"Um..."
"I know it's afternoon, and I probably shouldn't be coming here for breakfast, but I wanted to ask. Do you still have any boiled eggs?"
"Could I have one? I want to try it."
After Leo Lin brought Rodri into the team cafeteria, Rodri went to the kitchen and asked carefully. Leo Lin had already awakened the craving in his stomach.
The chef smiled and handed him a boiled egg. At that moment, the smooth white egg seemed to shine with golden light in Rodri's eyes.
With its silky texture, the egg white and yolk burst together in his mouth. There was even a runny richness inside. That unmatched taste made Rodri instantly understand why Leo Lin praised it so much.
Not every boiled egg deserved to be called a boiled egg.
Rodri had come with his beloved wife. The two had grown up together and had a very close relationship. Their most urgent task now was to find a place to live.
Without any hesitation, Leo Lin recommended the luxury residential area where he lived, and specifically suggested a mansion next to his and Firmino's homes.
It was also a three-story villa, built on a wide plot of land, with a gym, a pool, and plenty of other facilities.
But Rodri's weekly wage at Athletic Bilbao had not actually been very high, and he was not rich. When he was playing for Bilbao, he had even been playing in La Liga while working hard to finish his studies.
So when he saw the mansion, Rodri hesitated. He was short on money.
After the two of them finished viewing the house, Leo Lin was very pleased and was just about to help Rodri settle the purchase when Rodri suddenly stopped him.
"Wait."
Rodri's wife beside him also looked conflicted.
"What's wrong?" Leo Lin asked.
"Lin, it's too expensive."
"I don't have that much money."
Only then did Leo Lin realize that he had gotten too excited and forgotten that Rodri was still only a young player valued at just over twenty million, and he had not yet signed a major contract with a club.
A mansion of this level was something Rodri might be able to buy, but even if he could, it would likely come at the cost of affecting his quality of life.
"How about this? I'll lend you the money."
Leo Lin smiled as he said it.
Rodri froze. Rodri's wife instinctively opened her mouth in surprise.
After all, Rodri and Leo Lin had only just met today. They had known each other for less than twenty-four hours.
"I know you're rich, but this is too much. We've only just met. I shouldn't borrow this much money from you."
Rodri was a little embarrassed. Of course he wanted to buy this mansion and become neighbors with Leo Lin and Firmino.
"No, no. Think of it as my investment in you."
"Sooner or later, you're going to make it. Then you'll get a high salary contract just like mine. You'll reach the position that belongs to you and earn the wealth that should have been yours all along."
"Trust me, Rodri, just like I completely trust you."
"So don't think about anything else. I believe in you, and I'm willing to invest in you."
"When the day comes that you can pay this money back without affecting your quality of life, then I'll charge interest."
"I want you to treat me to a big meal at the best restaurant in Liverpool every week."
Rodri nodded. He knew there was no need to say anything else. His wife kept thanking Leo Lin beside him, but Leo Lin waved his hand, showing that she did not need to mind it.
After that, Rodri bought the mansion and officially became Leo Lin's neighbor. This was a moment he had fantasized about countless times before joining Liverpool.
To become his idol's neighbor, play soccer with his idol, even leave for the training ground with his idol, then go home together after a tiring day of training. Rodri had never even dared to dream of such a feeling.
The video of Rodri joining the club and touring Anfield with Leo Lin quickly rushed onto the trending list. Liverpool fans were all happy to see the team's new signing settle in with the help of the squad's core player.
Soon, another newcomer arrived.
Shaqiri.
The Swiss player looked small, but he was very strong. His appearance was not fierce, and his actual personality matched his looks. He seemed honest and lovable.
Captain Henderson, new signing Rodri, and Leo Lin waited together at the club to welcome Shaqiri and help him integrate.
When Shaqiri first arrived at the club, he was clearly a little restrained. When greeting Henderson and Leo Lin, he clasped his hands tightly, visibly nervous.
Leo Lin did not want to see Shaqiri so tense, but he understood. A player coming from a smaller team to a big club would inevitably go through moments like this.
While they were touring Anfield, Leo Lin suddenly turned his head and asked Shaqiri a question.
