Chapter 114: Evolution
Chen Yilun looked at the people in his office with a trace of exasperation.
“What is this place, a public restroom? You think you can just come and go as you like?”
“Well, that’s because what you told us was so shocking.”
Divac, seated at the head of the table, finally spoke.
“New Year’s hasn’t even arrived yet. Are we really calling it quits with more than two months left?”
It was no surprise the entire front office had crowded into Chen Yilun’s office. Earlier that morning, he had issued a directive:
Cease all potential trade negotiations and reject any incoming trade requests.
Once that message spread, the Kings had essentially sealed their own eyes and ears.
“It’s not that dramatic.”
Chen Yilun motioned for everyone to calm down.
“The reason for this decision is to stabilize morale within the team. Give them time to refine themselves.”
This move also served as reassurance for the Kings’ young players.
For this season, all they had to do was charge forward blindly. The doors were welded shut—the team wasn’t leaving anyone behind!
“If you’re sure about this, should I release the news today?”
“Do it.”
With Chen Yilun’s clear instruction, Peja shook his head and walked out of the office.
It was a double-edged sword. The benefits were obvious.
The downside, however, was that until the trade deadline, no general manager would view the Kings as a top trade partner.
In the league, the order of a single phone call could completely change the outcome of a deal.
So once the news spread, Chen Yilun and the Kings would be stuck on the defensive until the deadline.
But Chen Yilun wasn’t concerned.
He had no interest in patchwork trades. When a true superstar hit the market, he could afford to wait. Core-shaking deals never happened overnight. If a blockbuster came along, he’d handle it then.
The moment Chen Yilun made his decision, every team in the league knew.
“What the hell is that kid thinking?”
Popovich set his phone down, frowning. Across from him, Buford wore the same puzzled look.
“This isn’t like him. He usually takes every shot he can, no matter how slim. Why the sudden retreat?”
“How should I know? That kid’s on top of the world now,” Buford quipped. “The power he’s got in Sacramento is terrifying. He’s pulling moves I’ve never even seen before. How would I know?”
Buford gave a long sigh.
“It’s only been two years, and the kid who used to trail behind us has turned into a giant crocodile threatening us.”
“If we’d kept him, we’d have everything right now.”
...
...
“What did you say? Chen Yilun shut down the trade channel?”
At a roadside café, Danny Ainge froze mid-breakfast at his assistant’s report, then gave a cold chuckle.
“Interesting. Very interesting. This sly fox is keeping his cards close to his chest, huh?”
“Cards close to his chest? What does that even mean?” The assistant looked utterly lost.
“I told you to read more books, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you don’t understand, do you?”
Ainge laughed, folded his newspaper, and sipped his hand-brewed coffee.
“Chen Yilun’s playing the long game—keeping his weapons holstered until the right moment.”
“Boss, your explanation just made it worse! The more you say, the less I get it!”
Ainge shot him a withering look. “It means Chen Yilun has pulled back his claws. A tiger isn’t scary—it’s the tiger you can’t see that terrifies you. By pulling back, he’s leaving everyone wondering how sharp those claws will be when he strikes again.”
“Whoa!” The assistant finally understood and sucked in a sharp breath.
“So he’s really that dangerous? What do we do?”
“What do we do?” Ainge smirked and reopened his newspaper.
“Stillness is better than action. When the tiger retracts its claws, there’s nothing you can do. We stick to the rhythm we set at the start of the season. Whatever Chen Yilun plans is his business. We just focus on ours.”
...
“So he’s evolved again,” Jerry West sighed.
“I’ve grown alongside this league—half its history lives in me. But I’ve never seen a genius like Chen Yilun.”
“It can’t be that exaggerated,” Steve Kerr said, confused as he sat beside the Logo Man.
“The league is never short on talent,” West replied with a wry smile. “But flashy geniuses aren’t scary. The ones who know how to hide their brilliance are the truly terrifying ones.”
His voice carried a rare note of emotion.
“I invited Chen Yilun to join us because I saw his potential. I thought if we brought him in early, when I retired in a few years, he could take over. On one hand, we’d remove a rival. On the other, you’d still have a top-tier agent after I stepped down. But it seems I was naïve.”
“A genius like that would never settle for second place. He’s already grown into a major threat.”
West fixed his cloudy pale-blue eyes on Kerr, speaking each word deliberately.
“If you want a three-peat dynasty, Chen Yilun is the enemy you absolutely must consider first.”
“But he can’t keep hiding his hand forever, right?” Kerr asked curiously.
“No,” West said gravely. “If nothing unexpected happens, this season he’ll hit us with a show of force. It should come...”
“Right after the All-Star break!”
Chen Yilun looked across the table at Malone, his expression hard.
“Starting now, manage player rest. Those who sit out will stay in Sacramento for secret training.”
“I want two systems polished before the playoffs. One built around Jokić’s inside-out passing. The other around Butler’s drives to the rim.”
“Use Jokić’s as our primary offense during the regular season. Sprinkle Butler’s in occasionally during games so other teams don’t catch on. Got it?”
“Got it!”
As his longtime partner, Malone understood immediately.
The Jokić system was the smokescreen, designed to fool opponents. When they truly believed the Kings revolved around Jokić, the team would suddenly shift and unleash Butler’s system to punish anyone who underestimated them.
Author's Note
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