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Chapter 2 Wang Lie
Stanley Harris had just approached the entrance to 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 breaking through the waves in the swimming pool.

It was as if a ferocious monster from the deep ocean appeared before his eyes. Every movement of his arms and legs was extremely powerful, shattering the water around him as if he were exploding in the water.

Harris stared at the muscular body in the swimming pool with admiration.

Until the "big fish" dived into the water and floated up, swam to the edge of the pool where he was standing, and took the initiative to greet him: "Good morning, Stanley."

Stanley Harris came back to his senses and quickly replied: "Good morning, Wang! Are you about to finish?"

"Yeah, I'm ready to go back." The person in the swimming pool supported the edge with both hands, and the whole person rose from the water, and then appeared on the shore as if teleporting.

As he exerted force, every muscle of his became clearly defined and stood out.

There is almost no excess fat on his body and his body fat percentage is incredibly low.

If his female fans saw this picture of him just emerging from the bath, I wonder if their screams would shatter all the glass windows of the hotel swimming pool...

As a male fan, Stanley Harris was also mesmerized and thought to himself: I also want to have a perfect body like Wang Lie!

After getting ashore, Wang Lie did not notice his teammates standing in a daze beside him. Instead, he bent down to pick up a towel from the ground and wiped the water off. At the same time, he said, "Today is the day of the competition. A simple warm-up in the morning will be enough."

This made Harris come back to his senses, and he almost blurted out, "There is a high possibility that you will not be able to play."

Fortunately, he held back, as he didn't want to hurt his idol.

Harris's sudden silence was somewhat unusual, but Wang Lie didn't seem to notice his abnormality. After drying himself, he turned around and walked towards the locker room, while instructing Harris:

"You should be the first player today. You should recover in the water later."

"Don't worry, Wang, I will, I promise you!" In order to cover up the embarrassment just now, Harris spoke sternly.

Wang Lie laughed when he heard what he said: "You don't have to promise me, I'm not the head coach."

Harris was speechless in response to Wang Lie's ridicule and could 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 it was difficult to get along with him.

On one side is his big brother whom he regards as his football idol, and on the other side is the head coach who gives him more playing opportunities, but these two sides just can't get along...

No, to say that we don't deal with it might be an understatement.

It should be said that "the situation is as tense as fire and water".

Wang Lie, who had already walked far away, could actually feel the meaning of Harris' silence this time. Although he had explained to Harris that he would not vent his anger on others because of the conflict with the team's head coach Marlen Holden, he still liked Harris as his little brother very much.

After all, Harris is not just saying that he admires himself, but is really learning from himself through his actions - whether in training or off the court. So he is completely different from those players who just say "My idol is the 'King of China'" in a formal way.

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 did not say goodbye to him a second time. He just took out his cell phone, looked down at it, and walked out of the swimming pool.

In the corridor on his way back to his room, he met several teammates.

Because he was always looking down at his phone, it was the other party who took the initiative to greet him.

"king!"

"Good morning, King!"

"Hi, King!"

Wang Lie returned the greetings one by one, and then the two sides passed each other.

I have to say, this scene is a bit weird. After all, they are teammates, not ordinary passers-by. Even if they don't chat, they can't just say hello when they meet in the hotel corridor, 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 Wang can still fulfill his contract with the club?"

"The original contract also included a one-year extension clause with the club. I don't think either party will activate it now..."

"There's still half a year left in the contract. What if we don't fulfill it?"

"Can't I leave in the winter window?"

After hesitating for a while, someone shook his head and said, "It's unlikely..."

"Why not?" the person who asked the question asked. "To be honest, I think if he continues to stay in the team, it will not be a good thing for him or the team. It will only hurt both sides..."

When Tyler Murphy turned the corner from the elevator, he heard his teammates talking about the team's top player behind his back.

So before he showed up, he coughed as a reminder.

Then he came out and gently criticized his teammates: "It's not good to talk about these things behind people's backs, guys."

When they heard the cough, the gossipers behind the scenes were a little nervous. Now that they saw that the person coming was the captain, they were relieved. Some even asked him questions:

"Captain, do you think Wang will leave during the winter transfer window?"

The "good guy" captain of the Sofu League was surrounded by everyone. Everyone cast curious and gossipy eyes at him, but he shook his head and said honestly: "I don't know, I'm not the king."

His bland answer disappointed everyone. Someone asked unwillingly, "Aren't you on good terms with the king? Didn't you ask him in private?"

Murphy still shook his head: "No."

"Why didn't you ask?"

Murphy glanced at his teammate who was asking the question: "I don't want to know the answer."

Everyone present understood what the captain meant by his words. As the captain of the team and Wang Lie's friend for many years, he might not want Wang Lie to leave, but some things were beyond his control, so he might as well play ostrich.

But perhaps the captain's mentality meant that he had actually guessed the answer to some extent - whether he liked it or not, it seemed that Wang Lie's departure was a foregone conclusion.

