Chapter 24: The Basic Qualities of a Hero

Author's note: Bonus chapter #2 40/40 power stones. Enjoy this new chapter!

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The training session shattered everything Chen Yingxiong had been proud of for more than a month. He failed again and again. Facing Eric Hagen and Martin Skrtel, he had no chance at all.

The teammates who had just changed their minds began to doubt again. But Chen Yingxiong did not give up. He just got up from the ground again and again, signalling the player who passed the ball to continue.

This scene reminded him of his experience when he was trying out for CSKA Moscow.

The long-lost feeling came back again, knocking him down from the clouds of heaven into the mire. Only at this moment did he realize that he had not changed much from before. He thought he was a genius star, but in fact, he was still far from it...

Chen Yingxiong didn't even know how he finished training, and the noisy locker room seemed to have nothing to do with him.

He lowered his head to take a shower, changed his clothes, put on his training bag, and walked out of the locker room.

In the past, he would greet his new teammates and say goodbye in his newly learned Russian.

In short, you could feel his presence in the locker room.

But this time, he lowered his head and walked out of the locker room silently, as if he didn't know anyone there.

Li Hao looked at Chen Yingxiong's back, feeling somewhat gloating.

During training, he was scored against while being pinned down by the opponent, which was a bitter pill to swallow.

So he was particularly happy to see Chen Yingxiong in trouble.

This is what you get for messing with me, Chinese!

After Chen Yingxiong left, there was silence in the locker room for a while, and then discussions broke out.

"That kid will be in the reserve team soon..."

"Another shooting star. Why am I not surprised?"

"In fact, his header was really powerful. I think he was just a little impatient..."

Someone teased Hagen. "Eric, you've really dealt a heavy blow to this kid's confidence, ha!"

Hagen shrugged, looking helpless. "It has nothing to do with me..."

Arshavin saw Skrtel frowning and saying nothing, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You don't feel guilty about this, do you?"

Skrtel shook his head. "No, I was just thinking... Forget it, I'm going to take a shower!"

After saying that, he picked up the towel and walked towards the bathroom.

Arshavin curled his lips at the puzzled Skrtel and shrugged.

In the steamy bathroom, Skrtel stood in front of a huge mirror. His teammates passed by him in twos and threes, and everyone's topic seemed to have shifted to the Chinese man.

Skrtel pressed his left ribs with his hand, and his face looked a little pained.

When he took his hand away, a dark blue bruise appeared where he had pressed.

"This kid... is really cruel..."

Skrtel muttered to himself.

This dark blue bruise was left by Chen Yingxiong during training.

In order to block Chen Yingxiong's header, Skrtel struggled with him desperately, and the two bodies kept colliding. It may not have looked intense, but looking at the dark blue bruise, everyone would know the difficulty. 

…

Chen Yingxiong returned to the dormitory and threw his sneakers on the ground. As if he was still not satisfied, he kicked the sneakers all over the living room.

Yesenin watched him vent his frustration quietly.

Chen Yingxiong turned and looked at Yesenin. "Am I in a very sorry state, like a lost dog?"

Yesenin thought about it, then nodded. "Very similar."

"I asked this because I hoped you could comfort me!"

"Oh, sorry." Yesenin suddenly realized and shook his head. "Not at all," he said with a thumbs up.

Chen Yingxiong waved his hand. "Forget it... I'm just asking for trouble."

After saying that, he sat on the sofa, staring blankly at something.

While he was in a daze, Yesenin picked up the sneakers and put them back on the shoe rack at the door.

Chen Yingxiong watched him do all these things, and then suddenly asked. "Shouldn't my header be very powerful?"

"From a technical point of view... that's right," Yesenin said.

"What does that mean technically?"

"That is to say, if you and your opponent are put together and only compete in headers, you will definitely win. But in the game... the situation becomes complicated. The person defending you is no longer one person, but multiple people, and they will not only use technical means to stop you. The defence also has tactics, Hero. In other words, they can pull your jersey and prevent you from jumping..."

Chen Yingxiong interrupted Yesenin and said, "Wait a minute. When I was trying out for Zenit and playing for the youth team, I also had my jersey pulled. Why was I able to score a goal?"

Yesenin spread his hands. "Is the level of the youth team the same as the first team?"

