Chapter 1 When the Door Knocked

When Zhang Jun stretched and prepared to get up, he heard a knock on the door. "Zhang Jun, are you awake? I've made breakfast!"

"Oh...coming, just a minute." Zhang Jun answered reflexively, then suddenly felt something was wrong. Since when did someone knock on his door in the morning to wake him up, and even make breakfast for him?

When was it? Who was it? Zhang Jun rested his chin in his hand again, pondering the question.

Ah, right! Sophie came yesterday, and then we... well, we chatted all night, and then we went to sleep, but sadly not in the same room, on the same bed. What a pity, a real pity... Zhang Jun slapped his forehead, feeling extremely frustrated. Last night, Sophie must have seen the improper fantasies in his mind and gone to another room early to say goodnight to Zhang Jun in the bedroom.

But wait... if it was Sophie, then what about the breakfast?

Sophie, who was reading a book in the living room, suddenly heard a scream from Zhang Jun's bedroom.

※※※

Zhang Jun sat listlessly in a wheelchair, with Sophie behind him, pushing him for a walk in the sunny countryside of Volendam.

"Hehe! A hundred steps after a meal, live to ninety-nine!" Being able to spend time alone with Zhang Jun like this always brought a smile to Sophie's face.

Zhang Jun's facial muscles were still twitching from time to time. There was no helping it; Sophie's cooking skills still hadn't improved after so long. Could it be that this intelligent and clever girl simply had no talent for cooking?

The weather was good, and the morning sun was not yet harsh, giving people a sense of coolness in the summer. A gentle breeze caressed Sophie's face, stirring her hair. The wheels of the wheelchair rubbed against the ground, making a rustling sound.

Zhang Jun tilted his head back, looking at the smiling Sophie. Yesterday, when she threw herself into his arms, her face was covered in tears. That silly girl kept crying and saying, "That's great." Having her by his side felt truly different. Everything became better and easier. But the price was that Sophie couldn't take her exams this semester. Next year, she would have to study alongside students a year below her.

You disregarded everything for me, Sophie…

"Oh, right. Zhang Jun, I'm going to introduce you to someone later," Sophie said suddenly.

"Who is it?" Zhang Jun kept his head tilted back, wanting to see more of Sophie. No matter how much he saw, it wasn't enough.

"A Chinese medicine practitioner, a doctor I met on the plane."

"A Chinese medicine practitioner?" Zhang Jun pulled his body back, looking down at the ground. These two words stirred up bad memories of the past. "Why introduce me to a Chinese medicine practitioner?" he asked, his face gloomy.

Sophie clearly sensed the emotion in Zhang Jun's tone. Zhang Jun was a stubborn person! Once he made up his mind about something, eight horses couldn't pull him back. "He said he wants to treat you."

But Zhang Jun just snorted, "Wasn't it already treated? What does he need a Chinese medicine practitioner for?"

"He said that surgery is only the first step, and the recovery methods after surgery are the most crucial."

"Tell him to rest assured, I have a detailed recovery plan provided by Mr. Ceylan. As long as I get through five more months, I can return to the field."

"But..." Sophie could have tearfully begged Zhang Jun to accept the treatment. Zhang Jun, who loved her so much, would definitely agree. But as Sophie told Feng Qing, she didn't want to force Zhang Jun to do anything he didn't want to do anymore. Moreover, the level of this Feng Qing was still hard to say.

"Sophie, don't think so much. I know you're worried about me, but now I have the best sports injury expert treating me. There won't be any problems." Zhang Jun comforted Sophie. It was his injury that made Sophie worry.

"Really, there won't be any problems?" A man's voice suddenly rang out from behind, startling both of them.

Sophie turned her head first, "Brother Feng?"

"Hehe, good morning! Out for a walk so early!" Feng Qing greeted Sophie, then walked straight toward Zhang Jun in the wheelchair. "I was planning to go to your place to find you, but it seems like I don't need to."

"He's the Chinese medicine practitioner you were talking about, Sophie?" Zhang Jun asked Sophie behind him.

"Yes." Sophie nodded. She was a little nervous. The first impression these two were giving each other wasn't very good.

"He's Zhang Jun, little girl?" Feng Qing stood right in front of Zhang Jun, but he didn't even look at him. Instead, he asked Sophie directly.

