Chapter 524 Topic Boom
"...He's such an interesting guy."
"I told you so, he showed an extraordinary sense of humor and energy on the court, and it wasn't the kind of clown trying to get attention."
"I don't know. I don't believe it. Tennis players are boring."
"But he's different, and I mean it."
"I think he's pretty good and plays really well."
"Ha ha!"
"Hahaha!"
A cheerful laugh broke out in the company's tea room, and one could clearly feel the cheerful atmosphere surging in the office, which was completely different from the mornings of ordinary weekdays, so much so that even those who passed by would stop and look in curiously, and someone inside would immediately greet them.
"Mark, come over here and see, the 'Today Show' is interviewing the new US Open champion."
"Mark, I remember you usually play tennis on weekends, right?"
Mark Palmer stopped at the door of the tea room and immediately noticed Gao Wen appearing on the TV screen, and nodded subconsciously.
"I know he, Gawain, broke Sampras' record as the youngest US Open champion."
This short sentence, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, immediately caused ripples. Exclamations, surprises, and praises surged in my ears. I could clearly feel the outpouring of concern, even for people who usually had no interest in tennis or even sports in general.
Palmer was very surprised. He stood at the door of the tea room for a moment and couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else:
I have to say, Gawain does have such charm.
Palmer watched the US Open men's singles final and was indeed impressed by Galen, but that was just his performance on the court. Moreover, Galen's victory over Cilic, another dark horse, in straight sets was ultimately not as exciting as defeating the Big Four to win the championship. So the impression was there, but it lacked impact.
However, seeing Gao Wen on a familiar program today, his performance outside the court made Gao Wen's image fuller and more vivid.
The "Today Show", with an average audience that easily exceeds four million, is undoubtedly the best companion for North American office workers to start a new day of work in the morning, even on Wall Street, which is so busy that they never have to stay awake.
And today, everything is even more turbulent and crazier.
Before Gawain came on stage, the number of viewers was about 3.8 million. With Gawain's appearance, the number of viewers began to soar slowly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and there was a small surge peak after the "Nike Moment". Then the upward momentum slowed down again, but it continued to rise.
Four million, four and a half million, four and a half million… and then, five million.
After a long time, the "Today Show" has once again broken through the five million mark in viewership, and is still moving forward. The soaring upward curve is so gratifying that the program crew who are paying attention to the ratings numbers in real time are overjoyed, and they all become excited one after another.
Adidas is no exception.
David Hannett was also watching the live broadcast of the "Today Show". They could not see the real-time ratings of the show, but they could see the real-time hot searches on social networks: not only did the discussion about Nike and Gowen continue to rise, but the name of Adidas was also mentioned repeatedly. Obviously, people were trying to understand what was going on.
With an average of 2,000 updates per second, the screen was flooded with unimaginable heat during the morning rush, even hotter than when Serena Williams and Koeman won the championship. Countless gossip, rumors, discussions, debates, and explorations continued to refresh the screen.
So lively!
Hannett's heart ached.
After Gawain defeated Isner in the first round, Adidas had conceived of such a plan, to sign Gawain as soon as possible, and then Gawain could wear the Adidas jersey on the stage of the second round of the game, which would strongly trigger heated discussions on social networks.
However, Adidas missed out on Gawain. After many twists and turns, they witnessed their ideas being realized through Nike, and it exploded with unimaginable popularity.
It's not just the news that Nike is the first to sign a history-maker, but more importantly, the personal charm that Gao Wen showed on the "Today Show". In any competitive sport, this is a rare quality and also the most important potential to become a superstar.
Hannett seemed to be able to hear the stock exchange bell as Nike's stock price continued to rise, hitting Hannett's heart hard.
At this moment, Hannett finally understood their hesitation and conservatism, and what they had missed. He couldn't help but think back to the time when Tobias came to Adidas for negotiations but returned empty-handed. He accompanied Tobias in the elevator to the parking lot.
He could no longer remember Tobias's specific words, but he still remembered the calmness in Tobias's eyes, which conveyed one meaning: You will regret it.
Hannett still remembers his answer, that they would not regret it, even if they missed out on Djokovic's contract extension, because Adidas had the capital to do so; but now facing Tobias again, can he still say the same words with confidence?
Hannett didn't know, and wasn't sure.
On the TV screen, the live broadcast of the "Today Show" continues.
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"…What is your biggest feeling right now?"
Raul asked a very common open-ended question, giving Gawain space to express some thoughts. This is also a standard question in championship interviews, but Gawain once again went off the beaten track and gave an unexpected answer.
"I'm not sure I have enough time and space to feel that, you know, from yesterday to today, everything is like it was thrown into the dryer and fast-forwarded, turning the world upside down."
"I've always known about the social media age, how fast everything is, but I never really understood the craziness until today. Like right now, I'm on 'Today'?"
“Oh my god.”
Rather than using words, Gawain responded to the camera with a wide-eyed expression, which vividly conveyed clarity, truthfulness and straightforwardness, which also made Raul and Kelly laugh.
Although Gawain did not answer the question directly, the emotions between the lines were enough for them to understand.
Kelly looked at the young but experienced Gao Wen in front of her and asked a question with some curiosity, "So what has changed for you?"
It was a simple question, but Clea expected a different answer from Gawain.
Sure enough, Gao Wen did not disappoint her.
"I expect to be able to say that nothing has changed. I am still a kid who has just entered the professional tennis world. I am still trying to become a professional player. I still hope to go to the court to finish the game and attack my opponent, but I know that this is only my own wish."
"As for what has changed, I can't really tell you now. Maybe, we can only know the answer when we see me on the court again after this storm is over."
(End of this chapter)