Chapter 5: Under the shadow is the closest place to him

Zhou Zijing and his father Zhou Shenghai walked into the general manager's office of the Shanhai Sailor Club.
They were notified before the training and will see Kong Xianliang today. So Zhou Shenghai came early, waiting for his son's training to be over, changing his clothes and then coming together.
There, they met Kong Xianliang, the club's general manager, an elderly thin old man.
Seeing the two coming in, he got up from his seat, walked around the desk, greeted him, and shook hands with Zhou Zijing and Zhou Shenghai one by one.
After a simple greeting, he motioned for the two to sit down.
"The club is looking for you to inform you..." Kong Xianliang said as they both sat down. "We received an inquiry for the Zijing."
There was no fluctuation on the faces of the two of them.
Based on Zhou Zijing's performance, various rumors about him will be heard in the transfer market every year. I won't say anything about a giant like the South China Tiger, even Anton Shining has made his idea...
Seeing the two people so calm, Kong Xianliang knew that they had misunderstood 80% of them.
So he added: "It's the asking price from Europe."
The two people still maintained their calm expressions...but after a second or two, they suddenly became exciting.
Zhou Zijing's eyes widened, and Zhou Shenghai frowned, revealing a puzzled look.
Then they looked at each other, turned to Kong Xianliang at the same time, and asked in unison: "Which club?"
Seeing such a tacit understanding of the father and son, Kong Xianliang laughed.
"Leeds City."
The two were stunned at the same time.
They didn't expect it to be this name.
"Isn't there Hu Lai in Leeds?" Zhou Shenghai blurted out the question in his heart first, and then he immediately understood: "Ah, then, Hu Lai is very likely to really leave."
"The club just wants to ask you, do you want to go to Leeds?" Kong Xianliang asked.
Since the current Women’s World Cup, the Chinese Football Association and the Professional League have jointly issued an internal document to encourage domestic clubs to let young players under the age of 25 go out and play abroad in Europe.
This is not a mandatory requirement, but in fact, everyone can understand it as some kind of mandatory.
In the past, faced with the situation that European clubs are interested in their own players, if domestic clubs do not want to release people, they can either make outrageous offers and scare away European clubs. Either simply refuse to release people, and do not respond to the contact of the opposing club.
The Football Association is out of control.
Now the Football Association still can't control it, but the professional league can manage it. In a sense, the professional league is inextricably linked with the Football Association.
If the professional league wants to do a good job, the football association's face cannot be ignored.
Now it is "encouragement" in name, but in fact it is telling domestic clubs to recognize the situation and not to do things that are unconscious.
What is the situation now?
It is the situation to allow more Chinese players to go out and experience high-level football in Europe.
In the face of such a situation, which club dare not let go? Which club dare to offer a transfer fee offer that clearly exceeds the player's worth?
Since the club can't forcefully retain players, then the players' personal wishes become crucial.
If the player himself is not willing to go abroad, then the club certainly need not take responsibility for not letting the player leave.
But... how many players can say "no" when faced with the temptation to play in Europe?
Especially with such successful precedents as Hu Lai.
Coupled with the achievements of latecomers Luo Kai, Zhang Qinghuan, Wang Guangwei, Xia Xiaoyu and Chen Xingyi, many young players look forward to playing in Europe.
Even if there is no way to finally gain a foothold in Europe, it is the wish of many young people to be able to see the vast world.
After all, after training in Europe and feeling the atmosphere of European football, returning to China, your performance should be better than before going abroad, right?
Hearing Kong Xianliang's question, Zhou Zijing turned to look at his father, and Zhou Shenghai said to him: "Don't look at me, you can say your own thoughts."
So Zhou Zijing turned to Kong Xianliang again and nodded vigorously: "I want to go, I want to go very much, Manager Kong!"
Kong Xianliang sighed in his heart.
This was the result he should have guessed long ago, but when he heard Zhou Zijing say this, he was still a little bit stunned.
But he quickly adjusted his mood and said to Zhou Zijing: "Since you want to go, the club will negotiate with the other party. Rest assured, the club will never deliberately make things difficult for the other party on the transfer fee."
Zhou Zijing's joy was overwhelming: "Thank you, Manager Kong, and thank you for the club!"
He stood up and bowed to Kong Xianliang.
Kong Xianliang waved his hands again and again: "Don't worry, I haven't written the eight characters yet."
"I believe you can do it, Manager Kong, you are the best manager in China!"
"Hey, don't you kid don't wear me a high hat!"
After speaking, Kong Xianliang laughed himself.
