Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 167 - 118: This Kid Is Pretty Talented

Haaland winced when he heard the cost.

He had made some inquiries before coming and knew that Dr. Chen’s treatments weren’t cheap.

But five hundred thousand US dollars right off the bat, and that was just the starting price—the subsequent rehabilitation would cost even more.

He wasn’t a top-tier star like Ronaldo; five hundred thousand US dollars was almost his entire annual salary.

Most importantly, he had no medical insurance in the United States, meaning he would have to pay for everything out of pocket.

Just as he was hesitating, his wife beside him said, "Dr. Chen, we’re willing to accept the treatment."

Haaland sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Kelly," Chen Yu called out of his office, summoning a caregiver to arrange for their accommodations.

Someone like Haaland was considered a VIP client and was eligible for a luxury apartment.

After sending Haaland off, Chen Yu immediately got up to welcome Wash.

Wash had just sent a message saying she would be there any minute.

As Haaland’s group headed to the apartment, he couldn’t help but say, "Marita, this cost is too high. The main problem is we don’t have insurance."

Neither his personal insurance nor the policy purchased by his team could be used in the United States.

Marita, who was comforting their son, replied casually, "The children need a healthy father to be with them as they grow up, not a disabled man in a wheelchair."

Haaland was taken aback for a moment, then grumbled under his breath, "I’m not disabled yet."

He dropped the subject of the cost and focused his attention on the surroundings. "The environment here is nice," he couldn’t help but comment. "And the climate is much better than in Manchester."

Manchester’s climate was damp and cold, and as a major industrial city, the weather was always foggy. It was nothing like Phoenix, which was hot and dry with clear, sunny skies.

Marita nodded in agreement. Their home in Norway had an even colder climate.

"Mom, look! That man is so tall!"

Just then, their older son, Astor Haaland, suddenly tugged on Marita’s clothes and pointed into the distance.

Not far away, surrounded by palm trees, was a basketball court.

On the court, a giant was playing basketball. His figure, over two meters tall, looked incredibly imposing.

Their agent, Tony Stevenson, also turned to look and recognized the man.

He had done some homework before they came.

"He must be a player for the Suns, named Tom Gugliotta." Stevens paused, then remarked with a hint of envy, "I think he makes ten million US dollars a year. These basketball players’ salaries are really high."

The number shocked Marita as well.

Haaland was the captain of Manchester City, and his annual salary was only 800,000 Pounds Sterling, equivalent to a little over 1.2 million US dollars.

The man’s salary was nearly ten times Haaland’s.

A look of envy crossed Haaland’s face. ’If I were really making ten million US dollars a year, would I even care about a paltry few hundred thousand for medical fees?’

"Mom, can I go take a look?" Astor asked, his expression excited.

He was six years old, at that lively and active age.

Marita hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

She had noticed when they arrived that the clinic was very secure, with surveillance cameras everywhere and security guards on patrol. Her son should be fine.

Astor let out a cheer and ran toward the court.

Haaland watched from a distance and suddenly said, "Marita, what do you think about letting Astor play basketball?"

The salary is so high, after all.

He was a football player, and his wife was a heptathlon champion. With such good athletic genes, their children should definitely pursue a future in sports.

But they hadn’t decided on a specific sport, leaving it up to their children’s interests.

Astor, for example, currently liked playing football and also enjoyed swimming.

But now, it seemed basketball was also a good option. The salary was so damn high.

Marita hesitated. "Let’s see what they’re interested in."

She glanced at the younger son in her arms.

’If he grows up to be tall, basketball would certainly be an option.’

The only problem was that the basketball scene in Europe wasn’t great. If you wanted to play, you had to come to the United States.

On the basketball court, Gugliotta was shooting hoops.

The Suns were already on break, and Gugliotta would have actually preferred to spend time with his wife and daughter, but the team had requested that he come back to receive treatment from Chen Yu.

Gugliotta himself didn’t really care. His contract was already signed, and at his age, he didn’t need to think about the next one.

Most importantly, it was the off-season.

Having surgery at this time would be considered a non-work-related injury, and he would have to pay for it himself.

However, Brian had already contacted him and offered to cover all the medical expenses.

For the Suns, this was an extra expense. Even if Gugliotta had insurance and Chen Yu, as the Suns’ team doctor, could offer a discount, it was still a sum of money.

But if it could get Gugliotta back in form, that little expense was nothing.

Otherwise, having Gugliotta’s massive contract on their hands would be a huge loss.

With the team paying and a few years left on his contract, Gugliotta didn’t want to sour his relationship with management, so after some consideration, he came.

He had originally wanted to rest for a while longer, but Chen Yu said the recovery period would be too long and he wouldn’t make it back for the new season, so he had no choice but to come early.

As he was just shooting around, Gugliotta turned his head and saw Astor.

A little surprised, Gugliotta walked over.

"What’s your name?" Gugliotta asked with a friendly smile, guessing he was one of the patients’ children.

"My name is Astor Haaland."

Astor, who had grown up in the United Kingdom, answered with an English accent. He looked up at Gugliotta and said in amazement, "Sir, you’re really tall."

Gugliotta was amused by Astor’s exaggerated expression. He was actually very fond of children and asked with a smile, "So, do you like basketball?"

