Chapter 488 Kiss Cam (Two in One)

After meeting with Rockets owner Alexander, Mr. Fang Zhuo, chairman of two Nasdaq-listed companies and the richest man in mainland China, did not encounter any obstruction from the league council in his intention to acquire the team.

The league is even happy to see such a young president from China become the owner of a team, which is conducive to the development of NBA overseas markets. The so-called team buyer qualification review is actually just a very simple criterion in the council.

That is, whether the new owner is conducive to the future development of the team and the league.

The president of the East undoubtedly meets this standard, and his wealth is also at the upper level among team owners.

In turn, for Fang Zhuo, he also has a very simple criterion for judgment, whether your team in this league can make me have a reputation as a sports tycoon, and whether I can sell the team for a few years or ten years to exchange for half a production line.

At present, there is great hope.

Fang Zhuo has reproduced a donkey's ass bet according to the words of PH Company, which was found by Goldman Sachs to provide procurement solutions.

According to this group of people, the stupidity of the rich is most likely to be spread, and the media channels will also add fuel to the flames to create an image of a boss from the East as reckless, enthusiastic, impulsive, and nosy.

When the team's record this year is fixed, the photo of Fang Zhuo fulfilling the bet will appear on the cover of "Time" magazine, and will also be covered in media magazines such as "The New Yorker" and "The Economist".

Then it will be another approval journey of the four major US departments that Zhang Rujing, the head of SMIC, has gone through.

US Department of Commerce, US Commerce, US Defense, US Energy.

According to Zhang Rujing's experience, the most difficult to get approval is the defense department. In order to get the approval of this department, he ran back and forth many times.

As long as the four major departments sign together, Bingxin's equipment procurement can be based on the commercial level like SMIC, and it also involves the approval of technology introduction.

Goldman Sachs and PH believe that Zhang Rujing can get approval based on his Taiwan background, his resume in the United States, and his Christian family. Now with Xiaobu Shi's more relaxed attitude towards the East, Mr. Fang Zhuo can also get approval based on his stupidity.

In this regard, Fang Zhuo felt that a real man can bend and stretch.

Moreover, he really believed that he could help Yao Ming build a championship team.

On April 7, Fang Zhuo received a call from NBA President David Stern, and the two sides had a friendly exchange.

That night, he exercised a little and went to a private gym to learn how to dribble between the legs, preparing to perform a show when necessary.

On April 8, the league council sent more specific opinions, agreeing in principle that Alexander should sell the Houston Rockets.

In the evening, practice.

On April 9, Fang Zhuo handed over the work of purchasing real estate in Houston to his secretary, and went to New York to inspect Yike's work, meet with Sony friends and solve some minor problems.

There was no practice that night, but dinner with Yu Hong.

"How was the matter resolved a while ago?" Yu Hong asked about official business, "Why did the state legislator who said dumping stop making any moves?"

"Well," Fang Zhuo said, "This is not a conventional route. I talked to Lawyer Martin when I was in Tokyo. He gave me a lot of advice, many preventive measures, but also an additional suggestion."

Yu Hong listened attentively.

"Lawyer Martin suggested that Yi Ke become a consulting client of Bloomberg. I accepted this suggestion, and then the matter was resolved." Fang Zhuo smiled.

Bloomberg?

Yu Hong only knew that it was a news agency, and was not clear about its consulting business, nor was it clear about its connection with state legislators.

Fang Zhuo shrugged: "The current mayor of New York is Bloomberg, a billionaire and the founder of Bloomberg. As for why becoming a client of Bloomberg solved the legislator's questioning of Yi Ke, anyway, Lawyer Martin suggested so."

Yu Hong: "..."

There are always people who quietly collect money behind the advancement of enterprises.

Yu Hong shook her head helplessly. She knew it must be legal without asking further.

"Let's talk about something happy. If everything goes well, the acquisition process can be completed in the middle of the month." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "You will witness the birth of a sports tycoon."

Yu Hong knew something about the ice core purchase, and asked, "Really? Are you sure it's not a much-ridiculed team owner who is about to appear?"

"The shaping of public image is really a science, and it can also be seen how important media channels are." Fang Zhuo said thoughtfully, "I'm not worried about being ridiculed or not. Anyway, I will definitely bring new atmosphere to this team in the future. Now I'm worried about being stuck in the purchase."

