Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Friday,

lunch break.

After finishing his meal, Chen Jixian took out an agreement from the very back of his bag.

Last night, Kenji Sato sent the revised contract to his email address.

Chen Jixian then turned to the "Image Protection Clause".

Monday afternoon was the day he and ASA had their biggest disagreement. But now, none of that matters anymore.

Xiao Chen circled a clause in red pen on the "Phase-Based Potential Release Fund" clause.

He planned to

Sell ​​yourself for a good price!

A potential release fund of $85 can help him establish an advantage in the early stages.

Chen Jixian took out his phone.

He found Kenji Sato's number... his thumb hovered over the screen.

Is this really good?

Once he signs the contract, he'll be an ASA employee.

Image protection clauses, private life disclosure...

He was very resistant to the terms on Monday, but now he's going to swallow them all without batting an eye.

Chen Jixian needs money.

Going abroad costs money.

Staying in a hotel costs money.

Pay-to-win requires money.

And... pay her back her money.

That 800,000 was not only a debt, but also a token of her trust. She didn't ask "when will you pay me back?" and didn't ask him to write any written agreement.

Now, he wants to convert that trust into US dollars and return it to her in the form of a signing bonus, every single penny.

Then both sides are even.

He thought of Liu Zhimin again.

That night,

Chen Jixian asked her, "So, do you think he's handsome?"

She buried herself under the covers and only managed to squeeze out a sound through gritted teeth after a long while.

"...just a little bit."

She spoke up for him during the live stream, forgetting all about controlling her facial expressions in front of tens of thousands of fans; her eyes were only fixed on his uncomfortable ankle.

Should we let this down too?

In a daze, a single sentence pierced through his memory:

"I want Bae Joo-hyun, and I want Yoo Jimin. Of course, it would be even better if I had both."

Chen Jixian smiled.

That reckless morning, that feeling of "I want them all," that desire to date two female idols at the same time.

No place to be self-contained.

I wish I could slap myself twice.

"Take care of yourself first, boy!"

Chen Jixian pressed the dial button.

"Mr. Chen, have you read the contract?" Kenji Sato's voice was as calm as it had been that day.

"received."

Sato spoke slowly: "We can schedule another time to discuss the image protection clause."

Chen Jixian leaned against the corridor wall.

He remained silent for a moment, then spoke:

"I can accept this, but I have conditions."

"Two amendments were made to the contract."

"First, travel expenses can be advanced, but the repayment period can be postponed up to the third year. I reserve the right to repay at any time."

"Secondly, the down payment ratio has been increased from 15% to 30%, and the release amount for the first championship in the Hope Tournament is expected to double."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Kenji Sato is starting to understand.

The child has detached himself from the emotional conflict and is making a deal in the most calm way possible.

"I need to ask for instructions."

Chen Jixian hung up the phone.

At the end of the corridor, a burst of noise came from the playground, and the sunlight slanted onto the lockers.

He suddenly felt that he should remember this moment.

He sold some of his things.

But he no longer hesitated.

On my laptop, "Give me more power" is still there.

He picked up his pen and added another line below—So be it.

……

……

Schneider stared at the red light at the intersection.

The phone rang.

The caller ID only shows two letters: JL

He answered the phone.

James Lee asked directly, "How's the situation now?"

Schneider replied, "Chief Kim of CAA is waiting for me, and Director Park of Starship has agreed to meet with me."

James Lee's voice came through the earpiece:

"J.Chen's contract terms have all been confirmed, and the image protection clause has also been accepted without modification."

"I approved his two requests: to postpone repayment and to increase the proportion of the first two potential release funds."

Schneider breathed a sigh of relief: "Compared to signing the contract, it's all a small matter."

James Lee continued:

"It's a good thing, but it's also very fragile."

"Sato said he's been in a bad mood lately. Last week he was arguing about the privacy clause, but today he sold himself for a good price."

"This child may have gone through something and is currently in the most rational period."

"Don't give him time to back out. Finalize the initial intention for Starship as soon as possible."

Schneider: "I'll give them an offer today."

James:

"Also, the notarization and authorization process is underway."

"J.Chen's parents have received the ASA's business plan and contract translations."

"clear."

Schneider hung up the phone, parked his car in the underground garage, straightened his cufflinks, and headed for the elevator.

Section Chief Kim was already waiting for him.

Starship's meeting rooms are new, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of Apgujeong's streetscape.

Park, the manager of Jang Won-young's management team, is in his early forties, wears thin-rimmed glasses, and seems reluctant to waste time.

Section Chief Kim of CAA's Korean branch spoke first: "Representative Park, I apologize for visiting today, but I'd like to introduce a special project. This is Marcus Schneider, who worked at IMG for twelve years and is now the CEO of ASA."

Chief Park's gaze swept between Section Chief Kim and Schneider before finally settling on Schneider.

"ASA? Forgive me for being frank, but I've never heard of this company."

Schneider's Korean wasn't great, but he understood immediately—his more than ten years at IMG hadn't been wasted.

He introduced himself as follows:

"ASA is a newly established boutique sports agency headquartered in London, focusing on the long-term brand asset development of promising athletes."

"We currently only have one sponsored player – J. Chen, the ITF Junior Championship winner last month. You should have heard of him."

Chief Park did not deny it, and nodded slightly.

At the end of March, J.Chen "dominated" South Korea's trending topics, with a bunch of celebrities in Seoul obediently lining up to follow suit, which really doesn't need any further explanation.

"So, why did ASA contact me?" Chief Park asked.

Schneider opened a proposal on the tablet and pushed it in front of Representative Park.

FILA's logo

ASA's logo

They are placed side by side.

The design sketches for the collaboration T-shirts were printed on the third page.

Manager Park glanced down, his gaze lingering briefly on the "FILA" logo.

He originally thought that this unknown company called ASA would present a PowerPoint presentation, paint a few rosy pictures, and spout a bunch of nice-sounding words about a "promising future."

As a result, the first page of the proposal featured FILA's logo.

This isn't just empty promises; the pie is already baked.

"FILA".

His tone didn't change much when he read out the brand name, but he turned the page a little slower than before.

Section Chief Kim added at the opportune moment:

"FILA has confirmed this project."

"Models can be recommended by ASA."

Manager Park did not respond immediately.

Fila has always been very active in the South Korean market, and its spokespeople are usually established celebrities or athletes.

J.Chen just won an ITF junior tournament, and he's definitely getting a lot of attention in South Korea...

How could a teenager who has never played in a professional game get Fila to launch a co-branded product for him?

This action is more persuasive than any PowerPoint presentation.

Even more suspicious is that

An obscure little company managed to get FILA to cooperate with their business plans and even secure the right to recommend models.

wrong,

What exactly is the relationship between FILA and ASA?

This is not something an ordinary intermediary can do.

There was a hint of probing in Director Park's tone:

"Fila acted very quickly."

"But as far as I know, J.Chen has never played a professional match?"

Schneider shook his head:

"Sports brands value potential more, which is also our practice."

"The collaboration will be released right after he finishes playing the M15, so the timing will be perfect."

After careful consideration, Director Park decided to give it a try.

He glanced again at the only person not in the room: Section Chief Jin.

The value of CAA is beyond doubt.

He began:

"I accept this proposal, but Zhang Yuanying's cooperation requires the Minister's personal approval. I will forward it to him as soon as possible."