Chapter 16 Unique Welcome Ceremony
“Hi, Tyne fans, I am here to say hello to you. I am very happy to be a part of this glorious team. However, since the season is in progress, in order Without affecting the team's normal preparations, I proposed to the club not to hold any ceremony, but to send my regards to the dear Tyne fans through this video..."
Tang Lin stood in the supermarket , in front of him were containers of fruits and vegetables, but he raised his head and looked at a large screen in the distance.
What is playing above is a video of Wang Lie greeting Tyne fans. It is also a video of Tyne Club officially announcing Wang Lie's joining.
Video official announcement.
Is it so shameless?
Tang Lin is not a football fan, but he has also heard about the difficulties Wang Lie is facing now.
Now that he saw Wang Lie's video, he couldn't help but believe the rumors on the Internet.
We are really desperate...
Although Tang Lin doesn’t like football, when he saw the face smiling hard at the Tyne fans in the video, he still felt something different from the bottom of his heart. His emotions gave him mixed feelings.
He lowered his head and picked vegetables and fruits on the container in front of him again.
Under the big screen in the supermarket, many locals gathered.
Some of them also took out their mobile phones to take photos and videos.
Tang Lin could vaguely hear exclamations and questions.
It seems that not all Tyne fans welcome Wang Lie’s arrival...
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Tang Lin opened the door with the vegetables and fruits he bought, and saw the landlord Mr. Jon Berg sitting in the living room waving the newspaper in his hand:
"Tang, look! Your compatriots are coming to Newcastle!"
"Is it Wang Lie?" Tang Lin asked while changing his shoes.
“Yes, that’s him!” Berg was very excited, “Can you follow me to watch Tyne’s game now?”
Tang Lin changed his shoes, went to put the dishes back in the kitchen first, and then came out and said, "Mr. Berg, didn't I say it before? I'm not interested in football itself, not in Tyne..."< br>
The white-haired Jon Berg felt a little regretful: "Well... I thought you would be interested in 'ChinaWang', because you see, I haven't said who is coming, you I know everything..."
Tang Lin shook his head and smiled: "Wang Lie's influence is beyond the circle. Even if I don't watch football, I definitely know him. Even if I'm not Chinese, I still know him. I'll hear his name. But that doesn't mean I'm interested in him. I have to watch him play..."
"That's such a shame..." Berg muttered from the sofa. Slowly stood up and walked towards the door.
Tang Lin asked him curiously: "Are you going out?"
Berg waved his hand: "Don't worry, I'm going to the Miner's Bar."
"You went to drink again. Didn't the doctor tell you to drink less..."
Berg felt aggrieved. He spread his hands and said: "What can I do? With such a big news, I can only chat with the old guys in the bar. Is it normal to have a drink while chatting?"
Tang Lin said helplessly Shaking his head: "Then you can only have one drink."
"Don't worry. I will be back before dinner."
While the two were talking, Berg had already moved to the door. He took off the woolen hat with the Tyne team emblem printed on it from the hanger, then took off the scarf with the Tyne team emblem printed on it, and finally the huge one with the Tyne team emblem printed on the back. Down jacket with Tyne team logo.
After all dressed up, he waved goodbye to Tang Lin: "Thank you for your hard work, Tang."
Tang Lin smiled and shook his head: "You're welcome, Mr. Berg. You spared me. It saves me a lot of money on rent."
"Ha! Yes, help each other!"
Jon Berg laughed. He opened the door and went out. It was obvious that he was in a good mood.
Tang Lin doesn't understand football and doesn't like football, but he has heard of Wang Lie's reputation, so he guessed that this should be good news for senior and enthusiastic Tyne fans like Mr. Berg.
It’s just that he was still a little suspicious in his heart, but in order not to ruin Mr. Berg’s good mood, he didn’t ask him face to face:
If he remembered correctly, Wang Lie should be very big. ? He remembered that he had heard this name when he was a child. Now that he was twenty-three years old, why was Wang Lie still playing?
