Although Huang Zhiwen was bankrupt, he still looked full of energy. He was doing everything he could to show off his skills to Zhao Dong, clearly taking this interview seriously.
"So, what kind of business went under?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Internet. Search engine," Huang Zhiwen replied, keeping it brief, not wanting to dwell on it.
Zhao Dong was caught off guard. Right now, even domestic portal websites weren't fully established yet. It was a time when companies were just burning cash. Jumping in at this stage? Yeah, bankruptcy was almost guaranteed.
The big three—Sina, Tencent, and Sohu—weren't even companies yet; they'd register next year. NetEase had just been founded in June. Getting into the internet business right now? Man, you'd crash and burn before even knowing what hit you.
Zhao Dong gave Huang Zhiwen a sympathetic look and asked, "I gotta ask, why'd you go all-in on the internet?"
He needed to understand Huang Zhiwen's investment mindset and vision. Without that, there was no way he'd trust him with running the company.
"I believe we've entered the era of internet informatization…"
Huang Zhiwen let out a helpless sigh. "Of course, I knew investing in the internet now was risky—hell, it was damn near suicidal. But we were pioneers. I failed for the same reason a lot of others did—the capital chain snapped. I picked this industry because I had experience with it in the U.S.
"Before jumping in, I linked up with a U.S. venture capital firm, found some partners, and raised 10 million RMB. After burning through that, the VC firm threw another 10 million at us and promised a second round of financing. Our website was actually starting to carve out a spot in the market.
"But then the Southeast Asian financial crisis hit. The venture capital firm folded, and our funding dried up. No second round, no lifeline, just game over."
"Wait, you're telling me the VC firm went under 'cause they were messing with foreign exchange?" Zhao Dong asked, surprised.
"Nah, not exactly. They had a bunch of investments in Southeast Asia, and when those companies crashed, their major investors pulled out. That was the end of them—and the end of us."
"Damn, sounds like you picked the wrong VC firm," Zhao Dong said, shaking his head. "The real players in the U.S. weren't going bankrupt over this crisis. If anything, they were swooping in and buying up prime assets."
He was already planning to start his own VC firm in China. He could get in on the portal websites and future e-commerce wave—or, hell, if he had the capital, just run it himself. Plus, he had plans to set up a financial investment company to ride the three-year bull market and prep for the bear market that'd follow.
After about thirty minutes, he wrapped up the interview.
Lindsay had mostly stayed quiet, letting Zhao Dong lead the conversation. Once it was done, he turned to her. "What do you think?"
She thought for a moment and then said, "Huang Zhiwen is bold, good for market expansion, but his choices are reckless. Chen Jian, on the other hand, is steady and better suited for overall management."
"A start-up needs all kinds of talent," Zhao Dong said. "Both of them worked for big sporting goods companies before, so I want 'em both. Huang Zhiwen will run marketing, and Chen Jian will be the acting general manager."
Lindsay nodded. "Let's have Chen Jian handle setting up the company first and see what he's got."
"Sounds good." Zhao Dong grinned.
At 10 a.m. on July 7, Zhao Dong held a press conference at a hotel.
"I'd love to represent my country. But the reality is, besides Director Liu Yumin reaching out to me privately, no one from the relevant departments has contacted me. And honestly, Director Liu is in a tough spot—she doesn't have the authority to make that call…"
The media and basketball fans ate it up, showing full support for Zhao Dong.
Meanwhile, the basketball department's silence was deafening in contrast. And with Liu Yumin, the department's director, not even able to make a decision, the whole thing became a flashpoint for controversy.
The fallout was immediate. Public pressure mounted against the Sports Commission. Fans even gathered outside its headquarters, putting them in a tough position.
"Old Xu, you've been around for a while. What's going on? It's been nearly a year, and you haven't even tried recruiting this guy? Now he has to hold a press conference just to let people know he's willing to play for us? This makes us look bad."
Wu Shaozu, the director of the Sports Commission, wasn't happy. That afternoon, he called in his deputy, Xu Yanshen, for a talk.
"Director, Liu Yumin attended Zhao Dong's press conference. I think she and Zhao Dong are trying to put pressure on us…" Xu Yanshen started.
"Pressure? What kind of palace coup do you think this is?"
