Chen Yu was like a machine running nonstop.
He returned to Phoenix and spent a few intimate days with Lexi, fulfilling his husbandly duties. Then he rushed to clear his backlog of surgeries and rack up a batch of treatment results before hurriedly flying to Los Angeles.
This year, his consulting firm’s main clients were still the Lakers and the Pioneer.
Getting these two teams into shape was the key to truly making a name for his firm.
When he saw Kobe, his body was noticeably bulkier.
"Chen, is it serious?"
Jackson and the Lakers’ "dream team" of doctors were all there, with Jackson being the most nervous of all.
"It’s nothing too serious." Chen Yu put down the MRI scans.
Kobe was experiencing some subtle pain in his lower back and when he rotated his hip joint.
"And Steve, you all did the right thing."
Chen Yu then looked toward Kobe’s dedicated team physician among the Lakers’ medical staff, Steve Lombardo.
The problem was discovered thanks to the pre- and post-game consultation system that Chen Yu had recommended implementing.
Otherwise, with Kobe’s personality, he would have never paid any mind to such an insignificant ache.
Steve Lombardo shot Kobe a reproachful glance and said, "Kobe, did you hear that? Even Chen agrees. Are you still going to say I’m nagging you in the future?"
In the past, players would approach the team doctors when they had a problem.
But now it was the other way around. They were the ones chasing after players like clingy gnats, asking if anything was wrong.
And as a result, the players got annoyed with them, thinking they were making a big deal out of nothing.
Now, with the endorsement from an authority like Chen Yu, Lombardo finally felt emboldened.
A flash of embarrassment crossed Kobe’s face as he muttered under his breath, "Chen already said it wasn’t a big deal."
Getting sore from playing ball was hardly an issue. For a professional player, it was a daily occurrence. A day of rest was all it took to bounce back.
Steve Lombardo’s eyes widened. He looked at Chen Yu as if to say, ’See? He’s still not convinced.’
Chen Yu also felt it was necessary to make Kobe understand the seriousness of the situation. "Kobe, you might think it’s not a big deal now, but in the long run, it could become a very big problem. Also, do you want to know why you’re experiencing this soreness?"
Jackson, more anxious than Kobe was, eagerly asked why.
"First, he’s been bulking up, and he did it too quickly."
Kobe is disciplined enough, with excellent execution.
But because of that, he gained weight far too fast.
The schedule Chen Yu had given him was to slowly complete the weight gain over two to three months, and then use an entire season to adapt to the changes in his body.
He, on the other hand, managed to finish bulking up in just over a month.
"After increasing the burden on your body, many of your muscles haven’t been trained to handle it yet. With the increased load, problems will naturally arise after high-intensity games."
Many muscles are very difficult to train.
It also involves tendons and ligaments.
That’s why Chen Yu required him to use an entire season to let his body adapt.
"Secondly, this time you’ve injured your iliopsoas. You should remember that you’ve strained your hip flexors before, and later you also bruised your hip joint—and it was always on the left side."
In his rookie season, he had strained his hip flexors.
In 2001, he injured his lower back in a collision, resulting in a left hip joint injury.
The iliopsoas is the most important muscle group among the primary flexors of the hip joint.
"Moreover, you jump off your left foot, which is your plant foot. Over the long term, this puts a greater load on the muscle groups on your left side, so the left side is bound to be the first to have problems."
"The iliopsoas originates from the lumbar spine, which is the reason for your back pain. So, do you still think this is a small problem?"
Kobe’s expression changed, and he subconsciously reached for his lower back.
Jackson’s expression also grew grim.
Listening to all this, he understood one thing: this pre- and post-game consultation system had to be strictly enforced from now on.
Just like this time, if it weren’t for this system, Kobe’s problem would have never been discovered.
He wouldn’t have said anything, gone home, rested for two days until the pain subsided, and then assumed everything was fine. No one would have known, and eventually, the recurring pain would have developed into a major issue.
"Chen, what’s the treatment?" Jackson asked hurriedly.
Chen Yu said, "Standard physical therapy, a week of rest, and then we’ll adjust his training plan to add more exercises for his hip joint and back muscle groups. That should take care of it."
For a minor injury like this, that was the only solution.
As he spoke, Chen Yu had Kobe lie down and began the treatment with his own hands.
He also had Lombardo and the others observe.
They would still be responsible for the daily massage and physical therapy.
Although it wouldn’t have the System’s special effect, as long as they were persistent, it would definitely be effective.
The men watched intently. Chen Yu was incredibly familiar with human anatomy and had many unique techniques.
"By the way, what was it you wanted to ask me earlier?" Chen Yu asked while massaging him.
Kobe, lying on his back, suddenly had a sparkle in his eyes at the mention of this. "Well, Vanessa is pregnant again."
"Oh."
Chen Yu was surprised for a moment, then quickly offered his congratulations.
’That was fast, though.’
His eldest daughter, Natalia, was born in January of this year. It had been almost a year, and now they were expecting again.
While thanking him, Kobe asked, "Chen, Vanessa’s morning sickness is really bad this time. The doctor suggested she could do some moderate exercise daily. You’re an expert in sports, so I wanted to ask you what kind of exercise would be suitable for her condition."
’You’ve got some nerve,’ Chen Yu thought. ’Asking me about a woman’s pregnancy. I’m not an obstetrician.’
But speaking of morning sickness...
After getting married, Lexi had started planning for a child, so Chen Yu had also read some books on parenting in his spare time.
Being prepared gave him confidence.
Chen Yu wasn’t entirely sure how to be a good father.
In the process, while researching how to manage potential health risks during pregnancy, Chen Yu had also read some books on traditional Chinese medicine.
And he had actually found a remedy for morning sickness.
"Kobe, let’s put exercise aside for a moment. I actually know a method that might be able to alleviate morning sickness."
"You know what ginger is, right?"
In the daily diet of people in the United States, ginger isn’t used often, but it is used.
Besides the ginger grown in Hawaii, it’s mostly imported.
"Slice some fresh ginger. When she feels nauseous, apply a slice to an acupressure point, right here."
Chen Yu raised his hands, pressing three fingers of his right hand together on his left wrist, teaching Kobe how to quickly find the Neiguan acupoint.
"It might be effective."
Kobe made a mental note and thanked him repeatedly.
"By the way, how many months along is she? Have you found out if it’s a boy or a girl?" Chen Yu asked curiously.
Kobe shook his head, his face full of happiness. "Not even two months yet, so we don’t know. But I hope it’s a boy. I love Natalia, of course, but I also hope to have a son to play ball with."
"I hope your dream comes true."
Chen Yu smiled. ’If it’s a son, maybe he’ll even inherit Kobe’s basketball talent.’
After finishing the physical therapy, Chen Yu was about to go with Jackson to the practice court to check on Yao Ming and the others’ training when he suddenly got a call from Brian.
"FUCK!"
After hearing what Brian said, Chen Yu, who rarely swore, couldn’t help but let out a curse.
Chen Yu and Old Kolangelo hadn’t reached a consensus on how to handle Malone, but a public apology was non-negotiable.
But to Brian’s surprise, Malone flatly refused and insisted that the whole thing was a lie, that the real situation wasn’t what Terry Hunt had described.
Then, he had his agent secretly release a public statement, claiming that everything was just slander from Terry Hunt.
He was trying to save face, at least.
He had probably been married for 13 years and had always cultivated a public image of a loving husband and a good family man.
Also, his eldest daughter had entered the WNBA this year as the third overall pick, and he was likely afraid this incident would affect her.
Speaking of this eldest daughter, she was his illegitimate child from when he was 17 in high school, and it was only a few years ago that Malone had officially acknowledged her.
But the crucial part was, she had evidence.
In a flash, Terry Hunt went to the media and leaked some of the harassing text messages she had received.
They were filled with all sorts of vulgar and jaw-dropping language.
For example, things like "I’m going to pin you on the table and do..."—the kind of stuff that would corrupt a child’s mind.
The media went crazy, as if it were a holiday.
Then, seeing that it could no longer be covered up, the Phoenix local police officially intervened, taking Malone in for questioning.
Although he was released soon after, the outcome was obvious: the case was practically confirmed.
And just as this was happening, something else occurred.
This morning, after routine practice, Carl Malone got into a physical altercation with the rookie Marquis Daniels in the players’ tunnel.
Unfortunately, the only person near them at the time was the old-timer Stockton, who was completely unable to hold Carl Malone back.
Carl Malone was nearly four inches taller and 44 pounds heavier than Marquis Daniels. He pinned Daniels down and gave him a savage beating.
It was said he lifted him straight up and slammed him against the wall.
By the time others arrived, Marquis Daniels’s face was already covered in blood.
His cheekbone was fractured.
Even worse, one of his left ribs was broken.
Brian nearly lost his mind.
If it had just been a couple of normal punches, a scraped knee or something, they could have covered it up. But this guy went and broke a rib. He had to be hospitalized. How could they possibly hide that?
At the height of the scandal, he goes and breaks a teammate’s rib. Brian couldn’t even imagine the kind of media firestorm the team was about to face.
"I asked him why he did it. You know what he said? He said Daniels was mocking him, making faces and rolling his eyes at him! My God, I don’t even know what’s going on in his head," Brian ranted frantically over the phone.
Daniels, making faces and rolling his eyes at you? He’s a rookie! How would he have the guts?
You might as well just say he’s ugly if you’re going to claim he was making a face.
"Don’t say any more. Wait for me to get back," Chen Yu sighed, looking up at the sky.
Even if he didn’t want to go back now, he had to.
’And I’m the one who’s going to have to set Daniels’s rib.’
He flew back to Phoenix overnight. The next morning, Chen Yu saw the black-and-blue Daniels in a hospital room.
"Dr. Chen, it really wasn’t my fault. I didn’t mock him," Daniels explained aggrievedly as soon as he saw Chen Yu.
He had just been walking past Malone and glanced back at him a couple of times, and ended up getting beaten savagely.
And to top it off, he couldn’t even win the fight.
"I believe you. Don’t worry, the team will give you a proper explanation for this," Chen Yu said, stepping forward to comfort him.
A fracture of the fourth rib on his left side. It wasn’t too severe.
"Also, the team hopes you can reach a private settlement with Malone and avoid pressing charges if possible. The team has already spoken with him. He’s very ashamed and is willing to compensate you. Of course, whether to call the police and press charges is your personal decision. We’re just making a suggestion, especially since the team has already been through a lot."
This wasn’t as simple as a couple of punches, after all. It wasn’t on the court, either. It was a private, unprovoked attack that resulted in a broken rib, constituting assault. Daniels had every right to call the police and sue Malone.
Daniels’s face was taut, and he remained silent.
"It’s alright, you can think it over. The most important thing now is to rest and recover." Chen Yu patted his shoulder again and turned to leave.
After leaving the hospital room, Chen Yu thought for a moment, then took out his phone and called Old Kolangelo.
The call connected. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Yu got straight to the point. "Jerry, I’m sticking to my opinion. Given the current situation, it’s time to make Malone get the hell out."
You reap what you sow.
Losing control of his emotions, acting on impulse—none of the excuses mattered anymore.
There was no reason to keep a player like that on the team any longer.
On the other end of the line, Old Kolangelo let out a faint sigh and said, "Alright."

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