Chapter 1 Imbroglio

The reporters at the U21 tournament watched the scoreboard in disbelief. 4-0. The score had been updated again just a minute ago. This was the third time the Zhongyuan Youth Team had scored three or more goals in a single match. Qiu Suhui, who had kept a low profile at the start of the group stage, had also changed his cautious demeanor, constantly talking about "Our goal is the national championship" and "Zhongyuan has the strength to win the championship"... It was really hard to understand this man who had returned from the Netherlands.

The most reasonable explanation for this change was that Qiu Suhui had been playing a "misty fist" all along, using his performance at the beginning of the group stage to confuse his opponents.

But what the reporters couldn't understand even more was that as the head coach of the Zhongyuan Youth Team, he didn't focus on training the team during the competition, but instead left the responsibility to assistant coach Hu Li and shuttled between various venues. Surely he didn't need to investigate all thirty-one participating teams to gather information, did he?

What exactly was this man, who never smiled in front of the reporters, up to?

Regardless of what this man was planning, the two players in the Zhongyuan team still excited the reporters who had seen many Chinese players. What was going on with Chinese football lately? Was it erupting like a volcano? How could so many outstanding young players emerge all at once? First there were Zhang Jun and Yang Pan in the Netherlands, and now there was Liu Peng and Sima Hongxin in the U21. Could it be that the professional football that the Football Association had been touting all along was finally bearing fruit?

"Bah!" one reporter spat on the ground.

Lin Feng, from Taishan, Guangdong, nineteen years old, attacking midfielder. 1.7 meters tall, 56 kilograms. Characteristics: delicate footwork, good at dribbling, outstanding individual ability. However, his teamwork is poor, he likes to go it alone, and the coach considers him to be too eager to show off, his tactical awareness is unqualified, and he is basically abandoned.

Li Jie, from Huaian, Jiangsu, twenty years old, striker. 1.86 meters tall, 80 kilograms. Characteristics: tall, strong header, strong impact. However, he lacks speed and his footwork is rough.

Wu Shangshan, from Dalian, Liaoning, sixteen years old, striker. 1.85 meters tall, 75 kilograms. Characteristics: fast, 11.3 seconds in the 100 meters, excellent jumping ability. However, he lacks experience and needs more training, and is too young. However, he has basically secured a starting position in the Dalian Youth Team.

Xiang Tao, from Zigong, Sichuan, twenty-one years old, defender. 1.83 meters tall, 70 kilograms. Characteristics: can play all positions on the defensive line, good with both feet, fast. However, because he is too eager to perform, he is not liked by the coach, and sometimes makes inexplicable mistakes. He is basically a substitute in the Sichuan team.

Zhao Pengyu, from Beijing, twenty years old, left midfielder. 1.8 meters tall, 68 kilograms. Characteristics: fast, 11.43 seconds in the 100 meters, good at dribbling. However, his passing skills are poor and his coordination is not strong enough.

Wang Yu, from Chengdu, Sichuan, twenty-one years old, defensive midfielder. 1.86 meters tall, 72 kilograms. Characteristics: excellent header, agile reflexes, fast. However, he is too thin and lacks the ability to confront opponents.

Feng Lin, from Dalian, Liaoning, twenty years old, goalkeeper. 1.87 meters tall, 80 kilograms. Characteristics: good at catching high balls, outstanding jumping ability, but unstable performance.

...

Looking at the twenty-page document, Hu Li was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. Qiu Suhui leisurely drank his coffee on the side. "The U21 is coming to an end, and my investigation is almost complete."

"Your investigation?" Hu Li asked in confusion, "What are you investigating so many people for? Are they all likely to become our opponents?"

"Hehe, Lao Hu, they are not opponents, but they are very likely to become our subordinates."

"Subordinates? I don't understand."

Qiu Suhui didn't answer him this time, but just gave Hu Li a mysterious smile.

In the semi-final the next day, the Zhongyuan Club defeated their opponent 2-0 and entered the final with a winning streak and only one goal conceded. No one questioned the strong strength shown by the Henan team anymore. As a result, Qiu Suhui's photos began to appear frequently in newspapers, and reporters began to dig into his past, especially his experience abroad. Having turned the previously unknown Zhongyuan Youth Team into a team with the strength to win the championship, Qiu Suhui had become a leader among domestic youth coaches.

Looking at the newspapers with his photos printed on them, Qiu Suhui muttered to himself, "If your eyes aren't completely blind, come find me, Chinese Football Association..."

