Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 183: IMG's Revenge - Popularity Surges, Here It Comes! (Please Subscribe)
"What?" Li Gong's eyes widened immediately after receiving Mark Jie's call.

He never expected that these Spanish media outlets would be so shameless.

Right after Jiang Hong defeated Nadal, he received a call from headquarters praising him for successfully signing Jiang Hong.

After all, IMG doesn't have much of an advantage in terms of endorsements at present.

If they still can't handle the external factors properly, then it's easy for them to terminate their contract.

After all, it was IMG that wanted to sign Jiang Hong, not the other way around.

Therefore, the termination clauses in their original contract were very lenient.

Given Jiang Hong's current commercial value and potential, if he were to switch to another agency, not to mention whether the company would punish him, he himself would find it difficult to justify it.

He immediately spoke to Mark Jie on the other end of the phone.

"Tell Jiang Hong that the company will definitely give him a satisfactory result in this matter!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Gong's expression instantly darkened.

Although I was only the head of the China region, the head office had a lot of experience in handling this kind of thing.

Moreover, Jiang Hong is clearly a cash cow that is still growing.

Destroying someone's wealth is like killing one's parents!
While it is indeed very difficult to directly bring down influential newspapers like Marca and AS.

However, these scriptwriters and stand-up comedians were not so lucky.

If we don't make an example of them, these newspapers and media outlets will probably do this frequently in the future.

Even if Jiang Hong isn't annoyed, IMG will be.

Of course, these media outlets are unaware of these events at this time.

However, in order to create a big news story, they went to Djokovic's training ground early to conduct a pre-match interview.

Everyone was eager to make a big splash.

There were more Chinese reporters, and their cameras and microphones were all aimed at Djokovic.

Reuters was the first to speak, asking, "Novak, you achieved the feat of defeating the world's top three players in Montreal. Now, facing the Chinese dark horse who eliminated Nadal, do you think he has a chance to replicate your achievement?"

Djokovic's eyes darted around, and he mimicked Nadal's gesture of adjusting his headband.

"I was originally thinking of facing Rafa and leveling the score between us!" He shrugged and raised an eyebrow, "but I didn't expect Rafa to be eliminated by Jiang."

"It's possible, but unlikely, for me to replicate my feat of sweeping through the top three!"

Djokovic said something that seemed to have a sharp point on his head.

With confidence in his eyes, he said, "Because Jiang met me, his time at the Madrid Masters is over."

The audience's eyes lit up as they listened to Djokovic's answer.

I love it when you guys make some tough statements. Why are you athletes pretending to be so gentle and refined?

The Spanish newspaper Marca has little regard for either Jiang Hong or Novak Djokovic.

After all, one is chasing after their country's hero Nadal in the rankings, while the other defeated Nadal at the Madrid Masters.

"Novak, last year you were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters, and this year you returned to Madrid with five trophies. How do you view this transformation, and what are your goals?"

Djokovic shrugged. "I think Jiang's answer makes a lot of sense. As a semi-finalist, the goal is of course the championship."

After all, no one's goal is to serve the champion, right?

After a pause, he continued, "As for my transformation this time, it can be seen from the data."

"Last year my average ball speed was only over 170 kilometers per hour, but this year it's already 190 kilometers per hour."

"Last year, I was filled with fear when facing a tiebreaker, but this year in the Montreal final, when I played Federer in the tiebreaker..."

Djokovic smiled and mimicked a broadcaster's voice.

"Djokovic's eyes flashed with steely intensity."

The reporters around Djokovic were amused.

They immediately jotted down their notes on their draft outlines.

Finally, a reporter from Titan Sports Weekly managed to squeeze out from the crowd.

"Hello, Novak, what are your expectations for Jiang Hong in this match?"

Djokovic thought for a moment and then replied, "Being able to successfully defeat Nadal and break into the top 50 of the ATP rankings in just six months, Jiang's strength is beyond doubt."

Suddenly, he changed the subject, "Therefore, I definitely won't take today's match lightly; I'll be giving it my all in this fight against Jiang!"

"I believe this will be a wonderful and exciting match."

Meanwhile, L'Équipe added fuel to the fire, asking, "Novak, are you worried about being overtaken by the rising star Jiang Hong and becoming the backdrop for his instant fame?"

Djokovic raised an eyebrow, spread his hands, and asked, "Didn't Jiang Hong already become famous with a single shot yesterday?"

Then, his expression gradually became serious.

