Reverse.

Chapter 27 The fight started
Tang Lin had just finished class and was about to pack his bag to go home when he received a call from Mr. Berg.

"Tang, are you still in school?"

"Yes, Mr. Berg."

"Ah, that's great!"

Tang Lin clearly heard the landlord sigh, so he asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Ha! I do need your help! Here's the thing, can you help me buy Wang's jersey from Tyne's home store? I want to wear it tomorrow - Wang is selected for tomorrow's game!"

Tyne's home ground, Leeds Park, is right next to Newcastle University where Tanglin studies. It is indeed much more convenient for him to get there than for Mr. Berg to come from his home.

So Tang Lin agreed without thinking: "No problem, Mr. Berg."

"That's great, thank you, Don! There's one more thing..." Berg hesitated.

"It's okay, just tell me."

"That's right...that's right, when you buy a jersey, can you buy two, one for yourself..."

"Ah?" Tang Lin was a little surprised, "But I'm not going to watch the game..."

"It's okay, you don't have to go and see it. I just hope to increase the sales of Wang's jerseys... Don't worry, I will transfer the money to you, even if it's a gift I bought for you..."

Tang Lin didn't expect that his landlord would have such an idea to increase the sales of Wang Lie's jersey...

He felt that the other person might be the Chinese.

At least as a "genuine" Chinese, I have never thought of buying a Wang Lie jersey to support my country's players.

He smiled and agreed, "Okay, I will buy two jerseys, Mr. Berg. But you don't have to pay for my jersey. I am Chinese. How can I buy a jersey of my compatriot and ask others to pay for it?"

"That's so kind of you, Don! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Mr. Berg. I might be back late, so please wait a little longer."

"Ha! It's okay, I'm not in a hurry, and you don't have to be in a hurry either!" Berg laughed loudly.

※※※

After hanging up the phone, Jon Berg turned around, pushed open the door behind him, and walked back into the bustling miners' bar.

Theo Collins, the bar owner, was writing down their bet on the blackboard:
"King plays against Hurlingham FC. Jon YES, Robbie NO. One beer."

※※※

When Tang Lin walked to the door of the store, the electric glass door opened automatically.

Then he saw Wang Lie standing at the door, smiling at him...

This startled him, but after a closer look, he realized that it was a life-size 3D holographic projection of Wang Lie wearing the Tyne blue home jersey.

Because it was so realistic, Tang Lin thought he had seen a real person.

Tang Lin came back to his senses and looked carefully at the holographic projection. It was located in the center of the store after entering, ensuring that every customer who came in could see it at a glance.

This alone shows Wang Lie's status in Tain.

Walking around Wang Lie's holographic projection, Tang Lin looked around, and what caught his eyes were densely packed commodities.

This is the jersey souvenir shop located at Leeds Park Stadium next to Newcastle University.

Blue is the main colour of the shop, as that is the colour of Tyne's home shirt.

A large selection of jerseys is the main item here, with blue home jerseys and white and grey away jerseys.

In addition, there are various jackets, scarves, hats, training suits, mugs, refrigerator magnets printed with the Tyne team logo...

Tang Lin found that most of the goods here were familiar to him, because he had seen almost all of them in Mr. Berg's home:

The Tyne mug was what Mr. Berg used to drink coffee from; the Tyne woolen hat was what Mr. Berg wore when he went out; and the Tyne down jacket was even more familiar, as Mr. Berg wore it almost every day to the miners' bar in winter; and the plates, forks, knives... even the pancake pan, Tang Lin was very familiar with them - he had used this pan in the kitchen and could make pancakes with the Tyne team logo...

In addition to these wide range of merchandise, the store is also filled with player portraits, posters, large screens playing Tyne promotional videos, and so on.

Tang Lin even saw Chinese characters on some posters, which read:

"welcome!"

However, Tang Lin was not sure whether this was originally there or was added because of Wang Lie's joining.

But it doesn't matter, he is not here to explore this issue, he still remembers what his mission is.

