But after starting to work with Guoyang, Oscar Goodman watched as Guoyang negotiated, prepared, and already set up the team structure.
He couldn't help but wonder, is Ah Gan really that confident? If the League doesn't agree, all this preparation and money will go down the drain, wasted.
As it happened, the day after the 911 events, today at noon, Goodman received a message from Guoyang that tomorrow Stern would come for negotiations.
In the afternoon, having watched Guoyang's TV speech, hearing him publicly declare bringing an NBA team to Las Vegas, Goodman couldn't contain his excitement and hurried to MGM to meet Guoyang.
The mighty mayor of Las Vegas, waited in line downstairs for more than two hours, without eating, before being allowed to go upstairs and talk face-to-face with Guoyang in his office.
"Oh Sonny, you don't know how difficult it is now to see you. I've waited until I'm starved. And you're eating?"
Guoyang was in his office enjoying his energy meal, determined to spend an hour and a half on fitness every afternoon to maintain muscle energy.
"I prepared a portion for you too, have some."
"Oh no thank you, I really can't eat. I saw your TV speech, and now I wonder, who's really the President? Your biblical references were more powerful than Bush's! People are already saying you're the underground President of America."
In Bush's TV speech, he quoted a verse from the Bible: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."
"Don't flatter me Oscar, I'm just an athlete, I want to live a few more years. Tomorrow's negotiations with David Stern, be ready, it might take a long time."
"Okay, I will prepare a comfortable, spacious meeting room..."
"No! No! It shouldn't be comfortable or spacious. Find a stuffy, cramped, worn-out room, preferably with squeaky chairs. The air conditioning should be broken, no ice water or drinks, just hot water."
"Is that... okay?"
"It's perfect, I like a negotiation environment like this, and I think David will too."
On September 13th, David Stern arrived in Las Vegas with his assistants and executive team.
In past NBA expansion actions, it was always the consortium sending a bidding team to New York to present their team-building plans to the expansion committee.
Now, roles reversed, NBA sent a team to Las Vegas for negotiations, and the president himself lead the group.
Actually, even the NBA office's vice presidents and assistants found it odd; even with the 911 events, did NBA need to rush and forge such an urgent expansion statement?
But Stern didn't care, he insisted amidst dissent that a new team in Las Vegas would be very important for both the NBA and America.
Everyone felt more puzzled; Stern had always been a hard-liner, staunchly asserting that NBA wouldn't associate with gambling.
In reality, everyone knows, Stern hasn't been that opposed to gambling, he's been seeking effective ways to integrate professional sports with betting.
Just constrained by tradition, and his gradual approach strategy, he remains extraordinarily cautious about betting.
But this time, for some reason, his attitude took a complete 180-degree turn, actively seeking negotiations with Ah Gan in Las Vegas.
Arriving in Las Vegas, Guoyang personally went to the airport to greet them, then wined and dined the party, letting them enjoy a full day first.
This tactic is called 'courtesy first, then battle,' let them feel comfortable, then start making them uncomfortable.
The location for the official negotiations was set in a long-unrenovated old meeting room at Las Vegas's oldest historical Tropical Gardens Hotel.
David Stern sensed something was off as soon as he entered and asked Guoyang, "Sonny, are you trying to wear me out again?"
Guoyang replied, "What are you talking about, I'm simply adhering to principles of thrift and economy, hoping our talks can be low-key."
Stern naturally didn't believe it, he had started sweating, knowing Guoyang's tactics, his negotiation endurance method was unparalleled.
If you resist, he will keep negotiating, until you're dizzy, your eyes glaze over, eventually losing track of what you say or think, just wanting to agree and end the talks.
Guoyang sat down, to be honest, as soon as he sat, NBA office people felt their scalp tingling.
During labor negotiations and hearings, they'd all seen Guoyang's superb energy and agile reasoning, as formidable as he is on the court.
"You don't have to do this Sonny, we aren't here to confront, but to cooperate."
"Seeking confrontation amid cooperation, seeking cooperation amid confrontation, has always been my principle. It makes cooperation more solid, confrontation less harmful. Alright, David, let's not waste time, you know me, let's talk straightforwardly, about Las Vegas NBA team franchise rights."
"Alright, I understand, I'll be straightforward too. First, my conclusion: The League agrees to approve new franchise rights for Las Vegas, to establish a new NBA team."
As Stern finished speaking, there was a cheer from Guoyang's team. Had they won even before they started negotiating?
However, this wasn't a victory from negotiation, but a triumph earned from a year of various behind-the-scenes efforts.
Guoyang remained calm, waved his hand to quiet everyone, and asked, "Tell me the conditions you want to propose, David."
Stern pulled a paper from his briefcase, had an assistant hand it to Guoyang, and said, "These are the basic conditions we enumerated, focusing on revenue distribution, turnover requirements, salary cap restrictions, broadcasting, and advertising expense sharing. For points involving betting, if certain requirements aren't met, the team needs to offset this revenue with equity discounts. See how it looks, Sonny."
No matter how panicked Stern was after the 911 events, he never lost his shrewdness as a Jew.
You want to connect teams to distribute income, to give money to smaller teams?
I'll satisfy that, you just earn more money for me, ideally yes, if unsuccessful, I'll have to cut your flesh.
Guoyang glanced at the paper handed over, noticing some particularly harsh conditions.
But he was not afraid, he still had cards up his sleeve, just with current conditions, he'd first exhaust them.