Just then, a few travelers began to trickle out of the VIP exit.
Chen Yu rose as well and looked toward the exit.
In the distance, he spotted a tall figure in a twill short-sleeved shirt. At 187 cm and 80 kg, Miguel cut an imposing figure. He had long been the mainstay of Barça’s defensive line.
Miguel hadn’t brought his agent, let alone his wife and children. He was traveling alone, accompanied by a player assistant from Chen Yu’s company.
He spotted Chen Yu from a distance and waved.
"Chen, we meet again."
He walked up and greeted Chen Yu with a warm embrace.
Chen Yu had been to Spain more than once. Rumors of his flirtation with Real Madrid alone had circulated for years. He had even treated the Old King’s illness, making his name well-known in Spain. So, although the two had never met, Miguel had long heard of Chen Yu.
Chen Yu introduced the team’s general manager and head coach to Miguel.
To welcome Miguel, Mai Chao had even rushed to learn a few simple Spanish phrases, which made a great impression on Miguel.
Once they were in the car and on their way, Chen Yu smiled and apologized to Miguel.
In the world of international soccer, he was a decorated veteran. Ordinarily, they should have prepared a welcoming ceremony for him.
They should have invited some media and reporters.
"Actually, I’m planning to introduce you as a surprise guest to the fans and media before this afternoon’s match," Chen Yu explained.
Today was Batty and Cannigia’s debut. The club had organized a special fan meet-and-greet before the game.
Last week, Batty and Cannigia arrived in Guang City. Their brief appearances at the airport hotel and a press conference had already caused a massive sensation among the fans.
The fans’ excitement for this meet-and-greet would only be greater.
All sixty thousand tickets for the match sold out early. It was said that scalpers were already reselling front-row seats for several hundred, or even a thousand, yuan each.
For tickets near the midfield to be scalped for many times their face value, reaching up to a thousand yuan each, was simply incredible.
It was a testament to the sheer scale of Batty’s influence.
Chen Yu’s plan was to introduce Miguel at this fan meet-and-greet as another surprise for the fans.
"Chen, I’ll follow your arrangements," Miguel said with a smile.
He wasn’t about to put on airs in front of Chen Yu.
Besides, he had always been a low-key person throughout his career.
"What do you think of Guang City?" Chen Yu asked.
Miguel looked out the car window at the bustling city skyline and smiled. "It’s very prosperous. Just a lot hotter than Parma."
He had started his La Liga career at Mallorca, and after eight years with Barça, he returned to Mallorca to play out his final years.
In the ’04-’05 season, Mallorca was in a slump. By the winter break, their relegation was all but certain.
Mallorca made an emergency hire, bringing in Cooper to save their season.
After taking over, Cooper completely sidelined the aging Miguel. This was why Miguel was willing to come play in China—there was no longer a place for him at Mallorca.
After coordinating with the club, he held his testimonial match ahead of schedule, officially closing the Chapter on his time at Mallorca.
As they chatted, the car arrived at its destination.
It was a villa complex near Luhu Park, where Chen Yu had rented five houses at once.
One for each of the five foreign players.
The location was excellent—close to the Tianhe Sports Center and in a great neighborhood.
When they arrived, Batty and Cannigia weren’t there; they had already left for a commercial event.
At their age, on the cusp of retirement, they were willing to play in China partly out of respect for Chen Yu, and partly because they had their eyes on the Chinese commercial market.
Take Batty, for example. He had an incredible number of fans in China. After he announced he was joining the Pioneer Club, companies were constantly knocking on his door, seeking endorsement deals.
So it was a win-win situation.
The excellent accommodations made Miguel feel a little self-conscious. He told Chen Yu he was getting too old and that his form might not be good enough anymore.
’After all, wasn’t he dropped by Cooper for being too old and out of form?’
"Don’t worry about it. For the first season, our goal is to sell tickets. The results aren’t as important." Chen Yu was completely open about it, even with Mai Chao standing right there.
"Besides, there’s no promotion or relegation. It doesn’t matter if we finish at the bottom of the league."
Miguel raised an eyebrow slightly but said no more.
After a short rest, some conversation, and a meal of local cuisine, the group set off for the Tianhe Sports Center.
The match was at 2:30 PM. Pioneer’s opponent was Huanghe Tower, who were currently first in the standings with a four-game winning streak.
The fan meet-and-greet was at 1:00 PM in the adjacent Tianhe Stadium.
To maintain secrecy, Chen Yu and Miguel arrived separately.
By the time they arrived, the place was already packed to the gills.
Sixty thousand people!
The last time it was this crowded and lively was probably during the Ninth National Games.
"Dr. Chen, it’s been a very, very long time since I’ve seen the fans in Guang City this passionate about soccer," said Tang Hemin, who had also arrived. He seemed thrilled to see Chen Yu.
Sixty thousand people was just the beginning.
