Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

If possible, Robert is unwilling to ask Sawamura for help at this moment.

Although he has only met Sawamura once, Sawamura has left a deep impression on him. Despite his young age, the boy is exceptionally mature, and his demeanor radiates a strong, unique presence.

If an ordinary person were to meet Sawamura Eijun, they would undoubtedly be surprised. He doesn't come across as a typical teenager at all.

Robert, however, was not like most people.

Teenagers who excel in sports often give off the impression of having well-developed muscles but a simple mind, but this is not always the case.

The teenagers who truly stand out in the sports world generally share two common traits.

First, they tend to have a strong sense of perseverance. Without being ruthless with themselves, it is difficult to make it in the competitive world of sports.

This is not only true for baseball but for other sports as well—basketball, football, table tennis, all of them.

Additionally, these athletes are rarely fools.

This is especially true in sports like basketball, football, and baseball. While natural talent is incredibly important, understanding tactics and teamwork are just as crucial.

If an athlete lacks a certain level of 'game IQ', it is very difficult to succeed in such team-based sports.

The athletes who rise to the top tend to be more mature.

There are two reasons for this. First, the experiences of those who make it to the top differ greatly from those of ordinary teenagers. For example, most high school athletes who are dominating the field now have already achieved success in middle school.

Of course, there are exceptions, but they are rare.

With more experience comes greater maturity.

The second reason is their natural intelligence.

Smart kids tend to mature early.

Take Sawamura, for example. At a young age, he was already organizing his present and future in a well-structured way, gaining significant fame and prestige.

Thus, Robert did not find Sawamura's maturity surprising.

He never viewed Sawamura as just a typical sixteen-year-old.

Looking back at his request for help from Sawamura, it was easy to understand why Robert was reluctant.

This was, in itself, a test that Sawamura had set for him. By asking for Sawamura's help, Robert was essentially asking the teacher for the answers to the exam.

The image they had worked so hard to establish could be damaged by this request.

But there was no other choice—he had reached a point where he felt there was no way out. This was no longer just about signing a contract with Sawamura; it involved his entire career as an agent.

He dialed the number, and a pleasant ringtone echoed through the phone.

The music was pleasant, but Robert couldn't tell what song it was. However, he was certain that this song wasn't in the typical style of Japan.

Thinking about Sawamura's fluent English made Robert's image of him grow even taller in his mind.

A teenager who excels in his favorite sport is already impressive enough to shock Robert.

When he realized that this boy's talent was far greater than he had imagined, Robert even began to feel a sense of awe.

Robert couldn't help but feel a sense of self-deprecation. He felt his own talents he took a lot of pride in were nowhere near a match for Sawamura's.

In planning Sawamura's career, Robert could not offer even the slightest extra help, and in fact, he might even be holding him back.

If he were to act according to his conscience, the best thing for him to do would be to give up on partnering with Sawamura.

But alas, as a professional agent, all he could see now were the massive potential benefits.

"Moshi Moshi~!"

Sawamura's slightly unpolished voice came through the phone.

Just listening to Sawamura's voice, it was no different from any other teenage boy's. It was hard to connect this voice to the mature performance Sawamura had shown.

"Hello, Sawamura! This is Robert, do you remember me?"

"Of course, of course. Mr. Robert, what can I do for you?"

"I'm here to congratulate you on reaching the semifinals! Very, very congratulations!"

"Thank you!"

Sawamura, holding the phone, slightly pouted.

In his impression, people from the U.S. usually prefer to get straight to the point. He wasn't sure what had happened with Robert, but it seemed like he was taking a roundabout way.

Not at all casual.

After a few exchanges, Robert finally revealed his predicament.

"Sawamura, I'm in a bit of trouble..."

Robert explained the situation again, though he had omitted some details by glossing over them.

But Sawamura was no novice. Even if Robert didn't say everything, Sawamura knew that Robert had made a mistake.

"Honestly, Mr. Robert, I'm disappointed!"

Sawamura did not hide his emotions.

"Wait, Sawamura, I can explain..."

Robert's anxious voice came through the phone's speaker.

Sawamura ignored him and continued.

"I'm sure you understand why I asked you to do this. It is because you Are A Very Experienced Agent who has a lot of experience and contacts. When you suddenly ask for me—a high school student—to help you, I don't know what to think about the whole situation…"

Sawamura's words were not clear, Robert on the other end of the phone fell silent as he understood them clearly.

