Chapter 35

Godo walked into the office of São Paulo Football Club's director of football, Leko, led by a beautiful mixed-race secretary. He then sat down somewhat awkwardly on a redwood sofa covered in genuine leather. The sofa and its backrest were very soft, but Godo sat very straight and cautiously. He knew the value of the sofa. The parts not covered in leather revealed the frame made of Brazilian redwood. Brazilian redwood (Brazilwood) is an extremely precious type of wood, now nearly extinct even in Brazil, where it once grew abundantly. It is a high-quality material for furniture and is also excellent for making violin bows. Nowadays, it is rare to see furniture made of Brazilian redwood in Brazil. However, in this office, not only the sofa but also the coffee table, desk, bookshelf, and even the floor were made of Brazilian redwood! The entire office exuded a luxurious atmosphere. This high-end decor style was quite fitting for São Paulo Football Club. Unlike other teams in the city, São Paulo has many supporters who are wealthy middle-class individuals or even billionaires. Just like Kaka's father, they do not need to worry about money; they are not short of it. The beautiful secretary asked softly, "What would you like to drink, sir?" Godo replied with a somewhat tight voice, "A black coffee, extra sugar, please." The secretary gave Godo a charming smile and then walked out, swaying her ample hips. Godo was indeed somewhat nervous. After all, this was his first time in such an environment to negotiate a contract, and it was a very important contract for him. São Paulo is a member of the "Thirteen Clubs," which can be said to dominate Brazil, and is a renowned top club in the country. The old Godo never had the qualifications to directly enter the core of the Thirteen Clubs and negotiate contracts with their upper management. He was not a successful agent; in the twelve years he had been in the business, he had never had more than fifteen players under his management, and none of these players had made it to the first teams of Brazil's top thirteen clubs. Most of his players played in lower leagues, and as an agent, he was unknown in Brazilian football. He was not a big shot like Juan Figer. He searched for talented children, signed them to agency contracts, and placed the players under his control. He then sent these children to the youth teams of professional clubs or to football schools. Once they made it, he could profit from it. However, his judgment in selecting players had always been flawed, and he had never discovered any truly promising players... Rongguang was the most talented player he had discovered and his greatest hope for success. Rongguang did not disappoint him; if it weren't for Rongguang, he would never have had the chance to enter this luxurious office. Now he needed to negotiate with São Paulo to improve Rongguang's contract. Although he had never dealt with the upper management of São Paulo, he knew that all clubs were the same: they prioritized their own interests in contract negotiations, not the players'. He needed to fight for more benefits for Rongguang, which was the purpose of an agent. *** São Paulo's director of football, Leko, came out from behind his desk. The first time he met Godo was during a youth team training session, when Godo brought Rongguang for a trial. He still remembered Godo and Rongguang's almost clownish performance... At that time, he almost thought they were circus clowns. If it weren't for Mauro's insistence, he would never have signed Rongguang. Even so, after that trial, he quickly forgot about Rongguang. Who would have thought that Rongguang would now be the name he heard the most! The Chinese kid he had initially dismissed had become a rising star in São Paulo... He couldn't help but marvel at how quickly the world changes. Because of Rongguang's potential, his attitude towards Godo had improved significantly this time. He was very clear that Rongguang's ownership belonged to Godo, which was the norm for 99% of Brazilian agents— they discovered talented poor kids, signed contracts with them, provided them with food and lodging, training, and job opportunities, but the players' ownership belonged to the agents. As long as one of these kids made it, the returns would far exceed the investment, as the saying goes, "Discovering a good player is like discovering a gold mine." When an agent fully controls a talented player, even the upper management of a club must treat the agent with respect. Leko maintained the necessary courtesy towards Godo. He extended his hand to shake Godo's. After some small talk, Godo explained his purpose for coming to see Leko. He chose his words and tone carefully, still somewhat humble. After all, he had always been a failed agent and lacked the confidence and qualifications to challenge the "Thirteen Clubs." After hearing Godo, Leko smiled and said, "Actually, I was planning to contact you soon, Mr. Godo. The club is considering offering Rong a new professional contract." Given Rongguang's current performance, it was unreasonable for him to still be on a junior contract. "Here is the new contract we have prepared; you can take a look." Godo took the contract and began to read it