The sun shone brightly on a Sunday afternoon. The sky outside the window was blue and the breeze was gentle. Chen Jian was not in the mood to go out to bask in the sun. Volendam was not quiet on the weekend. As a famous wedding photography mecca and tourist attraction in the Netherlands, it was bustling with tourists every weekend.
He was watching TV at the place where he lived. His agent, Mr. Xia, had just arrived and was making himself coffee in the kitchen.
Chen Jian's eyes were fixed on the TV screen, where the game between AZ Alkmaar and Volendam was being broadcasted live. The game had only started ten minutes ago and Volendam was already one goal behind.
"You're still watching?" Mr. Xia came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and glanced at the screen. "This team is only at this level. They came to League One for a spin and then go back to where they came from."
Chen Jian ignored him and continued to watch the game.
Mr. Xia sat diagonally opposite Chen Jian and fiddled with the coffee spoon in his hand. After stirring for a while, he put down the spoon and said to Chen Jian, "Little Chen … Have you thought about what I said?"
Chen Jian turned his head to look at his agent. "I haven't thought about it yet, Uncle Xia."
Mr. Xia glared at him. "When do you want to think about it? The season is coming to an end. This team is bound to be relegated. "He pointed to Volendam on the TV screen. "You said the manager looked for you and said that he doesn't plan to continue to loan you next season? I told him that I haven't thought about letting you continue to play in this place. You're already twenty-three years old and you'll be twenty-four when the new season starts in the second half of the year. Do you really want to play in this kind of team through your golden period? "
These words made Chen Jian speechless again.
"What does Nottingham Forest mean?" Mr. Xia asked after taking a sip of coffee.
Chen Jian shook his head. "I don't know what they mean."
Hearing this, Mr. Xia could only sigh helplessly. Nottingham Forest was not Volendam. He could not scold the Forest team like he scolded Volendam. After all, they were now a powerhouse club and one of the hottest teams in Europe. Countless people may not even be able to play under Tony Twain's team even if they racked their brains, but his player was already a member of the Forest team … Even though he had not played a single game for the Forest team.
After sighing, the more Mr. Xia thought about it, the more he felt it was unfair. He muttered and complained, "When Manchester United played against Dong Fangzhuo, at least they took him to South Africa and Hong Kong to play. No matter what, he is still someone who has worn the Manchester United jersey. You, on the other hand … don't have any opinions. You didn't say you thought highly of him, but you didn't say you didn't think highly of him either … What does Tony Twain mean? I've introduced a lot of China players to other countries, but I've never encountered a situation like yours. "
Chen Jian asked, "Didn't you talk to Mr. Twain, Uncle Xia?"
"Talk about what? He ignored me at all … A big-name coach is a big-name coach … "Mr. Xia became angrier as he spoke. He poured all the coffee in the cup into his mouth. "But this time …" He swallowed all the coffee in his mouth. "I have to talk to him. There's still a year left in the contract. I have to know what the Forest Club wants. Otherwise, I can't arrange a future for you. Chen Jian, do you know … I originally wanted to promote you as the flag of China's overseas players because you're an official player of Nottingham Forest. It's very gimmicky. But you're always hanging around in this kind of team. It's useless even if I boast that you're possessed by Maradona and Pele. Now there's an Eredivisie club and two Belgian First Division A clubs interested in you. I think this is an opportunity. You have to cooperate with me and convince the club to agree to your transfer. "
Chen Jian frowned. His attention was gradually no longer on the game. "I don't think I can convince that person …"
"Then we'll do it the hard way! We'll fight for a better future for you even if we have to shed all pretense of cordiality at the crucial moment! "Mr. Xia clenched his fists and seemed very agitated. "What did the Forest Club say when you were loaned out? They wanted you to receive training. It's been two years. You've become the main player of this team and played in the Eredivisie's top league. If they still don't say anything, I think they didn't value you at all. Just like Dong Fangzhuo … "He muttered," They always say to the Chinese media, 'We don't value the China market. That youngster really has a lot of potential.' But in reality? Do you think they value you, Xiao Chen? "
This question was difficult for Chen Jian to answer. Did he say they didn't value him? Manager Tang En had personally called Tianjin to ask him to come to Nottingham Forest to pursue his ideals. He had also specially arranged special training content. When Manager Dunn was still at the Forest team, he also took special care of him. Did he say they valued him? Then after he was loaned out, the Forest Club seemed to be indifferent. It was just that Volendam would report to the Forest team every three months on the performance of the loanee players here. Chen Jian knew that this was not extra preferential treatment for him. It was the treatment that every player loaned to a satellite team had. As for whether the report with his name on it would be looked at a few more times after it was sent up, he did not know.
