"465000", a row of numbers written in black and white on the white paper. The number of "zeros" following it is not as many as expected, but it is still dazzling.
The annual contract salary is US$465,000, and the contract period is two years; in addition, there is a bonus of US$20,000 for every game won, with no upper limit.
The annual salary is 465,000, which does not include bonuses and benefits. What level is this?
For a simple example, the average annual salary of a senior software engineer in Silicon Valley is US$150,000, which is higher than the average in the United States. However, behind the seemingly high salary is an extremely high tax - about 35%. There’s also the extremely high cost of living—the average annual cost of living in Silicon Valley is $60,000.
In other words, high wages are not necessarily enough to support a high level of living, and can even barely maintain a basic standard.
Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning are both skilled immigrants. The annual salary of the couple is very good, but living in this area of San Francisco, even if Haight-Ashbury is not the most expensive living area, they can still only be regarded as ordinary people. Common middle-class family.
Now, Lu Ke's annual salary alone is more than the combined salaries of his parents! This is really incredible!
Of course, as an undrafted rookie, Lu Ke's contract is nothing in the league.
This year's No. 1 pick, Cam Newton, signed a four-year, $22 million contract. That is the real sky-high price; and it is the full guaranteed amount. The simple understanding is that as long as he completes the signing, then Twenty-two million goes into the pocket - there are no rules on the number of games played, no rules on daily training, no rules on the impact of injuries, no rules at all.
Being the No. 1 pick not only brings glory, but also makes money. In comparison, Lu Ke's contract is simply a drop in the bucket.
According to league regulations, undrafted rookies must sign a minimum two-year contract, and the minimum guaranteed salary is $465,000. This is also to protect the interests of rookie players. Only free agents after leaving the rookie class can sign one-year contracts.
In other words, what the 49ers signed with Lu Ke was a minimum guaranteed contract - which is what Jonas said was a "reasonable number"; although the contract was signed and Lu Ke was hired as the team's third quarterback, But the 49ers are still skeptical about Lu Ke's prospects and future, and they don't even have much hope. It is clear that they are an emergency player for transition.
This is the truest appearance of an undrafted rookie.
If there were no league regulations, as the first officially signed Chinese quarterback in history, I am afraid that the salary would be even lower, just like Hollywood actresses will always be paid less than male actors, and Asian actors will always be paid less than white actors. . In America, a melting pot of immigrants, this is the social norm.
However, after thirteen years of running and struggling, I defeated the shackles of physical talent, broke the barriers of racial discrimination, and surpassed the obstacles of countless talents. As a quarterback, I finally officially won a contract. For sure! This is the most precious thing! Dream, officially set sail!
This piece of writing in black and white is the best affirmation and the best proof - he did it!
The sense of reality became clearer than ever before, and excitement and excitement surged in his blood. However, Lu Ke clenched the fist of his right hand tightly and gradually calmed down.
The rugby superstar system, everything comes from it. Without the system, he is still a young man with dreams but will never achieve anything. Now, with the system, everything becomes possible, and he will not miss it easily. , and will not relax easily. With the support and help of the system, Lu Ke firmly believes that the undrafted rookie contract in front of him is just a starting point!
Taking a long breath, Lu Ke raised his head and looked at Jonas, and said seriously, "Is there anything else worth paying attention to about this contract?"
The light in Jonas's eyes flashed slightly.
For most rookies, the salary number is all they care about; but the real veterans know that there are too many clauses in the contract, which can strip away the long list of zeros on the contract into nothing: For example, during the contract period, the number of starts must reach the specified number of games, otherwise the player's salary will be another number. And so on.
The rookie in front of him rarely maintained a trace of sobriety and calmness. It was not much, but it was precious. Jonas couldn't help but think of the rumors about the Chinese-American quarterback: Fonderrick got a perfect score on the test. What does this mean for the league?
Thoughts just flashed by, Jonas showed a professional smile, "I have made notes on the parts worthy of attention. You can read them in detail. If you have any questions, please email me. Before signing the contract, I I will try my best to complete the answer.”
"Okay. Thank you." Lu Ke didn't waste any more words. He simply stretched out his right hand and said with a smile, "It's a pleasure to cooperate."
Jonas nodded slightly, "It's a pleasure to cooperate."
