It was 10:30 p. m. in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix.
At the foot of Camel Hump Mountain, in a private golf club not open to the public, the firewood in the fireplace burned bright red, making the entire cigar room warm and cozy.
Lin Qi took off his coat and sat down at the long table with Patrick Finneran. At the head of the table sat the host of the evening, Jerry Colangelo, who had been at the helm of Phoenix sports for over thirty years.
Several freshly cut, aged steaks were laid out on the table, and a decanter containing Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was placed beside them.
Colangelo held a wine glass in his hand, his eyes somewhat vacant. The 24-point rout at the US Airways Center just now felt like a slap in the face, taking away his last shred of will to play on the court.
"Lin, Patrick, please excuse the commotion." Colangelo took a sip of red wine, his voice slightly hoarse. "I could tell, Rick even took Dwyane and Chris Paul off the court in the fourth quarter; that was already quite a concession."
" Rick is just rotating according to the rules. Your team plays with great resilience, Jerry." Lin Qi cut a small piece of beef and put it in his mouth, his tone polite and indifferent.
Colangelo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
He's a seasoned veteran who's spent most of his life in this league, and he understands the issues on the court better than anyone else.
But he no longer has the energy to care about these things.
In recent years, to help the Arizona Diamondbacks win the World Series, he included numerous deferred payment clauses in player salaries. Coupled with the massive debt incurred from the renovation of the US Airways Center, his family trust is already facing immense pressure from banks and bondholders in this year of economic downturn. If the Suns maintain this roster next season, they'll have to pay over $20 million in luxury tax alone. This influential sports mogul in Arizona is actually on the verge of financial ruin.
"I'm too old; I can't keep up with the times."
Colangelo sighed, his gaze sweeping across the dark desert outside the window. "The league office is already going through the final equity review process for transferring the team to Patrick. I will officially hand over actual control of the team before this year's draft."
The room fell silent, save for the soft crackling of the wood in the fireplace.
Lin Qi put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and looked at the gray-haired old man. " Jerry, selling the Suns doesn't mean you have to leave the basketball world. As far as I know, David Stern has been calling your house quite a bit lately, hasn't he?"
Colangelo stopped drinking and looked up at Lin Qi.
"You know David's temper. He's almost driven crazy by the Athens Olympic Games." Colangelo shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. "Two years ago at the Indianapolis World Championship, we only got sixth place. If we lose the gold medal again in Athens this summer, where will United States basketball put its face? The national team is a mess right now. As soon as the big stars hear they're going to play in Europe, they all use injuries as an excuse. David complains to me on the phone every day."
"So David needs someone with real prestige to keep things in check," Lin Qi said gently. " Larry Bird Brown will definitely have to step down after this Olympic Games. Looking across the entire country, besides you, Jerry Colangelo, there's no one else who can balance the old-school legends, current stars, and team owners so well."
Colangelo gave a bitter smile, "Lin, prestige can't buy cash. The Diamondbacks still have tens of millions in overdue debt, and the family trust has to settle these bad debts. No matter how prestigious the title of national team leader is, it can't help me fill these holes."
Having said that, I've essentially laid everything out.
Colangelo wants to retire gracefully and even more so, to take the helm of USA Basketball in his later years and become the head of the national team's restructuring. But his current debt burden is like a chain, restricting his actions.
Lin Qi leaned back in his leather chair without saying a word, picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Patrick, who was standing next to him, understood, opened his briefcase, took out a neatly bound investment plan, and pushed it onto the marble table in front of Colangelo.
" Jerry, in addition to acquiring the Suns, the consortium also established a separate real estate investment fund in Phoenix."
Patrick stated calmly, "The initial investment is $60 million. We hope to hire you and your family advisory firm as senior partners of the fund, responsible for managing golf courses and commercial real estate trusts in the Southwest region. Management fees will be settled annually, and all funds will be held in an offshore trust."
Patrick paused, pointed to Lin Qi beside him, and added, "By the way, Lynch also has a half-share in there."
Colangelo looked down at the thick trust document, his fingers hovering over the edge of the cover. He looked up in surprise and sized up Lin Qi.
This is equivalent to taking over all of the Colangelo family's bad debts outside of the equity acquisition, while still ensuring sufficient long-term dividends.
Lin Qi placed his teacup on the corner of the table, looking completely relaxed.
" Jerry, don't overthink it. I just want to make friends."
Lin Qi met the old man's gaze and said frankly, "You've been rooted in Arizona for over thirty years. From City Hall to the local Chamber of Commerce, who doesn't recognize you? Patrick is a newcomer here; he's an outsider. I'm just investing some money to partner with you because I want to leverage your prestige and benefit from your connections. With you backing us up, our hard-earned money won't be criticized by those politicians in the city."
Colangelo held his wine glass without replying, a slight stirring in his heart.
"Besides, David keeps nagging you about the national team on the phone, and this responsibility will eventually fall on your shoulders." Lin Qi smiled. "After the chaos in Athens this summer, the national team will be reorganized. Wade and Kobe have both signed lifetime contracts with Converse. When the day comes for you to step up and take the lead, just ask, and I can help persuade them to join the national team and play for you."
Colangelo leaned back in his chair, his right index finger tapping slowly on the table.
In the world of professional sports, there has never been such a thing as a free lunch.
They helped his family trust clear out tens of millions of dollars in bad debts, brought him in as a partner to share profits, and even planned out the star players who would endorse him after he took over the USA Basketball. The whole package of conditions sounded like a dream come true, so good that it almost felt unreal to him.
But Colangelo, having spent his entire life in the business, was quick-witted.
By taking the money and pulling his family out of the debt quagmire, Colangelo unknowingly incurred a huge debt of gratitude to Lin Qi.
Looking at the young man in front of him, who was even younger than his own son, Colangelo couldn't help but admire him. Managing a four-time Lin Qi team and a vast business empire so flawlessly was certainly not just a matter of luck.
The relief of having his burdens completely lifted, mixed with a sip of red wine, gradually smoothed out the wrinkles on Colangelo's face.
He picked up his glass, offered it to Lin Qi, and gently touched the rim of his glass to Lin Qi's.
A crisp sound echoed through the cigar room.
"Lin, Patrick." Colangelo slowly swallowed the red wine in his glass, his eyes brightening again. "Call me anytime if anything comes up."
Lin Qi raised his glass in acknowledgment and drank the wine in it in one gulp.