When Koster heard Li Yufei, he nodded and offered a reminder:
"It's true, your identity is rather sensitive. When choosing a National Team, you'll still need to consult your mother, Ms. Anne."
"But based on my experience, there shouldn't be any problem with you playing for England."
Koster knew what his son-in-law was thinking.
He also knew full well that America was never going to produce a powerful National Team in soccer.
Because nobody cared about it!
Sports in America were the most commercialized in the world.
Whether it was the NFL, MLB, or NBA,
their commercial value was higher than the Premier League's.
The Premier League was indeed the most commercially successful soccer league in the world.
But compared with those American leagues, it still came up short.
Li Yufei remembered seeing a ranking of sports clubs by market value in his previous life.
Most of the top-ranked clubs were NFL teams.
The NBA came next, while only Real Madrid and Manchester United made the world's top twenty among soccer clubs.
Although many Chinese people mocked this as Americans enjoying their own little bubble,
it was undeniable that America was far ahead of other countries when it came to commercializing sports.
On American soil, these already mature commercial sports had claimed almost all of the attention of the American people.
You could say there was no pie left for soccer.
And without enough of that pie, soccer naturally couldn't attract the attention of the American public.
That also made it difficult for enough talented players to pursue professional soccer.
There were already very few Americans who pursued professional soccer, and after narrowing the field down, there were even fewer who could become world-champion-caliber players.
You could even say there weren't any at all!
With a group of teammates like that, Li Yufei had no chance of making a run at the World Cup.
So if he wanted to become the GOAT of the Football World, his first step was to join the England National Team.
Although the England National Team had earned nicknames like the "Three Cats Army" and "European China Team,"
they steamrolled weaker teams in friendlies and qualifiers, only to start wetting themselves the moment a major tournament began.
Still, there was no denying that England had an extremely deep pool of players!
There were plenty who could become world-champion-caliber players, at least!
They had simply always lacked a central figure strong enough to unite their loosely connected players.
Li Yufei had absolute confidence that he could become that central figure.
He was also certain he could turn the Three Cats Army into the Three Lions Army in the truest sense.
But that all depended on whether he could successfully join the England National Team.
Although he held dual British and American citizenship, and there was nothing legally wrong with playing for the England soccer team,
Li Yufei had to consider the political implications.
After all, his surname was Adams.
Since he and his family had received plenty of benefits because of that name,
Li Yufei also had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities.
He had always been mentally prepared for that.
There was no such thing as getting all the benefits without paying a price.
And even if there was, Li Yufei didn't think it would ever happen to him.
So he needed to talk things through with both his mother and his father.
Only after clearing everything up could he feel at ease.
After dinner at the Taylor family's house,
Li Yufei and Taylor went to the room they shared.
In the meantime, Li Yufei had already called his mother.
According to her, he didn't need to worry about it and should just choose according to his own wishes.
But Li Yufei was worried that his mother had said that deliberately to support his soccer career.
So, still uneasy, he called Li's Father as well.
To his surprise, Li's Father immediately gave Li Yufei a round of ridicule reserved for a father teasing his son:
"You little punk, you really think you're a big deal, huh?"
"Get one thing straight: your profession is just a sport."
"Being good or bad at sports can't bring a country any real, tangible benefits."
"Your mom and I are people who have big things to do. To put it bluntly, sports aren't even worth our attention."
"Just go after your dream. Don't go borrowing trouble."
"Don't worry. You won't cause your mom or me any problems, you little punk. Go chase your dream without fear!"
After his dad mocked him like that, Li Yufei instantly lost his good mood.
But from his father's words, he also understood their position—and finally got the answer he'd been seeking all this time.
He could play for the England National Team without any reservations and pursue that golden ball-shaped trophy.
Sensing her boyfriend's excitement, Taylor placed her hand on the back of Li Yufei's and gently stroked it.
Just as Li Yufei thought his dad was about to hang up, Li's Father added:
"Son, you did a really good job this time. It was unnecessary, but at least it shows you're a dutiful son and that you appreciate what your mother went through to give birth to you."
"Keep it up and give it everything you've got. Your mom and dad will always support you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li's Father hung up without giving Li Yufei a chance to respond.
Li Yufei shook his head helplessly and thought, Seriously, that old man always rushes off when he wants to express his feelings. What's there to be embarrassed about?
His father was a billionaire tycoon, yet he was too embarrassed to show affection to his own son. Li Yufei vowed to laugh at him ten thousand times over!
Every time he thought about it, he laughed!
Taylor was also amused by her father-in-law's "embarrassment."
But when she saw Li Yufei laughing uncontrollably, she still gave him a smack:
"Dad is one of the richest people in the world, after all. Whether he's dealing with employees or business partners, it's hard for him to show his true feelings."
"He finally opened up to you, and you're sitting there laughing at him. That's really not right!"
Watching Taylor try to reprimand him sternly while barely holding back her own laughter, Li Yufei was speechless:
"Darling, could you stop bouncing your shoulders so obviously? You look like an idiot."
At that, Taylor immediately pounced on him, claws bared.
Li Yufei let himself fall, and the two of them tumbled together.
Their clothes soon lay scattered all over the place.
Before long, the scene in Taylor's bedroom was definitely not suitable for children...
(Ten thousand words omitted...)
Before you continue