard to find. Nash is a possibility, but the Suns are unlikely to trade him, and besides, his defense is simply too poor.

Wait a minute, Li Chen suddenly thought of a player who would be a perfect fit for the Knicks.

A short while later, Alvin Gentry and Allan Houston arrived late.

Once everyone had arrived, Dolan began, "I have high hopes for Carmelo Anthony."

Upon hearing this name, Li Chen's lips twitched. He thought to himself, "You really dare to dream! And who knows if the Nuggets Anthony even release Anthony now?"

Even if they release him, all the assets he painstakingly left to the Knicks will have to be lost.

Li Chen, of course, disagreed with this plan, and interrupted, "Mr. Dolan, this is inappropriate. If we trade Carmelo Anthony now, the Knicks might have to give up half of their starting lineup plus most of their bench. Do you really think Carmelo Anthony can carry the Knicks?"

Dolan was somewhat displeased when he heard someone contradict him, but when he saw that it was Li Chen, his displeasure slowly subsided.

After carefully considering Li Chen's words, he felt they made sense.

Dolan then looked at Li Chen and asked, "Who do you want?"

Li Chen looked at Alvin Gentry.

Alvin Gentry understood immediately and replied, "Mr. Dolan, we need a point guard."

"Point guard?" Dolan muttered to himself, then slammed his hand on the table and said, "Nash."

Li Chen felt somewhat helpless, but he didn't discourage the rich kid.

Alvin Gentry then made an offer to Nash, but the Knicks ignored it and rejected it.

This frustrated Dolan, who realized his financial power was no longer effective.

Seeing that Dolan was being rebuffed, Li Chen shared his thoughts.

Therefore, Li Chen reached an agreement with Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban by using himself as leverage.

Then a three-team trade was completed between the Knicks, the Mavericks, and the New Jersey Nets.

The Mavericks traded Devin Harris, Desagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager Iger, Keith Van Horn, two future draft picks, and cash to the Nets in exchange for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright.

The Knicks traded David Lee for Jason Kidd.

By all accounts, the Dallas Mavericks seem like the ones who got ripped off in this three-way trade, but that's not actually the case.

Everyone could see some of the tricks involved in this deal.

When Kidd joined the Knicks, he had mixed feelings.

Li Chen was the one who made his championship dream come true, but this championship brought him some shame. Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, he ended up playing basketball on the same team as Li Chen. How could he not have mixed feelings?

Seeing Kidd's complex and unreadable emotions, Li Chen smiled and said, "I know you're unhappy with me. Don't worry, I'll be leaving the Knicks next season. After I leave, I hope you can carry the Knicks."

Hearing this, Jason Kidd was somewhat surprised, but then he understood. Yes, if Li Chen hadn't left, how could he have come to the Knicks?

You have to understand, this man in front of me has recorded double-doubles for four consecutive seasons! His playmaking ability is many times better than mine.

But Jason Kidd didn't understand was, why him, and not someone else?

So Jason Kidd asked the question that had been on his mind.

Li Chen smiled slightly and asked in return, "Guess?"

Kidd "..."

On November 3, the 2007-2008 NBA season officially began. Li Chen handed over the task of organizing the offense to Jason Kidd, while he returned to the Shooting Guard he had been away from for a long time.

After a month of getting to know the team, Kidd grew to like the Knicks because their three-point shooting was incredibly accurate.

Especially Li Chen, whose Pull-up Jumper was simply divine. Only after spending time with Li Chen did he realize how terrifying it was.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's November 30th.

Tonight, their opponent is the Celtics, who boast the Big Three.

The two teams are evenly matched this season, both holding undefeated records and ranking first and second in the standings.

However, because the Knicks have a lower goal difference than the Celtics, the Knicks are currently ranked behind the Celtics.

This match can be described as a battle for the top spot.

After the first quarter began, both teams battled for rebounds and defense, giving their all to seize every scoring opportunity.

The Celtics' Big Three played exceptionally well, showcasing their unparalleled skill and ability.

Garnett, in particular, was like a man possessed, displaying immense dominance under the basket. His rebounding and help defense left the young Knicks team helpless.

Furthermore, the Knicks ' 2-3 zone defense strategy was broken by their opponents, causing them some difficulties on the defensive end.

As Li Chen was returning to defense, he walked alongside Jason Kidd and said, "Shouldn't you be encouraging your teammates?"

Kidd rolled his eyes and said, "With you around, do you think they'll listen to me?"

Li Chen: "..."

Entering the second quarter, the Knicks began to adjust their tactics and intensify their pressure and defense against the Celtics.

They adopted a more aggressive offensive strategy, actively seeking open spaces and creating scoring opportunities.

Kidd performed exceptionally well, showcasing his outstanding ball control and playmaking abilities.

He delivered a series of beautiful passes with his excellent court vision, earning some valuable points for the Knicks.

However, Kidd was not arrogant because he knew that this team had Li Chen, the most offensively potent player in the league, and that most of the Celtics' attention was focused on him, which allowed him to easily find the best passing options.

The Knicks rallied in the second quarter, narrowing the gap with the Celtics.

At the start of the third quarter, the Knicks maintained their good form and continued to create every scoring opportunity for themselves.

They improved the team's overall coordination, putting a lot of pressure on the Celtics through quick passing and effective offensive strategies.

The Celtics' Big Three were contained by the Knicks' strong defense, and their scoring efficiency dropped significantly.

Thanks to the team's cooperation and hard work, the Knicks gradually caught up and took the lead.

The game entered the fourth quarter and became very close.

Both teams displayed top-level skills, engaging in a fierce competition.

Kidd demonstrated his composure and decisiveness in crucial moments, helping the Knicks stabilize their position. He consistently managed to pass the ball to Li Chen when the Celtics relaxed their guard.

Li Chen was deeply impressed by this keen sense of passing.

Li Chen checked the game time and saw that it was almost over, so he began to attack the Celtics' basket with all his might.

Despite the Celtics' renewed efforts to mount a comeback, Li Chen's "Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier" defense significantly reduced the Celtics' finishing ability under the basket, allowing the Knicks to maintain their lead and win the battle for the top spot.

In January 2008, Zhang Yiming's short video platform was finally launched.

But reality is harsh; short videos did not become a hit.

Li Chen was mentally prepared for this.

In addition, with the help of financial resources, Xingchen Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. was officially established.

Meanwhile, Star Investment Company obtained a total of 6 billion yuan in loans from six banks.

In fact, if they could, they would love to lend Li Chen 100 billion yuan, but banks have regulations that each company has a quota.

With the money, Li Chen started buying land, hiring construction companies, and eventually began pre-selling buildings. Li Chen continued his old ways, once again engaging in cutthroat competition.

It's 10% cheaper per square meter than other brands.

However, the real estate industry is not like an e-commerce platform; it's a very complex and murky place.

Xingchen Company's pre-sale has just begun, but it has been met with resistance from other real estate companies.

First of all, any other construction company that dares to accept Xingchen Real Estate Company's orders will be placed on their unpopular list in the future.

But as the old saying goes, money can solve 99% of problems; the remaining 1% requires even more money to solve.

Li Chen waved his hand and gave the construction company a guarantee that the payment would be settled immediately upon completion of the project.

At the same time, the project price is 10% higher than the market price.

At the same time, these developers angered Li Chen. If Li Chen got angry, things would get interesting, so he lowered the price of his properties by 20% compared to other developers.

Li Chen's madness left a group of real estate tycoons dumbfounded; a 20% discount meant there was practically no profit to be made.

So they all watched to see Li Chen make a fool of himself, but Li Chen hadn't initially intended to make money at all.

After the regular season ended, the Knicks were ranked second in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics were ranked first.

The Pelicans are currently first in the Western Conference, while the Lakers' record has been quite poor since Kobe was injured for half the season.

However, after Kobe's return, they rallied and ultimately secured a Playoffs spot.

The Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 in the first round to advance to the next round.

The Celtics, battled the Hawks to seven games.

This shows that the Knicks are still the stronger team in the Playoffs.

Meanwhile, a major event occurred in China: at 14:28 on May 12, the underground rock strata near Xuankou Town, Wenchuan County, suddenly fractured and shifted, igniting the fuse for the devastating 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake.

Two seconds later, the seismic waves triggered by the rupture reached Yingxiu, two kilometers above the epicenter. People began to feel the ground suddenly rise, houses shake, and windows shatter.

A second later, the rupture surged out of the ground along the fault line, causing houses to collapse in Sanjiang, Zipingku, Yingxiu, and other areas. In those 15 seconds, 16% of the earthquake's energy was released. At this moment, hope was released in Wenchuan and Dujiangyan.

The tremor was clearly felt in Chengdu. 25 seconds later, tremors were felt in Beichuan and other places. About 40 seconds later, the rupture encountered a strong northwest-oriented fault at Zhukou, north of Qingping in Mianzhu. During the standoff that lasted for several seconds, a huge amount of energy was transmitted southward to Kangying, and then suddenly turned back northward to the vicinity of Qingping, forming a convergence of the two energies.

Between 17 and 46 seconds, seismic waves rippled back and forth across a rupture zone approximately 100 kilometers long, causing devastating damage to Yingxiu, Hongkou, Longchi, Dujiangyan, Yinchangou, Yinhua, Honghuai, Hanwang, and other areas.

In those 29 seconds, 63% to 48% of the earthquake's energy was released, and the rupture suddenly leaped over the shoreline and rushed out. The ground surface was flattened like ribs, running from south to north across the entire Beichuan County, causing devastating damage to buildings and mountains. Then, it passed through Beichuan, Chenjiaba, Pingwu, and Pingkong Towns, and arrived at Nanba Town in about 60 seconds.

After releasing 160-160 percent of its energy, the earthquake ruptured northward. Instead of extending along the northern section of the Longmenshan fault zone, it obliquely cut into the Pingwu-Qinchuan fault, triggering the final series of explosions on the neighboring territory.

In about 80 seconds, Sui Cheng, though nearing the end of his strength, still shocked Shaanxi and southern Gansu.

Between 60 and 80 seconds, 5% of the earthquake's energy is released.

The entire process caused the rupture to propagate at a speed of 2.8 kilometers per second, approximately ten times the speed of sound.

The surface rupture is 216 kilometers long, and the rupture in the town area is 275 kilometers long.

In just 80 seconds, Wenchuan was reduced to ruins.