Sophie had no choice but to nod.

"Oh, it seems the surgery was very successful!" Feng Qing finally lowered his gaze, lingering on Sophie's chest for a second.

"Does the wound not hurt anymore?" he asked Zhang Jun. But Zhang Jun didn't answer him. "Tsk! What an uncooperative patient." Feng Qing sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you why I said I wanted to treat you. I know what happened before, but I hope you can still listen to me finish, okay?"

Zhang Jun looked at Feng Qing, not saying no, not saying okay. Feng Qing took this attitude as consent.

"Let me ask first, do I need to explain the physiological structure of your ankle joint to you?"

Zhang Jun still didn't say anything, but Sophie, who had experienced Feng Qing's verbose nature, quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need!" If Feng Qing let loose, he could ramble on from sunrise to sunset.

"Alright then." Since the beautiful woman spoke, I shall obey. "You are a soccer player. Injuries aren't anything new to you, right? Ankle joint injuries are also the most common in soccer. If it's serious, you have to get surgery, just like this time. But don't think that just because you had surgery and it was successful, you can breathe a sigh of relief. I'm telling you, surgery is just the beginning. If you don't handle the recovery period well, and something happens repeatedly, it might directly ruin your left foot. But the postoperative recovery methods in Western medicine aren't necessarily brilliant. Their methods are rigid and can only see the superficial phenomena. Chinese medicine advocates analyzing the essence of things through the surface."

Feng Qing paused slightly, looking at Zhang Jun's reaction. He was still expressionless.

Feng Qing grinned and continued, "Surgery can indeed reconnect torn ligaments. There's no doubt about that. Using high-tech means is not difficult at all. But after the surgery..." He looked at Zhang Jun's left foot wrapped in a cast. "Because the joint is fixed in a cast for a long time after surgery, the soft tissues around the joint tear and bleed, and the hematoma intensifies, forming fibrous adhesions. Or it's possible that the damaged soft tissues produce scars during the repair process, causing the joint to adhere. What does adhesion mean? I don't need to explain it in detail, right? In other words, your surgery was very successful, but if you follow that set of Western medicine for recovery treatment, your left ankle joint will definitely not be as flexible as before. On the contrary, it will become dull and more fragile. Why am I so confident in saying this? It's because that Western medicine just mechanically reconnects the ligaments and then passively waits for them to heal completely. The ligaments treated with this method are built on a very unstable foundation, like building a castle on the beach. But Chinese medicine is different. It uses various proactive means to promote the growth and development of tissues in the body, allowing the tissues to grow themselves, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of treatment—making the ligaments as tough and flexible as when they were just born. Do you know why many people mention the phrase 'shu jin huo luo' (invigorate the tendons and activate the collaterals) when talking about Chinese medicine? 'Huo' (activate) is the characteristic of Chinese medicine."

Zhang Jun still didn't have any expression, not even a change in his face. Feng Qing was a little discouraged. Was he talking to a brick wall after saying so much? Feng Qing really wanted to give up, but he couldn't move his feet at the thought of the huge reward after success. One million pounds, that's not a small amount!

"And I happen to have a set of treatment methods to ensure that your left foot is as good as new after treatment, as tough and flexible as it was before the injury..."

When Zhang Jun heard this sentence, it reminded him of that "immortal-like" old quack who touched his ankle and guaranteed that he would recover in three weeks. He felt a little disgusted. "Sophie, let's go back."

Sophie nodded, then pushed the wheelchair around and walked towards the apartment. As she left, she turned back and smiled apologetically at Feng Qing, shaking her head.

Zhang Jun's sudden departure made Feng Qing a little embarrassed. He stood in place, watching the two figures gradually walk away. "He really is stubborn... That's right! Your left foot can't be delayed any longer! The earlier you treat it, the easier it will be! The greater the hope of full recovery! Don't waste time!" Feng Qing shouted loudly at the departing figures, not wanting to give up. He seemed to see one million pounds in cash gradually drifting away from him.

"Ah! I'm not willing to give up!" When Zhang Jun and Sophie walked far enough away that they couldn't hear his wailing, the words that had been bottled up in Feng Qing's heart finally burst out, "My one million pounds!!!"

