Reverse.

Chapter 169 Wang Yaohua

Wang Yaohua looked at his son nervously.

My one-year-old son was lying on the ground.

In front of him, there were several things placed from left to right, including a round size 5 football, a pen, a small abacus, a small gold ingot, a toy car, and a small pistol.

Wang Yaohua tried to keep his breathing steady, for fear of disturbing his son who was preparing for his one-year-old birthday celebration.

Under his nervous gaze, his son kept shaking his head and looking around in front of several things in front of him.

Sometimes he would raise his hand and pretend to take something.

But as Wang Yaohua held his breath, he retracted his hand, changed his mind, and looked at the next target.

Finally, he crawled to the No. 5 football that was bigger than his head, opened his arms, threw himself on it, and hugged the football.

At the same time, Wang Yaohua also laughed out loud: "Hahaha! Good job, Lielie! Haha!"

As his son rolled around on the ground with a football in his arms, Wang Yaohua turned around and boasted to his wife: "See, I was right, wasn't I? I said our son would definitely choose football!"

His wife Zhou Hong scoffed: "Children are naturally interested in round things. If you change it to a basketball, he will also hug it."

Wang Yaohua said, "We don't have a basketball at home."

Then he said, "Let's do it again, and this time I'll take the football away."

After saying that, he picked up a World Cup model and placed it on the original position of the football, then took the football out of little Wang Lie's arms.

When the football was taken away just now, little Wang Lie was screaming and wanted to cry.

Wang Yaohua quickly comforted him: "It's okay, it's okay, we'll choose again."

As he said this, he carried his son back to the place where the Zhou-year-old man was being held, and motioned for him to start over again.

This time, little Wang Lie did not hesitate. After being put down by his father, he went straight to the golden World Cup model!
He only grinned after grabbing the World Cup model.

Wang Yaohua was also grinning: "Ha! Look! Look! It's the second time! It's even better this time! We'll win the World Cup!"

Then he turned to his wife Zhou Hong and said, "Look! Our son has great potential! The World Cup! He wants to win the World Cup!"

Zhou Hong rolled her eyes at him and said, "Children all like golden things. Even if you put a gold bracelet there, he will still grab it..."

Wang Yaohua ignored his wife's words and gave his son a thumbs up: "Good job, Lielie! Awesome!"

As he said this, an excited smile appeared on his face.

Little Wang Lie, holding the World Cup, saw his father smiling happily, so he also smiled happily.

※※※

Little Wang Lie was standing on the lawn in the middle of the community with a football at his feet, but his attention was not on the football. Instead, he turned his head to look at the children who were chasing and playing together.

Wang Yaohua noticed his son's strange behavior and followed his gaze. He saw children running around in groups on the community's public roads, shouting and yelling. Most of them were kindergarteners or lower grades of elementary school, and they seemed to have endless energy.

Judging from his son's eyes, he really wants to join in.

So Wang Yaohua asked, "Want to play with them?"

The son nodded: "Yeah."

Wang Yaohua waved his hand and said, "Go ahead."

The son turned around and wanted to run, but he was stopped by his father: "Hey, the ball, take the ball, don't drop it."

After being reminded, little Wang Lie quickly took the football and turned around to chase the other children.

Wang Yaohua thought his son would pick up the football with his hands and chase after them, but he didn't expect his son to use his feet to chase after the kids...

This is so stupid!

How can I catch up with such a burden?
Wang Yaohua was about to remind his son, but suddenly discovered that his son had a very good rhythm when running with the football.

Every time he kicked the ball and chased it, the distance between him and the ball was almost fixed, as if there was a rope of a fixed length tying the ball to his ankle...

At first Wang Yaohua thought it was a coincidence, but after staring at his son carefully for a while, he found that it was a regular phenomenon.

His son seemed to know how to dribble the ball naturally and had the rhythm of dribbling naturally.

Wang Yaohua changed his mind and did not remind his son. Instead, he stood there and watched his son chase the group of children with the ball.

