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

Chapter 96 This sweltering summer is finally coming to an end.

The next morning, Ferguson assembled the team in the hotel lobby.

Zhang Kuang appeared in the lobby on time, full of energy and looking relaxed.

Rooney was five minutes late. When he walked in from outside the hotel, his steps were unsteady, his dark circles were so thick they looked like he was wearing makeup, and he looked completely drained.

Ferguson glanced at him and frowned.

"Wayne, what did you do last night?"

"Nothing—nothing much." Rooney yawned. "Just went out for a meal."

"You've had a meal?" Ferguson looked him up and down. "You look like you've just had a meal? You look like you've had too much milk, like you're drunk."

"No, it was just a meal, and then—" Rooney thought for a moment, "and then I chatted with some friends."

"You chatted all night?"

"We had a very pleasant conversation."

Ferguson stared at Rooney for five seconds, then turned to arrogance.

"You went out last night too?"

"No, Boss," Zhang Kuang replied without changing his expression. "I'm working out in the hotel gym."

Ferguson glanced at Zhang Kuang, then at Rooney, and his lips twitched.

He has no evidence, but he has a brain.

"Gather everyone!" Ferguson clapped his hands. "Double the intensity of training today. Everyone will undergo a physical fitness test. Anyone who fails will have their training doubled again tomorrow."

Rooney's face turned pale instantly.

On the training ground, Rooney was being humiliated by Ferguson like a dead dog.

Shuttle runs, sprints, strength training, contact drills—Rooney fell behind in every single one, and was singled out and scolded by Ferguson every time.

"Wayne! Haven't you eaten? Hurry up!"

"Wayne! Are you a striker or a defender? Your sprinting speed is slower than Ferdinand's!"

"Wayne! Did you use up all your energy last night?"

That last sentence made the whole team laugh.

Rooney's face flushed red, but he remained tight-lipped. When Ferguson asked him what he had done the night before, he simply replied, "I went out for dinner and then had a long chat with a friend I got along with."

Ferguson didn't believe it, but he couldn't do anything about it.

After training, Rooney slumped in a chair in the locker room, looking like a lump of mud.

Ferdinand walked over and handed him a bottle of water.

"Bro, what exactly did you do last night?"

Rooney took a sip of water and lowered his voice.

"Leo, I'm telling you, don't tell anyone."

Ferdinand leaned closer.

Rooney only showed Ferdinand a picture of the two women and said nothing else.

Ferdinand's eyes widened in astonishment.

"You mean, those two friends went back to the hotel with you? Holy crap, you spent the whole night with them?"

Rooney smiled smugly, neither admitting nor denying it.

"Why didn't you invite me to such a great opportunity? Why? Especially since you're such a powerful friend?" Ferdinand shook his head. "Aren't you afraid the reporters will take pictures and your wife will find out?"

"You won't get filmed, it's very safe. As for why I didn't call you, brother, this opportunity is limited. It's not that I didn't want to call, it's just that I couldn't make the arrangements."

Rooney said, tilting his chin slightly.

"Who introduced you to them?"

"Well, don't ask about that. I'll definitely invite you next time there's a good gathering, but don't say anything out loud."

"Okay, you must remember to call me."

"Don't worry, brother."

Ferdinand glanced at him but said nothing more.

During dinner, Rooney found Zhang Kuang.

"Zhang, what other ways do you think there are to get me out tonight?"

Zhang Kuang looked at Rooney in surprise: "Wow, you still have energy?"

Rooney: "It's not easy to come all this way, this kind of opportunity is rare."

Zhang Kuang shook his head wildly: "Wayne, is there a way to do this where you just book a room in our hotel and don't need to leave at all?"

Rooney was puzzled: "What? In our hotel? Impossible, this whole building is booked by the club, outsiders can't get in."

""

Zhang Kuang nodded wildly: "Outsiders can't come in, but hotel staff can. I think the workers' room on the second floor is quite tidy."

Rooney still couldn't understand it, and Zhang Kuang was getting increasingly anxious.

"Ah, you mean—" Rooney finally understood: "But that's a hotel staff room, not a guest room."

"Wayne, the West is a society based on personal connections, a society based on tipping, and a capitalist society. In the West, there is nothing that money cannot buy. If there is such a thing, it means you haven't spent enough money."

"Brother, thank you so much. I won't say anything more. From now on, we'll see who's the best on the pitch. I'll cover your assists," Rooney said gratefully.

