As the Devil's Deacon Team returned triumphantly from Saint Louis...

On the pre-arranged bus parade route, looking at the students and townsfolk waving and cheering incessantly from the streetside, all the players of the Devil's Deacon Team instinctively held their chests high.

However, on the day of the parade...

Whenever he high-fived those pretty junior girls around him, Qin Yue always felt a pair of eyes full of murderous intent watching him.

"I'm just expressing joy to my supporters." Turning to look at Rachel, who was standing right behind him, Qin Yue said righteously.

But in the next moment, Rachel mercilessly tore off his mask, "Great Final Four MOP... If you are expressing joy to your supporters, then why do you only high-five the young and pretty girls?"

Facing this, Qin Yue replied calmly, "You know, I'm always good at discovering beautiful things... just like how right now, you're the only one in my eyes."

Upon hearing this, Rachel gave Qin Yue a punch, then suddenly whispered, "Lynn Merritt wants to meet with you."

Qin Yue nodded, "I indeed need to meet this big figure who's been pushing me from behind."

When March Madness ended...

Since both Qin Yue and Paul announced that they would officially enter the draft this year, all NCAA regulations on college players naturally expired as a result.

Of course, before hiring an agent, Qin Yue could still choose to stay in college and play for another year.

However...

Considering the current eagerness of NBA teams to acquire him, Qin Yue could never choose to follow in the footsteps of his senior.

Qin Yue understood how difficult it was for those NBA teams aiming to tank between 1995 and 1997.

In short, that was a period when half the league was hoping Duncan would quickly enter the NBA and stop tormenting each other.

Moreover, compared to continuing his basketball studies in college...

Having already tasted the championship flavor and showcased his potential as a foundational team asset to NBA teams, Qin Yue now had a pressing need to enter the NBA and continue improving.

Because in the [Mountain Peak] system's visualized data, there was a clear message:

As the host's current ability continues to improve, only higher-level competitions and training can help the host better realize potential.

...

On the 14th, gradually calming down from the joy of winning the championship, Qin Yue met with the Nike executive who had been secretly promoting him in the back at a café in Winston-Salem.

Although it was the first official meeting with Qin Yue that day, Merritt had already established cooperation with Qin Yue through Rachel, a "hidden line," since last year.

Thus, at the beginning of the meeting, Merritt skipped the twists and turns and directly got to the point, "We hope you can become a spokesperson for Nike."

Since Qin Yue had not yet hired an agent at the moment, Merritt did not discuss too many specifics about cooperation with Qin Yue during this meeting.

Instead, he directly demonstrated Nike's sincerity to Qin Yue.

On the coffee table, a pair of sample shoes in red and white colors, with Chinese-style patterns on the side, appeared before Qin Yue's eyes in the next moment.

This was a tactic taught by Vaccaro to Merritt.

That is, when recruiting a sure-winning monetary asset like Qin Yue, never entice him with empty promises, but directly put the genuine sincerity in front of him.

"This pair of shoes, I haven't thought of the name yet... but I believe it will surely become an excellent aid for you in the future," Merritt said to Qin Yue.

Indeed, an excellent aid.

Qin Yue was well aware that at the end of his sophomore year, when his draft prediction was only lottery-level, it was Nike continually pushing him behind the scenes that enabled him to be seen as having the potential to be the top pick at the start of the 04/05 season.

Through the "hidden line" of Rachel, Nike first let Ira Borko, a highly influential reporter with The New York Times, create a repentant image for him, showing immense potential yet to be developed.

Then, as the season deepened, the news reports that exaggerated his abilities greatly enhanced Qin Yue's reputation, not lacking behind that of Duncan back then.

Although, purely based on his performance on the court, Qin Yue certainly deserved the title of "near top pick."

But the Nike that had been pushing him from behind immensely accelerated this process, allowing him to possess commercial value comparable to star players before entering the league.

Yes, a son of China with high commercial value even before entering the league was Nike's idea of an ideal partner.

Especially after experiencing the loss of Yao Ming.

Historically, to remedy the aftermath of losing Yao Ming...

During collaborations with NBA stars of the same era, Nike almost always attached agreements requiring them to do promotions in the Chinese market.

For instance, LeBron James, whom Nike signed at a sky-high price in that three-party battle, had accepted such an agreement when signing with Nike. (Note①)

"I really like these shoes, but right now, I still need a reliable agent, do you have any good recommendations?" On that day, Qin Yue asked Merritt.

Upon hearing this, Merritt originally wanted to recommend Aaron Goodwin, who had always maintained a good cooperative relationship with Nike, to Qin Yue...

But recalling in his mind the complaints James had recently been telling him about Goodwin's excessively strong control desires...

Knowing that Qin Yue had already started planning for his own future during his junior year through people around him, Merritt immediately thought of another outstanding agent.

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