"465,000" was the number written on the paper. There weren't as many zeros as one might imagine, but it was still a dazzling amount.
The annual salary was $465,000, and the contract was for two years. In addition, there was a bonus of $20,000 for every game won, with no cap.
An annual salary of $465,000, not including bonuses and benefits, what kind of a salary was that?
To give a simple example, the average annual salary for a senior software engineer in Silicon Valley is $150,000. This is higher than the average in the United States. But behind that seemingly high salary, there are extremely high taxes, about 35%, and extremely high living expenses, with the average cost of living in Silicon Valley being $60,000 a year.
In other words, a high salary is not necessarily enough to support a high standard of living and might barely be enough to maintain a basic standard.
Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younong were both skilled immigrants, and their combined annual income was quite good. But living in the San Francisco area, even though the Haight-Ashbury district wasn't the most expensive, they were still just an ordinary middle-class family.
Now, Lu Ke's annual salary alone was more than his parents' combined salaries! This was truly unbelievable!
Of course, as an undrafted rookie, Lu Ke's contract was nothing in the league.
This year's first overall pick, Cam Newton, signed a four-year, $22 million contract. That was a truly astronomical amount and was fully guaranteed. To put it simply, as soon as he signed the contract, the $22 million would be his, with no stipulations about the number of games played, daily training, or injury.
Being the first overall pick wasn't just about fame; it was also about money. In comparison, Lu Ke's contract was a drop in the bucket.
According to league rules, undrafted rookies must sign a contract for a minimum of two years, with a minimum guaranteed salary of $465,000. This was to protect the interests of rookie players. Only free agents who were no longer rookies could sign one-year contracts.
In other words, the 49ers signed Lu Ke to the minimum guaranteed contract, which was what Jonas meant by "the number is reasonable." Even though they had signed a contract and hired Lu Ke as the third-string quarterback, the 49ers were still skeptical about his prospects and future. They didn't have high hopes for him and were clearly treating him as a temporary emergency player.
This was the reality of an undrafted rookie.
If it weren't for the league rules, as the first Chinese American quarterback to be officially signed, his salary would probably be even lower. It's like how female actresses in Hollywood are always paid less than male actors, and Asian actors are always paid less than white actors. In the melting pot of the United States, this is a social norm.
But for thirteen years, he had been running and fighting. He had overcome the limitations of his physical abilities, broken down the barriers of racial discrimination, and surpassed countless talented players. He had finally officially earned a contract as a quarterback! This was the most valuable part! The dream was officially starting!
This contract was the best form of affirmation and proof—he had done it!
The feeling was more real than ever before. Excitement and emotions surged through his blood, but Lu Ke, clenching his right fist, slowly calmed down.
The Football Superstar System, all of this came from it. Without the system, he would still be a young man with a dream who would eventually accomplish nothing. Now that he had the system, everything was possible. He wouldn't let this opportunity slip away, and he wouldn't let his guard down. With the system's support and help, Lu Ke believed that this undrafted rookie contract was just the beginning!
He let out a long breath and looked up at Jonas, saying seriously, "Is there anything else in this contract that I should be paying attention to?"
A hint of light flickered in Jonas's eyes.
For most rookies, the salary was all they cared about. But the true veterans knew that there were too many clauses in a contract that could take away all those zeros. For example, during the contract period, the number of starts must reach a certain amount, or the player's salary would be a different number. Things like that.
This rookie, however, was surprisingly clear-headed and calm, not too much, but enough to be valuable. Jonas couldn't help but think of the rumors about this Chinese American quarterback: a perfect score on the Wonderlic test. What did that mean for the league?
His thoughts only lasted for a moment, and Jonas showed a professional smile. "I've already made notes of the parts that are worth paying attention to. You can read them in detail. If you have any questions, email me, and I'll do my best to answer them before you officially sign."
"Okay. Thank you." Lu Ke didn't say anything else. He just held out his right hand and said with a smile, "It was a pleasure working with you."
Jonas nodded slightly. "It was a pleasure working with you too."