"Isn't Goldman Sachs also a shareholder? They won't sit idly by and watch this happen, right?" Yu Hong asked.

"Goldman Sachs is not omnipotent." Fang Zhuo nodded, "But they are really helping actively, more actively than I thought."

Yu Hong smiled: "I know the reason."

Fang Zhuo: "?"

Yu Hong continued: "Goldman Sachs must also believe that you can make Bingxin, at least to a certain scale. I'm afraid they are not thinking about the money you invested in Bingxin, but the money that will be ten or a hundred times the value of the equity in the future."

Fang Zhuo was stunned. It is really possible. After all, there is Yike's example.

Yu Hong asked again: "The situation of SMIC after listing is very bad, but it will be worse if it does not go public. Do you have a listing schedule for Bingxin?"

Fang Zhuo pondered and said: "Bingxin is short of money, but, well, even if there is an opportunity to go public, it has to be suppressed."

Yu Hong was puzzled: "Why?"

Fang Zhuo did not answer. He had a time point in his mind around 2008. By then, if the ice core could develop to a certain scale, it might attract the attention of the United States, and the financial crisis would become a good opportunity for continued development.

Before that, it was better for the ice core to develop in a low-key manner.

The dinner was very enjoyable. Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong had a lot of exchanges about company matters. Dinner alone was like a small company meeting specially held by Yike. One time, the president was talking incessantly, and the other time, the director was eloquent.

Finally, Yu Hong drove Fang Zhuo back to the hotel.

Fang Zhuo remembered something: "Mr. Yu, Xiao Yu, I asked you before if you have considered transferring back to China, but you never gave me an answer."

"Are you asking from the perspective of the chairman or as a friend today?" Yu Hong said without looking back.

Fang Zhuo asked curiously: "What's the difference?"

"For the former, I have to consider whether you want the cunning rabbit to die and the lackey to be cooked, or whether you want to exclude me." Yu Hong said calmly, "For the latter, you can speak your mind."

Fang Zhuo thought for a while: "I am talking to you from the perspective of the most solid partner who works side by side."

"That's what you are like." Yu Hong shook her head slightly, "Forget it, I haven't thought about it yet. It will take a while. The sales volume of the company's products has grown very well this year. Don't change managers at this time."

"Okay, okay, Yu Shuai, are you interested in watching a basketball game together tomorrow? I want to see Dayao's expression when he sees his new boss." Fang Zhuo did not continue the discussion and changed the topic to a lighter topic.

"Don't dare to refuse the boss's invitation." Yu Hong raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, let's go to a game tomorrow night and accompany me to meet Stringer the day after tomorrow." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "Stringer is a good friend of our Yi Ke. It is necessary to meet and chat again."

Yu Hong keenly heard the cunning and cleverness mixed in the boss's mouth. She slowed down and gave him a questioning look.

During the meal, Fang Zhuo resisted not mentioning Stringer's invitation and his thoughts on the cooperation between Sony and Bertelsmann. Only now did he talk about it with a hint of pride.

Yu Hong was stunned to hear the cause and effect.

After a long time, she slowly gave her evaluation: "Isn't Stringer inviting the wolf into the house?"

Fang Zhuo pretended to be angry: "What do you mean?"

Yu Hong said with a smile: "In Stringer's eyes, you are a very capable president of a listed company, a well-known rich man in China, a person who may also have a certain reputation in the Japanese business community and has an Eastern mindset. Maybe you are what he wants." This kind of thinking helps.”

"But in fact, you are a character who grinds his teeth to suck blood, has a heart as hard as iron, and is ruthless in his methods. You are trying to steal benefits for yourself without knowing it."

Fang Zhuo pursed his lips: "It's too much. What you said makes me scared of myself."

Yu Hong glanced at her with an unclear look: "It's okay, I like this kind of boss, and we all like Mr. Fang."

She still said in a funny tone: "Sony invited you over. Didn't you put a big plate of meat in front of you and wait to choose?"

"No, he's just a foreign director, non-executive director, and independent director. It's not that easy to eat meat. It takes some effort." Fang Zhuo loosened his seat belt when he saw that he was about to reach his destination.

"Give you a fulcrum and you can move the earth." Yu Hong quoted a famous saying.

Fang Zhuo felt that his capable subordinate was complaining about him, so he modified the sentence: "Give us a fulcrum, and we will move the earth together."