The Chinese reporters surrounding the iron fence were waiting to interview Zhang Jun and Yang Pan after training. But suddenly there was a commotion among the reporters in the front row, and they all raised their cameras to take pictures of the field. Because they saw that during a shuttle run, Zhang Jun fell to the ground on his first turn. Then, Adriaanse blew his whistle to stop the training, and then the team doctor Schutter rushed onto the field.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Hey, you're blocking me!"

"Can anyone tell me what happened?"

"Zhang Jun fell to the ground, the team doctor is on the field!"

The reporters were in a mess.

Five minutes later, Zhang Jun stood up, but was immediately helped off the field by the team doctor. Judging from the way he was limping, the situation was not good. The reporters followed him to the team doctor's office, but were stopped by the club staff at the door of the building: "Sorry, reporters are not allowed to enter here."

Helpless, the reporters could only return to the training ground, with only a few unwilling people still trying to persuade the staff.

Training continued, but it was clear that everyone's mood had been spoiled by this sudden incident, especially Yang Pan, who was distracted during training and made several mistakes. This was the first time this had ever happened!

The morning training ended hastily, and the reporters followed to the press center again, hoping to get a statement from the club about Zhang Jun's injury. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, team doctor Schutter and head coach Adriaanse appeared in front of the reporters.

"I think this is something that no one wants to encounter, but it happened after all. Zhang Jun suffered a pulled muscle in his left thigh during training due to overwork. The specific recovery time will depend on further detailed examinations." Schutter pushed his glasses up, trying to make his tone sound calm.

*Zhang Jun Injured!*

*Overload Operation Finally Causes Zhang Jun to Fall!*

*Injury Reappears, Will Zhang Jun Become a Short-Lived Genius?*

*Zhang Jun is Not a Superman!*

*Another Qiu Suhui?*

...

Sophie hung up the phone with some worry. The more Zhang Jun told her that everything was fine, the more worried she became. If she hadn't seen the newspaper, she wouldn't have known that Zhang Jun was injured. He didn't tell her anything, only reported good news and not bad news when he called. How could she not worry?

"It's nothing, really nothing! Sophie, the doctor said I can resume training in two weeks. Muscle strain is normal for players, you don't have to worry about me, Yang Pan is taking care of me."

Zhang Jun said it nonchalantly on the other end, but Sophie still frowned, "Zhang Jun, do you still love me?"

"Huh?" Zhang Jun didn't know why Sophie suddenly said this, and was stunned for a moment, "Love, of course..."

"Then I beg you, tell me as soon as possible in the future, no matter what happens, at least not later than those reporters know, okay?"

"...Sophie, I just don't want you to worry..."

"Love requires mutual trust! Don't lie to me in the future, okay? Not even white lies are allowed. By doing this, do you not trust me, or do you not trust yourself? What difficulties and setbacks can't I face with you?"

Zhang Jun lay on the bed, staring blankly at Sophie's photo in his hand. He didn't want Sophie to worry in the first place, but Sophie was even more worried as a result.

Love requires mutual trust, not just a word that is said casually.

Do you not trust me, or do you not trust yourself? What difficulties can't I face with you?

"Sophie..." Zhang Jun put the photo on his face, stroking it gently. Suddenly, the phone rang.

Zhang Jun was startled, and it took him two seconds to remember to answer the phone. "Hello, hello."

"Zhang Jun, this is Qiu Suhui."

"Coach?" Zhang Jun was very surprised. He had received many calls of concern these past two days. They were all from friends and parents. He didn't expect Qiu Suhui in China to think of calling him.

"I called the old man and asked about your situation. He said you have fatigue-related muscle strain, and you'll be fine after a week of rest. But he feels guilty, saying that he only cared about the results and forgot that you are still a newcomer, and the early training was not systematic enough, leading to insufficient physical reserves. After a few tough games, it's inevitable that your body is tired. You don't blame him, do you?"

"How could I blame the head coach? He's the one who led me onto the path of professional football."

"That's good, don't be too hard on yourself. This small injury is inevitable, it's nothing serious. Take this opportunity to recover your physical strength. I heard that Volendam has entered the cup final. When you come back, win a championship trophy for me. I stayed in Volendam for a while, haha!"

"Thank you for the coach's concern, I will definitely live up to your expectations."

"Haha! Don't be so sentimental. I'm doing pretty well in China too. I'm now the head coach of the Henan Zhongyuan Club. Guess who I met?"

"Can't guess."

"Hehe, your old friend, Liu Peng."

"Liu Peng?" Zhang Jun was indeed taken aback.

