(A/n: Be warned that this chapter contains racism and too much forced hate toward a certain player, as clear by the title, just for the sake of plot.Trust me the original was a thousand times worse but I swallowed the poison for you lot but some still escaped, as the chapter, and the few linked one, wouldn't make sense without it. And also I was too lazy to rewrite the arc from scratch just as I am writing for the love interest. I know that this may be cringe or may trigger some of you and I sincerely apologize for it.
Warnings aside the new writer interface is weirding me out as there is no reviews visible at the inbox page. I have to manually check and reply to all the comment from the book itself as a reader. So if I don't reply to any of your comment or reviews, I am trying you know.
Balancing my studies, gaming (I participate in esports to earn some money, my parents say that, "If you want to keep a hobby, finance it yourself."), and writing it all from translating it from xiaoshuohu. Its been a pretty hard summer for me. Failed the entrance exams, my phone broke down, my friend died, etcetera etcetera. Worse of all, it feels so down knowing that my parents had some expectations (that they never shared to not burden me anymore) and I just failed them. It even ain't going good in my relationship. Me and my girl haven't talked in a while. I wanna set it all right, ya know. Without her every day, life feels sadder. I just want her to hold me and just tell me its okay. I just wanna be a little boy I was years ago, with nothing to worry about. Yeah, we all are like butterflies. We flutter for a day and think it is forever.
Sorry for the dump, guys. I wanted to open to someone who won't judge me for it, or even if you do... huh. Yeah, that's pretty much it. I think I need to call her.)
...
There are still seven days until the World Cup main tournament begins. During this training period, Sterling had already been completely convinced by Oliver's play. Sterling found that no matter which side he played, he just couldn't beat this 18-year-old kid. As they played more, their communication also gradually increased.
Oliver was never an unreasonable person. After Sterling was thoroughly convinced, their relationship had returned to normal. Dier's problem was also a minor one. Dier's opinion of Oliver was actually more from a club level, rather than Oliver himself.
Southgate also made his decision. Southgate had Tottenham's higher-ups call Dier, and then had Harry Kane do some ideological work with Dier, and Dier immediately became much more obedient. At the same time, Tottenham's higher-ups conveyed a message to Harry Kane, asking him to strengthen his management of the England Team's 'Tottenham gang.' The World Cup was imminent, and club think had to give way to national honors. Any club grievances were to be set aside for now; the major tournament was what mattered.
On the training ground.
Today, Oliver had just finished a set of strength training, wiping sweat with a towel, and quietly discussing the possible content of the afternoon's tactics class with Alli. A tall figure ran over. Maguire first subconsciously scanned the locker room, his gaze finally landing on Oliver, then he quickly walked over. His steps were a bit heavy, and his face was unusually grim.
"Ollie," Maguire's voice was very low, with a hint of disbelief and worry. He handed his phone screen directly to Oliver, "Look at this, mate... This just popped up. I swear, this is the most idiotic, most ignorant statement I've ever seen."
Oliver took the phone from Maguire's hand in confusion, the screen's light somewhat dazzling.
It was a post on social media. The profile picture of the poster's account was all too familiar to him: Özil, his future teammate, the core midfielder at Emirates Stadium.
He had posted something. The act of posting itself was nothing. But the words in the post exuded a completely different, disgusting aura.
...
A few days earlier,
In an expensive mansion somewhere in London, Özil was enjoying a short vacation. The sun was bright, and the pool shimmered, but his heart felt like it was blocked by a dark cloud. New news from the club, like a thin thorn, kept pricking him. He saw the club's official announcement: the new boy, Oliver, 18 years old, cost the club a record-breaking 158 million pounds, and signed a big contract.
Just that alone wouldn't have been much; the world of football was inherently a game of capital. What truly made the nameless fire in his heart burn brighter was the detail—the signing bonus. He had gone through various connections and his own network within the club's higher-ups, putting in a lot of effort to find out. Arsenal had actually given that young kid a full 10 million pounds as a signing bonus!
"10 million pounds!!!" Özil gulped down a large mouthful of iced whiskey. The spicy liquid burned his throat but couldn't extinguish the wicked fire in his heart.
He was on a top salary, 350,000 pounds a week, a figure enough to make most players envious. But his signing bonus...
He recalled his own situation when he first joined; his signing bonus back then seemed to be only a few million pounds.
Why? Why did a kid who played well for one year at Hoffenheim receive such favoritism? Just because Wenger personally requested him? Just because he won two useless Golden Boots?
The more Özil thought about it, the more suffocated he felt, and a feeling of being underestimated and offended surged and overwhelmed him. Oliver's young, smiling face swayed in his drunken, hazy vision, as if mocking him. Özil opened another bottle of wine, and facing the empty room, facing his phone screen, the accumulated resentment and the venom mixed with alcohol finally gushed out.
His fingers brutally tapped on the screen, with intense, undisguised malice, typing out the words:
[Just found out some rather 'interesting' details… that new kid from a chigga women we signed got TEN MILLION QUID just for SIGNING HIS NAME? Hahaha! What a joke! While some of us actually EARN our stripes week in week out! # Disgrace # ]
Özil's post was full of complaints about Oliver receiving such a large signing bonus. In his eyes, he seemed to be the one who worked the hardest and suffered the most, and he felt that this 10 million should have been his. This was not enough; his fingers continued to frantically tap the screen, turning the attack towards a broader group. The next paragraph was addressed to his fans:
[Look at all those yellow monkey fans cheering for him! Do they even understand FOOTBALL? Or are they just mindless SHEEP following the latest hype? Probably can't tell their butt from their elbow! Pathetic! They deserve each other! #Dirtychiggas ]
That post, filled with racism, personal attacks, and group insults, was like a dirty bomb, unleashed by Özil on social media. After sending the post, he didn't even look at it again. The immense dizziness and the numbness brought on by the alcohol made him only want to sleep. Özil stumbled towards the bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, and instantly fell into a deep slumber.
