Since there was one final league match in two days, the Man United players didn't go out to celebrate.
Back at the dormitory, Ling clutched the football he earned from his hat trick, watching the match replay on TV while occasionally chuckling to himself.
Even now, he felt like he was dreaming.
Half an hour later, he pulled up the footage of Real Madrid versus Liverpool and began analyzing it intently.
....
Meanwhile.
Manchester United's championship victory spread across the internet to every corner of the world.
Since this was a World Cup year, football fever was more intense than ever.
All Top Five Leagues had now crowned their champions.
Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and PSG—among these, only Manchester United hadn't dominated with absolute superiority.
For instance, Bayern had clinched the title seven rounds early, finishing a full 21 points ahead of second-placed Schalke 04.
Compared to the four regular championship contenders, Manchester United's resurgence from their slump captured more attention.
"Next season we'll be even stronger, hoping to achieve our first ever quintuple in club history!" fans boasted online.
Two days of celebration passed in the blink of an eye.
...
Manchester United versus Watford!
The date was May 15th.
Manchester in May enjoyed gentle temperatures around 18°C.
Manchester United fans waved flags and sang club anthems loudly as they marched along the streets toward Old Trafford.
Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu stood by the roadside, both wearing Manchester United jerseys.
"We're currently outside Old Trafford, where statistics show nearly 500,000 fans have gathered, all waiting for Manchester United to officially receive the Premier League trophy!"
While Zhan Jun was explaining the significance of the Premier League title to fans, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by the massive crowd of Manchester United supporters.
One of the lead fans asked, "Chinese?"
Zhan Jun, startled, responded, "Well, we're staff from LeSports in China!"
The group of United fans immediately grew excited, wrapping their scarves around Zhan Jun's neck.
Then, they clasped their hands toward the camera and said in an odd accent.
"Hello, we are Ling's fans!"
Zhang Lu extended the microphone, "What would you like to say about Manchester United winning the league title?"
A Manchester United fan pushed through the crowd and excitedly shouted, "At the start of the season, we never imagined winning the title, especially with rivals like Man City being so strong. But as everyone knows, we defeated Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea—no one could stop our march forward!"
"All I want to say is, I'm lucky to be a Manchester United fan, and I'll stay with this club until I'm old!"
"And Ling, I apologize for my earlier doubts—he's now my number one!"
Zhang Lu revealed a gratified smile, sensing the genuine affection the fans held for Ling—a sentiment that came straight from the heart.
They had visited England before, but never experienced treatment like this, all thanks to Ling.
"The FA vehicle that just passed by carried the Premier League championship trophy, also known as the Barclays Trophy," Zhan Jun noted.
"Today's ticket prices have been scalped starting from 1,000 euros, with some reaching nearly 7,000 euros!"
"Hope Ling scores a hat trick today and pushes the Premier League single-season scoring record to 40 goals!"
"Winning the Golden Boot award in his debut season—this has never happened before in the Top Five Leagues!"
The bus emblazoned with the Manchester United crest slowly approached from the far end of the street, and the United fans erupted into thunderous cheers.
Ling waved to the fans through the bus window.
When Ling inadvertently caught sight of Mourinho ahead, he suddenly recalled that in his previous life's timeline, United would finish second with 81 points.
Now, everything had changed.
United hadn't lost matches they should have won, and they had triumphed in difficult games, climbing steadily step by step until they finally reached the pinnacle of English football.
Ling suddenly broke into a radiant smile.
The quiet city of Manchester was stirring once again after four years, though last time it was Man City who lifted the trophy.
At exactly 2:00 PM.
Old Trafford's four stands were packed to capacity, with 70,000 fans occupying every inch of space.
A helicopter flew across the sky, trailing a red banner that fluttered in the wind.
"Manchester United!!!"
Amid the soaring melody, two staff members carried the Premier League trophy and placed it at the entrance of the players' tunnel.
The Trophy was crafted by the royal jeweler Asprey.
Weighing 25 kilograms, standing 43 cm tall and 25 cm wide, its main body was silver alloy with a pure silver electroplated surface.
