Chapter 20 Sincerity

The next day, after Zhou Yi finished training, he was a little surprised to see Schulze outside the training base again. "It's you again?"

"Yes, it's me again. So, this time, would I be so lucky as to invite you to a meal, Zhou Yi?" Schulze said with a smile.

"This, I'm really sorry..." Zhou Yi refused with a troubled expression.

"Okay, it's okay, it's okay. I wish you could play in a match soon." Schulze took the initiative to extend his hand to Zhou Yi and shook it.

After Zhou Yi said goodbye to Schulze this time, he took two steps and looked back at him, only to find Schulze waving at him.

The third day, Zhou Yi was no longer surprised when he met Schulze outside the training base. He even took the initiative to greet him: "Hello, Mr. Schulze."

"Hello, Zhou Yi. How was your training today? Was it smooth?" Schulze asked him with a smile.

"Yes. Not bad."

"Then congratulations on getting one step closer to your goal of playing in a match!" Schulze clapped his hands and said.

"Then, as a celebration, how about Mr. Schulze treats me to a meal?"

"Huh?" Faced with Zhou Yi's request, Schulze didn't react at all.

"Ah, is it not okay?"

"No, no, no!" Schulze quickly waved his hand, coming back to his senses. "It's perfectly fine! What do you want to eat?"

"I know a small restaurant that's not crowded, and I often go there."

"That's great, let's go!" Schulze said excitedly, and actually started walking.

He took two steps before realizing that he didn't know which direction to go at all. So he stopped and said to Zhou Yi a little embarrassedly, "Sorry, I was too excited..."

Zhou Yi waved his hand, "It's okay, Mr. Schulze. But are you always so full of fighting spirit?"

"Of course." Speaking of this, Schulze straightened his chest, "This is my greatest strength!"

Seeing Schulze like this, Zhou Yi also laughed.

※※※

Zhou Yi finally brought Schulze to the small restaurant where he often ate with Koutana and Hanna.

After sitting down and ordering, Schulze finally confirmed that Zhou Yi had really agreed to have dinner with him. So at this time, he dared to ask the question in his heart:

"Zhou Yi, I'm very curious, you refused me very simply for the past two days. Why did you take the initiative to have dinner with me today?"

"In our China, there is a saying 'San Gu Mao Lu'. Mr. Schulze. It means that you only get to see the person after three visits, to show the sincerity of the visitor. So the third time I saw you, I thought of this word. You are so sincere, I'm embarrassed to refuse again. And... the person who cooks at my house is not here today, ha!"

Hearing Zhou Yi's explanation, Schulze also laughed. What an interesting young man.

"Then please allow me to introduce myself and sports_total, the agency I belong to," Schulze said.

Zhou Yi nodded, "Okay, please."

Schulze began to say: "My name is Tino Schulze. I belong to the sports_total agency. The sports_total agency is a relatively young sports agency. It was only established in 2007, but its development in the industry has been very rapid. Compared with other brokerage companies, our company pays more attention to the discovery and training of young players, so we have many young players under our company. I'll say one that you must be familiar with -- Mario Götze, he is also a player under our company."

Zhou Yi showed a look of understanding.

"I won't tell you that our company is the most powerful agency in German football. In fact, we are not. Among the most famous brokerage companies in Europe, we are not ranked. But what I want to say is that our company really values young players very much, even this is the most important aspect of our company. I think choosing a powerful agency may not be better than choosing the right one. Because most of the players under our company are young players, we know very well the needs of young players and also know how to help young players improve."

"So I'm signing with your agency?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Uh. Yes and no. If you choose to sign with me, I will still serve you, but you are a player under our company, because I am an agent under our company." Schulze explained.

"Oh, so that's how it is..." Zhou Yi nodded, pretending to understand.

Schulze continued to introduce the situation of their company, and introduced all the famous agents in the company, including Götze's agent Volker Struth, and Reus's agent Dirk Hebel.

Finally, he talked about himself.

"As for myself, uh..." Schulze hesitated for a moment, then said to Zhou Yi: "Actually, I really want to tell you which powerful star players I have under my command, so that it can show that I am also very powerful. But unfortunately, no, not a single one."

Schulze spread his hands and said: "I just got the FIFA agent license, and I just entered this industry not long ago. Before that, I was just a lawyer who was crazy about football. Of course, I am also a nobody in the lawyer industry... I know it is difficult to let you entrust your future hope to a newcomer like me, and I can't find a better reason to convince you, but I still have to work hard. Because hard work is another one of my advantages!"

Zhou Yi was amused by Schulze: "You have quite a few advantages, Mr. Schulze. I am very grateful to you for being so frank with me, so I will also tell you frankly -- I can't give you an answer right away about the agent thing, even if I eat your meal, I won't easily agree to you. This meal is just to increase our understanding of each other. But in the end, I may have to consider many factors. Sorry."

Schulze waved his hand: "It's okay, I'm already very happy that you are willing to say these words to me so frankly. Before you explicitly reject me, I will still try to persuade you, I hope you don't find me annoying."

