Chapter 17 Last Training Session

May 17th was Chen Hero's last training session with Zenit Saint Petersburg. This training session attracted considerable attention from reporters and fans.

They had all come to see Chen Hero's last training.

Many fans who supported Chen Hero held up banners outside the training ground, thanking him for his contributions to the team and wishing him good luck in Naples. Of course, some fans also said, "If they don't want you, come back!"

The reporters meticulously recorded Chen Hero's every move during this training session. All the cameras and camera lenses were focused on one person from beginning to end: Chen Hero.

Seeing Chen Hero score four goals in the training match, the reporters said one after another, "Chen Hero is in great form today!"

"Looks like tomorrow's game will be interesting!"

"Yeah, yeah! Only this suspense remains!"

"Poor Spartak Nalchik..."

Within the team, there was also a sense of farewell in the air today.

It had been there before training, but it wasn't very strong then. As the training progressed, as more and more fans gathered outside the training ground, as the number of slogans in those fans' hands increased, this emotion grew stronger and stronger.

After the training, Chen Hero was surrounded by reporters outside the training ground. In fact, everyone didn't have much to ask. They had already asked everything they needed to ask before. It was nothing more than questions like, "Will you continue to score goals in tomorrow's game?" and "Is it really possible to secure the league's top scorer in eleven league rounds?"

The Chinese reporters did not feel sad about Chen Hero's departure. Instead, they felt excited—the Russian league was too small, and there was really no room for development here, and the visibility was seriously insufficient. Even live broadcasts of the Russian league cannot be seen in China! Serie A is better, with prime-time broadcasts on national television every weekend evening!

Only the Saint Petersburg reporters felt melancholy about Chen Hero's departure.

They would never see this guy who was good at performing and could stir up everyone's emotions again.

Some people even recalled the first time they met him.

The Saint Petersburg media were initially enemies with Chen Hero because of the nightclub incident, when he slapped the Saint Petersburg reporters three times in public. At the time, who knew that this was the crazy beginning of this guy, and who knew that the Saint Petersburg media would later defend their city hero in the conflict with the Moscow media?

Because they didn't know what to ask, when someone took the lead and shouted, "Thank you, Hero!" more people joined in. They shouted in unison, "Thank you, Hero! Thank you!"

"Thank you! Thank you!"

This scene surprised the Chinese colleagues. It wasn't that they couldn't imagine this scene, nor that they hadn't seen it before, but it usually only appeared among fans. Who would have thought that the always harsh reporters would be like ordinary fans in front of Chen Hero...

Chen Hero was surrounded by people, and everyone around him was vying to express their gratitude to him.

"Thank you, Hero! Thank you for the UEFA Cup championship you brought us!"

"Thank you, we will always support you!"

"Becoming the league's top scorer in eleven rounds is nothing great! Do it, Hero! Let those who gossip die!"

...

Chen Hero was also a little surprised. He didn't expect that when the reporters surrounded him, they would say these things...

He thought they were going to interview him.

The reporters' gratitude quickly spread to the surrounding fans, and the sound of gratitude grew louder and louder, attracting the attention of the entire training base.

"Look!" Kerzhakov pointed to Chen Hero, who was surrounded by the crowd. "They are all thanking Hero!"

"To be honest, we also have to thank him," Captain Tymoshchuk stepped forward and said.

"This guy is really popular!" Anyukov said with a hint of jealousy.

"An enviable bastard..." Chen Hero's good roommate, Denisov, who had been his roommate for as long as Chen Hero had been in the first team, murmured.

"He's only been in the team for less than two seasons, and he's already more popular than us old guys. It's really enviable!" Radimov shook his head and sighed.

"I'm really a little reluctant... To be honest, if he leaves, I really don't know if I can adapt to the locker room without him when I return to the team..." Arshavin couldn't help but sigh.

"Me too!"

"I don't think I will adapt..."

"I have to take some time to adapt..."

His feelings received the support and agreement of many teammates.

※※※

Chen Hero waved to everyone and didn't say a word, although he seemed to want to say something... But his lips moved, and in the end, he didn't say anything.

In this way, he squeezed out of the crowd and walked towards the locker room.

The reporters turned to surround coach Advocaat again.

"Mr. Advocaat, do you really think Pogrebnyak can replace Chen Hero?"

"Is it too cruel for Pogrebnyak to be introduced as Chen Hero's replacement?"

"They are two completely different types of players, and there is no point in comparing them... Also, I never said that Pogrebnyak was brought in to be Hero's successor..." Advocaat replied weakly.

He had answered similar questions too many times in the past few days.

In fact, in his heart, he was also worried about Pogrebnyak. Even if he said that the two were completely different and there was no comparison, the fans and the media obviously wouldn't think so. Chen Hero's seasons at Zenit Saint Petersburg were too glorious and too crazy. Any successor would inevitably be compared.

Can he withstand such pressure and show his normal level?

No one knows.

※※※

In the locker room, Chen Hero was packing up his locker, taking away his belongings, and emptying the locker so that the locker room manager could reassign it to someone else.

Everyone has their own fixed locker, so if there are no accidents, this locker will be left to Pogrebnyak, who will join the team after he leaves.