"For professional tennis players, the entire career involves facing challenges from the new generation, and I believe that my racket will not become a stepping stone!"

After speaking, he raised the racket in his hand.

After the interviews ended, all the reporters rushed to the newspaper office, hoping to publish the news as soon as possible.

"Luis, won't the players hold you accountable for what you wrote about Jiang Hong yesterday?" Matteo, the producer of "Luis's Late Night Rant" on La Mancha TV, asked worriedly.

Louis was originally a junior editor at TVLM and had produced many programs, but the results were never very good.

A year ago, he attracted a large number of Spanish nationalists by criticizing various sports competitions and inciting bias towards Spanish athletes.

In an instant, she transformed from a junior editor into a popular TV program host.

Giving up your original style now is tantamount to killing yourself, isn't it?

"Matto, you're being too cautious. If we didn't do this, do you think La Mancha TV would be where it is today?"

"Besides, have you forgotten what kind of life we ​​lived before? What kind of life was it back then? Now we're rolling in cash and bonuses, but before we were always worried about getting fired!"

Matteo frowned, still somewhat worried: "But..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Louis waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Alright, don't worry. These little players wouldn't dare cause any trouble. Besides, you know how Chinese people are; an apology will suffice. Now get back to preparing today's article!"

"The show went very well last night, keep it up today!"

After speaking, Louis walked confidently into his office.

Just as I sat down to make myself a cup of coffee, I suddenly saw a graceful woman walking towards me.

Louis smiled. "Hi, Sophia, want to have coffee with me?"

Sophia is the secretary of the TV station owner. Because she is beautiful, many staff members in the station are pursuing her.

Louis was no exception; in the past, Sophia would never even glance at him.

But everything changed after he became a popular TV presenter.

Sofia became very enthusiastic towards him, and the two even went on dates.

Sophia remained expressionless and said coldly, "Louis, the boss wants you to go to his office!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Louis couldn't understand why Sofia had suddenly become so cold.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it. He wondered if his boss was calling him because his show had achieved a new ratings record yesterday and there were new commercials coming up.
I walked quickly to the boss's office door and knocked.

"Please come in!"

Louis pushed open the door and walked into the office with a smile on his face.

"Boss, you wanted to see me?"

A large white man turned around, looked at Louis with an icy expression, and said, "Louis, I'm informing you that you're fired!"

"Huh?" Louis's mouth dropped open, his eyes filled with confusion. "Why?"

He couldn't quite understand why he had been fired.

"Your previous talk show was suspected of being defamatory, making irresponsible and untrue statements. Our TV station is unwilling to cooperate with someone like you!!"

Upon hearing this, Louis even wondered if it was April Fool's Day.

Morality?

Does this thing have anything to do with their TV station?

Isn't it always the case that they just play whatever makes money?

Besides, even your own scripts need to be reviewed by the TV station, and now you're just washing your hands of it completely.

“Boss, can you tell me the real reason?” Louis knew it was just an excuse.

The boss coughed. "IMG just sent us a court summons, requiring us to appear in court."

Louis instantly understood; so that's how it is.

It turns out that giants like IMG had their eyes on him; no wonder he was fired.

I never imagined that IMG would value Jiang Hong so much.

Moreover, they have low wages, high bonuses, and very little severance pay.

Louis looked up, his eyes pleading: "Boss, you can't do this! I've bled and been injured for the TV station..."

As capitalists, they have never known what emotions are.

He glanced coldly at Louis: "You also received compensation from the business administration department at the time, and the TV station will also pursue legal action against you for the damage to the station's reputation and the losses you caused."

Upon hearing this, Louis's expression changed instantly; he hadn't expected the TV station to be so ruthless.

They're not giving themselves any way to survive!
Louis left the office, and Sophia avoided him as if he were a plague carrier.

"Coin pool!" Louis cursed inwardly, then picked up the box and left.

After leaving the TV station, he contacted another TV station that had been trying to poach him.

"What? You don't need anyone right now!"

I contacted several more TV stations, but I got the same result from each one.

If one company rejects him, it could be a coincidence. But if every company is rejected, it's clear that he's been told to be expelled from the media industry.

Louis is now filled with regret; if he hadn't spoken to Jiang Hong, none of this would have happened.

Blanch!

With a flick of his wrist, the phone flew out and shattered into pieces.

To make matters worse.

An adult's breakdown can happen in an instant.

Local TV stations weren't so lucky; they were immediately summoned to court by IMG. Neither Marca nor AS brought up doping-related issues.

