Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 114 Reverse Motivationalism! Making empty promises to clients!

Chapter 114 Reverse Motivationalism! Making empty promises to clients!

"Also, there are so many problems with this agent agency contract that I can't bear to look at it." Lin Tian slammed the two contracts on the table and said, "David, my first impression of you was pretty good, but this second impression is just awful."

"I think we're not really suited to work together, because I don't like guys who treat me like a lamb to the slaughter right from the start. The fact that you haven't gotten yelled at is all thanks to Michael." After saying that, Lin Tian nodded to Jordan, ignored Falk, and walked straight out of his office.

This David Falk must have been too long since he'd learned his lesson and had been in a high position for too long. So long that he'd forgotten what sincerity and genuine feelings were.

What? This is the most basic respect again!

He regarded Lin Tian as one of those third-rate players who wanted to use the name of "David Falk" to gain benefits.

"David! What kind of contract did you give Lin?" Jordan's dissatisfied voice came from inside the office. Clearly, he was also very unhappy with Falk's actions.

"Michael! We don't have time to think about anything else this summer! Your contract renewal is the most important thing! I don't have the energy to think about anything else. If you hadn't brought this rookie with you, I wouldn't have even considered bringing such a newcomer into my fold! I don't have that much energy!"

"I've already given you face, but he didn't give us any at all. For that kind of person, just let him get his comeuppance. Then he'll know who's really good to him! Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let your little brother go have some fun. Let's discuss the strategy after the free market opens!"

Lin Tian couldn't hear what they were saying after that, since he wasn't there to eavesdrop and wasn't interested in what they were saying at all.

Lin Tian wasn't foolish enough to insist that Jordan go with him. After all, Falk didn't consider himself a big deal, but Jordan was his number one customer, someone he needed to treat like a father and treat well.

Regardless, being treated like an idiot twice in one day still left Lin Tian in a bad mood.

He felt that he really needed to find an agent, otherwise he would continue to be treated like an idiot!

As Lin Tian walked to the entrance of the office building, he suddenly saw the young man from before. He was still sitting at the entrance, holding his resume in his hand, with a look of utter despair on his face.

"How about I take a look at your resume?" Lin Tian found the young man increasingly familiar and couldn't resist striking up a conversation with him.

"You are..." The young man looked up, then immediately became excited: "Lin! You're Lin! I'm your fan, I'm your biggest fan! Really! I love how you play! I love playing basketball too, I even won an NCAA championship! It's just that I'm not that talented, so I couldn't make it to the NBA!"

After listening to the young man's self-introduction and glancing at his resume, Lin Tian was finally certain of the man's identity.

Rob Pelinka!

He would later become a renowned top agent in the league. During Pelinka's heyday, players like Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodala, Carlos Boozer, Rasheed Wallace, and Eric Gordon were among his clients! Many people say that during Pelinka's prime, he was one of the top three super agents in the league!

At the same time, Pelinka has another identity that many people don't know about!

In the early 90s, the famous Michigan Five, a group of five from Michigan State University led by Webber, Howard, and others, attracted countless fans during those years of NCAA games and were definitely the most popular NCAA team in the United States.

Pelinka holds the important position of water boy on this team; he is the team's third, or rather, fourth point guard.

Pelinka, who sat at the very end of the bench, hardly got any playing time during his college years.

Because his talent and skills are really nothing to mention, he is just too mediocre. His only advantage is his love for basketball!

So, during his four years in college, he watched Webber call a non-existent timeout that led to the team's defeat and loss of the NCAA championship, and he also watched Webber, Howard, and others become top NBA stars.

Pelinka knew that once his college career ended, his basketball career would be nearing its end as well.

Knowing his own limitations, Pelinka did not continue to hone his skills, nor did he strive for any trial or training camp opportunities. Instead, he went to take the postgraduate entrance exam.

Yes, he not only passed the postgraduate entrance exam, but also obtained a doctoral degree in law. He's definitely a top student!

