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Chapter 201 Top European Star
In the locker room of FC Madrid's first team, the players chatted while changing their clothes before training.

There isn't a unified topic, and not everyone participates in it.

At this moment, the locker room is like a small market, where all sorts of reliable and unreliable gossip circulate.

Moreover, all teams in the world are the same, whether they are elite teams or unknown teams, they are all the same in their locker rooms.

After all, the players on any team are all human.

However, the locker rooms of elite teams are even more divided. After all, wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy. The social hierarchy in elite teams is even more complex, with numerous factions and cliques. People are divided into many small groups based on factors such as birthplace, nationality, language, and position on the field. These small groups are both isolated and intertwined, making it very complicated.

Because it is so complex, everyone usually does their own thing – it is neither realistic nor normal to force groups with so many different elements to play together.

The locker room naturally had all sorts of topics, and it was rare for any topic to get everyone in the locker room involved—unless it was related to Wang Lie.

Almost any matter involving Wang Lie will be discussed by the FC Madrid players in the locker room.

In the past two days, Wang Lie has almost dominated the "hot topics list" in the Madrid FC locker room.

From that grand welcome ceremony that resembled a concert, to the current heated discussion about whether Wang Lie will lead Tyne to win the Champions League title.

The second topic seems absurd at first glance, and logically, no one should delve into it—Taine was a relegation-threatened team last season, and although they participated in the Champions League this season, it's their first time participating in it in the club's history. Who would include this team on the "title contenders" list?

However, in the first team locker room of FC Madrid, Joel Dellas witnessed firsthand the heated discussion that took place around this topic.

They weren't discussing whether Tyne could win the championship—anyone with a normal IQ wouldn't think Tyne could win.

They were discussing whether the "Champions League title win" story was just media fabrication or whether Wang Lie genuinely had that idea.

Some believe this was fabricated by the media to create a sensation and attract traffic. Or perhaps it was created through misinterpretation and taking things out of context. After all, Wang Lie did not actually use the word "champion" during the welcoming ceremony.

However, some people disagree with this view, arguing that given Wang Lie's personality, when he said "all of Europe is at my feet," he actually meant "I want to win the Champions League."

The team's key midfielder, David Parra, disagreed with this view. He asked the team's center-back, Pasir Netz, who held the same opinion: "If winning the championship is really Wang's idea, why doesn't he just say it directly instead of using this roundabout way and making everyone guess?"

His viewpoint has also gained the approval of many people.

After all, given Wang Lie's temperament and personality, he speaks his mind. While others might hesitate to discuss winning a championship due to various concerns, this is absolutely not the case with Wang Lie.

The team's left-back, Mamadou Mullai, supported fellow defender Netz, trying to find a reason: "Perhaps Wang felt that it would be too shocking for a team participating in the Champions League for the first time to win the title, and he was afraid that saying it directly would put too much pressure on his teammates?"

As he spoke, the team's midfielder Nathan Costa shook his head repeatedly, and immediately retorted after he finished speaking: "Mamadou, what exactly are you thinking that Wang Hui would have to consider other people's feelings and worry about his teammates being under too much pressure? 'Being under too much pressure is a problem of your poor mental resilience, what does it have to do with me? You'd better look at yourselves and see if you've worked hard all these years.'"

Finally, he even imitated Wang Lie's tone and manner of speaking, and to be honest, he did a pretty good job of it, which made a lot of people laugh.

Even Pasir Netz, who was supported by Mamadou Moulay, was shaking his head and laughing.

Because everyone knows what kind of person Wang Lie is—even if many of them have never fought or interacted with Wang Lie, they have a general understanding of what kind of person he is through the media and the internet.

Whether Wang Lie actually wanted to win the Champions League is debatable, but his consideration for others is completely irrelevant.

Without a doubt, Wang Lie is an extremely self-centered person. Whether it is doing things or speaking, he does not care what others think—and these "others" are not only his opponents, but also his teammates.