Those children did not simply run on the roads in the community. Sometimes they would sprint at full speed, sometimes they would suddenly stop, and sometimes they would leave the road and run to the lawn in the community to play.

His son would run and stop with the kids with the football. When they were playing, the scene would be a little chaotic. Little Wang Lie would try his best to protect the football in the crowd to prevent it from being kicked away.

In fact, he could avoid this situation by just picking up the football.

But whether it was out of stubbornness or because he didn't realize that the football kicked with the foot could actually be held with the hand... Anyway, little Wang Lie didn't do it. He was busy fiddling with the football with his feet, making sure it didn't get out of his control.

After the children dispersed again and chased each other, he waded into the football and caught up with them again.

Then Wang Yaohua saw his son running faster and faster among the crowd.

Even though he was carrying a "burden", he ran faster than the other kids!

So much so that he had to stop and wait for them frequently after overtaking the group of children...

Later on, little Wang Lie seemed to have lost interest in chasing and playing with those other kids, and he began to run forward with the ball on his own.

On the public roads in the community, he dribbled the ball around other people, around puppies, around obstacles...

He looked very happy, as if he was enjoying the feeling of running with the ball.

Then after he ran a lap, he saw his father still standing there, so he stopped, put one foot on the football, and waved to his father: "Dad! Dad, look!"

The tone was full of excitement and showing off.

Wang Yaohua did not respond to his son, but just stared at him blankly with wide eyes.

※※※

"How was your training at school today?"

Before entering the apartment building, Wang Yaohua asked his son who was carrying a schoolbag.

Little Wang Lie replied: "Very good, the coach praised me!"

"Oh? What did you praise me for?"

"He said I could do it in no time!"

Wang Yaohua smiled slightly, but soon frowned and nodded, saying, "Don't be proud, keep working hard."

"Yeah, I know, Dad. I won't be proud."

Wang Yaohua continued, "It is not enough to just be the best in your school. Our goal is not to be the best in the school. There are many talented people outside your school. You are a genius, but they are also geniuses. If you don't have some talent, you can't play football at all... You must stay humble. Even if you win a game, there are still more games. You defeat an opponent, and there are still more opponents. So don't be proud. In fact, there is nothing to be proud of..."

The father and son came to the elevator, and Wang Yaohua handed the football to his son and said to him:

"Go, juggle the ball and walk up the stairs."

Little Wang Lie had no objection. After all, this had become a regular part of his daily routine when he went home from school.

The father and son parted in the elevator. Wang Yaohua pressed the button to call the elevator, while little Wang Lie juggled the ball towards the stairwell next to the elevator. Behind Wang Yaohua, the sound of him walking up the stairs while juggling the ball could be heard.

The thump-thump-thump of the ball hitting the ground echoed in the stairwell, very loudly.

Wang Yaohua reminded his son loudly through the wall: "After the ball hits the ground, you have to get down and climb again!"

From the stairwell came the son's answer: "I know!"

The elevator arrived, Wang Yaohua walked in and pressed the button for the eighth floor.

When he took the elevator to his doorstep, he did not go home first, but went to the stairwell to wait for his son.

He could hear the echoing thumps coming from downstairs.

Wang Yaohua was standing at the door of the stairwell waiting.

As the sounds of footsteps and juggling the ball got closer, little Wang Lie's figure finally appeared in Wang Yaohua's sight.

Seeing his son, Wang Yaohua reminded him: "This is the last floor. Hold on. If the ball hits the ground, you will have to go down to the first floor and start again."

Little Wang Lie was concentrating on juggling the ball, as if he didn't hear his father's reminder.

He did not rush to step onto the stairs immediately. Instead, he used both feet to juggle the ball alternately on the platform between two steps. He used this simplest way of juggling to adjust his breathing and get a chance to rest.

After his breathing gradually calmed down, he picked up the football and stepped onto the stairs.

After he stood on the steps, the football fell down and he picked it up again with his left foot, while continuing to lift his foot to pick up the fallen football.

