Chapter 213 Isabella is Moving In! Sheffield's Gang's Surprises and Secrets! Long Shot lv5! New Era!
The revelry lasted until very late that day. The players were already seven or eight parts drunk during the celebrations on the field, and then they followed Van Persie to a nightclub to let loose.
A group of people shook their heads and drank foreign wine, forgetting everything and only remembering to celebrate. They chatted about everything under the sun, and they were already inseparable, possessing a special friendship.
Maël didn't remember when he completely passed out. He only remembered that Ta Zi Ge and Rosický and others fell asleep first, and he and Van Persie laughed at them for a long time, shoulder to shoulder.
After that, his consciousness entered chaos and darkness in a state of extreme excitement.
"Cough cough..."
When he regained consciousness, he felt a stinging pain in his throat, his mouth was dry, and his body seemed dehydrated.
But other than that, there was nothing else. It was much better than the headaches and stomachaches he had for a day or two after a hangover in his previous life. It should be because this body was strong and had a good metabolism.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar bedroom chandelier and ceiling, and immediately felt a lot more at ease.
Thinking about it, he must have been taken home by team members to rest after drinking until the end yesterday.
Maël supported himself with his left hand, wanting to turn over, but found that he touched a raised, soft place.
He suddenly turned his head and startled the person lying next to him.
It was Isabella. She woke up groggily, squinting at him, her face a little pale and a little dazed, but she still struggled to prop herself up.
"Awake?"
Her voice was very soft and light. After yawning, she squeezed out a smile, "Yesterday I was watching you in that bar, afraid of disturbing you and your teammates' celebration, so I didn't tell you.
"Later, you guys went into the private room and howled and sang karaoke, so I waited outside.
"It wasn't until after 2 a.m. that I saw there was no sound inside. After I went in, I found you were indeed lying asleep on the sofa."
There was a little blame on her face, and she pursed her thin lips and said, "You didn't tell me or anyone else in advance. Do you think that a superstar like you must have someone to take care of you and not be afraid of no one taking you home?
"Maybe so... But yesterday you know how crazy everyone was. I saw Mr. Wenger and Little Kroenke being carried out of the private room one after another.
"If I hadn't been watching you, you might have had to sleep there until 3 or 4 a.m., and then wait for the bar staff to help you contact someone to take you home."
Her tone was worried, "Too careless, sometimes you have to get used to taking care of yourself."
Maël lay on his side and looked at her, listening to her say so much... This feeling was very wonderful. A very familiar person suddenly appeared in front of you in another way, showing her soft side.
A special feeling welled up in his heart, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his hands couldn't help but hug her.
Isabella did not resist. A smile appeared on her pretty face. She got back into the quilt and lay down again, and also raised her head to let Maël's arm rest under her neck.
Perhaps from the moment she decided to stay here yesterday, she was ready to be more intimate with Maël.
She had also said a long time ago that when they were not busy, she would come and accompany him and enter a wonderful cohabitation life.
Maël wrapped his arms around Isabella, tightened his right hand around her slender waist, and a sense of security and satisfaction rose in his heart, and his heart beat faster... Just hugging her felt great.
"Giggle..." Isabella leaned in his arms and smiled, their bodies completely close together, feeling each other.
"I want to live here."
After a while, Isabella stared at Maël with silky eyes, raised her head and said coquettishly, "Do you agree? Our superstar athlete?"
"Don't call me that." Maël smiled and nodded, "Okay, as long as you want to, how can I refuse?"
"Hee hee." Isabella raised her chin, looking like she was thinking, "Then I have to buy some furniture, after all, if I want to live here, I have to try to live here for a longer time."
Maël raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "What are you saying... Are you still afraid that I will drive you away?"
"Yes."
Isabella pushed her forehead forward, gently touching Maël's forehead, "You have everything you want now, who knows if you will lose interest in me, or become interested in someone else? Of course, I'm still worried, but I still believe in you."
Maël chuckled, leaned over and kissed her for a while, and after feeling that Isabella was still very sleepy, he closed his eyes and hugged her to sleep together.
"Buzz..."
"Buzz..."
