Chapter 270 (Part 2)

The next day’s warm-up match was indeed played in the rain, and Qiu Suhui still allowed all the reporters to watch the entire game. Whether the team played well or badly, these reporters would be witnesses, testifiers.

Zhang Jun didn’t even go to the game. He stayed in his room, sitting alone by the window reading a book. The room was a bit dark, so he turned on the desk lamp, but not to its brightest setting. The dim light gave a sense of isolation from the world.

Zhang Jun was feeling exactly that.

Zhang Lintao’s novel, which had been serialized online for two years, was finally published. He sent copies to Zhang Jun, Li Yongle, Yang Pan, and An Ke. Zhang Jun had been reading it recently.

The title was exactly what Zhang Lintao had told him – “Do You Care If I Play Soccer?” It told the story of their high school days. Of course, the main character wasn’t Zhang Jun, but Li Yongle, with Zhang Jun portrayed as one of Li Yongle’s main rivals. To avoid unnecessary trouble, all the characters in the novel, except for Zhang Lintao himself, used pseudonyms. But the details, the matches, still evoked a sense of familiarity and warmth in those who had experienced them firsthand.

It was a simple, almost innocent novel, with not much dramatic conflict, but it filled Zhang Jun with nostalgia. Reading it took him back to the past, and no matter how glorious the present might be, he always felt that those three years of high school were the best time of his life.

The weather outside was gloomy, and the orange-yellow light from the desk lamp spilled onto the pages of the book. Zhang Jun felt like the events in the novel were a sunset that stirred up countless beautiful memories.

Flying dust, silhouetted figures, happy laughter and cheers, and that almost-kissed kiss…

※※※

Yang Pan told Zhang Jun the result of the match when he returned.

Just as Yang Pan had predicted, the Chinese team “unexpectedly” lost to a Dutch second-division team. The team’s performance was also poor. They couldn't coordinate, made inexplicable mistakes, and some players even seemed to be deliberately slacking off.

Zhang Jun clicked his tongue. It seemed the situation was even worse than he had imagined.

Qiu Suhui's face remained grim throughout the entire match. By the end, it was as dark as the Dutch weather. The Chinese team lost 2-0 to a Dutch second-division team. It was truly embarrassing, but even more embarrassing was what the players displayed on the field.

No fighting spirit, no ambition, no teamwork. How could they expect such a "three-no" team to bear the expectations of the nation at the World Cup?

The fight had already caused domestic fans to criticize the national team’s quality. If they saw reports about this match, they would likely feel a despair that was greater than death, not even bothering to waste their breath or energy on cursing.

Yang Pan also told Zhang Jun that after the match, they waited in the locker room for half an hour, but Coach Qiu didn’t show up. Coach Hu eventually led them back. Qiu was not seen on the return trip, and according to Su Fei, Qiu didn’t attend the post-match press conference either. So where had he gone?

※※※

The next day, Zhang Jun was still not allowed on the training ground. Qiu Suhui also surprisingly didn’t appear. All the training was led by Hu Li.

It was on this day that the national team players, who were usually arrogant, conceited, and dismissive of everyone, felt a sense of crisis, a sense of panic, for the first time since the conflict. The head coach’s absence couldn't be a coincidence; everyone knew what it meant. And the reporters were also noticeably colder, rarely taking the initiative to ask anyone for an interview. They would rather block Zhang Jun in the massage room than waste space on those "three-no" players.

Not to mention the fans. They didn’t see a single fan near the training ground all day, when there used to be at least thirty every day.

Some teammates, through friends and family, had already learned about the reaction in China. The media were unanimously condemning them, and many fans were expressing their disappointment with the team online and in real life, believing that it was embarrassing for such a national team to participate in the World Cup, that they were a disgrace to represent China, that they didn’t deserve to be called national players, or professional players, and that the national team might as well disband.

In this conflict, there wasn’t much criticism of Qiu Suhui; it was almost entirely directed at those "three-no" players.

The national team players, far away in the Netherlands, truly felt the storm of anger in China.

Even if they cared about commercial value, sponsorship contracts, match bonuses, high-salary renewals... there were times when they had to put those things aside. The World Cup was a battlefield related to national honor, no longer just a simple soccer match. The Chinese people had strong patriotic feelings and national pride. They could tolerate losing, but they could never tolerate losing pathetically, losing shamefully, surrendering before the battle even began, abandoning themselves, and giving up completely.

It was the same old question: were they planning to die standing up, or live on their knees? No, perhaps for the Chinese team, it should be “were they planning to die standing up, or die on their knees?”

They certainly wouldn't choose the latter, because anyone with a sound mind would find that truly shameful.

Of course, there were still many shameless people in the world who didn’t care about national honor or national pride. Fortunately, these national team players weren’t completely shameless. They still had some sense of shame, and they began to feel a little uneasy in this situation. This was exactly what Qiu Suhui wanted to seize and exploit.

He wanted to amplify and externalize the unease in the players’ hearts, make them worry about their future, and then obediently listen to him. He would let those people know that only he could allow them to live like heroes, not deserters, when they returned home.

This deliberate absence from training was one way to do it. No one knew where the head coach had gone at this crucial moment, which led to various speculations. People were always worried about things they didn’t know, because they often didn’t know how things that were already bad could get worse.

※※※

When Qiu Suhui reappeared before everyone, he still didn’t give anyone a pleasant look, including Hu Li, who knew that he was acting.

The players didn’t know, so they were even more panicked.

Qiu Suhui didn’t arrange any training. He just told everyone to go to the meeting room. Four days after the conflict, he finally intended to resolve it.

In the meeting room, after everyone had arrived, Qiu Suhui threw a thick stack of newspapers and magazines on the table with a grim face. The heavy newspapers made a dull thud.

"Take a look yourselves. These are the newspapers and magazines that have been published in China these past few days. Take a look and see what they’re writing."

They didn’t need to look closely; the headlines on the front pages were quite eye-catching.

“The Most Disgraceful Chinese Team in History!”

“Preparation Key Words: Fighting, Conflict.”

“What Can We Expect from Such a Team?”

“Fan Survey: More Than Half Are Pessimistic About the Team’s Future, With 5% Even Suggesting Disbanding the National Team and Letting the North Korean Team Replace It.”

“The Chinese Team Self-Destructs the Great Wall, Already Deemed by Many Foreign Media to Be Returning Home Early.”

“No Fighting Spirit, No Ambition, No Teamwork, Abolish the Three-No National Team!”

“Fighting Breaks Out on the Training Ground, Foreign Reporters Say They Can’t Understand It.”

“They Are Not Qualified to Represent China!”

……

These words swept through their hearts like a storm. As long as they weren’t stupid, they knew that their poor performance had stung the hearts of countless tolerant fans at home. They had been abandoned by everyone.

"This morning’s training task – read the newspapers. Everyone must read them," Qiu Suhui said with a grim face. "Turn off your cell phones, too. Not even vibrate mode is allowed."

Someone moved his lips, seeming to want to say something but not daring to. Then everyone took out their phones and turned them off directly.

"Start reading now!" he shouted. When he saw no one reacting, he took out a whistle from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and blew it hard: "Training begins!"

The players woke up as if from a dream and picked up the newspapers in front of them, burying their heads in reading. Qiu Suhui didn’t leave either. He sat in the front and watched the players below, supervising them to ensure that they were reading the newspapers, not chatting or texting.

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the occasional rustling of newspapers. This was probably the quietest and most well-behaved time since the national team had gathered.

Zhang Jun was also reading. He even saw the photo taken by Su Fei, the moment when Kru choked Zhou Tao’s neck. The expressions of hatred on their faces were captured accurately and promptly. They were glaring at each other, the heat from their noses almost touching each other's faces. Kru's eyes were wide open, and Zhou Tao's face was red.

So Kru had the advantage at the time.

The news reports only described what had happened, but the commentary articles and online comments in the later editions were very impolite, filled with strongly personal emotional tendencies that Zhang Jun could see everywhere.

Zhang Jun had always thought that domestic sports media had inaccuracies and exaggerations in their reports, but this time, Zhang Jun believed that the media hadn't exaggerated at all. Because if he were still just a fan, he would have used even more venomous tones and words than the media.

During the preparation for the World Cup, other teams were struggling with their opponents, while the Chinese team was worried about their own internal affairs. Zhang Jun really didn't know how they would perform at this World Cup, how far they could go.

