Do You Often Fool Others?

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"Study nerd, it seems we live pretty close to each other." Liam Gonzalez said, a bit surprised.

Seeing that her goal of getting closer to Liam had been achieved, Nate casually turned the conversation back to him:

"I haven't even completed my internship yet, so I can't compare to you. You're a famous coach in the United States… You led the Bulldogs to win two consecutive NCAA championships. Is your next step to enter the NBA?"

Liam saw Nate turn on her recorder and quickly stopped her:

"Wait a minute, I have something to say."

Nate was confused but still turned off the recorder and asked, puzzled:

"You are…?"

"Reporter Nate, I'm only 26 years old. Stop calling me 'you,' it makes me sound so old," Liam said with a smile.

Nate blinked her big eyes, wondering why Liam, such a famous coach, was being so polite to her, a small-time reporter.

"You saw Chris Cohan walking me out, right?" Liam asked.

"Yes… Are you going to coach the Warriors next season?" Nate asked, intrigued.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief. Nate's imagination was still somewhat limited. But that was understandable. He was a championship-winning coach, not some ultra-wealthy heir. No one would imagine that he could actually buy the Warriors.

After thinking for a moment, Liam said:

"I can only say you're partly right."

Nate's eyes lit up—she had guessed correctly! Liam was indeed going to become the head coach of the Warriors. He would be the first Colombian head coach in the NBA and the youngest head coach since the NBA and ABA merger!

"Wait, part? Besides being head coach, will you hold other positions with the Warriors?" Nate asked, picking up on the key detail in Liam's words.

"You could say that."

Wow! Nate cheered in her head. Liam had practically confirmed it himself. This was groundbreaking news—her ticket to becoming a full-time journalist!

"Congratulations on becoming the first Colombian head coach in the NBA! Have you already signed a contract with the Warriors? If so, can you reveal the salary?" Nate asked with a sweet smile.

She had practiced this smile in front of the mirror, copying flight attendants in videos she had watched online. Her seniors had said it worked wonders.

Liam looked at Nate, noticing her now much more excited expression. Instead of answering directly, he said sincerely:

"Reporter Nate, I have a small request. I hope you can hold off on reporting this story."

Nate was taken aback. Liam continued:

"Of course, I'm not lying to you. It's just that things are more complicated than you think. If you trust me, I hope you can help keep this quiet for a while. In return, I'll give you even bigger news at the right time, and I'll also make sure the Warriors' news channels are open to you in the future. A piece of gold now, or a gold mine later. I think you know which choice is better, right?"

Nate didn't respond immediately. A look of hesitation crossed her face as she fiddled with the edge of her shirt. The Beetle fell into silence.

After a while, Nate asked:

"How do I know you're not just trying to fool me?"

"Reporter Nate, even if you report this, I won't confirm it," Liam smiled calmly.

"You don't think I took pictures, do you?" Nate smirked mischievously, holding up her camera and shaking it in front of Liam.

"Uh…" Liam stood there dumbfounded. How could he forget that reporters always take photos!

Seeing Liam's slightly embarrassed look, Nate giggled and said softly:

"I'm just kidding. Do you think I would throw away a big opportunity like this just to report unconfirmed news?"

She raised her digital camera and, with a few clicks, deleted all the photos in front of Liam.

"Is this enough?" she asked.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief:

"Thank you, Reporter Nate. I won't forget this favor. I'll contact you when the time is right. Trust me, you won't regret this decision… What's your phone number?"

"I'll be waiting for the good news," Nate smiled as they exchanged phone numbers.

Just as Liam was about to leave the car, Nate suddenly asked:

"Coach, do you often fool others?"

"Hmm?" Liam turned back, confused.

"You were pretty smooth just now," Nate said, her big eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion.

"Haha, is that so? You know, as a coach, you have to learn how to give motivational speeches. Otherwise, it's tough to manage the locker room," Liam said with a dry laugh. "Anyway, I hope you get that full-time position soon."

Liam hurried out of the car, waving goodbye.

Am I fooling people? No. Every word I say comes true eventually—that's called foresight…

He got back into the Bentley, where Mark Baum gestured for the driver to take off. Mark looked Liam up and down, surprised.

"You're back so soon?" Mark asked.

"What else would I do?" Liam responded, confused.

"Come on, Ronan. You just met a beautiful compatriot in a foreign country. Doesn't this feel like a scene straight out of a novel? You've got to seize the moment!" Mark said with a playful grin.

"What are you talking about? I was just negotiating with her," Liam chuckled.

"Negotiating? The kind that involves feelings?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Mark, how about I tell Rosie you're always taking me to nightclubs?" Liam said with a sly smile.

Rosie was Mark Baum's wife, and Mark, much to his misfortune, was a famously henpecked husband.

"We didn't do anything, we just went for drinks!" Mark defended himself, suddenly on edge.

"If you're so sure about that, I'll call Rosie right now. Want to bet if she believes you?" Liam teased, holding out his phone.

"Okay, okay, no more jokes. What's your plan with that reporter, anyway?" Mark asked, surrendering quickly.

Everyone knew that wives were formidable creatures. Evidence didn't matter; they trusted their gut feelings. For the sake of his peaceful home life, Mark had to back down.

"It's about the draft," Liam replied.

"The draft? You mean… Stephen?" Mark suddenly caught on.

Liam nodded slowly:

"Yeah, Stephen Curry. His draft stock is looking good, projected anywhere between second and fifth. But the Warriors are sitting at eighth from the bottom, meaning they won't get a high enough pick to draft Stephen. If news gets out that I'm joining the Warriors, other teams will definitely be more cautious, and the Warriors will have no chance of making a trade for a higher pick. Everyone knows the connection between Stephen and me."

"So you plan to secretly acquire the Warriors under my name, bide your time, and then swoop in when no one's expecting it?" Mark interjected.

Liam gave an approving nod:

"Exactly. As long as my ties to the Warriors stay hidden, no one will pay attention to a team that's been bottom-feeding for over a decade, even if it did pull off the 'We Believe' miracle."

"I take it you've got other moves in the works, right?" Mark said, looking at Liam with a knowing smile.

Liam gazed out the window as the city blurred past, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth:

"Of course. I don't leave my fate to luck alone."

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