Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 591 - 144: Posting Negotiations (Part 2)

"No, Mr. Tuan, there's no rush with the salary issue. I have something more important to discuss with you..." Nomura Katsuhiko glanced over with some doubt, waiting for Lin Guanglai to speak; once the other party confirmed the car was parked steadily, Lin Guanglai dropped a bomb to his agent:

"Mr. Tuan! I want to be posted!! I want to go to the Major League!!!"

Lin Guanglai originally thought that upon hearing his decision, Nomura Katsuhiko would be shocked or even express fierce opposition; but to his surprise, the renowned agent with over 30 years of experience remained quite calm.

He parked the car in a safe spot by the roadside, turned it off, and then smiled as he said, "I had anticipated this day would come, though I didn't expect it to come so quickly—tell me all your thoughts, Guanglai."

Lin Guanglai was a bit emotional as he poured out all the feelings in his heart from recent days: "In Nippon Professional Baseball, except for batting awards which can't be judged due to certain objective reasons, I've already acquired every team and personal honor possible..."

"Especially in the past season, I feel the speed of my progress is slowing down, with no challenges in games or training; at the beginning of the season, I could still fight for the team's achievements, but once we secured the victory, even I started to slack off—at this rate, I'm really afraid I'll become complacent and turn into a frog in a well..."

"So, I must go to the Major League! Because there are the best players in the world, the strongest teams, and in a place where talented people walk everywhere, the pressure and desire to win will drive me forward every day when I wake up—furthermore, it's only by challenging and defeating the strongest on the world's highest stage that I can fulfill my dream and truly claim to be the strongest!"

Nomura Katsuhiko just let Lin Guanglai express his thoughts freely, occasionally nodding in agreement. Once Lin Guanglai finished speaking and his emotions gradually calmed down, Nomura slowly said:

"So, Guanglai, have you thought of the biggest issue in this? With your current performance, as long as they can keep you, the SoftBank Team can remain a contender every year—for a team that is not short of money, how do you persuade them to let you be posted?"

Lin Guanglai was silent, knowing that Nomura Katsuhiko spoke the truth.

As a star player, he is destined to be a valuable asset to a professional team, and while smaller teams might consider a hefty training fee, a wealthy team like SoftBank does not fall into this category.

"So what should I do? Do I really have to wait until after 25 to negotiate with the team? Or must I go all out with the team?" Lin Guanglai asked anxiously, looking at Nomura Katsuhiko.

"Not necessarily..." The agent who once managed Nomo Hideo's posting case smiled slyly, then presented the blueprint of his plan to Lin Guanglai.

"In any case, leave most of this matter to me to handle, unless necessary, try not to show up during the whole process; Guanglai, the most important thing for you now is to let your performance on the field speak for you—if things go smoothly, by the end of this season, you can start negotiating contracts with Major League teams."

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The atmosphere in the top-floor meeting room of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks headquarters, overlooking the city skyline, was so heavy it seemed you could wring water out of it.

On one side of the mahogany long table sat the SoftBank Team's three giants: Team President Goto Youkou, Honorary Chairman Wang Zhenzhi, and General Manager Mikasa Sugiyama; on the other side was the sharply dressed Lin Guanglai, and his agent, Nomura Katsuhiko.

As a rule, the renewal negotiations with Lin Guanglai would have been handled by those below, without the need for such high-ranking personnel; but after Lin Guanglai expressed his desire to be posted to the responsible department head, the shocked team executives had to intervene personally.

The parties had already negotiated several rounds before, but a state where all high-ranking officials, including the president and chairman, were present was unprecedented.

"Mr. Tuan, we understand Guanglai's ambition, but he is our important asset and the cornerstone of our team—you know, our goal is to build a dynasty, so we will never sell a championship-caliber player," Goto Youkou spoke first, trying to seize the lead in the negotiations, his tone undeniable.

Nomura Katsuhiko leaned forward slightly, crossing his hands on the table, his voice steady and clear, like a prime lawyer presenting a case in court.

"Respected gentlemen, first, allow me to express my player's profound gratitude to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The Hawks provided him a stage and met all his conditions, achieving his dream—no matter where he goes in the future, he will not forget this."

He paused, his gaze briefly sweeping over each of the high-ranking officials, finally settling on the elderly supervisor, Wang Zhenzhi—whom Nomura considered to have the greatest influence in the team executives and relatively the easiest to open negotiations with.

"Therefore, our proposal is not based on dissatisfaction with the status quo, but from a grand vision for the development of both the player and the team..."