Groggy!

  Su returned home.

  Raul is retiring!

  That's what the players learned after the press conference.

  Raul didn't explain his retirement decision to his teammates!

  Hao, whom he had previously persuaded to stay, couldn't be convinced this time.

  At least Hao remained completely silent while driving him home. Su's departure was temporary, but Raul's retirement was permanent!

  Lying on the bed,

  Su stared blankly at the ceiling.

  Following the normal course of history,

  FC Schalke 04 had also reached the UCL quarter-finals this year, facing Manchester United. Although they were eliminated by United, Raul at least played like a god for Schalke during that match.

  Moreover, Raul was supposed to sign with Al-Sadd in Qatar immediately after the season, earn money there for a year, then join the New York Cosmos before retiring.

  Damn it, has history changed or not?

  Clearly Schalke 04 still made the top four—what difference did his presence make?

  Did it accelerate Raul's retirement?

  He understood why Raul retired!

  The proud Raul refused to spend his final days languishing in lower-tier leagues. After Su's emergence, Raul wanted to bow out in a final blaze of glory rather than fade away.

  After some thought, Su decided not to dwell on these complicated matters.

  Screw it!

  He was still young—if he couldn't win it this year, there was always next year!

  Pulling the covers over his head, Su fell straight asleep.

  .........

  "Su! We are the champions! Haha, UCL champions!"

  "We beat Bar?a, we beat Manchester United!!!! Haha!!! Su, this year's Ballon d'Or has to be yours!"

  "Real Madrid offered you a €150 million transfer—they're rebuilding the Galácticos with you as the centerpiece! Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká are coming to support you!"

  "Su, you are the Emperor of Chinese football! The Football Association has announced you'll be the next head coach!"

  "Ha ha!"

  "Su, congratulations on the Hercules Cup! You carried China to the final single-handedly, and with a five-goal masterclass, you defeated Messi's Argentina!"

  "Ding Dong!!!"

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "Dingdong!!!!"

  "Dingdong!!!!!"

  The doorbell woke Su up.

  He had been dreaming—a long, elaborate dream!

  It’s messy and all over the place!

  Su climbs out of bed, awkwardly unsure whether to answer the door or not!

  "Su! Are you there?"

  Hmm?

  That’s great!

  It’s actually Lisa!

  So early?

  Yeah!

  .............

  From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  And Su, finally, is completely recovered.

  Instead, Su sits on the edge of the bed and turns on the computer.

  Still sulky, he wonders what the FC Schalke 04 defeat will inspire the journalists to say.

  Open Marca’s official website!

  A whole page filled with pictures of him and Messi.

  "The Greatest Supernova vs. Messi! A Hat-Trick for the Cosmos!"

  This is Marca’s headline.

  The report describes the match in detail.

  As Su expected, the Marca writers had the good sense to praise him to the skies.

  Marca, which has always been relatively close to Real Madrid, even suggested in its report that if Real Madrid could sign Su next season,

  then Real Madrid would form the first-ever "SCK" combination!

  When the time comes to face the unbeatable Bar?a Cosmos,

  the eyes of fans worldwide will be on La Liga. This would not only solidify La Liga as the number one league in the world but also create a global festival for football fans!

  With a heh-heh laugh, Su closes Marca’s website.

  Next, Su just keeps browsing, moving from one sports paper to another, chuckling to himself.

  "What are you giggling about, boy?"

  It takes a while before Lisa finally wakes up.

  Looking at Su, who’s sitting on the edge of the bed giggling at the computer, she asks curiously.

  "Ugh! Go to hell!"

  Lisa takes one look at Su and realizes the guy is joking.

  With that, she gets ready to leave.

  "Don’t go—it’s Manchester United vs. Real Madrid at 8 p.m. Want to watch it together?"

  8:30 p.m.!

  This time, he’s really going to watch the match.

  After rummaging for some food in the fridge and drawing the curtains, Su and Lisa lie down on the couch and tune into the live broadcast.

  On camera!

  Ferguson's face is flushed as he chews his gum and looks up at the pitch with his trademark stubborn expression.

  And at this moment!

  The score is still 0-0!

  Facing this Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo-led Real Madrid,

  Sir Alex has lined up his team in a 4-3-3 formation!

  At the Bernabéu!

  Despite holding a two-goal lead, the proud old man didn’t choose to play defensively on the counter!

  He’s actually going toe-to-toe with Real Madrid!

  And!!!

  It’s unbelievable—the old man’s Manchester United is actually trading blows with Real Madrid!

  Veteran captain Gary Neville sits on the bench,

  but Rafael, his replacement, is putting in an outstanding performance!

  Not just Rafael—Nani and Valencia on the wings are going head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo and Di María in an intense back-and-forth battle!

  The first half ends!

  Possession and shots on goal are nearly even between the two teams!

  Both sides have been unlucky, and the score remains 0-0!

  But Manchester United isn’t worried. They’re ahead on aggregate!

  In the second half, as expected, Real Madrid grows impatient.

  They begin pressing forward aggressively.

  62nd minute!

  Real Madrid’s best chance arrives!

  Cristiano Ronaldo bulldozes past Hargreaves and Fletcher in midfield before charging forward and unleashing a right-footed shot!

  The strike is excellent!

  But veteran van der Sar is ready!

  He dives to his side and palms the ball onto the post!

  Real Madrid squanders a golden opportunity!

  And that’s when!

  Ferguson makes his move!

  He substitutes Valencia for Park Ji-Sung!

  At the same time, he pulls the entire team back into a defensive shape.

  After attacking Real Madrid for nearly 60 minutes, they switch to a defensive counterattacking approach!

  This sudden shift even makes Mourinho frown on the sidelines.

  Mourinho glances at Kaká, who’s struggling to make an impact, and replaces him with Mesut ?zil.

  And so, the once-brilliant Kaká ends his Champions League campaign, booed by the Real Madrid fans!

  ?zil’s introduction gives Real Madrid’s attack a slight boost,

  but Manchester United’s compact defense leaves them few openings!

  Cristiano Ronaldo keeps testing his old club’s iron defense with long-range efforts,

  but after countless attempts, the referee blows the final whistle!

  Manchester United earns a 0-0 draw at the Bernabéu!

  The 2010-2011 Champions League finalists are decided!

  Manchester United vs. Bar?a!!!!

  Post-match press conference!

  Sir Alex Ferguson strides in and declares that his team has never feared any "Cosmos"!

  This season, he’s going to return Manchester United to the top of Europe!!!!

  ............