GRANDMAESTA_30

Chapter 16: Where It All Began

The next day, the Arsenal squad departed for Manchester.

Kai stood by, watching the first-team players dressed in sharp training kits, ready to board the bus.

Chamberlain caught his eye—his hair was slicked back with wax.

Chamberlain looked mighty pleased with himself as he stepped on the bus, full of swagger.

Kai muttered under his breath, “Good luck out there.”

Once the first team had gone, only a handful of substitutes remained at the training g...

Chapter 17: A Debut With A Side Of Massacre

"Bunch of soft f##ks, there’s no way tough guy in the team. All of them are a bunch of c##ts"

Kai minded his business. He didn’t argue. There was no need.

They launched a swift counterattack at the 27-minute mark, just a minute after Arsenal's last foul. Van Persie latched onto Walcott’s pass and found the net.

But just as the fans leapt to celebrate, the referee's whistle pierced the air. The camera panned to the linesman, who had his flag raised—offside.

A sl...

Chapter 22: A Statement Made

Arsenal had been running as usual—until a thunderbolt hit.

When Kai walked into the office carrying a baseball bat, Wenger's mind went completely blank.

He had imagined several ways Kai might retaliate, but never something this... physical.

This was far beyond anything he had expected.

After quickly gathering the details, Wenger immediately dispatched staff to contain the situation.

The coaching team rushed into the parking lot, where they found Park Chu-Young ...

Chapter 21: Loaded Silence

“Oh, Captain! Oh, Van Persie! Oh, he’s our leader—”

In the house, Billy was humming a made-up chant, clearly inspired by Van Persie’s recent heroics on the pitch.

To be fair, Van Persie had been in outrageous form lately—single-handedly dragging Arsenal out of tight spots with crucial goals, becoming a beacon of hope for the fans.

And the supporters were finally warming up to him. A captain who could score like that? Not bad at all. Billy was among the converted....

Chapter 18: Invisible Engine

In the conference room, Wenger and his coaching staff had reconvened.

This time, the agenda was clear: uncover the reason behind the team's sudden transformation.

Wenger sat at the head of the table, lightly tapping a pen against the wood. "Can anyone explain what's behind this shift?"

The coaches exchanged puzzled glances.

Just then, he noticed his long-time assistant, Pat Rice, intently scanning a document. Pat's expression lit up as if he'd just stumbled upon buried...

Chapter 20: Flaring Tempers

Another training match, and once again, Kai found himself on the substitute team.

Even though his performance with the main squad had been commendable, Wenger couldn’t keep him there all the time, especially with Alex Song waiting eagerly on the sidelines.

At this stage, Kai wasn’t considered an immediate asset in competitive terms, and Wenger needed Song’s experience and stability to maintain the team’s continuity.

More importantly, managing Song’s mentality was c...

Chapter 10: Arsenal's Bad Start

Round One: Arteta vs. Chamberlain

Arteta attacked. Chamberlain defended.

Kai stood on the sidelines, observing quietly.

Arteta was a technically balanced player. None of his skills stood out dramatically, but he had no glaring weaknesses either. His only issue was performance under pressure. Against weaker sides, his control and passing were elegant. But in matches against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, he tended to disappear in midfield.

So the solution...

Chapter 9: Surprise Trainer

Evening
[Kai’s room, Billy’s house, London]

The loft-style room was modest—about 10 square meters, with a sloped wooden ceiling. Aside from the bed and a wardrobe, there wasn’t much else. A single window sat near the ceiling above the bed, framing a quiet slice of the sky.

Kai had never cared much for luxury.

Most of the salary he earned from Arsenal was saved, minus a small token of appreciation he gave to Billy.

At the mom...

Chapter 15: Call-up

In the equipment room, a lone figure was drenched in sweat as he trained.

Kai was running shirtless on the treadmill, his upper body glistening. His muscles looked fuller than usual—almost swollen.

That was the cost of rapid weight gain in a short period. To counteract the bloating, he’d need to strengthen various muscle groups over time to tighten and tone everything properly.

Muscle building always came down to two things: eating and training.

Kai now stood at 1....

Chapter 14: Future Plans

[Winter's Pasta]

Mrs. Winter’s signature pasta salad was always a favorite. Unlike the usual sweet-and-sour versions, hers had a subtle, savory touch that hit just right after a long day of training.

