Late June, Boston, President's office at the New Garden.
The day after the farewell dinner, Lin Qi had just sat down at his desk with a cup of black coffee when there was a knock on his office door.
The person who pushed open the door was Gary Payton.
This veteran, who has made great contributions to Boston over the past four years and just gave Jordan a hard time with his defense in the NBA Finals, was not wearing a jersey today, but a very formal dark suit.
His expression was calm, even somewhat relieved.
Lin Qi put down his coffee cup and pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit down, Gary. Judging from your attire, you don't seem to be just here for coffee."
Gary Payton sat down, placing his hands crossed on his knees.
"Lin, I want to request a trade." Gary Payton got straight to the point, his voice a little hoarse but extremely firm, "I want to go back to Seattle."
Lin Qi looked at Gary Payton but didn't speak immediately.
He certainly knew why Gary Payton wanted to leave. At the farewell dinner, he had made it very clear that Boston was facing enormous external pressure, and dismantling the team was inevitable. For a veteran who was about to turn 34, if he couldn't stay in Boston, then returning home was undoubtedly the best choice.
"Four championship rings." Gary Payton looked down at his hands. "I beat Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals. I have no regrets in my basketball career. The only regret is that I couldn't bring a championship trophy to Seattle back then."
Gary Payton looked up, his eyes flashing with an almost obstinate light.
"I want to go back and try, to see if this old man can still make a splash in that city."
Lin Qi interlaced his fingers, resting his elbows on the desk. He looked at the veteran who had come to Boston from the Seattle SuperSonics and helped him build his initial empire.
" Gary, if you go back, the Seattle fans will treat you like a hero." Lin Qi's tone was calm, filled with genuine respect. " Boston won't put any obstacles in your way. I'll also do everything I can to send players who are good fit to play with you."
"And also, no matter where you retire," Lin Qi looked Gary Payton in the eye, "Your number 20 jersey will definitely be hanging in the dome of the New Garden. You deserve it."
Gary Payton's eyes suddenly reddened. In this league full of calculation and cold-blooded deals, Lin Qi's words gave this veteran the utmost dignity.
"Thank you, Lin." Gary Payton took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions. His eyes darted around, revealing an extremely sly smile. "Since you're breaking up the team, could... I take some people with me?"
"Who do you want to bring?" Lin Qi asked, looking at him with interest.
"How about KG?" Gary Payton demanded an exorbitant sum. "I'll take him back to Seattle, and we'll pull off another big heist in the Western Conference!"
"Don't even think about it." Lin Qi refused without hesitation, not even giving him room to consider. " Kevin is not for sale in Boston. Even if Stern pointed a gun at my head, I wouldn't touch him."
Gary Payton pursed his lips, settling for second best. "Then... Rasheed? Or Big Ben?"
"Impossible." Lin Qi's answer remained utterly decisive. "I said I wouldn't sell my players for a pittance, much less be a sucker just to please you."
After asking around, Gary Payton found that Lin Qi had coldly rejected all of the top candidates.
He scratched his bald head, sighed helplessly, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up.
"How about... we take Stephen Jackson with us?" Gary Payton slapped his thigh. "That kid said some really hurtful things after the NBA Finals, almost getting you in court. He definitely can't stay on your team anymore, right? Let him come with me!"
Lin Qi looked at Gary Payton, a truly amusing smile finally appearing on his lips.
Stephen Jackson.
Although that interview was just the trigger, the trouble Jackson caused did indeed put his position in Boston in an extremely awkward position. More importantly, under the premise of "breaking up the team," trading away a promising perimeter defensive stalwart was also a way of showing the league that he was willing to "weaken himself."
" Stephen is fine." Lin Qi nodded.
Just after agreeing, Lin Qi suddenly remembered something and looked at Gary Payton with some curiosity. "By the way, Gary, since Stephen's big mouth has spilled the beans about the stocks... did you buy the stocks I got drunk on at the end of last year?"
Gary Payton paused for a moment, then nodded naturally. "I bought it. I poured twenty million dollars into it."
"Puff..."
Lin Qi nearly spat out the coffee he had just drunk. He stared at Gary Payton in disbelief. "Are you crazy?! Twenty million dollars?! Where did you get so much money?!"
In this day and age, even for a superstar like Gary Payton, who has earned tens of millions of dollars a year, after deducting half for taxes and agent commissions, plus his extremely luxurious lifestyle, it's simply unbelievable that he could come up with twenty million dollars in cash to buy stocks.
"Lin, you underestimate me." Gary Payton leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow smugly. "I'm not like Sean Kemp, who goes bankrupt from clubbing. I don't have any other hobbies, I just like to hold onto my money tightly."
"I didn't even hire one of those vampire-like financial advisors; I watch my own penny. I invest in some stable local real estate in Seattle, and I also own a car wash chain. I don't gamble, and I don't buy sports cars for my cronies. Don't compare me to those idiots."
Gary Payton looked at Lin Qi seriously. "And most importantly, I believe in you. Since you dared to say something like that in front of those brats, it means that it's definitely a future money-printing machine. Why wouldn't I buy it?"
"My account has doubled now too," Gary Payton grinned. "Lin, by the time I retire, I'll probably be richer than your entire team combined."
Looking at Gary Payton, who was extremely shrewd and managed his wealth impeccably outside of basketball, Lin Qi couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're a smart man, Gary." Lin Qi's smile faded, his tone becoming more meaningful. "But I must warn you, Gary, things might not be as simple as you think if you go back to Seattle."
"What do you mean?" Gary Payton frowned.
"Why don't you try to push the deal through?" Lin Qi said without explicitly stating it. "See if your new coffee shop owner is willing to welcome his 'city hero'."