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Cristiano Ronaldo sat on the spacious sofa in his mansion.
His team had just played yesterday, winning a clean 5-0 victory.
Real Madrid had a day off.
Cristiano Ronaldo, as usual, had his daily workout, and in the afternoon, he shot some print ads for brands.
By the time he dragged himself home in the evening, he was already a bit tired.
Following his usual habit, Cristiano Ronaldo would go to Opium, Madrid's most luxurious nightclub, to relax.
He wouldn't necessarily drink or flirt; he just wanted to clear his mind for a while.
His girlfriend, Irina, had said many times that day that they should go to the nightclub together and meet some big shots in the fashion industry.
Irina, in a beautiful mood, had put on heavy makeup, a fiery bodycon dress, and high heels, and came into the living room.
Suddenly, she flew into a rage.
Cristiano Ronaldo, ignoring his superstar image, was sprawled on the sofa, showing no signs of getting dressed, wearing sloppy training clothes, and with messy hair.
This was a stark contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo's public image.
But whilst outsiders didn't know, how could Irina not know?
The Cristiano Ronaldo filter had long since shattered.
Phew—
Irina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
She went over and put her arm around Cristiano Ronaldo's neck, whispering intimately in his ear:
"Darling, we're ready to go. Why don't you go get ready?"
"OK, OK... I'll watch this show first. You go get ready."
Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes were fixed on the TV; he didn't even glance at Irina.
"I'm already ready."
"Don't you always take over an hour to get ready when we go out? I'll be quick, I'll be ready in no time."
"Enough! This is really... enough!"
"Why are you angry? I haven't even got angry yet!"
Cristiano Ronaldo glared at her.
"My mother and I have told you countless times that you don't need to attend these kinds of events anymore. When we get married, will we still not have enough money? I earn money by playing football; you enjoy yourself at home and take care of the children. Is there a problem with that? What exactly are you doing this for?"
"I've also told you countless times that I want to have my own career. Is that wrong?"
"It's no use talking. You go by yourself; I don't want to go."
"Fine! We can just break up!"
Irina's smoky eye makeup was smeared by tears as she stormed out decisively.
Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to stop her.
But the pressure from Lance and Messi recently made it impossible for Cristiano Ronaldo to calm down.
"Motherfucker!!"
Cristiano Ronaldo angrily sat back on the sofa and continued watching the football programme.
On Spanish National Television, "Matchday" was discussing the weekend's La Liga matches.
Host José Ángel, along with La Liga legends Raúl and Figo, were chatting about football.
They were talking about Sevilla's 0-3 loss to Atlético Madrid.
"...If Lance had debuted 10 years earlier, I doubt I would have had a career. This talented young man's choices on the pitch are simply magnificent."
The Ring King, Raúl, lavished praise on Lance.
"Look at his first goal in the first half; his teamwork with Griezmann was excellent. That sudden burst of acceleration in front of the box, the dribble, and the shot were all incredibly fluid. Beautiful, truly beautiful."
"Then look at the second goal, an Atlético Madrid corner kick; his contention for the second ball was spot on. It seemed like a somewhat accidental overhead kick, but in reality, the entire Atlético Madrid team was creating opportunities for him."
"The third goal is even more characteristic of him: dribbling from midfield, beating 4 players, and shooting... He was very good at this style when he debuted."
"Exactly." Real Madrid legend Figo also expressed his admiration.
"He is a born scoring machine. If he could score 47 goals in the Bundesliga, I wonder how many he can score in La Liga. He's already contributed back-to-back hat-tricks in 2 league rounds. An average of 3 goals per game is almost monstrous."
"I'd say Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo need to step up their game, Raúl. You have Ronaldo's number; you can remind him. Otherwise, the Golden Boot will be snatched away."
Raúl gave an awkward smile:
"Actually, I'm not that close with him, but Real Madrid really needs Cristiano Ronaldo to perform. The Golden Boot will probably be very difficult, but the league title still has a chance to be contested..."
When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid with great fanfare, he became the team's big brother within one season.
As a result, the original big brother, Raúl, was forced to leave his beloved Madrid and go play in Germany.
