boyutpedia Chapter 81 The Godfather's Tenderness
Chapter 81 The Godfather's Tenderness
9: am.
The locker room door was slowly pushed open.
The person who walked in wasn't the strength and conditioning coach with the stopwatch.
Instead, he was an elderly Italian gentleman with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses, dressed in a well-tailored three-piece suit.
Behind him were two assistants pushing two exquisite gantry racks filled with various sample garments and fabric samples.
The whole team was stunned.
What's going on?
When Li Xiangbei came in and saw his bewildered teammates, a smile finally appeared on his lips for the first time this week.
There was no murderous intent in that smile, only a calm and composed air of complete control, and even a hint of... gentleness?
"Relax."
He pointed to the old gentleman.
"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Marcello, the chief tailor from the top Italian menswear brand Brioni."
"Three bespoke suits for each person."
"A black suit, that's our battle uniform. A dark blue striped suit, that's our business attire. And one more..."
He pointed to the colorful fabric samples.
"You can choose the colors yourselves. Make it as flashy as you want. We also have shirts, ties, cufflinks, even belts. Everything."
The entire room fell silent for a second.
Then, Nate jumped right up from his chair!
"Long live the boss!!!"
Randolph rushed over and touched the silky fabric: "Boss... this feels... is this real silk? Or unicorn fur?"
Even the usually quiet Italian rookie Gallinari blushed with excitement.
As an Italian, he knew all too well what Brioni meant.
He immediately became the locker room's fashion consultant, finding confidence in the team for the first time beyond just shooting.
……
However, the surprises were not over yet.
While everyone was immersed in the joy of tailoring, Li Xiangbei took out more than a dozen black velvet boxes from his bag.
He walked up to each person and handed it to them personally.
Randolph opened the box.
A black Rolex Submariner (Black Submariner) lies quietly inside, its cold metallic luster captivating.
Li Xiangbei looked at Randolph with a serious expression.
"For that suffocating defensive battle. Wear it and remember that feeling of despair for your opponent."
Randolph put the watch on his wrist, next to the green Submariner he had worn before.
He looked at the two watches, his eyes welling up with tears.
This isn't about money; it's about the honor of being recognized and respected.
"Thank you, boss." Randolph's voice was tinged with emotion.
After everyone had received their forms, Li Xiangbei gently knocked on the locker.
"Thump, thump".
The sound wasn't loud, but the previously noisy locker room instantly fell silent.
This is dominance.
Li Xiangbei looked around at his teammates, who were wearing training uniforms but had expensive watches on their wrists.
"What did you think you were doing when you went to away games? Going on vacation? Going to nightclubs? Going to sign autographs for those screaming idols?"
"But from today onwards, away games will be considered 'business trips'."
"Our business is winning. Our product is victory. We're here to reap the rewards, not to play around."
"I don't want to see anyone again getting off a plane wearing baggy pants, showing their underwear, and wearing huge headphones like a child."
Li Xiangbei pointed to the sample garments.
"These fabrics are semi-finished products that I had my tailor prepare two weeks ago based on your official body measurement data. Today is just a minor adjustment. They will be delivered to your home as soon as possible."
"Starting tomorrow, flying to Miami."
"Everyone must be fully dressed formally. Apply hair wax evenly, wear sunglasses properly, and straighten your tie."
"We need to tell that city, and the entire league: professional killers have arrived."
Although Nate usually prefers hip-hop style, under the combined onslaught of Rolex and bespoke suits, and fueled by his deep-seated awe of Li Xiangbei, he was the first to straighten his back and shout:
"No problem, boss! I promise I'll look like a killer!"
……
Outside the private jet terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Reporters from dozens of media outlets had been waiting there for some time.
They originally thought they would capture the tired, casual, and even somewhat slovenly appearance of these "bad kids" who had just gone through a fierce battle.
After all, NBA players' personal style has always been a disaster for the fashion world.
A black team bus slowly came to a stop.
The car door opened.
First, a pair of gleaming black handmade Oxford shoes landed on the ground.
Li Xiangbei was the first to walk out.
He wore a perfectly tailored, wrinkle-free black double-breasted suit, a crisp white shirt collar, and a meticulously tied black tie.
He wore a pair of black aviator sunglasses, one hand in his pocket, and the other carrying an expensive leather travel bag.
That cold, austere, and elite aura instantly captivated the entire audience.
Followed by.
Randolph, who is 2.06 meters tall and weighs 120 kilograms, came out.
His massive frame was perfectly encased in a black suit, making him appear both imposing and powerful.
He walked half a step behind Li Xiangbei, looking exactly like a top-notch henchman or the second-in-command of a gang.
Then came Nate, Gallinari, Duhon, Chandler...
Everyone was wearing black suits.
Everyone was wearing sunglasses.
They lined up and marched in unison toward the tarmac.
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
The sound of camera shutters clicked incessantly, leaving the reporters stunned and even forgetting to ask questions.
This doesn't look like an NBA team playing an away game.
This looks like the set of "The Godfather" or "Reservoir Dogs"!
This is more like a Wall Street M&A team acquiring a company on the verge of bankruptcy!
An unprecedented sense of oppression washed over me.
A photographer from Vanity Fair magazine captured a striking image of everyone walking towards the plane from behind.
Sunlight shone on their black suits, casting long shadows.
At that moment, the title for this photograph had already formed in the photographer's mind:
The Knicks Syndicate.
……
On a private jet.
After the takeoff was stable, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They took off their suit jackets, loosened their ties, and began to enjoy this rare moment of leisure.
The flight attendant brought champagne and fruit.
Randolph and Nate got together and started playing poker, laughing all the while.
Li Xiangbei leaned back in the comfortable leather seat, looking at the clouds outside the window.
"Ding!"
[System detection: Successfully reshaped team culture and established absolute locker room authority]
[Reward Distribution: Leadership Aura (Beginner)]
[Effect: Passive skill. When you are present, your teammates' tactical execution rate and stress resistance increase by 5%. The more loyal your teammates are to you (the higher their affinity), the stronger the effect (Randolph's current affinity is at maximum, so the bonus can reach 10%).]
Li Xiangbei smiled with satisfaction.
This is the result he wanted.
I opened my phone and found an unread message.
It was a message from Scarlett.
"I saw the news. This suit is very sexy and suits you better than the jersey."
Next came a photograph.
In the photo, Scarlett is sitting in a luxury trailer belonging to the film crew.
She didn't seem to be wearing makeup yet, dressed in a simple white tank top, her hair casually falling down, her eyes revealing a hint of languor and provocation.
"The Iron Man 2 crew has been filming at a private estate in Miami these past few days. I'll be waiting for you there after the game tomorrow night. It'll just be the two of us."
"I want to see if the Godfather is just as sexy without his suit."