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Chapter 246 It's Always Right to Be Lenient When Anticipating the Enemy

With the whirring of the printer, an A4-sized sheet of colored paper was ejected.

Theo Collins carefully took out the paper and blew on it to speed up the drying of the ink.

Then he took the paper in both hands, walked out of the room, and went down the stairs to the first floor, where a dozen or so people, including Jon Berg, Robbie Dixie, Ryan, and Tang Lin, were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

They treated them like they were welcoming some distinguished guest.

But in reality, only Theo Collins, the owner of the miners' bar, came down.

All eyes were on that piece of paper.

Collins stood on the last two steps, held up the printed paper in his hand to show everyone, and shouted:
"I got it!"

"Oooo!"

Everyone cheered at the piece of paper.

Amid cheers, Theo Collins held the paper aloft as he walked through the crowd to the wall, where he taped it to the wall.

This is a standings table for the fifth round of the Premier League, and Tyne is once again at the top of the table.

When the paper was posted on the wall, the people present applauded, as if they were attending some kind of plaque-hanging ceremony.

In the past, Tang Lin would have thought they were a bunch of lunatics, but now he was among the cheering and applauding crowd.

There are now four sheets of paper on the wall, representing five rounds of the league, and Tyne has been at the top of the table four times.

"This is much better than your previous decorative paintings, boss!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

Theo Collins spread his hands: "I couldn't help it. When I was renovating this bar, Tyne wasn't even this high up in the league standings!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

After a 3-2 home win against Hughesro, Tyne remained in first place in the league.

They are tied with Clayton and Hackney Knights on 13 points, but Tyne has a better goal difference than Clayton, so they are ranked first.

No one knows how long this situation can last.

Some people online have already started to predict Tyne's downfall.

Because the Champions League group stage is about to officially begin.

Meanwhile, Tyne will also be playing in the English League Cup next week – they were originally supposed to participate in the second round at the end of August, but according to the rules, all teams participating in European competitions must join in the third round.

Tyne's opponent in the League Cup has been confirmed as Exeter United, a team from Exeter, Devon, in southwest England, currently playing in League Two.

Weak in strength, they pose no threat to Tyne.

No matter how weak he is, Tyne still needs to participate in the competition.

Therefore, the multi-front war has already begun.

Online critics, represented by Lawrence Dadomo, started using this incident to criticize Tyne.

They believe that once Tyne starts competing on multiple fronts, it will definitely affect his performance in the league.

Whether they'll still be sitting on top of the league table by then is anyone's guess...

Perhaps they are right, after all, they can cite many examples from the past and use data and historical materials to prove that they are not deliberately slandering Tyne.

However, their attempt to create panic among Tyne's fans in this way failed.

Because Tyne's fans don't really care how many more times Tyne can finish first in the league.

Having won first place four times in the first five rounds of the league, they felt that was enough.

Every additional time they take it, it's a profit for them, a net profit.

If they can win first place in the league again, that would be a good thing, and they wouldn't refuse.

But if they don't get it, it doesn't matter. They've been through worse times before, and this season is like heaven for them.

So even though it was just a joke among fans in the bar, they managed to turn it into something amazing, making it seem like some kind of incredible achievement—yes, my friend, for Tyne fans, it really is incredible!

※※※

"...It's unbelievable, Tyne is currently number one in the Premier League!"

In the first team locker room at Lille's training ground, someone uttered this sentiment.

As their next opponent, Tyne's every move is naturally the focus of attention for the Lille players.

Therefore, many of the Lille Atlético players who were present at the weekend's match where Tyne defeated Hughesro 3-2 at home must have learned about and followed the game through various means, even if they didn't watch the live broadcast.

“Tyne is in really good form right now, but I think their game against Hughesro is actually good news for us.”

“That’s right! Hughesro’s tenacity kept Tyne from taking the lead until the last five minutes of the game. They expended too much effort to beat Hughesro… I dare say this was definitely not part of McNeil’s original plan!”

"Indeed, Wang shouldn't have come on in the 60-minute mark. But in order to avoid losing at home, he was brought on early and didn't get enough rest, which will definitely affect his performance in the match against us!"

The players in the locker room were enthusiastically discussing the match between Tyne and Hughesro.

Although Wang Lie scored twice in the match, once again equaling his own record of scoring in eleven consecutive Premier League matches, his performance was absolutely explosive.

However, as opponents, the players of Atlético Lille saw through the seemingly perfect situation that revealed Tyne's hidden worries and their own opportunities.

Tyne definitely had a tough time in this league match.

The opponent, whom they easily defeated 4-1 away last season, was surprisingly beaten 0-2 at home this time. If McNeil hadn't brought on Wang Lie in time, Tyne might have really lost this game at home.

So even though Tyne completed a three-goal comeback in just over twenty minutes after Wang Lie came on, the game was anything but easy.