This cycle repeated itself until he stepped firmly on the last step and stood in front of his father.

Then he exclaimed, "One life cleared the level!"

Wang Yaohua nodded seriously and praised, "Not bad! Try to clear the level with one life tomorrow. If you can clear the level with one life for five consecutive days, I will reward you with an hour of novel reading at the weekend."

Little Wang Lie waved his fist happily: "Of course it will work!"

※※※

"Are you really planning to let your son pursue a career in professional football?"

Zhou Hong asked her husband Wang Yaohua.

Just an hour ago, Xu Dongfang, the founder and principal of Oriental Football School and the famous "youth training godfather" in China, made a special visit, hoping to bring Wang Lie to Oriental Football School for training.

Oriental Football School is the strongest professional football school for youth training in China. The school has cooperative relationships with many Chinese professional football clubs and can provide qualified players for teams of all levels every year.

Since its establishment in 2000, a total of national team players at the youth and junior team levels have been trained in the past ten years.

There are also five international players at the senior team level.

In football, a sport with a low success rate, this achievement can be said to be quite remarkable.

Therefore, there is a saying in the circle: "Being able to enter the Oriental Football School means that one foot has already stepped into the door of professional football."

Moreover, Oriental Football School will waive tuition fees for those who are truly talented but whose family conditions are not good. Therefore, every year, countless young people or parents with football dreams go to Oriental Football School to take the entrance examination.

However, it is still a very rare situation for the principal Xu Dongfang to come to the door for an invitation.

This also shows how talented little Wang Lie is.

Facing his wife's question, Wang Yaohua did not hesitate at all: "Of course, otherwise wouldn't his talent be wasted?"

"But you also said that the success rate of football players is very low, and the elimination rate is frighteningly high..."

"Yes. But for our son who is so talented, it's worth a try no matter how high the elimination rate is."

Seeing her husband's firm words, Zhou Hong knew that he had already made up his mind, so she was very curious: "Then why didn't you just agree to Principal Xu?"

In the meeting just now, Xu Dongfang fully expressed the school's sincerity, and my husband had a very pleasant conversation with him.

Seeing that scene, Zhou Hong thought that her husband was going to make the decision immediately and settle the matter.

Unexpectedly, the husband finally said that he would discuss it with his family before making a decision.

"We can't let him think we are too hasty. Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times at his cottage. Our son cannot be compared with Zhuge Liang, but he should at least visit him twice, right?" Wang Yaohua said proudly.

Zhou Hong snorted, "Aren't you afraid of messing up?"

"Hey, what are you smashing? If Xu Dongfang doesn't come because of this, it means he doesn't really want our son. Then there's no need for us to send our son to his football school." Wang Yaohua sneered.

Zhou Hong sighed and said, "You have arranged everything for your son's future. Have you ever asked for his opinion?"

"What opinion? My opinion is his opinion." Wang Yaohua said very domineeringly, "He is only a few years old, what does he know? If you let him choose for himself, he still doesn't want to go to school, so you won't send him to school?"

Zhou Hong was speechless:

If she had to give up one between studying and playing football, her son would definitely give up studying...

So, sometimes we really cannot consider the wishes of our children.

But the form still needs to be followed.

Zhou Hong walked to the door of her son's room and asked him, "Do you really want to play professional football and make a living from it?"

The son, who was pretending to do his homework, nodded and gave his mother an affirmative answer: "Yeah."

"Aren't you afraid of failure?"

The son puffed out his chest and said, "Dad said I can do it!"

Zhou Hong was so angry that she laughed. She turned to her husband and said, "Wang Yaohua, you have taught your son well!"

The husband, however, was not ashamed of it. Instead, he was proud of it and smiled happily.

※※※

"Alie, you came back from the European competition with the national youth team this time. Did Principal Xu tell you that there are any European clubs interested in you?"

Hearing his father's question on the other end of the phone, Wang Lie nodded: "Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He told me not to think about playing football abroad yet, but to play well in China first and try to play professional football in China first. There is no benefit in playing football abroad too early..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by his father's swearing:

"fart!"

