August 15, 2003, Lin Qi's residence in the suburbs of Boston.
This year's overseas training camp is two weeks later than usual. Due to insufficient time to coordinate with other NBA teams, the Boston Celtics will travel to Europe alone this year to train with several Europe powerhouses, including Olympia Milan.
Head coach Rick Carlisle has already taken the newly assembled players to Italy ahead of schedule. Lin Qi, however, has decided to postpone his departure by a week because he still needs to finalize several details regarding commercial sponsorships.
On a rare, leisurely weekend, Lin Qi sat in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, flipping through the day's the Boston Globe.
The front page headline wasn't about the upcoming MLB playoffs in September, nor was it about the New England Patriots ' preparations; instead, it featured a large photograph of Kobe Brian, dressed in a suit and with a grim expression, walking out of the Eagle County courthouse in Colorado.
" Mark Cuban's big mouth has really infuriated David Stern this time."
Lin Qi's fiancée, Beth Finneran, a top lawyer at the peak of her career, came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of hot coffee and placed one of them in front of Lin Qi.
A few days ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban publicly stated in a television interview that Kobe's case was a "good thing" for the NBA from a business perspective because it was the "reality show" that people loved to watch. These remarks, made at a sensitive time during the hearing, directly ignited public opinion across the United States, forcing Commissioner Stern to issue a stern public statement the following day refuting them.
"But speaking of which," Lin Qi picked up his coffee, took a sip, and looked at his fiancée in her silk robe, "How come you, a partner specializing in mergers and acquisitions, know so much about criminal cases in Colorado?"
Beth rolled his eyes without any politeness and sat down opposite Lin Qi: "Come on, my classmates from law school are all over the place now. This kind of case that has shocked the whole country has been talked about for a while now. The general consensus is that Kobe Brian is in big trouble this time. He's messed with a tough guy that can't be easily settled with money."
"Oh?" Lin Qi frowned slightly, this seemed to be different from his memories of his past life.
"That girl isn't just an ordinary working girl," Beth whispered, dropping a bombshell that caught Lin Qi completely off guard. "She's a minor, only sixteen this year. She was working as a receptionist at the hotel just to experience life during her vacation. Her father is not only a local state legislator, but he also owns shares in the hotel where the incident occurred."
"What troubled the defense lawyers even more was that the girl had an innocent background and an excellent reputation in the local community and school. The defense's most effective underhanded tactic of 'digging up stains in private life to smear the victim' simply couldn't find any leverage against her."
Lin Qi's hand, holding the coffee, froze in mid-air.
Minor? Daughter of a congressman? Hotel shareholder? Excellent reputation?
Lin Qi's pupils contracted slightly. The butterfly effect of a parallel universe had taken a dramatic turn here. In this timeline, Kobe hadn't kicked a steel plate, but a barbed steel plate.
"Because her father is a shareholder in the hotel, the hotel's security system took over the scene immediately the moment the girl sensed something was wrong in her room and notified her family." Beth peeled back the layers of the case with a professional perspective, revealing its horrifying aspects. "The clothing stained with DNA, the forensic biopsy report, the corridor surveillance footage, and the room's call logs were all preserved intact. From evidence collection to handing it over to the police, the chain of evidence was flawless."
Lin Qi took a deep breath. "That's why Colorado prosecutors dare to bring felony charges directly."
"That's right. But what truly pushed Kobe into this predicament was his own stupidity." Beth sneered. "When the police initially questioned him at the hotel, he was extremely flustered, vehemently lying and vehemently denying any sexual contact with that girl."
"As a result, when Eagle County police threw the DNA comparison report from the girl's underwear in his face, his defenses crumbled, and he suddenly admitted to having sex, but insisted it was 'consensual.'"
"In criminal cases, a suspect lying to the police, especially changing their story on core facts, is fatal in the eyes of a jury; it demonstrates a severe lack of honesty." Beth shook her head. "The prosecution now has irrefutable evidence, while Kobe's testimony is riddled with holes."
"Now that the evidence is irrefutable, how does the defense attorney plan to overturn the verdict?" Lin Qi asked. Kobe was the Chicago Bulls' star player, and this incident was bound to have a profound impact on the entire Eastern Conference landscape.
"They're exploiting the media, or rather, exploiting the evil in human nature. Did you notice that the plaintiff, a sensitive underage victim, had her name and information leaked within just a few days of the incident? I heard she's receiving death threats and harassing phone calls from extremist fans every day."
Beth astutely predicted. "In criminal court, faced with irrefutable evidence and changed confessions, the defense has no chance of winning. Therefore, their only way out is to prevent the case from reaching the final trial stage."
"Using online bullying to exert psychological pressure, forcing the plaintiff to break down and back down? And then, after the criminal case is withdrawn, spending money to settle in civil court?" Lin Qi deduced along her line of thought.
"This tactic might work for ordinary people, but for families who understand the law and are not short of money, it will only backfire."
Beth put down her coffee cup, a look of anticipation on her face. "That girl's family doesn't care about millions of dollars in hush money, especially after the defense used such a dirty trick as inciting extreme fan harassment. The plaintiff will definitely fight back to protect herself."
How to retaliate?
"Use the process to legally drag him out," Beth explained. "Under the legal framework in the United States, the plaintiff can absolutely apply for a suspension or postponement of the trial proceedings on the grounds that the psychological trauma has not healed and they are unable to face public pressure. It is legally permissible. They can legitimately 'freeze' the case until the plaintiff is psychologically prepared to continue the trial."
Lin Qi immediately understood the ruthlessness involved.
"They could even drag this case out for five or ten years," Beth said, looking at Lin Qi. "Once Kobe retires, the media frenzy fades, and his aura and influence diminish, they can then apply to the court to resume the trial. This would not only minimize the secondary harm to the woman, but also ensure that Kobe's entire career is constantly under the watchful eye of Sword of Damocles."
After hearing this deduction, Lin Qi looked at Kobe's photo in the newspaper and felt a chill run down his spine.
The victim's family, with their legal background, not only locked Kobe in the first layer of evidence, but also, in the second layer of the legal battle, used legal delaying tactics to completely shatter the defense's dream of "paying to settle the matter."
Since the Chicago Bulls welcomed this Los Angeles prince to the Windy City a few years ago, the Chicago Bulls' management has made several roster changes in the past two years to accommodate his wishes, even at the cost of losing several very promising young players.
However, what awaits them now is an endless nightmare of their core player shuttling between the court and the court. Even for many years to come, Chicago will have to be constantly on guard against this ticking time bomb. With sunk costs so high, the Chicago Bulls' management is probably wishing for death right now.
"Looks like Chicago's next season isn't going to be easy." Lin Qi tossed the newspaper onto the coffee table.