New Captain and New Teammates

July 15 was Liverpool's gathering day for the new season.

Chen Anno drove his bright red Porsche along the M62 Motorway toward Melwood.

The Weeknd's "Starboy" played through the car stereo, its rhythmic beat tapping against the windows. He hummed along for a couple of lines, in high spirits.

After a month-long holiday, he was fully recharged.

As soon as he turned onto the street where Melwood was located, he spotted the sea of people outside the training ground from a distance.

Cameras and microphones—dozens of reporters had blocked the entrance.

Several teammates in training gear were being surrounded for interviews. Chen Anno slowed down and recognized Mane, Henderson, and the others in the crowd.

Mane was gesturing animatedly at the cameras, speaking with great enthusiasm.

The moment the Porsche approached the gate, every reporter turned toward it.

"Annuo! It's Annuo!"

The reporters who had just been surrounding Mane scattered in an instant, shouldering cameras and raising microphones as they surged toward the red Porsche like a tide.

Mane stood there, his microphone raised stiffly in midair. The reporters interviewing him a second ago had all run off.

"Damn! Do you have to be this realistic?"

Robertson happened to be passing by. He whistled at Chen Anno's car and called out gleefully, "Annuo! You're here! Hold them off for us!"

Then he slipped through the gate in a flash, running faster than anyone else.

Chen Anno could neither laugh nor cry inside the car. He shook down the window.

Several microphones were immediately thrust in front of him.

"Annuo, Premier League clubs have gone crazy with transfers this summer. Statistics show total spending has already surpassed two billion pounds, setting a historic record! What do you think?"

"That's a good thing." Chen Anno leaned against the window, his tone relaxed.