So he didn't linger in front of the shelves with a wide variety of goods, and went straight to the shelf with Wang Lie's portrait.

The shelf is actually an entire wall, with three layers of jerseys hung all over it, with his name and number printed on them in advance:
WANG
99
Although Tang Lin doesn't watch football, he has heard Mr. Berg tell him about this, so he knows the origin of this number:

Because the team's original No. 9 jersey belonged to center forward Peter Oliveri, and Oliveri had not left the team, Wang Lie, who had always worn the No. 9 jersey, chose the largest number among the player numbers.

Generally speaking, superstar players rarely choose such a big number.

The numbers on football jerseys are different from ordinary numbers. The bigger the number, the more awesome it is not necessarily the case.

Because the jersey numbers in the early days were arranged according to the order of the appearance list, and there was no fixed number, so everyone has formed an inherent impression that numbers below and including 11 represent the main players of the team.

Although it is no longer the ancient era when there were no fixed numbers, and every player can choose his or her favorite number to use, most people are still not used to numbers that are too big.

After Wang Lie came to Tyne, he chose the number ninety-nine, which caused a small controversy. No one understood why Wang Lie chose this number.

If he likes number nine but can't get it, there is actually a compromise, which is to choose number 18, because one plus eight equals nine.

Perhaps he was protesting to Peter Olivi that he had not given up his number voluntarily...

Tang Lin was not interested in guessing Wang Lie's mental journey in choosing such a large size. He just found the sizes that he and Mr. Berg could wear on the shelf, then each took one and went to the checkout counter to pay.

There were already two long lines at the cashier counter, with about a dozen people in each line waiting to check out. Tang Lin took a casual look and found that they were all holding Wang Lie's No. 99 jersey.

Although no game has been played yet, Wang Lie, as a former world-class superstar, is still quite popular in the small Tyne team.

Some people said online that the reason why Tyne didn’t hold a welcoming ceremony for Wang Lie was that they were worried that there would be too few fans at the ceremony, which would embarrass Wang Lie. They were also worried that Wang Lie would be booed by Tyne fans…

On the day when the Tyne Club officially announced Wang Lie's joining, Tang Lin also observed that not everyone seemed to welcome Wang Lie's joining.

But what he saw in the jersey shop now seemed to overturn his previous impressions and those online rumors.

Do Tyne fans welcome Wang Lie's joining or not?
While Tang Lin was thinking about this problem, the team kept moving forward and soon it was his turn.

The middle-aged woman who served him was obviously overweight, and she looked no different from the middle-aged waitresses he had seen in supermarkets, bars, and restaurants. When she saw that Tang Lin, who was holding the jersey, had an oriental face, she smiled and greeted him in broken Chinese:
"Ni Hao."

Tang Lin was a little surprised. He didn't expect the Tyne Club to be so thoughtful. He was stunned for a moment and even stuttered when he responded in Chinese:
"Uh, hello... hello..."

The clerk smiled and switched back to English: "Just these two?"

Tang Lin also switched back to English: "Yes, just these two."

"OK, just a second."

The clerk quickly packed the jersey, put it in a handbag, and handed it to Tang Lin with both hands.

"Thank you." Tang Lin took it and thanked him at the same time.

"You're welcome. Thank you for your patronage and welcome to visit again!"

Then the middle-aged female clerk started serving the next customer.

Tang Lin walked straight out of the store carrying the bag, but before leaving, he looked back at the holographic projection at the door. This time, Wang Lie's image had changed. He was standing with his hands on his hips, head held high, and looking into the distance.

Looks pretty domineering...

※※※

On the team bus from London to Newcastle, Hurlingham FC head coach Kofi Rossiter learned about Tyne's match squad from the Internet.

Wang Lie was among them.

Seeing the name, Rost laughed.

He was worried that McNeill hadn't included Wang Lie in the match list. Even if he defeated Tyne, it might not be convincing enough, after all, he didn't defeat Wang Lie...

