If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 325 The King of Face (Please Subscribe)
Thanks to Lu Deyang's efforts, the invitational tournament has become increasingly outrageous.

The number of teams has increased from the initial four to eight.

Similarly, there's Ajax, where legend Koeman has retired; Celtic, the Catholic team; Benfica, Portugal; and the Brazilian legends team, which was spearheaded by Pelé and others.

In addition, there were the original Milan, Juventus, Boca Juniors, and Maradona's friends' teams.

The invitational tournament has been changed to a group stage format with 8 teams in groups A and B.

Although he was unable to invite high-ranking Scottish officials through Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, there have been many arrangements regarding the coaching staff. Ferguson's old rival Dalglish and Alan Hansen will both serve as coaches, along with former Arsenal manager Graham and former Manchester United player Gordon McCarquin.

And then there's Ferguson.

Five of the eight teams have Scottish coaches and one has a Scottish team, which shows how enthusiastic the Scottish football community is about this. If it weren't for the passing of Scottish super-managers like Sir Matt Busby and Sir Bill Shankly, they would certainly have joined in as well, which stems from the national sentiment of the Scottish people.

Moreover, this is because many teams have arranged summer warm-up games in advance.

Barrytown United and Swansea City missed out, and these Welsh teams were practically willing to pay their own way to participate. The only problem was that no one recognized their legends.

He stirred up trouble for England, and with a single call to arms across the British Isles, he garnered a huge following.

In that land, anyone who hasn't had millions of people killed by England is embarrassed to say they're part of Britain.

That's why people say they hold grudges.

That has been passed down through generations, and many proverbs serve as reminders to those who come after to be careful of the British.

When something happens, they really don't treat you like a human being.

Even though they speak English, they are constantly on guard against the British trying to cause trouble.

Therefore, the scale of the event has been slightly upgraded.

What was the level of attention Real Madrid's six superstars received in China? They dominated all media outlets and were headline news almost every day.

The number of legends from these teams participating, plus those just joining in the fun, far exceeds sixty superstars; even sixty superstars couldn't stop them.

If it weren't for the limitations on the roster, the Brazilian legends team or the Milan legends team could easily field a 60-man squad.

After repeatedly confirming the list and communicating with the participating legends, and at Lu Deyang's suggestion, "World Football" started airing ahead of schedule, and it will be broadcast seven days a week without interruption, plus morning, noon and evening rebroadcasts, all to introduce the resumes of these legendary team stars to the fans.

Fans who had just started watching Serie A and the Premier League were immediately subjected to a crazy baptism of football.

From the rivalry between the Celtics and the Glasgow Rangers to Ferguson vs. Alan Hansen and Dalglish.

Then came the rise of the prodigy Pelé, who caused the number 10 to lose his place and leave for Italy, followed by Cruyff's brilliant first goal, and finally Beckbauer's superior skill.

Too much.

The fans thoroughly enjoyed the show.

The valuable footage provided by the clubs, the material shot by the production crew working overtime, the constant editing with different people changing jobs, and Channel 5 broadcasting football programs all day long.

As for other sports?

There are no other sports involved.

Now, half of the football world's top players are preparing to come to Hong Kong to play in an invitational tournament.

Add to that the current players in the free-kick tournament, and this is the most talked-about event of the year.

Those long-forgotten stories were also revealed one by one.

For example, the captured German captain, Walter, was not sent to Siberia because he was from Alsace and was allowed to stay and play football. More importantly, after the October Revolution, he sheltered many Hungarian players, such as Puskás and Czibor, and helped them immigrate to Spain.

There were countless stories like this during World War II.

The story of legendary spy Anthony Schmeichel also began to be known, which was of course due to Peter Schmeichel's plea to the King of the Land.

Who knows, in a few years when spy movies become popular, someone might make a film about Peter Schmeichel, opening up a new genre beyond "The Bourne Identity," "007," and "Mission: Impossible."

These people's experiences are even more fascinating than those in movies.

It was only then that fans were surprised to discover that "Escape from the Tiger's Mouth" and "The Great Escape" were still somewhat conservative in their portrayal. In that era of war and chaos, there were always outstanding individuals who would accomplish extraordinary things.

Lu Deyang, the instigator, is still stranded in Japan.

The autograph sessions in Japan are very popular; even without additional sessions, there are four sessions over two consecutive days.

The morning and afternoon sessions were fully booked, plus two more sessions, in addition to sponsor activities.

