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Chapter 7 Extraordinary Heart
"Hello, Wang Lie."

When Wang Lie opened the door of the apartment, what he saw was such a bright smiling face.

Wang Lie was stunned - when he heard the knock on the door, he thought it was his father coming back.

He could only use crutches to limp to the door of the apartment. He was still complaining about his father's carelessness, knowing that he had just had surgery and went out to buy things without taking the keys...

But when he opened the door, what he saw was not the familiar father, but a stranger who greeted him with a smile on his face.

When he looked at the smiling face of this stranger, that smile seemed to have some magic that attracted his attention.

When he came to his senses, he was already in the cramped living room with this stranger.

He sat on a chair at the dining table, while the stranger sat comfortably on the worn-out sofa, even crossing his legs and looking around the small apartment while his mind wandered off for some reason.

Wang Lie came back to his senses and was confused at first, then panicked: "Who are you?! How did you get in?!"

When the stranger heard Wang Lie's question, he withdrew his interested gaze and looked at the young man in the room with a smile:

"I am a traveler. How I got here is not important. What is important is... first."

He held up a finger.

"I mean you no harm. Secondly."

He held up another finger.

"I'm here to 'help' you, Wang Lie."

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The people outside the door saw Wang Lie's stunned expression and smiled even more, even with a hint of sarcasm: "Your expression is really nostalgic..."

Wang Lie, who hadn't fully recovered yet, looked a little bewildered: "I didn't expect it to be you... Are you back from your trip?"

By the end he had fully recovered from the shock of meeting his "old acquaintance".

"I won't travel again until your story is finished." The traveler first answered Wang Lie's question, then looked into the villa behind him and said jokingly, "Shouldn't you invite the guests in first, Wang Lie?"

Wang Lie was reminded of bad memories: "I'm still waiting for you to perform that 'As for how I got in, it doesn't matter' again."

Although he said this, he still moved aside to make way for the visitor outside.

"Ha, after all, I didn't figure out how to convince you to let an uninvited guest in. So I had to do that..." The traveler explained with a smile as he walked in.

Wang Lie closed the door behind him, and when he turned around, he saw the latter standing in the corridor looking at a huge photo.

In the center of the photo is Wang Lie standing on the grass of the Red Stone Stadium. He is wearing a Sofia United jersey, smiling, leaning forward slightly, with his hands on the platform in front of him.

Dozens of trophies were lined up on the table.

"League Cup, FA Cup, Community Shield, Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Premier League Golden Boot, Champions League Golden Boot, Ballon d'Or, and FIFA World Player of the Year. These are the important honours you get in a year."

The traveler listed the names of these trophies one by one, and then said with emotion: "I have always been paying attention to you, Wang Lie. I helped you at the beginning only because I was curious about the most talented Chinese player. If he had a healthy body, what heights he could achieve in his career..."

He shook his head and said, "...I have to admit that your career has opened my eyes. Your achievements have shocked me. I thought it was good enough for you to become the 'No. 1 in Asia', but I didn't expect you to squeeze your talent to the limit... No, it's beyond the limit of your talent. You actually reached the pinnacle of world football."

As the traveler said this, his eyes were fixed on the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year trophy in the photo.

"Amazing, really amazing. You have become a legend..."

Wang Lie did not look proud or complacent after being praised generously by the traveler. Instead, he said sincerely, "I have always wanted to thank you in person. All my achievements today are due to your help."

Hearing this, the traveler turned around and looked at him with a teasing look: "Do you still think this is my 'help' to you?"

"Isn't it? With your help, I didn't have any sequelae after two consecutive serious knee injuries, and you also prevented me from suffering such serious injuries in the rest of my career. Don't you know how troublesome injuries are for professional players?"

Wang Lie said this as a matter of course, because he sincerely believed this: "Without the influence of injuries, I can maintain a good state in my career without being interrupted by injuries. After all, being able to play football will give me the opportunity to win victories and championships."

The traveler nodded. "That makes sense. But, what is the cost?"

Wang Lie was stunned: "Price?"

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"But at what cost?"