Qiu Suhui didn’t let the players do anything else until lunch. After reading one newspaper, they read other newspapers and magazines, and then they went to lunch together.

During the meal, there was much less of the usual loud chatter and casual conversation. Everyone ate with their heads down, looking preoccupied.

Qiu Suhui didn’t know what they were thinking, but he knew that his plan had been initially successful. Before, the players had only speculated about the situation at home. Now, he had let them see it clearly. No matter how much they took in, they would have some thoughts in their hearts.

After lunch, Qiu Suhui said to the team, "One hour lunch break. Meet in the meeting room at two o’clock this afternoon. We’ll continue."

Everyone went back to their rooms in a daze. He only had them read newspapers, saying nothing, and then had them come back in the afternoon. Was the training time for the day going to be wasted like this?

What was Qiu thinking? What did he want to do? No one knew.

※※※

After the afternoon lunch break, everyone gathered in the meeting room again. The newspapers they had read in the morning were still scattered on the table, and those headlines were still glaring.

But Qiu Suhui didn’t tell everyone to continue reading the newspapers. Instead, he turned on the projector: "We’re watching a movie this afternoon," he said, waving the remote control in his hand.

Watching a movie?!

The players looked at each other, not knowing what Qiu meant. They knew that the team was not united, so could watching a movie together solve the problem?

Qiu Suhui ignored everyone's surprised expressions and pressed the play button.

Li Yongle and Yang Pan were surprised to discover that it was *Any Given Sunday*, which Qiu had borrowed from Li Yongle.

"This movie is about American football, also known as橄榄球 *ganlanqiu* (rugby/American football). But you don’t need to understand rugby to watch it. Everyone needs to watch it seriously." After saying that, Qiu Suhui turned off all the lights in the meeting room, closed the curtains, and sat in the back, quietly waiting for the movie to begin.

This was a movie with an all-star cast, from the director to the actors. It was also a very passionate and realistic sports movie.

The film told the story of the Sharks, a team that had won many championships in the league but was recently plagued by internal and external problems. A rather comical beginning, in a league match, they lost their captain, quarterback Jack Rooney, and then the first substitute quarterback was injured and taken off the field as soon as he was put in.

The team doctor had just put the captain on the small ambulance when he heard that another player was injured. He exclaimed in surprise, "Did he fall off the bench?"

The live commentator even cited history to illustrate how ridiculous this scene was: "Two quarterbacks injured and taken off the field in a row. I haven't seen anything like this since 1988. Oh, maybe it was 1978."

Coach Tony D’Amato, the protagonist of the movie, angrily slammed his headset on the ground. The second substitute, the last quarterback, Willie Beaman, was nervous as soon as he came on the field and vomited in front of the television broadcast and the live audience.

Some people chuckled when they saw this.

But Willie Beaman performed well in the second half, and a long pass helped the team overtake the score. However, because the team had differences over whether to defend or attack in the final moments, the opponent seized the opportunity and turned defeat into victory. The Sharks also suffered their fourth consecutive defeat. This was no small blow for a team that regarded the championship as its goal.

The quarterback in rugby was similar to the midfield core in soccer. He was also the initiator of the attack, the brain on the field, the tactical core of the team. He needed excellent long-passing skills and the ability to find the best passing route in a complicated situation, delivering a fatal blow. When necessary, he could even score a touchdown himself.

Willie Beaman, a twenty-six-year-old talented player, was given an opportunity by this unexpected appearance. In the following matches, he performed well, helping the team win consecutive victories and reach the playoffs in the absence of the two injured quarterbacks. However, vomiting also became his trademark. Every time he vomited, the opponent would be unlucky.

The team was moving step by step towards the playoffs, but there were also many problems. Christy, the team's young and beautiful owner, was determined to sell the team and build a new team in Los Angeles, and she often interfered with the head coach's work, even though D’Amato was her "Uncle Tony".

"Shark", the team's main defensive player, had a concussion, but the respected old team doctor, under the threat of Christy, tampered with the diagnosis results, allowing him to continue to work for the team, even if he might die on the field one day.

The reporter, who had always been prejudiced against D’Amato, was always trying to ridicule D’Amato and create conflict and news.