The meeting was over. After watching Jonas leave, Lu Ke walked absent-mindedly toward the parking lot. A cold breeze blew, and he came back to his senses, realizing how much of a mess he was. He was still wearing his practice uniform, still sweaty, and still holding his towel and helmet. In his hand, he had the contract draft and several business cards.
In all the chaos, he had completely forgotten about this. In a short amount of time, everything had come at him all at once, wave after wave, and his brain had no time to catch up. He shook his head and laughed bitterly, then skipped and walked to the locker room.
He changed out of his practice uniform, showered, changed into his regular clothes, and packed up his belongings before staggering to the parking lot.
Summer days are always long. The sunset had been burning brightly for more than an hour and still hadn't completely faded away. The entire sky was a bright orange, transparent and vibrant. The large patches of green slowly turned into a dark color, outlining a hazy silhouette that became the city's veins.
From a distance, Lu Ke could see his car. It was a navy-blue Chevrolet pickup truck, a little old but still powerful.
It was Lu Ke's sixteenth birthday present, not brand new but used. It was only three years old when he got it. It had been with him from San Francisco to Los Angeles and had accompanied him on his tryouts all over North America. It wasn't a flashy car, but it was practical and durable.
Right now, the navy-blue car had turned white.
Literally "white." The entire pickup truck was covered in a large pile of white objects that looked like plastic or foam. They filled the entire cabin, the roof, and half of the bed. They even spilled out onto the ground.
Next to it were thirty or forty cardboard boxes, creating a huge mess. They were probably the boxes that the white plastic or foam had been packed in.
Lu Ke blinked, looking at his car in disbelief. He walked over quickly. As he got closer, the white objects looked more and more like paper, not foam or plastic, but snow-white paper that was flat and light. When the wind blew, some of the paper even started to roll around.
But the next second, Lu Ke's footsteps stopped. He couldn't believe his eyes, and a smile started to form on his face. He looked closely again, confirming his guess, and his mouth fell open as he laughed helplessly. As he scanned his surroundings, the absurdity of the situation grew, and he couldn't stop smiling. He laughed heartily.
It wasn't paper; it was condoms.
Yes, his pickup truck was covered in a pile of condoms. It looked like there was a party about to happen. Even though he hadn't counted them, Lu Ke was sure there were at least thirty cardboard boxes next to the truck. So, how many condoms were there?
It was a difficult question to answer.
Lu Ke walked closer, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it got. He looked around helplessly. This was obviously a prank, and the pranksters weren't hard to guess. "Logan Newman, if you don't come out, I can stand here all night." Standing next to his car door, he could see the objects more clearly, and he couldn't help but start giggling.
There was no response or sound. The entire parking lot was empty, with only four unfamiliar cars parked there. Lu Ke was sure that Logan's car wasn't one of them. His car was a black SUV that Lu Ke and Jay always called a "minivan."
Lu Ke wasn't in a hurry. He just stood there. "Logan, you should know that I'm always more patient than you." After saying that, an idea suddenly popped into Lu Ke's head, and he added loudly, "Marcus Lynch, if you come out now, maybe I'll consider paying half of the cost for your prank."
"It's him! It's him!" Logan was the first to run out. The two of them had been hiding behind a trash can in the corner of the parking lot. Then, Marcus jumped up, yelling, "Hey, hairy guy, that's not cool! That's not cool! How could you sell out your teammate, huh?"
Logan didn't care at all and came running over. "Haha, Bambi, isn't it a work of a genius? This idea is awesome!" Logan stood next to Lu Ke, looking at his prank with satisfaction.
Marcus ran over, cursing. "Bro, hey, how about showing a little brotherly love?" Then he went around to the other side of Lu Ke and, with lightning speed, grabbed Lu Ke's right hand. Logan also took the opportunity to grab Lu Ke's left hand. The two of them twisted Lu Ke and walked him over to the car door, giving him a hard push.
Lu Ke was completely caught off guard. He lost his balance and fell, and then he saw Logan open the car door.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The condoms that had filled the entire cabin came pouring out like a flood, instantly burying Lu Ke. In his ears, he could hear Logan's happy shouts, "Brother, welcome to the 49ers!"
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