Basketball Terminal

Chapter 27 Parking
Li Wei first circled the pearl-white Lexus. He had seen it before; it was indeed Kim Mi-won's car, with a fluffy little fox tail hanging on the front of the windshield.

Li Wei had seen Jin Meiyuan drive to Hongle to discuss a deal before, and surprisingly remembered her very clearly, but he couldn't remember her license plate at all.

"Human memory is always a strange thing."

Li Wei pushed open the door to the laundromat and saw Kim Mi-won and Park In-yong talking to Chen Li-hua at the counter, presumably about a laundry order.

Upon seeing Li Wei return, Kim Mi-won was the first to stand up, trotting over in her high heels. She gently took Li Wei's arm and said, "Oppa, why are you so late? I talked with Auntie for a while, and we basically reached an agreement, but there are still some minor disagreements on the price. Could you say a few words about it?"

Chen Lihua stared wide-eyed at Jin Meiyuan and Li Wei's intimate display, wondering what their relationship was. How did things turn out like this after they got some money back last time? How did they get the money back? Could it be that she used her looks to take advantage of him, and my son suffered as a result?
While Chen Lihua was still lost in thought, Li Wei picked up the contract on the table and looked at it. It turned out that it wasn't just her "Young Beauty" shop; it had also joined forces with several other shops in the vicinity that needed laundry services. They were forming a small alliance to negotiate prices with Hong Le Laundry and bring them down.

This kind of collaborative price-cutting is quite normal; when there are many orders concentrated together, there will definitely be some discounts. But this price-cutting is too drastic, a direct 40% discount, cutting it by more than half. Of course, the total contract amount is expected to be tens of thousands of dollars, involving the cleaning and care of some high-end clothing, which has a high unit price and good profit margin in cleaning and care.

Li Wei knew the shop had been struggling with business lately; the economy was slowly recovering, but it would take time. This order had a trap, but it was also very tempting. If it were Li Manshun, a flirtatious wink from Jin Meiyuan would have been enough to make him sign without thinking. Chen Lihua, however, was more cautious. She also wanted to sign, but hesitated, saying she wanted to wait until her son came back.

In Chen Lihua's mind now, her eldest son, Li Wei, is someone who can handle things and is someone she can consult on important matters.

Looking at the ridiculously high discount per unit and the decent total order volume, Li Wei felt there was still room for negotiation, but not now. He was too tired today, and fatigue impairs judgment. He returned the contract to Jin Meiyuan, saying, "It's too late today. With only the price and total amount, I can't really judge whether the business is truly stable or whether the expected amount can be achieved. In short, we need to learn more."

Kim Mi-won shook Lee Wei's arm and said, "Oh, Oppa, I finally managed to get everyone together these past few days to do a big deal for your family, making our cooperation more solid and giving you a new customer. The current environment is tough, so we should all help each other out, don't you think?"

What he said made a lot of sense, but at times like these, the more reasonable something is, the less you should believe it. Li Wei insisted, "It's too late, let's talk tomorrow. Come to the shop at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Drive, and only you are allowed to come. We'll have a proper talk."

Li Wei's words carried a hint of ambiguity. Kim Mi-won gently rubbed against Li Wei's leg, her big, fluttering eyes darting around, and bit her lip as she said, "Since Oppa wants to talk to me alone, I'll come back tomorrow."

The two left the shop. Li Wei sighed and prepared to go upstairs to rest. Chen Lihua stopped him and asked, "You and that woman..."

"It's just business, a bit of an act. Tomorrow, while we're at it, let's collect the biggest debt the store owes us. That should ease your stress a lot, right?"

"Where did you go today? You look exhausted."

"Go to work, Mom. Going to work is tiring."

"You know how tiring it is to work, right? It's good to be tired, so you'll know how tough life is!"

Back in the attic room, Li Yue hadn't returned yet; he was probably out hanging out with his classmates somewhere.

Following the instructions, Li Wei administered the medication to himself, then lay down on the bed, scrolling through his phone and reading the news. His WeChat and Instagram accounts were still flooded with messages and chat messages, most of which Li Wei ignored.

His life is now focused and fulfilling, and he has little interest in online chatting or flirting. Text-based chatting is inherently an inefficient, time-consuming, and ultimately unproductive form of communication.