Julian Washington, the team’s main scorer, complained to D’Amato that Willie never passed the ball to him. He had a contract with the sponsor, and as long as he ran for two thousand yards with the ball, he could get a ten million dollar bonus. But Willie didn't pass the ball to him, and he couldn't get the statistics without the ball. He wanted D’Amato to give him an explanation, but the young assistant coach supported Willie, and the two quarreled in D’Amato’s office, which gave D’Amato a headache.

Willie Beaman, a black guy who was quite good-looking, had become a star due to his continuous outstanding performance. He went on television talk shows, appeared on magazine covers, shot commercials, released rap albums, attended celebrity dinners, and was even interested in his boss Christy, so he dated her a lot. As a result, he broke up with his black girlfriend, whom he had been dating for many years. Sudden success made him lose himself. He always thought that the team's wins were all his own credit and that the other teams, especially the defensive players, were useless.

At the same time, Captain Jack Rooney was actively preparing for his comeback. He felt Willie's threat, but he would still help Willie in many ways, reminding him of his responsibilities as a quarterback and to maintain good relationships with his teammates.

"You should try to say the line ‘Everyone come and be a star’," Rooney’s wife complained to her husband.

But Rooney shrugged his shoulders as he watched Willie surrounded by children: "No, sacrifice, teamwork, that's what's most important."

Willie didn't understand the captain's good intentions.

"Leading a team to victory isn't the most important thing. The important thing is that you make your teammates believe in you and willingly follow you."

"Hey, Captain, one more question, how old are you?" This was Willie Beaman’s answer.

As a player, he was indeed very outstanding, but as a quarterback who wanted to lead the whole team, he was not qualified yet. Why? Because he was just playing by himself, never considering the feelings of his teammates. Now some people were listening to him because they wanted to win. Once they lost the game, the conflict would erupt.

D’Amato realized this problem, so he called Willie to his home for dinner, but the two had a big fight. Because D’Amato always wanted Willie to follow his way, to learn from Captain Rooney, to respect the old players. Willie ridiculed D’Amato as an old stubborn man, and that because he always clung to the past, he was in such a miserable situation, his wife had divorced him, and his children had gone to the west with their mother.

"Listen, kid. I want you to listen carefully, because one day you will find that this is the truest truth you have ever heard. Football, the meaning of football is not just winning, because you are part of this whole, whether you are a coach or a star player, one hundred great athletes, they are all. You are now too. I hope you cherish it, because once you lose them, they will never come back," D’Amato warned Willie.

But Willie didn’t listen at all. He complained to D’Amato, always blaming others, saying that he had sacrificed too much, but no one gave him a chance to prove himself. Now that he had finally made it, he was put back on the bench by D’Amato, because Captain Rooney, who had recovered from his injury, would be the starter in the championship finals.

"Go on, Willie. You only blame others and never mention yourself. Look, this is what a leader must do. Sacrifice. He needs to sacrifice some playing time, because he leads the team by example, not by fear or self-pity."

These words angered Willie. He stood up and pointed his finger at D’Amato’s nose and questioned, "Who do you think you’re talking to? My playing career is already halfway over, and now you want me to sit on the bench and sacrifice for Captain Rooney’s glory. Go to hell, Coach! I don’t believe in your big principles, because you’re afraid, old man, afraid that you’ll definitely win with my way, and then your beliefs will be ruined?" Willie turned to leave.

D’Amato stood up and chased after him: "You’re not a boastful marginal player, or a receiver, or even Julian Washington! You’re a damned quarterback! Do you know what that means? That’s the center of the whole team, kid! It’s also the target of criticism after losing the game, the target of everyone’s attention, their leader. They will understand and support you, and they will be willing to fight for you, even at the cost of breaking their noses, ribs, or even ankles. They believe in you. You give them confidence. That’s a… quarterback."

"… Whatever, I, 'Steamroller' Willie, will play my way as long as I have the chance to play. I don’t care. When the time comes, my value will skyrocket. I don’t care if you sell me or trade me, my value will be ten times higher there than it is here!" Willie turned and left, ignoring the head coach.

"You are very, very young," D’Amato said to himself, watching Willie's back, "and very, very f***ing… stupid!"

That night, Willie went to a party held by "Shark" at his home. Willie ridiculed his teammates in person and said that if their defense was better, they would already be the best in the league.