His teammates watched him pack his things, mirrors, combs, photos... Chen Hero put these small items into his carry-on sports bag from the locker.

The feeling of parting was strongest at this moment.

Usually at this time, the locker room must be very lively, with music playing, everyone chatting, playing, and joking. As long as Chen Hero was there, the atmosphere would never be cold.

But now it was very silent.

When Chen Hero finished packing, Denisov, who had been watching from the side, walked up and hugged Chen Hero.

"Is the Zenit Saint Petersburg eating, drinking, and playing group going to disband like this?" he asked.

Chen Hero shook his head: "Of course not, Captain. It's just changed its name!"

"Changed its name?"

"Yeah, changed to the Saint Petersburg branch of the eating, drinking, and playing group! I'll go to Naples to build a Naples branch, and then we can have gatherings for the people of the eating, drinking, and playing group. Now that transportation and communication are so developed, is it difficult to meet?" Chen Hero patted Denisov on the shoulder.

Hearing what Chen Hero said, Denisov smiled.

The other teammates also came up to hug Chen Hero and say some parting words.

After tomorrow's game, Chen Hero will never return to this locker room. So they will meet again tomorrow, but meeting at this training base is the last time.

Kerzhakov punched Chen Hero hard: "You're finally gone! Now it's my turn to score goals!"

Anyukov, after learning that Chen Hero was going to Naples to establish a branch, encouraged him: "Do a good job, make the name of our eating, drinking, and playing group famous in Italy! Let the whole world know that there is such an organization!"

Captain Tymoshchuk said to Chen Hero, "Good luck in Naples, Hero."

When it was Arshavin's turn, he hugged Chen Hero and gently patted his back. Chen Hero leaned down and said in his ear, "I'll go ahead and scout the road for you, Shava!"

Arshavin nodded.

"I'll remember all the fun and delicious places for you!"

Arshavin nodded again.

"We'll see you in Naples next year!"

※※※

Chen Hero said goodbye to his teammates in the first team and did not leave directly. He went straight to the youth team's training ground.

There he met Popovich, who was still the youth training director.

"I thought I should come back and see you before leaving, Coach."

"Ha, you still remember me."

"Look at what you're saying. Although I didn't stay in the youth team for too long, I was promoted to the first team from the Zenit Saint Petersburg youth team after all. I think... the youth team is my mother team, right?"

Popovich was quite satisfied and proud that Chen Hero could still come back to see him before leaving—such an excellent player still remembers me, so I'm not too much of a failure.

"I guess you've already received a lot of blessings from your teammates, so would you like to hear something different?" Popovich asked.

Chen Hero nodded: "Tell me, Coach."

"The Italian league is famous for its defense. Their defense there is completely different from our defense here. In Russia, you can use your body to knock open defenders and break out a bloody path. But in Italy, this set may not work. Their defenders are experienced and good at positioning and predicting in advance. You can't beat them by simply relying on your body. So you have to practice your footwork more. It won't work to only rely on headers. You have to learn to find opportunities, create opportunities, instead of standing at the front and waiting for everyone to pass the ball to you. Changing to a different environment means changing to a different group of teammates and coaches. Whether they like you, whether they are willing to pass the ball to you, whether they will allow you not to defend and wholeheartedly attack like in Zenit... These are all unknowns. My suggestion is that you think of the situation in the worst possible way, and then prepare. It's always right."

Chen Hero nodded: "I know, Coach. I know what to do."

Popovich smiled, then waved his hand: "Go ahead, I wish you all the best there, and let me hear news of your goals often. Otherwise, that means you failed! Well, if you want, I think the gates of the Yudeni Park training base will always be open for you."

※※※

After saying goodbye to Popovich, Chen Hero called Panchenko. He thought that this old man was the first to discover him. If it weren't for him, none of this story would have happened, he was the beginning of everything. It was he who gave himself the opportunity to come to Zenit for a trial, and it was he who gave himself a glimmer of light in the darkness and despair.

So, now that he has become successful, he should thank him anyway.

But unfortunately, all the calls he made went unanswered.

He didn't know what was wrong.

He hadn't called this number for a long time, and he didn't know if Panchenko had changed his number.

In the end, he had no choice but to send a text message.

The text message was very simple.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself."

After sending the text message, Chen Hero threw his phone onto the passenger seat, started the car, and slowly drove out of the Yudeni Park training base.

He spent his first days in the team here. He was so familiar with every plant and tree here that he could easily copy it in the virtual副本 (fùběn - copy/instance). From today onwards, he will no longer come to this real Yudeni Park training base.

Although everyone said, "Come back if you don't do well," he would never accept such an ending in his heart. What does returning to Zenit Saint Petersburg mean? It means that he can only混 (hùn - drift along, muddle through) in second-rate leagues like Russia for the rest of his life, and he should never think about becoming a "green hero".

I won't come back if I don't混 (hùn - drift along, muddle through) well!!

No, it should be... I won't come back whether I混 (hùn - drift along, muddle through) well or not!!

Goodbye, Russia.

Goodbye, those nightclub girls in Saint Petersburg...

※※※

ps, I forgot the time when writing, sorry, this update is a bit late...