Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

"Actually, upon closer review, Lin Feng's playing style doesn't seem to be that of a traditional box-to-box midfielder; rather, it's more like a free-roaming midfielder!"

Seeing Lin Feng being substituted, Zhang Lu, resting her chin on her hand, spoke in a slightly thoughtful tone in the CCTV studio.

"A free-roaming midfielder?"

Zhan Jun, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the right moment: "Coach Zhang, could you explain to us fans what the term 'free midfielder' means?"

Many fans were curious when they heard Zhang Lu's statement. They had heard of box-to-box midfielders, but the concept of a free-roaming midfielder was unheard of.

"Well, these are just some of my immature opinions, more like guesses. Lin Feng, as a free-roaming midfielder, doesn't have a fixed position on the field. He's mainly responsible for linking up play in the attacking third, dispersing play in the backfield, and advancing play in the midfield."

When defending, he is not confined to a fixed position as a defensive midfielder; he can freely move around the field and provide support.

If the defense is successful, he will launch a counterattack on the spot. Depending on the situation on the field and the positioning of both sides' players, it will be determined whether to use his speed and dribbling to break through the opponent's defense or to use his accurate passing to tear apart the opponent's defense.

In this match, Lin Feng demonstrated this style of play to us. Many of his successful interceptions didn't occur in midfield; sometimes they were in the attacking third, sometimes on the flanks, and his attacks originated from multiple positions on the field!

The fans didn't think much of it at first, but after Zhang Lu's analysis, they suddenly realized that what he said made some sense.

The B2B midfielder's range of movement was already quite large, but Lin Feng's range of movement seemed even wider, not even limited to the center, he even went to the flanks many times.

……

The home win against Mallorca was of great significance to Real Madrid, as it secured their precarious lead at the top of the table and prevented Barcelona from overtaking them in points.

Real Madrid were expected to maintain their fragile one-point lead, but after this round of matches, their younger brother Getafe delivered good news – at the Alfonso Pérez Stadium, Getafe pulled off a stunning 2-0 victory over Barcelona.

This unexpected event has extended Real Madrid's lead over Barcelona from 1 point to 4 points.

After the twelfth round of the league, Real Madrid leads the standings with 28 points, while Barcelona has fallen to third place.

Villarreal, on the other hand, quietly climbed to second place in the league with a three-game winning streak. They are not only three points ahead of third-placed Barcelona, ​​but also only one point behind league leaders Real Madrid.

Moreover, Villarreal has been playing tough matches recently, such as their 3-2 home victory against Sevilla, who had defeated Real Madrid in the previous round.

In the last round, they staged a remarkable comeback, defeating Atletico Madrid 4-3 away from home, who had once led by as many as two goals!

Judging by Villarreal's current trend, they might end up competing with Real Madrid for the championship instead of Barcelona!
……

After the twelfth round, it was time for another FIFA match day.

There were no matches scheduled for the national team this round, so Lin Feng finally didn't have to travel back and forth between the two sides.

However, he still took the opportunity to return to China, mainly because Liu Yifei's parents found out about his participation in her concert and wanted to meet him.

It just so happened that Lin Feng also intended to bring the woman to Germany to meet his parents, so they arranged a date to visit her.

Liu Yifei was even more nervous than Lin Feng about meeting the girl's parents.

Like a strategist, they offered all sorts of advice, making Lin Feng a little insecure: Are my parents-in-law really that difficult to get along with? Look how scared the kid is!
Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.

Mr. Liu was easy to get along with; he spoke in a refined and scholarly manner, exuding the air of a Confucian gentleman.

He was quite open-minded about his daughter's love life. After chatting with Lin Feng for a while and learning about Lin Feng's character and work, he no longer objected to the marriage.

Liu's mother seemed quite shrewd, with bright and intelligent eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.

She wasn't as easily fooled as Liu's father. She held Lin Feng's hand and chatted with him a lot, not only showing concern for his work but also subtly inquiring about his family situation.

"Mom, why are you acting like you're checking my household registration?"

Afraid that Lin Feng would get annoyed by her questions, Liu Yifei clung to her mother's arm and started to act coquettishly.

"My child, I'm just worried you'll suffer if you marry into this family!"

"Who would want to marry him? We've only been dating for a short time. Mom, what you're saying is way too exaggerated!"