Although everyone could more or less guess the result, the captain's answer still silenced everyone. It was not a glorious thing for the team's trump card and top star to leave the club in this way under such circumstances - both for the club and for Wang Lie himself.

Murphy broke the silence: "Well, there is a game this afternoon. What are you guys doing here? Go and have breakfast!"

Everyone then remembered that they were here originally to go out for dinner together.

But before leaving, someone turned around and asked captain Murphy: "So in the summer, did Wang really want to transfer because the team couldn't play in the Champions League?"

This time Taylor Murphy didn't respond. It was unclear whether he didn't hear it or didn't know the answer. He just turned and walked to the other side, which was the direction of his room.

※※※

A middle-aged man with a serious expression and slightly wrinkled brows was staring intently at the tablet in his hand, which showed the starting lineup drawn up by his coaching team for this afternoon's FA Cup match.

He lowered his head slightly, revealing the "Mediterranean Sea" above his head.

The hair around his head was still very thick, which made the "highlight area" in the center of his head appear more prominent, especially when the light in the hotel room fell on his head. It was almost brighter than the spotlights on the ceiling. It was a "light source" that no one in the room could ignore. This layer of light made his personal image seem "sacred and inviolable."

In fact, he is indeed the person in this room whose words are final and whose unquestionable nature cannot be challenged.

He is Sven Heldon, the head coach of Premier League giants Sofia United.

While he stared at the tablet, everyone else in the room remained silent, and the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Fortunately, this tense atmosphere was broken by Sven Helden himself.

He handed the tablet back to assistant coach Norbert Demos and said, "Wright should not be on this list. He did not go back to his room to sleep on time last night."

Upon hearing this, assistant coach Demos did not hesitate to operate on the tablet and deleted Ronan Wright's name from the starting list.

Heldon continued: "Although our opponent is a Championship team, we can't take it lightly. I need players who can devote 100% to the game. Those half-hearted players are not within our selection range. I don't think Wright is ready to play for Sofia United in the next FA Cup, and I hope he can realize this."

He was explaining to the coaching team on the scene why he suddenly took the team's starting center, and at the same time, he was re-emphasizing the importance of discipline to them - he was dissatisfied with his coaching team for not realizing this. If they knew it, then Ronan Wright, who did not go back to his room on time before the game, should not be on the list at all.

After Helden finished his speech, assistant coach Demos asked, "Who will start for Wright?"

This question made Helden fall into deep thought. After a long while, he said, "Change the formation."

This answer stunned the coaches in the room, and some of them looked at each other in confusion.

However, assistant coach Demos was not surprised. Instead, he looked at Helden quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Based on his understanding of his partner, he must have considered how to make the specific adjustments when he said this.

Sure enough, Heldon continued:

"Move Alatorre forward, closer to the penalty area, and play as a false center forward. He has height and 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 middle, move more in the ribs, and give the left side to left back Castin..."

Listening to Helden's arrangements, the team's second assistant coach Danilo Lindsay looked up at the head coach.

This afternoon's game is the third round of the FA Cup. The opponent is the not-so-strong Championship team Drating. Considering that the team has just gone through a "devil's schedule" during the Christmas period, 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 was one of those who did not make the roster. The team's backup forward Ronan Wright replaced him in the starting lineup in this game.

And there is actually another center on the substitute list - Wang Lie.

Even if Wright is taken off the starting lineup, we still have Wang to take his place.

But head coach Helden chose to change the formation, pushing attacking midfielder Alatorre forward, giving him some of the responsibilities of a "center forward", while moving left winger Stanley Harris closer to the center.

They would rather go through all this trouble than let Wang Lie start the game directly...

Even though the conflict between the head coach and the team's top star is known to everyone, there doesn't seem to be any need to be so extreme, right?
However, Lindsay only took a glance and quickly retracted his gaze, without questioning the head coach's arrangement.

※※※

Wang Lie had already finished his shower when he returned to his room. At this moment, he was standing by the window of his room talking on the phone with his agent, Fernando Clemente:
"…Any latest news from Munich, Fernando?"

The agent on the other end of the phone was hesitant and helpless: "Munich... Isa Munich told me that they have no intention of recruiting a center forward for the time being..."

"This is an excuse." Wang Lie said, "Have you told them that I can accept a pay cut? Sofo United will not make it difficult for us on the contract - Helden should be wishing I'd leave now."

"Of course, I told them, I said you would join them as a free agent, but they still insisted..."

Wang Lie held the phone to his ear for a few seconds without moving, then he sighed, "Then it's impossible to go to Isa Munich."

Clement said nothing, for he did not know what to say.

He could hear the strong disappointment in Wang Lie's heart, but he could not comfort him.

Even though he is one of Wang Lie's agents.

As a world-class star, Wang Lie cannot have only one agent serving him. In fact, he has a team of agents. Fernando Clemente's main job is to be responsible for transfers and other work that requires dealing with the club.

As a famous agent, Clement, 58 years old, has been active in European football for decades and has accumulated very deep connections. It can be said that he has friends everywhere in the entire European football world, and he is a guest of honor wherever he goes to a top club.