Now he just hoped that McNeill would not let Wang Lie sit on the bench for ninety minutes.

Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, let him play, McNeill!
※※※

The English media seemed to share the same idea as Rossiter. After the Tyne club announced the pre-match squad, they reported the matter with extraordinary enthusiasm and intensity.

Because the force was too strong, some people initially thought it was bad news like "Wang Lie was injured in training and the season is over"...

It’s not their fault. Look at the words used by the media:

"Shocking news! Wang is included in the Tyne match roster!"

"Breaking news! Wang will likely play in the match against Hlingham FC!"

"Extra! The king is about to make his first appearance in Tyne!"

……

It was both "shocking" and "breaking news", making it seem like Wang Lie's inclusion in the competition roster was big news.

You know, half a year ago, Wang Lie was not included in the competition roster, which was shocking news...

In just half a year, under Sven Heldon, everyone seemed to have gotten used to the fact that Wang Lie should not be included in the match roster, should not start, and should not even continue to play in the Premier League.

Of course, a big part of the reason why the media was so enthusiastic was that Rost suddenly criticized Wang Lie before the game and took the initiative to ignite the war.

The media are all about watching the fun, no matter how big the event. If they don't fan the flames, how can there be a good show to watch, and how can there be news traffic?
In addition to online reports and breaking news, various football programs in the evening were also discussing this matter.

The hosts invited guests to seriously analyze whether Wang Lie has the possibility of playing. If he can play, will he be the starter or the substitute? If he is a substitute, when will he be replaced... "Considering that Wang hardly played any games properly in Sofia United in the first half of the season, I don't think McNeill will entrust him with important tasks. Of course, since he has been included in the roster, it is obviously impossible not to let him play a single minute. You know, there must be a lot of Tyne fans going to the game tomorrow just for Wang, so I guess McNeill may let Wang go up to feel the atmosphere of the game and get a feel for it in the last ten minutes of the game, but don't expect him to put in any decent performance..."

Elliot Goetz was watching one such TV show in his room at Northumberland Soccer City when he thought the guest was farting.

Based on what he observed during this week's training, he believed that head coach McNeill intended to let Wang play a role in the game, and it was impossible that he just let him go up to find his feeling.

But he couldn't tell whether Wang Lie would start or come on as a substitute.

After all, in the last team game before the end of today's training, Wang Lie and Dean were assigned to the substitute team.

Goetz used the remote control to replace the guest's nonsense program, and then he heard a noise and heavy footsteps coming from the corridor outside.

Feeling strange, he stood up and opened the door, and saw several teammates walking quickly in front of him. He quickly grabbed the last person, the team's central defender Hugo Guenduzzi, and asked, "What happened?"

Gunduzzi said: "Wang and Dean got into a fight at the rec center!"

"Ah?!" Goetz was startled at first, then he closed the door without saying a word and rushed there with Gunduzzi.

On the way, he did not forget to ask Gunduzzi: "Why did you fight?"

Gunduzzi was clueless: "I don't know either. Anyway, I just heard them say that two people were fighting..."

Goetz was so anxious that he just ran all the way. After overtaking his teammates one after another, he was the first one to run into the entertainment center.

Then I saw a lot of people gathered in front of me, accompanied by chaotic shouting:
"Come on! Dean!"

"Fuck him, King! Fuck him!"

"No one wants to bet with me? I bet the king will win!"

Seeing this, Goetz was furious - Wang Lie and Dean were fighting, and as teammates, you guys didn't go up to stop them, but you're actually here to make trouble and start a fight?! Damn it! What can we win by being with this group of "mercenaries"?!

So he shouted: "Enough! What are you doing?!"

His shout startled the onlookers. They turned their heads and looked over with confusion on their faces.

Through the gap they left, Goetz finally saw the scene inside the crowd:
At one end of the ping-pong table, Sonny Dean lowered his body, holding the racket, and stared seriously at Wang Lie who was holding the ball and ready to serve on the other side.

