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Chapter 24: Work Permit In The Bag
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 15:18:06 +0000 UTCSince Arsenal’s thrilling 5–3 away win over Chelsea and their 3–0 home victory against West Brom, the club has entered an unstoppable run of form.
Robin van Persie’s explosive performances have played a key role. As Arsenal’s main attacking threat, Van Persie has led the charge, scoring goals and helping the team close in on the top of the table.
Match Results:
Round 12: Norwich 1–2 Arsenal
Round 13: Arsenal 1–1 Fulham
Round 14: Wigan Athletic 0–4 Arsenal
Round 15: Arsenal 1–0 Everton
With six matches unbeaten, Arsenal have now climbed to fifth in the Premier League standings—just five points behind fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in third and two points behind Chelsea in fourth.
Naturally, this ignited the passion of the Arsenal faithful, who were quick to chant," We are never afraid of that chicken. The Spursy is in their blood. The Spursy is in their blood! Tottenham Hotspurs, the Spursy is in their blood!"
Typical Arsenal fans—always the first to dunk on their city rival.. But can you blame them? After the nightmare at the beginning of the season, who would’ve thought this turnaround possible?
Especially after that crushing defeat… it nearly broke them.
Van Persie’s return to form brought hope back to the club. Without him, who knows how bad things could’ve gotten?
Meanwhile, Kai had started preparing all necessary documentation with help from the club.
His hearing date had been set.
On December 15th, there would be a hearing regarding Kai’s application under the special talent clause.
Arsenal had already arranged for their team manager and legal experts to attend.
As the days passed with no word, Kai grew increasingly anxious—until the club informed him the hearing had been postponed to December 22nd.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief. A delay was fine. At least it hadn’t been rejected. He could wait a few more days.
Two more weeks went by, during which Arsenal played two consecutive away matches.
They lost 0–1 to Manchester City and 1–2 to Aston Villa.
Given Manchester City’s dominant form this season, only conceding one goal wasn’t a bad result.
But the weakness in Arsenal’s midfield started to show, particularly when Alex Song pushed forward, leaving Arteta alone to manage the center.
Some frustrated fans even joked that Song should be tied down to the holding role so he’d stop wandering upfield.
But that was never going to happen.
Song thrived on pressing forward. Taking that away would be like asking him not to breathe.
Still, Arteta wasn’t thrilled. Playing as a lone midfielder wasn’t his ideal role, and he missed the stability Kai and Ramsey brought when they were behind him.
The good news? Kai was just one step away from being eligible to play.
On December 22nd, dressed in a suit, Kai made his way to the hearing accompanied by team manager Martin Hughes and a professional representative.
The hearing took place at the Department of Labor, presided over by a lead juror and 18 others from various fields.
Inside the car, Kai sat quietly. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel as nervous as he’d expected.
“You’re handling this way better than Song did,” Martin Hughes said from the front passenger seat, glancing back. “That guy kept bugging me every five minutes about whether he’d pass. Drove me nuts.”
Kai smiled. “I’m nervous too, just hiding it better.”
After an hour’s drive, they arrived at a quiet parking lot. A four-story white building stood ahead—the headquarters of the Department of Labor.
Martin and the spokesman led Kai to the fourth floor, where a hallway with numbered rooms extended in both directions.
Dozens of applicants waited in chairs outside the hearing rooms, each hoping to secure the same labor certificate.
The three of them took a seat and waited. One by one, names were called. Some applicants left with grins; others looked crushed.
Kai watched quietly, his right leg starting to bounce.
About 30 minutes later, a staff member called out, “ Le Kai! You’re up.”
The three stood and entered the hearing room.
It wasn’t a large space. At the far end sat a white-haired man in reading glasses, poring over documents.
A single chair sat in the middle—Kai’s place.
Behind him, nearly a dozen people filled the benches. Many looked half-asleep.
The old man gestured for Kai to sit. Without a word, he complied.
The lead juror began requesting materials.
Kai didn’t need to respond directly—at just 17, he wasn’t legally required to. The professional spokesman Arsenal hired handled the entire discussion.
The conversation ranged from Kai’s background to his education and footballing experience. At one point, they even watched ten minutes of his highlight reel.
To Kai’s surprise, the video featured praise from Arsène Wenger himself.
The Professor had personally vouched for him, discussing his potential, work ethic, and football intelligence.
Kai couldn’t believe it.
The Professor had gone out of his way to speak on his behalf. That kind of backing wasn’t something you saw every day.
The hearing lasted about half an hour.
At the end, the chief juror leaned forward and asked, “So, do you like the Premier League?”
Kai lied smoothly. “I love it. I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was a kid.”
The juror chuckled, closed the file, and said, “Then I hope you do well at Arsenal.”
Kai stood and replied, “Thank you, sir.”
The juror handed him a certificate.
In seven business days, Kai would be able to exchange it for a full labor permit.
The final hurdle had been cleared—Kai was officially eligible to play in the Premier League.
On the way back to the training ground, he felt light.
The document in his hand confirmed it—his debut was finally within reach.
Back at Arsenal, it was already 2 p.m. and training was wrapping up.
When Kai arrived with the certificate in hand, everyone noticed.
Training paused as Wenger approached. He took the voucher, gave it a quick glance, then gave Kai a small nod.
“Train well,” he said, patting Kai’s shoulder. “Let’s aim for a debut next match.”
Kai snapped to attention. “Yes, sir!”
He tucked the certificate away and joined the closing session.
Chamberlain leaned over with a grin. “Well? How’d it go?”
Nearby, Arteta, Van Persie, Walcott, Arshavin, Ramsey, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, and Szczęsny all looked over, waiting for his answer.
Kai flashed a wide smile, gave a thumbs up, and nodded.
A shout of joy burst out.
Chamberlain whooped, grabbed Kai around the waist, and spun him in circles. “Awesome! You earned it, mate.”
Kai, flailing in his arms, embarrassed. “Put me down!”
Laughter erupted around the training ground.
It was a rare, heartwarming moment.
But while many were celebrating, not everyone shared the mood.
From a distance, Alex Song watched, his expression unreadable—his eyes tinged with doubt.
The emergence of Kai had made something clear.
His time at Arsenal might be coming to an end.
