At this time, Chen Jian spoke up calmly, "Zhao Dong, Mr. Lin, Goldman Sachs recently reached out to us. They said they're willing to help us go public in the United States."
"Goldman Sachs?" Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow. "What's your opinion on that?"
"We can consider working with them. It would definitely speed up the process of getting listed in the U.S.," Chen Jian replied with a smile.
But Zhao Dong suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, do you think every executive in the company—including those who just joined—should be eligible for equity incentives?"
Chen Jian's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Zhao Dong's face, trying to read his expression, but Zhao Dong's tone was calm and unreadable.
That question sent a clear signal: Zhao Dong wasn't on board.
Chen Jian knew very well why the company had taken off so quickly over the past year—Zhao Dong's influence. It wasn't just about business. Zhao Dong was the company's brand.
In his own judgment, there was absolutely no need for equity incentives at this stage.
But he had no choice. The pressure from within the company was overwhelming. If he didn't push this forward, he'd lose the support of all the other executives.
Equity incentives were like handing out free cash. Once implemented, it would increase the executives' control over the company. It was essentially giving them a piece of the pie.
The moment it was proposed, it only took ten days for nearly every senior executive to back it. How could he go against that kind of majority?
"Mr. Chen," Zhao Dong said calmly, "notify everyone—we're holding a meeting in one hour. All senior executives in Beijing must attend."
After a brief exchange, Zhao Dong dismissed Chen Jian.
Turning to Lindsay, he asked, "eve, do you think Chen Jian is pushing for a U.S. listing out of public interest, or is he doing it for personal gain? Or maybe someone's influencing him behind the scenes?"
Lindsay blinked, confused, and slowly shook her head.
She was sharp, but she was still young—too inexperienced to see through motives like that.
"Sigh…"
Chen Jian left Zhao Dong's office feeling uneasy, unsure what Zhao Dong was planning.
An hour later, the meeting was held. Eleven senior executives showed up.
From the moment it began, the room was tense, the air almost heavy.
Many of them were meeting Zhao Dong in person for the first time, but their expressions weren't the kind you'd expect from employees meeting their boss.
Because in the current climate in China, proposing equity incentives like the Western companies do—was essentially challenging the authority of the boss. Taking money right out of his pocket.
Zhao Dacheng, the company's director of security—and Zhao Dong's older brother—also sat in on the meeting.
He didn't know what Zhao Dong planned to do, and that made him nervous.
He'd talked to all the senior executives over the past few days. They all supported going public in the U.S.
And as one of the smaller bosses, he felt isolated—like a lone voice in a company that had turned on him.
He was angry. Frustrated.
But he was also waiting—waiting for his younger brother to come back and take control of the situation.
Duoduo—
Zhao Dong tapped the table twice. The room fell silent as everyone looked at him.
"Does anyone here oppose listing in the U.S.?" he asked, scanning the room.
No one spoke.
"Anyone oppose implementing equity incentives?" he asked again.
Still silence.
Zhao Dong looked around at them all, then leaned back in his chair.
From their reactions, it was clear. If the company went public in the U.S., no one here would listen to him anymore.
He'd be pushed to the sidelines.
And someone—maybe more than one person—was clearly backing them.
"There's nothing more to discuss for now," Zhao Dong finally said. "Meeting adjourned."
Once everyone had left the room, the executives quickly gathered to talk among themselves.
"What do you think he'll do?" someone asked.
"What can he do? Fire all of us? Then who's gonna run the company?"
"He might fire a few people to make an example."
"Didn't we agree? If he fires anyone, we all resign. No one breaks rank. This is about all of us—we stick together.
"Besides, he stands to gain the most from a U.S. listing. He can cash out big-time. We just want a slice."
Huang Zhiwen suddenly stood up and said, "You guys go ahead, I've got something urgent to take care of."
"Think he's gonna rat us out?" someone asked.
"No way, he's always been with us."
"Even if he does, it won't change anything. We hold the majority. In the end, Zhao Dong will have to give in."
