"Today, we're celebrating reaching the Champions League final!"
"The FA Cup final doesn't start for another seven days, so everyone can celebrate properly today!"
Three days after the match against Barcelona, Liverpool held another celebration in the cafeteria. This time, every player and coach took part.
A few young players were there as well, including Jones, a midfielder who had recently become very popular in Liverpool's youth academy.
The party had only just begun, but the players were already throwing themselves into it. The recent run of crucial knockout matches had put enormous pressure on everyone, but thankfully, Liverpool had not been eliminated. Now, the players could finally relax.
"We're eating until we can't move today!"
"And dancing until we drop!"
This kind of occasion used to be Firmino's favorite. Now it had become Mané's favorite too.
Without realizing it, Mané had changed a little under the influence of Firmino and Leo Lin. He had slowly started to open up.
Krawietz and Zubizarreta were drinking red wine together again, and before long, the two of them were leading the players in a dance.
Klopp did not drink. As the head coach, he had to keep his mind clear at all times and think about the matches ahead. The two finals could bring Liverpool two trophies, but they could also turn Liverpool into a laughingstock twice in a row.
Especially after the press conference two days ago. Back then, Klopp had nodded because he wanted Leo Lin to get up and leave straight away, without answering that reporter's question.
Instead, Leo Lin misunderstood him and thought Klopp was giving him permission to speak freely.
That outrageously arrogant post-match statement had thrilled Liverpool fans, but it had also given rival fans the perfect chance to see Liverpool get slapped in the face.
Since the words had already been said, if Liverpool failed to win the title in the end, Leo Lin's remark would become the biggest joke of all.
And the man who had left Klopp frowning with worry was now happily eating, completely unaware that Klopp's pressure had skyrocketed because of him.
...
While Leo Lin was enjoying the lively party, Lallana and Lovren suddenly sat down across from him. Leo Lin waved the hot dog in his hand at them, making both of them laugh.
Lallana leaned forward and spoke to Leo Lin over the noisy music.
"Leo, I just wanted to tell you in advance. Lovren and I are planning to leave. Thank you so much for looking after us these past two years."
The two of them had only just spoken to Captain Henderson, and after that, they came straight to Captain Leo Lin.
They had not originally planned to tell Leo Lin this early, but the atmosphere today was simply too good. That was why Lovren decided they should tell him ahead of time. They felt that sharing the news in an environment like this might soften some of the sadness.
When Leo Lin heard Lallana say they wanted to leave, he did not know what to say. Because if he were Lallana, he would leave too. Recently, Klopp had been choosing Van Dijk and Matip more often, and even in some rotation matches, he had brought on Ocho. Lovren's playing time had indeed been shrinking noticeably.
"If you want to leave, I don't think Klopp will make things difficult for you. You know what he's like. He supports players going out to chase their dreams and get more minutes."
As the three of them were talking, goalkeeper Mignolet suddenly came over to Leo Lin as well.
"I might be leaving too. My agent said he's helping me look for my next club. Quite a few teams want me."
Mignolet raised his glass to Leo Lin.
"You've been my role model for a long time. One day, when I'm being interviewed, I'll be very proud to say that the greatest thing I achieved in my career was working with you for two years and winning so many trophies with you."
Hearing that Mignolet was leaving too, Leo Lin looked even more helpless. He still did not know what he should say.
"Don't put it like that. It wasn't you following me. It was all of us winning those trophies together."
"You were the starting keeper here for more than a season. In my heart, you truly fought for this team. You absolutely belong to Liverpool."
These were the teammates who had fought alongside him when he first joined the club. Especially last season, when there was no Van Dijk, no Alisson, and no Shaqiri.
Lallana was often sent on to give the wingers time to rest. Mignolet had to hold down the starting position no matter what. Lovren was an ironclad part of the starting lineup, someone who simply would not be removed from the team sheet.
But now Liverpool had a brand-new squad, and it seemed they were gradually losing their places.
"Lin, seeing these guys gathered around you, I can pretty much guess what's going on."
"My agent told me there are several teams that would be happy to sign me. So the two finals in a few days might be the last two matches I play together with you all."
The last person to join the conversation was the rotation striker Solanke, the top scorer among Liverpool's rotation players this season.
Leo Lin really liked Solanke. Last season, Liverpool's rotation strikers had been young prospects and Danny Ings. After both of them were sold, Solanke had become Firmino's reliable backup this season. He had even earned quite a few starts and scored plenty of goals.
If Solanke left, he would certainly bring Liverpool a sizeable transfer fee, but Leo Lin hoped even more that he would stay.
Leo Lin wanted these people to remain by his side. He was someone who held on to the past, but he also knew he had no right to restrain anyone.
They had only told Henderson and Leo Lin about this. The rest of their teammates knew nothing.
Looking at Van Dijk and the others dancing not far away, Leo Lin patted the close friends beside him.
"No matter when or where, if you're having a family party, or holding a retirement ceremony, or your child is born, or there's any important moment in your life, remember to call me. I'll definitely be there."
Everyone nodded, then gathered around Leo Lin. Leo Lin shouted toward his teammates in the distance.
"Get over here!"
"Hurry up, let's take a photo together. The rule is simple: whoever makes the ugliest face wins!"
Firmino shot straight over to Leo Lin, and the group behind Van Dijk all ran over too.
It was not a sight you saw often. A group of incredibly handsome football stars, each worth tens of millions of pounds, crowded together in front of a tiny camera, all fighting to make what they believed was the ugliest face in the world.
No one was trying to look cool. All any of them cared about was how to look uglier than the brother beside them.
When the photo was finally taken, every face had one thing in common. Beneath each deliberately ugly expression was a smile from the heart. The only difference was Leo Lin, sitting in the middle of everyone, with tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.
Before he knew it, it seemed a group of players really were about to leave Liverpool one after another. They would go to places better suited to them and continue fighting there.
But in football, how were you supposed to say goodbye?