Chapter 2 Wang Lie
Stanley Harris had just approached the entrance of the hotel swimming pool when he heard the sound of splashing water coming from inside.
He quickened his pace and walked in, and sure enough he saw the familiar figure wading through the waves in the swimming pool.
It was as if a ferocious monster from the depths of the ocean appeared in front of him. Every movement of arms and legs was extremely powerful, shattering all the water around him, as if it was exploding in the water.
Harris looked at the toned body in the swimming pool with admiration.
It wasn't until the "big fish" plunged down and resurfaced, swam to the edge of the pool where he was standing, and took the initiative to say hello to him: "Good morning, Stanley."
Stanley Harris did not come back to his senses. Come, he quickly replied: "Good morning, Wang! Are you about to finish already?"
"Yes, I'm ready to go back." The person in the swimming pool held the edge with both hands, and the whole person jumped out of the water The sky rose, and then appeared on the shore as if teleporting.
As he exerts force, every muscle in his body becomes clear and highlighted.
His body has almost no trace of excess fat, and his body fat rate is extremely low.
If his female fans saw this scene of taking a bath, I wonder if the screams would shatter all the glass windows of the hotel swimming pool...
As a male fan, Stanley· Harris was also fascinated by it, thinking: I also want to have a perfect body like Wang Lie!
After landing, Wang Lie did not notice his teammates who were dazed beside him. Instead, he bent down to pick up a towel from the ground and wiped the water with water. At the same time, he said: "Today is a game day. Just warm up briefly in the morning."< br>
These words brought Harris back to his senses, and he almost blurted out, "You will most likely not be able to play."
Fortunately, he held back, he didn't want to hurt his idol.
Harris's sudden silence was somewhat unusual, but Wang Lie didn't seem to notice anything strange about him. After wiping the water off his body, he turned around and walked towards the dressing room, while also telling Harris:
"You should start today and recover in the water later."
"Don't worry, Wang, I will, I promise you!" In order to cover up the embarrassment just now, Harris said Very heavy.
Wang Lie heard what he said and laughed: "You don't have to promise me, I'm not the head coach."
Wang Lie's ridicule made Harris speechless. In response, I can only remain silent.
Of course he knew that Wang's words were not directed at him, but he was indeed caught in the middle and was not easy to get along with.
On one side is his eldest brother, whom he regards as his football idol, and on the other side is the Bole head coach who gives him more opportunities to play, but these two sides still haven't dealt with him...
No, say no. It might be too easy to deal with.
It should be said that "power is like water and fire".
Wang Lie, who had already walked away, could actually feel the meaning of Harris' silence this time, although he once explained to Harris that he would not be in a relationship with the team's head coach Marlon Hull. Deng's contradictions, he took it out on others, but he still liked Harris very much.
After all, Harris doesn't just say he admires himself, but he actually learns from himself through actions - whether it's training or life off the court. So he is completely different from those players who just say "My idol is the 'King of China'".
But it seemed that his comfort was of no use... Wang Lie could see the young man's inner struggle.
Wang Lie had no choice but to let him go.
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When Wang Lie changed his clothes and came out of the locker room, Stanley Harris had already started doing warm-up exercises by the swimming pool.
Wang Lie didn't say goodbye to him twice. He just took out his mobile phone and looked down at it before walking out of the swimming pool.
In the corridor back to the room, he met several teammates.
Because he was always lowering his head and playing with his mobile phone, the other party took the initiative to say hello to him.
“King!”
“Good morning, King!”
"Hi, Wang!"
Wang Lie returned the greeting one by one, and then the two sides passed each other.
I have to say that this scene is somewhat strange. Because after all, they are teammates, not ordinary passers-by. When we meet in the hotel corridor, even if we don't chat, we wouldn't just say hello and be done with it, right?
After watching Wang Lie walk into his room and close the door, someone asked a question to break the silence in the corridor:
“Do you think it is possible for Wang Lie to fulfill his contract with the club? ”
"The original contract also has a one-year extension clause with the club. I think neither party will activate it now..."
"There is still half a year left in the contract, so what if it is not fulfilled?"< br>
“Can’t we leave in the winter window?”
