Evening time, Bale returned to his residence.

He looked somewhat dazed.

Barnett quickly came over.

"What did you talk about?"

"A lot," Bale exhaled. "He told me about the current situation at Real Madrid."

Then, he recounted Suker's words.

Barnett stroked his chin.

"It's more complicated than I imagined!" Barnett continued to ask; "And then? Didn't he say anything else to you?"

"He laid his cards on the table with me!"

Bale said solemnly.

"Laid his cards on the table?" Barnett was puzzled.

"Yes!" Bale pursed his lips; "He told me, he's right there. If I want to challenge myself, then I should use my performance on the field to defeat him. He will also respond with his performance in matches."

"He doesn't want you putting pressure on the club!"

"Exactly!" Bale; "But this will be more advantageous for him, after all, his status is established there."

"Results!" Barnett raised his index finger; "He cares about results, so he's willing to accept your challenge, but everything must be out in the open. At the same time, he's warning you that if you use unconventional methods, he will retaliate more fiercely!"

Bale pursed his lips: "He doesn't seem to see me as an opponent at all!"

Recalling Suker's tone and expression, they were too composed.

It was as if he was saying, you can challenge me however you want, but it all has to happen within the confines of the game. Any off-field tactics will directly backfire on you.

"Barnett, is this how all top clubs are?" Bale clenched his hands.

It's completely different!

Real Madrid and Tottenham are completely different!

Barnett sighed; "These are all things you need to experience."

Bale: "But I'm not confident!"

Hearing this, Barnett fell silent; "Did Suker invite you to join his faction?"

Bale nodded; "He did!"

"This guy..." Barnett couldn't help but sigh, looking up at the sky.

"What's wrong?" Bale asked, puzzled.

Barnett; "He wants to tame you!"

Where there are people, there will be politics.

Football is especially so!

In a small locker room, the complex composition of personnel, their respective interests, and fierce competition, among other things, lead to many off-field issues beyond the games.

After all, professional players are also people. They have their own social circles and cliques, as well as their own preferences and desires.

To satisfy these, they form various groups.

When he joined Real Madrid, the first thing Su Ke felt was this direct interest.

Unlike AC Milan, Real Madrid is more realistic.

Although ability represents everything, other methods can also make one's life more comfortable.

External competition is fierce, and internal competition is equally intense.

Since he started his career, it's been competition everywhere.

To survive in this environment, he started competing desperately.

When he climbed to the very top of the active players, Su Ke discovered another problem.

It's hard to conquer the world, but it's even harder to keep it!

Countless people are eyeing his position. To defend this throne, Su Ke also needs to constantly put in various efforts and seek all kinds of help.

He absolutely does not want to be kicked off the throne by those guys.

"I didn't expect Bale to actually accept your suggestion!"

Zorancic was somewhat surprised.

"He's that kind of person. He seems ambitious, but he's actually indecisive. His ambition is forced out by others, like when people say you're great, so you have to become great. But deep down, he doesn't like this kind of competition!"

Suker shrugged.

If Bale were truly a competitive person, he wouldn't have compromised everywhere at Real Madrid.

"I'll give him a competitive environment and make him face reality." Suker said with a smile; "Make him obediently score goals for me!"

"Do you think it will work?" Zorancic frowned.

Suker smiled: "Isn't Karim an example?"

Now, this guy Benzema, when looking at data, the first thing he checks is the assists chart, not the scorers chart.

In some ways, over the course of a year, Suker crushed Benzema's pride from all aspects, making him willingly pass and assist for Suker.

Although Bale and Benzema are not the same type, the process is more or less similar.

Zorancic shook his head and said, "Do you know about that Brazilian talent?"

Suker turned his head: "Neymar?"

"Exactly, Real Madrid made an offer for him, 45 million euros!"

Suker frowned and asked; "And then?"

Zorancic shrugged; "No 'and then'. Santos doesn't seem to have accepted the offer. Of course, there are also rumors that Neymar himself refused!"

Neymar refused!

Suker was somewhat surprised.

Although he knew Neymar would choose Barcelona, right now Real Madrid is also a good choice.

But he actually refused!

Suker didn't know that Neymar's refusal of Real Madrid's offer was partly due to Barcelona's influence, but Suker himself was also a reason.

Neymar didn't want to be on the same team as Suker.

In other words, he wanted to be in a competitive situation with Suker.

That means another powerful opponent is about to land in Europe to challenge Suker's position.

July 1st, Italy, Sardinia.

At the airport, Benzema and Marcelo, wearing board shorts, floral shirts, and flip-flops, stood at the exit.

"This guy has been working for a month. He's probably full of complaints again!"

"He earns a lot, what complaints could he have?"

"Whenever we post vacation photos on social media, Suker always replies."

Hearing this, Marcelo grinned; "Absolutely seething with resentment!"

Ding dong!

The airport broadcast sounded. People started coming out of the exit.

