Godfather Of Champions

　　”… You should know that now he is only 28 years old, which is a very promising age… I hope he can join a team that allows him to participate in UEFA matches continuously every year, whether it is the Champions League or the Europa League… Chen Jian himself also thinks like this.”

Xia Yang, as Chen Jian’s agent, told Dunn a message through these words: If he wants Chen Jian transferred to the Nottingham Forest F.C., please get the qualification to participate in European matches.

What he had in his mind was to let Chen Jian transfer and leave in summer, as then they would have ample time and there would be more teams on the transfer market which were interested in Chen Jian. It would give him more leeway in seeking the best interests for both himself and Chen Jian.

Certainly, he didn’t know the fact that Dunn would only serve Nottingham Forest F.C. for a half-season. After the end of this season, he would leave the position as the team’s manager. It would be useless to introduce Chen Jian then. New talents and fresh blood were now needed for this team. Chen Jian was an eligible and reliable midfielder who could partner with Wood, and he was also a utility player in the midfield and backfield. He could handle different situations, and such a player was rare.

Dunn would not wait until the summer transfer window to talk to the RCD Espanyol about Chen Jian’s transfer. He wanted to get Chen Jian in this winter.

“I want to see Chen Jian wearing the red jersey of Nottingham Forest F.C. this season, Mr. Xia.”

“This season?” Xia Yang was greatly surprised. He really didn’t expect it, and then he began to think… Since Nottingham Forest F.C. is in such a hurry, can I take the opportunity to fleece it? For example, playing for time, forcing the club to pay a higher commission…

It seemed that Dunn had seen through Xia Yang’s wishful thinking at this time. “Cut to the chase, Mr. Xia. Chen Jian is the player I need. If you can assist me in putting pressure on the RCD Espanyol and cut the transfer fee, I will be willing to give you the money from the cut as your commission. ”

Dunn didn’t mind letting the agent earn some more. After all, he wasn’t the one who paid for Chen Jian’s purchase or the commission. Wouldn’t it be a pleasure for him to be generous and give a present for which he didn’t pay?

Xia Yang did not expect Dunn to speak out his mind and met his eye with a little smile of embarrassment.

Since the other party had made such a big promise, what else could he haggle over? Naturally, he meant to agree. However, Xia Yang was very cunning. It wasn’t like he would accept immediately. Who could know whether there would be a bigger fish than Nottingham Forest F.C. in the future?

He only said was that he could never make a decision as important as this alone, and he still needed to go back to ask about Chen Jian’s opinion and discuss it with him before he could reply to Dunn.

It was fair enough, and Dunn had no objections.

“I’ll stay in this place for a few days more, Mr. Xia Yang. I hope we can talk again before I leave Spain.”

Dunn shook hands with Xia Yang to bid farewell before leaving and reminded Xia Yang that he shouldn’t play for time.

Xia Yang, after getting into the car, looked down at his right hand, which Dunn had just shaken. Like before, that old man was a bit haughty, but anyhow he got the chance to shake hands with him. The famous world-class would actually one day come to beg at his door! Ah-ha-ha! Xia Yang, Xia Yang, you are someone now! Hmm… Should I be on my high horse and play for time? So the agent thought.

※※※

While Xia Yang was scheming against Dunn in an outdoor cafe at the seaside, Chen Jian was in the training camp of RCD Espanyol. In order to prepare for the Barcelona Derby in the next round, the team had put all other matters aside.

For a team like RCD Espanyol, winning the championships of La Liga and the Copa del Rey was basically hopeless. The goal of this team was to go on a rampage at the very beginning of a season. If it was in good shape and got lucky, they would start to yearn for UEFA matches. However, no matter which season and regardless of their strengths and luck, one thing would not change: the hatred of Barcelona, their enemy from the same city.

As long as they were still in La Liga, the two most important matches of each season must be the Barcelona Derby.

Chen Jian had served this team for more than three seasons and spent three years in this city. He had gotten used to this derby atmosphere long ago. He was sort of expecting such games. Playing in RCD Espanyol, honestly speaking, gave him very few chances to participate in high-level games, so the Barcelona Derby of twice a year was regarded as a Champions League Final.

Chen Jian didn’t hate Barcelona, but as a player of RCD Espanyol, he was obliged to dislike the Barcelona team when facing it. Thanks to his fierce action against Messi during the derby, which put the latter on the ground, and the following tit-for-tat against Dani Alves who took up the cudgels for Messi, he won the fondness of RCD Espanyol fans. He and Alves locked horns like bulls and kept on trash-talking, which almost resulted in a fight. That was when the RCD Espanyol fans really accepted him.

