Manchester City's Twin Stars Reunited: Ranocchia Welcomes Tang Long at the Airport in the Dead of Night with a Mysterious Gift!

The car crashed into the wall, and you knew to turn.

When stocks go up, you know to buy them;

Snot was dripping into your mouth, and you knew to shake it off? Did you think it was yogurt?

Bartomeu paid the price for his conservatism.

Barca has forever lost the opportunity to have a peerless genius.

Inside the Inter Milan locker room.

Despite the loss, the Inter Milan players showed no signs of frustration; instead, they were all full of fighting spirit and wore confident smiles.

Losing 2-4 to Barca, who just won the Europe treble, is a respectable score, not shameful. This match was worthwhile.

Tang Long silently packed his luggage and sat quietly in the corner.

He knew it was time to leave.

Inter Milan's players will fly back to Milan that night, while Tang Long will fly to Manchester.

From then on, they went their separate ways, and when they met again, they were enemies.

Tang Long stood up and hugged each of his Inter Milan teammates.

Medel, Juan Jesus, Andre, D'Ambrosio, Kovacic, Santon, Obi...

Compared to Inter Milan's new signings, Tang Long's hugs with his former teammates lasted longer.

These players didn't have a particularly good relationship with Tang Long; they were just harmonious colleagues, far from the brotherhood they had with Bonazzoli, Berni, Ranocchia.

However, seeing that Tang Long was about to leave and would have no further connection with Inter Milan, many of his former teammates were deeply moved.

Everyone crowded around, hugging him repeatedly. Some even took out their phones to take individual photos with Tang Long, wishing him all the best in his future Premier League.

Chile midfielder Medel, a short, stocky man with a fierce face, is known as the Chile Bulldog.

At this moment, however, his nose was red, revealing a tender side to his tough exterior. He took Tang Long's hand and said:

"Tang, when you first came to Inter Milan, because you took my buddy Guarin's place, I bullied you with Guarin. I even tackled you hard in training. I actually feel really bad about it, and I haven't had a chance to apologize to you yet. Sorry, buddy, if Manchester City meets Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League next season, I'll stand still and let you tackle me hard once. I promise I won't jump. If I do jump, I'm your grandson!"

Tang Long initially thought he was joking, but seeing the way he gritted his teeth, it was clearly a genuine expression of emotion. He immediately felt that Medel was a down-to-earth and genuine person, so he subconsciously gripped his hand tightly. The two burly men looked at each other.

Perhaps not wanting the atmosphere of parting to be so oppressive, Tang Long teased him:

"Don't try to fool me. If I tackle you from behind, won't the referee send me off with a red card? Dream on!"

"However, Guarin is at Tottenham Hotspur. Who knows if he'll tackle me recklessly when we face each other!"

Medel patted his chest, indignantly declaring, "Don, if Guarin dares to mess with you, I, Medel, will be the first to object! I'll fly to London and beat him up, and get revenge for you!"

Tang Long couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself, "Inter Milan is more united than ever after this season. If they can retain the original lineup and get Icardi to back down to Mancini, then even if I'm no longer with them, it's not impossible for Inter Milan to dethrone Juventus from their four-time league title in the upcoming season."

After saying goodbye to everyone, Tang Long carried his bag and waved as he walked out of the locker room.

A new journey awaits him.

As soon as I stepped out, a heated argument erupted down the corridor.

Tang Long looked closely and saw that it was head coach Laino standing by the window, making a phone call and shouting incessantly, appearing very agitated.

No wonder he wasn't in the locker room.

Tang Long walked over and, from about ten meters away, heard Laino's conversation on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Ausilio, you have to understand my predicament. If I get thrashed by Barca by five or six in my very first official match in charge, how can I establish my authority? How can I lead the team in the new season? The players won't respect me!"

"I've said it so many times, ten minutes! I only gave Tang ten minutes! He changed the game the moment he came on, and we scored two goals against Barca!"

"This isn't about winning or losing. You're good at being a sporting director, but you've never been a head coach. There are some things you just don't understand. Sigh, I can't explain it to you!"

Tang Long understood the gist of it.

Ausilio is now demanding an explanation for his appearance.

