Chapter 1 When the Final Whistle Blew

When the referee blew the final whistle, the Fiorentina players, who had been waiting on the sidelines, rushed onto the field, cheering.

Zhang Jun was among the cheering crowd. He was suddenly hugged from behind and lifted high into the air by Riganò.

Taken by surprise, Zhang Jun patted Riganò’s strong arm and shouted, “Hey! Put me down, you bull, put me down!”

But Riganò didn't listen, he just carried Zhang Jun on his shoulders, laughing heartily. After running for ninety minutes, he could still carry a person on his shoulders, such terrifying strength and stamina!

Zhang Jun saw that he wasn't the only one being lifted up; Captain Di Livio and coach Mondonico were too. Only the three of them were being held above their teammates' heads, which reflected Zhang Jun's status in the team to some extent.

As a forward who arrived halfway through the season, he had helped the team soar from seventh place to second place with twenty-one goals, securing direct promotion two rounds in advance. He had contributed greatly to Fiorentina's promotion with his own strength, earning the love and trust of everyone.

Watching everyone happily lift him up, Zhang Jun had only one feeling: they were really giving him too much credit!

He recalled the bits and pieces since arriving in Florence, from his initial hostility and helplessness towards Riganò to being carried on his shoulders and cheered on now. When he first arrived in this unfamiliar place, trembling with trepidation, he never imagined such a perfect ending.

He loved the nine o'clock sun in Florence, the narrow streets and the squares of blue sky above them, and the pigeons in the square in front of the Duomo. These things brought gusts of calming wind to his once restless heart.

He loved this team, the people in it, and the passionate and loyal fans here.

In short, he loved everything about Florence. Compared to the gloomy and humid northern city of Milan, he felt that sunny Florence made him more comfortable and cheerful.

More and more people surged towards them, each with a happy, ecstatic smile on their face. They roared, gesticulated wildly, or knelt on the ground, crying with joy.

This was football!

At this moment, Zhang Jun made his choice.

He decided to stay in Florence and continue his relationship with this city.

Maybe the future would be bright, maybe it would be terrible, but what was the point of thinking so much now? Zhang Jun didn't want to talk about whether he would regret it. His optimistic nature made him prefer to believe that the future would be incredibly bright.

AC Milan was a great team with many top-level stars. Even if they won every championship, no one would find it surprising. But no matter how successful he was there, Zhang Jun wouldn't feel much sense of achievement. Perhaps because he liked reading comics since he was a child, he longed for the feeling of achieving success from a weaker position.

One was icing on the cake, the other was providing charcoal in the snow. Which one could better reflect a player's value was self-evident.

In fact, Yang Pan was right. Zhang Jun was a nostalgic person and a lazy guy. Once he settled down in a certain place, he wouldn't want to leave unless he absolutely had to, because moving was a very painful thing for Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun himself didn't clearly realize that after a year of turmoil and wandering, his already lazy heart was even more tired. He wanted to find a place to stay for a long time, and Florence would be a good choice.

As for Milan, he would let Hua-jie handle it.

Now that he had made his choice, he would just enjoy this moment of victory and celebration.

※※※

"Bang!" Champagne was splashed all over Zhang Jun, and then Riganò poured the wine from the bottle over Zhang Jun's head.

Zhang Jun didn't want to be outdone, and used the champagne in his hand as a weapon to retaliate against Riganò.

Everyone was splashing each other with champagne, like a water-sprinkling festival.

Even Coach Mondonico was not spared. Di Livio took the lead in drenching him, turning his light blue suit dark blue from the champagne. His hair was a mess, making him look ridiculous, but he wasn't angry, because this was a moment of celebration.

"Promoted! Promoted! Hooray! We're back in Serie A!!" Everyone shouted, splashing champagne on their teammates. They were naked to the waist, some even only wearing underwear, bumping, jumping, singing, and shouting in the locker room.

Even Zhang Jun, wearing only his underwear, joined in the fun with everyone. Even on the night he won the Dutch Cup in Volendam, he had never been so unrestrained.

This was truly crazy!

