NBA: This center is incredibly strong.

The following day, at the Magic's temporary training facility.

They didn't have a match today and were doing their daily training as arranged by the coaching staff.

After the training session, Chen Yan received a call from Pelinka, informing him that the two tasks he had assigned had been completed, and he was very satisfied with Pelinka's efficiency.

After a day of rest, the Magic faced their final opponent in the Summer League, the Pacers.

Chen Yan continued to dominate the paint in this game, delivering outstanding performances on both offense and defense, leading the Magic to victory.

Because Chen Yan's dunk from the free-throw line in the previous game had become a local sensation, the number of spectators attending this game was even greater than in the previous game, and he once again garnered 996 emotional points.

六场比赛打完，陈岩场均能够得到14.5分7.5篮板1.5助攻1.0抢断2.0盖帽，这个数据只能算是普普通通。

If he hadn't been so lackluster in the previous four games, his performance would definitely have been a highlight of the Summer League.

After the Summer League came to an end, Chen Yan did not rush to take a vacation, but immediately devoted himself to a month-long off-season training.

.....

Chinatown in Los Angeles.

After a long day of work, Chen Yan's second uncle, Chen Guoqiang, dragged his tired body home.

"You're back?" Aunt Lin Meifang's voice came from the living room, neither warm nor cold.

"Hmm. Still not asleep so late?" Chen Guoqiang changed his shoes and sat down on the sofa.

"Can you sleep? The rent and utilities are due this month, and we also need to prepare for our son's tuition." Lin Meifang frowned as she looked at the pile of bills spread out on the coffee table in front of her.

"I know," Uncle said in a low voice.

"What's the use of knowing?" Lin Meifang's voice suddenly rose an octave. "You only earn a few dollars a month at the restaurant. After paying all these fees, you won't even have enough left for food, let alone..."

"That's enough." Uncle frowned.

"Enough what? Enough?" Lin Meifang slammed the bill on the coffee table. "Have you even calculated it? We're spending more than we earn every month, our savings are dwindling, and if this continues, how are we going to survive!"

"I've said enough," Uncle said, his voice not loud, but his tone hardening.

Lin Meifang was taken aback for a moment, then sneered, "Fine, you're going to be fierce with me. What's the use of being fierce with me? If you're so capable, go and talk to that little brat."

Uncle's brows furrowed even more: "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean?" Lin Meifang sat up straight, venting her pent-up resentment. "You went through so much trouble to bring him from Dongda University, providing him with food, clothes, basketball, and training. What did I say back then? I said we didn't have money, and you said it was okay, just take another job. I said your health couldn't handle it, and you said it was fine, you were used to hardship when you were young. Okay, I accepted it. And what happened?"

She spoke faster and faster, like a machine gun: "He's got it all up his sleeve. He got into the NBA, was drafted fifth overall, and signed a contract, right? How much was the signing bonus? A few million or tens of millions? Everyone online says rookie contracts are two or three million dollars in the first year!"

"And then?" She spread her hands, looking around the cramped living room. "And then that was it. Not a single phone call, not a single message. He's made it big, and he's forgotten all about his own uncle."

She stared at Chen Guoqiang and said, word by word, "ungrateful wretch."

These three words were like a needle, accurately piercing the most sensitive nerve of my second uncle.

"What did you say?" His voice was filled with anger.

"So what if I called him an ingrate?" Lin Meifang retorted without backing down. "Was I wrong? Put your hand on your heart and tell me, from childhood to adulthood, how much money have you spent on him, how much have you worried about him? What kind of life have you lived? And now that he's successful, you haven't even uttered a peep..."

"Shut up!" Uncle Er suddenly stood up, interrupting Aunt Er's complaints.

Lin Meifang was startled by his sudden outburst of anger and shrank back, but she refused to admit defeat: "Why...why are you yelling at me? What I said wasn't true?"

My second uncle took a deep breath, his voice a little hoarse: "The truth is, when I decided to bring him here, you agreed. You said the child was pitiful and we couldn't abandon him. Fine, I appreciated that. But what happened after that? After that, you nagged me about every penny we spent, and you calculated every single tuition payment. Did you think he couldn't hear you? He heard everything!"

Lin Meifang's expression changed, and her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

Uncle's voice lowered, tinged with guilt: "The truth is, during Ayan's high school years, every time you complained about 'spending money again,' he would lower his head and remain silent. You think he didn't care? He remembered it more than anyone else. Why did he skip the NCAA and go straight to the draft? You think he didn't want to go to college? He was afraid of spending the family's money again!"

His eyes welled up with tears when he uttered his last words.

Lin Meifang turned her face away, her voice lowered, but she was still unconvinced: "Well... he can't just stay silent like that. He could at least make a phone call, right? Let him know we're safe, right? Has he even thought about how we're doing at home?"

"He just entered the NBA, he must be very busy." The second uncle knew his nephew's nature and would never be ungrateful; he must have been delayed by something.

