While disappointed and bitter England were still roaming the streets of South Africa all night long, as far away as China, the festivities continued almost until dawn, with almost all the domestic media reporting live on the festivities across the country. It is only at this time that you can feel again that the number one sport is football, and there are so many people in China.

Not only the domestic media, but also many foreign media in the crowd of celebrations, and the footage of Chinese fans celebrating the next day appeared in front of the world. The comment of the foreign power is: "...... For the first time, they were so crazy about football, and the progress of Chinese football gave them a taste of long-lost joy. Today's Chinese fans are the happiest in the world, and every time the Chinese team takes a step forward, this happiness has an extra layer ......"

Although the domestic celebration is carnival, in South Africa, within the Chinese national team, the celebration of reaching the semi-finals did not last long, because the semi-finals will be played soon. Their current opponents in the semi-finals are not known, and the match between France and Argentina has not yet been played.

After a match against China in the first half, Brazil won against Germany without any suspense, and Kaka scored once again, and he has already scored three goals in this World Cup, only less than Adriano with five goals and Robinho with four, and is the third top scorer in the Brazilian team.

The media can clearly feel that as the Brazilian team enters the knockout round, Kaka's form is getting better and better. He is very active in the game, not only can he shoot and score by himself, but also frequently assist his teammates, and he even steals the limelight from Ronaldinho, the former world footballer.

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According to Qiu Suhui's practice, the Chinese team had to rest the next day after the game, so most of the players chose to sleep in. Zhang Jun is no exception, he is too tired to play and train non-stop these days. Instead, Yang Pan got up early in the morning to go for a walk, and then went back to his room to read, quietly waiting for Zhang Jun to get up and go to breakfast together.

Zhang Jun was woken up by the ringtone of his mobile phone.

"Hey ......" picked up the phone from the side of his pillow, and the voice sounded clearly not waking up.

"Jun Zhang, Elder Rong is gone......" Sophie's voice was low and hoarse.

"Ah......" Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, and he hadn't woken up yet. But he quickly reacted, "It's the honor you always tell me...... Rong Yunsheng? A veteran in sports photography? "Sophie didn't talk to Zhang Jun once or twice about this person, Zhang Jun naturally remembered it very clearly.

"Hmm."

"Gone? Where did he go? Zhang Jun still hasn't fully woken up.

"Passed away...... In yesterday's match against England......" Sophie's voice grew deeper.

Zhang Jun sat up from the bed suddenly, startling Yang Pan next to him, he closed the book and looked at Zhang Jun.

"Rong Lao had heart surgery four years ago, but he still needs to take medicine on time to maintain it. Yesterday's game, I don't know why he didn't take the medicine, we found the bottle of medicine not far from him...... "Sophie can still remember the scene that happened yesterday. In the joyful atmosphere of the stadium, a group of them stood in front of Rong Lao, and when they found him, their bodies were already cold, and there was no longer a trace of life.

Many reporters called the ambulance for work reasons and then turned around to shoot the scene of celebration, and finally Sophie and two other colleagues put Rong Lao in the ambulance and sent him to the local hospital.

Since Rong Yunsheng is a free identity and does not belong to any media, it is still Sophie who calls his family who is far away in China in the end, and is responsible for arranging the funeral until his family comes.

This is also the reason why Sophie's voice is hoarse and low, and she stays awake all night. After the court stopped, the photojournalists came to the hospital one after another, accompanying Sophie to protect Rong Lao. Someone advised her to go back and rest, but Sophie refused. Rong Lao lay quietly in the morgue, while Sophie sat in the hallway outside, holding his camera in her arms. When Rong Lao's family comes, the camera will also be returned to them. An interview card, an old camera, a bottle of medicine. This is all the relics of Rong Yunsheng.

"Zhang Jun, I didn't just call you to tell you about this, I have another request."

"What's the matter, you can tell me."

"I want the Chinese players to wear black veils on their arms in the semi-finals, okay? Rong Lao is a die-hard fan, and just yesterday at halftime, he bowed to me and said let me thank you on his behalf, it was you who made him feel happy and hopeful. Actually, he'd love to see your semi-finals and see you make it to the finals...... I think he must have regretted it in the end, and he was very reluctant to give up...... He has taken so many pictures of Chinese football and Chinese sports in his life, and I hope we can do something for him......"

"Okay, I'll go to Qiu Zhi and say. You also have a good rest, don't get too tired...... Take care, Sophie. Rong Yunsheng is a person that Sophie respects very much, and many of his photographs are the objects of Sophie's collection, so Zhang Jun can completely understand Sophie's feelings after his death...... He remembered his father.

Zhang Jun hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, and then quickly put clothes on his body. "Yang Pan, follow me to Qiu Zhi's room, and I'll tell you the details on the way." Zhang Jun said to Yang Pan.

