After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Stern got straight to the point and said, "Sonny, I'm representing the League to support you. However, by the end of next season, you need to retire."
Gan Guoyang showed no expression, paused for a few seconds, nodded and said, "I agree, next season will be my last NBA season."
Stern was surprised at how readily Gan Guoyang agreed. He quickly realized that Ah Gan had always been a smart person; he must have considered all aspects thoroughly.
Those few seconds of pause were not spent considering whether he should retire, but to mourn silently for the answer he was about to give—his illustrious basketball career was about to come to an end.
After receiving Gan Guoyang's promise, Stern's tone softened. The two had an in-depth discussion, where Gan Guoyang firmly denied engaging in any espionage activities.
"That is absolutely impossible. Why would I do that? What reason would I have? If you were picking a spy, it wouldn't be someone like me."
