In Li Du's plan, there were two ways to deal with the statue. One was to give it to Kobe, and the other was to give it to O'Neal.
Of course, he could also choose to sell it. The statue was very valuable and could be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
However, this small amount of money was useless to him. It was better to use it to build a good relationship with O'Neal. Connections were much more important than money.
For example, his friendship with Kobe was equivalent to bringing a heavyweight client to Harry Winston. In the past two years, Kobe had spent more than two million dollars on luxury goods. In addition, he had brought clients, which was even more valuable.
He analyzed the situation. Kobe was arrogant and would not take the initiative to bow to O'Neal. O'Neal was more cheerful and entertaining. In the process of easing their relationship, he had been in the lead.
After thinking about it, Li Du decided to give the statue to O'Neal, which could open up a relationship between him and O'Neal.
It just so happened that O 'Neal was also staying in Los Angeles at the moment. After his retirement, he chose to sign a multi-year contract with TNT and host a program called "NBA Insider" with former NBA stars Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
Li Du called James and took a picture of the statue to show James. He wanted to introduce O'Neal to him.
James and O'Neal were very familiar with each other. The two had been teammates, but not very successful. The Tsar Team did not bring the championship.
After seeing the picture, James was also interested. He had a high EQ and was very thoughtful. Not only did he give Li Du O'Neal's address and phone number, but he also called O'Neal and said that a friend had given him a surprise gift.
After James' call, Li Du called O'Neal and the two agreed to meet at O'Neal's old villa in Los Angeles.
As a rich man in the sports industry, O'Neal had a good sense of financial management. When he played in Los Angeles, he bought many properties and waited for them to appreciate. These properties made him a lot of money.
His mansion was located in Beverly Hills. The main area of the house was 7,000 square feet, or 650 square meters, with 2,000 square meters of green space around it. After Li Du arrived, he estimated with a semi-professional eye that the price of the mansion must be more than ten million.
There was a Superman model standing in front of O'Neal's mansion. Li Du parked his car in front of the door. Superman slowly turned his head, rolled his eyes twice, and then the door opened.
Li Du was shocked. He took a closer look and realized that this thing was a surveillance device. The eyes were cameras.
He stopped in the parking lot and the truck followed. Then a black man bigger than Godzilla appeared.
This was, of course, O 'Neal. Li Du had known him since he was in junior high school. However, at that time, he had only seen him on TV. There were still some differences with him in real life. In real life, people like O' Neal were like giants. He was even fatter than Godzilla!
What was interesting was that O 'Neal had appeared on a hoverbike. Li Du felt that the hoverbike company should look for him to endorse the hoverbike. To be able to bear his size and weight was enough to show the quality of the hoverbike.
"Mr. Li?" O 'Neal asked, waving his hand.
Li Du smiled and said, "Hello, Sark. I'm Li. Nice to meet you."
O 'Neal shook hands with him, his big hand wrapping around his small hand.
Unlike Kobe and James, O 'Neal had a different personality. He seemed very enthusiastic, outgoing, and friendly. He acted like an old friend the moment they met.
Li Du had studied people's personalities. This kind of personality was actually the most deceptive. Everything it showed was not the owner's original intention.
However, this kind of personality had an advantage. It could quickly bring the relationship between the two parties closer. Soon, the two of them looked like old friends who had deep feelings for each other.
Under such circumstances, when O 'Neal asked to see what kind of gift it was, it seemed logical and not at all rude.
Li Du said, "Before I give you this gift, let me introduce myself. In my youth, I used to be a loyal fan of the Lakers. Or to be more precise, I used to be a loyal fan of you and Kobe."
O 'Neal laughed and said, "I'm glad to have your love."
Li Du said, "So, after you and Kobe broke up, I and many other fans like me felt extremely depressed. We all hoped to see the day when you two could become friends again."
O 'Neal still laughed and said, "I'm still friends with Kobe, buddy. Don't be deceived by the damn media. They only know how to pick up saliva to attract attention. Don't believe them."
Li Du said, "That's great. But in this case, my gift might not be very meaningful."
He nodded. Godzilla and Big Quinn opened the car door and the assembled marble statue appeared in front of them.
Seeing the statue, O 'Neal's smile suddenly froze. He stared at the statue with wide eyes. After a full minute or two, he turned around and asked, "This is the gift?"
Li Du nodded and said, "Yes, this is my gift to you. I originally thought that you and Kobe might still have some estrangement. Maybe you could give this statue to him. This might help your relationship."
O 'Neal went up and reached out to touch the statue. After confirming the authenticity of the statue, he exclaimed, "It's all made of marble. My God, is this your masterpiece?"
Li Du shook his head and told him about the statue.
He did not say that the statue had been found in a detached house. Instead, he first said that he had recently bought a 20,000-square-meter manor and that he had found the statue in the basement of the house.
In front of these celebrities, showing off one's wealth would help to gain their favor.
O 'Neal saw the handwriting engraved on the marble court floor. His mood became a little gloomy and he said, "Ah, I'm so sorry. It turns out that we have hurt some people who love us."
Stroking the statue, he turned around and asked, "Are you sure you want to give it to me?"
Li Du said, "You are the most suitable person to receive it. It was originally meant for you and Kobe."
O 'Neal smiled and said, "Come with me, buddy. Don't just stand here. The weather is too hot. Look at my fat body, it looks like it's going to be oily soon. It wasn't easy for me to grow this fat, so I can't ruin it. Come with me into the house to have some drinks and look around. "
The two of them walked together. Li Du asked, "Aren't you riding a hoverbike?"
O 'Neal laughed and said, "I ride a hoverbike to show off that I have a big house. But in front of a handsome young man who owns a manor, I'd better keep a low profile."
The house was very big and divided into many levels. When the two of them entered the house, O 'Neal's housekeeper first served them iced drinks. Then O' Neal asked, "Do you need to rest? Li, if not, I want to show you around. "
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