The phone vibrated from time to time, but he ignored it and just pressed the volume button to mute it.
The season had just ended, and he was physically and mentally exhausted. He would no longer care about any news or reports from the outside world. He just wanted to be quiet for a few days and relax leisurely.
They snuggled together and slept until a little after 2 PM before getting out of bed.
As Maël sat on the edge of the bed getting dressed, Isabella knelt behind him with a mischievous smile, her jade hands slowly wrapping around his neck and sliding downwards.
Their breathing grew heavy, and the atmosphere became increasingly intimate.
"Mmm!"
His body trembled slightly, and he turned to see Isabella playfully retreating, giggling happily. "Heh heh...!"
He, of course, wasn't one to be shy. He rolled back onto the bed, pulled her into his arms, and his hands began to wander.
Isabella's face flushed red, and she closed her eyes, tilting her head up for a kiss. "From now on, I'm yours. You're the first person I've ever loved, and the first I've ever wanted to give myself to."
"Mm!"
"Yes."
...
After a passionate interlude, they lay in each other's arms, bodies flushed, resting for a long time before getting dressed.
The blush on Isabella's face hadn't faded. She gazed at Maël with affection, knowing their relationship had entered a new phase.
"We should change the sheets."
"Okay, I'll have Safina... Ah, I'll change them myself tonight."
Maël, now dressed, smiled as he came to the bedside. He bent down, signaling Isabella to climb on, and she understood immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and jumping onto his back.
He carried Isabella downstairs, her sweet laughter filling the air.
Safina and Harry, seeing them in this state, wore knowing smiles, guessing that the house might soon have a new mistress.
"Mendes and Peter called us," Safina said, heading to the kitchen to prepare a meal for them. "You should call them back. It must be important."
"Okay."
Maël set Isabella down on the sofa, took out his phone, and scrolled through his contacts, ready to call Mendes.
"Ding-dong." The doorbell rang, and he paused, guessing it might be Mendes.
But when Harry opened the door, he saw Peter and Emilia standing there. He also remembered that today was the last round of La Liga, and Mendes should have flown back to Spain to see Ronaldo.
Drinking too much really does make you forget things. His mind was a bit foggy, and he seemed to have forgotten all timelines.
"Come in, please."
He stood up and invited them in, returning to Isabella's side after they were seated.
Peter looked at them and smiled. "We've come to express our congratulations and best wishes. Yesterday was a wonderful day."
"As you can imagine, Arsenal and you will dominate the major social media platforms for the next few days."
"On the way here, I noticed that programs on BBC and Sky Sports, among other platforms, are running non-stop, all reporting on you."
"Alan Shearer, Lineker, Gareth Speed, Henry, Bergkamp, and others have all appeared on the shows. The buzz is unprecedented."
Maël chuckled and nodded, taking out his phone to check his Twitter and Facebook followers. He saw that the growth rate yesterday and today was extremely rapid, with each platform gaining over 3 million followers.
The total number of followers on both platforms had already exceeded 26 million. It was likely that they would each break through 35 million or even 40 million with this surge in traffic.
His advertising and endorsement fees should also rise accordingly, reaching new heights!
He was one step closer to his goal of £2 million per post.
After looking at this, Maël tossed his phone aside and looked up. "I just want to rest these few days. I don't want to pay too much attention to these things. I need to clear my head."
"I understand."
Peter nodded, accepted the tea Harry brought, and revealed the real reason for their visit. "Emilia and I weren't planning to disturb you, but we were afraid you'd go on vacation soon, so we wanted to confirm a few things in advance."
"The European Cup is about to start, and immediately after that, we have to prepare for the new season."
"Overall, the newspaper still has many unresolved or uncertain matters that we need to consult with you about."
Emilia smiled apologetically. She had dressed carefully for the occasion, but didn't know Isabella would be there. Her expression and movements had been a little awkward since she came in.
She didn't have any thoughts of poaching Maël, but... when a woman she greatly admired appeared before her, she couldn't help but feel inferior and a little nervous.
She worried for a moment if her hair was messy, then if her lipstick was too light, and then if she seemed too unhurried and dignified.
Maël glanced at her, noticing her unusual behavior, but didn't comment.