"Yes, he is now the captain of my team, a star player in the U21!"

"That's great, that's great..." Zhang Jun murmured. He hadn't heard from him since graduating from high school, and thought he had given up football, but he didn't expect him to have kicked out a future on another field.

"Hey, I won't bother you anymore. Take good care of your injury, don't think too much. Take this opportunity to study Dutch well and strive to reach my level of fluency."

Zhang Jun hung up the phone, it was already late at night. He looked out the window, it was dark and he couldn't see anything. Yang Pan was already asleep on the bed next to him. It was time to rest, he had been playing football for so long, it was time to rest.

Li Yan felt a thud in his heart when he saw the news of Zhang Jun's injury. Although he had some premonitions, he still had to worry about Zhang Jun, that silly boy, don't be too hard on yourself!

*Who Should Be Responsible* was what he had rushed out all night. Based on the ideas in the previous article, Li Yan harshly criticized the impetuousness of Chinese football in the commentary.

"The Chinese football mentioned here not only refers to the Football Association, coaches, players, and club bosses, but also includes us reporters and fans. The Chinese Football Association is impetuous. For the World Cup, it cut off the domestic league at both ends and chopped it into three sections; the coaches are impetuous, and for the sake of the team's performance, they do not hesitate to change their ages; the players are impetuous, pushing and shoving referees on the field; the bosses are impetuous, and for the sake of performance, they do not hesitate to bribe referees and play fake games and black whistles; the fans are impetuous, think about why the incidents of trouble by fans in various places have been repeatedly prohibited? The reporters are also impetuous, winning is God, losing is worse than pigs and dogs, everything is for sales. I want to ask a question: what are you sacred people doing football for? Football has become a prostitute, you call it on if you pay, and kick it away after you're done! In the nine years of professionalization of Chinese football, have there been few companies and individuals who have left football?"

"Now that Zhang Jun is injured, the media is immediately wailing, and some people have even started 'lamenting Zhong Yong'. Is it necessary? Why can't everyone, Football Association officials, players, coaches, fans, reporters, and bosses, treat football with a tolerant heart? There are two kinds of people in society, one is the kind who scolds Chinese football for being worthless; the other is the numb and indifferent kind, Chinese football has nothing to do with him. Do you expect these people to do a good job in Chinese football? Don't joke!"

"Now is not the time to discuss who should be responsible for Zhang Jun's injury, but who should be responsible for Chinese football. Some people always think that the reason why Chinese football is not playing well is the problem of the Football Association, the problem of the players, the problem of the coaches... It has nothing to do with them. But I want to say that as long as you are a person in this circle, no one can escape the relationship!"

Li Yan sat opposite the wide desk, the deputy editor was still reviewing the manuscript. After a long time, he raised his head, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "Xiao Li, this manuscript of yours cannot be published."

"Ah? Why?" Li Yan didn't react immediately.

"I can see that this is a product of your hard work, but the sentences in it are too extreme. Some places lack calmness, which is not an article that a commentator should write. The attack surface is too large, and some words are very harsh and hurtful, which can easily cause unnecessary disputes. You wrote it in a very emotional state at the time, right?"

Li Yan nodded: "But I don't think I'm extreme, Chinese football now needs a strong medicine. If we still want to use mild medicine to make up for it little by little, I'm afraid that the speed of remedy can't keep up with the speed of corruption!" Li Yan leaned forward.

The deputy editor was silent for a while, and then said: "I understand this principle too. But do you think only our family can play a role? Can one person's voice play a role? If you want to use strong medicine, then you must dig out the roots and make a big change. That kind of situation is not what everyone wants to see. Reform is very painful, and the price paid is too great. Chinese football is not ready yet!"

"Then just watch the whole of Chinese football rot away little by little?"

The deputy editor smiled bitterly: "This is the sorrow of the whole of Chinese football, not just yours or mine. Do you understand..." His words were interrupted by the sudden ringing of the phone. "Hello, yes, it's me, please speak..."

Li Yan saw that the deputy editor had something to do, so he had to get up to say goodbye. He took the manuscript, folded it, and put it in his bag. He always believed that he was right, and even if this manuscript could not be published, he would keep it to witness the future.

"...Okay, send a few more people over immediately, and wait and wait at the Football Association! Go and do it! Don't let other media get ahead of us!"

When the deputy editor put down the phone, Li Yan had just walked to the door. He was about to reach out to open the door when he heard the deputy editor calling him from behind: "Xiao Li."

Li Yan turned around.

