The Contract

Du An listened without much of a reaction, merely giving a slight shrug. "Maybe." "Don't let him scare you." The slightly older supporter beside him patted the middle-aged man on the arm, then turned to Du An with an earnest look. "Rest easy, lad. Your job is safe. Scousers won't let any new owner mess around. This club's roots are here, its culture is here. No matter how much money someone has, they can't just tear that apart. If they dare touch what's ours, you can bet we'll be protesting right outside Anfield's gates." Having paid their bill, the men wrapped their scarves snugly around their necks, went on grumbling about the takeover, and pushed open the door to leave. Their voices echoed along the street, fading into the distance. Behind the counter, Du An drummed his fingers absently against the wooden surface, his mind drifting elsewhere. If the club was bought by foreign investors, would it affect the academy's budget? Would his weekly wage change? If the new owners cut academy spending, would times get tough at Kirkby? He had arrived so recently, without even having the chance to secure a firm footing before facing this sort of upheaval. "What are you thinking about?" Du An shook his head. "Just wondering if the club will really get bought out." Sarah had overheard the men's conversation as well. Glancing out the shop window, she offered a gentle smile. "See? That's Liverpool folk for you. Everyone is trying to protect this club, because it's never belonged to any owner. It's the emotional anchor for all of us. "Don't worry. As long as people still care this much, Liverpool's roots won't break, no matter who comes in." Du An nodded. *** Around three in the afternoon, Du An packed up his bag and was getting ready to say goodbye to Sarah. Sarah walked over, grinning as she tilted her chin at him. "Right, you weren't here yesterday. Dunn said you went to play a match, and Jack said he saw you last night, telling me your teammates were raving about that long pass of yours like it was pure magic. Not bad at all, lad. If you really make it big one day, I'll be able to brag that Du An used to work alongside me in this shop." Du An scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish. "It wasn't really that great. That was my first official match, but I messed up. I ended up getting a red card." "A red card?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, not rushing to judge. She simply asked, "Did you lose in the end?" Du An shook his head. "No, we won 2–1." "Well then, that's all that matters." Sarah shrugged, her tone even. "I don't know much about football, but I know nobody gets sent off on purpose. There had to be a reason. I've never played, so I can't teach you anything about the game. "Still, stumbling my way through the years since university has taught me a thing or two. My granddad used to tell me never to fear making mistakes. Only a fool lets the fear of doing something wrong stop them from doing what they truly love. I'm passing that on to you today." Du An nodded earnestly. "Thank you, Sarah." "What's there to thank me for?" Sarah smiled and gave him a wink. "Just make sure that once you're a big star at Anfield, you don't forget to save me a front-row ticket." The two looked at each other and laughed. The brass bell chimed softly overhead as Du An waved and stepped out the door. He looked up at the Merseyside sky. The overcast late-autumn chill falling over him felt as warm and reassuring as sunshine. *** When he reached home, Ethan had just come back inside holding a football, his forehead dripping with sweat. Though Ethan lacked the ability to turn professional, he certainly had the dedication of one. For dinner, Du An prepared a simple meal of grilled sausages with mashed potatoes and a bowl of boiled beans. The two brothers sat at the dining table, and as they ate, Du An brought up the takeover rumors he had heard at the shop that day. "I know about that," Ethan mumbled around a bite of sausage. "A lot of kids at school were talking about it. They said a consortium from Dubai and some American owners are both trying to buy Liverpool. Some said a new owner would splash cash on superstar signings, and others said they'd tear down Anfield to build a shopping mall." He set down his fork and looked up at Du An, a trace of unease in his eyes. "Du, will this... affect us?" Du An thought for a moment before scooping a spoonful of beans onto Ethan's plate. "It shouldn't. An ownership change is for the higher-ups to deal with. Training at the academy goes on as usual. Don't worry." Ethan nodded, only half-understanding, and lowered his head to keep eating. Watching his younger brother, Du An felt uncertain as well, but he couldn't afford to show weakness. He was the older brother. He had to be the pillar. *** Early the next morning. Monday. Du An arrived at the training ground half an hour earlier than usual. He had just changed into his boots and stepped out of the dressing room when he ran into Aslett. "You're here early," Aslett said with a smile, patting his arm. "Just as well. Coach Heighway wants to see you. He asked me to tell you to head over to his office first thing when you got in." "Alright, I'll go see him and come straight back to train." Du An nodded and turned to go. Aslett couldn't help calling after him, adding with a grin, "Hurry along. It's good news." Du An paused, a flutter of curiosity rising inside him. Good news? Could it be an official promotion to the U16 squad? Keeping his anticipation in check, he hastened his pace toward the administration building. Heighway's office door stood ajar, light spilling from inside. Liverpool mornings were gray and overcast more often than not; without artificial lighting, there was hardly any difference between dawn and night. Often, the entire day remained just as somber, morning blending indistinguishably into afternoon and evening. Du An knocked and stepped inside. Heighway sat at his desk, a thick stack of youth training schedules spread before him, pen in hand as he ticked and made notes. As the director of the Kirkby Youth Academy, he bore complete responsibility for the training, scouting, and logistics across every age group. Years of relentless grind had turned his hair completely white, carving deep wrinkles into his temples that looked etched in stone. To say he poured his heart and soul into Kirkby would not be the slightest exaggeration. Seeing Du An come in, Heighway put down his pen and gestured toward a seat with a smile. "You're here? Have a seat." Du An sat down on the sofa nearby. Heighway opened a drawer, pulled out a document, and came straight to the point. "You're still short on official match experience and need more polishing, but your ability and rate of improvement haven't gone unnoticed by the coaching staff. Starting this week, I plan to put you into the regular U16 matchday squad. You'll have a set match every week and prepare alongside the squad as normal. "You lack experience, and you need more matches to build it." A surge of warmth rushed through Du An's chest, and he straightened his back at once. "Thank you, Boss! I'll give it everything." It was just as he had guessed. Yet Heighway clearly had more to say. Holding the document, he walked over to Du An, set it down on the table, and took a seat beside him. "Also, regarding your contract, Kenny and I had a long, thorough talk. We'd like to offer you a new deal. "A pre-contract for a professional contract."