"I promise you, Lin," Paul said slowly, setting down his chicken bone. "As long as the Knicks can get the Hornets on board, I'll join you guys."
For a mont, Lin Yi just stared at him.
Wait—what?
That's it? No long speech, no teasing rejection, no "we'll see"?
Was that… an actual promise?
Lin Yi had been ready to deliver a passionate, full-on I Have a Dream speech to persuade him — he'd even rehearsed it ntally — but before he could even start, Paul had already said yes.
He blinked, montarily thrown off balance.
What Lin Yi didn't know was that the mont he said, "Let's build a dynasty together," sothing in Paul had shifted.
Over the past few seasons, Paul had been through hell — injuries, disappointnt, and managent chaos. The Hornets' ownership change had left him feeling like a pawn. The fire was still there, but the hope was fading.
And here ca Lin Yi, talking about dynasties and fried chicken in the sa breath. It sounded ridiculous, sure — but it also sounded like a way out.
As for the whole who's the guy question, Paul honestly didn't care.
He knew exactly what it ant if he joined the Knicks — he'd be a co-pilot, not the captain. But that didn't bother him. Lin Yi had earned his place at the center of New York's world, and Paul respected that.
For the first ti in a while, Lin Yi felt completely at ease. Thɪs chapter is updated by ɴovelfire
The Hornets weren't going to fight too hard to keep Paul anyway. As long as the Knicks didn't try to fleece them, New York would easily be the frontrunner.
Lin Yi leaned back, grinning. "By the way, Chris — I hope you start adding a few more isolation plays next season. You'll need that."
Paul raised an eyebrow, still chewing. "That's new. I thought you'd want to just spam pick-and-rolls with you, like what Rose and I did at the All-Star Ga."
Lin Yi shook his head. "Nah, that's not gonna cut it. I'm switching positions next season."
Paul frowned. "Switching? What do you an?"
Lin Yi took a sip of his drink. "I'm moving to small forward."
Paul nearly choked on his food. "You—what? Small forward?"
A seven-foot small forward? He almost laughed out loud. If it had been anyone else saying that, he would've thrown a chicken bone at them.
But Lin Yi wasn't joking.
He looked completely serious — and that was the scary part.
"The Anti-Lin Alliance isn't going away," Lin Yi said. "They can't match with bigs anymore, so they're switching wings onto . If I'm gonna deal with them anyway, might as well beco one of them."
It actually made sense, in a crazy Lin Yi kind of way. With Gallinari likely leaving, the Knicks' small forward spot would open up anyway. And with Lin's ball-handling and vision, he could easily stretch the floor, attack mismatches, and open up the paint.
"Besides," Lin Yi added, "next season's gonna be a short one. If I want another MVP, I can't just rely on the team record. I need numbers — real numbers."
Paul frowned. "You're not about to say what I think you're about to say."
Lin Yi grinned. "Yup. I'm going for a triple-double average."
Paul blinked. "You're serious."
"As serious as this chicken," Lin Yi said, pointing at the plate. "You'll handle so of the ball-handling, but don't worry — your assists will turn into my assists. I'll keep feeding you spots, you'll score or draw the double, and boom — I'm back in the mix."
Paul couldn't help laughing. "You're unreal, man. You've got running isolation sets, turning assists into double assists, and now you're switching positions. What's next? You playing shooting guard after that?"
Lin Yi didn't even flinch. "Wouldn't rule it out."
Paul stared at him. "…You're insane."
"Maybe," Lin Yi said, "but it's working."
Paul shook his head, grinning despite himself. "You started as a center, moved to power forward, and now small forward. What's next, point guard Lin Yi for a season?"
"Who knows?" Lin Yi said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll run the whole playbook soday."
"God help the rest of the league," Paul muttered, but there was a spark in his eyes — sothing that hadn't been there in a long ti.
They sat there for a while longer, the tension gone, the fried chicken pile slowly disappearing between them. Both knew that the real deal couldn't happen until the lockout ended, but Lin Yi wasn't worried.
He trusted Paul's word.
...
While the dia and fans were still caught up in the Knicks' championship hype, few knew that the team's next move was already underway — quietly and efficiently. Recruiting Chris Paul was just the opening act.
Across the league, tension was building. Rumors were swirling that the Cavaliers were about to pull off a trade for Carlo Anthony, though no one could quite figure out how. anwhile, Javier Stanford followed through with the original plan — reaching out to teams uninterested in their first- or second-round picks in the 2011 draft.
Even Donnie Walsh, who'd supposedly been retiring and resting, wasn't exactly idle. Using his connections, he quietly backed Javier's efforts.
To be honest, at this point, even Donnie seed convinced he was the Knicks' deputy general manager.
During this stretch, Javier couldn't help but feel puzzled about certain moves.
"Javier," Lin said, keeping his tone calm but firm, "you have to rember — we're the team everyone's watching right now. After winning the championship, every move we make gets magnified. Don't let anyone see our real targets. Just invite a few players we're not actually after."
Lin knew that in the future, as people began to realize how sharp the Knicks' scouting vision really was, every rookie they showed interest in would imdiately draw league-wide attention.
When it ca to hiding intentions, no one did it better than the Spurs. Even when they set their sights on Kawhi Leonard, they kept it airtight — no leaks, no whispers. By the ti the trade with Indiana happened, nobody had a clue what San Antonio was up to.
And that was exactly the approach Lin wanted for the Knicks.
"Alright… I plan to invite Tristan Thompson for a workout," Javier said after a pause. "You should've heard how excited he was when I called."
Lin chuckled.
Later that night, Lin checked the news and almost burst out laughing. Thompson had actually turned down other teams' invitations. In an interview, he even declared, "I'm not going anywhere else. I love New York. I'm a big fan of Lin Yi. I can rebound, I can defend, and I believe I can help the Knicks."
It was hard not to like the kid's enthusiasm. After all, to many young players, there wasn't a city more exciting than New York, or a team more inspiring than the Knicks after their 2010–2011 run.
Even TT's agent kept hyping up the Knicks to him, convincing the poor guy that it wasn't about where you were drafted — it was about where you could actually shine.
Naturally, no one outside the team doubted the Knicks' invitation. Thompson's draft stock was already high, and the Knicks clearly needed a backup big.
Before long, the narrative flipped. If the Knicks wanted him, then there had to be sothing special about TT. Scouts started watching his tape again. Bookmakers even bumped his odds into the top three.
The Knicks' little strategy worked like a charm — it sent other front offices into chaos.
…
That night, after finishing up his eting (and the last of the fried chicken with Paul), Lin Yi headed back to his villa in good spirits.
When he walked into the kitchen, though, he froze. The table was covered with pastries — all homade by Olsen.
He instinctively let out a burp, which made Olsen narrow her eyes at him.
"I'll eat it! I swear I'll eat all of it!" Lin said quickly, thumping his chest as if making a sacred vow.
Olsen's pout softened into a satisfied smile. "Good. I made these especially for you. You're a professional athlete — you need the energy. So, finish every bite."
Lin looked at the mountain of desserts and felt his soul leave his body for a second.
He really missed the days when he could just sit back and play video gas.
Still… he had to admit, Olsen's pastries were delicious.
And right now, life felt pretty good.
...
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