Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 594 - 145: Explosive News (Part 2)

The previously noisy venue suddenly fell silent, as journalists leaned in with their ears at attention. The old-school ones poised their ballpoint pens on their notebooks, while the younger ones had already started recording.

"After numerous sincere and in-depth negotiations with the player and his agent team, we have finally reached a consensus—respecting the strong desire of the player to challenge the world's premier baseball stage, we will officially initiate the process for Lin Guanglai to enter Major League Baseball following the end of the 2016 season."

Time seemed to freeze at that moment—without any warning, without any build-up, this "strategic nuclear bomb" that could shake the entire Japanese baseball scene was dropped by Goto Youkou in the calmest of tones.

The audience was plunged into absolute silence, even the cameramen forgot to press the shutter; many people were left in shock, their faces a mix of pure confusion and disbelief—they all had a moment of doubt, wondering if they had collectively misheard.

Soon, sounds of gasping were heard from corners of the venue, accompanied by items dropping—some reporters were so shocked that they dropped their pens or instinctively knocked over cups of water on the table.

Then, Japanese-style exclamations of "Eh!" erupted throughout the audience, the suppressed commotion spreading like wildfire: the reporters in the front row widened their eyes, yearning to consume the people on stage with their gaze; the media in the back stood up trying to discern something from the expressions of those on stage.

"Impossible!" blurted out a seasoned reporter wearing glasses, "He's only 20, how could SoftBank let him go?"

"But if the team didn't agree... this press conference wouldn't be happening, right?" the young reporter next to him said weakly, obviously stunned by the news.

Only then did the flashbulbs finally react, their frantic flicker nearly engulfing the four people on stage; what was orderly moments ago now was pure chaos, resembling a bustling market, with exclamations, doubtful voices, and rapid keyboard typing to send urgent messages to the editorial staff blended together—everyone knew this would become front-page headline news!

As if indifferent to the reactions of the media and journalists, Goto Youkou paused a moment and continued his speech:

"Over the past three seasons, Lin Guanglai has brought us endless glory and emotions. He is the irreplaceable core in our team's achievements of league championships and consecutive Japan's Number One titles—making this decision is incredibly difficult for our club."

"However, the SoftBank Hawks have never been confined to Japan—we aspire to be an internationally recognized powerhouse club, and supporting our players in reaching the world's highest stage is a crucial step in achieving this vision! We firmly believe that the expedition of Lin Guanglai can bring the name of Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a wider world."

"We sincerely wish Lin to shine brightly on the world stage and hope fans can rest assured, as we've already thoroughly planned and prepared for the team's future before making this decision."

At this point, Goto Youkou made sure to emphasize the team's stance: "We firmly believe that the eagle's stage should be the vast sky, which is why we've chosen to let go; the SoftBank Hawks will always be Lin's support and his home."

From any angle, Goto Youkou's words were flawless, reflecting a positive relationship between the club and the player and showcasing an expansive vision.

Next, the microphone was handed to today's absolute protagonist—Lin Guanglai. In the center of the lens, he took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the countless expectant eyes below, then slowly began to speak.

"Hello everyone, I am Lin Guanglai." He first stood up and deeply bowed towards the audience and the camera, the entire process lasting a full five seconds. Through this gesture, he expressed his gratitude to the team and the fans.

After standing up, Lin Guanglai embarked on what might be the most important speech of his life thus far.

"Firstly, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude to the great club Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, to President Goto, to Chairman Wang Zhenzhi, the supervisors, coaching team members, my teammates, and the fans who have relentlessly supported me—without your trust, cultivation, and support, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"The years in Fukuoka have been the most valuable time of my life—I still vividly remember the excitement of stepping into Yahoo Dome for the first time as a professional player, the thrill of securing my first strikeout, the joy of hitting my first home run, and the unforgettable jubilation of lifting the Japan's Number One championship flag with my teammates. Every blade of grass, every gasp of air here is soaked with my sweat and love."

"However," Lin Guanglai quickly changed his tone, his voice becoming resolute, "deep down in my heart, there has always been a voice calling me, urging me to cross the Pacific Ocean and go to the country where baseball was born, to challenge myself in that hallowed place!"

"Nippon Professional Baseball has given me everything, and I am immensely proud of it; but as a baseball player, Major League Baseball is a dream I cannot ignore—I want to go there, to compete with the world's best hitters and pitchers; I want to discover what brilliance my Dual Swordsmanship can achieve in front of the world."

"This is not because of any dissatisfaction or weariness with SoftBank or Japan; on the contrary, the immense strength and confidence bestowed upon me by the SoftBank Hawks is what gives me the courage to pursue this dream."

"I promise the SoftBank fans that in the upcoming season, I will do my utmost to help the team achieve the feat of three consecutive championships; if I fail, then I will remain with the team next season until I can bring the championship back."

When the host signaled to the journalists that they could start asking spontaneous questions, the scene almost descended into chaos: the usually composed reporters now had red eyes, like hungry predators, intent on devouring Lin Guanglai—and this was just the appetizer.

The night after the press conference and the next day, almost every newspaper's front page was completely occupied by the news of Lin Guanglai's anticipated entry into the draft at the end of the season, with various striking headlines sweeping across Japan.

Television stations focusing on sports content urgently produced special programs about Lin Guanglai, reviewing his achievements in Nippon Professional Baseball, analyzing his prospects in the U.S., and even inviting some prominent figures to debate.

Social media crashed completely, with topics related to Lin Guanglai directly surging to the top of Japan's regional topic list. Praise, blessings, reluctance, debate... various emotions mingled and collided on the internet, forming a massive whirlpool of public opinion.

The ones with the most complex emotions were those SoftBank fans who deeply loved Lin Guanglai: On one hand, they naturally wanted to see their young talent shine on the world stage; but on the other hand, the pain of being unable to let go grew—this complex emotion ultimately led to SoftBank's home game ticket prices being continuously inflated, and Lin Guanglai-related merchandise being completely sold out.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean in the United States, several Major League teams, both elite and underdog ones, have started taking action—although Lin Guanglai's formal entry into the draft won't occur until the end of the season, an intense battle to secure him has already begun.