fastball under a clear sky

On a clear Friday morning, the strong sunlight came in from the windows, illuminating the whole house, even though it still couldn't wake up the sleeping person on the bed.

『Likko 颪に Sashuangと, Cangtianxiang ける日轮の, Youthの気気, 美しく, 辉く我が名ぞ Hankyu タイガ一ス, オウオウオウオウ, Hankyu タイガ一スフレフレフレフレ...』

The ringtone of music sung by a strong bass echoed softly in the space, forcing the person curled up on the bed to raise his hand and take off the mobile phone on the bedside to answer it.

"Hello... I'm a dragon..." The owner of the phone was still in a trance.

"おはよう! (Good morning!) Manager, are you still sleeping?Wake up and set up shop! 』The other party greeted vigorously.

"おはよう..."

The man sat up, scratched his hair, and then explained to the person on the other end of the phone: "I'm awake... I have to go to the post office before I go to the store. You open the door first. Remember to send the bat that Mr. Yamada asked for. go out."

"I see!That's it for now. 』

After hearing the other party hang up the phone, the person on the bed turned his neck again, and then walked to the bathroom. Before that, he turned on the TV sports channel casually.

"The rookie Yiwei who has been performing very well since the beginning of the season for the Bruins.Wu started, he played very well in the first five innings, but after throwing a walk in the sixth inning, he was hit by a double and gave up a run, and then he was replaced by reliever Riley...』

The wide LCD screen broadcast the sports news relayed by American satellites. Long Hao had already watched the game five hours ago, so he just listened to the sports news broadcast while grooming himself.

Then he put on a light shirt and dark blue jeans. After making sure he was tidy, he picked up his small bag and glanced at the people on the screen before turning off the TV.

"Congratulations, you have won another victory." After saying this to himself, he turned off the TV and prepared to go to work.

There is still a lot of work today. He has to go to the post office to send important contracts to manufacturers in Taiwan, and then he has to go to his own wholesaler to pick up the goods. After arriving at the store, he has to start running the jersey business.

25-year-old Long Hao is the owner of a baseball and softball store. He was not allowed to stay in Taiwan by his father. He continued to study in Japan according to his father's wish. During college, he also joined the school's baseball club. I started to get interested, and decided to open a store specializing in baseball and softball supplies after graduation.

He thought he would do that because baseball was the only bond he had with Wu Yiwei. He didn't want to give up. Although he felt stupid, he didn't regret it.

Since doing this job, he has learned a lot, every day he will find new problems or things he doesn't understand, and go to find answers or solve problems one by one, which makes Long Hao feel that every day will not be boring.

His store also lost money in the first year and broke even in the second year. Now it has started to make money in the third year, because the things he sells to customers are real, and the purchases are accurate. Therefore, no matter in the industry or in baseball, The reviews in the industry are good, and it has also established its own name as a golf equipment store.

Although the current life is very busy, Long Hao still feels satisfied. Although there are always things that can't be finished, it fills up his originally empty heart.

It was already two o'clock in the afternoon when he arrived at the store. He took off the goods from the car and walked into the store with the cardboard box in his arms.

"Imaoka, can you put the goods on the shelves for me?" Long Hao put down the goods on his hands and looked around his storefront.

"はい!" (Yes!)

A young man about the same age as Long Hao walked out of the counter quickly.A young man with a figure similar to Long Hao has a sunny face and is a friendly boy next door. He smiled brightly and said, "Did the store manager watch today's American Major League Baseball? The Bears won again! Today Okazaki had a home run, too."

"Yes, watching the game in the middle of the night made me sleep deprived."

Long Hao turned his neck and said, "In addition to Okazaki's good play, Wu's good shots and low points allowed are the key to winning."

"That's right, from the point of view that you are a fan of Wu, he should be able to compete for the Cy Young Award this year, right?"

"I don't know, but it's already fifteen wins, and the defense rate is only [-]. The probability should be very high."

The two chatted while arranging the goods. This is their working mode. In the twenty-square-meter store, there are still baseballs.

Imaoka Yoshinori Xiao Longhao is three years old. He is his college junior and a junior on the baseball team. Long Hao has been working in the store since its opening. Although he is only a part-time student, the current Long Hao is indispensable. He helps.

