Soccer: If they're using these kinds of cheats, what's the point of training?

Marina: "Zhang, congratulations on winning the game, and congratulations on scoring four goals and winning Man of the Match. Did you hear what Sir Alex Ferguson said about you? Would you consider joining Manchester United?"

Arrogant: "What did Sir Alex Ferguson say? I have no idea!"

Marina then relayed Ferguson's words, and Zhang Kuang listened and nodded along.

Zhang Kuang: "First of all, I am very grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson for recognizing my abilities. I think any player in the world would want to receive such recognition, because it is an honor, especially since it was said by Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the world's top coaches."

Regarding transfers, who knows? It's too early to talk about that now. I'm currently a player for Auxerre, and I don't want to discuss future transfers right now. It would seem unprofessional and wouldn't be well-received by my current club.

Marina nodded, and her man behaved very professionally.

"So what are your impressions of Manchester United? What are your thoughts on the opportunity to work with Sir Alex Ferguson?"

Zhang Kuang: "Manchester United is one of the greatest clubs on the planet, and joining Manchester United is an honor for many top players. To work with Sir Alex Ferguson is an even greater honor. Although I've heard he was very strict with his players, it was all for the honor of the team and the players."

But many things are hypothetical, and talking too much about hypotheticals can lead to misunderstandings. As I said, I don't want to say too much about transfers or other clubs; I don't want to distract myself from my current focus. Thank you, and please don't bring up similar questions again.

Marina: "I understand now..."

This can be seen as a way of defining Zhang Sheng's current situation regarding the numerous rumors linking him to various clubs. He hasn't won the Golden Boot or the championship yet, so why is he already talking about transfers?

After his arrogant response, the media stopped paying much attention to this aspect of his news.

Even the people at Auxerre Football Club agree with Zhang Kuang, which shows that Zhang Kuang has not lost himself and has a very clear understanding of himself.

-

February 13, afternoon, Auxerre, Abe Deschamps Stadium press room.

The pre-match press conference for Auxerre's home game against Rennes in the 24th round of Ligue 1.

Fernandez sat in the main seat, with a bottle of water and two glasses in front of him. The press room was packed with reporters, almost twice as many as usual—not because Auxerre vs. Rennes was a clash of titans, but because tomorrow was Chinese New Year, and Auxerre had the most watched Chinese player in Ligue 1.

The first question came from a reporter from the French newspaper L'Équipe.

"Mr. Fernandez, tomorrow is Chinese New Year. Will Zhang Kuang be in the starting lineup?"

Fernandez glanced at the reporter and said expressionlessly, "As long as he's healthy, he'll be in the starting lineup. You don't need to ask me that question."

A low chuckle rippled through the audience.

"Tomorrow is Chinese New Year. Is there anything you'd like to say to Zhang Kuang? Or to Chinese fans?"

Fernandez was silent for two seconds, and then he did something that no one expected.

He looked up, clasped his hands in front of the microphone, and said in Chinese, "Happy New Year, wishing you prosperity."

The pronunciation wasn't quite standard; the word "wealth" sounded a bit like "vegetables," but every word was pronounced clearly.

The press room was silent for a second, then burst into laughter and applause.

"This is one of the few Chinese phrases I know," Fernandez said, switching back to French, his expression still calm. "Zhang Kuang taught me. He said it's one of the most common New Year's greetings in China. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Zhang Kuang a Happy New Year, and also wish all Chinese fans a Happy New Year."

He paused.

"Zhang Kuang is an important player for us, and he has made a huge contribution to the team. I know that Chinese fans are paying attention to him and to Auxerre. I want to say to you all – thank you for your support, we will continue to work hard."

The reporters took notes quickly.

A Chinese reporter stood up, his voice trembling with excitement: "Mr. Fernandez, you just said 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' (Wishing you prosperity) in Chinese. Did you prepare that specifically for today's press conference?"

"It wasn't something I prepared on purpose," Fernandez said. "After training yesterday, I asked Zhang Kuang, 'Tomorrow is your New Year, what should I say?' and he taught me this phrase. I asked what 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' meant, and he said it means 'I wish you wealth.'"

Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

"So," Fernandez said with a rare smile, "I wish everyone wealth."

The atmosphere in the press room was more relaxed than ever before.

But soon, the topic returned to the competition.

"Rennes are currently eighth in the standings. Their defense is very solid; they've only conceded 22 goals in 22 league matches, making them the third-best team in Ligue 1 in terms of goals conceded." A reporter from *France Football* flipped through the data. "Do you think Auxerre will be able to score in this match?"

Fernandez's expression turned serious again.