Actually, Chen Jian was not that violent, but in such a frenetic air, this brutal act was understandable, as the professional player stepped aside and a man’s passion inside was ignited…

Chen Jian was the lead in the training ground today, for some of the Chinese media was shooting from the sideline. It was a production unit from China Central Television, a team dedicated to producing a feature of Chen Jian in the derby. The club gave the green light, allowing them to take some pictures of the training from the sideline. It was a golden opportunity for this club to promote itself and project a powerful image to distant Chinese fans. How could they reject it?

Other players were allowed to go to the locker room to take a shower and change clothes, but not Chen Jian. He had to accept a few interviews from the Chinese media on the sideline to talk about his training for the Barcelona Derby this weekend.

Meanwhile, many fans came to him for autographs.

Off interviewing, the TV reporter joked with him: “Good for you, you have many fans.”

A reserved smiled appeared on his face, and he continued to give out his autographs to RCD Espanyol fans. He carefully signed the Chinese characters of “Chen Jian” on star player posters and postcards of him and handed them to fans. Some of the fans wanted to take pictures with him after they got the autographs, and he agreed in every instance.

It looked like he was a sort of a celebrity now.

Such a scene could never be fathomable when he just joined the Youth Team of Nottingham Forest F.C.

Chen Jian went back to the locker room after the interview, but almost all his teammates were gone. He took a shower, changed his clothes, and then headed for the parking lot, where his white Audi was waiting for him.

Today he lived in an independent condo and had a prestigious car, which was totally different from when he was in the low division league.

Who gave all this to him?

Was it the agent, Mr. Xia Yang?

Upon this thought, the cellphone in the pocket rang with an incoming call from his agent.

“Chen Jian, have you done with training?” Xia Yang asked.

“Yes, it’s over, Uncle Xia.”

“Have those journalists left too?”

“They have.”

“Well… I’ve met Dunn. We can’t discuss it on the phone, we should talk about it when we meet. ”

“OK, I’ll go home and wait for you.”

After they hung up, Chen Jian got into the car and fastened his seat belt to get ready to leave.

He skillfully backed his car out of the parking lot with the wheel in his hands, then headed to the gate of training camp. Back to the question again: Who brought all this to him?

In Chen Jian’s mind, it was the English man whom he had known for a long time.

※※※

“… That’s exactly what it is.” Mr. Xia repeated every detail of what he had talked about with Dunn during their meeting to Chen Jian. After he finished, he expressed his own idea: “It’s so weird. He was the one who totally ignored you at the beginning and didn’t give you any chances when you were at Nottingham Forest F.C., but now he wants you back. Now Nottingham Forest F.C. is having bad days, and it may not even avoid relegation. Hear me, Chen Jian. If I were you, I would stay in RCD Espanyol rather than go to Nottingham Forest F.C. At least you don’t have to worry about the possibility of playing for Segunda División next season.”

After Chen Jian heard Xia Yang’s words, he was silent for a while, and then he said, “It wasn’t that he didn’t give me chances; I just couldn’t accept his conditions…”

He was referring to how Dunn asked him to renounce his Chinese nationality and apply for British citizenship so that he could represent Nottingham Forest F.C. Of course, he couldn’t agree to that request. He never considered giving up being Chinese for playing football.

Chen Jian still remembered the call from Dunn at the airport, in which the man told him: since you want to be a professional player, why bother worrying about where you play?

This sentence changed his future. That was why Chen Jian, the No.10 in RCD Espanyol now, was doing very well.

“He wants to get you this winter transfer window, but I don’t think it’s the right time. The schedule is too tight and I can’t get you more advantages from it. Moreover, the future of Nottingham Forest F.C. is still much of an uncertainty. I suggest you wait until this season ends, then make your decision based on the performance of Nottingham Forest. In addition, more clubs will be interested in you at that time… ”

However, Chen Jian shook his head.

Xia Yang knew he had made his decision then.

“Uncle Xia, after the call from Mr. Dunn, I actually made up my mind…” He looked at the agent in front of him. “I’m going to Nottingham Forest F.C., and going this winter.”

“You’re out of your mind!” Xia Yang jumped off the sofa.

“I’m not out of my mind.”

“If it were 4-5 years ago, I’d try my very best to join Nottingham Forest F.C. Now things are different. The world has changed drastically! Nottingham Forest F.C. is actually worse off than RCD Espanyol! You are 28 years old, Chen Jian. It won’t be very long before you are past your prime years as a professional player. I hope you can take this opportunity to join a better team, to get a better stage and better performance. Basically, this is your last chance. When you’re over 30, it will be difficult for you to find favor in the eyes of the major teams!”