He nodded to Peter and said, "Continue, don't worry about interrupting me. Chatting with friends isn't tiring."
"First, there's the issue of the European Cup press pass, its level, and specific permissions."
Peter smiled, spreading his hands. "I think we need to clarify this as soon as possible so we can discuss the filming plan and prepare all kinds of equipment in advance."
"You know, being able to enter the press conference is completely different from being able to enter the stadium, or even the locker room."
After listening, Maël thought for a moment and decided to call Deschamps to ask.
He walked out, dialed Deschamps' number, stretched, and the call was answered immediately.
"I'm guessing it's not about Football," Deschamps' voice was sly, as if he had seen through everything.
"You guessed right."
Maël couldn't help but chuckle and exchange a few pleasantries before explaining the purpose of his call and asking if he could help confirm the matter.
"I can decide this."
Deschamps gave him a boost of confidence first, then joked, "It's not just you who's been busy these past few months, I've been busy too. I've streamlined the French Team's departments and filled them with people I trust."
"Now I can make all the decisions for this team."
"Uh, let me think, since you're coming directly to me about this, you must want to get the maximum permissions?"
"That's right."
"Okay, but I want to ask, what will I and the French Team get?"
"A super striker who supports you and will give his all on the field."
"Haha... that's tempting. I agree, your newspaper can enter the locker room for on-the-ground filming and get all press permissions."
The smile on Maël's face deepened. "Thanks, see you in a while then."
"By the way," he suddenly had a new idea, "Why don't we collaborate on a documentary?"
"A documentary?"
Deschamps' tone was puzzled. After he realized what Maël meant, he laughed and said, "I understand what you mean, like making a video like the 'Spain European Cup Victory Documentary'?"
"Sure, I have no objections, but if it's a long video, you'll have to pay the French Football Association about 400,000 euros for image rights, to symbolically buy the team's image rights."
"And you have to be prepared that if we don't win the championship, this kind of documentary won't be broadcast, and that money will be wasted."
"I understand."
Maël was overjoyed and chatted with Deschamps for a few more words before hanging up.
The idea of filming a documentary was partly to record his journey in his first major tournament, and partly to make Football Record famous and profitable.
If the French Team doesn't win the championship, there's nothing to say, but if they do win, this kind of documentary will be extremely attractive to fans.
Not just to French Team fans, but to other passionate fans as well.
They want to understand how a champion team progresses step by step to the throne, how the players react when they encounter setbacks and difficulties, and how they celebrate when they win and advance to the next round.
It can be said that as long as the French Team wins the championship, this kind of documentary will definitely become popular all over the world!
Football Record can broadcast it themselves first, making their name more resounding and authoritative in the world of Football, and then sell the broadcasting rights to film and television platforms around the world, making the company a fortune.
"For me and the other players in the French Team, this is also a motivation."
Maël murmured to himself, starting to film the documentary in advance can show their ambition and confidence in the championship, which will make him and the other players subconsciously more eager for the championship.
From any point of view, it's worth trying with 400,000 euros.
As long as he has this idea and Deschamps is willing to give him face and give him the opportunity to film, then why not? Walking back into the room, Maël had a happy smile on his face, which made Peter and Emilia guess the result and exchange a smile.
"Not only all permissions, but we can also film a documentary."
Maël told them the good news, and talked about his ideas.
The more they listened, the brighter their eyes became, and in the end they couldn't help but clap their hands and cheer. They looked at Maël with even more surprise and admiration.
"Not just the French Team either."
After saying everything, Maël stood up and elaborated, "With the experience gained this time, next season, we'll also film a documentary for Arsenal.
"I believe Arsenal's performance this season is enough to convince everyone that they will definitely be strong contenders for various championships next season. We can follow them from the beginning of the season to the end."
Anticipation appeared in his eyes, "It just depends, when it comes to naming it, whether it's a 'Double Crown' record, a 'Triple Crown' record, or even more."
"Great!" Peter clapped his hands again, making the company's future development path much clearer.
He also believed that this path would definitely be a broad road, and the newspaper would flourish, maintaining the rapid growth of last season.