Although he doesn't watch football, he knows the basic laws of physics. Can you really still play football at such an old age? Even if such an old veteran comes to Tyne, what help can he bring to this relegation team?
Tang Lin knew that Tyne Club had a wealthy owner from the Middle East who was not short of money.
Is it possible that Wang Lie retired here?
Finally make a fortune, and you won’t have to worry about it after you retire... But hasn’t Wang Lie made enough money over the years? His annual income is enough for an ordinary person to last several lifetimes, right?
Tang Lin really couldn't figure it out. He was not interested in football and lacked enough information to help him analyze and draw conclusions.
So he shook his head, stopped thinking about the problem, and prepared to go back to his room to review his lessons.
As a graduate student at Newcastle University, he is still under great pressure to study.
Therefore, he is very grateful to Mr. Jon Berg, who is willing to let him live for free without charging rent. This not only greatly reduces his financial pressure, but also saves him the time to go out to work, so he can have more time and Put energy into learning.
Now that Tang Lin thinks about it, he still finds it incredible - it was just a chance encounter at a bus station, and he got on the wrong bus and actually met the "elegant person" in his study abroad career.
At that time, he just thought it looked like it was hard for the old man to carry so many things by himself.
Out of the simplest Chinese values of "respecting the old and loving the young", he offered to help. As a result, the fate between the two was forged.
He was invited to Mr. Berg's home, which is the small building where he lives now.
He and Mr. Berg talked a lot and had dinner together—which he had not planned to do in the first place. But when he was about to say goodbye, he saw Mr. Berg opening the refrigerator and preparing to find some vegetable leaves to mix with salad dressing for dinner. He realized that Mr. Berg's ability to take care of himself was worrying, so he offered to cook some Chinese dishes for Mr. Berg.
It was after that dinner that Mr. Berg formally proposed to let Tang Lin move in, and he could waive his rent without charging a penny.
This proposal was very tempting to Tang Lin, but he was embarrassed to take advantage of Mr. Berg. So he offered to share the housework and help Mr. Berg cook.
Mr. Berg naturally agreed readily. He really needs a companion when he lives alone.
Despite the huge age difference between the two, they get along very well.
There is only one thing - Mr. Berg always hopes that he will like football, and he invites himself to watch Tyne games every now and then... At first, Tang Lin felt distressed. After all, every time he refused, he saw that the old man could not hide his disappointment. His expression was a bit regretful.
But later he and Mr. Berg seemed to get used to it. Mr. Berg tempted him to watch the game, but he refused. The two parties seemed to have formed a tacit understanding, and neither of them had any psychological burden.
Tang Lin opened the book in front of him, set the alarm clock, put on his headphones, and began to review his homework.
※※※
Jon Berg walked to the door of the bar. He just pushed the heavy door open a crack, and an excited voice squeezed out from the crack:
"... We have enough troubles already! Why do we need a 'super troublemaker'? An old guy who is about to be thirty-eight years old, and he is also an old guy who can explode at any time. Others are afraid of getting involved, but we are Will Foster's head must be full of water if he takes the initiative to sign it!"
When this sentence was finished, Berg had already opened the door and walked into the bar. At a glance, he saw a figure with one foot on the chair, holding a beer glass in his hand, and waving his other arm vigorously.
His beard was shiny, and he didn’t know whether it was the residual wine or the spittle he had just sprayed.
So Berg said loudly: "I don't know if there is water in Will Foster's head, but I am sure there is water in your head, Robbie Dixie! The water even overflowed Come on, let it flow on your beard!”
His words attracted the attention of everyone present, including Robbie Dixie, and everyone turned their heads to look over.
After seeing it was him, Dixie laughed loudly: "I thought you wouldn't come today, old man! Do you still believe that the thirty-eight-year-old Wang can bring us something positive?"< br>
"It's thirty-seven, he's not yet thirty-eight." Berg corrected Dixie.
Dixie defended: "There are only a few days until he is thirty-eight..."
"February 17th, that is his birthday. There are still twenty-seven days. , nearly a month."
