From Arsenal to the Ball God

Chapter 787: Chapter 6: Changing Tides of Public Opinion! Premier League’s Top Salary? The Wembley Showdown: Chelsea! Beatles Songs at Wembley_4

But this is understandable. After all, they belong to the same parent company, and it’s unlikely to offer three separate large bonuses.

“In the beginning, your bonus only came from the club.”

Mendes, shortly after, got into Ma’el’s Ferrari, seemingly wanting to experience this new car, and said with a smile all the way: “Then there were Lay’s and beer, and Puma.

“Later on, it included Louis Vuitton, Coca-Cola, and pepe clothing.

“Today, you have to add Emirates Airline, Dior Perfume, Procter & Gamble Company, and Ferrari cars.”

Ma’el, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other putting on sunglasses, said, “I can’t keep track anymore. When will the company prepare a report for me? I want to see what kind of bonus I’ll get for winning any award.”

“Sure.”

Mendes also put on sunglasses, enjoying the thrilling ride of the sports car. Soon, he turned and said, “For the upcoming Community Shield Cup, I just did a simple calculation. After taxes, you should receive about 1.8 million pounds.

“If you’re named the best player in the final, you’ll get an additional 500,000 pounds from Puma, bringing the total to 2.1 million pounds.”

“That much?” Ma’el laughed brightly. The Community Shield Cup is a piece of his England Grand Slam puzzle, but compared to other major competitions, it feels a bit like a chicken rib. Yet, it might still bring in 2.45 million pounds.

Imagine, if he wins another major championship or individual honor, the kind of ample bonus he will receive!

“Indeed.” Mendes agreed, feeling it was incredible. “So, do you have the confidence to increase Puma’s new season stacked bonus to 5 million pounds before the Premier League even starts?”

“Of course.”

Ma’el slammed on the accelerator, feeling the thrilling sense of acceleration, and shouted excitedly, “Oh…! I want Puma to pay me over 20 million pounds starting next season!”

…

August 10, as the Community Shield Cup final approached, news about it gradually increased.

“The Double Crown champions of the FA Cup and the Champions League, Chelsea, are about to face the Double Crown champions of the Premier League and English League Cup, Arsenal, in a pinnacle showdown!! The London Derby will kick off at London’s greatest stadium!” — London Evening Paper

“Both teams have made large-scale investments in signings this summer. Chelsea has spent over 200 million pounds, and Arsenal, if they sign Bell, will also invest nearly 200 million pounds!” — Transfermarkt

“The Avengers Alliance is about to have its first direct confrontation with Ma’el! They are sure to ignite the entire English football scene, providing a full prelude to the upcoming new season!” — The Times

Not only were the fans focusing on the match itself, but they were also keen on Ma’el’s confrontation with Xiaofa, Benzema, and Ribery.

The four have quite a connection off the field. This season’s first match at Wembley Stadium will naturally have fans hoping for some fierce confrontation.

However, with two days until the final, the match’s hype hasn’t fully built up. More people were discussing Ma’el’s worth of 135 million and Arsenal’s recent value boost on this day.

That afternoon, a fan clipped a segment from Messi’s latest interview and shared it on major social media.

“Ma’el’s performance over the past year makes it hard to believe he’s an 18-year-old player. Does such a player put pressure on you?” The reporter directly asked Messi.

Messi interlaced his fingers and, after deep thought, said, “I think there are many great players. I’ve always moved towards pressure; competition makes each of us better.”

This evasive answer clearly didn’t satisfy the reporter, who then continued with a sharp question: “Do you think he poses a threat to your Golden Ball Award streak this year? He’s performed tremendously.”

“The Golden Ball Award evaluation process is very complex. I can’t judge.”

Messi slightly raised his eyebrows and said, “Let’s leave it to the professional judges. What we say isn’t authoritative.”

The reporter sat up straight and, hiding a knife in his smile, directly asked, “Do you think 18-year-old him is stronger than 18-year-old you?”

This question wasn’t easy to dodge because, very obviously, the 18-year-old Ma’el should be stronger than any star at 18. If Messi dodged again, media might label him as arrogant or unwilling to admit it.

Messi was silent for a while, finally nodding, “Yes, 18-year-old him is stronger than I was at that time. Back then, my worth was only around 20 million, and the gap with him is large.”

This report, once released, naturally caused countless Ma’el fans to share it and quickly gained high traction.

By noon the next day, amid the increasingly heated pre-match atmosphere of the Community Shield Cup, an interview snippet with Ronaldo also emerged, once again shifting most fans’ focus.

“Do you think 18-year-old Ma’el is stronger than you?” A reporter posed the same question to Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s reaction was almost identical to Messi’s; only he was somewhat prepared, with a shorter moment of silence, quickly nodding, “Yes…..!”

In just two days, getting acknowledgment and recognition from the dual stars one after the other.

This was enough to make Ma’el fans feel like it was New Year’s, and further fueled their anticipation for the upcoming game.

…

August 12, match day.

Arsenal’s team bus slowly drove out of the Korni Base, traveled through several streets, took a special detour around the city center, and then headed to Wembley Stadium.

“Hey, look quickly!”

“Over there too!”

As if suddenly seeing something, there was a commotion among the players on the bus, with many turning back with smiles to look at Ma’el.