Chapter 214 Big-Name Agent
"Hey, Gao."
From a distance, Tobias could see Gawain coming towards them surrounded by his teammates. Before Sampras could speak, Tobias took the initiative to step forward.
As one can tell from the address, Tobias's entire demeanor is very formal.
Sampras watched this scene quietly with a smile on his face.
And, this is just the first step.
The players of the Brown Bears were not familiar with Tobias, but when they saw Sampras not far behind them, they knew that he must have come to congratulate Gawain. They all joined in the fun and greeted Sampras. Without stopping, they returned to the locker room first.
The noisy laughter was still ringing in his ears. Before Gawain could speak, Tobias took out a business card holder from his pocket and handed over the business card with both hands very formally.
"The last meeting was obviously not formal enough. I think we should complete this part today."
"Formally introduce myself, sports agent, John Tobias, nice to meet you, Gao."
Gawain's smile remained on his face. He took the business card without knowing why, nodded politely to Tobias, and then glanced at Sampras with a questioning look:
What is this guy doing? Sampras was an enthusiastic spectator, and he said with a smile, "It's rare to see this guy lower his posture, so you should enjoy the special treatment. He is asking you for something, so you can embarrass him, make him feel bad, and then make a lot of money out of him."
"You need my help?" Gao Wen grasped the key words, but still had no clue.
Honestly, in Gawain's opinion, Tobias was Sampras' "friend". They had met last time and nothing happened at that time. Naturally, he did not think much about it when they met again. He just thought of it as coming to watch the game with Sampras.
As for career, does it matter?
So why would Sampras' friends ask for help from him?
The stadium was filled with cheers and shouts. The endless noise continued to hit the eardrums, as if the whole world was bubbling and boiling, making it difficult to hear the words clearly. Gawain couldn't help but wonder if he had heard it wrongly.
Tobias didn't care about Sampras's joke at all, and instead said, "Yes, I want to be your agent and represent all your work."
"Agent?" Amid the noise, Gao Wen grasped the key point again, was slightly stunned, and then reacted -
Professional tennis, is this coming? With a smile on his face, Gao Wen asked, "How can you be sure that I am going to turn professional?"
As mentioned before, there is still a gap between NCAA and professional tennis. Even if you are the U.S. singles champion, you may not necessarily move on to the professional arena.
How could Tobias forget? The last time they met, he was most impressed by Gawain's eloquence. He was able to advance and retreat appropriately without losing his edge, and his casual humor was even more impressive.
If it were other NCAA players, if they were favored by an agent, they would not be ecstatic, but at least they would definitely ask about the agency business. However, Gao Wen did not play by the rules and asked a question in return. It seemed that he had no interest in professional games, so naturally he did not need an agent.
Although he lowered his posture, Tobias's abilities were still there. Because of Gawain's sudden action, he actually felt relieved. "Aren't you planning to change your career?"
This rhetorical question successfully made Gawain laugh.
Tobias also showed his edge faintly, but unlike the last prank, now he needed to show his ability, so he just said the following words smoothly.
"The most valuable reward for winning the U.S. singles championship is the championship trophy, but the most valuable reward is the wild card to the U.S. Open."
"Next, you need to prepare for your first Grand Slam tournament. This will also be your first time standing under the world spotlight. There are still nearly three months to go and we still have a lot of preparation to do. Believe me, I have rich experience and I know what to do."
Just a few simple words can deeply express Tobias' confidence.
However, Tobias did not rush to pour out all his ideas at once. Instead, after expressing a proactive attitude, he took a step back to give Gawain enough time to think.
"Obviously, this isn't the best place to have a deep conversation."
Tobias looked around, a sarcastic gleam in his eyes, as if he was making fun of the noise at the scene, so much so that they were almost shouting in their conversation, and the loss of information was inevitable.
"If you are interested, you can contact me and we can arrange a private time to have an in-depth conversation."
Gawain had to admit that Tobias had an excellent sense of propriety. This was somewhat different from the last brief encounter and refreshed Gawain's perception.
Gao Wen half-jokingly teased, "Are you going to be on guard against Pete?"
As he spoke, his peripheral vision drifted towards Sampras again.
Tobias nodded slightly and followed with a joke, "If you are prepared to take advantage, you must not allow the hyenas to be present so that the lamb can enter the trap."
Sampras also understood Tobias's intention to stop there, and deliberately made a regretful expression, "Is this good show over so soon? No way? Please tell me when it will be performed again next time? I am willing to buy a ticket to watch it."
The atmosphere suddenly became joyful.
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After that, they didn't talk about the agent anymore. Sampras and Gao Wen chattered about some key points of today's final.
It’s really fun.
Tobias also actively participated in the conversation, and the banter and sharpness returned. This was the "friend of Sampras" that Gao Wen was familiar with.
The three of them walked towards the locker room amid the cheers of the audience and the congratulations of other players. Tobias noticed the hint in Sampras' eyes, found an excuse, and left first, leaving space for Sampras and Gawain.
"...He probably thought I wanted to give some advice from professional players to professional players, which is strictly true." Sampras chuckled, "but in fact, I was speaking well of my friend."
Sampras was very frank and spoke his mind directly, which made Gao Wen laugh.
"I'm not sure about your plans for the future. After all, you're only a freshman. You're eighteen years old. Everything is possible in the future. The whole world is waiting for you."
"The best advice I can give you right now is: Gao Wen, find yourself an agent."
Gawain was a little surprised. Putting aside the topic of when he would turn professional, for a professional player, isn't a professional coach the first priority? But, an agent? Sampras noticed the confusion in Gawain's eyes and smiled contentedly.
"I can finally put on some good show."
Sampras made an exaggerated Popeye gesture, beating his chest.
"Believe me, the role of an agent is far greater than you think. It doesn't matter if it's not John, but a good agent is really important."
First update.
(End of this chapter)