Think about the European Cup first-hand reporting resources + the opportunity to film a documentary for the French Team; the 'Maël' and 'Arsenal' column programs + the opportunity to film a championship record for Arsenal.
With such good resources and so many opportunities, if they couldn't take the newspaper to the next level, how bad would their operations have to be? "It's simply unbelievable."
Emilia also sighed, she hadn't thought that they would have work to do again, and such desirable work at that.
One could imagine how much traffic and attention they would get after the documentaries were broadcast if the French Team and Arsenal could win the championship next season! After discussing this, the two got up to say goodbye, they had to hurry back to plan the filming.
The boss had given them so much, they certainly had to show their attitude, otherwise, wouldn't they be letting Maël down.
"Wait a moment."
Maël smiled and stopped the two. After partying with his teammates from the club yesterday, it was time to celebrate with his family and friends today, which was essential.
"There's a party at my place today, stay and join us." He extended an invitation to the two.
Peter and Emilia exchanged glances, stopped, and turned around, clearly tempted. The opportunity to celebrate with a double-crowned star was rare.
"Come on." Maël smiled and invited again, gesturing for the two to sit down first, as he had to go out to make calls and invite people.
"Okay."
Peter agreed, sitting on the sofa with his hands on his knees, his face full of joy, "This is really flattering, making me feel apprehensive, haha..."
Compared to Maël's team members and other friends, their relationship with Maël was not that close, and they had never had private gatherings outside of work.
Having the opportunity to attend a party together this time would indeed give them an unexpected feeling.
Emilia took out her phone, turned on the camera, and checked her makeup back and forth, "I'm going to take pictures and post them on Twitter later, to make others envious."
"Me too." Isabella also smiled and raised her hand. She glanced at Maël's back, feeling an impulse to officially announce their relationship.
However, Maël was a public figure, and she had to get his consent for this kind of thing.
"Yes, afternoon meal time."
Outside the door, Maël picked up the phone and first invited his uncle Clermont's family, "Let Ava and the others eat less for now, there will be a lot of delicious food tonight.
"Okay, that's it then, I'm going to call others, see you in the afternoon."
Next, he thought for a moment and called Hans, "Hi, is Mr. Wenger holding a party today?"
"No, Wenger rarely drinks. He needs to recover after drinking yesterday. He said he'll invite everyone in a few days."
"Then come to my place."
"Really?!"
"Yes, bring your wife and children with you, around meal time in the afternoon."
"Okay! But my child is not on vacation, so it may only be me and my wife."
"No problem!"
After Maël hung up the phone, he thought of Gilbert. He pulled up their message history, a few faint glimmers of disappointment passing through his eyes.
After yesterday's league match, the other party had not contacted him. In fact, Gilbert had been out of touch since the EFL Cup final, as if he had disappeared.
Could it be that after a season of fighting alone, there had been changes in his personality again? Maël shook his head, wondering if he should make a call to ask if he was in London and if he wanted to attend the party.
While hesitating, he saw Pepino, Mendes' agent in the UK's phone number, dialed it, and started inviting others first.
Pepino had also helped him a lot this season. Although they rarely met, their relationship had always been good.
Since Mendes couldn't come, he would let him represent him, which was also an expression of gratitude for his contributions.
"Haha... Don't be so surprised, get ready and come over."
Maël was chatting with Pepino when suddenly his eyes flickered, locking onto the end of the road.
There, a white pickup truck screeched around the corner, and through the window, he could see two people in the driver and passenger seats smiling at him, with another head quickly popping up in the middle.
He knew this car well because he and Gilbert had taken it to Sheffield!
It was Joelson's car!
This middle-aged trendy man, who had already been promoted to assistant coach of a Premier League team, was now driving the car full of memories, carrying Gareth Speed and Gilbert to see him!
Maël opened his mouth wide, a feeling of surprise filling his entire body, causing his hand holding the phone to tremble slightly, and his tear ducts to open uncontrollably.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
He hung up the phone, put it in his pocket, and stood there waiting for the three of them to approach.
As the vehicle slowly came to a stop, the back door opened first, and Gilbert, dressed in casual clothes, jumped out with a big laugh, put his hands in his pockets, and leisurely approached Maël.