The two immediately moved forward.

People filed out one after another. Before long, the two finally saw Suker's figure.

Suker walked out wearing suit pants, a white shirt, leather boots, and dragging a suitcase.

"Over here!"

Benzema waved.

Seeing them, Suker immediately walked over.

"Did you just finish an event?" Benzema asked, looking at Suker's attire.

Suker nodded; "I didn't want to waste a single second. I finished the event in the morning and came straight here with my suitcase!"

Then, Suker looked around as if searching for something.

Soon, he dragged his suitcase towards the restroom.

When SSuker came out again, his outfit was completely renewed.

Shorts + a loose tank top, a straw hat on his head, sunglasses, and flip-flops on his feet.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Suker urged; "The vacation has begun!"

Whoa~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!

A convertible pickup truck sped along the coastal road.

The sea breeze brushed against their faces, carrying a hint of moisture and a salty sweetness.

The azure sky hung high with a scorching sun, its rays reflecting off the sparkling sea.

Waves crashed against the coastline, creating a 'swishing' sound.

Suker stood on the back seat of the pickup truck, arms raised high, cheering happily.

Benzema looked at Suker with amusement. "People would think it's your first time on vacation!"

Suker looked down; "Second time! Except for the very first time, all the other holidays were spent working. This time I finally managed to squeeze out half a month!"

"Half a month?" Marcelo, who was driving, turned his head and laughed; "Where do you get half a month? We have to start training on July 10th!"

Smack!

Suker patted the front seat, displeased. "Don't talk about work during the vacation. That means there are still 10 days left!"

Benzema: "To be precise, nine days. Half a day has already passed!"

Suker raised his fist; "Believe it or not, I'll knock your bald head into shape!"

Benzema loudly begged for mercy, and everyone laughed.

The convertible pickup sped along the coastline towards their accommodation.

An estate by the sea, covering a large area. It not only had a private beach but also various activity areas inside. The outskirts had a small golf course and various entertainment facilities.

"Wow! This place is really nice!"

After getting out of the car, Marcelo couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful environment.

Previously, they had always stayed in hotels. Once Suker decided to come, he directly contacted this estate and rented it.

The rent and maintenance fees for 10 days were extremely expensive. Even Marcelo and Benzema would feel a pinch spending this money, but Suker decided without batting an eye.

"Find your own rooms to stay in!"

Suker said casually, carrying his luggage and taking the internal elevator up to the third-floor master bedroom.

Since he rented the estate, he naturally got the best room.

The entire master bedroom was very spacious. A large floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the ocean. The sunlight streaming into the room gave a warm and cozy feeling.

Suker had just finished unpacking when the sound of cars came from the entrance.

Before long, Di María and Kaká arrived at the estate with their families.

In the evening, everyone had a barbecue party in the yard.

Professionals handled the grilling, so Suker saved effort.

Everyone raised their glasses. Suker cheered loudly: "The vacation has begun!"

"Our vacation started long ago!"

"Shut up! Don't provoke me!"

Suker turned around and retorted with a laugh. Everyone clinked glasses and began to eat heartily.

Listening to the sound of waves crashing, under the night sky, everyone sat in the yard, chatting and eating barbecue.

"Ellie told me I have OCD. I always like to list things as plans, which troubles her a lot!"

Benzema's girlfriend, Ellie, snuggled up to him and said, "Listing everything as a plan takes away the surprise. He even asked me what I wanted when buying me a gift..."

Ellie rolled her eyes; "Aren't French men supposed to be romantic? He's completely different!"

Suker, eating meat, nodded; "He definitely has some issues. Before a match, I saw him wearing red underwear. He said it was his lucky color. This guy definitely has OCD!"

Hearing this, everyone laughed heartily.

Benzema even laughed and scolded, "Don't you have it too? I remember when you scored 29 goals, how uncomfortable you were. You just wanted to round up the number of goals. You have OCD too!"

'That's called ambition, you don't understand anything!" Suker retorted; "If your assist count was stuck at nine, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"

Benzema grinned and waved his hand.

"OMG!"

Kaká looked at Suker and suddenly asked; "Suker, aren't you looking for a girlfriend? Since breaking up with Gisele, you've been alone all this time."

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Suker; "We're all having children, and you still plan to stay single?"

Di María: "There are some strange rumors outside saying you're gay!"

Suker rolled his eyes: "Can't I just not have a girlfriend? They're really nosy!"

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about the new season!"

Suker looked at everyone; "The competition in midfield will be fierce this season, right?"

Di María pursed his lips and didn't speak.

He was the most nervous.

Bale's arrival would inevitably take up a position on the wing.

Bale and Suker would form Real Madrid's two wings.

Benzema would continue to play as center forward.

In the midfield positions, Kaká, Alonso, Di María, Khedira, and others would compete.

Among them, Kaká and Alonso would most likely lock down two positions, leaving one position for Di María to compete for.

