In the manor's parking garage, there was a Porsche and a BMW, and in the cellar, there was a stockpile of food.
Every house in the manor is fully furnished with furniture and household appliances.
Klose sat with the Gao family in their house for a while before getting up to leave. Before leaving, Klose told Gao Jianfei, "Mr. Gao, coincidentally, our Bundesliga is currently in its winter break. My old friend Löw is leading the national team in training at the Commerzbank-Stadion in Frankfurt, preparing for next year's European Championship. You know, the powerful German team is grouped with Portugal, the Netherlands, and Denmark—they're not easy opponents… Uh, haha, what I mean is, Mr. Gao, you could take some time to chat with my old friend Löw and get to know the team better. By the way, Mr. Gao, what position do you usually play?"
"Huh?" Gao Jianfei was a little dumbfounded by the question.
"Mr. Gao, you wouldn't... really, really not know how to play football, would you?" Klose's eyes bulged.
"Ah... I can! I play in the attacking third! Yes, I can. Okay, Mr. Klose, I'll contact you when I have time. I need to practice with the German team for that match!" Gao Jianfei smiled and shook hands with Klose to say goodbye.
"Damn! This Mr. Gao really doesn't know how to play football... and he's still bragging, calling himself a forward, God, Löw's old friend, I hope you take responsibility for your decision!" Klose led his bodyguards away from the manor.
"Son, you were talking to that foreigner in English for ages, what were you saying?" Gao's mother asked Gao Jianfei as she walked around the room.
"Oh, Mom, she didn't say anything. From now on, this house belongs to us! Haha!" Gao Jianfei said to his mother with a smile. "Mom, we can raise some horses, cows, dogs, and things like that on the lawn outside, then you won't have nothing to do all day!"
After exchanging a few words with his family, Gao Jianfei pulled Chen Xian outside and said to her, "Xiao Xian, you should be able to drive, right?"
"Yes, I will." Chen Xian nodded as if it were a matter of course.
Gao Jianfei then led Chen Xian to the garage, where there was a Porsche and a BMW. "Xiao Xian, this town isn't too far from the city. If there's anything the family needs to buy in the future, you can just go to the city to buy it. Anyway, you can speak English, so communicating with Germans won't be a big problem."
“Yes, I understand. Jianfei, don’t worry. I learned some German when I was in college. Although I haven’t used it in a long time, I should be able to have a normal conversation after reviewing it. Jianfei, you’re busy with your career, so don’t worry about things at home. I’ll take good care of things.” Chen Xian said very virtuously.
Gao Jianfei was deeply moved and hugged Chen Xian, saying, "Xiao Xian, you've worked so hard. Sigh, being away from home."
“Hehe… Jianfei, Germany is great! Back home, many people are looking forward to going abroad,” Chen Xian said with a smile.
And so, the family settled down in Germany.
During the day, Gao Jianfei and Chen Xian would go to the city to buy clothes, food, and other daily necessities for the household. They also bought a batch of young cows, sheep, German Shepherds, and other small animals to raise on the farm, which was quite interesting.
The other residents of the town, including some Germans, Turks, and Austrians, were very welcoming to the Gao family. Even some Chinese people who lived in the town would come over to visit.
In short, within three days, the Gao family began to gradually integrate into the German lifestyle.
On the other hand, in just two days, Garrincha, Socrates, and Zhang Shun will be complete. And the countdown to the match between Gao Jianfei and Feng Haoyu ends in 14 days!
That evening, right after dinner, Klose called… “Mr. Gao, good evening. Listen to me, my old friend Löw invites you to the Commerzbank-Stadion in Frankfurt tomorrow! He’ll introduce you to his German national team teammates. You know, in a little over ten days, you’ll be playing against Real Madrid in the pouring rain, so it’s essential for both sides to get to know each other beforehand. Also… the national team players want to see your skills… cough cough, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
"Oh? Tomorrow?" Gao Jianfei wouldn't be able to learn Garrincha and Socrates's skills until the day after tomorrow, but Löw wanted him to come tomorrow. However, going wouldn't hurt; he could just get to know his temporary teammates. "Alright! I'll meet Löw at the stadium first thing tomorrow morning!"
“Okay, Mr. Gao, I’ll drive over to pick you up tomorrow morning,” Klose said with a smile.
Chapter 420 Mr. Gao, please step onto the stage!
Chapter 420 Mr. Gao, please step onto the stage!
Coincidentally, just a few days after Gao Jianfei arrived in Frankfurt, Löw led the German national football team in a training camp at the Commerzbank-Stadion in preparation for next year's European Championship. Löw invited Gao Jianfei to come and play some football with the team to get a feel for them beforehand.
Tomorrow morning, Gao Jianfei has to go to the Commerzbank-Stadion in Frankfurt to find Löw. However, the crucial problem is that Gao Jianfei won't be able to piece together the names of Brazil's two deceased football superstars, Socrates and Garrincha, until at least tomorrow night. This means that when he goes to see Löw tomorrow morning, Gao Jianfei will still be completely clueless about football. If Löw actually lets Gao Jianfei play a few rounds, he'll be immediately exposed!
We'll lose face then!
So, Gao Jianfei sighed repeatedly as he went to bed that night. When Chen Xian asked him why, Gao Jianfei couldn't bring himself to explain the reason for his depression.
Gao Jianfei is hoping that after meeting Löw tomorrow, he can just have coffee with the handsome head coach and talk about formations and tactics, without actually engaging in any real combat.
Gao Jianfei slept until the next morning, and after having some breakfast, Frankfurt Mayor Klose drove over to pick him up.
Unfortunately, having already promised, Gao Jianfei couldn't possibly make up excuses or try to get away with it.
After Klose got into the car, the sedan sped towards the Commercial Bank Stadium.
Mayor Klose was a true football fanatic, the kind of fanatic. In the car, he proactively introduced the team to Gao Jianfei, saying, "For this German national team training camp, all players, including starters and substitutes, are present. Head coach Löw attaches great importance to this kind of training camp. After all, during the normal season, with the major European leagues in full swing, players are extremely busy and simply can't find time for training. Now, finally having the winter break, Löw is eagerly gathering the team to practice and refine their teamwork." Mayor Klose added excitedly, "Mr. Gao, you should know our German national team's star striker, Klose, right? Haha! What a coincidence, the Klose currently playing for Lazio in Serie A shares the same name as me!"
Gao Jianfei just smiled apologetically. He needed to figure out how to get through today; everything would be fine tomorrow! He figured that once he learned Garrincha and Socrates's skills, he could easily outplay this German team!
The car drove into the parking garage of the Commercial Bank Stadium, and Mayor Klose personally escorted Gao Jianfei to the stadium. This training camp for the German team was not closed to the public, so much so that several thousand enthusiastic fans had poured into the stands.
As soon as Gao Jianfei entered the stadium, he felt... a little insignificant!
This Commercial Bank Stadium is said to be able to accommodate 52,000 spectators. It has multiple tiers of stands, is a professional football stadium, and has no running track. It is very magnificent!
There is no snow in Germany right now, and the pitch is in excellent condition, so the whole pitch looks lush and green!
Gao Jianfei observed about 20 football players doing simple physical training on the field. They were doing exercises like frog jumps, running, push-ups, shuttle runs, and juggling the ball. The players seemed very relaxed, and laughter frequently broke out during the training.
Meanwhile, the fans in the stands were taking photos, filming, and dancing... having a blast!
For football fans, this kind of training is nothing short of a relaxing gathering!
Gao Jianfei saw many familiar faces among the players training on the field, all of whom he had seen on television before… 'Little Squirrel' Lahm, the current starting left-back and captain of the German national team. There was also Özil, who had returned from Real Madrid; Khedira; the black defender Boateng; the efficient striker Gomez; the currently hottest talents in European football, Götze and Reus; Toni Klose; and of course, the somewhat delicate-looking, effeminate-looking striker with the same name as the mayor…
"Uh..." Gao Jianfei had watched the Bundesliga, the European Championship, and the World Cup before, so he knew these players well. For a time, he even idolized Ballack. Now, seeing so many stars all at once, Gao Jianfei was a little stunned and nervous. He instinctively tried to start a conversation, asking Mayor Klose, "By the way, Mayor, as far as I know, Özil and Khedira of the German national team play for Real Madrid. Now, Feng Haoyu wants to hire Real Madrid to play against me. So, should Özil and Khedira help me or Feng Haoyu?" Gao Jianfei knew that Özil and Khedira were key players and crucial players on both ends of the German national team!