carefully. However, he didn't flip through many pages before he looked up in surprise at Leko. "A ten-year contract?" "Is there a problem with that?" Leko asked with a smile. Seeing Leko's polite smile, Godo's previous nervousness and caution suddenly disappeared. Anger at being underestimated gradually surfaced. In the past, he could endure any insult or contempt. He lacked the confidence to challenge the other party. But this time, he couldn't bear it. If he did, both his and Rongguang's futures would be ruined, and the other party would have all the control. A ten-year contract was absolutely unreasonable! "There is a big problem, Mr. Leko," Godo said, his voice now more confident and natural. Rongguang gave him the confidence; he firmly believed that with Rongguang's talent, their future would be bright. "A ten-year contract, neither I nor Rong can accept it," he said resolutely. "But we believe it is a reasonable duration. Rong is only sixteen, and he will only be twenty-six in ten years. We all know he won't stay at São Paulo for ten years. This contract is just to ensure both parties are at ease—São Paulo doesn't want to earn nothing when he leaves the club." Leko still smiled, but his words clearly prioritized the club's interests. This was the attitude of a major club—they never hid what they needed to gain from a player. Godo shook his head firmly, "No, a ten-year contract is too long for us to accept." Rongguang had mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to go to Europe. Even if it wasn't that soon, three or four years would be the maximum. Rongguang is sixteen now; in three or four years, he would be nineteen or twenty, the perfect age to go to Europe. If he signed a ten-year contract with São Paulo, it would be impossible to leave... São Paulo would control his entire career. As long as the club didn't want to let him go, he would be stuck. Although he didn't think Rongguang would really stay at São Paulo for ten years, having such a contract would be uncomfortable. What if a European club wanted Rongguang, but São Paulo refused to let him go, citing transfer fees? As an agent, he had to minimize this risk. Seeing Godo's firm stance, Leko didn't really expect him to accept a ten-year contract—no sane agent would. "Alright, how about eight years? Rong is just a beginner; eight years will give him time to learn and improve in the team. He will only be twenty-four when the contract expires..." Godo interrupted Leko, "We can accept a maximum of four years, Mr. Leko." Hearing this, Leko chuckled, seemingly dismissive, as if Godo, the agent, had no right to negotiate such terms with him. Four years? Rongguang would be twenty in four years, at the peak of his career, and then let him leave? No way! "That's impossible, Mr. Godo. I suggest you carefully consider the club's offer and call me when you've made your decision." He extended his hand to shake Godo's, signaling that it was time to leave. Despite Rongguang's potential and the favor of the first-team coach, Leko was not willing to be overly polite to Godo. Once the limits were exceeded, he needed to remind the other party whose territory this was. Rongguang had talent, but so what? Brazil was not short of talent. He wouldn't waste too much time and energy on a Chinese player. Godo was not Juan Figer, the godfather of Brazilian football, who would have Leko bowing to him. Godo didn't expect to resolve everything in one negotiation, so he got up and left. As he walked to the door, he almost collided with the secretary bringing in the coffee. Their first negotiation ended in the time it took to make a cup of coffee. After leaving the club, Godo remembered Leko's dismissive chuckle. It was clear that Leko didn't genuinely value Rongguang. Even though Rongguang had performed well in three matches, the influence of Grison's opinion was still significant... *** Godo did not tell Rongguang about the negotiation or that he was trying to improve his contract—right now, he only needed Rongguang to focus on training and matches. Rongguang's performance on the field was the biggest guarantee for Godo in his negotiations with Leko. Rongguang was completely unaware that Godo was working to increase his income. He continued to train hard every day, especially after training, when he would practice juggling, passing, and recently, shooting, to reinforce his memory. In the evenings, he would practice shooting on the rooftop with Godo. In this way, Rongguang welcomed his fourth official match in his career. The day before the match, the head coach, Oswaldo Oliveira, announced the starting lineup, and Rongguang's name was prominently listed. He had been given the opportunity to start for the third consecutive match. Unlike the first time, no one questioned whether Rongguang should start. *** The head coach of São Caetano, Jair Picerni, was leading his team in the final pre-match training at the home ground, discussing with his assistant coach. "Confirmed to start?" he asked. The assistant coach nodded, "Yes, Kaka is on the bench, and Rong is starting." Picerni sighed in relief, a relaxed smile appearing on his face. "That's good, that's good. I was worried that Oswaldo might suddenly decide to start Kaka, who had just recovered