There are many kinds of baseball and softball supplies in the [-]-square-meter storefront. Long Hao clearly divides the location of each item, so that customers can know at a glance where the things they are looking for are placed; the wall behind the counter in the store There is a large poster on the ground, which is Wu Yiwei's heroic pitching in the American professional baseball. This large poster also fully explains who the boss is a fan of. Lin Bairui who is out of the sky.

It is very difficult to make a living in a foreign country as a catcher in the professional baseball circle, but Lin Bairui did it. As a Taiwanese and his classmate, Long Hao cheered for his classmates in his own way.

"By the way, senior, KUBO sent their glove samples here." Imaoka suddenly thought of the package he had just received, and hurriedly brought the things in front of Long Hao.

What Long Hao got in front of him was a glove sample from the manufacturer. There were two dark brown infield gloves in the box, and Long Hao picked it up and played with it.

"Senior, what do you think?" Imaoka propped his chin, watching Long Hao examine the details of the glove.

"It's really good!"

The corners of Long Hao's mouth can't help but rise: "Whether it's leather or workmanship, it's so fine. KUBO's new master really didn't make it. Where did he find it? You see, I've never seen the workmanship of this glove."

In addition to cutting the leather, each baseball glove must be done manually. Because it is a handmade product, the gloves of each glove factory have their own characteristics. Different breeds and ages of cattle make the leather texture different. Some factories The leather of some gloves is relatively thin, some workmanship is rough, some stitching methods are different from others, some gloves are more American-style, etc...

Long Hao has a clear understanding of the characteristics of these manufacturers. KUBO is one of the glove factories. Long Hao likes their delicate craftsmanship and simple materials, so he has close business contacts with them.

"I asked a long time ago. They said that the second young master of KUBO started to take charge of the factory. I heard that the boss is very confident in his son's profession, so he gave the sample gloves made by his son to you for appraisal, and he said that if you think it is good. If so, I hope you can go to the factory."

Long Hao carefully looked at the gloves on his hand again and said to Imaoka: "If I don't go, I will be an idiot."

"I knew you would say this a long time ago. I'll make an appointment for you first. Tomorrow at five o'clock in the afternoon, let's go when the factory is off work! However, I don't think Mr. Kubo will let you go too early. You must be prepared to return late." .”

"I don't think we can hide, haha!" Long Hao continued to grope for the glove while laughing. He felt a sunken mark on the inner layer of the glove. He opened the leather and saw that there was burnt writing on the inside, and two pieces were burned on it. The word ─ ─ Daisuke, this is the usual method of the Japanese glove maker. Putting his name on the glove means that this is his proud work and a guarantee of quality. The risk of doing this is that if the glove is not well done, the future Just seeing the name on the inside of the glove won't buy it.

"Dasuke, this name is so impressive!" Long Hao touched his gloves carefully, with a smile on his lips: "I really look forward to meeting you."

Located in the suburbs of Tokyo, there is a Japanese-style one-story building with a very large layout. The land that can be seen as far as the eye can see belongs to the Kubo family.The Kubo family was a very famous lord in the local area in ancient times, and next to the mansion is a not-so-big factory building. The beating sound of machines can be heard continuously in the factory. After Long Hao greeted the old man who was cleaning the gate, he went to Take the briefcase and walk towards the factory.

This is the famous factory "KUBO" that manufactures baseball gloves in Japan. Unlike other large sports goods manufacturers that produce all kinds of ball equipment, this factory only specializes in the production of baseball and softball gloves and does not make other ball equipment. The management is very strict, so the quantity is also limited. Among them, the top leather gloves branded with the master's name are the most sought-after goods. Whether it is the American professional baseball, Japanese, or even Korean and Taiwanese professional baseball players, many people are rushing to buy it. Order.

The boss of KUBO is an old gentleman in his sixties. He is very individual and admires Long Hao, so he always lets Long Hao choose the first-hand finished products. Long Hao regards the boss of KUBO as his own elders. He has business dealings, and he often calls to care for him, and even prepares a copy for him if he has something delicious and useful. These thoughtful actions of Long Hao make this old man often clamor for him to be his son.

"Good night, Ojisan!" As soon as Long Hao entered the factory, he saw Boss Kubo standing in front of the glove master pointing.

