"Just kidding, of course I'm interested in making money. You just talk to them and make sure it doesn't interfere with training or games."
"You scared me."
Bill Duffy thought Tang Long was acting strangely; after all, quite a few star athletes had their eccentricities.
"By the way, someone named Jack Dorsey is coming to see you tomorrow. I plan to invest ten million in his company. Make sure you handle this properly."
"Ten million?" Bill Duffy exclaimed. "Tang, you haven't been scammed, have you? Where are you? I'll come over now."
"No need to be nervous, it's just a simple investment. Just handle it tomorrow."
Tang Long hung up the phone and gave Bill Duffy's number to Jack. "Find Bill tomorrow."
Clutching the slip of paper with Tang Long's number, Jack nodded gratefully.
With the investment sorted, Jack Dorsey, ever the tactful one, excused himself, leaving Tang Long and Gal Gadot alone at the restaurant.
Gal Gadot ordered another bottle of red wine.
Whether it was her low tolerance for alcohol or the wine's exceptional quality, one bottle was enough to make Gal Gadot stumble. Tang Long had to support her.
"Tang, why did you drag me out? Let's keep drinking. I'm having so much fun today."
"Stop drinking. You'll get sick if you have any more. Red wine gives you a headache. I'll let you try some Chinese Baijiu when we have a chance."
"No, I want to keep drinking."
Leaning against Tang Long and still swaying, Gal Gadot was acting drunk. Tang Long had no choice but to hail a taxi to take her to the hotel.
The taxi driver was clearly a fan.
His eyes widened visibly when he saw Tang Long.
Then, seeing the leggy beauty in a drunken stupor next to Tang Long, the taxi driver hesitated, managing to suppress the urge to ask Tang Long for an autograph.
"Don't misunderstand, we're just friends."
"Tang, we're all men, I get it."
The driver thought he was quite witty.
Halfway to their destination, the driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror.
"What's wrong?"
"Tang, that car behind us seems to be following us."
The taxi driver made a turn, and the other car followed. That confirmed it.
Tang Long looked back. He had been quite tense, as being robbed wasn't unheard of for star athletes. But upon seeing the license plate, Tang Long relaxed, though he also grew annoyed.
He knew that license plate very well.
It was Catherine's car.
Clearly, this woman was following him, trying to catch him in some scandal.
"Tang, should we call the police?"
"No need."
Tang Long declined the driver's offer.
Calling the police now would just give Catherine fodder for her stories, and letting her ride his coattails would only give her more exposure.
Besides, Tang Long was secretly relieved.
Catherine's appearance was quite timely.
Otherwise, Gal Gadot would likely have "taken him down" tonight, and he wouldn't be able to go to the farm with Scarlett and Swift tomorrow.
A woman like Gal Gadot was not the type to just casually hook up and pretend not to know each other the next day.
This was about defining a relationship.
While America championed freedom and liberation, that was before a relationship was defined.
Once a relationship was established, America placed a high value on loyalty. This was why politicians liked to portray harmonious and loving families; otherwise, their competitors would seize on any weakness.
As the car pulled up to the hotel, Tang Long signed a bill and handed it to the taxi driver.
The driver became excited.
He had been regretting missing the opportunity for a signature from Tang Long, not realizing Tang Long had already noticed him.
The taxi driver couldn't help but ask, "Tang, how did you know I wanted your autograph?"
"I have to observe my surroundings on the court at all times. How could I miss such a detail?"
Tang Long patted the taxi driver on the shoulder. "Next time you're in Cleveland, come to my games and cheer for me. I'll arrange a seat for you."
"Tang, thank you," the taxi driver said, his eyes welling up. "You're different from other famous stars. You're a gentleman, a good person."
"I'll accept being called a gentleman, but a 'good person' is a bit much."
Tang Long waved goodbye to the driver. Supporting Gal Gadot's arm, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Gado, if I help you inside, it'll be all over the papers tomorrow."
"You're terrible."
Gal Gadot shot Tang Long a glare. Her previously wobbly stance now became perfectly upright, her long legs appearing even longer under the streetlights.
But then Gal Gadot looped her arm through Tang Long's. "So what if it's in the papers? It'll be good to make Scarlett give up."
Tang Long was bewildered.
Why wasn't this woman playing by the rules?
Didn't these celebrities usually guard their reputations so carefully?
Tang Long was mistaken.
If this were Gadot after filming Wonder Woman, she would indeed fear the media catching her on a date. But now, Tang Long was an NBA star, and she was just a third-tier actress in Hollywood. Becoming Tang Long's girlfriend would significantly boost her profile, and more profile meant more acting opportunities.
Just then, Bill Duffy rushed over. "Tang, I finally found you! I thought you'd been kidnapped. I even had someone track your phone."
Tang Long looked at Bill Duffy suspiciously. "Kidnapped? What are you talking about?"
"You weren't kidnapped, so why the sudden urge to invest ten million in a business? You've never mentioned anything like this before."
Tang Long was exasperated.
"Didn't I explain it clearly on the phone? You could have just asked me again on the phone. And you even tracked my phone? Do you think you're the FBI?"
"What if they had kidnapped you and threatened to kill you if you didn't comply?"
Bill Duffy glared at Tang Long angrily.
That had indeed been his thought process.
Besides, most NBA players lacked education and knew nothing about investment. They were either kidnapped or scammed. Such incidents were all too common in the league, so he couldn't rest easy.
Tang Long had no choice but to explain why he believed in Jack. Otherwise, he couldn't justify it, especially since he couldn't reveal he knew Twitter would be worth millions in ten years.
This had historical precedent.
Just as most people believed Masayoshi Son invested in Alibaba, as time went on, people increasingly believed he invested in Jack Ma personally.
Whether a company could succeed depended not only on the chosen market but also on the leader.
They argued for a long time. Finally, Tang Long's stern insistence, as the boss, that he would invest, made Bill Duffy cease his劝说.
However, after Bill Duffy's protracted fussing for most of the night, Gal Gadot, having had alcohol, fell asleep while they were still discussing business.
She only woke up the next day when Tang Long was dressed and ready to leave.