Chapter 9

Watching Juananes storm off, Lin Sen couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Prophets and charlatans were not much different; they both relied on things only they knew or didn’t know to make a living. He knew that for a while, he wouldn’t be able to shake off his status as an outsider, at least not in Juananes’ eyes. Lin Sen suddenly felt that being the head coach was a bit too stifling. Not to mention the big-name players, it seemed that anyone could show him a bad attitude.

Well, Lin Sen consoled himself, things would always have a turning point, and besides, if the roles were reversed, his reaction probably wouldn’t be much better.

When Kamaru, Koke, and De Gea, the three young men, appeared before him, Lin Sen suddenly felt that his earlier grievances were insignificant. No one could understand the inexplicable and immense sense of achievement when future stars stood before him, filled with excitement or unease, looking at him with hope.

"Don’t be nervous," Lin Sen tried to appear kind and gentle, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Kamaru, who stood beside him, couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Who’s nervous? I bet you’re the one who’s nervous. Unlike the other two, Kamaru, a newcomer, had already been occasionally called up to the B team to play in the Segunda División B1, though it wasn’t a top-tier competition, the experience of official matches had clearly given him a more stable mindset than the other two.

However, when Kamaru noticed Lin Sen’s gaze, he knew Lin Sen wasn’t talking about him.

De Gea was anxiously thinking to himself. In terms of age, he was a few months younger than Kamaru but older than Koke. However, he lacked Kamaru’s composure and Koke’s innocence. In a broader sense, he was at the most crucial stage of his life, but he was different from the others. In a professional team, a goalkeeper was different from other positions; a substitute had little future. As long as the starter was healthy, sitting on the bench for an entire season was not uncommon. Therefore, an ambitious goalkeeper either had to be the best or find another team. De Gea loved football and was unwilling to give it up, let alone leave Atlético Madrid. Born in Madrid, he felt a sense of home with Atlético Madrid. Unfortunately, even in the youth team, he was just a substitute goalkeeper, overshadowed by the other youth team goalkeeper, Nuno.

Lin Sen’s kind face was starting to stiffen. To avoid becoming a poker face, he tried to keep it short, "You might be wondering why I called you here. Some of you have already started playing official matches, some might be facing your first contract soon, and some..." Here, Lin Sen glanced at the curious Koke, finally allowing his smile to relax, "might just be thinking about how to learn a certain technique."

"I want to talk to you about your dreams, but dreams are something you have to pursue yourself; no one can give them to you. You might know that I’m only a temporary coach for now. However, I can offer you something more practical, like an opportunity to join the first team."

The first team?

Kamaru quickly calmed down, but the other two seemed to be dazed by the sudden good news.

"Of course, it won’t be immediate," Lin Sen observed their reactions but didn’t plan to check the color above their heads. "But I need you to know that when the moment comes, you must be prepared! Because the opportunity only comes once. Seize it, and next season you’ll train with the first team. If you miss it, we might never cross paths again."

When dealing with kids, you need to use both carrots and sticks. Lin Sen never believed that a vague encouragement could make someone successful. A bun causing a tragedy was something that only happened in movies. For these young men, telling them a visible goal was more important than telling them how bright their future was. Only tangible things could make these young people push themselves to their limits.

Whether they were excited or afraid, Lin Sen wasn’t worried about over-stimulating them. The style of La Liga was different from the Premier League, which emphasized physical confrontation. As long as they were used properly, young players with already formed technical and tactical characteristics would grow even faster. Besides, the time he was pushing them wasn’t much earlier than in his memory. Kamaru had already made his La Liga debut this season. Anyway, these three young talents were destined to make their top-flight debuts under Lin Sen’s guidance, and no one could take that away.

"Really?" The one who asked was the most calm Kamaru. After asking, he felt his question was childish, but Lin Sen’s response was serious.

It was a promise.

Successfully luring the three young talents, Lin Sen didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. What he said to the three young men was half true and half false. The part about getting them into the first team this season was true, and it had to be. As for next season... Lin Sen himself couldn’t be sure if he would still be the coach, so how could he guarantee anything?

Back in his office, Lin Sen found someone else there. This made him a bit angry. What about privacy? Could anyone just walk into the head coach’s office? He had never known this before. However, when he saw who it was, his mood improved.

