"In the United States recently, there’s been a phenomenon-level player. He’s been outstanding on the court, executing countless plays with perfect chemistry with his teammates. He’s an NBA star, yet he dared to rescue a homeless man amidst a hail of gunfire in the dead of night. Facing fully armed Western cowboys, he shielded his female companion and confronted danger head-on!"
"It's hard to imagine a star player worth tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, being so multifaceted and brave enough to admit to responsibilities that weren’t his! Now, he’s hailed as a hero, just like Spider-Man. Let’s welcome Tang from the Cavaliers."
On Fox’s primetime Sunday slot, Tang Long appeared as a special guest.
His interviewer was Xiao Gen.
This was Xiao Gen’s first time transitioning from sports channels to primetime, and she was so nervous her mind went blank. But upon seeing Tang Long, she gradually calmed down, and the script she had memorized for ages unfurled in her mind like a computer disk booting up.
Tang Long was on fire, moving from sports channels to prime news slots in the United States.
As the reporter most familiar with Tang Long, the executive producer assigned Xiao Gen to host today’s interview on primetime.
Of course, this also had something to do with Stern’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
While the fans were in an uproar, Stern provided reporters with surveillance footage of Tang Long rescuing the homeless man and also made some calls to friendly television stations.
Tang Long instantly became one of the first officially debuted star players on the internet, his popularity rivaling that of baseball and football stars.
This not only cleverly defused the public outcry about the Cavaliers losing to the Grizzlies through match-fixing but also firmly established Tang Long as the face of the NBA.
NBA games featuring Tang Long saw their viewership increase by several percentage points.
Stern then arranged for Tang Long to accept an interview.
"Tang, hello."
Xiao Gen warmly shook Tang Long's hand. Every time she interviewed Tang Long, she could feel his evolution and his skyrocketing fame.
…
While Tang Long was being interviewed, the executive producer, glued to the ratings screen, was beaming with joy.
With the ratings steadily climbing, Fox Sports Channel not only became the top-rated sports channel but also had advertisers now knocking down their doors, eager to establish partnerships with Fox. This made the executive producer ecstatic.
Besides the overjoyed folks at Fox Television, the happiest person was Tony.
Having signed Tang Long for forty million, Tony lived on pins and needles every day.
Facing doubts from his subordinates and pressure from upper management, Tony hadn’t had a good night's sleep since signing the contract.
But now, Tony felt like he could wake up from his dreams with a smile.
For no other reason than that Tang Long had become one of the NBA's top endorsed players. More importantly, by signing Tang Long, CK had officially entered the Chinese market.
Thanks to his excellent relationship with Tang Long, CK had been warmly welcomed, and their luxury goods were causing competitors to retreat steadily.
Today, he officially became one of CK’s partners.
He went from being an employee to working for himself.
All of this was thanks to signing Tang Long!
…
"Mr. Wu, should we head back to China first?"
The assistant looked at the troubled Wu Rongzhao and hesitated before voicing his thoughts.
Tang Long had signed with CK's men's series for forty million US dollars.
Now, news had broken that Adidas was planning to sign Tang Long for fifteen million, to endorse their latest basketball shoes. This rumor clearly wasn't baseless.
Now, let alone fifteen million US dollars, even fifteen million Chinese Yuan would make the assistant's heart ache.
Fifteen million – how many pairs of basketball shoes would they need to sell to earn that back?
"Let's wait a bit longer."
Wu Rongzhao thought for a moment before deciding to wait a few more days.
He had visibly seen Tang Long busy with training, playing games, or attending interviews these past few days, leaving him no time to discuss endorsements.
His agent, while outwardly polite, clearly preferred signing with brands like Adidas.
But Wu Rongzhao was unwilling to give up, feeling that his few meetings with Tang Long had been very pleasant, and he could even faintly sense Tang Long's appreciation for Hongxing Erke.
This made him reluctant to return to China in failure.
"Alright."
Since the boss said so, the assistant had no choice but to start browsing tourist attractions in Cleveland on his tablet.
Since the trip was already made, if they didn't enjoy themselves thoroughly, what would be the point of the round-trip airfare?
Wu Rongzhao glanced at his assistant.
This guy was too presumptuous.
He actually dared to look up travel guides right in front of his boss, but just as he opened his mouth, he swallowed his words.
This time, he had called the assistant over from China to bring some style information. The assistant’s primary job was already done.
He turned his head back to the television.
On the screen, Tang Long was speaking eloquently, effortlessly cracking jokes with American-style humor, making Xiao Gen laugh hysterically. If it weren't for his Chinese nationality, no one would doubt he was a native American.
Hmm?
Old Wu’s heart stirred, and an idea popped into his mind.
Immediately, Old Wu snatched the assistant's travel guide: "Stop looking. Come on, let's go see Tang Long again."
…
"Tang, are you free tonight?"
Xiao Gen lowered her head, not daring to meet Tang Long's eyes.
After the interview concluded, as Tang Long's friend, Xiao Gen naturally escorted him out of the television station.
Reaching the entrance, Xiao Gen called out to him, extending an invitation.
At this moment, Xiao Gen’s cheeks were flushed. Although her head was lowered, her bright eyes sparkled with a hopeful gleam.
"Next time. Mr. Wu just called, saying he wanted to have dinner together."
"I'm sorry. That was presumptuous of me."
Xiao Gen's bright eyes immediately dimmed. She used the action of tucking her hair behind her ear to conceal her embarrassment.
"We're both from China. Why don't you join us?"
"Ah? Can I?"
Xiao Gen's eyes lit up once more.
"Of course, you can. If you're willing."
"I am willing."
Realizing she had agreed without even a moment's hesitation, as if she had been waiting for Tang Long's invitation, Xiao Gen's face suddenly flushed crimson.
"Then let's go. We shouldn't keep Mr. Wu waiting too long."
Tang Long drove and quickly arrived at the restaurant Wu Rongzhao had booked.
It wasn't particularly luxurious but had a unique charm.
Most importantly, the pork ribs here were exceptional.
"Mr. Wu actually managed to find this place."
After shaking hands with Wu Rongzhao, Tang Long was quite surprised.
Although most locals knew about this place, Old Wu had only been here for a short while, yet he managed to find this establishment.
"My assistant found it through a guide."
He didn't hide anything and stated it directly, then looked suspiciously at the woman beside Tang Long: "Mr. Tang, this lady is…?"
"She's a reporter from Fox Sports, Xiao Gen. She's of Chinese descent. I'm just extending a polite invitation."
Wu Rongzhao blinked for a moment before recalling.
It was this girl during the television interview earlier.
He hadn't expected the primetime interview to be live, not pre-recorded, which gave Wu Rongzhao a deeper understanding of Tang Long's immense popularity.