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Chapter 81, Section 79: An Exorbitantly Priced Sneaker Endorsement! (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Yi Shui asked curiously, "Donnie, why do you say that?"

Walsh replied, "You've already bullied them enough at the university and at the joint tryouts, what else do you need to prove?"
Let them showcase their talents in the Summer League! The camaraderie among players from the same cohort should be valued.

You two might become teammates in the future, since you're about the same age and your peak years are around the same time, making you good potential recruits.

University is university, and the workplace is the workplace; everything can start anew.

Actually, Mike and I were in a happy dilemma: you're going to participate in the Summer League, and we don't know how to give Stephen and Mario a chance to perform.

The Olympics are coming up, and I think playing in that competition would be more helpful to you.

The level of competition is definitely higher than the Summer League, giving you more opportunities to hone your skills.

And then there are the business-related issues; I think you should be able to figure that out, right?

This time, it was Yi Shui's turn to remain silent.

This time, he truly and directly experienced what level of intelligence the general manager thought he was.

The communication went exceptionally smoothly. Yi Shui sent Shen Zhiyu to communicate with the Blue Association, and sat alone in the restaurant, grieving.

But this lonely and desolate atmosphere didn't last long before it was broken by a cell phone ringing.

Frustrated, he picked up his phone; it was Bartelstein calling.

Didn't we just finish a phone call? Could something have gone wrong with the Olympics? No, Shen Zhiyu just left; he probably hasn't even finished his call with the Blue Association yet.

Before he could even say "Hi" after the call connected, a hurried, almost roaring voice came through: "Brook! Come to Beaverton! Beaverton, Oregon! The shoe contract is finalized..."

Yi Shui was so shocked by the loud voice that he pulled his phone away by half a meter, but when he heard the number Bartelstein said, his breathing became rapid.

If this weren't a restaurant, a public place, he would have wanted to roar and howl like a ghost.

After signing a bunch of small endorsement deals, he thought he was no longer sensitive to money. Now he realizes that there's no such thing as not being sensitive to money; it's just that the numbers aren't big enough!
...

Returning home in glory... Yi Shui won't have that time this summer, and he's not at that point yet.

His parents didn't want him to go back to the county at this time; they hoped to wait until things calmed down.

The two old men... well, they weren't really old. Yi Donglai and Chen Fanghua, born in the mid-1960s and having experienced the era of guaranteed job assignments, were only in their early forties. As teachers, they were in their prime, at the stage where their teaching abilities were at their best and their energy was at its peak.

The couple had finally managed to outwit and outmaneuver that small group of eccentric relatives and friends without losing any money. But now that their son was back, the three of them would be back in battle mode.

However, Yi Shui didn't have time to go back. His parents were already on summer vacation. When they heard that their son was coming back to participate in the national team training camp, they flew to the capital even before him and stayed in a resort area in Daxing under the arrangement of Shen Zhiyu's team.

Having a domestic agent team is essential; for the vast majority of things, you just need to give the order and the team can handle it.

And he doesn't need to pay any extra fees, it's just the normal agent's commission... Of course, he has to pay for the expenses related to the things he asks for.

Bartelstein and Shen Zhiyu are not in a superior-subordinate relationship, but rather work partners who mutually inspect each other's work but operate independently.

How much they earn depends on how many endorsements they can secure. Shen Zhiyu is in charge of domestic endorsements, while Battelstein is in charge of overseas endorsements. Given the current economic situation, it's hard to say who has better business resources.

The difference is that Bartelstein receives a 4% cut of the salary, guaranteeing a stable income regardless of circumstances.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Yi Shui No. 7 immediately headed to the vacation villa to meet his parents.

Meeting his parents for the first time was quite different from the excitement or fear he had imagined; instead, he felt a warmth that welled up from the bottom of his heart.

But the topics we discussed during our first meeting...

Chen Fanghua: "Xiao Shui, are you really over two meters tall? When you went to America, you were only a little bit taller than your dad, but now you're almost a head taller than him!"
But you're way too thin! What? 97 kilograms? 194 pounds? Look at Donglai, athletes are different. You're only 160 pounds and your belly is so big, while Xiaoshui is almost 200 pounds and still looks so slim..."

Yi Donglai said with dissatisfaction, "You said it yourself, our son is an athlete. How can I, a Chinese teacher who spends all day at the podium and in the office, be the same? Let me tell you, I'm already considered to be in a very good physique among male teachers. Everyone else is 1.6 meters tall and weighs 160 pounds, while I'm 1.88 meters tall and only weigh 160 pounds! It's just that I have a bit more belly fat from sitting for too long!"

Chen Fanghua: "Yes, yes, you're the most handsome teacher in the whole school. Otherwise, why would I have fallen for you back then? Otherwise, how could we have given birth to such a handsome son?"

Yi Donglai was pleased to hear this and replied, "You deserve more credit for Xiao Shui's looks. Back then, you were the most beautiful girl in our county... and you still are!"

Yi Shui: "..."

