Chapter 25: Official Announcement

When Kofi Rost drove to the main gate of the Herlingham FC training ground, he was intercepted by reporters and fans waiting there. The reporters rushed forward to interview him, while the fans had come to express their support for their manager.

Herlingham FC was relegated to the Championship the season before last, and Rost took charge of the team at the start of last season. In just one season, he led the team back to the Premier League, and so far in their first season back, they were sitting in ninth place, with survival almost a certainty. Consequently, Rost held high prestige in the hearts of the Herlingham FC fans.

Yesterday’s incident, while leading many media outlets and fans to mock the fact that Wang Lie had been rejected by a newly promoted team, had also prompted many of Wang's fans to lash out at Rost. These Herlingham FC fans were gathered here now to show their support for him. Seeing Rost lower his car window and wave to them, they shook their banners, slogans, and posters in support of him and cheered loudly. Photographers aimed their lenses to capture the scene; before the night was over, these images would appear on the phone screens of fans everywhere.

The reporters threw questions at Rost. The most frequently asked was, "Do you have a personal grudge against Wang?" It was no wonder people thought this, as in the few limited encounters the two had previously, there had been no drama—they were just ordinary opponents. So why did Kofi Rost suddenly show such great malice toward Wang Lie yesterday? Even if reporters had repeatedly pestered him with questions about Wang, provoking him, it was still unusual for him to lose his composure like that.

Hearing this question, Rost felt a bit awkward. He couldn't tell the reporters the real reason he had snapped at the press conference yesterday. He certainly couldn't admit that his self-esteem had been wounded by the club owner's disregard for his protests and the insistence on signing Wang Lie. He still remembered what the club's General Manager, Kyle Elost, had said to him at the time: "Kofi, regarding the club's recruitment, you only have the right to suggest, not to decide. Signing Wang is the club's strategy, so your opposition is invalid."

He also remembered how he had argued with Elost: "But I am the team manager! I am the one who uses the players in the end, not you, and not the Chinese owner! If you insist on bypassing me to sign him, then I guarantee you, he will never get a chance to play under me!"

Elost stared at him: "That is not a wise move, Kofi. We don't want to hurt you..."

Rost sneered: "What? Are you planning on firing me?"

"We certainly don't want things to reach that point..."

The two parted on bad terms. After saying those angry words, Rost had actually been quite anxious—what if Wang Lie had actually come? Would he have had to resign? Fortunately, that didn't happen; Wang Lie went to Tyne, and he kept his job. However, perhaps that argument had created a rift, as Rost felt that Elost’s attitude toward him had changed. The Herlingham FC side he managed had also lost to Waltham at home in the previous round, which seemed to be an aftereffect.

This upcoming league clash with Tyne was a perfect opportunity for Rost—a chance to prove to the club's management that he had been right all along. As long as he could lead the team to beat Tyne and defeat Wang Lie, he could stand tall in front of Elost and ask him with the tone of a winner: "Look, is this your 'strategic goal'? A loser?"

Of course, Rost could never tell the media about such petty thoughts—at least not until he had defeated Wang Lie and Tyne. Facing the surrounding reporters, he could only say, "No, I have no personal grudge against Wang. I merely stated some facts I know, nothing more."

A reporter followed up: "Was your evaluation of Wang also stating facts?"

"Of course. The fact is that Wang will turn thirty-eight next month. The fact is that many people deliberately ignore his age, seeming to still treat him as that all-powerful 'China Wang.' Perhaps it is the flattery from those around him that has given him some unrealistic ideas..."

Hearing him say this, the Herlingham FC fans nearby cheered loudly: "Come on! Kofi! You’re the best!" "Well said! Don't show weakness to them!" "Lead Herlingham FC to another win this weekend!" "Drive those Highlanders into the North Sea in the away game!"

Rost smiled and waved to them, thanking them for their support. This scene was recorded by the photographers and would become news, appearing before fans all across England.

In this round of the league, there were no matches that could be called "headliner clashes"—if one had to choose, the defending champions Clayton Athletic playing away against fifth-placed Waltham might count as a "clash of the titans." But that was just an ordinary match; how could it compare to this one? After Rost repeatedly fired verbal shots at Wang Lie, the match between Tyne and Herlingham FC had officially been upgraded to the "Battle of the Peak" for this round.

***

The whistle blew. Manager McNeil stopped the training session and walked over to pull Wang Lie aside, saying, "I've been watching for a while. During that period, you pulled out of the penalty area and dropped back too many times... I know that's your habit, but you have to change it. Your current explosive power isn't enough to support such frequent sprinting and backtracking. You need to play like a real center-forward, stay in the opponent's box when we're attacking to pin down their defense, and control the first ball..."

