Chapter 146 Contract Renewal

Securing the league championship was a huge inspiration for the entire Zenit team. After the game, news outlets ran extensive reports on their historic second championship win, recalling every step they had taken in the past season. Almost everyone on the team deserved credit. Of course, some deserved more than others, and Chen Hero was certainly one of the biggest contributors. He had scored twenty-five goals so far this season, and many of those goals had won them the game 1-0. This showed just how important Chen Hero was to the team.

Looking back, it was clear that Advocaat was right to strongly advise the club to sign Chen Hero and meet his weekly wage of 40,000 euros. At 40,000 euros a week, his annual salary was only two million euros, which was a bargain compared to the team's first league title in twenty-three years!

But Chen Hero's outstanding performance brought another problem to the surface, one that kept the club managers up at night.

And that was... the contract renewal.

※※※

"Contract renewal?" Sasania was stunned when he heard Advocaat's words. "Wasn't it just renewed?"

Advocaat said, "The last renewal was a two-year contract, expiring on December 31, 2008. Almost a year has passed since then."

In other words, Chen Hero had only one year left on his contract, and generally, it was time to start thinking about renewing it…

Sasania clutched his forehead after realizing this.

Just the thought of contract renewal gave Sasania a headache.

He still vividly remembered the last contract renewal process with Chen Hero. The headache wasn't Chen Hero himself, but his agent.

He looked like a vampire, and he was a vampire! He immediately asked for the highest weekly wage in the team at the time!

As a result, he set a bad example for all the other players' agents, and everyone started demanding pay raises.

Even though Zenit's investor, Gazprom, had a lot of money, he couldn't just spend it recklessly as the manager…

They finally managed to renew the contract, but he didn't expect that they would have to renew it again so soon. It was all because they had planted the seeds of trouble during the last renewal!

Who told them to only sign a two-year contract last time?

But what could he do? The agent insisted on a two-year contract. If they didn't sign, Hero might transfer to another team next season. Because the original contract was also for two years, there was really no binding force…

Later, he felt that although the weekly wage was a bit high, his performance was truly outstanding. Now that the team had won the league championship, he felt that the renewal was worth it. Sasania finally felt that Chen Hero's weekly wage level was worthy of his performance.

At this moment, it was time to renew the contract again…

If they renewed, with Chen Hero's vampire-like agent's style, he would definitely ask for a pay raise. It was already 40,000 euros, still the highest salary in the club. How much higher could it go? Did he really think Zenit was Manchester United, Real Madrid, or Barcelona? Where a weekly wage of 100,000 was nothing?

He was really a little afraid of seeing that vampire-like agent again…

But he still had to negotiate the renewal with the other party. From the looks of it, Chen Hero played a big role in the team, his personal strength was also very strong, and they really couldn't let him go easily.

※※※

Chen Hero was chatting online with Sharapova, who was in Madrid for the WTA Finals, via video.

He had just told a joke that made Sharapova burst into laughter, shaking her shoulders non-stop as she leaned over the computer desk.

At this moment, his phone rang. It was his agent, Drakula.

Chen Hero said, "I have to take this call, sorry," took off his headset, and answered the phone.

"The club wants to renew your contract, Hero," Drakula said bluntly.

Chen Hero was stunned.

He hadn't even thought about this issue. He didn't expect the club to think of it first. Then he realized that he only had one year left on his contract, and the club was afraid that he would leave as a free agent…

That was normal.

But he didn't want to stay on this team for too long. Otherwise, why would he have insisted on signing a two-year contract in the first place? Wasn't it because he was afraid of being bound by the contract and not being able to leave when he wanted to?

He liked his Zenit teammates very much, but that didn't mean he was prepared to dedicate his life to Zenit.

He knew very well that the Russian Premier League was just a stepping stone for him. His real goal was the Big Five leagues, on a stage where he could become the focus of fans around the world.

He wanted to play in the Champions League, he wanted to play in the top leagues, he wanted to become a real star, and he wanted his parents to be able to turn on the TV and see him whenever they missed him…

All of this could not be satisfied at Zenit Saint Petersburg.

"But I don't want to renew the contract…"

Drakula wasn't surprised at all by Chen Hero's answer.

"Then I'll help you reject them."

"Okay! Ah, wait… When you reject them, be a little tactful in your attitude and approach, don't make the relationship too strained…"

"I'll handle it, you can rest assured, Hero," Drakula agreed and hung up the phone.

Chen Hero didn't take this matter to heart. He put his headset back on and continued video chatting with Sharapova.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"It's okay, hehe. Who was on the phone?"

"It was my agent, the club wants to renew my contract." Chen Hero didn't hide anything from Sharapova—there was nothing to hide about this.

"Renew the contract?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to renew it."

Sharapova quickly understood why. The Russian Premier League was too small for Chen Hero. She was already a top player in the world of women's tennis. What about Chen Hero? He was still messing around in the Russian Premier League. For Europe, Russia was too closed off and too remote. Even if he became famous in this league, he wouldn't be a real star. Look at Andrei Arshavin, he was the Russian Player of the Year in 2004. But he still didn't have much fame in European football. Many people didn't even know he existed…

Sharapova suddenly thought—if Chen Hero transferred to a powerhouse team, he would earn a lot of money and have a lot of fame, becoming a world-class star. Would her father still say that he was a low-level player with no future?

Huh? What am I thinking? What does it have to do with me if he becomes a world-class star and whether he pleases my dad or not?

Sharapova suddenly realized something and felt a little embarrassed. She seemed to have thought about some things she shouldn't have…

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Chen Hero was telling Sharapova about his career plans, but he didn't expect Sharapova to be a little distracted. He asked irritably.

"Ah, I am, I'm listening."

Sharapova lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

She had discovered a fact that made her feel terrified, and this fact made her feel a little upset.

"Ah—I'm tired, Hero." She pretended to yawn.

Chen Hero stared at her suspiciously: "Are you really tired?"

Sharapova glared at him: "I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going downstairs to rest!"

Then she decisively closed the video chat.

Chen Hero rolled his eyes. He was very familiar with Sharapova's behavior, so he didn't think too much about it, just clicked his tongue.

"Women!"

※※※

Sharapova didn't go to rest, but sat in front of the computer, staring blankly at the blank computer screen.

Why do I care about my dad's feelings about him?

We're just friends, he doesn't need my dad's approval…

So, what does it have to do with me whether he has a future or not?

After convincing herself like this, Sharapova got up. This time, she really was going to rest.

As she lay in bed, an emotion quietly took root in the depths of her heart.

If he becomes a big star, I'll be very happy too…

※※※

Chen Hero didn't know what method Drakula used to reject the club. The next day, after training, Advocaat found him.

He coughed and said to Chen Hero, "Hero. I know it's a good thing for young people to have ambitions, but sometimes you still have to be measured…"

Chen Hero was confused by what the coach said and didn't understand what was going on. But his intuition told him that it must be related to the contract renewal.

After saying goodbye to the coach, he called Drakula and asked him how he had negotiated with the club.

"I rejected them in a very tactful way. I think they shouldn't come looking for you for a long time!"

"Thank you, Mr. Vampire. But I want to know how you rejected them?"

"I talked to them, and if you renew the contract, you want a weekly wage of 100,000 euros…"

"What the f*ck!"

Chen Hero broke down.

"Is that your 'tactful' way? Huh? Is there such a 'tactful' way? Hey, are you really my agent? Or were you sent by my enemies to mess with me!"

"What's wrong? Look, haven't they stopped coming to you now?"

"Damn it! My reputation! I thought you were becoming more and more like a qualified human being, but it seems you still have a long way to go!" Drakula was scolded by Chen Hero without saying a word.

Chen Hero was actually just angry for a moment—he really didn't expect Drakula's so-called "I'll handle it, you can rest assured" to be this kind of assurance. How could he rest assured!

After venting, Chen Hero also realized his mistake—why am I getting angry with a non-human?

Forget it, anyway, he also likes money. If there really was a contract with a weekly wage of 100,000, that would be great too, but Zenit Saint Petersburg would definitely not agree, unless they were crazy. Moreover, Chen Hero didn't want them to agree. If they really agreed, he would be dumbfounded…

So, the stage is still far away, not here.

He didn't plan to finish the Russian league next season. He would leave after the UEFA Cup knockout stage, and leave in the summer. It was just the transfer period for the European leagues, and he believed that with his performance, he should be able to find a good new home, right?

It depends on Drakula's ability. If he can really sign him a contract with a weekly wage of 100,000 euros…

Chen Hero laughed hehehehe in the room.

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ps, Here comes an extra chapter, hehehe!

Everyone voted a lot for the monthly tickets, so I'll update more, we all hehehe!