Got you now, Nintendo (Please keep reading and kindly support with recommendations)

At noon, everyone gathered at the Vierchowod household for a lunch that combined Italian and Soviet dishes before heading out together for ice skating.

Speaking of entertainment, it was scarce.

In reality, these activities were far more enjoyable than those after the internet became widespread; a large group of people playing together made everything much more fun.

Before dinner, Lu Deyang deliberately went to a restaurant to pack some food to take home.

After the meal, Lu Deyang sat at the table and began to draw.

This piqued Monica’s interest, as her mother was an art teacher and she was quite skilled in drawing.

“Is this a comic?” Monica asked as she leaned over Lu Deyang’s shoulder.

“Yes, it’s for children,” he replied.

“This mouse is called Pi, Pikachu?” she inquired.

“Right. They’re called Pokémon, distributed across the world like animals,” Lu Deyang nodded.

After sketching a few character designs, he quickly outlined the story.

The setting of the Pokémon story didn’t really matter, so he chose China.

“Ten-year-old Sun Xiaochuan from Cao County dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master. He begs his mother to let him join Professor Zhang’s training camp, but he arrives late and ends up with a somewhat problematic Pikachu. Together, they embark on a journey...”

“Along the way, Xiaochuan grows from knowing nothing, overcoming opponent after opponent with unyielding determination and love for Pokémon. Just when he thinks he’s become a great trainer, he meets an even more exceptional young man.”

“Yamashita Tetsu is the son of a wealthy Japanese businessman. Discontent with his compatriots being oppressed by capitalists, he attacks one such capitalist. Later, while eating a hamburger, he is reported by a waiter. This incident causes him to lose faith in people. The disappointed youth hides on a cruise ship bound for China, the country with the most Pokémon, intending to build his own Pokémon army to use force to change his homeland...”

“After a fierce battle, Xiaochuan narrowly defeats Tetsu. Feeling he has lost the chance to save his compatriots, Tetsu falls to his knees, crying and choking out: ‘Japan has lost hope. The son of a banker becomes a banker; the son of a legislator becomes a legislator. Ordinary people are forever oppressed; they lack the spirit to resist. Only force can compel them to reclaim their dignity.’ Xiaochuan clenches his left fist and waves his right hand fiercely, shouting, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Force won’t achieve anything. If you’re unhappy with your homeland, work hard to change it. If you think people have lost faith, then help them rebuild it...’ After Xiaochuan’s impassioned speech, Tetsu regains his confidence and joins him on the journey...”

“Xiaochuan and his friends endure countless hardships to qualify for the tournament, ultimately winning the championship. They then discover that Professor Zhang is the mastermind behind the scenes, giving them the Pokémon Encyclopedia to collect data on Pokémon, intending to develop a virus that makes all Pokémon sick to harvest all trainers worldwide. Of course, Xiaochuan eventually reforms Professor Zhang, and Tetsu sets off for home with his 3D Blastoise Pokémon...”

Having finished the outline, Lu Deyang was very satisfied.

During the honeymoon period between China and Japan, including a Japanese character was beneficial for publicity.

From a purely narrative perspective, the story’s logic was sound.

Children would see passion and friendship, while adults could appreciate deeper themes. It was no longer a tale where every character acts purely out of love; most have their own motives.

The protagonist retained the classic traits of traditional Japanese anime, which was very appealing.

The story’s setting was irrelevant since the main selling point was Pokémon itself.

Pikachu was universally beloved.

In a few years, this manga could be used to make a substantial profit from Nintendo, ushering in an era of capitalizing on Nintendo’s market.

With just this one intellectual property, he could benefit from Nintendo for a lifetime.

He began drawing while Monica watched enthusiastically from the side, which gave Lu Deyang even more confidence in his work.

---

“You’re going to be the mother of Pokémon!” Monica exclaimed.

Maybe someday, Lu himself could become a great manga artist.

After this, he might create something like “Showa America Story,” fitting since the Showa era was soon ending.

Cultural clash was the most interesting thing.

The contrast was so stark it was quite striking.

If someone really evolved and flew to America to become a marksman, that would be amusing.

With this in mind, Lu Deyang made a decision.

Whenever possible, he would give filial children confidence to resist their fathers.

Ah, for the awakening of the people, he Lu would spare no effort.

...

Knock knock knock—

Lu Deyang opened the door to find the club president, Mancini, accompanied by a loyal local.

The loyal local naturally wore a humble mask in work mode, making them easy to identify.

“I thought you two had gone traveling,” Mancini complained.

It was usually Lu Deyang who invited him out, and he had even planned to show Lu the world.

“Monica and I have been busy,” Lu Deyang said.

Seeing Mantovani, Monica hurried to the kitchen to prepare coffee.

Paul Mantovani warmly put his arm around Lu Deyang’s shoulder and said, “You’ve been in the news worldwide lately, yet the main character has disappeared. Even some Brits called the club asking about you.”

“They’re just after a story,” Lu Deyang replied.

He had only been at home drawing manga for three days, but it seemed like he’d been missing for ages.

“This is someone from the Suzuki Group,” Mantovani introduced.

The man immediately bowed slightly and extended his hand, saying, “I’m Koji Tsubamoto, head of European sales for the Suzuki Group. It’s a great honor to meet you. Your presence has frequently appeared in the media lately.”

His Italian was decent, but with a slight Japanese accent; he couldn’t pronounce the rolled ‘r’ sounds.

Just like the word ‘hamburger’ sounded like ‘hanbāgu’ in Japanese.

Upon hearing Suzuki Group, Lu Deyang knew this man had come to offer money.

But he didn’t rush to speak because Mantovani gave him a knowing look.

---

Once the three were seated, Monica served coffee.

Koji Tsubamoto said, “Our company has seen the footage of you riding a Suzuki motorcycle into the stadium. We must say, your aura fits Suzuki motorcycles perfectly. We sincerely invite you to be an ambassador for our products.”

“How much is the endorsement fee?” Mancini asked directly.

“We hope to tie closely with Mr. Lu Deyang, calculating fees based on the team’s performance and personal achievements,” Koji quickly replied. “The base endorsement fee is 500,000.”

“Dollars?” Mancini asked.

In Italian football, transfer fees of millions or tens of millions are expressed in dollars; otherwise, in Italian lira, it would be billions.

“RMB,” Koji explained. “After all, Lu is just a player newly arrived in Serie A; his commercial value isn’t that high.”

“No, no, no,” Mancini waved his hand. “It can’t be calculated that way. Serie A is the best league; Deyang is an important player for us. Also, his style is exactly what young people worldwide admire. Even without future achievements, he’s already boosted motorcycle sales. These days, young people in Genoa are all riding motorcycles. In 1984, a rookie named Jordan was already earning $500,000 a year. I don’t think Deyang’s value is any less than Jordan’s.”

Lu Deyang: ...

The chairman certainly had confidence in him.

Though his football skills might rival Jordan’s, Serie A’s commercial value couldn’t compare to the NBA’s.

These days, endorsement fees for players were generally low; only a few had significant commercial appeal.

For example, Maradona endorsed Adidas, Platini endorsed Pepsi.

Even years later, when Beckham rose to fame, Manchester United, a top club in popularity, had players like Neville with little commercial activity.

“That can’t be,” Koji exclaimed.

Even though he was prepared, the figure startled him.

Mancini shrugged, “You came looking for Deyang because you see his potential. But you’re not the only motorcycle company. He can choose BMW, Ducati, or Fiat. Even in Japan, there are many brands. That one called Kawasaki, right?”

The seasoned businessman was certain Lu Deyang was unique in this regard.

He had stood at the center of the stadium that day and witnessed everything.

If he were twenty years younger, he would have been tempted to buy a motorcycle to pursue freedom. He didn’t believe any Hollywood star could have the same effect.

Most importantly, this was just the beginning; Lu Deyang was still rising.

Having seen his debut performance, Paul Mantovani had every reason to believe he would become the Maradona of Genoa.