Chapter 1 Chen Hero Slams the Newspaper on the Table

"Fucking paparazzi!"

He cursed angrily.

The newspaper he slammed on the table was spread out, and in a prominent position was a photo of Chen Hero, Anyukov, Denisov, and Kerzhakov walking out of the Katyusha nightclub. The four of them were side by side, and the photo captured them head-on!

And it was obviously not taken with a mobile phone. The photo was very clear, so there was absolutely no reason to argue that "it's not me in the photo."

Above the photo was a large news headline: "Last Night, Four Zenit Players Visited a Nightclub and Returned Late!"

Below was a smaller headline: "Heroes of Zenit's Recent Two Games, the Mysterious No. 99 Player Also Appeared in the Nightclub!"

Written like this, it was as if he had become the protagonist, and the other three were accomplices…

Fortunately, last night they only had some drinks with a few beauties in the nightclub, and no one took anyone back. Otherwise, eight people coming out... if they were all photographed, it would be a sensation!

Yesenin just watched Chen Hero get angry from the side, without saying a word. He didn't care about Chen Hero's private life, just like he told Hero when he first came here—"Whatever you do in your room, I didn't hear it." Now that it was happening in a nightclub far away, he couldn't care less.

"What kind of newspaper is that *St. Petersburg Life*? Does it have a big influence?" Chen Hero now had a glimmer of hope.

He knew that if the head coach found out about his going to the nightclub, it would definitely affect his impression in Advocaat's mind, and he might not even make the match roster...

"It's a local St. Petersburg tabloid, mainly reporting gossip and scandals about celebrities. It was created by imitating the popular Russian gossip newspaper *Life*. The newspaper's style is kitsch, with a focus on pictures, and it often publishes various revealing and stimulating photos. In St. Petersburg..." Yesenin glanced at Chen Hero and said something that made him despair. "It's in the top three in sales."

Chen Hero held his head in his hands and wailed to the sky: "Ah—!"

He was dead this time!

Absolutely dead!

Why was he so unlucky? It was only his second time going to a nightclub, and he ran into the legendary paparazzi! Damn it, may the whole family of the paparazzi who photographed me die a horrible death!

Chen Hero vented his dissatisfaction in his heart, cursing Boris's entire family for eighteen generations.

Just then, the phone on the table rang.

It was Denisov calling. "Hey, Hero, did you see the newspaper?"

He didn't say which newspaper it was, but Chen Hero knew he was referring to the *St. Petersburg Life* newspaper.

"I saw it..." Chen Hero said unhappily.

"Damn it! This is troublesome!" Denisov said through gritted teeth.

"What do we do now?" At this time, he could only let the captain make the decision.

"We can only deny it to the death..."

"The photos are very clear, Captain..." Chen Hero reminded him.

"Uh... just say we only sat inside for a while, didn't do anything, and left!"

"This... will it work?" Chen Hero felt that this explanation was too weak and not convincing at all.

"Oh... never mind! Just say that!" Denisov said.

Chen Hero suddenly thought of a question: "Captain, is this the first time you've been caught after going to so many nightclubs?"

"Of course not."

"Then before..."

"That old man Petrzela was easy to talk to. Just find some reason, then swear that you will never go again next time... but I'm not familiar with this Dutchman Advocaat! This is the first time since he became the head coach!"

Chen Hero vaguely felt that the four of them were doomed this time...

After hanging up the phone, he focused his gaze on Yesenin.

"Maxim..." This was the first time Chen Hero had called him so intimately. He used to either call him "Yesenin" or "Mr. Aurora."

"I can't do this." Yesenin knew what he was going to say.

"You're a god. How about you erase this report? So that no one knows about this!"

"I told you, I'm not a god. And I really can't do this. If I could make this matter disappear out of thin air without causing any after-effects, then when I appeared, I wouldn't have turned all of Moscow upside down." Yesenin was referring to when he appeared in the night sky in Moscow, causing people all over Moscow to come out and watch him, and it was also reported in newspapers, online, on television, and on the radio, becoming known to everyone.

Chen Hero was desperate.

He had finally gotten his hands on a starting position, was it going to slip away from him because of this damned paparazzi?

He hadn't even warmed his ass yet!

When Chen Hero went to training the next day, he was dejected. There were only two days left until the next league match, and with this incident, he might not even make the roster.

Anyukov and Kerzhakov were just as dejected as he was. Denisov seemed the most calm, but everyone knew that he was just a substitute, and it didn't matter to him whether he played or made the roster!

It was these three main players who were now as mournful as if their parents had died.

In the parking lot, the four of them met and simultaneously sighed "Ah."

They regretted not wearing sunglasses or a baseball cap or something!

