When Sawamura was taken by the Coach of the Texas team, the members of the Seidou baseball team had already gone to rest.
Adjusting to the time zone difference was undoubtedly a very painful thing.
And the members of the Seidou baseball team didn't have much time to adjust.
Otherwise, even if they managed to adapt to the local schedule, it would still be a big trouble.
After all, they couldn't stay in America for long. A few days later, they would have to rush back to participate in the summer tournament.
If the time difference couldn't be adjusted in time, it would be fine to rest when they returned. But if they fully adjusted to the time difference, they would face trouble when they got back.
It was just like traveling.
It was rare to hear of someone going abroad for a trip and not suffering from jet lag.
Sawamura returned to his resting place, quietly lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
His blank mind inevitably recalled the conversation with Coach Abel.
Unexpectedly, Coach Abel didn't immediately express his intention to invite him.
Although Sawamura could tell that Abel was already eager, he remained calm and did not bring up the subject.
They simply discussed their understanding and views on baseball.
Coach Abel didn't even ask about Sawamura's future plans.
Without any sensitive topics in the conversation, their communication was very smooth.
It was only when they were about to part ways that Abel casually asked Sawamura:
"Mr. Robert, can he represent you in negotiations?"
Although this question seemed casual, it was of great importance.
It was essentially asking Sawamura if Robert was his agent and whether he could fully handle his professional baseball affairs.
Upon hearing this, Robert was visibly excited.
He gazed eagerly at Sawamura, hoping to hear an affirmative response from him.
After hesitating for a moment, Sawamura decisively shook his head.
"We are just in a simple cooperative relationship right now. We haven't signed an official agent contract. I'm very sorry!"
Hearing Sawamura's apology, Coach Abel instinctively paused.
He wasn't like Robert, who was just a simple novice. Being shrewd, he easily understood the underlying message of Sawamura's words.
Since Sawamura had apologized, it was also a polite refusal of his offer.
Although Coach Abel was quite interested in pushing further, Sawamura's gaze clearly indicated that there was no need to continue the conversation.
'This 17-year-old boy may seem young, but when it came to handling things, he was quite determined.'
Coach Abel's eyes sparkled, and he nodded slightly.
In the end, he said nothing more but politely saw Sawamura off.
As they left, Robert kept talking to Sawamura about the pros and cons.
He had originally planned to hold something back, but seeing that Sawamura was not very enthusiastic, he also grew anxious.
He made Sawamura an offer with seven figures!
"2 million USD a year plus a big signing bonus! Although this salary isn't high in the major leagues, for a newcomer, it's already very impressive. Even if you could get the same salary in Japan, the difference between the two is like night and day."
In America, it's a wide boulevard, while in Japan, it's at best a narrow, winding path.
This difference is not just reflected in the salary; the added value is the same.
For an athlete, it's not just about salary; it's also about the platform.
To use an example, take soccer, a sport everyone is familiar with.
A soccer player can have a superhuman performance in a match.
Imagine kicking the ball from your own half of the field, and the soccer ball crosses a distance of dozens of meters to score a goal.
Is this performance amazing?
Of course, it's extraordinary.
But even if such a magical performance happens on different platforms, the effect is completely different.
For example, if it happens in the English Premier League, you're Beckham.
Beckham is most famous for his curved passes, but his long-range goals are also legendary.
There was even a player in the Zimbabwe Premier League who did something similar, and his shot was even longer than Beckham's. But after one day of media coverage, it vanished.
The player who made that shot only had his moment of glory for less than two months.
Then, it was wiped out in the dust of history.
This shows how important a platform is to an athlete.
If that player had scored the goal in the Premier League or La Liga, even if he didn't become Beckham, he would not have faded into obscurity.
From this perspective, Robert's advice to Sawamura was very sound.
However, Sawamura had his own plan for his career.
Even though he knew that Coach Abel and Robert were offering their advice with good intentions, he didn't plan to follow it.
When others give you advice, no matter how sincere they seem, you must still make your own judgment.
Otherwise, if you just follow others blindly, you will eventually lose yourself.
Only after considering things yourself and deciding what is beneficial, should you follow it. If you think it's not right, express gratitude and politely decline.
Sawamura politely declined their good intentions.
Now, Sawamura was very clear about what he wanted.
Such a Sawamura would not easily change his already-decided plan.
However, he didn't completely reject the idea. After all, he didn't plan to play baseball in Japan for his whole life.
His real stage was the Major Leagues.
Maybe by that time, Coach Abel could get him a better deal.
But who was he kidding, the S.F. Giants' initial offer was already crazy.
While he had a good relationship with Coach Abel, it was not the same with the White Sox.
He didn't have many nice memories there, and it was the same team that got rid of him after his contract ended.
In a daze, Sawamura finally fell asleep.
The next day, the members of the team got up early.
Although they had technically slept the night, none of the players were in good spirits.
Adjusting to the time difference was the most painful part.
If they didn't sleep in their beds, they were exhausted. If they lay in bed, they couldn't sleep at all.
It was their previous sleep schedule and biological clock causing trouble.
Turning and tossing, it was no wonder they couldn't sleep well.
After some basic training and breakfast, they faced their second opponent.
Because the schedule was tight and the task was heavy, the Seidou baseball team couldn't challenge the representative teams from all regions one by one.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have enough time for the travel.
So, apart from the two regional representatives, most of the teams Seidou faced were regular high schools.
Of course, any high school team that could be recognized and invited by Robert, even eligible to be on TV, was quite strong.
Even if they weren't regulars at national tournaments, they were at least among the top representatives in their regions.
"Who is our opponent today?"
Since there was no information, the teammates didn't need to analyze the intelligence.
The opponent was entirely unknown, which made it easier.
Upon hearing Kuramochi's question, someone immediately brought over the match records and flipped through the list.
He was about to read out the names but then froze.
"Say it already, why so hesitant?"
Kuramochi said, annoyed.
He stepped forward, and looked at the list, especially seeing a string of English letters.
Kuramochi slapped his head. How had his IQ dropped?
The high school teams here weren't regional representatives.
They didn't have translated names; most of them used their original names.
This string of English words put together seemed like scribbles, who knew what they were supposed to mean?
"Aurora Blue Creek High School!"
If you don't understand, ask! Kuramochi took the list and brought it to Sawamura.
Sawamura looked at it and replied with five words.
…