In the midst of the madness, Riganò didn't forget to ask Zhang Jun a question that had been bothering him lately. "Hey, Zhang, are you going back to Milan after the season?" He leaned close to Zhang Jun and asked in his ear.

He knew the answer was yes, because Milan was much better than Florence. Last year, there were rumors that Inter Milan was interested in him, which had stirred his heart a lot. What about Zhang Jun, who was even more talented than him?

But Zhang Jun shook his head with a smile: "No, I'm staying here, with everyone."

This answer really surprised Riganò. He cursed softly, "Why not go back? You fool! How could Florence be better than Milan?"

Zhang Jun was still smiling. He said, "I know, I know Milan is very, very good, but I like Florence. I like the feeling of being with everyone." He looked at his teammates who were making a ruckus.

Riganò lowered his head and muttered something, then looked up and asked, "Will Milan let you go?"

Zhang Jun thought for a moment: "If I insist on leaving, there shouldn't be any resistance. Don't forget that Milan is a very humane club, they won't ignore a player's personal wishes."

"Then...will we still be partners next season?"

"Still be partners." Zhang Jun raised his hand and tapped the empty bottle against Riganò's, considering it a kind of agreement.

Zhang Jun made his decision about his future just like that, and this crazy celebration exhausted his last bit of strength. He fell asleep on the plane back to Florence.

※※※

Zhang Jun didn't know how he got home, how he took a shower, or how he changed his clothes. He didn't even remember if he had eaten dinner. When he woke up, he found himself lying in his own bed.

His memories skipped directly from yesterday's crazy game and celebration to ten o'clock this morning—when he woke up and first saw the ceiling.

There was no training today, and suddenly he didn't know what to do. He had been so nervous and busy these past few days, his nerves constantly on edge. Now that he had suddenly relaxed, he wasn't used to it.

Just as Zhang Jun was sitting blankly on the bed, wondering how to spend the day, he received a call from Yang Pan.

"First of all, congratulations to Fiorentina for a successful promotion, and congratulations to you for ranking third in the Serie B scoring chart."

"Okay, okay, I also wish you an early league title."

"I don't feel like you're being very sincere," Yang Pan muttered softly. Zhang Jun chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"We haven't been in touch for a while, have we, Yang Pan?" Zhang Jun said with a smile, then lay back down on the bed.

"It's been over a month, everyone's been busy. You're done here, but I'm at a critical moment. The championship battle with Juventus has reached a fever pitch, we're only one point ahead of them now, with two rounds left!"

"Two rounds are nothing for you guys."

"Stop talking nonsense, we have to win both, win both! We were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid, we can't lose the league title too."

"By the way, speaking of the Champions League, how was the feeling of playing against Real Madrid's superstars?" Zhang Jun was indeed envious of Yang Pan for having the opportunity to play against Real Madrid. But while he was envious, his decision to stay in Florence wouldn't change.

"I didn't feel anything, it's just that those freaks are too strong. Real Madrid adjusted their operating policies this season, their personnel configuration is more reasonable. I don't think it's unfair that we were eliminated, it wouldn't be surprising if they won their tenth Champions League title. But I can only say this to you, if the media finds out, I'll be in big trouble."

Zhang Jun laughed heartily.

"But I swapped jerseys with that balding man Zidane!"

"Ah? I want it! I want it!" Zhang Jun became excited.

"Hey! When you come back to Milan, I'll give it to you. Return, return home..." Yang Pan sang Fei Xiang's popular song "Homesickness."

Zhang Jun fell silent, as if Zidane's jersey held no attraction for him.

Yang Pan noticed Zhang Jun's odd behavior, and he remembered the question. "The season's about to end, you're still coming back, right, Zhang Jun?"

Zhang Jun said slowly: "No, I plan to stay in Florence."

Yang Pan wasn't surprised by this answer, but he still couldn't accept it: "Why? Isn't Milan better than Florence?"

Zhang Jun scratched his head: "It's not like that, it's just that I'm more used to Florence, the city of Milan isn't suitable for me."

"Have you thought about it seriously?"

"Seriously...thought about it."

"You're really not coming back?"

