Chapter Five: The Thirty-Two-Million Substitute

By December he had eight goals and twelve assists. Three clubs bid. River Crown led at thirty-two million. Supporters filled the club site with a warning: whoever sold him was a traitor. Lin touched all three offers. [River Crown true intent: immediate sporting reinforcement. Stable payment capacity.] [Projected half-season at Northport: 5 goals, 7 assists; injury probability if retained: 41%.] [At River Crown: 6 goals, 5 assists. Northport replaceability: 78%.] This time, the system did not say no. When Costaro entered the office, Lin pushed the offer across the desk. “Your decision.” “The supporters will hate you.” “They should hate me first. You owe Northport none of the minutes you already played.”