Although it was already past nine in the morning, the world outside the car window was as gloomy as night. The headlights of the oncoming cars were still glaring. The dense raindrops hit the car window with a continuous pitter patter. The windshield wipers would be activated after a short pause to clean up the water stains on the front window that affected the driver's vision.
"This is why I hate this country," Evan Doughty said to Tony Twain, who was sitting in the passenger seat, as he drove.
"What?" Twain did not understand.
"The United Kingdom of fish, chips, tea, horrible weather and rotten food." Evan chuckled, his tone full of disdain. "The United Kingdom in winter is like a woolen sweater taken out of a washing machine, the kind that hasn't been shaken dry yet."
When he got into the car, he realized that the person driving for him was actually the chairman's son, Evan Doughty. Twain was a little flattered. However, the interaction along the way made him understand that this middle-aged man was actually like him. Perhaps he also had his own business in America, but it was not that scary, and he would occasionally make harmless jokes. For example, the joke just now.
Twain laughed out loud. He felt that the analogy was very vivid and interesting.
"Mr. Doughty …"
"Just call me Evan. My father is not here. "
"Uh, Evan … I think you're very interesting," Twain said.
Evan shrugged in a very American manner. "I'm not like those old-fashioned British people."
"Aren't you British?"
"No, no, I'm American. Do you want to see my passport? "Evan spoke in English with an American accent. Twain could not tell because he, who had been educated in China, did not even know what a so-called "British accent" was. "However, I'm different from those native-born Americans. At the very least, I can differentiate between 'football' (meaning football in the UK, meaning rugby in the US) and 'soccer' (meaning rugby in the UK, meaning soccer in the US). I left Nottingham for Houston when I was six. My aunt is there, and I love Houston's sunshine and beaches. "It was the first time Twain knew that Evan Doughty was so talkative. He could not stop talking once he opened his mouth.
"Palm trees, bikinis, bright sunshine, white beaches … Well, you'll never see such a place in Britain. What's on the beach in England? Filthy mud, cold wind, big waves, a forest of strange rocks, and unscrupulous people picking up shellfish. So, I left here when I was six years old. I went to school there, got married, and only came back during holidays. I rarely went back to England during winter … It was a nightmare! "
Tang En could not help but laugh again. "Evan, I don't think you look forty-five at all. You look twenty-five."
"Thank you for the compliment. Actually, it's just because I've been living with my inflexible father for too long that I've been repressed … "
Tang En agreed with this, but he did not say it out loud. He remembered that Mr. Main Line had specifically called him to remind him of the tradition in the locker room. The English are stubbornly old-fashioned, and no matter how unconventional they may appear to be, they are deeply traditional, especially the older generations.
They are proud of their history, whether it is football or anything else. In fact, for Twain, this pride had long since disappeared. This was because he came from a country with five thousand years of history. It was still a question whether there were any British people five thousand years ago …
Comparatively speaking, Americans, who lacked a long history, were more pioneering than the English. Evan did fit the image of an American very well.
Tang En thought of a question. "Evan, you said that you rarely come back during winter. Why are you here this time?"
Evan glanced at Tang En. "Occasionally, I also come back during winter …"
This was a very obvious excuse. Tang En did not believe that the chairman would be so kind as to let his own son drive for him. Letting a son who grew up in America meet a member of a professional English football club was clearly not to satisfy his son's curiosity. Since he was unwilling to say, Tang En did not ask further.
Tang En did not speak. He turned his head to look at the English countryside outside the window. There was an awkward silence, but he was not interested in saving it. He had to think about how to deal with the guys from the Football Association now.
Evan seemed to read Tang En's mind. He shook his head gently and said, "Don't worry, the club has hired a lawyer for you. You can let him handle everything."
"Thank you." Tang En expressed his thanks politely. Silence returned to the car.
The dark red Audi A6 sped along the M1 motorway, leaving the English countryside and hills behind. Two hours after setting off from Nottingham, Tang En and the others arrived at the international metropolis that ranked among the top ten in the world — London.
Evan did not directly drive to 25 SOHO Square, where the English Football Association was located. Instead, he drove to a cafe.
"Lawyer Landy is waiting for us here."
Jack Landy was forty-six years old this year. He was an unknown lawyer in a small firm in London. He wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, his hair combed meticulously, and wore a beige coat. His black briefcase was placed to the side, and he sat upright in the cafe. When his employer walked in front of him, he stood up like a gentleman to welcome him.
