After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

For Yan Yuan, July 2021 was a month intertwined with personal fulfillment and witnessing the changes of the times.

After reaching the pinnacle of European football, being crowned captain of the national team, and receiving the Royal Order, he achieved another crucial milestone in his life.

Yan Yuan is about to graduate with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Imperial College London.

Although for the past three years, he has devoted most of his energy to the pinnacle of professional football, traveling all over the world.

But he never relaxed his academic requirements.

Through efficient online courses, self-directed after-class review, and close online communication with tutors and teaching assistants.

Despite the intense training and competition breaks, Yan Yuan managed to complete his demanding studies and achieved an astonishing GPA.

This fully demonstrates his extraordinary time management skills, intellectual talent, and amazing self-discipline.

Imperial College London, a world-renowned top university, is also proud of this special student.

Given the special circumstances around the world, this year's graduation ceremony adopted a hybrid online and offline format.

However, the school extended a sincere invitation to Yan Yuan to attend in person and bestowed upon him a great honor—to speak at the ceremony as a representative of the graduates.

On graduation day, Imperial College London's auditorium was filled with graduates in academic gowns and some of their family and friends.

Today is a very special day.

Imperial College London's graduation ceremony was broadcast live online to the world.

Besides alumni of the school,

Countless fans and curious members of the public flocked in, all eager to catch a glimpse of the football superstar in the academic hall.

When Yan Yuan, dressed in a black academic gown and wearing a square cap, walked into the auditorium with the other graduates, a long and enthusiastic round of applause rang out.

The screen was flooded with comments.

"It's great to see Yan Shen grow from a Bundesliga starlet three years ago to the captain of England today. It feels like watching my son grow up."

"Yan Shen looks so handsome in his graduation gown today."

"It's amazing how three years have passed."

"What a pity, I'm also from Imperial College London, but I won't graduate until next year, so I can only watch it online."

……

The applause from the audience was not only an affirmation of Yan Yuan's academic achievements, but also an expression of admiration for his ability to balance two extreme fields.

His family.

Yan's father, Yan's mother, and Lin Jianwei sat in the front row of the audience, applauding for Yan Yuan.

After the principal's address and speeches by department leaders, it was finally time for graduate representative Yan Yuan to take the stage.

He walked steadily onto the podium and adjusted the microphone.

Unlike his domineering and flamboyant demeanor on the court, he appeared calm and humble at this moment.

He glanced at the outline in his hand, then looked down at the audience, his gaze sweeping over his teachers and classmates before finally settling on his family, where he gave them a warm smile.

"Respected Principal, Professors, Distinguished Guests, and Dear Students, Good afternoon."

The clear and composed opening instantly captured everyone's attention.

"Standing here as a representative of the graduates to speak, I feel incredibly honored, and also... a little nervous."

He paused humorously, eliciting good-natured laughter from the audience.

"After all, it seems to take more courage to give a speech in front of so many brilliant minds than to kick a penalty kick in front of 90,000 people."

After a lighthearted opening, he got to the point.

"Three years ago, when I decided to pursue computer science at Imperial College while continuing my professional football career, many people thought I was crazy, or at least overly optimistic."

Yan Yuan smiled.

"But I must admit that there have been many nights when, after intense training and competitions, I doubted myself in the face of complex algorithms and endless literature. Many people have helped me get to where I am today."

"First of all, I would like to express my special thanks to my department head, Professor Chris." He looked at an elderly professor in the audience with gray hair and a pleased smile.

"When I missed in-person discussions because of Champions League away games, Professor Chris patiently answered my questions via video conference; when my academic progress was affected by the busy season, he gave me the greatest understanding and support and helped me develop a flexible study plan."

He made me believe that the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive.

Professor Chris nodded and applauded with satisfaction.

"Secondly, I would like to thank all the teachers at Imperial College who taught me, as well as my classmates who fought alongside me in the online courses."

Although many of us don't meet often in real life, we've had countless intellectual exchanges in virtual classrooms and forums, which has benefited me immensely.

Then, his tone became exceptionally gentle, and his gaze fell on Lin Jianwei in the audience.

"Of course, the person I need to thank the most is a special person. She is not only my lover, but also my 'private teaching assistant' at Imperial College London." As soon as she said this, a knowing laugh and applause broke out in the room, and the camera focused on Lin Jianwei, whose cheeks were slightly flushed and whose face was beaming with smiles.

"When I was struggling with code and memory management, she explained things to me in the simplest way possible, drawing diagrams; when I was troubled by complex projects late at night, she stayed by my side, brought me coffee, and debugged the code with me." Yan Yuan's voice was full of affection.

"Dear Ms. Lin Jianwei, thank you. Without your patience, wisdom, and encouragement, I might have been driven to the brink of giving up by the recursive function long ago. Your presence has allowed me to always find my way in the sea of ​​code."

This emotionally intelligent and loving confession drew the loudest applause and cheers from the audience.

In the audience, Lin Jianwei also applauded her beloved Xiao Yan with tears in her eyes.

The live stream chat was flooded with well wishes.

"It is too sweet!"

"A truly academically gifted couple!"

"Give me a kiss right now!"...

Finally, Yan Yuan concluded.

"During my three years at Imperial College, I learned more than just programming languages, algorithms, and system design. More importantly, I learned how to manage my time more efficiently, how to switch between different fields of thinking, and how to face challenges and persevere."

These qualities also help me better read the game and make decisions on the field. Knowledge and sports may seem like two parallel lines, but on the path to excellence, they lead to the same goal.

