Chapter One: The Farewell Letter

After eighteen years at Royal Bluehaven, everything Lin Che was allowed to take fit inside one cardboard box. Two pairs of old boots. A chipped Under-18 Youth Cup medal. A stack of match notebooks. And a letter stamped with the club's blue-and-gold crest. The paper was heavy, its edges sharp, like a gravestone polished by experts. “Following a comprehensive and careful sporting review, we regret to inform you…” Lin did not read any further. He had already heard the same words in Victor Sloane's office. The president of football affairs had delivered them flawlessly: gratitude for eighteen years of loyalty, praise for Lin's leadership, best wishes for the rest of his career.