This year marks his first year after graduation.

Because of his love for basketball, Pelinka, who knew he would never make it to the NBA, hoped to approach the NBA from another angle and become a member of the league.

Become an agent!

Of course, Pelinka is currently in the stage of frantically looking for jobs and internships. His resume has been sent to the email addresses of major brokerage firms all over the United States, and David Falk is one of his stops.

But clearly, these big, top-tier brokerage firms have no interest in this law school freshman. Judging from Pelinka's current disheveled state, it's clear his job search is going to be difficult.

"You want to be a legal consultant? I thought you wanted to be a broker." Lin Tian looked at Pelinka's resume and asked curiously, "Why not be a broker?"

"Because no agency wanted me, when my job target was to become an agent, I didn't even get an interview. Of course, I wouldn't even consider or go to those agencies that only care about making money and are willing to push players into the abyss for profit."

"So, you're going to settle for second best, become a legal assistant first, and then switch departments to become an agent?" Lin Tian looked at Pelinka. To be honest, Pelinka was exactly Lin Tian's type!

It's bad in the first place!

Don't let his innocent, newbie appearance fool you. In a few years, he'll be one of the dirtiest people in the filthy world of agents!

The thing he's most famous for is instigating Boozer to verbally agree to the contract offered by the Cavaliers in the summer of 2004.

Then, just as the Cavaliers were happily announcing that they were giving up Boozer's team option and preparing to renew his contract, Pelinka and Boozer immediately reneged on their agreement, stating that they had never agreed to the verbal agreement and that it was the Cavaliers who were unwilling to renew Boozer's contract.

Then, Boozer quickly signed a much larger contract offered to him by the Jazz.

He transformed himself and headed to Salt Lake City, where he joined forces with Deron Williams to form the new Utah duo.

Lin Tian said: "We two are a match made in heaven!" Pelinka is the kind of guy who has no bottom line or principles as long as he can help players make money and sign big contracts.

Of course, if it were just about being bad, Lin Tian definitely wouldn't consider Pelinka. After all, there are plenty of bad guys in the world, and Pelinka is definitely not the worst or most annoying one. The real reason Lin Tian is willing to consider him is actually because of this guy's abilities!

He has exceptional contract negotiation skills. It's not an achievement that he could have secured a maximum contract for Kobe throughout his entire career. After all, even having a dog as Kobe's agent could have resulted in Kobe receiving a maximum contract for his entire career.

Pelinka's brilliance lies in his ability to secure incredibly lucrative contracts for players like Wallace, Iguodala, and Gordon, who aren't exactly top-tier stars!

These players, who are at most second-tier in terms of ability, have all made a fortune under Pelinka.

And then there's his top-notch crisis management skills! As we all know, in 2003, Kobe did something in Colorado that shook the entire league and almost ruined his career.

This incident led Adidas, Kobe's biggest partner at the time, to terminate his contract, causing countless partners and fans who had previously been optimistic about Kobe to abandon him. Overnight, Kobe went from being the darling of the league to being condemned as a villain and a pervert.

If this matter is not handled properly, Kobe will definitely fall into an endless abyss, and may never be able to return to the top for the rest of his life!

However, Pelinka did not give up on Kobe! He not only accompanied Kobe through all the court hearings, helping him to finally escape imprisonment, but he also designed a whole set of plans and methods for Kobe to "clean up" his image and return to the public eye. He provided Kobe with a series of successful business plans and strategies, such as the "Mamba Mentality" and the "81-point spirit".

If it weren't for Pelinka's perfect planning, designing an incredibly suitable business path for Kobe, it's hard to say whether Kobe's career would have even continued, let alone reached its peak again and become the fearless Black Mamba.

Sometimes, some things can't be changed just by burying your head in hard work and putting in your life on the line! Talent and effort are certainly important, but having a good team behind you to help you solve problems is equally important!

Pelinka was definitely one of the most important benefactors in Kobe's career!