Dixie didn't want to argue with Berg about numbers. He waved his hand: "Whatever, even if he is thirty-seven years old, then the thirty-seven-year-old Wang can give the team. What positive things will it bring? ”
To his surprise, Berg shook his head and said: "I don't know. But I believe McNeil. He did a good job after taking over Tyne, and Wang was the one he asked the club to introduce."
"I admit it. McNeill did a good job, but he was not always right. He had been teammates with Wang at Soft United. I think his impression of Wang was still at that time-if Wang came to us at that time. Tyne, then I am willing to kneel in front of him and kiss his sneakers, but now...McNeil's memory obviously needs to be updated!"
The two started arguing.
Other people around were watching the fun, and some said to their companions with a smile: "Guess who will give in first this time?"
For these two people in the miners bar Everyone is used to the controversy.
Jon Berg and Robbie Dixie are old friends who have known each other for many years. They once went down a well together, but this does not mean that they always agree on all issues and often have disagreements. .
When no one can convince anyone, they will ask the people in the bar to bear witness and agree that whoever loses will treat everyone to a drink.
"...Wang is already thirty-eight years old. We all see his performance in Soford United in the past half season. I don't believe McNeil's coaching team doesn't know, Why did you buy him as a mascot? "
Berg retorted: "What kind of performance? Wang didn't get any decent opportunities at Soft United, but what kind of performance could he have? Even so, he still scored, and it was our Tyne goal. Have you forgotten, Robbie? If it hadn't been for his goal, we should have escaped at Redstone Stadium in the first half of the season. "
Some people among the melon-eating crowd also agreed: "Yes, we should at least get one point!"
"Jon is right, Wang just lacks a head coach who trusts him and more playing opportunities..."
Robbie Dixie disagreed: "The goal conceded at the last moment was obviously our own. The problem is that those mercenaries no longer wanted to play in the last five minutes of the game, and they wanted to go back to the locker room quickly... Why did McNeil temporarily take over the team? It was not because we ourselves played like shit! "
"You mentioned the 'mercenary', Robbie. I think McNeil chose Wang in the hope that he could use his super competitive spirit to change the 'mercenary' spirit of our team. appearance. If Wang was on our side in that game, I don't believe they would have slacked off at the end of the game. You have to know that Wang is known for his competitiveness, and what we lack now is the competitive spirit. !”
Berger obviously admired Wang Lie’s competitive spirit.
Dixie doesn’t deny this either, but he raises a reasonable question:
"No one denies Wang's mental attributes, Jon. But do you really think he can change the style of this team? If it is Wang who is 31 years old, I believe he can. But now he himself If he can't give a convincing performance, how can he change others by just talking? Jon, you don't really believe that there are some people in our team who just listen to Wang Lie's words. Can it be changed?"
These words made Berg not respond immediately, but fell silent for a while.
While he was silent, someone in the bar also shouted loudly: "That's right! Robbie is right! I absolutely don't believe that Sonny Dean can make changes! It's a shame we didn't do that before. I have high hopes for him! Now he is completely finished! Maybe I can see him drunk here someday!"
"Don't be ridiculous, how could it be Sonny Dean? Come to our shabby bar to drink? He goes to all the high-end nightclubs! The colorful world of London is waiting for him next..."
"Ryan, I heard you, you said this is a shabby bar. '!" This voice came from Theo Collins, the owner of the Miner's Bar who had been watching the excitement behind the bar.
"Ah, that's not what I meant, Mr. Collins... I mean, I mean we don't have those girls in hot clothes here!"
Everyone's jokes seemed to dilute the tit-for-tat atmosphere just now, Berg said to Dixie said:
"You are right, Robbie, words alone cannot change those 'mercenaries', otherwise they would not be what they are now. But I still believe that Wang can bring This team has changed, but I can't provide any evidence to prove my point of view, so let's wait and see. Anyway, it's only half a season, and we will naturally draw conclusions by the end of the season. "
Robbie Dixie agreed: "Yes, football problems are not solved by words. After all, we have to return to the football field. I don't have high demands on this team. , As long as they can successfully avoid relegation in the end, I think Wang will be useful to the team."