Astor instinctively shook his head, then immediately nodded. He said, a little troubled, "I’ve never played basketball, I’ve only watched others play. I play soccer more."

Gugliotta heard Astor’s English accent and guessed he was European.

Gugliotta knew that basketball wasn’t as popular in Europe.

He knew that several European players were at Chen Yu’s clinic, so Astor was probably one of their children. After a moment’s thought, he offered the basketball to Astor. "Well, do you want to give it a try? I’ll teach you."

Astor nodded vigorously.

Gugliotta took him to the basket, lifted him up, and let him dunk.

"Cool!"

Astor completed a two-handed slam dunk and was beyond excited.

"That’s nothing. Watch me."

Gugliotta took the ball and tossed it off the backboard.

The ball bounced back, and he leaped into the air, caught it, and threw down a two-handed slam dunk.

The immense force made the rim dip low, trembling.

Astor’s jaw dropped. The impact of that dunk on him was significant, and most of all, it looked awesome.

"Come on, I’ll teach you how to shoot." Gugliotta came over and showed Astor how to dribble and how to shoot.

Astor, who had found the long trip to the United States dull and tedious, was suddenly filled with excitement.

"You’ve got some real athletic talent."

Gugliotta’s eyes lit up when he realized that Astor learned everything he taught him with ease.

Most importantly, he could see the kid’s natural athletic abilities, like his vertical leap and reflexes, were outstanding.

It was only after asking that he found out his dad and mom were both professional athletes.

"No wonder," Gugliotta said with a look of realization, then added with a smile, "So, do you want to play basketball in the future?"

Just as the excited Astor was about to speak, he heard his mother calling from a distance.

"I’ll go check."

Astor ran off quickly.

A short while later, he came back, surprisingly, pushing a baby stroller.

"This is my little brother, Erling," Astor introduced. Old Haaland had heard that Ronaldo and Redondo were here and had immediately run off to greet them. Marita needed to unpack, so she had told Astor to play with his brother for a bit.

He parked his finger-sucking brother to the side and immediately ran back to play ball.

Little Haaland stared at the two of them with wide eyes, unblinking, and then started cooing.

Gugliotta noticed him and gently picked Little Haaland up.

He was reminded of his own daughter.

"Want the ball?"

Gugliotta cheerfully brought the basketball over and handed it to Little Haaland.

Little Haaland opened his arms and was just able to wrap them around it.

"Ha, he seems to like basketball," Gugliotta said with a laugh.

Astor cheered, "Sir, let my brother get a dunk too!"

"Alright!"

Gugliotta happily obliged, holding the ten-month-old Little Haaland up to the rim.

The little guy managed to hold onto the basketball, and seeing the rim right in front of him, he cooed and pushed the ball forward.

The ball fell through the hoop.

Gugliotta laughed heartily. "See that? Your brother’s a genius. He should play basketball."

He noticed the little guy’s legs were quite long; he’d probably grow up to be tall.

Astor clapped excitedly, then picked up the ball and started dribbling it as he asked, "Sir, which makes more money, basketball or soccer?"

Gugliotta, who was playing with Little Haaland, was taken aback by Astor’s question for a moment before laughing. "Why? Are you short on money?"

Astor shook his head. "I have an allowance. It’s my dad. He needs a lot of money for surgery."

’A professional athlete who can afford to come to Dr. Chen’s clinic shouldn’t be short on cash,’ Gugliotta thought. ’The kid’s probably just asking casually.’

After thinking for a moment, Gugliotta said, "I think basketball definitely makes more money."

As things stood, basketball players’ incomes were likely higher than soccer players’.

Astor’s eyes lit up. "Sir, does that mean you can afford lots and lots of sports cars, like a Rolls-Royce?"

Gugliotta didn’t know whether to laugh or cry looking at Astor. ’He’s only a few years old and already knows about buying luxury cars.’

"Well, let me ask you first, what would you do with a sports car?" Gugliotta asked back with a smile.

Astor hesitated for a moment, then said, "I like a girl in my kindergarten, and I want to take her for a drive in a sports car, just like in the movies."

’Kids these days,’ Gugliotta thought to himself.

"Sir, what kind of car do you drive?" Astor asked curiously.

"Me?" Gugliotta ruffled Astor’s messy hair. "I don’t have a Rolls-Royce, but I do have a Lamborghini. How about it, want to see it?"

Astor’s eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Can I?"

Old Haaland’s income was certainly not small, but the family was quite frugal. They had a car, of course, but not a top-of-the-line one. In Old Haaland’s words, as long as it runs, it’s fine. If he bought something too luxurious, Marita would worry about him going out and fooling around.

"Why not?" Gugliotta walked toward the parking lot, holding Little Haaland in one arm and pushing the stroller with the other.

Meanwhile, Chen Yu had received Wash.

Arriving with her was Professor Mitchell Borg, the Director of Neurosurgery from the Mayo Clinic’s Rochester Headquarters.

As soon as he arrived, he immediately asked for Carl’s medical records.

After discussing the patient’s condition, just as they were preparing to go see Carl together, the clinic’s head of security suddenly came to find Chen Yu.

"What? Gugliotta was in a car accident?"

Chen Yu’s expression changed slightly. ’Didn’t I tell that guy not to wander off and to wait for his surgery?’