CHAPTER 120: [WIN PROBABILITY: 5%]

The rain in Barnsley was different from the rain in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles the rain felt like a mistake. It was a warm surprise that vanished in ten minutes.

In Barnsley the rain was a lifestyle. It was cold. It was heavy. And it did not stop.

Michael Sterling stood in his office at the training ground. He looked out the window. The palm trees of California were a distant memory. Now he saw grey clouds and wet concrete.

But Michael smiled.

On his desk sat the new home shirt for the upcoming season. It was the classic Barnsley red. But on the right sleeve there was a new patch.

A purple patch with a white lion wearing a crown.

The Premier League.

Arthur Milton walked into the office. He shook his umbrella. Water sprayed everywhere.

"This weather is honest," Arthur grunted hanging up his coat. "It separates the men from the boys. In LA everyone looks happy. Here you have to earn your smile."

"Are the players ready?" Michael asked touching the purple patch on the sleeve.

"They are loud," Arthur said sitting down. "Isaiah King brought a boombox. He is playing music that sounds like a construction site. Diego Nunez is complaining that he cannot find a good steak in Yorkshire anymore because he ate them all."

Michael laughed. "And the media?"

Arthur sighed. He placed a newspaper on the desk.

The headline was bold and cruel.

THE WORST TEAM IN HISTORY? WHY BARNSLEY WILL BREAK DERBY COUNTY’S RECORD.

Underneath was a picture of Michael. He looked young. Too young.

"They think we are a joke," Michael said reading the article. "They predict we will get zero points in August. They say Liverpool will score ten goals against us."

"Good," Arthur said. "Let them talk. The shark bites harder when the water is murky."

Michael walked down to the locker room.

He expected to see nervous faces. He expected to see fear. They were playing Liverpool at Anfield in three days. It was the most intimidating stadium in the world.

Instead he saw a fashion show.

Isaiah King was wearing a neon green tracksuit. He was standing on a bench holding a hairbrush like a microphone.

"They say we are going down!" Isaiah shouted to the beat of the music. "They say we are clowns! But who is the clown when I nutmeg Van Dijk?"

"You will not nutmeg Van Dijk," Kai Sora said from his corner. Kai was lying on three chairs pushed together. "He is very big. You will bounce off him."

"I am big too now!" Isaiah argued flexing his new muscles. "I did pushups. Look at this bicep. It is dangerous."

"It looks like a mosquito bite," Diego Nunez rumbled from the back of the room. Diego was sharpening his studs with a metal file. It made a scary scraping sound.

"Listen up!" Michael shouted clapping his hands.

The music stopped. Isaiah jumped down from the bench.

"You saw the papers," Michael said standing in the center of the room. "Everyone thinks we are tourists. They think we won a lottery ticket to visit the Premier League for one year."

He looked at Danny Fletcher. The captain.

"Danny. What do you think?"

Danny stood up. The Prince looked different this year. He had grown a beard. He looked like a King.

"I think they are rude," Danny said calmly. "And I think we should ruin their party."

"Exactly," Michael said. "We have three days. Liverpool play a high line. They leave space behind the defenders. They think they can squeeze us."

He looked at Kai Sora.

"Kai. This is where the Quarterback wakes up."

Kai adjusted his sunglasses. "I am awake Boss. I am just charging."

"Good," Michael said. "Training starts in five minutes. And wear coats. It is freezing."

The training session was intense.

Michael had spent the last of the promotion money on a new piece of technology.

[SYSTEM UPGRADE: THE TACTICAL HOLOGRAM]

He had installed cameras all around the training pitch. These cameras fed data into a giant screen on the side of the field.

"What is that?" Kenji Sato asked staring at the screen. "Is it a movie theater?"

"It is better," Michael explained. "It tracks your movement. If you are out of position the screen turns red. If you are in the right spot it turns green."

"Like a traffic light," Kenji nodded. "I understand. I will stay green."

The session began.

Michael split the team.

Team A (Liverpool Simulation): They played fast. They pressed high.

Team B (Barnsley): They had to survive.

The screen flashed red constantly at the start.

"TOO SLOW!" Michael yelled. "Liverpool will eat you alive if you take three touches! One touch! Move it!"

Then Kai Sora got the ball.

The screen turned red because three attackers were running at him.

Kai did not panic. He did not run.

He looked up.

He saw Isaiah King sprinting on the right wing.

Kai swung his leg.

WHOOSH!

The ball flew sixty yards. It was low and flat. It cut through the wind.

It landed perfectly in stride for Isaiah.

The screen turned bright green.

[TACTICAL RATING: PERFECT]

Isaiah controlled it. He cut inside. He scored.

"That is it!" Michael shouted. "That is the weapon!"

Diego Nunez was defending against Higgins. It was a battle of giants.

Higgins tried to run past Diego.

Diego used his body.

THUD!

Higgins bounced off.