"Today, we graduate. But the code for our lives has only just begun to be compiled. May we all carry the knowledge, friendships, and courage we've gained here to create our own wonderful, bug-free lives! Thank you!"

After finishing his speech, Yan Yuan bowed deeply to the audience.

"Splash splash splash..."

Thunderous applause erupted in the auditorium.

His speech was humorous, sincere, and full of gratitude, yet profound, perfectly showcasing his dual charm as a top athlete and an outstanding graduate.

Then, to the accompaniment of solemn music, Yan Yuan went on stage and received his degree certificate from the principal.

At this moment, he completed an extremely important coronation in his life.

He is not only a football legend who wrote his own legend on the pitch, but also an Imperial College student who opened the door to science with his wisdom.

……

However, just as Yan Yuan was immersed in the joy of his academic achievements, and fans were amazed by his success in both academics and sports, an earthquake that could change the landscape was quietly taking place on the other side of the world football scene and quickly swept across the globe.

July in Barcelona should be a sunny holiday season, but a heavy cloud hangs over Camp Nou.

After weeks of arduous and complex negotiations.

Barcelona Football Club President Laporta held an emergency press conference.

Today, the atmosphere at the press conference was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

There were no flowers, no throngs of fans, only a handful of invited media outlets, club executives, and some player representatives.

Messi, the legendary player in Barcelona's history, sat in the center of the press conference wearing a simple suit, his eyes filled with indescribable complex emotions.

This feeling is hard to explain and difficult to describe.

On the stage, Laporta made a stern announcement.

"Despite the tremendous efforts of the club and the player himself, we are unable to complete the contract renewal registration with Lionel Messi due to La Liga's strict Financial Fair Play regulations and salary cap restrictions, as well as the club's own insurmountable financial difficulties."

Today, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that Messi will no longer play for Barcelona.

Despite prior rumors, the official confirmation still caused global shock.

Ultimately, Barcelona's financial situation was only one of the reasons for Messi's departure.

Another reason is that Barcelona suffered two consecutive humiliating defeats at the hands of Arsenal, and Messi felt that he could not see a future at Barcelona.

It can only be said that there are both subjective and objective reasons.

After Laporta finished speaking, Messi took the stage and spoke, his voice choked with emotion.

"My whole life has been here... I never thought I would leave this way. I did everything I could to stay... but in the end, things didn't go as we hoped."

He didn't criticize too much, but the disappointment and reluctance in his words broke the hearts of countless Barcelona fans watching on screen.

Compared to the grand farewell ceremonies held by the club when legends like Pique, Xavi, and Iniesta left, and the tearful goodbyes of the entire stadium.

Messi's farewell was marked only by this hasty and quiet small press conference.

There were no deafening shouts of "Messi! Messi!", no giant tifo bearing his name, no final run with the ball on the Camp Nou pitch...

This farewell, criticized by outsiders as "lacking respect," has become an indelible stain on the history of the Barcelona club.

This has completely infuriated Barcelona fans worldwide.

"Messi just left like that? Barcelona's actions are shameless!"

"Laporta, come out and take your punishment! A sinner for all time! Is this how you treat the greatest player in the team's history?"

"Not even a proper farewell ceremony? I'm speechless! Xavi, Iniesta, and Pique all got one, but Messi doesn't deserve it?"

"Financial difficulties are understandable, but this is incredibly dishonest! It has chilled the hearts of all the players and fans!"

"The king of Camp Nou didn't even get a decent exit... Laporta, have some decency!"

"At least 30% of the responsibility for Messi leaving Barcelona lies with that guy surnamed Yan at Arsenal."

"Regarding the password, just say it's your family's Confucian scholar, why are you dragging my Yan Shen into this?"

"Yan Shen does have to take responsibility, because if Ru doesn't leave, and Arsenal thrashes Barcelona again in the new season, he won't even be able to hold a farewell press conference."

"Which club will Messi go to next? He probably won't leave one of the top five leagues so soon."

"He won't leave the top five leagues, but he definitely won't go to the Premier League. The Bundesliga can't afford his salary, and Serie A is out of the question. I reckon he'll go to PSG. As it stands, PSG is the only one of the top five leagues that can afford his salary."

……

On social media, #GraciasMessi and #LaportaOut became trending topics.

Fans posted classic moments from Messi's Barcelona career to express their gratitude and reluctance to part with him, while also criticizing the club's management with the most vehement words.

"21 years of loyalty, and it can't even earn you a farewell match? Barcelona, ​​you've let down your legend!"

"Laporta destroyed Barcelona's DNA! Messi shouldn't have left like this!"

"This is one of the ugliest farewells in football history!"

Amidst immense public pressure and controversy, this transfer that shocked the world was swiftly completed.

Messi's next destination is Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.

He's going to find his old friend Neymar.

Paris Saint-Germain Football Club has officially announced the signing of Lionel Messi on a free transfer.

One of the two greatest football stars of all time, in the twilight of his career, he bid farewell to the club he had served for 21 years in a controversial and regrettable way, moving to the Parc des Princes in Paris.

This July, Yan Yuan achieved great success in the academic arena, witnessing the continuous advancement of his personal career.

Messi's forced departure from where his dream began marks a tragic turning point in a football era.

The contrast between the two highlights the unpredictability and ruthlessness of the football world.

But in any case, the wheels of history continue to roll forward.

Yan Yuan and his Arsenal will soon face a Barcelona without Messi in the new season, as well as a Paris Saint-Germain with the most luxurious lineup in history, featuring Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe.