England's team players are perhaps the busiest professional football players on the planet.

They just finished playing Arsenal on October 28th, ending a period of two games a week for two consecutive weeks. After a week's rest, they will face another stretch of two games a week.

At this time, the players' physical fitness has begun to show problems.

Klašnić's injury was due to physical reasons.

The only reassuring thing is Chen Hero, who has no physical problems at all. Whether in training, in games, or flying to Italy for vacation, he is full of energy…

However, recently he presented Martin O'Neill with a difficult problem.

He asked Martin O'Neill for leave two months in advance.

"What did you say?" O'Neill frowned. It wasn't that he didn't hear Chen Hero's words, but this was just a conditioned reflex, used to strengthen his tone and express his doubts or other emotions.

"I hope to take two days off after playing the twentieth round of the league, and come back on the evening of January 1st, boss," Chen Hero repeated what he had just said.

"But Hero… our game with Wigan Athletic is on the evening of January 3rd…" Martin O'Neill thought that Chen Hero didn't know about this, or had forgotten the specific time, thinking that the game was still a week away.

Who would have thought that Chen Hero nodded: "I know, boss."

Martin O'Neill was amused: "You know? You know and you still ask for two days off. We don't have any days off after the game with Manchester City, but you want to ask for two days off… What's your reason, Hero?"

No matter how much you usually want to have a good relationship with Chen Hero, you still have to distinguish the occasion. In this case, O'Neill must maintain the team's discipline requirements. Not to mention the impact of Chen Hero's request for leave at this juncture on the team's preparation, just the fact that if he agreed to Chen Hero's request, wouldn't anyone be able to ask him for leave? That wouldn't do!

"Reason? I want to go back to celebrate my dad's birthday," Chen Hero replied.

He said it with confidence, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with this reason.

His dad's birthday is every year on January 1st, which is a very special day, because New Year's Day and his dad's birthday are celebrated together every year. But in fact, Chen Hero hardly remembers how many times his family celebrated his dad's birthday when he was a child. For a long time, he only remembered that January 1st was New Year's Day, New Year's Day.

When he was a child, he didn't understand and only knew that he was happy, that he wanted new clothes for the New Year, that he wanted to eat good food, and that he wanted to go out and play.

But now he has grown up, knows better, and has begun to understand that January 1st is not only the first day of every year, not only a globally recognized festival, but in fact, whether it is New Year's Day or not is not of great significance to him. The most important thing is—this day is his dad's birthday.

And January 1, 2013, is his dad's fiftieth birthday.

"Birthday?" Martin O'Neill was stunned for a moment. This reason… If you say it's not good, it's really a reason, after all, celebrating his father's birthday shows that this person has affection and will treat his father well. You can't say "What's so good about celebrating Dad's birthday?" Aren't you just asking for a beating? People have deep father-son feelings, how can others talk nonsense?

But if you say this is a reason… In order to celebrate his dad's birthday, he has to take two days off to fly back to China, which always feels a bit of a fuss…

If that's the case, whose dad isn't a dad? Then when everyone's dad has a birthday, do they all take leave to go home?

Martin O'Neill frowned and said, "Your father's birthday? This… you can bring him to England…"

Chen Hero shook his head: "That won't work… My dad is celebrating his fiftieth birthday. As his son, I have to celebrate his birthday and invite his relatives and friends, so this birthday must be celebrated in my hometown…"

In fact, he could also invite all of his dad's friends to England. It's not like Chen Hero couldn't afford the money, but his dad, Chen Tao, didn't agree… As a traditional and ordinary Chinese person, such an important birthday at fifty years old should naturally be held in his hometown. Why run to England to hold it? It's completely out of place!

So his father, Chen Tao, would not agree to the idea of leaving Chengdu to hold a birthday banquet, even if he didn't leave China, he wouldn't want to hold it in Shanghai.

Therefore, if Chen Hero still wants to hold a birthday banquet for his father, he must return to China.

In fact, Chen Tao once told him not to come back to celebrate his birthday. He and his mother, and a few relatives and friends, would be enough.

But Chen Hero felt that if it was his fifty-first birthday or something, it wouldn't matter if he went back or not. He's been playing football for so many years and hasn't seen him go back to China to celebrate his dad's birthday. This time he must go back, just because it's his fiftieth birthday. How many fifty years does a person have in their life? Only one, once it's gone, it's gone, so it's not that he's being pretentious.

In fact, his dad's real age this year is forty-nine years old, but it is Chinese tradition that men's birthdays are celebrated early, and women's birthdays are celebrated on time. That is to say, a forty-nine-year-old man, whether telling others or celebrating his birthday, is treated as fifty years old, while a woman who is forty-nine years old is forty-nine years old, and fifty years old is fifty years old.

