Heroes of the Restricted Zone

Chapter 13 Relationship is Treating Guests to Dinner
When Popovich was informed by assistant coach Porter, asking him to place Chen Yingxiong in the squad for the weekend youth team league, he was surprised.

You know, the hero has only been training with the team for two weeks, not even three weeks.Coupled with the language barrier, the tacit understanding between him and his teammates is impossible to talk about.Let him play like this, what can he show?

Of course he knew what this request was for.

It must be that Advocaat wants to see the strength of Chen Yingxiong so that he can judge whether the player signed by his predecessor has the strength to stay in the team. If he is not strong enough... just rent him out, enough for the two-year contract to expire. If the contract is not renewed, Chen Yingxiong will naturally leave.

But he felt it was completely unfair to use the competition to test Chen Yingxiong's strength so early on.

To be honest, Popovich didn't have a good impression of Porter because of his "smile".

He even suspected that the idea came from the assistant coach.He had wronged Potter.Porter doubted Chen Yingxiong's strength, but it was the head coach Edvocaat who came up with this idea.

"I can't agree to that." Popovich shook his head and shrugged. "He has only joined the team for less than three weeks, and he has very little time to train with his teammates. As a center forward, he is very dependent on the midfielder and has high requirements for the tacit understanding with his teammates. Now you let When he plays, you can't see anything!"

Porter was noncommittal about what Popovich said.

"If his strength is really as powerful as you say, then I think he can solve the game by himself. It shouldn't be a problem to score alone, right?"

Popovich took Porter's words as a taunt, and his face fell instantly.

He originally wanted to refuse directly, but then he thought about it... If Chen Yingxiong could really slap this old man in the game, he really wanted to see the expression of this old man at that time.

After two weeks of training, Popovich felt that he had a good understanding of Chen Yingxiong's heading ability.At the level of the youth team, his header should be considered outstanding.

The Zenit youth team is No.1 in the Russian youth league group. The team's defense performance is quite good, and this defense line can also represent the highest level in this group of youth leagues.

But in training, Chen Yingxiong still repeatedly hit him with the head.

This should explain Chen Yingxiong's header ability.

Thinking of this, Popovich nodded: "Okay, I will send him to play in the youth team league on the weekend, but I have the final say on the playing time."

For this assistant coach, he is not weak at all as the director of youth training.

He has the final say on all affairs of the youth team. I don't like you as an assistant coach who has just arrived.

When Chen Yingxiong learned from the head coach Popovich that he would play in the weekend league, he was surprised at first, and then joyful.

I'm going to play? !

Chen Yingxiong, who has only been in the team for less than three weeks, did not expect his first official game to come so quickly.He originally thought that he would practice with his teammates... Although he really wanted to participate in the competition, the translators and language teachers promised by the club have not been in place until now, and the language communication is not smooth. Tacit understanding is always a big problem.

Although he has a pretty good relationship with his teammates in the team now.

As a newcomer, he didn't act low-key, on the contrary...he was very high-key.

He was very active in the locker room. He couldn't speak Russian, so he just spoke English, even making gestures.The most important thing is that Chen Yingxiong always puts a smile on his lips. He speaks loudly, and he is enthusiastic, and he is not alienated at all.This is especially flattering.

He doesn't mind making fun of him, and he also jokes with others. He is a very easy-going person.

Although he abused his teammates before he entered the team, he abused them again during training.But he is very smart, and he can solve it by asking each teammate a bottle of drink.

This kid is quite good at buying people's hearts... This is the feeling of Popovich, a bystander.Sometimes people really don't look like...

"Uh, I have a request, Mr. Coach..." Chen Yingxiong said to Popovich while being happy.

"Well, you said."

"That is, can I trouble you to inform everyone... I will treat you to dinner tonight!"

Popovich froze for a moment.

"A treat? Why?"

"Hey, congratulations that I was selected for the weekend league squad!" Chen Yingxiong said.

"If you are selected, you will treat guests? After that, don't you want to treat guests every day?" Popovich was amused, this reason...

"No, this is the first time. The first time is very important and very commemorative. I would like to invite everyone to have a meal and commemorate it!"

Popovich glanced at him—he didn't think that Chen Yingxiong really planned to commemorate his first selection to the squad so purely.

This is the first time for him to represent the team. Before that, the tacit understanding between him and his teammates on the court was not enough, and he is a type of player who relies on the cooperation of his teammates. If he does not have a good relationship with the players , once he is isolated during the game, he won't be able to show anything...

Popovich felt that Chen Yingxiong must have made this decision out of this consideration.But what makes him strange is that he didn't tell him what the weekend game meant to him. How did he know to perform well in the game?

Did he only use the youth team as a springboard from the beginning?Or is it his idea every game - to score as many goals as possible and perform well?
Popovich didn't delve into it. After training, he announced the decision in public.