Wu Shaozu cut him off, clearly irritated. "Forget that. The real question is: how do we fix this? Zhao Dong has made a name for himself in the U.S. He's got influence there. If we don't handle this fast, this whole mess is going to spill over internationally, and then we'll be dealing with political consequences. Old Xu, where's your sense of political awareness?"
Xu Yanshen felt a headache coming on. He had been an athlete before moving into administration, but politics? That was a whole different game.
"Uh… I-I guess we could have Liu Yumin reach out to Zhao Dong and then issue a statement from the basketball department?" he suggested hesitantly.
"The basketball department? Too low-level," Wu Shaozu scoffed. "Public opinion is coming straight at us, the Sports Commission. We need to handle this ourselves.
"Look, one of the reasons we failed to land the Olympics bid last time was that we didn't have any standout athletes in Western sports—track, soccer, basketball, tennis, you name it. Without those stars, we'll never be taken seriously in the global sports scene.
"American basketball is a powerhouse, right? The so-called Dream Team? Well, Zhao Dong is making waves over there. That's a big deal. It proves Chinese players can do more than just dominate ping pong.
"We should be backing athletes like him, not making them jump through hoops. Guys like Zhao Dong don't come around often. Our massive population creates talent, but we have to nurture and appreciate them."
By the time Wu Shaozu finished, Xu Yanshen was sweating.
"Old Xu, get Liu Yumin in here. I need to talk to her," Wu Shaozu finally said.
"Got it, I'll contact the Basketball Department now." Xu Yanshen quickly responded.
When Zhong Tianfa, the Basketball Department director, got the message, he immediately realized what it meant. Wu Shaozu was bypassing him to speak directly to Liu Yumin. That put him in an awkward position—his authority was about to take a serious hit.
But he had no choice but to hit up Liu Yumin ASAP.
Liu Yumin got word that the senior boss wanted to see her, and she was hyped. Things were finally looking up.
"Man, this is what happens when you got a world-class sports superstar on your side."
She couldn't help but be grateful to Zhao Dong and quickly shot him a message about the situation.
When she pulled up to Wu Shaozu's office, she took a second to straighten up. Gotta make sure she looked presentable.
The Director of the Sports Commission was a big deal—a ministerial-level boss straight under the State Council. Compared to him, she was just a small-time official, barely on the radar. She almost never got to see him.
Forget Wu Shaozu, even Xu Yanshen, who'd been holding her back, was barely in her sight. She had only seen him a few times.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three solid knocks, not too soft, not too hard. She felt uneasy, unsure of what was coming.
She really wanted to run the country's basketball affairs. She'd put her whole life into it. Even now, being sidelined, she never complained—just felt let down.
"Come in."
A man's voice came from inside.
She stepped in and immediately spotted Liu Qing, the secretary.
"Director Liu, you're here. Go on in, Director Wu is waiting for you," Liu Qing greeted her with a nod.
"Appreciate it, Secretary Liu."
Liu Yumin felt a little more at ease seeing his friendly attitude.
Liu Qing opened the door and led her into Wu Shaozu's office.
"Director Wu, Deputy Director Xu."
She quickly greeted Wu Shaozu and Xu Yanshen.
"Director Liu, have a seat."
After she sat down, Liu Qing poured her some tea before stepping out.
" Liu, what exactly went down at Zhao Dong's press conference this morning? Break it down for me," Wu Shaozu asked.
Liu Yumin didn't hesitate: "Here's the deal, Director Wu. Zhao Dong just got back from the U.S. a few days ago. He hit me up yesterday, said he wanted to join the national team and rep the country, but..."
She glanced at Xu Yanshen sitting beside her.
Xu Yanshen, clearly uncomfortable, snapped, "What, you got something to say? Just spit it out."
Liu Yumin nodded. "The basketball department's been restructuring, so we couldn't lock down his recruitment. He got impatient, and since the fans wanted answers, he decided to hold a press conference. To keep things under control, I showed up in my personal capacity. That's the situation. If I handled it wrong, I'm ready to take the criticism."
Wu Shaozu, as a senior leader, wasn't involved in every little thing and had no clue about the beef between Xu Yanshen and Liu Yumin over the CNBA. So, to him, it just sounded like a mess.
"Liu, your basketball department is moving way too slow. Recruiting Zhao Dong should've been a layup. It's been a year, no wonder the kid's frustrated. I gotta call you out on this—just get it done already. Don't drag this out any longer."
