"At the beginning of the season, it was indeed because of being an undrafted rookie. In every game, fighting for a starting position was the most important thing. I had to do my best to get a foothold on the field. But as the season went on, things became pure. It was all about the game and the win," Lu Ke said with a smile, and Leigh listened with a smile.
"We have a good chance this season. More importantly, we are a young team. We'll put our heads down and charge forward. No matter where the finish line is, it will be a bonus for us. Then we'll prepare for the future. So, instead of worrying about off-field factors, it's better to focus on the game and hope for a better outcome."
This was the first time Lu Ke and Leigh had a deep conversation. Although both of them understood each other's thoughts, a frank conversation was still necessary. It was also the foundation for a good working relationship between an agent and a client.
"The playoffs are coming soon. I really don't have time to think about this," Lu Ke said sincerely and seriously.
Leigh's expression didn't change much. He didn't even nod. Instead, he asked another question. "What's your goal?" Lu Ke didn't understand and looked at him. Leigh explained, "You just said you'll do your best and see how far you can go this year. So, what's your goal?"
"The Super Bowl," Lu Ke answered without any hesitation.
Leigh carefully looked at Lu Ke's eyes and expression. He was confident but not arrogant, and firm but not reckless. It reminded him of the first time he saw Lu Ke. Then, he nodded slightly and said with a smile, "That's a good start."
"So what's your opinion?" Lu Ke asked again. In this partnership, the player still made the final decision, but the agent was the one who carried out the player's ideas. They still needed to understand each other. "As a professional, what would you suggest about my rookie contract?"
"Wait." A simple word summed up all of Leigh's thoughts. "You've had an outstanding rookie season, a rookie season that countless players dream of. Besides Kurt Warner, I can't think of a better option. Unless you can win the Super Bowl."
Leigh made a small joke, and then continued, "But the higher the starting point, the higher the expectations. The second season next year will be the real test." Although Leigh didn't say it outright, there were too many cases in the league where a first-year player shone brightly and then quickly faded in their second year. Those rookies who couldn't wait to get a better salary after a great rookie season would often get a hard rejection. No team was willing to bet on a first-year player, and even a second-year player's value was still lacking.
Leigh was worried that Lu Ke's mentality would become unbalanced. The regular season was coming to an end, and there was only a month and a half left until the Super Bowl. Lu Ke was highly sought after now. You could see just a glimpse of it from the scene at the hospital today. Obviously, Lu Ke was the hottest commodity in the league right now. Even Roger Goodell mentioned Lu Ke's name multiple times in his interviews. For a 22-year-old young man, it was normal for them to be overconfident and lose themselves. Even if it did happen, they shouldn't be blamed too much. They were still too young after all.
Leigh couldn't help but worry that Lu Ke was putting himself in too high a position, which would make his mentality unbalanced and break the balance between him and the team and the players. That's why they were having this conversation today.
"The top priority right now is the playoffs. Then it's the offseason training camp. Focus all your attention on continuing this year's excellent performance in your second season. Take it one step at a time. That's the most important thing," Leigh still stated his thoughts completely. "So, I was originally going to advise you to calm down now and not be distracted. Everything will come after your rookie contract is over."
There were no grand words, but the simple words revealed great confidence. This maverick agent in the league was clearly different. After listening to Lu Ke's thoughts, Leigh realized that his worries were unnecessary. He was used to seeing black players who spent money recklessly. After getting their signing bonus, they would spend it freely and quickly get into debt and bankruptcy. Then they would ask for a higher salary, but they were just blindly putting themselves in an inappropriate position, offending the team and the league. Most importantly, the agent would lose their cash cow, forming a vicious cycle.
Rookies, in particular, were prone to becoming arrogant. After their confidence accumulated to a certain extent, it gradually turned into arrogance and cockiness. They would even ignore their own worth and ask for sky-high prices after a little bit of success. But they forgot that this was a professional league. Every year, many geniuses entered the league, and every year, even more geniuses fell.
Fortunately, Lu Ke was not an ordinary young rookie. Although it turned out that his worries were unnecessary, Leigh was still glad that he had a frank conversation with Lu Ke face-to-face today. This was very important for his job.
