Chapter Nineteen: He Wants to Bind Us Together to Win

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Vitini’s father noticed that his son was eating breakfast unusually fast today and had to remind him, “Slow down, slow down, chew your food thoroughly…”

Only after swallowing the mouthful did Vitini reply, “Don’t worry, Dad, I chewed every bite carefully; I just sped up the chewing.”

“Why are you in such a hurry today?” his father asked, puzzled.

Vitini answered with a hint of dissatisfaction, “I told you last night, Dad. Starting today, I have to train half an hour earlier every day because I’m training with Wang! But you still forgot…”

He was complaining that his father hadn’t adjusted his breakfast time accordingly and hadn’t come earlier as well.

His father paused, then recalled that it was true, and said apologetically, “Ah, sorry, I forgot…”

Then he added, “It’s good that you’re training with Wang, but be careful not to train too hard. Excessive training can easily lead to injury.”

Hearing this, Vitini chuckled softly.

His father, curious, asked, “What’s so funny?”

Vitini smiled and said, “Yesterday in the locker room, Wang told me the same thing. He even advised me not to train with him every day to avoid injury. I asked him why he trains so hard without getting hurt.”

His father’s interest was piqued.

Everyone knew that when Wang Lie was young, he suffered two severe injuries where his left kneecap tendon ruptured—devastating injuries for a professional athlete.

Though he underwent surgery successfully and returned to the field, his left knee, having been operated on twice, should have had some lingering effects.

Yet, Wang’s performance showed no sign of aftereffects, as if he’d never been injured or had surgery at all.

Not only that, throughout his eighteen-year career, he never suffered a major injury again.

At worst, he only had minor aches or illnesses, never sidelined for more than a month.

It was truly unbelievable.

Vitini continued, “Wang told me it’s his unique talent.”

His father felt a twinge of disappointment—he had hoped Wang had some special method to greatly reduce injury risk, something his son could learn to make his career path smoother.

But it turned out to be just unique talent…

Something his son could never acquire.

Though disappointed, his son seemed unaffected; instead, he was utterly in awe of his idol, still buzzing with excitement:

“I knew Wang had something extraordinary about him! No wonder he became a global superstar! Talent—this is it! The highest level of talent! I wish I had that talent… But Wang also gave me advice. If I follow it strictly, I think my chance of injury will greatly decrease…”

“What advice?” his father asked.

Vitini replied, “Maintain good daily habits. As a Brazilian, especially avoid unhealthy nightlife and alcohol. After training, do relaxation exercises immediately, and even on holidays, keep up physical training…”

His father pondered, “The rest is manageable, but the first point… hardly any Brazilian can escape that…”

Vitini straightened his face seriously, “I can! How many times have I gone to nightclubs?”

His father answered truthfully, “Compared to most Brazilians, you’ve been less often, but you haven’t never gone.”

Vitini looked a bit embarrassed, “Focus on the positives, Dad!”

His father laughed heartily, then turned serious, “But son, Wang never goes to nightclubs or bars, except for essential social events. Even then, he’s in bed by 10:30 p.m. If you really want to reach or surpass his achievements, you have to be like him. Can you do that?”

Vitini froze, his expression wavering—clearly struggling inwardly.

His father didn’t press for an answer, instead quietly spreading jam on toast.

But Vitini didn’t keep him waiting long.

Clenching his teeth, he said, “I’ll try my best!”

His father, head bowed, subtly smiled and said, “I hope you do, son.”

Vitini shoved the last piece of fried egg directly from the plate into his mouth, then without waiting to chew or swallow, jumped up and dashed to the door, grabbed his bag by the entrance, and rushed out.

Looking like a son eager to meet a girl, his father called after him loudly, “Drive slowly, don’t speed! Be safe!”

His son didn’t reply, only waved his hand through the gap before the door closed.

※※※

When Sonny Dean saw the dense crowd outside the training base gate from afar, he was startled.

At the same time, he wondered:

I didn’t go drinking at any bars or clubs yesterday…

Could it be something related to that incident two weeks ago?

No!

They already knew about that two weeks ago…

While Dean was fretting and overthinking, his car slid to the gate.

His arrival drew the crowd’s attention, but after a glance, they quickly averted their eyes.

Dean noticed fans holding red Chinese flags.

