That night, still on the same day Zaboru met Taiga Hanamichi, he could not stop grinning.
Even after returning to ZAGE Tower, even after changing his clothes and sitting inside his private office, the image kept replaying in his mind. Hanamichi flying for rebounds. Hanamichi shouting like a fool. Hanamichi getting humiliated at the rim, then immediately standing back up with burning hunger in his eyes.
That kind of player was rare.
Raw, stupid, loud, unpolished, and ridiculous.
But rare.
"The fact that Japan has a player like Taiga Hanamichi…" Zaboru muttered, leaning back in his chair, "means there are probably more talents out there that I don't know about."
His grin widened.
"I need to make sure the ZAGE Foundation finds them."
ZAGE already had a foundation that supported gifted students in sports, arts, science, and creative fields. For sports especially, Zaboru had always paid attention to famous names from his previous life. Footballers, basketball players, future stars, hidden gems—if he remembered them, he tried to create chances for them earlier.
That was exactly what he had done with Hidetoshi Nakata.
Zaboru had helped Nakata reach Inter Milan, not by giving him success for free, but by giving him a door. Everything after that still depended on Nakata's own effort, discipline, and work rate. Zaboru could provide opportunity, but talent still had to survive reality.
However, Hanamichi opened Zaboru's eyes to something else.
There were talents that did not exist in his previous life. Or maybe they had existed, but never bloomed. Maybe they were buried under poverty, bad coaching, broken dreams, harsh family conditions, lack of exposure, or simply because nobody noticed them at the right time.
A player like Hanamichi was exactly that type.
A "good seed" that could have rotted in the soil if nobody gave him sunlight.
Zaboru's fingers tapped lightly on his desk.
"That's why I need an NBA team."
The thought had started as excitement, but now it became more serious. If Japan ever produced basketball talents with real international potential, Zaboru did not want them to merely admire the NBA from far away. He wanted to create a route. A real route. Training camps, scouting networks, exchange programs, sports science, overseas development, and eventually, a direct pathway into professional basketball.
And if he was going to do it…
Of course his heart wanted the Chicago Bulls.
Zaboru sighed.
"Will Sayuri-san even let me though…?"
That was the real problem.
It was not that Zaboru could not afford it. He could. But affordability and financial wisdom were different things, and Sayuri had spent years drilling that truth into his head.
The Bulls had just won the NBA championship this year with Michael Jordan. Their value would definitely rise. Buying them now would be expensive, loud, and extremely symbolic. It was not like buying a struggling asset quietly. It would be a declaration to the world.
And ZAGE already had too many enormous projects running at once.
ZEPS 4 development.
AKAI expansion.
Web Novel platform planning.
ZAGE's global publishing strategy.
Inter Milan.
Game development deals.
Overseas offices and branches.
ZAGE Foundations
Hardware research.
Buying the Chicago Bulls on top of all that would not destroy ZAGE, but it would absolutely make Sayuri stare at him like he had personally insulted accounting itself.
Zaboru leaned back and covered his face.
"But I need it more now…"
His fingers slowly separated, revealing his grin again.
"Imagine if five years from now, Taiga Hanamichi actually plays with Michael Jordan."
Just imagining it made him laugh.
Hanamichi and Jordan on the same team. A Japanese red-haired rebounding monster learning under the greatest competitor in basketball. It sounded absurd, but after everything Zaboru had seen in this world, absurd things had become strangely possible.
And more than that, Zaboru loved the Bulls.
He remembered their glory. He remembered what came after. He remembered how painful the post-Jordan era became. He remembered how the Bulls almost rose again during Derrick Rose's short prime, only for injuries to destroy that dream before it fully bloomed.
Zaboru did not want that.
In this world, if he could change it, he wanted the Bulls to remain a powerhouse. Not only in the Jordan era, but beyond it. He wanted to protect the team's future, create better medical systems, better training, better scouting, better management, and maybe even prevent tragedies that should not happen.