After some hesitation, someone shook his head: “It’s unlikely…”
“Why is it impossible?” asked the questioner asked. "Honestly, I think it is not a good thing for him or the team if he continues to stay in the team. It is a lose-lose situation..."
When Tyler Murphy turned around from the elevator, he heard his teammates talking about the team's top player behind his back.
So before he appeared, he coughed as a reminder.
Then he turned around and criticized his teammates tactfully: "It's not good to discuss these things behind others' backs, guys."
After hearing the coughing sound, At that time, the people who were gossiping behind the scenes were still a little nervous. Now that they saw that the person coming was the captain, they were relieved. Some even asked him the question:
"Captain, do you think that during the winter window, Wang will Go?”
The "good guy" captain of Sofo United was surrounded by everyone. Everyone cast curious and gossipy eyes on him, but he shook his head and said honestly: "I don't know, I'm not the king."
< br>His unremarkable answer disappointed everyone. Someone asked unwillingly: "Don't you have a good relationship with Wang? Didn't you ask in private?"
Murphy still shook his head: " Didn’t ask.”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
Murphy glanced at the questioning teammate: “I don’t want to know the answer.”
Everyone present understood the meaning of the captain's words. As the captain of the team and Wang Lie's friend for many years, he might not want Wang Lie to leave, but there were some things he couldn't decide, so he might as well pretend to be an ostrich. .
But perhaps the captain's mentality means that he has already guessed the answer to some extent - whether he wants it or not, it seems that Wang Lie's departure is a foregone conclusion.
Although everyone could more or less guess the result, the captain's answer still silenced everyone. It is not a glorious thing for the team's ace and top star to leave the club in this way under such circumstances - neither for the club nor for Wang Lie himself.
Murphy broke the silence: "Okay, there is a game this afternoon. What are you doing here? Hurry up and have breakfast!"
Everyone then remembered that they showed up. Here, we were originally going to have a meal together.
But before leaving, someone still turned to captain Murphy and asked: "So in the summer, did Wang really want to transfer because the team couldn't play in the Champions League?"
This time Taylor Mo Fei didn't respond. He didn't know whether he didn't hear it or didn't know the answer. He just turned his head and walked to the other side, which was the direction of his room.
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A middle-aged man with a serious expression and slightly furrowed eyebrows is staring intently at the tablet in his hand, which shows his coaching team’s preparations for this afternoon’s FA Cup. The starting list drawn up for the game.
He lowered his head slightly, revealing the "Mediterranean Sea" above his head.
The surrounding hair is still very thick, which makes the "highlight area" in the center of his head appear more prominent, especially when the light in the hotel room falls right on top of his head, it is almost brighter than the spotlights on the ceiling. This is A "source of light" that no one in the room could ignore, this light made his personal image seem "sacred."
In fact, he is indeed the unquestionable figure in this room.
He is Sven Helden, the head coach of the Premier League giants Soft United.
While he was staring at the tablet, everyone else in the room was silent, and the air in the room seemed to solidify.
Fortunately, this frozen atmosphere was broken by Sven Helden himself.
He returned the tablet to assistant coach Norbert Demers and said: "Wright should not be on this list. He did not return to his room on time to sleep last night."
Assistant Coach Demos didn't say anything after hearing this, and after some operations on the tablet, he deleted Ronan Wright's name from the starting list.
Heldon continued: "Although our opponent is a British Championship team, we cannot take it lightly. What I need are players who can devote 100% to the game. Those players who are half-hearted are not in our Within the options. I don't think Wright is ready to play for Soft United in the FA Cup next season and I hope he realizes that as a result."
He is both a coach on the field. The team's explanation for why he suddenly took over the team's starting center is also to re-emphasize the importance of discipline to them - something he is not satisfied with that his coaching staff has not yet deeply understood. If they knew each other well, then Ronan Wright, a guy who didn't go back to his room on time to rest before the game, shouldn't be on this list at all.
After Heldon finished his training, assistant coach Demers asked: "Then who should start for Wright?"
This question made Heldon fall into deep thought. After a while, he said: " Change the formation."
This answer stunned the coaches in the room, and some even looked at each other.
