Chapter Three: The Cheapest Point

The slowest man on the pitch did not shoot. He cushioned the ball back into the center. The old striker struck it on the volley. One-one. The whistle vanished beneath a tidal roar. In the directors' box, Su gripped the rail and watched live ticket interest jump from three hundred users to eight thousand. A sponsor sent a renewal proposal before the players left the field. One point could not secure survival, but it gave the club a tomorrow. At the press conference, a reporter asked, “Hector Vane said one euro could not buy a point. Your response?” Gu placed the silver coin on the table. “He was right. Points aren't bought.” He glanced toward the players still celebrating behind him. “They're taken by the people his market priced incorrectly.”