So finally, Zaboru stood up.
He knew who he had to face.
Sayuri.
A few minutes later, inside Sayuri's office, Zaboru explained everything.
He explained Hanamichi.
He explained the possibility of unknown Japanese talents.
He explained the basketball pathway.
He explained why owning an NBA team could help build a bridge between Japan and America in terms of basketball.
He explained why the Bulls were the ideal target.
Sayuri listened without interrupting.
That was what made her terrifying.
She sat behind her desk, hands folded neatly, glasses resting perfectly on her face. Her expression was calm. Not angry. Not shocked. Not emotional.
Just calm.
And that was worse.
Once Zaboru finished, Sayuri adjusted her glasses and spoke in a soft, even voice.
"No, boss."
Zaboru froze.
Sayuri looked at him directly.
"You cannot buy the Chicago Bulls."
Zaboru scratched his head awkwardly. "You didn't even hesitate."
"There was no need to hesitate."
"But Sayuri-san—"
"No."
Zaboru blinked.
Sayuri opened one of the financial folders on her desk and turned it toward him.
"First, you want to buy an NBA team because you saw one talented high school player today."
"He's not just one talented player. He's special." Zaboru argue
"I believe you," Sayuri said calmly. "But from a financial perspective, he is still one data point."
Zaboru's mouth closed.
Sayuri continued, "Second, you do not merely want to buy an NBA team. You want to buy the Chicago Bulls, the newly crowned champion team, with Michael Jordan as the centerpiece. That means you are not buying potential at a discount. You are buying prestige at the highest emotional price."
Zaboru sighed. "How much?"
"If you want full ownership or controlling influence, we should expect around two to three hundred million dollars, possibly more depending on resistance from current ownership and how publicly your interest becomes known."
Zaboru grimaced slightly.
Sayuri's voice remained gentle, but every word was a blade.
"3 hundred million dollars is not pocket money, boss."
"I know."
"No," Sayuri said. "You know the number. But I am not sure you are respecting the timing."
Zaboru looked at her.
Sayuri pointed to another document.
"This year alone, ZAGE is carrying ZEPS 4 development, AKAI expansion, the online infrastructure plan, ZAGE Network preparation, additional overseas stores, web novel platform investment, Inter Milan, multiple game development contracts, and several acquisitions that you are still pretending are 'small strategic moves.'"
Zaboru looked away.
Sayuri's eyes narrowed slightly.
"They are not small."
"I know…"
"Do you?"
Zaboru became quiet.
Sayuri leaned back slightly.
"Boss, ZAGE has money. A lot of money. But large companies do not survive by having money. They survive by keeping movement, liquidity, confidence, and negotiating power. If we suddenly buy the Chicago Bulls after everything else we have done this year, every seller, partner, competitor, and bank will interpret it the same way."
She paused.
"They will think ZAGE has unlimited cash."
Zaboru frowned. "Isn't that good for reputation?"
"No," Sayuri answered immediately. "It is good for intimidation, but terrible for negotiation."
Zaboru stared at her.
Sayuri continued, her tone still calm. "If people believe you can pay anything, they will stop offering normal prices. Studios will raise acquisition costs. Sports clubs will raise asking prices. Technology partners will demand better terms. Contractors will inflate bids. Competitors will intentionally drag you into bidding wars. Even friendly companies will start testing how much they can squeeze out of ZAGE."
She tapped the folder lightly.
"Your reputation as a bad business man but great investor is already dangerous. If you add 'reckless billionaire sports buyer' to it, our future deals become more expensive overnight."
Zaboru rubbed his chin.
He hated how reasonable she sounded.
Sayuri observed him quietly.
Then Zaboru looked at her with a more serious expression.
"Sayuri-san… I know I trust you with ZAGE. I trust you with all my heart, and you know that, right?"
Sayuri's expression softened slightly. "I know, boss."
"I respect you. Deeply. That's why I came here instead of just doing it." Zaboru looked her in the eyes. "You have stopped me from making many stupid investments in the past. And honestly, I am grateful for that."
Sayuri said nothing.
Zaboru continued, his voice heavier now.
"But this is not just impulse. This is risk, yes. I understand that. But it is also opportunity. I believe basketball in Japan can become bigger. I believe talents like Hanamichi need a path. And I believe if I move now, I can build something no one else is thinking about."
Sayuri's eyes remained calm.
Zaboru leaned forward.
"So this time, Sayuri-san… I insist."
For a moment, the room became quiet.
Sayuri did not react emotionally. She did not raise her voice. She did not sigh dramatically. She simply studied Zaboru's face with the cold patience of someone calculating multiple futures at once and she was quite amused that this was actually first time he insisted.
Then she spoke.
"Then let us separate your dream from your target."
Zaboru blinked. "What?"
"You want an NBA team because you want a basketball pipeline between Japan and America. Correct?"
"Yes."
"You want control over training, scouting, medical systems, youth development, and overseas opportunities. Correct?"
"Yes."
"You want a franchise where Japanese talent can realistically be developed and eventually introduced. Correct?"
"Correct."
Sayuri nodded.
"Then why must it be the Bulls?"
Zaboru stopped.
Sayuri's voice remained gentle.
"Because you love them?" "Michael Jordan is your good friend?"
Zaboru looked away slightly.
Sayuri's expression did not change.
"That is not strategy, boss. That is your preference."
The word hit him harder than expected.
Zaboru slowly exhaled.
Sayuri continued, "I am not dismissing your feelings. I understand why the Bulls matter to you. But love for a team and the correct acquisition target are not the same thing."
Zaboru crossed his arms. "The Bulls have Jordan. Their brand value is massive. If I own the Bulls, the pipeline becomes iconic immediately."
"Yes," Sayuri said. "And that is exactly why the price is terrible."
Zaboru frowned.
Sayuri continued, "You would be buying at the peak of public emotion. Championship premium. Jordan premium. Media premium. Historical premium. Fan resistance premium. Every part of the deal becomes expensive."
She flipped another page.
"Also, consider geography. Your American operational base is in California. ZAGE Campus is in Silicon Valley. Your personal residence and major entertainment connections are connected to California and Los Angeles. AKAI's American expansion also moves heavily through the West Coast. If you buy Chicago, you add another major travel and management burden in the Midwest."
Zaboru sighed.
Sayuri looked at him carefully.
"You already have too many centers of gravity, boss. Japan. Korea. China. Latin America. London. Silicon Valley. Los Angeles. Milan. If we add Chicago now, we can handle it, but it will stretch your attention further."
Zaboru muttered, "I can delegate."
"You can," Sayuri said. "But you rarely emotionally delegate the things you love."
That made Zaboru go silent again.
Sayuri had completely stabbed him there.
She was right.
If he bought the Bulls, he would not leave it alone. He would obsess over it. Jordan. Future drafts. Medical staff. Rival teams. The post-Jordan era. Derrick Rose's future. Everything. It would become another emotional battlefield.
Sayuri saw the realization in his face and softened her tone.
"I am not saying no to the NBA team idea."
Zaboru looked at her.
"I am saying no to the Bulls right now."
Zaboru's eyes sharpened slightly. "Then what are you suggesting?"
Sayuri closed the folder and folded her hands neatly.
"Los Angeles Clippers."
Zaboru blinked.
For a second, he did not respond.
Sayuri continued calmly, "They are overshadowed by the Lakers. Their brand is weak compared to the Bulls. Their current ownership situation may be more flexible. The price should be far lower. The media expectation is lower. Fan resistance is lower. And because they are in Los Angeles, they fit far better into your existing American operations."
Zaboru leaned back.
The Clippers.
His first instinct was disappointment.
