The Best Point Guard-Chapter 89 - 20: The Draft Begins

Su Xi put on a suit and borrowed a small conference room from the hotel, where he then met with Jerry Krause and his assistant, Porter.

Due to Jay Williams’s severe injury, the Bulls were forced to quickly adjust their draft plan. They had originally intended to select a shooting guard—if Illinois native Dwyane Wade had fallen to the seventh pick, they would have taken him without hesitation.

But now, they were torn between three point guards: Kirk Hinrich, TJ Ford, and Su Xi.

Hinrich and Ford had both tried out in Chicago, but Su Xi had not, despite having spent nearly a month training there previously.

Kraus and Grover were not on good terms, so he couldn’t get any specific numbers from Grover. That’s why, upon arriving in New York, they managed to get the phone number for Su Xi’s agent and arranged a meeting.

It was, in essence, an interview.

However, once they sat down, they realized they weren’t the ones in control.

It was more like... Su Xi was interviewing *them*.

Su Xi asked them about the severity of Jay Williams’s injury.

Kraus replied, "It’s a bit more serious than what the news is reporting. It’s not just career-ending; it’s very likely he’ll have permanent physical impairments."

"The news said he violated his contract by recklessly riding a motorcycle, so you have the option to waive him and not pay out the remainder of his contract?" Su Xi asked.

"Yes. We have the right to do that," Kraus said. "However, the owner has already agreed to give him 3 million USD to help with his recovery, even if we void the contract."

"Good."

A smile spread across Su Xi’s face. "You’re doing the right thing. A lot of players will want to sign with you because of your compassion and generosity."

Kraus smiled as well. "Are you and Jay friends? I was under the impression you both grew up in New Jersey."

"No, we aren’t." Su Xi shook his head, a few memories surfacing. "In fact, we were once the fiercest of rivals. He once threatened to devour this piece of ’sushi’ in one bite."

Kraus raised an eyebrow. "I’m impressed by your kindness and integrity," he said appreciatively.

"But is this all you plan to talk to me about? You’re meeting with me, yet you’re not going to try and sell yourself? Show off your strengths, talk about your history? We’re supposed to be the ones interviewing you."

Su Xi answered honestly, "The only reason I agreed to this meeting was because I’m very concerned about Jay Williams. I don’t have anything else to show you."

"You don’t like the Bulls? You’re not willing to play in Chicago?" Kraus asked, staring directly into Su Xi’s eyes.

Su Xi remained perfectly calm. Sitting there, he didn’t seem like an eighteen-year-old at all. He possessed an unprecedented sense of composure, like a tranquil ocean—deep, mysterious, vast, and confident. The aura he radiated was mesmerizing, regardless of whether the person across from him was a man or a woman.

"I’m not ruling out any options. This isn’t something I’m in control of," Su Xi said. "I was a loyal fan during both of the Bulls’ dynasties."

Kraus stood and extended his hand. "I have a feeling we’ll be crossing paths again in the future," he said to Su Xi. "Thank you for the interview."

He was making a joke.

Su Xi smiled and saw him out.

It was a brief meeting.

After they left, his assistant, Porter, said to Kraus, "That kid doesn’t seem interested in the Bulls." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"No, he’s very interested," Kraus said with confidence. "He’s just very good at controlling his emotions. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to ask about Jay Williams. He was gauging his potential for playing time and getting a feel for our team’s character. He’s an exceptionally smart person."

"So... are we really going to use the seventh pick on him?" Porter asked.

Kraus hesitated.

The image of Kirk Hinrich kept surfacing in his mind. Even though Hinrich had lost to Su Xi in the NCAA finals, his style of play was more mature and polished, and his playmaking abilities were also excellent.

Besides, he was unassuming. He would never take unnecessary risks. After a talented player like Jay Williams had his career destroyed by reckless behavior, the entire front office wanted a player who was more manageable.

Su Xi would obviously be difficult to control.

But he was truly captivating.

Kirk Hinrich was like the sweet, plain-faced girl next door. Su Xi, on the other hand, was like a voluptuous, curvy, and juicy bombshell in a leopard-print dress.

’It was a really tough choice.’

After Kraus and his assistant left, Su Xi returned to his room. He and Huang Xiaoman spent a while discussing potential sponsorship deals from back home. Then, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in close to her, his hands beginning to wander as he sought her touch.

"Didn’t you say dating would affect your game?"

"It doesn’t anymore. It doesn’t anymore."

After a spell of rustling sounds... the air in the room was thick with pleasure.

...

Su Xi had a pleasant night. For Huang Xiaoman, it was a mix of pain and pleasure.

「When he woke up the next day.」

Su Xi’s name was all over the major basketball media outlets, and he was a hot topic of discussion online.

This was because Su Xi’s training video had appeared on Channel 974, Channel 35, and even Playboy TV. All three were well-known adult channels.

Starting at midnight the previous night, after every film they aired, they would play a clip from Su Xi’s basketball highlight reel.

The reel included clips of Su Xi winning the championship with Syracuse University, footage of him training alone at the camp in Chicago, and highlights from his training camp showdown where he defeated Banks.