"This is Swift?"
Old Wu received Tang Long, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, they noticed the foreign girl beside Tang Long hadn't left.
Initially thinking she was just a passerby, upon a closer look, they realized this foreign girl was the very popular female singer in the United States recently!
Not many people in China knew Swift, but for Old Wu, who kept a close eye on international affairs, he was aware of Swift.
Especially since businessmen looking for celebrity endorsements valued long-term vision and image, Old Wu had familiarized himself with emerging stars.
"Hello."
Swift spoke very politely and extended her hand to Old Wu.
Then, both Tang Long and Old Wu were stunned.
Because Swift was speaking Chinese, although not perfectly standard, it was much better than most foreigners.
But her accent?
"Taylor, who taught you Chinese? That guy couldn't be from Guangdong, could he? Your Mandarin has a very Cantonese pronunciation!"
"Huh? Was I tricked? My Chinese teacher said his Mandarin was very standard, and he also taught me Cantonese."
"You weren't tricked, it just has a bit of a dialect."
Tang Long couldn't help but chuckle. Fortunately, it was a Cantonese speaker; if it had been someone from Fujian, Tang Long might not have understood at all.
"By the way, Mr. Wu, why did you come to the airport yourself?"
"I'm here to pick you up, and also to discuss our future collaboration."
Wu Rongzhao said, then shook his head, "This isn't the time to talk about that. News of your return has gotten out, and there are a lot of fans at the airport now. Take a look for yourself!"
"Fans?"
Tang Long was taken aback. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window with Old Wu and looked outside, only to see the tarmac packed with people, many of whom were wearing his Cavaliers jersey.
Tang Long never expected fans to greet him at the airport. With so many people blocking the entrance, he immediately thought he'd be mobbed by casual fans.
This was the most direct reaction.
The assistant chimed in at this moment, "Mr. Tang, this is less than half of them. You have no idea, there were four to five thousand fans earlier, and more are still on their way. A large portion of them are even in the parking lot nearby!"
Less than half?
Tang Long looked at the crowd again. There were at least a thousand fans outside, and this was only a small portion.
Even though he was used to big scenes in the league, Tang Long couldn't remain composed at this moment.
"Don't talk too much," Wu Rongzhao glared at the assistant. "There were too many people earlier, and it was hot outside. I was worried they'd get dehydrated, so I brought some water and iced fruits, and temporarily booked the parking lot to receive the fans."
"Mr. Wu, thank you so much!"
Tang Long wasn't just being polite; he was genuinely grateful to Wu Rongzhao.
Firstly, he thanked Old Wu for his thoughtfulness in providing water for the fans, solving their hydration needs.
Secondly, he appreciated the fan diversion, which not only controlled the crowd but also reduced unpredictable risks.
Moreover, Old Wu mentioned these things in a very casual manner, without any boasting, which was even more commendable.
For a businessman driven by profit, there were so many marketing opportunities here. The fact that Old Wu didn't exploit them made Tang Long feel that signing with him was a wise decision.
"Mr. Wu, should we greet the fans?"
Wu Rongzhao nodded, "I imagine they'll be very excited to see you."
Tang Long chuckled, "It's probably best if they don't get *too* excited."
Looking at the densely packed fans, Tang Long had to admit he was excited too.
This was different from being in the league.
After all, this was China, his countrymen. Beyond being fans, there was a sentiment that belonged only to the Chinese people!
It was less about reminding Old Wu not to get excited and more about reminding himself to remain calm.
"Look, is that Tang Long by the floor-to-ceiling window?"
Soon, sharp-eyed fans spotted Tang Long, and the entire crowd began to stir with excitement.
Swift was startled. These fans were too passionate, far more so than her concertgoers!
"Tang, are we in danger?"
"How could we be? This is China, not America. No crazy person is going to suddenly appear."
Tang Long cheerfully reassured Swift, then strode towards the exit.
Swift hesitated for a moment, then followed Tang Long out.
"Tang Long, Tang Long."
"MVP! MVP!"
The cheers of countless fans merged into a sound like a surging ocean.
Fortunately, Tang Long was tall enough that people could easily spot him.
"Hello everyone, thank you for coming to greet me in this scorching heat. I'm also very honored to receive such affection from you all!"
Countless reporters, armed with cameras, captured the heartwarming scene of Tang Long interacting with his fans.
Before the next day, after Tang Long had spent the entire afternoon signing autographs for his enthusiastic fans, a news report swept across the domestic media.
Tang Long and Anta's mutual success!
Back when Tang Long was shining in the NBA, his endorsement value was tens of millions of US dollars. Foreign sports brands like Adidas and Nike were waving their checkbooks, eager to sign with Tang Long.
However, Tang Long, in order to support domestic sports brands, resolutely signed with Anta, a brand with solid quality but not yet widely known, for a contract fee that was a mere fraction of what Adidas and Nike offered.
Later, as Tang Long became a sensation in the NBA, Anta gradually gained recognition abroad!
Now, Tang Long's return to play for the national team was met by thousands of fans at the airport in the sweltering heat, even buying out all the water at the airport.
Anta quietly provided mineral water and iced fruits for everyone, without mentioning it. When facing reporters, Wu Rongzhao even stated that they hadn't done enough.
An patriotic athlete and a responsible entrepreneur, working hand in hand to promote national brands to the world!
This report immediately went viral, with countless media outlets reposting it.
Anta's popularity surged once again!
The brand's recognition shot up, and people suddenly noticed that Anta's shoes were no longer looking so unfashionable. In terms of aesthetics, they were now on par with major foreign brands.
Following this, people discovered that Anta had maintained its original principles, unlike other domestic brands that became arrogant after achieving success and stopped considering consumers' needs.
Anta, however, didn't follow that path, and their sales skyrocketed!
Concurrently, a certain domestic brand was increasing its investment and approaching the responsible person in this area, demanding that players wear their shoes during the Olympics and forbidding them from wearing brands they endorsed.
The domestic players were fine, but those playing in the NBA had signed with brands like Adidas and Nike, which had exclusivity clauses.