Chapter Twenty-Three: Will He Make an Appearance?

Northumberland is situated in the northeastern suburbs of Newcastle. It is home to upscale residential communities and is famously known as Newcastle's affluent district. Those who can afford to settle there are either incredibly wealthy or of high social standing.

Beyond these luxury residential areas, Northumberland also houses a high-tech professional football training base belonging to Tyne Football Club, known as Northumberland Football City. It takes less than twenty minutes to drive from the residential estates to the training complex. Many Tyne players reside in Northumberland, but do not assume they chose the area simply because it is close to the training base. In fact, the cause-and-effect relationship is quite the opposite: a large number of Tyne players chose to live in this prestigious neighborhood first, and Northumberland Football City was built later.

After the Middle Eastern oil capital acquired Tyne, besides waving their checkbook to buy players from all over the world and turning the club into "Public Enemy No. 1" in England, they immediately initiated an overhaul of the club's hardware facilities. Tyne’s original training base was in Kenton Lane, located slightly north-northwest of Newcastle's city center, relatively close to their home ground, Leazes Park Stadium. This was the case for most historic English football clubs—the training base and the stadium were rarely far apart. Some training grounds were even located right next to the stadium, carved out from the land during the stadium's construction.

However, with the rapid professionalization of football, most Premier League clubs relocated and rebuilt their training facilities. After all, a professional training base now requires far more components than a vacant lot beside a stadium could ever accommodate. Tyne's Kenton training base was built when the Premier League was first established, placing it at the mainstream average at the time. By the time the Middle Eastern owners acquired the club, the main facilities had not been updated for twenty years and were severely behind the times.

The new owners were faced with two choices: expand and renovate the existing base, or start from scratch and build a more luxurious and advanced facility at a new location. Unsurprisingly, the deep-pocketed Tyne club chose the latter. Considering that most of the players already lived in Northumberland, the wealthy owners simply decided to place the new training base there—much like a company moving its headquarters right next to an employee residential district for the sake of convenience. Although this significantly increased the budget, it did not matter; the suddenly wealthy Tyne had no honors, no achievements, no status... they had nothing, except for money.

After three years of site selection and two years of construction, the five-star training base, named "Northumberland Football City," was put into operation just last summer, in time for the team’s pre-season training. It could be said that Tyne prepared for the new season within this complex, though looking at the team's performance this season, one wonders how many people feel it was a waste.

This spectacular training base includes a regulation football pitch with night lighting that can accommodate 24,000 spectators, serving as the home ground for Tyne’s youth teams, reserve team, and the women's team—this stadium alone is larger and better equipped than the home grounds of some Championship clubs. It also features a main office building and two auxiliary wings. Inside, there are five-star hotel-standard rooms for all first-team and youth players, as well as an advanced fitness center, a medical and rehabilitation center, an entertainment center with various amenities, a media center for press conferences, tactical analysis rooms, and meeting rooms. There are four restaurants, two of which are open to the public, while the other two are private, with one reserved exclusively for first-team players and coaching staff.

The main office building and the two auxiliary wings divide the base into two halves: the southern side for the first team and reserves, and the northern side for the youth and women’s teams. There are seven full-size eleven-a-side football pitches, three of which are for the exclusive use of the first team; two are natural grass, and the third is an indoor pitch with top-tier artificial turf. Additionally, there are several non-standard training pitches, basketball courts, tennis courts, badminton courts, a table tennis hall, and a swimming pool.

Tyne’s first team, reserves, youth squads, some junior teams, and the women’s teams all train and play in this magnificent, modern football city. The scale truly earns the title of a "City," though calling it a "Sports City" might be more accurate. This training base is not only top-tier in the Premier League but also stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the facilities of the elite giants in the Bundesliga and La Liga.

Therefore, even though the Middle Eastern capital spent a lot of money foolishly on transfers, drawing complaints from rival fans, Tyne’s own supporters are quite satisfied with these wealthy owners. Even if the Middle Eastern capital were to withdraw in the future, this European-class training base would remain a precious asset for the club, benefiting them for many years to come. From the reckless investment in fixed assets like the training base, it is clear that these oil magnates are not just here for a fleeting hobby.

***

CCTV reporter Guo Xuequan sat on a sofa chair, shifting his body. With his movement, the chair let out a squeak—the sound of leather being compressed and rubbed. He gently stroked the leather armrest and let out a groan of envy and jealousy: "Those filthy rich guys! It’s actual leather!"