However, assistant coach Demos was not surprised. Instead, he watched Heldon quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Based on his understanding of his partner, when he said this sentence, he must have considered how to make specific adjustments.
Sure enough, Heldon continued:
"Let Alatorre move forward, closer to the penalty area, and play as a pseudo center. He has height, skills, and can hold the ball in front of the opponent's penalty area. At the same time, Let Harris move from the left to the center, move more in the ribs, and give up the left side to the left back Gomes..."
Listening to Heldon's arrangements, the team's second assistant Coach Danilo Lindsey looked up at the head coach.
Today’s afternoon game is the third round of the FA Cup. The opponent is the weak English Championship team Derrettin. Considering that the team has just gone through the "devil schedule" during the Christmas period, so The coaching staff rotated the lineup.
Most of the main players either did not make the roster or did not start.
It turns out that the team's main center Richie Weddle belongs to the category that did not make the roster. The team's substitute forward Ronan Wright started in his place in this game.
On the substitute list, there is actually another center - Wang Lie.
Even if Wright is taken off the starting lineup, it stands to reason that we still have a king who can take over.
But head coach Heldon chose to change the formation, pushing offensive midfielder Alatorre forward, giving him some responsibilities as a "center forward", and at the same time moving left winger Stanley Harris closer to the center. .
I would rather go through this trouble than let Wang Lie start directly...
Even though the conflict between the head coach and the team's number one star is well known to the world, it seems there is no need to be so extreme, right?
However, Lindsay only glanced at it and quickly withdrew his gaze, without questioning the head coach's arrangement.
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Wang Lie, who returned to the room, had finished taking a shower and was standing by the window of the room talking on the phone with his agent Fernando Clemente: < br>
“… any latest news from Munich, Fernando?”
The agent on the other end of the phone sounded hesitant and helpless: "Munich...Isa Munich told me that they have no idea of signing anyone at the center position for the time being..."
"This is an excuse. ." Wang Lie said, "Have you told them that I can accept a salary cut? Soft United will not embarrass us on the contract - Heldon should be eager for me to get out now."
"Of course, I told them that you would join them as a free agent, but they still insisted on saying that..."
Wang Lie kept raising the phone to his ear, motionless. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed: "Then it's impossible to go to Isa Munich."
Clement didn't speak because he didn't know what to say.
He could hear the strong disappointment in Wang Lie's heart, but he couldn't comfort him.
Although he is one of Wang Lie's agents.
As a world-class player, Wang Lie cannot have only one agent serving him. In fact, he has a team of agents. And his main job, Fernando Clemente, is to be responsible for transfers and other work that requires dealing with the club.
As a well-known agent, the 58-year-old Clement has been in European football for decades and has accumulated very deep connections. It can be said that he is everywhere in the entire European football. As a friend, no matter which wealthy club you go to, you are always a guest.
But in the winter transfer window of 2037, none of his contacts and relationships were put to use.
Isa Munich was not the first club he found for Wang Lie this winter. Before that, they had contacted four teams, but none of them nodded.
Some refused outright, some made excuses like Isa Munich, and some club presidents were quite interested in Wang Lie, but were rejected by the management team...
To be honest, Clement doesn’t think his business capabilities have declined.
Eight years ago... no, even four years ago, the 33-year-old Wang Lie was still a hot commodity in the transfer market. There were countless teams wanting to pursue this current player in world football. Top scorer.
And if Wang Lie, who is about to turn thirty-eight years old, still wants to become the target of the major European giants, it will be really difficult...
After all, your age, salary, and status are all there. You can't convince the other club to spend real money or modify your tactics or team building ideas just by relying on your past reputation.
"Yesterday Ran said that your hometown team in China seems to have some ideas..." Of course, Clement could not directly persuade Wang Lie to give up his fantasies about those European giants, but instead adopted a comparative approach. In a tactful way.
The full name of "Ran" he is talking about is "Ran Hanming". He is a member of Wang Lie's agent team and is mainly responsible for domestic business in China.
Originally, he was responsible for business development and operations, but in the past six months, clubs in China have successively sent messages to Wang Lie through Ran Hanming. They all hope that he can "return to his roots" and return to his homeland to play football at the end of his career and retire there.
