Fox in the Penalty Area

There was no light in the room, only the light from outside came in through the tulle in front of the window.

The room was silent, until the phone's alarm clock rang, and the silence was broken.

A hand stretched out from the quilt on the bed, touched the mobile phone on the bedside table, picked it up to look, turned off the alarm clock, and put it back on the bedside table.

Everything is back to quiet again.

It's just that this silence lasted only about ten seconds before it was completely ended by the friction sound from the quilt.

A figure sat up from the bed, and most of his body was plunged into darkness. At the height of his head, there was a faint starlight, which was the glimmer of light outside the room reflected in his pupils.

Then he turned his head to look at the sky behind the thin layer of gauze curtains. The light outside illuminated half of his face, with a confused face that hadn't woken up, as if to say, "Where is this?"

Just then, a voice came from outside the camera: "OK."

Immediately after, the lights in the room came on, and it was bright.

The director of the CCTV film crew gave a thumbs up to the person on the bed: "Yes, Hu Lai. Pick up the phone and turn off the alarm clock, then put it down and go back to sleep. The details are really detailed. I thought you were going to get up straight away."

Hu Lai scratched his head, his sleeping hair became even more messy: "Doesn't that look fake? Who can wake up with one alarm clock?"

The director smiled: "Oh, I think you can be an actor if you don't play football. This acting skill, this understanding... nothing to say!"

Hu Lai shook his head: "I really didn't expect that a documentary would be filmed..."

"Some are scene replays. After all, it is impossible for us to set up the machine next to your bed to shoot you for a whole night, right? If you want to shoot you getting up, you can only make up after you really get up." The director explained.

Just ten minutes ago, when Hu Lai got up and finished washing, he sent Yong Jun a WeChat message to inform him.

Soon the staff of the film crew rushed into his room carrying the machine, and let him lie back on the bed to shoot such a scene. It was the first time that Hu Lai woke up from the bed in the early morning of Leeds.

"Then shall we take pictures of me washing up next?" Hu Lai asked proactively.

"Okay. Ready to start!"

With the order of the director, the lights in the room were turned off again, and the room returned to the previous dim state.

Hu Lai lifted the quilt and jumped out of bed.

The camera lens is focused on his feet, only the part below the calf, and follows his feet from the window to the bathroom of the hotel room.

The sound of water sounded.

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The alarm clock of the mobile phone suddenly rang in the room, and a hand stretched out from under the quilt to grab it. After turning off the alarm clock, a carp jumped up from the bed.

After jumping off the bed, he rushed to the door, opened the door, and knocked on the doors of the other two rooms one by one:

"Get up! Get up!"

"Brothers, wake up!!"

Then he rushed back to his room to get dressed.

Before he could get dressed, the doors of the other two rooms were opened one after another, revealing two sleepy-eyed heads, who said to the room with the opened door in a very resentful tone: "Wang Haoxi, why are you crazy..."

"That's right, what time is it?"

Wang Haoxi walked outside while putting on a sweater on himself: "Did I say you are sleepy? Forgot what we are going to do today? Hu Lai! Hu Lai's joining ceremony!"

His two roommates said helplessly: "Does Hu Lai's joining ceremony need to start at seven o'clock in the morning?"

"We have to go early to get a good seat!" Wang Haoxi jumped up and down excitedly.

The two roommates looked at each other, retracted helplessly, and closed the door again.

When they all changed their clothes and came out, Wang Haoxi was stepping on the armrest of the sofa and taking down the Chinese flag hanging on the wall.

"Why stand in the front row? Apart from making it easier for Hu Lai to ask for his autograph, there is also a need for him to see this!"

Wang Haoxi shook the plucked national flag, spread it on the wooden floor, folded it up and put it in his backpack.

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Hu Lai and Yong Jun, who had already had breakfast at the hotel, walked towards the black Buick business car parked outside, surrounded by half a circle of photographers, who used different equipment to shoot, and someone was in charge of extending the microphone above Hu Lai's head , to tune in.

Yong Jun said to Hu Lai while walking: "Yesterday's physical examination report came out, and there is no problem at all. The last obstacle to signing the contract is gone."

