Chapter Four: Suicide

Page 1 of 3

“ Harris is making the run... Beautiful! There’s space over there! Hughes arriving late—great ball! What a beautiful first touch! Cross it! Cross it!”

The moment Josh Hughes received the ball, Zhou Zhao began searching for Wang Lie’s position. He saw Wang Lie making a run through the middle and shouted anxiously, as if Hughes could somehow hear him.

Under the circumstances, as Wang Lie’s “hopeless superfan,” he genuinely hoped Wang Lie could score—to use a goal to slap Herldon hard across the face, and to slap all those who had mocked and humiliated Wang Lie just as hard.

Hughes seemed to have truly heard his cries. He did pass the ball, and he did pass it to Wang Lie.

But just as Zhou Zhao’s heart began pounding wildly, he saw a Dredington defender stretch out a leg and get a touch on the rolling ball. Then... it passed Wang Lie by!

Wang Lie fell to the ground, and the ball flew into the net.

Although the scorer was Wang Lie’s devoted admirer, Stanley Harris, Zhou Zhao did not cheer immediately. He sighed first.

Then he quickly composed himself and fulfilled his duty as a commentator—even a part-time one—shouting as energetically as he could, “What a goal! What a goal! Harris has seized the opportunity! Soful United take a one-goal lead over Dredington at home!”

Of course, he did not forget his primary mission.

“Harris absolutely has to thank Wang Lie properly for that goal! This also fully demonstrates Wang Lie’s importance! Although he didn’t score it himself, it was precisely his determined run through the middle that drew two Dredington defenders away and gave Harris the chance to make his run and shoot!

“Moreover, if the Dredington defender hadn’t touched the ball, that would originally have been Wang Lie’s chance... What a shame! But it doesn’t matter! Soful United have found their attacking rhythm. After taking the lead, they’ll surely have even more chances. And judging from Wang Lie’s performance since coming on, he’s been excellent. As long as my brother Wang can maintain this level, I believe he really can score in this match!”

He was not merely comforting the Chinese fans watching the livestream. In truth, he was comforting himself as well.

But not everyone could be comforted—such as Chi Zhen’s extreme fans.

Nor could everyone be consoled, such as Wang Lie’s son, Wang Ziqi.

When he saw the ball brush past his father before Harris struck it into the net, he rolled off the sofa and began rolling around on the floor, wailing as he went. “Aaaah! That ball! What a chance! Why did you have to touch it?! Why stick out your leg?!”

His cries were so heartrending that his younger sister, Wang Zilin, covered both ears with her hands. Tang Xingmei had no choice but to raise her voice and shout angrily, “Enough! Wang Ziqi! Get up!”

Her son continued howling.

Tang Xingmei said, “One!”

Wang Ziqi, who had been flailing on the floor like a fish out of water, instantly sprang upright like a carp leaping over a gate and obediently sat back down on the sofa, though his expression remained resentful.

Of course, he was not expressing dissatisfaction with his mother—he would never dare.

He was simply still brooding over the fact that his father had not scored.

Zhou Hong, however, did not feel disappointed that her son had failed to score. That was not to say she did not want him to score, but compared with a goal, she cared more about her son’s physical well-being.

When she saw him suddenly freeze in place during his sharp stop and turn, then topple sideways to the ground, her heart had leapt into her throat.

She was terrified that her son had suffered a serious injury. After all, during the two years between his nineteenth and twentieth birthdays, he had suffered two major injuries in succession—and both had been to his left knee.

Although he had never suffered another serious injury after that, those old injuries were like a sword of Damocles hanging perpetually over his mother’s head, as if it might descend at any moment.

Seeing that scene naturally brought back memories of her son’s two serious injuries eighteen years earlier, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

If an old injury flared up again now, his professional career could be declared over...

To make matters worse, after Harris scored, the television broadcast followed Harris instead, showing him in an extreme close-up and giving Zhou Hong no way to see what had happened to her son.

She was so anxious and worried about him that when her daughter-in-law scolded her grandson, Zhou Hong did not even step in to defend him.

Fortunately, the broadcast switched camera angles soon afterward, and she saw her son climbing to his feet and running with the other Soful United players toward the celebrating Harris.

Judging from the way he ran, Zhou Hong felt he was probably uninjured. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Her tense body relaxed, and she lowered her head, gazing at the wheelchair in which she sat.

