Like the last training camp on Shanhai Flying Fish Island, this training camp in Hongfeng Ridge also requires signing in at a special sign-in desk.

When everyone lined up there to sign in, Hu Lai, Wang Guangwei, and Luo Kai appeared in their field of vision.

Immediately Hulai became the center of attention and center of everyone.

Chen Xingyi, who arrived earlier than them, was the first to greet him, and then saw Luo Kai next to him: "Why did you all come together?" ”

"We're all on the same plane." Wang Guangwei explained the reason.

"Hey, I forgot that Luo Kai is also from Dongchuan!" Chen Xingyi patted his head.

Hu Lai said to Wang Guangwei: "You see that I am not the only one who would make such a mistake, right? ”

Guo Junfu and Liu Yan walked up, stretched out their hands and patted Hu Lai's shoulder: "It's here!" ”

Hu Lai hurriedly greeted them: "Come on, come on, you guys have arrived early?" ”

"I just arrived, and I'm queuing up to sign in......"

Then everyone hugged Hulai and walked towards the sign-in desk.

Ran Jiachang, the leader of the National Olympic team, was already waiting for them there.

When he saw Hulai coming, he greeted him with a happy smile, and then gave him a thumbs up: "The FA Cup final was played beautifully!" ”

Everyone watched the FA Cup match, and even if they didn't see it, they knew about Hulai's performance from the news.

In addition, they must all know the grievances between Hu Lai and Wang Xianke.

But as the leader of the National Olympic team, Ran Jiachang did not show his estrangement from Hu Lai because of this, but was as enthusiastic as ever, with a hearty smile and praise to reassure Hu Lai's heart, and euphemistically told him that the National Olympic team supported him.

Hu Lixin was worried that Hu Lai's practice of angrily scolding Wang Xianke without empirical evidence would cause him some trouble.

But he really underestimated the status of Hulai in the minds of many football people today.

An anti-Korean hero, a young genius who may help the national Olympic team participate in the Olympic Games, a person who can score a record of 30 goals in a single season in the Chinese League, a fool can see that the future is promising, just because of a war of words with the head coach of a Chinese Super League team, he will be banned?

Is the top level of the Football Association a collective brain?

Perhaps in the era when Hu Lixin was young, there was still such a possibility.

But now that the Football Association has been cracked down by multiple departments, there can still be such a single-handed figure, which is really thinking that he has not been in prison and wants to go in and experience it.

※※※

Judging by Hulai's performance in all competitions in 2023, no one will express dissatisfaction or dissent to say that he is the number one star of the national Olympic team.

So when Lin Zhiyuan appeared at the sign-in point alone with a suitcase and a backpack, what he saw was a scene of Hu Lai being surrounded by people in the middle, like the stars holding the moon.

He remembered the repeated admonitions of the agent Uncle Qiu in the car, so he grinned at the corners of his mouth and walked up to the group of people.

His tall and muscular figure quickly attracted the attention of the group.

"You're Hulai?" After walking in front of Hu Lai, Lin Zhiyuan looked down at him and asked.

"I'm Hulai, are you?" Hulai looked up at him.

"I'm Lin Zhiyuan."

Hulai had a confused look on his face.

Seeing him like this, Chen Xingyi arched the fire next to him and said: "Hey, it's the genius goalkeeper who said that your achievements are only so high!" ”

He also gestured with his hand to his calf.

Lin Zhiyuan didn't pay attention to Chen Xingyi's provocation, he continued to look at Hu Lai.

As soon as Hu Lai heard this, a sudden look appeared on his face: "Oh, oh, oh, it's you!" ”

Everyone else also reacted, thinking of the grievance between Lin Zhiyuan and Hu Lai - they didn't know Lin Zhiyuan well, but they knew and were familiar with Hu Lai, and they would pay more attention to Hu Lai's affairs. So when Lin Zhiyuan joined the South China Tigers, after saying that he knew that it was aimed at Hu Lai, everyone knew about Lin Zhiyuan by the way.

After thinking about it, many people looked at Lin Zhiyuan's eyes and were not so friendly.

Hu Lai's strength is obvious to all, after you kid said something like that, you still have the face to run over, what? Is it a provocation?

Coupled with Lin Zhiyuan's background of training in Germany, many people were a little concerned, thinking that this kid was a banana man and was not the same as us.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became a little tense.

At this moment, a big man squeezed in from outside the crowd, it was the team's forward Tan Yunlong. Both he and Lin Zhiyuan play at the South China Tigers Club.

After he squeezed in, he hurriedly apologized to everyone: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Zhiyuan is his character...... I've been scolded many times in our team, but I just can't control my mouth...... Hulai, don't be like this stupid big man......"

After speaking, he tugged Lin Zhiyuan's arm vigorously and shouted, "What are you doing!" What are you dragging here, you newcomer, when you first came to our team, you didn't drag like this......"

It was good that he didn't say this, and as soon as he said that, the people around him looked at Hulai with strange expressions.

Guo Junfu muttered beside him: "It seems that Hu Lai was more dragged ...... at that time"

Everyone remembered how Hu Lai sat at the table at the Red Maple Ridge restaurant, and then the other players from the national Olympic team ran over to greet him and huddle around him.

It's almost like a scene from the movie "The Godfather".

Tan Yunlong was also a little embarrassed.

Lin Zhiyuan turned back to Tan Yunlong and said, "Brother Tan, don't say I'm a stupid big man next time, you are also a big man yourself, don't you even scold yourself?" ”

"You ......" Tan Yunlong was angry.

The other Olympic team players burst out laughing, and the tension that had been a bit of a part of the previous one suddenly dissipated a lot.