"Shaqiri, do you like eggs?"
Shaqiri was startled and clearly did not understand what he meant, but he shook his head.
"They're fine, but I wouldn't say I like them."
Leo Lin immediately smiled and replied, "Good."
"That way I won't have to worry about one more guy fighting me for boiled eggs in the morning."
Shaqiri burst out laughing, and the teammates around them laughed too.
Leo Lin patted Shaqiri.
"Don't be nervous. Look around you. We're all good people."
"Don't treat us like stars or anything else. We're all your friends, all your teammates. In the future, we'll fight side by side. It's that simple. Here, you can freely express anything you want to express."
Henderson also patted Shaqiri on the shoulder.
"Lin's right. You can't go wrong listening to him."
Shaqiri nodded gratefully. In that moment, he felt that he had already started to become part of this big family.
Finally, Fabinho and Van Dijk arrived together. The two had already started talking in the car and built a friendship.
Leo Lin and the others continued welcoming the two new arrivals.
The first time Leo Lin saw Van Dijk, he felt a strong masculine charm from him. It was the kind of handsomeness that belonged to a real man.
Leo Lin worked hard to help the team's new signings settle in. He would always remember how, when he had first been promoted to the first team and made his league debut, his teammates had recognized him and cheered for him.
At that moment, Leo Lin felt for the first time that he was not an outsider at this club, but a true member of the team.
Now, Leo Lin hoped to play the same role, passing on that acceptance and helping the four new signings become part of this big family.
Before long, videos of Leo Lin and Henderson welcoming the new members sparked heated discussion online.
In particular, when Liverpool fans saw Leo Lin chatting happily with the new teammates, they finally felt at ease. They knew that with someone as emotionally intelligent as Leo Lin around, the new arrivals definitely would not feel afraid of their new environment.
As the transfer window approached its end, many blockbuster signings appeared.
Transfermarkt would officially update its player values on August 20, combining the transfer prices from this window with player performances across the previous season to provide the new market values for world soccer ahead of the new season.
Sky Sports programming resumed after the World Cup ended, and the first special discussion show focused on predictions and analysis for the new Transfermarkt values.
"We finally meet everyone again. The Sky Sports commentary team has returned!"
"In the new season, we will welcome new members to the team. They are Manchester City legendary goalkeeper Joe Hart, Chelsea legend Ashley Cole, and Manchester United legend Scholes."
"These three will join us as regular commentary guests for Sky Sports in the new season, watching matches together with the fans!"
Scholes was extremely popular. In the eyes of English fans, Scholes was a master among masters.
For this special column, Scholes also appeared alongside Gerrard to analyze the newest market values that were about to be announced.
"I think everyone must be looking forward to one young player, and that is Lin."
"His birthday is the day after tomorrow. There are reports saying Barnett has prepared an extremely lavish birthday party for him and invited many major figures to attend. At four o'clock this afternoon, the latest Transfermarkt values will be updated."
"We all know what Lin went through last season. He became a quadruple winner, won the Champions League, and scored a hat-trick in the Champions League final."
"He became a World Cup champion and scored four goals in the World Cup final."
"And he is still very young. That is a huge bonus."
"I can't imagine how terrifyingly high the market value of a player like this could rise."
Scholes and the fans in the livestream were all waiting for the final result. In front of the broadcast screen, Barnett had an arm around Leo Lin, and his old habit had returned.
The time had clearly not arrived yet, but he simply could not control his hands. He kept refreshing the page frantically, again and again.
For the first time, Leo Lin felt anticipation toward his own market value, because he also wanted to know how terrifyingly high his value would rise after winning so much.
Almost every fan in world soccer was waiting for the latest market values to be released.
Five minutes later, the moment it reached four o'clock, Barnett could not wait and refreshed one final time.
Then Transfermarkt instantly crashed.
Too many people had flooded in at the same time to check the values.
Barnett could only keep refreshing again and again. One minute later, the brand new rankings finally appeared.
Barnett immediately saw Leo Lin's name, because Leo Lin's name was right at the very top.
Transfermarkt Latest Market Value Rankings:
Rank 1: Leo Lin, Liverpool
Market value: 180 million euros!
...
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