"You don't wash your face or brush your teeth?" Yang Pan stood up.

"Where can I care about that now?"

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Twenty minutes later, the two found Qiu Zhi and Hu Li in the hotel lobby. Looking at Zhang Jun with messy hair and eye droppings at the corners of his eyes, Qiu Suhui smiled: "What's wrong?" Zhang Jun, what about sleepwalking? ”

"Qiu Zhi, no kidding, I have something to ask you ......"

Ten minutes later, Hu Li was silent, and Qiu Suhui sighed: "I know the Rong Lao you said, although I don't know you very well, but there are several sides. Not only do I have to wear a black veil, but I plan to apply to the organizing committee if I can observe a minute of silence before the competition. I'm going to be busy with this today, and besides, you have to tell Sophie to pay attention to her body, it's not just us who are tired these days, Zhang Jun. ”

Zhang Jun nodded: "I will get it." ”

When Qiu Suhui and Hu Li went to find the person in charge, Zhang Jun also got up and walked out. Yang Pan stopped him: "You want to go to the hospital?" ”

"Hmm." Zhang Jun nodded, "Go and accompany Sophie." ”

Yang Pan glanced outside the gate: "You go from the side door, go to the hotel and ask for a car." I'm going to help you distract them. At the gate as far as his eyes could see, there were many reporters in ambush, and they were looking inside. It seems that if Zhang Jun wants to go out from the main entrance, it is almost impossible.

Zhang Jun also looked at it, and then patted Yang Pan's shoulder with a smile: "Thank you." I'm going to look for the car. ”

"Thanks for what? I've been pressed by you all day long, it's time for us to show our faces, haha! Yang Pan waved his hand with a big grin, and then walked straight to the group of reporters outside the door.

Zhang Jun watched as he quickly drowned in the frenzied reporters, then turned and walked towards the hotel taxi place.

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Sophie sat alone on a bench in the hospital corridor, she actually wanted to lie down, but because she was one of the three people who brought Rong Lao to the hospital, the other two went to breakfast, so I brought it to her by the way. She was afraid that when she fell asleep, the doctor would look for her. Or fear that the camera in your arms will be lost...... Thinking of this, she hugged the camera in her arms a little tighter.

The Chinese team reached the semi-finals, and they eliminated the powerful old powerhouse England, which should have been a very cheering and happy thing, why didn't I have half a point of joy? It's not the first time I've said goodbye, so why can't I let go of it in my heart?

Forty-five minutes ago, he smiled and said, "I took that goal, and it will definitely be the most satisfying work in my life." You have a good husband, we fans have a good player, no, a group of good players! ”

Forty-five minutes later, goodbye was already cold. At this time when everyone cheered and the whole country celebrated, Sophie felt even more sad.

Why? Is it because everyone ignores that you once existed? The man who once made a chronicle for Chinese sports with his own hands, but now no one remembers him. Look at this deserted corridor...... Those reporters are now working overtime to prepare for the Chinese team to reach the semi-finals, right? Only you, a freelancer, have the time to be here with you......

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When Zhang Jun saw Sophie in the sunny corridor, she was already asleep on the bench. The winter sun slanted in through the window, spilling on Sophie's crooked body and the old-fashioned camera in her arms.

Zhang Jun slowed down his pace, then walked next to Sophie, took off his coat and draped it over Sophie's body, originally planned to quietly admire Sophie's sleeping posture next to him, but he didn't expect the sensitive Sophie to wake up suddenly.

Her first reaction was that the doctor was calling herself, and she was relieved when she saw Zhang Jun opposite.

"How long did I sleep?"

"I don't know, I saw you asleep when I came, it's been less than a minute now."

Sophie grabbed her hair casually and combed it: "I hope nothing was delayed." ”

"You're alone?" Zhang Jun looked at the corridor, it was empty, maybe because it was morning, so there didn't seem to be many people.

"No, there are two more companions, and they are going to breakfast."

"Oh."

The two of them were speechless for a while, and just sat like this. Zhang Jun looked up at the blue sky outside the opposite window, while Sophie's eyes looked at the end of the corridor, where a doctor would have to come if he was coming. Some arrangements for the aftermath of the old man's aftermath have not yet been resolved.

Sophie's head drooped slowly, then with a thud, she looked up again as if nothing had happened.

"When you're tired, rest." Seeing Sophie's appearance, Zhang Jun was also very distressed. But the tacit understanding between the two made him rarely force Sophie to do something.

"But ......" Zhang Jun knew what Sophie was going to say, he covered her mouth, "With me, you can sleep." When your peers come, I'll hand over the work to them, two big men, how can you make a girl so tired? ”

Sophie smiled slightly when she heard Zhang Jun say this, as if relieved, she tilted her head and fell into Zhang Jun's arms, gradually closing her eyes.