Being his opponent must be tough, but being his teammate isn't easy either; sometimes it's even tougher. After all, as an opponent, you can openly express your dissatisfaction with Wang Lie, but as a teammate, you have to bottle it up. Who dares to criticize the team's star player? Holding it in for too long will cause problems…

Although Joel Dellas has been officially registered as a first-team player and has received much attention due to his outstanding talent, he is still a green newcomer in the first-team locker room full of veterans. Most of the time, he just listens quietly and watches without expressing his own opinions.

Compared to the prodigy on the court who always attracts everyone's attention, Joel Dellas in the locker room is so low-key and quiet that it's easy to overlook his presence.

It wasn't until everyone had changed into their jerseys and headed out to the training ground that he asked Arthur Elohn, who was traveling with him, "Arthur, do you think it's true, as they say, that the King doesn't intend to win the Champions League?"

Instead of answering the question directly, Arthur asked him in return, "What do you think?"

He noticed the little guy in the locker room. He was clearly interested in the topic, but he didn't say anything, so he wanted to know what the kid was thinking.

"I think Wang wants to win the championship, whether Tyne can do it or not," Dellas said.

Arthur smiled and asked him, "Why do you think that?"

Delas seemed a little nervous, waving his hands repeatedly: "Uh, I didn't..."

Arthur comforted him, "It's okay, we're not arguing. I'm just curious why you think that way?"

Joel Dras then said somewhat hesitantly, "I just think that's more in line with the King's character. Everyone keeps saying 'that's how the King is,' but if we're really talking about the King's character, then participating in a competition without aiming for the championship, does that really fit the King's character?"

Arthur was somewhat surprised by Delas's answer, so he looked at Delas again: "I didn't expect you to know so much about the King at such a young age..."

Dellas quickly explained, "Wang's performance in Tyne last season was so dramatic. Everyone online and in the media was talking about him. It was hard not to know about him, wasn't it?"

Sensing Delas's tension, Arthur continued to reassure him: "It's alright. Although the King is our enemy, we don't forbid talking about him. Don't worry about it."

Seeing Joel Dellas nod, he continued, "You're right, Joel. If you really know the King, you'll know he's like a fanatic, chasing the championship in every event he enters. Whether he succeeds or not, at least he'll think so."

"So what he meant by saying that was to win the championship? But why didn't he just say it directly? Was he really afraid of putting too much pressure on his teammates?"

Seeing Joel Dellas's puzzled expression, Arthur smiled slightly and said in a tone of "experienced wisdom," "That's because you don't know him well enough. Which sounds more exciting, 'Our goal is the Champions League title' or 'All of Europe is at our feet'?"

Dellas answered him almost without hesitation: "'All of Europe is at our feet!'"

"Yes, even you think that sentence is very powerful. So, given Wang's personality, why wouldn't he choose this way to make his championship declaration? You have to know, Wang is a guy who especially likes to show off."

Delas nodded thoughtfully, seemingly agreeing with Arthur's conclusion.

He didn't continue by asking Arthur whether he thought Wang Lie could really succeed; it seemed like a question that didn't need an answer.

※※※

In the shaky footage, Ronald Nascimento sits in his luxury sports car, surrounded by fans wearing jerseys of Atlético Barcelona or the Brazilian national team. They hand Ronaldo everything they have—including but not limited to trading cards, jerseys, scarves, phone cases, soccer balls, etc.—so that he can sign them.

Ronaldo skillfully signed everything handed to him like a factory worker on an assembly line, and was always ready to look up and take photos with fans who crowded around him.

Just then, the person filming the video asked him, "Ronaldo, what do you think of Wang's 'victory declaration' at the welcoming ceremony? Do you really think he can lead Tyne's team to the Champions League title?"

With his head down, Ronaldo continued working, saying, "Of course he won't win the championship, because I will beat him!"

Jago Luisão pointed to the screen on his phone and said to Ronald beside him, "You shouldn't have answered like that, Ronald."

