Chapter 812: A Lot of Trouble
Lu Ke had only guessed that Vance had an ulterior motive, but he never expected it to be Nike, that they would be so well-prepared, and that they had thought everything through so thoroughly. This was completely beyond Lu Ke's expectations. After he gradually calmed down, he started to notice all the things that were wrong with the situation.
"I never knew that Nike had to go to so much trouble to sign an athlete. Isn't it true that if Nike says something, no one can refuse the offer? Shouldn't everyone be eager to say yes?" A look of curiosity appeared on Lu Ke's face as he looked at Vance through the rearview mirror.
Vance raised his chin, squinted slightly, and looked at Lu Ke's expression meaningfully. "So, you mean we've reached an agreement now? You're ready to sign with Nike? If so, that would be great." He wasn't pushy, but he was persistent. He didn't relax at all. He seized on Lu Ke's words and quickly struck.
Lu Ke was speechless and paused. He then realized that Vance had caught him in his words and cornered him on the spot. But he wasn't flustered. Instead, he answered honestly, "I'm still under contract. I have no plans to change teams until my contract expires."
"I know. Under Armour. You signed a two-year contract, and there are still eleven months left, no, ten months to be exact." Vance came prepared and had already figured out all of Lu Ke's details. "So we need to be a step ahead and plan ahead. We'll make sure to be prepared so our opponents can't defend against us. I'm not sure if it was Napoleon or Mao who said it, but we don't fight a battle without preparation."
Lu Ke showed a surprised expression again. "I don't want to sound too arrogant, but... ten months in advance?"
"You're worth the trouble," Vance said without hesitation.
Lu Ke didn't say anything. He just looked at Vance in surprise through the rearview mirror. His eyes were enough to express his shock and doubt. Vance also met Lu Ke's gaze calmly.
Slowly, Lu Ke came to a realization: the Asian market.
He suddenly remembered what Leigh had said when he signed his contract: Trust me, your market value is far beyond your imagination.
All this time, Lu Ke hadn't felt this deeply, but today, Nike's long-term strategy made Lu Ke see the meaning behind those words.
"We hope you can feel our sincerity." Seizing the opportunity, Vance added.
Lu Ke couldn't help but laugh and nodded slightly. "I feel it deeply." He then became curious. "If I hadn't figured it out today, how long were you planning to continue your friendship with my father?"
"I just said, Jack and I are friends. There's no time limit to that," Vance said, being very cautious and not letting anything slip. "But if you're asking when I was planning to bring up the contract, I wouldn't have used our private friendship to do so. When the time was right, I would have officially sent a meeting invitation to Jack and Annie through official channels. Of course, I would have given them advice and analyzed the pros and cons as a friend."
"And then recommend Nike?"
"Yes, I would recommend Nike." Vance said honestly. "To be honest, no brand in the entire industry can compare to us. Not even those brands you're familiar with." That unparalleled confidence was revealed in his words, and no one could refute it.
"What's more, we would offer you a deal you can't refuse," Vance added.
Lu Ke raised an eyebrow. "Is that from 'The Godfather'?" The line he just said was a classic line from the movie "The Godfather."
Vance didn't react. "What?"
Lu Ke shook his head with a smile. "Nothing."
Vance was slightly stunned and didn't think much of it. He then returned to his original speaking rhythm. "Believe me, Nike's sincerity is enough. We have a grand vision for your career, your market potential, and your commercial brand. No one can refuse it. If you're interested, feel free to come and learn more."
"But not now." Lu Ke still passed the test and was not moved.
On one hand, the season was currently underway, and all his energy had to be focused on the next opponent. Only by continuing to win could the bargaining chips for sponsorships remain on his side. On the other hand, he knew very little about this area. Even if he were to negotiate, he should leave it to Leigh. The saying, "specialized in their field," exists for a reason.
Vance wasn't in a hurry. He nodded with a smile and repeated, "But not now."
Afterward, Vance kept his promise and didn't talk about the matter again. Instead, he talked to Lu Ke about hobbies like vinyl records and Nintendo game cartridges.
It was clear that Vance was trying his best to stay calm and maintain the atmosphere and rhythm from before this conversation started. It seemed to be a further confirmation of his promise: he truly had no malicious intent to use Lu Zhengze or to exploit the friendship with Lu Ke's family.
