Money didn't feel real at first.
It was just numbers spoken too calmly.
Ethan found out on a Tuesday afternoon, after a light recovery session. Jordan Graham asked him to sit down in the small meeting room near the physio area. No rush. No tension in his voice.
That was what made it serious.
"First official bid came in this morning," Jordan said.
Ethan didn't speak.
"Championship club. Mid-table. Serious." Jordan paused. "Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds."
The number landed slowly.
£250,000.
Not a rumour.
Not interest.
A bid.
The system didn't hesitate.
Market Event Detected
Current Valuation: £300,000 – £400,000 (Projected)
Ethan leaned back slightly.
"That's… real?" he asked.
Jordan nodded. "Very."
He continued, measured. "Wage offer would be around four grand a week. Rising with appearances. Signing bonus close to ten thousand."
Ethan blinked.
Four thousand a week.
Last year, he'd been playing for expenses and a few hundred. Now someone was offering more in a month than he'd seen in his entire life.
The system updated again.
Financial Awareness: Activated
Lifestyle Shift: Pending
"What did the club say?" Ethan asked.
Jordan exhaled. "Orient rejected it. Politely. They value you higher, and they don't want to sell in January unless it's undeniable."
Undeniable.
Jordan looked at him carefully. "This won't be the last one."
Training that evening felt different.
Not harder.
Heavier.
Every sprint carried a price now. Every touch had a number attached to it. He caught himself thinking about it during a rondo and immediately forced it away.
That was dangerous territory.
Saturday came quickly.
Another League One match. Another tight game. Another chance to either raise or lower his value.
Ethan played smart. Not flashy. Clean decisions. One assist. No mistakes.
After the match, Wellens pulled him aside.
"They came in, didn't they?" he asked.
Ethan nodded.
"Wellens didn't look surprised. "It's part of it now. You keep playing like this, the numbers go up. Simple."
"How high?" Ethan asked.
Wellens shrugged. "Half a million by summer if you stay fit. Maybe more."
£500,000.
The system recorded it quietly.
Projected Market Value Updated
Range: £450,000 – £600,000
That night, Ethan lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Four thousand a week.
Ten thousand signing bonus.
Half a million fee.
It didn't feel like greed.
It felt like gravity.
Two days later, another message from Jordan.
"Second club asking questions. No bid yet."
Ethan replied with one word.
"Okay."
The system interpreted the restraint.
Impulse Control: Stable
Decision Pressure: Increasing
Midweek, a new element entered quietly.
An email.
Not football-related.
A sportswear brand he'd never worn growing up. Mid-tier. Serious.
They'd seen the clips. The breakdowns. The Sky game.
Offer:
£2,000 per month
Free gear
Social media appearances
Not life-changing.
But symbolic.
The system noted it instantly.
Commercial Interest: Initiated
Sponsorship Tier: Entry-Level
Ethan showed Jordan the email.
Jordan smiled. "This is how it starts. Couple grand now. Tens of thousands later if things go right."
"And if they don't?" Ethan asked.
Jordan's smile faded slightly. "Then it stays just numbers."
Saturday night arrived again.
Another win. Another solid performance. Another step without a leap.
After the match, Ethan overheard two teammates talking quietly.
"Half a mil, they're saying."
"Mad."
He didn't interrupt.
Back home, he checked the system one last time.
Financial Summary
Current Weekly Wage: £1,200
Potential Championship Wage: £4,000
Short-Term Sponsorship Value: £2,000/month
Long-Term Projection: Unknown
Then a new line appeared.
Future Visibility: Cross-Industry Potential (Conditional)
Cross-industry.
Not football.
He frowned.
Then he remembered the cameras. The interviews. The way his image lingered a little longer than others.
He shut the phone off.
Too far ahead.
Before sleep, he sent one message.
To no one in particular.
"Still here. Still grinding."
The system dimmed.
Next Evaluation Phase: Summer Window
Decision Weight: Heavy
Ethan closed his eyes.
He wasn't rich.
Not yet.
But for the first time, football wasn't just about surviving anymore.
It was about value.
And value changed everything.
END OF CHAPTER 18
Author's Comment
This is where numbers enter the story.
Not millions.
Not fame.
Just enough money to make choices feel real.
From here on, every decision has a price — on the pitch and off it.