Ono Binchi was initially calm, but after a day passed without a call, he couldn't sit still.
Could something have gone wrong at Ichidai Third High School?
If he ruined Zhang Han's future because of a momentary impulse, Ono Binchi felt he might live in guilt for the rest of his life. He picked up the phone on his desk several times, but ultimately hesitated and put it back down.
By noon the next day, he couldn't bear it any longer and sought out Zhang Han to discuss it. The major decision about his future ultimately had to be made by Zhang Han himself.
"Let's just wait for them to notify us! Rushing to sell makes the goods look cheap. If Ichidai Third High School truly values me, they will definitely call back. If they don't, begging them won't lead to a good outcome."
Ono Binchi understood this principle, which was also the reason for his hesitation.
"But what if we miss the opportunity to enroll in Ichidai Third High School because of this? That would be too regrettable."
"There's nothing to regret! Going to a good school certainly increases the probability of success, but I believe that's only one aspect."
Zhang Han said decisively, "It's not everything!"
His expression seemed to tell Ono Binchi that even without an invitation from Ichidai Third, he would succeed. Looking at Zhang Han's determined eyes, Ono Binchi immediately felt reassured.
Ichidai Third was a good choice, but they weren't the only option. After all, in the Tokyo area, Ichidai Third was not the only prestigious school.
"Alright, with your words, I'm relieved. Go back and wait for news. I will find a good place for you."
After waiting for two days, just when Ono Binchi was at his limit and about to contact other teams, the call from Ichidai Third High School finally arrived.
"Mr. Ono, I am truly sorry. I was busy with the team's promotion earlier and couldn't attend to your matter. I am Coach Tahara of Ichidai Third High School. If you have time, I would like to discuss Zhang-kun's enrollment."
Hearing the reply on the phone, Ono Binchi finally felt his heart settle.
They finally replied.
Ono Binchi was both happy and annoyed. Happy that Zhang Han's matter finally had a direction, but annoyed that these guys took so long. Under these circumstances, if he didn't squeeze them properly, he would be letting himself down.
"Ah, Mr. Tahara, hello. Zhang Han is not here; he went to Inashiro Industrial for a tryout."
"That's right, Coach Kunimoto thinks highly of his potential and said he wants to focus on developing him."
"How could that be? Our most favored school is, of course, still Ichidai Third High School. It's just that Zhang Han is a bit special; he has always received scholarships. Whether it's for school or playing baseball, this boy has never spent a single penny. And your admissions office people said..."
Ono Binchi sounded like a chatterbox. He talked endlessly, revealing a lot about Zhang Han's popularity and ability.
Coach Tahara selectively listened to these words.
Of course, he knew Ono Binchi was talking nonsense. Although Ono Binchi was famous in middle school, Coach Tahara doubted that this guy saw Zhang Han's true potential. Otherwise, he would never have put Zhang Han in the position of a relief pitcher. Even if Zhang Han couldn't become an Ace, given his potential, he should have received a starting number at another position.
Dynamic prediction!
This is a simple ability; basically, every athlete can do it to some extent. But even such an ordinary ability, once mastered to its peak, produces astonishing effects.
Zhang Han had refined dynamic prediction to a superb degree. He could easily predict the opponent's next move. Whether hitting or fielding, Zhang Han had a significant advantage. A player with such potential should be on the field at all times.
Ono Binchi's utilization of Zhang Han was not thorough enough. No matter how eloquently he spoke, Coach Tahara found it difficult to trust his judgment.
Despite this, Coach Tahara never refuted what Coach Ono said. He guessed the intention: it was nothing more than to help Zhang Han. Perhaps Ono Binchi was too close to the situation to see clearly, but his dedication to his players was excellent. Coach Tahara appreciated that.
It wasn't until Ono Binchi finished his performance that Coach Tahara expressed his thoughts.
"Zhang Han Boy, what difficulties does he currently face, and what kind of help does he want? Tell me directly, and I will apply to the school."
Hearing such a reply, Ono Binchi was momentarily speechless.
He had envisioned countless scenarios, but he never expected that Ichidai Third High School would be willing to pay such a high price to recruit Zhang Han. At this moment, Ono couldn't help but wonder if there was something he had overlooked.
If it weren't for some unknown potential in Zhang Han, he really couldn't understand why the prestigious Ichidai Third High School would adopt such a humble stance.
"Could you first tell me what conveniences you can offer? That way, I can better persuade him."
Ono Binchi didn't dare to speak first, letting Coach Tahara reveal his hand to gauge the bottom line.
"The school selection fee can be completely waived. Zhang Han will enter Ichidai Third High School as a special talent recruit. Apart from the government-mandated accommodation fees, other fees will only be symbolically charged a small amount. These are the conditions we offer."
With such conditions offered, Ono Binchi didn't know how to respond.
Originally, he and Zhang Han thought that if the other party could bear 50% of the costs, they would be satisfied. They never expected that the prestigious Ichidai Third High School would offer such generous terms.