Lu Deyang had no time left before he went to attend the ceremony.

Back at the hotel that evening, Lu Deyang finally breathed a sigh of relief as he lay in bed.

Japanese fans are incredibly enthusiastic.

Those things in China are things the Japanese have already done.

The key point is that Pokémon has a lot of scenes that punish female fighters, which makes the manga quite popular among office workers.

Taking photos and getting autographs from them is nothing special.

Occasionally, a crazy fan would try to kiss him, which terrified Lu Deyang.

His original plan to stand in front of the glass window and conquer Tokyo was also temporarily cancelled.

too tired.

Sometimes Lu Deyang even wondered what people needed so much money for.

The next day.

Tokyo Imperial Theatre.

Lu Deyang stood under the fourth Pokémon movie, "The Ghost of Cao County," with two thumbs up, and Redondo and others who were on vacation with him also took photos.

In an interview, Lu Deyang smiled and said, "Some people say that I make theatrical versions of my works for money, which is slander. I have never cared about money because I have plenty of money. Rather than making money, I prefer to say that theatrical animated films bring 90 minutes of dreams to life. When I was a child, I would watch animation for a few minutes or ten minutes and then start looking forward to the next day's plot. Watching the entire story in a theatrical film was the happiest thing for a child. As an artist, being able to promote a positive spirit through my work and bring strength to children is what makes me most gratified."

The only thing that Lu Deyang regrets is that it may not be able to beat Miyazaki Hayao's "Princess Mononoke".

Despite the economic downturn in Japan, Princess Mononoke became a huge hit.

The box office champions of the past two years have not exceeded 50 billion yen, and last year's Mission: Impossible only reached 36 billion yen.

Who would have thought that in 1997, Hayao Miyazaki would suddenly generate 117 billion yen?

This box office is equivalent to Jurassic Park plus Terminator 2.

Lu Deyang isn't aiming for the annual championship; he'd be happy if he could consistently come in second, surpassing "Independence Day."

Pokémon has been raking in profits these past few years, so it would be strange if it could beat Hayao Miyazaki.

If we waited ten or eight years, we could definitely produce an annual box office champion, but that would be meaningless.

The difference between an annual box office champion and a top ten box office player for ten consecutive years is not just in terms of box office revenue, but also in terms of a whole host of related products such as toys and DVDs.

This is why, despite the decreasing quality of the Conan movies, they still release one every year.

Even if the movie loses money, the merchandise can recoup the losses. Besides, since it's not hand-drawn, the production costs are very low, and with a fan base, it's hard to lose money.

It's like reaping a stable harvest every year, though the exact amount earned is uncertain.

Lu Deyang didn't intend to be as shameless as Qingshan Laozei; he at least wanted to maintain the reputation of the IP.

A perfectly good mystery anime is constantly devoid of any mystery plot, just endless flights of fancy and kicking satellites. It's like a Jackie Chan Adventures movie.

Therefore, every year for the theatrical release, in addition to putting effort into the plot, we choose one of the three themes—friendship, love, or family—as our theme, and we also carefully design one or more new Pokémon.

After the movie is released, new Pokémon will also appear in the TV series.

It doesn't affect the plot, but you won't know the origins of the new Pokémon if you don't watch the movie.

This is the ultimate trick to keep elementary school students glued to the movie theater.

If you don't know about trending topics, you simply can't communicate with your friends.

It wasn't until June 26th that Lu Deyang reluctantly flew to Hong Kong with his girlfriends and friends.

What wonderful chives!

I don't know when I'll have time to come for the procedure in person again.

I don't know how much money they can save over the years by encouraging them to work hard and live well.

Lu Deyang is already tired of playing with Pokémon cards.

The toys are also preparing for a second generation.

Plus games.

I wonder if their wallets can withstand it.

Sometimes Lu Deyang even considered investing in some economics departments to investigate how such a distorted idol-worshiping environment was cultivated.

There's no place in the world more suitable for exploiting people than Japan.

Even though their economy was bad in 202, the average spending per fan in Japan remained high.

If it weren't for the lack of an online gaming environment, Tencent and its allies might have fought a fierce battle for control of this "chive pot" (a metaphor for easy money).

……

After settling my teammates at the Peninsula Hotel.

Lu Deyang met with the leaders in the conference room.

The main purpose is to determine the list of spectators and whether the legends of those teams can attend the event on time.

Lu Deyang had already prepared for these things.

