Chapter 1 Liverpool Returns

Liverpool team took a plane back to Liverpool the same night as the game. Martin O'Neill arranged it this way to save time, avoiding the team spending too much time on the road, affecting the players' physical fitness and condition. Another aspect was considering that Turkey was a place of turmoil, and it was safer to leave as soon as possible… Who knew what those Besiktas fans who lost the game would do? They dared to make trouble outside the hotel the day before the game, who could guarantee that they wouldn't do something even more outrageous after losing the game?

After returning to England, Liverpool players disbanded at the airport, and everyone went back to their own homes. They still had to come to the team for training early tomorrow morning.

So no one knew what happened on the streets of Istanbul that night.

But things were different after one night.

When Liverpool players woke up from their sweet dreams, they found that the world had changed—defeating Besiktas away and getting two away goals yesterday had become a thing of the past. Although there were reports, everyone's focus was obviously not on this anymore.

Because there was something even more sensational—

"...Last night, after the Liverpool away game against Besiktas, a heartbreaking and shocking tragedy occurred on the streets of Istanbul! Liverpool fans and Besiktas fans fought in the streets, resulting in one Liverpool fan unfortunately being..."

Chen Hero was eating breakfast when he suddenly heard this from the television news. He was stunned and looked up. Cabrera next to him also stopped what he was doing. For a moment, the crisp sounds of knives, forks, and porcelain plates colliding in the restaurant all disappeared.

Chen Hero stared unblinkingly at the TV screen.

The screen was showing footage taken by reporters at the scene of the brawl yesterday.

The footage no longer showed the fighting, but looking at the shocking bloodstains on the ground, one could still realize how intense the conflict that happened here yesterday was...

"The injured England fan is named Phil Gibbs..."

The TV media's efficiency was really fast enough, they had already obtained Gibbs's photo.

When the photo appeared on the screen, Chen Hero and Cabrera were collectively stunned—wasn't this the fan who gave them a ride that time?

The two looked at each other, and both saw the doubt and certainty in each other's eyes. Certainty naturally meant—we are both sure that this Phil Gibbs is the Phil Gibbs who gave them a ride. The doubt was… why him?

In fact, the two of them only had the impression that this fan had helped them. They had no other impressions, and they couldn't be considered familiar with this fan.

However, in this matter, Phil Gibbs was obviously the person Chen Hero was most familiar with. He suddenly felt that this matter had something to do with him!

"...Currently, this fan is still in the hospital, in a coma, and it is said that the hospital has already issued a critical illness notice... He suffered twenty stab wounds, lost too much blood, and two of the stab wounds were only a little bit away from his heart..."

Chen Hero suddenly stood up, and Cabrera looked up at him.

"I'm going to make a call," Chen Hero said to Cabrera, and then walked out of the restaurant.

※※※

Before last night, Phil Gibbs was just an ordinary member of the 60 million British people, but now he has become a household name throughout England.

This morning, not only the television media, but also the online and print media reported this matter. In fact, some media reported this matter last night, but at that time, everyone didn't know who the injured fan was.

Now they have obtained the fan's name and photo.

Cabrera continued to watch the television, listening to the news anchor tell the story of the bloody scene that happened on the streets of Istanbul yesterday.

Chen Hero was outside calling his agent, Decula.

"...Can you take the time to go to Turkey? Help me visit that fan? Also, can you save him?"

After Chen Hero explained the situation, he made a request to Decula.

Decula was very helpless: "Hero, I've said it many times, I'm not God, I'm not good at saving lives and healing the wounded..."

"Tsk."

"But we can provide other help, such as visiting him, or condemning the murderer..."

"Damn, we're not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... Alas!" Chen Hero thought for a while, and it seemed that there was nothing else he could do.

"Forget it, let's visit him first, and also pay attention to the progress of the condition, and notify me if there is any news." After Chen Hero hung up the phone, he returned to the restaurant. The news about the Liverpool fan being assassinated on TV had ended.

However, Cabrera's words blew Chen Hero up.

"Turkish media accused Liverpool football hooligans of provoking trouble. They called Phil Gibbs a 'football hooligan'."

Chen Hero was stunned for a moment, he thought he had misheard.

"What?"

"They said Phil Gibbs is a 'football hooligan'," Cabrera repeated.

"I'll fuck his whole family! The Turks are the football hooligans!" Chen Hero cursed.