Mayor Klose smiled and said, "Mr. Gao, please don't worry about that. Özil and Khedira will play for the German national team." He paused, then added, "I spoke with Özil yesterday. It's said that the club is hiring several key players to fill the positions of Özil and Khedira. Uh... that includes Messi."
"Hiss!" Gao Jianfei gasped!
What does Messi mean in today's football world?
The number one! Absolutely the number one!
No player can compare to Messi!
When Ronaldo played for Manchester United, many football experts liked to compare him to Messi, and many even believed Ronaldo was better than Messi. However, after Ronaldo transferred to La Liga and played in the same league as Messi, all those experts who supported Ronaldo fell silent!
Ronaldo can't beat Messi!
Of course, this is not to say that Ronaldo is not strong. Ronaldo is the second strongest player in the world today, with Messi being the first.
In other words, in a football match between Gao Jianfei and Feng Haoyu in just over ten days, Gao Jianfei will face an upgraded version of Real Madrid!
Imagine Ronaldo and Messi on the same team – how terrifying would that be? It would strike fear into the hearts of any opponent!
Moreover... most experts say that Feng Haoyu is even stronger than Messi! If he hadn't chosen to retire after playing football for only two years, perhaps Messi wouldn't be the number one player in world football today!
With wind, torrential rain, Messi, and Ronaldo forming an attacking trio, then...
"Ugh! I feel a lot of pressure." Gao Jianfei couldn't help but shake his head.
At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a gray trench coat and scarf, with an elegant and unrestrained demeanor, and a fair-skinned man who was over 1.9 meters tall, walked directly towards Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei immediately recognized that the man in the trench coat was Joachim Löw, the head coach of the German national team, and the man who was 1.9 meters tall was Oliver Bierhoff, the team manager of the German national team.
"Hello, Mr. Gao, welcome to the Commercial Bank Stadium!" Love extended his hand to shake hands with Gao Jianfei and spoke to him politely in English.
Gao Jianfei quickly shook hands with Löw, "Hello, Mr. Löw, first of all, I must thank you for leading your team to help me."
Löf's image was quite good; he was gentle and refined, exuding a charming middle-aged man's charisma. Furthermore, he was willing to risk embarrassment to help Gao Jianfei without asking for a single penny. From these perspectives, Gao Jianfei was very grateful to Löf. Therefore, his attitude towards Löf was also very good.
However, Gao Jianfei noticed that Bierhoff, who was standing behind Löw, was looking at him with disdain, his eyes filled with mockery and dissatisfaction.
"Uh? Mr. Bierhoff, you used to be my idol." Gao Jianfei walked over politely and extended his hand to shake hands with Bierhoff. "During the 1996 European Championship, your golden goal helped Germany defeat the Czech Republic and win the championship. Haha, I watched that game on TV. You were amazing."
Unexpectedly, Bierhoff didn't even extend his hand to shake Gao Jianfei's! He said arrogantly, "Mr. Gao, I know you! You have some important collaborations with our country, and even the Chancellor respects you greatly. Moreover, you hold a pivotal position in the international community. But... you can't play football! At least, you've never played professional football! Because of you, our German team will suffer a huge humiliation in the next ten days! This will have a huge negative impact on our preparations for next year's European Championship! I think you've gone too far! We are tenacious Germans, not toys!"
After he finished speaking, he gave Löw a look of extreme dissatisfaction.
Löw smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, dear Bierhoff, it was my decision to cooperate with Mr. Gao in that competition. His Excellency the Prime Minister and the Minister of Sports have both approved it, so I hope you won't hold any further grudges!"
Löw brought up the German Chancellor and the Minister of Sport, putting pressure on Bierhoff, which made Bierhoff retort! He couldn't argue with Löw, after all, the entire German Football Association now trusts Löw a great deal. He wields considerable power.
Bierhoff could only vent his frustration on Gao Jianfei. "Mr. Gao, since you're here today, then go on the field and play well with our players. I no longer object to Löw's decision; the German team will do its utmost to help you challenge Real Madrid. However... you must become familiar with our players and let them understand your playing style. That way, during the match, everyone will have better teamwork!"
Should we let Gao Jianfei play?
Gao Jianfei is afraid of this today!
He turned his gaze to Löw.
At this moment, Löw's gaze shifted. "Mr. Gao, if you don't mind, could you please change into your training clothes and shoes...?"
