The first date ended with three happy people and one unhappy one.
He Ximeng gained the most! Today should be considered his first official date with Kaila in their first lives. Of course, it was still in the purest dating phase, they hadn't even held hands. But at least it was a beautiful beginning. From Kaila's gradually captivated eyes, He Ximeng knew that this wife of his should be running away with him…
Meanwhile, He Ximeng also established a connection with Jill, successfully handing over the almost completed "Pirates of the Caribbean" to her. With this novel and its subsequent extensions, Jill should be able to continue reaping fame and fortune in this life. Of course, He Ximeng could also earn a considerable income from this…
Kaila gained a potential boyfriend.
Jill gained a nearly popular novel.
John gained nothing and was destined to be lonely tonight. He couldn't be happy, but John wasn't as dejected as He Ximeng imagined, because he had found his pursuit!
The more unattainable the girl, the more it stimulated John's desire to pursue!
However, John might not have realized it himself, but this time, he might truly be falling…
He Ximeng and John spent a total of only two days in Los Angeles. On the first night, they treated Kaila and Jill to dinner, and on the second day, they went to Universal Studios Hollywood together!
After returning to the hotel, He Ximeng had planned to press his advantage and make a small breakthrough with Kaila on the third day… As a result, that evening he received a call from Duncan, asking him to return to school immediately!
He was told the team was preparing to travel to Washington D.C. to meet President Clinton!
There was no other way; He Ximeng had to bid Kaila farewell and head to the airport to return to North Carolina.
John wanted to stay in Los Angeles and pester Jill relentlessly. However, after He Ximeng left, Jill immediately immersed herself in the script adaptation of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and paid no attention to John… John couldn't stay in Los Angeles indefinitely, so he had to return to the basketball academy for the time being.
Being received by the President of the United States was not an uncommon event in the North American basketball world.
Among past U.S. presidents, there were many basketball fans. Although President Clinton wasn't as devoted to basketball as his successor, "Little Ma," he still enjoyed watching basketball games!
For American politicians, liking sports was also a form of political correctness!
Therefore, since the 1960s, U.S. presidents had been inviting NBA and NCAA champions to the White House for visits!
By building good relationships with these wealthy and popular sports stars, the President could not only increase his approval ratings but even receive considerable political donations…
Thus, this visiting tradition was continued by most U.S. presidents!
In his past life, He Ximeng had met several presidents, and his relationship with "Little Ma" was particularly close…
Comrade Chuan Jianguo was a bit of an exception; during his term, no championship team visited the White House. Some attributed it to Comrade Chuan Jianguo being older and not liking basketball. In reality, it was because the majority of players in the league had supported Hillary Clinton in the vote, hence they had no good feelings towards Comrade Chuan Jianguo. Furthermore, during those years, He Ximeng's Clippers were rising and nearly dominated the league… Comrade Chuan Jianguo also initiated an economic war…
Comrade Chuan Jianguo actually sent his secretary to probe the championship Clippers, asking if they would be willing to visit the White House. If they were willing, Comrade Chuan Jianguo would issue an invitation; if not, they would simply pretend not to know each other…
He Ximeng naturally chose not to know each other!
Therefore, during the years the Clippers won championships, they never visited the White House…
He Ximeng wasn't particularly interested in President Clinton's invitation, but he couldn't resist the team's desire to see the White House. He Ximeng went along with the crowd. For He Ximeng, in an era without video calls, the greatest benefit was that his buddies back home could catch a fleeting glimpse of him on the news…
Yes, a Chinese player winning the NCAA championship in the United States was not a big deal back home, but a Chinese player being received by the U.S. President made the Chinese people very curious at the time: how good was this kid at playing basketball to be invited to the President's house for dinner? Was he as good as Jordan?
At that time, most Chinese people's understanding of American basketball players was still at the most basic level: Jordan, and everyone else besides Jordan.
Ms. He Fengting's son was received by the U.S. President! He even made it onto the seven o'clock news! Although the recording was blurry and didn't clearly show her son's face, the seven o'clock news thoughtfully used a photo of He Ximeng participating in the national league as a large portrait, allowing the entire nation to get a slight introduction…
This explosive news instantly caused a stir in the small city of Zhuji!
Relatives who hadn't interacted with He Fengting for eight lifetimes rushed to visit, wanting to get acquainted with the mother of the Chinese person who had shaken hands with the U.S. President… This would ensure they became the central figures of village gossip for at least a month…
This matter even attracted the attention of the municipal television station, which dispatched its elite team to conduct a special interview with Ms. He Fengting. The deputy mayor, who was in charge of sports and investment promotion, also personally visited, hoping that He Ximeng could help the city attract some investment or sponsorship from Chinese Americans in addition to playing basketball…
Annoyed by the constant attention, Ms. He Fengting chose to go to Beijing in advance to handle the necessary procedures for going abroad!
Yes, He Ximeng had already decided to participate in the 1996 NBA Draft!
On April 29, 1996, Kobe Bryant, the number one high school player in the U.S., held his personal press conference. At the conference, wearing sunglasses and looking like a character from an anime, Kobe appeared extremely excited and nervous.
"I am Kobe Bryant… I have decided to skip college and bring my talents to the NBA!"
After saying this, Kobe flashed his signature confident smile!
On the same day, in the city of Windsor, North Carolina, Nike held a press conference to announce to the world that they would historically sign a Chinese player as the spokesperson for their shoe brand…
Not long before this, Kobe had just signed a six-year, $48 million contract with Adidas, averaging $8 million per year.
Allen Iverson signed a ten-year, $50 million contract with Reebok, averaging $5 million per year. Iverson's average annual salary was lower than Kobe's, but his contract had a clause: if he made the All-Star team for three consecutive years, the contract could be converted into a lifetime deal!
He Ximeng did not ask for a long-term contract plus a lifetime trigger clause like Iverson, nor did he ask for the maximum annual salary like Kobe.
He Ximeng chose a short-term tryout contract: a four-year, $1,600 contract, betting on his future growth!
Nike was naturally happy that He Ximeng chose a short-term contract. Since He Ximeng was their first Chinese player, no one knew if he could truly adapt to NBA-level competition. A short-term contract would minimize Nike's risk.
However, He Ximeng also had one additional condition…