Even though McNeil had acted like he was coaxing a child when inviting Wang Lie to join his team, once they were on the training pitch, McNeil spoke his mind and was not polite to Wang. He truly understood Wang Lie and knew that being direct wouldn't offend him. Sure enough, Wang Lie didn't argue, only nodding while breathing heavily. He knew McNeil was right; his heavy, labored breathing was proof enough. After several consecutive sprints, he felt more easily exhausted. His body was nearing thirty-eight—his birthday was only eighteen days away. Since turning thirty-seven, he had felt his physical condition was far from what it used to be; compared to his younger self, every movement felt like it was half a beat slow. His performance had dropped significantly at thirty-seven—partly because Sven Herden had wasted half a year of his time, but one could not ignore the subtle physical differences between thirty-seven and thirty-six.

Once he reached thirty-eight, without "external" help, no matter how hard he trained, he would likely only be able to maintain aesthetic muscle tone and static statistics, unable to improve his dynamic performance, especially agility and explosive power. While McNeil was criticizing and advising Wang Lie, the other Tyne players watched from the side. Tomorrow was match day, and in today's attacking drill, the manager's focus had been entirely on Wang Lie. Even a fool could see that, without needing to reference the internal squad matches, Wang Lie was highly likely to be included in the match-day squad.

After McNeil finished his instructions, he walked out of the training zone and blew his whistle. The 5v5 attacking drill resumed. Soon, when the attacking side had the ball on the wing, Wang Lie did not pull out of the box to ask for it, but instead pressed toward the near post. His movement drew the defender away, and his teammate's cross fell behind him. The incoming attacking midfielder, Matthijs van Ginkel, met the ball with a header, but it flew over the crossbar.

"Excellent!" Although it didn't result in a goal, Manager McNeil applauded. This was the kind of attacking play he wanted from Wang Lie. In other words, he wanted Wang to become a true "poacher" under his command, fully utilizing his sharp instincts for scoring opportunities and top-tier finishing to snatch goals and create chances for teammates, rather than constantly dropping outside the box to ask for the ball and trying to do it all himself, or lingering in front of the box passing the ball around without ever penetrating. Although he knew what Wang's "bigger stage" was, McNeil was more pragmatic; he prioritized survival and demanded that the team play more simply, directly, and quickly, without fancy tactics. As long as they created pressure on the opponent's goal, it was enough.

***

The training continued. This time, it was Vitinho's turn to have the ball on the wing. The Brazilian talent didn't cross immediately, instead trying to dribble into the box. Logically, Wang Lie should have pressed the near post to pin the defense, and he did run that way. But after only one step, he suddenly cut back toward the edge of the penalty area. If Vitinho had passed based on Wang's previous positioning, he would have passed it straight to the defense. But Vitinho kept his head down, focused on the ball, completely unaware of the situation in front of the goal. He beat another defender but was forced toward the byline. In other words, he had no angle to shoot and no one to pass to. When he finally looked up, he saw only players in blue bibs—the defensive unit—around him. He could only see a gap near the penalty spot between two defenders, but it was a true empty space, with neither defense nor attack present.

Just then, he heard Wang Lie's voice: "Pass it there, Vitinho! Quick!"

Vitinho only heard the voice and hadn't spotted Wang yet. He didn't even know if "there" was the empty space he saw. However, he trusted his idol, so without confirming his position, he poked the ball through. Only after the pass did he see Wang Lie emerge from his blind spot on the right, sprinting toward that space at the penalty spot. At the same time, the defensive center-back, Kalic, turned and lunged toward the spot!

Wang Lie gritted his teeth, pushing his legs to move forward. He could feel his sprint speed was nowhere near what it once was. If he were younger, he would have been confident of beating Kalic to the ball and finishing long ago... Now, he could only give his all to fight for this chance. Kalic saw Wang Lie chasing the ball and estimated that if he slid in now, he would likely disrupt the play before Wang could reach it. But doing so would create such momentum that he wouldn't be able to stop his legs, and he knew Wang would definitely be going for the shot. He would end up sliding directly into Wang Lie. What would happen to a nearly thirty-eight-year-old man after taking a hit like that?

"Don't get hurt..." McNeil suddenly heard Varo whisper beside him. He didn't turn to look at Varo, keeping his eyes glued to the two figures in the box. In the split second of Kalic's hesitation, Wang Lie barely caught up to the ball, planted his left leg to support his leaning body, and decisively swung his right leg! By the time Kalic moved, it was too late to disrupt the ball; he could only lift his leg in an attempt to block the shot.

Bang!

Wang Lie pushed the ball with the inside of his foot toward the top corner! Kalic's leg missed! He inadvertently obstructed the view of goalkeeper Elliott Gotz, and by the time the keeper saw the ball flying past Kalic, it was already too late. He leaped, but both time and distance were against him. The ball flew straight into the top corner!

After the shot, Wang Lie's left leg reached its limit and could no longer support him; he lost his balance and fell to the ground. But before he hit the turf, he caught a glimpse of the result—it was a goal! Kalic looked back at the goal and saw the ball in the net, as well as the goalkeeper, Gotz, rolling on the ground. As expected... he felt a sense of, "I knew it." You truly couldn't give this guy even a tiny chance to shoot in the penalty area!

