Three hours later.
Nyon, Switzerland.
UEFA Headquarters.
The draw ceremony for the Champions League and Europa League semi-finals was about to take place here.
The lavishly decorated venue was packed, with cameras aimed at the entering players and club representatives as flashbulbs went off incessantly.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Daniele De Rossi...
Ling had just found his seat and noticed he was right next to Salah.
Although Manchester United and Liverpool are fierce historical rivals, the relationship between the two players wasn't too strained.
They exchanged greetings politely.
"That dribble today was brilliant," Salah said, extending his right hand.
"Thank you, your recent goals have been impressive too," Ling complimented him warmly.
Since Liverpool's victory over Manchester City in the Champions League, they had completely transformed, with their form exploding.
3-0 against Bournemouth, 2-2 against West Brom—Salah had scored in both matches.
The lead Ling had worked hard to build in the goalscoring charts was once again matched by Salah's outstanding performances.
Compared to the Premier League title race, the competition for the Golden Boot award seemed even more intense.
After chatting for a while, Ronaldo sat down nearby with a stern expression, though his sidelong glances were directed at Ling.
His conflict with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was deepening day by day, and rumors swirled that he might leave at the end of this season.
His successor?
Ronaldo's expression grew colder.
He believed that neither Vinícius Jr., Kylian Mbappé, nor Ling could ever reach his level.
As for his next destination, perhaps Juventus, whom he had just defeated with that bicycle kick, would be a good choice.
After the complex opening segment and promotional videos, the draw ceremony finally began.
The guest for this draw was the Ukrainian legend, Andriy Shevchenko.
Without much ado, he pulled a small ball from the glass bowl, opened it, and displayed the slip inside.
"Liverpool!"
All eyes turned to Jurgen Klopp.
This year's Liverpool somewhat resembled the miracle-making Liverpool of 2005—underwhelming in the league, stumbling through the Champions League group stages, yet ultimately creating miracles in the knockouts.
However, Mourinho quite hoped to face Liverpool.
Because Man United had defeated Liverpool twice in the league, giving them a psychological edge, and both teams' home grounds were in England, avoiding the travel fatigue that could affect league performance.
But when he saw the word "Real Madrid" on the slip in Shevchenko's hand, he suddenly felt a mixture of disappointment and joy.
With this, the Champions League semifinal draw was complete.
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid!
AS Roma vs. Manchester United!
In the club representatives' section below the stage, Zinedine Zidane rubbed his smooth head, his expression somewhat resigned.
If he had to choose the opponent he least wanted to face, Liverpool would be the first.
Although Real Madrid's overall strength was far superior to Man United's, and they were already out of the La Liga title race, allowing full focus on the Champions League, Liverpool's recent form was simply too dazzling.
Under Klopp's leadership, they had defeated Man City twice over two legs, their morale peaking.
Beside him, Mourinho's eyes were unreadable as he massaged his temples.
He was actually quite satisfied with this outcome.
After all, everyone knew Roma had the weakest squad on paper among the final four.
But according to UEFA's schedule, Man United and Roma would play their two legs on April 26th and May 2nd—right at the end of the Premier League season.
During this period, Man United would also face Arsenal.
This meant three high-intensity matches in a week, demanding immense physical endurance.
If Man United lost to Arsenal, it might be manageable, but if the fatigue affected their competitive form against the smaller teams, they might witness Man City recreating the '93:20' miracle.
So, certain trade-offs had to be made.
Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco gazed at Mourinho in the distance, instinctively adjusting his black-framed glasses.
Since overturning Barcelona, his ambition had ignited like wildfire.
Roma had never won a European trophy in their history—why couldn't he be the one to make history?
Just imagining all of Rome cheering for him—what a delightful thought that would be.
...
In the players' representatives section.
Ronaldo's lips curled slightly as he glanced sideways, intentionally or not.
Whether it was Man United, Liverpool, or Roma, it made no difference to him.
He would defeat them goal by goal, leaving Real Madrid with an unprecedented treble of Champions League titles and future generations with an insurmountable record.
Salah took an irritated sip of water.
He knew that with Liverpool's current strength, defeating the Galacticos would be extremely difficult.
Although they had just beaten Man City, there was an element of luck involved.
Real Madrid's strength was most evident in their squad balance and depth.
In other words, although both Ronaldo and Benzema hold significant tactical importance, Real Madrid always has a backup plan no matter which of them leaves the field.
But Man City doesn't, Juventus doesn't, Liverpool doesn't.
And neither does Man United.
Perhaps Liverpool's Champions League journey ends here, but they still have to give their all, at least to make it difficult for Real Madrid on their path to the title.
As for Ling, he was somewhat surprised by the draw result.
He had expected to face Real Madrid or Liverpool, never imagining it would be Roma.
But that didn't mean he underestimated Roma or thought qualification was a sure thing.
After all, there was the precedent of the "Gift Package" blowing up Barcelona just the night before.
If Man United defeated Roma and eventually reached the Champions League final, would they have a chance to lift the Champions League trophy?
Ling shook his head vigorously, driving the distracting thoughts from his mind.
No matter which team they faced, he just needed to give his all and leave no regrets.
...
Half an hour later, at the entrance of the venue.
"Mr. Mourinho, are you confident in maintaining your unbeaten record in Champions League finals?"
Faced with the reporter's tricky question, Mourinho glanced up and replied gravely, "Discussing the final is meaningless right now. We will focus on giving our best in every match."
He then led Ling into the waiting business car, and the two hurried back to the airport to fly to Manchester overnight to prepare for the upcoming league match.
On the way back, Mourinho spoke earnestly, looking out the window at the Swiss night. "In the past, I often worried about gains and losses, fretting over things that hadn't happened. But later, I realized it was unnecessary because it only narrows one's perspective on life."
"So rather than fantasizing about the future, I prefer to focus on the present."
"All this is to caution you not to be affected by the draw result or to place excessive expectations on things that haven't happened yet."
Ling joked in response, "Boss, my mindset might be even steadier than yours."
Mourinho suddenly recalled their conversation in the office and said with a hint of helplessness.
"Indeed! Sometimes I feel you're more like an old man, completely lacking the impulsiveness of youth. That's not necessarily a good thing. When the season ends, go out and have some fun with your teammates."
He assumed Ling was under too much pressure daily, which made him stand out from his peers.
....
The Champions League semi-final draw results spread rapidly across the internet, capturing the close attention of hundreds of millions worldwide.
@UCL_Fanatic: [If Man United reaches the final, Mourinho's unbeaten final curse will be broken! Or will he extend it?]
@HalaMadrid: [Although Real Madrid is strong, they're not guaranteed to win the title, right? Liverpool's attack is scary.]
@Kloppite: [Let's win the semi-final first. Liverpool isn't the same as before. Bring on Ronaldo!]
@RedArmy: [Between Man United and Roma, surely Man United has the higher chance of winning? Roma got lucky against Barca.]
@TacticsTim: [True, Man United's defense is stronger than Barcelona's, so an upset is unlikely. Mourinho knows how to kill a game over two legs.]
@LingHive: [Hope Ling gives it his all and makes it to the Champions League final. At least he'll get to touch the Big Ears Cup, giving us something to look forward to!]