Now Li Mingyu's sudden rise had finally brought La Liga back into the sight of European fans.
Nine matches.
Four hat tricks.
One haul of four goals.
One haul of five goals.
Twenty-four goals.
He was averaging nearly three goals per match, leaving the entire football world in his dust.
The many top clubs that had already given up hope turned their attention to Catalonia once more, setting their sights on this nineteen-year-old.
A young player this exceptional, if he was willing to stay with one club, could become the foundation of that club's squad for at least ten years!
Before, some clubs had thought a 180-million release clause might be a risk worth taking. But when Li Mingyu scored five goals by himself at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, those doubts vanished in an instant.
Throughout the entire history of football, no player had ever scored five goals at Santiago Bernabeu. Such an extraordinary feat proved beyond doubt that this player was destined for greatness.
Barcelona president Laporta was caught up in a happy dilemma.
He had laughed out loud five times in front of his old rival Florentino. Messi's injury had infuriated him, but Li Mingyu's incredible performance had also filled him with joy.
"Mr. Braida, I think we need to revise Li's contract again. The current release clause can no longer stop those people from coming after him!" Laporta said solemnly.
Barca manager Braida could only smile bitterly. "President, I understand, but we can't revise his contract every month, can we? We've already revised Li's contract once!"
Laporta waved a hand. "I don't want to hear any of that. Just make sure Li doesn't leave Barcelona."
Braida left Laporta's office with a bitter smile.
Of course, he understood the pressure Laporta was under.
The previous president, Bartomeu, might as well have been a spy sent by Real Madrid. Just six days before the latest presidential election, the police had taken him away.
The charge was related to Barca's "Barcagate" scandal from the previous season.
Barca had hired a social media monitoring company to track public opinion about the club. But the company had done more than monitor: it had also spread negative stories about Barca's own players, such as Messi and Pique, and attacked former coach Guardiola, former player Xavi, and former president Laporta.
The club's hiring of the company was also suspected to involve corruption. Barca had paid ten times the market rate and split the contract so that the annual service fee of one million euros was divided into five installments. Each contract was therefore worth less than 200,000 euros, allowing it to evade scrutiny by the club's internal committee. After the scandal broke, six members of the board, including then-vice president Rousaud, resigned.
After being elected president of Barca, Laporta used extensive public relations efforts to restore the club's reputation.
But FC Barcelona was inevitably affected. Not only had they suffered a shock defeat to an underdog in the Copa del Rey, they had also once again fallen short in the Champions League, failing to reach the final for six consecutive years.
Before their nine-match winning streak, Barca had trailed Atletico Madrid in the league, and their title campaign had been full of twists and turns.
Laporta was like a man sitting atop a volcano on the verge of eruption, and he was frantic with worry.
So Li Mingyu wasn't just Koeman's savior. He was Barca's savior, and Laporta's too.
For Laporta, the question of whether Messi would stay or leave no longer mattered.
Keeping Li Mingyu was now the club's top priority.
After all, Barca had a long history of letting their legendary players leave once they grew older.
Xavi, Iniesta, and Suarez were all painful examples. It wouldn't be strange if Messi ended up on that list too.
However, when Braida invited Li Mingyu's agent, Andrew, to discuss Li's contract, Andrew firmly rejected the new offer.
Although the new contract increased Li's annual salary by two million euros, the three-hundred-million release clause made Andrew balk.
After turning down Braida, Andrew said solemnly, "Mr. Braida, I've already discussed this with Li. At the very least, he won't leave Barcelona before next summer. No matter how much another club offers, Li won't leave Barcelona."
"Li has been a Barca fan since he was a child. Playing for Barca is his childhood dream. If he hasn't won the honors he wants to win with Barca, then I believe no matter how much anyone offers, he won't leave!"
Seeing Braida looking thoughtful, Andrew reminded him, "However, I also hope Barca won't use any unnecessary tactics to tie him down. As Li's agent, I know him well. He's a kind-hearted young man, but what he hates most is betrayal and deception. If he finds out the club has been hiding things from him or using underhanded methods against him, he could well come to hate the club. If that happens, I won't be able to stand with you."
Braida nodded, but still seemed uneasy. "Can you speak for Li? I mean, if a club activates his release clause, will Li absolutely refuse to leave?"
Andrew smiled. "Why not let Li tell you himself? I think that would be more convincing."
That afternoon, Li Mingyu was invited to Braida's office.
"Li, welcome!"
Braida was so warm that Li Mingyu felt almost overwhelmed.
"By the way, Li, I'd like to know what you think. I've spoken with Mr. Andrew. What are your thoughts?"
Li Mingyu accepted a glass of water from the secretary and thanked her. After thinking it over, he said, "Mr. Manager, I can't make any promises beyond that. As Mr. Andrew said, I can guarantee I won't leave before next summer. If possible, of course I hope to stay in Barcelona forever. My whole family supports Barcelona, and this is my home."
The weight lifted from Braida's heart. He couldn't tell how sincere Li Mingyu's words were, but for now, this would have to do.
The two chatted for a little while longer, then Li Mingyu left the office.
Braida went to the president's office and told Laporta what had happened.
Laporta sat in his chair in silence for a long while before asking, "Do you think Li was telling the truth?"
Braida nodded. "He has Chinese heritage. As far as I know, when Chinese people give their word, they keep it."
Laporta rubbed his temples and smiled bitterly. "Then I suppose we'll just have to settle for that."
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