As professional players themselves, Lille's players are well aware of how much energy and cost such intense, rapid-fire matches require.

So despite the fact that most English media outlets praised Tyne's performance in the match, the Lille players knew the price they would pay.

"...Wang's performance was truly explosive, but he also showed his best form in this match. So when he faces us, he might fall into a slump..."

"That's right! It's not a good thing to be in top form too early! In any case, Wang is already a 38-year-old player. How long can he maintain this form?"

Although it's true that getting sick too early is not a good thing.

But Fu Xiaofeng felt that his teammates were talking more and more outrageous.

He was originally engrossed in playing the game and didn't want to get involved in the discussion about Tai En and Wang Lie, but he sensed a very unpleasant atmosphere circulating among his teammates.

To prevent any potential problems, he had to pour cold water on their enthusiasm.

"Don't underestimate Wang."

Although he was looking down at his phone and said that suddenly, and that was all he said.

It still attracted the attention of the entire team.

After all, if we're talking about who knows Wang Lie best in this team, it's definitely Fu Xiaofeng, who was on the same national team as Wang Lie!
Immediately, someone approached and asked, "Fu, do you know why Wang can maintain such a good condition at his age?"

Fu Xiaofeng had just finished a dungeon run when he put down his phone and said to his teammates, "I don't know. In the national team, he's the same as before. He almost always does extra training before each session and relaxes by swimming after training... He's always done that. I haven't noticed anything different about him."

"Okay..." The person who asked the question was somewhat disappointed not to get the answer he wanted—he had hoped to find some reference answers from Wang Lie.

Another person asked, "Fu, how long do you think Wang can maintain this state?"

Fu Xiaofeng shook his head: "I don't know. But I know that when he faces us on Tuesday, no matter what he has been through before, he will definitely be very difficult to deal with at that time."

"why?"

"Have you forgotten how long it's been since he last participated in the Champions League?"

When Fu Xiaofeng asked this question, many people suddenly realized what was going on.

"As his first match back in the Champions League after three years, what kind of performance do you think Wang should put on to announce to the whole of Europe, 'I'm back'?"

After posing this question to his teammates, Fu Xiaofeng picked up his phone again and continued playing.

The locker room was noticeably quieter than before.

Clearly, everyone is seriously considering this issue.

Team captain Laurent Vinnier noticed the change in atmosphere in the locker room, glanced at Fu Xiaofeng who was engrossed in playing games, and finally stood up to speak:
"Don't think too much about it, just focus on our own game. This is our home ground, we have no reason to be afraid of our opponents on our home turf! Besides, Tyne is a team participating in the Champions League for the first time, they lack experience! Alright, it's time to go to training now!" Hearing the captain's words, everyone got up, left the locker room, and headed towards the training field.

Fu Xiaofeng was among them. Vernier found him and whispered beside him, "I think you shouldn't have said that, Fu. It's obvious you scared them all..."

Fu Xiaofeng shrugged and spread his hands: "To be honest, Captain, I'd rather they be afraid of Wang Lie than actually think he's nothing special. In fact, I also think that Tyne's 3-2 comeback against Hugheslow was a good thing for us. Because that game made everyone realize just how good Wang Lie's recent form really is."

Captain Vinier fell silent upon hearing this, unable to refute Fu Xiaofeng's words.

※※※

"Beautiful!! Hahahaha!"

Tang Lin, who was reviewing his lessons in his room, suddenly heard his landlord laughing loudly in the living room downstairs.

Curious, he went downstairs and saw Mr. Berg sitting on the sofa with a flushed face, not making a sound.

He was startled and rushed over: "Mr. Berg? What's wrong?"

Just as he was trying to use his medical knowledge to examine him, Mr. Berg suddenly let out a long breath and then laughed out loud: "Hiccup... Hahaha!"

While laughing, he waved to Tang Lin, indicating that he was fine.

Tang Lin found it strange, but he still reminded him, "Mr. Berg, it's best not to get too excited given your physical condition—to be honest, you weren't this excited even when watching Tyne's game..."

Jon Berg still seemed unable to speak, so he turned his phone screen to Tang Lin.

Tang Lin leaned closer and found it was an email. The email was very simple, informing Mr. Berg that he had managed to buy tickets for the Champions League group stage match between Lille and Tyne the day after tomorrow...

and many more!

Tickets?

Champions League tickets?!
Tang Lin immediately understood why Mr. Berg was so agitated. He stared at his landlord, whose face was still flushed, but whose breathing had gradually calmed down.

He recovered from his initial agitation.

"I'm going to witness that day in Tyne's history, Don!"

Tang Lin knew that this ticket was indeed very important to the landlord, and he was happy for him: "Congratulations, Mr. Berg!"

Mr. Berg held out his hand to him: “Please help me up, Don, and then come with me to the bar.”

Tang Lin pulled him up and asked curiously, "Didn't you just come back from over there?"

