Chapter 60

Godo sat once again in the opulent office, a steaming cup of black coffee in front of him, as the beautiful secretary had just left after closing the door.

He even had the leisure to follow the secretary's swaying hips with his eyes.

Leko sat in his own seat, looking at Godo with a forced smile, suppressing his disdain for this country bumpkin.

He hadn't forgotten why he had invited Godo here.

If it weren't for the chairman of the club's request, he wouldn't have invited Godo at all... because that would mean he was admitting defeat to Godo!

The last time he met Godo here, he had the upper hand.

Today, that advantage was gone.

But Godo seemed much more at ease than before.

Although Leko hadn't been clear on the phone, Godo wasn't stupid; he could guess what Leko wanted.

It was nothing more than to discuss Rongguang's contract.

Before, Rongguang's performance wasn't good enough, and Godo didn't even want to talk to him.

Now, his attitude had done a complete 180, and he was the one reaching out.

Because Rongguang's outstanding performance had made him uneasy.

Godo sat on the sofa made of Brazilian rosewood, one leg crossed over the other, not in a hurry to speak. Instead, he picked up the coffee cup and took a gentle sip, then slowly put it down.

The whole action was deliberate and slow.

He was doing this on purpose to make Leko anxious.

He wasn't worried about offending Leko.

Rongguang's performance gave him the confidence.

Even if he couldn't stay in São Paulo, he could take Rongguang elsewhere.

After all, many teams had been contacting him recently.

Leko, seeing Godo's deliberate slowness, couldn't help but know why he was doing this.

"Damn country bumpkin!" Leko cursed in his heart.

But now he had to force a smile, which made him feel somewhat nauseous.

"Mr. Godo... I invited you here today to discuss Rong's new contract. We know that it's inappropriate for Rong to still be on a youth contract, and it's unfair to the player. It also doesn't reflect our São Paulo club's appreciation for talent..."

Godo interrupted Leko's rambling.

"If it's still a ten or eight-year contract, don't waste our time, Mr. Leko." Godo looked up at Leko, his tone calm but confident!

Damn, don't be so arrogant!

Leko couldn't help but curse again in his heart.

He cursed viciously in his heart because he had to smile even more on the surface. To compensate for this psychological gap, he had to curse wildly in his mind.

"You know, our São Paulo club really values Rong, which is why we want to sign him to a long-term contract. This will also help the club focus on his development... The contract term doesn't mean your player can only leave when the contract expires, but it's a contract that benefits both parties..." Leko continued to explain.

But Godo didn't want to listen to this nonsense.

He interrupted Leko again: "I'll put forward my proposal, and see if the club can accept it, Mr. Leko. The first option is a six-year contract with a $4 million buyout clause. The second option is a four-year contract with a $6 million buyout clause."

This was a strategy Godo had already thought through.

If there wasn't a special reason, he didn't want Rongguang to leave São Paulo. It had taken four months to establish himself there, and starting over in a new place would be difficult.

Moreover, the head coach here also valued Rongguang. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept him in the 18-man squad even when his performance was poor.

If he changed teams, who knew if he would find a coach who valued him as much.

Transfers were risky, especially for a newcomer like Rongguang, who faced even greater risks.

If possible, he wouldn't leave.

This was Godo's thought.

Of course, he wouldn't reveal this to Leko.

Furthermore, Godo realized that if he didn't renegotiate Rongguang's contract with São Paulo soon, it wouldn't be good for either Rongguang or himself.

It would force them to leave.

And from a purely economic perspective, a new contract was necessary. The current contract paid Rongguang only 453 reais per week, and the exchange rate between reais and dollars was about 2.5:1, so 453 reais was equivalent to $181, or about 1,450 RMB.

If Rongguang were still in the countryside, this income would be very attractive, as many people in his village might not earn 1,500 RMB in a year.

But in Brazil, after seeing the world and hearing about the money to be made in Europe, Rongguang was absolutely not content with this meager income.

The contract needed to be improved to make Rongguang earn more.

This way, as his agent, Godo could also earn more.

Since a new contract was inevitable, he might as well take the initiative, present his plan, and use Rongguang's current success to force São Paulo to agree to his terms.

The buyout clause was the key.

After seeing Rongguang's outstanding performance in the final, Godo no longer wanted to play small in Brazil. He wanted to take Rongguang to Europe.

If a European club really took an interest in Rongguang, São Paulo's opinion would be the biggest obstacle.

The buyout clause would make this obstacle less insurmountable.