"Oh, that's too much, that's too much. I was just giving you some advice. Have fun tonight, and remember to go back to your room early in the morning."

OK!

That evening, shortly after 10 p.m., Vidic, who had just taken over as captain of Neville that summer, along with two vice-captains, Ferdinand and Evra, began patrolling the rooms to ensure all team members were at the base. They then went to guard all the exits from the guest room.

"Captain, it's foolproof. Don't worry, Wayne definitely won't be able to escape tonight."

Vidic nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, we can't let him enjoy the benefits while the rest of the team does nothing."

But when midnight came, everyone in the building could faintly hear suppressed screams from a woman and the sound of a bed shaking.

I can hear it in a hazy state, but when I'm fully awake, it's as if I can't hear it at all.

The next morning, Ferguson saw Rooney with his eyes glazed over and immediately flew into a rage.

"Wayne, what were you doing last night? You look so exhausted!"

Rooney: "Huh? I, no, I wasn't doing anything, I was sleeping in my room, Zhang can vouch for that."

Ferguson turned to see the energetic and arrogant Zhang: "Zhang, was Wayne really sleeping in his room last night?"

Zhang Kuang nodded: "Yes, he's here. But he didn't seem to sleep well last night; when I woke up in the middle of the night, he was just sitting there in a daze."

Ferguson: "What happened?"

Rooney looked at Zhang Kuang with a blank expression. "Is that so? Last night I had some free time, and I was practicing shooting all night long, wasn't I?"

Zhang Kuang interrupted, "He probably doesn't know either, because I thought I heard some kind of noise last night, and then I woke up once. I guess Wayne was kept awake by that noise."

"A sound? What sound?" Ferguson asked, puzzled.

Vidic: "Reporting to the boss, there was indeed noise last night, it seemed to be coming from the workers' quarters on the second floor. We didn't sleep well either, we were woken up."

"A sound coming from the maid's room? What's that sound?"

"It sounds like a man and a woman having sex."

"Yes, yes, yes, I think I heard it too. It kept me up all night, and I kept having strange dreams."

"I----"

Ferguson couldn't take it anymore. "Alright, alright, Jason, what kind of supervisor are you? Go talk to the hotel and tell them what's going on, making my team members lose a night's sleep!"

On July 25, Manchester United cut short their North American tour and flew back to Manchester because Ferguson believed that outside distractions prevented his players from concentrating properly.

The summer training camp, which lasted less than two weeks, has officially come to an end. The team members are all cheering and can't wait to go home and reunite with their families. They are athletes, after all, and their training volume is usually very high. They miss home after not being home for so long.

Thanks to the paranormal events in the workers' room on the second floor, and thanks to God for His blessings.

Some of the team members were praying, and Rooney, to avoid being exposed, also pretended to pray.

"Zhang, why don't you pray?" Pogba asked Zhang Kuang.

He waved his hand arrogantly: "We don't believe in God."

"Really? I heard you're atheists?"

"No, it's not atheism either, we—"

On the plane, Zhang Kuang quietly explained the Chinese people's beliefs to Pogba. When Pogba heard that the Chinese believed in God and that they believed they could cultivate themselves into gods, he was stunned.

Then countless questions came to mind.

On the return flight, Ferguson continued to jot down his tactical notes. He was full of confidence for the new season, even though the summer training camp had started strong but ended weakly, the results had exceeded expectations.

After getting off the plane, the Manchester United players were all fine until they saw an extremely beautiful woman across from them bend over and reveal the gifts in her suitcase at the baggage claim area. Everyone was stunned.

Ferguson was filled with envy at this; youth is truly wonderful.

After parting ways at the airport, all the team members couldn't wait to leave, eager to see their families whom they hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhang Kuang breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the villa. The four female reporters he knew had not seen him for more than two months, so they missed him even more. That night, the group gathered together to celebrate.

August marks the final month of the transfer window.

This summer, the transfer market has been exceptionally lively.

After the World Cup, the market value of a large number of players skyrocketed, prompting major clubs to make moves.

The biggest transfer was that of Spanish striker David Villa, who moved from Valencia to Barcelona for 4000 million euros, forming a new attacking line with Messi and Iniesta.

Cesc Fàbregas, the Spanish midfield maestro, did not leave Arsenal this summer. Wenger kept him for another year, but everyone knew that he would eventually go to Barcelona.