Sure enough, he was their biological son. After chatting with their son for only a few minutes, the couple started getting all lovey-dovey.

In short, it's very cozy.

The family's small gathering didn't last long. The next morning, Yi Shui, whose jet lag hadn't completely worn off, had to leave the hotel for the city. Bartelstein informed the brand that everything was ready.

Before leaving, Yi Shui gave the bank card she had prepared to her parents.

Chen Fanghua refused. Yi Donglai nodded, his attitude as firm as his wife's.

Yi Shui said, "Aren't you going to ask how much money is in the card?"

Chen Fanghua: "No need to ask, if I say I don't want it, I don't want it... How much money is inside?"

"500."

The couple's eyes widened, and their pupils contracted sharply.

"Dollar."

After saying those two words, Yi Shuiping heard his parents use profanity for the first time, something he had never done before.

But after exchanging glances, the couple still chose to refuse.

Chen Fanghua: "You've given us more than enough money. We can't possibly use it all. I don't feel at ease carrying so much money around."

Yi Shui: "I didn't put it on my person, it's in the bank... Hey, hey, don't jump up and hit me on the head, what if you make me stupid?"

After dodging a few times, Yi Shui continued, "I may not be able to come back many times in the next few years, and you will have to come and see me."

I had thought before that I would give all of my first earnings to you.

Here's the money for you. You can exchange it for RMB when you need it, or you can use it at stores that accept USD. If you don't need it, just consider it as me saving it for your son.

If you're worried about your money losing value in the bank, you can invest in real estate. US dollars are very useful for buying houses. Of course, don't buy properties in small county towns, as they will be difficult to sell in the future according to the real estate market trend. If you want to buy, buy houses in prime locations in neighboring Jiaxing, Hangzhou, or Shanghai.

Or maybe we could buy a house in Beijing? Mom, I remember you saying when I was little that you really wanted to go to Beijing to see the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. Did you go these past few days?

Chen Fanghua's attention was diverted: "Not yet. I originally wanted to go, but I wanted to wait for you to come back first."

"Then you can go see it tomorrow. I'll have Brother Shen arrange the travel time for you. Oh, right, I have to go now. I still have an endorsement contract to sign. Your son is about to become even richer..."

After saying that, Yi Shui ran away.

When the couple realized what was happening, their son was already gone. Looking at the card in her hand, Chen Fanghua opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.

As a high school teacher in a small county, his family's living conditions are not bad, but they just received 100 million yuan half a month ago, and this time they received another 500 million yuan, which is in US dollars.

I felt relieved, moved, flustered, uneasy... a mix of emotions.

Yi Donglai lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled before saying, "Didn't Xiao Shui say that we should just keep it for him? We can do as he said and buy a house in a prime location in a big city to preserve its value. We can also stay there during holidays and experience big city life."

Chen Fanghua: "Not leaving any?"

Yi Donglai: "Don't we still have a million? That's enough. Too much money is affecting my teaching mindset."

Chen Fanghua: "Yeah, I've been thinking about bags all day. Luckily, I was proctoring an exam, not teaching, or things would have gone wrong..."

The son went to work, and the couple had been busy for half a year. They finally had a summer vacation, but they still had to prepare for the new semester, and also find time to watch the Olympics and go to the United States... They took advantage of this time to enjoy life and spent their time together at the resort, experiencing everything they wanted to experience.

Yi Donglai also waved the US dollar card given to him by his son and bought two bags for his wife at a luxury store.

If the money our son gives us is really needed, then we should use it... My wife has been saving money all these years and thinking of sending it to our son who is studying in the United States. Now it's time for her to enjoy the filial piety from her son.

Moreover, the couple knew that even if they restrained their desires, their lives had already changed because of their son.

Soon it was afternoon, and they learned from the brokerage team who had come to discuss the next morning's schedule that their son had earned a small fortune, also in US dollars!

...

On July 9, 2008, Nike held a press conference in Beijing to announce a formal 7-year, $1.05 million deal with Yi Shui!
This news caused a sensation in the country.

The same thing happens in the US!
The largest endorsement contract for a rookie was previously held by LeBron James, at $9000 million over 7 years.

Five years have passed since that contract was signed, and no rookie has been able to surpass it. Last year's super popular rookie, Durant, after being selected as the second overall pick, also "only" received a 7-year, $60 million contract.

Yi Shui has obviously received more attention than Durant, and the size of his shoe endorsement contract has been highly anticipated by the media and fans since his wave of endorsement signings.

According to previous rumors, Yi Shui could get an endorsement contract of just over 1000 million yuan per year, which is higher than Durant's but lower than James's, which is in line with most people's expectations.

The result was a staggering 100 million! That's an average of 15 million per year!
A Nike spokesperson told the cameras after the signing, "We missed out on Yao before, and we didn't want to make that kind of low-level mistake again. This time, we won."

The shockwaves caused by this signing go far beyond simply breaking a record for a rookie's endorsement fee...

(End of this chapter)