Looking at Sophie who was haggard in his arms, Zhang Jun felt very uneasy in his heart, this summer, he must make up for Sophie who has paid so much for him.

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Yang Pan simply held a small press conference in the open-air square outside the hotel, where reporters were free to ask questions, and he also had the right to choose whether to answer or not.

Qiu Suhui and Hu Li are still running around for Rong Yunsheng, and it will not be easy to convince the two teams to observe a moment of silence for an obscure football photojournalist.

In the corridor of the hospital, Sophie was already asleep in Zhang Jun's arms.

Domestically, various extras about the Chinese team's entry into the semi-finals have been listed, and red lanterns and national flags have been hung up in every household, decorating the whole of China as lively as the Spring Festival. No matter what people do, the topic of discussion is the World Cup, on the bus, in the office, in school...... Everyone had a proud smile on their faces.

In the sidelines that have reported that China has reached the semi-finals, the news of Rong Yunsheng's death is only the size of a tofu block. It wasn't until the next day, when the celebration was less intense than the first, that a newspaper devoted two pages to Rong Yunsheng's death and his life story, and then more and more media began to pay attention to the old-timer of Chinese sports photography.

At that time, the whole Chinese team was training the training ground to prepare for their semi-final opponent - Argentina.

Sophie took a day off and returned to work in a different mood. “…… A sports photographer should not only use his own camera to record the game footage, but also use his heart to feel the things inside the game and integrate his soul into it in order to shoot the best work. The resulting photograph is not a cold, lifeless flat surface, but a living ...... Video. I think this is what Rong Lao told me with his life. She wrote in her column.

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"Winters in South Africa are actually quite warm." Li Yongle felt a little hot in a long-sleeved jersey on the training ground.

"That's just because you've just exercised a lot, and I think it's cold everywhere you go......" Anke said with a crunching neck. In the team training match, he, the goalkeeper, was really cold because of his lack of sports.

"Simple, you won't be cold if you run 10,000 meters, I guarantee it with my personality." Xiang Tao said beside him.

Anke glared at him, "Your personality is no longer worth anything. ”

Qiu Suhui looked at the players who were resting next to the training ground, then handed the tactical board in his hand to Hu Li and walked towards them himself.

"I believe everyone knows about Rong Lao. Our application has been agreed to by them, and there will be a minute of silence before kick-off tomorrow against Argentina. ”

Hearing Qiu Zhi say this, everyone stopped joking and became silent one by one.

But Qiu Suhui didn't want this effect. "Our opponent is Argentina, stronger than England. Have you ever felt scared? ”

"Is Qiu referring to a joke? Who have we been afraid of? Anke snorted. Didn't Italy and England all let me trample under my feet? ”

Qiu Suhui smiled and nodded: "Well, I'll confirm." The domestic media are saying that we have made history, and that we are now making new history every step of the way. Whatever they end up with, I think they should be happy. Qiu Suhui pointed to the fans watching from the periphery of the training ground in the distance. But my request is more than that. Are you satisfied with your current results? ”

"Of course not." Everyone replied in unison.

"Good. Now that we're in the semi-finals, why don't we go any further and reach the final? If we do make it to the finals, why not go one step further and win the championship? "This is the first time that Qiu Suhui, as the head coach of the Chinese national team, has publicly said that he wants to win the championship." The foreign media thought it was a miracle that we were able to reach the semi-finals, just like South Korea eight years ago. Why don't we create an even greater miracle? You know, we're not the same as South Korea. ”

"Qiu Zhi, are you testing us? We all remember what Zhang Jun said at the airport. Come, just for the championship! Xiang Tao shouted, and the other players chimed in.

Qiu Suhui smiled. "Keep training!" Then he turned around and walked back to Hu Li, took the tactics board, and wrote on it: Defend and counterattack. Then handed it to Hu Li: "Tactics for tomorrow's game." ”

Hu Li looked at it and did not express a different opinion. Argentina's attacking prowess is well known, but so are their problems at the back. After a group of veterans, Argentina has a lot of talent in the midfield, but there is little talent in the backline. If the Chinese team plays against Argentina, it is estimated that there will be no good fruit to eat, but if the defense counterattacks, everything is possible.

"Winter in South Africa is not cold at all......" Looking at the Chinese players who were alive and well on the court, Li Yan sighed outside the field.

Sophie focused the camera on the players on the pitch and pulled it away to add a wide-angle lens. Now, the green training ground, the blue sky, the bright warm sun, and the players shining under the bright sun. She felt that it was not a photograph, but a watercolor painting.

Yang Pan crossed, Zhang Jun jumped high in the middle, pressed Liu Peng, and shook his head powerfully, and the football entered the net......

(To be continued)