Chapter 445: 444 be prepared Chapter 445: 444 be prepared The atmosphere, which had relaxed, tensed up again because of John’s remark.
From the expression and posture of the two men beside him, it seemed that their awkward smiles were on the verge of collapsing.
Then, both of them turned to look at Li Wei.
With very different expressions.
One had a sharp, uncontrollable anger, clearly acting on John’s behalf in executing justice.
The other was panic-stricken, desperately pleading.
If not for John’s presence, he might have already knelt down, begging for mercy!
Li Wei became even more curious about John’s identity.
From the hints in his speech, John seemed to be a tycoon on the level of Jerry Jones and James Dolan, and clearly, he did not like Jerry Jones.
However, in the blink of an eye, Li Wei had to respond without time for further thought.
“I mean, Jerry Jones is Jerry Jones.
He represents a style of management, but obviously, there are successful professional sports teams other than the Dallas Cowboys in this world.
This means we can draw inspiration from them and carve out our own path.”
“In business, there are no eternal enemies nor eternal friends, only eternal interests.”
“Professional sports are the same.
The line between friends and enemies is far blurrier than one might imagine.”
Calm and composed, neither humble nor haughty—
The two men beside were nearly collapsing at the brink of breakdown, but Li Wei still managed to defuse the tension effortlessly with a calm demeanor.
John’s gaze remained fixed on Li Wei, a smile hanging on his refined face, but even such a gaze, in the silent moment, tensed the air subtly, with a current of silent threat swirling around.
Li Wei did not shift his gaze nor break the silence, boldly meeting John’s eyes, his forthright demeanor forming a stark confrontation.
Finally, it was John who backed down.
John laughed, gently lifting his chin, showing a hint of admiration.
“Who knows, maybe today Madison Square Garden is grinding its teeth at Curry, and if tomorrow Curry announces a transfer to join the New York Knicks, it would be a completely different scene.”
Li Wei looked closely at John, “Are you implying something about the Cleveland Cavaliers?”
John could no longer control himself and burst out laughing, all sense of tension and undercurrents vanishing, the whole atmosphere turning joyful.
John closely examined Li Wei, “You really are an interesting fellow.
I now see why the media likes you.”
Li Wei, “Like a circus performer?”
John, “Haha, not all circus performers can become Charlie Chaplin.”
Li Wei, “I’m trying.”
Maybe next time you step on the Super Bowl stage, apart from the game, you could also participate during the halftime show.”
Li Wei widened his eyes, “Is that a blessing or a curse?”
John once again couldn’t control himself and laughed out loud.
Back and forth, full of twists and turns, the conversation was very enjoyable—
Although the process was somewhat dangerous, Li Wei ultimately succeeded in coming out unscathed.
Dolan remained invisible throughout, but Li Wei and John held a friendly talk, so much so that the two men beside them were staring, jaws dropped, unable to believe that Li Wei had managed to control the situation so easily.
Actually, the secret was simple: having no demands.
Tension usually stems from desire.
If Li Wei had known the other’s identity, he might have wanted to show himself off, or perhaps wanted to climb the social ladder and swap benefits, which would not have made him seem so relaxed.
It was precisely because of ignorance and the lack of desires that one could be so calm.
Having said that, after leaving the VIP room, Li Wei still dialed Donald Yee’s number and briefly summarized the situation.
There was no sound from the other end of the phone; Donald was thinking.
Li Wei wasn’t in a hurry; he waited patiently.
If I’m not mistaken, he is the one who fits all the descriptions and factors.”
Donald provided the answer.
“John Mara, owner of the New York Giants, uncle to Hollywood actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara; and their grandfather’s side owns the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
So, it was the New York Giants.
Li Wei slightly lifted his chin, “So after going around in circles today, the real purpose is that the owner of the New York Giants wants to meet with me?”
Thus, Dolan never showed up from start to finish.
Thus, Mara came prepared to the VIP room.
“What, is he planning to bring me to New York?” Li Wei naturally completed the thought.
Donald chuckled silently, “This is your career, discussing it so casually, are you sure it’s alright?”
Li Wei shrugged lightly, “I don’t have a say yet, at least not enough to make a difference.
In the League, I’m just a bargaining chip, always possibly on the move.
If I want to have a say, I must deliver more outstanding performances.
That’s the reality, and I don’t think there’s a need to disguise or avoid it.”
Donald thought about it and wasn’t surprised; this was the Li Wei he knew.
“From the current situation, yes, they should be thinking along those lines.”
Donald nodded slightly.
“I guess, your return to New York caused a sensation on social media, generating more talk than anticipated, due to the catch that eliminated the New England Patriots in the divisional game.
New York even treats you like Spider-Man.”
“Just right, the New York Giants lack an icon.
You know their relationship with quarterback Eli Manning has been really ugly this season, with almost the entire League taking Eli’s side.
Regardless of whether Eli returns next season, they need some PR work to mitigate the damage.”
“However, this is just my speculation.
I’ll see what more I can find out.”
“What about you, what do you think?”
Li Wei was puzzled, “Me?”
If the New York Giants really make an offer, would you consider moving to New York?”
Of course, Li Wei knew this was a hypothetical question.
Are there rookie trades?
Rookie contracts are four years long, and each year’s amount isn’t high, just a drop in the bucket for NFL teams, not considered a burden; thus very few rookies get traded during their contract terms, as teams prefer to fully utilize the rookie contract benefits to build a championship-contending team.
Especially for a rookie who performs as well as Li Wei.
Meaning, even if the New York Giants seriously made an offer, the Kansas City Chiefs would reject it without hesitation; it’s likely that the New York Giants wouldn’t even make an offer.
So,Donald was only asking about Li Wei’s preferences.
Li Wei didn’t hesitate, “I’m very happy in Kansas City.”
Donald wasn’t surprised, “Okay, I got it.
Even if we stay in Kansas City, we should let Veach and the entire League know your worth.”
The end of the rookie contract was still far off, but Donald was already seizing every opportunity to lay the groundwork.
Donald hadn’t forgotten; he hoped to negotiate a groundbreaking new contract for running backs for Li Wei, a promise and goal he was ready to fulfill.
If they wanted to challenge the entire League’s bias and suppression of running backs, just relying on Li Wei’s Chinese heritage wasn’t enough, Donald was well aware of that.
Everything, just like playing chess, requires calculating ten moves ahead before making one.