The air in the meeting room was slightly heavy, while the Milan street scene outside the window was bathed in the late autumn sunlight.
The tactical plans and the outlines of the four seeded teams on the whiteboard were finalized. Maurizio closed the memo in his hand and was preparing to make a final summary of the stage.
Lin Qi didn't close the agenda document in his hand. He turned to the last page, his gaze falling on the memorandum about the establishment of a global youth training network.
"Also, regarding our youth training cooperation network in Asia," Lin Qi raised his eyes and began calmly, "Have you identified any noteworthy new faces over there?"
The head of the global youth training and scouting network immediately opened the documents in his hand and reported, "Boss, under your instructions, our scouting network deliberately avoided the youth training programs of traditional sports schools and professional clubs, where competition is fierce and administrative barriers are extremely high. Through a non-governmental sports development foundation that has been operating in Asia for a long time, we have penetrated into several remote areas with unique geographical environments and where the foundation of youth sports is completely in a state of unregulated development."
The supervisor pushed two files containing preliminary physical test data and video footage to the center of the conference table.
"These two kids had no formal basketball fundamentals training background whatsoever. Six months ago, they didn't even know the standard triple threat dribbling form; they were complete 'rough starters'," the supervisor said, pointing to the two boys in the photo whose eyes shone with pure determination. "However, their static and dynamic talents are outstanding for their age group."
Lin Qi took the file and carefully examined the various physical test indicators on it.
"The tall guy is named Chaolu, of Mongolian ethnicity, and is fifteen years old this year. He is already 2.08 meters tall with an astonishing wingspan of 2.21 meters," the supervisor introduced. "He comes from a herding family in the Inner Mongolia pastoral area, grew up on horseback, and experienced high-intensity wrestling and pastoral labor. His core strength, hip flexibility, and lower limb explosiveness are excellent. He has a broad frame and possesses extremely rare 'muscle-building' potential. His ability to compete in the paint even surpasses that of many United States centers of the same age."
Lin Qi nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze to the second file.
"Another one is named Shamalage, a Yi ethnic minority boy from the Daliang Mountains, Sichuan. He's also fifteen years old, 1.98 meters tall, and has a wingspan of 2.13 meters," the supervisor continued. "This kid has incredible nervous system reaction speed and Achilles tendon elasticity. Although he hasn't had any formal tactical training, he can easily complete a dunk from just inside the free-throw line on a muddy, open-air court in the countryside. His lateral speed and dynamic explosiveness are definitely at the threshold of a top-tier wing player."
These two files perfectly match Lin Qi's aesthetic for top talent, like uncut gems.
"What are the current social relationships and guardianship status of these two young talents?" Lin Qi asked.
Maurizio chimed in, "The situation is rather unique. Both of them are orphans, and their guardianship is under the local civil affairs and charitable aid network. Our initial plan was to use a targeted charitable donation and youth training fees to bring them to a training camp in Europe next summer for a trial period of several months."
Lin Qi frowned slightly and shook his head, rejecting this conventional plan.
"A few months of short-term summer training won't solve the fundamental problem. Without long-term basic dietary control and muscle memory rebuilding, talent will only be wasted." Lin Qi closed the two files, pressed them under his palm, and gave a decisive decision, "No need to send them to Europe. Contact the local civil affairs department and go through the formal international adoption process."
Maurizio looked slightly surprised. "Take it to the United States?"
"Yes, complete all the legal adoption procedures in my name and bring these two children directly back to Boston." Lin Qi's voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "As for their subsequent placement, I will use my personal resources to arrange it."
Maurizio quickly jotted down the instruction in the memo. "Understood. The Ministry of Justice will immediately begin preparing the relevant documents."
All long-term plans and details have now been finalized.
"Okay, that concludes today's debriefing. The Legal Department will now follow up on the procedures for Chaolu and Shamalage."
Lin Qi glanced at his mechanical watch, stood up, picked up his dark wool coat hanging on the back of his chair, and prepared to head to the stadium for an inspection. But as the other Europe executives packed up their documents and left the meeting room, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and left Maurizio alone.
"There's one more thing, Maurizio," Lin Qi said, draping his coat over his arm. "On behalf of the EBA League, try to reach out to Robert Rob Pelinka."
Maurizio paused slightly, turning around with a hint of surprise in his expression. " Kobe Brian's agent? Boss, right now is the peak of the media storm across the United States. The Chicago Bulls and the league office are watching his every move. At this critical juncture, wouldn't it be a bit too much for us to contact him directly under an official name?"
"It has to be big, and it has to be aboveboard." Lin Qi's tone was calm and firm. "Often, being secretive only gives others ammunition against us. Europe professional leagues are eager to recruit talent, and this is a compliant and transparent business operation; there's nothing shameful about it."
Lin Qi clearly and logically explained to Maurizio the core leverage and rhetoric for this contact:
"Tell Rob Pelinka that if the Chicago Bulls ' management wants to bench him due to public pressure, or if United States commercial sponsors want to cut ties with him, the door to Europe is always open for him. Don't forget, he spent a significant portion of his childhood in Milan, where the fans and culture have always been tolerant of international stars."
"As for the terms of the contract, just tell them directly: salary is not a problem. Olympia Milan can offer the highest after-tax top-tier contract in all of Europe. As for the commercial endorsements he lost in the United States due to the scandal, Puma can readily provide him with a global lifetime endorsement contract of equal caliber as a safety net. EBA doesn't have the rigid salary cap of North America, nor do it have those red tape issues caused by moral constraints."
"I understand, boss." Maurizio nodded solemnly. "I will call Rob Pelinka in my official capacity as EBA president and lay this 'empty promise' out in the open. Let David Stern and the Chicago Bulls management have their headaches."
"Go and do it."
Lin Qi patted Maurizio on the shoulder, said nothing more, and turned to walk out of the conference room.
As Lin Qi walked toward the elevator, he casually instructed, "Let's go check out the arena. I heard Artest and Barbosa had a bit of a spat during yesterday's practice Artest. I need to see if those troublemakers from Boston have caused any serious problems."