From Round 12 onward, Michael Chen never appeared in a match again, and even his extra goal-line training was abruptly canceled by management.
This complete freeze-out continued until December 22, when Racing Santander lost away to Real Betis.
Santander suffered their eighth straight defeat and plummeted to sixth from the bottom in the league table, teetering dangerously on the verge of falling into the relegation zone.
“Herman!
The team collapsing like this isn’t on me!” Raul roared at the general manager inside the administrative office.
“I explicitly asked for Michael to play!
He could have easily kept us in the promotion spots!”
“Raul!
Everything I’ve done has been to protect the financial future of this club!” Herman sneered.
“Let me tell you the reality of the situation.
Atlético Madrid is preparing to buy Michael and Oriol together for €10 million and I countered with €13 million!
If they agree, those two are gone immediately!”
“You need to calm down!
I should call a psychiatrist for you!” Raul exploded, violently slamming his hands on the desk.
“Go ahead and fire me!
Whoever wants this nightmare of a job can have it!”
Ever since taking the managerial role, Raul had been suffocated by the GM’s politics at every turn.
Over the past month alone, the stress had caused his hair to start falling out in clumps.
Herman quickly raised his hands to steady the furious manager.
“Raul, listen to me.
I swear that if we secure the €13 million, I will hand you €10 million directly for the January transfer window!
I’ll even formally apply to the board and give you total executive power to choose your own signings!”
Hearing that massive concession, Raul’s rage gradually cooled.
He turned around, marched back to his office, and immediately started scouting replacement players.
…
Over at Atlético Madrid, however, the front office wasn’t playing Herman’s games.
They formally bypassed the GM entirely, choosing to directly trigger Michael’s legally binding €8 million release clause.
To secure Oriol, they simply paid a €500,000 compensation fee to recall the defender from his contract early.
Atlético surgically wrapped up the entire double-transfer for exactly €8.5 million.
When the finalized paperwork cleared his desk, Herman was so furious he violently smashed the golden coin sculpture sitting on his desk.
…
That evening, Peter visited Michael’s apartment.
“Mr.
Chen, your contract has been officially transferred to Atlético Madrid B,” the agent confirmed, pulling out a sleek folder.
“The finalized terms are fantastic: a €3 million upfront signing bonus, a €4 million annual base salary on a five-year deal, and your wages will automatically double if you are promoted to the first team.
You retain cumulative clean-sheet bonuses, club record bonuses, fifty percent of your image rights, and your new release clause is set at €30 million.”
“I agree,” Michael said without hesitation.
Levis had been keeping Michael in the loop the entire time, leveraging his uncle’s heavy industry influence to secure the highest possible contracts for both him and Oriol.
Honestly, Michael just wanted to play.
Rather than rotting on the bench fighting petty corporate battles, he preferred to strike back properly on the pitch.
And just like that, the ink dried.
All that remained was the official press release.
…
On Christmas Day, Michael arrived in Madrid.
Emma’s new flagship yoga studio was located on the rooftop of Madrid’s largest commercial tower.
It featured a stunning sky garden overlooking the city skyline, making it the perfect venue for an upscale holiday party.
Levis and Oriol tagged along with him to the rooftop to celebrate.
Standing near the bar, Michael admired Emma.
Dressed for the occasion, her graceful, noble charm seemed to flow naturally.
Michael walked up to her with a grin.
“Emma!
When your studio officially opens in January, I’m going to get you a massive gift to celebrate!”
“Michael, it’s more than enough if you just show up.
You don’t need to bring me anything,” Emma smiled, her eyes narrowing playfully.
Michael shook his head stubbornly.
“Just wait.”
After the cocktail hour ended, Michael didn’t stick around. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He dragged Levis away early to start plotting the surprise.
Emma watched the boys leave, lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned back to her guests with a warm smile.
…
Michael stayed in Madrid for three days, hunting for a permanent apartment.
With the €3 million signing bonus clearing his accounts, combined with his previous savings, he had more than enough cash to rent a premium property.
When Levis heard he was house-hunting, he repeatedly insisted Michael just crash at the family estate, but Michael firmly refused to be a freeloader.
After discussing it with Oriol, the two of them found a sleek, modern villa near the Atleti training base and signed the lease together.
During the downtime, Oriol had successfully managed to pass his driving test and secure his license.
Michael, on the other hand, had completely failed his practical exam again.
For a brief, dark moment, Michael genuinely began doubting his own coordination.
But in the end, he made peace with it.
Even natural geniuses had blind spots.
To solve the commute problem, Michael dragged Oriol down to the nearest luxury dealership and bought him a brand-new Chevrolet Tahoe.
The fully loaded, top-of-the-line SUV cost €100,000 in cash.
When Michael tossed the keys to the Ghanaian, Oriol literally burst into tears of pure excitement.
“Hiks…
Michael, you’re way too good to me!” Oriol sobbed, hugging the keys.
“From now on, you’re the designated driver to the training base every single day,” Michael laughed, patting Oriol on the shoulder.
