American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote

Hearing the female reporter’s question, Li Wei glanced around, then pointed to the water in his hair and said unhurriedly,

"I think what I need most right now is a dry towel."

The reporters let out a round of good-natured laughter.

"Alright, alright," the female reporter said with a smile, pressing on. "Let me ask a different question. You seemed completely off your game in the first half. Many experts were even starting to discuss whether you were having psychological problems due to the pressure, but after the blizzard in the second half, you returned to your usual dominant self. What was that all about?"

"I don’t think there was anything wrong with the first half," Li Wei said with a shrug. "This is a team game. I wanted my teammates to have their moment in the spotlight, that’s all."

Another reporter from ESPN immediately jumped in. "Li Wei, I have a question that many viewers are dying to know the answer to—what exactly was that drink in the dark bottle you had during halftime? It was obviously not Gatorade. Did you know that the topic of just guessing what you were drinking has already generated over two million comments on Twitter?"

His teammates in the locker room all pricked up their ears.

To be honest, they were dying of curiosity too.

"You’ll all find out eventually," Li Wei said, his expression unchanging. "Soon, but not today."

"Can you give us a hint?" the female reporter asked, refusing to give up. "Is it a new product from some brand? Or your own personal recipe? Or are you planning to create your own sports drink brand, like Kobe Bryant?"

Li Wei didn’t answer the question. ’Sometimes, it’s important to keep the fans curious.’

He simply offered a slight smile, then stood up and brushed off his pants. "Alright everyone, that’s all for today. I’m going home to take a hot shower. Thank you."

With that, he turned and walked deeper into the locker room, leaving the crowd of reporters to trade blank looks.

The blonde reporter from Fox looked down at her notebook. It read: "a dry towel" and "soon, but not today." ’So how in the world am I supposed to write this story?’

’Might as well build the article around the drink.’

...

By the time Li Wei had packed his things and was walking out of the player tunnel, the blizzard had lessened considerably from what it was during the game, but the New Jersey night was still frigid.

Chen Haisheng was already waiting at the exit in the black Cullinan. Jin Heon and Don Quixote were already inside.

Li Wei pulled the door open and slid in, letting out a long sigh the moment he sank into the seat.

"Tired?" Don Quixote asked, turning around. "Want to grab a late-night snack?"

"My family’s restaurant is still open," Chen Haisheng immediately interjected. "If Mr. Li Wei wouldn’t mind, we could go there."

"That works. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mr. Lin Daohang, anyway," Li Wei said, leaning against the seat back and closing his eyes. "I’m not that tired, it was just too noisy celebrating in the locker room. A bit chaotic."

His constitution made his hearing much more sensitive than an average person’s. Even when he wasn’t actively trying to listen, he would subconsciously amplify background noise.

The Cullinan merged smoothly onto the highway. In the blowing snow, the New Jersey streetlights blurred into rows of hazy orange halos.

Jin Heon, sitting beside Li Wei, had crossed and uncrossed her long, stocking-clad legs several times. She had been on the verge of speaking ever since they got in the car, but kept holding back.

She opened her mouth several times only to close it again, her soft sighs finally catching Li Wei’s attention.

"Is there something you want to say?" he asked, opening his eyes.

"Heh heh," Jin Heon chuckled, finally unable to hold back. "Boss, I have good news and *very* good news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Li Wei thought for a moment. "Let’s hear the very good news first."

"Ah!" Jin Heon pouted. "How can you do that?"

"What’s wrong?" Li Wei chuckled. "If there’s a better option, of course I’m going to choose it."

"But the two pieces of news build on each other," Jin Heon said with an unconscious pout. "Alright, I’ll tell you the good news first."

"Fine."

"A little while ago, I contacted Editor-in-Chief Cui of *Vogue North America*. I showed her your profile, and she’s very interested in you."

Li Wei turned to look at her.

"And the *very* good news is," Jin Heon could no longer contain the grin on her face, "LV wants to invite you and one of their designers for a three-way collaboration to release a sports water bottle."

The car fell quiet for a moment.

"LV?" Chen Haisheng was the first to ask. "Is that the brand that sells handbags?"

"It’s not a handbag brand, it’s a luxury conglomerate," Jin Heon corrected. "Strictly speaking, it’s under the LVMH Group—"

"I know what LV is," Li Wei said. "What are the terms?"

"Editor-in-Chief Cui said they want to finalize the collaboration details next week, then produce the first batch of samples and air-freight them over by the end of the month," Jin Heon said, pulling out her phone to check her notes. "It’s a three-way collaboration. LV provides the brand and distribution, the designer provides the design, and you provide the IP and influence. The profit split is 50-50 between you and LV; the designer’s cut is handled internally by them."

"It’s not an endorsement?"

"No," Jin Heon said, shaking her head. "It’s a co-branded collaboration. No commercials, no exclusivity clause. It won’t affect you launching your own beverage brand down the line."

Li Wei considered it for a moment. "Alright, set up a meeting."

Jin Heon nearly jumped out of her seat. "Yes, Boss! I’ll confirm the time with Editor-in-Chief Cui right now!"

「Three days later.」

Manhattan, West 23rd Street. An artistic-looking red brick building.

This was the private studio of LV’s specially-commissioned designer, Julian de Lacroix.

