The Champions League and Invitations from the Chinese Super League Giants!
Out of courtesy, since Mansour had already said so and Sophia had quickly brought out the contract, Lin had no choice but to accept it.
He chose the estate in the suburbs. Since Mansour was paying, there was no need for further discounts. The estate was sold to Lin at the original price of 5.5 million euros.
As a result, Guardiola only spent 6.5 million euros to buy the mansion in the city center. This way, he saved half the money.
However, unlike the original plan where both houses were to be in Guardiola's name, now one of the estates was under Lin's name.
Since the estate was his, Lin decided to refurbish it properly!
For the next week, Lin and Guardiola were busy handling their respective properties.
On May 25th, after more than a week of hard work, they finally had the houses in good shape and could relax.
Just then, Bayern sent Guardiola tickets for the Champions League final. So, they flew to London to watch the match between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.
The Champions League final was held at Wembley Stadium in London, marking the first time in Champions League history that it featured a German national derby.
The match was intense, with Dortmund launching a flurry of attacks in the first 20 minutes. However, Bayern's goalkeeper, Neuer, made several crucial saves, keeping the score level.
Bayern then counterattacked, with Alaba delivering a perfect pass to Robben, setting up a one-on-one with Dortmund's goalkeeper.
But despite the golden opportunity, Robben missed, reminding everyone of his miss in the previous World Cup final.
"That was a poor shot..."
Guardiola frowned, unable to believe Robben missed such an easy chance. If it had been Messi, he would have scored 90% of the time!
"A feint would have been better. The goalkeeper had already committed, making it hard to adjust," Lin commented, thinking Robben might have been too eager.
"Didn't Robben miss a penalty in last year's Champions League final?" Lin asked, recalling something.
"Yes, his penalty was saved by Cech."
Guardiola had studied Bayern's matches thoroughly and remembered their loss to Chelsea vividly.
"Missing crucial chances in three consecutive finals could heavily impact a player's psyche," Lin mused. Missing such a chance in the World Cup or Champions League final would surely get him crucified by fans.
He remembered how Messi was heavily criticized after missing a golden opportunity in the 2014 World Cup, even considering retiring from the national team.
And Robben had missed three such chances.
If Lin were in Robben's shoes, he'd be psychologically scarred.
However, he underestimated Robben's resilience.
Under immense pressure, Robben redeemed himself in the second half.
In the 58th minute, he set up Mandzukic for a tap-in, putting Bayern 1-0 up.
Bayern's players and fans went wild. High-scoring games are rare in Champions League finals, and Mandzukic's goal could very well secure the trophy.
Dortmund fans were visibly dejected, but Reus stepped up when it mattered.
In the 66th minute, he drove into the box and was fouled by Dante, winning a penalty.
Replays showed it should have been a red card and a penalty, as Dante kicked Reus in the abdomen.
With Reus injured and receiving treatment, Gundogan took the penalty, sending Neuer the wrong way to make it 1-1.
The equalizer boosted Dortmund's morale, and they attacked Bayern's goal with renewed vigor.
But Bayern caught them on a counterattack, with Muller crossing to Robben, who missed another golden opportunity as Subotic cleared the ball off the line.
Robben just needed a touch to score.
Klopp, in his suit on the sideline, punched the air in relief after the crucial clearance.
From that moment, Bayern began to dominate.
"Borussia is in danger," Guardiola accurately predicted.
Sure enough, in the 88th minute, Bayern's pressure caused chaos in Dortmund's box. Robben picked up the ball, dodged the defenders, and slotted it into the net.
2-1 to Bayern!
This was the decisive goal.
Robben ran to the sidelines, shaking his arms and muttering to himself, clearly overjoyed.
Three years of agony since his World Cup miss had ended with this goal.
After the restart, Dortmund launched a desperate attack to equalize, but Bayern held firm.
When the final whistle blew, Bayern's players ran around the pitch in celebration, while the usually composed Heynckes pumped his fists in joy.
Dortmund's players, on the other hand, were devastated. Some stood in a daze, others bent over, staring at the ground, and some collapsed, exhausted and dejected.
Reus knelt on the ground, his shoulders shaking as he silently cried.
They had come so close to the trophy, only to have it snatched away.
Seeing Reus so heartbroken, Lin sighed. This might be his closest shot at the Champions League. If he stayed at Dortmund, he might never get this close again.
This season marked the last hurrah for Klopp's Dortmund. If Reus switched teams, he might have a better chance. But given his love for Dortmund, Lin couldn't bring himself to suggest it, knowing Reus likely wouldn't accept it.