Let’s not talk about the competitive aspect. From a business perspective, this is indeed a very attractive plan.
This time, Wang Lie's hometown team was in a new situation, and Clement also hoped to tactfully persuade Wang Lie by telling him about it.
Although Wang Lie had a negative attitude towards returning to play football in China in the past six months, what if now that almost all European giants have rejected him, he changes his mind due to the situation?
But after two seconds of silence on the other end, Clement heard Wang Lie's fierce rejection: "No, Fernando, I don't consider returning to China. In that case, I will be seen by the whole world. I'm a deserter. Those who criticize me are just waiting to see my jokes! I can't let them succeed! I won't go to not only China, the United States, the Middle East, or anywhere else, I will only stay in Europe. The center stage of world football!”
This answer did not surprise Clement, because Wang Lie has been saying this for the past six months. The Wang Lie he knew was always so proud and stubborn, and it was difficult to persuade him.
Maybe... it's because the situation hasn't reached its worst yet?
After all, today is only January 7th, and the winter transfer window has just begun. Who knows what will happen in the next twenty days or so?
Clement could only convince himself in his heart.
I hope there will be a turning point in the future... Whether it is a good turning point or a bad turning point, something must change, right?
Something has to change, right?
It must be different from the experience of the past half year...
Otherwise...otherwise, are we really going to rot in Soft United?
"I will continue to work hard, Wang. But you must also know that the current situation... is indeed not optimistic." Clement advised Wang Lie for the last time, not to make excuses for himself, but He was afraid that the person on the other end of the phone would get into trouble. He knew that sometimes that person was simply "paranoid."
"I know, Fernando. Thank you for your hard work."
After hanging up the phone, Wang Lie did not move. He just put down his arms and continued to stand in front of the window, looking down through the glass. .
That was the street scene he had overlooked countless times.
On home game days, he knows exactly where there are police officers on duty at every intersection near the hotel and where the fans' favorite gathering places are. The bus will drive over from there, pick them up at the door of the hotel, and then slowly leave from the other side and drive to the stadium surrounded by reporters and fans, cheering.
Looking up, there are a few skyscrapers standing sparsely in the distance. They are not large-scale. Most of the places as far as the eye can see are still those "tall buildings" that are not very high. The coal ash and dust from the Industrial Revolution still seem to remain in the cracks of the red brick walls.
The streets are not as spacious and straight as those cities in China that have carried out urban construction in the new century. They wind and twist through every corner of the city, as if they were not planned at all, but in this world's earliest industry Just like what grows naturally in cities. Sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, it is the blood vessel of this city, and the cars running on it continuously deliver nutrients to the city.
Through the hotel window, looking far south, you can vaguely see a huge glass ceiling hidden in the building in the distance. Today is a common cloudy day in the British winter. If it is a sunny day, the glass ceiling will reflect the sunlight in the sky. From the height of the hotel, it looks like the sun has set in the city, which is very eye-catching.
Due to the weather, it almost blends into the gray skyline and is difficult to distinguish immediately.
The looming glass roof is the Redstone Stadium, the home of Softball United, and is the end point of the team bus on every home match day.
Under the transparent glass and steel structure roof is the dark red exterior wall of the stadium. It was originally built with red bricks and stones, so it was called the "Red Stone Stadium". Now, after many renovations and expansions, it is just reinforced concrete painted with red paint.
It is spectacular and one of the landmarks of the city.
Every home match day, it becomes the heart of the city. Since it was built and put into use in 1905, it has been pulsating for one hundred and thirty-two years.
But in the past four years, it seems to be a little tired...
Wang Lie just stared at the city at his feet silently.
He has lived here for nearly ten years, and this is the Manchester he is familiar with.
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PS, I found that when I click on the APP to open a new book, it starts with the main text without a preface, so I will put the last words of the preface at the end of the main text section.
Because today is the first day of opening the book, and there is a chapter in the main text that is a wedge, it is a double update, and then it will return to a single update.
This book adopts a single update model, but each update is guaranteed to be 5,000 words, with no upper limit.
The time for the single update is eight o'clock every morning.
I suggest you read the "Foreword" first, which contains the reasons why it took nine months to open a new book...
(End of this chapter)
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