"You mean, for example, defending the Super Bowl?" Then everything that was supposed to come would come, and even if Lu Ke didn't ask for it, a contract would be automatically sent to the table. Lu Ke picked up his knife and fork and said with a smile, his voice trailing off.
Leigh was slightly stunned. He then realized the origin of the question. A smile appeared in his eyes, and he nodded slightly. "Yes, for example, defending the Super Bowl."
After that, Leigh also picked up his knife and fork, and the two of them officially started to enjoy their lunch.
"You said earlier that there have been a lot of advertising sponsorships coming in recently. Is that true?"
"Yes, but I told them that everything would have to wait until after the playoffs. This year, no matter how the team performs in the playoffs, you've already proven yourself, so we can wait. We don't want to disrupt your game rhythm."
"So you mean I'm a hot commodity now?"
"...Yes."
"Haha."
After lunch, Leigh personally escorted Lu Ke to the San Francisco 49ers' training facility before he drove away. Lu Ke walked towards the training field. He felt like he had forgotten to do something, and then his phone rang. After seeing the caller ID, he immediately realized what it was. Emily Provo. He had forgotten to call Emily.
"Hey, Emily," Lu Ke greeted her. "Sorry, I was busy just now and completely forgot to call you back." Emily had called three times during lunch, but Lu Ke didn't answer any of them.
"That's good. I thought you were refusing to answer my calls now because your identity is different," Emily joked.
Lu Ke wasn't flustered at all. "If I remember correctly, when you used to call me, it was as a journalist, not as a friend. So, I don't think our relationship has changed at all."
"You're still as difficult as ever," Emily said with a light chuckle and shook her head.
"Thanks for the compliment." Lu Ke's nonchalant tone made Emily laugh cheerfully. "So, why did you suddenly come to San Francisco? And you're even here to cover a sports story? What's going on?"
"If I told you I'm on vacation right now, and I'm at the hospital just to meet up with an old friend, would you believe me?" Emily said half-jokingly.
"That depends on what kind of novel this is," Lu Ke replied, which made Emily laugh out loud. It was clear that he refused to believe her.
"Whew!" Emily let out a heavy sigh, as if she was getting her emotions in check. Then she said in one breath, "You know that Jay is in the hospital now, right?"
"No... I didn't know... When did that happen?" Lu Ke frowned. He had seen Jay at the post-game press conference last night. At that time, Jay was still full of life.
"Last night, or rather, this morning," Emily said simply. "He bruised his knee. The doctor said it's not a serious problem, but he needs a cast. He won't be able to cover the news for the next two weeks and has to take a leave of absence. He got hurt because of me. I was chasing a story yesterday and happened to run into Jay. He offered to help, and then an accident happened..."
"Anyway, it's all my fault," Emily said, concluding the story without going into more detail.
Lu Ke could already draw a conclusion. "So, you came to cover the news for Jay this morning? That guy, he could have just called me. Then I could have just told him that I just have a cold, and there's no need to be so secretive about it."
"He thinks friendship is friendship and work is work. If he uses friendship to get news, things will get tricky in the future, and it'll be hard for you and him," Emily said simply. "But that doesn't apply to me because I'm on the social desk and you're on the sports desk. Besides this time, we don't have any common ground. So, are you sure it's just a cold?"
"Yes, Ms. Provo," Lu Ke said with a light chuckle, deliberately using a serious tone. "It's officially confirmed. You can rest assured and tell that guy Jay to publish the news." As soon as he finished, Lu Ke remembered another important thing. "Wait, did you come to San Francisco for a business trip, or did you get a transfer?"
"I've been officially transferred to San Francisco," Emily answered bluntly.
"So you and Jay..."
"We're just friends. Don't go around speculating," Emily said, cutting him off before he could finish. She had heard the implied meaning in his words and said seriously.
"Friends. Of course, friends," Lu Ke also nodded seriously in response. "Alright, then one day, let's all get together as friends and have a meal. After the season, well, there's a lot of time after the season. A get-together with friends is still very important."
He kept saying "friends." Emily on the other end of the phone was speechless. She finally hung up the phone and could only roll her eyes in protest.
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