"I think there will be a time...when I won't be coming back."

"Do you think you have a better future in Florence than in Milan?"

"I...I didn't think that much. Yang Pan, I didn't think about any of that when I made my decision, I just went with my gut..."

"Your gut?" Yang Pan was stunned, "I really hope your gut feeling about life is as good as your gut feeling about football. I don't care, at worst we'll be teammates on the national team, but Kaká will be hard to explain to."

Zhang Jun smiled wryly: "Help me apologize to him, and tell him that I'll personally cook him a delicious meal to make amends when I get back to Milan."

"He'll protest that you're treating him like a pig."

"He's a pig anyway, just do it that way."

Yang Pan sighed: "You've made up your mind, and even if you don't stay in Florence, you won't go back to Milan. Are you still resentful towards Milan because of your experiences there?"

"I'm not, I've never hated Milan, Yang Pan. The reason I'm not going back to Milan is because I've been there, and I know Milan isn't suitable for me. If I were at Inter Milan and found that it wasn't suitable for me, I wouldn't go back either. It has nothing to do with which team it is, it's purely a matter of personal adaptability. I don't adapt to Milan, and Milan now only needs to increase the depth of their bench. We're just naturally incompatible."

Yang Pan was silent for a while, then said: "You'll have to come back once the season is over, right?"

"That's for sure."

Yang Pan sighed again: "Alright, I'll tell Kaká. But you have to be prepared to be slaughtered when you come back."

"Hehe! I'm already prepared to die."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had taken care of his friends. No matter how unhappy Kaká was, he would just have to pretend he didn't know and muddle through. Next was how to persuade the Milan club to accept his proposal to leave. If it really didn't work, he would even pay out of his own pocket to leave Milan. He had already said he was leaving, wouldn't it be embarrassing to go back?

Zhang Jun couldn't do that kind of double-crossing.

※※※

Three days later, the Stadio Artemio Franchi had become the site of a grand banquet. The match had been relegated to second place. Fiorentina and Empoli both fielded as many substitutes as possible. The fans, like a festival, unfurled eye-catching banners below the stands that read, "We're going to Serie A together." The players and coaches of both sides greeted each other casually during pre-match warm-ups, chatting and laughing... In short, no one took this match to heart.

The match ended in a 0-0 draw, the game was dull. But everyone's minds weren't on the game. The TV station had the foresight not to include this match in its live broadcast schedule.

Starting in the eightieth minute, the Stadio Artemio Franchi was constantly chanting Zhang Jun's name. They hoped that the coach would let Zhang Jun come on the field and meet everyone, even if it was just for a minute.

Zhang Jun was a little surprised by the fans' love. He was a loaned player and never dared to hope that his status in the hearts of the discerning Fiorentina fans could be so high.

Mondonico was a little embarrassed. He didn't want to disappoint these fans who had supported the team through thick and thin. On the other hand, Zhang Jun had stamina issues. He had only brought him to this match to participate in the large-scale post-match celebrations, not to play.

He got up and walked to Zhang Jun's seat, then squatted down and asked Zhang Jun: "Can you hear that sound?" He pointed to the stands behind him, "They're calling your name, do you want to play? I want to hear your opinion."

Zhang Jun sat on the bench, looked up at the purple-swirling stands, and he heard the fans' cheers. Could he not go on? He sat on the bench and heard the shouts, how could he not go on?

So he stood up and nodded to Mondonico and said: "I'll go on."

Mondonico was still squatting on the ground. He looked up at Zhang Jun: "Your stamina..."

Zhang Jun twisted his waist and had already started warming up. "Just a few minutes, no problem."

Mondonico then stood up and said to Zhang Jun: "Then go warm up, come back in five minutes. Don't force yourself when you get on the field, I won't scold you even if you just stand there."

Zhang Jun smiled: "That won't do, coach. I'll scold myself if I do that."

Mondonico smiled and patted Zhang Jun on the shoulder: "Go ahead."

Seeing Zhang Jun stand up from the bench and run to warm up, the fans shouted even harder. This cheer continued until Zhang Jun stood next to the fourth official, ready to enter the field.