Hearing the displeasure in his father's tone, Wang Lie immediately stopped talking.

He knew that his father was not scolding him, but Principal Xu.

Sure enough, the father continued, "Old Xu is lying to the kid! Don't I know what he is planning? It's nothing more than signing you to a domestic club so that the school can make more money... Son, do you want to play football in Europe?"

"Me? Of course I do!" Wang Lie answered without hesitation.

This is what he thinks.

When Coach Xu approached him and told him to stay in China and not consider playing football in Europe, he was a little disappointed.

Any young football player with a dream would hope to play football in Europe.

Because that is the center stage of world football, and being able to stand on this stage can prove one's ability.

It can be said that in addition to serving the country, playing football in Europe is another dream of Wang Lie.

"Okay, then we'll prepare to go abroad to play football!"

Although he really wanted to play football in Europe, Wang Lie was still surprised to hear his father say this so decisively.

"Are you really going out?"

"of course."

"But how do we get out?"

"Don't worry about it for now. Just practice your basketball skills at school. Your dad will handle this matter."

※※※

On weekends, Wang Lie was called to his home by Wei Qin, the cultural teacher of the football school, to give him some extra lessons. Not only did she give him some extra lessons in life, but she also gave him some extra lessons in study.

At dinner time, Teacher Wei's family and he sat around the dining table, eating and chatting, as if they were a family.

Wei Qin's husband Tang Lingfeng asked a question that he was very concerned about at the dinner table:
"Xiao Lie, are you really determined to go abroad to play football?"

Wang Lie put down his chopsticks and nodded, "Well, I must go abroad to play football."

"But now because of this incident, you are having a hard time in school... Have you been banned from the school?"

Wang Lie continued to nod: "Yes, only let me train, not let me compete."

"Just training, no competition...how can this be possible? Now is the time for you to improve your skills..." Tang Lingfeng frowned, very worried.

Wang Lie smiled but said nothing, instead he lowered his head and ate his meal.

Tang Lingfeng turned to his wife Wei Qin and said, "How about you go and ask Principal Xu for help?"

Wei Qin glared at her husband: "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm just an ordinary cultural teacher..."

Wang Lie also defended his teacher, "No need, no need."

Tang Lingfeng sighed again: "Now everyone on the Internet is scolding you..."

Being personally invited by Xu Dongfang to join the Oriental Football School, this gimmick alone made Wang Lie the focus of attention of Chinese football fans online.

Of course, his fame is not as great as those real professional players, but many Chinese fans know his name.

After all, Oriental Football School has always been well-known in the domestic youth training circle.

As the top talent of Oriental Football School, Wang Lie is a star in the hearts of fans who have been paying attention to China's youth training.

Wang Lie did not disappoint these people's expectations of him. Since joining Oriental Football School, he has performed well in competitions of all age groups.

He proved with his actual performance and achievements that the "titles" given to him by everyone are well-deserved.

Today, he is not only the top player of Oriental Football School, but also the number one star of the Chinese national youth team.

Therefore, when he had disagreements and conflicts with the Oriental Football School over going to Europe to play football, he naturally became the center of the storm.

Many fans support him to play football abroad, but many fans also support Oriental Football School.

It is difficult to say who is right or wrong on either side, after all, they both have their own positions.

It’s no problem for Wang Lie to continue improving himself in the higher-level European football arena. Many Chinese fans are also looking forward to it.

As a non-profit organization, the Oriental Football School also needs to make money. From the perspective of making money, selling Wang Lie to a domestic club is obviously more profitable than transferring him to a European club. After all, the reputation of the Oriental Football School in China is not worth mentioning in Europe.

But this is an interpretation from a rational perspective.

Many people are not actually that rational.

Those who supported Wang Lie blasted Dongfang Football School for being profit-driven and destroying the only hope of Chinese football. Xu Dongfang also went from being the "tree planter" of Chinese football to the "culprit".

