Chapter 984: Chapter 984: Confession and Leniency

Chapter 984: Confession and Leniency

Not just in football, but also in soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf, car endorsement fees have always been a bit lower than those for luxury brands. This is because car brand endorsements are often for a specific series or a new model, rather than the entire brand, and the duration of each contract is relatively short.

A car endorsement worth five million dollars a year for three years is already among the highest in the entire NFL, second only to top superstars Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Even in the NBA, this contract would still be in the top ten, making it a top-tier deal.

Indeed, Lu Ke’s market value had reached such a level in just two months. The interaction between his unique advantages and his outstanding performance made him a person with unlimited potential. From Rolex to Mercedes-Benz, Lu Ke’s rapid rise was incredibly rare in all professional sports fields.

More importantly, the choice to sign with Mercedes-Benz instead of more commonly endorsed car brands by football players like Ford or Volkswagen was a direct reflection of Lu Ke’s market value.

As a top global car brand, Mercedes-Benz had countless partnerships in the sports world. In the past two years, they had been adjusting their strategy in the United States, and the NFL was naturally their first choice.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz sponsored the naming rights for the New Orleans Saints’ home stadium, which was a significant step. However, when it came to choosing a spokesperson, they remained cautious.

On one hand, top players like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady already had car endorsement contracts. On the other hand, there were many NFL players, and the turnover rate was high, making it difficult to find a stable and long-term partner. After careful consideration, and meeting the right player at the right time, Mercedes-Benz chose Lu Ke.

For Mercedes-Benz, what they needed was not Lu Ke’s appeal in Asia, but his appeal in the American-Asian market and his profound influence on the diversity of the American football market. From a different perspective, this could be seen as Lu Ke having already secured an irreplaceable and indispensable position in the NFL.

As a unique presence in the entire league, along with his comprehensive rise on the field this season, endorsement offers had been pouring in like a flood. However, Leigh had never been in a hurry, prioritizing quality over quantity. Currently, he had only signed two endorsement deals, Rolex and Mercedes-Benz, which was already impressive enough.

If Lu Ke’s performance in the playoffs this season could continue, then Leigh was confident that he could build the number 14 quarterback into the number one player in the league.

"Leigh, I’m not sure what you consider a satisfactory number, but I can tell you that I have no objections." Lu Ke raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, which made Leigh chuckle. Then, Lu Ke let out a long breath, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Phew, now I finally have a Christmas gift for my parents this year."

Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning were not short on money, but the first people Lu Ke thought of were still them.

Leigh was not surprised at all. "Actually, if you’re willing, we can promote your family more. For example, in a magazine interview, you can talk about the positive impact Jack and Annie had on you, which would be very beneficial for your public image..."

But before he could finish, Leigh noticed Lu Ke’s determined expression, so he stopped himself. "I know, I know. You want to protect Jack and Annie’s lives. That’s fine. I understand!"

Leigh didn’t push any further and returned to the main topic. "On Mercedes-Benz’s side, they will start announcing this partnership on social media step by step starting tomorrow. They were originally considering waiting a bit longer, but after today’s victory, they want to seize the momentum immediately. So, I expect some related promotions to go online tonight."

"Social media?" Lu Ke was a little surprised.

He had the impression that Mercedes-Benz was not a company that was keen on social media promotion. After all, they were a well-established and powerful brand and could promote their products steadily.

Leigh nodded and gave an affirmative answer. "They want to appear younger and more vibrant. This is also an important reason why they chose you. By the way, you are endorsing the M-Class, which is a mid-to-large-sized family SUV, but it’s positioned a bit more upscale, mainly targeting the middle class. Now, by choosing you as the spokesperson, they want to create an image that it can also be used by young people and change people’s fixed impression."

Mercedes-Benz has multiple product lines, and each one has a different market positioning. Naturally, the price of each model is also different. The M-Class is a relatively high-end product line that requires more texture and substance. They are currently in talks with Roger Federer and David Beckham, and they chose Lu Ke for the NFL part in the United States.