"Your dinner is settled, lads!" He pointed at Chen Yingxiong and said. "Our Chinese hero intends to invite you to eat... his hometown food!"

"Oh?! Is this true? Coach!" someone shouted, the excitement palpable.

There are many Chinese restaurants in St. Petersburg, and now there are more than 300, and it is still growing at a rate of two every month.But in fact, there are only 5000 Chinese in St. Petersburg, and 3000 of them are Chinese students.So many Chinese restaurants are definitely not only for Chinese people, otherwise, even if these 5000 people eat in Chinese restaurants for every meal, they will not be able to support so many Chinese restaurants.

In St. Petersburg, Chinese food is a delicacy that more and more young people like.The improved Chinese food has become the favorite of many Russians.

Chen Yingxiong didn't expect that the head coach would propose to eat Chinese food...but he didn't know anything about the local Chinese restaurant, so he looked to Popovich for help.

Popovich patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I won't take you to high-end restaurants like BJ Hotel and Hong Kong Hotel, ha!"

In the lobby, red pillars are lined up, red lanterns hang high, and the lucky boy on the poster looks at you smilingly. Even the bar counter is decorated with traditional Chinese cornices and beams.It is really a restaurant in China, perhaps there are very few restaurants decorated like this, but here it can still attract those Russians who have such a strong curiosity about Chinese culture.

Although this kind of decoration style is no longer popular in China, when Chen Yingxiong sees these traditional Chinese elements, his eyes are still warm - he feels homesick again.For more than half a month... No, it should be said that I haven't eaten a single Chinese meal in the past month or so.At first, when I ate Western food, I thought it was very fresh and delicious, but after eating a lot, I realized that I still like Chinese food the most... especially the home-cooked food cooked by my mother.

Twice-cooked beef, potato stewed beef, rotten meat vermicelli, lung slices, fatty intestines...even the homemade diving kimchi is delicious.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

But looking at the "Chinese food" on the table now, he didn't drool at all.

Not all of them will choose to eat out at night, many of them will return to their homes.But today, all Zenit youth team players gathered in this Chinese restaurant called "Rui Long Ju" and enjoyed Chinese food.

His teammates think the Chinese food here is delicious, but Chen Yingxiong really can't get used to these obviously improved "Chinese food"-it's too sweet and sour.

Holding up his chopsticks, he tasted every dish and found that all the dishes were like this, so he gave up.

Most of the time he just drank beer - the youth training coach Popovich didn't come with him, and it was a place where young people were present. With him as a coach, everyone couldn't have fun, so he went home for dinner very sensibly ——It is very happy to see the teammates eating.

Well... No matter what, his teammates are happy, and his goal has been achieved.

Popovich actually guessed right. Chen Yingxiong’s dinner was not to commemorate something like being selected for the first time in the squad... It was to use this as an excuse to enhance the relationship between the players and build a good relationship with everyone—the relationship before Already good, now is to further improve the relationship.

The relationship was good before, but at least there was no conflict of interest.It's different now. What if everyone just wants to express themselves in the game and don't pass the ball to him?As the saying goes, cannibals are soft-spoken and soft-handed, treat them to a meal by yourself, at least in the competition, you won't make things difficult for me, right?It's not too difficult for me to ask them to pass the ball to me, right?

Chen Yingxiong has such a small calculation, but his teammates may not know it.Anyway, some people treat guests to Chinese food, and they can drink as much as they want, so everyone is very happy.

The drinking table is indeed a place that can enhance relationships, and soon some teammates who drank too much took Chen Yingxiong to chat.Although Chen Yingxiong can't understand the other party's Russian at all, he can guess the general meaning of the other party's words based on the facial expressions of the other party, and then make a correct response...

"Let me tell you, hero... We didn't choose 'BJ Hotel' because we were merciful!" The man who was drunk was the team's main central defender Krotkov.When Chen Yingxiong showed his majesty in the air many times, he was a poor supporting role, Green Leaf.

But now that I drink too much, I don't remember those grievances.

Looking at the way he hugged Chen Yingxiong, it seemed that the two of them were best friends who had known each other for ten years.

Chen Yingxiong couldn't understand Krotkov's words, so he could only accompany him with a smirk.

At this time, someone came to rescue him.

"Are you Chinese?" A mandarin with an obvious northeast accent sounded behind Chen Yingxiong. Chen Yingxiong, who hadn't heard Chinese for a long time, turned around suddenly as if he heard the sound of nature. I saw a middle-aged man standing behind the seat.He is yellow-skinned and black-haired, with metal-rimmed glasses, and looks elegant.

"Ah... ah, I, I am, of course I am! You, you too?" Perhaps it was because he hadn't spoken Chinese with anyone for a long time, but Chen Yingxiong stuttered a little.

