Stepping out of the office, Yang Shuai was in extraordinarily high spirits.
Unlike West, who had only handed him a business card, Ferry had verbally extended an invitation to join the Cavaliers—and directly in the general manager's office!
In the NBA, the scouting department was just one of many divisions under the general manager. Starting out in the front office itself offered a vastly higher launchpad than beginning as a scout.
Besides, with West's card already in his pocket, he hadn't merely knocked open the door to the NBA; he actually had room to choose.
Emerging into the main room, he saw a crowd gathered around Stephen Curry and Dell Curry in celebration. He walked over to the bar, ordered a glass of whiskey, and found a quiet corner to sit down.
His purpose for attending tonight had already been fulfilled. All that was left was to wait until Curry was done celebrating, say goodbye to Dell Curry, and take his leave.
He hadn't been sitting long, however, when a stunning, curvy woman in a dress slipped into the seat across from him. Her long, shapely legs crossed beneath the small round table, coming to rest right beside his feet.
Yang Shuai's gaze traced upward along those slender legs, took in her prominent curves, and finally settled on an oval face framed by striking blonde hair and vivid blue eyes.
He had to admit, Western women in their prime were truly eye-catching.
Moreover, she had a pair of exceptionally striking blue eyes—the kind of look Yang Shuai had only ever seen on American television shows in his past life.
"AnnaLynne McCord." The woman was warm and forward, smiling as she extended her hand.
"Hanson." Yang Shuai was in a great mood, so he reached out and shook her hand.
"Are you a scout?"
"What makes you think that?" Yang Shuai was surprised. Had she heard of him too, just like Jerry West?
"You look like the kind of person who pulls the strings behind the scenes," AnnaLynne explained with a smile.
The corner of Yang Shuai's mouth ticked upward. This woman certainly had a silver tongue.
"And I bet you're an exceptional scout," she continued, analyzing him.
"And how did you figure that out?" Now Yang Shuai was genuinely intrigued.
"Your seat. Sitting right here gives you a clear view of the entire party. If you aren't a bodyguard, you have to be a scout."
Yang Shuai finally couldn't help but chuckle. He was certain this AnnaLynne was simply buttering him up.
It wasn't surprising, really. He had arrived with the host of the party, had spent time chatting with West, and had gone upstairs with Dell Curry. It was almost impossible not to draw attention.
Still, she had a sweet way with words, so Yang Shuai indulged in some small talk.
Over the course of their conversation, he learned that AnnaLynne was a model and a recent college graduate.
For someone in her position, attending parties like this to hunt for career opportunities was standard practice.
As the conversation flowed smoothly, AnnaLynne laughed so hard her whole body swayed.
Right at that moment, however, she suddenly stiffened and sat bolt upright.
Under Yang Shuai's puzzled look, she turned her torso gingerly to the side.
Yang Shuai looked over and realized that the zipper down the back of her dress had split right down the middle. In a situation like that, the only fix was to pull it all the way down and re-zip it, but there was no way she could do that out in the open.
More importantly, she couldn't even stand up to walk away, as moving would likely cause the entire dress to fall open.
Yang Shuai acted decisively. He took off his jacket, stood up, and draped it over her shoulders.
Just as he was about to sit back down, AnnaLynne looked up at him and asked, "Could you do me a favor?"
Yang Shuai immediately caught the meaning in her eyes.
He glanced in Dell Curry's direction, saw that things over there wouldn't wrap up anytime soon, and gave a nod.
Yang Shuai walked with AnnaLynne into a nearby room and clicked the lock shut behind them.
***
Half an hour later, the two stepped out of the room.
AnnaLynne dabbed at the corner of her mouth, looking much like the woman who had walked out of Ferry's room earlier.
Yang Shuai wore a look of utter contentment.
AnnaLynne didn't just have a sweet tongue—she was extraordinarily skilled with her mouth.
More importantly, in his past life, Yang Shuai could only admire beauties like this through a screen. But now, he had stepped straight through that screen and engaged with them intimately.
It was a feeling beyond words.
However, when AnnaLynne suggested heading to a hotel to continue their private encounter, Yang Shuai politely declined. He had no desire to wake up years down the road with an unexpected child knocking on his door.
After exchanging contact info, Yang Shuai saw that Dell Curry had finished mingling, so he strolled over to join him.
***
Two days later, Wake Forest University received an official invitation from the tournament selection committee, entering March Madness as the No. 6 seed in the East Region.
In the first round, they faced the No. 11 seed, George Washington University.
George Washington lacked top-tier talent, relying instead on disciplined team basketball.
From the opening tip, Wake Forest dominated the matchup, eventually securing a decisive 75–57 blowout victory.