Liu Yumin knew he had no idea she'd been pushed to the sidelines and had no actual power. Feeling helpless, she spoke up: "But Director Wu..."
She glanced at Xu Yanshen again.
Xu Yanshen sighed, clearly annoyed. "Just go ahead and handle it. I'll tell the Basketball Department and get Zhong Tianfa to work with you."
"Thank you, both leaders." Liu Yumin felt a wave of relief.
"Alright,Liu, one more thing..."
Wu Shaozu leaned forward. "What's the deal with Zhao Dong? I heard he's a big deal in the U.S. hoops scene. He's only been there a year, right?"
Liu Yumin nodded quickly. "Director Wu, I've been keeping up with him. He's already one of the top NBA superstars, and that's the best league in the U.S."
Wu Shaozu nodded. "We gotta take advantage of players like him, guys who can dominate in the U.S. basketball scene."
Liu Yumin added, "He just led his team to an NBA championship as the number-one guy and won Finals MVP. In the second round, he took down Michael Jordan's squad—yeah, that Jordan, the biggest basketball icon in the world. His influence in the States is massive."
"Wait, Jordan? From the Dream Team?" Wu Shaozu raised an eyebrow.
Liu Yumin smiled. "Yep. Zhao Dong and his squad eliminated Jordan's Bulls. He even made a bet with Jordan about who would be the God of Basketball."
"Oh yeah, I remember that! The media here covered it too," Wu Shaozu chuckled.
"Yeah, it was huge. Jordan lost, so he's got no shot at claiming the 'God of Basketball' title now. The rivalry between them is serious."
Liu Yumin smirked.
"We gotta be mindful of the impact. Competition's cool, but we don't need unnecessary beef," Xu Yanshen cut in, frowning. "I heard he gets into fights a lot in the U.S. That's not a good look."
"Director Xu, the NBA is a pro league, not some friendly exhibition," Liu Yumin shot back.
Even in the Olympics, athletes fought tooth and nail for gold. This "friendship first, competition second" mindset didn't exist in the real world.
Even at China's own National Games, provinces went all-out for medals. Who was putting friendship first?
Xu Yanshen scowled. This girl was getting bold. Back in his day, friendship did come first. Hell, he even threw games against the American table tennis team!
"Why's he always fighting, though?" Wu Shaozu asked.
"Director Wu, making a name for yourself overseas isn't easy for a Chinese player. When people come at him, he's gotta stand his ground," Liu Yumin explained.
Wu Shaozu nodded. He let that topic go and moved on. "Xiao Liu, since you guys took so long to finalize Zhao Dong's spot, forcing him to hold a press conference, he might feel some type of way about the Sports Committee. You're the one with the most contact with him—make sure you keep things smooth."
"Yes, Director Wu. He's a solid dude."
Liu Yumin took this chance to bring up something else. Zhao Dong wanted to personally invest in a high-level training facility to develop a new generation of trainers and coaches for the country.
Wu Shaozu and Xu Yanshen were both caught off guard. The domestic system was still built on the big-government model when it came to sports, and private investment in this area was almost unheard of. But they knew this could be a game-changer for the sports industry.
"Zhao Dong is a guy with vision, real long-term thinking. We gotta take this seriously. The Sports Committee needs to move cautiously and hold a meeting to figure out the right approach. Old Xu, you're in charge of basketball affairs, what do you think?" Wu Shaozu asked, his tone serious.
"I think it's a great opportunity, and I fully agree with Director Wu," Xu Yanshen responded without hesitation.
Nodding, Wu Shaozu turned to Liu Yumin. "Xiao Liu, you stay in touch with Zhao Dong. This is your responsibility now. Also, the basketball department... oh wait, the Basketball Management Center is almost ready, right?"
"Yes, it's nearly done," Liu Yumin answered quickly.
"You'll be running the Basketball Management Center, the CBA, Zhao Dong, and the college league launching next year. If you screw this up, I'll hold you personally responsible. On top of that, the Sports Commission is restructuring, and your department will be leading the way. Set a strong example. If you do well, I'll back you up." Wu Shaozu laid it all out.
"Yes, Director Wu!" Liu Yumin replied enthusiastically.
As she left Wu Shaozu's office, she was practically floating. On her way back to the basketball department, Xu Yanshen stopped her.
"Xiao Liu, work hard and don't let Director Wu or the organization down," he reminded her.
"Got it, Director Xu." Liu Yumin smiled.
