January 1, 2019.

On this day, Nottingham Forest sent off a man and welcomed a man.

Nottingham Forest FC have announced a partnership with 34-year-old Brazilian centre-back Thiago. Silva has been released from his contract and will join Brazil's Vasco da Gama on a free transfer, where he plans to end his career.

Silva left the club in the morning, and in the afternoon the team made their only transfer of the winter season – midfielder Chen Jian from Espanyol.

"There are only journalists, no fans, and they are basically Chinese journalists...... It's not the same future I've planned for you, Ah Jian. Sitting in the Ford car that the club specially came to pick them up, Xia Yang was looking out the window at the media and said to Chen Jian.

"The boss told me that the meeting with the fans was before the FA Cup game. As for the journalists...... Journalists in England are waiting to see my jokes. Chen Jian also turned his head to look at the faces outside the window.

Although Nottingham Forest are now not as good as the Spaniards in the league, they are also an old powerhouse that has won the European Champions Cup five times, and his transfer here has attracted domestic attention. Just looking at the press cards on the reporters' chests, he could see several familiar signs.

For all this, Chen Jian has become commonplace. He's not the nobody who went to England and no one paid attention to him. Now he is the number one star of the Chinese team, and this kind of treatment is normal. Chinese fans still have fantasies, albeit practical. One Chen Jian can already make them happy.

"You can see it." Xia Yang muttered. The domestic reaction has eased his frustration a little – looking at the domestic journalists in front of him, it is clear that Chen Jian's arrival at Nottingham Forest with a record transfer price of £9 million for a Chinese professional player has caused a strong reaction at home.

In fact, nine million was said to outsiders, but it was actually 10 million, but 1 million went into Xia Yang's own pocket.

In this negotiation, Evan personally stepped in and cut the price from the original lion opening 20 million to 9 million. If it weren't for Chen Jian's decision, the Spaniards wouldn't want to sell it at this price.

"But it's not too bad. England is the birthplace of paparazzi, the media industry here is very developed, you can play here, you can get more attention......" Xia Yang, as an agent, naturally looked at this transfer from his point of view. As for things on the field, he can't be the master, so he doesn't think about it.

As he spoke, the car stopped at the entrance to the Crimson Stadium. It has long been crowded with media from China.

Chen Jian got out of the car, and the flash lights came on. He didn't stop long, and walked straight into the press conference hall inside.

Backstage, he saw the club's president, Evan Brown. Dogetty and the team's head coach Tony. Dawn.

"Welcome to Nottingham Forest, Chen." Evan. As the president of the club, Dogetty was the first to welcome Chen Jian, and he stretched out his hand to shake hands with Chen Jian.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

Chen Jian's performance is neither humble nor arrogant.

Evan knew that the protagonist of such an occasion was not him, but the man behind him. So he didn't say anything to Chen Jian, and gave up the stage. He went to see how the press conference was being prepared.

"After going around, you're still in the forest, Chen Jian." Tang En said to Chen Jian in English.

"It's always been my dream to join Forest." Chen Jian also replied in English.

"The original dream?"

"The original."

Tang En laughed and stretched out his hand, Chen Jian thought he was going to shake hands with him, but he didn't expect Tang En to just pat him on the shoulder.

"I hope Nottingham Forest can be the last fight of your career."

Chen Jian thought about it and retired at Nottingham Forest...... Seems like a pretty good thing. He nodded: "I want it too." ”

"What do you think of the team's results? I remember there were media reports that Nottingham Forest's league standings were not even comparable to Espanyol. Don asked again. There are also media critics that you are only transferring for money. ”

It is normal that Nottingham Forest must have paid Chen Jian more weekly salary than he did in Espanyol. With Chen Jian's current age and state, if he jumped ship and took less money than his original owner, then why did he want to jump? However, the Spaniards have never given Chen Jian a salary increase, Chen Jian, as the main player of the Espanyol team, still has the salary he originally transferred from the Eredivisie, and his salary level is only in the middle of the team. It was not unreasonable for Xia Yang to want Chen Jian to leave the Spaniards. This salary is really inconsistent with Chen Jian's contribution.