As soon as the boss saw Long Hao, he walked towards him with a smile on his face: "You are here! Let me start with the words first, you have to stay at my house for dinner today, and I have asked Chunzi to prepare your bowl and chopsticks."

"はい (yes)!" Long Hao bowed to Boss Kubo deliberately and earnestly, and then said with a smile: "This is the main reason why you asked me to come after work in the factory? I thought today's task should be to be proud of you, uncle." Greeting from the new master."

Boss Kubo stroked his chin and raised his eyebrows and said, "I just want you to meet my son by the way. Daisuke is still tidying up his gloves. I told him to tidy himself up before coming out to meet you. Chunzi is going to prepare some snacks. Let's sit down first." Come down and talk."

Boss Kubao was very enthusiastic and didn't allow Long Hao to refuse, so he half-forced him to walk towards his living room by pushing his shoulder.

Long Hao sat in the tea room in the middle of the old Japanese-style building. Although it was a hot summer, the tea room opened all the Japanese paper doors, and the gentle breeze kept blowing in, bringing the faint fragrance of flowers and plants in the courtyard. It makes people feel very cool and comfortable.

No matter how many times you come here, this Kubo house with ancient traditions can always make you discover new surprises, whether it is the corridors extending in all directions, or the extremely beautiful courtyards, and the delicious Japanese desserts, all of them are amazing. Long Hao liked it so much, he could sit in the teahouse and talk about gloves with Boss Kubo all day long, and the proprietress Chunzi would always shake her head and sigh at the two of them, saying that they were poisoned by the gloves.

After eating the dessert prepared by Mrs. Kubo and drinking the fragrant Japanese green tea, Long Hao chatted with Boss Kubo with a smile. This time Boss Kubo's topic was all about his son.

After chatting with the boss, Long Hao roughly understood the origin of the boss's second son.He grew up in a family of ball equipment, so he has been playing baseball since he was a child. He has always been the team's number one ace pitcher and captain. In the third year of high school, their team finally entered Koshien, and he was also scheduled to be the first gamer. The starting pitcher of the game, but on the night before the game, he had an accident and injured his pitching hand, so he had to give up baseball...

"Oudusang (Father)!" A thick and deep voice came from behind Long Hao, interrupting their conversation.

"Dasuke, sit down and say hello to Yi Longsang." The boss ordered his son majestically.

The man walked around Long Hao and sat down in front of him.

Unlike the petite boss, Kubo Daisuke is a tall man with a strong body that looks like an athlete. It seems that even though he has given up playing baseball, he has not given up on exercising his body.

Wearing Japanese-style work clothes and a Japanese-style turban on his head, he nodded and greeted Long Hao politely: "My name is Kubo Daisuke. It's the first time we meet, please give me your advice."

Kubo Daisuke's appearance can be regarded as handsome, with thick eyebrows, piercing eyes, and a high nose, and his body exudes a strong domineering aura. Long Hao knows what the person in front of him is doing no matter where he goes Must be central characters.

"Hello, please take care of me in the future, Kubo-san." Long Hao took out his business card very habitually, and handed it to the man in front of him.

After Kubo Daisuke took his business card, he just put it in his work clothes pocket, and then set his eyes on Long Hao again.

"I've heard a lot about Longsang from my father. I don't think business cards are needed. My father said that you are the youngest and professional client he has ever met. He said that if my work can get your affirmation , you should be able to pass.”

"There is no such thing. Mr. Kubo, I can't afford to say that. I also learned all my majors from KUBO, which is far behind you." Long Hao laughed and denied it when he heard his praise.

Kubo Daisuke immediately joined their conversation after greeting them, but Long Hao mainly talked with his father, Kubo Daisuke mostly just listened to them, drinking his tea quietly, occasionally when the boss asked his opinion, he would With just a few words, Long Hao felt that he was a man of few words, but because of this, Long Hao was a little interested in him.

This is the first time Long Hao and Kubo Daisuke met. On this day, Long Hao placed an order for three gloves from Kubo Daisuke. This was a great encouragement for a novice master. He told his son to thank Long Hao for his appreciation, and to cherish such a guest, even talking about Long Hao.

"When the gloves are ready, I will personally deliver them to Longsang's shop." Daisuke Kubo promised earnestly.

"No need, just call home delivery." Long Hao felt very embarrassed seeing him so polite.