"Alright, go do your thing," Xu Yanshen said with a nod.
Back at the Basketball Department, the difference in her status was night and day. She was back in charge of Chinese basketball. With Wu Shaozu backing her, even Xu Yanshen couldn't suppress her anymore—let alone the Basketball Division and the younger bureaucrats trying to grab power.
Her first major move? Bringing in Zhao Dong.
With support from the top, the opposition from Xin Nancheng and others crumbled like a house of cards. The recruitment passed without a hitch.
A day later, the Sports Commission announced that the Basketball Department under the Basketball Bureau was being scrapped and replaced with the Basketball Management Center. The restructuring had officially begun.
At the same time, the Basketball Department officially issued a notice calling up Zhao Dong to the Chinese men's national team.
Fans across the country went nuts.
That morning, Zhao Dong and Lindsay were driving to Chaoyang Cemetery.
Lately, reporters had been camping outside his home in Sanbulao Hutong every day—both local and foreign. He was immediately swarmed as soon as he reached the entrance.
"Zhao Dong, will you play in the Asian Championships next month?" a Korean reporter asked.
"I wasn't really planning to compete at that level, but with so many injuries on the team, I decided to step up," Zhao Dong answered casually.
"Ah?" The reporter looked visibly disappointed.
A Japanese reporter jumped in. "Zhao Dong, as the only NBA player from Asia and an NBA Finals MVP, don't you think your participation makes the competition unfair?"
"Fair? Man, I'm only worried about what's fair for us. It's not my job to make it fair for my opponents." Zhao Dong smirked.
The reporter's face twitched. Damn, that was ruthless.
News of Zhao Dong playing in the Asian Championships spread like wildfire across Asia. The backlash wasn't far behind.
"We strongly protest Zhao Dong's participation! His words show a complete lack of sportsmanship," Japan's Dong-A Ilbo reported.
"Protesting Zhao Dong's participation is itself unfair," South Korea's Asia Daily countered.
Soon, media outlets across Asia jumped into the debate—even some of the more "diplomatic" domestic outlets.
"We warmly welcome Zhao Dong to the Asian Championships. His presence will elevate the level of competition, which aligns with our goals..."
But at the end of the day, Zhao Dong was the biggest star to ever play in the tournament. His announcement took the championship's global attention to another level. The Asian Basketball Federation quickly put out a statement welcoming him.
"Does protesting even work? Man, I just love dominating weak players," Zhao Dong told another interviewer, fueling another round of media outrage.
By the 11th, the headhunting firm hit him up again.
This time, he selected a few mid-level managers and put Chen Jian in charge of setting up a sporting goods company.
The name? Zhao Dong Sports.
Like Li Ning Sports, it would leverage his personal brand.
But today, his focus was elsewhere—Southeast Asia.
Mrs. Dolores had wrapped up her setup in Malaysia. That morning, the Malaysian government announced a floating exchange rate. The foreign exchange market crashed immediately.
This time, Mrs. Dolores had gone beyond just foreign exchange. She had positioned herself in stock index futures, too. As currencies tanked, stock markets across the region followed, bringing in massive profits.
By July 13, Chen Jian had begun filing paperwork for the company.
Registered capital? 400 million RMB. Legal representative? Zhao Dong.
It was structured as a joint-stock limited liability company, requiring at least two shareholders. He gave his eldest brother, Zhao Dacheng, 5%. Lindsay invested $5 million—about 40 million RMB—for a 10% stake. Zhao Dong held the remaining 85%, making him the absolute controlling shareholder.
He had already acquired a research institute in the U.S. for $800,000. That, combined with the sneaker technology from his system, would be injected into the company in exchange for shares.
Zhao Dong took the chairman role, while Lindsay and Zhao Dacheng were directors. Lindsay also served as president, with Chen Jian handling daily operations as general manager.
A week later, the company was up and running.
"Director Zhao, should we buy out an existing brand, or recruit talent and develop our own?" Chen Jian asked, feeling the pressure. The company was set up, but they had no products yet.
"Both," Zhao Dong said simply.
They had to establish an R&D department, organize their existing tech, and launch market-driven products. But they weren't just selling sneakers—there would be a full range of athletic gear.
"Start hiring talent for our R&D team. Domestic expertise is still kinda low, so recruit from the U.S. and Europe," Zhao Dong instructed.
On the 21st, he met Yao Ming.
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