Chapter 257: Dawn
“Clack!”
With a sharp series of collisions, Chen Yilun leaned on his cue stick, staring at the scene in front of him in disbelief. He suddenly understood the saying that when a person is too shocked to speak, they can only laugh.
“No way.”
Chen Yilun walked around the table, taking in the chaos.
“You actually know how to play pool?”
“Of course!”
Malone gripped his cue excitedly. “Didn’t you see that shot? The power was perfect.”
“Perfect my ass!”
Chen Yilun felt his blood pressure shoot upward.
“You’re playing snooker—why are you breaking the rack like you’re smashing concrete?!”
Looking at the balls scattered all over the table, Chen Yilun completely lost the mood to keep playing.
“I should’ve just called you here for a meeting. Adding this activity was pointless.”
He sat back down on the sofa and took a sip of water.
“We’re almost done anyway. What meeting do you still want?”
“ Murray’s situation woke me up.”
Chen Yilun looked at Malone with a serious expression.
“We’ve had it way too smooth these past few years. We’ve barely hit any injury waves.”
“But injuries are force majeure. Aren’t you overthinking this?”
Malone sounded genuinely puzzled.
Injuries were random and unpredictable by nature. To him, Chen Yilun’s concerns sounded like needless worry.
“It’s not just overthinking.”
Seeing Malone’s indifferent expression, Chen Yilun knew the guy hadn’t absorbed anything yet.
“You’ve been in this league for years. You should know that injuries aren’t only about luck. They also depend on a player’s previous injury history and whether their playstyle makes them more prone to getting hurt. From those details, you can predict their future to some extent.”
“Sure, that’s true.”
Malone thought for a moment, then added,
“But even so, with team tactics and win pressure, those players still need to push through sometimes.”
“That’s exactly the problem.”
Chen Yilun lifted a hand, signaling him to stop.
“Our only mission this year is to defend the title. Everything else—regular season wins, standings—none of that matters. Losing a few games changes nothing. At worst, it affects one or two home/road matchups.”
He tapped the table lightly.
“But if we risk injuries just to chase those extra wins, that’s putting the cart before the horse. You get what I’m saying?”
“I do.”
Malone nodded.
“You want me to dial things back next season—reduce the players’ workload to keep the team healthy.”
“Smart man.”
Chen Yilun gave him a thumbs-up.
“In that case...”
Malone thought for a moment.
“Then we increase our perimeter shooting and cut down shots inside six feet. That’s the safest approach.”
More jump shots, fewer drives—that was the lowest-risk strategy.
“We also need more rest nights for players, especially guys like Durant and Butler. If they can rest, we keep them off the floor.”
“You really treat those players like gold, huh?”
Malone laughed. “Don’t baby them too much. They’re professional athletes—they know how to protect themselves.”
As he said that, a thought suddenly struck him. He looked at Chen Yilun with a mysterious expression.
“The new season schedule is out. Do you know who we’re playing in the opener?”
“Who? Probably James or Curry again. Who else could it be?”
Chen Yilun sounded completely uninterested.
“Not this time.”
Malone lowered his voice.
“This year’s opener is against the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
“With them?”
Chen Yilun frowned, then paused.
A moment later, he understood exactly what the league was doing.
A matchup like this meant one thing:
In the league’s eyes, the Kings were now the No. 1 team. That’s why they paired them with a newly formed superteam like the Thunder—high ratings, big storyline, and recognition for the Kings’ status.
“Adam Silver is really good at riding the momentum.”
Chen Yilun laughed and shook his head.
“People like him are always like that—they change sides faster than flipping a page.”
Malone didn’t hide his annoyance either.
Back when Silver was pushing his “Warriors vs. Cavaliers rivalry,” he constantly made things difficult for them.
But this year, after the Kings dominated and took the title—and their popularity only skyrocketed—the Commissioner immediately switched sides, aggressively promoting the Kings and even pushing daily narratives about how they might form the next dynasty.
“They’re like dogs,” Chen Yilun said as he stood up slowly.
“As long as we make them enough money, they’ll treat us better than their own fathers.”
“Time’s tight. Adjust the lineup and get ready. The new season’s coming.”
He stretched his arms.
“We chose this path. There’s no turning back now. Everything ahead is an enemy—and we’ll take them down one by one.”
Malone felt his blood boiling.
“Absolutely!”
He jumped up from the sofa.
“We’re going to make history. The black-and-purple dynasty will be built by our hands!”
Author's Note
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