“Come on, get in.
Let’s see how it feels.”
The two of them climbed into the heavy-duty beast, enjoying the raw horsepower as they pulled out of the lot.
Destination: Vicente Calderón!
…
On January 1, the winter transfer window officially opened.
Atlético Madrid and Racing Santander released their press statements simultaneously.
Atlético Madrid have signed Racing Santander player Michael Chen to a five-year contract.
Atlético will pay Racing Santander the €8 million release clause for the 25-year-old player.
Michael has already completed his medical and signed his contract with the club.
Michael Chen was born on January 1, 1990.
He turns 25 today.
Standing at 192 centimeters, he has proven his elite ability as a goalkeeper.
During his half-season with Racing Santander, he did not concede a single goal from open play.
Let us wish him a happy birthday!
Immediately after the goalkeeper announcement dropped, Oriol’s transfer was confirmed.
The Santander fans exploded online.
SantanderUltra99: Damn you, Herman!
You literally sold Santander’s shield for pocket change!
GreenWhiteLife: The board is completely corrupt!
Santander has truly lost everything!
Atlético’s fans, meanwhile, were delighted, especially the Chinese students studying in Madrid.
AtletiFanatic: Looking forward to Michael Chen, the magical goalkeeper with zero goals conceded!
WallOfMadrid: There’s a mountain in front of goal.
Ask around about Michael Chen!
On the very first day of the winter window, it was actually the Segunda División making the biggest headlines, instantly stirring up the Spanish football network.
…
At that exact moment, two massive commercial airships slowly drifted across the sky above Madrid’s central district.
Hanging beneath the first blimp was a gorgeous, towering banner:
Warm Congratulations on the Grand Opening of the Madrid E.T Yoga Flagship Studio!
Behind the main text were printed holiday blessings signed by Michael and several of his former teammates.
The second airship was even more ridiculous, trailing a massive banner that read:
Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?
EMMA!
The two airships flew in tandem across the city skyline before finally hovering directly above the CBD tower’s sky garden.
Emma and her business partners were setting up the evening banquet when one of her close friends suddenly pointed at the sky and screamed.
“Wow, I’m so jealous! The source of this chapter is g.com.
Who arranged this romantic confes—holy shit!”
“Emma!
It’s for you!”
“Aaaaaah, I seriously can’t!”
Emma tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up at the sky, her eyes shining bright.
She didn’t say a word, just smiled warmly.
“Oho, Emma has a man now!” one of her friends teased.
“Hahahaha, and he’s a younger guy too.
I’m dying!”
Right on cue, Michael stepped out onto the rooftop with Levis and Oriol trailing behind him.
Oriol had barely set their congratulatory flower basket down before Michael was already walking over to Emma.
Emma looked at him quietly.
“Thank you.”
Michael felt a little embarrassed, but he refused to look shy in front of her friends, so he maintained a totally serious expression.
“We’re friends.
It’s the least I could do.”
As more guests arrived, the atmosphere turned lively and relaxed.
Introduced to Emma’s inner circle, Michael chatted easily and confidently, keeping the group laughing with his dry humor.
After the party wound down, Michael found himself standing alone with Emma near the edge of the rooftop.
“Emma, I…
I…”
Seeing Michael uncharacteristically hesitate, Emma gently took his hand.
“I know how you feel, Michael,” she said softly.
“But I still have some concerns.
I’m just not ready yet.”
Michael’s face went completely blank, though he forced himself to stay perfectly calm.
“It’s fine.
I understand.”
“Are you sad?” Emma burst out laughing, breaking the tension.
“When I’ve made up my mind, I promise I’ll consider you first, all right?”
As she spoke, she gently gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Joy suddenly surged right back into Michael’s chest.
“Then, uh…
I’ll head out first,” he stammered slightly.
He turned to leave, but suddenly felt a weight slip onto his wrist.
A sleek, high-end watch had been fastened there.
“Today is your birthday,” Emma smiled.
“This is my gift to you.
I hope you have a great year, and keep working hard on the pitch.”
Hearing her soft voice, Michael gave a small wave and headed for the elevator.
…
Downstairs in the lobby, Levis and Oriol were somehow still hanging around.
“Why are you two still here?” Michael asked.
“Oriol and I made a bet,” Levis grinned.
“If you came down together with Emma, he’d win.
Clearly, I won.”
Michael just smiled, shaking his head.
Levis quickly stepped forward, pulling an envelope from his jacket.
“Michael, it’s your birthday today, so I prepared a little something for you.”
“I have one too!” Oriol hurriedly chimed in, holding up a sleek box.
Oriol’s gift was a beautiful pair of limited-edition, gold-plated replica goalkeeper gloves.
Levis, meanwhile, had gone completely overboard.
The envelope contained the deed to the luxury villa Michael and Oriol had just started renting, Levis had bought the property outright and gifted it to him.
The three friends walked out into the cool Madrid night, chatting and laughing together, feeling genuinely happy.
From that moment on, Michael realized he had finally found a real sense of home in a foreign land.