For the first time, Krawietz enjoyed treatment fit for a king.
He sat at the dining table, feasting, while Leo Lin massaged his shoulders, Firmino patted his back, and Mané and Salah kneaded his arms from either side to help him relax.
"Damn it, didn't Klopp tell you I took time off to go home and be with my wife while she gave birth?"
"My wife was born. No, wait, my daughter was born."
Krawietz wolfed down his food. While he was back home accompanying his wife through childbirth, she had to watch what she ate, so he couldn't eat anything too tempting either, in case it made her crave it. These past two days had nearly driven him mad.
Klopp watched Krawietz and the players around him, laughing heartily. He had known two days ago that Krawietz would not be leaving. Krawietz had rejected Real Madrid's offer immediately, but Klopp had not told the players.
Because he knew that once Krawietz returned, Liverpool's sense of unity would soar even higher.
Judging from the players' reactions now, he had clearly achieved his goal.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief now that Krawietz was staying. That charming smile of his would appear at the club every day again.
Liverpool's training sessions became even more energetic, especially for Leo Lin.
He did not want Krawietz to leave. He did not want anyone to leave. He liked this big family as it was now, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. The best way to do that was for Liverpool to achieve even better results.
On January 27, in the EFL Cup semifinal, Krawietz's decision to stay lifted the players' morale once again. Fulham had fought hard just to reach the EFL Cup final four, but what awaited them was a top-class, united team led by Klopp, Krawietz, and Zubizarreta.
From the first whistle to the last, Fulham did not create a single scoring chance. They lost to Liverpool by three goals, and that was with Liverpool easing off the attack for the final twenty minutes.
[Liverpool Sweep Past Fulham into the EFL Cup Final, Taking Another Step Toward Silverware This Season!]
[Krawietz Stays at Liverpool! He Wins Praise from the Liverpool Supporters' Association, Which Presents Him with a Liverpool Coaching Staff Heartthrob Trophy!]
[Krawietz Parades Through the Streets with Trophy in Hand. Multiple reporters photographed him repeatedly wandering around outside the club entrance while holding the Coaching Staff Heartthrob Trophy. It is hard not to suspect he was doing it deliberately, or perhaps very deliberately.]
After the EFL Cup semifinal, Liverpool's first team was given another two days off.
Rodri invited many of his teammates to his house for dinner. Laura said she would cook, but in reality, she ordered a mountain of takeout.
The players enjoyed themselves all the same. After all, what they were eating was not just food, but brotherhood.
"Krawietz, pass me that chicken leg."
"Henderson, let go of the last piece of barbecue. That's mine!"
Just as everyone was eating happily, Leo Lin's phone rang.
"Lucia?"
"Why isn't it Maria? Leo, don't tell me you…"
Salah turned his head and saw Lucia's name on the caller ID. The others were still joking, but Leo Lin's expression changed at once.
When he had taken on the role of Honorary Director of the Barnett Agency Empire, Lucia had told him that unless it was an especially urgent matter, she would never call him.
In all this time, Lucia had never called him on her own initiative. This call was obviously urgent.
Leo Lin answered immediately, and Lucia's hurried voice came through from the other end.
"Lin, I'm on my way to headquarters right now, but I won't make it in time!"
"My informant there told me that Finance Minister Simbo and Vice President Dean are trying to force through a takeover procedure. They want to replace Barnett as president and take the Barnett Agency Empire for themselves!"
"I've already sent the evidence of their violations to your computer. They're taking advantage of my business trip to France, trying to force Barnett out before I can get back."
"Barnett is currently leading his trusted people in a board meeting to confront them. The procedure is already underway. I need you to take the evidence and get to the company as soon as possible. Before they complete the takeover, activate the supervisory department's oversight procedure and counter them with a counter-impeachment. Use this chance to pull out those two poisonous fangs!"
"Some neutral shareholders don't know who to believe. Don't let them be fooled by Dean!"
After Lucia finished in one breath, there was no sound from the other end of the call for a long time.
Even the background noise from earlier had disappeared completely. The other end was frighteningly quiet.
"Lin, are you still there?"
Leo Lin swallowed and answered.
"I'm here. I understand what you mean. I'll do everything I can!"
After hanging up, Leo Lin immediately stood up. The documents had already been sent to him.
This procedure could only be forcibly initiated by Lucia or Leo Lin, because the two of them were the directors of the newly established supervisory department.
Barnett had suddenly created this department for precisely this moment, but he had not expected his opponents to be so cunning. They had actually chosen the moment when the Executive Director was away from headquarters to try to complete the takeover in one decisive push.
Leo Lin knew what he was facing.
Although he was only an Honorary Director, Barnett had told him long ago that he held the same status and authority as the Executive Director.
He had to hurry over, initiate the counter-impeachment procedure, and remove those two poisonous fangs. Otherwise, the fortune Barnett had spent his whole life building would be seized by someone else.
But Leo Lin was not sure whether he could shoulder such a heavy responsibility. He was still just a young player. He was imposing and powerful on the pitch, but only on the pitch.
This was a business war, something completely different from his actual profession.
Leo Lin could hardly even imagine what would happen after he pushed open those doors and saw both sides of that long black table filled with boardroom heavyweights in suits. How was he supposed to initiate the counter-impeachment procedure? How was he supposed to back Barnett up?
His teammates had all heard Lucia's voice. They looked at Leo Lin.
"Do you need us to go with you? Though we probably won't be much help."
Rodri set down his plate. The players around him were all waiting for Leo Lin to speak.
As long as Leo Lin said he needed them, they would go through fire and water without hesitation.
But Leo Lin shook his head and told Maria to stay there.
"Some battles can only be fought by me alone."
Leo Lin got up and received all of Lucia's files. Lucia was still sending him messages, one after another.
"They're using Barnett's age as an excuse, and they're pinning a recent financial mistake at the company on him. They're claiming he's no longer capable of carrying such a heavy responsibility, and they want the vice president to replace him directly."
"But in reality, that was Finance Minister Simbo's doing. I've already obtained the evidence. It's in the third file. The chat logs showing his collusion with the vice president are there too, including the transfer records between them. Those are in the sixth file!"
"Lin!"
"Whether Barnett can protect his Agency Empire…"
"It's all up to you!"