In addition, this guy is also quite good at managing a team as an agent and general manager, although he is often criticized by some fans.

Whether it was his acquisition of AD after taking office and the subsequent acquisition of a group of strong role players in 2020 to lead the team to a championship, or his miraculous turnaround mid-season when the team started with a 2-10 record, ranked 13th in the Western Conference for a long time with only a 0.3% chance of making the playoffs, and finally made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals!

Whether it's their vision, planning ability, or their shamelessness and unconventional, bottomless behavior, they all perfectly suit Lin Tian's taste.

Lin Tian would never let such a capable agent, who would stop at nothing for his clients, slip away from his side without a reason!

My own agent decided to use this guy!

Of course, there was another reason why Lin Tian decided to choose Pelinka!

"If I make you my agent, what can you offer me?" Lin Tian looked at Pelinka, his expression revealing the air of a capitalist.

"I'm willing to take the lowest commission in the industry! And if you're not satisfied, you can fire me anytime!" Pelinka, with his exceptionally high emotional intelligence and desperately seeking an opportunity, replied without hesitation, "Give me this opportunity, and I promise you won't be disappointed! I'll show you my abilities!"

Yes, that's one of the most important reasons!

Cheap!

It's incredibly cheap!

After quickly finalizing the employment contract between Pelinka and others.

Lin Tian directly handed over all the matters in the United States to Pelinka, asking him to contact companies in various industries, help him screen and negotiate, and finally select a few suitable ones to reach a cooperation agreement!

I've been playing basketball hard all year, it's time for me, Lin, to make some money!

Then, Mr. Lin simply shrugged and became a hands-off manager, flying directly back to China.

I haven't been home for a whole year, so it's time to go see my parents and grandfather. I also need to meet with Su Qun, who has called me several times, expressing his desire to come to the United States and have a chat with me.

Since Lin Tian was going back to China anyway, we decided to just let him wait in the capital!

However... Lin Tian didn't expect that he would encounter a salesperson as soon as he boarded the plane!

Well, of course it's not swimming or fitness, you should check it out.

"Hello sir, would you like to know about these brand new sneakers?"

Who are you?

Lin Tian looked at the young man in front of him, who wore large sunglasses and a peaked lapel suit and looked like a street thug, not much older than himself, and asked curiously, "Who are you?"

Hmm, Lin Tian didn't recognize him at all!

Logically speaking, if a guy dressed so distinctively and with such an extravagant and arrogant style were a famous figure in Lin Tian's previous life, Lin Tian would never forget him. But now, Lin Tian doesn't feel that he looks familiar at all.

Therefore, Lin Tian directly labeled him a fraudster.

Nine times out of ten, it's a scam!

"We're all your fans, Lin! Your performance in the Finals was absolutely awesome! We think you're the coolest guy in the entire NBA! So I really hope you can try on our shoes!" Behind Lin Tian's head, another guy whose attire was no better than the one next to him with the peaked collar popped up.

With his standard black frizzy hair, a T-shirt with the slogan "I am your dad," a big gold chain, and ripped jeans, Lin Tian felt that this guy was more like Allen Iverson than someone who was there to sell shoes.

Because it looks more like it! Even if he's white!

"But you haven't answered my question yet. Who are you two?"

"I'm Tom! Tom Austin! This is my partner, Seth Berger." Austin, with his distinctive collar, chuckled. "Don't you really want to see our sneakers?"

"Tom, has your brain been eaten by parasites? All that's left in your head is parasite poop!" Begg showed no mercy to his partner, unleashing a torrent of trash talk: "When people ask who you are, they don't mean your name, they mean what you do!"

"Sorry Lin, that kid's never been the brightest." Berg then said to Lin Tian, ​​"We're the founders of a new independent brand. We have another partner, but he's busy with something else in New York right now. We're here because we hope you'll wear our shoes next season!"

"As far as we know, you don't have any sneaker contracts right now, do you?"

