Chapter 73: Attending Guardiola's Wedding
Before Lin Quan arrived, he calculated that including the German Cup, he had played a total of seven official matches. According to the bonus standards specified in his contract, receiving 150,000 euros would be considered very good.
Even if the two matches in the Telekom Cup were added, it would probably only be a bit over 200,000 euros.
So when Pere came to him with nearly 330,000 euros in bonuses, Lin Quan began to doubt life itself.
What's going on with Barcelona? How did they suddenly become so generous?
"Hehe, I took advantage of a loophole in their contract to negotiate some extra bonuses!"
Pere noticed Lin Quan's confusion and explained his actions on the Barcelona side.
After listening to Pere's explanation, Lin Quan gave him a thumbs up:
"Uncle Pere is really smart. If I had gone alone, I definitely wouldn't have gotten this much in bonuses!"
Pere was pleased with Lin Quan's praise. In addition to being happy, he further explained:
"They probably didn't expect your performance in the Bundesliga to be so good, so they didn't pay attention to this loophole.
But I'm curious, why are your appearance fees, goal bonuses, and assist bonuses so high? They almost match the bonus standards of many mid-to-lower tier La Liga teams!"
Lin Quan didn't hide anything and recounted the incident where Guardiola left and Barcelona essentially kicked him out of the club.
After listening to Lin Quan's words, Pere became very angry.
"Hmph, these wolves at Barcelona. Pep has done so much for them, and they treat you like this. It's really too much!"
Lin Quan nodded in agreement, but to him, this wasn't even that bad. Ten years later, Barcelona's treatment of Messi was even worse!
"Oh right, I heard from people at Barcelona that your contract is expiring soon?"
Lin Quan nodded: "My contract expires in July next year!"
"Will you renew with Barcelona?"
"Of course... not!"
"Wise choice. I also think you shouldn't renew with Barcelona. You shouldn't give them an advantage for nothing!"
After Pere finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment, seeming to want to say something but feeling hesitant to speak up.
Lin Quan probably guessed his thoughts. He was actually quite satisfied with Pere's handling. However, he wasn't in a hurry to make a decision because he didn't have a comprehensive understanding of this uncle. It wouldn't hurt to ask Guardiola for his opinion after seeing him.
After receiving the bonuses, Lin Quan asked Pere to take him to the city to pick out some gifts to bring to his foster parents.
After leaving the city, the car drove on the highway for over an hour, then turned onto a country road and arrived at a castle not far from the seaside.
"Guess who's back!"
Seeing Pere and Lin Quan getting out of the car, Guardiola walked up with a big smile and gave each of them a bear hug.
"How was the journey? Are you okay with your foot injury?"
Seeing Lin Quan's somewhat unnatural walking posture, Guardiola asked with concern.
If it weren't for his wedding, and if the other party insisted on coming back, he would have advised Lin Quan to stay in Germany and rest.
The ankle injury could be serious or minor. If it didn't receive sufficient rest during the injury phase and was overly active, it could easily worsen.
"It's okay, the foot injury isn't serious. I just need to rest for a few days when I get back!"
"Well, that's good. If you feel uncomfortable, just let me know. I know a few well-known physiotherapists; I can ask them to help you!"
Lin Quan had no doubt about Guardiola's connections in the football world.
So he didn't hesitate to accept the other party's kindness.
When he saw Serra, Lin Quan took out the gifts he bought in the city and gave them to the couple.
Guardiola received a tie, and Serra received a snow-white diamond-studded belt.
After receiving the gifts, Guardiola immediately put on the tie Lin Quan gave him and proudly told everyone that it was from his son, showing off with great pride.
Serra also put on the belt Lin Quan gave her. The belt fit her perfectly. After putting it on, paired with her wedding dress, it complemented her beauty even more.
"You kid, why did you buy such expensive things? You spent quite a bit of money, right?"
In addition to being happy, Serra didn't forget to scold Lin Quan a few words, apparently feeling that his gift was too expensive.
With his current salary level, he probably spent half a year's salary, right?
"It's okay, I can continue to earn money. As long as you like it!"
"It's the thought that counts. Next time, don't buy such expensive things again. I'll transfer some money to your card later. You can't be without money when you're alone abroad. The cost of living in Germany is said to be very high..."
Like many mothers, Serra kept nagging at Lin Quan, and Maria, who was watching on the side, couldn't help but chuckle. When Lin Quan noticed, she even made a face at him.
