But happy times are always short-lived.
The next day, Ling's team arrived in Bincheng to begin their first event.
Bincheng No. 24 Middle School.
On the flag-raising platform.
Ling stood gazing at the sea of students below the stage and suddenly felt his prepared speech wasn't good enough.
"Since I'm a football player, I'll just share some thoughts about football."
"Football is like a miniature version of the world. Regardless of your height, size, or build, everyone can find their role. Nothing can stop you from stepping onto the pitch."
"Of course, if you ask how important football really is? Mourinho once told me something. Family harmony and world peace are far more important than football! Compared to love, family bonds, and friendship, football is just a game."
"I hope everyone can enjoy this sport."
Thunderous applause immediately erupted from the audience.
As students of the new generation, they disliked empty rhetoric and preferred Ling's genuine remarks.
Then came the Q&A session.
"Ling, during the Champions League final when Man United fell behind three times, how did you persevere?"
Ling thought carefully for a moment before replying with a smile. "To be honest, I didn't think too much at the time. I just gritted my teeth and focused on equalizing. Only when looking back did I realize how far we'd come."
"Here's something that might sound slightly cliché - when you face difficulties, try confronting them first. You might discover they're not as strong as you imagined."
....
The event soon concluded.
The next day, after bidding farewell to his parents, Ling boarded a flight to Guangzhou.
The hotel where he stayed was immediately surrounded by crowds—roughly estimated to be at least tens of thousands of fans.
This enthusiasm not only shocked the organizers but also left Mendes utterly astonished.
He never expected Ling to have such tremendous popularity.
June in Guangzhou was already sweltering, with heatstroke being a common risk.
So Ling and Mendes quickly agreed to set up sunshades at the hotel entrance and distribute free chilled bottled water.
After all, these were all fans who supported him.
Ling also declined the organizers' arrangements and voluntarily went out to sign autographs and take photos with everyone.
If they started charging tens of thousands of RMB for VIP meetings and commercialized everything, it would strip football of its purity and charm.
To be frank, fans are essentially the lifeblood of football players.
The reason football has become a global phenomenon lies primarily in its massive fanbase.
Without their attention and support, football wouldn't exist.
Of course, Ling himself was deeply grateful for the support from Chinese fans.
Back when he went to the UK for youth training, Chinese people would often bring him gifts and offer whatever help they could.
Many of those people Ling would never see again.
Therefore, he wanted to repay this support to Chinese fans, to show them they hadn't helped an ungrateful person.
However, Ling had underestimated the fans' enthusiasm.
As his hotel became increasingly crowded, to the point of nearly blocking traffic, he could only wave apologetically to the fans.
As Mourinho once said, there are many things more important than football.
One shouldn't disrupt others' lives for personal reasons.
A full week of commercial activities followed—from Binzhou to Guangzhou, then to Nanjing.
Ling would always patiently take the time to sign autographs and take photos, doing his best not to disappoint the fans who had traveled from afar, and promised that he would appear during the International Champions Cup.
Chinese fans who got their first close-up look at Ling were struck by the humility, sincerity, and passion radiating from this soon-to-be 19-year-old.
...
Thus, Ling's popularity skyrocketed.
Not only did he help Man United defeat Man City twice and clinch last season's Premier League title decisively, but he also delivered a god-like performance in the Champions League final, coming from behind three times to equalize, perfectly embodying heroism.
Of course, the most crucial factor was his impeccable character.
Bravely standing up to malice, such as the elbow he gave Trippier.
A never-say-die spirit in the face of adversity.
In short, Ling's commercial events were a resounding success. However, sorrow soon followed.
When June 14 arrived, the World Cup in Russia kicked off.
Russia's 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia extended the host nation's unbeaten streak.
Yet China, due to that match they never should have lost, missed out on the World Cup once again.
How long must they wait for the next chance?
Perhaps it was the fans' passion that prompted China to initiate a top-to-bottom review, digging deep into the root problems, with a focus on the Chinese Super League and the football association.
Maybe in a few months, Chinese fans would be shocked to discover that the sport they deeply love was already riddled with flaws.
But only when you truly lose hope in it does it completely fall apart.
He Wei once said, "Even if he's just Don Quixote, I'm willing to be the foolish Sancho. The deepest love, I believe, is unwavering loyalty. Keep fighting!"
Perhaps Ling couldn't influence the football association, but he could always inspire some people.
Chinese youth football would no longer see championships decided by likes or popularity.
Everyone understood the importance of instilling a never-give-up mindset in children, as it would be a precious asset throughout their lives.
More people stepped up—whether through the "Nationwide Future Football Program" or the "China Football Young Talent Program"—each contributing to Chinese football.
Streams converge into rivers, rivers flow into the sea.
When countless weak forces gather, they can create earth-shaking power.
...
Meanwhile, Ling seized the opportunity to return to Manchester and resumed high-intensity training.