In the unlikely event that a team does back out, Milan's connections allow them to quickly invite one or two influential teams to fill the vacancy.

Moratti wanted Inter Milan to join the fray, but there were already too many Serie A teams, so it wasn't interesting.

Inter Milan's global influence is definitely greater than Celtic's.

However, at this point, Celtic's symbolic significance was far more useful than Inter Milan's; Milan and Juventus could already represent Italy.

Just when Lu Deyang thought he had everything under control.

An unexpected incident still occurred.

……

6 month 29 day.

Lu Deyang and others waited outside the airport.

Seeing Ferguson and Moyes surrounded by security from afar, Lu Deyang quickly walked up and gave Ferguson a hug, saying, "You've really given me a huge surprise." "David Moyes, my friend and coach."

Ferguson explained.

"Hello, Mr. Moyes. Since you are a friend of Sir Alex Ferguson, you must be a future great manager."

Lu Deyang smiled and reached out his hand.

Moyes shook hands, somewhat flattered.

After getting in the car, Moyes sat in the passenger seat, while Lu Deyang and Ferguson sat in the back.

Ferguson began by saying, "David and I have known each other for a long time. When my father worked in the shipyard, his father was a draftsman. I've always thought about handing Manchester United over to him after I retire."

Lu Deyang gave a thumbs up and said, "I didn't expect you to be thinking about things more than ten years from now."

“What do you mean more than ten years from now?” Ferguson laughed and scolded, “I think I should retire in a few years. I can’t do it anymore. There’s too much going on at the club. Especially that kid, he’s a real handful.”

Lu Deyang smiled but didn't say anything.

Ferguson would announce his retirement before the end of the 2002 season.

At that time, Chelsea had not yet risen to prominence, and Arsenal was just so-so.

The Premier League has gradually turned around, and Manchester United still holds a dominant position in the Premier League.

Manchester United's managerial position is one of the most attractive in the world, with numerous coaches expressing their interest, including some already under contract.

Manchester United have a lot of options.

After much deliberation, Ferguson hoped Capello would take over, but Manchester United's management chose Eriksson.

Then a Scotsman changed his mind and went on to be Manchester United manager for over a decade.

Just like Will Joward, who said he was going to retire but then won several more championships.

Some people say things that you can just listen to, but they're not really too old to play anymore, and they won't leave the football field.

"Why did you arrive early, Sir?"

Lu Deyang asked.

“I wanted to come early, after all, this is a big deal,” Ferguson said, winking.

"Thank you."

Lu Deyang said sincerely.

Even Ferguson would need considerable courage to come and coach a Premier League team to attend the ceremony.

As for Lord Mo, he's probably just an extra.

The old man had long harbored ambitions to succeed Manchester United, so of course he had to curry favor with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Even if he wasn't planning to take over Manchester United at that point, pleasing Ferguson and lending out a few talented players would be a huge help to him.

The only thing Lu Deyang didn't expect was that the two families were old friends, or that they had known each other for a long time outside of the football world.

There are just too many coincidences in this world.

After bringing the two men back to the hotel, Sir Alex Ferguson and Moyes were treated with considerable courtesy.

After all, they are Scots.

Ferguson is also the most famous Scotsman in the world.

Back in his room, Lu Deyang received several phone calls, all about this matter.

For the next two days, Lu Deyang acted as a tour guide who wasn't very familiar with the area, leading a group of people on eating and drinking trips.

Ferguson's influence in Hong Kong was far greater than Sacchi's.

Manchester United was the most popular team here during this period, without a doubt.

The media on Fleet Street and in Hong Kong were practically glued to people's sides, practically shoving their cameras right in their faces.

And so, July 1st finally arrived.

……

Lu Deyang and the princess sat together in the front row below the stage, while her relatives sat on the stage under the cross flag, frequently casting their gazes at her.

The princess said in a low voice, "After today, I am probably the least welcome Englishman at Buckingham Palace."

“If you want to take on endorsement deals, you can get many lifetime endorsement contracts in China,” Lu Deyang said with a smile, patting her hand.

Sitting here today, she'll practically be able to walk sideways in the country from now on.

Recently, even Hong Kong newspapers have been referring to her as Ms. Spencer, Lu Deyang's girlfriend.

I reckon when the British get back, they'll accidentally leak a divorce certificate from a few years ago to the newspapers, showing that the two have long since broken off their relationship.

Sir Alex Ferguson, standing to the side, was all smiles.

