"Tom, Lin's agent has sent a message—we've been granted the first face-to-face meeting with the player himself!"
In the restaurant of a star-rated hotel in Tokyo, Seattle Mariners' head coach Scott Servais waved the phone in his hand excitedly towards Tom Allison sitting opposite him, the electronic screen clearly displaying the message from Nomura Katsuhiko.
Seeing the situation, a hint of happiness appeared on Allison's face, "It seems our early arrival in Japan was effective, at least helping us temporarily take a half-step lead over other teams."
However, after the brief excitement, the two returned to a more troubled state:
Even though being first permitted to communicate with the player team is a good thing, it also cost them the chance to gather information and test the waters; this means that unlike other teams, the Mariners have only one opportunity to present their conditions and prospects.