Goetz's shout and the sudden silence of the crowd also attracted Dean's attention, and he couldn't help but glance in Goetz's direction.

Just as his eyes moved away, Wang Lie suddenly tossed the ping-pong ball in his hand lightly, and then hit it with a racket!
Dean caught a glimpse of a white light coming towards him from the corner of his eye, and he swung his racket reflexively in panic. He successfully hit the ping-pong ball, but he used too much force and the ball went out of bounds!
Wang Lie raised his racket and shouted, "We won!"

Among the onlookers, Vitini rushed out of the crowd and was the first to run up to Wang Lie to hug him and celebrate.

Other people who supported Wang Lie also rushed forward and surrounded Wang Lie. Cheers and whistles filled the entertainment center.

Goetz turned to look at Gunduzzi who ran over with him: "Is this what you call a 'fight'?"

Gunduzzi was both innocent and disappointed: "They didn't tell me it was the 'play' in 'playing table tennis'..."

Dean was cheering and hadn't come to his senses yet - damn, why did I lose?
He turned his head to look at Katic, who was in charge of scoring and refereeing. The latter had just turned Wang Lie's scoreboard to the number "14", while his score was still at "12".

Seeing Dean looking at him, Katic shrugged and spread his hands.

Dean reacted and yelled at Wang Lie, "No! I didn't win! You didn't win! I was distracted! This goal doesn't count! Try again!"

Wang Lie, who was being held, snorted at him, "I didn't ask you to be distracted."

Dean pointed at Goetz, "I was interfered with by the captain! This is not fair!"

Everyone looked at Goetz. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Goetz felt embarrassed for making such a big mistake. So he said to Dean, "Uh, sorry..."

Vitini wanted to speak for his idol, but Wang Lie patted him on the shoulder and pushed him aside.

Wang Lie looked at Dean who was breathing heavily. "What's unfair about this? Why wasn't Elliot interfering with me? Don't you know that this ball is my match point? Shouldn't you be more alert?"

Dean was speechless after being asked a series of questions by Wang Lie, and then he broke down: "You took advantage of others' misfortune! You attacked shamelessly! You acted like a rogue! You just wanted to win!"

Wang Lie sneered and retorted: "Don't you want to win? If you don't want to win, why are you so angry? Accept the defeat calmly."

Dean was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Wang Lie to be so tricky. Then he roared again: "I won't accept such a failure! I won't do anything to win! If you have the guts, defeat me fairly!"

As Dean became hysterical, the atmosphere in the entertainment center suddenly became tense again. Everyone was worried that Dean would punch Wang Lie directly... No, they were worried that Wang Lie would punch Dean back.

Goetz was ready to use his authority as a former captain: "That's enough, Dean! It's just a game!"

Katic had the same concern, so he walked straight to Dean and separated him from Wang Lie.

Dean didn't appreciate anyone's kindness now. He turned his head to look at Goetz, but pointed his finger at Wang Lie. His tone was very fierce and his words were very impolite: "You should say this to him! It's just a game, but this old scoundrel will do anything to win!"

Vitini was very upset: "Who are you calling an 'old scoundrel'?! Show some respect! Bastard!"

Dean ignored him and just stared at Wang Lie: "Play another round with me if you can!"

Wang Lie patted Vitini's shoulder again, and then said to Dean, who was like an angry bull, "I should go to bed. If you are not convinced and want to beat me, you are welcome to come again next time. Don't worry, I will not refuse your challenge. I am just afraid that you will not dare to come again because you are destined to lose again."

After saying that, he ignored Dean and turned to walk out.

Behind him, Dean's chest heaved violently, and then he threw the ping-pong racket in his hand to the ground.

When Katic saw that Dean was just throwing his racket to vent his anger, he knew that he would not really go and cause trouble for Wang Lie, so he stepped aside from him.

Seeing this, Gunduzzi waved his hands and said, "Go away, go away, all of you! The show is over!"