The fans' support also strengthened his choice to stay in Florence.

Zhang Jun came on the field during injury time. He was only on for two minutes, touched the ball twice, and the referee blew the whistle to end the match.

The entire stadium was boiling. The excitement that had been building up for three days erupted at this moment. The fans were constantly shouting, jumping, and cheering in the stands.

The Fiorentina players also put on the commemorative t-shirts that had been prepared long ago, which read: "Serie A, we're back!"

Di Livio gathered everyone together, then held hands, lined up in a long row, shouted one, two, three, and then everyone rushed towards the stands behind the goal, and then they let go of their hands and swooped down like fighter planes landing.

Zhang Jun lay on the grass, looking at his teammates around him who were full of joy. In addition to excitement, he suddenly felt a little sentimental. How many of these people would be able to stay in the end?

Fiorentina, who had been promoted to Serie A, would definitely undergo a major reshuffle in order to gain a foothold in Serie A and strive for better results. Then at least 60% of the current team would be loaned or sold off. Some of them might continue to play in Serie B, almost never having a chance to play in Serie A. And even among those who stayed in Florence, how many would be able to play regularly?

Didn't they know? No, they knew very well. It's just that, like Zhang Jun, at this moment, they were only happy for the promotion. As for what would happen in the future... they would consider it later. No matter how down and out they might be in the future, at least today, they were glorious.

"Hooray! Fiorentina!" They lined up in three rows, the front row lying on the ground, the back row standing behind them, holding the Fiorentina team flag in their hands, shouting at the camera. Behind the flash, this moment was fixed on film by the photographer, and also fixed in their memories.

※※※

After celebrating at the stadium, the team also came to the Piazza del Duomo in Florence to celebrate, and later, they were received by the mayor and attended a celebration dinner hosted by the city government. This crazy celebration lasted until late at night.

When Zhang Jun dragged his tired body back home, he saw a text message from Yang Pan: "We won, but Juventus also won, still a tie, we'll have to see the final battle next week."

Zhang Jun smiled, threw his phone on the bed, and fell down himself. Yang Pan's text message, which was like a work report, made him feel the brotherly affection. Although he had made up his mind to leave Milan, he still hoped that Milan could win the league title this season, because he didn't want Yang Pan and Kaká's efforts for a season to be in vain.

Li Yongle, on the other hand, was getting more and more opportunities to play for Inter Milan. In his own words, he seized the opportunity at the beginning, and then opportunities kept coming his way. Edgar Davids was sold to Ajax during the winter break, and Cristiano Zanetti's form had been unstable and he was often plagued by injuries, so he couldn't guarantee enough playing time at all.

Most of the time, Mancini was using Cambiasso, who had transferred from Real Madrid as a free agent. But Cambiasso's strength was still lacking, and he couldn't satisfy him. That's why Li Yongle had more opportunities to play.

In Mancini's eyes, the only twenty-two-year-old Li Yongle was a real "waist", capable of both attack and defense, tall and strong but quick and agile, with excellent stamina and never knowing fatigue. Now he lacked nothing but experience.

Inter Milan had firmly secured a place in the Champions League next season, and Mancini could boldly train his troops.

Zhang Jun got up and went to take a shower to prepare for bed.

Not only must he wish Milan to win the league title, but also wish Li Yongle to squeeze out Cambiasso, and wish Cristiano Zanetti constant injuries, only injuries and more injuries, and bad form after recovery... In short, he wanted Li Yongle to smoothly become Inter Milan's main player.

Zhang Jun silently made a wish in his heart.

As for himself... First, the negotiations with AC Milan could be very smooth, and he could successfully stay in Florence. Second, he would see Sophie soon.

※※※

It was unknown which great god Zhang Jun had made a wish to, but his wishes for others were basically fulfilled. In the thirty-eighth round of Serie A a week later, AC Milan and Juventus both won, so that AC Milan won the 0506 season Italian Serie A championship with a one-point advantage. This was also their eighteenth Serie A title in history. They only needed to win two more league titles to embroider the second gold star above the Milan team badge on their chest.

