Chapter 69: Under the Eyes of Europe
Date: January 13, 2029
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
Event: Arsenal vs Chelsea – Premier League Matchday 21
Attendance: 60,250 (Scouts from Madrid, Bayern, PSG, Portugal FA in attendance)
Weather: Overcast, slight drizzle
Kick-off Time: 5:30 PM
---
"Big game, yeah?"
Gabriel Magalhães clapped Tobi on the shoulder in the tunnel, the scent of muscle rub and rain hanging thick in the air.
Tobi didn’t answer right away.
His eyes were fixed on the other side.
Chelsea.
Blue. Cold. Full of arrogance and hunger.
Nicolas Jackson. Enzo Fernández. Reece James back from injury.
But it wasn’t just about the opposition tonight.
It was about who was watching.
Above in the executive suites, three major club representatives were seated. Madrid’s Emilio Ramos again. Bayern’s director of football. A PSG scout who hadn’t even bothered to hide his badge.
And beside them?
A single Portugal FA official.
All eyes on the 20-year-old midfielder with the #8 on his back.
Tobi Oliveira.
---
> System Prompt:
Objective Activated: Deliver a World-Class Performance
Required: 9.0+ Match Rating, Key Contribution, 90 Mins Completed
Buffs Active: Home Field Focus, Partner Presence (Emilia in attendance), High-Stakes Surge
Emotion: Controlled Fire
Internal Conflict: 63% Resolved
---
"Oliveira! Let’s go!"
Saka’s voice cut through the buzz.
Tobi slapped his cheeks, exhaled, and stepped onto the pitch.
Floodlights lit the grass like a stage. The roar of the crowd swelled. Emirates vibrated.
---
1st Minute – Arsenal Kick-Off
The game started fast.
Chelsea pressed high. Arsenal passed slick.
Tobi dropped deep to collect. Enzo shadowed him.
Touch. Turn. Switch wide to Martinelli.
Immediate applause.
He was in rhythm already.
---
6th Minute – First Chance
Ødegaard received between the lines. Slipped it to Tobi.
20 yards out.
He feinted left, drove right—past Caicedo.
Shot—
Saved! by Robert Sánchez.
The crowd groaned.
Arteta clapped.
Tobi tapped his chest, nodded. Next time.
---
> System Note:
Shot On Target – Precision +2%
Confidence Meter: 79%
---
14th Minute – Chelsea Counter
Arsenal lost it high up.
Mudryk sprinted down the left.
White backed off—Tobi tracked all the way back.
Mudryk cut in—Tobi lunged.
Clean. Ball and nothing else.
The Emirates roared.
---
"Oi, you want to play CB next week?" Ben White shouted, grinning.
Tobi just smiled.
---
23rd Minute – GOAL
Martinelli won a foul wide left.
Tobi stood over the ball.
A hush.
He whipped it, left-footed.
Perfect flight. Perfect pace.
Saliba met it with a glancing header.
GOAL!
Arsenal 1 – 0 Chelsea
The stadium erupted.
Tobi raised one fist. Looked straight up at the scout box.
Message sent.
> System Log:
Assist Registered
Key Pass x3
Match Rating: 8.2
---
34th Minute – Warning Signs
Chelsea came alive.
Jackson beat Gabriel. Shot—Raya saved.
But Arsenal were starting to wobble.
Arteta barked instructions. Tobi dropped even deeper, forming a pivot with Partey.
Controlled. Measured.
---
45+2 – HALFTIME
Arsenal led 1–0.
Inside the dressing room, Arteta gathered them close.
"Do NOT think they’re done. We play like it’s 0–0."
Then he looked at Tobi.
"You’re dictating this game. Keep your foot on their necks."
Tobi nodded once.
---
Second Half
Chelsea came out flying.
Pressure. Intensity.
55th minute – Reece James cracked a shot off the bar.
59th – Gallagher curled one just wide.
Arsenal needed calm.
Tobi delivered.
He took control—every pass, every transition.
66th minute – he dribbled past Enzo, Caicedo, and Colwill—then laid it wide for Martinelli again.
Cross.
Nketiah—header—
GOAL!
Arsenal 2 – 0 Chelsea
---
> System Update:
Second Assist (Pre-Assist) Logged
Match Rating: 9.3
Buff Activated: Scout Magnet
Real Madrid Interest: Tier 2 ➝ Tier 1 Priority
---
76th Minute – Substitution Incoming?
Tobi saw his number not on the board.
Arteta kept him on.
He understood.
Tonight wasn’t just about winning.
It was about proving something.
---
84th Minute – Moment of Magic
Emilia stood in the crowd, hands tight around a hot drink, watching him dance through Chelsea’s midfield again.
He played a 1–2 with Ødegaard. Got it back. Slid between defenders.
Chipped it.
Crossbar.
So close.
She gasped.
He smiled from the pitch, even in the near-miss.
---
> System Prompt:
Confidence Maxed
Performance Bonus Unlocked
Sponsor Interest: +3 Brands
Match Rating: 9.7
---
Full-Time – Arsenal 2–0 Chelsea
Tobi collapsed onto the grass, sweat pouring, crowd singing his name.
"TOBI! TOBI! TOBI!"
The cameras found him.
So did the Madrid scout.
And more importantly—
So did Emilia.
She rushed past barriers. Straight into his arms.
"I’ve never seen you like this," she whispered, breathless.
"Me neither."
---
> System Final Stats
Match Rating: 9.7
Assist: 1
Key Passes: 5
Duels Won: 11
Heatmap: Full Midfield Coverage
Buffs Gained: European Magnetism, Partner Sync
Transfer Status: Madrid preparing verbal approach
Arsenal preparing counter-incentives
Contract Decision Window: 18 Days Left
Absolutely — no breaks, all read-along. Let’s jump into it.
Location: London / Madrid / Cambridge
It came at 3:16 AM.
A ping. A light buzz on the marble nightstand.
Tobi opened his eyes slowly. Emilia stirred beside him, murmured softly, then went still again.
One Message. From His Agent.
"Madrid just called. They’re ready."
No emoji. No follow-up. Just gravity.
He sat up in the dark, blinked twice, then stood and walked to the window. London slept below him. Streetlights reflected off soaked roads. The hum of nothingness wrapped around his thoughts.
And in the distance—he felt it.
Change.
Later That Morning – Agent’s Office, West London
A corner desk. Too clean. A cup of untouched espresso steaming beside his laptop.
His agent, Dário Cruz, Portuguese and blunt, was already waiting.
"Sit. No drama."
Tobi dropped into the chair, hoodie over his head, eyes unreadable.
Dário slid a printed document across the desk.
Tobi stared at the header.
REAL MADRID C.F.
Proposta de Transferência: Tobi Oliveira
The Offer:
Weekly Salary: €410,000
Signing Bonus: €6 million
Image Rights: 60/40 split (in Tobi’s favor)
Contract Length: 5 years
Squad Role: Starting XI, CAM (Jude Bellingham’s replacement)
Jersey Number Offered: #10
Living Package: Private luxury estate in La Finca, custom gym + full security
Transfer Fee Offered to Arsenal: €100 million flat, no add-ons
Coach Approval: Carlo Ancelotti signed
Tobi ran his hand through his curls.
"Jude’s number?"
Dário nodded.
"They want you now. Not next summer. Not as an apprentice. As the heir."
"And Arsenal?"
"They don’t know yet. Verbal stage only. Madrid wants you to feel the power before the pressure."
Tobi leaned back, heart pounding—but not out of fear.
Out of temptation.
System Surge:
"Forked Destiny" Event Triggered
New Trait Detected: Loyalty Tension (Emotionally Split)
Buff/Curse Active: Magnetism (Every Club Now Watching)
Decision Timer: 17 Days
Partner Effect: Notified – Awaiting Emotional Sync
That Night – Tobi’s Apartment
Emilia sat in the corner chair, legs curled under her, reading a medical journal.
Tobi placed the offer on the coffee table.
She looked at it.
Then at him.
"You’ve already decided, haven’t you?"
"No," he said.
"Yes," she whispered.
He sighed. Sat across from her.
"They’re offering the number 10. Starting role. Replacing Jude."
"I know what that means," she said.
Silence.
Then:
"I got a call from Cambridge."
Tobi’s head snapped up.
"They’re bumping my program. Early access. They want me this summer."
The silence between them felt like a wall too high to climb over.
"If I go to Madrid..." he started.
"I can’t follow. Not yet."
They sat for over an hour without speaking. Just existing in the same room. Breathing. Hurting.
Then Emilia finally stood, walked over, and curled into his lap.
"Whatever you choose," she murmured, "don’t do it for me. Or for them. Do it because when you close your eyes at night, it’s the only future you can live with."
He held her tighter.
But he didn’t respond.
Because he didn’t know the answer yet.
January 17 – Arsenal’s Response
Edu and Arteta called a closed-door meeting.
Only three people inside.
Edu. Arteta. Tobi.
They laid down their offer.
The Arsenal Counter-Offer:
Weekly Salary: £300,000
Captaincy from 2029–30 Season guaranteed
Icon Clause: Arsenal to launch "Oliveira Brand" across London/Nike Europe
Camden Residency Property
Family Package – Sister’s School + Mother’s Foundation fully funded by club
Emilia’s tuition at Cambridge covered – if accepted
Tobi blinked. "Emilia?"
Arteta smiled. "You forget we know everything?"
He swallowed hard.
System Alert:
Arsenal Loyalty Buff Re-Activated
Partner Life Interlinked – +25% Relationship Sync
Trait Detected: Emotional Overlap
Decision Deadline: 13 Days
Hidden Stat Revealed: Fear of Letting Go
That night, Tobi opened his system interface for the first time in days.
The digital stats shimmered.
Name: Tobi Oliveira
Position: CAM
Club: Arsenal (Active)
Overall Rating: 91
Potential Range: 94–97 (if moved to La Liga) | 91–94 (if he stays in EPL)
Chemistry with Team: 93
Love Sync (Emilia): 86
Stress Level: 71%
Legacy Score (Projected): Forked: Arsenal Legend or European Royalty
There were two buttons glowing now.
"Accept Madrid"
"Stay Arsenal"
He hovered his finger.
Paused.
Then closed the system.
Final Days – Quiet Before the Fire
He trained. He scored in practice. He made time for Leonor’s calls from Portugal (she was scoring weekly now). He helped his mom fix her TV over FaceTime. He took Emilia to a quiet park in Hampstead Heath and kissed her under an umbrella while pigeons scattered in protest.
But the deadline loomed.
Ticking.
Ticking.
Ticking.
System Countdown:
Decision Day: January 31
Days Remaining: 10
Emotional Sync: Locked
Scout Report: Real Madrid finalizing bid
Arsenal media embargo active
World Watches: 27 countries tracking the Oliveira Transfer Storm
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