July 1, 1996, marking three months since they met, He Ximeng presented a necklace worth tens of thousands of dollars as a gift. He and Keila successfully held hands, kissed, and established a relationship.
On July 12, accompanied by family and friends, He Ximeng and Kobe completed their signing ceremony with the Lakers!
For the new season, Kobe will wear the Lakers' #8 jersey, and He Ximeng will wear the Lakers' #4 jersey.
Kobe's rookie contract is for 3 years and $3.5 million, with $1.02 million in the first year, $1.17 million in the second, and $1.32 million in the third.
He Ximeng's rookie contract is for 3 years and $3 million, with $870,000 in the first year, $1 million in the second, and $1.13 million in the third.
After signing with the Lakers, He Ximeng first drove John to the airport. As a best friend, John was still a student at the basketball academy and had been away for a long time, so it was time to return for exams. However, John was already considering dropping out of school, opening a brokerage firm in Los Angeles, and becoming a professional manager.
Actually, it didn't matter whether he became a manager or not; John primarily couldn't bear to leave the beautiful women of Los Angeles. Compared to the simple city of Eugene, Los Angeles was practically a paradise.
He Ximeng didn't object to John entering the professional world early. After all, with John's abilities and his own help, opening a brokerage firm was more than enough. Moreover, John already had his own "Number One" commission contract, so he wouldn't have to worry about not having pocket money each month.
However, He Ximeng still advised him to wait a bit longer! He should wait until next year when Duncan enters the league and becomes his second client. With both He Ximeng and Duncan as clients, and with some extra help managing their finances, He Ximeng believed John could live comfortably in Los Angeles even without relying on his family!
What's more, Sister Jill would be graduating from university soon and, barring any unexpected events, would also come to Hollywood to try her luck.
John, like a Chinese student at the end of August about to start school, boarded the flight back to Eugene with a mournful stride, lingering reluctantly.
After sending off his best friend, He Ximeng, accompanied by his mother, rented a small apartment near the University of Southern California!
In reality, with the funds He Ximeng currently possessed, he could completely afford to buy an apartment of his own!
The most expensive apartments in the United States at present were in Manhattan, New York, with an average price of ten thousand dollars per square meter. In the Adams district of Los Angeles, where the University of Southern California was located, the average apartment price was only around three thousand dollars!
Buying this small apartment of over fifty square meters would only cost $150,000! While $150,000 was an astronomical sum in China in 1996, it wasn't really that expensive in Los Angeles!
He Ximeng preferred to rent rather than buy primarily because US housing prices would not see significant growth in the next few years, whereas the stock market, especially the tech index represented by Nasdaq, would experience an increase of about five times. If leverage of five times were added, even with certain financing costs, the appreciation rate of He Ximeng's funds would be at least ten to twenty times!
$150,000 would become $1.5 million to $3 million by 1999. Why would He Ximeng tie up his money in real estate?
As for why He Ximeng chose Adams district near the University of Southern California instead of the Inglewood area, where the Great Western Forum was located, it was, of course, because of Keila!
Keila originally studied Literature at the University of Exeter in Britain. However, due to her increasing number of film roles, traveling back and forth between Britain became too troublesome. Keila officially decided to abandon literature for acting and, before meeting He Ximeng, had already applied to transfer her student status to the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts!
The University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts was ranked as the number one film school in the entire United States, located right next to Hollywood.
After sorting out accommodation in Los Angeles, He Ximeng, accompanied by He Fengting, toured the scenic spots of Los Angeles. A week later, He Fengting prepared to return to China. After all, she was not yet at retirement age. She had taken leave from her unit to visit America, and her leave was about to end, so she had to return to China and continue her work.
In fact, given He Ximeng's current income, he could completely allow his mother to retire early and live with him in Los Angeles, taking care of his daily life.
However, when He Fengting saw that He Ximeng had arranged his life meticulously, not only successfully realizing his dream and embarking on the path of a professional basketball player, but also successfully finding a girlfriend, Keila, and having a good friend, John, to help manage his contracts and finances, her worries disappeared. Her son had his own life and didn't need her to help raise children for the time being, so she should continue her work and live her own life.
Nevertheless, He Fengting also promised He Ximeng that after working for another three to five years, she would apply for early retirement and come to live with He Ximeng on the other side of the ocean.
After seeing his mother off on the plane back to Beijing, He Ximeng wasted no time. He applied for a driver's license, took the test, and then, with Keila, went to a used car dealership and bought a second-generation Camaro!
The second-generation Camaro was the classic yellow "Bumblebee" from the movie "Transformers 1," the one that was rusty with exposed primer and covered in verdigris. The second-generation Camaro was sold from 1977 until the late eighties.
The third and the recently released fourth-generation Camaros, on the other hand, had a more European, bourgeoisie style, sacrificing the original muscular feel of the Camaro!
The yellow and black Bumblebee in the movie was actually a fifth-generation Camaro! It abandoned the style of the third and fourth generations, returning to the angular, muscular design of the second generation, and once again became world-famous.
Of course, the second-generation Camaro He Ximeng bought was not as dilapidated as the one in the movie. Although it was a ten-year-old sports car, it still looked very new due to proper maintenance!
Driving his beloved sports car with his beloved woman on the coastal road of Beverly Hills, He Ximeng pointed to the most luxurious villa on the hilltop and asked Keila, "If one day, I buy that villa as a gift and propose to you, will you marry me?"
Keila raised her hands high into the evening breeze and smiled sweetly at He Ximeng, "We'll talk about it when you buy that villa..."
Despite what she said, that night, passion ignited between them in the single apartment.
Victoria's Secret was definitely out of the question for now; it wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but Keila absolutely refused to wear it. Not only did she refuse to wear it, but Keila even asked He Ximeng not to turn on the lights, and they completed their first marvelous journey by moonlight.
Over twenty years later, He Ximeng had almost forgotten Keila's somewhat conservative and shy side when she was wearing Victoria's Secret.
The night passed without incident. Apart from Keila's soft humming and the creaking of the bed frame, it lasted until 1:30 AM.
The next day, Keila, feeling refreshed, rode her bicycle to the nearby University of Southern California for classes, while He Ximeng, sore and tired, drove his second-generation Camaro to the Great Western Forum.
Lakers, I'm back!