Ronier shrugged: "I was so focused on taking photos and getting autographs that I didn't realize what I was thinking and blurted it out... But it's not a big deal, is it? After all, the whole world knows that Wang and I have a score to settle..."

The agent complained, "I'm afraid in the eyes of the whole world, Wang Cai has a score to settle with you."

Ronaldo paused for a moment: "Huh? Is that so? That can't be right?" Luisão said: "If he hadn't come back to form now, then when you eliminated him in the World Cup three years ago, it would have ended his World Cup career. You could tell how unwilling he was by the way he left the field crying."

Ronaldo scoffed, "But I didn't win the World Cup that year either..."

"Others won't see it that way; they'll only know that you kicked Wang home."

Ronier thought for a moment and asked his agent, "Does the King think so too?"

Louis shrugged: "How would I know? I'm your agent, not his."

Ronier thought about it and realized that over the years he had been so focused on imagining himself as Wang Lie's victim that he had overlooked the fact that he had also defeated Wang Lie. Although some victories might not have been important to him, if he had been the one to defeat Wang Lie, he might have felt some resentment...

So he clapped his hands and said, "Then I hope he wants to settle accounts with me too!"

※※※

Liu Zhong and Guo Xuequan arranged to have dinner at a restaurant by the Tyne River.

They are now based in Newcastle.

It wasn't just them; as Wang Lie's performance improved over the past season, more and more Chinese journalists chose Newcastle as their base in England.

One unexpected advantage for them was that choosing to live in Newcastle saved them a lot on rent, since Newcastle, located in the northeast of England, is cheaper than cities like London, Manchester, and Liverpool.

The price difference was enough to cover their travel expenses from Newcastle to all of England, with some money left over.

During the meal, the two of them kept an eye on all the news about Wang Lie online, which could be considered an "occupational hazard"...

"...A video has gone viral online, in which Ronier is asked about Wang Lie's 'victory declaration,' and he says that Wang Lie cannot win because he will defeat him... This video has also caused a great deal of controversy. Currently, Wang Lie's fans and Ronier's fans are engaged in a fierce battle in the comment sections of any site that has the video..."

After seeing the message, Liu Zhong said to Guo Xuequan, who was sitting opposite him, "Brother Guo, guess what I'm thinking?"

"what?"

"The resurrected legion".

Guo Xuequan didn't react for a moment: "What the hell?"

Liu Zhong then explained to him: "There was once a terrifying legion with formidable fighting power, whose members were all fearless of death. As their king conquered east and west, any enemy who dared to stand in their way was crushed by their iron hooves. They conquered countless star fields and destroyed countless planets."

"But when their king vanished, the army also fell silent, leaving only their legends in the universe... Gradually, as time passed, even their legends became incomplete, and many interstellar civilizations no longer even knew the names of this terrifying king and his legion. They sang and danced on the ruins left by this terrifying legion, treating those legends as mere fabrications by novelists to make money..."

"Now that this king has returned from a distant time and space, the army that once terrified countless people has also been revived. Together with their king, they will once again bring destruction and death to this world, making those ignorant people who thought the legend was just a story feel the fear etched into their blood and genes once more!"

"How was it? Was it exciting?"

After Liu Zhong finished speaking, Guo Xuequan was already laughing so hard his shoulders were shrug: "Pfft! You have quite the imagination!"

"You know, don't you feel that way? Let me tell you, the fans of both sides have gone from fighting under Ronaldo's videos all the way to UEFA's official Twitter account. All because UEFA posted a tweet that looked back at the Champions League final where Wang Lie led Sofia United to victory. It was obviously an attempt to ride the wave of popularity, and it resulted in a massive fan war between the two sides, a war so fierce it's almost obliterating everything..."

Guo Xuequan said, "Speaking of riding the wave of popularity, I have an idea. If you remove the parts involving extreme fans, and use this narrative to tell the story of Wang Lie's return from the Champions League, you can make a video and put it on Douyin or something. The number of views might explode."

