The next morning, Chen Yu set off with his luggage.
But before heading to China, Chen Yu had to make a trip to Safford to figure out a solution for Durant’s problem.
Chen Yu already had an idea.
This time, it was Durant’s teammates’ turn to redeem him.
And Chen Yu had already decided on the theme for the next episode: Redemption.
It wouldn’t just solve Durant’s problem, but also the issues with Oden, Jennings, and the others.
While sitting in the airport lounge, Chen Yu received a call from Brian.
He was also calling to ask what Durant had ultimately chosen.
He had wanted to call as soon as the show ended last night, but it was too late and he was afraid of bothering Lexi, so he held back until this morning.
"Chen, who did he choose? You have to tell me. I couldn’t sleep last night. I called Ernest, but he wouldn’t tell me either," Brian said, sounding extremely anxious.
It was Chen Yu’s instruction that Ernest not say anything.
All staff members who knew what happened were under a gag order.
After all, it was a massive cliffhanger that would affect the next episode’s ratings. It would be a huge problem if a reporter leaked it early.
"What do you think?" Chen Yu asked in return.
Brian said, "I thought about it all night. I think he still would have chosen DeAndre. Think about it, making a choice in front of so many viewers... if he abandoned his teammate and chose Beasley, what kind of person would that make him?"
Chen Yu smiled.
Many viewers probably thought the same way as Brian.
But Durant was just that kind of unpredictable person, truly capable of making a choice you’d never expect.
He was so torn, so he obviously cared about what others thought. But when it came down to the final moment, he was still swayed by his emotions.
"Sorry, but you’re wrong."
On the other end of the line, Brian was silent for a full thirty seconds, then frantically asked why.
"Chen, this isn’t part of your show’s script, is it? He’s crazy! Why would he choose Beasley!"
Brian couldn’t wrap his head around it. He felt that any sane person would know what the right choice was.
"How could it be a script?"
After a pause, Chen Yu added with a sigh, "But sometimes, life is more dramatic than any script."
After that brief moment of reflection, Chen Yu asked about reinforcing the power forward position.
The Howard trade was completely off the table.
It was no longer a matter of whether the Phoenix Suns wanted to complete the trade, but that the Magic were unwilling to let him go.
Weisbrod had praised Howard in several interviews, calling him exceptionally talented and the future cornerstone of the Magic’s resurgence.
Howard’s performance in the Summer League had won over the Magic’s management, making them reluctant to trade him away.
As for the Suns, Brian was probably the only one who was disappointed.
With that, they still needed to continue strengthening the power forward spot.
Tony Kukoc had turned down the Suns.
He, who had no shortage of Championship Rings, wanted to finish his career with the Bucks.
The pursuit of Divac also came to nothing. He had joined the Lakers to be Yao Ming’s backup.
’Who knows what Phil Jackson told him. He probably said something like, ’Look, the Suns are already starting to dump their championship contributors. They definitely have no hope of defending their title next season.’’
Only Kendall Gill was very enthusiastic.
However, signing him wouldn’t solve any of the Suns’ problems.
"Nothing."
Brian sighed, then complained about how miserable it was to make trades while pinching every penny of salary cap space.
The past two years, when he didn’t care about paying the luxury tax, were much more comfortable than now.
Chen Yu nodded, didn’t ask any more questions, and hung up the phone.
’Without the pressure to perform, a slightly weaker power forward is acceptable.’
Everyone wants a team of all-stars at all five positions, but in all these years, only last year’s Suns barely qualified.
They would just have to focus on developing West.
If he didn’t work out, they could have Perkins fill in at the four spot.
Just as he hung up, a server in the VIP lounge came over again and refilled Chen Yu’s coffee.
She seemed to have refilled it three times already.
She looked at Chen Yu, hesitating to speak. He immediately guessed that she probably wanted to ask about Durant’s choice too.
And the few other travelers in the lounge couldn’t help but keep glancing his way.
’That cliffhanger from yesterday is probably going to torment a lot of people for two weeks.’
When Chen Yu arrived in Safford, he didn’t go to see Durant. Instead, he found Harden and DeAndre Jordan.
In front of Chen Yu, the two of them were very reserved, not daring to look him in the eye.
"DeAndre, what do you think you should do next?" Chen Yu asked, looking at DeAndre Jordan first.
DeAndre Jordan said without hesitation, "We should kick Kevin out!"
His loyalty had been brutally stomped on by Durant, and he was furious.
"And then what? You guys form a new team?" Chen Yu asked in return.
Chen Yu turned to Harden and asked if he thought the same way.
DeAndre Jordan nodded forcefully.
When it was Harden’s turn, he hesitated, stammering without giving an answer.
Chen Yu smiled. "I heard that you haven’t seen Kevin since then. How about this: go talk to him. No matter what decision you make in the end, even if it’s to have Kevin leave, I hope you can part ways amicably."
"Kevin made a mistake. Even if he has to leave, I think he needs to apologize to you guys first, don’t you think?"
