"Leon! Leon! Over here!"
"Boss! Over here!"
Leon had asked manager Inzaghi for leave and would not be travelling back to Milan with the squad that evening.
Inzaghi agreed without a moment's hesitation!
He knew that with Leon's self-discipline, there was no chance of him going out and getting into trouble!
"Tomorrow... forget it! Just come into the training ground the morning after tomorrow!"
Inzaghi smiled and gave Leon a pat on the shoulder, generously granting him a day off.
If it were not for the Serie A Matchday 37 fixture just three days away, Inzaghi would have wanted to give Leon even more time off!
Leon trained with an intensity that was almost frightening every single day, and he truly deserved a rest.
Leon had just stepped out of the Stadio Olimpico when two voices reached him from different directions.
On one side, Dave George was calling out to him with young Devin George!
On the other side, the Feng Fans from the East!
"Wow! Boss! You're so built! My name's Chen Qiang!"
"Boss! Chen Qiang is a traitor, don't mind him!"
"How am I a traitor?"
"You were wearing a Milan shirt and cheering for Inter, what else would you call it?"
"No way! Chen Qiang, you're that brazen?"
"I'm a Feng Fan! Not a Milan supporter! If Leon ends up going to Inter one day, just you wait and see!"
"Get lost!"
Leon watched the Feng Fans bickering in front of him and felt a sudden warmth!
It was a feeling he had never experienced before!
"Leon! Are they all your fans?"
Young Devin George looked slightly timid seeing a group of Eastern faces that all looked rather similar to Leon!
He was only five years old, after all!
Leon lifted Devin George up into his arms.
"Aww! He's so adorable!"
Several of the girls among the Feng Fans were instantly drawn to Devin George's mop of blond hair.
"Leon! I'm your very first fan!"
"What does Feng Fan mean?"
Devin George asked with genuine curiosity.
"Little one! Feng Fan means a fan of Leon Feng!"
"And I was the very first one!"
Su Jing stepped forward at that moment, shared a brief glance with Leon, and then smiled as she explained it to Devin George.
"No! I'm the first Feng Fan!"
Devin George was quick on the uptake and, as soon as he understood the meaning, immediately staked his claim to the position of number one Feng Fan!
Well then!
Su Jing had not expected anyone to come along and challenge her for the title of number one Feng Fan!
"Alright! Devin! Time to go to sleep!"
"We'll come and watch Leon play again next time!"
Dave George ruffled Devin George's hair and took him from Leon's arms.
"Leon! Goodbye!"
"Win the Champions League next season!"
"I'll be waiting for you!"
Devin George was very well-behaved and waved at Leon before leaving with his father.
Leon waved back at Devin George, his heart feeling full.
With such a lovely fan like that, what possible reason was there not to push even further?
"Leon Feng! Are you a tiny bit disappointed he's not a little girl?"
"Because in twenty years' time, that could have been quite promising, no?"
Su Jing watched Leon's gaze follow Devin George and teased him with a grin.
"What's wrong with you!"
Leon glanced at Su Jing and shook his head with a laugh.
That night, Leon stayed in Rome together with the fans from the East.
Su Jing had naturally sorted out the accommodation.
The ten lucky Feng Fans pulled Leon into a frenzy of photos, which were then instantly posted to the Feng Fans Hub website, sending a huge number of fans back in the East into fits of envy!
"I'm devastated!"
"Why wasn't that lucky Feng Fan me?"
Countless Feng Fans let out cries of anguish!
Milanello.
Having won the first trophy of his managerial career, Inzaghi had allowed himself a small celebratory drink the night before, and arrived a touch later than usual that morning.
"Bloody hell!"
Inzaghi could not stop the words escaping.
There was still a figure running laps on the training pitch!
Who else could it be but Leon?
"The man's a machine! Doesn't he get tired?"
Inzaghi shook his head in disbelief.
To be honest!
Given the extra sessions Leon had not missed a single day of since joining Milan, no one had any grounds to question his extraordinary performances!
Because Inzaghi had simply never seen a player who could keep training at this level without ever stopping!
Most of the players had probably spent last night in a club somewhere!
Inzaghi had been about to go over and say hello, but thought better of it!
He would not disturb Leon's training!
He had plenty to get on with today.
Only two matchdays left in Serie A.
An away trip to Atalanta, and then a home match against Torino!
Neither side was particularly strong.
Atalanta had actually been fighting relegation this season!
Though they had already secured safety.
That meant both Atalanta and Torino were playing with nothing at stake.
Winning both matches with normal football should not be a problem!
So with those last two matchdays, whether AC Milan could overtake Roma in the table, currently just one point ahead, would come down entirely to how Roma performed themselves.
Inzaghi flipped through Roma's remaining two fixtures as well.
Matchday 37: Roma away to Lazio!
Matchday 38: Roma at home to Palermo!
Roma's final two opponents were clearly tougher than AC Milan's!
There was a chance!
If Roma slipped up even once, that would be AC Milan's opportunity to leapfrog them!
"Phew!"
Inzaghi let out a long breath.
"Focus on ourselves!"
"Leave the rest to fate!"
Inzaghi composed himself and began preparing for the upcoming match against Atalanta.
Second in Serie A and third were completely different propositions!
Second meant direct entry to the Champions League!
Third meant having to go through a qualifying play-off!
That was the reality of Serie A these days, a league that had truly fallen from its former heights!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Come in!"
Inzaghi's office door was pushed open.
Berlusconi and Galliani walked in together!
"Director! Chairman!"
Inzaghi quickly rose to his feet.
"Pippo! You've done a fine job!"
Berlusconi was the first to offer his praise.
Inzaghi was a Milan legend and everyone knew him well.
"Pippo! In these last two matchdays, I want Milan to overtake Roma and claim direct entry to the Champions League!"
"If that happens! I will invest 100 million next season!"
"The squad will have a transfer budget of 100 million euros!"
Berlusconi took a draw on his cigar and exhaled a long cloud of smoke, every inch the powerful figure he was!
"100 million euros?!"
Inzaghi was taken aback!
Was Berlusconi genuinely serious?
Or was he dangling a carrot?
It was no surprise that Inzaghi's face was full of doubt!
This season Berlusconi's net spend had been negative!
The club had been paying wages almost entirely on the back of the 20 million euros raised from selling Balotelli!
Inzaghi genuinely did not believe Berlusconi would have a change of heart and hand over 100 million euros next season!
Cristiano's transfer value this season was exactly 100 million euros, and Inzaghi felt he could almost consider putting in a bid!
Of course, Inzaghi was only letting his imagination run for a moment.
"Pippo! The chairman means every word!"
"Our requirement is simple: the team must win both of the final two matches!"
"Roma will slip up!"
Seeing that Inzaghi's scepticism was written too plainly across his face, Galliani added his own assurance.
"Ok! I will lead the team and give everything to win both of the last two matches!"
Inzaghi gave his word!
At that moment, all three men looked towards the window at the same time.
Through the glass, Leon was still out there running lap after lap!