Just moments ago, she had been terrified that her son’s career might end then and there. Now, suddenly, she no longer cared so much about any of that. She only wished for him to retire in good health—to come visit her someday without a crutch, and without having to sit in a wheelchair...

※※※

Wang Lie knew nothing of his mother’s worry. In fact, he had never been concerned about the knee that had undergone two surgeries. He knew his own body better than anyone.

After getting up from the ground, he put an arm around the teammate beside him and ran excitedly toward the celebrating Harris. Soon, he was embracing the others in a jubilant knot of players.

It was a pity that he had not scored, but at least the team had broken the deadlock and taken the lead, allowing everyone to relax a little.

Besides, Wang Lie was not indifferent to his failure to score. He simply believed that more chances would certainly come. Dredington were only one goal behind; they would never meekly accept defeat, especially after Soful United’s unconvincing performance earlier. They would undoubtedly attack. Once they did, there would be openings all over Dredington’s defense, and he would receive more chances than before.

His speed no longer allowed him to serve as the spearhead of a counterattack, but his wealth of experience could help him find opportunities in the second or third wave of an attack.

A counterattack was never a one-shot affair.

“Beautifully done, Stanley!” Wang Lie said, hugging Harris and ruffling his hair.

Harris excitedly shouted into his ear, “Thank you, Wang!”

Wang Lie patted him on the head. “What are you thanking me for? You created that chance yourself.”

“No, Wang, not for this goal... Anyway, I have to thank you. Thank you!”

In the deafening roar of the stadium, with teammates constantly coming over to slap his back, cup his face, and shout into his ears, Stanley Harris could not fully express his feelings to Wang Lie. All he could do was repeat, “Thank you,” over and over.

He was thanking Wang Lie for the care and encouragement he had given him. As an idol, Wang Lie had inspired him; as a senior teammate, Wang Lie had offered him plenty of guidance and advice after he was promoted to the first team.

Although Wang Lie’s public image was highly controversial, and people were always eager to stick labels on him, as if one or two labels could clearly define him, Harris knew very well that none of them represented the real Wang Lie.

The real Wang Lie was not an absolutely good man, but neither was he the villain portrayed online. He was a complicated person.

As a devoted admirer, Harris could not claim that everything Wang Lie had done was necessarily right.

But that did not matter. At that moment, he simply wanted to thank Wang Lie.

Because he knew that Wang Lie could not remain with this team much longer.

Although no one had said it aloud, the moment of farewell was already close at hand.

Whether Wang Lie had heard the unspoken meaning behind Harris’s words, no one could say. In any case, he merely patted Harris firmly on the back and shoulders, vigorously ruffled his hair, then turned to embrace and celebrate with the other teammates who came over.

After that, he finished celebrating and walked toward the center circle, preparing for the restart.

※※※

Wang Lie’s prediction proved correct. After Soful United broke the deadlock, Dredington did not look dispirited.

On the contrary, they suddenly raised the tempo and began matching Soful United blow for blow, showing none of the “awe” one might expect from a Championship side facing a Premier League club.

Perhaps Soful United’s first-half performance had been so poor that it inspired them with the heroic conviction that birth did not determine a man’s destiny. Or perhaps they simply hoped to exploit Soful United’s increased attacking commitment and steal a goal.

Page 2 of 3

In any case, whatever the reason, once the match resumed, Dredington surprisingly launched a high press in Soful United’s half.

What Wang Lie had not anticipated was his teammates’ reaction to Dredington’s high press. Completely unprepared, the Soful United players were harried into confusion and suddenly found themselves on the back foot.

“Are Soful United’s players too busy thinking about how to score another goal quickly now that they’re ahead?” English commentator Connor Cowley teased. “They’re playing worse than they did before scoring...”

Four minutes after the goal, Dredington used their pressure high up the pitch to create an excellent shooting opportunity.

Their striker then sent the ball high over the bar despite being almost completely unmarked...

A collective exhalation of relief rose from the Soful United supporters in the stands. The Dredington player who had missed the chance dropped to his knees, clasped both hands over his head, and stared wide-eyed at the stands behind the Soful United goal, utterly unable to believe that he had squandered such a good opportunity so carelessly.

Zhou Zhao had no need for teasing. He went straight on the attack.

“I think Soful United should get down on their knees and bow to the entire Dredington team after the match! What on earth are they playing? The team in front is playing like the team behind, and the home side is playing as if they’re away! This is utterly absurd!”

