Chapter 1 The Curious Reporter

Thirty-six-year-old Zhong Dajun had an insatiable curiosity. Perhaps that was why he chose to be a reporter. He was also a die-hard soccer fan, which might be why he ended up being a sports reporter…

He was interested in many things, and watching a crowd was something he often did.

Who knows, maybe he'd find a news lead?

Yes, how many big stories does a reporter come across in a lifetime? Most news is hidden in the streets and alleys of the city. As a reporter, although he had to maintain appearances, he was still willing to go out and run stories himself. Unlike some of his colleagues, who just stayed in the office waiting for tip-off calls or directly copied news from other media outlets, repackaging it as their own exclusive… He couldn't bring himself to do that. He firmly believed that news was found, not waited for.

Like now…

A luxury BMW sedan had been smashed. A stone post, which should have been on the side of the road as a barrier, was embedded in the hood. Several couples were arguing fiercely nearby!

What was all this about?

What secrets were hidden behind them?

What was the relationship between the car smasher and the driver?

Stay tuned for "Approaching Science"!

Uh, wrong…

Zhong Dajun shook his head. That wasn't the right line.

Some people were taking pictures of the smashed BMW with their phones, but Zhong Dajun focused his attention on the tallest person in the crowd.

That guy was tall and strong, really eye-catching. Zhong Dajun didn't see the car being smashed, but his intuition told him that the guy in front of him was the one who did it.

Now that person was surrounded by several others demanding an explanation.

"Chen Hero! What are you being arrogant about?" Meng Ran pointed at Chen Hero's nose and cursed. "You've been fired, you *gui er*! Why are you still acting tough?" He didn't dare hit him, but he could certainly try to intimidate him verbally. Besides… he didn't believe that this *gui er* would really dare to make a move in front of Brother Wang.

Wang Yongjun was 1.82 meters tall and weighed 70 kilograms. He looked quite solid. But that wasn't important. What was important was that Wang Yongjun was a key player in the club. He was someone "with status and position." Unlike himself…

Wang Yongjun also snapped out of his shock at seeing his car smashed.

He turned around to glare at Chen Hero, his face full of anger and… grief!

His brand-new car, bought not long ago! 380,000 yuan! Smashed by some little punk he'd never even heard of! If he swallowed this, how could he ever face anyone in the team again?

"What are you doing?! You looking for death…"

He pointed at Chen Hero with his middle finger, shouting.

Chen Hero grabbed the finger pointing at him, his movements so fast that no one could react.

However, his face didn't show any anger. Instead, he looked calm. "I told you I'm not a valet. You should blame him." He pointed at Meng Ran.

Wang Yongjun looked at Meng Ran. That's right, it was Meng Ran who told him this kid was a valet, so he handed him the car keys… Who would have thought he'd entrusted his beloved car to a demon!

But he quickly realized that Meng Ran wasn't the key. The key was that this kid was actually grabbing his hand…

"Where are you from, kid?" He had to find out if he had a background, if he had someone to rely on… If not, he would kill this *gui er*!

"I'm from Russia." Chen Hero smiled. Were they going to call in their underworld buddies?

The others were stunned. They thought they must have misheard what Chen Hero had said.

Wang Yongjun frowned, not understanding what kind of answer that was.

Zhong Dajun was shocked by the name "Chen Hero."

Because he was very familiar with that name recently—the mysterious person "hero_Chen" that they had been pursuing for a long time, now generally believed to be "Chen Hero" in Chinese—if he was indeed Chinese.

Could it be such a coincidence?

The person he had been searching for online for so long was now standing in front of him?

But looking at his height… This height was indeed similar to the kind of person who could score headers…

In addition, he recognized who the other parties in the conflict were—weren't these the local club's players? He had just made a trip to the club a few days ago to do an interview and write an article. That Wang Yongjun was the team's absolute core player. He had even interviewed him. He was so respectful to him. These days, these players knew better than to offend reporters…

After Meng Ran reacted, he said to Wang Yongjun: "Brother Wang, stop talking nonsense with him! Make him pay for the car! Don't let him leave unless he pays!"