These words angered "Shark". He used a chainsaw to cut Willie’s new car in half, which also marked their break. "Call a cab! Get out of my house!"

In all fairness, Willie was a genius. He was good at making his own judgments on the field based on the situation, and he changed the planned strategies without permission. The tactics he improvised often helped the team win.

But he couldn’t be a leader. He wasn’t like Captain Rooney. This great star captain infected everyone with his personal charm. Whether it was heaven or hell, they were willing to follow him. "Shark" even shouted to Rooney during training, "Come on, buddy! With me here, they can't hit you!" But no one had ever said that to Willie.

While Willie was busy shooting commercials and writing long articles, Rooney was still doing recovery training in his home gym late every night, so that he could play when the team needed him.

Willie only needed to think about himself, while D’Amato and Rooney had to think about everyone. But if Willie wanted to become a truly qualified quarterback, he had to learn to consider others, and even sacrifice himself when necessary.

As a result, in the following match, the Sharks were brutally beaten by their opponents in their own home stadium. In a heavy rain, no one was willing to block the opposing players for Willie. He was knocked to the ground time and time again, losing the ball. No one went to help. Everyone watched from the sidelines. After the game, the depressed Willie got into a fight with his teammates in the locker room. D’Amato rushed in and scolded everyone: "I've been a coach for thirty years! This is the first time I've seen a match like this. You're disgracing yourselves! I'm ashamed to be your coach today! You should all think about it!"

Because they lost the game, if the team wanted to advance to the championship finals, they had to go to Texas in four weeks and defeat the Knights there to have a chance to enter the finals held in Minnesota. This was the last chance for the players, who were split apart, to prove themselves.

D’Amato's troubles were far from over. After the old team doctor's act of tampering with "Shark's" x-rays was revealed, the young team doctor diagnosed that "Shark" had a serrated fracture on his skull, and his hand-eye coordination had been greatly reduced. If he suffered another impact, he was likely to be paralyzed, have a stroke, be in a vegetative state, or even die suddenly. But "Shark" insisted on playing in the game, because he only needed one more interception to make three tackles to get a million-dollar bonus, and he needed the money to support his wife and four children.

Finally, after considering it for a long time, D’Amato agreed to "Shark's" request.

After dealing with "Shark's" matter, he went to the training ground and had a big fight with the old team doctor in front of many reporters, personally firing the team doctor who had been with him for thirty years. In a bad mood, he also pushed down the reporter who came to interview him, causing him to split his forehead.

The owner, Christy, also came to make trouble, because D’Amato insisted on starting Captain Rooney in the game against the Texas team, instead of Willie Beaman, whom Christy and the sponsors wanted. During the argument, D’Amato said that he would definitely trade Willie away at the end of the season, because he had made the whole team a mess.

Willie was also reflecting on himself, and he reconciled with his ex-girlfriend. In the sauna, he happened to meet "Shark", with whom he had previously broken up.

At this time, "Shark" already knew the risks of going on the field, and he wanted to warn Willie: "You want to be the black guy who leads the team, but will they let you? I'm telling you, all the successful stars, every Barry Sanders, every Jerry Rice, hundreds and thousands of black guys you've never heard of. Of course, the game teaches you to be arrogant, to say bullshit, but what else? Suddenly penniless, no women, no applause, hum, a shattered dream. This is what I want to tell you. When a man, when a man looks back on the past, he should be proud of his life, with few regrets, not just the years he spent in armor, not just the glorious moments. You have to understand in your heart that if you can't do it, you're not a man, you're just a… hoodlum."

Willie put a towel over his head and ignored "Shark", but this time he really listened.

※※※

The final battle in the film was the essence of the whole film, and D’Amato’s impromptu speech before the game was the essence of the essence. With a passionate speech, he united everyone, inspired their fighting spirit, and turned them into a team with a strong fighting force.

Qiu Suhui could see that many players were excited when they saw this part.

"I really don't know what I should say, really. In three minutes, the most important game of our careers will begin. Today is a matter of life and death for us. We either fight together or fall apart. Inch by inch, ball by ball, until we are done.

We are in hell now, gentlemen, believe me. We can either get our asses kicked here, or we can go all out and go to glory. We can crawl out of hell, inch by inch. And now I can't crawl for you.

In fact, it's obvious that I'm too old. When I see a group of young people, I think, am I making a mistake that a middle-aged man might make? Are you right? I, uh, spent all my money, believe it or not. I can't even stand myself in the mirror lately.

As you get older, everything will leave you. Actually, that's part of life. But only when you start to lose it will you understand that life is also made up of many inches, and so is rugby. Because whether it's life or rugby, the space allowed for you to make mistakes is very small.

I mean, half a step too early, or half a step too late, you won't reach your goal. Half a second too early, or half a second too late, you won't catch the ball.

Every inch we need is around us, in every opportunity on the field, in every second.

Our whole team fights for this inch, the whole team is ready to be smashed to pieces for this inch, we are eager for this inch, because we all know that adding up every inch is the watershed between winners and losers! It's the watershed between life and death! I'm telling you that in any battle, it's always the people who aren't afraid of death who win that inch!

I also know that I can still live that meaningful life, because I'm still willing to fight for that inch to the last moment. Because that's life, that's the six inches in front of you.

Now I can't make you fight. You have to look at the comrades around you, look into their eyes, because those comrades, their, their eyes are watching you! They are willing to compete with you, to compete for every inch of the comrades. You will see a comrade who is willing to sacrifice himself for you, for the team. Because he knows that you will do the same for him when necessary!

This is teamwork, gentlemen!

And whether we fight together or are slaughtered one by one, this is rugby!

That’s all. Now, what should you do? I think there’s no need for me, an old man, to say anything more."

The Sharks' players howled and rushed out of the locker room. In fact, not to mention the Sharks, even the Chinese team players sitting in the meeting room had that impulse, wanting to find the opponent who had beaten them 2-0 and play another game, this time definitely kicking their asses.

※※※

During the match, Rooney started and all his teammates were willing to be meat shields for him. When the opposing players rushed towards him, his teammates always pounced on them without hesitation, using their bodies to block them, allowing the captain to send out a fatal long pass without interference. When the team was too far behind, he even carried the ball himself, traversing half the field, shaking off the defensive players, and facing the impact of two opponents at the goal line, risking being knocked off the field, to score a touchdown.

The commentators couldn't help but sigh, "Only one sentence can describe Captain Jack Rooney: a never-say-die tough guy!"

Willie Beaman couldn't help but cheer for the captain on the sidelines. He had learned more in this half than he had learned before.

During halftime, the Sharks were still behind. The owner, Christy, ignored her assistant’s advice and rushed into the locker room, scolding D’Amato in front of all the players, saying that Captain Rooney was done and that he should send Willie on. The two had a heated argument, and finally Willie himself stood up and explained that the coach had already told him to go on.

In the second half, both sides had their own attacks and defenses, and the situation was fierce. One of the opposing players even had his eyeball gouged out in a fierce scramble!

"Shark’s" desperate interception won him a million-dollar bonus and also helped the team regain ten yards of offense. This meant that with fifteen seconds left in the game, the Sharks had what could be their last chance to attack. They were only four points behind the Knights. If they seized the opportunity, a touchdown could turn defeat into victory and advance to the finals. Just as everyone was cheering for him, he went into shock.

Just as everyone was worried about him, he woke up in a daze. His wife on the stands breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him being carried away on a stretcher.

"Hey, be careful, I'm worth a million now." Even so, he didn't forget to joke, waving to the audience on the stretcher.

A round of applause rang out from the stands.

Outside the movie, the Chinese national team players also felt what it meant to be a man. Compared to their previous cowardly performance, did they feel ashamed?

※※※

At the same time, Willie was vomiting again beside the trash can. Everyone knew that "Steamroller" was about to show his power.

In the last four seconds, Willie and his teammates had a beautiful collaboration, gaining a ten-yard offense that was only a short distance from the scoring zone. This time, his teammates used their bodies to block the opponents for him, and then he stepped on his teammates' bodies, leaped over the defense in the air, and scored a touchdown!

The Sharks reversed the score at the last moment. They turned defeat into victory and advanced to the finals!