But in the winter transfer window of 2037, all his connections and relationships were of no use.

Isa Munich was not the first club he had found for Wang Lie this winter. Before that, they had contacted four teams, but none of them agreed.

Some refused directly, 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 ability has declined.

Eight years ago... no, even four years ago, the 33-year-old Wang Lie was still a hot commodity in the transfer market, with countless teams wanting to pursue the world's top scorer.

Now that Wang Lie is about to turn 38, if he still wants to become the object of European giants' pursuit, it is indeed difficult...

After all, your age, salary and status are all there. You can't just rely on your past fame to convince the other club to spend real money, or modify your tactics and team building ideas for you.

"Ran said yesterday that you seemed to have some ideas about your hometown team in China..." Clement certainly couldn't directly persuade Wang Lie to give up his fantasies about those European giants, but took a more tactful approach.

The "Ran" he mentioned is named "Ran Hanming". He is a member of Wang Lie's agent team and is mainly responsible for domestic business in China.

Originally, he was in charge of business development and operation, but in the past six months, Chinese clubs have also sent messages to Wang Lie through Ran Hanming, hoping that he can "return to his roots" and return to his homeland to play football and retire there at the end of his career.

Leaving aside the competitive aspect, from a business perspective alone, this is indeed a very attractive plan.

This time, Wang Lie’s hometown team is a new situation, and Clement hopes to persuade him tactfully by telling Wang Lie about this.

Although Wang Lie had been negative about returning to China to play football for the past six months, the situation has changed. What if he is forced to change his mind now that almost all European giants have rejected him?
But after two seconds of silence on the other end, Clemente heard Wang Lie's fierce rejection: "No, Fernando, I don't consider returning to China. If I do that, the whole world will see me as a deserter. Those who criticize me are waiting to laugh at me! I can't let them succeed! Not only China, but also the United States, the Middle East or anywhere else, I won't go. I will only stay in Europe and stay on the center stage of world football!"

This answer did not surprise Clement, because Wang Lie had been saying the same thing 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 opened. Who knows what will happen in the next twenty days?

Clement could only convince himself in his heart.

I hope there will be a turning point in the future... Whether it's a good turning point or a bad one, something has to change, right?

Something has to change, right?
It has to be different from the past six months...

Otherwise... otherwise will I really continue to rot in Sofolium?

"I will continue to work hard, Wang. But you also have to know that the current situation... is indeed not optimistic." Clement advised Wang Lie for the last time, not to make excuses for himself, but because he was afraid that the person on the other end of the phone would get stuck in a dead end. He knew that the person was sometimes simply a "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, continued to stand in front of the window, and looked down through the glass.

That was the street view he had overlooked countless times.

On home game days, he knew exactly where the police were on duty at every intersection near the hotel and where the fans loved to gather. The bus would drive over from there, pick them up at the hotel entrance, and then slowly leave from the other side to the stadium amid the cheers of reporters and fans.

Looking up, there are a few skyscrapers standing in the distance, not in a big scale. Most of the places I can see are still those "high-rise buildings" that are not very high, and the cracks in the red brick walls seem to still have coal dust from the Industrial Revolution.

The streets are not as wide and straight as those in China's cities that have undergone large-scale urban construction in the new century. They meander through every corner of the city, as if they were not planned at all, but grew naturally in this world's earliest industrial city. Sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, they are the blood vessels of the city, and the cars running on them continuously supply nutrients to the city.

Looking south through the hotel window, you can vaguely see a huge glass roof hidden in the distant building. Today is a common cloudy day in the UK in winter. If it is a sunny day, the glass roof will reflect the sunlight in the sky. Looking from the height of the hotel, it looks like the sun has set in the city, which is very eye-catching.

Now due to the weather, it almost blends into the gray skyline and is difficult to distinguish immediately.

The looming glass roof is the home of Sofia United, the Redstone Stadium, which is the end point for the team bus on every home game day.

Under the transparent glass and steel structure is the dark red exterior wall of the stadium, which was originally made of red bricks and stones, so it was called the "Red Stone Stadium". Now after many renovations and expansions, it is just reinforced concrete painted red.

It is spectacular and one of the city's landmarks.

Every home game day, it becomes the heart of the city. Since it was built and put into use in 1905, it has been pulsating for years.

But in the past four years, it seems a little tired...

Wang Lie just silently gazed at the city beneath his feet.

He has lived here for nearly ten years and this is the Manchester he is familiar with.

※※※

PS, I found that when I opened a new book on the APP, the main text started without a preface, so I put the last words of the preface at the end of the main text.

Today is the first day of the book, and there is a prologue in the main text, so there will be two updates today. After that, it will return to a single update.

This book adopts a single-update mode, but each update is guaranteed to be at least 5,000 words, with no upper limit.

The single update time is 8 o'clock every morning.

I suggest you read the "Preface" first, which explains why it took nine months to start a new book...

(End of this chapter)