Steven held the phone with an anxious look on his face: "Barron, I will explain to the media that the words about retirement were written blindly when you were drinking with your friends and playing Dare."
"No, I really want to retire." Philip's voice was extremely low.
"Barron, I know you are very disappointed with your recent competition results, but this downturn is only temporary. I believe you can definitely return to your former self." Steven encouraged.
"Go back to the past? Do you think it's still possible? I'm afraid you won't believe it yourself!" Philip said.
Steven was silent for a few seconds. As Philip said, he himself didn't think Steven could return to his previous peak state.
"Barron, listen to me, even if your condition is not as good as before, you don't have to choose to retire." Steven then advised.
"What can I do if I don't retire? Do I finish last in every competition?" Philip smiled at himself: "I've had enough of the feeling of a loser. Every time I cross the finish line last, I look at others. Celebrating, I just walked back to the locker room silently like a lost dog."
"Barron, listen, if you care about results, you can participate in the competition for the disabled. Stop competing with those athletes with able-bodied limbs. With your current results, if you participate in the competition for the disabled, you will still be Number one!" Steven continued.
"Let me participate in a competition for people with disabilities again? What will those people think of me? They may say, Hey, big star, why don't you go to the World Championships? Why are you competing with us disabled people for prize money? That's the case. If I do, I will feel like a loser. I would rather retire, at least I can keep some dignity!" Philip paused, and then said: "You don't have to persuade me, I have already decided, I want to retire! "
"Barron, think about it more carefully..." Steven continued to persuade Phillip, but he also knew that it would be difficult for Phillip to change his mind. For a physically disabled person, dignity may be more important than life.
Sure enough, Phillip interrupted Steven: "I'm very tired, not physically, but mentally. I feel now that being an athlete is no longer something that interests me. It's a heavy burden." The burden makes me feel very depressed, and sometimes I even find it difficult to breathe. I am really tired and I don’t want to keep going anymore! I want to retire.”
After ending the call with Phillip, Steven looked ahead with dull eyes.
Phillip is really retiring, which is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Steven! This means that Steven will lose his most important source of income.
In the past two years, Steven has been able to receive an income share of more than one million U.S. dollars from Philip each year. With this huge income, Steven bought a big house, a new car, and lived a prosperous life. But now, this rich life is coming to an end. Once Philip retires, there will be no commercial value at all, and there is no need for his agent to exist.
"It's over, I'm selling the house!" Steven cried sadly, looking at the luxurious furnishings in the villa with reluctance.
Philip spent 1.6 million to buy this villa. Housing prices in California are relatively high. The median price of real estate is about 400,000 US dollars. Steven's villa is four times the median price, so it can definitely be regarded as a luxury home. .
It’s just that buying a house is easier than maintaining it. Property tax in the United States is a problem that every property owner has to face. The more valuable the house, the higher the property tax will naturally be. If you dare not pay property tax, the government has the right to dispose of your property at will. House, such as auction or mortgage to the bank. Although California's property taxes are relatively low among the more than 50 states in the United States, houses in California are also more expensive than other places, and the actual property taxes paid will be much higher than in other states.
For an ordinary American, even if he is given a mansion, he cannot afford to live in it because he cannot afford to pay property taxes. Take Philip for example. When he earned a million dollars last year, the property tax on this mansion was nothing to him. But once he no longer has such a large income, the property tax on the mansion has become a huge burden. Maybe he After working hard for a year, he could earn money from real estate taxes, so he could only sell his mansion and buy a cheap small house.
…
"The famous disabled athlete 'Blade Runner' Barron Phillip announced his retirement"
Dai Li looked at the news headline, and the inexplicable sadness in his heart became more intense. He couldn't help but sigh.
"Coach Li, stop being melancholy and cheer up!" Iris's voice sounded. The old man walked over with a smile, glanced at the news headlines, and then said: "You always have to get used to this kind of thing. .When I was young, whenever the boxers I trained retired, I would feel very uncomfortable just like you, as if I had lost a relative."
"Then what did you do then?" Dai Li asked.
"Work, crazy work, put all your energy into work, and naturally forget those troubles." Iris smiled enigmatically, and then said: "So, I brought you A job.”
"You really don't go to the Three Treasures Palace for anything. Tell me, what's the matter?" Li Dai said.
