My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 779 Your Own Champion is the True Champion

So during the draft, Wei Dong was seated next to Kemp.

Fred cleverly took good care of the other five people and their parents.

Liu Xiaoyong and his companions followed into the huge stadium, bewildered and curious, and sat in the VIP box stands.

That's right, holding an invitation from Chrysler, the VIP was indeed a down-to-earth and unpretentious VIP.

The young players and their parents gasped in surprise as soon as they sat down.

Wei Dong peeked over and saw a group of tall men in suits wearing baseball caps of different colors, sitting nervously in the next private room.

He still had common sense, especially when he saw the admiral and the second-in-command.

Realizing what was happening, he said, "Oh, these are the top players who are being considered. It seems that only those who make it to the first round can sit in the VIP box. Since the selection starts with the weaker teams, these top players are also anxious about which team they will be assigned to."

Seeing his wife's somewhat bewildered expression, Wei Dong turned around and introduced the students from the architecture department and the Taoist priests sitting behind him: "See these? These are the NBA's top rookies. The top players are more likely to end up on a bad team and end up leading a mess. Okay, let's go back to what I said about architecture yesterday. Is it easier for you to rise to the top in a mess, or in a temple full of strong competitors? If you just want to be a mediocre person washing dishes and living a comfortable life, running away like that guy yesterday is fine. But you guys are already at the point where you might be involved in changing and making the rules. Is it worth running away for a little immediate enjoyment?"

In his heart, he didn't care if one or two people ran away, or even if they all ran away. As long as one person's belief became stronger, it was all worth it.

As a result, Camp, who had remained silent and motionless, also quietly turned his head and turned around, as if to create some distance and see what the new boss was saying.

Qin Yuye noticed that she quietly peeked out from beside her husband and explained the huge investment of two hundred thousand US dollars in English.

Kemp was clearly trying to listen attentively.

Rang Weidong originally intended to advise the architecture students, but he decided to elaborate: "Look at the NBA. Everyone wants to win a championship, but some players, after being nurtured into excellent young players, choose to leave their original teams to pursue championships because they believe that winning a championship is the only true victory. In reality, a championship is just one outcome in life. Winning a championship is important, of course, but the process of striving is even more important—how you live your life. Playing basketball the right way, training hard, and striving for victory—that's the most fundamental and core aspect of life. Strive to become the best version of yourself, truly become a good player, and do your best. If you can accompany yourself to this goal and eventually reach the peak and win a championship, the sense of accomplishment will be much deeper. Don't just see someone strong and immediately think about joining them in a super team. Besides, do you even have the qualifications to join a super team?"

This statement is definitely the core of the most debated and joked-about statement among NBA fans thirty years from now.

When some top players find it difficult to win a championship in their careers, they choose to team up with a few superstars, abandoning their original teams and fans, and only aiming for the championship. Even after winning the championship, they may find that the team is no longer good and immediately switch to another team.

This has led to the collapse and change of the entire NBA culture.

By having the NBA designate weaker teams to draft first, even the sense of climbing up from the mud for weaker teams is completely lost.

From the past to the present and even the Jordan era, many top players, including those born in the 75s, may never win a championship in their entire lives, but they still never give up and relentlessly hone their skills to pursue honors. This is the charm of the NBA.

Later, when superstars formed alliances, everything lost its appeal.

If you can't beat someone, you just find someone to help you form a team and then easily crush them to victory. What's the point of that?
This is why Wei Dong barely watched the NBA for the next ten years or so; it was all just acting, what was there to watch?

But to Liu Xiaoyong and his colleagues, it sounded like a heartfelt expression of their love for their motherland.

If your family is poor and struggling, then go abroad and invest in another country to change your fate?
It's understandable to prioritize one's own future, but that's how one's life will end up.

Anyway, Liu Xiaoyong and the others were all very excited, thinking that the boss was using basketball as a metaphor for life, and they all nodded and whispered, "We understand!"

"I will work even harder to live up to my life and to live up to your teachings, boss."

"Unforgettable..."

The top student who knelt down that day finally slid off his seat and knelt down, bowing his head and sobbing, "I was wrong, I finally understand that I was wrong."

Everyone else watched quietly.

Wei Dong, with the air of a lord, flicked his fingers and said, “You must understand that I will protect you and ensure that your lives are not harmed. Just open your hearts and strive to climb and hone your skills. Xiao He, right? If you are afraid of being affected or punished if you return to China, then come back to Hong Kong with us to work. When you are no longer worried about being punished, you can go back with dignity.”

He didn't care whether the other person's repentance at this moment was due to fear or genuine enlightenment.

He even laughed: "Let me tell you, the day that little Xu knelt down, it's because he was more opportunistic than Xiao He. Did he realize he was wrong? He was scared. So what you say doesn't matter, what you do is what matters in the future. Don't look at Xiao He differently. Just get your paperwork done and you can travel freely in and out of Hong Kong and abroad. Xiao Yong, you need to summarize this kind of mobility, how to get visas, how to get business letters. As long as you've passed the test, domestic and international travel is no longer a restriction. You've already surpassed all other people in the construction industry in the country. Keep up the good work."

