"Nice to meet you, I am Mike Wager," Mike replied, keeping his composure as he shook the man's hand. "May I ask why you stopped me?"⠀"Of course. I am a chief scout for FC Barcelona," Jordi Roura explained with an appreciative nod. "I wanted to ask if you would be willing to exchange contact information for future opportunities. I would love to have the chance to speak with your parents as well as with you directly."⠀"Certainly, sir," Mike nodded politely. "I am not considering changing clubs at the moment, but there will definitely be opportunities to collaborate in the future."⠀After parting ways and exchanging phone numbers with the legendary scout, Mike returned to the hotel to rest. The tournament was practically over, and the official awards ceremony with all thirty-two teams was scheduled for the following morning.⠀"Welcome, everyone, to the grand awards ceremony of the Madrid Football Cup!" the presenter's voice echoed through the stadium. "Thirty-two elite clubs from all over the globe participated, and every single young athlete gave their absolute absolute best on the pitch. Let us first honor our third-place winners, PSG, who secured the bronze after an incredible battle against Real Madrid!"⠀"As the Parisian players step down, it is time to applaud our runners-up. The team finishing in second place after fighting until the absolute final second of the tournament is Barcelona! They put up a heroic effort but unfortunately fell just short."⠀"And now, as the Barcelona players receive their beautiful silver medals, let us bring up the undefeated champions of the tournament! Please give a massive round of applause for Chelsea, the official winners of the U14 Madrid Football Cup!"⠀As the team captain, Mike was the very first to step onto the podium, and a heavy gold medal was hung around his neck. Moments later, he was completely surrounded by his teammates, who hoisted him into the air as he proudly lifted the massive Madrid Football Cup trophy toward the sky.⠀The tournament's official photographer took a series of team photos, but Mike also requested a few individual shots of himself holding the silverware. He was highly satisfied with how they turned out, planning to use them to boost his online presence. To crown his historic run, Mike was officially announced as the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He held up the MVP trophy, flashing a confident smile for the flashing cameras.⠀Shortly afterward, Lamine Yamal walked over to him with a playful smirk. "Hey, do not get too cocky, mate. I won that exact same MVP trophy last year, so you are still technically one step behind me."⠀Mike burst out laughing. He genuinely enjoyed Yamal's hyper-competitive nature during the few times they had spoken. They exchanged a warm embrace, said their goodbyes, and Mike headed back to the hotel with his team.⠀The following day, the Chelsea squad boarded their flight back to London. Mike was incredibly eager to get home; he deeply missed his parents, and he knew he could finally sit down with his father to finalize the blueprints for his private home gym and hire a professional support staff.⠀"Dad, in addition to building the gym in the basement, I really need you to hire a dedicated team of experts," Mike explained seriously as soon as they arrived home. "I need a sports nutritionist, a high-performance personal trainer, and a physical therapist. I refuse to let an unexpected injury ruin my football career."⠀Tom Wager smiled proudly at his son's maturity. "All right, son. I will look into the best options first thing tomorrow morning, okay?"⠀"Thanks, Dad. Also, I have something important to discuss with both you and Mom during dinner."⠀Later that evening, as they sat around the dining table, Mike laid out the situation. "Two days ago, right after the final whistle against Barcelona, their chief scout, Jordi Roura, approached me. He wanted to establish a direct connection with our family. I exchanged numbers with him out of courtesy, but I made it clear that I have no immediate plans to leave Chelsea. I wanted to know what you two think about this."⠀Jane Brown immediately smiled warmly at her son. "Mike, you already know that we support you 100% no matter what path you choose. But in my opinion, staying at Chelsea is the smartest move right now. Especially considering the current FIFA regulations; you have to be eighteen to legally transfer to a foreign club like Barcelona."⠀"That makes sense, Mom. I will forward his contact details to Dad so he can manage any future inquiries."⠀Back in his bedroom, Mike logged into his newly created Instagram account and uploaded the three high-quality photos from the awards ceremony. He searched for Lamine Yamal's profile and hit follow; within mere minutes, the Spanish prodigy followed him back. Before drifting off to sleep, Mike opened the system interface to allocate the massive pool of Soccer Points he had racked up by winning the tournament. He went to the shop and purchased the Standing Tackle skill for 50 points.⠀/ PLAYER STATS /Name: Mike WagerStatus: Kid with good future prospects.Defense: Level 43Midfield: Level 59Offense: Level 59Speed: 6/10Stamina: 4/10Strength: 4/10Vision: 7/10⠀Skills:CroquetaRonaldo chopMarseille rouletteTrivela crossTrivela shotStanding Tackle⠀With the transaction complete, his system balance dropped to exactly 30 Soccer Points.⠀Meanwhile, down in the mansion's private office, Tom Wager was already on a long-distance call with Jordi Roura.⠀"Mr. Wager, I am fully aware that international laws prevent your son from signing with Barcelona at his current age," Roura spoke smoothly over the phone. "However, there is a perfectly legal loophole. My scouting report shows that you run a massive real estate empire. If your company opens a new corporate branch in Catalonia, your family would legally relocate to Barcelona for business reasons. If the parents move for non-footballing motives, FIFA clears the player immediately."⠀Tom Wager narrowed his eyes, analyzing the business prospect. "I see. I will keep that option in mind. But let me repeat: my son is exceptionally happy at Chelsea right now. That does not mean he will not be open to a transfer in the near future, but for now, we wait. Whatever we decide, I will keep you updated."⠀The next morning, Mike walked into the kitchen for breakfast and found both Tom and Jane waiting for him at the table with serious expressions. After they finished eating, his father revealed every single detail of the conversation he had shared with the Barcelona scout, asking for Mike's genuine opinion.⠀Mike pondered the option. He was definitely open to playing for a historic institution like Barcelona, but he knew he was not ready to leave England just yet. He advised his father to initiate the process of expanding his real estate business into Spain immediately, ensuring that a future transfer would be completely seamless when the right time arrived.⠀Tom Wager, who wielded immense power in the property market, agreed without hesitation. The expansion was highly profitable anyway, and he even floated the idea of moving the entire family to Spain in a couple of years.⠀Shortly after breakfast, the three specialized assistants his father had contracted arrived at the villa. They were among the most prestigious and highly sought-after sports professionals in London. They immediately sat down with Mike to coordinate a hyper-focused, elite training and dietary routine tailored to his young body. After finalizing the core metrics, they departed, agreeing to begin full-time operations the moment the basement construction was fully completed.⠀Over the following week, Mike fully immersed himself back into his grueling routine. Within days, the empty room in the basement was transformed into a state-of-the-art private gym, packed with cutting-edge athletic equipment.⠀From that day forward, Mike's schedule became infinitely more demanding, fueled by an iron-clad workout routine and a strict, fully optimized professional sports diet. The young captain was leaving absolutely nothing to chance.
