This lasted for nearly half an hour. No one disturbed him; he just wanted to be alone, not wanting to show any of his vulnerability or melancholy to others.
Half an hour later, Gan Guoyang emerged from the shower with his usual demeanor and said, "I've won too many championships and sweated a lot, so I need to wash a bit longer, but finally, I'm clean."
No one pointed it out, and the music and dance continued. It was a sleepless night.
Such nights went on for a week; the entire Portland was celebrating.
Initially, it was to commemorate Ah Gan's retirement, but later, it simply became revelry for the sake of revelry.
Organizations and schools went on holiday. Young people gathered on the streets seeking reasons to celebrate, merchants launched various activities, and the Portland government declared Gan Guoyang's retirement day as "Ah Gan Memorial Day."
The Memorial Coliseum held a three-day "Ah Gan Exhibition," displaying over five hundred items, including photos, jerseys, shoes, championship trophies, and memorabilia from Gan Guoyang's high school days onward. It was akin to a mid-sized relic exhibition.
This was merely a part of Gan Guoyang's brilliant basketball career on display. Local Portland schools organized students to view the exhibition, allowing children a more direct understanding of the greatest star in NBA history.
Additionally, Gan Guoyang's wax figure, statues, short films, ads, etc., were all ready for display in a rush.
Gan Guoyang initially planned to spend a peaceful, serene time post-retirement, to accompany his family more without considering the next season.
In reality, it was impossible as there were too many commitments to fulfill.
Many Portland malls, restaurants, car dealerships, and large hotels had brand partnerships with Gan Guoyang.
Many were local businesses he signed with when he first joined the Trail Blazers. As Gan Guoyang achieved greater success and fame, these businesses seemed somewhat unworthy of this superstar.
Yet Gan Guoyang never looked down on them, continuing to collaborate and allowing them to use his image as a brand ambassador.
For instance, the car dealership that once gifted him a car still displays Gan Guoyang's photo at their store entrance, updating it every so often.
Local chain fried chicken shops, supermarket malls, etc., maintained over a decade of collaboration with Gan Guoyang, and are staunch supporters of Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers.
As Gan Guoyang retired, they launched promotional events inviting Gan Guoyang to participate.
While Gan Guoyang might decline larger brand events, he couldn't resist local people's enthusiastic invitations.
Having retired, he just went ahead; no matter how small the store, or ordinary the brand — as long as they still collaborated, he ensured to visit them.
Thus, Gan Guoyang was busier in this week than when he played, having no time to savor the glory of his tenth championship nor find peace.
In Portland's streets and alleys, you could see Gan Guoyang's presence everywhere, especially posters and stickers, which were ubiquitous.
Gan Guoyang marveled, "Why does it feel like I'm running for mayor, with my photos everywhere..."
More exaggerated, one night Portland held a city-wide lantern parade. In the parade's center, someone made a statue of Gan Guoyang with plaster, with people sticking US Dollars onto it, as if worshipping Jesus at the Saint Carlo Festival.
Gan Guoyang saw the news and remarked sarcastically, "I retired, not died, why are they treating me like Jesus?"
At this point, a week had passed since his retirement. He knew things couldn't continue like this; leaving was to seek peace and a new beginning, not to linger in past memories.
Thus, after discussing with his family, Gan Guoyang decided to go to San Francisco with Gan You and Gan Guohui for a while, while Wang Fuxi temporarily stayed in Portland with the children to manage many commercial matters.
Gan Guoyang worried about his wife staying alone in Portland, but Wang Fuxi assured him, "It's time for you to rest well; you still have the Olympics to worry about; I'll handle the rest. And in July, you'll have to go to New York quickly to resolve the spy case issue, so we can then plan our future path."
Over the years, aside from the two children, Wang Fuxi has managed family business and investments single-handedly; she is quite a formidable woman.
Gan Guoyang noticed traces of fine lines appearing on Wang Fuxi's once egg-shell white cheeks, feeling the inevitability of time passing fast.
However, their union was undoubtedly the right decision. Gan Guoyang's stability on the court owes much to a solid support system at home.
Gan Guoyang returned to San Francisco with his father, spending a peaceful half-month in the recently purchased seaside villa.
Though San Francisco's media didn't spare Gan Guoyang, occasionally paparazzi would snap photos and harass, but evidently, they weren't as crazy as Portland's media.
During this half month, Gan Guoyang relaxed, enjoying life and accompanied his father for treatment, while pondering his future path.
The spy case's impact was evident; retirement was a dignified choice for Gan Guoyang, now holding a large amount of funds.
A considerable portion will certainly cross the ocean, invested into the fiery socialist market economy construction of his homeland, as a form of giving back from Gan Guoyang.