The substitutions were decided by the head coach, so Ausilio naturally felt that it was Laino's decision to bring him on.

Tang Long strode to the window, snatched the phone, and said into it:

"Ausilio, this is Don. I insisted on playing in the last ten minutes; it had nothing to do with Mr. Laino. Don't make things difficult for him. Besides, I'm perfectly healthy now, not a hair out of my body. You don't need to worry about my transfer."

"Why am I doing this? This is my last game representing Inter Milan. I came to Georgia with the team, not on a paid vacation. I have a responsibility to the fans who support me, that's all."

Under Laino's surprised gaze, Tang Long smiled at him, then turned and left, giving Laino an OK sign before departing from the Tbilisi Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena.

That night, he boarded the private plane that the Abu Dhabi United Group had been waiting for him and flew directly to Manchester.

A brand new journey awaits him.

Icardi has been quite depressed lately.

Especially after he watched the UEFA Super Cup final between Inter Milan and Barca.

Tang Long's stunning performance in the final ten minutes made the Argentina striker increasingly anxious.

Hijacking Tang Long was a strong request Icardi made to Manchester United.

"I scored 40 league goals in Serie A, a tactically conservative Serie A, partnering with Tang. If we continue to play together in the more open Premier League, I can guarantee you that this season's European Golden Shoe will not belong to Lionel Messi, nor to Cristiano Ronaldo, but to me! If I don't win it, I'll return my salary for this year and play for Manchester United for free!"

Icardi's promise to play for free certainly had a youthful arrogance about it, and Manchester United naturally wouldn't agree to it.

However, the Red Devils United management is well aware of the information regarding the partnership between the Argentina striker and the China midfielder at Inter Milan.

They made an offer to Inter Milan, albeit tentatively.

We all know what happened next.

Not only did Tang Long fail to secure the deal, but Manchester City also snatched away the previously confirmed signing of Ranocchia.

Manchester United, having failed miserably in their attempt to steal a chicken, lost all interest in Tang Long and became disillusioned with him.

However, Manchester United is Manchester United after all, and they are not short of money.

As the highest-grossing club in Britain, Manchester United aims to win the title this season. To this end, they have not only set aside a large transfer budget, but also actively clear out redundant players in the team to free up transfer fees and salary space.

Before the purchase of Icardi, Di Maria transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for 63 million euros, Hernandez transferred to Bayer Leverkusen for 12 million euros, and Evans, Evans Van Persie, Nani, Rafael and others also added millions of euros to the Red Devils' transfer budget.

Van Gaal assured the youngest Golden Boot winner in Serie A's 100-year history that they would continue to make signings.

"Mauro, don't worry, we'll provide you with one of the best passers in the world. He's definitely no worse than your former teammate, Don. Just play well, kid. The European Golden Shoe this season is your only goal!"

It was late at night.

Manchester Airport is immersed in a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere.

Only the occasional roar of airplanes piercing the night sky breaks the silence.

A private plane from distant Georgia, like a giant silver bird, roared in through the night and slowly landed on this Britain land. The tires screeched against the runway, leaving a dazzling trail of sparks.

Tang Long, dragging his suitcase alone, strolled along the long and empty jet bridge in the airport.

The dim lighting inside the covered bridge stretched his shadow long.

Through the window of the covered bridge, Tang Long saw the night outside.

The night sky was clear, but not transparent; it was tightly enveloped by layers of thick, dark clouds.

Under this cover, the moon appeared shy and distant, radiating a soft and dim light.

As for the stars, they have vanished without a trace, difficult to find beneath this thick curtain of clouds.

Tang Long pondered to himself, people often say that the British Isles are a place with more clouds than sunshine. Compared with the almost non-stop sunshine of Italy in Southern Europe, the climate here undoubtedly requires time to gradually adapt to.

Because Tang Long used the airport's private VIP lane, there were no Manchester City fans at the airport to greet him.

Only a few Manchester City club staff members came to pick him up at the airport.

"Welcome to Manchester!" A staff member presented a bouquet of flowers.

The scene was rather quiet. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group walked towards their car to head to the hotel.

According to the schedule, Tang Long will undergo a medical examination at Manchester City the following morning, followed by signing a contract.