"Alright, alright, you're always making excuses for him." Lin Meifang interrupted him, but her tone had softened considerably. "Anyway... anyway, in your eyes I'm just a bad person. Only your Chen family is close, and I'm just an outsider."

"I didn't say that."

"That's what you really think," she muttered, pulling the blanket over herself and reaching for the remote to turn off the TV.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Both of them were taken aback at the same time.

My second uncle glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past midnight.

Who would come at this time?

"I'll go take a look." He stood up, walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole.

A white man in a suit stood outside the door, his hair neatly combed, holding a briefcase.

My second uncle hesitated for a moment before opening the door.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Chen Guoqiang?" the white man asked.

"Yes, I am." He straightened his back instinctively.

"Good evening, sir. My name is Thomas Kane, and I am the legal representative of Robert Pelinka Sports Management Company. I am here on behalf of Mr. Pelinka and also on behalf of Mr. Chen Yan to deliver a document to you."

"Ayan?" Second Uncle was taken aback.

"Yes." Kane took a neatly bound document from his briefcase and handed it over with both hands. "This is a commercial property transfer document concerning the ownership of the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant in Los Angeles' Chinatown."

Uncle was stunned.

Kane continued, "Mr. Chen Yan, through his brokerage team, has completed all the transaction procedures with the original owner of the restaurant. From today onwards, the ownership of this restaurant officially belongs to you. All payments have been settled, and taxes, registration fees, and related legal expenses have also been processed. You only need to sign here to confirm receipt."

He pointed to the signature section on the last page of the document.

My second uncle didn't look at that document.

He stood at the doorway, his hand on the doorframe, as if frozen in place.

"Mr. Chen?" Kane called out cautiously.

"You mean... Ayan bought it?" Uncle's voice was a little hoarse.

"Yes, Mr. Chen Yan specifically instructed that the restaurant be handed over to you personally." Kane paused, "He also asked us to pass on a message to you."

"What did you say?"

Kane cleared his throat and repeated, word by word, "Second Uncle, this restaurant is yours from now on. Don't work for anyone else anymore."

The lights in the corridor were voice-activated; because no one was speaking, they went out for a moment and then came back on.

My second uncle lowered his head and looked at the document.

He couldn't quite understand the densely packed English clauses on the paper, but he recognized the photo of the restaurant at the top of the property transfer document—it was the kitchen where he had worked for ten years.

"Mr. Chen?" Kane called out again.

"Yes," my second uncle responded, raising his head. His eyes were terribly red, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly, as if he wanted to laugh but couldn't. "I...where should I sign?"

Kane turned to the last page and pointed to the signature section.

My second uncle took the pen from me, his hand trembling violently. When he put pen to paper, the nib paused twice on the paper before he shakily wrote his name.

After signing, he handed the pen back, sniffed, and said, "Um...please thank Ayan for me. Tell him...tell him..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, but ultimately just waved his hand and said, "Just say you received it."

"I will definitely pass it on." Kane smiled and nodded, then took out a business card and handed it over. "This is my contact information. If there are any legal or procedural issues later, please feel free to contact me. Congratulations again, Mr. Chen."

Kane took his leave, his footsteps gradually fading into the corridor.

My second uncle held the file bag in his hand, looked down at it for a while, and then turned around and went back into the house.

In the living room, Lin Meifang had already stood up from the sofa, her eyes fixed on the file bag in his hand.

She had overheard bits and pieces of the conversation at the door, and her expression was now extremely complex—shock, embarrassment, guilt, and a hint of barely concealed surprise. These mixed emotions gave her a subtle, unnatural look at the corners of her mouth.

"Um..." She cleared her throat, her voice eight octaves lower than before, "Did Ayan send it?"

My second uncle didn't say anything, but took the property transfer document out of the file bag and placed it on the coffee table.

Facts speak louder than words.

Lin Meifang leaned closer and peeked at the contents of the document.

"Um..." She rubbed her hands together, her voice becoming soft and gentle, "Ah Yan, really... why is he spending this money? It's such a big spender..."

She glanced at Chen Guoqiang furtively, and seeing that he didn't seem inclined to respond, she continued, "I knew it! Ayan has always been a kind person, not the kind who forgets kindness. Look at him when he was little, he always put food on your plate first at meals, how considerate he was..."

My second uncle leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

Lin Meifang's voice grew softer and softer until she finally stopped talking, looking embarrassed.

The room was quiet for about ten seconds.

"I'm exhausted after a long day, my feet hurt, go get me a basin of water." With his nephew backing him up, the second uncle spoke with more confidence.

"Oh," Lin Meifang replied. She felt guilty and, in order to ease the tension, let the old man do whatever he wanted.

She turned and walked toward the kitchen, then suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "What I said just now... was a bit harsh."

My second uncle said with some guilt, "I know. You've also been worried about this family. You've worked hard all these years."

Lin Meifang's eyes suddenly reddened. She wiped them haphazardly with her sleeve, muttered "I'll go get you some hot water," and hurriedly headed towards the kitchen.

Chen Yan, far away in Orlando, was unaware that his unintentional act had resolved a family conflict.