As long as a European club was willing to pay the buyout fee, São Paulo couldn't refuse. Rongguang could then leave São Paulo and go to Europe.

As for whether a European club would be willing to pay that much for Rongguang... Godo believed that with Rongguang's rapid improvement, he had no reason to worry.

Upon hearing Godo's terms, Leko almost blurted out, "Absolutely not!"

Godo stood up from the sofa upon hearing this.

"That's too bad, Mr. Leko. I don't think we have anything to talk about." This was a sign that he was about to leave.

But Godo wasn't really going to leave; he was just putting on a show to pressure Leko.

He was confident that Leko was more anxious than he was.

Sure enough, seeing Godo stand up to leave, Leko quickly extended his hand and stood up from his seat. Before this, he had been sitting, and despite his forced smile, his deep-seated superiority still showed through in some details.

But now, he seemed to have no reason to maintain that superiority...

Because this country bumpkin was right; he was more eager to keep Rongguang!

"Please wait, Mr. Godo!" Leko not only stood up but also came out from behind the desk, extending his hand to detain him.

Godo didn't fully turn around; he just turned his head to look at Leko.

Feeling the country bumpkin's gaze, Leko's pride almost resurfaced, but he quickly suppressed it.

This wasn't the time to care about pride!

"Uh... um..." Facing Godo, Leko found himself at a loss for words.

Godo's terms were something he didn't want to agree to. What buyout clause? We never have buyout clauses for young players! If a young player wants to leave, they either wait until the contract expires or the other club offers a price that satisfies us. Otherwise, no deal!

Buyout clause? What's that?

But now, he realized that if he didn't agree to the buyout clause, Godo would definitely leave without hesitation.

If he let him go...

"This... Mr. Godo, I think we can discuss this..."

Godo shook his head firmly, "I don't think there's anything to discuss, Mr. Leko. My player is in high demand, and many teams are pursuing him. I agreed to negotiate with you first because São Paulo was the first team to accept him. Rong is currently on a youth contract, and under this contract, the club has no right to prevent him from joining other teams."

As Godo said this with a stern face, he couldn't help but give himself a mental pat on the back: Well said, Godo! You're starting to feel like a big-time agent!

The youth contract was both a curse and a blessing for Rongguang. The curse was the poor treatment, but the blessing was that it could be used to pressure Leko during contract negotiations.

Under a youth contract, Rongguang could leave the team at any time without the other club paying a transfer fee.

In Brazil, clubs often sign formal professional contracts, even long-term ones, with young players who show great potential, despite their young age.

Kaka, for example, signed a long-term contract with São Paulo at the age of 17.

In Brazil, it's common for 16- or 17-year-old talents to have professional contracts and become professional players.

Given Rongguang's performance over the past four months, giving him a professional contract was not a problem.

But if Leko hadn't been so arrogant... he wouldn't have to endure this humiliation from Godo.

He brought it upon himself...

Leko knew that everything Godo said was true.

He had heard from the newspapers and TV news that other teams were interested in Rongguang.

Since Rongguang scored the winning goal against Corinthians, he was not only famous in São Paulo but also known throughout Brazil.

Media from other states also reported on the Rio-São Paulo Championship final, as it was one of the most important regional tournaments in Brazil and the last one.

Under this attention, Rongguang's sudden burst of performance, scoring the winning goal against Corinthians, was highly dramatic.

The media was very interested in reporting this story, especially since Rongguang had once been rejected by Corinthians.

With the media's spread, more and more teams became interested in Rongguang.

Especially when they heard that Rongguang hadn't signed a professional contract with São Paulo!

Many people cursed São Paulo for being foolish while contacting Godo, Rongguang's agent.

But the most serious threat wasn't from Brazilian clubs, but from European ones!

After the final, it was reported that AC Milan's general manager, Galliani, had been in the stands.

What did his presence mean?

There had been rumors that AC Milan was scouting Kaka.

But after this match, they might be interested in another player...

If they discovered that Rongguang hadn't signed a professional contract with São Paulo... Leko didn't believe that Rongguang and Godo would say "no" to an invitation from a world-renowned club like AC Milan. That would be foolish, not brave.

If AC Milan really made a move for Rongguang, they wouldn't have to pay São Paulo a penny.

Wouldn't São Paulo have wasted their efforts in training Rongguang?

And get nothing in return... This wasn't the style of Brazilian clubs!

So, a professional contract with Rongguang was necessary.

But these terms...

Leko still wasn't willing to agree to Godo's terms.

He decided to focus on the buyout clause.