As the baseball soared high into the sky, the attention of the spectators in the stadium was drawn to it—following its trajectory, the red and white ball fell like a meteor, swiftly leaping out of the park, and then completely disappeared.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh——!!!" The players and the audience erupted into a tremendous cheer, clearly amazed by what that hit had demonstrated.

Compared to the fervently intense Koshien games, the Kantou Conference matches, despite featuring many strong teams, lacked the same level of heat; thus even for a highly significant match like the early Seikei showdown, the number of spectators wasn't very high;

Most who took the trouble to come on a day off to watch the game were either senior fans with decades of experience or professional scouts responsible for Kantou Region matters of various pro teams—it was precisely for this reason that what Lin Guanglai showcased in that recent at-bat gave them a huge surprise.

On the stands of Ichihara City's Seaside Stadium, Miyata Shinku was continuously jotting down notes in his notebook, heavily marking next to Lin Guanglai's name while recalling the scenes just now.

The 44-year-old Miyata Shinku had joined a corporate team after graduating from Hosei University and had once served as the supervisor of Ritsumeikan Uji High School—now, he was in charge of scouting affairs for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Kantou Region.

As an emerging force in Nihon Professional Baseball in recent years, the Fukuoka SoftBank Team, besides its affluent resources, has also been quite focused on nurturing young players—just last year's development meeting saw them alone selecting dozens of development players.

There are many reasons for such a team-building strategy and direction, the main one being the SoftBank Team's desire for marquee star players.

Ever since last year, when the team's ace pitcher Wada Yu chose to challenge the Major League, exercising his international free agent rights, the team has been eagerly anticipating an injection of fresh blood.

According to the current rules of Nihon Professional Baseball, a player who enters professional baseball right after high school won't obtain free agency rights until eight years later, allowing them to leave their current team to seek opportunities elsewhere;

Although the SoftBank Team lacks nothing financially, when it comes down to it, there are only so many star players across all teams, and each one is cherished by everyone in the team, from management to fans—the task of poaching isn't as simple as it seems;

Moreover, compared to signing a multi-billion contract to poach players from other teams, developing young talents within their system certainly offers better value and a sense of belonging for fans and team staff alike.

And Lin Guanglai, who just hit a home run, is one of the high school graduates the SoftBank Team is currently focusing on: Miyata Shinku, being new to the job, was assigned to analyze and observe Lin Guanglai after last summer's West Tokyo Conference.

Initially, when assigned to this job, Miyata Shinku was a bit unconvinced, wondering if the team underestimated him, choosing not to scout many university or senior high players but rather focusing on a freshman player.

Such a concept had its reasons—after all, in reality, baseball is not a game, and a person's potential and ability are influenced by various factors and can dynamically change.

Though Miyata Shinku had to admit that freshman Lin Guanglai indeed displayed exceptional talent, a rarity even in history, his high school baseball career still had two years ahead—who knew how he would turn out in the future, or if his performance at the Koshien would just be a flash in the pan?

Lin Guanglai, who shone brightly in Koshien, might very well become an average player in half a year—this often happens in the world of high school baseball.

Unlike those baseball media that, upon seeing a talented high schooler, would shout "Come again" or "Monster," carelessly overlooking the hassle, professional scouting is a labor-intensive task requiring comprehensive analysis and evaluation of a player from multiple angles, often necessitating long-term follow-ups and investments.

But after tracking for over half a year, Miyata Shinku noticed the differences in Lin Guanglai compared to other players, and any initial complaints had long dissipated. He even felt like thanking his supervisor for assigning him to scout Lin Guanglai.

Whether in dynamic or static physical talents, offensive and defensive techniques on the field, or the mentality shown in various situations, Lin Guanglai was nearly impeccable.

Even his appearance was outstanding, which undoubtedly added to his appeal—in Japan, where the fan economy is thriving, such a player excelling both in skill and looks is unquestionably the rightful face of the team.

Most importantly, from the recent at-bat, Miyata Shinku gleaned even more insights:

As the professional scout comprehensively in charge of Lin Guanglai, he knew well the recent challenges Lin Guanglai faced—it's a common issue for all outstanding young players, and a regular occurrence once they become core players in professional baseball in the future.

Over the years, Miyata Shinku had seen too many young players become impatient in the face of such challenges, wanting everything but ultimately losing their hitting feel and then fading into obscurity.

But Lin Guanglai, when facing such situations, appeared neither arrogant nor impatient, maintaining composure for most of the game, patiently selecting pitches while adhering strictly to home plate discipline; additionally, from that recent home run, he seemed to be transitioning to a long-distance hitter role—a rather remarkable quality for a high school student.

As the scout fully responsible for Lin Guanglai's affairs, Miyata Shinku felt a bit of excitement flooding his heart:

If, during the draft two years later, the SoftBank Team managed to secure Lin Guanglai, and he ended up delivering satisfying performances in the world of professional baseball, then his role, to some extent, in "discovering" him, would naturally elevate his status within the scouting team—after all, this could be considered a "meritorious service."

Miyata Shinku opened his phone, looking at the slightly glowing screen, and then dialed a number.

"Moshi moshi—yes, it's me, Miyata Shinku."

"I feel the team isn't valuing Lin Guanglai enough—his displayed talent and mentality are definitely capable of becoming the face of our SoftBank stars. I suggest the team make a move as soon as possible..."

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