Most media centers at other clubs have ordinary chairs, some even using folding chairs. In the media center of Northumberland Football City, not only are they all sofa chairs, but they are genuine leather! The texture is fine and soft, and the back of each chair features an embroidered pattern of the Tyne club crest. The double-row stitching is uniform, and the details display pure luxury, making one feel less like they are at a press conference and more like they are sitting in the first-class lounge of an airline owned by Middle Eastern royalty.

Beside him, Liu Zhong, a colleague from the domestic sports platform Yunxun.com, was equally stunned by his surroundings. He looked around and sighed, "The aesthetic of those Middle Eastern oil tycoons is truly... if you didn't tell me, I would have thought this was the Golden Hall in Vienna..."

Having been stationed in the UK for a long time and traveling far and wide, these two journalists had seen it all. Yet, they were still rendered speechless by the "extravagant" and "tacky" nature of Tyne’s wealth. It wasn't just them; at this very moment, many other Chinese reporters in the media center were marveling at everything they saw and touched, exclaiming in wonder like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. But they could not be blamed for their lack of exposure—even their English colleagues had the same reaction when they first arrived. In the face of "monetary power," people from all over the world are the same; no one is more sophisticated than the next.

Northumberland Football City had only been in operation for half a season, and the novelty had not yet worn off for many English reporters, let alone the Chinese ones. Newcastle is not the center of English football and has no high-profile team, so they rarely visited. It was only recently, with the joining of Wang Lie, that the number of Chinese reporters here began to increase.

Guo Xuequan gently pinched the armrest and shook his head, sighing: "Look at this luxurious training base, then look at Tyne's record in the Premier League over the past few years. I feel it's such a waste for those rich guys... They spent so much money, it’s worse than throwing it into the water. At least throwing it into the water would make a splash and a sound. They, on the other hand, didn't even get a splash! All that money just vanished into thin air..."

Liu Zhong also felt a sting of pain—if only that money had been given to him! But he was more worried about the club’s future: "The rich guys' money didn't come from the wind, either. If the results don't improve, there's no reason for them to keep playing this game, right? The online rumors that Tyne is a 'slaughterhouse' scam aren't entirely baseless... Spending so much money with zero effect is just ridiculous!"

The Middle Eastern capital had acquired Tyne six years ago. Excluding investments in infrastructure and other hardware, the money spent on buying players alone exceeded 800 million pounds, nearing 1 billion euros! If it weren't for UEFA's latest Financial Fair Play regulations allowing clubs to deduct expenditures on new stadium construction, renovations, and women's football projects from their transfer spending, they would have been sanctioned many times over.

From this perspective, perhaps Tyne's reckless construction of this "insanely luxurious" training base was primarily for "balancing the books." As for providing better training conditions to improve team performance... that seems more like a "side effect."

Guo Xuequan said: "It is rumored that the contract Wang Lie signed with Tyne is only a short-term, eighteen-month deal. So what happens later doesn't really matter. Wang Lie clearly just wanted to find a team where he could maintain his match fitness before the World Cup..."

Liu Zhong also found it incredible: "Wang Lie actually wants to play in another World Cup... Wasn't that just a meme started by netizens? I didn't expect him to actually turn that meme into reality... He will be thirty-nine next year. Even if he participates, what can he do? A mascot for the locker room? A cheerleader on the bench? I don't think Wang Lie would accept such an arrangement. If he ends up clashing with He Zhenyong... infighting hurts the team's combat effectiveness!"

"Don't even mention infighting. Look at the current World Cup qualifiers; Coach He hasn't called up Wang Lie for a single match, and look at the state of public opinion back home. And they haven't even had an open conflict yet..." Guo Xuequan sighed. "With Wang Lie's current performance, it's hard not to admit he's getting old!"

Liu Zhong said: "Well, Wang Lie's fans have their say, too. They argue that Heldon didn't give Wang Lie a systematic, normal game time, so how could he possibly have good form? So it's not that Wang Lie refuses to admit he's aging, but that he hasn't been given the chance to prove he isn't old yet. I actually think that makes sense. The past half-season hasn't been normal for Wang Lie, and many of the opinions and criticisms formed under abnormal conditions—whether they were mocking him, joking about him, or criticizing him—have been unfair to him."

Guo Xuequan nodded in agreement: "That's true. So, coming to Tyne is Wang Lie's last chance to prove himself. He was specifically requested by manager McNeil, so he will certainly get opportunities, and there will surely be tactical support... If he still performs poorly then, there will be nothing left to say. Actually, there's no need to wait for the World Cup. Once this season ends, half a season will be enough to tell the story. Everyone will see what a thirty-eight-year-old Wang Lie can still produce. If he really can't perform, even if Coach He completely excludes him from the national team roster, the resistance from public opinion will likely be much smaller."