Wang Lie had been wrong. After taking a one-goal lead, Soful United did not gain more attacking opportunities. They had even fewer than before.

And he was moving farther and farther away from his goal of scoring.

Under Dredington’s pressure, Soful United finally managed to launch an attack. But Stanley Harris, eager to build on his goal, chose not to pass to a teammate. He tried to do it all himself and fired the ball out over the byline.

Online, Soful United’s fans had been cheering Harris only moments earlier. Who knew how many of them were now cursing him...

Harris’s missed chance seemed to lift Dredington’s spirits.

They grew stronger as the match continued. Not only did they control the flow of the game, they repeatedly pushed their attacks into the area around thirty meters from Soful United’s goal, posing a genuine threat.

During that spell, the most frequent sounds from the stands at Redstone Stadium were not Soful United songs and chants, but gasps and jeers.

Well, that was not entirely true. There were songs and chants too, but they came from the relatively small contingent of Dredington supporters.

“Dredington are coming again! That was close! What a save from Dogg!”

As commentator Connor Cowley shouted, the television broadcast cut to a close-up of Soful United goalkeeper Jimmy Dogg. The South African first-choice international goalkeeper was roaring at his teammates, clearly dissatisfied with their defending in the previous attack.

He had every right to be dissatisfied. When the Dredington player had taken that long-range shot, no one at the edge of Soful United’s penalty area had closed him down in time. They had simply allowed him to take the shot at his leisure.

If Dogg had not been concentrating, they might well have conceded, and Soful United’s lead would have vanished.

After showing Dogg in close-up, the broadcast moved to the Soful United bench and focused on head coach Sven Herldon.

His brow was tightly furrowed, while his upper teeth unconsciously worried at his lower lip. Everyone knew that expression. Whenever it appeared on Herldon’s face, it meant he was thinking.

Whether he had been managing in the Portuguese top flight or had taken charge of a Premier League giant, Herldon always wore that same expression when deep in thought.

Seeing it, Zhou Zhao said, “Herldon’s making that constipated face again. He needs to make a change! Dredington have clearly gained momentum. This is pathetic—the team in front is being pinned back by the team behind! Honestly!”

Herldon did not maintain his “constipated” expression for long. He soon made a decision and immediately put it into action.

Two minutes later, Soful United’s first-choice center-back, Pablo Vitali, stood on the touchline waiting to come on.

Beside him, the fourth official was pressing buttons on the electronic substitution board, entering the shirt numbers of the players going on and off.

Zhou Zhao gave a derisive laugh. “Looks like Herldon is very happy with the one-nil scoreline. He’s preparing to strengthen the defense. Oh, what a sight—a supposedly mighty Premier League giant facing a Championship club and already retreating into its shell...”

Then he saw the fourth official finish entering the numbers and raise the electronic board. Two numbers were displayed clearly:

4

9

Zhou Zhao froze, unable even to finish his sentence. He could not believe his eyes.

Number four belonged to Pablo Vitali, who was about to come on. And number nine was...

Wang Lie!

Wang Lie, who had only come on twenty-four minutes earlier!

“No, come on... They got the number wrong, right? They mistook six for nine, didn’t they?” Still stunned, Zhou Zhao instinctively grasped at what seemed a reasonable explanation.

Soful United did have a number-six on the pitch: their defensive midfielder, Andreas Liers.

Although replacing a defensive midfielder with a center-back did not seem especially logical either, it was still more reasonable than taking Wang Lie off after he had only just entered the match in the second half, wasn’t it?

Zhou Zhao was not the only one shocked. Even the famous English commentator Connor Cowley could not understand the logic behind the move.

“Taking Wang off? Why? Bringing on a center-back to strengthen the defense is understandable. But why take Wang off? Since coming on, he hasn’t scored or assisted, but the change he’s brought to the team’s attack is obvious... The key point is that Wang was only brought on at halftime, and now they’re taking him off again. What kind of decision is this?”

The television broadcast quickly focused on Wang Lie himself. In the shot, he wore a stunned expression, his eyes wide as he stared toward the touchline, looking utterly incredulous.

“No... They’re really taking him off? Old man, are you serious?!” Once he came to his senses, Zhou Zhao practically roared the question in the livestream studio. He had even brought his private nickname for Herldon into the open.

“You’re taking Brother Wang off! What are you thinking?! Are you addicted to using Brother Wang to make a point? How dare you!?”

