Chapter 24

After signing the private agreement, the two chatted politely for a while, and then Yang Mo said his goodbyes. As he was about to leave, Patricelli especially reminded Yang Mo: "Yang, in a couple of days when you go to the Orlando training camp, don't try to stand out too much. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Yang Mo nodded. Since he had already promised Patricelli, he could tone it down a bit. Besides, there were so many candidates at the Orlando training camp, who would have the time to pay attention to him?

After leaving Miami's training facility, Yang Mo first bought a SIM card. He originally wanted to call Monkey and the others, but then he thought, this was a table-under deal. If it really got out, wouldn't that put Patricelli in an awkward position?

So, he could only suppress his excitement and wait until the draft day to surprise them.

Since he couldn't call Monkey and the others, Yang Mo then thought of Kim Tae-hee and quickly dialed her number. Beep, beep, beep!

The call was answered in less than three rings, and Kim Tae-hee's voice came through: "Who is it?"

Kim Tae-hee's voice was a bit soft but also a bit shaky.

Clearly, she was a bit nervous.

Hearing this, Yang Mo felt reassured, knowing that Kim Tae-hee definitely had feelings for him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so tolerant of his 'recklessness' on the plane, and she even left her phone number, clearly indicating her interest.

"Guess who?" Yang Mo said with a smile.

"Is it Yang Mo?" Kim Tae-hee instantly cheered up, and Yang Mo could feel her excitement through the phone.

Seeing how happy Kim Tae-hee was because of his words, Yang Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement. There weren't many things that could make a man feel accomplished, one was success in his career, and the other was conquering a woman.

"Bingo! Congratulations, you got it right."

"What are you doing now?" Kim Tae-hee asked proactively.

"Nothing much, just about to go rob someone," Yang Mo joked.

Yang Mo was joking, but Kim Tae-hee took it seriously and quickly asked, "Why would you go rob someone? Aren't you here to play basketball? Is it because you're out of money?"

Hearing the worried tone in Kim Tae-hee's voice, Yang Mo was touched and decided not to continue teasing her. After all, it wasn't right to overuse someone's concern.

"Ha ha, just kidding. Where are you? I'll treat you to a big meal!"

"Ugh!" Kim Tae-hee said angrily, "Don't you know you shouldn't joke like that?"

"Okay, sorry, I won't do it again," Yang Mo quickly apologized.

"Hmph," Kim Tae-hee pouted, "If you ever lie to me again, I'll break your bones."

"Alright, alright, I promise I won't fight back."

"Fine, remember what you said."

"Sure, I'll remember," Yang Mo nodded and continued the topic that had been interrupted: "Where are you now?"

"I'm working, I have three more fashion magazines to shoot. My damn agent even arranged a photo book for me, ugh... it's so annoying," Kim Tae-hee complained to Yang Mo without any reservations, clearly treating him as her closest confidant.

"Ah, looks like we can't meet today. I'm flying to Orlando tonight," Yang Mo said with some regret.

"What time tonight?" Kim Tae-hee asked anxiously, "I'll see if I can free up some time."

"Nine o'clock tonight. Forget it, I'm pretty busy these days too. Let's meet up when we have more free time."

"Alright, I guess that's the best we can do," Kim Tae-hee said regretfully, "I have to go back to Korea in a couple of days, and I don't know when I'll be back in the U.S. next."

"In a week, after the draft, I'll come to Korea to see you."

"Okay, you have to come."

"Sure, I'll see you then. Bye for now."

Yang Mo briefly concluded the call and hung up amidst Kim Tae-hee's reluctant goodbyes. Although Yang Mo wasn't a Casanova, he knew that when dealing with women, one shouldn't be overly clingy. It was better to maintain a certain distance, which would help him keep the initiative from the start. If he started by constantly flattering and sacrificing his principles, he would end up being a slave to the woman. Women aren't creatures that stop when they get what they want.

That night, Yang Mo flew to Orlando. The next day, after contacting the league staff and paying the deposit, he officially entered the Orlando training camp.

Upon entering the training camp, he first underwent a health check, followed by various physical tests. Because Patricelli had given instructions, Yang Mo didn't give his full effort during the tests, making his already unimpressive data even worse.

The staff at the training camp shook their heads, looking at Yang Mo with disdain. They couldn't understand why someone with such poor physical attributes would come to the draft. Wasn't it a waste of time? Anyone picked off the streets in the U.S. would be better, especially for a power forward position, which was just... absurd.

Yang Mo didn't take the staff's discrimination to heart. He wouldn't hold a grudge over a mere ant stepping on him; it wasn't worth it.

Since the draft day was approaching, most of the candidates had already gone through the tryouts, so there were quite a few popular prospects in the training camp. Many of these popular prospects were surrounded by waves of journalists, including some from China.

Yang Mo didn't feel jealous at all. He just stayed in the corner, quietly training, doing simple and repetitive shooting drills. Compared to the other players, Yang Mo's mindset was the most peaceful. The other prospects were still worried about their future teams, but Yang Mo already had a guarantee. He also didn't have to worry about being snatched away, as no sane general manager would pick him. His performance was too mediocre, even the training camp staff didn't think much of him, let alone the general managers.

Yang Mo thus spent his days in the training camp without standing out, not competing with other prospects, and not trying to be the center of attention, so he got along well with most of the candidates.

One day, a group of prospects, bored from their daily training, decided to play a scrimmage. Michael Beasley suggested it, and most of the prospects agreed, with only a few worried about getting injured and not participating. Yang Mo didn't express a desire to join, nor did he refuse, as he didn't think he would get a chance to play.

The teams were quickly divided, and the division was quite interesting. The two top prospects (Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley) each led a team, and the team members were mostly those who got along well with them, making the lineup look a bit mismatched.

For example, Derrick Rose's team had three point guards: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon, all of whom needed the ball, yet they were on the same team.

Michael Beasley's team was even more bizarre, with four frontcourt players: Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, Javale McGee, and Brook Lopez.

Yang Mo looked at the situation and ultimately joined Derrick Rose's team, even though he had a slightly better relationship with Michael Beasley. If he joined Michael Beasley's team, he definitely wouldn't get a chance to play.

After finding a staff member to referee, the game officially began.

Michael Beasley's starting lineup was O.J. Mayo, Courtney Lee, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, and Javale McGee, with Brook Lopez and Danilo Gallinari on the bench.

Derrick Rose's starting lineup was Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Ryan Anderson, Nicolas Batum, and Serge Ibaka, with Eric Gordon and Yang Mo on the bench.

Both teams had their flaws: one was heavily focused on the frontcourt, while the other was dominated by the backcourt.

This was an interesting matchup, and as soon as the scouts and general managers heard about the game, they hurriedly gathered around the court, hoping to discover more about the players' qualities through the game.

What excited the players on the court the most was that basketball legend Michael Jordan was actually in the audience, sitting on the steps and intently watching the game.

"Yang, do you think we'll win or will Michael Beasley's team win?" Before the game, Eric Gordon pulled Yang Mo aside and whispered.

"Hard to say. They don't have a point guard, and we don't have a center. It depends on who can control the game's rhythm."

"Isn't that obvious?" Eric Gordon grumbled, "I still think we'll win."

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[Please give me a recommendation! I'm actively preparing to burst out...]

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