Hearing this, Liu Zhong suddenly had a thought. He looked left and right, then leaned in and lowered his voice: "So, do you hope Wang Lie performs well, or poorly?"

Guo Xuequan didn't expect such a question; it was too difficult to answer. Personally, of course, he hoped Wang Lie would perform well and slap the faces of the English media who mocked him and doubted him. But from the perspective of the national team's greater good, he didn't want Wang Lie to bring any shock or instability to a team that had already achieved stability. The World Cup is next year, and the Chinese national team needs stability and unity, not a superstar falling from the sky...

But no matter which answer he chose, it seemed prone to triggering debate. Reason and logic were meaningless on this topic. Just as Guo Xuequan was struggling with how to respond, the side door of the media center was pushed open. All eyes were drawn to it, and the noisy, market-like hall fell silent.

Guo Xuequan and Liu Zhong also shifted their focus to the side door. In the gaze of everyone, Tyne's press officer, Connor Plant, walked in first. Following him was team manager Sam McNeil. Finally, the person who was the reason so many Chinese and foreign reporters had gathered here today—Wang Lie—stepped in. This was his first appearance at a press conference since joining Tyne. Seeing Wang Lie, a stir went through the media hall, but it was quickly suppressed. They simply locked their eyes on him, their necks turning to follow his footsteps.

After all three were seated on the stage, press officer Connor Plant announced the start of the routine midweek press conference, beginning with manager McNeil providing a brief overview of the team's situation for the first half of the week, such as current injury concerns and adjustments made after their previous loss. These were not the highlights, however; all the reporters were waiting for the open Q&A session.

Sure enough, as soon as Plant opened the floor for questions, a forest of arms shot up in the hall. Plant didn't even pick; he just pointed to one at random. The lucky winner was a reporter from BBC Radio 5 Live, though his question did not seem very friendly:

"Mr. McNeil, since Wang joined the team, there hasn't been any ceremony. Is this out of concern for the fans' opposition to this transfer?"

McNeil frowned upon hearing this, his expression one of confusion—what kind of question was this? You were the first one called upon, and you ask this garbage?

Wang Lie, sitting next to him, didn't get angry at all. Instead, he grinned. Ah, what a nostalgic feeling... Fighting with heaven, fighting with earth, fighting with people—the joy is infinite!

He pressed his hand on McNeil's arm and said to him, "Let me answer that."

Leaning forward slightly toward the microphone, he looked at the BBC 5 Live reporter and said, "I guess if I say it's because I didn't want to disrupt the team's normal training rhythm and voluntarily gave up the welcome ceremony the club prepared for me, you'll still write in your news report that this is just an excuse I used to hide my embarrassment, right?"

The reporter tried to defend himself, but Wang Lie cut him off directly: "It's fine, you don't have to say it now. I'll just wait to see your news report to know if you'll do that. It's not like you haven't done things like this before. Have I wronged you, BBC 5 Live?"

The fire in the very first exchange of the press conference was so intense that Liu Zhong and Guo Xuequan exchanged glances before leaning in to whisper to each other.

Liu Zhong: "Damn, the same old formula, the same old taste! Wang Lie is still the same Wang Lie... He absolutely refuses to beat around the bush if he can just go head-to-head!"

Guo Xuequan: "But I'm worried. In the past, Wang Lie could be this aggressive because his results were good and his performance was convincing. Now that he's still being this aggressive with the media, if his performance doesn't pick up, he's going to bury himself! This isn't smart..."

Liu Zhong: "Well, isn't that just the kind of person Wang Lie is? How could he ever consider those things? If he could be smarter when facing the media, he wouldn't have so many hit pieces written about him..."

Guo Xuequan: "Actually, I can understand why Wang Lie does this; it's just a path dependency. Before, he could lash out at everyone and everything, and it didn't matter how annoying he was because he performed well and his record was solid. Competitive sports are ultimately about results and strength. As long as you have the results and the talent, you don't have to worry about how you behave. But the problem is, the current Wang Lie doesn't have that talent and those results anymore..."

Liu Zhong agreed: "That's why Wang Lie's image has been quite negative over the past six months; it can't be helped. A person's character isn't easily changed. One could say his character determined his destiny—his arrogance and paranoia made him, but they will also ruin him..."

While the two talked privately, Sam McNeil on the stage seemed to want to cool things down, adding: "The club has decided that we will hold a grand welcome ceremony for Wang before the new season begins. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that Tyne fans are unhappy with Wang's arrival. Next question, please."

Press officer Plant called on a Chinese reporter this time, attempting to ease the tension. It happened to be Guo Xuequan. Guo quickly stood up and began his self-introduction—"Hello everyone, I am [Name], and I work for [Media Outlet]..."