The man smiled: "I am the owner of this restaurant. Of course the owner of the Chinese restaurant is Chinese!"

Chen Yingxiong was very excited to meet his compatriots in a foreign country. He quickly stood up and shook hands with the other party: "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ren Tianhua, from Harbin. How about you?"

"Chen Yingxiong, from Chengdu."

After introducing himself, Ren Tianhua looked at the Zenit youth team players who were having a good meal: "I heard from the waiter that there were a lot of people here, and I was afraid they would not be able to take care of them. A compatriot. To be honest, there are quite a lot of Chinese compatriots here, but they are all repeat customers. You and I have never met, haha!" Ren Tianhua has the unique boldness and directness of Northeast people.

Chen Yingxiong scratched his head: "I only came to St. Petersburg three weeks ago... Today is my first time... Hi, it's the first time I've been in the city for more than two weeks."

"Oh? What are you here for? Going to college?"

"Uh, no...he's here to play football."

Ren Tianhua was stunned for a moment.

It's not that he doesn't know football, and he also knows that there is a professional team in St. Petersburg.But he couldn't connect this professional football team with a Chinese for a while.

"Play football?" he asked back.

Chen Yingxiong nodded.

"Professional?"

Chen Yingxiong continued to nod.His contract is indeed a professional contract, although the treatment is only slightly better than that of the general youth team... Thanks to the fact that he can't go anywhere these few weeks, he can only take it with him in the dormitory, and has no place to spend money.So apart from keeping what he used for himself, the rest of his salary was remitted to his family to help pay off his debts.After all, his father borrowed the debt for himself, how could he turn a blind eye to it and only care about his own enjoyment?
Ren Tianhua laughed: "That's really a rare customer!" He pulled Chen Yingxiong out, and the two stood in front of the bar and chatted.Chen Yingxiong is indeed a rare customer. His restaurant has received many Chinese guests, most of whom are tourists, and there are also Chinese students studying in St. Petersburg.But it is the first time to receive professional players from China.

"Being able to sign a contract with a professional team must be a great level!" Ren Tianhua asked.

"Hey, it's okay!" No matter how humble his mouth is, in fact, a fool can see that he is not humble at all.

"Ha! Play well! Win glory for us Chinese! Did you hear me, do it well! Don't let those old men look down on us Chinese! Haha! Good! That's great. I didn't expect to meet a Chinese professional player today. ..." Ren Tianhua laughed loudly. "In this way, your consumption here today... will be free!"

Chen Yingxiong was taken aback.He didn't say anything, but the boss acted so enthusiastically, how could he be ashamed?The people from the Northeast are as enthusiastic as the legends say...

Seeing what he was going to say, Ren Tianhua raised his hand to stop him: "Don't say anything, it's all fate! This order is free, I'm the boss, I have the final say! By the way..." He suddenly slapped his forehead . "I said you are not used to this dish, are you?"

Chen Yingxiong shook his head: "Where is it? I'm used to it, I'm used to it..." People are even exempting themselves from ordering, so how can they have the nerve to say that the food is not to their taste?

Unexpectedly, the boss glared: "Don't lie to me, how can a Sichuanese get used to eating all the sweet and sour dishes? Let me tell you..." He looked around and lowered his voice, "Those dishes are all sweet and sour. It is made for Maozi to eat, and they like the taste. But the Chinese are here, I always cook authentic Chinese food, and I will never fool my compatriots in the motherland! Just wait, I will make a new one for you Come out!"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Chen Yingxiong to say anything, he ran to the back kitchen by himself.

Looking at this enthusiastic Northeast man, Chen Yingxiong smiled. No matter what, the Chinese language is pleasant, and the compatriots of the motherland are still kind!
In the end, Ren Tianhua really exempted Chen Yingxiong from the bill. After all, so many people ate a lot... He wiped it all away with a wave of his hand.

And before leaving, he pulled Chen Yingxiong and said: "If you want to eat hometown food, come to my place! Guaranteed to be authentic! I have a chef invited from Sichuan here, and I will tell you that the Sichuan food is awesome!" He gave a thumbs up and raised his eyebrows at Chen Yingxiong.

Chen Yingxiong was amused by this enthusiastic Northeast boss, he nodded vigorously: "OK!"

Indeed, the last guess that the boss served him was really authentic Chinese flavor.His Russian teammates took a bite and said they couldn't eat it, it was too spicy.So Chen Yingxiong swept all these dishes into his stomach alone, and he ate them very well.

In addition to the delicious food, he was also very moved by the enthusiastic boss.In a strange country, he felt very warm to meet compatriots who were so warm and hearty.

Originally, I just wanted to further improve the relationship with my teammates, but I didn't expect to relieve my homesickness...

Chen Yingxiong felt that his decision to treat guests to dinner was extremely correct.

(End of this chapter)