Lin Qi didn't answer. Instead, he took a step forward and lowered his voice in the dim light.
" Brad, I can't tell you who I am today, and I can't give you any business cards. Listen, the whole country is currently in a lockout, and according to the league's legal department regulations, no employee of any NBA team is allowed to contact a free agent who may be returning to the NBA privately."
Lin Qi looked at Miller's somewhat shocked eyes and said, word by word, "Legally speaking, we haven't met in this passageway today, and this conversation has never taken place."
"But..." Miller swallowed, his voice a little dry, "If I can't get any written record, how will I know you're not just messing with me?"
"You can't know," Lin Qi said calmly, shrugging confidently. "You can only choose to trust my reputation. I won't give you any written agreement, nor will I leave any signature. But I can give you a written, verbal promise today."
Lin Qi looked directly into Miller's eyes, his tone carrying an undeniable sense of control.
"As soon as the lockout ends and free agency reopens, my team will offer you a guaranteed four-year contract. A contract that will allow you to comfortably establish yourself in the NBA. I promise."
Miller stood there, his breathing becoming rapid. To promise him such a dream future with just a few words—it was insane.
Reason told him that this might be an empty promise. But the certainty in Lin Qi's eyes made Miller inexplicably want to place his bet on the man in front of him.
"Then... is there anything I can do for you?" Miller heard his own voice trembling slightly.
"Before we talk about work, let me give you some personal advice." Lin Qi pointed to Miller's bulging belly and said bluntly, "Get rid of that fat. Your passing and shooting need to be faster, but at the same time, you need to work on your core strength in the gym so you won't get knocked away when you guard monsters like O'Neal. If you want to secure this four-year contract with my team, starting tomorrow, cut out junk food, work out like crazy, and control your weight. I don't want a fat center who gets out of breath after running for two minutes on the court."
Miller subconsciously touched his stomach, blushed slightly with embarrassment, and nodded repeatedly. "I understand, sir, I will start losing weight."
"Very good." Lin Qi nodded in satisfaction, then his expression suddenly turned serious. "Next is something serious, and you have to listen to me."
"I heard that because of the NBA lockout, USA Basketball can't call up regular season players. They're scouting players from overseas leagues, trying to put together a national team made up of undrafted players to play in the World Championship in Greece. They should have contacted you recently, right?"
Miller paused, then nodded. Indeed, the Chinese Basketball Association had called just a few days ago. For an undrafted player, being able to wear the national team jersey and play in the World Championship was an excellent opportunity to prove himself again and be noticed by NBA scouts.
"Reject them. Tell everyone you have a serious knee injury, the doctor recommends rest, and absolutely do not go to Athens." Lin Qi coldly shattered all his fantasies.
"What if you get injured? You should have more time to prepare for the new season."
Lin Qi held up two fingers; it was a bearer check from Citibank.
The number above is neither too big nor too small, exactly fifty thousand US dollars.
Miller's eyes widened in disbelief. Holding the check, his hands began to tremble. "What... what does this mean? But I haven't played a single official game for the team yet. This isn't right..."
Lin Qi interrupted him coldly, his eyes revealing an undeniable domineering air. "I know better than you how much money an undrafted player has. I don't want my center next season having to worry about next month's rent while in the training gym. Take the money, settle things at home, and then save your energy for the new season."
Miller gripped the check tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
For an undrafted player struggling to make ends meet, $50,000 is a life-saving sum.
More importantly, Lin Qi even had bearer checks prepared, which shows that he had already calculated his escape route clearly.
At that moment, Miller's eyes held not only awe, but also a fervent zeal for those who understood him.
The corridor fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the noisy Italy conversation coming from the nearby changing room.
Miller gripped the towel tightly in his hand, staring at the man in front of him who had put his sunglasses back on, feeling as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
After a full half minute, the fat white man gritted his teeth and nodded forcefully.
"I believe you. I'll decline tomorrow's call for a replacement. I'm not going to Greece."
Lin Qi smiled, stepped forward, and patted Miller's broad shoulder firmly. "A smart choice. Control your weight, play well, Brad. See you across the ocean when the new season starts."
After saying that, Lin Qi turned and strode away, disappearing gracefully into the afternoon sunlight of the Apennine Peninsula outside the stadium.
From beginning to end, not a single name was left behind, not a single piece of paper. Faced with the league's rigid rules, this illegal meeting was as clean as a chance encounter between a tourist and a player.
On the return trip in first class, Lin Qi leaned back in his leather seat, closed his eyes, and reviewed the events.
The lockout effectively shut down contracts between NBA teams and registered players. Brad Miller, now an undrafted player, is legally a short-term employee of the Italy Livorno Club.
A tourist on vacation in Europe happened to chat in his native dialect with an United States citizen playing with an Italy work permit in the hallway during a game... Which United States labor law rule did he break? International Basketball Federation is probably eager to see the NBA make a fool of itself, and is frantically issuing clearance letters to undrafted players playing overseas every day. Even if Stern bombards the New York headquarters with calls, he can't control the Italy arenas on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Lin Qi pulled the blanket up a little, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.