Soon after, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Liverpool, and several other clubs also put in their offers.
But the price stayed stuck around a little over fifty million.
Some wanted to include players as part of the deal; others suggested paying in installments.
In short, the theme was: everyone's broke.
Club finances still hadn't truly recovered, and their spending power was nowhere near what it used to be.
If this were around the year 2000, people would already be shouting offers well over sixty million.
In this situation, Chelsea finally decided to stop pretending. Enough playing along with this pack of penny-pinchers. Sixty million-plus, right?
No problem.
Transfermarkt: "€63 million! Chelsea submit final bid! Determined to land the newly crowned World Cup–winning captain Su Hang!"
Sky Sports: "Highest transfer offer since Zidane's move! Chelsea unwavering in their pursuit of Su Hang!"
The London Globe: "Sincerity works! Real Madrid lifts Chelsea's blacklist entry, declaring Su Hang a non-transferable asset!"
For comparison, when Shevchenko first burst onto the scene, AC Milan signed him for roughly €24 million.
Su Hang resembled Shevchenko at that stage—but his valuation more than doubled it.
Given the current market environment, calling it quadruple wouldn't be unreasonable.
His momentum was unmatched.
So tell me—who's the most miserable right now?
Exactly—Calderón is!
With that kind of money, if he could sell Su Hang, Calderón could've started building the Real Madrid of his dreams this very year.
But if he did sell Su Hang, he'd be out of office instantly.
So he not only couldn't sell—he had to fight desperately to keep him.
Which is why the president of Real Madrid himself flew all the way to Sichuan, China, and ended up outside a traditional bone-setting massage shop.
After taking a moment to mentally prepare, Calderón knocked on the door.
Inside, Su Hang—mid-groan—called out, "Come in."
The moment Calderón stepped inside, he saw a pretty young masseuse twist Su Hang's head with a sharp snap—
Crack!
Calderón nearly wet himself.
Good lord… there goes over sixty million!
Su Hang spoke up casually, "The family ritual assembly—held every three years—was originally supposed to be chaired by my father. But he's busy this year, so I took over… Honestly, you could've just faxed the contract. No need for you to make such a long trip. I feel almost embarrassed causing you so much trouble!"
Lying comfortably on the massage bed, Su Hang didn't look embarrassed at all.
Calderón forced a laugh. "Not at all, not at all. The club has a few projects in Asia anyway. I've been wanting to take a look."
Su Hang replied, "Oh? So you didn't come specifically to discuss my contract? Then why don't you handle your business first? We can talk later."
Calderón was close to tears. "No, no, no, Su! I came specifically to deal with your contract. It's Real Madrid's top priority right now."
A few days earlier, Real Madrid had contacted Zidane about organizing a retirement ceremony.
Zidane refused.
He said his speech during the World Cup awards ceremony was his farewell to fans. He didn't like making a fuss—he'd already taken his family on a seaside holiday.
Figo, meanwhile, was finalizing contract details with Inter Milan, with an official announcement expected in a few days.
Ronaldo was reportedly seeking top medical specialists through personal connections and might even need surgery. Real Madrid really couldn't rely on this "alien of glass" anymore.
From every angle, Real Madrid urgently needed to renew Su Hang's contract—
to reassure the club, the fans, and even players preparing to leave or join the team.
Seeing Calderón's expression, Su Hang sat up and gestured for the masseuse to work on his shoulders.
"Honestly, I don't care about being the highest-paid player, or about renewal bonuses or signing fees," Su Hang said sincerely.
Calderón clenched his fists.
You don't care?
Then why did you demand the unprecedented €7 million top salary?
Before this, Real Madrid's maximum salary was always €6.4 million—no exceptions for Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, or Beckham.
The raise wasn't enormous, but what truly burdened the club was the symbolism behind it.
And the signing bonus—€5 million.
Good grief, that was practically an extra year's salary.
What was his name made of—solid gold?
That alone could buy a pretty decent squad player.
Calderón said, "I know the kind of person you are, Su. But as the club president, I must offer you this unique top salary and record signing bonus."
"This isn't just for you—it's for Real Madrid's image. So accept it confidently. Don't worry."
Su Hang nodded. "Alright, then let's talk about advisory rights. You know Coach Simon and I share the same tactical philosophy."
"Even though Real Madrid has invited Mr. Capello to manage next season, I still hope he'll consider Simon's and my input when appropriate."
"By the way, Simon is currently serving as the Spanish national team's chief assistant coach while also acting as my personal tactical advisor."
"Of course, the final decision is Mr. Capello's. But you know the issues I had with previous coaches—I don't want that happening again."
"It affects my performances. I want to stay in peak form to help Real Madrid win. Don't you agree?"
Calderón nodded. "Of course. I'll discuss this with Capello. He'll respect Real Madrid's existing players and the locker room."
Su Hang seemed satisfied. "And about transfer advisory rights—don't misunderstand. I won't object to the transfers you want to pursue."
"It's just that I personally see potential in a few players. I'd like to see if they can develop. They're not expensive—why not treat it like scratch-off lottery tickets? Let's buy a few and try our luck."
Calderón bit down hard enough to crack a tooth. "Fine. I'll have them free up some transfer funds. Is fifteen million euros enough?"
Su Hang nodded. "That should do. Then that leaves us with one final matter."
Calderón stiffened.
"For years, Real Madrid has kept a 90–10 split on image rights."
This was the part Su Hang cared about most.
His commercial value was enormous—
and no one understood that better than he did.
China tours were extremely profitable for any athlete, not out of affection, but because the market was expanding quickly. Even lesser-known competitors had earned significant sums from appearances there.
China's sports market was still in its early stages, but the potential was clear.
For Su Hang, negotiating better image rights wasn't just about immediate income—it was about securing his place in a rapidly growing commercial landscape.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser