Chess Saint Old Nie Travels Ten Thousand Miles to Deliver a Folding Fan -- Arriving at the Scene, He Finally Understood What a Divine Kick Was!
The person who fainted in the stands of Etihad was none other than chess master Nie Weiping.
Watching Tang Long dribble past Milner and unleash a powerful shot into the goal from the second row of the stands, Nie Weiping shouted his approval at the top of his lungs.
"Great shot! What a great shot!"
"That was so much fun! Absolutely amazing!"
His voice was particularly loud in the noisy stands, and his arms were waving high in the air;
He shouted and pounded on the armrests of the seat with great force.
Overwhelmed with excitement, his heart suddenly raced, blood rushed to his head, and his breathing became rapid and labored. Nie Weiping felt as if a heavy boulder was pressing on his chest, and signs of oxygen deprivation quickly set in.
His face turned deathly pale instantly, his body swayed, and then he fell straight backward, fainting on the spot.
"She fainted!"
Someone has fainted!
"God, is there a doctor here? Is there anyone here who is a doctor? Please come and save people!"
Manchester City fans nearby gathered around.
The two students who had accompanied him, who had been engrossed in the exciting competition, were stunned by this sudden turn of events, stammering, "Teacher! Professor Nie!"
Let alone Elder Nie, even these two students, both under thirty, were so excited by Tang Long's astonishing long-range shot that their blood boiled and their voices became hoarse. How could Elder Nie, who was over sixty, possibly withstand such excitement?
The students knew their teacher was in poor health and were already worried about him attending the Premier League match, fearing he might get too excited and cause an accident.
Old Nie was adamant about coming, and no one could persuade him otherwise.
Old Nie's resolute words still echoed in their ears, "Tang Long is right under my nose, how could I not go and watch? If you won't let me watch the game, I won't go to your Go exchange meeting with Europe players either!"
Fortunately, the Premier League has a very comprehensive medical support system. Manchester City's medical team members remained highly vigilant, not only closely monitoring the physical condition of the players on the field, but also keeping a close eye on the situation in the stands.
After all, in a sport as passionate and exciting as football, the hearts of the fans who are engrossed in watching the game beat just as fast as the players who are running and fighting hard on the field, and it is not uncommon for them to faint from excessive excitement.
Almost the instant Nie Weiping collapsed, members of the Manchester City medical team reacted swiftly.
Led by Gracie, they rushed to Nie Weiping's side as quickly as possible. After Gracie determined that it was a case of hypoxia, the group carefully lifted Old Nie onto a stretcher and then quickly escorted him to an ambulance for oxygen. They then turned on the siren and sped towards Manchester Central Hospital.
Old Nie actually woke up before they even reached the hospital.
I was in a daze the whole way, squinting my eyes, my mind filled with Tang Long's amazing long-range shot before the end of the first half.
"That was so satisfying, so satisfying..." Old Nie smacked his lips, as if savoring the delicious meal.
Gracie asked Old Nie's student in English, "What did he say?"
"He said watching the game was really exciting," the student said helplessly. "He was just too excited."
"Take me back. I haven't met Xiao Tang yet. I need to say a few words to him. I have something to give him." Old Nie's lips moved as the student fed him a sip of hot water.
Gracie saw Old Nie's face turn from pale to rosy and nodded slightly, knowing that he was alright.
What did he say next?
"Well, my teacher said I have to go back to watch the game and also see Tang." The student gave an awkward smile.
"What are you doing here? Are you tourists?"
"We Go players came to Europe for an exchange program and managed to catch a Manchester City football match, but we never expected it to turn out like this." The student said with a long face, thinking that when he returned home, his teacher's wife would definitely give him a good scolding.
Gracie smiled gently. She didn't know anything about Go, but she thought to herself that there really were such a football fanatic in the world. He had just woken up from a fainting spell and was still thinking about the game. But no matter what, she couldn't let him go back. He was already like this; if he fainted again, what would happen?
"Sir, just rest assured and stay in the hospital. I'll call Tang and ask him to come see you after the match."
Before entering the stadium, Old Nie and his group were inspired by the singing fans and bought fan scarves at the Manchester City store. They are still wearing them around their necks. Gracie thought they were Manchester City fans who came from abroad to watch the game, so he decided to grant them their wish.
After the student translated Gracie's words to Old Nie, a gratified smile appeared on Old Nie's face. He softly said "Good" and closed his eyes to rest.
But the bag she had been clutching tightly in her arms was now being held even more tightly.
Tang Long and several Manchester City staff members were taken to Manchester Central Hospital after the match.
Visiting these people is essential; it's an indispensable part of the club's humanistic care and a way to put into practice the philosophy that "fans are the team's 12th man."
"Teacher Nie, Tang Long is here!" a student exclaimed.
Old Nie was resting in bed.
Upon hearing the name Tang Long, his eyes widened, suddenly gleaming with a sharp light. He glanced at Tang Long's face, then ripped the oxygen tube out of his nose. Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he nimbly flipped off the bed and, without a word, shoved a folding fan from his bosom into Tang Long's hand.
Tang Long was startled, only then realizing it was Nie Weiping;
Before they could even exchange pleasantries, Old Nie grabbed the hand holding the folding fan and flicked his wrist—the fan opened with a whoosh.
The sign above bore four large characters handwritten by Old Nie: [The Divine Kick]
"Little Tang, Little Tang, I've written the words 'Divine Kick' for you many times, but seeing you score in person this time, I finally understand what a true 'Divine Kick' really means!"
The last match before Christmas has come to an end.
Manchester City, playing at home, secured a resounding 2-0 victory over Liverpool, thanks to Tang Long's stunning long-range shot and Ranocchia's dominant header.
With this, after 18 rounds of the Premier League, Manchester City achieved an impressive record of 17 wins and 1 draw, winning the Premier League Christmas title with an unbeaten record!
They also became the only undefeated team in the Top Five Leagues.
"At the end of 2016, Manchester's first snow finally fell in abundance."
The gentle female voice from the radio flowed slowly through the car.
Tang Long sat comfortably in the passenger seat, Ranocchia was driving, and Bonazzoli was in the back seat.
The three of them peered out the car window at the world outside.
The streets were already covered in a blanket of white, with snowflakes falling like goose feathers.
Children, accompanied by their parents, frolic and laugh through the streets as the whole family heads to the supermarket to carefully select Christmas gifts.
Their cheeks were flushed red from the cold wind, but that didn't dampen their excitement at all; their eyes were full of anticipation for the festival.
"Christmas is just around the corner, and we are about to welcome the new year of 2017!" the broadcast continued.
Meanwhile, Tang Long's thoughts drifted, recalling the message mentioned earlier on the radio—that after the Queen's authorization, Prime Minister Theresa was about to trigger the Brexit bill, and UK was about to leave the European Union. "This will undoubtedly bring many challenges, but it also contains new opportunities..." The broadcast continued intermittently as the car disappeared into the snowstorm.