Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
Leverkusen is a small town, or rather, an industrial park disguised as a city.
With a population of 160,000, it's smaller than a district in a fourth or fifth-tier city in China.
Therefore, the entire small city couldn't find a single five-star hotel.
When talking with representatives from Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Chelsea, Jorge Mendes could only rent the meeting room of the BayArena stadium hotel.
This hotel is an asset of Bayer Leverkusen, with its main body directly embedded in the North Stand of the BayArena.
When playing at home, the Bayer Leverkusen team would stay here.
Even the meeting room where Lance discussed his new contract these past two days was the same one the coaching staff used for tactical meetings.
Hooking up with the football directors of other clubs within his own club's hotel, Lance felt a sense of "committing a crime in front of his husband" and was quite apologetic.
"What's the big deal?"
The agent giant Jorge Mendes was unfazed.
"You need to know that Bayer Leverkusen wants to sell you proactively. They don't care, so just discuss it openly and honestly."
"That's true."
Both Lance and Jorge Mendes were considered to have professional ethics.
Usually, the prerequisite for private contact with a player is that the club allows it.
Bayer Leverkusen had already accepted the offers from Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Chelsea.
Specific contract details and transfer fee clauses would be discussed in detail once the player finalised his decision.
In the days after the German Cup final and before the Champions League final, Lance did not train with the team.
He was basically busy with this matter.
After contacting representatives from all three clubs, Lance suddenly felt the exhaustion one gets after a school job fair.
"If you ask me, you should just go to Manchester City with Kevin De Bruyne. Manchester City offered the highest price, and the team's momentum and development are also very promising. The only drawback is that you'll need to compete with Manchester City's core, David Silva, for a starting position. I believe with your ability, you can definitely surpass David Silva. Agüero in the front pitch is very strong, and your cooperation will definitely be more tacit..."
Although Jorge Mendes is a 'vampire' who earns commissions from player transfers, he genuinely considers the player's development, earnestly analysing for Lance.
If it were other agents, they would only be money-oriented, clinging to players to drain their blood and marrow, completely disregarding their career development.
De Bruyne's first year salary was 180,000 pounds per week, with a comprehensive annual salary of about 9 million pounds, or 11.5 million euros, similar to Lance's current earnings.
If Lance went to Manchester City, the club promised him a super-standard top salary of 350,000 pounds per week, surpassing Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney and becoming the highest-paid player in the Premier League.
His comprehensive annual salary would be close to 20 million pounds.
To be honest, the sincerity was full, and the treatment was completely on par with Real Madrid.
"Manchester City's subsequent development is indeed quite good..."
According to his prophetic dreams, Manchester City would become the Premier League hegemon, winning 5 titles in 9 years, and being competitive for the title every season.
Joining Manchester City would mean no worries about the league title, and he could even challenge for the Champions League title.
It's just that... Lance himself didn't have much feeling for Manchester City.
He had loved Henry's Arsenal since he was a child.
Later, Arsenal went many years without a title, and he even personally eliminated Arsenal in the Champions League.
He still had an extraordinary feeling for Arsenal, making it hard to imagine becoming an opponent in the Premier League.
Chelsea's offer was not as good as Manchester City's, with a maximum weekly salary of only 300,000 pounds, and he would need to work with Mourinho.
Mourinho was blind to talent, repeatedly suppressing and manipulating his good brother, De Bruyne.
Lance would never play under Mourinho.
Furthermore, starting next season, Mourinho would be "hunting for a mole," and Chelsea's performance would be erratic, with a chaotic changing room.
Lance did not want to get involved in that mess.
"You don't like either of the two Premier League teams?"
"Yes. What about Atlético Madrid?"
"You know, after the Chinese capital joined, Atlético Madrid gained certain transfer and salary budgets. Although it won't reach 20 million in annual salary, at least 18 million or more can be guaranteed. Moreover, Atlético Madrid showed the most sincerity. The CEO talked with me many times, and he even came here personally this time. An absolute main player position in the team, and the symbolic number 10 jersey of a core player, will all be written into the contract. As a Champions League winner, Atlético Madrid also has ambitions to challenge for the Champions League. It can now be considered one of the top clubs..."
"That's not the most important thing."
"What is it then?"
Lance leant on the railing, looking at the empty stadium below the BayArena, and calmly uttered words that surprised Jorge Mendes.
"In La Liga, I'll have more opportunities to play against Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. I want to crush them head-on and become the true world number one."
"Excellent!"
Even though Cristiano Ronaldo was Jorge Mendes's top star, Jorge Mendes still greatly admired Lance's drive.
He didn't mind the young man in front of him challenging Cristiano Ronaldo!
If he didn't even dare to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, how could Jorge Mendes have exceptionally signed this unknown Chinese player?
"Have you thought it through?"
"Of course!"