The screen turned green.

[DEFENSIVE ACTION: SUCCESSFUL]

"You cannot pass the Bull," Diego roared beating his chest. "I am the wall!"

The session lasted two hours. By the end the players were soaked and muddy. But the screen was flashing green more than red.

They were adapting. They were learning the speed.

After training Michael called Arthur into his office.

"We need one more thing," Michael said. "The squad is good. But we are thin. If Diego gets injured we are in trouble."

"We have no money Boss," Arthur reminded him. "You spent it all on the hologram screen and the first class tickets to LA."

"I have System Points," Michael said tapping his laptop. "I saved them from the promotion bonus."

He opened the System menu.

[CURRENT POINTS: 1000]

He had been saving these for a rainy day. Well it was raining today.

He looked at the options.

[OPTION A: INSTANT RECOVERY (HEAL ALL INJURIES)]

[OPTION B: SCOUTING NETWORK UPGRADE (WORLDWIDE)]

[OPTION C: THE LOAN MARKET HACK]

Michael stared at Option C.

THE LOAN MARKET HACK

DESCRIPTION: Identify elite players from top clubs who are unhappy and available for loan. The System will boost the chance of them accepting a move to your club.

"Arthur," Michael said slowly. "What if we could get a superstar on loan? Someone who needs to prove themselves."

"Like who?" Arthur asked. "Neymar?"

"No," Michael laughed. "Someone younger. Someone hungry."

He clicked the button.

-500 POINTS

The screen scanned the databases of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea.

It stopped on a name.

NAME: ARDA GULER

CLUB: REAL MADRID

STATUS: UNHAPPY (LACK OF GAME TIME)

POSITION: CAM / RW

QUALITY: WORLD CLASS POTENTIAL

Real Madrid. The biggest club in the world. And they had a wonderkid sitting on the bench.

"Arda Guler," Michael whispered. "The Turkish Messi."

"Real Madrid will not loan him to Barnsley," Arthur said shaking his head. "That is like asking the King to loan you his crown."

"Watch me," Michael grinned.

He picked up the phone. He dialed the number the System provided.

It was the personal number of Florentino Perez. The President of Real Madrid.

"Hola?" a powerful voice answered.

"President Perez," Michael said his voice steady. "This is Michael Sterling. Manager of Barnsley. The most exciting project in England."

There was a silence.

"Barnsley?" Perez asked. "I do not know this name."

"You will," Michael promised. "We have a Japanese engine. We have a Uruguayan bull. And we have a space for a Turkish magician. Arda needs to play. If he stays on your bench he rusts. If he comes to me he shines."

"He shines?" Perez repeated. "You play good football?"

"We play brave football," Michael said. "We do not park the bus. We fly."

There was a long pause. Michael held his breath.

"I like brave," Perez said finally. "Okay. One year. No option to buy. You pay fifty percent of his wages. If he does not play every game I take him back."

"Deal," Michael said.

He hung up.

Arthur Milton dropped his cup of tea. It smashed on the floor.

"You got him?" Arthur gasped. "You got a Real Madrid player?"

"He flies in tomorrow," Michael smiled. "Just in time for Liverpool."

Friday morning.

The news broke.

BREAKING: REAL MADRID WONDERKID JOINS BARNSLEY ON LOAN.

The internet exploded. The pundits who said Barnsley would get zero points were suddenly confused.

Arda Guler walked into the training ground. He was small and elegant. He looked like an artist.

Isaiah King ran up to him.

"You are the Madrid guy?" Isaiah asked. "Can you do the elastic trick?"

Arda smiled. He dropped a ball. He did an elastic trick so fast Isaiah almost fell over watching it.

"Okay," Isaiah nodded. "You are in the gang."

Kai Sora walked over. He looked at Arda.

"Do you like running?" Kai asked.

"I like passing," Arda said in perfect English.

"Perfect," Kai grinned. "I will stand here. You stand there. We will pass the ball around the defenders until they get dizzy and fall down."

"I like this plan," Arda said.

Saturday. The day before the game.

The team bus was packed. They were driving to Liverpool.

Michael sat at the front. He looked at his players.

Diego Nunez was asleep. He was snoring.

Kenji Sato was reading a book about Liverpool history.

Isaiah King and Arda Guler were playing Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch.

Kai Sora was looking out the window wearing his sunglasses.

They were ready.

Michael’s phone buzzed.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL vs BARNSLEY]

[WIN PROBABILITY: 5%]

Five percent.

The System thought they had no chance. The world thought they had no chance.

Michael closed the notification.

"Arthur," Michael said quietly.

"Yes Boss?"

"What happens when you put a Bull, an Engine, a Spark, and a Madrid Magician in the same team?"

Arthur smiled. He looked at the bus full of talent.

"Chaos Boss. Beautiful chaos."

The bus turned onto the highway. The sign said LIVERPOOL 40 MILES.