Ah, so all this fuss is about supporting Wang Lie…

Dean relaxed but quickly snapped back: I didn’t do anything wrong, why do I have to be so cautious?

Then irritation flared: This Chinese guy’s arrival has instantly boosted Tyne’s attention level by leaps and bounds. Everyone is practically scrutinizing Tyne with magnifying glasses nonstop.

Doesn’t that mean anything I do will be under the spotlight?

Previously, when he was drunk with two girls at a nightclub, it caused an uproar in Newcastle.

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Now, with the added spotlight Wang Lie brings, if something similar happens again, he might just explode on the spot.

Thinking this, Sonny Dean’s resentment toward Wang grew.

He rolled down his car window and sneered, “Don’t you know Wang Lie is always the first to arrive for training? Now that you see me, do you really expect him to wait? Break it up! Everyone, disperse!”

He waved his arms, trying to shoo away the fans and reporters standing on both sides of the sidewalk.

But this only prompted them to point their cameras and phones at him, the dense crowd triggering his claustrophobia.

He hurriedly rolled up the window and sped into the training base.

Forget it, let those fools wait out here in the cold wind!

※※※

Inside the locker room, Dean didn’t see Wang Lie but noticed Wang’s backpack on his locker, so Wang had arrived early for training again.

Vitini’s bag was there too, so the fool was with him.

Dean sneered and sat before his locker, not changing yet, planning to scroll through his phone first.

Just before looking down, he noticed a blind spot.

Looking around, he realized the captain, Elliot Gotz, was missing.

Not only Gotz, but two other players were absent too.

They were the vice-captains, Charlie Cohen and Matej Katic.

Their bags were in place, but they weren’t there—obviously, they came but left again.

Dean frowned, feeling uneasy—could it be that, like Vitini, they had gone crazy and followed Wang to early training?

No way? No way?

Though he kept repeating “No way?” in his mind, each time it ended with a question mark.

His anxiety grew.

He lost focus on his phone and asked teammate Joshua Parker:

“Where did the captains go?”

Parker was confused, not expecting Dean to care about such trivial details—after the news broke about next season’s move to Kensington, Dean had seemed indifferent to team affairs, keeping to himself.

Except yesterday.

The news of Wang’s arrival seemed to stir him up, making him unusually lively in the locker room, almost sparking a fight with Vitini.

But today?

Three captains absent from the locker room—was that a big deal?

Not at all. It’s normal for some players to be out at times.

Why would Dean care?

Though puzzled, Parker answered honestly:

“They were called away by Coach Valo.”

“Ah? Not training with Wang?” Dean was surprised by such a mundane answer and blurted out his thoughts.

“Training with Wang?” Parker found Dean’s reaction odd today and whispered, “Still hungover, Sonny?”

Dean snapped, raising his voice, “I told you! I didn’t go to any nightclub last night!”

His shout drew the attention of teammates in the locker room.

They looked at Dean, first surprised, then understanding, with some smirks as if to say:

Sure, sure, you say you didn’t go, we all get it—those who know, know.

Dean’s anger did not subside after yelling; instead, it swelled, clogging his chest, making him uncomfortable.

But he didn’t continue yelling at his teammates. Instead, he took a deep breath, put on his earphones, and tuned out the world.

Damn it! Let whatever happens, happen!

※※※

“I called you three here because I have something to discuss.”

In the head coach’s office, McNeil addressed Elliot Gotz, Charlie Cohen, and Matej Katic:

“Do you think Wang is a suitable leader for the team? Remember, he never captained at Sofu United.”

The three exchanged glances. Did the coach really call them just to ask this?

Seeing their silence, McNeil added to avoid speculation:

“I intend to make him the fourth captain, so I want your opinions first.”

Hearing the explanation, Cohen and Katic understood why.

They even guessed the coach might have already discussed this with Wang before consulting them.

But it wasn’t necessary—adding a fourth captain is a simple matter. As head coach, McNeil could have announced it to the entire team directly.

Could the three captains oppose adding another captain?

That would be absurd—after all, their captaincies were the coach’s decisions.

Charlie Cohen, the second captain, said, “I have no problem. Although Wang never captained at Sofu United, he’s been the Chinese national team captain. He certainly knows how to lead.”

