The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 325 - 61: Contempt

Charles Barkley asked Gan Guoyang if he could cook African food because the Washington Bullets had acquired an African teammate—a 7’7" giant, Manute Bol.

When Gan Guoyang went to the airport to pick up Barkley and Bol, he found that his car simply couldn’t fit the Spider-Man-like big guy.

So, he had no choice but to leave his car at the airport, and he called Avia to bring over a Volkswagen van to take the three of them back home for dinner.

The van, originally spacious, became quite crowded with Bol, Barkley, and Gan Guoyang inside.

Barkley introduced his teammate Bol to his good friend Gan Guoyang, "This is my good friend, the NBA’s number one wrestler, the NBA’s number one chef, the NBA’s second-best rebounder, Bill Lambier’s Tomb Guardian, Portland’s playboy, Sonny Gan!"

Gan Guoyang felt something was off with Barkley’s introduction, saying, "Since when the hell did I become Lambier’s Tomb Guardian? And how come I’m the second-best rebounder?"

"Every time that guy is about to resurrect, you’re there re-burying him. Of course, I’m the number one rebounder, it’s just that I don’t have the luxury of focusing solely on rebounding like you can."

"Bullshit, I’m averaging over 30 points per game."

"Your energy is naturally double that of others!"

"By the way, this is my teammate, a prince from the Sudanese tribes, the son of a chieftain, the NBA’s tallest player, the NBA’s best blocker, the great lion hunter, Charles Barkley’s loyal guard, the guardian of the Washington skies, Manute Bol!"

Gan Guoyang sighed, "Charles, you might be the worst player in history at coming up with nicknames. Manute, sorry for the trouble of having Charles drag you to visit me."

Bol nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, he dragged me here."

Barkley got offended, "Hey! I brought you here because we’re good friends! Ah Gan really cooks delicious food, it’s just too bad he doesn’t know how to make African dishes."

Gan Guoyang said, "I do know some dishes from Sudan, like Maraq Aviyah, Hariri, and Dura Tammiyah."

Bol’s face showed surprise, and the furrow of his brow relaxed—upon closer inspection, one could see a few thin scars.

These were left by a priest who cut his forehead during his coming of age ceremony. Some of his teeth were removed as well, but in America, a dentist had fixed them.

"Can you make it?" Bol asked eagerly; he hadn’t eaten food from home since he arrived in America.

Maraq Aviyah is a thick soup made with beef, lamb, and potatoes, Hariri is a sweet drink, and Dura Tammiyah is a sweet dish made with rice, milk, and sugar, similar to pudding.

"I can’t."

Gan Guoyang was honest, and Bol’s shining eyes dimmed, his head turning away.

"His burgers are really delicious; he makes them with all kinds of fillings," said Barkley. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Last time in Washington, Gan Guoyang made Barkley Sichuan-flavored burgers and Kung Pao chicken burgers.

It was essentially just stir-fry sandwiched in bread, with some vegetables wrapped inside.

To Gan Guoyang’s surprise, what he considered a completely nonsensical way to eat, was actually something Barkley found amazing and couldn’t stop thinking about.

And for that very bite, Barkley definitely wanted to visit Gan Guoyang’s home for a meal when he was in Portland for a game.

On the way, Barkley and Gan Guoyang had a lot to talk about—they discussed recent happenings and shared their thoughts on the games.

The Bullets were doing quite well at the moment, with the combination of Barkley, Malone, and Ma Hong being rather competitive in the Eastern Conference.

However, they still had a significant gap compared to strong teams like the Bucks and the Celtics.

Barkley’s average score had soared from 18 points last season to 24 points per game this season, placing him in the ranks of the star players.

Barkley was quite proud of his progress, especially since his last game against the Trail Blazers, where the Bullets won, and Barkley scored 30 points with 21 rebounds, which gave him quite a bit to boast about.

Manute Bol also achieved remarkable stats in that game, delivering 6 blocks. His season average reached an incredible 5 blocks per game, considering he only played 26 minutes.

It couldn’t be helped; he was too tall, and his arms were too long. Many players couldn’t even imagine their shots being blocked when they attempted to shoot.

Gan Guoyang had been blocked twice as a result.

Compared to Barkley’s chatter, Bol was silent in the car.

Unlike Olajuwon, Bol’s English was not good; before coming to America, he didn’t know any English at all. He was illiterate.

It was his agent who took him to America to learn the language, play college basketball, join the professional leagues, and then to be spotted by the NBA and join the Bullets.

So Bol’s silence wasn’t because he was introverted or shy, but rather because his English wasn’t very good, and he harbored a vague sense of superiority.

