Records Are Meant to Be Broken

After seeing the referee's decision to award the goal, Zhang Xu completely relaxed. He lay on the grass, laughing heartily.

"Ding dong! Congratulations, Mr. Zhang Xu, you have completed the main quest, gaining 500 experience points. Your current experience is 1117! Additionally, you are rewarded with +1 to all attributes!"

"Ding dong! Congratulations, Mr. Zhang Xu, you have successfully completed Side Quest 1 with 19 tackles. You gain 200 experience points, and your current experience is 1317! Also, you are rewarded with +2 to your tackling attribute, making your tackling attribute 45!"

"Ding dong! Congratulations, Mr. Zhang Xu, you received a rating of 9 in this match, completing Side Quest 3. You gain 200 experience points, and your current experience is 1517! Furthermore, you are rewarded with +2 to your teamwork attribute, making your teamwork attribute 48!"

Being able to turn the game around at the last moment and secure victory, the White Star team's players were ecstatic. They ran to the northwest corner of the field, embraced each other, and celebrated loudly with the White Star fans, savoring this rare triumph.

Taking three points at Tienen's home ground, something that no one had dared to dream of, was achieved today. They had shattered Tienen's myth and record of being undefeated at their home stadium. At this moment, every White Star player felt genuine pride and joy.

Meanwhile, the Tienen team's players left the field with their heads down, heading to the locker room. Although their fans couldn't believe the disappointing outcome, they had no choice but to leave the stadium in disappointment.

In this match, after coming on as a substitute, Zhang Xu immediately turned the tide with his steady defense, laying the foundation for the team's victory. Moreover, his otherworldly assist had opened the door to victory for the team. Naturally, Zhang Xu became the highest-rated player in this match, earning a beautiful score of 9!

Of course, he had also became the darling of the media, with reporters clamoring to interview him.

"Zhang Xu, hello, I'm Riet, a reporter from 'Football Gossip.' First of all, congratulations to you and your team for winning this match. You've just made your debut in the Second Division, and you played a crucial role in helping the team win. How are you feeling?"

"Hehe, first of all, I'm not the only key player in our team's victory. Everyone in our team is a key player. Second, if you want to know my thoughts, you can look at the expressions on the faces of everyone in our team. The emotion on their face is the same way I'm feeling, absolutely over the moon!" Zhang Xu, far from being a clueless young player, answered questions with remarkable maturity, leaving no room for reporters to exploit.

Captain Driss, who had been worried that Zhang Xu might not understand how to deal with the media, was relieved. Zhang Xu's answers were mature and thorough, revealing no weaknesses.

"Hello, Zhang Xu, I'm Lassol, a reporter from 'Tienen Football Daily.' I heard that you were a student at the University of Paris VI in France. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct. Do you have a question?"

"Haha very well, a top student! But I heard that during your time in France, you tried out for dozens of clubs, big and small. What happened? Did they all fail to spot your talent?" asked the reporting hoping to dig up a scope and stir the pot. 

However, he was disappointed because Zhang Xu simply smiled and replied, "They say that failure is the mother of success. So, all my previous failures were laying the foundation for today's success!"

"Zhang, hello, I'm Duss, a reporter from 'Worldview Daily.' Before this match, Tienen had never lost at their home stadium. Your team has broken that record. What are your thoughts on that?"

"I have two sentences to sum up my thoughts: First, history is always written by the victor. Second, records are meant to be broken!" Zhang Xu said, not waiting for other reporters to react, and simply pushed through the crowd, quickly heading towards the locker room.

"Zhang, Mr. Zhang, does that mean you and your team came here to break Tienen's unbeaten home record? Zhang, Mr. Zhang..."

"Hello, Zhang, I'm..."

"Mr. Zhang, please wait for a moment. I'd like to ask..."

Fortunately, Zhang Xu was fast on his feet. Otherwise, who knows how many reporters would have wanted to interview him. Even so, when he entered the locker room, he looked a bit disheveled.

"Welcome our hero – Zhang Xu!"

As soon as he entered the locker room, Driss handed him a bottle of champagne, offering it with a smile. He and his teammates cheered loudly.

"What's this?" Zhang Xu looked at the champagne, a bit puzzled.

"Haha, Zhang, this is well-deserved by you, you're the Man of the Match! Congratulations! If you don't mind, I'd also like to taste what the Man of the Match champagne is like. Is that okay?" Driss explained with a big smile.

