When Hu Lai returned to the locker room, he was surprised to find that none of his teammates had left.
As soon as they saw him coming in, everyone locked their eyes on him.
Then he knew that it might be time to show his cards to his teammates in the locker room.
At least you can't deceive them.
Seeing Hu Lai, Charlie Potter couldn't wait to come up and asked: "Hu Lai, what does the boss want you to do?"
"He asked me about those transfers."
Hearing Hu Lai say this, the locker room suddenly became extremely quiet, as if you could hear a pin drop on the ground.
Charlie Potter didn't expect Hu Lai to be so frank. He stuttered: "So...so you, uh, what do you think?"
Hu Lai looked at the other people in the locker room, and everyone was looking at him, obviously caring about his answer.
"I don't want to deceive you," he said, "I do want a change of scenery."
"ah……"
There was a sigh in the locker room.
Charlie was a little excited: "Why? Are you unhappy here?"
"No, I'm very happy..." Hu Lai explained. "It's just...even though I'm happy here, I still want to see the scenery in other places. Can you understand this feeling, Charlie?"
"Okay, Charlie." Captain Lorenzo stood up again, "Be more professional. Everyone is a professional player. What's wrong with this?"
Jay Adams also said: "Honestly, whether he stays or goes, it is Hu's freedom. He has made his decision, and we respect him."
Charlie stopped talking, and neither did anyone else in the locker room.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little strange.
Hu Lai glanced at Junpei Morikawa, who was sitting on a stool holding his backpack.
The latter got up and walked towards him.
The two people just left the locker room in full view of everyone.
※※※
"Morikawa, do you think I didn't do the right thing just now?"
On the way home, Hu Lai suddenly asked.
Morikawa Junpei, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at him: "Why do you say that, Hu Lai?"
"After I told the truth, I felt that the atmosphere in the locker room had changed... Didn't you feel that it was a little embarrassing at the time?"
Morikawa Junpei nodded: "It's true."
"Maybe I should lie to them and say that I didn't want to leave. These are all false rumors... At least everyone can still live with their face."
Junpei Morikawa shook his head: "What's the point? Unless you really don't leave. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone be even more angry if they knew you cheated them? I think there's nothing wrong with being honest. Just like Charlie, he may now
It’s not very acceptable, but I’ll always figure it out.”
"Actually, I also thought about staying for one more season and getting vaccinated in advance. Then I will use my outstanding performance in this season to gain everyone's understanding and support, and finally leave Leeds City happily. Hello, me, hello everyone...
But after winning the Europa League, I suddenly felt that staying for one more season didn't mean anything to me. I've got everything I should get, so what else can I do?" Hu Lai said while driving.
Said to Junpei Morikawa.
"Leeds City is really good. The coaches, teammates, fans, and even the club's executives are very good to me. I feel like a real home here, very relaxed and comfortable. The tactics surround me.
To formulate, the personnel matching is also to try to meet my characteristics... Everything is to take care of me. In this team, I can focus on using my characteristics. If I am over 30, then I can play in this team.
I played at Leeds City until I retired. But I was only 23."
Morikawa Junpei didn't speak, he just looked at the front of the road and listened quietly to Hu Lai's words.
"I feel that I should not continue to stay in a very comfortable place. I am afraid that if I continue like this, I will degrade physically, technically, and mentally. I will be content with the status quo, be a frog in a well, and lose all ambitions. Just like
At the World Cup, we were content with the 3-3 draw with Brazil in the group stage."
Junpei Morikawa also knew about that game because they also discussed this issue in the group and mentioned it more than once.
It can be seen that that game had a particularly large and far-reaching impact on them.
At first, when Junpei Morikawa learned that the Chinese team had tied with the former world champion Brazil 3:3, he was surprised and felt sincerely happy for them.
As a result, when I heard them talk about it later, it seemed that it was not a highlight moment worth showing off in the World Cup, but instead became a record of shame.
They felt that it was a shame that they did not continue to pursue the victory and defeat Brazil after equalizing the score at the last minute of the game...
When he saw everyone discussing this in the group, Junpei Morikawa deeply realized that for at least the next ten years, this Chinese team will be the number one enemy of the Japanese team.
Is the enemy in fate.
Fortunately, in the previous Asian Cup, the Japanese team was eliminated by the Chinese team, which was a wake-up call for them. Otherwise, they would be defeated by the Chinese team in the future.
These people are terrible!
"...So I want to go out and have a look, stay away from my comfort zone, which can be regarded as forcing me to continue to improve. This is the reason why I must leave Leeds City. I'm just sorry that you have only been here for half a season.