Wang Lie looked at the stranger sitting on the sofa, frowned and asked vigilantly.

"cost?"

"Yeah, what's the price? You said it so well before, and you promised me that these two serious injuries would not leave any sequelae, and you also promised me that I would not get seriously injured in my future career... I don't believe you are really so kind. Didn't those novels and movies say that? This is a deal with the devil. Since it's a deal, I have to give something, right? Otherwise, why would you help me?"

The visitor who claimed to be a traveler laughed: "Since you are making a deal with the devil, why aren't you afraid? Not only is it not strange, you are even a little impatient..."

"If you can really do it, I don't care whether you are a devil or an angel. So I want to know what I have to pay for it? Generally speaking, how many years of life do I have to pay for..."

The traveler interrupted him with a smile: "What would you do if you had to sacrifice your entire career for this?"

"As long as my career? How do I know now how long my career will be?"

"So we'll settle the matter when you retire. If you have ten years, you'll have ten less years of life. If you have fifteen years, you'll have fifteen less years of life."

The young Wang Lie did not give an immediate answer. Instead, he looked down at the two shocking scars on his left knee. They were like two ugly centipedes lying there.

Then he said, "Let's do it! I'll do it! With my current status, my career will only last a few years. If I can extend it to ten, or fifteen years... even if I lose fifteen years, it won't be a big loss."

When he said this, he looked at the traveler specifically, as if he was afraid that the other party might worry that he was not sincere enough.

"It's not that there's no loss. There's a big difference between dying at ninety and seventy-five, and there's an even bigger difference between dying at eighty and sixty-five."

"Then I'll do it too!" Wang Lie answered without hesitation and firmly.

Seeing how serious he was, the traveler couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Relax a little, I won't take your life, I'm not interested in that stuff. In fact, I won't take anything from you, but I'll give you something..."

He pointed at Wang Lie's left chest and said, "You will have a never-ending, tireless 'extraordinary heart'. Under its influence, you will pursue victory and success almost abnormally. You cannot tolerate failure and mediocrity. Goals, victories, honors, and championships will not easily satisfy you unless you achieve your ultimate dream. Otherwise, even if you retire, you will only live in regret and dissatisfaction forever, and be unhappy."

After he finished speaking, Wang Lie did not respond immediately. Instead, he waited for a while. Seeing that he did not speak again, he asked in surprise, "That's it?"

The traveler nodded. "That's it. You can call it a 'price' if you like."

After getting the confirmation, Wang Lie smiled: "What's the price? Even if I don't have the 'extraordinary heart' you mentioned, I will always pursue victory and championships. My father and I came to Europe to play football no matter how difficult it was. It's not just to make money. We have a bigger dream. If I don't realize this dream, I won't retire. Even if I retire, I will definitely regret it for the rest of my life. My dream is..."

The traveler suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him: "Stop. Don't say it. I don't care what the dream you want to achieve in the end is. Whatever it is, you just need to know it yourself. Anyway, you can't deceive it."

He reached out and touched Wang Lie's heart.

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"cost?"

Facing the stunned Wang Lie, the traveler jokingly said:

"Yes, it's a price. You have won many championships, you have reached a height that no Asian player has ever reached, you have made the dreams of countless Chinese fans come true, your career is enviable, and you are the 'winner in life' in the hearts of countless people...

"But you don't actually have many friends you can 'open your heart' to; every team you've been with ended up parting ways on bad terms; you have 400 million fans online, but there are even more people who hate you.

"Your success can certainly make them speechless, but you can't be successful forever. Once you come down from the top of the mountain, those who hate you will rush up from all directions to bite you, just like now. Have you checked online? Many people are cheering, saying that even your former teammates are distancing themselves from you, and you have been abandoned by everyone on the Internet..." The traveler spread out his hands.

"At the end of the day, you're just not a likable guy."

Wang Lie answered calmly: "I don't care whether they like me or not, I just want to win."

"Snapped!"

The traveler clapped his hands together. "Yes, that's it! That's it! It tastes just right!"

Then he turned his head and looked at the photo on the wall again: "In 2030, you led Sofia United to win an unprecedented seven championships. At the age of , you also became the 'Ballon d'Or', giving a slap in the face to your former club that looked down on you... The Grand Slam of club honors and personal honors, I thought this would be the pinnacle of your career, but now it seems that your 'extraordinary heart' has not been satisfied."

Wang Lie also slightly raised his head and looked at himself in the photo: "Because this is not my dream, it is just the scenery on the way to my dream."

"Then why did you hang the picture in such a prominent place? You can see it as soon as you enter the door. Isn't it to show off, isn't it out of satisfaction and self-satisfaction?"

Wang Lie shook his head: "No. I just want to remind myself... Since I have done it before, I can definitely do it again."

"Even I can't figure out whether it's because of the 'Extraordinary Heart' or if you are really like this."

The traveler sighed and continued:

"Well, actually, when you just opened the door, I had already taken back your 'Extraordinary Heart'..."

"Didn't I say it? Without that 'Extraordinary Heart', I also...ah?" Wang Lie wanted to emphasize that it was not a price, but after he understood what the traveler said, he was stunned.

"'Extraordinary Heart' was once one of the secrets to your success, but now it has become a poison that tortures you. I guess you not only don't think it is a price, but also feel it is a gift. You were too young at that time, only 20 years old, how could you know that all the gifts of fate actually have a price?"

Wang Lie thought it was ridiculous. He waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, no, don't use this lame joke. Shouldn't your so-called 'extraordinary heart' be a necessary quality for any successful person? Have you ever seen a person who just lays down and plays rotten succeed? As for the poison... I don't think it's poison, it's just a side effect. Didn't you say you are a time traveler? Then if you look at history, anyone who wanted to do something big was not a 'good guy'."

"You're right, Wang Lie. For any person who has accomplished great things in history, their success has a lot of luck involved, but they do have to possess some basic qualities for success, and they are bound to have some character flaws. But is there a possibility that the 'side effects' they exhibit are precisely the result of the influence of the 'extraordinary heart'? Just like you."

The traveler pointed to the photos on the wall and continued:
"Don't you think you're too hard on yourself? For any other player, this is an achievement to be proud of, but you just treat it as a sideshow. Others take the trophy as an honor, but you take it as a whip."

Upon hearing this, Wang Lie frowned and fell into deep thought. The traveler did not urge him and just stood aside.

After a long while, Wang Lie frowned and shook his head and said, "Of course I am proud of my achievements and I am happy that I can receive those honors, but this does not conflict with using past honors as motivation to keep moving forward.

"I know what you mean, but I don't agree with you. You're saying that those successful people are all influenced by the 'extraordinary mind', but I think it's because of them that they have the 'extraordinary mind' - if there is such a thing, it was created by the predecessors, not the predecessors created by it."

The traveler smiled: "Do you want to discuss with me the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Wang Lie shook his head: "No, I won't discuss this with you. In fact, I don't care whether the chicken or the egg came first. I don't know what happened to my predecessors, but I know myself. I really thank you for not letting me get seriously injured after I turned 20. I think that is an important reason for my current achievements. But "Extraordinary Heart"...

"If you really take it back, just take it back. It doesn't matter. It won't have any impact on me. I'm still the same me. I won't want to lie down and rest just because you take it back. Like I told you before, I won't stop until I complete my dream.

"Even if there is such a thing as an 'extraordinary heart', it is my own 'extraordinary heart', not given to me by anyone else."

Before he said the last sentence, he paused and turned his head to look specifically at the traveler.

The traveler recalled that this look was exactly the same as the one Wang Lie had when he thought he was asking for his life as the price, but still nodded to accept it.

At that moment, just like this moment...

Thinking of this, the traveler said: "I came here this time to take back the 'Extraordinary Heart' and end the transaction between us in advance. After all, I think you have done well enough -

"You have changed the ecological niche of Chinese players in the world of football by your own efforts; you have rewritten the 'ethnicity theory' in the football world; you have created unprecedented heights for Asian players; you have paved the way for those who come after you in the wilderness...

"You've done so many great things, but it's not fair if you have to live with regret and self-blame for the rest of your life. At least I don't think you should end up like this."

