Awkward Moments and Warmth

Step into Oracle Arena.

Nelson Sr. was inside along with general manager Chris Mullin and some staff. Seeing Lian Dao's arrival, Old Nelson stood up to greet him, and Lian Dao hurried forward, feeling a little flattered.

Seeing Old Nelson's outstretched hand, Lian Dao moved quickly to shake it. Old Nelson's appearance hadn't changed much from when he was a player, except that his hair had turned from black to white due to age, and his body had become a bit bloated.

"Sickle, thank you for accepting my invitation," Old Nelson said with a smile.

"I have also admired you for a long time, and your run-and-gun tactics have been an inspiration to us," Lian Dao replied, smiling as well.

He then greeted general manager Chris Mullin. After some pleasantries, they moved on to the trial training session.

Watching Lian Dao's performance on the court, Old Nelson was deeply impressed. "This kid's progress is really amazing. Chris, we need to trade up. Did you say that New York wants our star players?" Old Nelson asked Chris.

Chris nodded. When discussing with Donnie Walsh, the general manager of the New York Knicks, it was mentioned that they wouldn't consider a trade unless the Warriors offered star players Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson for the No. 1 pick.

Old Nelson was aware of this situation. "Chris, we can offer one of Monta Ellis or Stephen Jackson, plus some players or draft picks," Old Nelson pondered aloud.

"Don, Monta is our core player, and he averaged 19 points per game this season," Chris said, though he was also impressed by Lian Dao's talent.

"Chris, Monta isn't suitable as the team's core, but Sickle is a player who can become the cornerstone of the franchise. While we might be at a disadvantage in the short term, once Sickle realizes his potential, he'll be a superstar on par with Kobe and LeBron. Monta will never reach that level in his lifetime. Do you understand, Chris?" Old Nelson explained passionately.

"Oh, this... it's crazy!" Chris was deeply moved by Old Nelson's conviction.

In fact, Chris was also somewhat won over by Lian Dao's performance, but there was still a barrier in his heart that needed to be overcome. Old Nelson's words broke through that barrier completely.

"Okay, I hope your choice is correct. Otherwise, Don, we'll both be out of here and become the laughingstock of the entire league!" Chris finally made up his mind.

While they were talking, Lian Dao's trial training concluded. Old Nelson, being considerate, invited Lian Dao to dinner and chose a Chinese restaurant.

San Francisco has a significant Chinese population, being the destination of the first wave of Chinese gold diggers. Chinese-dominated Asians make up about 20.8% of the Bay Area's population, and San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest in the West, rivaling New York in size and tourist attractions.

Therefore, there is no shortage of Chinese restaurants in the area. However, the taste...

Even Lian Dao, a native Chinese, couldn't understand some of the dish names when he first arrived. He still remembers being puzzled when he saw the dish called "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." It wasn't until the food was served that he realized it was "husband and wife lung slices."

During the meal, Old Nelson assured Lian Dao that the Warriors would do their best to trade up. Lian Dao could see Old Nelson's sincerity in this promise.

After dinner, Lian Dao and his younger sister returned to their villa in Atherton. Lian Dao lay on the sofa, staring vacantly at the ceiling.

"Do you want to stay in Oakland?" Guo Yuwei asked, gently placing Lian Dao's head on her lap and massaging his temples.

"Well... I don't know, but staying here wouldn't be so bad. At least you wouldn't have to move," Lian Dao replied, closing his eyes and enjoying the massage. The elegant fragrance emanating from Guo Yuwei filled his senses, and he took a few deep breaths, savoring the scent.

His warm breath brushed against Guo Yuwei's smooth, jade-like thigh, sending an unexpected shiver through her body. Her face flushed, and two blushes appeared on her cheeks.

"Senior sister, why is your face so red?" Lian Dao asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah...well, maybe it's too hot. I'll go wash up first." She gently lifted his head from her lap and quickly got up, trying to leave.

When she got up, Guo Yuwei's legs wobbled, either from standing too quickly or from a lingering weakness. She staggered slightly, and Lian Dao instinctively reached out to steady her by her slender waist.

His hand brushed against the bare skin of her waist, exposed by her shirt riding up, and the contact sent a shiver through Guo Yuwei's body. She quickly moved away from his touch and hurried to the bedroom.

Lian Dao couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her unsteady steps.

He had done it on purpose.

Guo Yuwei had two physical weaknesses—her smooth, jade-like thighs and her delicate waist. These spots were like switches for her body. When they were younger, practicing martial arts with their master, Lian Dao would accidentally brush against these areas, and Guo Yuwei would always blush. Back then, Lian Dao hadn't understood why, but now he did.

The next day, Guo Yuwei, who had calmed down, realized that Lian Dao had done it on purpose the day before.

This made her feel both embarrassed and angry.

So, early in the morning, she kicked open Lian Dao's door, grabbed his ear, and dragged him out of bed.

To her surprise, Lian Dao was sleeping naked.

Guo Yuwei blushed immediately, let go of his ear, and rushed out of the room.

"Hehehe, I knew you'd do this," Lian Dao chuckled as he leisurely got dressed. He had anticipated that his senior sister would react this way.

It wasn't that Lian Dao deliberately slept without clothes; he had simply never worn clothes to bed since he was a child and hadn't bothered to lock the door.

However, he underestimated his senior sister's temper and hadn't expected her to drag him out of bed.

Once dressed, Lian Dao found Guo Yuwei sulking on the sofa.

As he got closer, he noticed her sitting there, tears glistening in her eyes.

Seeing her like this made Lian Dao's heart ache.

"Lian Dao, Lian Dao, you really are heartless," he thought to himself, feeling guilty and wishing he could punch himself.

"I'm sorry, senior sister. I was just joking, and I didn't mean for it to turn out like this..." Lian Dao apologized repeatedly.

He tried various ways to cheer her up, and eventually, through some uneven compromises, she began to smile through her tears.

One of those compromises was agreeing to go on a shopping spree together!