Chen Hero wanted to show his filial piety. He was ignorant since he was a child. Relying on the fact that his dad was in business, his family had a little money, and he was tall and big, he often fought with people, caused trouble, and caused his parents a lot of worry.

But at that time, he never felt that there was anything wrong with him.

Anyway, if he injured someone, his parents would come forward to compensate for medical expenses and so on.

He never apologized to his parents for the troubles he caused, even if he was beaten by his dad until the house was turned upside down, he never softened—it seems that he had developed such a tough temper since he was a child. Of course, now he is afraid of his dad, not afraid, but respects him. It was after that European trip that his feelings for his dad changed.

Now Chen Hero is twenty-four years old. Although in the eyes of many people, this young man, who often acts foolishly from time to time, is still like a child who hasn't grown up, he is really much more mature than before.

At least he knows how to be grateful.

He owes his parents so much that he feels that even if he specially flies back to celebrate his dad's birthday, he can't repay even one percent of this debt.

The problem is that Martin O'Neill doesn't know these things… So he doesn't believe or accept Chen Hero's reason very much.

"I can't agree to your request, Hero. After all, our schedule is too tight. From mid-December, we have been playing two games a week. In such a dense schedule, we need you, and you will also consume too much physical energy. At this time, if you fly back to China, it will only increase more physical energy consumption…"

He is going to reject Chen Hero's request for leave, but rejection requires attention to methods and means. Rejecting him bluntly will only break the relationship between the two people, so Martin O'Neill uses a joking rejection method.

"Unless…"

Chen Hero also knew that the head coach would not agree to his request very readily. He also knew very well the team's situation at the time. Therefore, when he heard that there was a turning point, he quickly asked.

"Unless what?"

"Unless you score in the game against Manchester City…" Martin O'Neill originally planned to say "Unless you score a hat-trick in the game against Manchester City", but he quickly reacted. A hat-trick seems too simple for Chen Hero, right? So he planned to change his words and say "score four goals alone", but as soon as these words were about to be spoken, he suddenly remembered that just last season, Chen Hero really scored four goals in the game against Manchester City! He has a previous record! The requirement of four goals is too unsafe…

So, in the end, what Martin O'Neill said was: "…score five goals! And I'll approve your leave!"

Chen Hero was stunned for a moment.

Martin O'Neill saw Chen Hero's expression and felt very proud—you're dumbfounded now, right? Look, it's not that I really disagree with you taking leave, but you have to complete the task. If you complete it, I will definitely agree to you going back to China! But if you can't complete it, then I'm sorry… Heh!

Scoring five goals in one game, Martin O'Neill really thinks that Chen Hero can't do it. Not to mention how difficult it is to score five goals alone in any game, let's just talk about this game. Liverpool is challenging Manchester City away from home. To score five goals at Manchester City's home… such a difficulty is as difficult as reaching the sky!

Martin O'Neill thinks that Chen Hero will definitely not be able to complete this goal.

You gave me a difficult problem, so I will give you a difficult problem too. That's fair.

It's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult for you, Hero. It's just that you're too good at scoring goals. If I don't quote a high number, I'm afraid you'll complete it easily! Liverpool really can't do without you! I hope you can understand my good intentions…

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Chen Hero say: "Are you serious, boss?"

"Huh?" O'Neill didn't react for a moment.

"I'm asking you if you're serious, boss? Is it true that as long as I can score five goals in the game, you'll let me go back to China?" Chen Hero stared closely at O'Neill, his eyes seemed to be shining…

This time it was O'Neill's turn to be stunned.

Is he serious? Does he really want to score five goals in the game against Manchester City?!

"Hey, Hero… y-you're crazy, right?" His voice couldn't help but tremble.

"No, boss. I'm serious!"

"But five goals in one game…"

"Since Messi can score five goals in one game in the Champions League, I think I can also score five goals in one game in the league!" Chen Hero said confidently.

When he was stunned just now, he wasn't frightened by the task of five goals in a single game, but suddenly thought that Messi also scored five goals in the game against Leverkusen last season… If Messi can do it, why can't I do it?

As soon as he thought of this, Chen Hero felt that he should do it as a matter of course!

So no matter how difficult it is, he is determined to score these five goals!

Chen Hero clapped his hands: "Then it's settled! Boss, I'll score five goals in the game against Manchester City, and then you'll let me go back to China!"

Martin O'Neill nodded almost subconsciously, but in his heart, he always felt that something was wrong…