These are all subjective evaluations, and there's no way to directly prosecute them.

However, IMG's swift and decisive action against La Mancha TV immediately stunned the other newspapers.

"Okay, let's leave it at that for now!" Li Gong called Jiang Hong to report the results of the handling.

He had discussions with the owners of the newspapers Marca and AS.

Furthermore, they will arrange for other media outlets to praise Jiang Hong's style and reverse the current public opinion.

Jiang Hong's eyes flickered; he could only say that he could accept the result.

La Mancha TV is like a biting, blood-sucking mosquito, while Marca and AS are like flies, mainly just annoying.

We can only think of a solution later.

……

After the pre-match interviews with Djokovic, domestic newspapers and media outlets immediately began reporting on it online.

Novak Djokovic: Jiang Hong can't replicate my feat of consecutively defeating the world's top three!

Jiang Hong's 2007 Madrid Masters journey has come to an end.

Novak Djokovic says he will not become a stepping stone for Jiang Hong's fame.

In order to attract attention, these reporters chose to quote out of context.

Just ask if it's what you said.

The People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and other sports media outlets instantly amplified the hype surrounding the match.

Therefore, it attracted many viewers who don't pay attention to tennis or even sports at all.

My only thought was to support my country's athletes, holding my breath and hoping for victory.

They sat in front of the television, waiting for the game to begin.

Even many elderly people sat in front of the TV to watch the game, and their children couldn't persuade them otherwise.

Finally, half an hour before the start of the match, after the advertisement featuring Jiang Hong as the spokesperson for Hyde was played, Jiang Hong appeared on the television screen.

On the training pitch next to the Madrid stadium, Jiang Hong had just finished a short training session, his forehead soaked with sweat that had soaked his hair.

This time, instead of having Zhang Sheng impersonate a reporter, they sent Liu Yang, a professional tennis reporter, to conduct a pre-match interview with Jiang Hong.

He was accompanied by a photography team and spoke into the camera while holding a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, standing next to me right now is Jiang Hong, who defeated Nadal last night!"

He turned his body slightly to look at Jiang Hong beside him.

"Hello, Jiang Hong, please say hello to everyone!"

Jiang Hong raised his hand and waved, a bright smile on his face, and said, "Hello everyone watching on TV, I'm Jiang Hong. Thank you for watching my match."

It has to be said that Jiang Hong's sunny and handsome image is very attractive and immediately gives people a good impression.

"I believe that our Chinese audience is all waiting in front of their TVs to cheer you on!" Liu Yang chuckled.

Liu Yang then asked about the live rankings: "Last night you successfully defeated Nadal and entered the ATP top 50 for the first time. What does this mean to you?"

Jiang Hong smiled and said, "This means that if my ATP ranking stays in the top 50, I can directly qualify for the men's singles at next year's Olympics, according to the rules!"

The reporter's eyes lit up instantly, and then he asked, "Jiang Hong, do you mean you will represent the Chinese team at next year's Beijing Olympics?"

It's important to know that Jiang Hong has never been a player within the system, and his achievements have only gotten better and better.

Many people directly use Jiang Hong's experience to attack the national sports system.

Now that Jiang Hong is leading the national team to participate in next year's Olympics, the significance is quite different.

“Of course!” Jiang Hong nodded and said seriously, “As a Chinese player, being able to play in the Olympics held in my own country has always been my goal and ideal.”

Although Liu Yang still wanted to ask a few more questions about the Olympics.

But then I suddenly remembered that today's important matter is the Madrid Masters semi-finals.

"By the way, do you know anything about your opponent today, Djokovic?"

Jiang Hong nodded. "Of course, as a professional player, one must have a certain understanding of top players."

"Djokovic said he would beat you and stop you in the Madrid Masters semifinals, so are you confident about tonight's match?"

In response to Liu Yang's question, Jiang Hong nodded and said, "Of course I'm confident. As long as I'm on the field, I'm confident in myself."

"Of course, my opponent Djokovic is also very strong, and I believe it will be a great match."

Liu Yang nodded and then said, "One last question, what would you like to say to the audience?"

Jiang Hong was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said seriously, "Wait for my victory!"

Fu Yunlong examined Jiang Hong's body, frowned, and looked puzzled.

"Old Jiang, your muscles were still quite firm last night, but the stiffness isn't as noticeable now."

Jiang Hong knew that this was probably related to his physical fitness increasing by 3 points.

