If the hat trick in the first match had been because the opponents were too weak and he'd caught them off guard,
then the four-goal haul in the second match had sent shockwaves through the entire European—and even global—football world.
There had never been a rising star with such a terrifying scoring rate. He'd scored seven goals in two matches, despite playing for only 85 minutes in total. An average of one goal every twelve minutes was truly astonishing.
Barcelona's management didn't dare waste any time. As soon as the match ended, they contacted Li Mingyu's agent.
Li Mingyu's agent, Andrew, was a third-rate agent whose clients were all promising young players like Li Mingyu.
When Andrew learned that Li Mingyu had scored a hat trick in his very first La Liga match, he knew his day had finally come. He immediately drove to Barcelona.
Though Andrew was only a third-rate agent, he understood the value of playing hard to get. Instead of approaching Barca's management right away to negotiate Li Mingyu's contract, he took his time and contacted Li Mingyu first.
He congratulated Li Mingyu on his hat trick, then chatted with him about everyday things. Finally, he told Li Mingyu to keep working hard and put in another great performance in the next match, so he'd make a good impression on the management.
As for the contract, Andrew figured that as long as Li Mingyu performed as well as he had in the previous match, there was no need to rush.
Sure enough, as soon as the match ended, Andrew's phone rang. He casually turned off the TV and picked up the phone with a beaming smile.
"Hello, is this Mr. Andrew?"
"Yes, speaking. Who's this?"
"I'm Braida, the manager of FC Barcelona. If you're available now, I'd like you to come to my office so we can discuss signing Li Mingyu."
Andrew hung up and excitedly pumped his fist, a confident smile on his face.
After the match, Li Mingyu boarded the team's return flight with the rest of the squad.
On the plane, Li Mingyu sat next to Messi.
Messi said, "Li, you're very fast, and you're good at taking your chances. But your stamina is poor, and that's going to affect your performance. Especially if you want to become an outstanding footballer. If you can't even last through a whole match, your achievements will be very limited!"
Koeman, who was sitting in front of them, overheard their conversation and turned around. "Li, I'll step up your fitness training when we get back. But it's already the end of the season, so we won't see much improvement. Once the season ends, I'll put together a fitness program just for you."
Li Mingyu knew his own weakness, too, and firmly nodded after hearing that.
His performances in these two matches had been dazzling, but his weakness had also been laid bare for everyone to see.
After returning to Barcelona, Li Mingyu got a call from his agent, Andrew.
"Hey, Li! I'm at your place right now. Come back, will you?"
Andrew sounded delighted.
Li Mingyu shrugged, left his personal belongings in the players' dormitory, and headed out of the training facility.
Once outside, Li Mingyu took out his phone to call a car.
A red Ferrari pulled up beside him. Griezmann lowered his sunglasses and asked, "Hey! Need a ride?"
"So this is your home? Wow, it's a restaurant! I'll have to come by and eat sometime!"
Griezmann looked at the Li Family Restaurant sign in surprise.
Li Mingyu smiled and said, "In a couple of days, I'll treat everyone to a proper Chinese feast!"
Griezmann drove off in his Ferrari. He had a date with a lovely lady that night.
Li Mingyu walked into the restaurant.
"Oh my god, look who it is!"
"Wow, it's Li!"
"It really is Li!"
"Ahhh!"
As soon as Li Mingyu entered, several customers recognized him and shouted excitedly.
A little overwhelmed, Li Mingyu nodded to everyone.
A few familiar customers greeted him happily, too.
Li Mingyu had played for both Barca's youth team and reserve team, so some die-hard Barca fans already knew him very well.
But aside from a few neighbors, hardly anyone knew that the restaurant belonged to Li Mingyu's family.
"Son!" A burly Hispanic woman came over and wrapped him in a tight hug.
Li Mingyu hugged her back just as tightly and said with a smile, "Mom, you look even prettier!"
Sonia was a genuine Spanish woman. Though she looked quite burly, her face still retained the charm of her younger years. She must have been a real beauty.
But European women inevitably put on weight once they reached a certain age.
And since she'd married a Chinese chef, how could she not gain weight?
Li Zhenfei, a Chinese chef, had met the beautiful Sonia while traveling in Spain. They'd fallen in love, and he'd decided to stay there. After all, Li Zhenfei had no relatives left in China.
Hearing the commotion outside, Li Zhenfei came out of the kitchen.
When he saw Li Mingyu, a flicker of relief passed through his eyes.
"You little brat, you finally remembered to come home!"
Li Zhenfei said gruffly.
Li Mingyu quickly replied with a grin, "Dad, I'm home now, aren't I?"
Li Zhenfei glared at him, then went back to the kitchen to get on with his work.
"Li, come over here!" Andrew beckoned from the doorway of a private room.
Sonia nudged Li Mingyu's shoulder and said, "Go on. You really ought to thank Andrew properly this time!"
Li Mingyu knew the contract had probably been settled, but why did he need to thank Andrew? Could it be...
Once inside the private room, Li Mingyu shut the door behind him.
They sat facing each other. Andrew took a contract from his bag, placed it on the table, and slid it toward Li Mingyu with a broad smile. "Li, take a look!"
With his heart pounding, Li Mingyu opened the contract.
It was indeed a player contract officially signing him to FC Barcelona.
Li Mingyu quickly looked for the most important details.
Contract length: 4 years.
Annual salary: €5 million.
Li Mingyu stared at his salary in surprise. Five million euros—how much money was that?
Andrew said smugly, "That salary may not be much by Barca's standards, but for a newcomer, it's already an exceptionally high salary!"
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