He didn't have much time to waste, and it didn't matter even if it meant earning much less money, because he understood what his foundation was.
Rui Faria suddenly noticed that after Ling returned to the country, his entire mental state had been completely renewed.
He trained even more intensely than before, cutting his leisure time to the absolute minimum.
He was either training or reviewing matches every day, seemingly immersed in his own world.
Regarding this, Faria specifically consulted Mourinho, who seriously instructed Faria to strengthen monitoring.
If there were any issues with Ling's data, the training plan needed to be halted immediately.
...
While Ling was training with fiery enthusiasm, the football transfer market was undergoing dramatic changes.
June 19th. England defeated Tunisia 2-1, with Harry Kane scoring twice.
Also worth noting was England's defensive line: Maguire, Stones, and Kyle Walker.
The combination of these three proved extremely effective.
The very next day, major news broke.
Leicester City launched a clearance sale, packaging Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire together set to join Man United.
However, the news hadn't been confirmed yet.
It was said that Man City was also interested in both players.
Before the new players arrived, old players were preparing to leave, as Mourinho officially began his clearance plan.
The first to leave was Matteo Darmian, sold to Parma for 24,8 million euros.
Before leaving, he told the media. "These three years have been an incredibly wonderful journey. I feel immensely honored and proud to have been part of the Man United family."
However, this was only the beginning.
Marouane Fellaini chose to move far to the Chinese Super League to join Shandong Luneng.
Although Fellaini was never a candidate for captain, his tall and imposing figure always protected his teammates first whenever conflicts arose.
He gradually became a beacon of brief light for fans during Man United's dark era.
But with age and frequent injuries, Fellaini's physical fitness and form continuously declined.
Now was indeed the time to part ways.
Then there was the very crowded center-back position.
Since Maguire's arrival was almost certain, Mourinho could only keep the most suitable candidates.
Lindelof, Rojo, Phil Jones, Smalling, Bailly, David Luiz.
If Eric Bailly could maintain his fitness and achieve a 75% appearance rate, the defensive line wouldn't require major changes.
However, the problem is that Bailly can't even reach a 35% appearance rate.
Therefore, Mourinho had no choice but to sell three players.
After several days of intense contemplation, he ultimately decided not to sell Chris Smalling immediately but instead loan him to AS Roma for €6 million.
As for Marcos Rojo, a decision would be made after evaluating his World Cup performance.
This frustrated many Man United fans, who believed Victor Lindelof should have been the one to be cleared out.
Because the "Ice Man" performed poorly last season.
However, Mourinho believed that the partnership of Lindelof and Maguire should be quite solid and better suited to his counter-attacking tactics.
Additionally, Juan Mata proactively requested to leave the club.
If Mahrez joins Man United, coupled with Rashford's positional transition, Mata would essentially have no chance of starting.
As for his next destination, it remains undetermined, with Barcelona and Valencia both being possibilities.
Regarding this, Ling could only express regret.
He really likes Mata's character, and the two are good friends, but he had no reason to stop someone from seeking a better future.
...
As time passed, Ling spent his days training, watching the World Cup afterward, and occasionally going out for commercial shoots, leading a relatively fulfilling life.
June 29th. The group stage of the Russian World Cup concluded with basically no major upsets, as Argentina, Portugal, Spain, and other teams steadily advanced.
Ling planned to go to Russia during the semi-finals to watch the matches and cheer on his teammates.
...
Entering July, transfer news became frequent.
Liverpool signed Alisson Becker for €70 million, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in football history.
They also added versatile midfielder Fabinho for €50 million, Naby Keita from RB Leipzig for £52.75 million, and Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke City.
The Red Army's strength surged dramatically for the new season, clearly aiming for the title!
This made Liverpool fans increasingly confident, eagerly anticipating the North West Derby next season.
As for Chelsea, after failing to acquire Ling, they spent €80 million to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga, directly breaking the record for the most expensive goalkeeper.
Arsenal's new head coach Unai Emery also embarked on a crazy shopping spree after taking charge.
Meanwhile, the two Manchester clubs remained the most stable, seemingly brewing some shocking transfers.
...
After the World Cup Round of 16 concluded, surprisingly, Argentina and Portugal both exited together.
A few days later, the quarter-finals began.
French speedster Kylian Mbappe showcased his prowess as France defeated Uruguay 2-0.
Manchester City's midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne scored with precision while Romelu Lukaku created an assist from the wing, leading Belgium to a 2-1 victory over Brazil.
Neymar once again left the World Cup in tears.
Harry Maguire transformed into a B-52 Stratofortress, demonstrating his formidable heading ability as England defeated Sweden 2-0.
The host nation Russia drew 2-2 with Croatia but ultimately fell 3-4 in penalties, missing the semifinals.
Croatia's unparalleled resilience made them the tournament's dark horse!
...
After completing his final training session, Ling packed his bags.
He boarded a flight to Russia.
----
Arteta Haram ball is winning the league...