“This…” Gao Jianfei turned his gaze to the field and noticed that all the German players had stopped training and were looking at him. Their eyes were full of mockery and ridicule; some were laughing mischievously, while others were whistling frivolously.
This is not to say that the German players were uncivilized, disgusting, or arrogant. The key issue is that Gao Jianfei insulted and mocked them first!
Exactly. If someone like you, who can't play football and has no professional experience, goes to play with a world-class team, doesn't that just drag their value down to the same level as you, an amateur or even a football idiot?
"You're a coward?" Bierhoff smiled provocatively.
Gao Jianfei gritted his teeth. "Damn it, fine, let them kick me!" he said directly. "Alright! I'll go on the field and talk to them!"
At this moment, an assistant coach came running over with a set of training clothes (long pants and a long shirt) and a pair of sneakers, and handed the training clothes and sneakers to Gao Jianfei.
"Wow..." Some spectators in the stadium stands immediately burst into boos!
…… …… ……
***: Brothers, we've completed one character for today. That's all for today. Don't wait up for tonight.
Because I had some things to deal with this month, which caused some delays, I will try my best to produce 10,000 words per day. Any extra drafts will be saved for emergency use.
Hehe, I don't want to break up.
Chapter 421 Completely crushes Boateng!
Chapter 421 Completely crushes Boateng!
In the dead of winter, everyone's training uniform consisted of long sleeves and trousers, all from the Adidas brand. Gao Jianfei took off his trench coat and immediately put on the training uniform handed to him by the assistant coach. The shoe size was also about right, so Gao Jianfei swapped his dress shoes for sneakers.
"Alright, Mr. Gao, please come on in and get acquainted with the players," Bierhoff said with a sneer. He was certain that Gao Jianfei couldn't play football!
On the one hand, the weakness of Chinese football led Bierhoff to have an instinctive aversion to Gao Jianfei, a Chinese national, in the field of football; on the other hand, from the perspective of professional players, any amateur player can be classified as "unable to play football".
Football is a profession. No matter how talented you are, you need professional and systematic training, professional player registration, and plenty of playing time, especially in official matches. The German Football Association has checked their database of professional football players worldwide and there's no such person as Gao Jianfei! Therefore, it can be concluded that… at best, Gao Jianfei is an amateur player!
It's truly a huge irony that amateur players are teaming up with the German national team to challenge a strengthened Real Madrid!
After changing into his training uniform and putting on his professional football boots, Gao Jianfei knew there was no escaping it. He could only grit his teeth and head towards the football field.
As Gao Jianfei walked onto the field, the German national team's main players and substitutes, more than twenty in total, lined up and all looked at him with unfriendly eyes.
Moreover, Gao Jianfei looked rather thin standing next to this group of German players… The German team is known for its height and strength. Although this German team's passing and teamwork are quite good, they still maintain their traditionally strong physique. For example, Mertesacker, Boateng, Hummels, and Neuer are all over 1.9 meters tall; Gomez and Friedrich are also over 1.6 meters tall…
Standing in front of these towering players, Gao Jianfei realized something... When he saw these soccer players on TV before, they seemed to have great proportions, not that they were particularly tall or strong. But standing next to them in real life, the feeling... damn, it was like seeing rows of iron towers standing right in front of him!
Gao Jianfei is only 1.78 meters tall! For an average person, that height is just average, passable. But compared to a professional soccer player, he's... considered short!
In terms of fighting, Gao Jianfei is not afraid of these Germans at all. Even if they swarm him, Gao Jianfei can take them down with one hand. However, this is about football! And Gao Jianfei hasn't learned to play football yet, so he is definitely under psychological pressure.
"Hello, Mr. Gao!" German football team captain Lahm walked straight up.
"Phew..." Gao Jianfei breathed a sigh of relief. Lahm was rather short, only 1.7 meters tall, a head shorter than Gao Jianfei. Therefore, with him standing in front of Gao Jianfei, the pressure on Gao Jianfei was much less. However, Lahm was one of the world's best full-backs. Even Gao Jianfei, a half-goal enthusiast, showed some politeness and respect to Lahm, "Hello, Lahm."
As the team captain, Ram was the one who spoke up and resolved many issues. "Mr. Gao, I've heard of you. You're a great Chinese. You're an outstanding doctor, a painter, and a kingpin in some underground industries. But this is a football field. Please take back all your accolades. Remember, from the moment you step onto the field, you are just a player, understand?"