Iris answered: "As for Taylor's next game, his opponent is Highfield. You don't need to say more about the grudges between these two people, so this game is very important to Taylor. In the three Years ago, Highfield used delaying tactics to avoid Taylor's frontal attack and consume Taylor's physical strength as much as possible. He spotted Taylor's weaknesses, and he succeeded. So I think this successful tactic , Highfield will not use it just once, so he will still use this tactic in this game."
"For Taylor, physical fitness is his biggest weakness. His fighting style consumes too much energy. The longer the game is delayed, the more disadvantageous it is for Taylor. But facing an experienced boxer like Hayfield, I I felt that it was impossible for Taylor to knock down the opponent in a short period of time, and the fight was likely to last for twelve rounds, so I developed a set of game tactics for Taylor that would last for twelve rounds."
"But Taylor has been in the game for more than ten years, but he has never played a full twelve rounds. I am worried that his physical fitness will not be able to withstand it. So next, I need Taylor to strengthen his physical fitness and improve his endurance. I He needs to be able to withstand twelve rounds of physical exertion. You are the physical trainer, so this is your job!"
Dai Li nodded: "No problem, leave it to me. I will personally take charge of this matter. I guarantee that Taylor will be strong enough to fight for twelve rounds."
"Don't talk too much. For athletes, time is their biggest enemy. Don't ignore Taylor's age. He is thirty-three years old this year. A thirty-three-year-old body, a thirty-three-year-old Physical fitness! When he was twenty-three years old, he couldn’t even fight twelve rounds, but now that he is thirty-three, we have to ask him to fight thirteen rounds. I feel like breaking into a cold sweat just thinking about it now!” Iris spoke.
…
A group of reporters surrounded Highfield in the center. Facing these reporters, Highfield looked relaxed and comfortable, like a tourist.
"Of course I have prepared for the fight. Kevin Taylor is an old rival after all, but I am confident about dealing with him. After all, he can't beat me."
"What tactics have you prepared? It doesn't hurt to tell you. Taylor knows a few tricks, so there is no need to prepare any special tactics to deal with him. Just use the same method I used to defeat him three years ago."
"Taylor has become stronger? No, no, no, I don't think so. I think the reason why he has not lost since his comeback is because his opponents have not found a way to restrain him."
"Should I be extra careful during the game? Of course, I must protect my ears this time, so as not to get bitten again. I'm wondering if I should wear earmuffs, hahaha..."
On the TV screen, Highfield laughed arrogantly.
In front of the TV, Taylor clenched his fists and his eyes were full of anger. Highfield finally said that he had to protect his ears, obviously mocking Taylor for biting his ears.
"Kevin, he is deliberately irritating you!" Iris said calmly next to him.
"I know!" Taylor took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"Kevin, I hope you can learn to calm down. And you have experienced so many things and have reached the top of the boxing world again. I think you should also grow up." Iris continued.
Taylor didn't answer. He just sat there quietly, not knowing whether he had completely calmed down or was sulking.
Iris frowned slightly, he didn't know how to persuade Taylor.
Next to him, Dai Li suddenly asked: "Kevin, do you believe me?"
"Of course I believe you. What? What's the matter with you?" Taylor replied without hesitation.
Dai Li seemed to have deliberately changed the topic: "In that game three years ago, the reason why you bit Highfield's ear was not only because your heart was full of anger, but also because you were worried that you would lose. Right?"
Taylor didn't speak. He lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Dai Li, which seemed to give a positive answer.
"You are worried that you will lose because you know that your physical strength cannot last twelve rounds, and your negative emotions induce you to do that stupid thing. If you felt that you were sure to win at that time, Will you bite Hayfield's ear again?" Dai Li then asked.
"Lee, I know what you are going to say. I will calm down and have confidence in myself!" Taylor still lowered his head. He didn't want to mention what happened back then.
"No, I mean, you have to have confidence in me!" Dai Li continued firmly: "You have to have confidence in my training!"
Taylor raised his head and looked at Dai Li with some emotion.
There was a smile on Dai Li's face. This smile made Taylor feel like a spring breeze.
"I said, if your physical strength can last for twelve rounds, then you can definitely do it! Because you were trained by me."
Next to him, Iris looked at Dai Li. He felt that the unique temperament exuding from Dai Li looked familiar. That feeling of self-confidence, as if the game has not even started yet and the victory has already been won. For a moment, Iris seemed to see himself ten years ago.
"It's interesting. This kid is growing up very fast. He is becoming more and more like a real coach!" Iris commented based on the standards of a legendary coach.