Chapter 1 This Is Just the Beginning

This training session shattered everything Chen Hero had been so proud of for over a month. He failed again and again. Facing Erik Hagen and Martin Škrtel, he was completely helpless.

The gazes of his teammates, which had just begun to shift, were now filled with doubt again. But Chen Hero didn't give up. He just kept getting up from the ground, signaling the passing players to continue.

This scene reminded him of his experience during the trial at CSKA Moscow.

That long-lost feeling was back, knocking him from the clouds of heaven into the mud. Only now did he realize that he hadn't changed much. He thought he was a talented star, but in reality, he was far from it…

Chen Hero didn't even know how he finished training. The noisy locker room seemed to have nothing to do with him.

He went to shower alone, head down, changed his clothes, and walked out of the locker room with his training bag.

In the past, he would use the newly learned Russian to greet his new teammates, saying goodbye or something.

In short, you could definitely feel his presence in the locker room.

But this time, he walked out of the locker room silently with his head down, as if he didn't know anyone there.

Li Hao looked at Chen Hero's back, feeling a little gleeful.

In training, he had been pinned down by the other and a goal was scored. He found it hard to swallow this humiliation.

So he was especially happy to see Chen Hero in trouble.

This is what you get for messing with me, Chinese!

After Chen Hero left, the locker room was silent for a moment, and then discussions began.

"That kid will be in the reserves soon…"

"Another shooting star. Why am I not surprised?"

"Actually, his header is really good. I think he's just a little too anxious…"

Someone teased Hagen: "Erik, you've seriously damaged the kid's confidence, ha!"

Hagen shrugged, looking helpless: "It has nothing to do with me…"

Arshavin saw Škrtel next to him frowning all the time, not saying a word, so he patted him on the shoulder: "You don't feel guilty about this, do you?"

Škrtel shook his head: "No, I'm just thinking… forget it, I'm going to take a shower!"

After saying that, he grabbed a towel and walked towards the bathroom.

Arshavin looked at the inexplicable Škrtel, pursed his lips, and shrugged.

In the misty bathroom, Škrtel stood naked in front of a huge mirror. His teammates passed by in twos and threes behind him, and everyone's topic seemed to have shifted to that Chinese guy.

Škrtel pressed his left rib with his hand, his face looking a little painful.

When he took his hand away, a black and blue bruise appeared where he had been pressing.

This kid… is really ruthless…

Škrtel muttered in his heart.

This black and blue bruise was left by Chen Hero during training.

In order to stop Chen Hero's header, Škrtel desperately entangled with him, and the two people's bodies kept colliding. It might not look intense, but looking at this black and blue bruise, you knew that it wasn't fake.

Back in the dormitory, Chen Hero threw his shoes on the ground. As if he still hadn't vented his anger, he kicked the shoes all over the living room.

Yesenin quietly watched him vent his frustration.

Chen Hero turned to look at Yesenin: "Am I very embarrassed, like a homeless dog?"

Yesenin thought for a while, then nodded: "Very much like it."

Chen Hero rolled his eyes: "I knew you couldn't say anything good."

"You really do look like one…"

"I'm asking this to hope you can comfort me!"

"Oh, sorry." Yesenin suddenly realized, then shook his head: "Actually, not at all."

Chen Hero waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it… I'm just asking for trouble."

After saying that, he sat on the sofa, not knowing where he was staring blankly.

While he was in a daze, Yesenin picked up the shoes he kicked into the living room and put them back on the shoe rack at the door.

Chen Hero watched him do these things, and then suddenly asked: "Shouldn't my header be very powerful?"

"From a technical point of view… it is." Yesenin said.

"What do you mean by from a technical point of view?"

"It means that if you put you and your opponent alone together, only comparing headers, you will definitely win. But in the game… the situation becomes complicated. The people defending you are no longer just one person, but multiple people, and they don't just use technical means to stop you. Defense also has tactics, Hero. In other words, they can pull your jersey, not let you jump…"

Chen Hero interrupted Yesenin: "Wait. When I was training at Zenit and playing in youth team games, I also encountered situations where people pulled my jersey, why could I score goals?"