"And how are you any better than me? You idiot who ate your own brain and then replaced it with your own shit." Austin immediately seized the opportunity to retaliate, saying smugly, "You didn't say where you came from either, did you?"

"Lin, we are the founders of AND 1. You may not know much about our brand yet, but our brand is definitely the coolest stuff on the streets of America! We now have more than 400 retail stores across the United States, and you can even find our counter in Foot Locker, the largest sports chain store in the country!"

At this moment, Berg demonstrated that he not only bantered with Austin, but also had excellent chemistry with him! As soon as Austin finished speaking, he chimed in.

"Yes, we have only been established for less than 3 years. We are still newcomers to the market. Our market share and reputation are far behind. Not to mention Nike, even Adidas, Reebok and Converse are far behind us. We are far inferior to them in terms of brand power."

"But in our eyes, their stuff is just stagnant garbage! No innovation, no courage to change, just monotonous repetition and blindly pandering to the market! They're not cool at all! They're awful!"

"Yes! They're awful!" Austin continued. "If you go to Rucker Park, if you go to any streetball court across America, you'll see our products and fans everywhere! Young people these days love our gear!"

As Austin spoke, he pointed to Berg's T-shirt and said, "This is our hottest item this season, and also our favorite! It's a trash talk T-shirt! It's our star product!"

"If you want, we can give you so much! You can take it all over the world! Take it to the streets of the world!"

When these two got to this point, Lin Tian finally realized who they were.

He's actually the founder of AND 1!

In 1993, on the streets of New York, three bored and rebellious college students felt that the existing basketball brands and related equipment were too conventional and lacked passion. They believed that basketball should be full of passion, power, and the courage to challenge authority!

So, three guys who were just salesmen at the beginning came up with a brilliant idea and created the AND 1 brand.

AND 1 is definitely a dream in the hearts of every basketball boy born in the 80s and 90s. The oversized T-shirts and shorts, the wild and arrogant prints, the graffiti-like casual and crazy style, plus its sneaker design that never follows the rules and never cares about tradition or rules.

It can be said that the 15 years from the late 90s to the first decade of the 21st century were the peak period of the AND 1 brand. In that era, having a complete set of AND 1 equipment would definitely make you the coolest person on the entire court!

At its peak, AND 1 even rivaled Nike in the NBA, and its market share in the NBA once reached second place!

I've trampled Reebok, Adidas, and Converse under my feet!

Marbury, Carter, Alston, Garnett, Sprewell, Carter, Crawford...

These NBA stars, who are famous and have countless fans, have all worn AND 1 shoes on the court!

In the early 21st century, the hit song "Street Dance Storm" swept across the United States, sending countless young people to the streets. The incredible street basketball moves in their AND 1 Mixtape, combined with the energetic Hip-Hop music, made AND 1 a bible in the hearts of street youths!

Of course, AND 1 has its problems. Its glory lasted only a little over a decade. Then, due to brand strategy, sneaker design, being too street-style, and lacking technological sophistication, it was swallowed up by the tide of time and quickly disappeared from people's sight.

But no matter what, no one can deny that the era of AND 1 existed, nor can they deny the arrogant culture that once filled the streets!

Looking at the two founders, who were in their most frenzied and aggressive phase, Lin Tian didn't answer their questions. Instead, he smiled and said, "If I don't agree, how long are you going to pester me?"

"At least for this flight to China, you're not getting any peace and quiet," Austin said with a laugh. "We went to great lengths to find your itinerary and practically booked the entire first-class cabin, just waiting for you to board! From now on, for the entire 20-plus-hour journey, there won't be more than five passengers in first class!"

"Therefore, you must undergo our brainwashing until you accept our suggestions!"

"Because you and AND 1's brand culture are a perfect match! Your style, what you do on the court, especially your dribbling and passing in Game 4 of the Finals, you were born to represent AND 1, you belong to AND 1! If you choose those more famous ones, they simply don't deserve your brand!"

