Before entering the locker room, Zhou Zijing waved his fist vigorously outside the door to vent his excitement.
Starting today, Leeds City will bid farewell to the "Hu Lai Era" and enter the "Zhou Zijing Era"!
Then Zhou Zijing tidied up his appearance, concealed his excited expression, and walked into the dressing room with a calm face.
Just walking through the door, he felt that the atmosphere in the locker room today was very different from usual.
There was no music, no talk, and no laughter.
Everyone stood in front of their closets and said goodbye to Hu Lai one by one. He would not participate in today's training. He just came to the locker room to say goodbye to his teammates before leaving.
"Bye mate and good luck!"
"Goodbye, Hu, I hope everything is well with you..."
They hugged Hu Lai one by one, patted him on the shoulder and said a few words of blessing.
This made Zhou Zijing, who had just shaken hands with them not long ago, feel very surprised that everyone was not so emotional that time.
Charlie Potter even had tears in his eyes: "Hu, you are getting better and better now. Don't forget me. If one day I go to Madrid to see you, you must not refuse!"
Hu Lai laughed: "Don't worry, Charlie. Forget about going to Madrid, if you go to China, I can still show you my pool party!"
"Forget about your pool party!" Charlie Potter waved his hands repeatedly. "I don't want to leave twenty or so big girls in swimsuits to play in some group competition!"
Everyone laughed.
The sadness of parting has finally been relieved.
Hulay pushed Charlie away, walked to Kamara, and said in French: "Goodbye, Ismail. I will miss your assist."
Kamala shook his head: "You don't need me anymore, you are Mr. 100 million euros."
"No, I will always need it, Ismail."
Kamala's eyes twinkled.
Hu Lai patted him on the shoulder and walked towards Pete Williams.
Before he could say anything, Peter pulled him over, hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear: "I didn't expect that you started poaching the team before you left the team.
Hu."
"What are you talking about, Pete?"
"Don't pretend to be confused, I know what you mean by what you said to Kamala."
"Hey, you really think too much...ahem!"
He coughed hard because while he was talking, Peter slapped him hard on the back, knocking him out of breath.
Lasky looked at Hu Lai who was covering his heart and coughing, and said seriously: "I have benefited a lot from being able to play with you, even though it is only for one season, Hu. I am very grateful for your guidance to me.
.”
"You're welcome...cough! You're welcome, that's your own innate ability, Dominic." Hu Lai coughed and waved his hand.
Jay Adams looked at Hu Lai like this and smiled at him: "Be careful, Hu. Rich families are not so easy to get along with."
As the only person in the team who has experience playing in a wealthy club, Adams, who was born in London Bridge, is naturally qualified to give advice.
Charlie Potter shouted from the side: "If you can't survive anymore, you are welcome to come back at any time, Hu. Even if you have nothing, Leeds City is your home!"
Peter rolled his eyes at him: "Stop cursing Hu."
Hu Lai waved to them: "Don't worry, I won't come back if I don't do well."
He walked to Morikawa Junpei again.
"Take care of yourself," he said.
Morikawa Junpei smiled: "I'm good at this, Hu Lai. So you don't have to worry about me."
When Hu Lai heard this answer, he thought of how they left Morikawa alone in the big villa...
So he pulled Zhou Zijing, who was watching the fun, over: "When you return to Leeds, you can live with Morikawa. You two speak the same language, so you can take care of each other."
Zhou Zijing was a little unhappy: "I can find a house myself..."
He didn't want to live where Hu Lai lived, as it would make him feel like he was "belonging to others."
Hu Lai seemed to have not heard what he said at all, and continued: "My cabinet containing the best wine in the game is left to you. You try to fill it up in two seasons."
Zhou Zijing sneered: "It took two seasons to fill it up? You look down on me! Let me tell you, Hu Lai, I can fill it up for you in one season!"
"Okay, it's settled. You guys will live together first, and then you can do whatever you want. It's up to you."
Hu Lai made the decision.
Morikawa Junpei also had no objection.
He and Zhou Zijing are neither familiar nor unfamiliar. Both of them can speak Chinese, so communication is indeed smoother than communicating with other teammates. There are also people who discuss anything that happens within the team.
This is indeed a good arrangement.