"What's up?"
Gilbert glanced at Maël, noticing the very interesting expression on his face. "Did you guess we were coming? Waiting for us here in advance? It seems we really have a telepathic connection; I wanted to give you a surprise."
He walked up, a strong sense of longing in his eyes, as it had been three months since they last met.
*"Bang!"* Maël clenched his fist and punched the other man's arm before smiling, opening his arms, and embracing him.
"I spoke with Mr. Wenger yesterday," Gilbert said, resting his chin on Maël's shoulder, his emotions becoming complicated as he began to sob. "I'm coming back next season; there will be a place for me in the First Team."
"I'm sorry, I can't control my emotions. I spent two years in Sheffield, and I'm very reluctant to leave, but I also really want to fight alongside you. That was my goal before I left."
Maël patted his back, his face moved. "Come back, we agreed to achieve the greatest success."
"Yeah!" Gilbert nodded, then walked towards the house to greet Isabella and the others.
"Mr. Double Crown!"
The second one to get out was Joelson, who waved enthusiastically at Maël. "Long time no see! Sheffield United was beaten badly by you this season."
"Haha...!"
Maël laughed, pointing at him and saying, "I was considerate enough not to celebrate that wonderful goal that won the Puskas Award."
Joelson also smiled, coming up to hug Maël tightly, sighing, "Even though I'm at Sheffield United, I'm still proud of the success you've achieved. I'm sure you can understand that."
"Bringing you to Sheffield United was the most successful choice I've ever made. I witnessed the entire growth process of a superstar!"
Maël nodded; he had always been grateful to Joelson. Without Joelson, he wouldn't have grown so quickly.
Finally, Gareth Speed walked up with a radiant expression, smiling at Maël, unsure of what to say, before embracing him.
"I really miss you."
After hugging for a while, he finally spoke, "It's been a long time since I've hugged you like this, and we rarely talk privately."
"Yeah," Maël said with a mischievous smile, "So little that I haven't even had the chance to ask you about that secret you said you were going to tell me."
"Haha..." Speed chuckled dryly, not avoiding the topic. "I already told the world that secret on the BBC program today, which can be considered fulfilling my promise to you."
"As for what it is, go watch it yourself. It's too cheesy; I refuse to say it to your face."
Maël nodded, gesturing for them to go inside, then picked up his phone and started searching for the BBC program.
He didn't have to search for long because the news was already the top story on BBC.
"During the period right after retiring, I couldn't accept walking off the football field. I felt a strong sense of separation, which made me very distressed."
"Even though I tried to become a coach and stay in the football industry, nothing improved, especially when I faced the huge pressure of transitioning. My wife and I even had intense conflicts."
"Under internal and external troubles, I suffered from severe anxiety and depression and once thought about ending my life."
"But I think Maël helped me change all of this; he gave me hope to live on."
"He not only gave me hope for the team (Sheffield United) and my own future but also gave me hope for his future. I look forward to the day he becomes the best."
"Yes, I fell in love with him; I was deeply attracted to him, hahaha...! You can think of me as his fanatic fan."
"You often say that Maël gives people hope and is the strength of others."
"But I think you don't understand how strong this hope is and what this strength will help those who are going through the low points in their lives."
"Maybe it's a bit cheesy to say, but he saved my life. I didn't really need to say all this, but I promised him, so, so today I'm trying to shed my shell and open my heart."
Maël closed his phone and walked towards his house, muttering, "It is pretty cheesy."
Not long after, at the agreed time, he arrived outside his house to wait for the guests to arrive.
The first to arrive was Pepino, who was probably the most surprised, so he prepared the earliest, fearing being late the most.
"I'm truly honored." Pepino, wearing a casual suit, came up and took out a Patek Philippe bag. "A watch, just a small token of my appreciation. I picked it out myself."
Maël took it and opened it, his eyes lighting up after a glance. "Very nice, thanks."
"You're welcome." He grinned. "You've been a huge surprise this season. The level of surprise is no less than the fact that you would actually invite me."
"Haha!" The two embraced and laughed, then entered the living room together.
