Chapter 270: New Endorsement

Women are such strange creatures!

They get mad for no reason!Then suddenly, they're fine again!

Just a few minutes ago, Gisele Bündchen was furious. Now, she's casually discussing endorsement deals with Suker.

"Here are some endorsement offers from LV, along with a few advertising opportunities.""This one's from Rolex.""And here are a few from fashion brands."

Gisele had recently returned from a trip to the U.S., and when she came back, she was holding a stack of endorsement contracts.

All of them were offers for Suker.

Suker was certain that his fame in the fashion and luxury industry wasn't enough to attract these brands. They might go after Beckham—but not him.

Yet now, these offers were sitting right in front of him, and Gisele Bündchen played a decisive role in that.

Gisele's influence in the fashion and luxury world was unquestionable.

As the world's top supermodel, she was the darling of high-end brands—each one eager to have her endorse them, even if they had to "split her up."

Because of her immense influence, Suker was reaping the benefits.

"Any suggestions?" Suker asked.

He wasn't very familiar with endorsement matters.

Gisele began analyzing each deal.

No wonder she was known as a money-printing machine—her business sense was top-notch. She offered Suker invaluable guidance on brand partnerships and long-term planning.

The core idea:Secure big brands, selectively pick quality smaller ones.

Craft a unique identity.Become the go-to athlete for fashion brands looking to represent football.

Endorsements are a mutually beneficial relationship.

Suker would gain exposure and popularity, increasing his own value.Brands would benefit from his rising fame.

And most importantly—Suker was tied to Gisele Bündchen.

In a way, he was leveraging her star power.

"These ones are must-haves. The rest—pick them up only if you need cash and have the time," she concluded.

"You should also explore Milan's fashion scene. Try for local endorsements. Of course, if you keep performing well, they'll come to you," Gisele added."Also, tell Zorančić to drop those latest deals—those brands will only drag down your image."

Suker looked at the endorsement list in his hand.

No doubt about it—this woman was brilliant.Just being with her made his wallet swell instantly.

"How should I thank you?" Suker asked with a grin.

Gisele crossed her legs, showing off her long, sleek figure, and teased:

"The same way you did last time."

Suker was a professional footballer, but he also wanted to make money—a lot of money.

For players, income came from two sources:

Salaries,

And endorsements based on personal image.

The second one was where the real money was.

So Suker was focused on crafting his personal brand.

And Gisele was helping him do exactly that.

She was a strong, career-driven woman—always flying across the globe.

Originally, she was supposed to leave the next day.But for some reason, she stayed until the third day.

After Gisele left, Suker went back to hitching rides with Kaká.

"You should really get a license. I can't always drive you," Kaká complained.

Suker handed him a jianbing (Chinese crepe).

Kaká shut up immediately and munched while driving.

"This sauce is great! Another secret recipe?"

He even licked his fingers clean—completely forgetting about the driver's license issue.

Suker's home had lots of secret sauces.

Spicy, savory, salty... even a special sweet-and-spicy blend that was irresistible.

Suker nodded and asked:

"Caroline went back to Brazil?"

"No. We're going together after the season ends."

"Doesn't she make you breakfast?"

"She does."

"Then why do you always look half-starved?"

"…"

Kaká refused to answer that one.

It was match day.The Milan Derby was in the afternoon, so the overall atmosphere was pretty serious.

Bang!Suker slammed the locker room door open and strolled in.

"Morning!"

Shevchenko smiled and greeted him.

"Morning!"

Suker walked over to Pirlo and gave him a firm high-five.

"Partner!"

"Partner!"

He then mock-boxed with Gattuso.

"Let's do this!"

"Let's do this!"

Inzaghi extended a hand, wanting a greeting too.

Suker turned and walked away.

"Hey! Kid!" Inzaghi got up and tugged at his cheek in protest.

The locker room had been quiet, but Suker's arrival brought it to life.

The room was U-shaped.Maldini and Shevchenko sat in the center—the "captain's seats."

Originally, Sheva's locker was off to the side, but he had recently moved next to Maldini.

That was a clear signal: Milan was preparing Shevchenko to take over.

Maldini was aging, and Sheva was emerging as the next Milan figurehead.

Though Sheva had caused some drama during the summer transfer window, the squad had quickly put it behind them.

Pirlo, Inzaghi, Gattuso—Milan's core players—also approved of Shevchenko.

With Maldini openly supporting him, Sheva's status was now second only to the captain himself.

Sometimes, Maldini would even push Sheva forward, as if signaling a leadership handover.

As for Suker, he was closer to Pirlo, Gattuso, and Inzaghi—Milan's homegrown group.

The Brazilian crew—Cafu, Dida—weren't ambitious, and Maldini's presence kept things in check.

Kaká floated between groups but hung out more with Suker and the others at the club.

"Suker, you've been doing great lately. If you need anything in Milan, come to me," Shevchenko said.

He already saw himself as the captain-in-waiting, so his words were justified.

Suker played along.

"No problem, captain! Just don't find me annoying later!"

Sheva beamed.Being called "captain" made his day.

"I'm not there yet," he said humbly.

"Oh, come on. How much longer can the old man last? You're next in line."

"You—" Sheva didn't dare respond to such heresy.

In all of Milan, only Suker could joke like that and get away with it. His playful personality made it acceptable.

And his performance ensured no one held it against him.

"Already calling him captain?" Maldini walked over and rubbed Suker's head affectionately.

"Back home, we call this 'paying respects to the new boss'. If I call him captain now, I'll get good treatment when he takes over," Suk joked.

"Right?" he said, nudging Sheva.

Sheva gave him a thumbs-up with a smile.

"You little rascal," Maldini said indulgently.

Of course, nothing was set in stone about Shevchenko's future.

No one knew how things would play out.

But Suker's flattery cost nothing—and could earn big returns.

If Sheva stayed, Suker's locker room standing would be solid.If Sheva left, no harm done.

Morning training was light—only about 20 minutes, mostly to get into rhythm.

Ancelotti used ten minutes to emphasize tactics.

Today's match would use the Christmas Tree 2.0 formation.

Now that Shevchenko's nationality paperwork was approved, this version could finally debut in the league.

Well—almost complete.Maldini was still out, recovering slowly due to age.

But he'd be back in time for the Champions League, which was great news.

At lunch, the team had a light meal in the canteen.

No overeating—there was a game in the afternoon.

Around 1 PM, the team bus departed for San Siro.

As they neared the stadium, the crowd noise was already deafening.

Milan's recent stellar performances had fired up the fans.

They were eagerly looking forward to every midweek Champions League clash and every weekend league game.

But this—the Milan Derby—was the crown jewel.

San Siro had transformed into a fortress.

Boos rained down.

Before Christmas, Inter fans had booed them.Now, it was Milan fans' turn—to repay that with interest.

Inter's players looked tense—under enormous pressure.

Especially since Inter's captain Zanetti was out with an injury.A tough match had just gotten even tougher.

Still, no matter how hard it was, they had to fight.At the very least—earn a draw!