Liu Yifei blushed and was too embarrassed to look at Lin Feng.

Seeing Liu Yifei acting coquettishly and blushing so much that even her ears turned red, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile. This little girl's demeanor was probably only shown in front of her parents!

Liu's mother was very satisfied with Lin Feng's personal and family conditions. He had a bright career prospect and his fame and influence were even greater than her own daughter's.

Moreover, the other party's family background was not bad either. After some subtle probing, it was discovered that they were quite wealthy and had considerable influence in the business world.

She then inquired about the relationship between the two with her daughter and discovered that their relationship was very good. Lin Feng was not only considerate and caring towards Liu Yifei, but also helped her a lot in her career, which made her even more satisfied with this prospective son-in-law.

As for Liu Yifei's grandparents, both of them were very satisfied with Lin Feng.

When the elderly couple learned that Lin Feng's hometown was also in Hubei, specifically Xiaogan, which is not far from Wuhan, they were even more satisfied.

They only have one granddaughter, Liu Yifei, so naturally they hope she marries someone nearby so she can come back to visit them often.

Although Lin Feng is currently playing abroad, he is a Chinese citizen and will definitely return to his roots after he retires.

One of them is from Wuhan, and the other is from Xiaogan. No matter where they go back to, they won't be far apart.

When the topic of nationality came up, Liu's father suddenly spoke up:

"Sisi, after the New Year, change your nationality back. From now on, your focus will be on developing your career in China, so there's no need to keep your American citizenship."

"Well! I see!"

Liu Yifei nodded obediently. He had originally applied for American citizenship when he went abroad to facilitate his studies and future career development in Hollywood.

Now that I've returned to China to develop my career, it's highly unlikely I'll go abroad again in the foreseeable future, so there's no need to keep it.

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng glanced at Liu's father. Although the man spoke little, this decision alone showed that he was a very capable person with a long-term vision.

Others might not understand his intention in having Liu Yifei change her nationality, but Lin Feng was very clear about it.

Although foreign citizenship is currently very popular in China, in the long run, Liu Yifei's foreign citizenship is destined to become a burden for her.

……

During his stay in Wuhan, Liu Yifei, the local host, very warmly took Lin Feng to visit tourist attractions such as East Lake, Mulan Grassland, and Jiufeng Forest Park.

They also visited the Yellow Crane Tower, which is only frequented by people from other places. After the visit, both of them felt that the 50 yuan entrance fee was a waste, as there was really nothing interesting inside.

"But at least the photo is pretty good!"

Lin Feng waved the photo in his hand, trying to comfort him.

“But even if others don’t go in, they can still take pictures outside!” Liu Yifei pointed to the tourists taking photos with the Yellow Crane Tower as a backdrop outside the railing.

"Uh, okay!"

Ultimately, the two decided to channel their grief and anger into strength and fight to the end against the delicious food of Wuhan.

Not far from the foot of the Yellow Crane Tower is Hubu Alley. In 07, Hubu Alley did not have such a strong commercial atmosphere. There were still many authentic local Wuhan delicacies. They were not cheap, but they were delicious enough.

The two ate until they were so full they had to lean against the wall to get out, and then strolled along Simenkou and Jiefang Road pedestrian street for a while before they recovered.

As they walked, the two arrived at Linjiang Avenue.

In November, Wuhan was blessed with clear skies and crisp autumn air. Standing by the river, feeling the refreshing breeze and hearing the music coming from the music academy behind them, the two felt invigorated.

"I plan to take a year off from acting next year!"

Liu Yifei suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm? What will you do after retiring from acting?"

"I plan to study at a professional music academy for a year. My singing skills are still not good enough. If I want to focus on developing my music career in the future, my current level is not enough!"

Liu Yifei's answer was extremely serious, indicating that this decision was not made on a whim, but rather something she had been planning for a long time.

What actually prompted her to make up her mind was Lin Feng.

Liu Yifei felt that she couldn't let the other party down after they had provided so much help.

If you're going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability; this has always been her belief.

"Great! It's good to take some time to reflect, and strengthening your musical skills will also benefit your future development!"

Lin Feng strongly agreed with Liu Yifei's decision. After all, how could she become a professional singer in the future without sufficient professional skills?

Don't be like that certain singer who doesn't even know how to read a basic sheet of music.