Goetz heard the regret in his words, glared at him fiercely, and then warned everyone present: "Once you walk out of this door, this matter is over! No one is allowed to tell anyone, especially not the media!"

With Wang Lie's arrival, more and more media reporters gathered in Newcastle, just like a group of sharks following a slave ship, they were thirsty for blood and traffic.

Any little bit of news within the team can lead to crazy media coverage and interpretation.

Although Götze is no longer the captain, he still puts the team first and does not want his team to be disturbed by the media.

※※※

Because he was worried that Dean would pick a fight with Wang Lie, Vitini left with Wang Lie.

On the way back to the room, he did not forget to mock Dean: "Wang, you are really amazing. You can make him powerless and furious with just a few words! To be honest, I have been with Tyne for almost four seasons, and I have never seen him break down so many times during this period of time!"

Unexpectedly, Wang Lie turned around and asked him: "Vitini, if you were Dean, could you control your emotions and not rush over to beat me up just now?"

"Ah?" Vitini was a little surprised, not knowing how the topic turned to him.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Wang Lie asked again: "Can you?"

Vitini looked embarrassed: "You are my idol..."

"You think of me like Dean. If Dean said that to you, would you be able to control yourself and not beat him up?"

This time, Vitini shook his head decisively: "No way! I will definitely go up and beat him up!"

Wang Lie laughed and said, "So Vitini, learn to control your emotions. You still have a long way to go."

As he was talking, Wang Lie had already walked to the door of his room. He opened the door with his fingerprint and waved to Vitini who was standing there in a daze: "Good night, Vitini."

※※※

Goetz found Katic, who was the referee and scorer in the table tennis match, to find out what happened: "Isn't Dean very upset with Wang? Why are the two of them playing table tennis together?"

"He might want to get back at Wang by beating him at table tennis... As you know, Dean is the best table tennis player in our team," Katic said.

Goetz nodded. Dean was very athletic, and this talent was not limited to football. His table tennis skills were indeed very high, and it could be said that he was invincible in the entire team.

"And Wang is a Chinese. Table tennis is a strong sport for the Chinese. Dean might have intended to defeat Wang in a sport that the Chinese are strong in. Anyway, he took the initiative to challenge Wang.

"Wang's table tennis skills are really good. The two of them were evenly matched. In the best-of-five format, they each won two games. When you came, it was the last moment of the fifth game, and Wang had the match point..."

Goetz felt a little guilty: "That shout I made without knowing it did affect Dean..."

Katich didn't think so: "That's not your problem, Elliot. Wang is right. Why wasn't he affected? That's why I also ruled that Wang won. Dean's problem is that once he meets Wang, it seems that he is particularly vulnerable... Elliot, you have known Dean for so many years, do you know if he has any old grudges with Wang?"

From Katic's perspective, this was indeed strange. He and Wang Lie had once fought head-on on the court, but now he didn't have any deep hatred for Wang Lie. And Sonny Dean seemed to have more malice towards Wang Lie than he did back then, which didn't make sense.

"No..." Goetz shook his head: "I have never heard him say anything bad about the king. He rarely even mentions the king..."

Katic frowned: "That's really strange..."

※※※

After returning to his room, Wang Lie called his agent Fernando Clemente:

"Fernando, I need your help with something."

Clement asked in a relaxed tone, "What is it?"

"Can you help me find a high-level table tennis coach?"

"what?"

※※※

PS, it will be on the shelves tomorrow. I hope everyone will subscribe and support it, and I also hope everyone will actively vote for monthly tickets!

If the results are too bad, I’m really afraid that this book will be cut short…

In addition, there is a thank you note for the release, which may be updated later at 11 o'clock.

Then after midnight, as long as the VIP chapter can be uploaded, I will update one chapter first.

The remaining two chapters will be automatically updated at 8 am and 6 pm tomorrow.

Finally, please vote for me! Please subscribe!
Beg on your knees!

Beg on your knees!

(End of this chapter)