Chapter 1 A Test of Strength

When Popovich received the notification from assistant coach Potter to put Chen Hero on the roster for the weekend's youth league match, he was quite surprised.

Hero had only trained with the team for a little over two weeks, not even three. And with the language barrier, there was no way he could have any real understanding with his teammates. To have him play like this, what could he possibly show?

He certainly knew what this request was for.

Advocaat definitely wanted to see Chen Hero's strength to judge whether this player signed by the previous coach had the ability to stay with the team. If he wasn't good enough… then he would be loaned out until his two-year contract expired, and then he wouldn't be renewed, and Chen Hero would naturally be gone.

But he felt it was completely unfair to test Chen Hero's strength in a match so early.

To be honest, Popovich didn't have a very good impression of Potter, just because of his "sneer."

He even suspected that this idea came from the assistant coach. But he was wrong about Potter. Potter doubted Chen Hero's strength, but the idea actually came from head coach Advocaat.

"I can't agree to this." Popovich shook his head and shrugged. "He's only been with the team for less than three weeks, and he hasn't had much time to train with the teammates. As a center forward, he relies heavily on the midfield and requires a high level of understanding with his teammates. If you put him on the field now, you won't see anything!"

Potter remained noncommittal to Popovich's words.

"If his strength is really as amazing as you say, then I think he can completely solve the game on his own, scoring goals by himself shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Popovich took Potter's words as mockery, and his face immediately fell.

He originally wanted to refuse directly, but then he thought… if Chen Hero could really slap this old man in the face during the game, he really wanted to see that person's expression at that time.

After two weeks of training, Popovich felt that he had some understanding of Chen Hero's heading ability. At the youth team level, his heading could be considered outstanding.

Zenit's youth team was the top team in Group 1 of the Russian Under-18 Youth League. The team's defense was quite excellent, and this defense could also represent the highest level in this group of youth leagues.

But in training, Chen Hero repeatedly beat them with his headers.

This should be able to demonstrate Chen Hero's heading strength.

With this in mind, Popovich nodded: "Okay, I will have him play in the youth league match this weekend, but I'll decide his playing time."

As the head of youth training, he wasn't weak at all in front of this assistant coach.

He had the final say in all matters concerning the youth team. He didn't give a damn about this newly arrived assistant coach.

When Chen Hero learned from head coach Popovich that he would be playing in the weekend's league match, he was first surprised, then delighted.

I'm going to play in a match?!

Chen Hero, who had only been with the team for less than three weeks, didn't expect his first official match to come so quickly. He originally thought he would have to practice with his teammates a bit more… Although he really wanted to participate in the match, the translator and language teacher the club promised to find for him hadn't arrived yet, and language communication was very difficult, so his understanding with his teammates was still a big problem.

Although he now had a decent relationship with his teammates in the team.

As a newcomer, he didn't act low-key, on the contrary… he was very high-profile.

He was very active in the locker room. If his Russian wasn't good enough, he spoke English, with gestures and all. Most importantly, Chen Hero always had a smile on his face. He spoke loudly, and he was enthusiastic, not at all standoffish. This was particularly likable.

He didn't mind being joked about, and he also joked with others. He was a very easy person to get along with.

Although he had abused his teammates once before he even joined the team, and then abused them again in training, he was smart. He solved it by buying each teammate a bottle of drink.

This kid knows how to win people over… this was Popovich's feeling as an observer. Sometimes he really didn't seem like an eighteen-year-old…

"Um, I have a request, Coach…" In addition to being happy, Chen Hero said to Popovich.

"Yes, speak."

"That is, can you please inform everyone… I'm treating tonight!"

Popovich was stunned for a moment.

"Treating? Why?"

"Hehe, to celebrate my selection for the weekend league roster!" Chen Hero said.

"You're treating just because you were selected? Wouldn't you have to treat every day in the future?" Popovich was amused. This reason…

"No, this is the first time. The first time is very important, very commemorative, I want to treat everyone to a meal to commemorate it!"

Popovich glanced at him—he didn't think Chen Hero really just simply intended to commemorate his first selection for the roster.

This was his first time representing the team, and before this, his understanding with his teammates on the field wasn't good enough, and he was the type of player who relied heavily on his teammates' cooperation. If he didn't have a good relationship with the players, once he was isolated in the match, he wouldn't be able to show anything…

Popovich felt that Chen Hero must have made this decision out of this consideration. But what surprised him was that he hadn't told him what the weekend match meant to him. How did he know he had to perform well in the match?

Did he only see the youth team as a stepping stone from the beginning? Or was this his idea for every match—to try to score goals and perform well?

Popovich didn't delve into it. After training, he announced the decision in public.

"Your dinner is taken care of, lads!" He pointed at Chen Hero. "Our Chinese Hero is planning to treat you to… his hometown cuisine!"