Before he knew it, Lu Ke arrived at his destination and dropped Vance off at his house.
Even when Lu Ke got into a taxi and drove away, Vance didn't bring up the Nike contract again, showing great composure. But if you thought about it, Vance had already started laying the groundwork so far in advance, so he was prepared for the long haul. A small hiccup today was no reason to panic.
Watching Lu Ke's taxi get farther and farther away, Vance let out a long sigh of relief.
Visiting Lu Ke in person this afternoon was indeed planned in advance. But Vance never expected that Lu Ke would figure him out on their first meeting. It was clear that Lu Ke was a pre-meditated journalist with a unique nose for news, and his intelligence and quick wit on the field were well-deserved.
The plan had gone slightly off track, and Nike's intentions had been exposed early. But looking at it from another perspective, this was also a good thing. They could show Nike's sincerity in advance and demonstrate enough sincerity in all aspects to lay the groundwork for a future contract.
Indeed, with Nike's status, they didn't need to be so humble, and they certainly didn't need a Lu Ke to open up the Asian market. But Nike was always dedicated to signing top superstars. This was part of their brand image. They wanted to create a situation where "every top superstar in every sport chooses Nike." In that case, as the unique Chinese-American starting quarterback in the NFL, Lu Ke's strategic position was unique.
Nike didn't need Lu Ke to break into the market, but they needed Lu Ke to supplement their brand image. Of course, signing Lu Ke would also be an important addition to Nike's dominance in the Asian market and the North American football market.
So, Nike still proceeded with its plan in an orderly fashion, starting the groundwork a full eleven months in advance.
According to their research, Lu Ke was a relatively simple athlete. He trained and trained, and his hobbies were limited. Among Lu Ke's close friends, Curry, Watt, Logan, and Marcus had not yet reached the level that would make Nike take notice and treat them specially, so the number of entry points was not many.
Looking at it from another perspective, the close bond between Lu Ke and his family was no secret, so using his family as a way in became the best choice.
However, after today's little hiccup, Vance needed to adjust his follow-up plan.
...
"Leigh, why does your tone sound like you already expected this?" In the taxi, Lu Ke was telling his agent everything that had just happened.
Leigh chuckled softly. "No, I'm not a prophet. How could I have expected everything in advance? It's just that I'm not surprised by this situation. If after so many arrangements and groundwork, these brands still didn't have any reaction, it would mean that I didn't do my job properly."
From the official league position led by Roger Goodell to the San Francisco 49ers' official events, to the relevant promotions on social media and the promotion of the Asian community, over the past year, Leigh had taken care of his business layout step by step. The current buzz was just one of the results of his efforts.
It was also expected that sponsors would come knocking. For Leigh, he wasn't worried that brands like Nike and Adidas wouldn't show up, because if they didn't, it would be their loss, not Lu Ke's. This was Leigh's confidence—
Rarity is precious.
Currently, there was only one Lu Ke in the entire NFL, and he had a unique advantage. Leigh had the capital to be confident.
"If you're curious, Adidas has also contacted me. Only half of the Under Armour contract has passed, so we have enough time to choose our future partner slowly." Leigh was clearly confident, and he had already completed his plan in his mind.
"Yeah, Vance just brought it up," Lu Ke said, rubbing his cheeks and letting out a soft breath. "Even though everything is happening right now, I still don't feel like it's real."
"That's because you haven't seen the hot discussions on social media," Leigh said with a chuckle.
In fact, Lu Ke's focus and concentration were sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. But in the end, Leigh didn't push him, as Lu Ke was in a period of rapid growth. Everything was still centered around the games, so there was no need to rush into managing social media. If they weren't careful, they could lose more than they gained.
Lu Ke shrugged and didn't comment. "But I can be sure of one thing. My job is to continue playing and fighting for victory. Otherwise, everything will be for nothing, right?"
"For nothing? That's not an exaggeration. The achievements you've made so far are not something that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can achieve." Leigh also revealed his strong confidence in an understated way. Even when facing Nike and Adidas, he was calm and composed. He had absolute confidence in Lu Ke. "But your idea is correct. You focus on the game, and you can leave these off-field matters to me."
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