Chapter One: The Last Shot Before the Window Closed

Shen opened the medical report. “Worn cartilage. Sprint output at sixty percent of your peak. Your last competitive goal was four hundred and thirteen days ago. Why are you still playing?” Gu removed his wet scarf, revealing an old scar along his neck. “Because I didn't miss that penalty on purpose. I won't let my last match serve as the final testimony against me.” 11:52. Shen pulled up the fixtures. In three days, Cape City played Southport Anchor: last against second-last. Lose, and relegation became nearly certain. Relegation let sponsors terminate their contracts. Once the sponsorship vanished, Aurum could take everything as creditor. “How long can you play?” Shen asked. “Sixty minutes.” “The truth.”