He and Cristiano Ronaldo indeed had little to say to each other, and his tone even subtly mocked him.
"Damn it!"
Cristiano Ronaldo, in front of the TV, angrily turned it off, and the remote control he threw on the floor shattered into pieces.
"He's just an Asian!"
"He's just... an Asian..."
Cristiano Ronaldo's voice grew weaker and weaker.
His always incredibly arrogant eyes, for once, showed confusion.
Can he really defeat that guy?
Everything will only be known two months later, in the 7th round of La Liga, the Madrid Derby.
Only when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lance face each other will the answer be known...
Lance would never have imagined that he had become the direct fuse for Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina's breakup.
He was here only to conquer Iberia, to try and make up for past regrets with Atlético Madrid, and to touch that coveted Champions League title.
With two consecutive wins to start the season, Atlético Madrid was tied for first place with 6 points, and with back-to-back hat-tricks, Lance led the scoring charts with 6 goals, a massive lead!
He also became the youngest hat-trick scorer in La Liga, breaking all preseason doubts in just 2 matches, shaking Spain!
"Lance, you have the day off today, right? A brand reached out temporarily..."
"Harry, please turn it down for me."
"But, Mr Mendes screened this..."
"Turn it down. Just say I insist."
"Understood."
Assistant agent, Harry Kane, was ostensibly an employee of Mendes's agency, taking orders from Jorge Mendes.
But he knew very well that his client was Lance, and he unconditionally followed Lance's arrangements.
Given Lance's current status, he was completely Mendes's top star.
His reputation was rising faster than a rocket launch.
Countless brands were practically begging to work with him.
What was once a buyer's market, where they had to plead and beg, had completely transformed into a seller's market.
Mendes himself had to carefully cater to this great deity.
Sure enough, not long after, Mendes himself called.
Lance was relaxing on his private golf course.
The place was relatively small, a one-shot green.
He slowly picked up his phone after finishing his swing.
"Jorge."
"Lance, actually, you could try to get in touch. Today I'm introducing you to Delphine, the eldest princess of the Arnault family. She's the future heir to the LV Group. If you build a good relationship with her, you won't have to worry about commercial contracts in the future! And she's your fan..."
"No need to bring it up, Jorge. I don't want to sell myself to an old woman for tens of millions in contracts."
"She's not old; she's only 40 this year. And, don't put it so harshly, Lance, it's just a simple chat..."
"Stop. Didn't we say before not to call me for unnecessary engagements?"
"Alright, alright. Who knew you'd be my cash cow now? Then you can attend the upcoming Tag Heuer collaboration, right? After all, they're very sincere."
"Okay, you arrange it, but pay attention to the schedule. Don't put it during a dense match schedule."
"I'll definitely arrange it well, don't worry. By the way, did Miss Hannah tell you that Spanish National Television also has a simple interview programme?"
"I know, I'll go."
"That's good. More exposure is beneficial for you. This is a commercial era. A low-key star like Scholes wouldn't survive in today's football world."
"That doesn't stop him from being a Manchester United legend."
"Forget it, just be happy. I'm hanging up. Go flirt with some hot Spanish girls when you have time; it's boring to be cooped up at home alone."
"..."
Lance hung up the phone and secretly grumbled to himself.
Mendes was a proper gentleman in public, but a lecherous old man in private.
Spanish girls?
Before, when he went to a nightclub with his Atlético Madrid teammates to celebrate a victory, Lance almost fell into a den of temptation.
If his willpower had been even slightly weaker, he would have long since succumbed to a life of debauchery and forgotten his original aspirations.
Two hat-tricks in the first two league matches were not an achievement for Lance; they were just the beginning.
If all went as expected, once today's Champions League qualifiers concluded, the draw for the 2015-2016 Champions League group stage would also be released.
The Champions League trophy was beckoning him.
After two seasons of regret, Lance's only goal for the new season was to win the championship!
"Barring any surprises, this season will be Real Madrid's era, with three consecutive Champions League titles..."
"Can I do it? Change history again!"
He couldn't calm down thinking about the Champions League, but he still suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, trying to remain composed as he completed his putt on the green.
Hole in one.
Yes, he definitely can!