At this point, Austin licked his lips and chuckled, "I guarantee you'll regret this for the rest of your life, I guarantee you'll live a life of misery! Because you never even tried wearing our sneakers!"

As Austin spoke, he opened the shoe box in his hand, revealing a pair of flashy sneakers inside, with colors and graffiti that were practically indistinguishable from street art.

"These shoes are really quite stylish," Lin Tian said with a smile. "So, what price are you planning to offer me?"

Business is business!

Although I, Lin Da Guanren, have some sentimental attachment to AND 1, during AND 1's most difficult years in my previous life, I even considered simply acquiring it for fun, but Guirenniao beat me to it in the end.

But now, things are different!

Lin Tian saw countless profits and huge sums of US dollars in these two guys!

In fact, after Lin Tian recognized the two guys, he almost decided to sign with AND 1, not for any so-called street sentiment.

When it comes to sentimentality, you can simply buy ten pairs of shoes and 20 T-shirts; that's enough to fulfill your sentimental desires.

But when it comes to signing endorsement deals, especially for something as important as sneakers for NBA stars, Lin Tian is calmer than anyone else!

Nostalgia? Go home, wash up, and go to sleep.

The reason why Lin Tian was interested in AND 1 and wanted to reach an agreement with them was very simple.

This is a startup brand that has only been established for 3 years. It's hard to say whether they even have a legal department yet.

It's much easier to do business with them, to bully a few greenhorns, than to talk to those cunning old bastards who are full of tricks and scheming.

Yes, AND 1's peak lasted only a little over a decade. They reached their peak around 2005, and then around 2010, they fell by the speed of light and disappeared.

But what does that have to do with me, Lin? I've only been playing basketball for a little over ten years, which perfectly coincides with AND 1's peak!

Even if AND 1 is truly a hopeless brand, and even I, Lin Daguan, can't save it, I'll just switch to another company when my contract expires.

They're not a Chinese couple who have to make do even when their relationship breaks down.

According to Lin Tian's estimation, even without the international market and influence of Adidas or Nike, the profits and power he would gain in AND 1 would undoubtedly be much greater than those of established big brands!

In particular, AND 1 doesn't have a single NBA player signed yet!

If Lin Tian's guess is correct, the other one of the three founding members of AND 1, the one in New York, should be in talks with Stephon Marbury about signing an endorsement deal!

Historically, Stephon Marbury was AND 1's first NBA customer!

AND 1 has very big ambitions to enter the mainstream market!

Um... of course, those things have nothing to do with Lin Tian.

What Lin Tian is more concerned about now is: how much money have these guys prepared?

With Lin Tian's top-tier looks, dazzling playing style, backing from the Chinese and even the entire Asian market, and playing for a top-tier exposure team in Chicago, Lin Tian is confident enough that even if he signs with a brand like China Jordan, Adidas, Nike, or Gadillac, he can still make that brand a huge hit!

Moreover, AND 1 already has a considerable following on the streets.

More importantly, although Lin Tian has this confidence, if he told this confidence to executives at Nike or Adidas, they would definitely think he is crazy and would not give him any decent contract, because they have too many other options.

Whether Lin Tian's commercial value can compare to that of Iverson or Marbury is debatable in the eyes of those executives.

After all, no matter how much the industry thinks highly of Lin Tian, ​​he has never achieved any results leading a team on his own.

In that era, the phrase "Chinese market" held no appeal whatsoever. Otherwise, Nike wouldn't have offered Yao Ming, the number one draft pick, a four-year, $1.6 million contract in 2002—a contract that was practically an insult.

Of course, Nike certainly didn't intend to insult Yao Ming; they simply thought he was worth that much money!

Therefore, Lin Tian had no interest in engaging in lengthy negotiations with Nike or Adidas to persuade and win over those middle-aged, seasoned executives.

He was too lazy to play any pretentious tricks or tell people things like, "You ignored me before, but now you can't afford to miss me."

That's boring and childish!