So, Lin could only wish him well, hoping he would stay healthy and avoid injuries.
After the Champions League final, Lin didn't return to Munich with Guardiola but headed straight to Berlin for the German Cup final.
The German Cup final was scheduled for June 1st at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
This match would be Bremen's final game of the season and Lin's last game for the club.
He hoped to end the season on a high note.
After landing, Lin took a car to the team's meeting point, thinking he was early.
To his surprise, someone had beaten him there!
"Lin, I thought you wouldn't come!"
Arnautovic, practicing headers on the field, ran over and gave Lin a bear hug.
"Where's everyone else? Just you?"
Lin glanced around the training ground, noticing few people.
"I came right after my national team match. The others are probably still playing World Cup qualifiers!"
Lin realized that Spain's group had only five teams, so they had no match this round.
Other groups weren't as lucky, all having six teams, so most had matches.
"You seem happy. Did you score for the national team?"
"Heh, yeah, scored one. No big deal!"
Arnautovic's face was full of pride despite his humble words, the contradiction making Lin roll his eyes.
"By the way, Lin, do you know much about the Chinese Super League?"
Seeing Lin take off his jacket and pick up a soccer ball to start training, Arnautovic remembered something and hurried over to ask.
Lin was surprised. News of the Chinese Super League teams' interest in him had leaked so quickly?
After the Bundesliga ended, Pere received several invitations from Chinese Super League clubs.
Among them, Guangzhou Evergrande showed the most sincerity, offering a $25 million annual salary and a $50 million signing bonus to lure Lin.
Evergrande, keen on using football to boost their brand, wasn't shy about spending.
Two years ago, they made headlines by signing Brazilian MVP Conca for $10 million, successfully gaining fame.
Now, if they could attract the best Chinese player in the world with an even higher offer, the advertising effect would be ten times greater!
Lin nonchalantly asked, "I know a bit. Why? Is a Chinese Super League team interested in you?"
He remembered Arnautovic had moved to the Chinese Super League in another timeline, but that was in 2019. Why was it happening so early now?
"Heh, you guessed right! My brother says I'm quite popular in China, and several Chinese clubs are interested in me!"
Hearing this, Lin was relieved. Arnautovic's brother Daniel, his agent, must have had contact with Chinese Super League teams.
But why would Arnautovic be popular in China?
Lin didn't know that Bremen's matches had drawn more attention in China this season, partly due to their improved performance and entertaining style.
More importantly, having a Chinese player like Lin, even if he couldn't play for the national team, thrilled Chinese fans to see him excel in Europe as a team's core player.
Just like Jeremy Lin in the NBA last year, though he wasn't Chinese, his success resonated with Chinese fans who lacked their own NBA star.
"Which team is interested in you?"
The Chinese Super League was chaotic, and its competitive level was low. Lin generally didn't recommend playing there unless it was late in one's career or the salary offer was too good to refuse.
But who had such deep pockets?
"A club in Shanghai, I think it's called Shenhua?"
"Don't go!"
"Huh?"
"Don't go to Shenhua. They delay wages!"
"Really?"
Arnautovic was shocked. If a club couldn't even pay salaries on time, what was the point of playing there?
"Yes, Drogba and Anelka both got scammed. Don't you read the news?"
Arnautovic quickly searched on his phone, finding news that gave him cold sweats.
Good thing he didn't go. Otherwise, he'd have been stuck!
"There are some generous clubs in the Chinese Super League, like the other Shanghai club or the Guangzhou club. If you want to make money, try them."
Lin showed Arnautovic news about Argentine midfielder Conca earning $7 million annually at Evergrande.
Arnautovic's eyes widened at Conca's salary.
A player from the Brazilian league who never played in a top European league made $7 million.
If he joined from the Bundesliga, wouldn't he make $10 million?
That salary was five times what
he made at Bremen!
Five times—one year in China was like five years in the Bundesliga!
"But I suggest not going too early. The Chinese Super League's level is low. Going there might jeopardize your national team spot."
Austria had strong football and many players in top leagues. Arnautovic's national team starting spot was due to his excellent club performance.
But if he moved to a lower league like the Chinese Super League, Austria's coach might question his form and hesitate to select him.
"Okay, I understand!"
Arnautovic swallowed hard, tempted by the Chinese Super League's salary but aware of the risks.
In the following days, teammates arrived from national team matches, but De Bruyne was conspicuously absent.