Meanwhile, back in the office, Zhao Dacheng turned to his brother. "These guys… they're just a pack of wolves. What are you planning to do?"
"Fire them all," Zhao Dong said coldly.
"What about the company?" Dacheng asked, panicked.
"What do you mean 'what about it'? As long as the middle management stays in place, we'll just have some temporary chaos. It's not like the company will go bankrupt," Zhao Dong replied with a smile.
"Fair point." Dacheng let out a breath.
"Honey," Lindsay chimed in, "the mid-level guys all follow the senior executives. If you fire the top, the middle might collapse too."
Zhao Dong waved her concern away.
"Relax. It's all about interests. Just divide them and win them over.
"Fire the senior execs, then promote a few middle managers. If any of them act up, fire them too and promote their subordinates.
"People are selfish. Don't think these executives have such a deep bond with their teams. Give anyone a chance to rise, and they'll jump at it."
He grinned. "Just business."
The three were still in the middle of a quiet discussion when Huang Zhiwen suddenly walked over.
Zhao Dong glanced at him, surprised. "Director Huang, aren't you supposed to be with the others? Why come to me now?"
Huang Zhiwen didn't hesitate. He spoke calmly. "Mr. Zhao, some of the senior executives encouraged me to support the company's U.S. IPO. They even promised to push me into the vice president role once it succeeded."
Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"But I'm not buying it," Huang continued. "The company's facing fierce competition in North America, and I'm certain Nike and Adidas are behind it. I've suffered losses doing business over there—I don't trust any of them."
Zhao Dong gave a slight smile. He didn't really care what excuse Huang Zhiwen gave. As long as the guy stood on his side, that was good enough.
Huang Zhiwen was the head of the sales department at HQ, and sales was the heart of the company at the moment. The tech teams were still in early development. Honestly, Zhao Dong could lay off every other department and start from scratch if needed—replacing them wouldn't be hard.
"You got control over your people?" Zhao Dong asked directly.
"No problem. I personally recruited everyone in sales."
Zhao Dong nodded slowly.
Huang could tell from Zhao Dong's tone—there was going to be a purge. He'd made the right choice.
In Huang's mind, siding with the senior executives was a losing bet. They were blinded by short-term interests and completely underestimated Zhao Dong's grip on the company.
"Can we trust Chen Jian?" Zhao Dong asked suddenly.
Huang paused, thinking.
"I think Mr. Chen's just stuck in a tough spot. If he doesn't back the senior execs, his instructions never get executed. They act like they're following him, but behind the scenes, they don't. He runs everything in the company—Nike and Adidas can't give him that kind of power or freedom. So honestly, I don't think he has a reason to betray you."
"Alright. Got it." Zhao Dong nodded.
If Huang hadn't taken the opportunity to throw Chen Jian under the bus, maybe the guy could still be useful.
After Huang left, Zhao Dong said, "Chen Jian's still gotta go. He doesn't have a strong stance. We own 100% of the shares, but just to keep his position as general manager, he sides with those senior execs? That's just stupid."
"When are we making the move?" Lindsay asked.
"Right now," Zhao Dong replied with a grin.
"Now?!" Zhao Dacheng was stunned.
Zhao Dong laughed. "I already found a replacement team before I came back. Don't worry about chaos in the company, bro."
Zhao Dacheng let out a breath. "So you already had everything planned. I was stressing for no reason."
"Look, once I saw problems in the company, I made sure to prepare. There's no shortage of people in this world. Those execs think they're irreplaceable, but they're not. They're just regular managers, not some legendary treasures."
And just like that, the 1-year-old Zhao Dong Sports Company went through a complete executive shake-up.
Zhao Dong started by firing one senior exec publicly to make an example. The rest of the executive team panicked and resigned all at once.
He approved every single resignation without a second thought.
"Boss...?"
Chen Jian stood by, drenched in cold sweat, unsure what to do next.