"I came to thank you, Lin." Aguero, who had been playing with his phone, stood up when he saw Lin Sen.

"Where’s the gift?" Lin Sen didn’t need to be polite with Aguero. If it weren’t for him, Aguero wouldn’t have a peaceful season, let alone next season. An incomplete recovery was particularly troublesome for a forward, not to mention the unpredictable and inexplicable scoring drought. Besides, he had cut off his own retreat because of this.

"Gift?" Aguero was taken aback, not expecting Lin Sen to be so straightforward, but he quickly realized Lin Sen was joking.

Being close to the players had been proven not to be the ideal relationship between a coach and players. However, for Lin Sen, it was clearly the fastest way to control the team, especially when it came to the biggest star in the team. Fortunately, Aguero’s personality matched his looks; he didn’t take the overly young Lin Sen too seriously as a coach. Of course, big-name players rarely showed respect unless they met a big-name coach.

"No gift means you’re not sincere." Lin Sen glanced at Aguero and then urged, "Why don’t you come back early? Many people are waiting for you to save them."

"Sure, okay." Aguero didn’t get angry, agreeing immediately and then showing a harmless smile like a neighbor’s big brother.

"Don’t get too cocky. I really have a way to help you recover faster." Lin Sen smiled mysteriously, "Don’t forget, I’m also a Chinese doctor."

"Really?" This time, Aguero was a bit moved.

"Really. I’m just afraid you won’t dare to try." Lin Sen nodded.

"Are you going to make me eat some strange plants?" Aguero seemed to have heard of traditional Chinese medicine and immediately thought of the most famous herbs.

"Of course not. Just a few fine needles, like this..." Lin Sen shook his head, then smiled and pulled out a small package from his desk drawer. Opening it, a row of hair-thin needles could be seen.

Aguero felt a chill run down his spine and quickly changed the subject.

"Ha, by the way, I’ve always been curious. I remember at first, you didn’t want to tell me about the José report. Why did you change your mind?"

Seeing Aguero change the subject, Lin Sen sighed inwardly. His method was actually acupuncture, which was not common in European football but was routine in China. If it were before, Lin Sen might not have been confident, but now, with the significant boost from his current eyes, while completely curing the injury was a luxury, he was 100% sure he could help Aguero recover faster. However, he couldn’t force it. Since Aguero couldn’t accept it, he could only put it on hold for now.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Lin Sen put away the needle package and smiled.

"Both."

"Alright. The truth is, I’m a kind person and couldn’t bear to see you continue to suffer at José’s hands. The lie is that I hate José." Lin Sen said with a righteous tone.

Aguero rolled his eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that Lin Sen gave him the report before Aguirre resigned, he might have suspected something fishy, because what happened afterward was indeed too dramatic.

"Anyway, Lin, I have to thank you." Aguero smiled and pulled out a card-like item from his pocket, placing it on the table, "This is my gift, though I’m not sure if you’ll accept it."

"An invitation?" Lin Sen was very familiar with this kind of thing. Back in the day... well, let’s not go there.

"Yes." Aguero nodded, "Diego is in Spain, and there’s a party tonight. I hope you can come. To be honest, I also invited a few people from the team. As the coach, you might want to supervise. But it’s up to you."

"I’ll be there on time." To Aguero’s surprise, Lin Sen agreed immediately.

Aguero then stood up to leave, but just as he was about to go, he poked his head back in.

If possible, bring a female companion. Yes, someone like Dina.

Saying this, he gave Lin Sen a knowing look and then disappeared before Lin Sen could respond.

Aguero’s gift was quite significant.

Playing with the elegant card in his hand, Lin Sen pondered.

Diego in Aguero’s words was not just anyone; he was the most famous Diego in the world, the legendary football king—Diego Maradona. If he was one of the main guests, it was easy to imagine how many big names in football would be at the party. Aguero inviting him, a temporary coach, was out of kindness, but kindness didn’t always lead to good outcomes.

Lin Sen wasn’t as young as he looked. Having attended such gatherings before, he knew what they were really about—showing off one’s fame, wealth, and even power, not much different from peacocks displaying their feathers in a zoo. However, this couldn’t change the fact that it was an excellent opportunity for Lin Sen to integrate into the football world.

Thinking about this, Lin Sen felt a bit worried.

Attending the party was a small matter, but how to invite Dina was a problem.