※※※

Because the season had ended, the entire club seemed empty. Zhang Jun was taking Sophie on a tour of their club, introducing her to everything they saw like a tour guide. "This is the press center, it's small. It's not as grand as the big clubs, but the function is still the same. Go in here, turn left and go straight to the end, and you'll find the gym. That's where we do strength training. That red-roofed building is the club's office building..."

"Zhang Jun." Sophie, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. "Your mood isn't very high. Is it because of what happened this morning?" She had been pushing the wheelchair from behind, unable to see Zhang Jun's deliberately hidden expression, but she could feel Zhang Jun's bad mood just from his voice. She really was thoughtful.

Zhang Jun stopped his endless explanations, and sure enough, she had hit the mark.

"Do you believe that nonsense of his?" Zhang Jun asked Sophie without turning his head.

"I... I don't know much about Chinese medicine, but I think his attitude is very sincere."

"Sincere? Humph!"

"It's true! On the plane, I asked him why he insisted on treating you. He said that only he could cure you in Europe. I asked him again why he was so persistent in curing your foot. Do you know what he said?"

"What was it?"

"It was very unexpected! I thought he wanted to ask you for a large treatment fee, or to make a name for himself. But he smiled at me and said: Because I also love soccer! I was stunned at the time. It was completely different from his previous behavior. But I felt that he was smiling very sincerely at the time, so I agreed to bring him to see you."

"So what?" Zhang Jun asked coldly.

"So what? Who once told me: Anyone who truly loves soccer can't be a bad person. Who?" Sophie said with slightly agitated emotions.

Zhang Jun's body trembled slightly under Sophie's questioning.

"Zhang Jun, look, it's not so much that you don't believe his words, but that you can't let go of your own pride. Because you were once delayed by Chinese medicine, you have always resented Chinese medicine in your heart. This emotion makes you always hold a prejudice against Chinese medicine. In fact, you know he's right, but you just don't want to admit it, you just don't want Chinese medicine to treat you, because that means you were wrong before..."

"Enough!" Zhang Jun's sudden reprimand startled Sophie. "I... I'm sorry, Sophie." Realizing his recklessness, Zhang Jun quickly apologized, "I'm a little sleepy, I want to go home. Let's go back, Sophie..."

Sophie sighed in her heart and pushed the wheelchair back slowly.

※※※

"The matter wasn't successful?" In the shadows, a man sat on the sofa, looking coldly at Feng Qing opposite him.

"This... yes, Zhang Jun is too stubborn. No matter how I tried to persuade him, he wouldn't agree..." Feng Qing said intermittently, covered in sweat. The man seemed to give him an inexplicable pressure.

"Waste!" the man snorted coldly, "Can't even handle such a small matter!" Then two burly men stood up from behind him and walked towards Feng Qing, sandwiching him on either side and dragging him out the door.

"You can forget about that one million pounds for the rest of your life." In his panic, Feng Qing heard the last sentence the man said before the door closed.

"No... don't!"

Feng Qing sat up suddenly from the bed. The tightly closed door was gone, and the ferocious strongmen were gone. He was sitting on a bed in a hotel in Volendam, Netherlands. What, it was just a dream! He breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But when he thought of Zhang Jun's attitude during the day, he became nervous again. If things continued like this, Zhang Jun's leg would be ruined, the boss would be angry, and one million pounds would grow wings and fly away... Dreams are predictions of the future in real life.

"One million pounds! One million! One million! One million..." Feng Qing clasped his hands together like a devout believer, constantly praying, not caring if any great god could hear him.

※※※

Zhang Jun found that he couldn't fall asleep no matter what. The night was deep, but he still couldn't close his eyes, because closing his eyes would make him think of many things from the past.

This wouldn't do. He would have dark circles under his eyes in the morning, and it would make Sophie worry. He had to think of a way.

Zhang Jun supported himself with his hands and got out of bed, put on a coat, and then slowly walked to the yard outside the house with a crutch, and then sat down on a chair.

