Red, with lace trim, and a demi-cup at that.
She made no effort to cover up, and Chen Yu took a calm glance.
You could say her assets were impressive.
But that was about it. In terms of figure and looks, she probably couldn’t even compare to the Phoenix Suns cheerleaders.
Especially since being around the NBA meant he was constantly exposed to all sorts of beautiful women.
He’d long since grown numb to it.
It was just that her title as the "number one beauty in tennis" gave her an extra layer of celebrity glamour.
’And if he were to be blunt, in the eyes of a doctor like him, they were just a few ounces of flesh—hardly worth a second thought.’
Kournikova offered Chen Yu a faint smile and asked what was next.
"Lie on your stomach."
Just then, a nurse brought in the necessary supplies.
Kournikova quickly lay face down again, the arch of her back forming a perfect curve.
’She really kept herself in great shape.’
’Her thigh muscles were just a bit thick.’
’But for a tennis player, that was to be expected.’
"This will hurt."
Chen Yu disinfected the area and injected a local anesthetic.
Although she had opted for conservative treatment, the tissue adhesion causing her back spasms still needed to be released using a Small Needle Knife.
While waiting for the anesthetic to take effect, Chen Yu finished sterilizing the Small Needle Knife.
He made a precise insertion, penetrating the skin, muscle, and tendon, all the way to the point of adhesion. Following the grain of the muscle fibers, he made a series of precise cuts.
With the local anesthetic working, Kournikova felt no pain. She lay still, then suddenly spoke. "Dr. Chen, are you curious why I decided to retire?"
Chen Yu’s hands didn’t stop. His first instinct was to say he wasn’t curious.
As he treated more and more athletes, Chen Yu had come to understand that everyone makes their own choices.
For someone like Kournikova, the decision to retire could come down to a very simple reason: ’I just don’t want to play tennis anymore.’
But before he could say anything, Kournikova had already answered her own question. "To be honest, I don’t want to retire, but I’ve been dealing with constant injuries."
’That was a lame excuse.’
’What professional athlete wasn’t covered in injuries?’
’Her injuries were trivial by comparison.’
Kournikova continued, "I’m past my prime for tennis, and all these years as a pro have left me with a body full of injuries. This year, my world ranking has dropped to 89. I don’t see any hope of winning a Grand Slam."
"They always tell me, ’Your talent has its limits. This is as far as you’ll go on the court.’ It’s painful for me, too. And my prize money is getting lower and lower. I really need to rethink my future."
"Dr. Chen, can you understand?"
She turned her head to look at Chen Yu.
"What was that?" Chen Yu asked.
Kournikova froze for a moment, then quickly shook her head. "It’s nothing."
She awkwardly settled back into position.
’Of course Chen Yu had heard her. And he was starting to understand why she was choosing to retire.’
’Limited talent. She couldn’t compete at the highest level anymore.’
’The income she generated by leveraging her looks for attention far exceeded what she earned from playing.’
’Rumor had it that many people bought tickets not to watch the match, but simply to see her.’
’She was also a known man-eater, constantly cycling through boyfriends.’
’She was also adept at using her relationships to generate buzz.’
’Chen Yu’s thoughts turned to Kobe.’
’He wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but he felt it was necessary to give Kobe a reminder.’
’Your wife and child are back in Los Angeles; that’s no excuse to be messing around.’
’And most importantly, don’t do it in my clinic.’
Compared to news from the court, the scandal-hungry media were obviously far more interested in celebrity gossip.
And it wasn’t just Kobe he had to worry about, but his own clinic staff as well.
They had all signed NDAs, but it would be a huge headache if some daredevil decided to leak the story to the press.
Not to mention the regular patients coming and going. What if they saw something?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Chen Yu finished releasing the tissue adhesion.
The anesthetic hadn’t worn off yet, but Chen Yu didn’t stop. He pulled a blanket over her and then began massaging her back muscles.
’Since it was conservative treatment, massage and Acupuncture were the standard one-two punch.’
’Thanks to his system’s therapeutic effects, the results were always excellent.’
With the blanket covering her, Kournikova was just thinking how gentlemanly Chen Yu was and was about to thank him when she felt his broad, firm hand on her back.
Moving from top to bottom, as if smoothing out a single muscle, she felt the numbness in her back instantly give way to a feeling of release.
She couldn’t help but let out a soft moan and close her eyes.
’Chen Yu, on the other hand, felt nothing. He’d done so many massages it was like working on a side of pork; his heart remained completely unmoved.’
His hands moved nonstop. He was so familiar with this type of massage for back muscle relief that he could do it with his eyes closed.
He had truly reached a level where he could feel the exact location of every tendon, bone, and muscle with a single touch.
As she lay there, Kournikova would occasionally let out a soft hum of pleasure.
When his hands brushed against a ticklish spot on her waist, her body would twitch.
After just ten minutes or so, Chen Yu stopped. He was about to ask her to sit up for Acupuncture when he realized she had fallen asleep.
’With the added rehabilitation effects from his system, plus his technical skill, there was a high probability that first-time patients would fall into a comfortable sleep.’
Chen Yu finished writing her chart, left the doctor’s orders, and left the room.
As he stepped out, Chen Yu was surprised to see that Kobe hadn’t left. He was sitting on a bench down the hall, waiting.
Seeing Chen Yu, he immediately got up and came over on his crutches.
