April 22, a small takeaway in Liverpool.
Two duck leg rice meals.
Two bottles of soda.
One happy old man and one happy young man.
"Take a look at this post—the youngest Ballon d'Or favorite in history!"
"Ballon d'Or odds rankings are out. Congratulations to Liverpool's Lin for breaking into the top ten for the first time. He's currently ninth, making him the youngest Ballon d'Or favorite!"
Barnett held up his phone, showing a freshly published Sky Sports post.
According to the latest real-time stats in England, this year's top ten Ballon d'Or contenders have been revealed.
Leo Lin, after potentially winning the Golden Boy award, now has a chance to go even further and claim the Ballon d'Or—setting a record as the youngest winner in football history.
"Based on the current Ballon d'Or ceremony schedule, if you actually win it, you'll be 19 by then."
"I'll take that opportunity, with the Ballon d'Or as the centerpiece, to throw you a truly top-tier coming-of-age celebration!"
Barnett had already started planning the whole thing.
"I guarantee I'll bring every connection I've built over my lifetime to that celebration. You'll make a grand entrance as the most elite young star in the world—the ultimate maxed-out prodigy!"
Leo Lin glanced at the rankings. Sure enough, he was sitting in ninth place.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi still led the list, while Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić ranked fifth.
Leo Lin didn't dwell on it. Talking about the Ballon d'Or now still felt premature.
What he was looking forward to, though, was the coming-of-age celebration Barnett mentioned. With Barnett's resources and connections, "top-tier" meant exactly that—the very best in the world.
Leo Lin finished off the last bite of his duck leg, still savoring it.
"Barnett, no need to go overboard. Just don't make the gift too expensive—something worth a few tens of millions of pounds will do. I'm not picky."
Barnett froze, nearly choking on his food.
"Cough, cough!"
"Cough, cough, cough!!!"
"Huh?"
"Did someone just say something?"
"Ah, getting old… my hearing's not what it used to be."
"Some things I hear, some things I don't."
Leo Lin silently raised a middle finger.
After helping Barnett reconcile with Delores, Leo Lin could clearly feel their relationship had grown even closer.
Barnett was in high spirits, and Leo Lin was genuinely happy for him. By now, Barnett was far more than just his agent.
He had become part of Leo Lin's life.
The two had long since become close friends despite the age gap.
Leo Lin knew the passcode to Barnett's home. Barnett knew exactly what Leo Lin liked to eat and drink.
A single glance was enough for them to reach an understanding at the negotiating table.
A subtle hint, and Barnett would instinctively glance toward the three o'clock direction—and spot the exact beauty Leo Lin was pointing out.
Leo Lin returned to the team in top condition, fully focused on preparation.
The FA Cup final was just a week away, but before that, Liverpool still had two league matches to play.
April 24, Premier League Round 34 against Bournemouth.
April 28, Premier League Round 35 against West Brom.
Both teams were defense-oriented. Bournemouth's record was respectable, sitting 13th after 33 rounds, essentially safe from relegation.
West Brom, meanwhile, sat 17th, just one point above Burnley, constantly at risk of dropping into the relegation zone.
For both teams, survival in the Premier League was the ultimate goal.
Staying up meant more broadcast revenue, greater profits, and the ability to continue strengthening the squad—a positive cycle.
So against Liverpool, both sides set up deep defensive blocks. Their objective was simple.
One point would be a victory.
But Liverpool wanted all three.
Manchester City trailed by five points, but Klopp had no intention of giving Guardiola even the slightest chance—especially in the league.
Everyone knew just how dominant Guardiola was in league competitions.
He had conquered both La Liga and the Bundesliga.
His teams were known for their consistency and their ruthless efficiency against weaker opponents—regularly securing three points where others might slip.
That was high praise, because not every top team could do it. Liverpool and Manchester United, for instance, had often been labeled as teams that dropped points against weaker sides.
So in Round 34 against Bournemouth, Liverpool went with a full-strength lineup.
From the opening whistle, they pressed aggressively, combining off-the-ball runs with fluid triangular passing to completely unleash the attacking firepower of their front four.
In the first 45 minutes alone, Liverpool fired off ten shots, seven on target.
Firmino scored with a header.
Salah finished a one-on-one chance.
By halftime, Liverpool were already 2-0 up.
Early in the second half, Leo Lin scored directly from a free kick to make it 3-0. Klopp then eased off, bringing on substitutes to give the starters a rest.
Substitute Danny Ings provided a headed assist for Solanke, who finished the move.
Liverpool cruised to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, maintaining their lead at the top of the table.
Eighty hours later, Round 35 kicked off at Anfield.
With the FA Cup final looming, Klopp rotated the entire squad.
Their opponent, West Brom, were struggling—one of the teams with the most goals conceded this season, their defense shaky at best.
Solanke, in red-hot form, delivered again. Whether coming off the bench or starting, he had been consistently impressive—and in this match, he scored twice, once with his head and once with his foot.
Milner added a superb long-range goal to seal it.
Liverpool won 3-0.
Leo Lin and the other starters only came on in the 80th minute, keeping things light—just maintaining rhythm and fitness ahead of the FA Cup final.
Meanwhile, Manchester City also won both of their matches, still trailing Liverpool by five points.
Guardiola also rotated heavily in Round 35, saving his squad for the final.
Manchester City and Liverpool would now meet in the FA Cup final—the two most in-form teams in English football this season, facing off at the summit.
But only one could lift the trophy.
Guardiola arrived with a must-win mindset. At Wembley, he was desperate to claim his first trophy since taking charge of Manchester City.
And that was the question on everyone's mind.
Since arriving amid huge expectations at the start of last season, Guardiola's first year ended in disappointment—no trophies at all.
In his second season, they lost the League Cup again, were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, and now trailed in the league.
The FA Cup had become their last shot at silverware.
If they failed again, Guardiola would face the unacceptable reality of going two consecutive seasons without a trophy.
The pressure was immense.
And for Guardiola, it was only getting heavier.