Once Lance's heart was clear, he would no longer hesitate!
A new journey was about to begin from the Iberian Peninsula!
...
"King Lance is about to leave Bayer Leverkusen? Real Madrid, Manchester City, and many other giants extend olive branches."
"Summer's Transfer King born? 150 million sky-high contract! Lance might break the football transfer fee record!"
"Manchester City's Mansour family: We will spare no expense to sign Lance."
"European giants scramble, 'Bayer Leverkusen Supermarket' opens!"
"Kevin De Bruyne finalises contract, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder's departure countdown, 50 million pound deal about to start!"
"Harry Maguire reveals in an interview: I want to return to England."
"Liverpool targets champion defender, Van Dijk might land at Anfield."
"Tottenham about to sign new player! Son Heung-min spotted at White Hart Lane medical room."
Waking up, Bayer Leverkusen fans felt like the sky had fallen!
Why was everyone leaving?
Angry fans rushed to the Bayer Leverkusen training base, surrounded the management office building, and cornered Director Michael Schade in his office.
Some fans even called for a boycott of their own Bayer Group pharmaceutical products, these fans were actually Bayer Group employees!
Attacking their own people?
This would be considered a bizarre incident even in social news, but when it involved football, it seemed perfectly reasonable.
For these hardcore Bayer Leverkusen fans, football had integrated into their blood!
As for work? It meant nothing!
If they lost their jobs, they could find new ones and even receive official relief.
But if the team's core players were gone, they were simply gone!
Son Heung-min, De Bruyne, Van Dijk, Harry Maguire and others leaving was one thing, but Lance's transfer was the most intolerable!
This was even more heartbreaking for fans than Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United or Raúl leaving Real Madrid back then!
The culprits were all the Bayer Group management, all this Michael Schade!
Lance had promised many times to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, so why was he being allowed to leave?
Seeing the uproar, Sascha, Hyypiä, and Michael Schade came before the fans to apologise, publicly promising:
"We will use this transfer fee to bring in strong reinforcements, strengthen the squad as much as possible, and ensure we contend for the title."
This matter dragged on for almost a week before it subsided.
So much so that the attention for the 2014-2015 Champions League final was diverted by Bayer Leverkusen's transfer turmoil.
At the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Juventus easily defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-1, lifting the Champions League trophy.
Bayer Leverkusen regretfully finished as runners-up.
They had eliminated the strongest Barcelona, but unfortunately, they were severely depleted and unable to contend with Juventus.
Juve's midfielder Paul Pogba performed outstandingly, becoming the Champions League final MVP.
Lance could only sit in the stands, watching the entire match with regret.
After the final, German commentator Scholl's voice choked up:
"It turns out that the German Cup final a week ago was Lance's farewell performance. So much has happened this week. Bayer Leverkusen, from struggling to secure a top-four spot, to becoming a dark horse champion, miraculously reaching the Champions League semi-finals. And this season's two consecutive league titles, winning the double, continuously eliminating the three Spanish giants in the Champions League, defeating the invincible Barcelona... Lance has brought us so many touching and glorious moments! Lance! We Bayer Leverkusen fans will always remember you!"
Usually, fans display TIFOs before the start of the match.
But after this Champions League final, Bayer Leverkusen fans lingered, and they actually pieced together a huge TIFO after the match!
The pattern was simple: a jersey.
"#39 — Lance"
"Forever LU39!"
Lance in the stands saw this scene, seeing tens of thousands of Bayer Leverkusen fans in the stadium trying to keep him.
He rarely turned his back, not letting the close-up cameras capture his vulnerable side...
3 days later, at the BayArena.
Bayer Leverkusen's double-winning parade, with an open-top bus carrying the entire team and two championship trophies, circled the small city.
Afterwards, everyone came to the BayArena.
It was less a championship celebration and more a final farewell.
De Bruyne, Son Heung-min, and others were all in tears, their voices choked with emotion as they spoke on the pitch.
Even the towering figure of Van Dijk shed tears.
Having only played here for one season, Van Dijk had experienced so much, and it was hard for him to part with his Bayer Leverkusen brothers and these lovely fans.
Finally, everyone left the stage to Lance.
Lance picked up the microphone, and before he could speak, nearly 60,000 people in the BayArena stands, including almost 100,000 fans in front of the outdoor big screens, simultaneously chanted!
Leverkusen only has 160,000 people in total; almost all of them came!
The entire city was trying to keep Lance.
"Lance, bleib!"
"Lance, bleib!"
"Lance, bleib!"
Lance, stay, don't go!
"Thank you, thank you all! I spent the happiest two years of my career here. This is where my dream began. It's regrettable that I probably have to say goodbye here today, but I promise, one day I will return!"
That night, everyone in Leverkusen wished for one thing: that the sun would not rise, and that time would forever stop at that moment.