Hu Lai is still a little regretful: "I didn't even say that I'm 'strong as a cow'? Isn't every player's physical examination given such an evaluation?"

Yong Jun was speechless: "What are you thinking? Your figure has nothing to do with a cow..."

While talking, the two walked out of the hotel gate, and Matt Dawn, who was standing next to the business car, greeted him: "Good morning, Hu. Did you sleep well last night?"

Hu Lai shook hands with him: "It's good, I don't choose a bed."

Matt laughed: "I'll write an email to Sports Ranger and suggest that they increase your fitness to over fifteen in the March data update. In my previous archives, you also suffered from homesickness... "

Hu Lai laughed, and then thought of his parents far away in China, and the shared villa that was always bustling.

No matter how hard or tired the training is every day, as long as I go back to that house with my friends, it seems to be a happy time, bickering with Brother Huan and the others, bullying Morikawa who is in the second grade, and playing games to decide who is responsible for the simple Housework, who is responsible for this month's utility bills...

Now all of this is gone, there are only him and Uncle Yong in a distant strange country and city, but Uncle Yong obviously can't play around with him, and it's even impossible to stay here with him all the time.

So in the end you have to face it alone.

The smile disappeared from his face.

I'm really homesick...

Seeing the change in Hu Lai's expression, Matt wondered if his joke had the opposite effect, so he quickly asked, "Are you okay, Hu?"

After regaining consciousness, Hu Lai managed the expression on his face again, smiled and said to Matt: "No problem, Matt. I am indeed a little homesick, because there are my parents and many friends in my hometown."

"Parents can't help it." Matt spread his hands, "but I think you'll have friends here soon too. Let's get in the car."

Hu Lai smiled at Matt, and got into the car with Yong Jun.

Then a photographer in the film crew followed up with a portable SLR camera and sat in the car to continue filming.

Matt opened the co-pilot's door, sat in and closed the door: "Then let's go, to Flanders Stadium!"

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On the surveillance screen of the camera, Hu Lai turned his head and looked out of the car window. He was concentrating on the street scene outside.

Although it didn't rain, the sky was still gloomy, which is very characteristic of British winter.

But to be honest, as the day when Chinese football returns to sea, this weather may not give the audience a very good impression.

It will make people feel depressed involuntarily, and think of some bad things.

But there is no way, most of the winter in the UK is like this, it is not easy to wait for a sunny day in the winter in the UK.

The black Buick commercial vehicle was driving on the road, and they had already entered the urban area of ​​Leeds, but they still didn't see too many high-rise buildings.

Matt Dawn, who was sitting in the co-pilot, was Hu Lai's guide in Leeds, and introduced: "Although Leeds is the third largest city in the UK, it is still quite different from Jincheng in terms of scale."

Hu Lai nodded, not paying much attention to this question.

Whether a city is big or not, what does it mean to players?

The club owner may consider the relationship between the size of a city and the size of the football market, and then the relationship between income, but he is a player and only needs to train and play football.

No matter how big the city is, the scope of his activities is only so wide.

Jincheng’s self-media has various publicity, saying that Jincheng is the vanguard of China’s new first-tier cities, how prosperous the city is, where is a new park opened today, and tomorrow a certain international brand will enter Jincheng’s high-end shopping malls... These things and Hu Lai has nothing to do with it.

He played in Jincheng for two and a half years, and spent most of his time in Liucheng District, where the team's training base is located. He only visited the city center a few times, and he didn't know which way the park opened. He has never been to those high-end international brands... He has never been to any of the charming new landmarks mentioned in the press releases.

Hu Lai, who was still looking at the street outside the car curiously, suddenly saw a small gray two-story building.

Hu Lai has seen a lot of this style of small buildings along the way, and they are houses that can be seen everywhere in Leeds.

But the difference between this small building and other small buildings around it is that a huge human head is painted on the wall facing the corner of the street.

It was a hale and hearty old man, although his hair was grizzled, but he watched the people passing by on the street sharply.

"Who is that?" Hu Lai asked curiously.