In the midst of laughter, Lin Zhiyuan turned around and continued to look at Hu Lai and said: "I watched your performance in the FA Cup, you are indeed very good. But it also makes me look forward to the next Super League, I will beat you in the game and not let you score. ”

Hulai spread his hands: "Then why wait until next season, isn't there shooting training and group games in the training of the national Olympic team?" ”

"The performance in training doesn't count." Lin Zhiyuan waved his hand and pouted.

"I don't think the performance in training is good, but are you sure you'll be able to play for the South China Tigers next season?"

"I have that confidence." Lin Zhiyuan said proudly.

Seeing him like this, Hu Lai also nodded: "Okay, then we'll see you in the Super League then!" ”

Lin Zhiyuan, who got Hu Lai's answer, grinned: "One word is a certainty!" ”

※※※

Ran Jiachang said to Shi Wuyun next to him: "Is it really okay not to interfere?" ”

Shi Wuyun had come before, he had seen the whole story of this matter in its entirety from the side, and stopped Ran Jiachang when he wanted to intervene.

"I don't need it at all, Lao Ran. Isn't that great? Their internal affairs are solved internally, and now that is the case, isn't it resolved? And Lao Ran, do you know why I recruited Lin Zhiyuan? ”

"Isn't it because he helped the team win the Chinese Super League Reserve League championship in the South China Tigers reserve team?"

"That's just one of the reasons. I have carefully learned about Lin Zhiyuan's experience and his personality, and found that this kid is simply a qualified 'catfish'! ”

"Catfish?" Ran Jiachang was puzzled.

"Well, the 'catfish' in the 'Catfish Effect'."

Ran Jiachang suddenly realized.

The "catfish effect" he had heard of. Catfish are specialized in eating fish, so if you put a catfish in a fixed ecological environment, then other fish in this environment will swim desperately in order to avoid the catfish chasing them, which in turn activates their ability to survive.

Therefore, the "catfish effect" is often used to describe the strategy of adopting some means or measures to stimulate competition.

"Do you want Lin Zhiyuan to stimulate others?"

"That's right. He is a qualified candidate, he has a big personality, he speaks openly, I don't know if it's because of his personality or what the reason, in short, he doesn't seem to be afraid of offending people. It would be nice for him to be the 'catfish'. After winning the East Asian Cup, the line-up gradually became fixed, and I am worried that some people will become proud and slack off and lose the motivation to continue to improve. Just like Guan Xinyan at the beginning. So I wanted to find someone to whip them and whip them. And Lin Zhiyuan, who has played in overseas echelons, his status as a returnee can make a big fuss in itself, and secondly, he is not familiar with almost all the players of the National Olympic team, and there is no problem of forming gangs......"

Shi Wuyun told Ran Jiachang all his thoughts.

The latter listened and nodded: "There are ideas, there are ideas." ”

"And Lao Ran, you see, he has just arrived, and he has not signed in yet, so he dares to issue such a challenge to Hu Lai...... The rest of our players are busy surrounding Hulai...... I'm not saying that Hulai's popularity is a bad thing, I just don't want Hulai to feel comfortable in the Olympic team. He is really the tactical core of our team, and we can't easily replace him, so we can only find an external force to stimulate him, so that he does not relax too much. ”

"So you specifically looked for this Lin Zhiyuan, who had some holidays with Hu Lai?"

Shi Wuyun smiled and said nothing.

"You...... Cunning! ”

※※※

"Speaking of which, today's incident suddenly reminded me of the scene of the national competition that year......" Walking on the way to the dormitory building, Chen Xingyi said suddenly.

"Which scene?" Wang Guangwei and Hu Lai are both asking.

"That's it...... Hulai, do you remember that someone blocked me at the door of the cafeteria and challenged me with a book? ”

"Is there such a thing?" Hu Lai frowned and thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, "Yes! I remembered, indeed...... And then you kid sold me at that time! ”

"I'm a little emotional...... I think I was looking for a war letter at the beginning, but now it's someone else's turn to give you a war letter. Chen Xingyi said to Hu Lai.

"What's that man's name?" Hulai couldn't remember for a moment.

"It seems to be called Zhou Zijing......" Chen Xingyi recalled with great effort.

"Oh yes, he then came to our dorm house and said he was going to beat me in the Pro League...... As a result, there is no news of him so far, has he come to the professional team? ”

"I don't know......" Chen Xingyi shook his head.

※※※

"Zhou Zijing, you're crazy! Run half a marathon on the big night! ”

When Zhou Zijing's father, Zhou Shenghai, saw his son at home soaking wet and returning home, his eyes widened.

"Am I running at noon?" Zhou Zijing held on to the door frame and gasped.

"It's not this, I mean, why are you working so hard? I finally came home from vacation, how did you practice more fiercely than in the club? ”

"What can I do, Dad? Who told me not to be selected for the Olympic team? That Lin Zhiyuan actually entered the National Olympic team, but I didn't! ”

"You're a reserve champion, aren't you?"

Zhou Zijing: "......"

He gave his father a blank look and went straight to take a shower.

"I'm serious, son, don't work too hard, be careful of training injuries. You're still young, and you have a long way to go. Behind him, Zhou Shenghai said very seriously.

"I know Dad, I'm measured. I don't run like this every day. Zhou Zijing waved his hand and walked into the bathroom. I'm just in a bit of a bad mood today, so going for a run helps regulate my mood. ”

With that, he closed the bathroom door.

And Zhou Shenghai, who was outside, looked at the door and shook his head helplessly.

Hu Lai and Chen Xingyi were both selected for the National Olympic team, and even Lin Zhiyuan became a member of the National Olympic team......

But son, everyone has their own way, just follow your own path, don't worry, what should be yours will always be yours.