The debt had a head, and the debtor had a master. No matter what, grab Chen Hero and make him pay! Make him pay until he's broke! He didn't believe Chen Hero, who couldn't even find a job, could afford a several-hundred-thousand-yuan BMW!

Gan Candou also chimed in, jumping up and down and saying, "You *gui er*, don't you dare run!"

Chen Hero spread his hands: "Why would I run?"

"Pay for the car! You *gui er*, can you afford it? Do you know how much this car costs?" Meng Ran didn't care about anything anymore. Even if he bankrupted this bastard, he would make him pay!

Chen Hero laughed: "I thought it was a big deal. How much is this junk car worth?" He pointed to the BMW behind him, which was indeed a veritable "junk" car. "Give me an account number, and I'll transfer the money tomorrow."

"Do you have money!" Gan Candou jumped out again. "You couldn't even sell your ass for enough money to buy this car!"

Chen Hero glanced at Gan Candou's thin body and said, "If I turned the cash I have on me into one-yuan coins, I could bury you alive, do you believe it, Gan Candou?"

Wang Yongjun was too lazy to argue with this bastard. He sneered and held out his hand, saying, "You're really fierce with your words, so pay up! The car costs 400,000!"

After saying that, he looked at Chen Hero with a sneer. He didn't believe that this ordinary-looking kid could come up with 400,000 to pay for the car. How many families could immediately come up with 400,000? If they could, they wouldn't be here. There would be more upscale entertainment venues waiting for them.

Chen Hero looked down at Wang Yongjun's outstretched hand: "You *gua wawa*! Who carries 400,000 in cash when they go out? Don't act like a beggar, put your hand away, give me an account number, and I'll transfer the money to you tomorrow!"

"I'll believe you when pigs fly!" Wang Yongjun cursed. "Tomorrow? Why don't you say next year! Hurry up, give me the money!"

Just as they were arguing, an excited voice suddenly broke out: "Excuse me, are you really from Russia?"

Zhong Dajun stood outside the group of people. Only 1.7 meters tall, he looked up at Chen Hero, who was arguing with others, his face full of the excitement of someone about to find a treasure.

Wang Yongjun turned to look at the person who had suddenly interrupted, feeling annoyed—didn't he see he was busy here?! If he lost 400,000, he'd make him pay!

In the next second, his expression changed: "Zhong… Brother Zhong?"

Meng Ran and Gan Candou also recognized who this person was—the famous Chengdu soccer reporter Zhong Dajun! He had just come to the club for an interview a few days ago. But he only interviewed people like Wang Yongjun and the leaders. Players like them who had just been promoted from the youth team were obviously not qualified to be interviewed by him.

Why would he meet him here?

This was an opportunity!

Zhong Dajun was a sports reporter for the *Shuxi Metropolitan Daily*. The *Shuxi Metropolitan Daily* was a very influential newspaper in Chengdu, second only to the *Jinguan Express*. As a newspaper of this level, they had a lot of prestige, and their reporters were naturally high and mighty.

If he could get to know such a big-name reporter, wouldn't his popularity soar? Once he became famous, wouldn't he have money, women, and BMWs? He would also have more confidence in facing Chen Hero, this *gui er*.

Thinking of this, Meng Ran didn't wait for Brother Wang to introduce him. He took a step forward and said to Zhong Dajun with a fawning smile: "Oh, isn't this Brother Zhong?"

He held out his hand, wanting to take the opportunity to shake hands with Zhong Dajun and build a relationship.

"I am…" He wanted to introduce himself so that Zhong Dajun would remember his name and face for future interactions.

His sudden enthusiasm startled Wang Yongjun, who turned to look at him.

Who would have thought that Zhong Dajun would only stare at Chen Hero. When he heard someone call him, he turned his head and nodded to Wang Yongjun, whom he recognized, as a greeting. Even so, Wang Yongjun breathed a sigh of relief—he was very clear about the energy of this reporter. It was best not to offend him, otherwise, if he cursed himself in the newspaper every now and then, his reputation would be ruined…

Maintaining a good relationship with reporters, letting them praise him from time to time, could make his career go smoother. Wang Yongjun understood this principle.