But he quickly realized what Mr. Berg had gone to do—to show off, of course!

※※※

When Tang Lin and Jon Berg pushed open the door of the Miner's Bar, they found the atmosphere inside to be very lively, and even a little... eerie.

As soon as Berg and Tang Lin walked in, Theo Collins, the owner behind the bar, shouted, "Hey, Tang! Jon! How did you know I got tickets to the Champions League match the day after tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Tang Lin didn't expect his boss to say that.

Jon Berg was also surprised—he really didn't expect that his boss would beat him to it before he could even show off!

Robbie Dixie, the shrewd boss: "They know nothing, they just want a drink, boss!"

Theo Collins didn't take it seriously and instead burst into laughter.

Looking at the smug boss, Tang Lin understood why the atmosphere in the bar was so lively yet strange... It was the "resentment" of others filled with envy and jealousy!

Amid the laughter, Jon Berg walked to the bar and said to Theo Collins, "That's great, now I have company when I go to France."

Theo Collins' laughter stopped abruptly, and he asked Berg in surprise, "You're going to France?"

Not only him, but everyone else also turned their attention to him.

In full view of everyone, Jon Berg unlocked his phone, placed it on the bar, and then pushed it towards Collins.

Collins looked down and exclaimed, "You got tickets too?!"

His shout drew everyone else to him.

Everyone crowded around Berg, peering at the phone screen.

Tang Lin was pushed right out from next to Mr. Berg!
All he could hear from outside were gasps and sighs coming from the crowd:

"Oh my God!"

"Jon, you actually managed to snag one?!"

"Ugh! Why can you get it, but I can't?! It's a conspiracy, it must be a conspiracy! Damn UEFA!"

"I really want to go to France too..."

"Damn it, you jerk who makes everyone envious!"

"Congratulations, Jon! You're going to witness a historic day!"

Jon Berg laughed heartily and said, "No, this season, we've been witnessing historic moments for Tyne every single day!"

Theo Collins looked at Berg, who was full of vigor and seemed to have become twenty years younger, and suddenly said to his son Harry Collins beside him, "Harry, go to France to watch the game."

Harry, the son, thought he had misheard: "Dad, what are you saying?"

Theo Collins repeated, "I said you go to the game in my place."

This time Harry wasn't mistaken, but he seemed stunned and stood there without saying a word.

"What? You don't want to go?" Theo Collins asked.

"No... but why aren't you going? Isn't this the opportunity you've always longed for?"

The son knew how much his father longed to be there to witness this historic moment.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have bragged to every customer who walked into the bar just now...

Theo Collins lowered his voice and said, "Old Berg is going; he's seventy-four years old. If Don has a ticket, I'll go with them. But Old Berg is alone. Do you expect a sixty-five-year-old like me to take care of an even older man? So you go, and you can look after him on the way."

Harry looked at Berg, who was chatting and laughing with others. Although he looked radiant, his full head of white hair indicated his age.

Just as his father said, old Berg did need someone to take care of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rented his house to Tang for free. Wasn't he hoping that Tang could take care of him?
Thinking about this, Harry nodded: "Okay, I'll go. But Dad, you'd better not regret it..."

Theo Collins cursed at him, "Damn it! You agreed so reluctantly! If you don't want to, I won't force you!"

Harry quickly shook his head and waved his hands: "No, no, no! I'd be more than happy to! I'd be happy to serve you, happy to serve Mr. Berg!"

While the father and son were chatting, Robbie Dixie pulled Don Lin aside and said to Jon Berger, "I don't care where you watch the game, Jon. But you have to make sure Don watches the game with us here!"

Ryan chimed in loudly, "Yes! Robbie is right! Anyone can be absent, but Don must be!"

Berg scoffed, "You can't tell me that. You have to go find Tang yourself."

Everyone then turned their attention to Tang Lin.

Under everyone's gaze, Tang Lin smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely watch the live stream."

Upon hearing his promise, the crowd in the miners' bar cheered with joy.

Ryan shouted first: "China Tang!"

Then everyone joined in, chanting together:
"China Tang! China Tang! China Tang!"

Just like when they were chanting "China Wang" from the stands.

And so, Tang Lin also acquired a special nickname among these Tyne fans, enjoying the same treatment as Wang Lie...

※※※

P.S., this chapter was written a few days ago. Choosing a League Two team as Tyne's League Cup opponent was indeed a coincidence.

I'm not trying to ride the coattails of Manchester United being knocked out of the League Cup by a League Two team...

Furthermore, Manchester United's elimination by Grimsby also fully illustrates that it's normal for all sorts of outrageous things to happen in the world of football.

With these real-life examples to back me up, I feel like I can write whatever I want, however I want, without having to consider authenticity or rationality at all—is there anything more unreasonable than Manchester United being eliminated by a fourth-tier English league team?

(End of this chapter)