He loved the Bulls. The Bulls were Michael Jordan, red jerseys, dynasty, aura, childhood memory, and basketball myth. The Clippers, on the other hand, were almost the opposite. A neglected franchise, trapped under the Lakers' shadow, with almost no prestige.
But that was exactly why Sayuri suggested them.
Zaboru slowly started thinking.
Los Angeles.
Near his entertainment connections.
Near ZAGE's American media operations.
Easy to connect with AKAI, ZAGE Campus, Disney Offices, music, sports, anime promotion, youth camps, and Japanese-American basketball programs.
A team with low expectations.
A team that could be rebuilt without destroying an existing legacy.
A team where Zaboru could create the identity from almost zero.
Sayuri watched his eyes change.
"You see it now," she said.
Zaboru did not answer immediately.
Sayuri continued, "If you buy the Bulls, you are buying a crown. Expensive, heavy, and already watched by the world. If you buy the Clippers, you are buying land. Empty, unpopular land, yes. But land you can build on."
Zaboru slowly smiled.
Sayuri adjusted her glasses.
"And from a negotiation standpoint, it is cleaner. If you acquire the Clippers quietly, we can frame it as a long-term sports development investment connected to California operations. Not as Zaboru Renkonan suddenly throwing hundreds of millions at the NBA champion because he is bored."
Zaboru looked offended. "I wouldn't do it because I'm bored."
"I know," Sayuri said calmly. "The public does not."
Zaboru sighed.
Again, she was right.
Sayuri leaned forward slightly.
"Boss, I understand your dream. I am not here to kill it. My job is to make sure your dream does not damage the empire that allows you to achieve it."
Zaboru looked at her.
Her voice became quieter, but firmer.
"If you truly want to build a path for Japanese basketball, then buy the team that gives you control, flexibility, location advantage, and reasonable cost. Do not buy the team that makes your heart happiest for one day but makes every future deal more difficult."
Zaboru closed his eyes.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Inside his mind, the Bulls and Clippers stood on opposite sides.
The Bulls were love.
The Clippers were strategy.
The Bulls were nostalgia.
The Clippers were opportunity.
The Bulls were a dream he wanted to touch.
The Clippers were an empty canvas he could paint however he wanted.
Finally, Zaboru opened his eyes.
"Okay then, Sayuri-san."
Sayuri waited.
Zaboru smiled, though there was still a little sadness in it.
"Clippers it is."
Sayuri's shoulders relaxed slightly. It was subtle, but Zaboru noticed.
"Good decision, boss."
"Don't say it like I'm a child who finally agreed to eat vegetables."
"You are not far from that today."
Zaboru gave her a betrayed look.
Sayuri smiled faintly.
It was small, but sharp.
Sayuri then smiles, "Besides, I believe in your ability to make Clippers great Boss."
She then continue "I will begin arranging discreet communication with representatives. This may take time. Months, possibly longer, depending on ownership response and legal structure. Please be patient."
Zaboru nodded. "I can wait."
Sayuri looked at him carefully. "Can you?"
Zaboru paused.
Then he laughed. "I'll try."
"Please do more than try."
"Fine. I'll behave."
"That is even less convincing."
Zaboru chuckled.
But as he leaned back, his disappointment slowly turned into excitement.
The Clippers.
A team in Los Angeles.
A team nobody expected much from.
A team living under the Lakers' enormous shadow.
Zaboru's grin slowly returned.
"Well…" he muttered, "making the Clippers into a super team that can beat the Lakers and the Bulls might not be a bad idea."
Zaboru stood and looked out at the night view beyond the office window. Somewhere far away, Michael Jordan had just begun building his legend in Chicago. The Bulls were rising. The Lakers remained glamorous. The NBA belonged to America.
But maybe, someday, a forgotten team in Los Angeles would become something impossible.
A bridge.
A monster.
A new empire built from the shadows.
Zaboru smiled.
He had sacrificed his love for the Bulls so ZAGE would not suffer.
But perhaps, in exchange, he had found something even more dangerous.
To be continued.
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