It was already lively in here. The Sheffield trio were sitting on the sofa chatting, the five members of Maël's team were busily preparing the decorations needed for the party, and Isabella was buying wine.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Pepino asked, seeing that everyone was busy, looking at Maël.
"No, no, no."
Maël invited him to sit down. "Just sit here, wait a bit. I'll go greet the others, and we'll start soon."
"Okay." Pepino smiled and sat down, taking out his phone to look at it.
Maël went out again and soon saw Hans coming with a flushed face, his wife holding his arm, looking a little nervous and restrained.
After Hans exchanged greetings with Maël, he took out a small package, which probably contained some small handmade items. "These are made by my wife. She's very interested in handicrafts, and these are her most satisfying works.
"She was worried all the way here that you wouldn't like them, but I don't think you will."
"Of course." Maël took the gift, looked through it a few times, and raised his eyebrows. "They're all very beautiful, I like them very much. I'll put them in the living room."
Hans's wife couldn't stop smiling. Like others who came here for the first time, she pointed at the house with a look of surprise and said, "Your place is so big and beautiful, and the surrounding environment is also very beautiful."
"She's hinting that I'm useless." Hans said jokingly, quickly receiving a slap on his arm.
Maël looked back and smiled. "I'm planning to buy this place. You can come over and play often in the future."
"Okay." Hans nodded with a smile, leading his wife inside.
Just as they entered, the Clermont family's car arrived, and Ava jumped out of the car in one stride, bouncing towards Maël.
"You're always the first."
Maël looked at her, found the right moment, and picked her up, turning around and rushing into the house. "Come on, let me give you a taste of speed and passion!"
There was naturally no need for tedious greetings between family members, no need to greet them one by one outside the door.
"Giggle!" Ava was both surprised and laughing. After entering the room, she wanted to break free from Maël to find her sister when she saw Isabella.
Maël looked at the increasingly crowded living room, smiled contentedly, and went to the kitchen to check on Safina's progress.
"Almost done, almost done."
Safina was sweating profusely, and Harry and Davis were helping her, the two little chefs doing the cooking in a professional manner.
"Davis." Maël looked at Davis and joked, "I didn't expect you to have this kind of skill. Are you interested in squeezing Safina out of her position?"
Old Davis was about to smile and say yes, but after seeing Safina's warning look, he reluctantly raised his eyebrows and closed his mouth.
"Haha...!" A burst of laughter rang out here. This seemed to be the main theme of the day, everyone was very happy.
Half an hour later, everyone was sitting at the dining table, with cutlery and wine glasses set in front of them.
Safina, dressed as a cook, held foreign wine and red wine in her hands, constantly asking everyone's tastes and pouring wine for everyone. She must be multitasking today.
When it was Maël's turn, she didn't even ask and poured the foreign wine in with a smile. "It's rare to have two days off, you have to drink something strong."
Maël smiled 'helplessly' with happiness. After seeing Safina finish pouring for him, he got up and took the foreign wine. "Come on, you've been so much trouble today, let me pour it for you."
"I want to drink red wine."
"No, you don't."
Safina: "..."
Soon, everyone had a glass of wine in their glasses, and everyone tacitly raised their glasses.
"Cheers!!"
"To Maël!"
"Let's get wasted!"
"It's an honor for all of us to share the glory of the double crown with him. Come on, a few more drinks!"
"Haha, are you crazy?!"
"..."
This gathering didn't seem to need anyone to liven up the atmosphere. Right from the start, it was lively and bustling, with everyone laughing and sharing in Maël's joy.
Maël looked at them, as if he had returned to yesterday. His emotions were stirred, and he quickly drank a lot of wine.
"Hoo!"
He opened his heart and spoke at length with everyone, sharing all the unforgettable moments of joy from the past year with his friends and family, and also laughing about things that might have seemed like setbacks at the time.
Such a moment of great reunion is rare.
He cherishes it, and hopes that at the end of his career, he can also invite everyone he has met along the way to sit together and talk about everything that has happened.
"Wuhu!"
"How does that song the fans always sing go? Dang dang dang dang... I have a friend! Haha!"
"Come on, come on! Everyone together!"
