Austin continued, "Recently, a total of five car companies have approached you. However, three of them offered less-than-ideal deals and required relatively heavy commitments.
Considering your schedule and other obligations,
I turned those three down. Right now, there are two solid options. One is Chevrolet. Their manager, Bourbon, gave a preliminary offer of $7 million per year.
Although there's room for negotiation, I estimate it'll end up around that figure.
Based on the information I've gathered, LeBron's car endorsement deals are roughly in the $6 to $8 million range, so this is within that bracket.
The other is Lexus. They haven't given a specific number yet and want us to go in and discuss it in person. Their attitude is very sincere, and they clearly want you as their spokesperson.
I believe the offer won't be bad.
Of course, we'll only know after we talk.
Right now, the more important thing is which car you like. We'll choose the endorsement accordingly."
"Um..."
Blake Su thought for a moment and said, "Either is fine, as long as it's comfortable. Honestly, neither Chevrolet nor Lexus are particularly high-end brands."
"That's true. Let's take a look first."
Soon,
the two arrived at Lexus. Almost as soon as they got out of the car, a sharply dressed man walked over and smiled.
"Hello, Mr. Blake Su.
My name is Nakamura. I'm a manager at Lexus, and I'll be assisting you today.
Please, follow me."
"Okay."
Blake Su nodded and followed Nakamura straight into the showroom.
Nakamura gestured toward the vehicles and said, "Mr. Blake Su,
these are all our latest models. You can test drive any of them freely. Take your time and see which one feels the most comfortable and suits you best."
As he spoke, he introduced the features of each vehicle while personally arranging test drives.
Off to the side, Austin, who had been observing the entire time, felt a slight shift in his thoughts.
"Lexus is smart. Instead of discussing the contract first, they're letting Blake Su test the cars and pick one he likes, creating a strong first impression.
When it comes time to negotiate, the chances of success will definitely be higher.
This 'car first, contract later' approach takes more time, but it's clearly more effective than negotiating price first and testing later."
Austin nodded slightly. He had learned something valuable from Nakamura's approach.
That was true.
Nakamura's strategy worked especially well for someone like Blake Su, who cared most about comfort.
Chevrolet likely had comfortable options too, but their approach meant they lost the initiative, even if they reached out first.
In the end,
Blake Su chose a Lexus LX570, a full-size luxury SUV. Its market price was around $1.8 million. The price was reasonable, it felt comfortable to drive, and it looked good enough.
It fit his preferences perfectly.
After that, Nakamura invited Blake Su and Austin into a meeting room and presented the contract with a smile.
"We sincerely hope Blake Su will represent our brand.
Therefore,
we are willing to offer a contract worth $10 million per year. Cars, as one of the most common means of transportation, are updated and replaced very frequently.
We understand this well.
So the contract is only for one year. This way, it won't tie Blake Su down. If you're satisfied, we can renew next year and continue our partnership.
At the same time,
the LX570 you selected will be upgraded to the top configuration. Its value can reach $3 million, making it one of our premium luxury vehicles.
Mr. Blake Su, what do you think?"
A $10 million annual deal, plus free use of a luxury SUV worth $3 million.
Very good.
"Um..."
Blake Su thought briefly, exchanged a confirming look with Austin, and happily agreed.
...
The next day.
The three-day break was coming to an end. That night, the Suns would face the Bucks on the road. In the morning, the team boarded a private jet and flew to Milwaukee, heading for the Bradley Center.
On the plane,
as soon as Blake Su sat down, he fell into deep thought.
"As for Mia Quinn, I only knew about her peak. As for everything before that, I only learned about it after my mom told me the other day.
No wonder she hasn't really broken through before.
It turns out she never had the right opportunities, roles, or scripts, which delayed her rise to fame.
Hmm...
Quinnie doesn't lack talent or looks. What she lacks is opportunity, or rather... good resources. She doesn't have connections. But what about me? If my fame grows even more,
will I get access to the film and entertainment industry? Will I meet top directors?
Yeah, I should pay attention to that. If there's a chance, I'll help Quinnie find resources so she can break through sooner.
With both looks and talent,
it would be a real shame for her to stay overlooked."
With that thought,
Blake Su made up his mind.
At that moment, Coach Gentry walked into the cabin and addressed the players.
"Tonight's opponent is the Bucks. They're not a strong team, but this is our third straight road game.
Even with three days of rest,
traveling for consecutive road games will affect your condition to some extent, so we can't take them lightly.
The Bucks have Brandon Jennings. Before Blake Su, he was the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game. He's an explosive combo guard and the core of their team.
Even though he's only in his second year, like Curry, he's not someone we can underestimate.
Also,
the Bucks have the 2005 No. 1 pick, Andrew Bogut. He's fairly strong, not afraid of physical play, and combined with his somewhat dirty style, he can be quite troublesome.
We need to be careful."
Bogut?!
The moment Blake Su heard the name, his mind buzzed, and a strong look of disgust flashed across his dark eyes.
"Hm?"
Sitting next to him, Curry noticed the expression and said, "You think Bogut plays dirty too?"
"Mm."
Blake Su responded lightly.
But to Blake Su, Bogut wasn't just a dirty player. What he would do in the future was downright disgusting.
As Gentry continued introducing the Bucks, Blake Su narrowed his eyes and made a decision.
Tonight, he was going to completely dominate Bogut.