Theodore pulled a sleek bank card from his bag and slid it across the table toward Dongguo and Marianne.
"There are five million euros on this card," Theodore said. "Take it. Use it for whatever you need. If it's not enough, just send me a message."
Dongguo pushed his chair back, his hands waving in frantic refusal.
"Theo, are you joking? We haven't even touched the money you sent last time! We have plenty! Keep your money for Madrid."
Theodore didn't argue.
He simply left the card resting on the polished wood. Whether they used it was their choice, but providing for them was his.
His time in Norway, however, was far from the quiet retreat he had envisioned.
Theodore spent his afternoons helping at the family restaurant, but the peace was shattered when a fan's TikTok of "The Bjorn Family Kitchen" went viral.
Within forty-eight hours, the street outside his parents Restaurant was a sea of claret-and-blue and pristine white Madrid jerseys.
Fervent fans from England, Spain, and across Scandinavia crowded the entrance, desperate for a glimpse of the quadruple winner.
The sheer volume of people eventually caused gridlock in the local streets.
Realizing his presence was becoming a liability to the neighborhood, Theodore slipped out of Oslo on a late-night flight back to his sanctuary in Madrid.
He spent a week soaking in the Spanish sun before embarking on a whirlwind tour of the Maldives, Bali, and Hawaii.
But true relaxation remained elusive.
No matter how secluded the resort, a fan would eventually spot the iconic profile of the world's most expensive teenager.
He spent more time signing napkins and posing for sun-drenched selfies than he did in the water.
...
By mid-July, he was back in his La Finca villa when Jonathan called.
"Theo, I hope you're rested," the agent said.
"Erke just finished the production run for the 'Theo God-Tier Generation 1.' The global launch is in three days. They want you in Beijing."
Theodore leaned back on his sofa. "The co-branded line? We're actually going through with the profit share?"
"Exactly as discussed," Jonathan confirmed. "You take seventy-five percent of the profit from every pair sold. They've priced the standard edition at 599 RMB. That puts 449.25 RMB—roughly sixty euros—straight into your pocket for every single sale."
Theodore's eyes widened. "599? That's steep, Jonathan. People are struggling out there! Will they really pay that for a pair of sneakers?"
Despite the hundreds of millions in his bank account, the memories of his previous life—buying shoes for a hundred yuan and wearing them until the soles were smooth—remained vivid.
He hated the idea of exploitative pricing.
"The CEO personally assured me the tech is top-tier," Jonathan replied. "Carbon fiber plates, nitrogen-infused foam—they aren't cutting corners. And Theo, your reputation in China is untouchable. They'll sell out in seconds."
"I hope so," Theodore muttered. "I just don't want to let them down."
He began packing his bags, a strange sense of nostalgia settling over him.
He hadn't been back to China in a year.
He posted a screenshot of his flight booking to his social media with a simple caption.
"Haven't been home in a long time. Looking forward to it."
Minutes later, a notification pinged. It was Princess Ingrid on WeChat.
[Ingrid]: Are you going to China? Can you take me with you?
Theodore stared at the screen, blinking. He typed out a string of exclamation marks.
[Theodore]: !!!
[Theodore]: Go on your own! I'm going for a massive brand event. It's going to be chaos!
The response was "guy's guy" blunt, but the Princess was undeterred.
[Ingrid]: China is the one place I've always wanted to see! Theodore, please! I promise I won't be a bother! 🥺
Theodore sighed.
She was a Princess, and the Norwegian royals had been nothing but supportive of his career.
Refusing felt like a diplomatic incident waiting to happen.
[Theodore]: Fine. Be at London International tomorrow at 9:30 AM. Don't be late.
[Ingrid]: See you then! ✨
...
The next morning, Theodore arrived at the terminal dressed casually in a gray tee and white athletic pants.
A light tap on his shoulder made him turn.
Ingrid stood there, beaming in a floral dress designed with a distinctly traditional Chinese aesthetic.
She twirled, her eyes bright. "Well? Do I look the part?"
"You look nice," Theodore said, offering a rare, small smile.
The nine-hour flight to Beijing was a blur of movies and naps.
Ingrid spent most of the journey leaning against his shoulder, her gaze fixed on him until he woke, at which point he'd keep her entertained with jokes about the Villa locker room.
Upon landing in the capital, Theodore wanted to collapse in his hotel to fight the jet lag, but Ingrid's energy was boundless.