"Raise a glass to Maël!"
The atmosphere at the scene remained high until after nine o'clock in the evening. Pepino and Davis, who were older, were the first to give out and go home to sleep.
Then came Safina and Isabella, Clermont and Betty, and others, who, after drinking too much, sat by the sofa chatting and eating fruit platters, no longer sitting with the crowd.
Finally, when the Sheffield trio also couldn't hold on any longer, Maël knew it was time to end the day.
He stood up, walking a little unsteadily, but still insisted on seeing everyone to the door.
"We're going to stay in a hotel. I'm going to be on the BBC program tomorrow."
Gilbert waved to Maël, his face flushed, and shrugged with a slightly helpless expression, "Yeah, still talking about you. Everyone's gone crazy these days. Why don't you go take a look?"
"No need."
Maël smiled and shook his head. He felt that this kind of life was good, away from the hustle and bustle, only with people he trusted and was close to.
"Bye!" Gareth Speed had drunk a lot of wine and could barely walk with Joelson's support, before getting into the back seat of the car.
Maël waved goodbye to him, standing there waiting for them to leave, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
He wondered when everyone would meet here again next time, hoping it wouldn't be too late.
"Buzz buzz!" The sound of the car starting rang out. Joelson sat in the car, ignited the engine, turned on the headlights, took something from the front desk, and walked down again, standing by the car.
He took out his sunglasses and awkwardly put them on, almost poking himself in the eye.
"Oh!" Maël laughed and pointed at him, knowing that Joelson wanted to do something lively here again.
"Hahaha!" Joelson laughed lewdly a few times, sticking out his slightly bulging belly, imitating that day, "Get in the car, boys, don't dislike my broken pickup truck, you'll be comfortable after you get to the high-speed rail station."
Maël looked at him, wanting to laugh out loud at this comical scene, but couldn't help but feel his eyes turn red.
He waved vigorously, saying goodbye to the others, "See you next time, I hope we all get better."
Gilbert had almost the same expression. He turned to look at Maël, raised his chin and said, "Maël, I'm getting in the car, but this time you and I won't be traveling together, I'm going to walk ahead of you!"
Maël knew that he was blaming him for not walking with him this year.
He let out a long breath and promised, "Don't regret it, I've said it countless times, greater success is waiting for you and me ahead."
As he had countless times before, Gilbert turned back with a smile, pointed at Maël and winked, "I believe you! Brother!"
Maël turned around smartly, as if not wanting them to see his expression, only waving goodbye to everyone with his back to them, and then walked into the house.
Time flies, and each of them will remember this day, and smile knowingly whenever they think of it.
Soon after, he sent away all his friends and family, and watched the team members enter the house.
Maël picked up Isabella, who was waiting for him on the sofa, and laughed, "Now it's just the two of us."
"What should we do?"
"There's only one thing to do."
In the following days, Maël gradually adjusted and focused his attention on the upcoming European Cup, and he also restarted his extra training plan.
Without the constraints of the schedule, he could spend the whole day improving himself.
With a foundation of lv4 in Stamina, as long as he ensured that the training plan was reasonable, he wouldn't feel too tired.
The proficiency of each skill also began to soar. He didn't get hung up on trying to improve everything together, but instead focused more on practicing Long Shot, which was about to reach lv5.
The arrival of the first lv5 skill was coming soon!
"Clang, clang!"
Isabella had been living at his house for the past few days, and every day she brought a lot of things, including her daily necessities and all kinds of small furniture she liked.
Maël was a little worried at first, but after a few days, he found that the house not only didn't look cluttered, but was instead well-organized, more and more beautiful, and the living experience was getting better and better.
It must be said that everyone has their own strengths, and this was precisely Isabella's specialty. She could indeed decorate the house very well.
"This is just too beautiful! It has a great sense of artistic design!"
"Harry, what do you think?"
"Yeah, it's very good!"
"I feel the same way."
His team members also provided Isabella with a lot of emotional value, making her full of energy every day, happily decorating every corner.
On May 21st, Maël made up his mind and called Pepino, "You were the one who helped me find this house. Help me contact the landlord, I want to buy it."