You spend the whole day chatting on your phone with someone you're interested in, until your eyes and fingers are sore, you can't concentrate on anything else, and you're constantly looking at your phone waiting for messages, but you don't actually get anything out of the conversation.

If you ever have the chance to meet in person, you'll find that all the online flirting was a waste of time, and your relationship is practically nonexistent. If you don't meet in person and just chat casually online, your enthusiasm will quickly run out. A few or even a dozen meaningless sentences a day will ultimately prove to be a waste of time.

Therefore, Li Wei doesn't waste time making ordinary friends online. Only when real-life friends send him messages online do they chat for a few minutes as a way to spice up their relationship.

Kim Mi-won sent a message asking, "Oppa, what should we do when we meet tomorrow?"

Li Wei didn't mince words and replied, "Of course we'll do what we love."

Kim Mi-won replied with an emoji, then said, "The price of the order can be slightly higher, but it really can't be any higher."

Li Wei replied, "That depends on your performance."

Kim Mi-won then sent some more flirtatious and suggestive messages, but Li Wei pretended not to see them. Li Wei figured that Kim Mi-won was probably trying to make some money off this hair care order, and might have even pulled some kind of double contract with other business partners. She was buying at a high price from one supplier and then offering Hong Le a lower price for her services.

Don't let Hong Le's small size and unassuming storefront fool you; it has an excellent reputation. Many high-end garments can only be cleaned and cared for here. Hong Le used to be a specialized hand-washing shop, dedicated to high-end goods, and was highly regarded in the industry. Otherwise, Chen Lihua and her husband wouldn't have bought the shop at such a high price, as it brought in considerable income the year before the pandemic.

The shop originally employed two people, but they were both laid off during the virus outbreak. Everyone was struggling to make ends meet. Li Wei had been helping out at the shop since graduating.

In the past, Li Wei may have seemed dull and timid, but such people are often very meticulous and keep many things in mind. He often dared to think but not to act. Now, Li Wei is the complete opposite. He dares to think and dares to act. "I've already died once, what am I afraid of?"

Jin Meiyuan isn't the first, nor will she be the last, to try and profit from the middleman's markup. Li Wei decided to show Jin Meiyuan tomorrow what happens when you try to double-dividend as a middleman; being a middleman isn't easy.

Just as Li Wei was drifting off to sleep, his phone lit up again, showing that someone had followed his social media account.

He receives many such reminders every day, but he mostly ignores them. He glanced at this one, but didn't take it seriously, put down his phone, and prepared to go to sleep.

After a while, Li Wei suddenly opened his eyes and felt that this ID seemed unusual; it was called easymoneysniper.

Li Wei paused for a moment, feeling like he'd seen the account name somewhere before. It was a nickname, literally meaning "a sniper killer who makes money easily," but actually referring to a super scorer on the court who scores with ease.

"I remember now, this looks like Kevin Durant's ID, could it be him?"

Li Wei quickly opened his phone to check, and in the new fan list, he was surprised to find easymoneysniper.

Upon opening his profile, it was revealed that he had over 1000 million followers, and the entire profile was filled with Kevin Durant's updates. It was indeed Durant's social media account, and he had actually found and followed Li Wei.

"Holy crap, why isn't he using a smurf account?"

Kevin Durant is one of the few stars in the league, or even in society as a whole, who manages his own social media accounts and frequently engages in online debates with fans.

Most celebrities either need to maintain their public image or are simply too busy. Their so-called personal social media accounts are often managed by professionals who post daily updates, engage in some interaction, and deceive unsuspecting fans.

Especially now that the online environment is becoming increasingly complex, the days when celebrities and the public would revel together online in the early days of the internet are long gone, and celebrity accounts have become meticulously crafted clay sculptures.

Durant, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. He not only uses his main account to interact with fans and other players, but sometimes when he gets impatient, he will also use a secondary account to argue with fans, exchanging heated words with them online.

Some say this is a loser's attitude, while others think it's about not forgetting his roots, not putting on airs since he hasn't become a star, still seeing himself as a basketball player who fights when he doesn't like someone, without always considering commercial impact or the potential collapse of his public image. This is his persona; he is who he is, good or bad, it's all there.