The interview was over, and after watching Jonas leave, Lu Ke walked to the parking lot in a daze. A gust of cold wind blew, and then he came back to his senses and realized his embarrassment: he was still wearing training clothes, and he was still not sweating. Dry, still holding the towel and helmet, and then holding a draft contract and several business cards in his hands.
In the chaos of war, he completely forgot about this matter. In a short period of time, everything came rushing in, one after another, and his brain had no buffer space at all. After thinking about it, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly, and then walked towards the locker room with small jumps.
After changing into training clothes, taking a shower, changing into daily clothes, packing my luggage, I staggered towards the parking lot.
The days in summer are always extra long. The setting sun has been burning for more than an hour, but it has not completely sunk in. The entire sky is dyed bright orange, translucent and vivid, and the large tracts of green are gradually dyed into ink. Outline a hazy outline and become the context of the city.
From a distance, Lu Ke saw his car. It was a Chevrolet pickup truck, navy blue, slightly worn, but still powerful.
This was Lu Ke's sixteenth birthday present. It was not brand new, but second-hand. It was only used for three years at the time of purchase. It accompanied him from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and traveled with him throughout the North American continent for trial training. , it is not such a flashy car, but it is practical enough and absolutely durable.
At this moment, the navy blue car turned white.
Literally "white", the entire pickup truck was piled under a pile of white objects, which looked like plastic or foam, filling the entire cockpit, filling the entire roof, stuffing Half of the rear compartment was filled, and it was even overflowing, scattered on the ground, everywhere.
Then, thirty or forty cardboard boxes were discarded next to it, making it a mess. It looks like it should be packed in those white plastic or foam boxes.
Lu Ke blinked his eyes, looked at his car in disbelief, and walked up quickly. As the distance got closer, the white objects became more and more like pieces of paper, not foam or plastic, but snow white. The pieces of paper were flat and light. A gust of wind blew, and even many pieces of paper tumbled.
But the next second, Lu Ke's steps stopped. He couldn't believe his eyes, and the smile on his lips rose. He looked at it again and confirmed his suspicion. He couldn't help but open his mouth and laughed helplessly. Inadvertently, as he glanced around, the sense of absurdity became more and more intense, and his smile couldn't stop at all, blooming brilliantly. :
These are not pieces of paper, these are *****.
Yes, his pickup truck was piled atop a pile of /***** that looked like there was a party getting ready. Although he didn't count carefully, Lu Ke was sure that there were at least thirty cardboard boxes next to him. So how many condoms were there?
This is a difficult question.
Walking forward, Lu Ke became more and more ridiculous the more he thought about it, and he looked around dumbfounded. This is obviously a prank, and it's not difficult to guess the initiator of the prank, "Logan Newman, if you don't come out, I can stand here all night." Standing next to his car door, each object became strange. It was so clear that Lu Ke couldn't help but burst into laughter.
There was no response or sound. The entire parking lot was empty, with only four unfamiliar cars parked. Lu Ke was very sure that Logan's car was not among them - his car was a black SUV, which Lu Ke always stopped. Ke and Jay mocked it as a nanny car.
Lu Ke was not in a hurry, and still stood where he was, "Logan, you should know that I will always be more patient than you." After saying that, an idea flashed in Lu Ke's mind, and he raised his voice again and added, "Ma Cus Lynch, if you come out now, maybe I'll consider paying half the fee for your shenanigans."
"He, it's him!" Logan ran out first, and the two of them actually hid behind the trash can in the corner of the parking lot. Then they saw Marcus jumping up and yelling strangely, "Hey, Hairy monster, this is not cool at all! This is not cool at all! How could you betray your teammates? Huh?”
Logan didn't care at all, and rushed over at a trot, "Haha, Bambi, how about it, is it a masterpiece of genius? This idea is really awesome!" Logan stood beside Lu Ke, watching with satisfaction. The effect of his own prank.
Marcus ran over cursing, "Brother, hey, how about showing a little brotherhood?" Then he walked around to the other side of Lu Ke, and with almost lightning speed, he grabbed Lu Ke's right hand, and Luo Gen Ye acted accordingly and grabbed Lu Ke's left hand. The two of them twisted Lu Ke to the car door and pushed hard.
Lu Ke was completely caught off guard. He lost his center of gravity and fell down. Then he saw Logan opening the car door——
Crash, clatter, the cover that filled the entire cockpit was released, like a flood, drowning Lu Ke in an instant, and Logan's joyful shout could be heard in his ears, "Brother, welcome to join us." 49ers!”
