Gu Ran smiled calmly, "The strongest agent in the football world is definitely not here to show me the car wine cabinet."

"Hahaha!" Mendes laughed heartily. "Gu, I didn't expect you to be so humorous! Ah, I really like you even more! You called me the best agent in football... You really have good taste!"

On the surface, these words were praising Gu Ran, but in reality, they were praising himself.

Who doesn't like to hear good words? Gu Ran's negotiation skills were triggered actively, and his tongue was like a spring coated with honey. "I'm not complimenting you, but telling you the truth. Mr. Mendes, you came from a grassroots background and became the agent of Cristiano Ronaldo and José Mourinho. Just based on this, you are the best agent in football."

Mendes was immediately overjoyed. "Oh, Gu, I really love you. Although you are young, you are so smart. You can recognize my ability, which shows that you are also a very capable person. Yes, I am the best agent in football, because Cristiano is my superstar!"

"The relationship between Chris and I is more than just an agent relationship. We are not father and son, but we are as close as father and son. I think of Chris as a younger version of myself, and he has realized a dream that I could never achieve. I take care of everything for him except the court, so he became the greatest star in the world, and I became the strongest agent in the world because of his greatness!"

Mendes paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Was it a bit of an exaggeration when I said Chris and I were like father and son?"

Gu Ran said calmly: "No, it's not an exaggeration."

Mendes published an autobiography in 2015, and Ronaldo wrote the preface for him. The original words Ronaldo used in the preface were "my father of football."

The reason why Mendes is the number one agent in football is almost entirely due to Ronaldo.

When Mendes got married in 2005, Ronaldo gave Mendes a private island worth 17 million euros.

So, before their "father-son" split, they were indeed as close as father and son.

Mendes adjusted his sitting position with satisfaction. "Gu, let's get down to business. I've actually noticed you a long time ago, ever since you played a friendly match against Arsenal. I saw your scimitar, your elevator ball, your powerful physical confrontation, your excellent speed and dribbling skills, and your wonderful breakthrough on the left side."

“But these are not what shocked me the most.”

"My company, Hotsit Foote, has collected data on all your previous games."

"I can accurately tell you the defensive and offensive statistics of every professional game you played."

"These progressively expanding data are what shock me the most."

"In my career as an agent, I have never seen a young player improve so quickly - never, not even the greatest player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo."

"I want you to know that Chris is the best player in my heart, so I never compare other players' statistics with my Chris. However, when I saw your statistics, I couldn't help but compare your statistics with Chris."

"I wonder, does the greatest player in the world have this kind of crazy growth at 17?"

"The answer shocked me..."

"Your initial statistics were terrible, you were totally a non-professional grassroots player, but your growth rate was amazing - if we only look at the actual data, you are completely incomparable to Chris, because when Chris was 17 years old, he was already a well-known genius in Portugal. He was 90 points at the age of 17, while you were only 70 points - but Chris grew from 80 points to 90 points, while you grew from 0 points to 70 points. If we only compare the growth rate, you have surpassed Chris's three years of growth in just a few months of your professional career."

"I am really shocked. I can't believe how you did it. How did you grow faster than the best players in the world?"

"What shocked me even more was that your basketball IQ was much more mature than that of your peers. Many of your operations seemed to be grassroots and unconventional, but they were always just right for your team to succeed."

"How can I describe you?"

"I have seen countless players, but I have never seen a player as amazing as you."

"You are not a genius, at least not a genius born for football like Chris, but the speed at which you grow is really terrifying."

"I really can't imagine what it would be like if you continued to grow at this rate, because my mind tells me that this is too unreal."

"Let me put it this way. It's been a long time since I've met a player in person, and most of the agency contracts are handled by my company, Hotsit Foote - but you're different."

"Not only is your growth rate amazing, not only do you have an advanced basketball IQ, you are also a Chinese player."

