Lin Xianrong didn't launch into a long speech. He stood in front of the microphone and got straight to the point: "This is the first time I've returned to Qingyang High School since I retired. And the reason I've come back is because I once promised Zhou Yi something..."

As he said this, he looked back at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi was completely baffled, not understanding what kind of request he had made of Zhou Yi back then.

Seeing Zhou Yi's puzzled expression, Lin Xianrong smiled and said, "It seems Zhou Yi has forgotten, but that's okay, I still remember it. I'm old, I can't remember many things, but I've always remembered this."

After saying that, he beckoned to the people below, and his son and the director of education, Wang Shunquan, carried something up.

But no one knew what it was, because it was covered with a red cloth.

After the two men carried the object up the steps, they stood between Lin Xianrong and Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi also looked at the thing in front of him with a puzzled expression, not understanding what it was.

Lin Xianrong, facing the teachers and students below the stage, said, "Speaking of Zhou Yi, he was already famous in Qingyang High School before he became a football star. I think many of the teachers present should have a deep impression of him, right?"

Some of the teachers laughed, while the students looked at their teachers strangely, not understanding what they were laughing about. The oldest of these students, the seniors, had only entered the school two years after Zhou Yi left Qingyang High School. When they entered the school, Zhou Yi had become a legend. There were always many versions of legends, so Zhou Yi had many faces.

But no matter what kind of face it was, people were always tolerant of the already famous Zhou Yi. No one mentioned his embarrassing things from back then. What was passed around was Zhou Yi's positive image. Some things Zhou Yi hadn't even done were attributed to him.

Of course, the teachers would not spread bad things about Zhou Yi, and after so many years, the "rumors" among the students had changed into a completely different world.

Zhai Liying covered her mouth and smiled. The old principal's words reminded her of that "troublemaker" who had always given her headaches. Back then, she had been teased by other teachers because of Zhou Yi.

She never thought that after so many years, that "bad student" who had annoyed her back then had turned into a source of pride for her.

"The students here may not know that our Qingyang High School's pride, Zhou Yi... was once a 'troublemaker' who gave the school's teachers and leaders a headache!" Lin Xianrong said in a drawn-out voice.

Zhou Yi, listening from behind, felt that the tone was wrong. Was he about to reveal his dark history?

Lin Xianrong vividly recalled for everyone an embarrassing thing Zhou Yi had done back then: he had photoshopped his own photo onto a Chinese national team jersey, printed it out, and hung it on the school's wall of honor, pretending to be a successful person from Qingyang High School.

Such a story was very fresh to the students below, and everyone laughed so hard they leaned forward and back.

Who would have thought of using their own photo to impersonate a celebrity? Just to hang on the wall of honor?

This really surprised them. The big star of today was so foolish back then.

The old principal Zhou Yi also kept scratching his head behind them, with a simple and honest smile on his face. He didn't think there was anything embarrassing about being laughed at by the students. Although this was one of the embarrassing things he had done, he didn't think it was shameful.

※※※

Lin Xianrong paused at the end of his story, and then said, "Back then, who would have thought that the reckless young man who could only use a photoshopped photo to impersonate someone would now actually turn that photoshop into reality?"

These words aroused a lot of emotion and thought in the people present. The students who had been laughing so hard they cried earlier now had serious expressions.

Using a photoshopped photo to impersonate a celebrity was indeed a very foolish act, but when that person worked hard and became a celebrity, it wasn't foolish at all. On the contrary, it was very inspiring.

The foolishness of the past had turned into persistence and dedication to one's ideals.

Lin Xianrong turned around and looked at Zhou Yi, "Do you remember what I promised you in my office back then? As long as you can lead the Chinese team into the World Cup, Qingyang High School's wall of honor will have your real photo hanging on it. Now..."

He walked to the mysterious object covered by the red cloth, and unveiled the red cloth, also revealing the mystery – a photo of Zhou Yi wearing a Chinese team jersey and shooting on the field appeared before everyone's eyes.

Zhou Yi had already guessed what was under the red cloth when old principal Lin Xianrong was talking about that matter, so he was not surprised to see his photo now.