Spaniards may still think that Chinese labor is cheap...... It's just that Xia Yang is more shrewd than they imagined.

"I'm looking at the future." Chen Jian avoided the topic of "money". He wasn't lying. Compared with that weekly salary, being able to get the opportunity to participate in European competitions at Nottingham Forest is what Chen Jian desires the most. As a professional, if you ask him what his biggest regret is now, it's not that he hasn't won any titles, but that he has never played in European competitions, in Spain and in the Netherlands. He is eager to play in the European Champions Cup and Europa League, which represent the highest level.

"The future, ah......"

Don didn't ask any further. He and Chen Jian sat backstage, quietly waiting to appear.

※※※ Evan. On behalf of the club, Dogetty welcomed Chen Jian, who then walked out from behind the background billboard under the attention of the Chinese media.

Not as buzzing as the big-name players joined, the press conference hall was not even half full, with most of the media coming from China, and the rest of the English media coming from Nottingham. Chen Jian's eyes did not stop at this, he glanced at it, and Evan. Dogerty, and Tony. Don shook hands and stood in front of the microphone that had been prepared for him.

"I'm happy to join the team that developed me in the first place. It's always been a dream of mine to be able to wear the Nottingham Forest shirt. ”

That's what a lot of new players will say.

For example: "I wanted to play for Real Madrid since I was a child. ”

"Joining AC Milan is my highest dream."

"I've always been a Barcelona fan......"

"It's an honour to play for Inter.

…… And so on, this is the standard template. All the players have to do is change the name of the club.

So no one in the media present took Chen Jian's words seriously, even if they all knew that Chen Jian was really from the Nottingham Forest youth team.

Immediately after the media free question time, a local Nottingham media outlet stood up and asked: "Nottingham Forest are not in the best position at the moment, are you feeling the pressure?" ”

"I hope to contribute to the team's improvement in the rankings through my own efforts." Chen Jian's answer was watertight and quite mature.

The local media in Nottingham are concerned about whether Chen Jian's arrival can really strengthen the team, while the Chinese media are only concerned about whether Chen Jian can play in this team.

The reporter from CCTV5 stood up and asked, "You and George. Wood's technical characteristics are similar, and before you join the team, Tony. Did Coach Donn promise you anything? He asked in Chinese.

Tang En heard this sentence, he grabbed the microphone and replied instead of Chen Jian: "You will naturally know when the game comes." Now Chen Jian and I will not answer this kind of question about tactics, thank you for your cooperation. ”

When Chen Jian heard Tang En say this, he just smiled and didn't add anything.

This has disappointed many Chinese media. If they don't ask the questions they care about most, the press conference doesn't make much sense.

There was no fan meeting ceremony, so the press conference was brief. After the media asked their questions one after another, Chen Jian and Tang En pulled up a red Nottingham Forest jersey and showed it to the reporters. It was printed with Chen Jian's surname "Chen" and the number "14".

If nothing else, the shirt will accompany him for five seasons with Forest, when he will turn 33. If he wants to retire from the Forest, he'll have to be in better shape to conquer a discerning manager.

Standing in front of the reporters' cameras, Tang En and Chen Jian both had smiles on their faces, but they were not bright. They all know that this is only the beginning, not the end where they can breathe a sigh of relief.

※※※ "Chen Jian joined the Champions League and is known as Wood's successor!" ”

This is the sports news headline of the most famous portal in China. What looks good is not the text under the title, but the comments under the text.

Shanxi netizens: Don't be funny! Still 'Wood's successor'? This reporter, are you Chen Jian's father? ”

"Sichuan netizens: Sichuan netizens sent congratulatory messages to congratulate Mutou on finding a successor!"

Yanjing netizens: It's the title party again. For more than 20 years, what kind of spirit is this that has adhered to the title party...... Sick! ”

"Tianjin netizens: 'Chen Jian, when will you become Wood's successor?' 'Tomorrow, tomorrow!' ’”

Sichuan netizens: Why can't Ah Jian be the successor of wood? I think it's a good fit...... That's what I did to buy him, right? ”

"Yucheng netizens: Upstairs Gua Wazi, our captain can play until he is forty years old, can Chen Jian? When he retires, the captain is still playing! ”

"Shanghai netizens: Ah, the Barcelona derby in the future will not be strong......"

Zhejiang netizens: Shouldn't Ba Silly be happy? Look at their results at Espanyol's home stadium in recent years, it's really miserable~~"

"Hubei netizens: Yellow dog is dead!"

...... "It's funny, the news about you can be related to the grievances of other clubs. ”

In the 80s, the Shaolin abbot was ready to write an article for the portal's blog.

Xia Yang was reading the relevant news on the website. This sentence is exactly what he felt after reading the comments.

This website was originally contacted by Xia Yang, who opened a special guest blog to gather popularity for him. But the site's headlines are still tasteless.

"I don't remember saying at the press conference that I was Wood's successor." Chen Jian looked at Xia Yang.

"Then publish an article on the blog to refute it, just to further increase your popularity."

"You arranged it, Uncle Xia, right?"

Xia Yang spread his hand.

"You are known to the Spaniards as 'Little Giorgio. Wood's This has long been spread in China, and people who are interested will naturally associate it. ”

Later, Chen Jian wrote some information about the press conference of his joining the team on his blog, and explained why the website Sports News said that he was the successor of Wood. He said that he was not Wood's successor, and no one had ever said such a thing, and that the Chinese journalist must have misunderstood.

The original blog post was titled "Finally the original dream accomplished!" ”

This was originally a very inspirational, but nothing new, but the editor of the portal changed it to "I am not Wood II, I am going to be Chen Jian I!" ”

The click-through rate and comments are really coming, and of course, there is a lot of scolding in it...... The next day, Chen Jian told his agent that he would stop blogging on the website after the contract with the website expired, which was too grandson-in-law. Xia Yang shrugged: "You are a public figure, and every word you say may be distorted by the media with ulterior motives." ”

"So I'll be silent later." Chen Jian said with a serious face, "I only show myself on the court, and I have refused any media blog or column invitation!" ”

Xia Yang agreed on his lips, but he was thinking in his heart: You can't refuse all forms of interviews, Ah Jian, right? You must know that the media makes a living by playing with mouths and pens, you have to get used to it...... ※※※ The next day, Xia Yang went to find a house for Chen Jian, while Chen Jian went to Wilford to report and participate in training normally. At the training ground, George. Wood, as captain, welcomed the new teammate on behalf of the team. As Forest players, they are no strangers to the former team-mate who walked out of the Forest.

No more Thiago. Silva, Done have subdued Balotelli and the atmosphere within the squad is very harmonious now. Chen Jian was not subjected to any difficulties.

Fortunately, the influence of Chinese online media is only limited to China, otherwise I really don't know what will happen to the post-80s Shaolin abbot network, I really don't know what they will think of their new teammate...... How can there be a fool who has just joined the team and provoked the captain's authority and wanted to replace him?

Therefore, these unqualified online media in China have not achieved enough success, and they have more than failed. In order to attract attention, they don't even want faces, plagiarism and fabrication of fake news, and playing side balls are commonplace, not to mention a mere means of distorting the original text?

Regardless, Chen Jian started his new life at Nottingham Forest. After a gap of four years, he finally got his wish to wear the Nottingham Forest shirt and will represent the forest team everywhere. In a few years, I believe that in the history of Nottingham Forest Club, the names of two Chinese will be recorded. Their appearance cannot change the backward status quo of Chinese football, but at least in another place, it has given many heartbroken Chinese fans a little comfort.

(To be continued)