Las Vegas, on the golf course of the Mandalay Beach Resort, Lin Guanglai aimed at the target and swung a clean drive, the white ball drawing an elegant arc in the air and landing precisely on the fairway about 300 yards away.

"Good shot!" Brian Cashman, accompanying Lin Guanglai, voiced his admiration. "Lin, it seems like you haven't been slacking during the offseason these past two years... Your golf skills have really improved."

Cashman then appeared to remember something: "I still remember when you first came to the United States, CC used to complain to me, saying your golf game didn't reflect being an excellent baseball player—if he saw you now, he'd probably be stunned, wouldn't he?"

"Haha, I suppose so." Lin Guanglai laughed heartily, then glanced at his watch. "Has Machado and his agent arrived yet? They're not very punctual, are they..."

On the other side, Alex Rodriguez shrugged and defended the absent Machado: "That's understandable, considering we're not the only ones pursuing Manny. He should have negotiations with the Priest team this morning, which is also why we're in Las Vegas, right?"

After retirement, A-Rod became a managerial assistant for the Yankees, and the main reason he's here today is because he's Machado's idol, maintaining a fairly good personal relationship with him; the Yankees invited him, hoping this could provide an edge in negotiations.

"I watched his videos this year, to be honest, if we can sign him, both the quality of our infield defense and the intensity of our offense would see a comprehensive upgrade, but..." Lin Guanglai expressed his concerns, "His emotional control is still a big issue, especially I'm not sure if fiery members like Sever and Gary might clash with him; additionally, his attitude toward baserunning, hmm…"

Lin Guanglai didn't speak too openly, leaving some face for the absent Machado; but those present, having thoroughly investigated Machado, naturally understood what Lin Guanglai meant:

Take this year's playoffs with the Dodgers, for example, although Machado's batting was outstanding, crucial to the Dodgers' advancement to the World Series, he repeatedly didn't give his best effort in baserunning, resulting in potential opportunities of being killed while running the bases, raising concerns about his enthusiasm in games. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Moreover, in the past five years, he's almost annually been the focus of media due to conflicts, including some outlandish behaviors breaching sports ethics—his clashes with Josh Donaldson, fights with Yordano Ventura, and that time he spiked Dustin Pedroia…"

Lin Guanglai listed Machado's career "bad boy" behaviors, concluding: "From a competitive standpoint, I'm not opposed to the team signing him, I even think the team needs a member with such a personality—but the prerequisite is that Manny must ensure he reins in his temper, at least not venting on his teammates, or hurting others in anger."

To this, Cashman nodded in agreement: "Of course, we don't want to spend no less than 30 million US dollars a year to sign a potential locker room menace, all of which we will write into the contract during the upcoming negotiation."

"In that case, I have nothing more to say." As one of the current leaders of the championship Yankees' locker room, Lin Guanglai shrugged, expressing his approval.

When the 26-year-old, six-foot-three Manny Machado entered the meeting room arranged by the Yankees, clad in a suit and accompanied by his agent Dan Lozano, Lin Guanglai felt the atmosphere heating up significantly.

"Brian, Donnie, Alex." Lozano spoke first, shaking hands crisply with those present. "Lin, congratulations, another MVP + World Series championship perfect season."

As the protagonist of today's negotiation, Machado merely gestured to greet everyone, his eyes scanning among the people, finally resting on Lin Guanglai—his gaze carrying envy, probing, and a hint of barely noticeable provocation.

But Lin Guanglai simply ignored his gaze, not even sparing Machado a glance before shifting his eyes away, as if the person in front of him was just another ordinary figure.

"Manny, Dan," Cashman gestured for everyone to sit, adhering to his straightforward negotiation style. "Thank you for coming, let's get started directly."

Lozano opened his briefcase, taking out a sleek report: "This is Manny's WAR, defensive contributions, and batting data from the past four years—in simple terms, he's currently the league's best third baseman, bar none, and the only infielder on the free market providing elite batting and defense simultaneously."

Lozano's words were indeed undeniable: prior to this negotiation, the Yankees also had Nolan Arenado from the Rockies as an option, but he recently announced signing an 8-year, 260 million dollar extension with the Rockies; in other words, if the Yankees want a roster upgrade, Machado is the only elite option remaining on the market.