Chapter 1 The Champion

"...In yesterday's match, Chen Hero scored twice, catching up with Van Persie. Now both of them have scored thirty-four goals in the league, but with two rounds left, the suspense for the league's top scorer continues... I've noticed a problem, Alan." On BBC's famous football program "Match of the Day," host Gary Lineker was chatting with two guests about the focus of this round of the league—the battle between Chen Hero and Van Persie for the top scorer.

The person he called "Alan" was none other than former famous English striker, Premier League's all-time top scorer Alan Shearer. After retiring from Newcastle, Alan Shearer went through a brief coaching career, and now he works as a football commentator for BBC and a guest on "Match of the Day."

"I've found that Hero seems to be a catalyst. No matter where he is, he can always force his competitors to use all their skills and bring their potential to the extreme. Being his competitor means scoring a lot of goals... Take last season's Champions League top scorer battle as an example. Messi scored twelve goals under the pressure of Chen Hero. This number can already tie Van Nistelrooy's Champions League single-season goal record. This is a remarkable achievement, but his opponent Chen Hero is even more of a freak. He scored thirteen goals, and he did it while missing all six group stage games..."

"Yes, you're right, Gary," said Mark Lawrenson, another guest sitting next to Alan Shearer, nodding. "I've also noticed this. This season, Van Persie and Hero have already scored thirty-four goals each in their competition, which is the Premier League's single-season goal record..."

Lineker pointed to Shearer, "This record is still held by you, right?"

"Well, me and Cole," Shearer nodded.

The Premier League has been around for nineteen years, and the highest number of goals scored by the top scorer in a single season is thirty-four. They were Andy Cole in the 93-94 season, when this "Black Wind Double煞 (shà)" of Manchester United later played for Newcastle, and he scored thirty-four goals. And Alan Shearer in the 94-95 season. At that time, Alan Shearer, who played for Blackburn, scored thirty-four goals in a season, and also helped the team win the Premier League title that season, ending Manchester United's monopoly on the championship of this new event. The coach of Blackburn and Alan Shearer at that time was Kenny Dalglish, the current coach of Liverpool.

In addition to the highest goal record of thirty-four goals, there are a total of five people in Premier League history who have reached the thirty-goal mark in a single season. They are Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, "Saint" Phillips, Henry, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now this list has expanded with two more people, Van Persie and Chen Hero this season.

Van Persie really owes it to his competition with Chen Hero... You know, he has never scored more than twenty goals in a single season before...

If this season is not counted, the season with the most goals in his career is the previous season, when he scored a total of eighteen league goals.

But this season, he actually had a big explosion, not only scoring more than thirty league goals, but also tying the Premier League single-season goal record jointly held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.

"...For Robin van Persie, this is the best season of his career, and also a fantastic season... If it weren't for Hero." Lineker couldn't help but laugh when he said this.

This season is indeed very difficult and great for Van Persie, but at the peak of his career, he encountered a Chen Hero. Van Persie's luck is too bad...

If there were no Chen Hero, Van Persie would definitely be the Premier League Player of the Season, Best Foreign Player, and Top Scorer this season. His career will usher in its most glorious moment.

But with Chen Hero, all his efforts have become a foil to Chen Hero—although the battle for the top scorer between the two sides has not yet been decided, everyone's attention has been attracted by Chen Hero, and they feel that Chen Hero has caught up from behind to a tie, which is already remarkable. In this sense, Van Persie has actually lost.

"Does Hero remind you of your youth, Alan?" Lineker asked Shearer.

Shearer shook his head: "He is different from me. He is a center forward who is both traditional and non-traditional. At least my free kicks are not as good as his... His physical advantage is more obvious, and I think his future is very bright."

"What do you think, Mark?" Lineker turned to ask Lawrenson.

"If I were still playing, Hero would definitely be the kind of striker I wouldn't want to meet every weekend. His body is too strong, so strong that defenders have almost no other way to stop him except fouling. I think what may be bothering him is his quirky and grumpy temper... If he can restrain himself a little, he will definitely become the top striker in football in the future, knowing that he is only twenty-three years old..."

The two guests have a very high evaluation of Chen Hero.

Lineker also expressed his agreement: "But I have a different opinion. I don't quite agree with your words, Mark. You should know that what is bothering Hero's future is not only his own temper, but also what kind of support Liverpool as a whole can give him—as a center forward, he is very dependent on the passes from behind. But from this season, Liverpool's performance is not satisfactory..."