"Breaking news, the head coach of the Chinese Olympic team, Shen Weiguo, has resigned, and the Football Association is holding a meeting to study it."

Li Yan froze there, looking at the deputy editor in disbelief, as if today was April Fool's Day.

In Chinese football, the resignation of several types of people will have an earthquake-like reaction. The first type is the full-time vice chairman of the Football Association, the second type is the head coach of the Chinese national team, and the third type is the head coach of the Chinese Olympic team. Especially when the Olympic team is about to face the war with the Syrian Olympic team, those two games are related to who can obtain the qualification for the final stage of the Asian Olympic Football Qualifying Tournament.

At the press conference of the Chinese Football Association, the crowd was crowded and noisy. Reporters from all walks of life gathered here, all for the sudden resignation of Shen Weiguo.

In his resignation letter, Shen Weiguo believed that he had been in poor health recently, and the long-term pressure and fatigue made him unable to continue serving as the head coach of the Olympic team. He specially requested to resign.

The pressure of being the head coach of the Chinese national team is indeed great, and this reason also makes sense. However, Shen Weiguo has led this group of players for more than two years, from the National Youth Team to the Olympic Team. What kind of storms have they not seen? Now he says that the pressure is too great, he can't stand it, and he wants to resign. Think about it carefully, I'm afraid it's not that simple, right?

Luo Wenqiang was a little angry, and he slapped the table and scolded people at the meeting: "He Shen Weiguo is completely disregarding the overall situation! He is saying that he will leave at such an important time! The Olympic team is about to attack the Athens Olympics, but he just walked away? What is this? No organization, no discipline!" As the head of the Chinese Football Association, he gave Shen Weiguo enough trust after the defeat in Argentina. "I'll give you three years and let you lose the ball. But you have to win the most important games for me!" At Beijing International Airport, he held out three fingers in the face of the tired head coach of the National Youth Team.

"It can't be ruled out that he is really not in good health. The hospital's certificate was handed over to us together with the resignation letter." Ma Qi, who is in charge of the technology department, looked at the resignation letter and the photocopy of the hospital health certificate in his hand.

Luo Wenqiang obviously didn't want to dwell on this issue, he pouted and shook his head: "No matter what his reasons are, in short, the resignation letter has been placed in front of everyone now, and it has even been known by the news media. Let's discuss it? What should we do? The most important thing is how to deal with those reporters outside the door? They are waiting eagerly." He glanced around the room, everyone was either "thinking deeply" or "discussing in a low voice". Obviously no one wanted to be the first to express their opinion, so he had to name them.

"Lao Yang, can you tell me?"

Yang Weiguang, who is in charge of the league, raised his head, and then thought for a while: "My opinion is to temporarily disagree with Shen Weiguo's resignation. After all, the game with Syria is imminent, and changing coaches before the battle is a taboo for military strategists. Besides, judging from the results, there is no reason for him to leave. After all, he defeated South Korea in the Asian Youth Championship. His experience is crucial in future games with the Koreans!"

Luo Wenqiang just nodded habitually, without saying yes or no. Then his eyes turned to Ma Qi, who is in charge of technology.

Ma Qi sighed in his heart, and then said: "If you have to let him go, you have to wait until after the game with Syria. Now the Football Association should issue a statement to fully support Shen Weiguo's work in order to stabilize the morale of the army."

Luo Wenqiang looked at Wang Li, the only female vice chairman, Wang Li smiled: "I am in charge of women's football, so you don't need to ask me about men's football, right? In the end, you should ask him!" She pointed to a man in his early forties next to her.

"Chen Wei, you are in charge of the Olympic team, the National Youth Team, and the National Junior Team. I want to hear your opinion."

This person named Chen Wei was only transferred to the Football Association last year. Wang Li was transferred together with him. He used to be a secretary in the State Sports General Administration, but he didn't know why he was transferred to the Football Association. There were a lot of criticisms within the Football Association about a secretary being able to become the vice chairman. "He came through the back door again. The Football Association has become the backyard of the State Sports General Administration!"

To everyone's surprise, Chen Wei actually supported Shen Weiguo's resignation: "No matter what the reason, I think his resignation at this time is against the Football Association. The Football Association must not tolerate this situation. Otherwise, where will the authority of the Football Association be in the future? How will the work of the Football Association be carried out? Therefore, I think the Football Association should agree to his resignation. We must not allow others to follow suit because of Shen Weiguo and break the rules."

"You are supporting his resignation?"

Chen Wei nodded.

