Reborn on Top of Football

After seeing off the reluctant textile worker, Wang Ai returned home, packed up and went to the airport again. This time he set off, and his destination was Tübingen, Germany, where the Chinese national team was training.

With Dong Fangzhuo's retirement, there are fewer and fewer old faces in the national team. The only friends who were in the Olympic Sports Center back then are the four captains, Zeng Cheng, and Zhu Ting who is wandering around the threshold of the national team. Not only Wang Ai and others, but also bystanders can't help but feel the sadness of the flowers withering.

But no matter what, you still have to participate in the training camp. Even if you don't expect to achieve good results next year, at least you shouldn't perform a performance that is not in line with your strength, especially considering the inheritance issue. The four captains, who have all reached the end of their careers, have begun to consider it to varying degrees.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, Wang Ai walked into Tubingen in the bleak autumn wind. It was here 17 years ago that he started his brilliant career.

"Would you like to go back to school and have a look?" Leonie, who was traveling with her, saw Wang Ai feeling quite emotional and suggested, "The school has always wanted to invite you."

Wang Ai looked melancholy in the direction of the school: "Forget it, let's wait until the training is over."

Perhaps it was because of his lack of concentration that Wang Ai was injured during this ten-day training camp. He injured his ribs during the fierce battle with Tübingen 01 and had to stop the training camp early. Fortunately, the injury is not serious, but it hurts a little and affects the movement of the upper body.

On the night of the 15th, everyone had dinner at the Lion Hotel and had free time. The new team members walked around the city under the leadership of the old team members. Zhao Xuri and Gao Lin both played football in Tübingen, and they also have second careers, so they are familiar with all aspects. For example, the "Stuka Bakery" where Lao Bai stayed here is where newcomers check in. land.

Wang Ai and Old Tang were sitting on plastic chairs beside the training ground together. Old Tang was smoking while Wang Ai was drinking milk to supplement calcium.

"Is the work at the college going well?" Old Tang asked slowly.

Seeing that Wang Ai remained silent but looked suspicious, Old Tang smiled and waved his hand: "Don't look at me like that, I didn't accept anyone's request."

Wang Ai laughed and looked at the quiet training ground for a while before speaking: "Back then, we were inseparable from each other. Director Tang, when you talk about me, what else do I pursue?"

In the eyes of Old Tang, Wang Ai put down his cup: "I am in my early thirties, famous and wealthy all over the world, what else should I pursue? When you reach my level and position, what will you pursue?"

Old Tang was silent for a long time: "I can't imagine it."

“What else are you pursuing in football?”

"The pursuit... in a national team that still has strength but is declining overall, how to combine new and old players, how to use strategies and tactics, and how to achieve the best actual combat level." When Old Tang said this, he smiled at Wang Ai: "If It would be better if we could summarize and refine some theoretical things."

Wang Ai also smiled: "Yes, if you achieve the ultimate in a field, what you pursue will not be vulgar. This has nothing to do with you, it is the inevitable direction after reaching the end. I am in the secular world Except for power, everything in my field has come to an end, and I don’t want to go into politics. What do you think I should pursue? It can only be academics, it can only be career, it can only be purity."

Old Tang nodded: "That's good, but it's not in harmony with China's social temperament."

Wang Ai nodded and suddenly smiled again: "So far, there has not been a force that can force me to give up my principles and make temporary compromises."

"Maybe it's not that it didn't show up, it's that you don't think it is, or you're willing to pay a greater price, a price it didn't expect, to stick to your principles."

"Maybe." Wang Ai picked up his shockingly large-capacity bottle again: "As long as I don't make obvious mistakes, I can stick to it even if it is controversial. If I can't even do this , I can’t even do it in the football field. Haven’t I struggled all these years in vain? Is it true that what I pursue is a big house, a big car, and a big garden?”

Old Tang looked at what Wang Ai wanted to say, and finally shook his head, put out the cigarette butt, stood up, walked a few steps, and threw it into the trash can: "No matter what, the vast majority of football practitioners across the country support you and trust you. . Maybe they, like me, don’t quite understand your pursuits, can’t quite appreciate your mood, and are sometimes troubled by controversies, but you are still the best choice.”

Wang Ai nodded and stood up: "It is precisely because I know how ordinary people feel about me that I dare to persevere. I know how heavy a pen of mine is, but when the people put this pen in my hands, Don't you just hope that I can use it well? As long as I am here, this pen will not go astray and will not be used by people and things that are not conducive to Chinese football."

Old Tang patted Wang Ai on the shoulder, and the two walked back side by side and started chatting. Wang Ai didn't care whether Old Tang was invited or not. As long as he didn't tell Wang Ai, he could just pretend that he didn't know about it, it didn't happen, and he wouldn't investigate. After pinching the money bag of Chinese football, such a thing is inevitable.

"My senior brother asked me about a club." Xu Qinglian and Wang Ai met outside the Lion Hotel: "What do you think I answered?"

"You haven't told me which club it is yet."

"does it matter?"

"Which company you mentioned, I will know what the matter is. Once I know what the matter is, I will know the nature of the request, such as whether it is forced or driven by greed, and then I can guess your attitude."

Seeing no one around her, Xu Qinglian slapped Wang Ai: "It's boring."

"I asked you why your hands are getting weaker and weaker. You hit me every now and then, bang bang."

Xu Qinglian tilted her head and squinted her eyes: "You say it again?"

"Papa?" Wang Ai looked at her tentatively.

"Papa." Xu Qinglian slapped her twice more: "I told my senior brother: I will definitely convey what you said to him, but I have to tell you, I don't have any face in official business, and neither does my husband." Give me any face, this is what we agreed on a long time ago. So your task is completed, my husband promises to know about it, but if you take it all from others, it is you. Responsibility."

"Oh?" Wang Ai also forgot to take two more beatings and subconsciously rubbed his arm: "What did your senior brother say?"

"You should be a little disappointed." Xu Qinglian clasped her hands behind her back and said, "He asked me: Are you and your wife just so business-like? Aren't you angry that he is so unkind?"

"Aren't you angry?"

Xu Qinglian rolled her eyes at Wang Ai, waved her hand and subconsciously wanted to hit her, but she controlled it. She was probably afraid of offending Wang Ai and wanted to retaliate: "I told him that I am not an unreasonable person. At that time, my mentor and senior brother you They all told me that, husband and wife are one, and what is good for him is also good for me. If I ruined his career for some personal gain, I will suffer a big loss."