THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
400,000 NOK

"Have you had breakfast? Do you want to drink something?" Zachary asked after they entered the living room.

"Yes, of course," replied Emily, sitting on one of the comfy couches near the heater. "I came here directly from the airport. I only stopped for a while to drop my luggage at the hotel but got nothing to eat. I'm actually pretty hungry."

"Then, I'll make you breakfast" Zachary said as he pulled the curtains to let the morning sunlight into the living room. "But, I want to take a shower before sitting down to discuss business. Do you agree?"

"Please. I also need a few minutes to sort through my letters." Emily replied with a smile. "I'm so impressed by your dedication to your training. You even get up to run in such weather!"

"Exercise is about consistency" Zachary replied, nodding his head. “I have to maintain the stability of my training pattern, especially now that the start of the season is getting closer. That's the only way I can keep my fitness up. If I miss even one day just because it's a little rain or cold, I can significantly impede my progress."

"Why not just practice indoors?" Emily asked. "The gym in Lerkendal is equipped with a treadmill and a sports bike. You can easily stay in shape by utilizing their facilities."

Zachary sighed, shaking his head. “I also tried to adjust my body to the cold temperature in Trondheim. Fun fact; the weather here is almost unchanged throughout March and April. I don't want my performances exposed to the cold during the opening game of the season."

What he did not mention was that he had run six miles every day, for the previous four months, in cold weather to complete the mission task of the system. If he could complete the daily tasks of the mission, he would obtain a dose of B-level mental conditioning elixir.

The elixir seems to have magical properties to sharpen one's mind. If Zachary manages to consume it, his mind will become much more focused, increasing his ability to solve difficult challenges on and off the field. In other words, he would become smarter over time. It was an advantage he craved in his football career. His game intelligence attributes would probably surge soon after ingesting the elixir. So, he had worked hard in the cold every morning starting from the previous November to win the mission prize.

"That's a great training goal." Emily nods, perhaps taking Zachary's dubious reasoning (adjusting his body to cold weather) as the real motive for the intense morning practice. "But be careful when running there. Don't hurt yourself on slippery ground even before the season starts. We don't want any delays in your debut."

Zakaria smile. "You don't have to worry about that. I've bought several pairs of good sneakers made specifically for running on frozen ground. I'm not gonna fall and hurt myself."

He didn't continue chatting with Emily for long. He excused himself after a few minutes to take a shower and immediately cleaned himself up. He was eager to hear the new terms of the contract.

Twenty minutes later, he finished preparing a quick breakfast of hot coffee, milk, fried eggs, and toast. He joins his agent in the living room to begin an official meeting regarding his contract.

"So, how much do they offer this time?" Zachary asked after sipping his coffee.

Emily smiled mysteriously before raising her four slender, well-groomed fingers.

"140,000 per month" Zachary guessed with a smile. "That's quite an improvement compared to their previous offer."

Emily shook her head, maintaining a light smile. "Four hundred thousand per month. Not fourteen thousand." He emphasizes.

"Four hundred thousand!" exclaim Zakaria. It took a second or two for the information to seep into his skull. "Four hundred thousand!" He muttered once more, his eyes widening.

"Has all Rosenborg officials been kicked in the head by some donkey?" He asked, turning his gaze to Emily, his expression mixed in shock, disbelief, and disbelief. "How can you negotiate such a lucrative deal?"

Emily smiled mysteriously. "I passed the sporting director and legal representative to get the offer. I 'just' approached the club chairman myself and showed him a video of your past performances. He is instantly fascinated by your talents and loves your style of play. . He immediately ordered the legal department to draft a new contract with such a large monthly salary."

"Yes, really," he answered. "I'm not doing anything other than showing the chairman video taken on your match. Perhaps, I may have mentioned that Valencia is looking forward to getting your services. That's all."

[How can negotiating a deal be that simple?] He could easily tell that Emily may have used some other unique approach. But he didn't try to investigate about the whole negotiation process because he trusted him to do what was best for him.

Emily took some maps out of her big handbag. "It's a copy of a new contract" he said, removing a set of papers from the folder and handing them to Zachary. "Just read it and see if the new requirements are suitable for you."

"Is there anything I need to pay special attention to?" Zachary asked after receiving the letters. He turned to the last page and noticed that the contract had a total of 48 pages. He could not read the entire document in just a few minutes.

"You can focus on the Rights and Obligations of the Parties first" replied Emily. "That will give you an idea of the tasks you should fulfill when under contract. You should also read the Remuneration section to understand your earnings over the next two years—that if you agree to sign a contract."

"Please note that in addition to the monthly income of 400,000 NOK, you will get health insurance, housing benefits, and some other additional payments." He added on the sidelines a sip of his coffee. "You will also get a match— winner bonus depending on your performance during the season. If you can score in every game, you can earn a total of 500,000 NOK from bonuses only per month."

"That's a lot!" Zachary looked at his agent, his eyes widening in disbelief. 500,000 NOK is equivalent to more than 110 million Congolese Francs. If he gets such a bonus for ten months, he could turn into an investor upon his return to DRC, his home country. He could build an apartment, earn a steady income for the rest of his life.

"Ivar Koteng, the club chairman, accepted such a deal?" Zachary investigates once again, staring at his agent with doubt. A deal with such benefits seems too good to be true. Inevitably he wondered what Emily had done to force such a deal from the chairman.

Emily smiled mysteriously. "If you don't sign a contract that binds you to the club for two years, I can negotiate to get a better offer. But the ship was already sailing. If I try to sue the club, I will also harm you." The process, hindering your career progress. This offer is the best I can manage."

Zachary nodded before busying himself with the document. Over the next hour, he read the most important parts of the contract. Whenever she had trouble understanding the clause, Emily would explain it, speeding up the reading speed.

"So, what do you think of that contract?" Emily asked as soon as Zachary finished reading the entire document. "If you find the terms of the contract satisfactory, we need to complete the signing quickly. We don't want the situation to change while we're lounging."

"Of course, I think it's a lot of fun" replied Zachary, his lips widened to form a grin. "It's a much better contract than I expected. If we can, we have to sign it today." She emphasized, locking the gaze with Emily.

"That's cool." Emily nodded. "I'll call Mr. Malvik to schedule an appointment met," he added, taking his phone from his handbag.

He spent the next few minutes on his phone, arranging a meeting with the club's management. Zachary doesn't try to listen to the conversation, choosing to trust his agent with contract issues. He busied himself with a sip of breakfast until Emily finished talking on the phone.

"Mrs. Malvik said we could come to the club's office at 11:00 this morning," he said, putting his phone back in his bag. "It looks like the chairman has ordered him to complete the deal as soon as possible."

Zachary glanced at his wall clock and realized that it was only 9:00 in the morning. They still had about two hours for the scheduled meeting time. However, they take thirty minutes to travel, by bus, to Brakka. That's where the club's headquarters are. "We can leave at 10am if that's okay." She spoke, locked eyes with Emily.

"It's okay" replied Emily.

**** ****