I’m leaving again.”
Morikawa Junpei turned to look at Hu Lai and said to him seriously: "You don't have to worry about me, Hu Lai-san. Please just pursue the better you!"
Hu Lai grinned: "I knew you would support me!"
"Because you are my role model, Hulesan. Of course I hope you will get better and better, so that I will have the motivation to catch up with you."
Hu Lai breathed out: "After you said that, I didn't dare to stop."
He looked at the undulating road extending toward the distant horizon and stepped on the accelerator.
The roar of the engine and the speeding scenery outside the car window were all left behind them.
※※※
In the office of the club's general manager, Eric Duffy, Harry Bradley, and Nevin Ball were waiting for head coach Tony Clark.
They looked at Clark with eager eyes, wanting to know the answer.
Clark got straight to the point: "I talked to Hu and he wanted to leave."
After the three people heard the answer, they had different reactions. Eric sighed, Bradley showed no surprise, and Ball asked: "Tony, have you tried your best to keep him, even if you keep him for one more season?"
Okay, at least give us time to prepare..."
Clark nodded: "Of course I asked. I asked him if he could stay and play for one more season. He said that if the club and I both wanted him to do so, he would respect the contract with the club. But he still hopes to leave this summer.
.”
Ball captured the key word: "So we can actually keep him for another season?"
Clark shook his head: "But I don't think it is necessary to do this. Staying for one more season will not bring us anything more. On the contrary, we will lose Hu's respect and friendship. We have always cooperated happily with him, and I don't want to leave.
It makes everyone’s faces look bad.”
Ball fell silent.
Next to him, general manager Eric Duffy asked: "Tony, you are the head coach of the team, and you have the most say in the team's affairs. Can you tell us how much impact the team will suffer if we lose Hu
?”
Clark didn't think for a long time, obviously he had already considered the problem.
"There will definitely be an impact, but I can't say how big it will be. I can only say that we will be relegated from a championship team to a mid-table team... that's about it. Of course, if we can use the transfer fee from selling Hu
If we strengthen the team with reinforcements, we may not be able to continue to compete for the championship. Our main task this season is to strengthen the defense. Offensively...if we lose Hu, then we must keep Kamara, Laski, and
Pete, as long as the basic framework of the offensive lineup is still there, it won't be a big problem."
Du Fei said nothing after hearing this.
The question was replaced by commercial director Bradley: "Problems with the Chinese market..."
"We have determined the next Chinese player to recruit. Although he is not as popular as Hu, he can ensure that our team still has Chinese factors. Moreover, he is also a leader among Chinese young players and has good potential.
His arrival can be a good successor to Lorenzo, and besides Hu, the new season will also be Lorenzo's last season in the team."
Ball said: "It looks like I'm going to China again."
Bradley sighed: "Do you know what I regret most now? We didn't plan an Asia trip to China while Hu was still on our team! We played a warm-up match in Singapore last summer, but we didn't
Going to China. How many opportunities to make money have we lost!”
"You can plan it now, while he's still on our team," Clark joked.
Bradley waved his hand: "There is no time now, how can such a thing be decided on the spur of the moment... I just said it casually."
Duffy looked at Clark: "Tony, why do I think you are prepared?"
Clark shrugged: "Because I never thought from the beginning that Hu would always play for Leeds City. Even if we win those championships, it is not the capital that we can keep Hu. It may not sound nice to say this, but
We all know who brought the championship."
The three people in the office fell into silent silence.
After a while, Duffy laughed: "It seems that after winning consecutive championships, we have become inflated. It seems that Leeds City is already a giant. But in fact... let's return to our original positioning.
, Leeds City is a small team, and we are lucky to have a superstar..."
Duffy used "superstar" to describe Hu Lai, which surprised both Bradley and Ball. There are many superstars in this football world, but in their view, Hu Lai has not reached that point. Even Melli and Ka
Bangka has not yet reached the level of a superstar.
Because they are still young.
Duffy continued: "Tony is right, if Hu must leave, then we can get together and part ways. But we also hope to let Hu know that the club will never let him go casually. Since he is a superstar, then
You must have the status of a superstar."
His words set the tone for Hu Lai's transfer.
This means that Hu Lai will no longer be for sale to the club, but if you need to get him, you need to pay a very, very high price.
"The price tag for Hu Lai in the 'transfer window' is 90 million. Anything lower than this price is out of the question. In addition, hurry up and get the Chinese player signed, don't waste time on it."