It's estimated that we'll be seeing a thrilling showdown between Ferguson and Fleet Street for the next while.

The old man wasn't afraid of those guys. He was the kind of person who got more and more passionate the more he fought. If there was no one to argue with, he would actually lose his energy and secretly choose the next target to pick a fight with in his office.

Although Mourinho is also someone who likes to stir up trouble, he lacks the ability to control his temper and often gets himself angry.

Looking at their performances at the press conferences, Ferguson was clearly just teasing others, while Mourinho, even if he started a verbal attack, was easily provoked and genuinely angry when others retaliated.

Afterwards, the group attended a dinner together.

A cultural performance was being broadcast on television.

Shortly after the symphony began, a duet was performed by Andy Lau, Alan Tam, Leon Lai, and Faye Wong.

Each celebrity has their own part.

Around the middle of the performance, Lu Deyang and Jack Chen walked out from the left and right sides of the stage.

The dancers began to perform boxing to the accompaniment of majestic music.

Jack Chen's signature voice rang out: "Proudly facing countless waves, passionate like the red sun..."

Lu Deyang, who had already returned to the hotel, still felt somewhat ashamed when he saw himself singing with his arms outstretched on TV.

It feels completely different on stage and on the court.

Even though it's a pre-recorded show, there are far fewer viewers than the fans at the stadium, but there's always a bit of tension.

"You are much taller than him."

The princess leaned on Lu Deyang's shoulder and said.

"It's probably because of different body types."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

It's mainly because her figure makes it stand out too much.

There's not much he can do about it. Lu Qiuwang has a slender build and is considered thin among players, which makes him appear taller.

The same person will appear taller when wearing tight-fitting dress pants than when wearing traditional dress pants.

Jack Chen doesn't look very muscular, but he's actually quite muscular from practicing martial arts.

Four people were watching the show in the room, three of whom were foreigners; they were mainly there for the atmosphere.

Lu Deyang really liked that positive and energetic spirit.

This is characteristic of our times.

The four of them stayed until the end of the party.

The next day, related reports flooded the world.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Maldini said: "It is a great honor to attend such an event. This is an important step in the fight against imperialism. I am happy to acknowledge myself as a witness to history and hope that there can be more cooperation around the world to jointly develop and maintain world peace."

Lu Deyang strongly suspects that his interview transcript was written by Costacurta.

However, Lu Deyang didn't have time to discuss this with him.

After getting up, he went to Central.

Monica Burger's first store in Hong Kong has a completely Italian sign, so it should do good business.

After the lion dance, Lu Deyang, Ferguson, and several others cut the ribbon, officially opening Monica Burger.

Immediately afterward, Lu Deyang, who hadn't even had lunch, went to support the sponsors again.

Lu Deyang didn't feel a little relieved until mid-July, when the invitational tournament was about to begin.

……

The national television station became the busiest organization.

Even before the match started, football legends would frequently walk out of Kai Tak Airport, forcing the team to wait there.

As soon as Pele walked out of the airport, reporters and translators went up to interview him.

"Hello Mr. Pele, what are your impressions of this fourth visit to China?"

the reporter asked.

Pele grinned, revealing his white teeth, and said, "I haven't visited Hong Kong yet, but I'm really looking forward to this trip. Chinese fans are very enthusiastic; I witnessed that 20 years ago, and I even scored a free kick for the New York Cosmos (laughs). This trip to China is mainly at the invitation of Dejan Damjanovic, who is my favorite active player. We have a great friendship, and I'm very interested in this invitational tournament. I hope it will leave me with some great memories."

"I heard that you were the one who called on the Brazilian Legends team to participate in the competition, is that right?"

the reporter asked.

Pelé nodded and said, "Yes, I don't want to miss such a competition. Even after I retire, I hope to return to the green field to witness history."

"Okay, thank you for the interview. Have a pleasant trip."

Beckenbauer reappeared on camera shortly afterward.

Compared to the old football king.

The football emperor was dressed even more impeccably, in a suit.

Facing the camera, Beckenbauer said, "At first I was worried about how the Chinese would find their cars, since all the cars look the same. But this time in China, I have seen the development here, which is amazing. I am already looking forward to the rest of the journey and hope to learn more about Chinese culture while competing."

He had previously traveled to China with New York Universe, and even brought a copy of the Tao Te Ching which he frequently read.

When asked why he came to be the temporary coach, the old emperor mentioned that name again—Lu Deyang.

(End of this chapter)