Chapter 1 The News

Facing a room full of anxious Chinese reporters, Fiorentina's press officer slowly read the following statement:

"Zhang Jun suffered a left ankle Achilles tendon injury due to over-fatigue and may be out of the game for four months."

Li Yan looked at the spokesperson, his lips moved, but no sound came out. He had been called here from Milan by a phone call. At the time, he was in Milan interviewing Shevchenko.

The person who called was Zhang Jun.

"Hey, Li Yan, I have a big news to tell you, you will definitely be interested. And so far, you have the exclusive." Zhang Jun said with a smile on the phone.

"What's the matter? Speak quickly, I'm busy here!" Li Yan had a particularly good relationship with Zhang Jun, and there was no problem speaking to each other in this unbridled tone.

"I'm injured, and it's a serious injury, maybe I won't be able to play the remaining games." Zhang Jun told him in a very calm tone, even with a hint of a smile.

But Li Yan was stunned.

He hurriedly ended his interview with Shevchenko and flew to Florence. He didn't have time to meet Zhang Jun before receiving a notice from the Fiorentina club, a notice of a press conference.

The club officially announced Zhang Jun's injury.

The scene was noisy, and Li Yan could hear someone sighing: "Injury! Injury again! A good genius has been ruined like this! Zhang Jun is finished, such frequent injuries show that he has become a complete glass man, no future, no future..."

Li Yan recalled Zhang Jun's tone when he called him, so calm! The calmness made him afraid. In the past two years, injuries seemed commonplace to Zhang Jun. Could this kid's heart be dead from the torment?

The greatest sorrow is a dead heart. If the heart is dead, naturally there will be no pain or frustration.

※※※

At this time, Zhang Jun was sitting on the bed in his Florence home, texting Sophie. Sophie was very worried about him, and since the injury, she would send many text messages every day.

From the look on his face as he read the text messages, there was no trace of pain. He seemed to be enjoying the feeling of chatting with Sophie thousands of miles away through text messages.

If others were to see this scene, they would definitely be shocked, and then shocked again.

But the fact is indeed so.

Zhang Jun was not devastated by the recurrence of a serious injury, nor was he frustrated.

This is not because his heart is dead.

In fact, this is Zhang Jun's gradual maturity. After this injury, he has been facing every day with an optimistic attitude. Because he had expected that there would be such a day sooner or later. Back in the Netherlands, Feng Qing told him very seriously that choosing to accept his treatment was choosing a road full of risks, and he had to prepare for future dangers, even disability.

Zhang Jun nodded and accepted. He is not the kind of person who regrets his choices, so now when the risk that Feng Qing said comes, he chooses to accept it calmly. This is a result he knew long ago, what's the use of pain and frustration?

At the same time, he believes in Feng Qing's skills, and that this injury will not lead to the end of his career.

He is still young, and he still has many things he has not done, God is kind.

※※※

The domestic reports were booming, with the latest reports on Zhang Jun's injury every day. Someone from the Fiorentina club said that if he had surgery like Riganò, he couldn't be expected to play this season. When it was transmitted back to China, it immediately became "Zhang Jun will undergo surgery, and the doctor believes that he will miss all the remaining games this season!" causing domestic fans to almost riot.

At this time, Zhang Jun was sitting in his living room, looking at a man opposite him with a smile.

"Brother Feng, long time no see."

Feng Qing scratched his messy hair with a grin, and there was a large backpack covered in dust and oil stains next to his seat. From this, it could be seen that he had just arrived.

"Ah, the weather is nice today, it's very sunny... I was just traveling in Florence. You know, I've been traveling around the world, and I just happened to hear about your injury, so I came to see you. You know, since I'm the one who treated you, I naturally have to care about you... so, I came."

Zhang Jun also smiled and said, "Did another boss entrust you?"

Feng Qing quickly waved his hand: "No, no! No one entrusted me, I wanted to come myself."

Zhang Jun was a little surprised.

"You are my treated patient, I am back for a follow-up." Feng Qing said seriously.

※※※

Someone at the Fiorentina club did propose that Zhang Jun undergo surgery, although this would cause him to miss all the remaining games this season, but they believed that this was a good way to solve the problem once and for all.

But Feng Qing scoffed at this, he told Zhang Jun, in any case, do not accept such a stupid proposal as surgery.

"Do you know, Zhang Jun? Surgery is very destructive to the structure and function of the body. Unless it is absolutely necessary, no one wants to have a knife on their body. You have already had one surgery, and if you make another cut in the same place, your body will not be able to bear it. Then you will be injured more frequently, and undergo surgery more frequently. This is a vicious circle until you can no longer play football. You just have a damaged ankle Achilles tendon, not a tear, so you don't need surgery at all."

"In fact, the reason for your injury this time is very simple, that is because you have not had enough rest for a long time, you are too tired, and the ankle Achilles tendon has been in a highly tense working environment for a long time and cannot be relaxed, resulting in it losing its elasticity. And this situation can be solved with traditional Chinese medicine massage. Everything is not as complicated as you think, three months..." Feng Qing held out three fingers, "Accept my treatment, and I guarantee that you will be able to be alive and kicking on the field in three months. And there are no toxic side effects, suitable for all ages, and no cheating the elderly or children."

Zhang Jun was amused by Feng Qing's last sentence. In his opinion, no matter how bad the situation is, Feng Qing's unserious appearance is more trustworthy than a serious expert. He doesn't understand traditional Chinese medicine at all, and he doesn't understand what Feng Qing said very well, but he believes in Feng Qing and believes in his three-month promise.

God is still very kind, these three months are much shorter than the last half year, and it is much better than missing all the remaining games this season.

※※※

Feng Qing stayed at Zhang Jun's house, and the next day he magically took out a whole set of tools in front of Zhang Jun, including a wooden bucket for making medicinal fumigation.

Zhang Jun looked dumbfounded: "Brother Feng, do you travel with these things all the time?"

Feng Qing smiled: "These are all my tools for making a living. When I need them, I just make a phone call and they will be sent over. Oh, how did you explain it to the club?"

"I just said that you are my personal doctor, and the club doesn't need to worry about me. Anyway, it's normal for players to have their own personal doctor now, and no one will say anything." Zhang Jun remembered that when he went to the club to explain this matter to the higher-ups in the morning, Della Valle's eyes widened when he heard that Feng Qing was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor - he never trusted traditional Chinese medicine, he couldn't imagine that mixing some tree bark and roots together could cure diseases, it sounded more like some kind of witchcraft than a doctor.

Zhang Jun didn't care whether the chairman believed it or not, he just came to inform him. To be honest, since being promoted to Serie A, Della Valle has also been changing. He is a standard hardcore Fiorentina fan, which means that he is as biased, crazy, and self-righteous as other fans.

And what's worse, he's also a rich, hardcore fan who owns Fiorentina.

He is obsessed with reviving Fiorentina. When the team's record is not good, this obsession is almost to the point of madness. He frequently changes coaches, frantically spends money to buy people, doesn't consider practicality, but wants to make Fiorentina "look like a wealthy team" from the composition of the personnel.

As long as it is conducive to the revival of Fiorentina, he will do it. As long as he thinks a player is good, he will buy him. If he finds that the player is not very helpful to the team after buying him, he can also give up immediately.

Zhang Jun has the feeling that his boss has taken a fancy to Bojinov, who is frustrated in AC Milan, and Pazzini, the young shooter from Atalanta. Now people are talking about the possibility of these two coming, but gradually forgetting about Zhang Jun.

To put it bluntly, Zhang Jun has a feeling of being kicked away by Della Valle. He was reused when he was promoted, but now he sees that he is not as good as Miccoli and is constantly injured, so he wants to abandon him. He is like this, and Riganò is also like this. There are rumors outside that Della Valle really wants to sell the old and useless Riganò to Serie B.

The chairman who spoke passionately to Zhang Jun at the promotion celebration banquet, saying that we would create the future of Fiorentina together, has gradually left him. He is still pursuing and creating the future of Fiorentina, but not with Zhang Jun.

Facing injuries, Zhang Jun can be calm. But facing being abandoned, his heart cannot be calm.

Three months, although Brother Feng is working very hard. But the time he wasted is the distance that his competitors have left him behind. When he reappears in the team, will there still be a place for him on the front line?

These emotions were hidden by Zhang Jun. He happily accepted treatment every day, joked with Feng Qing, listened to him talk about his travel experiences, and envied him for being able to run around freely.

The days passed like this.

On January 30, 2007, Fiorentina officially announced that AC Milan striker Bojinov and Atalanta's young shooter Pazzini had officially joined the team, signing for four years.

This was the only acquisition for Fiorentina during the entire winter break. Compared with the madness at the beginning of the season, Della Valle was much more frugal. There were rumors that he had some problems in his business, and he could no longer spend money as recklessly as before.

Zhang Jun and Riganò, the two patients, did not go to the team gathering to welcome the new teammates. It is said that the atmosphere was very lively that day, even though they had just lost the game the day before, and their ranking had dropped to thirteenth.

Looking at the smiles of the two newcomers on the official website, Zhang Jun thought of a poem: But see the new people smile, who hears the old people cry! (Idiom meaning: people only care about the new and exciting, and forget the old and familiar.)

People were talking about what kind of tomorrow the arrival of the two young players would bring to Fiorentina. Zhang Jun really felt that he had become a marginal person, farther and farther away from Florence.

He hoped that his feeling was wrong, because he had an unspeakable feeling for Florence, and he didn't want to leave here.

But some things are beyond his control.

※※※

By the end of February, Zhang Jun had already started recovery training, which surprised many Italian media. A person who was thought to need half a season to heal when he was injured could actually do simple recovery training in just two months. Is traditional Chinese medicine really that powerful?

They couldn't help but believe it, the facts were in front of them, what else could they say besides calling it a "miracle"?

"Traditional Chinese medicine created a miracle!"

The Chinese media began to report on this matter one after another, while investigating Feng Qing's origins. Why did they rarely know about such a capable person in treating sports injuries, and had never seen this person's name in any domestic club or national team at any level.

In the end, they found out that this Feng Qing was the mysterious traditional Chinese medicine doctor who treated Zhang Jun in the Netherlands. After further investigation of this person's origins, it was the same as what Feng Qing told Zhang Jun.

A student studying at a certain traditional Chinese medicine university was caught "hmming and ahhing" with his girlfriend in his dormitory and was expelled by the school for "damaging social customs". Later, nothing else could be found out. As for how a student who was expelled from a traditional Chinese medicine university could have such strong abilities, that was a mystery.

Just when Zhang Jun was receiving treatment and starting to recover, Kaká also encountered his World Cup syndrome. His performance in the middle of the league was unstable and very poor. In several games, Ancelotti had to arrange for the old and weak Rui Costa to start.

It took Kaká almost two months to stabilize his condition and return to the main lineup. But his condition still had an undeniable impact on the team.

This season, Inter Milan had a strong outbreak. After Mancini promoted Li Yongle to the main position, he has been rewarding the coach's trust with a stable state. Mancini also used him to formulate tactics. A Chinese youngster being the core in the wealthy Inter Milan made the Chinese media hype it up, which greatly satisfied the national pride of the Chinese people.

Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Juventus, the three powerhouses are biting very tightly. Now AC Milan is first, Inter Milan is second, and Juventus is third. The league has entered the second half, and each team has begun to exert their strength.

Kaká's condition mainly affected Milan's ranking. Originally, they were first and second with Inter Milan, but by March, the two teams had begun to entangle, with each taking the lead. Juventus, on the other hand, focused on the Champions League - they are currently very likely to enter the top four. Although the club has never said that they would give up the league, from the lineup that Capello arranged when facing league opponents and Champions League opponents, it can be seen that Juventus urgently needs a European Champions League trophy.

At the same time, Zhang Jun's Fiorentina is slowly sliding into the quagmire of the relegation zone, as some football commentators predicted in the first half of the season. Since the start of the second half of the season on January 6, Fiorentina has lost seven of nine rounds, winning only one game. This result is simply terrible.

Faced with criticism, Malesani pushed all the responsibility onto the referee. He believed that it was AC Milan and Juventus who joined forces to suppress them, which led to Fiorentina facing such a situation. Of course, he didn't say it so bluntly, his original words were as follows: "I think someone is trying to fix us, trying to bring us down. Just because our boss and Mr. Moratti are good friends, look at how many penalties we were awarded in nine league games, and you will understand. Five! Is this normal? Maybe we should go abroad to find referees, at least they won't be manipulated."

These words immediately caused a huge uproar. Galliani, the chairman of the Professional League and vice chairman of AC Milan, warned Malesani very unceremoniously in the media: "Some people talk nonsense when they get old. I can understand his mood after losing, but don't blame the referee when you lose. Refereeing is very difficult now, and there is a lot of questioning on referees when there is a slight problem. They are not for losers to find excuses."

Fiorentina could not fail to express their opinion. Naturally, they also publicly punished Malesani - a fine of three thousand euros. Although Della Valle fined Malesani, he did not criticize him. He even publicly declared a few days later that despite the poor record, Malesani's position was stable. He was a dedicated and respected coach, and his work should not be questioned, etc. The implication was that the loss was not the team's problem, but some other reason.

As for what this other reason was, as long as you understand Della Valle's relationship with the "Holy Alliance", everyone knows what this other reason refers to.

※※※

Zhang Jun has already started training with the team, it has only been less than three months. Although he has not yet reached the "alive and kicking" stage that Feng Qing said, it has made a group of club doctors amazed.

Zhang Jun's return to the team should be considered good news for Fiorentina, it's always better to have one more person than one less at a critical moment. But Malesani still doesn't like him as always - don't ask how a coach dares to ignore the existence of the World Cup bronze boot, in fact, even if it is the World Cup gold boot, after the game is over, how many people will still pay attention to them, and then look at their performance after the World Cup, how many can continue the name of "Gold Boot"?

Not to mention the distant past, from 1990 to 2002, what happened to those gold boots?

Ronaldo is still one of the best strikers in the world, but four years ago, this "one of" did not exist.

Šuker was still playing for Real Madrid before the World Cup, and after the World Cup, he went to Arsenal, couldn't find his form, and then gradually faded out of people's sight.

The 94 World Cup was a bit special, with two people sharing the gold boot. Stoichkov deserved it, but he was not young at that time. As for the other one, Salenko, who is he? He is just an ordinary player who is so lucky that he can't be more ordinary.

Schillaci in 90 was even more of a thorough opportunist. Had anyone heard of his name before the World Cup? After the World Cup, did anyone often hear his name?

Li Yan once analyzed this to Zhang Jun. He told Zhang Jun not to be discouraged by these difficulties. The results on the World Cup can only represent your efforts on the World Cup and absolutely do not mean that you will be as popular in the future. Always carrying the honor of the World Cup will only lead to nothing.

But whether it was Li Yan or Zhang Jun, or anyone else, they all ignored one place.

Franz Beckenbauer's successor, the leader of Inter Milan's German Three Musketeers, the first World Footballer of the Year - Lothar Matthäus.

The Golden Ball winner of that World Cup, the best shooter in Brazil since Pelé, the King of the Penalty Area, the World Footballer of the Year, "The Loner" - Romário.

The symbolic figure of Argentina after the Maradona era, the greatest striker in Argentina after Kempes, the mass idol, "The God of War" - Gabriel Batistuta.

The above three were all bronze boot winners in the World Cup.

※※※

Three months, really as Feng Qing said, three months later, from Zhang Jun's body, you can no longer see the shadow of an injury. And Feng Qing will continue to stay by Zhang Jun's side until the end of the season, this is to prevent any accidents. Fiorentina also accepted the situation that Zhang Jun had such a personal doctor, but Feng Qing only took care of Zhang Jun. He never agreed to the club doctor asking him for help.

For that Chinese medicine doctor who created the miracle, the media investigated and investigated, and it was all those things, unable to attract more attention, so the media focused on the contradiction between Zhang Jun and Malesani. It was well known that the two of them were not in harmony, and neither of them had ever deliberately concealed this tense relationship.

The purpose of the media is to report on this phenomenon on the one hand, and to fan the flames on the other.

"Zhang Jun wants to play as the main player." This is straightforward.

"The World Cup bronze boot is actually not as good as a Miccoli?" This is asking rhetorically.

"The leg is just right, but the heart is hard to heal." This is lyrical.

"Malesani: No one is an absolute main player." The coach's counterattack.

"Miccoli: Zhang is very strong, but unlucky." The opponent's words...

"Maybe there are some problems between them, but I think it's all for the good of the team." Irrelevant and painless, someone random.

"I like Zhang very much, I don't understand why Malesani's record is so poor, and he can still stay in office. To be honest, he is old, too old, the current Serie A is no longer suitable for him." The voice of the fans.

……

Zhang Jun never expresses his views in the media's hype, he doesn't want to be used by the media. But after all, he is not as sophisticated as Yang Pan, and he will hide his true thoughts, so his indifference to the coach is still seized by reporters and made a big fuss about.

Some excessive ones even said that Zhang Jun ignored the existence of the coach and incited the fans to oppose Malesani and Della Valle. This hat is a bit too big.

Zhang Jun doesn't read the newspapers, but Li Yan does. Even he has to sigh that sometimes the Italian media is even more shameless.

※※※

On April 21, Fiorentina hosted Messina at home. The relegation situation is getting more and more serious, and Fiorentina cannot lose a single game at home.

Less than five minutes after the start of the second half, the score was still 0:0. Goalkeeper Lupatelli committed a foul outside the penalty area and was shown a red card by the referee and sent off!

This is a major blow to Fiorentina, and Zhang Jun clenched his fists. He thinks it is time for him to serve the team. With ten men against eleven, he needs to stand up and score goals.

But immediately Malesani gave him a blow. The linesman signaled that Fiorentina was making a substitution. Substitute goalkeeper Cejas came on, but the one who was replaced was Zhang Jun, number 11.

Zhang Jun looked at the fourth official and Cejas, who was eager to try, with some disbelief.

Why is it him? He played very well in this game, with several very threatening shots. He has always had a strong premonition that he will score today. Bojinov was injured a month ago, which reduced one of his competitors. He wanted to seize the opportunity to perform well, but he didn't expect that when he needed to make a substitution, he was still the first one to be considered!

Zhang Jun feels that he is becoming less and less important in Fiorentina. Should he seriously consider leaving?

Seeing that Zhang Jun didn't respond, the Messina player next to him reached out and pushed him, signaling him to leave the field quickly and not waste time here.

Zhang Jun knows that the matter is a foregone conclusion. He is unwilling and has no choice, so he walks off the field with an unhappy face, still not high-fiving Cejas, not returning to the bench, and walking straight back to the locker room without saying hello to anyone.

He feels that he has been abandoned and cannot get trust at all. He knows that he doesn't like defense, and Malesani just needs everyone to participate in defense. He has been working very hard to do this and change. Doing so will inevitably affect his number of goals, and he will not get support. Miccoli is a person who only eats alone, and he is very passive when he partners with him, and he is very tired of playing, but in order to play, he has to compromise again and again.

Now people think that Miccoli is Fiorentina's number one star, he doesn't care.

People think that he should actively defend, and he does so.

Some people say that he is inciting fans to fight against the club, and he doesn't care.

He gave up the principles he had always adhered to and slapped himself in the face. What did he get in the end?

The first one to be substituted.

He is so dispensable in Malesani's eyes.

In the locker room, Zhang Jun took out his mobile phone and called Hua Fang: "Sister Hua, help me contact other teams, I want to leave here."

Then, he closed his mobile phone. At that moment, his heart was extremely painful.

※※※

After the game, there was almost overwhelming coverage, all about Zhang Jun and Malesani. In everyone's eyes, the contradiction between the two of them has obviously been publicized and intensified.

Malesani told reporters: "I don't know what he is thinking. But at that time, I could only replace a striker. Miccoli has been in good shape recently, so I can only replace him. If he has any opinions, he can raise them, I am not deaf to opinions, but he doesn't say anything, who knows what he is thinking?"

In addition, the news that he will leave Fiorentina after the end of the season is no longer news.

Della Valle has been very angry because the team's record is not good. He is very angry at Zhang Jun, who has committed the same mistake and has recently been rumored to be involved with other teams by the media. He publicly issued a penalty notice and called Zhang Jun into the chairman's office. No one knows what they talked about. Neither party has revealed anything, but when they came out, Zhang Jun's face was very ugly, and Della Valle's face was not very good either. It can be seen that if this meeting was a meeting to communicate and reconcile, then it was not successful. But if it was a stern criticism, then it doesn't seem to be successful... because it means that the close relationship between Zhang Jun and Della Valle, which was established in Serie B, has broken down.

Zhang Jun remained silent in the face of various voices. Even when Yang Pan called to inquire, he just laughed and didn't mention a word.

But he doesn't like Malesani, it's well known.

※※※

After finishing a day of training, Zhang Jun returned to the locker room after practicing free kicks alone. There was basically no one left in the training base, and only his sports car was left in the parking lot.

Riganò doesn't come to the team, he is recovering from his injury at home. During the winter break, Della Valle sold and rented out some old players, which made Zhang Jun more and more unfamiliar with Fiorentina. Now he has very few close friends in the team. He usually greets people when he meets them, but is unwilling to talk more. The three-month absence also made it impossible for him to get along with the new teammates, and he gradually lost his popularity in Fiorentina, where new players accounted for the majority.

Just when he finished taking a shower alone, changed his clothes, and came out of the locker room, preparing to go home, he saw a person at the door.

Although he was just facing away from him, and had cut his hair short, Zhang Jun could still recognize that it was Fiorentina's former "God of War" - Gabriel Batistuta.

Zhang Jun didn't know what Batistuta was doing here. Batistuta heard the sound of the door opening and turned around to see Zhang Jun.

"You're all right?" Batistuta was the first to speak. His question showed that he had been waiting for Zhang Jun.

"Ba...Batistuta is waiting for me?" Zhang Jun was slightly surprised.

"Yeah, are you interested in having dinner with me?" Batistuta said to Zhang Jun with a smile.

※※※

In a private room of a very ordinary Italian restaurant, Batistuta and Zhang Jun were eating and chatting. This was the first time Zhang Jun had seen this legendary figure in the club's history in more than a year since entering Florence - Batistuta has been in Argentina, saying that he is Fiorentina's resident scout in Argentina, but it is not that simple. Zhang Jun doesn't know exactly what he does - now he is even able to sit together and chat face-to-face, how can he not be excited? No matter how successful Zhang Jun is, he is just a fan in front of Batistuta.

Based on this sense of awe, Batistuta has been asking and Zhang Jun has been answering, and the atmosphere is a bit dull. Seeing that the meal is almost over, Batistuta decided to get to the point - the real purpose of his visit to Zhang Jun this time.

"I heard that you have been encountering some troubles recently." Batistuta said casually.

Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, and then smiled bitterly: "I didn't expect you to know..."

"Haha, it's been noisy in the newspapers every day. Everyone in Florence, oh no, everyone in Italy knows. Is there really no trust between you and Malesani?" After laughing, Batistuta asked Zhang Jun very seriously.

"There is no trust." Zhang Jun shook his head without hesitation. He didn't want to hide anything in front of this respected predecessor. "He has never believed in my ability, and he can't stand my poor defense. He is an old coach, that is, a traditional Italian coach. He plays counter-attack, emphasizing not the fast counter-attack after getting the ball, but how to consolidate the defense and not lose the ball. My football philosophy is completely different from his, and we can't work together."

Zhang Jun's words were a bit extreme. Although it was the first time he met Batistuta, his intuition told him that this person was trustworthy.

Batistuta smiled again: "Aren't you afraid that I am a spy sent by Malesani?"

Zhang Jun smiled bitterly: "It doesn't matter whether you are or not. I know very well what Malesani is thinking, and he also knows my thoughts."

Batistuta didn't joke anymore. He put away his smile and said to Zhang Jun seriously: "Zhang Jun, I think some of the words you said earlier were said in anger and didn't go through your brain."

"How could that be? I thought about it for a long time before I said it." Zhang Jun was a little surprised. He did think about it for a long time.

"It's that sentence: we can't work together. If you say it in front of outsiders, do you know what that means? Either you leave, or the coach leaves. But when there is a conflict between the players and the coach, ninety percent of the players leave. Do you want to leave Florence?"

Zhang Jun didn't say anything. Facing Batistuta, he didn't want to say the word "yes". Now the news about him seeking another way out is just a rumor. He has never admitted it - even though it is true.

Batistuta obviously didn't know what Zhang Jun was thinking. Seeing that Zhang Jun didn't say anything, he thought that Zhang Jun was also reconsidering whether that sentence should be said.

"Zhang Jun, tell me, why do you play football, and why did you choose to play professional football?"

"Uh...I like it, I like football..." Zhang Jun said carefully, for fear of being scolded by his senior for being "naive".

But Batistuta didn't scold him, but just sighed: "Liking it is a good thing, but Zhang Jun, don't you have the consciousness of a professional player?"

"The consciousness of a professional player?" Zhang Jun was stunned again. He had been surprised too many times being with Batistuta today.

"Do you know why I play professional football? In fact, I have never liked football. When I was young, my dream was to enter the Argentine national basketball team. But this doesn't prevent me from becoming the main striker of the Argentine national football team. As long as I return home, I never talk to my wife and friends about anything related to football, but this also doesn't prevent me from succeeding in Florence and Rome. Do you know why?"

Zhang Jun hesitated: "Could it be because of the consciousness of a professional player?"

"That's right. It can also be said to be professional ethics and dedication. Zhang Jun, since you are a professional player, you must also have these things. No matter what the coach thinks of you, before the season is over, you have to listen to him, and at least respect him on the surface. Because this is work, and work cannot be done according to your temperament. In many cases, you even have to compromise..."

"I have compromised. I never defend, but under Malesani, as long as I play, I have to defend actively. What else do I have to do?" Zhang Jun interrupted Batistuta. He was indeed a little anxious. Since he came to AC Milan, he has been suffering a lot of grievances. He doesn't know how much he has to compromise to get it all.

Batistuta looked at the somewhat excited Zhang Jun and did not stop him from venting. They are in the private room, and they are not afraid of being overheard by outsiders.

"Zhang Jun, I heard that your father passed away?" After Zhang Jun finished venting, he asked lightly.

Zhang Jun lowered his originally high head: "Last October..."

"I'm sorry. You are the only child in your family, right?" Batistuta continued to ask, and Zhang Jun continued to answer: "Yes, only child."

"Then you are now the only man in the family. Have you ever thought about the fact that you will be the pillar of the family in the future? You should mature and show more maturity than you are now, instead of acting on your temper. Do you want to be like this for the rest of your life?"

Zhang Jun didn't understand what Batistuta meant.

"To be blunt, Zhang Jun. If you still treat football with the mentality of just liking it, you will eventually achieve nothing. You have to treat it as a career, a job, and do it seriously and diligently, and you will eventually succeed. This is maturity. You have to mature, Zhang Jun. Do you know how many people have high hopes for you?"

Zhang Jun was speechless. He really didn't think about any lofty ambitions, but he didn't want people to underestimate him either.

"Let's be frank, Zhang Jun. If you still treat football with this kind of mentality of just liking it, you will eventually achieve nothing. You have to treat it as a career, a job, and do it seriously and diligently, and you will eventually succeed. This is maturity. You have to mature, Zhang Jun. Do you know how many people have high hopes for you?"

※※※

The meal ended like this. Batistuta said goodbye to Zhang Jun and will return to Argentina in a few days. He looks very busy.

And Zhang Jun was lying on the bed at home thinking about every word Batistuta said to him.

Maturity. This word…

He always thought he was mature enough, but in Batistuta's eyes, he was still a temperamental child who couldn't grow up. So, how can he mature?

Like Batistuta said, have professional ethics and dedication, this is maturity on the field, so what about in life? How should he do it? Batistuta didn't teach him.

"Do you know how many people have high hopes for you?"

It seems that Batistuta also values him very much, otherwise he wouldn't have come all the way to say so much to him.

Zhang Jun thought of this and suddenly understood a little: every time he encounters setbacks, he needs someone to give him pointers. Although it is said that the person involved is confused, and the bystander is clear, but does the fact that it happens so often show his immaturity?

From the very beginning of Yang Pan, to Sophie, Qiu Zhi, Mr. Basten, Robbie, to the current Batistuta, he has always been relying on others, and has never solved problems independently. Isn't this a sign that his psychology is not right?

Only children will always rely on adults, but he is already twenty-four years old, how can he be embarrassed to rely on others anymore? Dad is gone, and Mom can only rely on me. If I still always let her worry about me, how can I justify it?

In the future, I will marry Sophie and let her rely on me and trust me, instead of letting her send a lot of text messages every day like now, worrying about me.

If this goes on, I will not be a filial son, nor will I be a good husband.

Batistuta is right, a man is the pillar of the family. As the only male in the family, if he doesn't mature, he will just be a little brat who can't grow up.

From now on, I no longer need others to worry about me, and I no longer need to rely on others.

Dad, don't worry, Mom and Sophie will be taken care of by me. I don't want to be a little brat, I have to be a man.

Zhang Jun wiped his eyes, this was the last time in his life that he cried for his father's passing.