"Rennes' defense is indeed very good. Their center-back pairing works together seamlessly, and their goalkeeper is also top-class in Ligue 1. But... as everyone knows, we have arrogance."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and raised an eyebrow at everyone.

"As long as Zhang Kuang is on the field, we have a chance to score."

"Aren't you worried that Rennes will take special defensive measures against the arrogance? For example, multiple players surrounding them, or aggressive tackles?"

"Every team has adopted specific defensive measures against him," Fernandez said, "but so far, no team has successfully contained him."

He glanced at his watch.

"Okay, one last question."

"Mr. Fernandez," a British journalist stood up, "how long do you think this arrogance will last in Auxerre?"

The press room fell silent. Fernandez looked at the reporter and remained silent for a few seconds.

"That's his business, not mine," he said. "I'm only responsible for his performance on the field right now. As for where he goes in the future—that's his choice, and I respect that choice."

He stood up and left, and then it was time for Rennes manager Frederic Antonetti's interview.

Reporter: "Mr. Antonetti, how do you plan to prevent arrogance tomorrow?"

Antonetti: "We already have a strategy to prevent Zhang from scoring easily again. We are not a lower-tier team; our defense is very good. I believe that as Ligue 1 teams become more familiar with Zhang, it will become increasingly difficult for him to score."

Could you elaborate on your strategy?

"Sorry, tactics are confidential."

"..."

It was 2 PM Beijing time on February 14, 2010, Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year. At 7 AM Paris time, in his apartment in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, Zhang Kuang sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of hot tea, watching the Eiffel Tower gradually light up with golden light in the morning sun.

This is his first Spring Festival after time travel.

There were no firecrackers, no New Year's Eve dinner, and no background noise from the Spring Festival Gala. Paris outside the window was as quiet as a city that had been muted, with only the occasional sound of passing cars and the distant chimes of church bells.

He took out his phone and opened Weibo.

With 3870 million followers, he went from an ordinary person to a football star with tens of millions of followers in just over a month. It seems that there are too few football stars in China, so once someone makes it, they can reap the benefits of the entire market.

He looked at the constantly changing numbers, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then began typing.

Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters back home! I'm sending you my New Year greetings from Paris.

He paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then continued writing.

"I can't go back to China for the Chinese New Year this year, but my heart is with you all. I wish you all good health, all the best, and that all your wishes come true in the new year."

I also wish all Chinese football fans—regardless of who you support, criticize, love, or hate—a happy, peaceful, and joyful New Year.

He checked it over and, thinking it was about right, added one more sentence:

"By the way, today is Ligue 1 Round 24, Auxerre is playing Rennes at home. I'll try my best to score a goal, consider it a New Year's gift for you all."

The message was sent, and within 30 seconds, comments flooded in.

"Hey Zhang Kuang, Happy New Year! Take care of yourself in Paris, and try not to sleep with too many girls!"

"Good luck in today's game! Score three for them, and tonight you'll sleep with four of their women!"

"I've received your New Year's greetings, and I'll be watching TV right away!"

"Zhang Kuang, aren't you going home for the New Year? Oh right, you don't have a home anymore... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up... Keep going! You're our pride!"

"It's not easy being alone out there, take good care of yourself."

"Arrogant, I admire your performance on the court, but I dare not let my son be a fan of you. How could you sleep with four women at once? This image is too bad. What if my son is proud of you... I don't even want to think about it."

"OP, if your son has the audacity to sleep with four women at once, you should be happy."

"..."

Zhang Kuang stopped scrolling through the comments, instead scrolling through his contacts, finding Wu Guohua's number, and dialing it.

The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"Coach Wu, Happy New Year," Zhang Kuang said.

"Hey, you're so arrogant! Happy New Year!" Wu Guohua's voice was laced with laughter, accompanied by the sounds of a television and the clinking of dishes in the background. "How are you spending the New Year all alone in France?"

"I was planning to take my teammates out to a Chinese restaurant last night, but we have a game today, so we can't eat and drink too much. Tonight, I'll take them to Chinatown for Chinese food and let them experience the atmosphere of Chinese New Year."

"Haha, yes, yes, that's the right thing to do. We need to get along well with our teammates and promote Chinese culture at the same time."

Zhang laughed wildly: "Alright, I'll do as you say."

"By the way, I'm rooting for you in today's match. Rennes isn't a particularly strong team, so play well and score a few more goals."

"Coach Wu, please don't put pressure on me."

"Pressure?" Wu Guohua laughed on the other end of the phone. "You play in Ligue 1 all by yourself, facing stadiums with tens of thousands of people without fear. Why would you be afraid of this little bit of pressure from me?"

The two chatted for a few minutes before hanging up.

After packing up and having breakfast, it's time to drive to the base.

-