A Hollywood-style ending, everyone got the ending they wanted. The team regained its unity and took the championship in one fell swoop. Christy didn’t think about selling the team every day anymore. With the support of the mayor, she only wanted to carry forward her father's legacy. D’Amato, who was considered old, wanted to prove himself in another place. Of course, he didn't forget to keep his pre-game promise: he must trade Willie Beaman away at the end of the season. He just traded Willie to the team he would be coaching the following season.

※※※

The movie ended, and Qiu Suhui turned on the lights, and the room suddenly returned to brightness. Many people squinted their eyes, not yet used to it.

Qiu Suhui didn’t watch the movie. He had been observing the players’ performances by using the light reflected from the screen. He could see that the movie had really worked, because the expressions on many people’s faces were very excited.

"Finished watching it. Any thoughts?" Qiu Suhui clapped his hands, bringing the players back from the movie plot.

No one answered him. Maybe they didn’t know how to answer yet.

Qiu Suhui didn’t expect them to answer either. Now he wanted to learn from D’Amato and give a speech that would turn the situation around. He knew that those who could still be moved after watching this movie could still be saved.

Milu once used the movie *Remember the Titans* to unite a loose and unmotivated Chinese team, and they historically entered the World Cup finals. Now Qiu Suhui believed that he could do it too, because this national team was in a much better situation than that one.

"Let’s get straight to the point. Actually, I don't think fighting is necessarily a bad thing, but of course, that depends on the occasion. If you fight in the World Cup, then everyone should just die. But it's different now. Your fighting has exposed the dark side of your hearts. Don't blame me for speaking harshly, but actually, I've been kind enough not to call you sissies like the coach in the movie did. Why did I call you sissies? Because you didn't act manly enough! You were all fierce when you were fighting, but why did your legs go weak during the game? You didn't pass when you should have passed, you didn't run when you should have run, you weren't aggressive enough in your tackles… or are you only good at fighting among yourselves?" This could be considered scolding, but he didn’t use many swear words. But this was more effective than using swear words and cursing wildly, because every sentence hit these people where it hurt.

"To be honest, I'm not interested in what each of you is planning. Whether you want to make more money or pick up more girls, that’s your own business, but those things can't be put above the collective interest. If you’re going to box, you can do whatever you want, but you’re playing soccer, which is a sport for eleven people. Those who only think about themselves and disregard others at any time should never choose soccer in the first place. Any player who is only technically outstanding and talented but has no teamwork has no future, and so does a team."

"As a member of a team, if the team doesn’t perform well, your own little plans won't work either. The individual and the team are closely related. But look at your recent performance. Can you still be called a team? Who are you? You are yourselves, each individual person, but you are not members of the Chinese national team! Have you each thought about what the concept of a team is? Why can the forwards concentrate on shooting and scoring? Because the midfielders will pass the ball to them. The midfielders can control the ball calmly because others will reduce the pressure of defense for them. The defenders can tackle with peace of mind because the goalkeeper is guarding the goal behind them. The reverse is also true. Teammates are willing to fight for you, to sacrifice themselves, because they know that you will do the same for them when necessary. This is teamwork, gentlemen! Sacrifice and dedication are the keys to teamwork. Those who don’t sacrifice themselves should never expect others to sacrifice for them, because they are not qualified! Those who only care about their own interests are also not qualified!"

Some people lowered their heads.

"I know that some of you have conflicts and dislike each other. I don’t expect you to turn hostility into friendship. But I hope that no matter what your private relationship is like, you will abandon personal grievances and work together to play the game. This has nothing to do with individual ideological awareness, it’s purely professional ethics. Playing soccer is your job, so it’s your duty to unite and fight on the field. Everyone is a professional player. Don’t you even understand this?"

Qiu Suhui asked knowingly, because many Chinese players had been professional players for more than ten years and acted like amateur players.

Qiu Suhui didn’t continue. He felt that after accepting so much information in one day, it was time for those "well-developed but simple-minded" guys to digest it.

"That’s all for today. Go back and think about it. Tomorrow is normal training. I hope that I can see a team then, not just a group of people." He waved his hand and dismissed the meeting.

After everyone had left, Hu Li asked Qiu Suhui, "Do you think that letting these people watch a movie and say a few words can solve the problem?"

Qiu Suhui smiled. "Lao Hu, don't underestimate certain spiritual things. Good movies have the power to infect people. Have you forgotten how Bora united those big shots in the Chinese team