"Oh?! Is that true? Coach!" Someone shouted, his excitement overflowing.

In Saint Petersburg, Chinese restaurants were everywhere, with about three hundred already, and they were still growing at a rate of two per month. But in reality, there were only five thousand Chinese people in Saint Petersburg, and three thousand of them were Chinese students. So many Chinese restaurants certainly weren't just for Chinese people to eat, otherwise these five thousand people wouldn't be able to support so many Chinese restaurants even if they ate at Chinese restaurants every meal.

In Saint Petersburg, Chinese food was becoming an increasingly popular cuisine among young people. Modified Chinese food had become a favorite of many Russians.

Chen Hero didn't expect the head coach to suggest going to eat Chinese food… But he knew absolutely nothing about the local Chinese restaurants. He looked at Popovich for help.

Popovich patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I won't take you to high-end restaurants like Beijing Restaurant or Hong Kong Restaurant, ha!"

In the hall, large red pillars were lined up, large red lanterns hung high, and the lucky baby in the posters smiled at you. Even the bar was decorated with traditional Chinese overhanging eaves. It was truly a restaurant that might rarely be decorated like this in China, but it was still very attractive to Russians who had a strong curiosity about Chinese culture.

Although this kind of decoration style was no longer popular in China, Chen Hero's eyes still warmed up when he saw these traditional Chinese elements—he missed home again. For the past half month… no, it should be said that for more than a month, he hadn't eaten a single Chinese meal. At first, he thought it was very new and delicious to eat Western food, but after eating too much, he realized that he still liked Chinese food the most… especially the home-cooked dishes cooked by his mother.

Twice-cooked beef, stewed beef with potatoes, braised vermicelli with minced meat, sliced lung, fatty intestines… even the homemade pickled vegetables were delicious.

Just thinking about it made his mouth water.

But now, looking at the "Chinese food" on the table, his mouth didn't water at all.

Not everyone would choose to go out to eat at night. Many of them would return to their homes. But today, all the players from Zenit's youth team had gathered at this Chinese restaurant called "Rui Long Ju" to enjoy Chinese cuisine.

His teammates thought the Chinese food here was extremely delicious, but Chen Hero really couldn't get used to these obviously modified "Chinese dishes"—they were too sweet and sour.

He held his chopsticks and tasted each dish, but found that all the dishes were like this, so he gave up.

Most of the time, he just drank beer—youth training coach Popovich didn't come along. It was a place for young people, and with him, the coach, everyone couldn't let loose, so he wisely went home to eat—watching his teammates eat happily.

Well… anyway, his teammates were happy, and his goal was achieved.

Popovich was actually right. Chen Hero's treating wasn't to commemorate something like his first selection for the roster… It was just to take this opportunity to enhance the players' feelings and have a good relationship with everyone—the relationship was already good before, but now it was to further improve the relationship.

The relationship was good before, but at least there was no conflict of interest. Now it was different. What if everyone just wanted to desperately show themselves off and didn't pass the ball to him during the match? As the saying goes, eating someone's food makes them soft-spoken, taking someone's gift makes them soft-handed. If he treated them to a meal, at least they wouldn't make things difficult for him in the match, right? It wouldn't be too difficult for them to pass the ball to him, right?

Chen Hero had these little calculations in mind, but his teammates might not know. Anyway, someone was treating them to Chinese food, and they could drink to their heart's content, so everyone was very happy.

The dinner table was indeed a very good place to enhance feelings. Soon, some teammates who had drunk too much were pulling Chen Hero to chat. Although Chen Hero couldn't understand the other party's Russian at all, he could guess the general meaning of what the other party was saying based on their facial expressions, and then give the correct response…

"Let me tell you, Hero… we were already lenient by not choosing 'Beijing Restaurant'!" The person who was drunk was Krotkov, the team's main center back. When Chen Hero repeatedly demonstrated his aerial prowess, he was the pitiful supporting role, the green leaf.

But now that he was drunk, he didn't remember those grudges.

Looking at the way he was hugging Chen Hero, it was as if the two had been best friends for ten years.

Chen Hero couldn't understand Krotkov's words, so he could only smile foolishly and keep him company.

At this time, someone came to his rescue.

"Are you Chinese?" A Mandarin Chinese accent with a clear Northeastern flavor rang out behind Chen Hero. Chen Hero, who hadn't heard Chinese for a long time, felt like he had heard heavenly music. He suddenly turned around and saw a middle-aged man standing behind the seat. He had yellow skin and black hair, wore metal-framed glasses, and looked quite refined.

"Ah… ah, I, I am, of course I am! You, you too?" Maybe it was because he hadn't spoken Chinese for too long, but Chen Hero actually stuttered a bit.

The man smiled: "I'm the owner of this restaurant. Of course the owner of a Chinese restaurant is Chinese!"

Meeting a compatriot in a foreign land, Chen Hero was very excited. He quickly stood up and shook hands with the other party: "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ren Tianhua, from Harbin. And you?"

"Chen Hero, from Chengdu."

After introducing themselves, Ren Tianhua sized up the Zenit youth team players who were eating heartily: "I heard from the waiter that a lot of people came, and I was afraid they couldn't take care of them, so I came over to take a look. I didn't expect to see a compatriot in the crowd. To be honest, there are quite a few Chinese compatriots who come here, but they are all repeat customers. You and I have never met, haha!" Ren Tianhua had the unique boldness and directness of Northeasterners.

Chen Hero scratched his head: "I only came to Saint Petersburg three weeks ago… Today is my first time… hey, it's the first time I've been to the city in more than two weeks."

"Oh? What did you come here to do? Go to university?"

"Uh, no… I came to play soccer."

Ren Tianhua was stunned for a moment.

He wasn't ignorant of soccer, and he was also very clear about the fact that there was a professional team in Saint Petersburg. But for a moment, he couldn't associate this professional soccer team with a Chinese person.

"Play soccer?" he asked back.

Chen Hero nodded.

"Professionally?"

Chen Hero continued to nod. His contract was indeed a professional contract, although the various benefits were only slightly better than those of a regular youth team… Fortunately, he couldn't go anywhere for these past few weeks and could only stay in the dormitory, with no place to spend money. So, besides keeping some for himself, he sent the rest of his salary back home to help repay the debt. After all, his father had borrowed the money for him in the first place. How could he turn a blind eye to this and only care about his own enjoyment?

Ren Tianhua laughed: "That's really a rare guest!" He pulled Chen Hero out, and the two stood in front of the bar and chatted. Chen Hero was indeed a rare guest. His restaurant had received many Chinese guests, mostly tourists, and also Chinese students in Saint Petersburg. But receiving a professional player from China was a first.

"If you can sign with a professional team, your level must be very good!" Ren Tianhua asked.

"Hehe, not bad!" No matter how modest he was on the surface, even a fool could see that he wasn't modest at all.

"Ha! Play well! Win glory for us Chinese people! Did you hear that? Work hard! Don't let those old Russians look down on us Chinese! Haha! Good! It's really good, I didn't expect to meet a Chinese professional player today…" Ren Tianhua laughed loudly. "In that case, all of your expenses here today… are on the house!"

Chen Hero was shocked. He hadn't said anything yet, but this boss was showing such enthusiasm. How could he be so embarrassed? Northeasterners were indeed as enthusiastic and straightforward as the legends said…

Seeing that he was about to say something, Ren Tianhua raised his hand to stop him: "Don't say anything, it's all fate! This meal is free, I'm the boss, I have the final say! By the way…" He suddenly slapped his forehead. "I was wondering, you can't get used to this food, can you?"

Chen Hero shook his head: "How could I not? I can get used to it, I can get used to it…" The other person had already waived his bill, so how could he be embarrassed to say that the food didn't suit his taste?

Who knew that the boss would glare at him: "Don't lie to me. How can a Sichuanese get used to all the sweet and sour dishes? Let me tell you…" He looked around and lowered his voice, "Those dishes are all made for the Russians to eat. They like this taste. But when Chinese people are here, I always make authentic Chinese dishes. I will never fool my compatriots! You wait, I'll make a new one for you!"

After saying that, without waiting for Chen Hero to say anything, he ran to the kitchen behind.

Looking at this enthusiastic Northeastern old man, Chen Hero smiled. In any case, Chinese was still pleasing to the ear, and compatriots were still close!

In the end, Ren Tianhua really waived Chen Hero's bill. You had to know that so many people ate a lot… He waved his hand and wiped it all out.

And before leaving, he pulled Chen Hero and said: "If you want to eat hometown food, come here! I guarantee it's authentic! I have a chef from Sichuan here, let me tell you, that Sichuan cuisine is excellent!" He raised his thumb and raised his eyebrows at Chen Hero.

Chen Hero was amused by this enthusiastic Northeastern boss, and he nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

Indeed, the dishes that the boss finally brought him were really authentic Chinese flavors. His Russian teammates took a bite and said that they couldn't eat it because it was too spicy. So Chen Hero swept all these dishes into his stomach alone, and he ate very happily.

In addition to eating happily, the enthusiastic boss also made him very touched. In a strange country, being able to meet a compatriot, and such an enthusiastic and straightforward compatriot, made him feel very warm.

He originally just wanted to further improve his relationship with his teammates, but who knew that he would also relieve his homesickness…

Chen Hero felt that his decision to treat was absolutely correct.