Xia Yang got more and more emotional as he continued to speak. He stood in front of Chen Jian, bent slightly, and made threatening gestures toward Chen Jian with saliva spraying all over. How could he avoid getting emotional like this? It wasn’t easy for him to gain some chips for bargaining with other European clubs, chips that came from Chen Jian’s rising fame. How could he let Dunn steal the fruits of his labor so easily?

No! Absolutely not!

When the agitated Xia Yang finished speaking, Chen Jian said in a very calm tone: “I won’t go to any club except Nottingham Forest, Uncle Xia.”

Xia Yang felt discouraged. He said all the right words, yet the boy didn’t hear any of them!

He stared at Chen Jian for a while, and Chen Jian looked at him as well.

Then, Xia Yang sat down on the sofa again and asked, “Why?”

“Remember my first aspiration, Uncle Xia?” Chen Jian asked in reply without answering directly.

Xia Yang kept silent for a while, pondering this question. Then he recollected it. “To actually play professional football. You have achieved it already. ”

“Yeah, I did. But,” Chen Jian laughed, “The full edition should be playing real professional football in Nottingham Forest F.C.”

“Damn it…” Xia Yang clutched his head. “Any other hidden agendas?”

“None.” Chen Jian shrugged. “I am going to realize my aspiration. Go back to Nottingham Forest F.C. to play.”

“I don’t understand.” As an agent, Xia Yang could not understand why Chen Jian made such a decision.

“Because Nottingham Forest F.C. gave me the chance to come to Europe.”

“So this is gratitude?”

“No, it’s affection… I have a sense of belonging, belonging to Nottingham Forest F.C. Anyway, I was trained in Nottingham Forest Youth Training Camp, Uncle Xia.” Chen Jian slightly raised his head and looked at the ceiling, lapsing into memories.

Those years in the Nottingham Forest Youth Training Camp; Manager Tang’s care and the strict requirements from Manager Greenwood; Manager Tony Twain, who was seemingly cold but personally approached him to ask if he wanted to bet his future on Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest was not simply another European team for him.

“Uncle Xia, do you know which team I support when I am just a fan?”

“Nottingham Forest?” Xia Yang joked even though he knew it wasn’t the answer.

“No, Barcelona.”

“Huh!” Xia Yang couldn’t resist laughing. He thought of the derby that would be held on this weekend and Chen Jian’s dazzling performance in the previous one…

“But my love for Barcelona is pure admiration. It’s different from my affection for Nottingham Forest. I want to play for it, I want to be part of the team. I got this in my mind when I was just the 3rd pick of the business draft for the trial training.”

Xia Yang pouted, indifferent to such feelings of Chen Jian. A professional player’s affection? Fewer and fewer people believed it nowadays.

“And one more reason, Uncle Xia.”

“What?”

“There used to be an ambition that I didn’t realize, but now I’ve got the chance to. I want to play soccer under Manager Twain or Manager Dunn.”

Tony Twain!

Xia Yang thought of that man.

“Are you sure? I think the reason why you want to play soccer under him is that at present there is a certain distance between you and him, and distance increases desirability. Once you become his player, things may no longer seem so attractive. ”

Chen Jian smiled without saying anything.

“I think you should think twice, Chen Jian…” Xia Yang was still trying.

“No need for that, Uncle Xia.” Chen Jian smiled and added, “Derby will start this weekend, and I don’t have the energy to think about it. So now I make the decision to transfer to Nottingham Forest in the winter fallow. I should talk to the club.”

Xia Yang was unhappy, among other reasons because he felt a little bit jealous. He had been with Chen Jian for many years and could be deemed as his most intimate confidante other than his parents. He didn’t expect that he was much less important than Tony Twain in Chen Jian’s mind, even though the latter had only seen Twain a few times.

However, what could he do? If the agent met a feeble player without his own views, he could control the player very tightly. Chen Jian was not the kind of person who was feeble and without his own views.

If he was infuriated, he could change his agent and it wouldn’t be a big deal… The fact was that there were many agents from both home and abroad who would love to replace him.

In the end, facing the cooperation between Dunn and Chen Jian, Xia Yan could only bow and concede. “Fine, Chen Jian… I hope you won’t regret the decision you’ve made today!”

Seeing he was a little reluctant, Chen Jian added, “After I achieve success, I’ll give you my share of the signing fee, Uncle Xia.”

Xia Yang didn’t expect such a resolve from Chen Jian. He was dumbfounded and shook his head hopelessly. “You are really ready to do it at any cost.”

“It’s my first aspiration. How can money be compared to it?”

Xia Yang went speechless after Chen Jian’s rhetorical question. (To be continued. If you want to follow the story, please visit www.qidian.com for more chapters. Please support the authors and legal reading!)