"Ooh-ooh.!"
In the box, Isabella jumped up and down with a fanatical expression, wildly celebrating for her team's rival in the Premier League.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with it; she was cheering for Maël, applauding his performance today.
At this moment, she and Gilbert seemed to project themselves into Maël's body, sharing the honor he had earned in this match, in this stadium.
"He is now Arsenal's god!" Just like before in the EFL Championship, Isabella clapped her hands with joy, her eyes sparkling with brilliance.
She had never imagined that the young brother who had dominated the EFL Championship last year would come to Arsenal this year and still sweep top teams in the Premier League and Champions League.
No one could associate this kind of performance with an 18-year-old.
Just looking at the dazzling light on him, you would know that he would definitely move towards a broader and more vast future.
His journey will not stop; when everything is mature, he will compete for the best! "It's a bit early to say that now."
Gilbert suppressed his ecstasy and sighed with joy, "But in this game, he is the best player... there won't be a Götze, there won't be a Van Persie.
"He has grown into an indispensable part of Arsenal, and the improvement he has brought to the team's attacking ability is enormous."
"Yes."
Isabella returned to the box to get a drink, her tone filled with inexplicable trust, "But I think he will become Arsenal's god sooner or later."
She didn't know why she thought so at this moment, as if her appreciation for Maël had exceeded the magnitude of the word 'appreciation' itself.
After taking a sip of ice-cold cola, Isabella showed a satisfied expression. In this hot summer, drinking an ice-cold drink and watching a friend play football in the box at Westfalen Stadium.
This life is so wonderful.
"I also want to see that day." Gilbert said with a smile as he looked up. He would look forward to it, and he could also become Maël's right-hand man at that time.
"Bang!"
In the 89th minute of the match, Perišić scored a goal to save face for Dortmund with a *volley* inside the penalty area.
They ran quickly to the goal to get the ball to the kickoff point, wanting to attack for more group stage points in the last few minutes.
But Arsenal was not prepared to give them this opportunity. All the players retreated across the board, organizing a tight defense in front of the penalty area.
"Bang, bang... bang!"
One long pass after another was lofted into the Arsenal penalty area, only to be headed out by Mertesacker and Koscielny, and the offense and defense entered another state.
Van Persie was then replaced by Vermaelen, and Arsenal brought on another center-back, playing with six defenders.
The game time passed minute by minute, gradually reaching the last minute of added time.
The entire stadium was in a state of anxiety. Many Arsenal fans turned their backs to the pitch, afraid to watch the progress of the match, fearing that the victory they had in hand would fly away.
"Bang!"
In the 93rd minute of the match, as time passed the last minute of stoppage time, Dortmund had a chance for one last attack.
Götze found Perišić on the right with a diagonal long pass. The latter dribbled the ball and launched an attack towards André Santos. Due to his superior Stamina, he quickly shook off Santos's center of gravity.
"Thump, thump, thump!" Footsteps sounded as Maël sprinted back along the touchline.
Perišić's eyes flashed with surprise. He had personally witnessed Maël's Speed on the bench. He had to pass the ball quickly; passing it out would give them one last chance.
"Bang."
He took the ball towards the baseline, swung his left arm, and wrapped his right leg around the bottom of the ball.
There was no time for Observation; he just had to get the ball to the center! "Snap!"
Just before the pass, he suddenly felt his foot go empty, and the leg he stepped out with kicked another player's leg.
He then saw Maël fly past him, bringing a strong gust of wind. The opponent made a sliding tackle and shoveled the ball out of the baseline.
"Vamos!"
After getting up, Maël excitedly bumped chests with André Santos to celebrate. He had blocked the last attack.
Perišić gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, wanting to shout to the sky, but found that he had lost all his strength.
There was no chance!
Dortmund suffers home defeat!
"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP—!"
The referee blew the whistle to end the match. Dortmund's players dejectedly headed towards the locker room, some not even shaking hands with Klopp, who was standing on the sidelines.
"Yeah!"
The Arsenal players erupted in a frenzy, many taking off their jerseys and waving them as they ran around the field, overjoyed.
First Champions League victory of the new season! Gains on all fronts!
"This year, we're aiming for the Champions League quarter-finals!"
Captain Van Persie looked at Maël, the hero of the win, and said expectantly, "When Maël matures a bit more next year, we can aim for the semi-finals."
"So," Alexandre Song walked over, smiling, "Arsenal's Champions League performance is tied to Maël?"
"You have to believe it," Van Persie said, shaking his head in amazement.
Maël celebrated with them for a while before being called by staff to the interview area to receive the Man of the Match trophy.
After receiving it, he looked at the white flag with black stars on it, and the gold-edged black letters 'UEFA Champions League'. He smiled contentedly, raised it, and showed it to the reporters.
"This is a very important achievement in my career. I keep moving forward, keep moving up, and finally went from the youth team to the Champions League.
"I think I've seen a lot already. Next, it's about training hard and playing hard, striving to achieve some important accomplishments in these competitions that I've already touched.