"Khedira's recent form is very good. There will be some pressure in the competition." Di María said solemnly; "But my form is also very good."

Benzema; "We just completed a treble last season. The goals for the new season will also become heavier."

"I can already feel Pintus's call!"

Hearing this, everyone grimaced.

Just thinking about Pintus's physical training gave them headaches and nausea. It had already become a physiological reaction.

But there was no way!

In the new season, Pintus would inevitably put them through physical training again.

"By the way, have you had your physical exams?" Suker reminded them; "Don't forget the physical exams. After such a heavy schedule last season, even though we've rested for a while, there must still be some physical wear and tear. Necessary rest and targeted training cannot be ignored."

Speaking of this, Suker looked at Benzema; "How's your finger?"

Benzema shook his finger and smiled; "It's completely healed. Actually, it was almost better when we played the Copa del Rey final!"

"It was almost better then?" Marcelo blinked; "Then why did you bandage it!"

Suker; "I told you this guy has OCD, right? Did you think the bandage would bring you luck?"

Benzema laughed awkwardly.

The barbecue dinner ended in a harmonious atmosphere.

The next day, everyone officially entered vacation mode.

Some went out on boats, some sunbathed.

Suker slept in until noon on the first day before starting to enjoy his brand new day.

At first, Suker was quite normal.

But starting from the third day, Suker became abnormal.

Watching Suker running around the yard wearing an oxygen-restriction mask, Benzema and the others cursed 'psycho'.

Going on vacation with Suker was purely asking for trouble.

Watching Suker train, how could they still have the heart to vacation? Even if they pretended not to see it, it was uncomfortably irritating.

But Suker had no choice.

Who told him his attributes had dropped again!

Damn broken agility attribute!

Suker barely managed to stabilize the declining attribute through three days of training, and then spent another four days pulling the attribute back up.

All in all, Suker only rested for two days during this vacation.

July 10th.

Suker and the others took a flight away from Sardinia to report in Madrid.

Mourinho had already issued the order earlier, so the whole team had to gather on July 10th.

Real Madrid would begin pre-season training on July 11th.

When Suker and the others arrived at their respective villas.

Suker had just unloaded his luggage when the doorbell rang.

Opening the door, he saw Bale standing at the doorstep.

"Good evening!"

Bale greeted, pointing outside. "I heard the car and saw you guys returned!"

Suker looked at Bale and nodded; "Come in and sit."

Bale walked in.

Bale had arrived in Madrid on July 3rd and completed his medical and signing ceremony.

After that, he had been adapting to the pace of life in Spain while also waiting for the training days to arrive.

Bale sat quietly on the sofa. Suker carried his luggage upstairs.

When he came down, the door opened again.

"You're finally back. You have no idea what I've been eating these past few days..."

Šrna walked in. He saw Bale, turned to Suker and said, "You have a guest?"

Suker shrugged, pointing at Bale. "You should know him. He'll be our teammate starting this season."

Bale stood up and extended his hand: "Gareth Bale, you can call me Bale."

Šrna nodded; "Just call me Šrna!"

Šrna said with a smile; "The team is getting stronger again. Aiming for a Champions League title defense this season?"

Suker; "That depends on the club's intentions."

Šrna looked at Bale and smiled. "If you need anything in the future, you can come to me. Although I'm not Spanish, I've lived here for a year and have some experience."

Then, Šrna pointed at Suker; "And this guy isn't a bad person. Sometimes he speaks harshly, but it's purely because he has a foul mouth, no other meaning!"

Suker kicked out, Šrna nimbly dodged.

"See! His feet are foul too, can't even kick straight!"

Suker said irritably; "Did you come here to be a smart aleck?"

"I came for dinner!"

"How can you say that so shamelessly?"

Squeak!

The sound of the door opening.

Šrna pointed at the door; "Here comes someone even more shameless!"

Kaká walked in, his first sentence being...

"Is dinner not ready yet?"

"Damn it!" Suker was fuming.

But he had nothing to say; he had spoiled them himself.

"Wait!" Suker could only helplessly go into the kitchen to busy himself.

Bale was stunned watching this scene.

Previously, what Suker said was somewhat intimidating, but now the contrast was huge.

To join Real Madrid, Bale had prepared himself mentally for all sorts of things.

But today's scene made him feel something different...

Compared to the oppressive life he imagined, it seemed very relaxed here...

He liked the way these people interacted.

Of course, Bale also knew that he had to fully integrate into this team before he could be so unrestrained.

After all, whether it was Šrna or Kaká.

They had a friendship with Suker dating back at least five years.

And he was just starting.

Bale felt that sometimes he should also be brave.

Bale pursed his lips, he raised his hand and looked towards the kitchen.

"Can... can I eat together too?"

Suker turned to look at Bale, obviously taken aback for a moment, then showed a smile.

"Of course!—"