Zhong Dajun only nodded to Wang Yongjun. As for Meng Ran next to him, he simply ignored him… As for Meng Ran's outstretched hand, he didn't even see it!

Meng Ran's hand hung in the air, like a solidified wax statue. His fawning smile also solidified with his movements… As for his self-introduction, it was directly choked in his throat, stuck like a fish bone, making his chest tight and almost unable to breathe.

He raised his head and looked at Zhong Dajun's smiling and excited face as he looked up at Chen Hero, just like he had just looked at him…

Chen Hero didn't know Zhong Dajun. He had no interest in this show these people were putting on in front of him.

Interrupted by those people, Zhong Dajun asked again, "Excuse me, are you really from Russia?"

"What if I am?" Chen Hero's tone was not good. He was very impatient now. Who knew what this "Brother Zhong" who suddenly appeared was doing.

But Zhong Dajun didn't care. He was now single-mindedly focused on confirming whether Chen Hero was "hero_Chen," so his second question was particularly direct: "Then are you 'hero_Chen'?"

Chen Hero was stunned by the person's English pronunciation. He didn't understand it at first, but then he realized that the person seemed to be saying "hero_Chen." He nodded: "That's right, I am." He didn't take it to heart.

But Zhong Dajun was different!

He felt that the truth that no one knew was gradually unveiling its veil in front of him!

Wang Yongjun didn't understand why Zhong Dajun was so interested in this Chen Hero.

But it was good that Zhong Dajun was here. He knew people in the media. If he didn't pay him today, he would let Brother Zhong ruin his reputation in the newspaper! He would expose him and see what he would do!

"Brother Zhong, you came at the right time. You be the judge…" He pulled Zhong Dajun and pointed to the smashed BMW.

Zhong Dajun wasn't interested in that BMW, but Wang Yongjun was the team's core player after all, so he still had to give him some face. He still had to help him solve this matter first…

First of all, he had to confirm Chen Hero's identity. If the big guy in front of him was really the "hero_Chen" who played for Zenit, then paying for a 400,000 yuan car wouldn't be a big deal.

So he turned to Chen Hero and said, "When you say you're from Russia, do you mean you play soccer in Russia?"

Chen Hero nodded: "That's right."

Zhong Dajun suddenly grabbed Chen Hero's arm, as if afraid that the person in front of him would run away.

His action startled Wang Yongjun's group and Chen Hero. Chen Hero was so frightened that he almost took action for self-protection and legitimate defense…

None of them could understand Zhong Dajun's mood at the moment—if there really was a player like the one in the online legends in China, what would it mean for Chinese soccer and Chinese fans? He, the sports reporter who had been covering domestic soccer for a long time, naturally knew it very well!

Meng Ran and Wang Yongjun and the others had all heard Zhong Brother and Chen Hero's conversation.

What? This Chen Hero played soccer in Russia?

"Probably plays amateur soccer!" Gan Candou snickered next to him, and the others laughed along—if Chen Hero could play soccer in Russia, they would crawl back to the training base upside down!

Chen Hero looked back at Gan Candou: "Don't worry, I'll definitely be more successful than you, Gan Candou."

Gan Candou grinned, with a cheap expression. Coming from the mouth of Chen Hero, a loser who had been kicked out of the team with his tail between his legs, why was it so funny?

Zhong Dajun ignored Gan Candou and continued to grab Chen Hero: "Hello, Chen Hero. I'm Zhong Dajun, a sports reporter from the *Shuxi Metropolitan Daily*. Can I take up half an hour of your time to interview you?"

Gan Candou stopped laughing.

He knew Zhong Dajun. Meng Ran wanted to get to know the big reporter Zhong just now, and Gan Candou also wanted to do that, but he didn't expect Meng Ran to get the first chance.

