He Ximeng’s own request was not to rush, but to compare with Kobe and Iverson’s endorsement contracts…
Kobe and Iverson were both the most sought-after darlings in the rookie endorsement market this year!
In addition to Nike following up, Adidas and Reebok were also in contact, likely to the highest bidder.
If He Ximeng remembered correctly, Iverson’s final contract was 10 years for 50 million US dollars, signed with Reebok, and Kobe’s final contract was 6 years for 48 million US dollars, signed with Adidas!
But now, both were in negotiations with various brands, and the results were not yet out.
In 1996, Nike’s company size was actually not as large as Adidas. Adidas was the number one sports equipment brand in the entire market.
Nike, simply because it bet right on the Jordan series, had suddenly stood out from a host of second-tier brands, and only then gradually gained the strength to be on par with Adidas…
Snatching up rookies and suppressing rookies had always been a traditional skill of Nike! This time, they had many targets: Iverson, Kobe, Camby, Antoine Walker, Ray Allen, Nash, Marbury… the highly-ranked rookie players predicted for this year were all within their hunting grounds, but He Ximeng was likely the first to be discussed and the first to be confirmed as a target…
Just as Nike executives were debating whether to sign He Ximeng, a player who could potentially be the first Chinese basketball player to land in the NBA, He Ximeng, accompanied by John, was already driving to the airport. He Ximeng’s next stop was Los Angeles.
John asked He Ximeng what he was going to Los Angeles for. He Ximeng said he was planning to go to Hollywood to chase actresses…
John directly abandoned his Mustang in the parking lot, booked a plane ticket, and insisted on accompanying He Ximeng, claiming that "how can chasing girls be done without a good brother’s assist”…
He Ximeng thought that it was indeed better for John to go to Hollywood with him than to be alone and carefree at the basketball academy!
He Ximeng remembered that before Jill’s senior year, she had already begun studying scriptwriting with Kayla’s mother, the famous Hollywood screenwriter Shaman. This meant that Jill should now have already met Kayla, by all rights…
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, He Ximeng immediately called Kayla.
Kayla hadn’t expected that He Ximeng would actually come all the way to Los Angeles in just a few days!
Compared to Scarlett, Kayla was relatively more reserved. But she couldn’t resist He Ximeng’s ardent pursuit… Moreover, Kayla already had a good impression of He Ximeng, the rising star of the NCAA…
Making friends between people in the entertainment industry and the sports world was a popular combination in America.
The only thing holding Kayla back was her young age. She had just started to make a name for herself in Hollywood, and dating too early might affect her future development… But an underground relationship was still possible, right?
On the phone, He Ximeng also casually asked Kayla if she knew Jill, and if so, could she also invite Jill out, giving the reason that he had a good friend who wanted to get to know Jill…
Because he was short on cash, He Ximeng couldn’t afford the Michelin-starred restaurants on Sunset Boulevard right now.
But He Ximeng knew Kayla’s taste. Among the many Chinese cuisines, Kayla’s favorite was Hong Kong-style tea restaurants!
In Chinatown, not far from Hollywood, there was a great Hong Kong-style tea restaurant: Nanhua Tea House!
Nanhua Tea House, founded in New York in 1920, was the oldest Chinese restaurant in New York!
Due to its overwhelming popularity, it expanded its business to California, where there was also a large concentration of Chinese people, Los Angeles.
Nanhua Tea House had a very distinctive decor. The overall style of the restaurant featured red and white checkered tablecloths, giving it a petit bourgeois charm, but the food served was authentic Hong Kong dim sum.
The collision of Chinese and Western styles gave Nanhua Tea House a unique ambiance!
Many films involving North American Chinese were filmed at or near Nanhua Tea House.
Chow Yun-fat and Cherie Chung’s “An Autumn’s Tale,” Leon Lai and Maggie Cheung’s “Comrades: Almost a Love Story,” and many Hollywood films about Chinese people were filmed at Nanhua Tea House.
He Ximeng had put some thought into choosing this place for the invitation.
If he couldn’t impress with money due to his lack of funds, he had to rely on putting in effort that cost nothing!
He Ximeng and John arrived at the entrance of Nanhua Tea House early to wait. When Kayla and Jill, dressed in simple t-shirts and jeans, stepped out of the taxi, John’s eyes lit up, and he shamelessly said, “Brother, I might be falling in love…”
Jill was indeed John’s type, and it was love at first sight again in this lifetime!
But John was not Jill’s type at first sight, and it was still not in this lifetime!
In his previous life, John had to pester Jill relentlessly to win her over, and it would likely be the same in this lifetime…
In comparison, Jill was clearly more interested in He Ximeng! Especially when He Ximeng took out the nearly finished script for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and handed it to Jill for review. After reading a few pages, Jill’s eyes sparkled, and she became so engrossed in the novel that her affection for He Ximeng soared directly!
John tried his best but couldn’t win Jill’s favor, so he could only watch with a mournful expression as He Ximeng attracted the attention of two beauties simultaneously, feeling heartbroken.
He Ximeng proposed that Jill help adapt the novel into a screenplay and, when the opportunity arose, help recommend it to Hollywood film tycoons!
Jill asked with delight, “Are you sure this script will have my name on it in the end?”
“Of course! Joint credit, we’ll both be the first authors, and the profits will be split fifty-fifty!”
In his previous life, He Ximeng had only provided an idea and a story outline, and casually helped Jill revise some unreasonable plot points, yet Jill insisted on joint credit with He Ximeng and a fifty-fifty split.
In this lifetime, He Ximeng had merely plagiarized Jill’s previous life’s creation. This reward was what Jill deserved!
“However, I have an additional condition! If a company is interested in this script and it’s made into a movie in the future, I demand that the female lead must be Kayla!”
Kayla looked surprised and delighted.
“Yes, the female lead in this script was tailor-made for Kayla… so, this is my only request!”
“No problem!” Jill readily agreed, “This is the most charming story I’ve seen recently! Believe me, once I adapt it into a screenplay, it will definitely be made into a movie and become a global hit…”
“I believe your judgment!” He Ximeng said, raising his silk stocking milk tea.
“I believe your judgment too!” John quickly chimed in, seizing the opportunity to flatter Jill, “After you finish adapting it, do you want me to help recommend it? I know a few friends in Hollywood…”
“No need!” Jill flatly refused John, leaving him feeling dejected.
He Ximeng chuckled beside them, “John might actually know some influential people…”
“Hmph! What influential people could he possibly know?” A girl resembles her father, and Jill had perfectly inherited Popovich’s wisdom. When it came to judging people, she was exceptionally accurate. On their first meeting, Jill saw through John’s playboy nature and therefore never gave him a good look, naturally not believing that John could know any influential figures.
He Ximeng helplessly spread his hands towards John, signaling that his brother had tried his best to set them up…
Kayla, on the other hand, gazed tenderly at He Ximeng. This Eastern boy, who had given her a championship-winning basketball and written a novel for her, possessed an irresistible charm for her…