Matej Katic, the third captain, gave a candid assessment of his former opponent: “When we faced him in La Liga, we clashed fiercely and didn’t get along. But from Wang’s teammates’ perspective, he was standing up for them even though it wasn’t his fight. He could have ignored it since he wasn’t captain then.”

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Both captains expressed support for Wang Lie becoming the team’s fourth captain. McNeil naturally turned his gaze to the first captain, Elliot Gotz.

To his surprise, Gotz frowned, troubled.

Tyne differs from Sofu United; captains are appointed by the coach, not elected by players.

But before McNeil arrived, Elliot Gotz was already Tyne’s official captain.

His captaincy wasn’t appointed by McNeil, but McNeil agreed to keep him as captain, making no changes.

Gotz was the longest-serving player on Tyne and a native of Newcastle; no one was more qualified to be captain.

His leadership was respected by the entire “mercenary” squad.

Such a respected figure shouldn’t be acting so awkward over a minor issue.

If he worried Wang Lie might snatch his captain’s armband and authority—that’s nonsense. Wang would be the fourth captain; even if he wore the armband, it would only be when Gotz, Cohen, and Katic were absent.

And authority? All four captains share the same powers; any can exercise captain’s duties.

Gotz wasn’t that kind of person—McNeil knew him well:

He always put team interests first, never fussed over personal gains.

He had no reason to waver on this decision.

Not only McNeil but Gotz’s teammates also noticed their captain’s odd behavior, exchanging puzzled glances.

But with the coach and assistant watching, they kept their doubts to themselves.

“Elliot, what do you think?” McNeil asked directly, not letting him hesitate.

Unexpectedly, Gotz gave a surprising answer:

“I want to give the captain’s armband to Wang. He’s more fit to be captain than I am.”

McNeil: “Ah?”

Valo: “Ah?”

Cohen and Katic: “Ah?”

The four looked at each other in surprise, then at Gotz.

Vice-captain Cohen, a bit excited, asked first:

“Elliot, did you not listen carefully? I said, we’re proposing Wang as the fourth captain, the fourth captain…”

McNeil added, “Yes, I meant the fourth captain, Elliot. We’re just adding another captain, not changing your ranking…”

But Gotz shook his head firmly, repeating:

“I heard you clearly, Coach. I’m saying I want to hand over my armband. He’s the one who can truly lead us forward.”

Hearing this, Cohen and Katic fell silent, thoughtful.

Their change in demeanor piqued McNeil’s curiosity—something must be going on inside the team…

But what?

He asked directly, “Elliot, tell me why you want to do this.”

His tone turned firm, his expression serious.

When a team’s recognized captain wants to step down, it signals a major problem.

McNeil’s mind raced with possibilities, some unpleasant.

Maybe Gotz and Wang had a fierce argument in the locker room, Wang demanding Gotz step down, or Gotz complaining to McNeil as a political move…

Gotz spoke hesitantly, “Uh, actually… Wang came to the team early yesterday afternoon…”

McNeil nodded, interrupting, “I know. He informed us yesterday, but we forgot to tell you.”

Gotz glanced at the other two captains.

So the coaching staff forgot? Whether genuinely or deliberately, it didn’t matter now.

Gotz then recounted in detail what happened in the locker room yesterday afternoon, including the conflict between Vitini and Dean, and what Wang said when he suddenly appeared.

McNeil and assistant coach Valo listened, astonished.

Valo exclaimed, “No wonder the atmosphere was strange during yesterday’s training…”

Captain Gotz explained sheepishly, “Because no one had recovered from the impact of Wang’s words.”

McNeil pondered.

Gotz continued, “Wang’s words struck me deeply. Especially when he said, ‘I will pull all of you forward and won’t stop until we reach our goal,’ and ‘I will tie all of you together, bind us into one, and then we will charge forward and win as one.’ I’m the captain, so why can’t I say something like that?”

“Last night, Wang’s words kept replaying in my mind. I’d already been thinking about handing over the captaincy but hesitated. When you asked today, and Charlie and Matej made their points, I finally decided—I want to give Wang the armband. I believe he can handle it, no, he can do better than I can.”

Gotz finished and looked at McNeil.

He had laid everything out; now the decision was the coach’s.

McNeil didn’t keep him waiting, nodding, “I need to ask Wang and hear his opinion.”

Gotz smiled, “He will agree if he truly means what he said—wanting to bind us together to win.”

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