The morning sun of Madrid streamed through the blinds into Lu Chuan's apartment, his phone screen flashing with countless unread messages.
Last night's record-breaking battle was still reverberating, with the entire Europe football world discussing the 19-year-old striker from the East.
"Oh my god, look at this!" Esther rushed into the living room, holding a tablet, her eyes full of excitement. "BBC Sport's headline is about you!"
On the screen, a photo of Lu Chuan pointing to his teammates after scoring occupied the entire page, with the headline: "The Oriental Phenomenon - Phenomenal Striker from the East Creates segunda división History."
Lu Chuan took the tablet and quickly browsed the report.
ESPN, Sky Sports, L'Équipe, almost all mainstream Europe sports media were reporting on this record.
"The impact is even greater than I imagined."
Lu Chuan stroked his chin, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Esther sat beside him, her finger sliding across the screen: "Look at these comments, fans from all over the world are discussing you. And this..."
She clicked on another page, and Rayo Vallecano's official social media follower count was growing wildly.
In the comments section, countless fans in various languages called Lu Chuan the "King of Vallecas."
"Rey de Vallecas!" a Spanish comment received thousands of likes. "This chinese kid is our king!"
"A lone brave from Asia, conquering Madrid with goals!" another comment also had extremely high popularity.
Lu Chuan's phone suddenly rang, the screen showing Carlos's name.
"Good morning, my superstar." Carlos's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement. "Do you know how many calls I've received this morning?"
"A lot?"
"Thirty-seven!" Carlos's tone rose an octave. "Sevilla, Valencia, Real Sociedad, even Athletic Bilbao have expressed interest through intermediaries."
Lu Chuan frowned slightly: "That fast?"
"A record is a pass. Now, all of Europe's sporting directors know your name, and they know your price."
Carlos paused for a moment. "And there's even more explosive news: David Villa publicly praised you in an interview last night."
Esther immediately searched for the relevant video and quickly found Villa's interview clip.
"He reminds me of my younger self." Villa's expression on the screen was serious. "His hunger for goals and his calmness in front of goal are the hallmarks of a top striker. I believe he has the ability to establish himself in La Liga."
"Villa!" Esther excitedly squeezed Lu Chuan's hand. "A legend of Spain football!"
A warm current surged within Lu Chuan. Villa was one of his idols since childhood, and to receive such recognition was incredibly significant.
"Anything else?" Lu Chuan asked into the phone.
"Nike and Adidas scouts appeared outside the training ground yesterday."
Carlos revealed with a laugh, "Coach Paco joked that they almost wore out the doorstep."
Just as he was speaking, Lu Chuan's other phone also rang. It was a group chat message from his teammate, Trejo.
"Brothers, another group of guys in suits showed up outside the training ground, all here for our record-holder!"
"Lu, which company are you going to choose? We're all waiting to bask in your glory!" Comesaña teased in the group.
"When gods fight, mortals suffer!" Pozo also joined the discussion.
Lu Chuan looked at the messages in the group, smiling as he typed his reply: "Don't worry, once I sign a big contract, the coffee machine at the training ground is on me."
"Carlos, we'll proceed as planned." Lu Chuan's voice became serious again. "Don't get carried away by all this attention."
"Understood. But there's a special invitation I think you should consider."
"What invitation?"
"Red Bull." Carlos's tone became formal. "They hope to invite you to be one of the spokespersons for their football project in Spain."
Lu Chuan and Esther exchanged glances, both realizing the weight of this invitation.
Red Bull is not just an energy drink brand; it's a global symbol of extreme sports and the spirit of challenge.
"They're not just looking at your goals," Carlos's voice was serious. "The Red Bull people like to tell stories, and your 'chinese kid venturing alone into Spain' story is exactly to their liking."
Esther quietly reminded him from the side: "This is an important step towards internationalization."
Lu Chuan nodded; he understood the significance of this endorsement. From a regional star to an international football player, this was a necessary path.
"Arrange a video conference." Lu Chuan made his decision. "I want to hear their specific ideas."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan walked to the balcony, looking out over the Madrid cityscape. In the direction of the training base in the distance, several media vehicles were gathering.
"It feels a bit unreal," he murmured to himself.
Esther walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist: "This is what success feels like. But you deserve all of this."
"We deserve it." Lu Chuan turned to face her. "Without your support, there would be no achievements today."
Esther's cheeks flushed slightly; she remembered her action of retweeting Lu Chuan's record-breaking news on social media last night.
That simple clapping emoji had already sparked countless speculations among fans.
"Your fans are very smart." Lu Chuan teased. "One emoji made them imagine so much."
"Let them guess." Esther stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed the corner of his lips. "We have more important things to do."