"Hahaha..."

Lineker and Alan Shearer both laughed.

Mark Lawrenson used to be a Liverpool player. He played for Liverpool for many years, and the most glorious period of his career was spent in Liverpool. When he transferred to Liverpool, it cost Liverpool 900,000 pounds, which was a brand-new transfer fee record for the Liverpool club at that time.

He and Alan Hansen partnered in Liverpool and became a pair of legendary defenders in the club's history.

After retiring, he became a football commentator. In the commentary, as long as there is a Liverpool game, he must be speaking for Liverpool. This biased style has won him the support of many fans. Everyone likes his clear-cut attitude, which has become a symbol of his commentary.

Now that he has become a commentary guest on "Match of the Day," this style has not changed. As long as the topic is related to Liverpool, he is always particularly energetic. Liverpool's performance has been ups and downs this season, and he is also very painful. So in the program group, others always tease him with Liverpool topics.

Liverpool's performance has been ups and downs this season, and "Match of the Day" also often pays attention to Liverpool's performance. So Mark Lawrenson also often expresses his views. Like when he is commentating on the game, his comments are also inclined to Liverpool. However, he is not inclined without principles. He will still point out the problems of Liverpool without mercy. For example, he once said that Dalglish should not continue to be the coach of Liverpool—he is not an after-the-fact expert. He said this after the Liverpool club announced that they had signed a two-year contract with Dalglish. At that time, the new season had not yet started.

For Liverpool this season, the only thing that can still make him feel relieved is Liverpool's striker Chen Hero. The Chinese scored thirty-four goals in the season, catching up with Van Persie. In the competition between Chen Hero and Van Persie, Mark Lawrenson also clearly supported Chen Hero.

As soon as Mark Lawrenson saw that Lineker was going to turn the topic to Liverpool, he quickly interrupted the host.

He is very happy to talk about Chen Hero, but when it comes to Liverpool, he feels a little depressed.

Lineker and Alan Shearer laughed at Mark Lawrenson for a while, and re-transferred the topic to the competition between Chen Hero and Van Persie.

※※※

Wenger saw Van Persie again on the training ground. He also watched yesterday's game. After Chen Hero scored three goals, he began to worry about Van Persie. He was afraid that Van Persie would be forced to a dead end again by Chen Hero's two goals. You know, he had just recovered from his anxiety.

As a result, when he saw Van Persie, he found that his proud disciple did not seem to be affected by Chen Hero's goals.

At least on the surface, he looks normal.

Wenger didn't dare to ask Van Persie about this, for fear of stimulating him.

So he could only suppress his curiosity and thought that Van Persie was not disturbed by Chen Hero—this is of course the best result.

In fact, Wenger guessed right. Van Persie was really not affected much. If there was any impact, it was in the fist that pinched his nails into his flesh yesterday...

Now Van Persie really has nothing else to do except concentrate on training and playing games.

Just as he was about to reach the finish line, Van Persie suddenly calmed down. No matter what the result is, this is the best season of his performance, which is beyond doubt. Even Chen Hero can't stifle it.

Be the best version of himself, other things...he can't control.

※※※

The media are discussing Chen Hero and Van Persie's battle for the top scorer, but Chen Hero himself seems very calm. Because in his opinion, he is bound to win. When he caught up with Van Persie, he had already won. Neither Van Persie nor Chelsea, the next league opponent, can stop him from winning the top scorer.

Van Persie is very calm? What does that have to do with him?

Winning the top scorer is very simple, it is just about who scores more goals, and it has nothing to do with being calm or not.

As long as he buries his head in scoring goals and scores enough goals, the top scorer must be his.

Chen Hero has such confidence.

When the media interviewed him and congratulated him on finally catching up with Van Persie, he said, "What's there to congratulate? I haven't won yet."

"But catching up with Van Persie is already a remarkable achievement..."

The reporter still doesn't understand.

Chen Hero shrugged: "Maybe that's the case for others. But I only want the top scorer, and I can't even share it with him—I respect him very much, but the competition for the Golden Boot has nothing to do with respect. I think he will also go all out, so I will use all my strength to deal with it. It's that simple."

After Chen Hero left, the reporters looked at his back and shook their heads: "Should we say he is confident or arrogant?"