"Please forgive me for having to speak the truth - Chinese players are too rare in international football, but the Chinese fan market is the largest in the world. This misplaced configuration will make the commercial value of outstanding Chinese players much higher than that of stars of the same level."

"There is no agent who doesn't love outstanding Chinese players."

"So I have to come and see you in person, just like I did with Cristiano Ronaldo."

"Because you deserve it."

Mendes looked at Gu Ran with his brown eyes, full of longing. "Gu, I know you don't have an agent yet. I know you must be waiting for an agent who can match you, so I'm here. Join my Hotstifoot, I will definitely not let you down."

Holy shit…

Gu Ran's heart couldn't help but beat wildly! Mendes was really good at talking! For a moment, Gu Ran almost blurted out: I do!

However, with the experience of rebirth and negotiation skills +4, Gu Ran quickly calmed down.

Mendes is a businessman! There is some sincerity in Mendes' words, but there is definitely some false flattery from a businessman! Mendes is the strongest agent in the football world, the strongest agent in the football world who can easily deal with even Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho!

If you lose your patience, it will be easy for Mendes to lead you by the nose.

We haven't even discussed the conditions and benefits of joining yet, so we can't just agree right away! Gu Ran smiled calmly, "Thank you for the compliment."

That’s it?

Mendes was shocked by Gu Ran's indifferent reaction.

He personally came out and deliberately talked about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, and also praised him very sincerely, thinking that he could make the young Gu Ran excited and agree on the spot, but he didn't expect that Gu Ran would just say "thank you for the compliment" in such a bland way? How big is this kid's heart!

Good, very good!

The harder something is to get, the more worthwhile it is to pay for it, and the more precious it is! Mendes smiled and said, "Gu, maybe you haven't realized that by joining my Hotspot, you can become a fellow student of Cristiano Ronaldo. I can even take you to meet him when it's convenient for Chris. By the way, Chris likes Chinese people very much. I believe you will become very good friends in private."

Holy shit…

Using Cristiano Ronaldo to tempt me? Who can resist this?

That's me.

But Mendes, if you use Ronaldo to tempt me, I really might not be able to resist...

Gu Ran cleared his throat calmly, "Mr. Mendes, I know there are many benefits to joining Hotsit Foote, but I am more concerned about how you position me? What kind of career benefits can you bring to me?"

How to position this point is actually very important.

The fact that Mendes came in person to talk to Gu Ran shows that he really values ​​Gu Ran, but if Mendes only regards Gu Ran as an ordinary football genius, then it would not mean much.

But if Mendes positions Gu Ran as a "future superstar" and personally takes charge of all of Gu Ran's agency matters, then it would be worth continuing the discussion.

Mendes raised his eyebrows in surprise, then grinned and said, "Gu, you asked a very good question. To be honest, after watching your highlights, I think you are a rare star. I think you will probably grow into a Marcelo-like star in the future. Of course, you will be stronger than Marcelo."

Gu Ran felt a little disappointed.

Marcelo is certainly good, a top left-back, but if it’s just Marcelo…

Then Mendes continued: "This is what I thought after watching your highlights, but when I met you in person, I realized that I thought too little of you. You are not Marcelo, you are Cristiano Ronaldo, and you have the same strong temperament as Chris."

Holy shit…

Mendes, are you trying to play emotional tug-of-war with me?

My heart is pounding again because of what you said! Mendes continued: "Gu, you asked me how I define you. Now I can officially answer you. I define you as the new Cristiano Ronaldo, but you are completely different from Cristiano Ronaldo."

"Chris is already the most successful player in the world, and you are not his shadow. You will be another world-class player with a different career, different position, different playing style, and different personality."

"I will personally provide you with agency services in the same way I served Chris and Jose. This includes your club contract, your advertising rights, your gossip handling and public relations image building, your company business, your investment projects, your legal and tax matters, and even your entertainment preferences. In a word, you will enjoy the same service as Cristiano Ronaldo at Hotspur."

"There is one truth in this world, that is, the strong will always be strong."