"That will be a wonderful day. I look forward to seeing the championship fireworks, seeing the fireworks scattered all over the sky."
When asked about his goals in the Champions League this season, he thought for a long time before replying, "This is my first year here, so the main focus is on adapting. I hope to clash with strong teams from various countries.
"The specific goals will be based on the team's condition at the time, and my level of ability then. I hope to go as far as possible."
"..."
"Have you ever thought about how many goals you want to score in this competition? In your entire career."
"I hope to score goals in the triple digits."
"Why not four digits?"
"Haha...!"
After completing the interview, Maël returned to the locker room and celebrated with his teammates for a while.
He then went up to the stadium's box area and found Isabella and Gilbert, who were already waiting for him.
"My friend is a big star," Isabella said enthusiastically, opening her arms and choosing a novel-like opening line.
Maël smiled and stepped forward, saying as he hugged Isabella, "Then my friend is a rich heiress?"
"More like a boss."
Isabella raised her head, slightly smug, "Don't forget, your endorsement with my brand hasn't ended yet."
Speaking of this, she remembered something, "I heard from Mendes that you signed with Puma? I don't mind, but will Puma mind?
"Will their non-compete agreement include our small sports brand?"
"Probably not."
Maël hadn't thought about this issue, but he wasn't worried, "If they minded, they would have mentioned it to me already.
"You don't have any competitive relationship, and I have a contract with you. If they wanted to sign me earlier, they naturally wouldn't split hairs over this."
"That's good." Isabella nodded and smiled, patting Maël, her smile tinged with complexity, "I won't have the money to sign a big star like you in the future. You became famous too quickly.
"But thinking about it, being friends with someone like you is also good. I will support you silently."
Maël reached out and gave her a high-five. Whether it was from the perspective of the first large endorsement deal, or from the perspective of being the daughter of the Sheffield owner, Isabella still occupied a major position in his heart.
In addition, he rarely parties and participates in social activities. Besides Safina, Isabella is his only female friend.
He looked at Isabella's face and said sincerely, "I hope your brand grows bigger and bigger. You said you wanted to buy a football team. I actually want to as well.
"If I have a lot of money when I retire in the future, I will buy a team to experience what it's like to be a club owner. Haha, maybe I'll even pick up the coaching baton and meet your team on the field."
"It's fun to think about." Isabella looked forward to it. She came to the railing, looked at Westfalen Stadium, and said, "Well, thanks to the speed at which your fame is soaring, the company will grow bigger and bigger."
"I'm very lucky to have met you at the beginning, and you even had the vision to sign an endorsement contract with me."
"After the most difficult first year, the road ahead will be much easier. You were there to help me get from zero to one."
"You two..." Gilbert had been standing next to them, his excitement lessened, and he said helplessly, "You're not going to start flirting here, are you?"
"Haha." Maël smiled and shook his head, then came to his good brother and hugged him, "You haven't said a word, actively reducing your presence."
"Tch."
Gilbert clicked his tongue, looking at Maël in his wet Arsenal jersey, and said seriously for once, "It's a good thing I went to Sheffield United with you and became friends there.
"Otherwise, I'd be afraid of being ostracized and suppressed by a big shot like you when I return to the team in the future."
"How could that be?"
Maël smiled and put his arm around him, then hooked Isabella's arm, a mischievous look rising in his eyes as he pointed to the stadium and said, "Look at what that is?"
"What?"
"Can't see it."
"That is the empire your king has built for you." Maël's expression was heroic as he waved his hand over the magnificent stadium.
Isabella: "..."
Gilbert: "..."
"In the few months I haven't seen you, your joke level hasn't increased, and you've even added a bit of awkwardness." Gilbert commented sharply, without holding back.
"But my skills have improved."
Maël didn't feel anything, he just wanted to play a little awkwardness to tease them.
He patted his chest and turned to leave, "See you in London, the team is gathering to leave."
Watching his confident back, Gilbert shook his head, not knowing what to say.
"Actually, does it barely count?" Isabella suddenly asked, her eyes fixed on the number on Maël's back.
Thinking of how he had worn this jersey and dominated the field just now, and then looking at the person so close at hand... she felt a bit of a disconnect, but it was a fascinating kind of disconnect.
"What?"
Gilbert didn't know what Isabella was referring to at first, but after realizing it, he rolled his eyes: "..."
Was he part of their two-person play? What kind of people were around him? "Just kidding."
Isabella smiled mischievously, teasing, "I was just trying to get back at you for being teased by Maël just now."
Maël boarded a private plane back to London that night, there was no need to stay here for another day.
Late at night, he returned home and opened his social media to check the reaction to the game.
He wasn't the one with the most buzz. Ronaldo, Messi, Di María, who scored the game-winning goal, and Villa, who scored with a bicycle kick, occupied the headlines of the media.
However, there were still many reports that praised his performance at length, considering him a top player in the second tier.
Opening his Facebook and Twitter accounts, he saw that his fans on both social media platforms were approaching 5 million, and Instagram had also seen a good increase recently.
He sent a message to Mendes, asking about his current social media advertising quote.