"Okay, you must tell me your plans for this later. Well, see you tomorrow, Mr. Fang." Yu Hong said with a smile.

"Why don't you go up and have a drink?" Fang Zhuo said politely.

"Hypocritical." Yu Hong glanced sideways.

Fang Zhuo, who was really not hypocritical, got out of the car quickly.

Sometimes, he would also miss the way Xiao Yu looked astride a motorcycle. She was so heroic back then, but now, even if her sharpness is restrained, it's a bit irritating.

April 10th, half day meeting and half day practice.

After practicing basketball moves for several days, I finally have the ability to dribble with my hips.

That night, Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong sat in the front row of Madison Garden in New York to watch the game between the Rockets and the Knicks.

As of today, the Rockets are ranked seventh in the Western Conference. Even if there is not much time left at the end of the regular season, they are still consolidating their spot in the playoffs.

As Yao Ming said that night, the Rockets obviously do not have the strength to win the championship. Even if Fang Zhuo's goal in front of the media is the Western Conference Finals, it will be quite difficult.

The opponents in the Western Conference playoffs are the Lakers with Kobe and O'Neal, the Spurs with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, and the Kings with Peja and Webber and many other strong teams.

Yao Ming From the perspective of the players playing against each other, the Rockets really have little hope this year.

Therefore, when he saw Fang Zhuo for the first time after learning about the team's change of ownership, he really didn't know what expression to give. What should Mr. Fang say to him?

"Dayao, come on."

Fang Zhuo was sitting in the front row, relaxed and just enjoying the basketball game and cheering for the Oriental Giants.

"The way he looked at you made me laugh to death." Yu Hong noticed Yao Ming's complicated eyes and couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, he will understand me." Fang Zhuo felt a little resentful.

The game at night was intense.

However, during the halftime break, the stadium held a "Kiss Cam" session as usual, which made Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong, who were included in the camera, a little embarrassed.

Kiss Cam is an interactive game for the audience after the game. When the big screen on the scene is aimed at the fans in the audience, the two people sitting next to each other will kiss each other.

Fang Zhuo was originally chatting with Yu Hong about the situation of the second half of the game. Suddenly, he felt that the people next to him were looking over here, and he immediately saw the handsome man and beautiful woman on the big screen.

Oh, this...

Yu Hong soon noticed the big screen.

The two looked at each other and then looked away awkwardly.

However, the camera on the court did not move away, still stubbornly aiming at the Rockets' prospective new owner.

There were sporadic noises of foreigners in the back.

"Kiss!"

"Kiss!!"

Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong looked at each other again, and their expressions were a little subtle.

Or, do as the Romans do?

Instead of kissing the lips, kiss the cheek.

Fang Zhuo suddenly felt a little eager.

At this time, Yao Ming, who came out of the player tunnel, saw the two people in embarrassment.

He strode forward with understanding, using his broad back to cover the court camera, and rescued his two compatriots.

Fang Zhuo looked up at Dayao.

Dayao looked down at his boss.

The figure of the Eastern giant gave people a huge sense of security like the Great Wall.

"Dayao, come on, I will go to watch every game you play later." Fang Zhuo cheered expressionlessly.

Yao Ming nodded: "Do your best, Mr. Fang."

"When you are free... communicate and play games when you are free." Fang Zhuo knew that Dayao liked to play games.

Yao Ming grinned, saw that the big screen had changed its target, waved his sleeves, and left without a cloud.

Fang Zhuo watched the giant leave, and said faintly: "Xiao Yu, you know, I will definitely trade Francis."

Yu Hong frowned: "Do you also think it is difficult for him to maintain his current strength as a Western All-Star guard?"

"No, I want to take revenge on Dayao." Fang Zhuo said lightly.

Yu Hong's heart skipped a beat, and two seconds later she asked calmly, "Who can you trade him for? I really think you'll be labeled a stupid boss for a long time."

"I won't tell you, but I'll have to wait and see. It's almost the playoffs, so I'm sure he won't move." Fang Zhuo saw the current Rockets coach, Van Gundy, coming over to greet him.

He got up and chatted with him, planning to change the coach next season.

Although a considerable part of the purpose is to build a reputation, pass the approval and attract fund clients, it's really a good experience to plan the team according to your own wishes.

The second half of the game was still tense.

Fang Zhuo was watching the game, thinking about a serious question, what was Xiao Yu thinking at that moment?

To kiss or not to kiss, that is the question.