Zhou Zhao seemed to have forgotten his current role and that such remarks were inappropriate.

But no one held it against him.

At that very moment, furious Wang Lie supporters across the Chinese internet were cursing far more viciously than Zhou Zhao.

Sven Herldon’s ancestors for eighteen generations and every female member of his family had been “warmly greeted” countless times. Even Chi Zhen’s fans had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield.

The language was simply too filthy to reproduce here.

On the broadcast, Wang Lie pointed at himself and repeatedly gestured toward the touchline, confirming whether he was the one being substituted.

The camera then cut to the sideline. Herldon stood with his arms folded, almost expressionless. Beside him, however, first assistant coach Norbert Demos kept beckoning and nodding toward the pitch, using his gestures and the shape of his mouth to tell Wang Lie:

Yes! That’s right! You! Come off!

The stadium was too loud for Wang Lie to hear Demos’s voice, but his body language made the meaning clear.

Once he received confirmation, Wang Lie’s heart sank. Then hot blood surged into his head. Humiliation and anger mingled together, driving him toward the touchline.

Nearby, teammate Pablo Castin reached out, hoping to exchange a high five with him—a customary gesture for a teammate coming off.

But Wang Lie acted as if he had not seen him at all. He ignored the gesture and ran straight past him.

From the broadcast angle, the action made Castin appear awkward, as he stood frozen in place.

In reality, however, Castin had not been left awkward. He had seen the terrifyingly savage expression on Wang Lie’s face as he approached and had simply been stunned with fear.

Page 3 of 3

Only after recovering did he realize that Wang Lie was not actually coming off!

He hurriedly turned to look behind him and saw that Wang Lie had reached the touchline. But he had not stepped off the pitch. He was standing on the line, shouting at the technical area!

※※※

“Why are you taking me off?! Why?!”

Standing on the white touchline, Wang Lie glared past assistant coach Demos at head coach Herldon.

In the television close-up, even the droplets of spit flying from his mouth were clearly visible.

Herldon did not rise to the bait. Instead, Demos stepped in front of him and explained to Wang Lie, “We need to strengthen the defense...”

“Bullshit!”

Wang Lie hurled the word at Demos, but his eyes remained fixed on Herldon. He knew exactly who had made the decision, so it looked as though he were cursing Herldon—which, in truth, he was.

“Bullshit! We need to attack! We need to attack more than ever!” Wang Lie shouted furiously.

Seeing signs that Wang Lie was losing control, someone nearby came over to pull him away.

They were genuinely afraid he might charge forward and headbutt Herldon in the chest. After all, the intensifying conflict between the two men within Soful United had long since become an open secret.

Wang Lie yanked his arm free from second assistant coach Danilo Lindsey, who had come to restrain him, and continued arguing with Herldon.

“Dredington have clearly gained momentum. We can’t hold them off by defending blindly! We need to use powerful attacking play to force them back! Even if we can’t score, we can make it much harder for Dredington to score! Not carry on like this...”

He stared at Herldon, but Herldon would not look at him. Instead, first assistant coach Norbert Demos confronted him.

“This is the coaching staff’s decision, Wang! You should obey the coaching staff! Anyone can be substituted. Why should you be exempt?!”

※※※

The scene of Wang Lie rushing to the touchline without coming off and arguing with the coaching staff attracted everyone’s attention.

The supporters in the stadium, the players from both teams, and the television broadcast all focused on the area in front of Soful United’s bench.

The commentators could not hear exactly what was being said, but they could infer the general situation from the expressions and body language of those involved.

English commentator Connor Cowley exclaimed, “Wang doesn’t seem prepared to come off! He’s shouting something at assistant coach Demos... It’s clear that he’s extremely unhappy with Herldon’s decision to substitute him early!”

Zhou Zhao sounded thrilled. “Brother Wang has had enough! He’s tearing into Herldon’s lapdog, Demos! This is exactly what he should do! Why take Brother Wang off?! This substitution is obviously wrong! It’s clearly aimed at him! When a tiger doesn’t show its claws, do you really think Brother Wang is a harmless little kitten?!”

His excitement came from having endured too much for too long. As a die-hard Wang Lie supporter, he had felt a knot of resentment in his chest ever since Sven Herldon arrived at Soful United.

Now that he was watching Wang Lie explode, he wanted to take the opportunity to vent his own anger as well.

