Despite being accustomed to turbulent situations and having mentally prepared for today's meeting with determination, Edwards still found himself unusually flustered due to the absurd and shocking proposition, a smile creeping up to his lips as if he had just heard a joke.
However, Donald was not smiling.
Donald maintained his calm demeanor without expression and, seeing Edwards's smile, did not get angry but repeated his statement without any disturbance.
"Mr. Edwards, you heard me correctly, seventy-five million US dollars a year, a ten-year contract, that was my offer just now."
The entire NFL's peak is currently just a mere twenty-five million US dollars a year, and now Donald has tripled it in one breath?
Edwards's smile stiffened slightly but he quickly regained composure, attempting to take control of the situation, "Our last conversation wasn't ."
Donald nodded lightly, "I know. But the last offer was then, and the situation has changed now since another two weeks have passed."
Edwards frowned slightly: Unprincipled! "Negotiations shouldn't be ."
"I know," said Donald, his face open and unaffected, "but that's how I feel now."
Donald then pressed on aggressively.
"The price has changed again. Ten million US dollars a year, a ten-year contract."
Edwards looked at Donald as if he were looking at a madman.
Donald did not mind, he casually leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, "Mr. Edwards, I am not satisfied with Nike's attitude in our partnership."
"We both understand what Li Wei represents now. He is not Little Beckham, nor is he Brady; he is the one and only Li Wei."
"The NFL has waited so long to finally get this opportunity."
"The League has just signed a broadcast agreement with Hua Xia, and with Li Wei dramatically entering the scene, Goodell's plan for expansion in Asia and globally has its final piece in place, and now nothing can stop it." Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
"When we talk about Li Wei, those so-called disadvantage tags will now become his advantages to break prejudices, break the mold, and make history."
"All of this before us is brand new. I believe Li Wei even has greater advantages than Jordan did in his time, mainly because the NFL is now the most profitable league globally, far ahead of what the NBA was in its days in terms of both team and league earnings."
"So, when we sit down to negotiate, I expect to see not just sincerity but also boldness; otherwise, I see no need to continue."
No, this was decisive and ruthless, quickly resolving the whole situation.
Donald looked at Edwards calmly.
"Of course, we can continue to wait and see when Li Wei loses a game or gets injured, and how long the Chieftain's performance can last this season, but trust me, if we keep waiting, the situation will only tilt more in our favor."
"Maybe, Li Wei will lose games, but maybe he will continue to win."
"The real point isn't about winning or losing, but about Li Wei always being able to deliver top performances that prove himself and make even casual viewers talk about football."
"Do you know how much traffic the social media tags about Li Wei generate in Hua Xia right now?"
"If you don't know yet, I suggest Nike should do its homework."
Casually, just with a throwaway comment, Donald was fully on the offensive—
Edwards felt somewhat stifled.
Homework, of course, Nike had done it, how could they not?
In just three weeks, the discussion volume about Li Wei on Hua Xia's largest social media platform had strongly exceeded one billion.
Yes, that figure is not a mistake, one billion. The out-circle index has entirely skyrocketed, and NFL CEO Goodell is fully engaging in promotions, showing a resolute belief in conquering the Asian market.
From one million to one billion, the traffic index has spiked by a hundredfold, and all that the NFL and the Asian market are missing is a Li Wei.
Was Donald making an outrageous comparison when he equated Li Wei with Jordan?
Back then, Jordan was just another college player with no titles or championships, and even at the draft, his shine wasn't the brightest.
Frankly speaking, Nike's decision to sign Jordan was mainly because the top draft prospects were already secured by Converse, and Nike had no chance otherwise.
Now, Li Wei might not have any professional league titles to his name, but at least, he has stepped onto the league stage, and in three games, he delivered record-breaking performances that exploded traffic.
It was precisely because Edwards knew Donald was right and had no rebuttal that he felt even more stifled.
Donald didn't mind; he leaned slightly forward, intently watching the executive before him.
"Mr. Edwards, what do you think, under the same conditions, how would Adidas and Under Armour respond? If we continue to wait, who will be the first to lose patience?"
Generally speaking, negotiations aren't this straightforward, much like a brutish shove of the sleeves and battling bare-fisted, a completely unreasonable flurry of punches, but Donald had indeed shattered expectations, thoroughly disrupting Edwards's plans.
Edwards had to admit, Donald was right.
Under Armour would nod.
Continue to wait, one more week, at most two weeks, as long as Li Wei keeps winning, keeps the topic hot, Under Armour will nod—
Even Adidas might step ahead, seizing the lead.
The initiative in the current competition belongs to no one.
Indeed, Donald didn't need to proceed step by step; he could simply watch from a distance as the three competitors fought to the death.
But… ten million US dollars a year? That price is still outrageous!
For reference, Nike's contracts with tennis superstars Federer and Nadal were also ten million dollars a year.
That was tennis, an individual sport, simple to promote and expose, and only top superstars got such treatment; but the current discussion was about football, a league with nearly two thousand players.
Nike cannot be capricious.
Once they agreed to a contract with Li Wei, agents of other football players would make huge demands, and Nike cannot open this gate.
However, Edwards did not panic; instead, he calmed down.
The more aggressive and off-the-cuff Donald was, the more it indicated that all this was a distraction, a sleight of hand before the real proposal, with earlier tactics being akin to a magician's misdirection before the actual performance.
Embarrassed as he might be, Edwards looked at Donald, displaying Nike's mettle.
"Mr. Yu, I've heard it all, I am now ready to negotiate, shall we get to the point?"
The implication was, he also knew that the earlier setups were just ruses, and the negotiations to follow were the practical, crucial proposals.
Donald was not surprised; otherwise, Edwards could not have sat in that position.
"Two and a half million dollars a year for five years, and at the same time, we need Nike to develop a dedicated product line for Li Wei, including but not limited to sneakers, jerseys, caps, socks, etc., with Li Wei enjoying a 3% royalty on all global sales."