Gan Guoyang could sense this superiority. His gaze would drift off, occasionally looking into the distance, and his responses to Barkley and Gan Guoyang’s questions were always light and breezy, with a touch of laziness.

This feeling made Gan Guoyang uncomfortable. When the three of them got home and Gan Guoyang set about making food for the three giants, Bol remained languid and casual, as if he was still a prince in Sudan, the grandson of a tribal chieftain, waiting for servants to attend to him.

Barkley came to the kitchen to help, while Bol watched birds in the yard. Gan Guoyang expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "This guy is a bit rude. I don’t cook for people outside of my friends. The last time Patrick came, I didn’t cook for him either. You know you’re the exception, right Charles?"

Barkley said, "Manute really can be a bit contemptuous. It might be because of his status, and also his height, that he feels some sense of superiority."

"No one should feel superior in front of me; we are all equals. Why would you want to be friends with someone like that? You’re not the type to fawn over others."

Barkley rolled his eyes and leaned in close to Gan Guoyang, saying, "I can’t help it, I owe him money, so... do me a favor, Ah Gan, please."

"Owe money? You’re joking, right? Why would you be short of money?"

"I bought too many cars before, and I have a lot of loans to repay."

"Also, I forgot to file my taxes last year and got fined, so... I’m a bit tight on funds right now."

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, just as expected, I told you not to buy so many cars, now look what happened.

A yearly salary of several hundred thousand wasn’t enough, and he had maxed out his loans before even getting his paycheck.

It really was a case of getting into debt before getting rich. Those cars were just gathering dust in the garage, and even if they appreciated in value, that would be far in the future.

"How much did you borrow, and why didn’t you ask me for a loan?"

"I just asked him for some cash to use, you can’t quench a nearby thirst with distant water. Don’t worry, my sponsorship money is about to come in. I’ll fill the gap."

Gan Guoyang shook his head and reminded Barkley, "You have to manage your finances well, stop buying cars. If someone is willing to take one or two off your hands, sell them. I’ve told you before that financial health is just as important as your physical health."

Barkley nodded repeatedly, knowing that Gan Guoyang was making sense.

"By the way, I remember talking to Avia about getting you a sponsorship deal. How’s that going?"

"The contract is signed, I’m just waiting for the first payment to come through..."

"..."

"Fuck, you need appearance fees to get by now? I advise you to slim down, make your muscles more toned. No one wants to buy sneakers from a fat guy."

Thanks to Gan Guoyang’s connections, Avia proactively approached Barkley for a collaboration, and as Barkley was short of cash, they easily came to an agreement. Avia’s roster of athletes had gained yet another powerful player.

Barkley nodded sheepishly, knowing full well that everything Gan Guoyang said made sense, and now he regretted carelessly spending big amounts.

"Where did all your money go, besides buying cars?" Gan Guoyang asked again.

"Nothing... just, you know, eating and drinking, buying some stuff," Barkley mumbled, embarrassed to elaborate.

Gan Guoyang looked at him and thought, a man splurges only on certain things, and it couldn’t be because of novels, could it?

Barkley definitely wouldn’t touch drugs, so gambling and women must have eaten away much of his dollars, then add the monthly loan payments and the tax money. No wonder he’s down to borrowing from Bol.

Usually, one acts humble before borrowing money, but once they have it, they act high and mighty.

And with Barkley’s pride, he becomes servile once he owes money to someone else.

No wonder he even asked for African food. This fatso got too comfortable with the pampering.

At dinner time, Gan Guoyang made a variety of burgers, soups, pizzas, and fried chicken, all of which Barkley loved to eat.

Barkley couldn’t stop praising Gan Guoyang’s cooking skills, while Bol kept his head down, eating steadily, obviously enjoying the food.

Wang Fuxi did not return from school that evening, so the three big eaters devoured quite a bit in one go.

After dinner, Bol became much more lively and started to talk. His English had a heavy African accent.

Often, Gan Guoyang had no idea what he was saying, and it was mostly about topics Gan Guoyang had no interest in.

Later, Gan Guoyang prepared to go to practice, and Avia’s driver took Bol and Barkley back to the hotel.

As they were leaving, Barkley apologized to Gan Guoyang, saying, "I’m sorry, Sonny. I shouldn’t have brought him. I made you uncomfortable."

Gan Guoyang indeed wasn’t too happy. Bol rubbed him the wrong way. He replied to Barkley, "It’s okay, Charles. I still consider you a friend, but don’t just bring people to my home for dinner again. It doesn’t matter if I’m not happy; you guys will make me happy in tomorrow’s game. Now get back!"