Wenger was furious because he had a dream of playing for Barcelona. Why couldn't he just scoff at Real Madrid and Barcelona like he did?

But ultimately, not everyone is called arrogant!

Chelsea has been making significant moves within the Premier League.

They attempted to poach Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool for a staggering £5000 million, causing a sensation in the football world, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.

In addition, they signed Brazilian midfielder Ramirez from Benfica, center-back David Luiz from Internacional, and offloaded a number of players including Ballack, Deco, Joe Cole, Carvalho, Belletti, and Zhirkov.

Abramovich's checkbook is open again, and Chelsea's squad is completely refreshed.

It's just that it's hard to say how effective this kind of violent shakeout will be. Just like in the stock market, a violent shakeout, if not controlled properly, can sometimes lead to a collapse.

Manchester City continued their big-spending football, signing Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré from Barcelona, ​​Spanish winger David Silva from Valencia, German center-back Jerome Boateng from Hamburg, and Italian striker Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan.

These few signings alone cost over £100 million, and Manchester City's goal is clear: to qualify for the Champions League and even challenge for the Premier League title.

Liverpool's moves have also been significant.

They signed Joe Cole from Chelsea on a free transfer, defender Konchesky from Fulham, and striker Raul Meireles from Porto.

But what's most noteworthy is their sale of Fernando Torres, who transferred to Chelsea for £5000 million. This move, along with the departure of Torres, has significantly weakened Liverpool's attacking strength.

Arsenal have been relatively quiet, with Wenger remaining the same shrewd and calculating player, only signing defender Koscielny from Lorient and making almost no other reinforcements.

Although Fabregas hasn't left, his heart is no longer with him.

Tottenham Hotspur were one of the most active Premier League teams in the summer transfer window, signing goalkeeper Gomez from Cruzeiro and midfielder Sandro from Palmeiras. Both signings were targeted, with Redknapp aiming for Champions League qualification.

Other Premier League teams are also making significant moves, with Newcastle and Sunderland among those actively strengthening their squads.

In La Liga, besides Villa's transfer to Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid signed German midfielder Khedira from Stuttgart and defender Carvalho from Chelsea, while offloading a number of veterans including Raul, Guti, and Metzelder. Mourinho's arrival has brought a new look to Real Madrid, and they aim to challenge Barcelona's dominance in La Liga.

In Serie A, Inter Milan's legendary manager Jose Mourinho left for Real Madrid, and Rafael Benítez took over.

They wanted to sign striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona, ​​but the Swede quickly moved to AC Milan. AC Milan, in turn, signed striker Ibrahimovic and defender Thiago Silva from Barcelona, ​​significantly strengthening their attacking line.

Juventus had planned to rebuild around their arrogance, but Ferguson poached some of their key players. However, they still needed to rebuild, so they signed midfielder Pepe from Udinese and striker Quagliarella from Sampdoria.

Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga has largely maintained a stable squad, making only minor adjustments, signing German midfielder Marin from Werder Bremen and goalkeeper Butt from Bayer Leverkusen.

In Ligue 1, Auxerre has lost its ferocity and suffered a major blow.

Teams like Lyon and Marseille are actively strengthening their squads in an attempt to reclaim the league title as Auxerre declines.

Media reporters are very busy every day. The month when news is flying everywhere is the perfect opportunity for them to fish in troubled waters. They can make a lot of money by fabricating a transfer news story. Every reporter is working hard to do so.

This resulted in Zhang Kuangcai only spending three days with the four female reporters before they flew away for work.

In the end, Zhang Kuang had no choice but to secretly return to Paris, and the three members of the Middle Eastern study group in France also happened to return to Paris from the Middle East.

After chatting about their recent situations, Lina asked Zhang Kuang, "Zhang, now that you're living in Manchester, would you like us to introduce you to some of your friends who are studying in the UK? They've been asking around about you for a while now."

arrogant: "Huh? Your members are all over Europe?"

Aisa: "Yes, 1.5 of the 50 million young women in the Middle East are members of our team. They are all progressive women in the Middle East."

Zhang Kuang: "Progress? Ha, well, it is indeed quite progress. You know, I always value character when making friends, so don't bring me people who like to cause trouble."

Matilda: "Do you think we're the kind of people who lack class?"

Zhang Kuang: "It's great. It's really nice to be able to meet so many like-minded friends."