Gaston stared at the number for less than two seconds, then abruptly burst into laughter. The laughter was dry, cold, and full of irony.
"Lin, are you kidding me? 120 million? This isn't helping, it's taking advantage of my misfortune! You're holding a knife to my throat and bleeding me out!"
Lin Qi remained unfazed by these accusations, staring directly at Gaston.
"Mr. Gaston, you're absolutely right. I am indeed making an offer, but not the one you expect. I'm making an offer based on the fire outside this office today and the reality that you'll be bankrupt in a few days."
Gaston's sneer froze instantly.
Lin Qi pressed his advantage, his tone suddenly taking on an undeniable air of pressure.
"Twenty million, all in cash. The new consortium will not only cover the settlement payments and all litigation costs for the small retail shareholders, but will also use its resources to help you gracefully withdraw from the original restructuring plan, allowing you to completely extricate yourself before June 30th. You can take this clean money and live a carefree life in Miami or Hawaii, instead of being forced into liquidation by the court in Boston."
Gaston abruptly slammed the contract back onto the table, scattering several sheets of paper all over the floor.
"That's impossible! I'd rather sue! 120 million is an insult to my family!"
Lin Qi looked at the papers scattered on the floor with a composed expression, slowly folded his legs, and calmly began to speak.
"One hundred and fifty million US dollars."
Gaston's breath hitched, and he glared at him coldly. "You were just saying it was only 120 million."
"Because you didn't refuse me just now." Lin Qi looked at him with an extremely shrewd gaze. "And now, you've lost an opportunity to back out. Believe me, Mr. Gaston, as time goes on, this price will drop by five million every day."
"You..." Gaston's face turned ashen with rage, his lips trembling violently.
However, the CFO, who had been sitting silently to the side, subtly twitched at the corner of his eye. As the person in charge of the accounts, he knew the company's financial situation better than anyone else. One hundred and fifty million US dollars, paid entirely in cash, was far beyond the realm of "humiliation," and in some ways, it was even a very sincere escape price. Especially in the current predicament of being surrounded on all sides, this one hundred and fifty million US dollars in cash possessed an almost brutal and irresistible allure.
A long silence fell over the office once again.
Gaston stared intently at the teacup on the table, and after a long while, he spoke in a low voice.
"My father went through a lot of trouble to buy this team... definitely not so that I could sell it off like trash for $150 million in a leaky office today."
Lin Qi looked at him, a cold glint in his eyes, and spoke without any pity.
" Chris Paul, when your father bought the Celtics, it certainly wasn't so that you'd be on prime-time television tonight, being called a despicable car thief who stole Boston's assets by Matt Damon."
These words were like a nail, piercing precisely and ruthlessly into the deepest part of Gaston's remaining self-esteem.
Gaston's thick fingers tightened suddenly, digging painfully into the edge of the marble desk.
The legal manager standing nearby couldn't bear to watch any longer and coughed lightly, trying to remind Lin Qi not to push his boss, who was already on the verge of hysteria, too far. But Lin Qi remained as steady as a mountain, not even shifting his posture. He knew Gaston too well; this old fox wasn't truly without a way out, but his pitiful vanity prevented him from admitting that his only escape route had already collapsed.
Gaston looked up, his bloodshot eyes flashing with the final madness of a gambler, staring intently at Lin Qi.
"Two hundred and twenty million US dollars! That's my bottom line!"
Without even thinking, Lin Qi shook his head decisively.
" Chris Paul, wake up. Two hundred and twenty million—that's the price when the team had sixty wins, wasn't swept in the first round, didn't have Matt Damon inciting riots on TV, didn't have minority shareholders file for a preliminary injunction, didn't have an Internal Revenue Service subpoena, and Kevin Garnett had already signed a six-year contract. Do you think you're holding such a clean and perfect Celtics in your hands right now?"
Gaston gritted his teeth and forced out a few words through the gaps between them.
"That's at least... two hundred million dollars! I won't sign it for a single cent less!"
Lin Qi shook his head again, his tone as firm as a rock.
"Two hundred million is the price for clean assets. But right now, Chris Paul, this team is seen as a mess by everyone in America."
The air in the CEO's office seemed to drop to freezing point instantly. Gaston's eyes, almost spitting fire, were fixed on Lin Qi's face. Lin Qi, however, calmly met his gaze, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool.
The two stared at each other in the silent air for a full two minutes.
Finally, Gaston deflated like a punctured balloon, his shoulders slumping. In a hoarse voice filled with despair, he uttered the final terms.
"One hundred and eighty million US dollars."
"All cash required, funds must be in your account by June 30th."
"The new consortium must clearly state in the transfer agreement that it will take over all litigation and compensation troubles from retail shareholders. They must shut that damn Matt Damon's mouth up within 24 hours! Get him off the TV!"
Gaston's voice grew increasingly urgent, tinged with a hysterical outburst. "I also have to deal with that old Auerbach, make sure he stops coming out on the radio and humiliating my family!"
Lin Qi looked at him quietly.
In fact, before the negotiations began, he had a total of $200 million in funds and a bottom line.
After all, Lin Qi's position in Amazon stock had skyrocketed like a Rockets out of control over the past year. From the $140 million he bought at the end of May 1997, to the end of April 1998, with the explosion of the internet boom, the market value of that stock had soared to an astonishing $600 million. The big players on Wall Street would have been willing to use this high-quality asset as collateral to provide him with over $300 million in liquid cash in a very short time.
But Lin Qi was a top-notch hunter; he never liked to reveal all his cards to his opponents at the same gambling table. 180 million—this number was slightly higher than his initial ideal bottom line, but it was still within his absolute tolerance range.
More importantly, this proud Boston fat sheep has now uttered the words that signify surrender: he's willing to sell.
That's enough.
Lin Qi did not choose to squeeze the last drop of moisture out of the other party. He stood up gracefully and slowly stubbed out the unlit cigar that had been between his fingers in the exquisite crystal ashtray on the table.
"Deal, Mr. Gaston. Best wishes for a successful collaboration."
Upon hearing the word "deal," Gaston closed his eyes helplessly. In that instant, it was as if all the bones in his body had been pulled out, and he slumped into the executive chair like a lump of mud. There was no trace of relief on his face after avenging a great grudge or receiving a huge sum of money; instead, there was only a sense of emptiness and void, as if his body and soul had been completely hollowed out after a massive loss of blood.
That evening, in the battered office, the two parties did not sign any formal asset and equity transfer documents.
Because in the real business world, that's simply unrealistic. The NBA would never allow a traditional powerhouse team with sixteen championship titles to change owners so easily in just one night. Debt liquidation by commercial banks, background checks by the league office, the general partner's waiver of pre-emptive rights, collective confirmation by minority shareholders, a large legal and tax advisory team... each of these hurdles requires a significant amount of time to complete step by step.
What they signed that evening was an [exclusive framework negotiation agreement] with absolute legal force.
The basic consideration for the acquisition is $180 million, all in cash. The new buyer consortium will take over the settlement compensation for minority shareholders and the subsequent public tender offer arrangements. In exchange, Gaston must fully cooperate and voluntarily withdraw the original restructuring plan from the Delaware court within 24 hours.
Both parties will jointly submit a formal notice of intent to transfer the contract to the NBA league office in New York tomorrow morning.