"Ah..." Matt Dawn was a little embarrassed, but he still introduced this person to Hu Lai. "Lauren Galli, he used to be the head coach of Leeds City. He has coached Leeds City for thirteen years and is the longest-serving head coach of Leeds City. He led Leeds City to a successful promotion in the 2022-2023 season. It was the first time Leeds City participated in the Premier League and helped the team avoid relegation in the first season of promotion..."

"No wonder he was painted on the wall." Hu Lai nodded in understanding.

"Yes, he has a high status in the hearts of Leeds City fans." Matt also said. There is nothing wrong with admitting this. He can be an employee of the Premier League team, and he also needs to thank this old man for leading Leeds City to the Super League success two seasons ago...

After finishing speaking, he added: "Hu, I believe that one day, you will also be painted on the outer wall of their house by the fans of Leeds City..."

"Thanks Matt, that's so far away, I'm only here for the first day..."

"No, it's not far away. In the future, we will definitely be able to do it and write our name in the history books of this city." Matt Dawn clenched his fists and said, not knowing that he was drawing a cake for Hu Lai, Still encouraging myself. After all, his good friend Tony Clark's current situation in the team is not optimistic.

"En." Hu Lai was perfunctory, and then continued to observe this strange city.

Compared with the future, he cares more about the present - what does the city where he will live and work look like?

On the exterior wall of the house facing the street, he can often see all kinds of graffiti. There are many elements of Leeds City Football Club in these graffiti, such as the abbreviation "LCFC" of Leeds City Football Club, and the team logo of Leeds City - in yellow In the middle of the V-shaped coat of arms is an abstract fist, as if it is hitting the heart. At the same time, it looks a bit like the symbol of West Yorkshire where Leeds is located - the white rose. Above the coat of arms is the name of the Leeds City Club: "LEEDS CITY", on the ribbon below the coat of arms is the club's sports: "FOOTBALL CLUB", and at the bottom is the time when the club was established "1928"

The city is full of traces of football, and there are shadows of Leeds City Football Club everywhere.

He also saw some teenagers playing in the yellow jerseys of Leeds City on the street.

A child was holding a football on the side of the road and looked curiously at the commercial vehicle passing by him, wondering if he saw Hu Lai in the window.

This is the cultural atmosphere of England, the birthplace of modern football.

Although Leeds City is not a traditional giant with a brilliant record, nor is it a down-and-out strongman who has left a lot of color in the history of English football.

Founded in 1928, they are not considered to have a long history in the history of English football. After the establishment of England's nationwide league system, it has only won one third-tier league championship, and none of them has enough weight. There are only two seasons in the history of participation in England's top league - the last two seasons.

In the history of England's top flight, Leeds City are genuine unknowns, and no one cares about them except their own fans.

They don't have a large number of overseas fans, and they don't have too many glorious pasts to talk about, but people here still love, like and support this team. Because this is their hometown team, carrying the emotions and memories of generations in this city and this region.

These emotions have nothing to do with memories and team results. It's just that every afternoon when it rains or not, they come to the stands of the stadium with their family and friends to cheer for their hometown team and shout non-stop for 90 minutes.

Enjoy the joy of victory with the team, or chew the bitterness of defeat. The carnival of promotion, the sadness of relegation, cheering for victory and crying for failure, these emotions have repeatedly appeared in the team's nearly 100-year history, and are closely related to and integrated with the life and life of everyone in this city.

Mentioning a certain time, they will say: "Ah... I remember the team was relegated that year, the team played really badly, and there were not many good games. And my girlfriend and I broke up at that time , hell..."

"When I was 30 years old, I had my first child, and the team was promoted successfully. We finally came up. I still remember George. His goal in the key game of promotion is really the worst I have ever seen in my life. beautiful!"

...

And many, many such memories.

Football is not a facade project to decorate political achievements, nor is it a tool for businessmen to rack their brains to cash out money, but it is like air, permeating every corner of the city, and like blood, in every corner of the city. flow in the human body.

Man cannot live without air, nor can he live without flowing blood.

So there can be no football here.

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PS, two updates have been restored!