Jin Heon had done her homework before their arrival: Julian, a 37-year-old from France, was a graduate of the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He had previously worked at both Givenchy and Dior before being signed by LV three years ago to head up their cross-brand collaboration projects.

His work was known for its violent aesthetics, and he excelled at blending athletic elements with a luxurious feel. He had previously designed collaboration products for F1 drivers and boxing champions—

"Wait," Li Wei said suddenly as they shook hands. "What did you say your name was?"

"Julian de Lacroix," he said. "You can just call me Julian."

Li Wei nodded, his expression a bit odd. ’So, the name of an old acquaintance.’

’I wonder how the other Julian is doing now? I think he’s still in custody, going through the legal procedures.’

"Forgive me for being blunt," Lacroix said, circling Li Wei twice, "but I have to admit, your physical proportions and looks are truly the best I have ever seen in the world of sports... Have you never considered modeling before?"

"I’ve had that suggestion before," Li Wei shrugged. "But I figured being a celebrity is more profitable than being a model, so I had to politely decline."

"What a..." Lacroix’s eyes glinted as he stroked Li Wei’s arm. "Pity."

For the next two hours, Lacroix and Li Wei finalized the design concept.

To be honest, aside from the fact that he kept staring blankly at Li Wei’s Adam’s apple and shoulders, the man really knew his stuff.

He produced more than a dozen material samples, from titanium alloy to borosilicate glass, from traditional lacquerware to handmade Italian leather. Each one came with a detailed report on its tactile feel and testing data.

"I suggest we use leather," Li Wei said. "The texture will be better."

"But it’s a container," Jin Heon pointed out. "Won’t a leather exterior shorten the water bottle’s lifespan?"

"My dear," Lacroix sighed softly, "if you were buying it for practicality, why would you buy a 2,999 USD sports water bottle in the first place?"

2,999 USD. That was the price for the first collaboration bottle, limited to a run of 100.

The body was to be molded from a single piece of titanium alloy, covered in handmade calfskin, and stamped with an interlocking logo featuring a rainbow-colored LV and Li Wei’s initials, LW.

The second model was a more "accessible," all-black version, limited to 10,000 units and priced at just 499 USD.

The deal was finalized so quickly in part due to Li Wei’s decisive and efficient style.

From Jin Heon and Lacroix’s perspective, Li Wei needed very little time to make a decision. He could arrive at a resolute conclusion with lightning speed. They had no idea what his judgments were based on, but once the words left his mouth, they sounded exceptionally persuasive.

The other reason was that Julian de Lacroix fellow, who kept staring at Li Wei and even invited him to pose as a life model, claiming it might give him more inspiration.

Faced with such a request, Li Wei naturally gave a flat, merciless refusal. He swiftly used the [Jester’s Skull] to finalize the collaboration and then made a hasty exit.

The day after the collaboration was finalized, Li Wei suddenly sought out Jin Heon.

"The profit split in the agreement is 50-50 between me and LV. You’re aware of that, right?"

"Yes, Boss," Jin Heon nodded. "Your 50%—"

"This isn’t an endorsement deal, so my agent won’t be taking a commission," Li Wei said, looking at her. "You’re the one who brought this resource in."

Jin Heon froze for a second, not seeming to grasp what Li Wei was implying.

"Editor-in-Chief Cui is a contact you cultivated, you built the bridge to the LVMH Group, and you’re the one who pushed this whole thing through from beginning to end," Li Wei said. "What percentage do you think you deserve?"

Jin Heon was completely stunned.

Honestly, she had never even considered it. As far as she was concerned, she was Li Wei’s publicist; she received a fixed salary plus performance bonuses. Finding resources and connecting with brands for her boss was simply part of her job.

She never imagined she’d get a cut of this particular collaboration. Her original plan had been to use this connection to land a major commercial endorsement deal for Li Wei, from which she would have taken a 1% commission.

"I..." She opened her mouth. "Boss, this is just my job. I don’t need—"

"I’m not asking if you need it," Li Wei cut her off. "When you work for me, it’s only right that you’re rewarded for your efforts. I’m asking what you think you deserve."

’Damn it. My heart is fluttering.’

Jin Heon looked down, her fingers twisting together unconsciously.

She wanted to say, "Whatever you decide, Boss," but felt that would be just passing the buck.

But she truly didn’t know what number to name. If she asked for too much, she worried Li Wei would think she was greedy. If she asked for too little, she worried he’d think she was just being modest.

"Look at you," Li Wei said, shaking his head with a smile. "You’re usually so decisive."

"That’s different..." Jin Heon muttered under her breath. ’I wasn’t expecting anything for this in the first place.’

"I’ll give you ten percent of my fifty percent," Li Wei said, cutting to the chase. "That’s five percent of the total profit. It’s settled."

Jin Heon’s head snapped up.

Five percent of the profit didn’t sound like much, but with total projected sales of 5.3 million USD and an estimated profit margin of no less than 80%, even 5% of the profits would bring her at least 200,000 USD in pre-tax income.

And this was just the commission from a single co-branded water bottle project.

She felt her eyes begin to burn. She had only done what was part of her job, yet her boss was showing her such incredible appreciation. It was a feeling she had never experienced before.

"Thank you, Boss!" she exclaimed, giving him a full ninety-degree bow. "I won’t let you down!"

Everything was fast-tracked. By the weekend, the three-way collaboration was officially announced.

The moment the news dropped, the entire internet exploded.