And as far as he knew, large numbers of fans were flocking to Guang City from neighboring cities and even adjacent provinces, all just to see Batty’s debut.
This was the War God, Batty, after all!
’He knew he hadn’t made a mistake inviting Chen Yu to Guang City.’
’Inviting a world-class star like Batty wasn’t a matter of money; only someone with Chen Yu’s influence could pull it off.’
With this level of enthusiasm, Tang Hemin could only imagine how hot the soccer market was about to become.
’Just think of all the consumer spending those out-of-province fans would generate.’
’And Batty’s number 9 jerseys and other merchandise were, as far as he knew, selling like crazy.’
’On top of that, negotiations for the Pioneer’s jersey and sideline advertising were ongoing, with the club looking to sell them for a high price.’
’This was all GDP. This was all going toward his performance record!’
Chen Yu was in a good mood as well.
It proved that China had massive potential as a sports market, especially in a major city like Guang City.
’And the path I’ve chosen is the right one.’
’At Batty and Cannigia’s age, could he really expect them to deliver top-tier performances and lead the club to a league championship?’
’No need. Just sell tickets!’
’The Pioneer Club might finish at the bottom of the league, but it had to become the most profitable one.’
Use superstars to drive the market, cultivate a fanbase, and create a fan culture. Then, slowly develop local talent and bring in stars in their prime to chase results. This was the path Chen Yu had planned for the club.
As they were talking, Chen Yu suddenly noticed an ambulance approaching in the distance.
The ambulance stopped, and a doctor and nurses quickly got out and ran toward the stadium.
Chen Yu frowned slightly. ’An accident?’
"Director Tang, I’m going to go take a look."
Chen Yu immediately followed them.
In a backstage corridor of the stadium, a crowd of staff, security guards, and police officers had gathered. Nearby, a cleaning cart was overturned, its contents strewn across the floor.
"Make way."
Chen Yu pushed his way to the front of the crowd and got a clear look at the situation.
A young man in his thirties, wearing glasses and an Argentina No. 9 National Team jersey, was on the ground. There was a large bruise on his right knee, and he was grimacing in pain.
A doctor was squatting down to examine him, with a police officer standing nearby.
"What happened here?" Tang Hemin asked, his tone severe.
Chen Yu gestured for him to remain calm before asking what had happened.
The stadium’s security manager explained the situation.
Chen Yu couldn’t help but glance at the young man on the ground.
’Man, you’re just a fan. Was all this really necessary?’
They didn’t know the young man’s name. About ten minutes earlier, he had somehow managed to get backstage and slip into Batty’s locker room.
Unfortunately for him, Batty wasn’t there.
A patrolling security guard found him. When the guard asked for his credentials, he couldn’t produce any. His shoulder bag was bulging, and he kept clutching it, so the guard naturally suspected he was there to steal something.
What followed was a chase scene.
Unfortunately, while trying to escape, he crashed into the cleaning cart and fell hard on the floor, unable to get back up.
Security notified the police who were maintaining order at the stadium and called an ambulance.
"I’m not a thief, I swear! I just couldn’t get a ticket and wanted to see Batty and ask for an autograph," the young man, whose name was Zhou Yishan, explained weakly.
The police had already looked inside his bag. Surprisingly, it contained a security guard’s uniform.
The guy had worn the uniform to sneak in.
’There’s more to it,’ Chen Yu thought. ’A uniform alone shouldn’t be enough to get him in. He probably had help from the inside to get backstage.’
’He must know someone who works at the stadium.’
’His panic was probably because he didn’t want to rat out his friend.’
Chen Yu’s gaze swept over the man’s knee. Seeing the doctor lift the leg to begin an examination, he spoke up and stopped him.
"Don’t bother. Send him to the hospital. It looks like a patellar fracture."
’He’s fragile. To fracture his kneecap from a simple fall...’
The doctor instinctively glanced at Chen Yu, about to object, but then he suddenly remembered that Chen Yu was a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon. He immediately nodded, signaling for the stretcher to take the man to the hospital.
The young man’s face was a mask of dejection.
"Wait."
Just as he was placed on the stretcher and about to be carried away, Chen Yu called out to him again.
Walking over, Chen Yu smiled. "Mr. Zhou, personally, I don’t condone this kind of behavior."
Zhou Yishan lowered his head in silence.
’Tickets for the fan meet-and-greet were even harder to get than tickets for the match. Even the scalpers didn’t have any.’
’He hadn’t been able to get tickets for the meet-and-greet or the match, but he desperately wanted to see Batty, which is why he’d resorted to this desperate plan.’
Chen Yu continued, "But I know you did this out of your admiration for Gabriel. So I’d like to give you a chance to let Gabriel know just how much his fans in China adore him."
"So, if you think you can bear the pain... would you like to meet Batty?"
Zhou Yishan’s eyes shot wide open, and he began to nod frantically.
’Pain? What pain?’

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