Of course, it's impossible to say it out loud.

Jiang Hong shrugged, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "Perhaps it's because my recovery ability is better!"

Fu Yunlong couldn't figure it out either, but he could only attribute it to this reason.

Mark Jie slammed his golf bag shut, stood up, and said to Jiang Hong.

"Brother Jiang, everything is complete, nothing is missing!"

"it is good!"

Jiang Hong nodded, gripped his racket, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for the other match to end.

The match will be between Federer and Kiefer.

According to the original timeline, Federer would have successfully defeated Kiefer to advance to the final.

However, with Jiang Hong involved now, anything can happen.

Federer's popularity in the tennis world is even more exaggerated than Nadal's.

Normally, Federer's match should be scheduled later.

However, the match between Jiang Hong and Djokovic was just too much of a topic of discussion.

The biggest dark horse of the Madrid Masters, who fought his way from the qualifying rounds to the semifinals, is now set to face Novak Djokovic, the world's third-ranked player.

If they manage to defeat Djokovic, they will have to recreate the legendary feat from Montreal.

Moreover, Jiang Hong's ranking was even lower, which was even more surprising.

However, Jiang Hong was not as optimistic as the Chinese media and fans.

Because he knew that he was about to face the undisputed GOAT of the future tennis world.

Of course, if I were to participate now, I probably wouldn't be able to achieve the same level of success as before.

Even though Djokovic hasn't reached his peak yet, he shouldn't be underestimated.

Half an hour later, Mark Jie called out to Jiang Hong.

"Brother Jiang, the competition has begun!"

Jiang Hong had actually entered a virtual court to do some adaptive training.

After opening his eyes, Jiang Hong turned his head and glanced at Mark Jie.

"Old Ma, who won this game?"

“Federer!” Mark Jer replied, then muttered, “Brother Jiang, why don’t you call me Little Ma? I don’t feel old at all!”

Jiang Hong glanced at the other person and said seriously, "Because 'Little Ma' is someone else's nickname."

Mark suddenly recalled what Jiang Hong had just said and gasped.

After all, before the match, most people favored Federer rather than his opponent Kiefer.

Is Brother Jiang also feeling pressured?
Mark immediately encouraged him, saying, "Brother Jiang, I believe we'll win!"

Jiang Hong turned his head, glanced at the doorway, and said firmly.

"I believe too."

A staff member came over to inform Jiang Hong that he was about to go on stage.

Jiang Hong stood up, picked up his bag, and walked into the dimly lit player tunnel.

"CCTV, CCTV, viewers, we are broadcasting live via satellite the semi-final of the 2007 Madrid Masters. The winner will advance to the final!" Zhan Jun's passionate voice rang out on the television.

"What we witnessed was not just an ordinary semi-final, but a new chapter in Chinese tennis!"

Suddenly, at that moment, the lights on site dimmed.

"Here it comes! The Madrid Masters' signature opening ceremony! The players are about to take the stage!" Zhang Sheng's voice suddenly rang out.

As soon as the words were spoken, a beam of light suddenly shone directly into the players' tunnel.

"Now—" Zhan Jun's voice suddenly rose, "Let's welcome this young Chinese tennis player who has made history in China, the one who has made it through the qualifying rounds to the semifinals—Jiang Hong!"

As Jiang Hong walked into the stadium carrying his bag, the Chinese fans in the stands seemed ready to lift the roof off the stadium.

Wearing a black and white battle suit designed by Adidas for himself, his black eyes revealed determination.

Tonight, more than 4,000 Chinese fans came, occupying a third of the seats in the Madrid stadium.

Jiang Hong raised his head and waved to the area where the Chinese fans were gathered.

He then carried his golf bag to the rest area and put his belongings into the cooler.

The lights in the stadium dimmed again, and a spotlight shone on the screen once more.

"Now entering the stage is Novak Djokovic, the No. 3 seed of this year's Madrid Masters." Zhan Jun's speech quickened.

As the spotlight shone, Jiang Honghe looked up and headed toward the players' tunnel.

Djokovic was wearing a blue jersey and carrying six of his signature rackets.

The Serbian also looked at Jiang Hong as if by some strange twist of fate, and the two exchanged a glance.

They both saw the fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

Djokovic suddenly pulled out a racket and mimicked Jiang Hong's backhand motion, striking the racket once.

He had a strange premonition.

The boy in front of me might be my lifelong enemy...

(End of this chapter)