Their teammates obviously knew about this too—just like Yesenin said, the *St. Petersburg Life* newspaper had amazing circulation in the St. Petersburg area, with wide coverage. From government officials to street vendors, everyone loved to read it! The Zenit players naturally couldn't escape this coverage either.

Seeing the four of them walk into the locker room dejectedly, everyone laughed.

Li Hao laughed especially happily, because of the grudges that had accumulated little by little before, he was especially happy to see Chen Hero unlucky now.

Seeing their teammates' reactions, the four of them were even more desperate—their teammates knew, there was no reason why the head coach wouldn't know…

In fact, they guessed right. Before the start of training, assistant coach Kurt Potter was slapping the table in Advocaat's office, speaking passionately.

"...must be severely punished! Such disregard for team discipline! It's fine if you go out to have fun... but you let the media photograph you! Isn't this damaging the team's image? Professional players should be important idols on the path of life for young people and children. If fans see that their idols are like this! What kind of negative impact will that have on Zenit's team image!"

Potter was spraying spittle everywhere, while Advocaat hadn't said a word.

When he first learned that Chen Hero, Anyukov, Denisov, and Kerzhakov had gone out to nightclubs together, he was also very angry—the team was in the preparation period, and you guys went out to nightclubs. It's fine if you go to nightclubs after the match when you're on vacation, but now there are only two days left until the next league match, and you've been exposed by the media for this kind of thing…

But that was already last night's matter. He had already been angry, and now he was considering what impact this incident would have on the team.

Krylia Sovetov Samara is their opponent in this round of the league, currently ranked twelfth in the league, at the bottom of the standings. This team is not too strong. Otherwise…

Three of the people who went to the nightclub were main players, especially two main forwards... Tyek was injured, and now there were only three forwards available. These two main players also went to the bar. If he angrily replaced them all, who would play forward? Panov? His coordination with the team is still very average…

But the opponent is not too strong. If it really doesn't work, he can throw them in the reserve team to calm down.

After Potter finished venting his anger, Advocaat nodded: "I know, I will make arrangements after training."

Throughout the training process, Chen Hero and the other three were worried. They wanted to observe information that was beneficial or unfavorable to them from Advocaat's face, but they gained nothing. But Potter was very impolite to them. This indirectly confirmed the fact that the coaching staff definitely knew about their matter.

What should they do now?

Chen Hero felt very unwilling when he thought that he was just able to represent the first team in matches, and now he was going to the reserve team.

It's normal for young people to go to bars… Besides, I didn't delay my daily training, so who is it hurting if I go to bars in my spare time at night?

The more Chen Hero thought about it, the more unwilling he felt.

No, he absolutely could not sit still and wait for death!

Although he didn't know what Advocaat was thinking, he decided to go to the head coach and make things clear in person.

First of all, we went out to play during our free time, and secondly, we were not late for training yesterday, and the same is true today. Our attitude in training is serious and impeccable. So what if we were photographed by the media going to nightclubs?

If I am sent to the reserve team for this reason, I absolutely cannot accept it!

Chen Hero made up his mind, and then during a break in training, he said to the other three teammates: "After training, let's go talk to the head coach?"

"Are you crazy? Hero!" Kerzhakov was the least courageous of the four. When he heard that Chen Hero was actually going to find the head coach, he was shocked. At this time, they couldn't avoid the head coach enough, so why would they take the initiative to find him? Isn't this running into the muzzle of a gun?

Anyukov and Denisov also looked at Chen Hero in surprise.

"I'm not crazy, I want to make it clear to him, I don't think we did anything wrong! If we delayed training because of going to bars, stayed out all night before the match, and caused a decline in our state, I have nothing to say. But now..." Chen Hero curled his lips and shrugged. "There's no impact at all!"

The three of them looked at the bold Chen Hero and were stunned. Then Denisov spoke: "The eating, drinking, and playing gang has always advanced and retreated together. Since you're going, I, as the gang leader, can't not go. I'll accompany you!" He put his arm around Chen Hero's shoulder.

"Since the gang leader has spoken, I think I, as the deputy gang leader, naturally can't not go." Anyukov put his arm around Chen Hero's shoulder from the other side.

"Wait, when did you become the deputy gang leader?" Denisov had never heard that there was a deputy gang leader in the eating, drinking, and playing gang. He asked in surprise.

"If you want to talk about someone who knows as much about eating, drinking, and playing in St. Petersburg as you, I think it must be me. It's not bad to be a deputy gang leader, right?" Anyukov said shamelessly.

"That won't do, the appointment of the deputy gang leader must be decided by me, the gang leader!"

"We can vote!"

As expected of young people, they quickly forgot about the crisis they were about to face and started arguing over such trivial matters.

While the two were arguing, Kerzhakov also said to Chen Hero: "I don't think we have any other way to go now. No one wants to go to the reserve team, right? I'll go with you too, Hero!"

Chen Hero smiled.

"Thank you!"