As Wang Lie’s loyal supporter, Zhou Zhao found his actions immensely satisfying. Few other commentators, however, shared his opinion.

For example, after his initial exclamation, Connor Cowley began criticizing Wang Lie in a stern tone.

“I understand how Wang feels, and I agree that this substitution is open to question. But regardless, as a player, he should not openly argue with his own coach on the touchline in front of so many people! What he’s doing is completely disrespectful to his coach. He seems to be trying to place himself above the entire team...

“It’s the same as the relationship between a player and a referee. No matter how unfavorable a decision is to the player, he has no right to shout at the referee. Even if it is a mistake, he must accept it. If there is an issue, he can appeal to the refereeing committee after the match, not hold a ‘debate’ with the referee while the game is still in progress! That is clearly what Wang is trying to do with Herldon now. Does he really think he can force Herldon to change his mind?”

Many commentators were also happy to enjoy the spectacle.

“Oh, oh, oh! Look at what’s happening! Wang seems to be refusing to come off!”

“It’s common knowledge that Wang and Herldon have always had a tense relationship. Publicly, however, both sides have generally maintained a degree of decorum... But no one expected Wang to choose this match to make everything public! This is explosive! Of course, given the impression Wang has always made, perhaps it’s even more surprising that he managed to hold it in until now...”

“There are plenty of supporters behind the Soful United bench, and many of them have their phones raised, recording this. Just imagine what will happen after the match ends... No! We won’t even have to wait until then. Short videos of this incident will be all over the internet before the final whistle! Who would have thought an ordinary FA Cup match could provide such a spectacle?”

It was not only the supporters in the stands. The photographers along the touchline also turned their lenses toward the Soful United bench, recording the scene unfolding before them.

Reporters in the press box leaned out to look down as well, pulling out their phones to record it.

There was no doubt that after the match, this mid-game episode would overshadow everything else and become the main story of the day.

Everyone knew this was big news.

※※※

“This decision is wrong! We need to maintain enough attacking threat! I can help the team! My performance since coming on has already proved that!”

Wang Lie jabbed a finger into his own chest and roared at the expressionless Herldon.

Herldon ignored him. Demos did not know what to do either and could only stand to one side, shaking his head. To be honest, he was a little afraid of the furious man before him. After all, for the past decade, Wang Lie had been the symbol of this club, an unquestioned legend.

They had now become the focus of the entire stadium, and the match had been interrupted because of them. Demos did not dare forcibly drag the club legend off the pitch.

Second assistant coach Danilo Lindsey, whom Wang Lie had just shrugged off, stepped forward again.

“Wang, calm down! Whatever happens, you can’t do this in public... Whatever you want to say, we can discuss it after the match...”

Wang Lie might refuse to give Demos any respect, but he could not disregard Lindsey, with whom he had once fought alongside on the pitch. This time he turned toward him and urgently explained, “By the time the match is over, we might already have lost!”

Lindsey gently shook his head. “We’re still ahead...”

Before he could finish, the referee had already run over.

The referee in charge of the match asked bluntly, “So, gentlemen, what’s the situation? Is there going to be a substitution or not?”

Demos hurriedly explained, “Yes, yes, there will be a substitution! We’re making it now...”

On the other side, Lindsey saw that Wang Lie still had no intention of coming off. Afraid he might lose his temper at such a moment, he quickly stepped forward, put an arm around him, and said quietly, “You’re not only the oldest player in this team, Wang. You’re also this team’s pride. They’re all watching you now...”

Wang Lie turned to look around. The Soful United players on the pitch and his teammates on the bench had all turned their eyes toward him.

Some looked panicked. Some looked gleeful. Others averted their gazes when he looked their way.

“Danilo, believe me. If they take me off now, we won’t win. This substitution tells Dredington that we’re afraid of them! It’s a coward’s substitution! It’s suicide!”

After fixing Herldon with a vicious stare and spitting out those words, Wang Lie did not continue making a scene. He pushed Lindsey away once more and walked off the pitch.

He headed straight for the players’ tunnel, not even exchanging a high five with Pablo Vitali, who was waiting on the touchline to take his place.

Then, amid the roar of the stadium and the jeers ringing through it, he lowered his head and descended the steps, disappearing little by little into the tunnel entrance.

※※※

P.S. This is a new book, so please add it to your collection, vote, and keep reading. Thank you for your support!