Not only did Gan Candou stop laughing, but even Wang Yongjun and Meng Ran were stunned.

Zhong Dajun, the famous soccer reporter in Chengdu, actually took the initiative to ask to interview Chen Hero?! Wasn't this a joke? The big reporter Zhong, who usually only interviewed first-team main players and club officials at the club, and whom the club had to call and beg to come for an interview, and to whom the players had to give enough red envelopes if they wanted to be praised by him, was standing in front of them and actually took the initiative to ask to interview Chen Hero!

Chen Hero had heard of the *Shuxi Metropolitan Daily*. It did have a lot of influence in Chengdu, but he didn't know Zhong Dajun. He was able to attract a reporter just by arguing with someone on the street. It was too coincidental, wasn't it?

He and Dracula exchanged glances, and then made a decision.

In any case, being interviewed by a reporter was always a good thing. It meant he was famous. But not now.

"No problem, but we'll have to schedule another time. I'm going to have fun today." He pointed to the bar inside. "You can contact my agent for the specific time."

Agent?

The people around him were dumbfounded again? When did Chen Hero get an agent? And… looking at Dracula, who was walking over… he was a foreigner?! Only Wang Yongjun had an agent here. Meng Ran and Gan Candou had just been promoted to the first team and didn't have agents yet. Wang Yongjun also knew that throughout the national team, except for players like Sun Jihai who played overseas, they were all domestic agents. A foreign agent? How could Chen Hero afford one?

Dracula, who had been watching the show from the side, stepped forward, handed Zhong Dajun a business card, and, regardless of whether Zhong Dajun could understand him, said to Zhong Dajun in fluent and standard London English: "Hello, I am Hero's agent, Vlad Dracula. This is my business card. You can contact me directly if you have anything. Thank you."

His English stunned everyone around him—although they didn't understand a word, they could tell from his gentlemanly demeanor that he was definitely someone with status!

Zhong Dajun was also shocked—he didn't expect Chen Hero to have an agent so quickly! But thinking about it carefully, he had scored ten goals in eleven league rounds, and had signed a new contract, so it probably wasn't too much of a big deal to have an agent…

So he also handed over his business card: "Hello, this is my business card… Then I'll call you tomorrow morning?" He also tried to use English, but his English was much more hesitant, and it also had a strong local accent, a peppery flavor that hit his face.

It was immediately clear who had more style.

Chen Hero saw that Dracula had put away the business card, nodded, then turned to Wang Yongjun and the others, who were already dumbfounded, and said, "Alright, give me an account number, and I'll transfer the money to you tomorrow."

Wang Yongjun didn't say anything because he hadn't recovered from everything he had just witnessed…

Zhong Dajun then remembered that he still had to give Wang Yongjun some face…

He quickly said to the stunned Wang Yongjun, "Wang Yongjun, if you trust me… leave the car thing to me." After saying that, he turned his head and smiled at Chen Hero: "How about this, you go have fun first, and we'll solve the car thing together when I interview you tomorrow. What do you think, Hero?" His tone immediately became affectionate, and looking at his expression, it was as if he and Chen Hero had known each other for a long time…

Some people tried their best to show their faces in front of others and get to know them, while others could make a deep impression on the other party with a few simple words.

The difference!

Chen Hero didn't care: "Okay, then I'll wait for your call tomorrow, Mr. Reporter."

After saying that, he and Dracula turned and walked towards the bar door.

Those who had poured out of the bar to watch the excitement consciously made way, watching the two of them walk into the bar door.

Meng Ran looked at Chen Hero's swaggering back and snorted: "What's so great about playing amateur soccer in Russia?" He was still upset that Chen Hero and Zhong Dajun had ignored him just now.

Hearing this sentence, Zhong Dajun turned his head and looked at Meng Ran. This was the first time he had given Meng Ran a proper look tonight.

"You *gua wawa* know shit!" He scolded Meng Ran head-on. In front of these people, he had recovered his big-name reporter persona. "If you can score ten goals in eleven rounds in the Russian Premier League, you can also be arrogant!"