Someone next to him yelled: "Robbie, your standards are too low! McNeil is doing a good job now, even if he doesn't. King, we should also be able to avoid relegation!”
Dixie changed the standard: "Then let's go to the top ten in the league. The top ten in the league always shows that the king is useful, right?" When he said this, he was not looking at the booing person, but Jon Berg.
Berger also feels that this standard is not strict.
If it is just to avoid relegation, he feels that it should not be impossible to achieve with the current head coach McNeil's good training.
But the top ten in the league is not so easy to get.
He was also curious about how much role Wang Lie could play in this team.
So he nodded in agreement: "I have no objection."
Robbie Dixie seemed to be afraid that he would regret it. Before he finished speaking, he raised his arms and announced eagerly. :
“Listen up, guys! If we are not in the top ten of the league at the end of the league, let Jon buy us all a drink! And if we are in the top ten of the league, I will buy Drink, all of you!"
His words immediately received a warm response from everyone. Some cheered, whistled, clapped, and clapped the table. The miner's bar was very lively.
"Okay! Praise Robbie and Jon!"
"The best partners!"
"No problem! No one can deny it!"
"Oh oh Oh!"
"This is what I was waiting for!"
"I said we should skip the previous process and come straight! This is right! This is right! Make a bet!"
While everyone was making a fuss, Theo Collins, the boss behind the bar, turned around and wrote with chalk A blackboard on the wall reads:
"Top ten in the league. Jon YES, Robbie NO. A drink for all"
There is some text above this new message , all records of everyone's bets in the miners' bar.
Some people are betting on whether the team can successfully avoid relegation at the end of the season, some are betting on whether Sonny Dean will score at least ten goals this season, and some are betting on the Brazilian genius Vitini in the team. When will he leave the team, how soon will McNeil be dismissed from get out of class...etc.
The content of the bets is varied, just like British betting stations, but there is no money involved. The bets are all about buying everyone a drink.
After seeing his boss Collins write down the content of their bet on the blackboard, Robbie Dixie said to Jon Berg in a confident tone: "I'm sure to win, Jon, even if it's ' CHINAWANG' can't change those 'mercenaries'!"
On the wall next to the blackboard, there is a large TV hanging on it, which is playing the video of Tyne's official announcement of Wang Lie's joining.
In the video, Wang Lie, who is already wearing Tyne's blue home jersey, points to the Tyne team emblem on his heart and says:
"...I can't wait to play with him on the court. Everyone has met, I believe that day will not have to wait too long. I will try my best to bring victory to Tyne, I promise you..."
※※※
"Official announcement! Official announcement! 'CHINAWANG' is coming to us! This is great news!"
As soon as Clayton Vitini entered the locker room, He shouted to his teammates in an excited tone.
As a result, Sonny Dean poured cold water on him:
"What kind of good news is this? The king is thirty-eight years old, what can he do here? He is here Soft United have failed to prove themselves. Did our performance suddenly improve when we came to Tyne? Stop dreaming! He is not a savior, and he can't help us avoid relegation..."
Dean was obviously not the only one who had this idea. When Dean said this, many people in the locker room nodded in agreement.
Even the team's captain Elliot Goetz said: "We really can't expect that the team's performance will change when Wang comes. Football is a collective project, and we still have to rely on our own efforts. ..."
The captain's words were quite objective, but Sonny Dean's words were not so nice: "I think Wang is just a fire-fighting player that our head coach looked for because Peter was injured. I just found Wang, and Wang has no place in Soft United, and he is not willing to leave the Premier League just like this, so..."
He spread his hands, and it would be a bit unpleasant to say anything else, but everyone was happy. Got it.
It is nothing more than saying that Wang Lie, who is not wanted by other Premier League teams, is regarded as a treasure by Tyne...