Li Wei admired Durant's straightforward personality. Since Durant was paying attention to him, Li Wei sent him a private message, asking, "How was your day, bro?" After sending the message, he was about to go to sleep when, to his surprise, Durant replied a little while later, saying, "The first half was tied. It felt so-so. The interior defense was a pile of crap."

The Nets are playing tonight, traveling to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers. At halftime, the score is tied. It's halftime now, and this guy is actually playing on his phone and replying to messages.

Li Wei was no longer sleepy, so he decided to turn on the live stream to watch the Nets vs. Cavaliers game and see how the second half went. Kyrie Irving officially returned for this game, and with the backcourt Big Three combined, they should have easily crushed the Cavaliers.

As Durant pointed out, the Nets' interior defense was terrible. Despite their offensive firepower, the Cavaliers found it too easy to score inside, with Sexton repeatedly penetrating the defense for baskets. Former Nets players Prince and Allen also performed exceptionally well, scoring repeatedly inside and neutralizing the offensive advantage of the Durant-Harden-Irving trio.

As the game went into overtime, Durant and Harden began to show signs of fatigue, having to contest many possessions in the paint, which took a toll on their stamina. Ultimately, the Cavaliers, with superior stamina in overtime, went on a 20-8 run, overwhelming the exhausted Nets and handing them a loss.

Seeing the Nets use a lineup of Harden, Durant, Green, Harris, and Irving for most of the game, with Durant playing center and Harden occasionally guarding the opponent's heavy interior players, Li Wei shook his head, saying that this lineup was too cruel and inhumane.

Head coach Steve Nash was Li Wei's idol during his playing days, so why is he so rigid in his lineup and tactics now that he's coaching? Of course, in Li Wei's view, Nash's rigidity might not be a bad thing for him. One day, the Nets will really need a player like him.

Li Wei was so tired after watching the game that he fell asleep on his phone, sleeping soundly. When he was woken by his alarm the next morning, he got up and moved around a bit, finding that he didn't feel much soreness or fatigue; in fact, he felt a surge of energy flowing through his body. It seemed Luo Ping's medicine wasn't fake; although expensive, it was indeed effective.

Otherwise, with yesterday's intense training, he'd be exhausted by the next day's training and would definitely need a day to recover. But professional teams, especially in the G League, don't have time to wait for recovery. The coach said it all: we need to be fast, even faster.

Like a wound-up toy, Li Wei got everything ready and headed out again to the Yes We Can Community Center. The training session was similar to yesterday, but today Brett reduced running and increased tactical drills to improve player cohesion.

Halfway through training, it started raining heavily outside, and drizzling inside the training center. The basketball court roof was even leaking. Training had to be suspended again. Brett organized everyone to bring ladders and tools to temporarily repair the roof and make do for now.

And so, the second day's training was intermittent again, failing to fully achieve the results Brett had requested. He could only console himself that the other teams were probably not doing much better, and he should just do his best.

After finishing his training session today, Li Wei didn't do any extra practice and went straight back to Hong Le. Sure enough, the pearl-white Lexus with the fox tail decoration was parked at the door.

When Kim Mi-won saw Lee Wei return, she got out of the car. Today, she specially wore a pair of Christian Louboutin red-soled black high heels, paired with finely woven light black silken mist stockings. The length of her skirt reached above the knee, showing off her slender and beautiful figure.

"Oppa~ You seem to be a little late~"

"Enough talk, get in the car, drive me to Roosevelt Avenue."

With that, Li Wei pulled open the passenger seat, tossed the canvas bag into the back seat, moved the chair all the way back, and squeezed himself in. This Lexus sedan, being a comfort model, had quite a bit of interior space, unlike some SUVs that have a large exterior but a small interior.

"Hey! Aren't we supposed to be talking about business? Why... why am I supposed to become your driver?"

"The prerequisite for discussing business is that you become my driver first. I'm going to collect a debt. Hurry up, or I'll have made a wasted trip if he's not here. Hurry up."

"Ugh..." Kim Mi-won could only sit back in the driver's seat. She deliberately pulled her skirt up a bit, revealing more of her shapely, straight thighs. Li Wei didn't stand on ceremony. "If you're willing to show off, I'm willing to look," he said, his direct gaze making Kim Mi-won's heart flutter.