In fact, it can be heard that the traveler is speaking for Wang Lie, but Wang Lie does not appreciate it: "End? What ending? I haven't decided to retire yet."

The traveler smiled: "I now believe that the 'extraordinary heart' is really yours. It's a pity that although you were born with an 'extraordinary heart', you only have a mortal body..."

"So I want to thank you for saving me from serious injury." Wang Lie was very grateful for this.

The traveler shook his head. "Even if you don't get seriously injured, you're still a mortal. There are indeed very few players in the history of football who have suffered serious injuries, but their talents may not be as good as yours... But whether it's them or you, you can't stop aging, because this is the law of nature. But..."

Having said this, the traveler suddenly fell silent, as if he was lost in some kind of thought.

Wang Lie didn't know what the other party was thinking, so he didn't ask.

In fact, the traveler did not ponder for long. He quickly continued his previous words: "But you see, my existence does not conform to the laws of nature. So, screw the laws of nature."

Wang Lie: “Ah?”

Regardless of Wang Lie's reaction, the traveler continued, "This is my impromptu decision. I decided to give you a gift in the end. Don't worry, it is definitely not a gift with a hidden price tag, and there is no cost or side effects. It is just my personal gratitude for you letting me read such a wonderful inspirational story. Of course, the effect of this gift is not that great. It just provides you with a possibility. What specific effect you can achieve depends on your own efforts."

Wang Lie was stunned. He still hadn't figured out how things had developed to this point.

"I saw someone online saying that you not only refuse to admit defeat, but also refuse to admit that you are old, which is why you are in such an embarrassing situation now. I think what he said makes sense, but... who said you are old?"

The traveler looked at Wang Lie with a smile on his face.

"From now until next year's World Cup, as long as you can score a certain number of goals in official matches - note that friendly matches and warm-up matches don't count - your body functions will be one year younger. But how many years younger you can be depends on how many goals you score in the end."

The traveler's voice echoed in Wang Lie's mind - it was really echoing, making Wang Lie's head buzz.

Unlike the previous time, when Wang Lie heard this sudden stranger say that he could ensure that his left knee, which had been seriously injured twice in two years, would not have any sequelae after recovery, and could also ensure that he would not suffer major injuries in his career, his first reaction was suspicion, suspecting that someone was deliberately trying to make fun of him.

If he hadn't really witnessed the other party's "supernatural powers", he might have picked up his walking stick and kicked the liar out.

And now, with the strong proof of his previous 18 years of professional career, Wang Lie firmly believed what the traveler said.

If this charlatan says he can do it, then he can definitely do it!
That's why his head was buzzing and his heart was pounding.

Because he knew that now he could really reverse time!

If he could really be a few years younger...

Wang Lie couldn't imagine how beautiful the scene would be.

Since he didn't dare to think about it, he just gave up. He just stared at the traveler, and his eyes were even a little scary.

His voice trembled as he asked, "How many goals do I need to be one year younger?"

The traveler shook his head: "I don't know, you have to try it yourself for the exact number..."

Seeing that Wang Lie seemed to have doubts, he explained: "But it certainly won't be a condition that has no meaning to be achieved, such as asking you to score 100 goals to be one year younger. In short, you just focus on scoring goals. Aren't you the best at this? You are the current top scorer?"

Wang Lie asked again: "You have taken back that 'Extraordinary Heart', so is it possible that I will also be seriously injured?"

The traveler waved his hand: "No, it won't. 'Extraordinary Heart' is a side effect. I just eliminated the side effect. Your body will not be seriously injured."

Wang Lie let out a long sigh, then stared at the traveler and said, "If you want to see a good show, then you better watch it carefully."

The traveler smiled: "I'll wait and see. Don't mess up the ending."

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PS, during the new book release period, please collect, vote and read the book, please!
In addition, I can assure you that this book is a very enjoyable one, the kind that is so enjoyable that it makes you feel happy to the heavens~
The beginning may be a bit sad, but that’s because after the opening chapter, there is no chance to be sad anymore…

Please wait and see!
(End of this chapter)