And Li Yongle also got the opportunity to start in the last round of the league, which was his fifth start this season. C. Zanetti, who had recovered from his injury, could only sit on the bench because of his poor form.

The last round of the league started at the same time. Zhang Jun held the remote control and kept switching channels, switching back and forth between the Stadio Ennio Tardini and the San Siro.

Li Yongle performed very well. Seeing him sort out Inter Milan's previously messy midfield in an orderly manner, Zhang Jun could be sure that next season, if he stayed in Florence, when he visited the San Siro, Li Yongle would definitely greet him as a starter.

On the other side, Yang Pan was the main player, and he was also his favorite right winger. Gattuso was suspended in this crucial battle due to accumulated yellow cards, and Ancelotti's use of Yang Pan had a miraculous effect. After a dull ninety minutes, with Juventus already leading their opponents 2-0 away from home, and with the Milanese becoming more and more anxious, Yang Pan stood up. In the second minute of injury time, a rapid breakthrough on the right wing disrupted Cagliari's defense, and then he crossed the ball to assist Shevchenko, who headed in the winning goal and secured the victory.

When Shevchenko headed in the goal, the entire San Siro was shaking, and the cheers were thunderous. After scoring the goal, Shevchenko held Yang Pan tightly, and more and more Milan players rushed towards them. Yang Pan had become a pure Milanese. Zhang Jun sighed.

After the match, Yang Pan took the t-shirt thrown over by his teammate and put it on. The white t-shirt had the number 18 in large red letters. That was the number of times Milan had won the Serie A league championship. He and Kaká hugged each other excitedly. Zhang Jun knew that this match was being broadcast live in China, and the Chinese commentators must also be very excited, because this was the first European top league championship won by a Chinese player.

Zhang Jun was not excited or jealous at all, he was just happy, happy for Kaká and Yang Pan. Because he knew, he firmly believed, that one day he would also hold up the Italian Serie A championship trophy.

Tomorrow, he would set off back to Milan, where he needed to have a good talk with Milan's coach Ancelotti, and also have a good talk with senior executive Galliani. After talking to them, he would wait for Hua-jie to come back and tell her his decision, and then it would be her turn to take the stage.

Speaking of which, Hua-jie was also very busy now. She had been in Germany these past few days, and Anke seemed to be caught in the same choice as him.

※※※

"The current situation is that Bayern Munich hopes to get you. Kahn is getting old after all, and they hope you can take over Kahn's position. Bayern missed Hildebrand last season, and they don't want to miss another excellent goalkeeper this season. They have already submitted a transfer application to Borussia Dortmund." Hua Fang was sitting opposite Anke, telling him, "My suggestion is to choose Bayern Munich. After all, it's a traditional powerhouse, the Bundesliga leader, and the treatment is many times better than what you have now. And you can also participate in the European Champions League and increase your popularity and commercial value."

Anke nodded, he also agreed with Hua-jie's statement, Borussia Dortmund's financial situation had not fundamentally improved. The wages of a main goalkeeper like Anke were only ranked sixteenth in the team, and were far behind Rosicky, Koller and others.

He thought that to make his family no longer worry about his future, he had to take more money back home, so that his father would know that playing football could also earn a lot of money, enough for him to live out the rest of his life even if he couldn't find a job after retiring. Then his current salary at Borussia Dortmund was far from enough.

"And there's another piece of news that you'll definitely be interested in. Bayern has decided that if you go, Kahn will retire and become Bayern's goalkeeping coach. That is to say, he'll be specifically responsible for your training."

Anke's eyes lit up, he was a little excited: "Really? Kahn will agree? Doesn't he always say that he can still play until the next World Cup in South Africa?"

Hua Fang was very satisfied with Anke's reaction: "He's always been a loudmouth. His eye disease makes it impossible for him to persevere. The doctor is already advising him to retire. And he also said that he will retire from the national team after playing in this World Cup."

Anke nodded vigorously: "He did say that. In that case, I have no problems."

"Okay, I'll go to Bayern tomorrow. There are more things to do at the end of the season, and I have to hurry up."