He used to chat and bask in the sun with Kozeer here, and he also had Van Persie come to borrow a CD from him. Kozeer's apartment was on the right, and Van Persie's was further to the right. Later, the three of them would often get together to chat. The past scenes were still vivid in his mind, as if they were yesterday. But now these two houses were empty again. Kozeer had been called back to Ajax's first team because of his excellent performance, so he naturally wouldn't return to Volendam, which had empty hands this season. And Van Persie returned to Feyenoord after his loan period expired. His relationship with coach Van Marwijk was still so bad, but because of his excellent performance in Volendam, he had once again aroused the interest of Arsenal. Feyenoord didn't want to keep this troublemaking bad boy anymore. It was said that negotiations between the two clubs had restarted and were progressing relatively smoothly.

They had all found the path they were going to take in the future. What about him?

Zhang Jun looked up at the starry night sky.

Dragging an injured leg, waiting for more than five months to return, and not knowing if he could find his previous state. Maybe for himself now, being able to stand on the field again would be enough. As for returning to his previous state, that was simply an unrealistic luxury. Looking at Ronaldo now, at Real Madrid, he could still score nearly thirty goals every season, and he was quite happy and satisfied. That was pretty good too.

Is that really how you feel, Zhang Jun?

Zhang Jun seemed to see Sophie standing in front of him, asking him this.

That's definitely not what you think in your heart, right?

Sophie looked at him, as if she could see through his heart.

No! That's not it, listen to me, Sophie! I want to play soccer, I want to play like I used to! But, but no matter how advanced medicine is, I also know that I can't go back to the past, ever! You know? The foot that has had surgery is different from the foot before. Now I have two unequal legs. Tell me, can I still play soccer like I used to? Many things can't be achieved just by thinking about them. If this is my fate, I accept it.

It's not fate! This isn't fate! Have you forgotten? That Chinese medicine practitioner, he said he could completely cure your foot, so that you can play soccer like you did before you were injured. Why don't you accept his suggestion? Zhang Jun, what are you afraid of?

I...

Even so, what reason do you have to retreat? Since you chose soccer and want to keep playing it, why don't you think about Baggio? Isn't he also persevering with one and a half legs?

Zhang Jun was speechless for a moment. Yes, what was he afraid of? Now, another multiple-choice question was placed in front of Zhang Jun. There was only this one question on the huge exam paper. Get it right and you get full marks, get it wrong and you get zero.

Was he willing to just continue like this and then consider becoming a goal-scoring machine in front of the goal after his return? Or accept the challenge, become the him of the past again, conquer cities and seize territories, treat the opponent's defense as nothing, and become the "God" in the mouths of the fans?

The former option had no risk and belonged to the kind of answer that "even if you can't win, you won't lose." The latter contained considerable risk, but once answered correctly, there would be huge rewards.

Which one to choose?

Zhang Jun was hesitant. Sophie was also gone, as if she didn't want to disturb him at this critical moment.

"Soccer is a sport full of wisdom. This includes analyzing when to be conservative and when to take risks on the field... Taking risks is an act that requires bearing a lot of risk, but once successful, you will gain great benefits... A game that is always conservative is not very valuable. Taking risky actions at critical moments may determine the final result of the game, with victory and defeat each accounting for half, but there are still coaches who encourage their players to take risks, especially in the most dangerous times. Why? Because it can bring benefits, and it is also a transcendence of oneself: the opportunity is right in front of you, but do you have the courage to seize it?"

This was what Qiu Suhui said to Zhang Jun when he was still an assistant coach in Volendam, when he was giving Zhang Jun private lessons. Why would he think of this at this time? Did it help him now?

Risk, conservative, conservative, risk... Wasn't this matter a choice between risk and conservative? So should he be risky or conservative now?

※※※

When Zhang Jun opened his eyes, the sun was shining right on his face. He squinted his eyes and reached out to block it. He had slept so soundly, he didn't even hear Sophie knocking on the door.

Sophie heard the sound of Zhang Jun's bedroom door opening, and Zhang Jun walked out slowly. She hurriedly stepped forward to pull Zhang Jun, but unexpectedly, Zhang Jun shook her hand away.

"This..." Sophie didn't understand why.

"Don't misunderstand, Sophie. I just don't want to be too cowardly. I can still walk this road alone." After saying that, Zhang Jun supported himself with his crutch and walked slowly to the dining room step by step. Sophie carefully accompanied Zhang Jun all the time, for fear that he would accidentally fall to the ground.