Finally, Hu Lai stood in front of captain Lorenzo Esposito: "I'm sorry, captain. I wasn't here when you retired..."
Everyone knows that the new season will be the last season of Lorenzo's career.
Lorenzo raised his hand and touched his bald head, and said with a smile: "What's this? You have given me too many gifts. If it weren't for you, how could I have thought that one day I would be able to hold it with my own hands?
Europa League? You know, I was just an ordinary player who couldn't make it in Italy..."
His words are not an exaggeration. Even if he helps Leeds City advance from the Championship to the Premier League, he is just an ordinary player. Perhaps leading the team to the Premier League successfully as captain will be the peak moment of his career.
If it were not for Hulay, he would not have the chance to win the Premier League championship and the Europa League championship, nor would he be able to win those two trophies as captain.
Now his image of holding the trophy will forever be fixed in the history of Leeds City, as well as the history of the Premier League and Europa League.
Lorenzo Esposito will no longer be one of countless unknown pros.
That's why he said that this is the best career gift Hu Lai gave him.
With these two championships, his career has been much luckier and more exciting than most players.
"Okay, guys, I'm very grateful for the two and a half years I spent with you. I don't have much to say, and I wish you all good luck. If we meet in a competition in the future, I won't be merciful!
"
Someone booed: "Neither can we, Hu!"
Hu Lai laughed: "Goodbye then!"
He waved his hand, turned around and left.
※※※
"oops."
Matt, who had been sitting on the sofa since Hu Lai left, suddenly called out. Clark next to him turned to look at him: "What's wrong?"
"I remember when I was playing "The Godfather of Champions", if a player wanted to retire, he could choose to arrange a farewell game for him..."
"What are you thinking? He just transferred and left, not retired." Clark was speechless.
"Yes, I know. I'm just...a little emotional." Matt Dawn shook his head.
"He doesn't need a farewell ceremony. He's not yet twenty-four years old, Matt. He still has a long, long career ahead of him..." Clark said.
Just a few minutes ago, Hu Lai made a special trip to them to say goodbye to them.
He thanked Matt for discovering him in the game, and even went to Jincheng to tell him this.
He also thanked Clark for the opportunity he gave him.
Along the way from China to the UK, Hu Lai has many people to thank, but the two people in front of him are the ones he should be most grateful to.
The two of them were his assistants in Europe.
A thousand-mile horse often exists, but a bole does not always exist.
"Honestly, Tony. I don't know if Pirates head coach Parotti knows how to use Hu correctly..." Matt was a little worried.
"Don't worry, Matt. Today's Hu is no longer the newcomer who first came to Europe and needed our careful care. Now he has the ability and confidence to face all challenges." Clark smiled.
※※※
"The Hulay transfer incident that has attracted much attention from Chinese fans has come to an end. At 6:30 pm local time in Madrid, Hulay took a private charter flight accompanied by his management team and arrived at Madrid Barajas Airport... Through the lens,
We can see that Hu Lai was in a good mood when he got off the plane, talking and laughing with his friend Song Jiajia..."
"...Although many media reporters came to the scene, Hulay did not accept any interviews at the airport. He came out of the dedicated VIP channel. There were already many Madrid Pirates fans who came after hearing the news. We were among them.
I saw some oriental faces. I guess they were Chinese students in Spain... These Pirates fans made a special trip to welcome Hulay. Some of them have already put on Hulay's jersey for Madrid Pirates. Hulay has confirmed that he is for Madrid Pirates.
The jersey number is the same as his in Leeds City and the Chinese national team, it is still No. 14..."
"... After Hu Lai waved to the enthusiastic fans at the scene, he got into a black commercial vehicle surrounded by his management team. Then he drove out of our sight..."
Hu Lai sat in the car, looking out the car window at the horizon that stretched toward the sky in the twilight. There, the orange sunset was sandwiched between the black earth and the blue sky, and the twilight was thick.
This will be where he will live next.
A completely different city to Leeds.
The food, weather, and football here are completely different from those in the UK.
He will face many challenges here, but Hu Lai is not worried or uneasy about the future.
Whether it's the championships he won in the past or the Pirates fans who welcomed him at the airport today, they all prove one thing:
He Hu Lai is no longer the unknown person in Europe!