"No, that's what it should be." Daisuke Kubo still had a serious expression on his face. This expression reminded Long Hao of Wu Yiwei, so he began to have a good impression of him.

After dinner, Daisuke Kubo left to do his own business, but Boss Kubao still didn't intend to let Long Hao go. He said that he still had a lot to say to Long Hao, but his body was very sticky, and he wanted to take a bath first. After relieving his fatigue, Qian told Wan that Long Hao must wait for him, and then he called his wife to leave.

This is not the first time Long Hao has encountered such a situation. He stood up after seeing the boss leave, and walked towards the courtyard as usual. Come back in a minute.

Stretching a lot, listening to the sound of insects around him, Long Hao relaxed. Every time he did this, he would envy Boss Kubo for living in such a good environment.

At this time, the lights in front of him attracted Long Hao. The room here was always dark, but today was the first time he saw lights turned on.

Long Hao slowly approached the brightly lit room, his curiosity made him inadvertently look into the room from the window, in the gap of the window, he could faintly see the shadow of people moving, Long Hao squinted his eyes to see more clearly.

He recognized the person in the house as Daisuke Kubo. After looking at the furnishings in the room, he thought it should be the bedroom. It turned out that this was his room. No wonder it was dark before, probably because he was not there.

Kubo Daisuke is holding the 2 straps of the glove, and carefully threading through the glove one by one. Since this kind of work requires a lot of strength, Kubo Daisuke's face is already covered with sweat, and the work clothes on his body are also wet Thoroughly.

Seriously!

Looking at the piles of semi-finished gloves in his room, Long Hao felt very admirable. There is someone who can work hard to such an extent. It is obviously time to relax and take a rest, but he still takes the work home.

"Who is there?"

Daisuke Kubo suddenly raised his head and looked towards the window, Long Hao had no choice but to greet him generously when he saw this.

"Excuse me, I was walking here and I happened to see Kubo-san wearing gloves. I didn't mean to be peeping."

Daisuke Kubo stood up and went to the window to open it, Long Hao scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly.

"Don't worry, I was just a little scared when I saw the figure."

Daisuke Kubo nodded politely, seeing that the other party was not angry, Long Hao had a bolder idea at this time.

"If it's okay, can I see the gloves in your room, Kubo-san?"

"Huh? These are just for research. There are many shortcomings that can't be used as a commodity. There is no reference value."

Long Hao pointed to the glove behind him disapprovingly and said, "Among the two gloves that KUBO sent me to show, one of them, Kubo-san, you use is different from the traditional Japanese technique, with a strong American flavor, although But it does preserve the characteristics of KUBO. When I saw your gloves for the first time, I was really scared. At that time, I was thinking about who can make such special gloves. What kind of master is he? What are you thinking?"

Daisuke Kubo frowned when he heard Long Hao's words: "You really think so? My father scolded me half to death for that glove."

"That's because Boss Kubo is a very traditional person. People of the older generation can't always understand what we are thinking, can't they? But I believe time will tell everything."

"Thank you!" Daisuke Kubo smiled at him. "Actually, I slipped that glove in secretly. I'm really happy that you said that."

When Long Hao saw Kubo Daisuke for the first time, he felt that he was a very defensive person, and he could clearly feel that what he said was all entertainment, but at this moment the person in front of him seemed to finally have a good impression of him , This made Long Hao heave a sigh of relief. After all, what business needs most is mutual trust. If he can't trust himself, then the subsequent cooperation will be very difficult.

Afterwards, the two talked for a while, and Long Hao felt that there was a familiar feeling when the two talked.Although Kubo Daisuke is a bit dull, he has shown extraordinary confidence in certain things. These characteristics are similar to Wu Yiwei. Although it is the first time he has met him, Long Hao accidentally compares the two.

"After talking about this with Longsang, I will speed up and tidy up the gloves and deliver them to you in person." Daisuke Kubo said again with a serious expression.

The two ended their first meeting in a very good atmosphere. Both Long Hao and Kubo Daisuke felt that this meeting had gained a valuable business partner.

note

1 Sang: Japanese people are used to adding さん after the surname when addressing each other, which means the same as Mr. and Miss in Chinese. The Chinese pronunciation is the same as "Sang", and it is expressed here with transliteration.

2 Belt leather: refers to the leather line on the top of the baseball glove.