26: Chapter 26 Liu Haocun: I will continue to like Yu Bai!

After the match, on the way to the locker room, Kyle Walker waited for Yu Bai and threw an arm around his neck: "Hey! Kid, you got past me cleanly only once, so let's call it a draw! I'll still treat you to dinner, but you don't get to order—whatever I say we eat, we eat, okay?"

"Fair!"

Yu Bai smiled and gave Kyle Walker a thumbs up.

The two exchanged a look and burst into laughter simultaneously. The laughter was hearty, carrying the thrill of their head-to-head battle on the pitch and the mutual respect forged between men after a clash.

...

This expensive Argentine barbecue feast was definitely worth it.

At the dinner table, Kyle Walker was no longer the ferocious defensive warrior from the pitch, but a nagging yet sincere big brother.

He told Yu Bai a lot of "experienced" advice: how to deal with the media, how to communicate with the coaching staff, how to spot the "traps" in contracts with clubs and agents, and even where to find a reliable barber in London (he had been complaining about Yu Bai's hairstyle for a long time).

There was sincere guidance and serious warnings.

Listening to him, Yu Bai felt warm inside and truly regarded Kyle Walker as a trustworthy big brother.

Returning to the Thompson home, after greeting the excited Susan, the "I knew it" faced David Thompson, the smiling Grandma Margaret, and the bright-eyed Chloe, Yu Bai returned to his room on the third floor. He dialed Jonathan Barnett's number.

The call connected, and Yu Bai concisely stated his intention: he hoped the agent would push for the finalization of his formal professional contract with Tottenham as soon as possible and start looking for a suitable loan destination.

After listening, Barnett burst into hearty laughter on the other end of the line.

"Yu, kid, I understand what you mean."

Barnett's voice was full of confidence, "Tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon at the latest, I'll go to the club and get this settled. Trust me, it's as easy as taking a lollipop from a baby. You can rest easy."

"Are you that sure the club will agree?"

Yu Bai was a bit skeptical if this confidence was over the top.

"Of course," Barnett's voice carried unquestionable certainty, "Because I am Jonathan Barnett."

Yu Bai: "..."

"Hahaha," Barnett laughed again, "Alright, no more jokes. My real confidence comes from your performance on the training ground this afternoon. Kid, you ran Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier—our two top right-backs at Tottenham—around in circles during the team scrimmage. Your attacking ability has proven that you can completely threaten the defense of Tottenham, and even any team in the Premier League! Do you know what this means?"

Before Yu Bai could answer, Barnett used his highly inflammatory tone to answer his own question:

"It means that now, immediately, your name will be marked as 'key observation' or even 'attempt to inquire' on the scout reports of many Premier League teams! If you can easily threaten Tottenham's defense, you can threaten the defense of any team in the Premier League! This is your biggest bargaining chip!"

He paused, his tone shifting to a shrewd calculation: "Taking a step back, even if the Tottenham top brass suddenly has a short circuit and doesn't agree to our terms, so what? We don't even have to sign this formal contract with them; we can directly trigger the termination clause. Then, I will help you find a Premier League mid-to-lower table team that can guarantee your playing time and is suitable for your development. Go there to level up first and accumulate top-League experience. The future? Returning to a giant club, or joining Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Bayern Munich—it will all come naturally!"

Yu Bai was a bit dazed, the picture painted was so big and round: "Thank you, Mr. Barnett. The picture you painted smells delicious, but please don't paint it next time."

"Hehe," Barnett laughed triumphantly, "Don't worry, that record-breaking transfer of Gareth Bale has kept my relationship with the Tottenham top brass quite good. Your request is reasonable and not excessive at all. Wait for my good news."

Hanging up the phone, Yu Bai let out a long sigh of relief.

Taking the initiative to let Barnett urge the contract and loan matters was Kyle Walker's suggestion at the dinner table.

This wasn't a lack of confidence in his own competition at Tottenham, but about mastering the initiative.

By finalizing the contract first, he would have a firmer foundation and bargaining capital. At the same time, letting the agent start looking for a next club meant having a "Plan B."

By then, even if Mauricio Pochettino remained cautious and didn't give him a chance, he would have a good fallback option, and the goal was clear—it must be the Premier League! The EFL Championship? EFL League One? In the face of that "Four-choice-one Superstar Skill" temptation from the system, they had already been completely ruled out by him!

Even if it meant going to a mid-to-lower tier Premier League team, it was still the Premier League!

Just as Yu Bai was reviewing everything that happened today in his mind and planning a blurry yet bright future, his phone screen lit up, and an unread text message notification popped up.

Sender: Cunzi.

Yu Bai's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and he quickly clicked on it.

[Cunzi: Internet brother, the person I like seems to have become even more amazing. But I feel like I'm getting further and further away from him.]

The corners of Yu Bai's mouth couldn't stop rising, harder to suppress than an AK.

[Yu Bai: Oh? How amazing? Tell me about it.]

[Cunzi: Didn't you watch the sports news? He seems to have only used 3 matches to jump from the youth team, and he's about to become an official member of the first team.]

[Cunzi: And me, I even have to hesitate for a long time just to send him a congratulatory text, afraid of disturbing him, afraid he'll think I'm annoying. In the end, I didn't dare to send it.]

[Cunzi: Do you think, when he really becomes a big star known to everyone in the future, will there still be... a tiny bit of possibility for me and him?]

Yu Bai looked at the text on the screen, his fingertips paused on the phone screen for a moment, and then, with a smile, he earnestly typed out a reply.

[Yu Bai: Isn't your dream to become a good actress? That's perfect! A big star & a big football star, a match made in heaven!]

[Cunzi: Hmm! You're right! Bye-bye! I'm going to go all out for next year's college entrance exam! I must get first place! I must get into the Beijing Dance Academy! I will continue to like him! I won't give up!]

Putting down the phone, Liu Haocun, thousands of miles away, faced the mirror and forcefully exhaled a breath of turbid air that had been pressing on her chest.

Every time she felt a little inferior or uneasy because of the person who had lived in her heart since she was young, chatting with this "Internet brother" whom she had never met but who always comforted her just right, her mood would always clear up. This time was no exception.

"Go practice dancing!"

"Liu Haocun, you must work hard to become the brightest big star! Otherwise, how will you be qualified to stand by his side in the future?"

"He is sooner or later going to be a big star for Tottenham, no, for the entire football world! You must, must work twice as hard!"

She gave herself a full-of-energy self-motivation to the person in the mirror, and suddenly felt full of strength, as if she had endless energy.

On the other side, in the third-floor room in Enfield, London, Yu Bai hummed an off-key tune and walked into the bathroom. The warm water washed over his body, taking away the fatigue and gradually relaxing his excited nerves.

A thought flashed through his mind without warning:

"The '32-year-old me' the system mentioned..."

"That 'me' who struggled in the entertainment industry and finally regretted not persisting with football..."

"In that 'future'..."

"Why wasn't she there?"