"I'd like to taste it too!"

"Me too, haha!"...

All his teammates followed suit, joining in the clamor.

"Of course, you can! This is the best way to celebrate!" Zhang Xu didn't hesitate to share his joy with his teammates.

"Great! Brothers, let's drink champagne! Haha!"

After a noisy celebration, Driss handed Zhang Xu an empty champagne bottle. "We've drunk the champagne, but the bottle is for you. I think you can keep it as a memento of your professional career, especially since it's the first Man of the Match award you've received!"

"Thank you! I'll definitely cherish it!" Zhang Xu nodded and carefully wrapped the bottle, storing it in his backpack.

This was his first Man of the Match award, but he was confident it wouldn't be his last. Zhang Xu had the determination to achieve even greater success.

.....

Gill was 64 years old and worked as a scout for Sheffield United, a club in the English Championship.

Gill had been working as a scout in various countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and more, and had extensive scouting experience. He had earned a reputation in the English football world.

Since White Star was an affiliate club of Sheffield United, he often spent a few days at the White Star club to observe the young players and assess their potential.

If he spotted any promising talents, he would write scouting reports and recommend them to the club.

However, White Star had just climbed up from the Third Division recently, and the overall team strength was relatively weak. Over the past two years, Gill had not seen any players who truly impressed him.

Could this Chinese player, Zhang Xu, be an exception?

Gill was not a nationalist, but he was well aware that Chinese football was currently at its lowest point in history. In recent years, there hadn't been any outstanding or promising players emerging from China.

Could this Chinese player, Zhang Xu, be an exception?

Since Philip recommended him, then it was worth taking a look. Gill decided to observe Zhang Xu closely. If he turned out to be as good as Philip claimed, he would recommend him to the club. If not, he would have to disappoint Philip.

However, there was one issue Gill couldn't ignore – the work permit problem. In Gill's view, unless Zhang Xu was exceptionally talented, clubs wouldn't consider a Chinese player who required a work permit. Obtaining one was challenging, and there was no need to go through that trouble for an average player when there were plenty of options in Europe.

Gill didn't travel with the White Star team this time. He entered Stadion Het Kiel alone, carrying a backpack, and found a inconspicuous spot to set up his notebook, patiently waiting for the match to begin.

The match started, and White Star's performance was initially poor. Defensive errors due to the disconnection between the midfield and the defense led to numerous mistakes, and they quickly fell behind.

By the 30th minute, they were already two goals down.

At this point, Gill had not seen any signs of Zhang Xu coming on as a substitute. He was about to close his notebook and leave the stadium at half-time when something unexpected happened – White Star's center-back suffered an injury and had to be substituted. Surprisingly, the head coach brought on a defensive midfielder – Zhang Xu, the Chinese player!

Now, Gill was intrigued. He resisted the urge to leave the stadium, reopened his notebook, and prepared to meticulously record Zhang Xu's performance.

Zhang Xu's first touch of the ball was a mistake, which disappointed Gill. However, he was soon surprised by everything that followed.

White Star was almost a different team before and after Zhang Xu's substitution.

Previously, they had defensive vulnerabilities, struggled to defend, and were incapable of launching effective attacks. But after Zhang Xu came on, the defense stabilized, and they wrestled control of the game back from Tienen.

In Gill's eyes, Zhang Xu might have many areas to improve, but he possessed the potential. With dedicated training and development, he could grow into a competent defensive midfielder.

By the time the match ended, Gill's notebook was filled with notes, spanning several pages. It was covered with entries such as "Exceptional physical condition," "Active running," "Tackling, though not perfect, is exceptionally fierce," and "Excellent teamwork, but needs improvement," among others.

Gill regretted not having a video camera with him. His recorded observations, combined with video footage, would have been even more convincing.

He packed up his notebook, put it in his backpack, and left the stadium.

At 9 PM on that day, a scouting report meticulously prepared by him was sent via the internet to Sheffield United's club across the English Channel.

While he had confidence in his judgment, Gill couldn't guarantee that the report would sway the club's decision-makers. Ultimately, it would require the head coach or the assistant coach in charge of transfers to make the final call.

However, Gill decided not to head out to scout anywhere else yet. He intended to stay and focus on observing and recording Zhang Xu's every move. He had a strong premonition that this Chinese player, Zhang Xu, would undoubtedly become a great midfielder!

"Maybe I should get in touch with that young man!"