Having battled through the high-intensity grind of the A League all year, once they actually reached March Madness, Wake Forest's players and fans were startled to discover that the games didn't seem nearly as daunting as they had feared.
In the second round of thirty-two, however, when they clashed with the No. 3 seed, Oregon State University, the intensity immediately jumped to an entirely different level.
The engine driving Oregon State was Aaron "Black Bean" Brooks, who in history would go on to play for the Houston Rockets and capture the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.
Wake Forest had virtually no answer for him in the first half. Crucially, his Oregon State teammates were no slouches either; whenever Wake Forest threw double-teams at him, the other players capitalized on their open looks. By halftime, Wake Forest trailed by double digits.
Backed into a corner in the second half, Coach Prosser unveiled a small-ball lineup, completely shifting the game's momentum.
Thriving at a faster pace, Wake Forest's players looked vastly more comfortable. Westbrook, in particular, disrupted Brooks's rhythm by relentlessly attacking him on both ends.
Westbrook ultimately poured in a game-high 28 points, sparking Wake Forest's comeback and propelling them into the Sweet 16.
This run matched the program's best postseason mark from the Chris Paul era. One more win would propel them into the Elite Eight of the Tim Duncan era, and beyond that lay the Final Four, the pinnacle of school history.
Wake Forest's Sweet 16 opponent was the No. 2 seed, Georgetown University.
The Georgetown Hoyas were an esteemed NAA powerhouse with a legendary track record of developing elite big men—Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning had all walked through those doors, and that torch was now held by Roy Hibbert.
Alongside him, they boasted Jeff Green, considered the most gifted wing in the class of 2007 behind only Kevin Durant, as well as DaJuan Summers, a five-star recruit from the class of 2006.
In raw talent, Georgetown was overwhelming, but tactical execution proved to be the ultimate deciding factor.
Georgetown had long run the Princeton offense, a system built on constant player movement, ball circulation, and backdoor cuts—the natural foil to a transition offense.
Backed by Hibbert and Green's dominance in the half-court game, Wake Forest fought valiantly, but ultimately succumbed to an 85–71 defeat.
Though falling in the Sweet 16 ended their journey, achieving this without any major five-star recruits over the offseason was a transformative leap compared to finishing dead last in the A League the previous year.
Above all, this was only the first year of the rebuilding effort. The future looked remarkably bright.
***
Returning to the team hotel after the game, Yang Shuai showered and sat on the edge of his bed instead of sleeping right away, turning over his future in his mind.
With Wake Forest's season concluded, his NAA career was drawing to a close. It was time to consider his next destination.
Jerry West's Grizzlies were genuinely an appealing option.
If his memory served, the Grizzlies held the No. 4 overall pick this year, which was likely why West had picked his brain about the draft.
Pairing that high pick with Pau Gasol, a concerted effort could easily yield an upward trade into the top two to draft Kevin Durant.
Even if that fell through, if Westbrook declared early, wouldn't the Grizzlies be in prime position to snatch him up?
The Cavaliers were another enticing prospect, though more so from the perspective of his own career trajectory.
Reaching the NBA had been Yang Shuai's first milestone after transmigrating; his goal for the next stage was to become the general manager of an NBA franchise.
Just as during his time in the NAA, before leading a department, he could only offer recommendations to the decision-makers, which always carried the risk of being dismissed.
In the NAA, things had worked out because he had Cole. If he landed in the NBA under an arrogant, stubborn superior, even the most brilliant advice would be useless if ignored.
Only by becoming the decision-maker himself could he maximize the foresight granted by his knowledge as a transmigrator.
Starting out in the Cavaliers' front office beside the general manager offered a far straighter path toward that objective than grinding through the scouting ranks.
Furthermore, his choices were hardly limited to the Cavaliers and the Heat.
While he wasn't fully aware of the rumors swirling about him in NBA circles, he could sense from the demeanor of West and Ferry that plenty of teams were keeping tabs on him.
His next step, then, was to initiate contact with more franchises and weigh all available options.
In a sense, this was far superior to the NBA draft: the draft was a one-way street, whereas his situation was a two-way street.
Just as these thoughts crossed Yang Shuai's mind, the doorbell rang. He got out of bed, walked to the entrance, and checked through the peephole to see Westbrook standing outside. He swung the door open and waved him in.
"Still up this late?" Yang Shuai said, pouring a glass of water for him.
He assumed Westbrook was tossing and turning over the loss, but after taking the cup, Westbrook spoke with clear conflict in his voice: "Coach Prosser came to see me. He wants me to stay in school and play for another year."
Chapter 33