THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary took a flight to Trondheim early the following morning. He was feeling very refreshed, especially after spending close to two months on vacation in Barcelona. He'd gone on various tour trips around the historical city and trained arduously to elevate most of his core attributes to the S-grading. The only regret was not meeting and training with high-profile Barcelona FC stars like Lionel Messi. Otherwise, the trip would have been more fulfilling.

As it was only the second week of February, Trondheim was still experiencing winter. As a result, Zachary could not help but shudder when he stepped off the plane at Værnes Airport. It was as if he'd just strolled into a freezer when the chilling breeze brushed across his skin.

"What a huge contrast with Barcelona!"

Zachary sighed and shook his head before tightening his jacket around him. Without any dilly-dallying, he slung his gym bag over his shoulder before slowly making his way towards the arrivals section of the airport.

As it was just coming to midday, the human traffic within the hallways of the airport was at acceptable levels. That was because most planes arrived either early in the morning or late in the evening. So, Zachary quickly completed all the necessary procedures before picking up the rest of his luggage and heading towards the airport's exit.

He was looking forward to getting back to his apartment as soon as possible and having a good rest afterward. That way, he would be able to do away with the jetlag and be in proper shape for the team training the following day. However, not everything would always go according to one's wishes.

After Zachary had just strolled through the airport's exit, his phone suddenly started vibrating. He fished it out of his jacket pocket and glanced at the screen.

The call was from Emily, his agent. So, without losing a second, he pressed the accept button and pressed it next to his ear.

"Hello, Emily," he said.

"Hello, Zach," Emily's voice sounded from the phone's speaker a moment later. "Have you arrived in Trondheim yet?"

"Yes. You called me when I was just about to depart from the airport."

"That's good," Emily said, her voice taking on a relaxed tone. "Can we meet?"

"Right now?"

"Yes, as soon as possible," she said. "We have a few issues to discuss, and they surely can't wait."

"Oh, okay," Zachary said. "But you need to give me about an hour since I have to drop my luggage at my apartment first. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that's fine," Emily replied from the other end of the line. "Let's meet at Café le Frère at 2:00 PM. I'll be waiting for you there."

"Okay, then," Zachary said. "See you at 2:00 PM."

"Try to be on time."

"I will," Zachary replied before ending the call. He then quickly boarded a taxi back to his apartment.

Traffic was light on the roads in Trondheim at midday. So, Zachary managed to reach his apartment in only thirty minutes. He then took a shower before preparing some instant noodles for lunch. When the clock hand was pointing to the 1:30 PM mark, he'd already finished eating.

Without further ado, he locked his apartment before taking a cab to Trondheim Square.

"You're quite early!" Emily said as soon as he settled in a seat opposite hers at a corner table within Café le Frère. She was as elegant as ever, in a tight-fitting sweater that matched the dark brown shade of her silk-like wavy hair.

Zachary's face lit up into a smile. "Of course, I had to be early, especially after receiving your call," he said. "How have you been?"

"I'm doing okay, and everything is moving forward smoothly," she said, beaming. "What about you? How was your stay in Barcelona? Did you have a wonderful vacation?"

"Yes, I did," Zachary replied. "You should also try going there sometime."

"I have already been to Barcelona more than a dozen times," Emily said while suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh! I almost forgot that you agents are always traveling everywhere in the world," Zachary said with a sigh while calling the waiter over. He was still hungry despite having eaten some noodles at home. So, he decided to order some food as he discussed business with his agent.

After the waiter had stepped away with their orders, Emily got down to business. "The Nike endorsement deal has finally come through," she said suddenly. "I've already finished negotiating terms with the Nike representatives, and they're ready to take you on as their ambassador."

"Wow!" Zachary exclaimed, his heart starting to race with excitement. "When did this happen?"

"I met with the representatives yesterday in the afternoon," Emily replied with a smile. "We then quickly drew up an agreement since they were searching for young players with potential around Europe. However, they are short on time and need to know your stand before the end of the week. That's the reason why I wanted to meet with you as soon as possible."

"Oh, okay," Zachary said after letting out a breath. "How are the terms they are offering?"

"Very good," Emily replied, fishing out a document from her handbag. "For the start, Nike is ready to pay you an annual income of 600,000 Euros if you sign a 3-year endorsement agreement with them."

"Additionally," Emily continued. "They've added a lot of clauses in the contract which encourage your personal growth as a football player. For instance, they have promised to increase your annual wage to 1.2 million Euros if you manage to win the Europa League this year. And if it so happens that you join a big club in one of the top leagues after winning the Europa League, then they will increase your income to 1.5 Million a year."

"Zachary! These are Euros, not Norwegian Kroners we're discussing. They're the big bucks that only exist in the fantasies of most athletes around the world. So, if I were in your shoes, I would not deliberate for long before accepting the deal."

"Oh, okay," Zachary said, trying his best to hold down his excitement. The deal had come at the right time when he was in need of money.

Miss Heather Miller, Zachary's newly-hired investment consultant, had already set up a brokerage account in his name. Using her connections, she'd also managed to secure a channel through which he could buy many shares from fast-growing companies, like Tesla and Xiaomi Inc.

Thus, Zachary was already ready to start making investments by relying on his future knowledge and the expert guidance of his investment consultant. The only factor that'd been limiting him was his small start-up capital.

However, with the Nike deal finally coming through, he would finally possess more than a million Euros of start-up funds. What would follow would be him rising to prominence in the business world. He could even quickly become a multi-millionaire if he played his cards right.

Aside from raising his football career to the peak, Zachary also wanted to guarantee a very stable future for himself. He wished to secure his destiny by making money as soon as possible in his new life using his future knowledge. That way, he would never run out of cash even if he decided to start living lavishly in the future.

"So, what say you, Zachary?" Emily asked after a moment. "Should I go ahead and agree to the terms of the contract in your stead?"

Zachary grinned. "If the terms are as good as you say, then you can accept the contract. However, I wish to know what sort of responsibilities I need to fulfill after signing the agreement."

"Oh, those are quite straightforward," Emily said, taking a glance at the document within his hands. "As a Nike sponsored athlete, you'll have to take part in their campaigns at least twice a year."

"Secondly, you'll have to start wearing Nike boots and sports gear whether you are on the pitch or undergoing your private training. Of course, Nike will provide you with their sports gear free of charge."

"Thirdly, you need to actively promote the Nike products that you're using on your social media platforms. For instance, you can post a picture of yourself in Nike boots or a Nike tracksuit every once a month."

"I have already reviewed the whole contract in great detail," she continued. "But I didn't manage to find any terms that are disadvantageous to you. However, to be on the safe side, you can also carefully read through the contract document when you return home. Here! Take it." She handed out the document to him.

"Thanks," Zachary said, receiving the document. "I think you should agree to the terms of the contract in my stead if it's as you say. But when do they want me to put pen on paper?"

"Early next week," Emily replied with a smile. "They have also promised to pay you the 600,000 Euros for this year immediately after the contract signing ceremony. So, we really have no reasons to delay."

"Okay, great," Zachary said with a smile. "Go ahead and do what you have to do. I'll be readily available when the final contract is ready for signing. Otherwise, thanks for the hard work."

"It's my pleasure, Zachary," Emily said, holding Zachary's gaze. "Don't forget that I'll also be earning some good amount of money from this deal. So, there's really no need for any thanks."

Zachary grinned while looking at the various dishes that the waiter had just placed before them. "Shall we eat now," he said. "I'm really starving."

"Okay, then. Let's eat."

**** ****