"You are also a strong person. You are a strong person different from Cristiano Ronaldo. You are a strong person unprecedented in the history of football."

"I dare say that there is no other agent in the world who is worthy of you except me."

"So, you can only let me be your agent."

"Because I am also the strongest, and I only serve the strongest."

"Gu, join Hotspur. You just need to play football quietly, and I will make you the most valuable star in the world except Chris!"

Oh shit!

The same treatment as Cristiano Ronaldo, and being built into a world superstar of Cristiano Ronaldo's level... this is really awesome!

Since the world's strongest agent has said so much, there is nothing to worry about.

Gu Ran then asked calmly, "Mr. Mendes, if I ask you to be my agent, how much commission should I pay you?"

Agents don't work for nothing! They make money from players!

Hearing this question, Mendes smiled happily.

Mendes knew he had succeeded.

"My dear Gu, although talking about money may hurt feelings, it is indeed best to clarify the commission issue first."

"The commission of a football agent is generally divided into three parts."

"The first part is a cut of your salary. For this part, I usually charge 2.5% to 5%."

"The second part is a commission from your commercial profits, which includes your portrait rights, advertising endorsements, program announcement fees, brand revenue, etc. For this part, I usually charge 15%-20%."

"The third part is the share of investment income. Please believe that you will definitely have more money than you can spend. You need me to help you invest. For this part of the investment income, I will charge 10%-20% of the share and the corresponding asset custody fee."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "This commission rate is very high."

Mendes laughed. "Yes, my commission is on the high side in the industry, but I really deserve it. There are many small brokers who claim to be free, but in fact, free is the most expensive because they make money in dangerous places that you can't see."

"In addition to an agency, my company, Hotstift, also has a legal consulting firm that brings together the world's best sports lawyers, a financial accounting firm that is full of elites familiar with taxation in various countries, a security company that is full of top retired special forces soldiers, an image and public relations company, and hotel and nightclub chains around the world."

"As long as you join Hotstifoot, these subsidiaries will do their best to serve you."

"Of course, this is not the point. The point is that the offers I just told you are only offers for ordinary players."

"What is an average player in my standards?"

"I might as well give you a few names: Falcao, Pepe, Marcelo, Deco."

"Yes, they are all world-class players, but in my case, their commissions are based on the same as for ordinary players."

"In my opinion, there are also extraordinary players. At present, there is only one, that is Cristiano Ronaldo."

"The offer I gave Chris was 2.04% on salary, 12.51% on business profits, and 8.58% on investment income."

"Because Chris deserves it."

"As for you, as I said just now, I regard you as a player of the same level as Chris, so my commission offer for you will be similar to Chris' commission offer."

"I can give you 2.2% of your salary, 13% of your business profit, and 9.5% of your investment income."

Mendes said sincerely: "Dear Gu, believe me, this is my greatest sincerity. Please don't care how much I can earn. The key is that I can help you earn much more wealth than you can imagine!"

Gu Ran couldn't help but nodded secretly.

Mendes' commission offer was very realistic and sincere.

Although it is higher than Ronaldo, it is much lower than world-class stars such as Marcelo and Deco! However...

Just talking about the agent's commission, that would be a waste of talent, right? Gu Ran smiled and said, "Mr. Mendes, I have no objection to the salary and business profit commissions, and I have no objection to the investment income commissions, but I want to make my own decisions on investment projects."

Mendes laughed. "Of course, do you want to invest in hotels? Real estate? The stock market? Cryptocurrency? Believe me, I can give you the inside information."

Gu Ran said calmly: "I want to invest in a football club - specifically, Southampton Football Club."

Mendes was stunned. "What... I have been in this industry since 1996, and I have never heard of such a request..."

Gu Ran shrugged, "Well, now you heard it."