Those who support Oriental Football School angrily accused Wang Lie and his son of being ungrateful, cruel and ruthless to the Oriental Football School that trained him, and wanting to fly solo now that he has grown wings.

Wang Lie went from being a rising star of Chinese football to a shameless villain, and Wang Lie's father Wang Yaohua was scolded even more harshly, because most Chinese fans believed that the young Wang Lie actually didn't understand anything at all, and he was completely controlled by his greedy, evil, ugly and despicable father.

Originally, the story between Xu Dongfang and Wang Lie, the master and apprentice, should have become a good story in Chinese football, but it was ruined by Wang Lie's father who was blinded by greed!
He not only destroyed a great football legend, he also destroyed the future of Chinese football!

This crime is simply unforgivable!

The angry fans' curses were as harsh as they could be.

Supporters of both sides started a war of words online.

Both parties involved were put on the spot and were in an embarrassing situation.

But in Tang Lingfeng's opinion, Oriental Football School is still the stronger party. After all, Wang Lie's registered ownership belongs to Oriental Football School. As long as Oriental Football School does not agree, how can Wang Lie leave?
The current stalemate is actually worse for Wang Lie.

Wang Yaohua might really ruin his child because of his impulsiveness and paranoia!
Seeing that Uncle Tang was anxious about his future, Wang Lie turned to comfort him: "It's okay, Uncle Tang. We have thought of a solution to the problem."

"Oh? What method?" Tang Lingfeng asked impatiently.

And not only him, Wei Qin next to him and their daughter Tang Xingmei also pricked up their ears.

"My dad persuaded my mom to sell our house, so that he could have the money to buy my ownership back from the school."

Wang Lie said it lightly, and Tang Lingfeng and Wei Qin both exclaimed: "Sell the house?!"

After seeing Wang Lie nod, Wei Qin asked:

"I remember your family only has one house, right?"

Wang Lie continued to nod.

Wei Qin's eyes widened: "Where will you live after you sell the house?!"

"My dad said to rent a house."

Seeing Wang Lie's calm expression, as if he was talking about something very ordinary, Wei Qin suspected that Wang Lie, who was only fourteen years old, had no idea what it meant to sell the only house in his family.

So she tried to explain to Wang Lie, but when the words came to her lips, she thought, what's the point of saying this to Wang Lie? Can Wang Lie still make the decision?

Finally, she could only murmur: "There is absolutely no need to do this..."

Tang Xingmei, who had been listening attentively without saying anything, finally couldn't help but ask, "Wang Lie, why do you have to go to Europe to play football?"

Wang Lie turned his head and looked at Teacher Wei's daughter, who was two years older than him, and said seriously, "Because only by playing in Europe, where the level is the highest, can you become the best player."

"Wow, you want to become the best player in China?" Tang Xingmei widened her eyes.

Wang Lie chuckled and said, "He is the best player in the world."

Tang Xingmei's eyes widened even further, and not only that, her mouth also opened wide.

※※※

"Our newspaper: Dongfang Football School announced on its official website today that it has officially terminated its relationship with Wang Lie. So far, the dispute between the two sides that lasted for more than four months has finally come to an end... It is reported that the young player's family has bought out the ownership rights from the school, thus becoming a free agent. Wang Lie's father Wang Yaohua said in an interview that they will continue to pursue their dream of playing football abroad in Europe...

"According to an insider, Wang Yaohua sold his house to raise enough money for the buyout. Now Wang Yaohua and his family live in a rented house... Wang Lie's parents originally ran a small company. In order to take Wang Lie abroad to play football, his father Wang Yaohua may become his son's 'full-time nanny'...

"Selling the family property, giving up the business... Obviously, Wang Yaohua has put everything on the line to allow his son to study abroad and continue to pursue his football dream. He had to bet everything, because after falling out with the Oriental Football School, Wang Lie seemed to have no place in the domestic football world - the Oriental Football School has a network of relationships all over the country, and many clubs have cooperative relations with them.