She dragged him out into the bustling streets of Beijing.
Theodore felt like a stranger in his own home, back then he had grown up in a small, third-tier city, and the skyscrapers of Beijing felt like another planet.
They wandered aimlessly until a teenager in a Real Madrid jersey froze in his tracks.
The kid stared at Theodore, his mouth hanging open.
He walked up, his voice trembling. "Excuse me... are you Theodore Bjorn?"
Theodore gave a sharp nod.
The fan let out a strangled, high-pitched scream. "MY IDOL! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
"Shh! Quiet!" Theodore hissed, glancing around nervously. "Stay calm, mate. Don't give me away."
The fan, shaking with adrenaline, begged for a photo.
Theodore checked the perimeter.
No one else seemed to have noticed yet. "One photo. But you don't post it until I'm out of the area. Deal?"
The kid agreed instantly.
But loyalty is a fleeting thing in the age of social media.
Ten minutes later, a literal wall of people appeared at the end of the block.
"THEODORE BJORN! IDOL!" "OH MY GOD, IT'S REALLY HIM!" "TAKE MY BABIES, THEO!"
The street was paralyzed.
Within minutes, vloggers arrived with stabilizers and ring lights, their livestreams exploding with over 100,000 concurrent viewers.
"Theodore, I had no idea you were this big here!" Ingrid shouted over the roar of the crowd, her eyes wide with admiration.
"Being famous is a nightmare sometimes," Theodore grunted. "Stay close."
The crowd was so dense they were physically pinned. It took thirty minutes for a dedicated security detail to fight through the mob and extract them.
Theodore didn't dare leave the hotel for the rest of the night.
...
The next morning, Li Cha, the Operations Director of Hongxing Erke, arrived at the suite.
He bowed deeply as he shook Theodore's hand.
"Mr. Bjorn, we are honored," Li Cha said. "The schedule is tight. Press conference at the flagship store in one hour. You'll debut the 'Theo 1' sneakers. Then, a charity match at the stadium with the local kids."
"I'm wearing the 'Theo 1' to play?" Theodore asked. "I thought they were lifestyle sneakers."
"There are two versions," Li Cha explained. "The Standard Edition and the Soccer Edition—professional-grade cleats. You can even wear the Cleats for Real Madrid matches. They're 1,099 RMB."
"Got it. Let's go."
When Theodore arrived at the flagship store, the scene was madness.
Thousands of fans were packed into the street, wearing a mix of Villa #33, Norway #16, and the brand-new Madrid #10 jerseys.
After a quick styling session, Theodore stepped onto the stage at 11:00 AM.
He was wearing the sleek, nitrogen-padded 'Theo 1' sneakers.
The roar was deafening.
Theodore's name was chanted with a rhythmic, thunderous intensity. Behind him, a massive LED screen flashed the price and the QR code for the shop.
The impact was instantaneous.
In sixty seconds, the counters on the screen blurred.
500,000 pairs of the Standard Edition. Gone.
100,000 pairs of the Soccer Edition. Sold out.
The Hongxing Erke staff stood frozen, staring at their tablets in disbelief.
They had just generated hundreds of millions in revenue in a single minute!
On the Douyin livestream, the viewer count hit a staggering one million.
@SoccerFan88: "This is the 'Bjorn Effect.' Unrivaled influence."
@Madridista_China: "I missed out! 60 seconds and they're gone? Is he a footballer or a god?"
@SportsTech: "Even Cristiano doesn't move units like this in China. This is a new era."
...
Theodore moved to the stadium for the charity match.
Fifteen elementary schoolers in oversized jerseys rushed him, screaming with joy.
Theodore high-fived every single one of them.
The match was 1 vs. 15.
It was, quite frankly, harder than the Europa League final.
Theodore had to move with extreme delicacy, one wrong burst of speed or a single heavy shoulder-charge would send a group of children flying!
He played with a soft touch, letting the kids slide-tackle him as he feigned a struggle.
After thirty minutes of laughter and chaotic joy, the match ended.
The fans in the stands wouldn't stop screaming his name.
Theodore grabbed a microphone, looking up at the packed tiers.
"Thank you for coming out to support me," he said, his voice amplified across the stadium. "Your passion is incredible. Thank you for supporting Hongxing Erke. I promise you, I will come here more often!"