Next, Leigh briefly outlined the schedule for the next 24 hours, which included a photo shoot, an in-studio commercial shoot, and a magazine interview, among other things. It was going to be very busy.

"Don’t worry, I know your off-day practice schedule. It won’t be affected," Leigh added, and he saw Lu Ke show a look of relief. Leigh couldn’t help but laugh. "Oh, by the way, Mercedes-Benz also has an invitation to the fashion show tonight. They told me that if you’re willing, you can attend on their behalf. They don’t mind the exposure starting now."

"What fashion show?" Lu Ke blinked, full of questions.

Leigh was a little surprised. "The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is tonight. Don’t you remember? If I’m not mistaken, you have a good friend who is one of their models, right? I thought you knew about it."

Lu Ke was stunned.

Lately, all his thoughts had been on the locker room, training, and games. He had completely forgotten about this. Although Candice had been mentioning the fashion show, she hadn’t mentioned the specific time, so he had never paid attention to it. More importantly, Candice was worried about disrupting Lu Ke’s focus, so she had never intentionally brought it up.

"Girlfriend," Lu Ke said. It was the first time he had used this word, and it still felt a little strange. And it was the first time he had used it in front of another person, so he still felt a little uncomfortable. Lu Ke couldn’t help but adjust his posture.

Leigh didn’t react immediately. He looked at Lu Ke again and then saw his slightly shy look. He thought for a moment and then understood. He was a little surprised, because Lu Ke seemed to be training day and night, and he didn’t even have much time for social activities. There were no clues to be found. But after the surprise, he started to find it interesting.

Leigh couldn’t help but want to play a trick on Lu Ke. This guy was a prankster himself and rarely fell into a trap. Now that an opportunity was right in front of him, how could he easily let it go?

So, Leigh just stared at Lu Ke without saying a word, and the subtle atmosphere began to get tense.

Lu Ke scratched his head and cleared his throat. The clumsy, flustered look on his face was a far cry from his image on the field. "Didn’t you say before that if there were any changes in my life, I should report them to you in advance? Well, this is it."

Under Leigh’s gaze, Lu Ke felt a little uncomfortable. Leigh was the first person to know besides him and Candice, so Lu Ke was still a little awkward. But this situation only lasted for a moment. Then he straightened his back and regained his confident demeanor. "I did forget about tonight’s fashion show. Since there’s a chance to attend, that’s great. I need some help."

This was also the reason why Lu Ke chose to be honest. To make it up to Candice and to thank her, Lu Ke needed to not only show up tonight but also make a grand entrance. So, he needed Leigh’s help.

He only had a few sets of sportswear in his gear bag, which were obviously not appropriate.

Leigh didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest. "So, when did this happen? I’m guessing it wasn’t this week, right?"

"If you’re expecting me to start talking about the details, then you’re wrong. I have no such intention," Lu Ke had now regained his composure and stated his position with righteous conviction.

Leigh, however, smelled a hint of nervousness under Lu Ke’s tension. He wasn’t in a hurry and said with a smile, "I have no ill intentions, really. I just want to express my blessings. It would be great if your love life goes smoothly. I’m genuinely happy for you. So, I can at least know the name of my player’s girlfriend, right?"

Although his words were fine, his tone was always teasing. Lu Ke was also helpless. He glanced at Leigh, but Leigh didn’t back down. Thinking that he still had to ask Leigh for a favor later, Lu Ke could only compromise. "Candice. Her name is Candice."

"Candice. I like that name." Leigh nodded in agreement.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Ke’s gritted teeth expression. Leigh knew when to stop and immediately said, "There’s not much time left before the fashion show starts, and the guests also need to walk the red carpet. This means we are very short on time. We have to get you dressed now. No one wants to be late for such an important night."

Without waiting for Lu Ke to say anything more, Leigh picked up his phone and started making calls, getting busy.

Lu Ke knew that Leigh was doing it on purpose, but he couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. At least, he was genuinely getting busy, not just pretending to.

On the way from Foxboro to New York, Lu Ke was guessing if something important was going to happen today. He didn’t expect that in just a few hours, things would have come to this point. Was this a little magical?

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