"I admit that the level of European football is higher than that of China, but he wanted to study abroad at the age of fourteen, and ended up in such a mess... Is this the 'path' that Wang Yaohua arranged for his son? Wang Lie is a very talented teenager, but his father Wang Yaohua's paranoia will harm him sooner or later!"

※※※

Wang Lie walked off the court with his teammates, talking and laughing. When he looked up, he saw his father standing outside the railing on the sidelines, with a gloomy expression on his face.

His heart skipped a beat.

You can see that Dad is angry.

But he didn't understand why his father was angry.

I actually performed quite well in this game.

From the time he was substituted on in the 60th minute to the end of the game, including injury time, he played a total of 24 minutes.

In these 24 minutes of playing time, he scored two goals and scored twice.

For a newcomer who has just been in the team for less than half a year, this performance is very good.

Even his teammates' eyes changed when they looked at him after the game - from cold to eager, and they took the initiative to run over to chat with him as soon as the game was over.

With such behavior, he couldn't understand why his father would be unhappy...

With a nervous mood, Wang Lie changed his clothes in the locker room. After saying goodbye to his coach and teammates, he met his father again outside the court.

The venue was full of parents picking up their children, it was very lively.

When Wang Yaohua saw his son coming out, he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around with a stern face and walked towards the parking lot.

So Wang Lie followed without saying a word.

The two of them got into the car, one after the other, in silence.

Sitting in the car, Wang Yaohua did not rush to start the second-hand Golf he bought just after coming to Spain. Instead, he finally said, "Do you think you performed well today?"

The tone was serious, even a little cold.

As soon as his father opened his mouth, Wang Lie felt the temperature in the car dropped by several degrees.

Of course he felt that his performance today was very good, but since his father asked this, it meant that his father was not satisfied.

Although he didn't know why his father was unhappy, Wang Lie, who had lived with his father for a long time, knew that it was best to go along with his father's wishes at this time.

So he replied in a low voice: "Not good..."

"Why not?"

Wang Lie really couldn't answer this time, because he really didn't know why his performance was so bad...

Seeing his son fall silent, Wang Yaohua knew that he didn't know that he was not doing well, so he criticized him harshly: "Why did you only score two goals?"

"Ah?" Wang Lie's brain couldn't keep up with his father's rhythm for a moment.

"Only two goals scored"?
If he didn't know his father's temper, he would have thought he was joking...

But he knew his father was not the kind of man who liked to joke.

Hearing his son's reflexive "Ah", Wang Yaohua became even angrier - how could he be so muddle-headed? !
So his voice also rose an octave: "What?! Do you think scoring two goals is impressive?"

"no……"

"You're still saying no! You obviously relaxed after scoring two goals, and you weren't running as aggressively as before. Why didn't you speed up to chase the ball in the 86th minute? As long as you chased it, you would have a chance! Even if you don't have a chance to shoot, you might be able to force a corner kick, which is good for the team's offense!"

Faced with his father's criticism and teachings, Wang Lie lowered his head and said nothing, not daring to talk back.

When Wang Yaohua saw his son like this, he knew that he was actually not convinced. Thinking about it, it was normal - he scored two goals and still got scolded like this, it was normal to be unconvinced.

But even though he understood, Wang Yaohua still spoke very seriously: "Have you forgotten how those people treated you when we first came here? Now that you have scored two goals, they actively talk to you and smile at you. Do you think your status in the team has improved? What are you daydreaming about?!

"Let me tell you, Wang Lie. We are outsiders here. How can you compete with these locals? You must perform twice as well as them, or even better. Otherwise, why would the coach choose you instead of others? You are satisfied with just scoring two goals. How can you compete with others? Of course, those locals can be satisfied after scoring one or two goals, but you can't. You are not qualified to stop!
"As long as you are on the court, you must always find ways to score goals and create opportunities! A hat trick is more convincing than a brace! If you can score three goals, don't just think about scoring two goals! If you want to stand out in European football and become the best player, you must do everything to the extreme! If you can't do it, then we can only go back to our country! And then be laughed at by everyone! Those who hate you will scold you in various ways, and you can't talk back because you really failed! Do you want to go home and be a loser? Do you want to be laughed at?!"