The two looked at each other and nodded.
Durant had shut himself in his room, and they had never taken the initiative to go see him.
Chen Yu could have demanded they do something from the production team’s standpoint, but he preferred that all decisions were their own.
"Go on. You’ll be adults soon. You need to face and solve problems like adults."
Chen Yu waved, signaling for the cameras to follow them.
Only after the two had left did Ernest enter the room.
He looked a bit embarrassed; he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation and had opened the envelope early.
"Chen, what do you think they’ll choose?"
Chen Yu shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
He had spent limited time with these kids, after all. It was impossible for him to know what each of them was really thinking.
Even if he did, Chen Yu couldn’t predict the future or what choices they would make.
But as long as it was a choice they wanted to make, one they wouldn’t regret, that was enough.
"You keep an eye on things here. Keep me updated if anything happens. I’m leaving now." Chen Yu stood up, ready to go.
Ernest was taken aback and asked if Chen Yu wasn’t going to wait for the result.
Chen Yu shook his head.
"Then why did you make a special trip over here?" ’Just to say those few words?’
Chen Yu smiled. "It shows I take it seriously."
With that, he waved goodbye and left.
When he reached the airport, Chen Yu received a text from Ernest. It was just one sentence.
"Kevin cried."
Chen Yu was slightly stunned.
’Are those tears of remorse?’
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yu sent a text asking what happened next and what the outcome was.
Ernest texted back that he didn’t know. The three youngsters had talked among themselves and had strongly insisted that the cameras not be present. Only the three of them knew what was specifically discussed.
But clearly, they hadn’t reached a conclusion yet.
Only that Durant had cried.
’That’s a good start, at least. He knows he was wrong.’
Chen Yu thought for a moment, then sent another text telling Ernest not to interfere too much, to simply document, and see what they chose on their own.
The next day, after a long flight, Chen Yu arrived in Shanghai, China.
Flying directly to the Capital would have actually been closer.
This year’s National Athletics Championships were being held in Tianjin City, starting August 1st. Liu Xiang had already arrived in Tianjin to prepare.
But with two days still before the competition began, Chen Yu wanted to take care of some business in Shanghai.
To scout a few young prospects.
With Liu Xiang having broken the Olympic record in Osaka, as long as there were no surprises, Chen Yu was fully confident he could fulfill his original promise.
So next, Chen Yu also had to consider how to build the China Team.
Chen Yu had practically worn out his copies of Mourinho’s materials on tactical periodization.
And this work had, in fact, already begun. Drawing on some of his experiences from producing the show, Chen Yu had set his target age at around fifteen years old.
Any younger, and their bodies wouldn’t be developed yet.
If they were older, many would already be locked into the youth systems of various CBA teams, limiting their development potential.
Around 15 was the best age. Their bodies were just starting to mature. By concentrating resources and training them well, he didn’t expect them to be the mainstays for the Capital Olympics in four years, but they would be perfectly positioned to take over the mantle.
Yao Songping and Li Yaoming received Chen Yu.
Also arriving at the same time was Rupert Graves, the head of Chen Yu’s sports company in China.
He was also a veteran international scout who had once worked in the Yahoo Sports department and had extensive experience dealing with the media.
Now that they were in China, a meal was, of course, essential.
And there would certainly be other guests invited to join them.
"Dr. Chen, hello. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you." After being introduced by Yao Songping, a polite, bespectacled middle-aged man proactively shook Chen Yu’s hand.
His name was Lou Shifang, and he was the general manager of the Shen Hua Club.
"Xiaomao, come here."
After the greeting, he waved to a young man in a tracksuit in the distance, gesturing for him to hurry over and say hello.
"This is a fine prospect our club has developed ourselves. He even went to Europe for a trial two years ago. He was just moved up to the main team this year. Very talented," Lou Shifang said, draping an arm around the young man’s shoulder and lavishing him with praise.
Mao Jianqing, born in ’86, was only 18 years old this year.
Chen Yu glanced at him and nodded slightly, roughly guessing why Lou Shifang had brought him along.
’He’s 18, though, and already on the main team. That situation already puts him in the eliminated category.’
’Even with talent, missing those few years of training from a young age will limit his ceiling.’
The group sat down, and amidst the clinking of glasses and toasts, Li Yaoming took advantage of a lull in the conversation to ask about the commercialization reform of the CBA.
Across from him, Lou Shifang immediately put down his chopsticks and pricked up his ears.
This was the very reason he had come.
Originally, it wasn’t just basketball; soccer was also supposed to undergo commercial reform this year.
As far as he knew, the plans were already drafted, with the league expected to be renamed the Chinese Super League.
But in the end, it was quashed. The word was that the higher-ups had had a change of heart.
And piecing together information from various sources, it seemed to be related to Chen Yu.
Therefore, whatever was going to happen in the end, even just a few words from Chen Yu would be enough for them to start preparing early.

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