"Chen, how’s Anna? Does she need surgery?" Kobe asked, glancing toward the room.
Chen Yu inwardly shook his head.
’He’s already calling her Anna?’
"Are you two friends?" Chen Yu asked.
Kobe nodded. "We get along really well."
Chen Yu grunted in acknowledgment. "She’s fine. Conservative treatment will be enough. By the way, how old is your daughter now? She must be around six months old, right? Vanessa should be all recovered by now, too. How about it? Ever considered having a second child?"
"Maybe a son, to inherit your basketball talent?"
Kobe was taken aback for a second before quickly replying, "We don’t have any plans for that right now. But it doesn’t matter, I love having a daughter. Chen, do you prefer sons or daughters?"
Chen Yu started walking Kobe toward the exit, saying casually, "Same as you, either is fine. Boy or girl, they’d be my child, and I’d love them with everything I have."
Chen Yu shot Kobe a sidelong glance.
Kobe nodded subconsciously, but when he caught Chen Yu’s gaze, he clearly faltered. For a split second, his expression was a mixture of confusion and unease.
"You should still be taking it easy and focusing on your recovery," Chen Yu said, patting Kobe on the back before leaving with a smile.
Kobe was left staring thoughtfully in the direction Chen Yu had gone. After a moment, he too turned and left on his crutches.
He went back to dealing with some paperwork.
Having taken charge of FIFA’s Medical Committee, Chen Yu couldn’t just ignore his duties.
There was quite a lot of routine work.
Before leaving Paris, Blatter had mentioned that he was considering setting up a FIFA branch office in the United States—specifically in Phoenix, right where Chen Yu was based.
The idea was to relocate the Medical Committee there first.
He’d claimed it was to make it more convenient for Chen Yu to handle official business, but Chen Yu suspected he had other motives.
’Perhaps he wanted to break into the American soccer market?’
’But that was clearly a long shot. Americans really couldn’t care less about soccer.’
After finishing his paperwork, it was getting late. Chen Yu called Lexi, and they drove to a restaurant downtown.
Old Curry was planning to return to Charlotte, but he wanted to see Chen Yu one more time before he left and treat him to dinner.
It was, of course, to thank Chen Yu for helping him achieve his dream.
When he arrived at the restaurant, Old Curry and his family were already there.
The moment Little Curry saw Chen Yu, he leaped up from his seat and rushed over to give him an excited hug.
"Dr. Chen, will you come visit me in Charlotte?"
Over the past year, Little Curry had spent a lot of time hanging around the clinic, and with Chen Yu constantly giving him pointers, the two had developed an exceptionally strong bond.
"What do you think? Of course I will."
Chen Yu patted his back, let him go, and then shook hands with Old Curry.
After exchanging pleasantries, they all sat down to eat.
"Dale, what are you planning to do after you retire?" Chen Yu asked.
’He didn’t seem cut out to be a coach.’
’An NBA-level coach, that is. He’d probably be fine as a high school coach or a coach at some lesser-known college.’
Old Curry put down his silverware. "My initial thought is to become a commentator. I know a producer at the Fox Sports South Bay Channel who offered me a job, and I’m pretty interested."
"Actually, once the Bobcats join the league next year, I’d really love to be their on-site commentator."
He had dedicated the most glorious years of his career to Charlotte.
Chen Yu nodded.
’After retirement, most pro athletes ended up in one of a few predictable fields.’
After a moment’s thought, Chen Yu said, "Dale, if you’re open to it, I’d actually like to offer you a job."
Old Curry paused, surprised, and asked what kind of job it was.
"Here’s the thing." Chen Yu also put down his silverware. "I’m sure you’ve seen the news, but I’m about to launch a professional sports consulting firm."
Although Chen Yu hadn’t made a formal announcement, the ever-resourceful media had already dug up the story.
"So I’ll need a lot of trainers to provide professional support for our clients. You were one of the best shooters in the league, and your experience in shooting training is invaluable. That’s why I want to offer you a position as a Trainer."
"Dale, you should think about it. Phoenix is a great city. Plus, Stephen has just settled in at Shadow Mountain High School and made new friends. If you go back to Charlotte now, he’ll have to switch high schools and start all over again."
Little Curry had started at the local Shadow Mountain High School last year.
The school had a decent basketball program; Mike Bibby of the Kings was an alumnus.
As soon as Chen Yu finished, Little Curry, who had been burying his face in a plate of pasta, snapped his head up and looked at his father. "Dad, I want to stay. I want to keep training with Dr. Chen."
Dale Curry looked from his son to Chen Yu.
He was actually tempted by Chen Yu’s proposal.
The job of a Trainer felt like an exciting challenge.
But the biggest factor for him was, in fact, Little Curry.
Just as Chen Yu had said, Little Curry had just gotten used to his high school. And if they stayed in Phoenix, he could continue to benefit from Chen Yu’s training.
Little Curry deeply respected Chen Yu, and Chen Yu, in turn, was very fond of the boy.
At first, Chen Yu had charged for his guidance, but he eventually started doing it for free.
His continued coaching was purely out of a senior’s affection for a junior.
"Chen, let me think about it," Old Curry said, turning to glance at his wife.
Although he had only been in Phoenix for a year, the environment and the team’s atmosphere had left a deep impression on him. It was, arguably, the happiest time of his professional career.
’Staying behind seemed like a pretty good option, too.’

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