The New Year's Eve activities lasted until January 2, and Zhang Kuang really didn't go out. Even Auxerre's friends came, but they only entertained them in the villa.
But what is supposed to come will always come.
On the afternoon of January 2, Zhang Kuang looked at the time, it was three o'clock in the afternoon.
He immediately asked his agent to arrange a pick-up car to catch the afternoon flight, and returned to Manchester before 7 p. m.
Early the next morning, he appeared on the lawn of Carrington Training Ground on time.
Yes, he is a professional player and he plays for fun, but he must also abide by his professional ethics.
--
On January 4th, St James' Park Stadium and Manchester United challenged team Newcastle United away from home.
Newcastle performed very well this season. Under the leadership of head coach Alain·Pardew, Magpies played pleasing offensive football.
Players such as Demba Ba, Cabaye, Obertan are in good condition, and they have no fear when facing Manchester United at home.
Before the game, Sky Sports's camera captured an interesting scene: Newcastle forward Demba Ba ran to Manchester United's half during the warm-up, shook hands with Zhang Kuang, and the two even laughed and chatted a few words.
Demba Ba is from Senegal. Zhang Kuang played against many Africa players when Ligue 1 played football. The two are old acquaintances.
The game entered a high-speed confrontational rhythm from the beginning.
In the 14th minute, Zhang Kuang opened the scoring for Manchester United. He received a diagonal pass from Carrick on the left side of the penalty area. After stopping the ball, he moved laterally, swung out of the angle and kicked a violent volley. It went to the far corner, and the ball drew a perfect arc and penetrated into the net.
1:0.
This is Zhang Kuang's signature way of scoring a goal. Everyone knows it, but no one can stop it.
The St James' Park Stadium home team's stand was quiet for a moment, and then the Manchester United fans in the away team's stand burst into cheers.
But Newcastle quickly responded.
In the 23rd minute, Demba Ba received a through ball from Cabaye at the top of the penalty area, turned around and volleyed the goal, but De Gea couldn't make the save.
1:1.
Demba Ba did not celebrate after scoring, but just raised his hands to apologize. The friendly atmosphere when he shook hands with Zhang Kuang just now still remains on the court.
Before the end of the first half, Zhang Kuang showed off its power again, this time from a corner kick.
Manchester United got a corner kick, Anderson took a corner kick, he grabbed the front spot in the crowd and hit the net with a violent header.
2:1!
Manchester United takes the lead again.
At the beginning of the second half, Zhang Kuang completed a hat trick.
In the 48th minute, he played a one-two with Hernández in the counterattack. Then he faced the goalkeeper alone and calmly pushed the ball into the far corner.
3:1!
Manchester United fans who traveled with the team had already begun to celebrate the victory. But Newcastle did not give up.
In the 62nd minute, Cabaye took a long shot from outside the penalty area. The ball hit Evra's leg and changed the line. De Gea was unable to react in time.
3:2.
In the 78th minute, Obertan, a former Manchester United player, received the ball on the right side of the penalty area. Facing the defense of his old club, he shook continuously and then took a shot. The ball passed between Vidić's legs and went into the near corner.
3:3!
St James' Park Stadium exploded.
The fans of Newcastle went crazy. They chanted the name "Obertan" to celebrate that the old player Manchester United personally ended the hope of victory for his old club.
Zhang Kuang tried three long-range shots in the last ten minutes, but they missed by a hair.
The final whistle blew and the score was fixed at 3:3.
Manchester United's second loss of the season.
The first game was a 5:6 defeat by Manchester Derby, and the second game was a draw by Newcastle.
Despite this, Manchester United still holds the top spot with 18 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, with 55 points.
The second place Manchester City has 15 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses with 48 points, which is 7 points less than them.
The reason why they only accumulated 48 points is that after the derby between them and Manchester United, they drew two games and lost two games respectively.
Manchester City was tied 1:1 by Liverpool in the 13th round, lost to Chelsea 1:2 in the 15th round, drew with West Brom in the 18th round, and lost 0:1 to Sunderland in the 19th round.
The third place Tottenham Hotspur 45 points, the fourth place Chelsea 37 points, the fifth place Arsenal 36 points...
After the game, Zhang Kuang sat in the visiting team's locker room, covered his face with a towel, and took a deep breath.
He was not angry or frustrated, just a little regretful that even the hat trick failed to take away three points. Football is so unreasonable sometimes.
Ferguson walked into the locker room, glanced at the tired players, and said, "Look up. We only lost 5 points in 20 rounds. Isn't that good enough?"
No matter how powerful a team is, it is impossible not to lose a point. We are still at the top of the list and are 7 points ahead of Manchester City. Next, we should try to reduce the points we lose. There is no room for loss in the league."
Ferguson is right, Manchester United's dominance in the league is still stable.
After the game, Ferguson also expressed his regret for losing points at the press conference. He also expressed his respect for Newcastle and said that the current battle group of Newcastle is very good.
Zhang Kuang also made the news because he completed a hat trick but failed to win. The reporter even captured a photo of Zhang Kuang's disappointment.
People on the Internet also comforted Zhang Kuang and told him not to be disappointed. Manchester United is still sitting at the top of the list, and is 7 points ahead of the second place.
--
On January 8, Zhang Kuang, Ferguson, club CEO David·Gill, and captain Vidić flew from Manchester to Switzerland Zurich.
The annual FIFA awards ceremony will be held on January 9th.
Zhang Kuang was shortlisted for the best lineup of the year and Ballon d'Or was among the top three.
