Chapter 465: Chapter 401: 7th Pick, Wade
When he saw Vivian Foe again, his complexion had improved considerably, and he was recovering quickly.
His strong physique was one factor, but the system’s effect couldn’t be ignored.
Post-surgical weakness is often caused by inflammation and infection.
The system suppressed the inflammation, so of course he was recovering quickly.
"Chen, thank you."
Kevin Keegan, walking out of the hospital room with Chen Yu, repeated his thanks with immense solemnity.
He was Manchester City’s head coach. Vivian Foe’s condition meant he would almost certainly have to retire from football. But if he had actually died, Keegan, as the club’s head coach, would never have forgiven himself for one of his players dying unexpectedly.
Chen Yu patted his shoulder and said, "We can talk more when I’m in the United Kingdom."
The United States Team had already returned home, so Chen Yu didn’t linger in Lyon for long, heading instead to Paris.
Accompanied by Francis Grayer, who had just become president of the Saint-Germain Club this year, Chen Yu also toured the Parc des Princes.
Grayer was very interested in Chen Yu’s sports consulting services.
After all, just a few days prior, Chen Yu had once again proven the extent of his professional medical skills to the people of France through his actions.
Chen Yu, however, was not entirely satisfied with the meeting.
At the end of their discussion, Grayer had subtly raised an issue with Chen Yu.
He felt Chen Yu’s sports consulting fees were too high.
This was because Chen Yu had proposed a comprehensive upgrade package.
Leaving the medical side aside for a moment, the training aspect required the club to purchase a substantial amount of equipment to upgrade its facilities.
The overall cost was considerable.
Chen Yu only learned the reason after returning to his hotel and checking the news reports.
Paris Saint-Germain was facing a financial crisis.
The financial watchdog for French Football had even issued a warning that they could be forced into relegation.
To alleviate the financial pressure, they were even preparing to offload the team’s most valuable player, Ronaldinho.
The entire month of June was filled with trade rumors surrounding Ronaldinho.
And their most ardent pursuer was none other than the Premier League’s Manchester United.
Only then did Chen Yu understand why he had received a call from Ferguson upon arriving in Paris, asking if he would be meeting with Grayer.
But according to the news, Grayer wasn’t giving Manchester United the time of day.
They were determined to sell Ronaldinho for a high price, quoting Manchester United 31 million pounds sterling outright.
No matter how much Manchester United wanted Ronaldinho, they weren’t going to be taken for fools.
Given these financial circumstances, it was no surprise that Grayer had subtly hinted that Chen Yu’s fees were too high.
He had just taken over the position and wanted to show results, which is why he was looking to make improvements. But constrained by the team’s financial situation, he had developed a "spend little, accomplish much" mentality.
But you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
If you want to provide players with a better training environment and help them reach a higher level of performance, how can you do that without investing serious money?
Late at night in his hotel, Chen Yu wasn’t resting. He was sitting in the study of his suite, reading a book.
"Chen, you’re so diligent."
Nelson’s head appeared on the screen of the laptop on the desk, which was in a video call. He remarked with a sigh.
Chen Yu glanced at the screen.
On the other end of the call, Brian, David Griffin, and Skiles were all there.
They were in New York, waiting for the draft to start.
Chen Yu couldn’t make it back in time.
But Brian felt like something was missing without Chen Yu there, so he had set up the video call.
In his words, it was to have Chen Yu there in spirit.
"Learning never stops. How can you improve if you don’t read?" Chen Yu said, putting down his book. He then asked, "Any news from the Grizzlies?"
Nelson glanced over at Brian, who was on the phone, and shook his head.
Chen Yu could see Brian’s grim expression. He said, "The Grizzlies are really playing hardball, demanding three first-round picks and refusing to budge."
’Three is just too many,’ he thought. ’Even two would be acceptable.’
Nelson shrugged, his expression saying, ’What can I do?’
A moment later, Brian finished his call and sat back down, looking dejected. He immediately launched into a tirade about Jerry West.
Chen Yu said, "Brian, you could just wait. If Wade gets picked before their turn, then we don’t need to make a trade anyway."
The Grizzlies have the seventh pick; there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to grab Wade.
Brian understood this, of course. Resting his chin on his hand, he said dejectedly, "Forget it. I feel like that old bastard is doing this on purpose. The more eager I seem, the tighter his grip gets. I might as well give him the cold shoulder for a bit. Besides, they lost the second-overall pick, so this year is destined to be a wash for them. I think he’s planning to make a deal with us eventually."
Chen Yu remained noncommittal.
The key now was whether one of the top six teams would pick Wade before the Grizzlies’ turn.
Just then, Brian remembered something else. "Chen, have you seen the final draft list? There’s another Chinese player on it."
The final list of entrants for this year’s draft comprised a total of 73 players.
It included 42 domestic players from the United States and 31 international players—the most in the draft’s history.
"I know. Xue Yuyang, right?" Chen Yu said. "I asked Yao Ming about him."
Born in ’82, six-foot-eleven, 209 pounds, primarily a center.
He was the Jia A League’s Rookie of the Year the same year Yao Ming was drafted. The media says he has a lot of potential.
But that was just the media’s take. Personally, Chen Yu didn’t agree.
Chen Yu could see his issues at a glance. He had the same problem as Liu Yudong—he didn’t have the build to play center, but he lacked the agility to play power forward.
Players like that are in the most awkward position; it’s very difficult for them to find a foothold in the NBA.
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