April 11, morning, Boston, Lin Qi's office.
Less than 24 hours after the press conference for the " Brighton Sports Complex," the red-line phone on Lin Qi's desk rang.
This phone number connects directly to the NBA headquarters on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Lin Qi pressed the speakerphone button, and David Stern's signature voice, tinged with a hint of authority and smoothness, came from the other end of the line.
"Good morning, Lin Qi. Or should I say, good morning, Boston real estate tycoon?"
"Good morning, Mr. Stern." Lin Qi leaned back in his chair. "If you're here to congratulate us on the groundbreaking of our new training facility, I can send you some initial renderings."
"I saw the press conference; we don't need the renderings." Stern sighed on the other end of the phone, his tone turning serious. " Lin Qi, do you know how many complaints my office has received from team owners since last night?"
"I bet LeBron James Dolan of New York definitely played, and Mr. Colangelo of Phoenix probably also expressed his dissatisfaction?"
"It's not just them," Stern said. " The Simon Brothers of Indiana, Herb Kerr of Milwaukee... at least ten small-market team owners are complaining. They think you're engaging in 'unfair competition'."
Stern paused for a moment, then revealed the true state of affairs within the league. " Lin Qi, you have to understand, not everyone in this league has hundreds of millions of dollars to spare. Many owners, like Jerry Colangelo, keep their teams running by carefully managing their finances. You suddenly create a place with a panoramic restaurant and a high-end medical center... how are they supposed to explain that to the players?"
Stern lowered his voice slightly. "Some bosses are even discussing whether you're the next Mark Cuban, or another Chris Paul Allen."
Upon hearing those two names, Lin Qi couldn't help but smile.
"Mr. Stern, comparing me to them is hardly a compliment."
Lin Qi stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the street scene of Boston.
" Mark Cuban is a die-hard basketball fanatic. He'd wear a t-shirt to provoke referees and argue with old-school owners in meetings. He enjoys and revels in that kind of attention."
"And Chris Paul Allen," Lin Qi said, referring to the multi-billion dollar Microsoft founder, "Splurged the league's highest salary of $86 million in Portland, amassed six All-Stars, yet allowed the management to turn the team into a chaotic 'prison team.' He thought money could buy a championship, but that only proved he fundamentally misunderstood the laws of competitive sports."
"And what about you, Lin Qi?" Stern countered. "You spent hundreds of millions, making such a big splash in Boston, what was it all for?"
"In order to set standards, Mr. Stern. In order to advance this alliance."
Lin Qi's tone became serious.
"First of all, the allegations of 'unfair competition' are completely unfounded," Lin Qi stated, revealing the most ingenious aspect of his business strategy. "The owners can rest assured that this 120-acre property in Brighton, and that expensive training center, do not belong to the Boston Celtics."
Stern on the other end of the phone paused for a moment. "Not part of the Celtics?"
"Of course not. This is an independent real estate project under my personal ' Lin Qi Capital '," Lin Qi explained. " The Celtics are just a basketball team; they also need to pay to rent that training facility from me. However, as the general manager, I will keep the rental price within a reasonable range that complies with NBA auditing standards."
Stern remained silent for a full five seconds on the other end of the phone. As an extremely shrewd lawyer, he instantly understood Lin Qi's "left-hand to right-hand" capital game. This not only perfectly circumvented the league's restrictions on "excessive team debt," but also made the Celtics ' books appear very clean.
"But you've still raised the bar for logistical support across the entire alliance."
"That brings me to my second point, the ' Sports Science and Medical Center '."
Lin Qi turned around and looked at the map on the wall.
"Mr. Stern, you're a visionary. You know the future direction this league should take. It can't rely on the old-school owners' penny-pinching and thrifty approach; it needs superstar players."
"Only when our stars are healthy can we get viewership, and only then can you have the leverage to sign a multi-billion dollar contract with the broadcasters." Lin Qi's voice was incredibly persuasive. "The medical center we've built not only has liquid nitrogen cryotherapy rooms, but also state-of-the-art biomechanics labs to analyze players' injury risks. And this medical center isn't just for the Celtics."
"What do you mean?" Stern keenly grasped the key point.
"It will be an independent company," Lin Qi said with a smile, revealing his true ambition. "It's open to the entire league. Whether it's Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal of the Lakers or Tim Duncan of the Spurs, as long as their teams are willing to pay the hefty medical consultation and rehabilitation fees, they can all become our clients."
On the other end of the phone, Stern was utterly astonished by Lin Qi's vision.
He initially thought Lin Qi simply wanted to create a luxurious "private domain" for the Celtics, using money to attract free agents. But he never expected that Lin Qi wasn't engaging in unfair, closed-door competition; he actually wanted to turn other teams into his clients!
"Of course," Lin Qi added, "If those traditional owners think this is handing me money, they can continue to treat their star players with ice packs and painkillers. But that's none of my business, right?"
"No, not at all. I can consider trying to persuade those owners. It's good for everyone if star players stay healthy." Stern was clearly in a much better mood. Since the medical center was willing to be open to the entire league and was beneficial for extending the lifespan of star players, he had a reason to shut up those complainers.
"I promise that this medical center will adopt a limited profit model... with a clear upper limit on profits, and any excess will be used to support operations, ensuring that pricing is always kept within a reasonable range and that we do not deliberately set high prices to exclude others. This is my sincerity as a member of the alliance, and I humbly request that the president convey this to the board of directors and give us your support."
"Okay." Stern's voice regained the composure of someone long accustomed to the pinnacle of power. "It's settled then. I'll speak up for you at the meeting. I'll hang up now."
The call dropped with a click.