"Hua-jie, what about Zhang Jun's situation?"

"Him? I don't know his thoughts yet. I'll have a good talk with him when I go back to Italy." Hua Fang started packing things up, time was short, and she was gradually feeling overwhelmed. As an agent, the busiest time of the year was this time.

"Oh, right, Hua-jie. Does the media know that we're in contact with Bayern?" Anke remembered and asked, "I haven't been watching the news much lately."

Hua Fang continued to pack her materials with her head down, and casually replied: "They know, all the major media have reported it. That's why I said that joining Bayern is a great opportunity to increase your own popularity..."

Anke was stunned: "They all...all know, Hua-jie?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Hua Fang stopped and looked at Anke in confusion.

Anke shook his head and frowned: "If that's the case, then I need to reconsider the plan to go to Bayern, this is troublesome."

"Reconsider? Troublesome? Why?" Hua Fang was at a loss, not knowing why Anke said that.

"Doesn't Hua-jie know? Borussia Dortmund fans are the best, most loyal, and most enthusiastic fans in all of Germany. Not to brag, I'm really quite popular among the fans, and as someone who was cultivated by the Borussia Dortmund youth team, I've become the future of Borussia Dortmund in their eyes. If they know that I'm going to abandon the crisis-ridden Borussia Dortmund and switch to the wealthy Bayern Munich, what will they think?"

Hua Fang was stunned for a moment, then waved her hand indifferently: "So you're worried about the fans' reaction. But that's not a problem, no matter how the fans protest, it won't affect your transfer." Hua Fang thought Anke was worried that the fans' dissatisfaction would lead the club not to let him go. "Borussia Dortmund needs money now, as long as Bayern pays, they won't let you go."

"No, Hua-jie misunderstood me. I'm not worried about the Borussia Dortmund higher-ups, I'm worried about myself."

"Yourself?"

"I'm worried that I'll be soft-hearted, and that I won't be able to bear to leave those fans..."

Hua Fang suddenly laughed, she put her face close to Anke's eyes: "Anke, are you still a child? Have you seen how many successful people would give up going to a better place because of the fans' pleas? What have they given you? When you go to a higher place, why should they stop you and accuse you? If they're really the best fans in all of Germany, they should bless you, not drag you down at this time. Look at Zhang Jun, when he was at Volendam, when he was about to leave, not a single fan blamed him, they all blessed him, that's what true good fans are. Transfers are very commercial, getting too much emotion involved will only ruin your future."

Anke was still hesitating: "Maybe what you said is right, Hua-jie. But it's been over two years of relationship, I can't just let it go." Anke was right, ever since he met Sophie in high school, he had never forgotten her, even though Sophie was already engaged to Zhang Jun. This shows that he is actually a very sentimental person. "This decision is too sudden for the Borussia Dortmund fans, they can't accept it. I'm afraid they'll do something drastic. And there's one thing you didn't say right, Hua-jie."

"Which one?"

"Anke can be where he is today thanks to a few people, youth team coach Mr. Rheinberg and goalkeeper coach Old Man Oliver, first team coach Mr. van Marwijk, and the fans who always support the team. It was their support, encouragement, and care that turned me from a foreign student into a professional player. Maybe as you said, successful people have to give up some things, but which superstar doesn't have the support of fans? Players, teams are trees, and fans are the soil. I really want to go to Bayern, but I don't want to offend those fans."

Hua Fang was speechless by Anke's "fan theory", and what Anke said was indeed reasonable. After a long while, she asked: "Then what do you want to do?"

"Let's not rush to contact Bayern, let me think about it again. There's one round left in the Bundesliga, I'll tell you my plan after this final round."

That's all they could do for now, the most important thing was the players' own wishes. An agent could list a thousand benefits of going to Bayern, or even lure him with money, but if they encountered someone who thought emotion was more important than money, it would be useless. Hua Fang sighed: "Okay, there are four days left. I have to go back to Milan first, Zhang Jun is waiting for me there. Think carefully, but I hope you don't act impulsively, and think clearly, and don't regret it."

Anke grinned: "I will, Hua-jie."