After considering all these factors, AND 1, this emerging brand, and its three founding members—each one more insane, more radical, and more passionate than the last—was definitely the one Lin Tianzai wanted to stab...

Hmm... a great partner to work well with!

Lin Tian believed that as long as he made a big enough promise, these three guys would definitely be willing to offer anything!

Yes, Lin Tian is now going to make empty promises to the client!

He's incredibly excited by making empty promises!

Austin was clearly taken aback by Lin Tian's directness. After a slight pause, he immediately beamed with delight and said, "Lin! You need to know how much we like you and how much we want to become a legend with you! So, of course, we've prepared an incredibly generous contract for you—a contract you can't even imagine!"

"Austin, I must say, I'd also very much like to cooperate with you." Lin Tian suddenly reached out and interrupted Austin's passionate speech, looking at him and saying, "But you'd better consider some of the prices before quoting them to me, otherwise if the prices are too low, I won't want to hear a single word from you after that."

"So don't try to fool me, and don't try to lure me to your side with low prices and empty promises. I have complete confidence in myself. I believe my sneakers will sell just as well as Michael's. Our partnership will be another perfect example of mutual selection and mutual benefit, following in the footsteps of Jordan and Nike!"

"You can probably tell I have huge ambitions. I want a lot. I'm not content with just signing a contract and selling a couple of pairs of shoes. What I want is a sneaker empire of my own. I want a legend that can dethrone Jordan and Nike!"

"This is my ambition, and this is my confidence! I know that if I say these words, most executives of sneaker brands will think I'm an idiot and walk away, but I don't think you two will! Because you two are from AND 1! If you weren't like me, wanting to challenge tradition and create miracles."

"Then why did you create this brand?"

"So, put away all the offers you've prepared, and then have a serious discussion with your remaining partner about how much you're willing to pay for the next king of the sneaker world!"

"Before you reach an agreement, why don't we go to China together for a week and have some fun, so we can experience the warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people? What do you say?"

Lin Tian's words made Austin and Berg feel excited, and they stared at Lin Tian with wide eyes!

As the most radical and unrestrained sneaker brand in the United States, how could these two not have dreamed of surpassing Nike, surpassing Jordan, and becoming the KING of the sneaker world?

However, after their daydreams, they inevitably return to calm, knowing that the road ahead must be walked step by step!

Their most important step right now is to use their limited resources and funds to sign a few NBA players they are optimistic about, so that AND 1 can move from the street market into the NBA and let those people see their shoes. This is the first step and the most important thing right now!

Their targets this year actually include three people: Lin Tian, ​​Marbury, and Iverson!

However, Iverson had already rejected them a week ago. Originally, this guy also came from the streets and was dressed in a full set of street gear, making him AND 1's best partner.

Unfortunately, he has already agreed to Reebok and signed the biggest rookie shoe contract in NBA history!

5000 million over 10 years!

This contract allowed Iverson to earn $500 million a year without playing a single NBA game!

It also made Iverson's shoe contract instantly reach the top level in the league!

Apart from a couple of players like Jordan, Hardaway, and Hill, no one else in the league has a shoe contract that can compare to Iverson's!

The AND 1 trio was powerless against Iverson's astronomical contract.

In terms of money, even if the three of them worked day and night selling their bodies, they still couldn't compare to the international brand Reebok.

Therefore, Austin, who was originally going to deal with Iverson, simply teamed up with Begg to deal with Lin Tian, ​​while the remaining one went to focus on winning over Marbury!

But now...

No matter how capable Austin and Berg are, no matter how much they have built their fortune from scratch, they are still young people in their early twenties. Compared to Lin Tian, ​​that old fox, they are far inferior.

Before they could even plan out a future for Lin Tian or envision a wonderful life for him, Lin Tian beat them to it.

The situation has now completely reversed.

The two men were so excited by Lin Tian's words that they believed that everything he said could very well come true!