Mr. Xia looked at Chen Jian and waited for his answer.
Chen Jian did not know how to answer this question, so he played the same old trick and shook his head. "I don't know …"
"You! You … "Mr. Xia was half dead from Chen Jian's answer. "I'm fighting for your interests, brother!"
Chen Jian certainly knew that what Mr. Xia was doing was for his own good … at least from a financial point of view.
After complaining, Mr. Xia sat down again and did not speak again. Chen Jian did not know what to say. The room fell into awkwardness. At this moment, there was a clamor from the television again. Both men's attention was temporarily attracted.
Volendam had equalized the score.
"How tenacious …" Mr. Xia said sarcastically.
"Even if it's a draw, there's no hope of staying in the league," Chen Jian said faintly from the side.
This topic allowed them to find the feeling of a conversation again. Mr. Xia continued to ask, "Can you tell me what you think, Xiao Chen? Do you want to continue to stay at Volendam, or stay at Forest, or change places? "
Chen Jian did not hesitate this time. "If possible, of course I want to play for Nottingham Forest."
"Why?"
"Because it's the highest league, the highest level, and … if I play for that kind of team, it'll be easier for my parents to see me on television."
Mr. Xia snorted. "This last point is very much in line with your character. I also know how great it would be if you could play for Nottingham Forest. But … it's too difficult. "He clapped his hands and shrugged again. "I think Xiao Chen, don't hold on to this hopeless fantasy. The current situation is that Nottingham Forest is not interested in you. Obviously, I'm not afraid of hurting you, Xiao Chen. Your strength is really not enough to tempt them … "At this point, Mr. Xia glanced at Chen Jian and found that there was no displeasure on his face. He thought to himself that this was a boy who knew his own limits.
"So, my plan for you is to go to a team like the Eredivisie or the Belgian First Division to train for a few years, and then jump to the teams in the four major leagues. First of all, you have to cut ties with Nottingham Forest. Although they are your parent team, they can't help your future development at all. They can only be a hindrance. "
Mr. Xia began to talk incessantly to Chen Jian about the several crimes of Nottingham Forest. At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Chen Jian made an apologetic gesture to his agent and got up to open the door.
A young man wearing a yellow cap and a red and yellow jacket stood outside the door. Chen Jian noticed that the words "DHL" were printed on his cap, which was the logo of DHL Express.
"Mr. Chen Jian?" The person asked in English with a smile on his face.
Chen Jian nodded reflexively. He still did not know why the express company was looking for him. Could it be that his parents were sending him local specialties from China for him to have a sumptuous meal? Thinking of this, he turned his head to look behind the person. Other than a yellow DHL van with red stripes, there was nothing else. Could it be that the things were in the van?
After confirming the customer's identity, the DHL staff took out an express delivery envelope and a pen.
"Please sign here, Mr. Chen Jian."
"Huh?" Looking at the envelope, Chen Jian felt strange.
"It's for you, please sign here, Mr. Chen Jian." The DHL staff did not show any displeasure because of Chen Jian's hesitation. He still smiled and repeated what he said just now.
Although he did not know what it was, Chen Jian still picked up the pen and signed his name.
After the DHL staff verified that there was no mistake, he passed the envelope to Chen Jian and left politely.
Until the car drove away, Chen Jian was still standing at the door in a daze with the envelope in his hand.
Seeing that Chen Jian had not returned after a long time, Mr. Xia felt a little strange. He got up and walked to the door, "What's wrong, who's looking for you, Xiao Chen?"
"Ah … a letter. But I don't know who sent it. "Chen Jian turned around and waved the item in his hand.