——"£80,000."
Mendes replied instantly, he must still be at some party.
£80,000! More than his weekly wage.
Maël was immediately excited, he could feel his value soaring.
He was getting closer to that goal of one million pounds per post! ——"Has anyone contacted you?"
"Two companies have contacted me, a gambling company and a baby product company, but I didn't accept them because they weren't suitable."
Baby products?
Maël looked puzzled, were these companies just grabbing at straws, why would they choose him?
Mendes quickly gave his explanation——"I don't know, it's usually difficult to find a suitable celebrity endorsement for this type of product, maybe they think you have a lot of female fans and want to try you out."
"Alright, good call on the rejection."
Maël put down his phone, not particularly concerned about it. 80,000 pounds wasn't a huge help to him at the moment.
He couldn't accept every advertising offer; he had to be selective.
Just as he was about to go to bed, he received another call, this time from Kevin Systrom.
He picked up the phone, feeling both a bit helpless and curious. "Kevin, it's a good thing it's a match day, or you'd be waking me up after I've already gone to bed. What's the good news?"
"Oh," Kevin said with a hint of apology in his voice, "I'm sorry. I just got back from a venture capital firm and wanted to tell you some good news."
"What is it?"
"The valuation has exceeded $200 million, about a sevenfold increase since you invested. We've been doing great these past six months."
"200 million... The market value of you internet companies is rising at a frightening rate. Are you planning to raise more capital?"
"Not recently, but we definitely will in the future. Speaking of which, I really have to thank you. Even though I'm confident in my software, I still have to thank you for the traffic you brought."
"It's nothing. Instagram is kind of my company now too. I occasionally use my influence to promote it. If you really want to thank me, give my money priority when you raise capital again."
"..." There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Then Kevin Systrom asked, "Maël, how much money do you make in a day now?"
"My salary is a few thousand pounds, but if you include club bonuses and year-end endorsement bonuses, it should be around 20,000 to 25,000 pounds? Or even more? I think I have a chance of making $10 million by the end of the season.
"I'm also planning to buy that 12 million pound house over there... But there's no rush. I should be able to earn more next year."
"What the f*ck? You're only 18, and you're already making so much money. Okay, I'll definitely contact you first when we raise capital. It's a pleasure working with you."
"The pleasure is mine."
After hanging up, Maël turned off the lights and went to sleep. There were still many wonderful things to look forward to tomorrow.
The next morning, he went to a nearby photo developing shop to print out a few photos of his Champions League goal moments. After selecting two of them, he put them on the photo wall.
He had previously categorized his matches, but the Champions League section had been empty.
Now, it finally had something!
After finishing this, he realized that it wasn't convenient to keep going to the photo developing shop, so he spent a few hundred pounds to buy a photo printer online.
This kind of expense was nothing to him now.
"José, let's go."
He waved and called out to his technical coach, José, and drove to the training ground.
The next match was in three days. Arsenal would be at home, facing Shrewsbury in the third round of the EFL Cup.
It was a nearly foregone conclusion. The Premier League giants wouldn't lose to a League One team, even with a full reserve squad.
Wenger had told Maël after the last match that he would have the opportunity to rest in this game and wouldn't be included in the matchday squad.
In other words, he could train for six consecutive days, from today until the match against Bolton Wanderers on September 24th.
"Bang, bang... Bang...!"
The monotonous and tedious training day began again. Although Maël was used to it, he couldn't avoid the inherent laziness of human nature and still felt a sense of pain.
Fortunately, he had already passed his dormant period and was standing on the top stage. He received strong feedback and satisfaction every week, allowing him to persevere in training with a calm mind.
He couldn't forget his roots and had to remember what had made him who he was today.
He had thought about this sentence long ago, but he still reminded himself again and again, spurring himself on.
On September 20th, his Volley and Outside of the Foot Shot skills were upgraded from lv2 to lv3.
[Skill: Volley lv3]
[Proficiency: (3/800)]
[Effect: You have a basic grasp of volley shots. Your power and accuracy have reached the level of a professional player. You yearn for the day you reach a higher level.]
[Skill: Outside of the Foot Curve lv3]
[Proficiency: (2/800)]
[Effect: After long practice, you can now use the outside of your foot to create beautiful curves, but the power seems to be slightly lacking. You yearn to make this ability more threatening.]
"Keep pushing!"
Maël didn't put down these two skills. He needed to train them to lv4 at least, to be able to use them in the Premier League and Champions League.
[Skill: Ball Control lv3]
[Proficiency: (1495/2000)]
[Skill: Judgment of Situation lv3]
[Proficiency: (1812/2000)]
[Skill: Stamina lv3]
[Proficiency: (1132/2000)]
[Skill: Rhythm lv3]
[Proficiency: (692/1500)]
[Skill: Adhesion lv3]
[Proficiency: 587/800]
He glanced at the proficiency of his other skills and found that many were approaching the critical point for leveling up.
Looking to the future, he couldn't wait to see what level of strength he would have at the end of this season.
ps: Today's update is 10,500 words, monthly goal is 540,000 words
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