'I am failing the test…'

Although he had tried his best to imagine Sawamura Eijun as more mature, he had still underestimated the talented pitcher.

Sawamura's pitching speed and power weren't so overwhelming as to crush everything.

Even so, this boy had earned the title of 'The Maou'.

'Indeed...'

Robert felt a chill in his heart.

It seemed like huge amounts of money were slipping away from him.

Sawamura's negotiating skills seemed to surpass his own.

"I am sorry Sawamura, I can only ask for your help. If we ever have the opportunity to become business partners, and I encounter a situation that's too complicated for me to handle, I will definitely seek your help. All of this is to ensure that your interests are maximized."

Robert was a bit blunt, as he was now changing the offer from an agent asking for a contract to a business partner offering a chance for an investment.

On the other end of the line, Eijun's lips curled into a slight smile.

Robert was even smarter than he had imagined.

The moment Robert picked up the phone and asked Sawamura for help, it had already become nearly impossible for the two of them to sign a contract.

Sawamura would never choose an agent who couldn't even handle a matter like this after talking big.

So, was Robert going to just give up on the situation?

If Robert really did that, he would be adorably foolish.

From what Sawamura had just heard about the plan, this was clearly a huge money game being played. Even if Robert didn't seem to gain much from it on the surface, he would have to play it out to the end.

In the agent business, reputation and competence are extremely important. Being able to organize such a commercial exhibition match would clearly elevate Robert's resume.

The fact that Robert could come up with so many ideas in such a short time showed he wasn't lacking in intelligence.

It was truly a pleasure to communicate with someone who understood things so well.

Sawamura smiled and hung up the phone, then made another call to Hirota.

The players from the second and third teams weren't as fortunate as those from the first team who could stay in hotels.

Even though Seidou High didn't lack funding, it wasn't generous enough to book rooms for all 120 of them.

After the match, if time allowed, they would return to Seidou.

They would come back on the day of the finals and keep pushing forward!

In fact, as long as the distance wasn't too far, all teams would do the same.

At this point, Hirota had already returned to Seidou High.

When he saw that his leader was calling, he excitedly picked up the phone.

"Senpai!!"

Hearing Hirota's familiar voice, Sawamura couldn't help but smile.

"Tomorrow, go find the school's dean and tell him that a man I know named Robert wants to sponsor our team for the practice match in North America."

"Is he a fraud?"

Hirota seemed to have heard something about Robert's reputation, wondering if it was true.

"Don't worry, he's probably not. I asked someone I know to check his information, and he really exists on the official website of a big agency. The photos match up too. Moreover, he said it was a sponsorship, and they're offering real money with no need for us to pay anything, so don't worry!"

"…True!"

After thinking about it, Hirota agreed easily.

"So, what's his deal? Is he trying to pull a 'Broker Play', or does he already have a sponsoring company?"

Hirota's family is in business, and he has been greatly influenced by that. Though Sawamura didn't explain everything in detail, Hirota could roughly guess the situation.

"It's probably a Broker Play! But the chances of success are very high!"

Though Robert had messed things up, Sawamura had to admit that the plan was indeed well thought out.

There was almost no reason for it to fail.

Sports competitions can be publicly perceived as a matter of national honor.

The match between Japan and U.S.

The challenge of the "King Seidou vs Dream Team" matchup.

Just thinking about it makes the blood boil. The attention in Japan will undoubtedly reach unprecedented levels.

'How could those capital giants not see that?'

Even if they knew that the North American organizers were pulling a Broker Play, many people would still dive in willingly.

There was no avoiding this.

Not to mention anyone else, even Hirota was very tempted. He had the urge to call his father…

When Hirota told Sawamura about his idea, Sawamura fully agreed.

"Before anyone else gets the news, you should have your father strike first. If he can secure the naming rights for this match, it would be perfect…"

Advertising sponsorship is important, but the most crucial part is securing the naming rights. Just the profits from the naming rights for such a match would probably be enormous.

Hirota, obedient as always, immediately called his father.

Once Sawamura personally made the suggestion, and it was confirmed to be true, Hirota's father could no longer sit still.

He immediately contacted the worried Robert, who was currently frowning.

At that moment, Robert felt scammed.

...

T/N: That's it for Today.

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