Thoughts from the Heart
Real Madrid defeated Milan Des 3-0, lifting the Copa del Rey trophy for the 2011-12 season, completing the grand slam of league, cup, and Champions League.
Except for the penalty shootout loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup at the beginning of the season, the Galacticos won the remaining five major trophies, presenting a perfect report card under the new head coach, Ancelotti.
And once again, the data contributed by Wang Feng shocked the world. Even without goals for the national team, he still reached the milestone of a hundred goals in a season.
He scored 61 goals in the league, 23 in the Champions League, and 16 in the cup, adding up to exactly 100!
As early as the 2008-09 season, the Chinese superstar had accomplished this epic achievement. At that time, he scored 62 goals in the league, 19 in the Champions League, 16 in the cup, and 6 for the national team, totaling 103 goals.
At that time, almost all authoritative football analysts and media believed that even for Wang Feng, it would be difficult to reproduce such glory because it was simply too difficult to achieve. It required players to maintain a high level for a whole year, and the team had to excel in various competitions.
But once again, reality left everyone in awe. "The greatest players in history are like this; their performance always exceeds your imagination," praised Pelé in an interview with the media.
The two instances of scoring a hundred goals shook the fans deeply, to the extent that when Argentine media boasted of Messi's impressive record of contributing 91 goals in 2012, it didn't cause much of a stir in Europe.
"This is unfair. Leo has been growing and improving rapidly. Besides Wang Feng, his contribution is also much higher than that of other active players," complained Argentina's "National Newspaper."
"Messi's goals are harming the team," mocked "Marca": "Apart from beautiful statistics, Barcelona hasn't won any honors. On the other hand, the Chinese superstar, with his two hundred-goal seasons, helped Real Madrid win six championships and five championships. This is the correct way for a football king to shine."
The club held a grand celebration parade the day after winning the Copa del Rey, and the Plaza de la Diosa de la Cosecha (Harvest Goddess Square) once again welcomed the bountiful harvest. When the Chinese superstar stood in the center of the stage, the whole city seemed to worship him!
It is no exaggeration to say that Wang Feng is the superhero of this city. His prestige is even higher than that of ordinary parliamentarians. After thanking the entire team, he passionately declared, "Everyone wants to know where our limits are, but what I want to say is that we have no limits! As long as we have your support, we will continue to celebrate here next year and the year after!"
"Boom!" The densely packed crowd below seemed to be ignited like a powder keg, with everyone shouting loudly: "Hala Madrid! Dios Wang!"
After the celebration, the whole team went to the club's exclusive hotel for a party, which lasted until late. During the party, Florentino tentatively asked Wang Feng about the possibility of a lifetime contract again, but he still evaded the question.
The next day, when the Chinese superstar woke up from his comfortable bed in the villa, it was already late morning. He looked at his beautiful wife beside him and felt exceptionally relaxed.
Enjoy the vacation while it lasts. Wang Feng smiled and gently kissed Lu Yao before pulling her into his arms. Lu Yao also naturally snuggled up and found the most comfortable position. A happy arc appeared at the corners of her mouth.
The two lay like this for a while, not speaking, but their hearts were tightly intertwined. The bedroom door was slowly pushed open at some point, and a little head quietly peeked in, with grape-like big eyes rolling around.
"Little Siyao, what are you doing?" Wang Feng couldn't help smiling. Seeing his daughter Siyao excitedly rushing in when he called her, she jumped onto the bed, "Daddy, the sun is already shining. It's time to get up and play games with me and my brother."
"Alright, Daddy is on vacation starting today. I can play with you guys all the time during this period." Wang Feng sat up and hugged his little daughter, saying as he did so, while Lu Yao chuckled and touched her daughter's hair.
In the afternoon, Wang Feng's agent, Balmond, called: "Wang, Nike hopes to sign a lifetime endorsement contract with you, estimated to be no less than 500 million euros. This will be their largest contract in history. Are you interested?"
"Of course, no problem. This doesn't conflict with the WIND series, right?" WIND was originally tailored by Nike for Wang Feng. Later, due to its overwhelming popularity, especially with massive support from the domestic market, they spun it off as a brand operation.
The Chinese superstar naturally became the soul figure, with his FengYao Group becoming the largest partner, not only designing professional football shoes but also many sports shoe styles, greatly increasing the audience base.
At the same time, many commemorative versions will also be launched, such as consecutive Champions League titles, Ten-Year Golden Boot, World Champions, and so on, each one more popular than the last, with tremendous money-making potential.
It can be said that the money Wang Feng earns from this brand every year has already surpassed the salary Real Madrid pays him. Not to mention other business income of FengYao Group, considering all of this, he is undoubtedly the world's richest athlete.
"No impact at all. WIND is also a money tree for Nike, and they will increase their investment in it in the future." Balmond explained. "By the way, can you give me a hint about how you view the matter of signing a lifetime contract with Real Madrid?"
"Recently, the club has been pestering me to discuss it. Since I don't know your thoughts, I've been procrastinating. Although you may not care about football income, it's still a symbol of status."
After hesitating for a moment, the Chinese superstar slowly said, "Francisco, when my second contract with Real Madrid expires, I'll be 33. To be honest, I don't want to retire here. I just want to leave after leaving behind the most brilliant record, instead of gradually losing my starting position and sitting on the bench like Guti."
He made this decision in his heart when he arrived in Madrid at the age of 23. As the saying goes, a famous general should not be seen in old age. Creating a legend and quietly leaving is the perfect ending.
This was the first time Wang Feng had voiced his inner thoughts. On the other end of the phone, Balmond was shaken to the core. He was well aware that if this news were leaked to the outside world, it would cause a huge sensation.
The incalculable commercial value would be enough to make European, Asian, and North American teams scramble for him, not to mention the role he would play on the athletic front.
Despite his increasing age, Wang Feng's performance level had not diminished in the slightest so far. More importantly, he had never experienced a major injury and was recognized as the football world's "Iron Man."
Almost all professionals and media predicted that Wang Feng could play until he was at least forty years old. Even without explosive speed and physical confrontation, his excellent organizational ability and technical skills alone could still maintain an average level in the top five leagues. Not to mention moving to Major League Soccer in the United States or the Middle East League, which would be like lowering the difficulty level.
So once he chose to leave the Galacticos, the next team eager to take over would be swarmed with offers, and there would be no need to worry about not finding one.
After calming his emotions, Balmond said, "I understand. For now, only the two of us know about this news. After all, there are still four years left on the contract. I will continue to negotiate with Real Madrid, and maybe reveal it to Florentino in a couple of years."
"I have the same idea. The fewer people know about it now, the better. Otherwise, it will plunge the entire club into a severe crisis."