Chen Yingxiong was speechless after being asked.

"Then what's the point of such heading skills? I can only score goals in the youth team and in training. It's useless when it comes to professional games!" Chen Yingxiong stood up suddenly from the sofa, feeling a little agitated and unwilling.

Yesenin raised his head and looked at the tall Chen Yingxiong. "There is a question I have wanted to ask for a long time."

"What?" Chen Yingxiong did not lower his head but just looked at Yesenin who asked the question out of the corner of his eye.

"I gave you the ability to head the ball. As long as you practice hard and have a little luck, you can also gain a place in professional football with this ability alone. You will become a centre forward with excellent headers and a strong body, and you can score many goals in your career. What do you think of this future?"

Chen Yingxiong shrugged. "It seems okay."

"But you can only be a first-rate striker at best in your lifetime, and you need a lot of luck and hard training. There is a higher chance that you will become a second-rate or quasi-first-rate striker. Do you think that's okay?"

This time Chen Yingxiong shook his head firmly. "Mr. Aurora, do you know why I am called 'Hero'?"

Yesenin looked at him and shook his head

"There are thousands of first-rate people, but there can only be one hero."

"You want to be a hero on the court?"

"Of course."

"But you know, not everyone can be a hero. To be a hero, you have to make an effort and pay a price that ordinary people can hardly imagine. Do you think you can wake up with the ability to head the ball like before? I tell you, you have to pay much more than you do now!"

Yesenin suddenly raised his voice.

This should have been an impassioned speech. The audience should be in tears and have their blood boiling. They should clench their fists and continue with a trembling voice. "No matter how many difficulties and obstacles there are ahead! I will never give up!"

But Chen Yingxiong broke the atmosphere as soon as he opened his mouth. "Stop talking nonsense! Just tell me what to do!"

Yesenin was stunned for a moment - Chen Yingxiong's reaction was not what he expected. As for what he expected, you can refer to the "correct reaction example" above.

"It's very simple." Yesenin didn't get the response he expected, and his enthusiasm dropped a lot. "You just need to keep working hard, training, learning skills and accumulating experience."

"Then what do I need you for, Mr. Aurora..." Chen Yingxiong felt that Yesenin must be crazy - any player needs to do the above three things in order to make progress and succeed.

"No, no, no, no." Yesenin shook his head. "This is where you need me, Hero. I have a plan that can make you a football hero. First of all, the person who implements the plan needs to have a strong physique, otherwise, they will be injured frequently in the middle of the process and become a glass man, and the plan will fail. And this, you happen to have." He pointed at Chen Yingxiong.

Chen Yingxiong thought about it and realized that it was true. His body was indeed strong. He had played football for twelve years in various teams and rarely got injured. He had never suffered any injuries that could have destroyed his football career. Even in the youth team of a domestic club, when his teammates kicked him, it didn't pose much of a threat to him. He was just angry because his opponent dared to plot against him...

"Next, you need to be able to endure hardships and be able to withstand boring and tedious training. After this month's training, I think you have the patience."

"Then, talent. Physical fitness is also a kind of talent. Many people envy your body. Techniques and awareness can be improved through training, but physical fitness is the most difficult to improve through training."

"Finally, you need a heart that can withstand tremendous pressure. Your experience with your father in July shows that you have this in spades. You have encountered many difficulties, setbacks and blows. But you have never given up, and you have persisted from one place to another."

"There are many geniuses and many hardworking people. However, there are not many people who can meet the above four conditions at the same time, and it can even be said that they are rare. Some people have strong bodies, but they are fragile inside and cannot withstand any blows, and their condition fluctuates. Some people are tough inside but lack a strong enough body. Such people will become glass men who are frequently injured in cruel professional football games. No matter how strong they are, they will never reach the level of heroes throughout their lives. Some people have both talent and body, but they cannot endure hardship. They are lazy and hate work. They squander their talents and capital wantonly, and then lose the brilliance of being a genius early and become mediocre."

Yesenin looked at Chen Yingxiong and said, "Want to be a hero? These four basic qualities are indispensable. Do you still think it's easy to be a hero?"

...

Author's note

Bonus Chapter #3 - 60 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #4 - 80 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #5 - 100 Power stones