Although he didn't know Phil Gibbs well enough, he didn't believe that the enthusiastic, cheerful, and lively young man would be a football hooligan. His other two companions didn't look like football hooligans either, they were just like any ordinary young people who love football.

Chen Hero didn't think that such a person would be a football hooligan. Especially since they waited for him outside the stadium and exchanged the luggage that he didn't have time to take away, this made Chen Hero believe that Phil Gibbs might not be a morally noble saint, but he was definitely not a villain.

Originally, he just felt that Phil Gibbs was really unlucky in this matter. He was very sorry and wanted to help this fan who had helped him, even if it was to repay his kindness. One should be grateful, right?

But now he changed his mind.

Of course, he had to help, but not only that.

Turkish media, you insulted my fans, I will let you know the consequences of doing so!

※※※

After last night, the Turkish media unilaterally accused Liverpool fans, believing that Liverpool fans were the first to attack. They were a bunch of damn football hooligans! In the writings and mouths of the Turkish media, Phil Gibbs became the leader of this football hooligan gang, and being stabbed twenty times was completely his own fault.

The Turkish media called for severe punishment of English football hooligans, the establishment of a blacklist, and the refusal of entry to all English fans who entered the blacklist. They also wanted the Besiktas club to claim compensation from the Liverpool club. In addition, the most ruthless thing was that they demanded that UEFA intervene and severely punish the Liverpool club for failing to discipline their fans, preferably by canceling the Liverpool club's qualification to participate, so that Besiktas could directly advance to the quarter-finals…

This was really pure fantasy. However, the Turkish media were still tirelessly promoting this matter, because as long as they could firmly blame the trouble on Liverpool's football hooligans, there might really be a chance to overturn the case. The Turks knew very well that UEFA and English teams had always been at odds…

As long as they could create enough excuses, maybe UEFA would really consider using Liverpool as an example? In that case, Besiktas advancing to the quarter-finals would not be a dream.

Originally, after losing 1:2 to Liverpool at home, the Turkish media felt that Besiktas had no chance of advancing, but now, hope was rekindled in their hearts!

So regardless of whether there was evidence or not, they must insist that Liverpool fans were football hooligans, that they attacked first, and that they provoked first…

Due to the lack of evidence and testimony from the other side, the English media remained silent in the face of these accusations from the Turkish media. They did not know whether Phil Gibbs was really the leader of the football hooligans, and they did not know what exactly happened at the time, whether it was really the Liverpool people who attacked first and provoked first.

So on the first day, the English media only cared about Phil Gibbs's injuries. Apart from that, they didn't talk much about the matter itself and the process.

The silence of the English media was understood by the Turkish media as they also felt that Liverpool fans were football hooligans, so they were all like they were injected with chicken blood, chasing after this issue and attacking it, as if they wanted to firmly put the label of football hooligan on Phil Gibbs.

At this time, the first person to protest from England was Chen Hero.

"I know this injured fan, his name is Phil Gibbs. I once took his ride when I almost missed the game against Newcastle. He helped me catch up with that league game against Newcastle, and there were also his two friends with him, and I also know their names. I can prove that Phil Gibbs is definitely not the football hooligan that the Turkish media claims!"

During an interview with reporters, Chen Hero defended his fans righteously.

"On the contrary, everything I experienced in Turkey told me what real 'football hooligans' are! Besiktas fans insulted me in the stands, insulted my family, they also insulted my country, insulted the entire Liverpool. The night before the game, there were even Besiktas fans who came to make trouble under our hotel, trying to interfere with our normal rest! I think this is the real typical football hooligan! I would like to ask those Besiktas fans, have you washed away the smell of shit on your bodies? I hope you like it!"

Chen Hero's speech caused a stir among the media. No one thought that Chen Hero would stand up for an ordinary fan and be at odds with the entire Turkish media. Let's not talk about whether he really knew this fan named Phil Gibbs, just say that the other Liverpool players were all silent in the face of this matter. Because this matter was really sensitive, it would be fine if Phil Gibbs was not a football hooligan, but if he really was a football hooligan... then they wouldn't say a word, and they might have more trouble in the future.

But Chen Hero bravely stood up.

"I guarantee with my honor that Phil Gibbs is definitely not a football hooligan! He could never have provoked and insulted the Besiktas fans first... I know very well what kind of virtue the Turkish fans are. Say they are 'football hooligans'? Sorry, I insulted the word 'football hooligan'!"