Meng Ran wasn't clear about what level the Russian Premier League was, but Wang Yongjun, who had seen more of the world than him, was stunned. He knew a little bit about the Russian Premier League. That was Russia's top league, and it was currently ranked sixth in Europe, second only to the traditional top five leagues!

What did it mean to score ten goals in eleven rounds in that kind of league? He was an attacking player himself, and he knew very well what that data meant.

"He? He's in Russia…" He pointed at Chen Hero's back and said doubtfully.

Zhong Dajun nodded: "He's the main center forward of Zenit Saint Petersburg, a strong team in the Russian Premier League!"

Meng Ran and Gan Candou were completely dumbfounded. The Chen Hero they knew should have been an mediocre player who could only play in the youth team before the game thanks to his ghost dad who did business. How could he be an assistant center forward in a strong Russian league team? Did he have the ability?

Just as Meng Ran and Gan Candou lowered their heads and were puzzled, Zhong Dajun turned to Wang Yongjun and said, "Don't doubt that he can't afford to pay. He really can afford to pay for this money…"

Meng Ran didn't know what to say. Everything he had seen tonight exceeded his understanding. First, that bastard picked up a stone post and smashed his new car. Then, the big reporter Zhong, with whom he had to deal carefully, actually took the initiative to ask Chen Hero for an interview with a fawning face… He had to know, in the team, the club would invite people and give red envelopes, and only then would they be willing to come… Then, that bastard actually played in the Russian Premier League and scored ten goals in eleven rounds! Such efficiency was really amazing…

"How can he afford it?" Gan Candou couldn't help but ask. How could Chen Hero do this? Was he still the Chen Hero he knew?!

"Do you know how much he earns in a week?" Zhong Dajun asked the people in front of him.

"Uh…" Gan Candou couldn't answer. Who knew Chen Hero's income… He had always thought that Chen Hero had been kicked out of the club and could only work odd jobs everywhere.

Zhong Dajun held up four fingers.

"Four hundred?" Gan Candou said.

Zhong Dajun shook his head.

"Four thousand?"

Zhong Dajun shook his head again.

"Could it… could it be forty thousand?" Gan Candou was frightened by the number he said. That was absolutely impossible!

Zhong Dajun nodded: "Euros. Forty thousand euros, four hundred thousand RMB."

Although Zenit officially didn't announce this number, he still learned it from the Russian media when he was collecting Chen Hero's information. He was shocked at the time.

Four hundred thousand a week, one million six hundred thousand a month, paying for a three- or four-hundred-thousand-yuan BMW 5 Series was really not a big deal…

Wang Yongjun, Meng Ran, and Gan Candou all opened their mouths wide, staring blankly at Zhong Dajun. If Zhong Dajun immediately smiled and said "I'm kidding you" at this time, they would definitely breathe a sigh of relief.

But he didn't.

The two female companions next to them couldn't help but exclaim. An income of 400,000 RMB a week had completely exceeded the scope of what they could understand!

So a group of people now had to accept the fact that the "loser" whom they had ridiculed with great complacency had indeed lived better than them!

Because of fighting, he was kicked out of the club, and then went to Russia and became the absolute main player of the team… They could almost sketch out such a roadmap in their minds.

Wang Yongjun glared fiercely at Meng Ran. It was all this kid's fault! If he hadn't talked nonsense about the other party being a valet, how could there have been so many things afterwards?

Unfortunately, Meng Ran didn't see his vicious look. He had already lowered his head in frustration.

Had he spent so much effort driving his competitor out of the team, and that was what he got in the end?

After Chen Hero left everything to Zhong Dajun to handle, he walked into the bar with Dracula. After entering, he asked: "Why did you have to speak English just now? They might not understand."

Dracula said very seriously: "Isn't it necessary to speak a foreign language when you're trying to show off?"

Chen Hero was stunned for a moment, then reacted, and he burst out laughing.

He had never laughed so heartily.

In the past, the past of the loser who carried the ridicule, abuse, and contempt of others was completely buried by him in the laughter.