※※※

Wang Lie stood behind a row of evergreens and looked down at the monument in front of him.

The stele reads "Tomb of Strict Father Wang Yaohua", and the signature below reads "Wife: Zhou Hong. Son: Wang Lie. Daughter-in-law: Tang Xingmei."

The cemetery was not quiet. Although it was not the Qingming Festival, there were still people coming to pay their respects.

Wang Lie, wearing a baseball cap, did not stand out among the crowd.

No one noticed that the man standing in front of the tombstone with his head bowed was actually the number one superstar of Chinese football.

Wang Lie looked down at the photo of his father Wang Yaohua on the tombstone.

The father in the photo is smiling brightly and it doesn’t look like a portrait of a deceased person.

Indeed, it is not.

Wang Lie still remembers which photo this was taken from:
Next to my father, there was myself holding the French Ligue 1 Man of the Match trophy and smiling just as brightly.

That was the first time he won the Man of the Match award after recovering from two serious knee injuries.

He scored twice in that game and also had an assist.

After two serious injuries, there were many voices in the outside world that were pessimistic about him, whether it was fans, the media, or some professionals in the football circle. They were not doubting whether he could return to his pre-injury state, but whether he could continue to play football.

After all, getting the same injury twice in the same part of the body would be a devastating blow to any professional player.

Therefore, the best player of the match was Wang Lie’s best response to the outside world.

After the game, Wang Lie held the trophy for the best player of the game and stood with his father, allowing the reporters present to take a photo of them.

The father was smiling very happily at that time, perhaps because a stone fell from his heart - his son could continue to pursue his football dream.

When his father passed away suddenly from a heart attack, Wang Lie did not choose the most recent photo as his father's posthumous photo, but instead specifically selected this photo.

Because the scene captured in this photo is of great significance to both him and his father.

That day, the dark clouds dispersed, the wind and waves subsided, and the boat, which had been docked at the port for more than two years, once again raised its sails under the bright sunshine.

At that time, Wang Lie and his father both felt that the future was bright.

Wang Lie was happy because he knew that he would never suffer such a serious injury again, but his father didn't know this. He was just full of hope for the future and was genuinely happy that his son was able to overcome the injury.

But no one thought at that time that this small boat would almost run aground four years later.

In 2026, just in the fourth year that Wang Lie played for Athletic Barcelona, ​​his father died of a sudden heart attack when he was alone at home while he was training.

If it weren't for his then-fiancée Tang Xingmei who always stayed by his side, giving him comfort, encouragement and support, Wang Lie himself would probably have found it difficult to get over the pain.

When erecting a monument for his father, Wang Lie insisted on using the photo of the man of the match after the game as his father's portrait.

Because he wanted to use this photo to comfort his father and let him rest in peace in heaven.

"Dad, I've never told you that I've had some 'adventures'..."

Standing in front of the tombstone, Wang Lie lowered his head and remained silent, only talking to his father in his heart.

"I chose that photo for you because I was named the man of the match in that game. It convinced me that as long as I don't get injured again, I can make it in Europe with my hard work and talent. So that photo is my promise to you."

Having said this in his mind, Wang Lie paused for a moment, then continued to think:

"I don't know if I have fulfilled my promise... I have succeeded, but not completely. If I were to use the standards of a Chinese player... an Asian player, I should have achieved something that no one before me has ever achieved. I have won two Ballon d'Ors and a FIFA World Player of the Year... I have also won the Grand Slam of club championships, but I am still a long way from our original dream...

"After the failure of the World Cup three years ago, until this year, although I persisted, even I felt that this persistence was meaningless... No matter how hard I pushed myself in training, I couldn't beat time. Many people said that the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup would be my last World Cup. I didn't want to agree with them, but I knew in my heart that they were right...