Austin and Berg looked at each other for a full two minutes before Austin finally said, "We need to wait until the plane lands and have a good talk with our partner. We need to figure out what kind of contract we can offer you."

"As for going to China for fun, we can't go. We have a lot of things to do."

"I think you guys should go," Lin Tian said with a smile. "You should go and experience the place where my signature sneakers will sell the most in the future. You should also see who supports me and makes me the king of sneakers in the world, and who makes you the number one sneaker brand in the basketball world!"

"Shall we go take a look?" Austin tentatively looked at Berg.

Berg nodded and said, "Leave the company matters to Gilbert, no problem! The two of us can treat this as a business trip to China! It just so happens that I've never been to this mysterious country before."

Seeing that the two were attracted to each other, Lin Tian stopped talking and put on his eye mask, preparing to get a good night's sleep.

This trip is going to be a very long one!

As Lin Tian stepped off the plane in the capital of China, an incredibly familiar scent wafted over.

Lin Tian took a deep breath of the air from his hometown.

He walked towards the exit with two AND 1 executives behind him.

Because Lin Tian was on a private trip and did not disclose his flight information, coupled with his large sunglasses and baseball cap, no one could recognize him.

As soon as Lin Tian reached the vicinity of the parking lot, Su Qun spotted him immediately, waving her arms and shouting, "Over here! Over here!"

"Reporter Su, how about we take our friends to get some Beijing-style food? How about a bowl of braised pork?" Lin Tian sat next to Su Qun, smiling at his old friend.

"Who are these two?" Su Qun spoke in Mandarin, not worried that anyone would understand him.

"The two founders of AND 1, a sneaker brand, want me to sign them," Lin Tian said with a smile. "Have you been busy these past few days, Reporter Su? If you're not, could you help me show them around and let them appreciate the beauty of our country?"

"Of course, it would be even better if you could help them promote me!"

Hmm, not bad, Lin Tian is going to be a hands-off manager again! With Su Qun, an absolute professional, introducing things, why should he bother with all this trouble? What decent person wants to drag two grown men around every day?

Letting others do the work is the best approach!

"Normally, that would be no problem, but now..." Su Qun scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "I'm not Reporter Su anymore. I just resigned from China Sports Daily, and I want to start a sports newspaper that truly belongs to me, one that I can really call the shots!"

"Or rather, a basketball newspaper! There has never been a newspaper in China that specifically targets the basketball market! To put it bluntly, this is absolutely the first time ever! So I've been really busy these past few days, meeting with a lot of people and discussing my thoughts with them."

Seeing Su Qun's polite refusal, Lin Tian didn't take it to heart at all. He didn't even ask about the newspaper that was being prepared. Instead, he smiled and said, "Just tell me, do you not want to accompany those two Americans? Or are you willing but don't have the time? We're old acquaintances, just tell the truth."

"Xiaolin, I'm definitely willing to help you! I'm also very interested in talking to the presidents of international sneaker brands. I'm very interested in their sneaker development philosophies and brand culture! I'll even ask you for help so I can meet with them once my newspaper gets going!"

"But right now, I really don't have time. I have to meet with several big bosses, and I'm short of money."

Seeing Su Qun's wry smile, Lin Tian knew that this guy's path to securing sponsorships must be extremely difficult!

After all, it was the first basketball-related sports newspaper in China, and to put it positively, it was indeed a groundbreaking first.

But many people would think: This is an incredibly difficult and dark road.

Especially since Su Qun isn't some industry veteran or big shot; he's just a junior reporter who's made a name for himself, the kind who quits his secure state-owned job on a whim. Many people might immediately think he's unreliable just by hearing that, so there aren't many people willing to invest in him.

"It's just about getting investment, right? After we finish eating the braised pork, let's go see my dad first and ask him to invest in you. If he doesn't have enough, just tell me and I'll invest for you!"

"Your dad?"

"Didn't I tell you I'm a rich kid?" Lin Tian said smugly, crossing his legs. "Let's go get something to eat!"

(End of this chapter)