Chapter 857 - 43: Dreams Shattered

When it came to helping Petrović’s family, Gan Guoyang hesitated and pondered for quite a while: Who should I ask for help?

At first, he considered calling Bill Clinton directly. With Clinton’s current influence in the American government, he would surely find a way.

However, his wife, Wang Fuxi, reminded him that using Bill Clinton’s personal favor for such a minor task—helping a family immigrate to America—was really not worth it.

"It’s like playing cards; if the opponent pulls out a 3 and you immediately play a small joker—unless you have no cards left to play, that approach is wrong. I don’t think you’re down to your last hand yet, are you? There will be plenty of other situations where you’ll need him in the future. You should find someone who can directly help with this matter."

Wang Fuxi’s reasoning was sound, and Gan asked, "Then should I look for Tang Jianguo?"

"If Old Tang could help, he would have done so already; you wouldn’t need to intervene. Croatians have very little influence in America, and Old Tang doesn’t like doing losing deals. Although Pete is his player, you know very well that Old Tang only truly cares about one player—you. He couldn’t care less about anyone else."

Eliminating these two prominent figures, Gan Guoyang pulled out his address book and flipped through it for a moment, considering whether he should reach out to Portland Mayor Bud Clark.

Clark and Gan Guoyang both arrived in Portland around the same time—one joining the Trail Blazers, the other entering City Hall. In 1988, Clark was re-elected for this position.

However, during the 1988 election campaign, in order to raise campaign funds, he took out a loan from the American Bank. Now, with his term almost ending, the debt still hadn’t been repaid.

Gan Guoyang was aware of this matter. If he could help Clark clear that debt, Clark would definitely be willing to handle this request.

But a second thought stopped him—Clark was inexperienced in politics. Even after years as Portland’s mayor, he couldn’t even pay off a few thousand dollars’ debt. Asking him to assist a Croatian family halfway across the world would probably be pushing it.

Wang Fuxi commented, "Bud Clark can’t even sustain himself right now. He’s a purely elected mayor, with no political background or foundation. He won’t be able to help."

"Then how about the governor, Barbara Roberts? Don’t you know her?"

"I do. She graduated from the University of Portland; she’s my senior. But her influence is confined to Oregon. I doubt she can help Pete."

Matters like these, though minor internationally, can’t really be handled by mayors or governors.

If you ask them, they’d also have to turn to others for solutions, creating unnecessary complications.

Wang Fuxi then suggested contacting the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce, but Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "They can help in Southeast Asia or Australia, but not Croatia."

After dismissing several options, Gan Guoyang made up his mind and said, "Forget it, I’ll call the U.S. Secretary of State. He specifically oversees foreign affairs; he should have a way."

Wang Fuxi wanted to say more but seemed to lack better suggestions. She had no choice but to let her husband reach out to James Baker, the U.S. Secretary of State.

Gan Guoyang had known Baker for quite some time. Back in 1984, after he won the NCAA championship and visited the White House to meet Reagan, Baker was the White House Chief of Staff.

Later, every time Gan Guoyang visited the White House, he would see James Baker repeatedly. Over time, they developed a certain camaraderie.

Once Reagan stepped down, this veteran White House official was appointed Secretary of State by the new president, bringing Baker and Gan even closer.

Because Ah Gan’s image tied into diplomacy between the U.S. and China, the two often shared private conversations. Gan frequently attended U.S.–China diplomatic events by invitation, fostering familiarity with Baker.

Gan Guoyang made a call to the Secretary of State’s office. After learning about the situation, Baker responded with formalities and official speeches before Gan offered 15 Finals tickets as leverage, securing Baker’s promise to find a way to bring Petrović’s family to America.

After hanging up, Gan Guoyang sighed and said to Wang Fuxi, "It can’t be helped. I really don’t have cards like 3, 4, and 5; everything I’ve got is K, A, and jokers."

Petrović quickly received a call from his family, saying they’d soon arrive in America to take refuge. Conditions in Croatia had become extremely dire, with conflicts and riots everywhere—war could break out at any moment.

Upon hearing this, Petrović finally felt at ease and could focus on the playoffs without constantly worrying about his family.

So on May 9th, during Game 2 of the Trail Blazers vs. Lakers series, Petrović performed spectacularly yet again.

Despite the Lakers’ best efforts to defend Gan Guoyang, Petrović, with his accurate shooting and relentless offensive drive, scored 29 points in the game.

This lapse in defending Petrović led to the collapse of the Lakers’ defense. Don Nelson never anticipated Petrović to explode in such a way during the game.

In the regular season, as the sixth man, Petrović averaged only around 15 points per game, with inconsistent performances.

However, in the playoffs, an unexpected surge from a player often deals a heavy blow to their opponents.

Topping it off were consecutive explosive games, throwing the Lakers’ defense into utter confusion and frustration.

No one in the Lakers’ backcourt could handle Petrović.

At certain moments, Don Nelson and Jerry Buss must have desperately wished for Michael Cooper.

If Cooper were still part of the team, coming off the bench, he’d certainly dedicate himself to locking down Petrović.

But they no longer had Cooper, and Byron Scott had to focus on defending Reggie Lewis.

The worst part, though, was the looming question: Will Ah Gan erupt in Game 3 or Game 4?