Almighty Coach

Winners are always the targets of people’s praise.

Dingtian Club had won as champion in the Asian Champions League. Skepticism in the past had gone, naturally. Even its opponents came to make congratulations for the win.

Soccer fans in China had been disappointed for a long time. In the international games, Chinese soccer teams had made such horrible results, that one could hardly bear to look at them. This championship on the Asian Champions League was obviously a shot in the arm.

Harman was praised as the savior of Chinese soccer. This old coach had won the title of champion instructor of World Cup and Europe Champions League, and had no need to prove his coaching skill with the name of champion instructor of Asian Champions League. However, he was still excited about the championship.

In fact, Harman was under heavy pressure, too. As a top coach in the world, his coaching in Chinese Super League was like breaking a fly upon a wheel. If he failed, he would be a joke. For Harman, he and his team were obliged to be the champion of the Chinese Super League, and even had to win it with excellent performance. Otherwise, they would be denounced. He never imagined failing in such an easy task.

Moreover, Dingtian Group had spent a large sum of money to hire Harman, and made a direct investment in his team, to the sum of more than 20 million euros. Following Harman’s request, the groups paid much for Brazilian soccer players. This investment of hundreds of millions had astonished many soccer teams. Some laughed at Dingtian, saying it knew nothing about soccer and was wasting money.

So, Harman liked to prove that he was worthy of the money. The championship made other teams aware that Dingtian’s investment had paid off. Of course, the news that Dingtian Club was seeking to be listed hadn’t been made known yet. If people witnessed the market capitalization of the club exploding to almost 20 billion after it was listed, they would realize that spending several hundreds of millions for Harman was inexpensive.

Although Asian Champion League was over, Dingtian Club’s journey was not. After a three days break, team members returned to the club and started to make preparation for the Football Association Cup (FA Cup).

In order to provide enough time for Dingtian to make preparations for the Asian Champions League, the football association deliberately put off the FA Cup until December. That’s a good delay. Being the champion of Asian Champions League, both the morale and popularity of Dingtian Club’s team were at their peaks. Many soccer fans felt that it was reasonable for Dingtian to win as champion of the FA Cup. It would be perfect if the club grabbed the champion title in these three soccer games.

Most people are fond of a happy ending. In the cinema, even the worst comedy has its audience. A TV play with a good ending is easier to have rebroadcast. Although some sad stories may arouse tears, they can’t invoke the second attempt to watch them. The death of an important positive figure in a cartoon will cast some mental shadow to children. So, it was expected that Dingtian Club win the champion title of the FA Cup. Even some fans of its opponent teams thought so.

There was no suspense about the result of the FA Cup: Dingtian won the FA Cup and achieved three successive championships. Its opponents accepted the result, because Dingtian was indeed best. The popularity of Dingtian raised the price of an Entrance ticket of the FA Cup, which made all teams gain a lot as well.

...

Dingtian Club rented the banquet hall in a deluxe restaurant belonging to Dingtian Group in order to hold the glee feast. People of Dingtian Club, and others related to them, gathered here. Acquaintances stayed together and formed different groups, making a clear distinction.

In such a gathering, people with higher statuses were closely arranged. For example, Harman was led to a special room. Meanwhile, those who needed to find seats themselves grouped with their close peers. Doing their own deeds, players, coaches, and management personnel didn’t interfere with one another.

"Dai Li, come here." Cloud waved to Dai Li.

Dai Li was surprised that he was called by Cloud. As was known to all, people sitting beside him were all members of Harman’s team, including Draco and Georg, his assistant coaches, and team doctor Maraloni.

Dai Li became somewhat hesitant. He should sit with Zhoutai Jin and Haoxin Liu, because they were all hired coaches of Dingtian Club and belonged to the middle class of coaches, which were lower than Harman and his team. But he didn’t know that Harman had planned to recruit him. So, members of Harman’s team also treated him as a member of the team, rather than as an outsider.

"Come on, Dai Li. We have an empty seat here," Maraloni also invited him.

Members of Harman’s team enjoyed higher treatment in the Dingtian Club. They were all foreigners, who had been raised in different backgrounds. It was quite difficult for coaches in China to join them. As a result, the acts of Cloud and Maraloni had attracted the attention of others. Bearing admiration and jealousy, Dai Li had to walk there to sit with them.

Chairman Xiao came to make a speech. The other two shareholders of the soccer team, Dalu Fang, the chairman of Continent Group, and Jianshe Gu, the chairman of Golden Wheat Group, showed up for a brief time.

These three rich and power people would not stay in the hall. They had their own single room. As for higher management personnel, like Yunan Xiao, they didn’t remain in the hall either. In a banquet, the atmosphere would be more active if there were no leaders. A buffet was offered in this banquet, and people could eat as much as they wanted. Soon, the hall was full of happy laughter and cheerful voices.

With a mug of liquor in his hand, drunken Cloud said, "Of all the liquor brands in China, I like Maotai the best. I won’t be dizzy, even if I drink too much. I can sleep for a night. And the next day, I will feel no hangover."

Dai Li couldn’t help but let out a smile. These foreigners knew nothing about the pure degree of Chinese liquor. Some of them even dared to drink the Maotai, a liquor of 53 degrees, like champagne. Maotai, unlike other liquor, tasted not that hot. They would drink it, mug after mug, with no scruples.

He intended to dissuade Cloud, and ask him not to drink that much, because too much drinking was not good. But seeing Cloud was in the mood, he did nothing but let him drink as he liked.

At that moment, two young men came from afar. The man in the front wore a piece of leisure suits, and the other was in casual wear. Walking through the crowd in the hall, the two headed directly toward Dai Li. Dai Li, however, didn’t notice them until they got close.

"Are you Dai Li?" the leading guy asked.

Dai Li raised his head and looked at the men. He didn’t know them.

Who are they? I have never met them. Since they are here, they can’t be outsiders. They may be from the club, or have something to do with the club. I have no impression of them. They should not be in the management level— they may come from Dingtian Group!

Thoughtful, he nodded, saying: "Yes, I’m Dai Li. Who are you?"

"I’m Leifeng Gu!" the leading young man said in a cold voice.