THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Offer of Endorsement II
Emily shook her head, smiling wryly. "You've just played two games" he said. “Although you have performed well, it should not be enough for a company to go ahead and give you such a deal. It's a little suspicious when you think about it. So, I propose we reject it immediately. "
"In addition, I only agreed to meet with them impulsively after learning that their representative was a Rosenborg executive. The funny thing is he has a second name similar to mine."
"Who is that?" Zachary interrupts, shocked by the fact that one of the club's executives is a representative of a betting company.
"Someone named Johan Arne Anderson. The name was getting interesting me to meet him—only to find out that he is a representative of BetNet international—and would like to offer you a deal to become their ambassador."
"Johan Arne Anderson," muttered Zachary, thinking of the name. "I've never heard of anyone like that being part of club management. But then, I didn't know everyone at the club. He's probably one of those guys who works behind the scenes."
"He should have been," Emily recited. "One of my colleagues has confirmed this. No question about that. What I doubt is the company behind it. We don't want you to associate with any brand that might get your name smudged at some point in the future. We'd rather stay broke for now than take risks."
"Well, that's right" Zachary said with a smile. "I agree with your proposition to avoid betting companies for now. I know that they pay well, but because your instinct tells you to reject it—let's do it like that."
"I'm glad you agreed," said Emily, her eyes wrinkled in the corners. "If my work ethic wasn't against an offer from you, I wouldn't even mention it. I've even prepared a lengthy speech to convince you to cancel the deal. But, I don't seem to worry about anything."
Zachary smiled back at him. "So, what's the way forward?" She asked. "Should we take a deal from Red Bull? To be honest: I don't think it's profitable enough for me."
"I also thought so," Emily replied, her voice slowly becoming bubbly. "All we can do is wait a while until you play more games. Do you have the confidence to continue to put on an outstanding display for the next few games?"
Zachary sighed, shaking his head. "That I can't say or promise. Football is a type of game where you may find yourself underperforming in some games. You cannot maintain consistency throughout every game of the season. But I'm sure as long as I keep doing it. getting dead ball chances, I can keep scoring even if I don't manage to perform well during the game."
"Then, that's all that matters" Emily said with a twinkle in her blue eyes. "As long as you keep scoring goals for Rosenborg, your popularity will increase until those brands can't ignore you anymore. In the meantime, I'll begin talks with Red Bull and begin the initial phase of negotiations as we wait for you to do so. Grow your reputation here in Norway."
"That's a good plan." Zakaria nodded. "Waiting is the best option, I guess." He had already earned 400,000 NOK before the bonus every month. There was no need for him to rush into making a support deal that was not attractive enough.
"Before I forget," continued Zachary, leaning his head to look at Emily. "Is there a chance that you're good with cars?"
Emily sat up straight when she heard Zachary's question. "Have you finally decided to buy a vehicle for yourself?"
"Yes," Zachary confirmed, smiling. "I need something simple to move around Trondheim."
"I'm no expert" said Emily, a faint smile adorning her face. "But I have a friend who is an expert with cars. The good thing is he's here in Norway."
"What's he doing?"
"He's a professional race car driver." Emily beaming. "There's some better information than him in terms of cars."
The corner of Zachary's mouth twitched slightly at Emily's reply. "I just need a car to get around Trondheim, not to race" he said, shaking his head. "Why bother a professional car driver for it. Let's just forget it. I'll find another way."
"He's a simple person" said Emily, her voice sounding like a plea. "Again, buying a car is the thing he likes the most. So, don't worry. You won't burden him."
"Forget it," said Zachary, his tone resolute. "By the way, let me give you a game ticket before I forget." He added, while taking out a small brown envelope from his gym bag.
"They gave me twelve this time" Zachary replied. "That's because this is my first home game for Rosenborg. Otherwise, I would only receive six like my other teammates."
"That's great" said Emily excitedly. "Can you give me four? I've got some friends who want to attend your game tonight?"
"Take this," replied Zachary, handing over the printed ticket to him. "I only need six for some of my friends. The rest, I'll give them on the bus to Lerkendal after this."
"Then give me six. I have money for the ticket."
"OK," Zachary agreed, giving him two more printed tickets. "I think I'll see you tomorrow. I will go to Lerkendal now to begin my match preparation."
"OK," said Emily, a gentle smile adorning her face. "I Hope You're lucky in Your Game. Come on, score so we can make more money—sorry so you can win Tippeligaen."
Zachary furrowed his brows, wondering if all the agents were the same—always thought of money. But he didn't think about it because his agent did his best to give him the money. So, they say goodbye, and Zachary goes to Lerkendal. Along the way, he did not forget to call Kasongo and his friends to pick up tickets before 1 pm that day.
Afterwards, he relaxed and adapted to Rosenborg's pre-match routine in Lerkendal while waiting eagerly at 19:00— as he will play his first home game for Rosenborg.
**** ****
When Zachary began his pre-match conditioning routine in Lerkendal, one of the officials at one of Rosenborg's top offices in Brakka received a call. Johan Arne Anderson, the BetNet representative who offered Emily a endorsement deal.
Johan picked up the phone and glanced at the screen before smiling to himself. "Did they take our bait?" He muttered to himself before raising the call.
"Hello Miss Anderson," she spoke on the phone. "It's good to hear from you so soon. Are you considering it?"
"I made the offer to my client, but she didn't agree" Emily replied politely, straight to the point. "He said that he just wanted to focus on football without thinking about anything else. So, he's not going to enter a support deal anytime soon."
"You want to reject such an offer even without any negotiation?" Johan asked, his voice slightly raised. "You know we're willing to adjust the requirements to better suit the client."
"It's not about the terms" Emily replied from the other end of the phone. "My client just wants to develop his skills first before anything else. You should be happy about that because he plays for your team. Right?"
"Yes, of course, I'm happy that such a player is in our team" Johan replied, keeping his voice stable. That's why I even worked hard to find him a good support deal so he can be more comfortable in the team.
"Oh," said Emilia. "Then you don't have to worry. He's pretty comfortable at the moment. You can see it from its appearance. But anyway, thanks for the offer. See you soon." He ended the call right after.
Johan glanced at his phone for a moment before throwing it against the wall. He clenched his fists, took a deep breath before straightening his tie and sat down on one of the sofas in his office. But despite his efforts to calm himself down, he was still angry at the agent. He refused without any negotiation. He wondered if the amount offered was not to Zachary's liking, but that didn't make sense. He has made an offer that will be hard to resist for most mid-level players in Tippeligaen.
"Let's start by increasing the offer and see what happens?" He muttered, smiling like an asshole. "Money is usually the best solution to a simple challenge."
Johan must find a solution to get Zachary's signature as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would face it harshly when he met his other comrades.
**** ****