"It's just that apart from continuing to work hard in training and playing, I don't know what else I can do. It seems to be just my inertia since I started playing football... That period was really difficult, I almost couldn't bear it... At this time, I met the person who came to me when I was 19 years old - the person who told me not to worry about injuries. He said that he couldn't bear to see me suffer from the side effects of the 'Extraordinary Heart', so he wanted to help me remove the curse of the 'Extraordinary Heart'. He said that the reason I was unpopular and at odds with the whole world was because of the 'Extraordinary Heart', and that the 'Extraordinary Heart' was the 'price' for me not to worry about injuries.

"At first I thought he was talking nonsense, because before I met him, when I first started playing football, you repeatedly told me 'either don't do it or do it the best', that playing football is about being competitive, always pursuing victory, always striving to be the first. So I think if there is any 'extraordinary heart', it is my own 'extraordinary heart'. It has nothing to do with that weird person.

"But after he cancelled the side effects of 'Extraordinary Heart', I found that my behavior in dealing with people was actually different from before - this can be seen from the reactions of people around me. The agent who has worked with me for many years noticed the change in me. I am really different from before... So I wondered if the things I thought made me successful were actually given to me by that mysterious person?

"I'm telling you, Dad, when I had this idea, it was actually... quite disruptive. I always believed that although the mysterious man provided me with a cheat that didn't require me to worry about serious injuries, my achievements were achieved through my own talent, hard work, and extreme competitiveness. But now he tells me that even my competitive spirit was given to me by others, so what am I? An empty shell?
"I didn't let anyone know, not even in front of Xingmei, and I didn't show anything wrong. But I was really upset, even more upset than thinking that we couldn't realize our dream - if my success all came from the mysterious power of the deus ex machina, and had nothing to do with my own efforts and qualities, then why should I be happy and proud? In other words, the mysterious man found me not because of any special qualities in me that made me stand out, but because he simply pitied me...

"But when I left Sofia and went to Tyne, I found that things might not be what I thought. Because in a relegation team, I still wanted to go to the Champions League. Even if I said this goal, even my teammates didn't believe it. I didn't say it deliberately to show that I was still competitive. I really had this idea from the bottom of my heart, and I was willing to do my best for this goal. From that time on, I found that I had not changed.

"I still want to win, and I still want to score a lot of goals. Just like you once told me, if you can score two goals, don't just score one goal, and if you can score three goals, don't just score two goals. If you can draw, never lose, and if you can win, never draw... I always want more and am never satisfied. They say I can't afford to lose, and they are right, I just can't afford to lose! I am very happy that I am almost forty years old and still can't afford to lose!
"So my unwillingness to admit defeat and my desire to win are my true nature, not something bestowed by some mysterious power. That 'extraordinary heart' is my own 'extraordinary heart'... As evidence, this season I really led Tyne to qualify for the Champions League next season. That is an achievement that has never been achieved in the history of this team, and they did it after I joined. I watched those 'mercenaries' change little by little, and they, like me, refused to admit defeat. The team united and became more combat-ready.

"... After saying so much, I actually just want to tell you: Dad, I am more confident in fulfilling our dream. Since I can change the 'mercenaries', I can also change the Chinese team. I don't care what others think of me, I just want to do what I want to do. Next year's World Cup is my best chance, I will try my best, and I will also let everyone in the Chinese team try their best!
"Dad, when the time comes, I will come to see you with the real World Cup in my hands."

After saying this in his heart, Wang Lie turned around and left.

The cemetery was not quiet.

Some people wander around in confusion and run around looking for their loved ones because they cannot find them for a while.

Some people wept and mourned in front of the tombstones of their loved ones.

Some people bowed and made wishes, "... your spirit in heaven must bless our family to be safe and sound, and everything goes smoothly..." "... Dad, may your son make a fortune this year, and may your grandson get into a good university..." "... may your daughter get through this difficult time, and have a successful operation..."

In the not-so-quiet cemetery, Wang Lie walked through the rows of evergreens and pines and cypresses, along the slope, letting go of his hands and walking down the mountain.

(End of this chapter)