Seeing that Lin Feng supported her decision, Liu Yifei was very happy. She blinked her eyes and asked curiously:

"So, do you think it's better for me to focus on developing my music career or my acting career in the future?"

"Only children make choices; adults want it all!"

Idol singers? That's nothing new!
This kind of thing is very popular in Taiwan right now. Many singers debut as singers by building up their audience appeal through acting, and then become famous overnight.

With her previous TV dramas that have garnered her a huge following and audience in China, Liu Yifei is more likely to become famous than others if she continues down this path.

……

Liu Yifei was already nervous as soon as she boarded the plane to Germany.

"What kind of people are your uncle and aunt? What kind of gift should I bring when I visit them?"

"Just dress yourself up nicely, it'll be more effective than any gift!"

"You're so annoying! I'm talking to you about something serious!"

Liu Yifei angrily punched Lin Feng with her small fist.

Lin Feng felt that this wasn't a beating at all; it was clearly a reward!
"Don't be nervous. My parents are very easy to get along with, and I've already shown them your picture. They're very happy with you as their future daughter-in-law and won't make things difficult for you!"

"Aaaaah, who's your wife? You're so shameless!"

Liu Yifei was no longer nervous, but her face turned bright red.

Lin Feng wasn't lying to her. Compared to the things she had to be careful about when visiting Liu Yifei's house before, it was much simpler for Lin Feng to take her back to his own home.

I bought my mom a silk scarf with a traditional Chinese style and my dad a new fishing tackle set. That's it for the gifts for my parents. It didn't cost much.

Actually, gifts aren't important. If the other person is satisfied with you as a person, they'll praise you even if you bring a stone.

However, if the other party has a problem with you personally, even if you bring a piece of gold, they will still find fault with you.

Mr. and Mrs. Lin were extremely satisfied with Liu Yifei. She was beautiful, well-educated, and had a good temperament. They decided she was the perfect daughter-in-law the moment they saw her.

Therefore, the two of them naturally praised the gift Liu Yifei gave them.

Lin's mother winked at Lin Feng, as if to ask him: Where did you find such a beautiful wife?
Lin Feng raised his chin, as if in response: That's right, don't you see how outstanding your son is? The girls who want to date me could stretch from this side of the earth to the other side!
Lin's mother clearly didn't believe it. Although her son was indeed outstanding, the girl in front of her was also an exceptional person.

Putting everything else aside, just look at her one-in-a-million appearance and her tall, outstanding figure—these are things that most girls don't have.

She had seen many beautiful women, but she had never seen one this beautiful before!

The key point is that this girl is not only beautiful, but also impeccable in her manners and interactions with others.

Despite how nervous Liu Yifei was on her way there, she became quite poised and confident when she actually met Mr. and Mrs. Lin, showing no signs of restraint or nervousness whatsoever.

This made Lin Feng a little puzzled. Could it be that the girl was faking it all along the way?
In short, Lin's parents were extremely satisfied with Liu Yifei after meeting her.

They've even started urging Lin Feng and Liu Yifei to get their marriage certificate and have their wedding as soon as possible!
"Mom, you know the legal marriage age in our country, I'm just not old enough yet!"

Lin Feng is only 19 years old this year, more than two years away from the legal marriage age of 22, which is indeed a bit early.

However, Liu Yifei is a year older than him, which means she has reached the legal marriage age.

"Let's get engaged first, and we can talk about marriage when you're both old enough!"

Lin Feng tactfully indicated that this matter needed to be discussed with the woman's parents.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Yifei chimed in, saying that the engagement was also her parents' idea.

Wow, what do you call this? This is called the parents on both sides being in sync!
Since that's the case, what else could Lin Feng say? He could only find some time to make another trip, bring the betrothal gifts, and settle the engagement.

Fortunately, they weren't old enough, otherwise they might have been forced into marriage.

If that's the case, the two went from meeting to getting married in less than four months, which is incredibly fast.

Liu Yifei stayed at Lin Feng's house for three days. Before she left, Lin's mother gave her a gift – knowing that she was going to study at the Central Conservatory of Music, Lin's mother directly gave her a villa in Xicheng District, Beijing, to serve as her residence during her studies.

Although Beijing's housing prices in 2007 weren't as outrageous as they are today, this villa was still worth at least 800 million. (End of Chapter)