Free Web NovelChapter 151: Chapter 115: You Should Find a Woman Who Knows How to Spend Money
Huang Chong’s expression soured noticeably after he hung up the phone with Coach Han.
Chen Junyi, who had been browsing the night market with him in the Xining Central District, noticed his expression. She stopped picking out gifts for her parents and asked:
"What’s wrong? Did something happen?"
Huang Chong looked at her. After a moment’s thought, he decided to be direct—after all, there was nothing to hide about something like this. He nodded and said:
"That was Coach Han. He told me to come back to the base immediately. He said the managers of two Professional Teams want to sign me. They’re asking if I’m interested in joining a Professional Team and racing in Europe for them!"
Hearing this, Chen Junyi’s eyes, bright as stars, widened. The joy on her face was impossible to hide as she said:
"That’s great news!
It looks like the European Teams have truly recognized your competitive level.
If you can join a Professional Team and get used to the racing style in Europe, it will definitely help you join a World Tour Team in the future—"
Chen Junyi stopped mid-sentence when she saw Huang Chong’s complete lack of excitement. She immediately stopped and asked:
"Don’t you want to go?"
At this, Huang Chong sighed before slowly explaining:
"It’s not that I don’t want to go.
Actually, under normal circumstances, what you just suggested would undoubtedly be the best option.
But the problem is, even if I agree to join a Pro Team, I wouldn’t be able to go to Europe until next year, right?
You know I signed a one-year contract with Hengxiang. Even if a European Team was willing to pay a penalty to break my contract early, what about the domestic professional league, which is already halfway through?
Besides, the Hangcheng Asian Games are coming up soon, and the country needs me.
I can’t just drop such an important event and leave.
Most importantly, there are still several months until November, and the country needs enough UCI points to stay in the world’s top 45.
If I race domestically, I might be able to snag some more points. But if I go to Europe, who knows if those Pro Teams will treat me as a Core Commander or make me start from the bottom as a domestique.
If I end up as a blue-collar rider, I won’t even have the chance to compete for the general classification, which means I definitely won’t be able to earn any more UCI points, so—"
"So you don’t actually want to go, is that right?"
When Huang Chong trailed off at the end, Chen Junyi finished his thought for him.
"Yeah. My real intention is to aim directly for a World Tour Team."
Huang Chong said honestly, continuing:
"But I can also tell that Coach Han is very keen on this.
From his perspective, a Chinese rider developing their career in Europe, even on a Pro Team, is a huge step forward.
So I’m not sure how to tell him what I’m really thinking!"
"I don’t think there’s any reason to hold back. Just tell Coach Han exactly what you think."
Seeing Huang Chong’s indecisiveness, Chen Junyi offered her advice in a crisp, clear tone:
"Your ability right now is already very strong.
You might not have a ton of racing experience, but this time you beat five Professional Teams, plus the Colombia Continental Team, whose strength is on par with a Pro Team.
You’re really close to the World Tour Level, Huang Chong. You need to have confidence in yourself. If you just improve a little more, you’ll definitely have a chance to shoot for a World Tour Team.
And after hearing what you just said, I think your considerations are very thorough.
If you really do choose to join a Pro Team, you wouldn’t get a chance to race in Europe until next year. I just remembered that the UCI transfer window doesn’t open until after August 1st.
Based on my understanding of the five Professional Teams that came to the Qinghai Lake Cycling Race, they’re all relatively low in the rankings for their level. They have no hope of being promoted to a World Tour Team, nor can they get wild card invitations to compete alongside World Tour Teams in the three Grand Tours or the five Monuments.
If you’re in Europe and you can only represent them in some Pro Level events, or even just CLASS 1 or CLASS 2 races, it will be relatively difficult to get on the radar of a World Tour Team afterward.
Instead of doing that, it’s better to keep racing domestically and wait for the right opportunity.
At least during the domestic season, with your stellar performance these past few months, Coach Han will definitely have you participate in this year’s Tour of Guangxi as a member of the National Team.
Then you’ll have a chance to directly show your abilities to the managers of eighteen World Tour Teams. That’s an opportunity that a low-ranking Pro Team can’t offer.
The most crucial thing is, while personal ability is certainly important in competitive sports, media and event exposure are just as important. If you’re just moving to a different place to compete in low-level events, there’s really not much point."
As Chen Junyi finished speaking, Huang Chong found himself in complete agreement.
In this day and age, media exposure can sometimes be even more important than actual ability.
The sports world today is no longer a place where brute force is all that matters, where you can get the attention you deserve just by thinking you’re capable.
There are too many talented people in the world who are buried precisely because they lack resources and exposure.
"So what should I do now? Go straight back to the base, explain my real intentions to Coach Han, and turn down the Pro Teams’ offers?"
"No. Business negotiations are never black and white, and they don’t demand immediate results. You can draw out the negotiation timeline."
Seeing that Huang Chong was a complete novice in these matters, Chen Junyi had to explain it to him in detail:
"Don’t reject the two Pro Teams’ invitations just yet. Especially since the rider transfer window isn’t even open. They’re probably just approaching you early to gauge your interest.