"Chen Jian," Zhao Dong said calmly, "you've got talent, but your position isn't firm. I can't keep you around. I'll give you a chance to leave with some dignity. Submit your resignation instead of forcing me to fire you."
Chen Jian swallowed hard. "Understood. Thank you, Boss."
He left the company, looking completely defeated.
Zhao Dong turned to Huang Zhiwen next. "Mr. Huang, from today, you'll take over as general manager. The sales department will be handed off. You okay with that?"
Huang's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you, Boss! I'll start the transition right away."
"Good." Zhao Dong nodded with satisfaction. "You've got talent—not worse than Chen Jian—but you're a little too aggressive. That's not necessarily bad. At least it shows you're bold. But we're not running some Silicon Valley tech startup here, and we're not breaking into a new frontier. You need to pace yourself better. Keep your management style steady."
"I understand, Boss," Huang replied with a slight grin.
Zhao Dong paused, then continued, "It's not that I'm against the equity incentive system they use overseas. But tell me—does our current management team even qualify for that?"
He continued, "The tech came from me. The funds are mine. The company only exists because of my influence. You want extra rewards? Earn them. If we break into other markets—like soccer shoes, using the thousands of patented technologies we got from Silver Demon—or if we open up the European market and become an industry giant, then sure. There'll be big rewards waiting."
"We'll give it everything we've got," Huang replied seriously.
"One more thing," Zhao Dong added. "You mentioned someone's behind all this. It's not just the senior execs—middle management might be compromised too. Same with the R&D team. Start an investigation. Clean house."
"Got it, Boss. I'll handle it right away."
With Zhao Dong Sports temporarily stabilized, Zhao Dong and Lindsay left the building and headed straight to Julong Venture Capital.
The situation with Venture Capital wasn't nearly as complicated as what happened with Feilong Sports. This space was still an untouched market in China. All the foreign capital came through Hong Kong channels, and Julong Venture Capital had developed rapidly—it was now the leading force in the industry. Countless investment projects came knocking at its door without invitation.
As for what happened back at Zhao Dong Sports' headquarters, the news had already been relayed to the U.S. Major brands like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok caught wind of it almost immediately.
"The plan flopped again. Zhao Dong's got guts, I'll give him that—he fired all those execs without even blinking," muttered Nike President Phil Knight, shaking his head.
Knight had bribed three senior executives from Zhao Dong Sports, along with some middle managers and several tech staff—close to twenty people in total. But that internal purge wiped out all his work and money in one clean sweep.
He figured Adidas and Reebok probably tried the same play, and it backfired for them too.
And that wasn't the first time one of his plans tanked—another one fell apart right before the playoffs. Thankfully, that operation had been kept under wraps. If it had leaked, the fallout would've been a nightmare.
---
June 29 — Dongcheng Training Base
Zhao Dong arrived at the newly converted Dongcheng training facility, formerly the Dongcheng Fitness Club.
It no longer served ordinary citizens—it had become the national team's elite strength and rehab training center. This was the most sought-after spot for elite athletes in China. The equipment was top-tier, on par with anything in the West, maybe even better.
However, the space was small, and the number of professional trainers was limited. Each sport had to take turns. The trainers would plan out the routine, then athletes would train here for a few days before continuing solo.
Since this was the go-to spot for the national team, there were reporters camped out all year round. Naturally, Zhao Dong got swarmed the moment he showed up.
"Zhao Dong! The men's basketball roster hasn't dropped yet. Are you suiting up for the World Championships?"
"Of course I'm playing," he said without hesitation. "NBA games are about personal pride—but the World Championships? That's national honor. No way I'm sitting that out."
"The U.S. team hasn't released their roster either. You got any inside info?"
Zhao Dong nodded. "There's a chance the NBA's gonna shut down. Players are all caught up in that drama right now. That's why Team USA's roster is on hold."
After a few more quick questions, security let him through.
---
"Whoa! Zhao Dong! I finally get to meet the legend!"
"Hey, Brother Dong!"