"Just open it and take a look." It was not a big deal, so Mr. Xia turned back. "Think about what I said just now seriously, Xiao Chen. Nottingham Forest is really not suitable for you … "
He was still chattering away.
Chen Jian opened the envelope and found a red envelope inside. He flipped it over and saw the Nottingham Forest emblem.
"Nottingham Forest sent it to me." Chen Jian did not listen to what Mr. Xia said at all. He waved the envelope in his hand and continued to open it.
This time, two pieces of paper fell out from the envelope.
"They sent it to you? What did they send? "
Chen Jian did not answer the agent's question. Instead, he bent over and picked up the two pieces of paper. One was thick and the other was thin. The thick one was actually a ticket.
"UEFA Champions League … Final … Ticket?" Chen Jian read softly. He looked up at Mr. Xia with some surprise. When he was out on loan, Nottingham Forest did not make it to the Champions League final, so this was the first time he received a ticket from the Forest team. No wonder he was surprised.
But Mr. Xia suddenly understood. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's this again …" Then he explained to Chen Jian, "Every player on loan will receive a ticket like this after the Forest team breaks into the Champions League final. Tony Twain thinks this is a way to cultivate the players' sense of honor and belonging to the Forest team. I'm not going to talk about the effect. They don't give you special treatment, Xiao Chen. "
Chen Jian looked down at the ticket in his hand. Then he saw another piece of paper in his hand.
It seemed to be a letter. He opened it. There was a line of words on it, written in Chinese:
"Foolish Old Man, how's the excavation of Taihang and Wangwu Mountains?"
This sentence hit a place deep in Chen Jian's heart. He remembered how he had answered Twain in the dormitory of the Tianjin Judicial Police Academy.
— Chen Jian, for you, the road to your dreams has reached a dead end. What do you think is blocking in front of you? A wall? No, no, no, I want to tell you now, what is blocking your way is not a wall, but a mountain! If you have to realize that original dream, what are you going to do, Chen Jian? Answer me.
— Dig it, sir!
Dig it, dig it … Dig it!
Chen Jian held the letter in his hand, trembling slightly.
The voice had gradually become indistinct. Sometimes he even forgot the conversation.
I always thought I had succeeded because I played professional football here. I had an agent and looked no different from other professional players … It turns out that I'm still digging.
If I stop here and think I've dug that mountain, then I'll be here for the rest of my life. I look up, thinking that the sky I see is the whole world. I can't accept it …
The agent, Mr. Xia, noticed something strange about Chen Jian. He asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Chen? What's written on it? "
Chen Jian looked up and smiled. "Dear Chen Jian, the club has been paying attention to your performance. I hope you continue to work hard … something like this. Just like what you said, Uncle Xia, polite words to win people over. "He folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. Then he showed Mr. Xia the ticket.
"I'll go watch the game then."
"I'll go too." Mr. Xia took the ticket and looked at it before returning it to him. "I'll order one online. I have to find a chance to have a good talk with Tony Twain. "
"Actually, you don't have to be so anxious. Wait until after the Champions League. You won't have a chance to talk to him alone before the final, Uncle Xia. He'll be very busy then. "
Mr. Xia thought about Chen Jian's words and found that he was right.
"Well, after the season, you go back to China to visit your parents. I'll go look for him."
Chen Jian nodded.
"We're not done yet, Xiao Chen. You have to tell me, how are you going to arrange your future? Don't tell me you want to play for Nottingham Forest. That's impossible, you know? It's a delusion. A delusion is meaningless. You have to keep your feet on the ground. Your future is not with them … "
Chen Jian waited for Mr. Xia to finish and replied calmly, "I'm sorry, Uncle Xia. At least until the end of my contract, I still want to play for Nottingham Forest. "
Mr. Xia held his forehead. "Why? You want to be a star? You want your parents to see you on TV every weekend? You want to win more championships? You want to make more money? Why? "
This time Chen Jian smiled and shook his head. "I don't know."
"You … You're such an idiot!" Mr. Xia was at his wit's end with such a player.
Looking at him slumped on the sofa and unwilling to manage his finances, Chen Jian just smiled.
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