The rigorous training of the past two days had intensified Li Wei's hormones, making him even more muscular and robust. His previously somewhat naive demeanor had transformed into a refined and shrewd presence, exuding a captivating sharpness. This was hard for Jin Meiyuan to resist, so when Li Wei asked her to come today, she obediently arrived and even waited an extra 20 minutes.

He was initially furious, but seeing Li Wei calmed him down, and he drove as she asked.

When they reached Roosevelt Avenue, they turned into a Vietnamese community. Li Wei told Jin Meiyuan to find a place to park the car and stay in it, saying he would be right back.

Kim Mi-won said with concern, "Hey, be careful!"

Li Wei opened his backpack and showed it to everyone, saying, "I have this."

"This must be fake! Why don't I go with you? I'm worried about you."

“You’ll only make things worse if you go. Just wait here for me. If I don’t come out in fifteen minutes, you can call the police.”

With that, Li Wei closed the car door, slung his bag over his shoulder, and entered the Vietnamese community. Watching Li Wei's retreating figure, Jin Meiyuan felt a genuine sense of worry. She checked her phone, wondering if she should call the police if he didn't come out in fifteen minutes.

This area is mainly comprised of massage parlors and foot massage parlors run by Vietnamese people, as well as some hairdressers and bathhouses, all of which require laundry services. Li Wei came here to collect debts. However, Vietnamese people are known for their aggressiveness, and Kim Mi-won was genuinely worried about Li Wei.

Thirteen minutes, fourteen minutes, and almost fifteen minutes had passed. Jin Meiyuan couldn't sit still any longer. Afraid that calling the police wouldn't do any good, she decided to get out of the car to check the situation. But as soon as she got out, Li Wei appeared running up, holding an envelope in his hand.

"Hey, can't wait any longer? Are you scared and want to run away by yourself?"

"You damn bastard, I was worried you'd get out of the car to check on me, so I drove off!"

“It’s alright now. I’m getting all of this order worth over ten thousand yuan back. There was this middleman who was making a killing on both sides. He would buy dirty and damaged clothes and towels at a high price and then send them to us for washing and mending at a low price. He made a lot of money by going back and forth between us. In the end, he still owed us money and wouldn’t pay it back. I knocked out half of his teeth and got the money I was owed back.”

Li Wei showed a tooth mark on his hand, but Jin Meiyuan snorted and said with dissatisfaction, "You don't think I'm a middleman trying to cut your profits, do you? I'm offering fair and just prices! If you're not satisfied, we can talk. Don't try to scare me, you brat!"

Li Wei didn't argue with Kim Mi-won. Instead, he got into the driver's seat, gestured for Kim Mi-won to get in the car, and said, "I'll take you for a drive and then treat you to something to eat as a thank you for being my driver."

Kim Mi-won, unaware that Lee Wei did not have a driver's license, sat in the passenger seat and turned her head away, looking angry.

She was indeed a little angry. It wasn't that she didn't want the middleman to make a profit; she did have that thought. But she also had another thought: she wanted to see Li Wei. Li Wei didn't seem to notice, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

Li Wei drove carefully, heading south towards Kenneth Airport, where the roads were wide and there were few cars, making it less likely to encounter the police.

Kim Mi-won turned her head away to look out the window, her long legs crossed, her body facing outwards, but her buttocks towards the center console. In a less crowded area, Li Wei slowly reached out and gently stroked Kim Mi-won's legs, his fingers feeling the fine, rough texture of the stockings and the slight warmth of her skin.

Kim Mi-won turned around as if electrocuted, her face flushed red all the way to her neck, her previously fierce eyes now watery. Meanwhile, Li Wei continued driving, his hands moving faster and faster, his caresses expanding, even giving her a light pinch, completely oblivious to the complex emotions swirling in Kim Mi-won's eyes and her fluctuating breathing.

"Stop the car, Victor, stop the car."

"What, you're getting off? It's not a good place to get back."

"No, I mean, you need to find somewhere to stop, I..."

As she spoke, Kim Mi-won unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned under the steering wheel, and unzipped Lee Wei's pants...

(End of this chapter)