Kalic turned back and saw Wang Lie still on the grass, so he bent down and extended a hand. Wang Lie took it, and after being pulled up, his first words were: "You hesitated while defending just now. Why?"

Kalic was honest: "I was planning to slide in to clear it, but I knew I would have hit you. So..."

Wang Lie laughed: "I never thought Matej Kalic, once nicknamed 'The Butcher' in La Liga, would have a soft side."

Kalic shrugged: "It's just a training session. What good would it do me or the team to break you?"

Wang Lie wanted to tell him that he wouldn't have been broken, but what he actually said was: "Thanks."

This time it was Kalic's turn to laugh: "Unbelievable. I never thought I'd hear a 'thank you' from Wang." When they both played in La Liga, they were "mortal enemies" on the pitch. Aside from playing for different sides, they were both hot-headed, and their relationship was, quite frankly, nonexistent. When Tyne officially announced Wang Lie's signing, many trolls online were waiting to see a brawl between Wang Lie and Kalic in the locker room. As it turned out, it had been nearly ten days since Wang joined, and no such reports had emerged, leaving the trolls and haters very disappointed. The scene of Kalic pulling Wang Lie up would surely be posted on Tyne's official social media later to prove that the team hadn't been torn apart by Wang's arrival.

"We're teammates now," Wang Lie said to Kalic.

Kalic shivered: "It feels just as strange as hearing you say 'thank you'."

Wang Lie couldn't be bothered with him and turned to leave, but was called back: "Hey, Wang. The 'bigger stage' you were talking about... is that it?"

Wang Lie nodded: "Yes, that's the one."

Having received his answer, Kalic took a deep breath and let it out heavily: "How are you going to do it?"

"Win tomorrow's match first."

Wang Lie turned and walked away. This time, Kalic didn't call him back. He seemed lost in thought.

***

"Great shot! Great shot!" After the ball hit the back of the net, Manager McNeil led the applause. Varo clapped as well, but leaned over to whisper in McNeil's ear: "The goal was beautiful, but didn't you just tell him to press actively instead of dropping back? He couldn't help but drop back for that one..."

"What does it matter, Cesar? As long as he scores, that's all that matters," McNeil said, looking completely serious.

Varo wanted to roll his eyes: "So you're right either way, aren't you!"

"I've figured it out, you're a 'sycophant' for Wang!"

McNeil laughed: "No, Cesar. I am a 'sycophant' for goals and victory. If Wang can bring us victory with his goals, I'd even lick his boots!"

Varo looked disgusted: "What exactly happened when you were teammates at Sofolien!"

***

Tang Xingmei lay alone in the bedroom, not intending to sleep, but scrolling on her phone. Then she heard a knock and Wang Ziqi calling from outside: "Mom!" The door opened, and Tang saw her son standing there in his pajamas, looking like he wanted to say something.

"You're still awake? What time is it?" Tang Xingmei checked her phone: 10:21 PM.

Wang Ziqi ignored her reproach and asked: "Is the match-day squad out yet?"

He had orthodontic braces in his mouth, making his voice muffled, but Tang understood him. She shook her head: "No, go to sleep. You'll know when you wake up tomorrow morning."

Wang Ziqi didn't move, just leaned against the doorframe: "Mom, why didn't we go see Dad as soon as we finished our exams yesterday? Why do we have to wait until next week..."

Tang Xingmei was amused: "I still have a parent-teacher meeting to attend!"

"Oh..." Wang Ziqi stayed at the door, gazing at his mother expectantly.

Tang sighed, put her phone on the nightstand, got out of bed, and gave her son a hug, gently soothing him: "Alright, alright, be a good boy and go to sleep. Rest well; you'll have to watch the live broadcast with us in the middle of the night tomorrow."

"I'm afraid they won't put Dad in the squad again..." Wang Ziqi mumbled in her arms.

"They won't. Didn't Dad promise you? He'll definitely be in the squad this time."

"But can Dad start and play the whole game?"

Tang Xingmei's demeanor changed: "Wang Ziqi, don't push your luck!"

Wang Ziqi dashed back to his bedroom, closed the door, and jumped into bed, all in one go. Tang shook her head, closed her own bedroom door, and turned back to the bed. As if by intuition, just as she picked up her phone, a new message popped up.

Husband: "I made the squad."

***

PS: A quick announcement: Since the book officially launches at midnight tomorrow, and considering everyone's reading experience, I've added an extra chapter at 9:00 PM tonight. I will also try to post another chapter after the official launch at midnight. Tomorrow, the regular updates at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM will continue as usual. This means three chapters today and three tomorrow. I chose not to do two today and four tomorrow because I wanted to let everyone read one more chapter for free. Now that the business is out of the way, since we're still in the public section and the word count is free, let me share a few words... (I originally wanted to say a little, but realized it was too much content, so to avoid cluttering the main text, I put it in the launch notes. Please read it after the 9:00 PM update, thank you very much!)