Guardiola and Serra's wedding was very low-key. They only invited both parents and relatives to the ceremony, with only about a dozen people attending.
Under the guidance of the priest, the two exchanged vows, exchanged rings, and then warmly kissed.
The relatives stood up and applauded the newlyweds, sending their blessings.
Lin Quan couldn't help but feel emotional. People in Europe are really cautious when it comes to getting married. They've been in love for 20 years, had a bunch of kids, and only now are they getting married...
To avoid aggravating his injury, after attending the wedding of the two, Lin Quan took a plane back to Bremen that afternoon.
Before returning to Germany, Lin Quan asked Guardiola about Pere, who was about to go on a honeymoon.
Guardiola's evaluation of Pere was quite good, considering him a very reliable person.
Plus, they were relatives. If he had Pere as his agent, it would be a good thing for Lin Quan's long-term development.
After all, many agents in the football world only care about making money for themselves and don't care about their players' career planning, like the vampire Raiola.
But Pere was Lin Quan's uncle; he definitely wouldn't be so short-sighted or treat his nephew like that.
However, compared to well-known agents like Mendes and Raiola, Pere's influence in European football was much weaker.
But as long as Lin Quan's strength was strong enough, that wouldn't be a problem, because clubs would actively come to poach him.
Since Guardiola said so, Lin Quan felt relieved.
Before leaving, Lin Quan officially signed with Pere and hired him as his agent.
Five days later, the seventh round of the Bundesliga began.
Werder Bremen traveled to face Augsburg.
Lin Quan didn't get a chance to play in this match. Coach Schaaf was worried that his injury would worsen, so he didn't even include him in the squad, let alone take him to the away game. Lin Quan could only watch the game live at home.
Augsburg played very aggressively in this game. Just two minutes into the game, they scored first with a surprise attack.
However, Werder Bremen, buoyed by their recent battle with Bayern, wasn't easy to deal with. They quickly equalized in the 19th minute.
It's worth mentioning that the goal was scored by Nils Petersen, the striker loaned from Bayern Munich to Werder Bremen.
This was his first start for Werder Bremen since Lin Quan secured a regular position in the team. Nils barely got any playing time since Lin Quan became a starter.
And now, with Lin Quan injured, he finally got his chance.
After scoring, Nils roared in anger, venting his frustration.
At the beginning of the season, when he was loaned from Bayern, he thought he would secure an absolute starting position at Werder Bremen.
But unexpectedly, he didn't get the starting spot, and he couldn't even make it to the bench.
And his lack of opportunities to perform at Werder Bremen also made Bayern lose patience with him.
A forward bought for 2.8 million euros had no status in Bayern.
After scoring a goal, Nils was ambitious, imagining himself becoming the hero of the team and winning back Bayern's favor.
So he frequently demanded the ball in the frontcourt, but his small stature couldn't withstand the collisions from the opposing defenders, and he often lost possession.
Moreover, he played few matches with the first team, and his cooperation with teammates was very poor. When De Bruyne passed him the ball, he couldn't understand the intention, often missing De Bruyne's wonderful passes.
So as the game progressed, Werder Bremen fell into a disadvantage.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, Augsburg scored another goal.
In the 72nd minute of the second half, they scored another one. The score on the field was already 3:1!
There wasn't much time left for Werder Bremen!
The Werder Bremen players were frustrated, starting to miss Lin Quan.
If he were here, with the chances they created in the first half alone, the team would have scored at least three goals by now!
Coach Schaaf realized this wasn't working; this rubbish forward loaned from Bayern was dragging them down.
So he decisively substituted Nils and sent in Felckruger.
This substitution had a great effect. After Felckruger came on, Werder Bremen's attack was revitalized.
De Bruyne and Elia scored in the 78th and 86th minutes respectively, helping the team equalize the score.
If there hadn't been much time left in the game, with their offensive firepower, they might have pulled off an incredible comeback!
In the end, Werder Bremen drew 3:3 with Augsburg away, only earning one point.
After three winless rounds, they dropped to fourth place, overtaken by Schalke 04.
In other matches, Bayern thrashed Hoffenheim 7:0 at home, seemingly venting all their anger from the previous match at the Hoffenheim team.
On the other hand, Dortmund slipped up again, being held to a draw by Hannover away, with only 10 points in seven rounds, ranking fifth, still nine points behind Bayern.
It's worth mentioning that this season's dark horse, Eintracht Frankfurt, was defeated 2:0 by Borussia Mönchengladbach away, ending their six-game unbeaten streak.
(End of this chapter)