RCD Mallorca was an established club with real pedigree.
Ever since dropping out of La Liga in the 2012/13 season, they had been a gritty, dangerous fixture drifting around the upper half of the Segunda División.
On November 10, at the pre-match press conference, both managers sat down to field the usual barrage of questions.
“Mr.
Raul, looking at the team sheet, why isn’t Michael Chen in the matchday squad today?” a reporter from AS asked immediately.
“It’s just standard rotation,” Raul replied, sounding visibly tense and impatient.
“Michael has been dealing with a minor illness this week, so he was left out of the squad to recover.
There’s nothing strange about it.”
“I heard a very different story,” the reporter from Baka Sports chimed in, desperate to stir the pot.
“Our sources say the club and Michael failed to reach an agreement on a new contract because the player was demanding an outrageous salary, and that’s the real reason management has frozen him out.
Care to comment?”
“Complety false!” Raul snapped, slamming his hand on the table.
He pointed directly at the journalist.
“Security!
Remove him.
From now on, Baka Sports is strictly banned from entering this press room!
As long as I’m the manager of this football club, none of your reporters are getting in!”
Baka Sports had successfully poured gasoline on Raul’s temper.
Meanwhile, over in the away team’s press room, the atmosphere was much lighter.
“Coach Solin, does the sudden absence of Santander’s star goalkeeper, Michael Chen, affect your tactical preparation for today’s match?”
“Of course it does,” Solin said, flashing a wide, genuine smile.
“Michael’s absence makes our job much, much simpler.”
As the press room footage leaked out, major Spanish sports platforms rushed to publish the drama.
There was no avoiding it; the hottest player in the Segunda División this season was a controversial rookie goalkeeper.
Frozen Out?
Racing Santander Benches Star Keeper Michael Chen Over Contract Dispute!
Shocking!
Record-Breaking Rookie Could Be Forced Out as La Liga Giants Circle!
Segunda’s Wall Injured?
Santander Claims Illness Keeps Chen Out of Crucial Clash!
…
While the Spanish media speculated, news of Michael’s record-breaking performances had finally started bleeding through the censors back in China.
Inside a lavish office at the Chinese FA headquarters, a middle-aged suit stood giving a hushed report to the director sitting behind a massive mahogany desk.
The director frowned, tapping his pen.
“So, this kid still doesn’t know how to play the game?”
“Director Cheng, you’re exactly right,” the suited man sneered.
“And let’s not forget, back when he was in our system, Michael was a completely average central midfielder.
He also refused to—”
“I don’t want to hear the useless details,” Cheng interrupted coldly.
“If a player has a fundamental problem with his character and refuses to respect the hierarchy, our FA definitely won’t sit by and let him embarrass us abroad.
This is a simple matter to fix.
Xiao Li, go back to your desk and draft an official statement.
The leadership is preparing to secure some massive funding for domestic football development this year, and we cannot afford any rogue elements ruining the narrative.
Deal with him.”
…
On November 10, in Round 12, Racing Santander hosted Mallorca at El Sardinero.
The two sides fought a brutal, scrappy battle in the midfield throughout the first half, heading into the tunnel deadlocked at 0–0.
But right after the second half kicked off, the away side found a breakthrough and scored.
Without their wall in the net, the Santander defense looked shaky.
In the end, the match finished 0–1, handing Santander a bitter home defeat. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
On the league table, they were now tied on points with third place, only clinging to the second spot thanks to a narrow goal difference.
By now, none of the on-pitch drama had anything to do with Michael.
His new agent, Peter, had officially taken over the negotiations, but his team had once again failed to reach an agreement with general manager Herman.
Herman was stubbornly digging his heels in.
If Michael didn’t sign the lowball extension, the GM was fully prepared to ruin the kid’s season by leaving him out of every single matchday squad.
The whole situation left Michael feeling irritated and restless.
Sensing the tension, Levis reached out.
The English defender had his girlfriend visiting for the weekend, and he invited Michael and Oriol out to sea on a rented private yacht to clear their heads.
From the second Oriol stepped onto the deck, he didn’t stop complaining.
He vented about the toxic atmosphere in the dressing room, Raul’s screaming matches with Herman, and the unfairness of the contract dispute.
As Levis listened to the chaos unfolding at Santander, his eyes grew brighter.
This trip wasn’t just a friendly getaway, Levis was actually here on a mission.
Simeone Jr.
had specifically promised him that if he could convince Michael to transfer to Atlético Madrid B in the upcoming window, the club would happily buy Oriol too, bringing them over as a package deal.
For Levis, that offer was incredibly tempting.
He had endless family money, but genuine friends in the cutthroat football world were rare.
He dreamed of playing alongside guys he actually trusted.
“Michael, I honestly wouldn’t swallow this kind of disrespect,” Levis said, leaning against the yacht’s railing.
“Why don’t you and Oriol just force a move to Atleti?
The three of us can win a title together just for the hell of it.