Subconsciously, he might have still retained a sense of impunity: He was a star player, Arsenal's top earner. What could Arsenal do to him? Delete the post? Apologize? A joke! He'd deal with it tomorrow.
However, he slept, but the online world did not. That post was like hot oil dropped into water. At first, a few scattered fans saw it, shocked, and shared screenshots on fan forums. Immediately after, the screenshots spread like a virus across major social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Arsenal fans, Premier League fans, Europe fans, Chinese fans, fans all over the world...
More and more people saw this shocking content. Shock, anger, and disbelief converged like a tsunami in the comment section.
"Racist scum! Özil get out of Arsenal! Get out of the Premier League! Get out of football! # KickOzilOut"
"You're earning 350,000 a week and playing like crap, and you have the nerve to be jealous of a newcomer? You're Arsenal's biggest cancer! Look at Ollie's stats last season, he's ten times better than you! How many goals did you score last season?"
"Football has no place for racism! @Arsenal @FootballAssociation, if you don't take the strictest measures, you are condoning this menace!"
"You idiot, you are one of the dumbest, most arrogant, and brainless players I've ever seen in football. It's time for you to leave."
Oliver's former club, Hoffenheim fans, and Germany fans also spoke out in support.
"You are a complete lunatic! You insulted Ollie, you insulted the superstar who came out of Hoffenheim, out of the Bundesliga! You don't deserve to be in the German team for the rest of your life! Go back to your Turkey, don't disgust us anymore!"
"You are a disgrace to the Germany Team, you are even a disgrace to football! Go back to your hometown, you have nothing to do with football for the rest of your life!"
The insulted fans also commented:
"You dog, I'll f*** your mother! If Arsenal doesn't fire this idiot today, I'll be a hater for life! Family, let's unite and boycott!"
"You idiot, just wait till I get you. No one can protect you this time. Just wait for contract termination + suspension. Go, Ollie! The better you play, the more painful it will be for this idiot."
"F*** you, you trash! I've wanted to curse you for a long time. You get top pay but don't work, and you still insult the team's top new signing? Where do you get the nerve? Oliver, 18 years old, with two Golden Boots, crushes you old dog. Stop playing football and go back to Turkey to sell ice cream."
"Dead fish-eye, get the hell out of Arsenal"
"I'm an old Arsenal fan, but I really can't stand this idiot today. @arsenal_official, quickly clean out this tumor of yours, it's disgusting."
...
The curses in the comment sections grew sharper and more furious. Every minute, the number of retweets and comments grew exponentially. Angry fans began spontaneously flooding Arsenal's official accounts with protests, demanding immediate action from the club. Some began organizing reports to the Football Association and anti-racism organizations.
When morning arrived in England, this post was no longer just a storm within the fan community; it had completely ignited global sports media.
Marca: "Explosive Scandal! Özil's Racist Remarks Attack Arsenal's New Star Teammate + Fans! Arsenal Deep in PR Crisis, England's New Star Oliver Suffers Unprovoked Insult."
Germany's Bild: "Özil is the Disgrace of Football. Former Germany National Team Player Makes Shameful Remarks. Double Golden Boot, Hoffenheim Legend, England National Team Player Oliver Becomes Victim."
These reports from the top five Leagues were only one aspect. England's local media reports were even more direct; they not only reported the incident but also directly named the Football Association and Arsenal:
The Guardian: "Premier League Disgrace: Arsenal Star Özil Launches Racist Attack on New Teammate Oliver, England National Team Player Being Humiliated."
The Mirror: "Özil's Remarks Are a Betrayal of the Core Values of England Football: Oliver is Not Only Arsenal's Future, But Also the Treasure of Our Three Lions. The Time for Zero Tolerance Has Arrived."
The Times: "Storm Center: Özil's Racist Remarks Directly Target 18-Year-Old New Star National Team Player Oliver, Football Association and Arsenal Face Legitimacy Test."
The Independent: "This is the Darkest Hour for England Football: Our Talented National Team Player Faces Racism in His Own Locker Room. Özil Must Go, Arsenal and the Football Association are Unavoidably Responsible."
BBC Headline published a strongly worded editorial: "A Disgraceful Moment for Football: Özil's Remarks Are a Trampling of the Core Values of the Sport. Arsenal and the Football Association Must Take Decisive, Swift Action to Show That We Will Not Tolerate Any Form of Racism. The Victim Oliver is Not Only an Arsenal player, But Also a Valuable Asset and Future Hope for Our England National Team. If This Matter Is Not Handled Properly, It Will Severely Damage the Reputation of England Football and Even the Entire Nation."
Other mainstream media, such as Sky Sports, also provided in-depth coverage immediately, repeatedly emphasizing the seriousness of the incident and continuously broadcasting footage of angry fan protests on social media. The storm instantly swept across the globe.
Mainstream European sports media widely reported this scandal on their front pages or prominent positions, with headlines all pointing to "racism," "huge scandal," and "Arsenal crisis."
The reports generally cited the strong reactions of England media and fans and unanimously believed that this was a serious challenge to the values of the sport of football.