Chamberlain dug into his steaming plate with enthusiasm, clearly savoring every bite.

Mrs. Winter’s shop wasn’t far from Arsenal's training base. Thanks to Arsenal’s strict dietary requirements, her place had quietly become a go-to spot for the players.<...

Chapter 12: First Team Training 2

Wenger stood quietly on the sidelines, arms folded, brow furrowed. He wasn’t watching the starters.

His real attention was on the substitutes.

More specifically, Arteta and Gervinho.

Arteta had been a stabilizing presence in midfield, his experience and calm proving invaluable. Gervinho, on the other hand, had been disappointing. Wenger envisioned him as a winger—someone with a fast pace down the flanks. But so far, the performances hadn’t lived up to the potential. 2025-05-14 15:18:04 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 11: First Team Training

The next day, Kai and Chamberlain received notice to report to the first training ground for the club’s training camp. Their expressions were full of excitement.

After nearly three months of individual training, they were finally stepping onto the first team's turf.

This was a big milestone. Being called up to train with the senior squad meant they had earned Wenger’s preliminary approval. If they met expectations, there was even a chance they’d get some game time.

Pat...

Chapter 13: Performance Assessment

The match resumed, perhaps influenced by Kai’s earlier outburst.

Slowly, the substitutes became more vocal during play. The loudest among them—unsurprisingly—was Chamberlain.

“Give me the ball!”

“I’m open!”

“Sorry, my bad!”

From his goalpost, Szczesny gave Chamberlain a puzzled look. It was hard not to notice how the young winger’s performance had surged following Kai’s stern words. But even more notable was how his energy began to affect ...

Chapter 6: Foresight In Action

The physical examination was carried out in an orderly manner.

Kai and Chamberlain were ranked at the end of the substitute team without attracting any attention.

The players began to walk into the medical examination room one after another.

After waiting for about half an hour, it was finally his and Chamberlain's turn.

The two walked in together.

There was a large space inside, with treadmills and various instruments. The players wore oxygen masks and were cove...

Chapter 4: No Pain, No Gain

Martin Hughes turned out to be a genuinely kind man. He continued to show Le Kai around, patiently introducing him to Arsenal’s facilities and history. Martin was easy to talk to, as long as you didn’t mention that person. The two chatted comfortably, and Le Kai learned quite a bit about the current squad and club dynamics.

After lunch, they parted ways.

Le Kai headed straight back to the training ground to continue his afternoon session. It was the s...

Chapter 5: The Returning Squad

Two weeks passed in quiet, steady rhythm.

Then came the familiar sounds of exertion and an old man’s barking in the Arsenal gym.

Sweat poured down Kai’s face as he gritted his teeth. His legs were bent at a perfect ninety degrees, back supported by a round yoga ball, arms extended above his head with dumbbells in each hand. The unstable surface forced his entire body to stay tense, constantly adjusting to maintain balance.

It was grueling. Every muscle had to engage.

Chapter 7: The Potential

Arsenal was preparing for a warm-up match after their training session.

Most of the squad had already left, leaving only Kai and Chamberlain behind.

"Why didn’t they take us?" Chamberlain complained, clearly frustrated. "It’s just a warm-up match—there was a chance for us to play."

Pat Rice responded calmly, "You’re not ready yet."

He then gestured toward Kai. "Learn from him."

Chamberlain turned and noticed that Kai had already started jogging around the...

Chapter 3: Solo Training

Dinner looked sumptuous.

Cheese-grilled chicken drumsticks, sizzling steaks, juicy wings, and Elena's secret fish and chips—it was a feast. As he looked at the table, Lucky finally understood why Billy and Elena were both on the plump side. Compared to them, Kevin looked like a twig.

Billy uncorked a bottle of whisky, poured himself a generous glass, tapped his fork against his plate, and said cheerfully, "Tonight, we welcome the newest member of the Arsenal family—Le Kai, a y...

Chapter 8: The Start Of The Season Draws Near

A month and some had passed since Kai began his ball control training.

By mid-August, England was buzzing with excitement. After nearly three months of summer break, the 2011/2012 Premier League season was just around the corner.

As always, gossip and speculation filled the air.

<<Manchester United’s pre-season form is underwhelming.>>

<<Manchester City enters the new season with sky-high expectations after ...