He waved his hand: "It's all right, I know you kid can't wait to get out. The club will communicate with you in time to keep the communication open."
Zhou Zijing said quickly: "Don't worry, Manager Kong. My dad and I keep our cell phones on 24 hours a day. As long as there are new developments, even if it's two or three in the middle of the night, you can call us!"
※※※
After leaving the office of the general manager, Zhou Zijing and his father wandered in the training base of the Shanhai Sailors.
They soon came to the training ground of the first team. The training of the first team was over. Only the turf maintenance staff were doing maintenance work in the noisy place before.
The two looked at the busy staff inside through the barbed wire.
"Dad, did I steal your scene just now?" Zhou Zijing recovered from the initial excitement, only to notice that in the general manager's office just now, it seemed that he was talking to Manager Kong, and his father On the contrary, the agent was silent.
Although Dad asked him to do this, Dad is also his agent. This kind of thing is usually Dad’s job. How can he allow him to do it himself?
Zhou Shenghai shook his head: "It doesn't matter, I was thinking about a problem, and I didn't care about talking to your manager."
"No matter what the problem, you can be considered silent."
"I'm wondering... Is Leeds a good choice."
Zhou Zijing turned to look at his father.
Dad Zhou Shenghai looked at the training ground and continued to say:
Because everyone knows the reason, Leeds is a very popular team in China. And the strength is not weak, where you can go to play represents a great honor, but with At the same time, there are also great risks..."
"Dad, I have always been learning English, and I often chat with foreign players in the team. Daily communication is no problem." Zhou Zijing let his father relax. "Furthermore, language issues, lifestyle issues, diet issues... it doesn't matter which team you go to, as long as you go to Europe..."
Zhou Shenghai shook his head: "I'm not talking about that. Do you know why Leeds City called you?"
"Because Hu Lai is leaving?" Zhou Zijing replied.
Regarding Hu Lai’s transfer rumors, this summer has not stopped.
During the China Women’s World Cup, rumors about Hu Lai’s transfer can often steal the limelight of the Women’s World Cup and Li Qingqing.
"Yeah." Zhou Shenghai nodded, "They want you to be Hu Lai's successor. But it also means that you will be compared with Hu Lai, which is not a good thing. You go to Leeds, it means I want to play in the shadow of Hu Lai..."
Zhou Zijing himself laughed: "Hey, what am I going to do. It turns out that this is what you are thinking about, Dad..."
"What nonsense! This is the future you have to face!"
"Isn't that good, Dad?"
"What good?"
"Dad, have you forgotten my goal all along?"
Zhou Shenghai turned to look at his son, with a confused expression on his face.
"Tsk, you really forgot!" Zhou Zijing sighed, "I have always wanted to beat Hu Lai from high school until now! What's wrong with going to Leeds? Let me say, it can't be better! No! What better way to win than to make Leeds City fans forget him... I heard that Leeds City fans painted Hulays on the outer walls of their own houses to express their love for Hulays. Then I hope in the future They will replace the person on that painting with me!"
After talking, Zhou Zijing looked at his father, only to find that his father was looking at him with eyes.
He dissatisfied: "Dad, what is your expression?"
"Uh..." Zhou Shenghai hesitated, then shook his head and laughed, "It's nothing. But it's good, it's also good. You just run towards this goal and work hard, ah!"
"Of course I will work hard, and it is 200% hard work!"
"Okay, you know it by yourself. Let's go." Zhou Shenghai turned and walked towards the parking lot first.
Zhou Zijing followed.
Behind them, on the training ground of the first team, the staff also began to leave.
As the dusk deepens, the training base of the mountain and sea sailors will also enter silence.
Zhou Zijing glanced back at the training base.
Unconsciously, he has actually played here for five years.
These five years have allowed him to change from a high school player to a qualified professional player and international footballer.
He also participated in the World Cup.
From now on ~EbookFREE.me~ he will start a new journey.
He suddenly recalled the situation when he heard that Hu Lai was going to play in the Premier League.
He was lying on the bed in frustration, feeling that he was being thrown farther and farther, not knowing when he would be able to catch up with Hu Lai, and then he was qualified to stand in front of him and challenge him.
As a result, today, two years later, he has the opportunity to play in the Premier League.
Europe, which I thought was not so easy to go to, is getting closer to itself a little bit...
He felt that Dad must have thought he was nervous again just now.
But he really thought so.
Compared with the kind of despair two years ago, he now has the opportunity to go to Leeds, even if he is playing in the shadows, it is the closest to that guy...
I will catch up with you eventually, Hu Lai!
Don’t run, wait for my Zhou Zijing to defeat you!