Everyone laughed and helped Xiao He up to sit back down, truly experiencing the relief of having all constraints lifted.

Wei Dong was genuinely happy; having another partner to travel with meant an increase in their fighting strength.

As he turned around and sat down to watch the uproar on the stage, he gave Camp a mischievous smile. Up close, it was still dark...

Wei Dong simply couldn't understand how those Asian women could bring themselves to do it.

Kemp didn't say anything either.

The focus of the entire event was right next door.

With announcements coming one after another—Admiral Robinson being the number one pick and Pippen being selected fifth—it's safe to say that the second, third, and fourth picks were all busts.

Reggie Miller was selected 11th, while many others were overlooked.

Therefore, even something as straightforward as basketball talent can be misjudged. It's easy to imagine how extraordinary Wei Dong's "heavenly eye" is, given the influence of technology, business, and politics.

However, he was too lazy to use the secrets of heaven for such a thing.

Fred now knows how to flatter the owner. Since the draft, he's been squatting behind the benches, gossiping and reporting: "David Robinson signed an eight-year, $10 million contract with the Spurs. The first two years are $1 million, and it increases every year thereafter. But after the draft, Robinson will have to serve two years in the Navy!"

Rang Weidong seemed to have heard this gossip before, but this Robinson was worth the expectation. He was almost a completely upgraded version of Kemp, and he was disciplined and strong. He was the kind of person Rang Weidong was talking about who honed his skills throughout his life, and finally retired after helping others win the championship.

The other 30 first-round rookies, the top five rookies earn $500,000 to $700,000 a year, the top 15 earn $200,000 to $400,000 a year, and the 15th to 30th rookies earn less than Kemp, who only earns between $70,000 and $200,000.

As for rookie players selected in the second round, their rookie season pays around $50,000.

The message that Fred conveyed to Wei Dong was meant for Kemp's benefit.

You're very talented, but compared to this talent show, you've already been given the treatment of a top 15 contestant.

Qin Yuye translated the meaning with a smile.

Rang Weidong then patted the two men on the shoulders: "This amount of money is not important. We are not in a tournament. We just need to play well. Fred, you know so much about basketball. Why don't you become a coach and design some tactics around Kemp? I'll give you an extra five thousand dollars in coaching fees."

Having already received the $500 commission from the $6,000 agency fee, I happily agreed!
Then Kemp suddenly said, "I'll do it..."

This made Wei Dong laugh hysterically.

The main thing is that the expression on Wu Baikuan's face—wanting it but not daring to compete with the team's top talent—was too funny.

Actually, once he found Kemp, he didn't even want to watch the draft anymore. He'd love to find an indoor court and have some fun with Kemp himself...

But I still brought the architecture students here to experience it, so they could understand that life isn't just about winning by teaming up; true awesomeness comes from earning it bit by bit on your own.

So I left after watching the talent show.

Surprisingly, there were still many people crowded around the stands. It was clear that a lot of rumors had spread since they came out of the VIP boxes, which might have been spread by Fred, the native.

Many of the ordinary-looking black men reached out and patted him on the shoulder with envy.

Some, judging by the player's tall stature, expressed envy or even jealousy towards Kemp: "Wow, he could go to Asia to steal things now..."

"You can only play in Asia now..."

Kemp lowered his head, and Qin Yuye angrily translated to her husband, Wei Dong, who didn't hesitate to start cursing!
I spent 200,000 to sign this contract, only to have you come here and cause me distress?

He even grabbed popcorn and a Coke cup from the seat next to him and threw them!

The other side consisted of burly men, each around two meters tall!

They probably didn't expect this tiny Asian man to be so popular, and they all stepped back to avoid him.

Living in a place shapes one's temperament and physical constitution. If you're used to being a lord who obeys everyone around you, you're more likely to become like that.

Wei Dong's success in the country is truly due to his moral self-control and low-key demeanor.

After joining Citibank, I wonder if he didn't want to hide his true colors in a capitalist society, or if he lost his self-control after being influenced by Qin Yuye and JPMorgan Chase.

While cursing, he turned to the translator and demanded, "Curse in English!"

Seeing that the three Taoist priests and nuns had already silently protected the proprietress, he had nothing to be afraid of.

This is a capitalist society that protects the rich!

Qin Yuye jumped up and laughed, scolding, "You can't even do Fuckish?"

Oh, oh, oh, Wei Dong realized what was happening and turned around, cursing incoherently.

It's actually quite simple: just give Kemp a sense of belonging, at least for now, that the boss is still looking out for him, and wash away that bit of jealousy and provocation.

But he hadn't expected that his act would go a bit too far, and the other big man was rather simple-minded; someone immediately got angry and shoved him hard...

In that instant, Camp behind Wei Dong charged forward like an Alaskan bull!
As he brushed past Rang Weidong, he even reached out to grab him!

In an instant, he was airborne, his entire body stretched out, flying horizontally and hanging around Camp's neck, crashing into a group of burly black men!

Now he was truly covered in sweat.

(End of this chapter)