Liu Zhong was stunned for a moment. It was just a sudden idea that popped into his head, and he hadn't expected it to be done this way: "Will this work?"

"What's wrong with that? Right now, all of Europe is discussing what Wang Lie meant by what he said at the welcoming ceremony. Since the start of the new season, Tyne has been recruiting heavily, and everyone can see their ambition in the Champions League. Even Born, who were already relegated, jumped out to ride on Wang Lie's popularity and attention, saying that Wang Lie's European debut was with their team..."

Guo Xuequan analyzed it for him.

"Think about it, why did Wang Lie's comment at the welcoming ceremony cause such a stir across Europe? Why did Ronaldo's response generate so much controversy? Ultimately, isn't it because Wang Lie has been away from the Champions League for three seasons? Everyone's pent-up emotions desperately need an outlet. So, you'd better start riding the wave early, Xiao Liu. I suggest you get the video up and running by tomorrow..."

Liu Zhong felt that Guo Xuequan made a lot of sense, and he was even a little excited by what he said: "Why wait until tomorrow? I'll get to work as soon as I get back after dinner tonight, and try to finish writing and shooting in half an hour!"

Guo Xuequan gave him a thumbs up: "Young people are really something!"

"What young person? I'm almost forty..."

"What's forty? Forty is the perfect age to take risks! Look at Wang Lie! Ha!"

Liu Zhong waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't compare me to Wang Lie..."

※※※

"Ronald actually has the nerve to say he can beat the King... Oh dear, who is this Joker who got beaten so badly by the King that he asked for a red card and had to leave the game?"

"Heh, Wang only beat Ronaldo once in the final and they're already making a huge fuss... Seeing how much Wang's fans are making a scene, I thought their idol had won countless Champions League titles? Turns out I searched it up: two titles. That's it???"

"How dare this 'locker room vandal' talk nonsense in front of the 'seven-time champion'?"

"What right do these 'seven-time champions' who only managed to scrape together two domestic cup competitions have to jump around in front of a three-time Champions League winner? Have they forgotten how their idol ended up at Sofia United? They're like stray dogs kicked out by Ronaldo, defeated opponents. They can brag about winning once for the rest of their lives. Their fans are really ignorant, tsk tsk..."

"Ronaldo himself is still holding a grudge, while his cronies are just sitting there nonchalantly. Isn't that a bit of a slap in the face to your soon-to-be basketball king?"

"Video: The future football king has a major meltdown! After being sent off, he returned to the locker room and... "

"Video: Before the match, he brought up his bad sportsmanship in the Champions League final; after the match, he cried as he bid farewell to the World Cup stage."

……

Lawrence Dadomo couldn't suppress the smile on his face as he watched the online melee between Wang Lie's fans and Ronier's fans.

His purpose was achieved.

After he first put forward the idea that "Wang's goal is to win the Champions League", the concept has been successfully implanted in everyone's mind through hype and fermentation by his peers and netizens.

Regardless of Wang Lie's true intentions, this series of media hype has led everyone to believe that he wants to win the Champions League. Especially Ronaldo's response, which was a stroke of genius—he personally intervened, using himself as fuel to successfully put Wang Lie in the spotlight.

Then, by provoking Wang Lie's group of mad dog-like fans to launch attacks everywhere, he successfully stirred up the dissatisfaction of fans of other European powerhouses, making countless enemies for Wang Lie's return.

Once the new Champions League season begins, Tyne, with Wang Lie on his team, will be the target of everyone's attacks, and he will fight hard to defeat every opponent he faces.

Tyne, who is struggling in the Champions League, will also be exhausted in the league, ultimately resulting in a "double loss" in both the league and the Champions League.

They might actually be relegated in the end!
As for him, the "butterfly" who stirred up this storm, he can now completely hide himself behind the scenes and watch Wang Lie's failure with amusement.

Those brainless fans think they've won by making sarcastic remarks about him on social media.

Watch closely, kids, this is what "professionalism" looks like!
(End of this chapter)