However, there was a burst of cheers from the students below the stage.

"Great!!"

"Awesome!!"

The young people clapped their hands hard and whistled.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became heated.

Lin Xianrong waited for the noise to subside a little before continuing, "Zhou Yi, you did what you said, so I will also do what I said."

Zhou Yi respectfully bowed to the old principal, then he stepped forward and hugged Lin Xianrong tightly.

Although he already knew the result, he was still very moved when he heard the old principal's last sentence.

Someone took the silly thing he had done as a very serious thing, kept it in his heart, and then made it a reality... There was a reason why such an old principal was respected by generations of Qingyang High School students.

"Alright, say a few words to your younger students."

Lin Xianrong patted Zhou Yi on the shoulder, and then pushed him to the microphone.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, looking at the smiling faces below, with envy in their eyes.

He opened his mouth and said, "Don't worry, I'm not a leader giving a speech..."

Everyone laughed.

"Thank you all for coming to this... ceremony in the hot sun." Zhou Yi pointed to the photo behind him. "It's a wonderful feeling to see myself really on Qingyang High School's wall of honor. It feels a little unreal, and a little flattered. I don't even remember the promise the old principal made back then, I didn't expect you to still remember it..."

Saying this, Zhou Yi turned his head and bowed slightly to Lin Xianrong.

Lin Xianrong smiled and waved his hand, telling him not to be polite.

"Actually, I don't know what to say to everyone... I'm not a life mentor, and I'm not qualified to be anyone's life mentor. Everyone's life is their own, how to live and how to walk is your own business, and my experience may not be useful to you. So I won't be here to force-feed you all chicken soup."

Many successful people, once they have the opportunity to speak in public, will pour their own "chicken soup" down the throats of the audience. This stuff may really be a great tonic for them, but it may not be for those audiences. Not everyone's experience can be universally promoted.

The so-called "one man's meat is another man's poison" is the reason for this.

But successful people happen to enjoy being treated as "life mentors", and they keep promoting their own success stories whenever they have the opportunity.

Zhou Yi did the opposite, which surprised the teachers and students present.

"Everyone sees me as if I'm a winner in life, but I also have regrets. What regrets? For example, I regret that I didn't get a high school diploma..."

As soon as Zhou Yi said this, the audience burst into laughter again.

For a big star to regret not getting a high school diploma, isn't that funny?

Zhou Yi also laughed with everyone, as if he had told a joke with a good effect.

But after everyone's laughter gradually subsided, he smiled and said, "Don't think I'm joking, I'm very serious. High school is a very important experience for me, but I didn't finish it, which is a lifelong regret for me. I hope that everyone will not have any regrets about their high school career when they graduate. And most importantly..."

Zhou Yi paused here, whetting everyone's appetite - what is so important about this?

"In the future, you can say to others - there is one thing that I have, but Zhou Yi does not have! What is it? Of course, it's a high school diploma!" Zhou Yi said excitedly, imitating that tone.

"Hahahaha!"

Some people in the audience laughed so hard they bent over, some people laughed so hard they leaned back and relied on their companions behind them to avoid falling, everyone was laughing and staggering.

"Finally, I sincerely wish everyone a wonderful and regret-free high school career! Thank you! Thank you all!"

Amid the warm applause of the teachers and students, Zhou Yi bowed to everyone and stepped down.

※※※

Zhou Yi and everyone witnessed his photo being hung on the wall of honor, and then, at everyone's request, he stood under his photo and completed a special group photo.

In the future, every student of Qingyang High School will turn their heads to look at this photo when they pass under it, and they will know that their school once produced a world-class football star.

He is the pride of Qingyang High School, hung on the wall of honor, overlooking every student passing by below.

At that time, all kinds of legends about Zhou Yi will surely circulate in Qingyang High School, but whether those legends include the one about him photoshopping his own photo and hanging it on the wall, it is not known...

(End of Volume 4)

ps, Starting tomorrow, I will resume updating two chapters a day. If there are no accidents, I hope to keep updating two chapters a day until the end of the book.