Zhang Jun noticed Sophie's thoughts, which made him feel a trace of warmth. But there was more dissatisfaction with himself. A grown man was still making a girl worry about him. He was really useless!

After finally reaching the dining table, Zhang Jun frowned at the breakfast on the table that "looked very beautiful," but he quickly sat down as if nothing had happened. "Thank you for your hard work, Sophie. Getting up early every day to make breakfast for me."

"It's nothing! I'm willing to cook for you. I made this breakfast after referring to many recipes!" Sophie smiled and pulled out a chair across from the table and sat down, so she could see Zhang Jun eating.

Zhang Jun forked a piece of beef, hesitated, and still put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully. Sophie watched Zhang Jun's expression nervously. "Is it delicious?" She asked cautiously after watching Zhang Jun swallow the meat.

"Yes... delicious!"

"Really?"

"I'm not lying to you!"

Sophie smiled, smiling happily. In fact, Zhang Jun's stomach was still churning. The beef was too burnt, and it tasted so bitter that he wanted to frown, but Sophie was across from him, so he could only endure it.

"By the way, Sophie. Today, um, take me to see that doctor." Zhang Jun said to Sophie while looking down and cutting the beef.

Sophie was stunned. He would take the initiative to bring it up? She even suspected that she had heard wrong.

Seeing that Sophie didn't answer, Zhang Jun raised his head, "What's wrong?"

"No... it's nothing. I'll take you there after breakfast, to see him." Sophie didn't know why Zhang Jun had figured it out overnight, but it was good news that he was willing to take the initiative to find him.

※※※

Feng Qing looked at the two people sitting across from him with some surprise, especially Zhang Jun, whose expression was still a little unnatural.

He never expected that they would take the initiative to find him. He thought one million had gone down the drain. It turned out that the gods hadn't abandoned him!

Despite being happy in his heart, Feng Qing still pretended to look at Zhang Jun with some doubt. He wanted to hear Zhang Jun agree in person, so that he would dare to treat Zhang Jun. Besides, it was also a small vanity of a winner.

Zhang Jun said a little embarrassedly: "I've considered it, and I feel like I should take a risk."

There was no need to say anything more, Feng Qing already knew the decision in Zhang Jun's heart. "Okay, then please allow me to examine you first, okay?" Feng Qing stood up.

Zhang Jun obediently lay on the bed, letting Feng Qing examine him. He had already gone all out now, entrusting his future to this doctor.

After a detailed examination, Feng Qing frowned more and more tightly. Sophie looked at the change in Feng Qing's face with some worry, and had a bad feeling.

After Feng Qing finished the examination, he said to Zhang Jun, who was sitting up: "Your situation is worse than I thought. Due to the delay of too much time in the early stage and repeated tossing, the tissues of the ankle part of the left foot have been severely damaged. If you let them heal automatically, I'm afraid it won't be easy."

Sophie was taken aback: "Brother Feng means that Zhang Jun's left foot has no possibility of recovery?"

Feng Qing did not answer.

Zhang Jun was a little discouraged, as expected, there was no way...

"No, there is a way." Feng Qing looked up at the ceiling and said. A fierce argument had just taken place in his heart. There was indeed a way, but the consequence of doing so would be at the cost of Zhang Jun's future, his second half of life... "Although it's a bit complicated, it doesn't mean it can't be cured. I have a complete set of postoperative recovery plans that can cure your left foot. But... I must explain in advance that as a doctor, I must let you know what the cost you will pay for this method. I can guarantee that your left ankle will be as strong and flexible as before for the next seven or eight years, as long as it doesn't suffer too much injury. But within the time after that, if you insist on playing football, I can't guarantee what will happen. Maybe it's just a general withdrawal from the football world because the ankle can't bear it, or maybe you'll have to live with crutches and wheelchairs from now on." Feng Qing looked at Zhang Jun with a serious expression.

Sophie gasped. Living with crutches and wheelchairs? Wouldn't that be equivalent to being disabled?

Zhang Jun was also silent.

Feng Qing glanced at the silent Zhang Jun. It was indeed difficult to choose, the future and the present. If you choose the current scenery, you will have to make up for it in the future. If you choose the comfort of the future, it means giving up the present.

There was no sound in the room for a while.