"Treat me to dinner every day?"

"It's not impossible either!"

"Forget it." Zhou Yi smiled and waved his hand, "We have a saying in China called 'Eat people's food, be soft-mouthed; take people's things, be soft-handed.' If I eat too much from you, I'm afraid I'll be soft-hearted."

"Your Chinese sayings are really interesting, ha!" Schulze also laughed.

After that, the two finished the meal and didn't talk about work anymore, but just chatted about some things, such as Schulze being very interested in China but never having been there. So Zhou Yi gave him a good popular science explanation of what modern China is like.

After the meal, Schultz paid the bill, and the two parted ways.

※※※

"Tino, haven't you given up yet?" his friend Serkan asked Schulze on the phone.

"I finally succeeded in inviting him to a meal today!" Schultz said excitedly.

"Oh, that's really good news, how did your talk go?"

"I introduced the company's situation to him in detail..."

"So he agreed to you being his agent?"

"Uh... not yet..."

"It seems the Chinese boy isn't stupid. You're wasting your time, Tino. You've been in the company for half a year and haven't signed a player yet. If this continues, I'm very worried about your future in the company..."

"Ahem, I know, Okata. But isn't this a good start?"

"But it's meaningless -- what are you going to use to impress him? Agents pursuing players are like pursuing girlfriends, either you have a lot of money and can make her fall for your money offensive. Or you are very strong, so she feels safe. Or you are very handsome, so she falls in love with you at first sight. If you have no money, no strength, and are not handsome, if you are very romantic, you can also attract some young girls. What advantages do you have?"

"I have... I have sincerity and enthusiasm, and hard work!"

"Those are the most useless things. It's like you're chasing a girl, you can't come up with anything but just say 'I love you very much, dear. I am the one who loves you the most in this world.' Do you think you can chase a girl like this?"

Schulze was speechless by Serkan's question and couldn't answer at all.

"And the girl you're pursuing is so outstanding, she doesn't lack suitors at all... I can already foresee your elimination, Tino. Don't waste time on him, start with players from small teams in lower-level leagues, slowly accumulate experience, and improve step by step. You will succeed. If you still can't forget the girl in your heart by then, then go after her again. At least at that time, you can straighten your chest and say your advantages, instead of now expecting God to favor you."

While Serkan was talking eloquently, the other end of the phone was silent. After he finished speaking, Serkan thought the phone was disconnected: "Hello, Tino? Are you still there?"

"I'm here, Otaka. Thank you for your reminder, but I still have to work hard. Zhou Yi is just like my first love in my agent career. You know, everyone's first love is the most beautiful and the most difficult to give up..."

"Why are you so stubborn, kid? What I'm telling you is the experience of someone who's been there!" Serkan was a little annoyed that he still couldn't convince Schulze.

"I know, I know these are all your heartfelt words and experience, and I thank you too. But... stubbornness is also my advantage, Otaka."

"But your stubbornness will only bring trouble and trouble to the person being pursued!"

"If Zhou Yi thinks I'm annoying, he can directly reject me, and I won't go to him again."

"You..." Serkan didn't know what to say, and finally just sighed, "Whatever you want."

※※※

The next day, Tino Schulze was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, standing among a group of fans wearing Dortmund jerseys and Dortmund baseball caps, waiting outside the training base, looking very out of place, like an insurance salesman...

When the training base gate opened and the players drove out one by one, the fans got excited. They surged up to ask their target for autographs, and if they were lucky, they could get a group photo.

But Schulze remained unmoved, still standing in place, looking towards the training base.

As the stars left one by one, there were fewer and fewer fans around him.

And Schulze finally saw that familiar figure walking out of the training base.

Some fans also greeted him after seeing that figure, asking him for an autograph and asking him, "Wizard, will Barrios score again in the next round?"

Zhou Yi signed his autograph while saying, "You have to ask him about that."

Next, one person went up to Zhou Yi and asked him while signing his autograph: "Wizard, Wizard, will I pass my exam next week?"

Zhou Yi signed his name with his head down and said, "As long as you study hard and prepare for the exam, you will pass!"

Not many people came to Zhou Yi for autographs. Compared with other Dortmund players, Zhou Yi could be described as deserted.

However, Zhou Yi didn't seem to care about these things. Whether there were few people or some people came with other purposes, he didn't care. He still signed his autograph very seriously for everyone and patiently answered their strange requests.

After he finished all this, Schulze greeted him.

"Hi, Zhou Yi."

"Ah, Mr. Schulze. You're here again today?"

"Of course, I'm here to bother you again. But if you think I'm annoying, you can reject me directly, no problem," Schulze said.

"Okay, I won't be polite, Mr. Schulze. But so far, I haven't found you annoying yet."

"Haha! That's good. Do you want to have dinner together today?"

"Oh, not today..."

"Is the person who cooks for you at home today?"

"Yes..."

"Okay, then let me walk with you for a while. I'll say goodbye to you at the intersection in front, okay?"

"No problem!"