"But, the game with Syria is about to start next month. Is one and a half months enough to change coaches, find a new head coach to negotiate and sign a contract, and then to familiarize yourself with the team?" Someone raised an objection.

"Speaking of the head coach candidates, I have a very suitable person. The head coach of the Henan Zhongyuan Club youth team, Qiu Suhui." Chen Wei replied.

"Him? The former genius player?"

"Yes. He attended the U21 working meeting in Beijing a while ago, and I met him. At that time, I felt that it would be perfect for him to be the head coach of the Olympic team. Excellent coaching ability, convincing coaching experience, and the reputation of being a former famous player, affinity for young players... I can't think of anyone else who is more suitable than him."

"So you were prepared a long time ago?" Yang Weiguang suddenly realized.

"Haha! Do you really think that I, the vice chairman, am just a nominal one?" Chen Wei laughed.

The others laughed along, and this laughter was somewhat meant to cover up their embarrassment.

Luo Wenqiang waited for everyone to stop, and then finally expressed his opinion: "I also think we can't let the outside world think that we are condoning someone. The authority of the Football Association cannot be violated!" With this sentence, what else is there to argue about? Shen Weiguo's dismissal is a foregone conclusion. "Xiao Chen, you are responsible for contacting Qiu Suhui and trying to minimize the losses and impact of this change of coach!"

Chen Wei nodded.

When Luo Wenqiang and Chen Wei, as well as Yang Weiguang and Ma Qi, the vice chairmen of the Football Association, appeared in front of the reporters at the same time, the flashbulbs went off, and the press conference was full of the sound of shutters being released.

Luo Wenqiang was as unsmiling as ever, showing his "iron-fisted chairman" demeanor. Chen Wei faced the flashbulbs of the reporters with a smile on his face, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.

Dong Jin, the news officer of the Football Association, habitually pushed his glasses and then announced the Football Association's decision on this matter to the reporters.

"In view of the poor health of coach Shen Weiguo, the Football Association has decided to agree to Shen Weiguo's resignation as the head coach of the Chinese Olympic team after research. Before a new coach is found, Zhu Qiang, the leader of the Olympic team, will temporarily serve as the acting coach. The Football Association thanks Shen Weiguo for his achievements and hard work during his two years as the coach of this team..."

Agree to resign?

Agree to resign!

The reporters were stunned. Before this, almost all reporters believed that the Football Association would not agree to Shen Weiguo's resignation before the game with Syria, no matter from which aspect it was considered. Therefore, Shen Weiguo was more like threatening the Football Association, hoping to get something. But the Football Association actually agreed to his resignation!

Everyone turned their attention to Chen Wei, who was sitting next to the serious-faced Luo Wenqiang. Specifically, on the matter of the Olympic team, Chen Wei, who is in charge of the Olympic team, has the right to speak.

"Has the Chinese Football Association found a suitable replacement?" As soon as one reporter spoke, he was despised by many reporters in his heart. Shen Weiguo's resignation was sudden, and the Football Association still had to hold a meeting to discuss it in a day. How could they have found a suitable replacement so quickly? It was obvious that he was an intern reporter.

Sure enough, Chen Wei spread his hands: "How could it be possible to find a successor so quickly? We can only try to minimize the impact of Coach Shen's resignation this time."

"Then, in that case, why did the Football Association agree to Shen Weiguo's resignation?" a reporter asked loudly, asking the question that everyone wanted to know.

"Coach Shen is not in good health, and there is a hospital certificate to prove it. We all know how much pressure there is to lead a national team. The Football Association also has no right to take a person's physical safety as the price, even for the sake of Chinese football! Although there will be an impact, we can only accept this fact, and at the same time, I believe that our Olympic team lads can unite and overcome this difficulty!" Chen Wei said righteously, but many reporters booed him in their hearts.

Everyone knows that Shen Weiguo resigned due to physical reasons, do you need to repeat it again? This vice chairman who is in charge of the Olympic team and below said so much, which is equivalent to saying nothing.

The reporters asked Chen Wei a few more questions, but they were all dissolved by his "shifting flowers and grafting trees" magical skill. Until the press conference ended, the most valuable news that the reporters obtained was only one:

The Chinese Football Association agreed to Shen Weiguo's resignation.

When the press conference ended, it was already dusk. Chen Wei said goodbye to several vice chairmen, and then got into his black Audi A6 and sped away. Leaving a group of still unwilling reporters staring blankly at the back of the car.

The spring in Beijing is generally very windy and sandy, but today there is not even a trace of wind. The only wind that raised the dust on the roadside was also brought by the black Audi passing by.