After several days of negotiation, agent Ronaldo secured a five-year contract for Tang Long with a weekly wage of Pound Sterling 180,000.

Manchester City's highest-paid players are Aguero and Yaya Toure, both earning Pound Sterling 240,000 a week, while David Silva ranks third with Pound Sterling 200,000 a week.

Tang Long's salary ranks fourth in Manchester City, placing him in the top salary tier.

Manchester City initially stuck to a floor of Pound Sterling 150,000, which was only the highest tier of salary for players in the second-highest salary bracket.

However, Ronaldo's significant concession on agent commission surprised the operations manager in charge of negotiations, who then agreed to add that commission to Tang Long's salary.

Ronaldo explained that he wasn't short of the millions of euros in commission, but added, "Manchester United pays Icardi Pound Sterling 200,000 a week, and Don's importance to a team is no less than Icardi's. My players can't be looked down upon!"

After Ronaldo left, Begiristain said to his colleagues with emotion:

"In this day and age, you probably won't find another agent as loyal as Ronaldo."

Just as Tang Long and his staff were about to get into the car.

A man as tall as a roadside telephone pole was waving his arms and rushing towards the car from the darkness at an almost sprinting speed.

"Wait for me, just a minute!"

For Tang Long, this tall figure was instantly recognizable, even amidst a sea of people!

Especially her long hair, fluttering in the wind like a flag, was deeply etched in his memory, becoming an indelible mark.

"Haha, it's Ranocchia!" Tang Long's face lit up with a bright smile, a joy of a long-awaited reunion and disbelief at the unexpected surprise.

Tang Long rushed out almost without thinking, leaving two Manchester City staff members looking at each other, completely bewildered.

They wondered to themselves, "Ranocchia, what's he doing here? Is he here to pick us up from the airport? But the club didn't notify us beforehand!"

At 3:30 a. m., the streets outside Manchester Airport were shrouded in a hazy moonlight and utterly silent.

All that could be heard was the sound of hurried footsteps. Tang Long and Ranocchia rushed towards each other. When they were two meters apart, they leaped high into the air and twisted 180 degrees at the same time. Their backs collided with a thud.

Such a difficult welcoming maneuver left Manchester City staff on edge.

Oh dear, the physical exam is about to start. With Ranocchia's massive 195cm frame, I hope it doesn't injure Tang Long.

What they didn't know was that Tang Long and Ranocchia frequently performed this move in Inter Milan's training sessions and were already very skilled at it, so there was no way they would get injured.

This usually happens when Tang Long assists Ranocchia, who then heads the ball in.

"I've come to pick you up from the airport! It's my first time driving to the airport, and I even got lost. I almost missed it, but luckily I made it! Hehehe!"

Despite it being 3:30 a. m., Ranocchia spoke with great energy, showing no signs of fatigue, and his two deep blue eyes, like those of an ancient Greece sculpture, were full of spirit.

"Huh? 3:30 in the morning, you're here to pick me up from the airport?"

Tang Long felt a surge of emotion and immediately gripped Ranocchia's hand tightly.

"Captain, you've really worked hard!"

"What's so hard about it? Ever since I came to Manchester City before you, I've been on edge every day, praying to God every day, and I haven't been able to sleep well at night. I was so afraid that we wouldn't be able to compete with Chelsea and that you would run off to London. Now that I've caught you, I can finally relax!"

"Haha, London is not bad either. Guarin and Podolski are there. It's more lively than Manchester City."

If Bonazzoli were to pick him up at 3:30, Tang Long would simply think that his younger brother was being very considerate and caring towards his older brother.

But Ranocchia was his former captain, eight years older than him, and had a family. He had come all the way from Milan to Manchester with his family. The fact that he came out at 3 a. m. to pick him up from the airport shows the depth of their friendship.

Ranocchia told the Manchester City staff to go home first, and he personally drove Tang Long to the hotel.

As soon as he got in the car, Ranocchia said to Tang Long, "On your first day in Manchester City, I'll give you a gift."

Ranocchia gripped the steering wheel, his mouth darting towards the passenger-side glove compartment.

Seeing Ranocchia's mysterious demeanor, Tang Long's curiosity was piqued. He rubbed his hands together, then clicked open the drawer...