"Our rental contract stated that if I wanted to buy it within 2 years, I could buy it directly for £12 million."
"Also, help me find someone to evaluate the house and see its specific value, and whether this deal is worthwhile."
"Okay," Pepino agreed, "I'll find someone to evaluate it, and if there's a need for negotiation, I can take care of it."
After hanging up the phone, Maël simply calculated his savings. After the team bonuses, Puma bonuses, and other endorsement bonuses at the end of the season were paid out, his savings should have exceeded £22 million.
When he spoke with Mendes a few days ago, the other party said that there would be more endorsements and advertisements before the European Cup. By then, his wealth should easily exceed £28 million.
Buying this house outright was no problem, and he would still have more than £10 million to spend.
This season was indeed very fruitful, with success in all areas. His earning power and total income far exceeded his imagination.
He wondered if there would be another significant increase next season.
Without thinking too much, Maël threw himself back into training. The French Team's gathering date was May 28th, and he should be able to upgrade Long Shot before then.
Keep working hard, the first lv5 skill must make its debut on the European Cup stage! On May 25th, Maël received the press pass and cooperation agreement invitation sent by Deschamps, and he asked José to drive it to the newspaper office.
At the same time, at the bottom of this package, he also saw a schedule of the French Team in the European Cup.
"Fourth-tier team."
Seeing the introduction at the beginning, he was a little surprised that the French Team was actually classified as a fourth-tier team in the group stage, which was the weakest tier.
Even though Poland and Ukraine each occupied a first-tier spot as hosts, the French Team's international points were a bit too low.
It seemed that after Zidane left, the team's match results had been continuously declining due to the changing of the guard and internal strife.
Deschamps later brought the team back to the top three, which was a real skill.
Without thinking too much, he looked at the schedule. On June 1st, they would have a friendly match with Serbia, followed by a friendly match with Estonia on June 6th.
After that, the European Cup would directly begin. In the first round of the group stage, they would face the Three Lions England, with the match date being June 12th.
In the second round, their opponent would be the Ukraine team, with the date being June 16th.
In the third round, they would face the Sweden team, with the date being June 20th.
After the three rounds of the group stage, if they entered the knockout stage, the quarter-finals would be played on June 23-24, the semi-finals would be played on June 28-29, and the final would be played on July 2.
A relatively stable four days per match, but on the schedule, it was actually considered intensive combat. In the later stages, the strength of each team's willpower and cohesion was also a key factor in determining the outcome.
Thinking of the European Cup's fervor, Maël's face showed a few traces of anticipation. This was a quadrennial football extravaganza that would attract attention from all over the world.
If he could deliver outstanding performances here, his influence and fame would reach a new level!
May 26th, 2 days before the assembly day, and only 1 day left until departure.
That afternoon during training, Maël's legs, along with his feet, hips, and even his waist and shoulders, felt stiff and numb.
It wasn't very painful, but it was extremely itchy, even unbearably itchy.
Having anticipated the upgrade time and this situation, he was training alone, which allowed him to lie down on the ground with some dignity, gritting his teeth and holding on.
A few minutes later, as the indescribable discomfort slowly faded, his forehead was already covered in sweat, but a very happy smile appeared on his face.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The loud laughter echoed throughout the training ground. Maël, like a 'Fan Jin passing the imperial exam,' stood up, breathing in the fresh air, opening his chest, as if everything had changed and he had entered a new life.
Long Shot leveled up!
The era of lv5 has arrived!
[Skill: Tomahawk Cannon lv5]
[Proficiency: (Max/Max)]
[Effect: After countless practice kicks, one day you suddenly have a wonderful feeling, as if breaking shackles and reaching a new level! Long Shot ability has truly reached its peak, reaching a perfect state!!]
"It's done! I did it!"
"Hahaha!!"
Maël sprinted to the edge of the penalty area and suddenly unleashed a kick, seeing the football smash into the dead corner like a cannonball, with a force and smoothness never before seen.
He stood on his tiptoes and moved his ankles a few times, wanting to ask, European Cup goalkeepers, are you ready?
ps: This volume's matches are tight and dense, and are likely to be much more exciting than the previous volume, with more highlights.
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