Mendes' eyes widened in astonishment. "Gu, are you serious? The total amount of Southampton Club's shares is at least 100 million pounds! Moreover, Southampton Club is not a business that is guaranteed to make money. The risk is huge!"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "I know, but I just want to buy it. I hope that Heatfoot can set up a club investment company to buy at least 50% of the shares of Southampton Club for me within the next year."

Mendes shook his head and said, "Gu, please forgive me for having to say this, this is too difficult - buying shares in Southampton Football Club is not like going to the vegetable market to buy vegetables. We are willing to buy, but they may not be willing to sell. The equity of Southampton Football Club is very mixed, with many small shareholders. The transaction in the middle will be very cumbersome and may even lead to a premium. If we buy in such a hurry, the final transaction price may exceed 150 million pounds or even 200 million pounds! So much money... the risk is too high!"

Gu Ran smiled calmly and said, "Mr. Mendes, it's time to test whether you are the best agent in the world. If you are willing to take the risk to invest for me and promise to buy me 50% of Southampton's shares within one year, I will join your Hotspur."

For the first time, Mendes felt that things were getting tricky.

In all his years in football, this is the first time he has encountered such an opponent.

Mendes thought he had convinced Gu Ran with his eloquence, but he didn't expect that Gu Ran would give him such a big test at the last moment.

Mendes frowned and thought for a while. "Gu, God, you are only 17 years old. Do we really have to discuss such a sophisticated investment plan? Even if we buy 50% of the shares in one year, the funds mobilized will probably exceed 100 million pounds! Gu, this is not realistic. How about I recommend you another way to make money? If you don't like real estate and the stock market, we can also invest in games. Young people like games!"

Gu Ran smiled and shook his head. "No, Mr. Mendes, I just want to buy Southampton Club. I have feelings for this club, and I believe that I can bring this club from League One to the Premier League. I also believe that I can triple the assets of this League One club in two years. Investing in this club is actually investing in myself. I will help Southampton Club win the League One championship and the League Cup championship they have never won. I will help Southampton Club to dominate the Europa League in the second year. I will help them win the Championship and the FA Cup. I will lead them to the Premier League. There is no football project that can make more money than myself."

Mendes' eyes lit up immediately! That's right, if you look at it from this perspective, investing in Southampton is definitely a good deal that will definitely make money! Gu Ran added: "As a Southampton player, it is not convenient for me to come forward directly, so I need you to set up an investment company for me to buy shares. Of course, you will also need to advance funds for me in the early stage - but I won't let you advance funds for nothing. I will pay the service fee and interest of this advance at an annual rate of 5%, and guarantee to pay off the money within 3 years. I can use my own salary and all business profits as collateral."

This is equivalent to mortgaging one's entire future to Hotsit!

Mendes immediately became excited. "Gu, are you really going to do this? Can you really... repay this advance payment within three years?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Mr. Mendes, if you have investigated me, you should know that my parents also have investment companies in China, and I also have a live broadcast company under my name. Their income may not be too high now, but in one or two years, it will definitely explode."

Mendes nodded. "Yes, I know that. But..."

Gu Ran added: "What you don't know is that I am still hand-drawing scripts for Marvel and DC. There are a total of three scripts being filmed now, and the fourth will be soon. Next year, I will receive the revenue from these movies, and the revenue from the movies alone will reach more than 50 million pounds."

"What..." Mendes was stunned!

He was clearly here to discuss a future soccer superstar's contract, so how come this future soccer superstar could actually write a Hollywood script? This, this, this... is really different from Cristiano Ronaldo!

Mendes rubbed his hands excitedly, "Oh, Gu, you are really a huge treasure! Leave the matter of purchasing the shares of Southampton Football Club to me! I will ask my legal department to prepare the contract immediately! Welcome to join Hotspurt!"

Gu Ran also shook Mendes' hand contentedly, "I am also very happy to be a fellow student of Cristiano Ronaldo."

——Negotiation skills +4 is still very powerful.

Just move your tongue and let Restift advance money to buy Southampton Football Club!

From this moment on, the construction of my football empire began!

(End of this chapter)