Vitini frowned, a little unhappy, and he responded unceremoniously: "Don't forget how we lost to Soft United away from home in the eleventh round! The almost thirty-eight-year-old guy You can beat us as a substitute, but where were you before that, even if we could score a goal?"
Dean was not happy with being slapped in the face by Vitini, and he rushed at him with a black face. Vitini was angry: "Aren't you on the court? What qualifications do you have to criticize me? Oh, the league nine rounds ago is too far away. You may not remember, then how did we lose the last round? Just keep your head down. 'Juggler' who dribbles the ball..."
"Juggler" is an insulting nickname given to Vitini by hostile fans and some media, because this young player from Brazil is particularly good at dribbling the ball. , also likes to dribble the ball. His kicking moves were very flashy and sometimes seemed too showy, which caused dissatisfaction among opponent players and fans.
As for the media, they used this nickname to criticize Vitini for being too attached to the ball and keen on showing off himself. After some flashy performances, it did not help the team's offense.
Vitini hated this nickname very much. He once got so angry that an opponent player called him that during a game, and he got so angry that he got into a fight with the opponent, resulting in him receiving a second yellow card and being sent off with accumulated red cards.
So now when he heard Sonny Dean ridiculing him like this, he couldn't bear it anymore, slammed his sports bag on the ground, and then rushed forward to fight with Dean.
When he was about to rush to Dean, he was stopped by his teammates next to Dean: "Hey! Hey! Calm down, Vitini! Calm down!"
Dean After getting an advantage, he still behaved and shouted at Vitini who was stopped: "Come on! Boy! Come on! Come here!"
He put his face close to her.
Then he was pushed away by captain Goetz: "What are you doing?! Dean! How can you insult your teammates?!"
Then he turned around and shouted to the teammate who was blocking Vitini: "Hold him!"
Vitini was hugged by a teammate around the waist, and another teammate was still blocking him. Pressing his shoulders hard, he was like a strong horse tightly bound by the reins. His front legs were raised high, but he could not move forward even half a step.
I can only point at Dean and roar: "What qualifications do you have to say to me? You signed a contract with Kensington before the season is over. Are you so eager to leave the team that trained you? ? ”
Sonny Dean’s contract expires on June 30 this year, and neither he nor Tyne Club intends to renew it. According to regulations, he can contact other teams in the first half of the year before his contract expires, even if it means signing a contract. After his contract with Tyne expires, he will automatically become a player of the new club.
There is nothing wrong with this according to the rules, but when the team is still fighting for relegation, as the main player of the team, he announces that he has found a new home, which not only destroys the locker room The atmosphere also made the fans very hurt.
So after the news media revealed that Dean had signed with London giants Kensington, it immediately triggered a massive amount of protests and accusations. There are even angry Tyne fans collecting signatures online, calling on McNeil to move Dean to the reserve team and not give him a chance to play until his contract expires. They don't want to see him in the first team.
Dean did not feel embarrassed at all because of the old score. Instead, he jumped up and down and continued to annoy Vitini: "Ha! Don't say that your father is not actively looking for a home for you! You Do you just want to stay here?! What qualifications do you have to say to me?”
Last summer, there were rumors that Vitini was going to leave. It was quite a lot, but it was only the Tyne Club that refused to let him go that prevented him from leaving.
"When will your contract with the club expire? You are so loyal, why don't you go to the club to renew it? You can even play here until you retire! Be your loyal minister, ha!"
< br>Vitini was so ridiculed by Dean that he almost lost his mind, and his teammates who were stopping him had to work harder to lock down the crazy black panther.
"Even if I have to leave, I will try my best for this team! As long as I play, I will work the hardest. I am worthy of every penny the club gives me! And what about you? You drunkard! With all your money The highest salary in the team, what have you contributed to it?”
“That’s enough! Just shut up!” !" Captain Goetz roared at the top of his lungs.
But he could not end the internal strife. Both sides of the conflict were red-eyed, and no one was willing to give him face as the captain.
Although someone tried to break up the fight, it had little effect. They just didn't let the two get into a physical fight. It didn't stop them from spraying each other through the crowd.