Actually, there was no need. As a long-term sports reporter for CCTV stationed in the UK, Guo had been tracking Chinese players in England for years, and both the players and other Chinese reporters knew him. Wang Lie was no exception. However, Guo perhaps felt that since Wang Lie had changed clubs, re-introducing himself provided a sense of "starting over."

After finishing his introduction, Guo looked at Wang Lie: "I am actually asking this question on behalf of the vast number of Chinese fans back home: can you play in this weekend's league match against Hellingham FC, Wang Lie?"

***

"Will Wang play?"

At the same time, far away in London, Hellingham FC's manager, Kofi Roster, countered the question posed by a reporter. The reporter nodded.

Roster snorted: "Then I'm sorry, sir, you've come to the wrong place. You should go north..." He pointed behind the reporter toward the north, which was also the exit of the press hall. "Go to Newcastle and ask Tyne's manager, McNeil, or you can go ask Wang himself if he will play in the weekend's match. Yet you come here and ask me... What? Am I Tyne's manager? Can I decide whether Wang plays?"

Everyone could smell the gunpowder in the air. This was mainly because, before this question, almost every question thrown at Roster by the reporters had to do with Wang Lie. Will Wang Lie play? How do you view Wang Lie's contract termination with Sofu United? Do you think Wang Lie joining Tyne is a gamble? ...

Honestly, most of these questions had nothing to do with Hellingham FC, and asking them was indeed quite rude. But Wang Lie is currently one of the top celebrities in the Premier League. After Arthur Iloene left the Premier League for Madrid FC in La Liga, the Premier League—which claims to be the best in the world—truly needed a top-tier superstar who could stand up to scrutiny. Previously, this role belonged to Wang Lie. After he led Sofu United to an unprecedented "Septuple" and won the Ballon d'Or, the English media collectively promoted his achievements to build an image of a hero capable of competing with La Liga.

Now, Wang Lie is old, and it seems no one from the new generation has stepped up. Except for him, the football world is currently dominated by Madrid FC's Yasen Iloene and Barcelona Athletic's Ronier Nascimento—the so-called "peerless duo." The thirty-three-year-old Arthur and the thirty-two-year-old Ronier are in the prime of their careers and will continue to dominate world football for several more years.

A while ago, when all kinds of negative news about Wang Lie were flying around, the English media were also responsible. Negative publicity is still publicity, and during that time, the traffic and attention on the Premier League did indeed surpass La Liga. These people mocked and criticized Wang Lie with their tongues and pens, but when they saw Wang Lie choose to stay in the Premier League, many breathed a sigh of relief. The Premier League had not lost its traffic.

Everyone knew Wang Lie was unlikely to play in the last match against Sydenham. But this match against Hellingham FC was different—Wang Lie might actually play! Consequently, Hellingham FC's manager, Kofi Roster, was drowned in the traffic surrounding Wang Lie. Roster had originally opposed his club owner's desire to sign Wang Lie. As a manager, he only had advisory power, not decision-making power, so the owner didn't listen to him and still wanted to push the deal. In the end, for some reason, Wang Lie didn't come to Hellingham FC but went to Tyne, which made Roster breathe a sigh of relief.

Today's scene was just for one match, but if Wang Lie were truly on his team, wouldn't he be constantly distracted by the massive traffic every single match? It would be endless! Thinking of this, Roster snapped back at the reporter: "You shouldn't be asking me if Wang will play; you should be asking me if I'm worried about him playing. And I will tell you, I'm not. Why would I worry about a figure who has already retreated to the edge of the stage and is one step away from exiting? Perhaps you should be asking when Wang will 'exit the stage'."

Seeing the shocked expressions of the reporters below, Roster grew more emboldened and decided to drop a bombshell: "I can even tell you that Wang's agent team once contacted Hellingham FC, but we rejected him... Strictly speaking, I rejected him! My Hellingham FC is a team, and we don't need someone who always places themselves above the team! So when the club sought my opinion, I told them directly: don't waste time and money on Wang! Finally, let me seriously answer your question. Will Wang play in the weekend's match? I don't know, because he is not my player. But if he were at Hellingham FC, then I'm sorry, he would never play!"

The scene at Hellingham FC's press conference was in an uproar...

***

"Will I play in the weekend's league match?"

After hearing the question, Wang Lie turned his head to look at the manager, McNeil, sitting beside him. He seemed to be confirming with McNeil or seeking his opinion. McNeil also turned to look at him, but gave no signal. Wang Lie retracted his gaze, looked at Guo Xuequan, and said with a tone of certainty:

"Yes, I will play."