Yesenin spread his hands: "Is the level of the youth team the same as the first team?"

Chen Hero was speechless.

"Then what's the point of this header technique? I can only score goals in the youth team and in training, but it's useless in professional games!" Chen Hero suddenly stood up from the sofa, a little excited, feeling unwilling.

Yesenin looked up at the tall Chen Hero: "There's a question I've wanted to ask for a long time."

"What?" Chen Hero didn't lower his head, just looked at Yesenin out of the corner of his eye.

"The header ability I gave you, as long as you practice diligently, plus a little luck, you can secure a place in professional football just by relying on this. You will become a center forward with excellent headers and a strong body, and you will be able to score a lot of goals in your career. What do you think of this future?"

Chen Hero shrugged: "It seems okay."

"But you will at most be a first-class striker, and you still need a lot of luck and hard training. There is a greater chance that you will become a second-rate or quasi-first-rate striker. Do you also think that's okay?"

This time, Chen Hero shook his head firmly: "Mr. Aurora, do you know why I'm called 'Hero'?"

Yesenin looked at him.

"Hero, Hero, if you don't be a hero, what's the point of being called Hero?"

"There's also a chance to be first-class, you know."

Chen Hero shook his head: "There are thousands of first-class people, but there can only be one hero."

"You want to be a hero on the field?"

"Of course."

"But you know, not everyone can be a hero. To be a hero, you must put in efforts and sacrifices that ordinary people can hardly imagine. Do you think it's still like before, where you have the ability to head the ball after sleeping? I'm telling you, what you have to pay is much more than now!"

Yesenin suddenly raised his voice.

This should be a passionate speech, the audience should be tearful and excited, clenching their fists, and respond in a trembling voice: "No matter how many difficulties and obstacles there are ahead! I will not give up!"

But Chen Hero shattered this atmosphere with one sentence: "Stop talking nonsense! Just tell me what to do!"

Yesenin was stunned—Chen Hero's reaction was not what he expected. As for what he expected, you can refer to the "correct reaction example" above.

"It's very simple." Yesenin didn't get the response he expected, and his enthusiasm suddenly dropped a lot. "You just need to keep working hard, training, learning skills, and accumulating experience."

"Then what do I need you for, Mr. Aurora…" Chen Hero felt that Yesenin must be crazy—any player needs to do the above three things to improve and succeed.

"No, no, no." Yesenin shook his head. "This is where you need me, Hero. I have a plan that can make you a football hero. First, the plan implementer needs to have a strong physique, otherwise they will get injured frequently in the middle, become a glass man, and the plan will be aborted. And you happen to have this." He pointed to Chen Hero.

Chen Hero thought about it, it was true, his body could really be considered strong. He had played football in various teams for twelve years, and rarely got injured. Those injuries that could almost destroy his football life had never happened. Even in the youth team of the domestic club, when he encountered a teammate's dirty tackle, it didn't pose much of a threat to him. He was angry purely because the opponent dared to plot against him…

"Then you need to be able to endure hardship and be able to withstand the boring and large amount of training. Judging from the training situation this month, I think you also have this patience."

"Then, talent. The body is also a kind of talent. Many people envy your body? Skills and awareness can be improved through training, but the body, only the body is the most difficult to improve through training."

"Finally, you need a heart that can withstand great pressure. Your experience with your father in July shows that you are not lacking in this either. You have encountered many difficulties, setbacks, and blows. But you have never given up, going from one place to another, always persisting."

"There are many geniuses, and there are also many hard workers. But there are not many people who can meet the above four conditions at the same time, and it can even be said that they are rare. Some people have a strong physique, but their hearts are fragile and cannot withstand any setbacks, and their state fluctuates. Some people have a tenacious heart, but lack a strong enough body. Such people will become frequently injured glass men in the cruel professional football game. Even if he is strong, he will never reach the level of a hero in his lifetime. There are also some people who have both talent and body, but they cannot endure hardship, they are lazy, they squander their talent and capital, and then they lose their brilliance as a genius early and become mediocre."

Yesenin looked at Chen Hero and said: "Want to be a hero? These four basic qualities are indispensable. Do you still think it's easy to be a hero?"