Sure, the B team can’t get promoted to La Liga, but I guarantee Simeone will pull all three of us up to the first team together next season!”
Michael smiled, staring out at the water.
He had to admit, he was genuinely tempted.
“Levis, you and Oriol are my closest friends here,” Michael said, taking a sip of his drink.
“If the three of us could actually play on the same pitch, I’d be happy.”
Taking that as a massive green light, Levis popped a bottle of champagne, poured them drinks, and immediately ducked into the lower cabin to call his manager.
…
After returning to Santander the next evening, Michael was walking through the lobby of the CBD tower and happened to spot Emma waiting by the elevators.
Over the past few weeks, Michael and Emma had been texting almost every night, and he had gradually learned a lot more about her life.
Emma was twenty-eight, Portuguese with a hint of Asian heritage from her grandmother’s side.
Her family ran a successful logistics business out of the Spanish ports, and she had spent the last month babysitting her niece while her younger sister was visiting town.
“Emma,” Michael called out, walking over.
Emma turned, her face lighting up with a warm smile.
She gracefully tucked a loose strand of pale pink hair behind her ear.
“Michael.
Perfect timing.
Let’s head up together.”
As he stepped into the elevator beside her, he caught the faint, sophisticated scent of her perfume.
“It’s actually good that I ran into you,” Emma said smoothly as the doors closed.
“I promised to treat you to dinner to make up for last time, but things have been so chaotic.
Are you free tonight?”
“I’m completely free,” Michael said without missing a beat.
During dinner at a quiet, upscale restaurant, Emma kept resting her chin on her hand, studying Michael’s face with an amused expression.
It made him feel entirely out of his element.
“What’s wrong, Michael?
Are you running a fever?
“Emma, stop it,” Michael laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment by taking a long drink of water.
“I’m not that young.”
He cleared his throat.
“Did you need to talk about something specific tonight?”
Emma’s smile softened, and she nodded slightly.
“I won’t be able to teach your yoga sessions anymore.
This studio chain is a brand I built from the ground up with my sisters.
At the end of the month, I’m permanently relocating to Madrid to oversee the opening of our new flagship branch.
I won’t be coming back to Santander for a very long time.
I wanted to tell you in person.”
Michael felt a sharp sting of disappointment, but a second later, the gears in his head started turning, and his eyes lit up.
“I understand,” Michael said, leaning forward.
“When the new branch officially opens, you have to let me know.”
A plan was quietly locking into place in his mind.
After dinner, Emma insisted on driving him back to his apartment.
As he stepped out of the Porsche and closed the door, she rolled the window down, flashing him one last teasing smile.
“Go get your driver’s license, Michael.
You can’t ride an electric bike forever.”
That hit directly on a sore spot!
He had actually been taking driving lessons recently, but Michael was naturally hopeless behind the wheel.
The sheer multitasking required to drive a manual transmission in city traffic completely fried his focus.
“I’ll get it!
Don’t laugh,” Michael shot back, pretending to look annoyed.
Watching her taillights disappear down the street, Michael stood on the pavement with his hands in his pockets.
‘She’s going to Madrid…’ Michael thought.
‘You know, playing in Madrid actually sounds pretty damn good right now.’
…
At that exact moment, halfway across the world, the Chinese FA officially published a devastating public notice.
Formal Disciplinary Action Regarding Football Player Michael Chen
The player Michael Chen has consistently demonstrated severely flawed moral character.
Following his rightful dismissal from the national team setup, he has failed to reflect on his gross misconduct.
Recent reports confirm that while playing abroad, he engaged in a violent street brawl, seriously injuring three individuals.
Furthermore, due to his toxic behavior, his current European club has officially suspended him from competitive play.
His reckless and selfish actions have severely damaged the global reputation of Chinese football.
Following an emergency board meeting, the FA has formally ruled that Michael Chen’s professional registration within the domestic system will be permanently deleted.
He is indefinitely banned from all national affiliations, effective immediately.
Following the FA’s lead, the national team coach and several state-sponsored media outlets rapidly dropped their own coordinated hit pieces.
Michael Chen: A Player Ruined by Arrogance.
Refused Management, Fought Teammates, and Struggled with Gambling.
Failed Midfielder Flees to the Segunda División to Hide as a Goalkeeper?
Character Determines Destiny!
Thank You to the FA for Cleansing the National Team!
Overnight, casual fans who had absolutely no understanding of the actual truth turned into vicious keyboard warriors, regurgitating the heavily doctored foreign media scraps to farm outrage online.
Sitting in his apartment scrolling through the smear campaign, Michael didn’t feel a single ounce of panic.
‘As long as they don’t drag my grandmother into this, they can talk all the trash they want,’ Michael thought coldly.
A smart man never lost his head over cheap rumors.
Michael calmly opened his laptop, pulled out his notebook, and carefully continued logging every piece of evidence, every corrupt transaction, and every hidden bank transfer he had saved from his time in the domestic system.
When the timing was perfect, he was going to drop the bomb and bury them all.