Mid-August, New York East Hampton, Long Island, New York.
The sea breeze here carries the unique moisture of the Atlantic Ocean, filtering out all the heat of New York City.
David Stern's ban was seen by outsiders as a heavy blow to the Boston Dynasty, but for Lin Qi, it became the perfect excuse for a vacation. Since the league wouldn't allow him to get involved in basketball, he simply brought Beth to the Hamptons to enjoy a long, carefree vacation.
On the private beach outside the villa, the sun shone brightly. Two little ones, Mingjie and Senna, just over five months old, were being strolled along a tree-lined path by a highly paid babysitting team, giving the unmarried couple a rare moment of absolute privacy.
Beth, wearing a dark bikini, lay defenselessly on a large beach chair. Her alluring curves, enhanced by childbirth and exuding a mature charm, were dazzlingly white in the sunlight.
Lin Qi, wearing loose beach shorts and holding a bottle of sunscreen, was patiently applying it to her back.
" David Stern's injunction completely ruined my livelihood." Lin Qi poured some cool sunscreen into his palm, warmed it, rubbed it in, and then evenly applied it to Beth's smooth back, his tone casually teasing. "Now I'm a complete unemployed bum. Beth, didn't you get a senior partner position at the law firm? Do you need an assistant to carry your bags? If not, I'd be happy to bring you coffee. I can do anything; consider it you supporting me."
Hearing Lin Qi's feigned aggrieved tone, Beth buried her head in her arms and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Now I'm interviewing you, so put on a good show and I'll give you a bigger tip," Beth muttered lazily.
Lin Qi smiled, his warm palm slowly sliding down the lines of her back. When his fingers reached the sensitive dimple on her lower back, Lin Qi's eyes darkened slightly, and he deliberately increased the pressure on that familiar spot with his fingertips.
"Hmm..."
A tingling, electric-like sensation instantly spread throughout her body, causing Beth to tremble slightly involuntarily. She turned her head and glared at Lin Qi with her watery eyes, though her gaze clearly held an overflowing heat and coquettishness.
"You mean this when you said 'can do any job'?" She raised her eyebrows slightly.
"Of course, this is my area of expertise, I guarantee my partner will be satisfied." Lin Qi chuckled and casually tossed the expensive bottle of sunscreen into the sand.
He bent down, scooped Beth up in his arms, and strode toward the bedroom of the villa.
The heavy blackout curtains were pulled shut, blocking out the glaring sunlight.
After an unknown amount of time, the temperature in the room finally dropped.
Beth, like a languid cat, nestled contentedly against Lin Qi, half-draped in a thin silk blanket. Her fingers idly traced circles on Lin Qi's chest, her face still flushed.
"A vacation should look like a vacation." Lin Qi grabbed her mischievous hand and kissed it.
"So, my esteemed unemployed gentleman, how do you plan to pass the time during this year-long suspension?" Beth shifted into a more comfortable position, resting her chin on Lin Qi's chest, her long hair cascading into his arms. "You can't possibly spend every day... playing around with me, can you?"
"I actually have a good idea," Lin Qi said, putting his arm around her smooth shoulder. "How about Hollywood?"
" Hollywood?" Beth paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "You're going to make movies? You're finally planning to enter the entertainment industry, wanting to play Texas Hold'em with Hollywood actresses?"
"Stop kidding. I'm serious." Lin Qi chuckled and pinched her cheek. "For the past four years, I've had an excellent in-house photography team follow the team. From tactical arguments in the locker room to backstabbing at the draft, to the championship parade... all the raw footage is in my hands."
"A behind-the-scenes documentary about four consecutive championships?" Beth's sharp eyes lit up immediately. She knew all too well the impact this kind of subject matter had on sports fans across America.
"That's right. I'm going to find the best editing team in the US to edit the four years of the Boston Dynasty's rise to power into an epic sports documentary." Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. "I've already thought of a title, and it'll be released next year when I make my comeback."
"That's so Lin Qi," Beth offered a fair assessment, then winked. "So what else? You said you wanted to make a movie, but a documentary isn't really a movie."
"I really want to invest in making a feature film." Lin Qi's fingers gently ran through Beth's hair. "I've already sketched out the script outline in my head."
"Tell me about it. If the story is good enough, I might consider investing some money in your personal capacity," Beth said, propping herself up with interest, half-jokingly.
"Film my life before that, film the Boston Celtics' rise over the past few years." Lin Qi turned his head and looked into Beth's eyes.
Beth paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh out loud, the sound sending a slight tremor through Lin Qi's chest.
" Lin Qi, I've discovered you're not just a control freak, you're also a narcissistic megalomaniac." Beth reached out and pinched Lin Qi's cheek. "Make a movie that glorifies your own achievements? Even the most arrogant producers in Hollywood wouldn't dare to do that. Aren't you afraid it'll turn into a dry sports promotional film and lose all its money at the box office?"
"No, no way." Lin Qi took Beth's hand and kissed it. "This story is definitely more exciting than any script written by a Hollywood screenwriter. Because reality is often crazier than the movies."
Lin Qi's gaze seemed to pierce through the mists of time, returning to that hot summer of 1994.
"The film opens with a gamble," Lin Qi's voice was deep and magnetic. "The protagonist is a 29-year-old second-tier scout, penniless and powerless, yet he dares to walk into the team owner's office and risk his entire future..."
"Without raising a single penny in salary, they made the playoffs and their attendance rate returned to the top ten. This is the Sword of Damocles hanging over the protagonist's head."
Beth listened quietly.
"That's certainly a suspenseful opening," Beth astutely assessed the story. "It establishes dramatic conflict with a near-impossible bet. The audience will be curious about how the protagonist will win the bet."
Then, Lin Qi talked about the first few years after he took over the team.
"It's like a real-life version of ' Seven Samurai '," Beth commented softly. "A bunch of unpromising oddballs, brought together by a crazy general manager."
"The climax of the movie..." Lin Qi's voice trailed off, "Was the 1998-1999 season. It was a shortened season, and a championship banner, absent for over a decade, was raised in the Boston dome."
The room remained quiet for a long time.
Beth looked at the man before her, her eyes filled with undisguised infatuation.
" Lin Qi," Beth reached out and hugged his neck tightly, "I think this movie will be a success."
"Very good." Lin Qi rolled over and pinned her beneath him. "Looks like we'll have to discuss the details of this script in depth tonight."