"Good morning, gentlemen." Although he was just a small lawyer from a small firm, he still had a strong air about him. Just a simple gesture of extending his hand made him appear full of superiority. Lawyers were basically part of the upper class in foreign countries. It was even more so in a conservative country like England. They still retained the habit of wearing wigs when they appeared in court.
Tang En was dismissive of it. What was so great about a lousy lawyer who did not make a name for himself? He did not have much contact with lawyers in the country, but Landy's behavior made him have no good feelings toward lawyers. He very perfunctorily shook hands with the other party.
Evan could tell what Tang En was thinking. He patted Tang En on the shoulder. "Alright, let's sit down and talk. I've already given a copy of all the information related to this matter to Lawyer Landy. "
Although Tang En did not like the lawyer the club found for him, he still had to admit that Lawyer Landy's professionalism and professionalism were very good.
Landy took out a stack of information from his briefcase and placed it on the table. "Mr. Tang En, please forgive me for being blunt. The last sentence you said at the entrance of the Royal Hospital of Nottingham University on January 5th was very unwise. "
Tang En could not remember it himself. "Which sentence?"
Landy looked up at Tang En. "You said 'someone wants the Super Team to advance, and not us who have no money or power.'"
Tang En nodded vigorously. He remembered that he had indeed said that. "What's wrong?"
Landy simply pushed the information to the side, then looked at Tang En seriously and said, "If Mr. Tang En had only said that you doubted and complained about the referee at the beginning, that would be a very normal complaint from a manager after a loss. But you just had to add that sentence at the end, and it became doubt about the transparency and professionalism of the English Football Association. To the Football Association, this is the most infuriating point, and it is also the sentence that makes the entire matter troublesome. "
Tang En shrugged. "If it's not troublesome, why would we invite you here, Mr. Lawyer?"
Landy froze for a moment, then realized that Tang En was right. If the other party could settle it themselves, why would they still need him? It must be known that it was not easy to get this job. Not everyone would call a lawyer when attending an English Football Association hearing.
He coughed and pretended to drink a mouthful of coffee to slightly ease the somewhat tense atmosphere. Evan did not say a word at the side. Instead, he quietly watched the confrontation between the two men.
This pause allowed both sides to reopen the topic and not continue to be entangled on the previous uncomfortable topic.
"Yes, Mr. Tang En. I believe the Football Association will ask you to explain that sentence at the hearing. If you don't want to receive a harsher punishment, you must make them believe that you did not target the Football Association. "
"In all honesty, I've never targeted them."
"It's useless for you to say it to me here. You must make the Football Association believe it. The problem is that it's not easy to make them believe it. Let me tell you some background information: the English Football Association's chief executive, Mark Palios, declared when he came to power that he would severely crack down on the scandals and irregularities in English football. And Mr. Tang En, your words just happened to give the public a signal: the Football Association is not as clean as they make it out to be. " Landy saw that Tang En looked like he was about to open his mouth to explain, so he reached out to stop him. "Leave your words to the Football Association. Whether or not you meant it that way, after the media's exaggeration, everyone will believe that you meant it that way. "
Tang En finally experienced the prowess of the English media. He scratched his head with both hands and muttered in a low voice, "That bunch of bastard media!" A few days ago, he was still smug about becoming a media figure.
Seeing him like this, Landy shrugged at the side. "You only found out now? However, your identity has both advantages and disadvantages in dealing with this matter. "
"What identity do I have?"
Landy glanced at Evan, then said to Tang En, "Nottingham Forest is no longer the Forest Team of the late seventies and early eighties. You have no influence in the football world. As the Forest Team's acting manager, your words carry little weight."
Tang En and Evan nodded at the same time. The two of them actually did not have much affection for the Forest Team, so they did not feel there was anything wrong with what Landy said. It was the truth.
"And then?" Tang En asked.
"Your words carry little weight can make the Football Association not take you seriously and deal with you leniently. It can also make the Football Association take the opportunity to punish you severely and give Palios a chance to establish his authority. "
Tang En understood. If he were someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, the Football Association would very likely consider Manchester United Football Club's influence in the English football world and let the punishment go unsettled. At the same time, even a big-name manager like Mourinho had repeatedly used the Football Association as a target to establish his authority. There were advantages and disadvantages.
When Landy said this, Tang En already knew what he had to do today.
"I know what I have to do." Tang En finished the coffee in his cup in one gulp, as if he was drinking plain water. Seeing Tang En like this, a disdainful smile appeared on Landy's lips.
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