437 The Shadow of the Failure (1/2)
Rubbing his temple, Blake thought for several seconds and then said, ”Adam Holly is famous in America. From the perspective of publicity, it is beneficial for us to make this deal. And Adam Holly is rich, so he can afford high training fees. His name as a world champion can bring him some advertising revenue, and he has a shooting training center with an outdoor shooting range, which earns more than two million dollars for him every year.”
”Is a shooting center so lucrative?” Dai Li was surprised. ”I know the gun industry is highly developed in America. It is said that there are more guns than people in this country. But I never knew that the industry had developed into such a prosperity that a single shooting training center can make two million dollars!”
Blake smiled and said, ”I understand that what you want to say is about gun abuse in America. However, there are more reasons for the lucrativeness of Holly's shooting center than the charm and celebrity of the Holly's. For example, Adam Holly himself often plays the role of a coach and teaches courses on shooting. It is reasonable that courses from a world champion of shooting sports are more expensive.”
Not fully understanding Blake's words, Dai Li nodded and listened to his explanation.
Blake added, ”Adam Holly is a genius when it comes to shooting. With his father and grandfather as hunters, he has inherited the gene from his family. He started learning to shoot when he was five years old.”
”Wait for a second,” Dai Li interrupted him and said, ”you mean hunters? Professional hunters? Such an old career still exists in America nowadays?”
”Yes, and it is very easy to get a hunting license. Anyone who meets the requirements can apply for a license by paying a fee and presenting a couple proofs of identity. Many gun shops even offer to make the application for you. And, of course, there are rules about what animals you can hunt. Having a hunting license doesn't mean you are free to hunt all wild animals.”
”As for professional hunters today, they make their money mainly from hunting and offering guide services. Their prey are usually wild boar. The wild boar in the US is a non-native species that was brought here by the Spanish long ago, sp the wild boar generally has no natural enemies in the US. The wild boar population in some places will multiple three to five times every five years. Groups of wild boar will destroy crops, kill livestock, and even harm humans. Therefore, it is usual farmers who hire hunters to kill the boar.”
”And the hunting guide services are for hunters who are new or unfamiliar with an area. As you know, many hunters have a mastery of shooting, but they don't know where to find the prey and how to track it. And there lies the opportunity for professional hunters. Going out with a professional hunter can make an amateur hunter safer. Professional hunters make big money by offering such services, since many amateur hunters are rich and willing to spend several thousand dollars on finding a black bear.”
After briefing Dai Li on hunters, Blake went on describing Adam Holly. ”Where are we now? Oh, yes. Holly started learning to shoot when he was five years old. At that point, he wasn't even strong enough to pick up a sporting rifle. He started with pistols, and soon, he showed his talent for shooting. He won the championship of the teenage group of an American national 10m air pistol game when he was twelve years old.”
”Besides shooting, Holly loves baseball, too. But his talent in baseball is not as great as his talent in shooting sports. Some top universities in America are willing to offer full scholarships to the best shooters. He chose shooting finally for the full scholarship. What's more, he chose 50m air rifle, the most difficult program.”
Few American parents pay college tuition fees for their children, since tuition is very expensive in America. Most Americans go to college on loans. From the day they enter college, they shoulder the burden of paying their student loans. It usually costs them a few years after graduation to pay off the student loans. So, many students try to apply for scholarships to lighten the pressure.
The full scholarship in America covers not only tuition but also living expenses for the student. A full scholarship usually means that you are freed from worries about tuition fees and living costs. Some students even have a little money left over. A student with the full scholarship lives a pretty good life on campus. He or she doesn't need to work for a living, and also doesn't need to worry about student loans. Therefore, many Americans start planning for college scholarships in their junior high school days.
Blake continued, ”After entering college, Holly received more professional training, which led to a rapid development of his shooting skills. He was the best in the 50 meters air rifle program all over the US when he graduated.”
”Holly became a professional shooter after his graduation. He then started to participate frequently in shooting games, including national and global games. He got many gold medals, including the one of the world championship of shooting. Holly soon grew into a household name in America. A sharpshooter would be an idol, given that shooting was a sport widely loved in America.”
”Later, he took part in the Olympic Games. You mentioned witnessing him picking the wrong target and losing the gold medal when he should have won. You know that failure.”
Dai Li nodded and said, ”I watched the match on TV that day. Our Chinese shooter ranked number two after the next to last shot. And he was 9.1 points behind Holly. Holly would have won without any doubt if he hadn't missed the target. But he did miss. And dramatically, he shot on someone else's target, getting a breathtaking score of 10.6 points, which was almost never happened in a professional game, especially in an Olympic final. With due respect, I was so excited that I jumped up from my chair when I saw it happen.”
”An Olympic gold medal for free was a perfect reason for you to celebrate,” Blake said unnaturally.