The top featured a golden crown, while the base was made of a large piece of green malachite.
Silver bands adorned the trophy's surface, engraved with Manchester United's name, and several red ribbons were tied to the handles, dancing in the gentle spring breeze.
In the decades-long history of the Premier League, only one season featured a different trophy.
That was the special all-gold version in 2004, honoring Arsenal's undefeated championship season.
As the camera slowly panned upward.
Four massive banners were displayed across the four stands.
Ling on the East Stand, Mourinho on the West, De Gea on the South, and a group photo of United players on the North.
...
In the family seating section.
Yan Lanxia was chatting with Garcia, Juan Mata's mother, a highly respected lady.
"Even though Mata is already 30 this year, I still worry about his health before every match. How many times have I told him to be careful and avoid injuries?"
"If you feel nervous while watching the game, you can send him a text during the match so he'll see it right after the final whistle."
"..."
Yan Lanxia nodded with an understanding smile.
On the other side, Ling Changzheng, who didn't speak English, was somewhat gloomily smoking a cigarette.
McTominay's father enthusiastically approached him, opening a translation app on his phone.
[Ling is an outstanding player. Scott often mentions him, saying Ling is his best friend, bar none.]
Changzheng felt immensely proud upon hearing this, his grin stretching nearly ear to ear. Using translation software, he replied:
[Thank you, Scott is also Ling's best friend. Would you like one?]
The two exchanged a glance and shared a knowing chuckle.
Soon, a crowd of men gathered around, and Changzheng's two packs of cigarettes were handed out in no time.
...
Meanwhile, in the players' tunnel...
Ling turned to Emilia, Juan Mata's niece who was serving as a mascot, and teased her, "I heard you refused to go to school because the uniform was blue? Your mom even made a short video that turned you into a little internet celebrity?"
"I just don't like blue!" Emilia pouted.
"Hahaha, I'm not fond of blue either. But who knows, maybe Man United will have blue kits someday. Would you wear one then?"
Ling ruffled Emilia's hair gently.
Emilia looked deeply conflicted, unable to come up with an answer after a long pause.
A red-haired boy nearby chimed in mischievously, "Can we swap? I want Ling to lead me onto the pitch."
"No way!" Emilia immediately tightened her grip on Ling's hand, murmuring softly.
"Hey, it's my retirement ceremony today! I've played for Man United for 12 years. What, you think you're losing out with me?" Michael Carrick pretended to glare fiercely.
The red-haired boy shivered in mock fear.
The Man United players burst into hearty laughter before following the officiating crew out of the tunnel.
There's an unwritten curse in football: teams that touch the trophy before the match are far less likely to win it.
Under the gaze of over 70,000 fans, Ling carefully ran his hands over the Trophy, then lifted Emilia up so she could have a touch too.
Had it not been for the staff's reminder, the two might have lingered even longer.
Watford's players formed two lines, applauding warmly.
Among them, Richarlison stared intently at Ling.
Both were left-wingers, both young, and while Richarlison had an impressive season, he paled in comparison to Ling.
Convinced his team held him back, Richarlison had decided to leave Watford for ambitious Everton.
Next season, he vowed to prove to the world that he could match—even surpass—Ling's achievements.
Once both teams were in position, the referee blew his whistle.
Peep!
The match was underway.
"The 38th round of Premier League matches is underway. Old Trafford is packed to capacity," Zhan Jun announced.
"LeSports has dispatched a crew to the scene to broadcast the final Premier League round for Chinese fans."
"Salah from Liverpool is injured and will miss the next two matches. Ling has already secured this season's Premier League Golden Boot. Oh, and unless Harry Kane can score six goals in tomorrow's match..."
"With Man United already confirmed as champions, Mourinho fielded Carrick—wearing the captain's armband—and the departing Ibrahimović..."
"Fellaini and Lukaku, injured in the recent match, are absent but present on crutches by the sidelines."
Watford immediately compressed their formation, clearly intent on parking the bus.
Though the outcome was meaningless, they refused to become mere footnotes in someone else's story.
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