Zhao Dong chuckled as he walked in. A bunch of national team athletes from gymnastics and diving were there training. They all stopped to greet him.
"Is it your guys' day to train here?" he asked with a friendly smile.
After chatting with Xiong Ni, Li Xiaopeng, and a few others, Zhao Dong made his way to the basketball area.
Unlike the other sports, the men's basketball team had access to the training base every day. Naturally, that stirred up some jealousy among other teams.
When he arrived, most of the squad was already there. He spotted some familiar faces right away. Liu Yumin had even come down personally to wait for him.
For the upcoming World Championships, the head coach would be Jiang Xinquan, and the tentative roster included: Zhao Dong, Wang Zhizhi (Dazhi), Bat, Li Xiaoyong, Guo Shiqiang, Sun Jun, Zhang Jinsong, Hu Weidong, Zheng Wu, Liu Yudong, Li Nan, and Gong Xiaobing.
Still, the final list hadn't been confirmed yet. Liu Yumin said they were waiting for Zhao Dong's return before locking it in.
She also wanted to ask about Yao Ming and whether or not he should be called up.
"Zhao Dong!" Hu Weidong called out, walking over with a grin. He'd come back yesterday to report in.
"Brother Dong," Wang greeted with a nod.
"Hey, what's up," Zhao Dong responded casually. "Director Liu, Coach Jiang..."
Once the greetings were out of the way, Zhao Dong turned to Wang (Dazhi) and asked, "So, did you get the deal done?"
"Yeah, signed it. Three years with a team option on the fourth. Total value just under four mil," Dazhi replied with a proud smile.
Zhao Dong nodded. "Not bad at all—especially for a late first-rounder. Bulls gave you a fair shake."
After that, they shifted the convo to Yao Ming, but Zhao Dong brought up something else first.
"Before we talk about Yao, let's start with Hu Weidong. He's been through an entire season—hundreds of games. That's way more intense than anything here in the CBA. The wear and tear is no joke—probably equal to a few seasons back home. My take? Let him sit out the warmups and non-crucial group matches. Save him for the real games."
The team had enough depth, so Liu Yumin and Jiang Xinquan quickly agreed.
---
"As for Yao Ming," Zhao Dong continued, "he's definitely strong enough to join now. But honestly? It's not the right time. We're stacked in the paint already. I say we hold off and bring him in for the next Olympics. By then, he'll be a full-fledged pro and probably one of the top big men in the NBA."
Jiang Xinquan nodded. "Yeah, we've got you, Bat, Dazhi, Gong Xiaobing, and Liu Yudong. No shortage of bigs at all."
Liu Yumin smiled and said, "Zhao Dong, I heard from Dazhi and Xiaohu—you guys think we've got a shot this year?"
Zhao Dong laughed. "We were just chatting, but yeah... The NBA might really shut down this time."
"Shut down?" Liu Yumin looked puzzled.
Zhao Dong explained, "Labor talks are stuck. If they don't get a deal done before July 1, when the trade window opens, then it's official—the league gets locked down.
If that happens, no NBA stars will be showing up for the World Championships. Team USA will have to scrape together a roster from college players or guys in Europe. That's not a Dream Team—it's barely a team."
"If we show up ready to hoop, we might be able to do something crazy—like bring home a medal."
"Top three?" Liu Yumin and Jiang Xinquan both perked up.
The women's team had done pretty well—Olympic silver in '92 and runner-up again in '94. But the men's team? Eighth place had been the high point.
Top three meant they'd have to survive at least two knockout rounds in the later stages.
Then Zhao Dong dropped a bomb.
He smiled and said, "Honestly? If things go our way... we might win the whole thing. A championship ain't impossible."
"Seriously?" Liu Yumin stared wide-eyed.
A World Championship title—even if it came without the NBA stars—was still a world title. And with that, she'd finally have the authority to lead Chinese basketball her way, without having to answer to the rigid, academic-style management that had held them back for years.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Discord Link Here:
https://discord.gg/VvcakSux