Chapter One: The Last Hand

Players crossed streets to avoid him. Even Su Man, his former partner, left with their contract archive. Now the window was closing, and he did not represent a single registrable player. After Zhou left, rain struck the blinds. Lu was about to unplug the telephone when the door opened and a soaked teenager stepped inside. “Mr. Lu? The academy gatekeeper said you were the only agent who sometimes watched rejected players.” His name was Lin Ye, seventeen, a winger released by Northport City's academy. The notice on Lu's desk was politely merciless: insufficient strength, limited tactical understanding, no professional potential. At the bottom was a clause requiring Lin to waive all training compensation before five that afternoon.