I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s transfers have already ”filled” many people, with the consecutive signings of two Ballon d’Or winners making fans feel like nothing in this world could stir their emotions again.

Their hearts are at peace; other football news cannot create any ripples in their sea of emotions.

Just when everyone was in a ”Buddha-like” state, far away in Spain, Real Madrid dropped a bombshell that slapped all the ”Buddha-like” fans in the face.

Shouting, ”F you, MB, get up and party!”

Various reports are flying around abroad, while at home, eager Chinese football fans have received an even stranger story, with some rumors suggesting ”Chen Zhong is Florentino’s illegitimate child” and the like...

This news is already outrageous enough.

But the issue is, there are still people who believe such news.

Chen Zhong silences his phone every night when he sleeps and discusses this matter with no one because he knows how much of a stir revealing it would cause.

Florentino, of course, understands this too, so he didn’t directly offer Chen Zhong a 12 million Euro contract right when he returned, but instead dangled this ”carrot” in front of Chen Zhong.

If Chen Zhong’s performance is outstanding enough, then there would be no problem with a 12 million annual salary, the top salary within the team. With his performance on the field and the leadership position he has established in the locker room, as long as there is no internal turmoil, outside voices are just ”fleeting clouds.”

However, what Florentino didn’t expect was that this matter was leaked by the media.

Some TV stations and websites even posted recordings of Florentino, solidifying the truth of this matter.

In the edited recording, Florentino’s voice is very clear, giving the impression that because Chen Zhong’s birthday is coming up, Florentino decided to offer Chen Zhong the highest salary in the team and possibly the world.

As for phrases like ”this is just a contingency plan,” ”this is not the final number,” ”we need a performance worthy of this offer,” all these were edited out.

In the media frenzy, there is an odd sense that Real Madrid is in a state of fragmentation.

Some tabloids even carried headlines like, ”Players dissatisfied demanding a salary raise,” ”C. Ronaldo demands his salary to rise to 13 million Euros,” ”Kaka unhappy his salary would be lower than Chen’s.”

Early in the morning, even his parents called urgently to inquire.

”Son, is the club offering you 12 million Euros a year?”

Father’s voice was somewhat heavy, but the mother’s voice was filled with delight: ”Oh my! Our son has made it, getting a 6-fold salary increase.”

”Don’t speak just yet, can you really accept this salary?”

”Why can’t my son accept this salary?”

The two argued for a bit, and the father gave the mother an example, even using phrases like ”virtue not deserving of the position” to describe Chen Zhong, while also showing her the freshly released news articles highlighting the online controversy.

”Son.” Mother’s voice turned serious: ”Our family isn’t in need of money now, we shouldn’t be craving for that wage, leading a stable life is enough.”

”Listen to your mother.” The father also chimed in from the side: ”You’re grown up and should have your own perceptions, but for this matter, you should still listen to your parents.”

Chen Zhong bit his lip, quietly listening to his parents’ nagging over the phone. Their point was clear: such a ”dangerous” affair should be avoided, quietly making a fortune is the way to go.

Only after about half an hour did Chen Zhong have a chance to speak.

”Mom, Dad.”

”If the club is willing to offer me this salary, I will accept it.”

”If others think I don’t deserve this salary, I will strive to make them think otherwise.”

”This is no longer just about salary,” Chen Zhong scratched his head, not knowing how to explain the situation at Real Madrid now.

After Florentino came on board, Real Madrid underwent a grand purge from top to bottom.

The original Dutch group, even players like Robben, who had a good relationship with Chen Zhong, were cleared out, and players like Van Nistelrooy and Sneijder were sold off for cash.

And the big brothers of the Spanish native and youth training faction were swept aside, with Raul and Guti set to leave. Ramos did not come from Real Madrid’s youth academy, so his prestige was a bit lacking, and if Casillas were a couple of years younger, Chen Zhong would have had no chance competing with him. But the issue is, now the younger generation has rallied around Chen Zhong.

In other words, out of the 17 confirmed in the first-team squad, Dudek wouldn’t take sides, and Rafael van der Vaart is a peripheral figure, lacking interest in aligning either way; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Albiol, even if he’s neutral.

Among the remaining players, Negredo, Higuain, Callejon, Parejo, Granero, Torres, Marcelo, and Pepe are firmly behind Chen Zhong. There may be some internal competition, like between Negredo and Higuain.

But if Chen Zhong were to make a move, they would all provide support for him, and even Kaka, Albiol, or Benzema, for various reasons, would ultimately side with Chen Zhong.