There was chaos in the locker room.
Central defender Hugo Guendouzi, who was sitting on the other side, looked at the chaotic scene in front of him and had no intention of going up to help break up the fight. Instead, he joked in a joking tone: "Okay, okay. The king is not here yet. , It has already made the locker room uneasy, tsk tsk..."
Then he turned to ask his central defender partner Matje Katic sitting next to him: "Speaking of which, you once had a relationship with Wang Zai Have you ever fought against him in La Liga? "
Katic nodded: "Yes, but only for three seasons."
"Have you ever fought with him like this?"< br>
"I didn't do anything directly, but he and I scolded each other." Katic said honestly, "You know, I had a bad temper when I was young, and Wang was not a good person, so..."
Right back Jacob Barnabas, who was listening next to him, changed his expression: "That's it... I'll meet you again when I'm the king..."
Katic shook his head repeatedly: "Isn't that right? We were just our own bosses - he was at Atletico Barcelona and I was at FC Madrid. You know how deep the feud between these two teams is, and after all these years..."
Bana. Bass said: "But I heard that Wang is a very vengeful person. Are you sure he won't remember you until now?"
Katic was stunned, with a look of obvious hesitation on his face. . Obviously, he was not sure whether Wang Lie would still find trouble with him because of the conflict back then.
Guendouzi looked at the chaotic scene of conflict and sighed: "God bless, I hope we can finish this season smoothly and safely..."
In the corner of the locker room, there were also people who turned a blind eye to the fierce conflict taking place right in front of them.
The team's offensive midfielder Matisse Van Ginkel whispered to the center Peter Olivi next to him: "If Wang asks you for the No. 9 jersey, will you give it to him?"
Olivi shook his head: "How can I give it? According to the regulations, after the number is registered, it cannot be changed midway through the season. Even if I want to give it, I can't give it to him..."
Van Ginkel asked again : "What about next season?"
Olivi was silent for a moment, and then said: "If he asks me for it, then I will give it to him."
Then he smiled bitterly: "Can I still refuse a top superstar?"
Van Ginkel: "He doesn't count now..."
"I don't want to cause unnecessary controversy. It's just that It’s just a number.”
Van Ginkel snorted: “I don’t like this approach anyway, even if he is CHINAWANG!”
In another corner, there are also Tyne players. Comments:
"Did you read Wang's farewell letter to the Soft United fans? Soft United officials have broken the defense. Tsk tsk! No wonder the media said that Wang always had a falling out with his former club, every time he left. Very unpleasant..."
"Haha, I saw it! To be honest, I feel very happy. I don't like Soft United at all. They are always arrogant and looked down upon by everyone. It’s really not easy for them to break through the defense!”
“Hey, you said, when the king leaves Tyne in the future, he will also break up on bad terms, right?”
……
In the middle of the locker room, Dean and Vitini were still spitting at each other and exposing each other's shorts while being blocked by their teammates.
Captain Goetz roared in vain, unable to change anything.
The players who did not stop the fight sat in their seats, watching everything in front of them numbly, or covering their mouths and whispering, and some were even booing...
The outside world said that they They are a group of mercenaries who only care about money, not a real team.
Looking at it this way, you are indeed right.
Just when the chaos was beyond control, the door to the locker room that was originally closed was suddenly pushed open.
A figure carrying a bag appeared at the door.
Everyone in the locker room, whether it was Vitini and Dean during the conflict, captain Goetz who broke up the fight, and everyone sitting and watching the show, all turned their attention to this uninvited guest.
Wang Lie first looked at the scene in front of him in surprise, and then the corners of his slightly opened mouth gradually raised:
"It's so lively, is this your unique welcome ceremony?"
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PS, this book has been decided to be released on September 1st. I know that everyone has been working hard to catch up with updates during this period, but there is really no way. I dare not update more now because there will be a wave of outbreaks before and after it is released, so now I only May everyone be patient and wait a little longer!
(End of this chapter)