At noon, Esther began to get busy in the kitchen. She decided to cook herself, preparing a celebratory feast for Lu Chuan.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Lu Chuan stood at the kitchen door, watching Esther fumble.
"No!" Esther insisted. "Today is a special day; I want to personally cook for my record-holder."
An hour later, the dining table was filled with various dishes. Although the presentation wasn't perfect, every dish was full of love.
"How does it taste?" Esther watched nervously as Lu Chuan tasted.
"Perfect." Lu Chuan answered sincerely. "More delicious than any Michelin restaurant."
"It's so quiet," Lu Chuan put down his fork. "It's like two different worlds compared to outside."
Esther smiled and nodded: "That's why I want to cook good food for you, to block out all the noise from outside."
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Red Bull video conference started on time. On the other side of the screen was a middle-aged man who introduced himself as Martín Weber, Red Bull's Europe Marketing Director.
"Mr. Lu Chuan, it's a pleasure to meet you." Weber's English had a slight Germany accent. "I watched the entire game last night, and that record was truly impressive."
"Thank you for your attention." Lu Chuan responded politely.
Weber leaned forward slightly, his eyes behind the lenses shining remarkably.
"We at Red Bull don't sign players; we only sign challengers. Mr. Lu, you are the person we're looking for."
Esther listened quietly from the side, occasionally taking notes.
"What are the specific terms of cooperation?" Lu Chuan went straight to the point.
"The endorsement contract is for three years, with an annual salary of 1.5 million euros, plus various bonus clauses."
Weber displayed the key points of the contract. "We hope you can participate in some brand activities, shoot commercials, participate in extreme sports experiences, etc."
Lu Chuan carefully considered the proposal. An annual salary of 1.5 million euros was a huge sum for him now, but more importantly, it was the increase in brand value.
"I need to discuss this with my team." Lu Chuan did not immediately agree.
"Of course." Weber nodded in understanding, then changed the subject. "However, we also have a small suggestion."
"What suggestion?"
Weber's gaze turned to Esther: "We know that you and Miss Esther have a very close personal relationship, and she also has great influence in the entertainment industry. We very much hope to have the opportunity in the future to facilitate a cross-industry collaboration between the two of you, such as a commercial."
Hearing her name, Esther subconsciously straightened her back, her gaze shifting from her notebook to Weber's face on the screen.
"That's an interesting idea." Lu Chuan looked at Esther. "But we need time to consider it."
"Completely understandable." Weber smiled and nodded. "We are not in a hurry; good cooperation requires thorough preparation."
After the meeting, Lu Chuan and Esther sat on the sofa discussing the proposal.
"Cross-industry collaboration..." Esther mused. "That is indeed a novel idea."
"What do you think?" Lu Chuan asked for her opinion.
"From a business perspective, it's very valuable." Esther analyzed. "But we need to consider the timing and method. Publicly disclosing our relationship now might bring unnecessary attention."
Lu Chuan nodded in agreement. Their relationship still needed more protection and time to mature.
In the evening, Lu Chuan received a call from his parents.
"Hello, son?" His father's voice sounded a bit tight; he cleared his throat before continuing: "Your mother and I just saw you on TV."
"Dad, don't get too excited." Lu Chuan responded gently.
"Excited? How can I not be excited?" His father's tone was full of pride. "All my colleagues at work today were congratulating me, saying I have an amazing son!"
His mother's voice also came through: "Son, we're proud of you! But you need to take care of yourself and not get too tired."
"Mom, I know my limits."
"And that Red Bull endorsement..." His father was clearly also following the related news. "This is great! An international big brand has noticed you!"
"Good, good, good!" His father said "good" three times in a row, too excited to say anything else for a long time.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan felt the support and anticipation of his family. This warm strength was his greatest motivation on his path forward.
As night fell, the lights of Madrid began to illuminate. Lu Chuan stood on the balcony, recalling everything that had happened that day.
From the media's pursuit to Red Bull's commercial contract, and then to his family's transatlantic call, this day was like a fast-forwarded movie, propelling him onto a completely unfamiliar track.
"What are you thinking about?" Esther walked up to him.
"I'm thinking about the future." Lu Chuan looked into the distance. "This record is just the beginning; the real challenges are yet to come."
"La Liga?"
Lu Chuan's gaze swept over the city lights, looking further into the distance. "La Liga is just the first step; I want those Europe giants to know that there is a Chinese striker they must take seriously."
Esther tightly held his hand: "I'll be with you, step by step, towards that peak."
In the distance, in the direction of the training base, the lights were still bright. Tomorrow was another new day, and new challenges awaited them.
But tonight, in their small shared space, everything felt so beautiful and full of hope.
The bustling day finally came to an end, and the quiet moments belonging to him and Esther brought him more peace of mind than any record.