Chapter Eighty-Three: Ruan Mei

After the three-day holiday ended, Rousseau rode his little electric scooter back to Pengcheng Sports Academy. There, at the gate, he saw Ruan Mei waiting for him.

This was Rousseau’s first time seeing Ruan Mei—of course, he didn’t yet know her name. All he noticed was a girl in a white blouse and black skirt, whose graceful figure and porcelain skin gave her the aura of a Hong Kong beauty, standing by the academy entrance. Rousseau couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.

As he was about to ride through the gate, the security guard pointed at the girl and said to Rousseau, “She’s looking for you. She’s been waiting here for several days.”

Looking for me? Rousseau was surprised and steered his scooter over to her.

They exchanged a glance. Rousseau saw the confusion in her eyes turn to delight, as if she recognized him.

“Rousseau?” Ruan Mei did indeed recognize him, her face lighting up. “Hello, I’m Ruan Mei, head of public relations at Luwang Footwear. Our company uses Japanese technology, currently produces in Hong Kong, and plans to set up a factory in Pengcheng. Our goal is to create a fully domestically made, high-end athletic brand…”

“Wait, so why are you looking for me?” Rousseau interrupted, puzzled.

“Luwang wants to invite you to be our brand ambassador!” Ruan Mei replied.

Luwang? He’d never heard of it. Japanese technology, Hong Kong production, and yet called a fully domestic high-end brand? What was this nonsense? And the head of PR for a company like this didn’t even have a car, just stood there waiting by the school gate—could she be a scammer?

Though suspicious, Rousseau still showed her some respect. After all, there weren’t many brands looking to sign him as a spokesperson lately; his fame wasn’t enough yet. Being the 200m champion at the East Youth Games was hardly a household name outside athletic circles. So he felt he should respect any brand willing to pay him.

He offered Ruan Mei a ride on his scooter and took her to the academy cafeteria. Of course, to bring a visitor inside required the coach’s permission. Lu Jinrong allowed it, telling Rousseau to hear her out and let him know if there were any questions.

Lu Jinrong knew Rousseau was searching for commercial endorsements and was happy about it—after all, reputation doesn’t pay the bills, nor do honors, but endorsements certainly do. With Rousseau’s current fame, the brands probably wouldn’t be top-tier, so caution was necessary to avoid getting mixed up with swindlers.

If Rousseau and the coach agreed and his fame grew, he could start making appearances at commercial events and ribbon-cuttings, earning a few thousand each time. There were athletes who lived a lifetime off a single championship, though Rousseau’s ambitions went beyond that.

Inside the cafeteria, Rousseau ordered them two coffees. After his trip to Macao, he understood the importance of such gestures—he couldn’t exactly offer her soy milk.

“You’re too kind,” Ruan Mei said, polite over the coffee.

They began to talk. Rousseau learned that Luwang was a family business. Ruan Mei’s mother was Japanese, her father from Hong Kong, and the whole family now lived in Hong Kong. Her father’s greatest dream was to create a truly high-end domestic sports brand. He had even begged Ruan Mei’s Japanese grandfather for advanced sole material technology, using it to manufacture some athletic shoes in Hong Kong, though they still hadn’t broken into the market. Now they wanted to open a factory in Pengcheng and promote the brand in the mainland, hence the search for a spokesperson.

Rousseau nodded as he listened, though his mind wandered; he barely absorbed a word. Only when Ruan Mei mentioned the endorsement fee did his attention return.

“Since Luwang is building a factory, hiring workers, and buying materials, we can only offer a modest fee for the brand ambassador—each year…” She glanced at Rousseau, cautiously adding, “One hundred thousand?”

That was indeed a bit low. Even before his gold medal at the East Youth Games, Rousseau had been offered that much by local sponsors; with his current achievements, he could easily ask for several times more.

Seeing his frown, Ruan Mei quickly added, “But Luwang can provide you with custom-made athletic shoes, designed precisely for your feet—they’ll definitely boost your performance. Our technology and materials are every bit as good as A·F’s!”

That was tempting. Rousseau certainly couldn’t land an endorsement from a top-tier brand like A·F, nor enjoy the bespoke running shoes that came with it.

“I’ll think it over and discuss it with my coach. I’ll get back to you soon,” Rousseau said. “You can leave your number with me, and I’ll call you when there’s news.”

“Could you also give me your number?” Ruan Mei asked. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to find you, or even get into the academy.”

Remembering how forlorn she’d looked waiting outside, Rousseau relented and gave her his coach’s office number, explaining it was for the sprint team.

“May I have your mobile number?” Ruan Mei asked.

“I don’t have a mobile,” Rousseau replied. Seeing her disappointed look, he took pity and gave her Tian Shiwei’s number instead. “That’s my agent’s number,” he said.

“Alright!” Ruan Mei nodded.

The cafeteria was some distance from the gate, so Rousseau offered her a ride back on his scooter. On the way, they happened to run into Zhu Nuo and Tian Shiwei. When Rousseau had taken his vacation, the others had just returned from their own training camps and were having a day off; today was back to regular training.

Rousseau waved at them as he passed, Ruan Mei riding pillion behind him.

“Who was that? She’s quite pretty,” Tian Shiwei couldn’t help asking.

Ruan Mei, with her fair skin, long hair, and straight bangs, had a delicate, almost fragile air, reminiscent of a famous Hong Kong actress known for her pure and elegant image—definitely the kind of girl who turns heads.

“Yeah, who was that?” Zhu Nuo frowned as she watched Rousseau disappear, feeling an inexplicable twinge of annoyance.

Rousseau didn’t return to the dorm until evening. As soon as he entered, Tian Shiwei greeted him with a teasing question: “On a date?”

Rousseau felt a strange sense of guilt, as though he’d been caught sneaking around like an unfaithful husband.

“A date? What are you talking about? And what’s with that tone?” Rousseau retorted.

“Who was that girl this afternoon? The one in the black skirt, with those long, fair legs?” Tian Shiwei pressed.

Riding a scooter did tend to make one’s legs look particularly long and straight.

“She’s a PR manager from a sports brand, came to talk about an endorsement—not very reliable,” Rousseau replied.

And why not reliable? Because when Rousseau dropped Ruan Mei off, she’d asked him to take her to the bus stop, but by then the bus she needed had already stopped running. Ruan Mei was reluctant to take a taxi, planning instead to walk a few more stops to catch another bus. Rousseau, feeling responsible, escorted her to the next bus stop. It was getting late, and Pengcheng wasn’t exactly the safest place, so he waited until she boarded before heading back.

So stingy—she hardly seemed like the PR manager of a high-end footwear brand. Even if it was a family business in a period of expansion, pinching pennies like that really didn’t inspire confidence.