Ferguson was shortlisted for Coach of the Year.
Vidić was shortlisted for Team of the Year.
When the plane landed at Zurich, reporters from more than a dozen media outlets were already waiting on the tarmac.
As soon as they saw Zhang Kuang and Ferguson walking out of the hatch, they immediately surrounded them with cameras.
"Sir Ferguson! How confident are you that you can win the best coach, and how confident are you that Zhang Kuang can win Ballon d'Or?"
"Zhang Kuang! Your performance in the past season has been amazing. Do you think you can beat Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?"
"Sir Ferguson, if Zhang Kuang wins Ballon d'Or, he will be the fifth Ballon d'Or winner in the history of Manchester United. What do you think of the benefits to Manchester United?"
"..."
Zhang Kuang and Ferguson walked side by side in front, both of them were very calm in front of the camera.
Ferguson stopped and said to a United Kingdom media, "I am very confident in myself and Zhang Kuang winning the award. If even the best player and coach who won the Premier League championship, UEFA Champions League championship, Europe Super Cup championship, FIFA Club World Cup championship cannot win the award...
Haha, it doesn't matter. From now on, FIFA will all serve 'beautiful football'. Fans who really watch football will know that the number of goals and championship trophies are the criteria. This is like judging beauties without looking at their faces or figures. Men can't be hard-core for the beauties selected in this way."
The reporters burst into laughter and the shutter clicked.
Zhang Kuang simply said, "Our boss has already said everything I want to say. I still prefer beautiful women who can make me hard. They should have a good face and a good figure."
"Haha..."
Short, powerful, and very much like his playing style.
--
After checking into the hotel, Zhang Kuang met an acquaintance in the lobby: Cristiano·Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo is wearing a gray turtleneck sweater and sunglasses and is talking to the staff of Real Madrid.
He turned around and saw Zhang Kuang. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"Hey, you're here too."
"Just arrived." Zhang Kuang walked over, the two shook hands and hugged, and Cristiano Ronaldo patted him on the shoulder.
"Congratulations, FIFA Club World Cup played well and won the championship."
"Thank you. You also played well. You scored a lot of goals in Real Madrid this season."
Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged. "It's not good enough. You scored 105 goals, and I can't compare with you. I originally wanted to compete with you, but looking at your goals this season, I'm a little desperate."
Zhang Kuang: "Haha, don't despair, let's go, I'll buy you coffee."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then walked to the coffee shop in the corner of the lobby and sat down.
The waiter brought two cups of espresso, and they sat face to face and talked about football, La Liga's performance, Real Madrid's tactics, Manchester United's formation, and their respective experiences in the national team.
Zhang Kuang suddenly asked, "How did you feel when Manchester United took Ballon d'Or?"
Cristiano Ronaldo's hand holding the coffee cup paused, and then he showed a meaningful smile:
"What does it feel like? Standing on that stage, with the lights shining on you, and everyone looking at you... It feels like you have conquered the world."
He put down the cup and looked at Zhang Kuang: "I hope you can win that award, because you deserve it. Information will not lie. I still like to use information to illustrate my strength."
Zhang Kuang smiled, "It doesn't depend on me, it depends on those gentlemen."
"Haha, that's right. It depends on the gentlemen. But don't you believe in voting?"
"Do you believe it? Isn't that something controllable?"
Cristiano Ronaldo raised his eyebrows. "You know these people's methods very well. You are not a Europe person. You don't even vote."
"Oh, you can understand some things even if you don't experience them," Zhang Kuang raised his coffee cup, "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's good if you win the award. It doesn't matter if you don't win. Cheers."
"Cheers."
"..."
Two of the top strikers in today's football clink glasses in Zurich's cafe.
This scene was captured by a sharp-eyed reporter, and the photos were quickly posted online.
The accompanying text is. "Cristiano Ronaldo and Zhang Kuang had a secret chat in Zurich cafe, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly."
The comment section immediately exploded:
"Are these two people plotting something? Fighting Messi together?"
"Can't you have a healthy mind? What's there to fight against? Both of them can suppress Messi. Is it worth their while to plot against them?"
"Then what are they plotting?"
"Can't it be pure communication?"
"Exchange what?"
"Cristiano Ronaldo is learning shooting skills from Zhang Kuang?"
"Are they discussing going to Real Madrid together?"
"Don't be stupid, Zhang Kuang will not go to Real Madrid, he is Manchester United's person."
"Look how happy Cristiano Ronaldo is. I have never seen him chatting like this with Messi."
"This shows that Zhang Kuang and Cristiano Ronaldo are the same kind of people: people who speak by scoring goals."
"Messi is also a person who speaks by scoring goals."
"But now he can't score goals, and people are saying that he relies on 'beautiful football' to speak for himself."
"Nonsense, he only earned a little less than Zhang Kuang in one season."
"Yes, just a little less, and then the information can't speak for itself, and it just talks about 'beautiful football'."
"Ah..."
That night, FIFA held a welcome dinner.
The banquet hall of the five-star hotel near Zurich Opera House was brightly lit, and football celebrities in suits and ties were greeting each other with champagne glasses.
Zhang Kuang walked into the banquet hall wearing a dark blue customized suit and immediately became the focus.
He saw Messi and Argentina wearing black suits, with Barcelona's teammates Xavi and Iniesta standing next to them.
With a polite smile on his face, Messi was talking to a South America football official.
Zhang Kuang did not walk over.
He saw the Piqué, Barcelona guard standing on the other side of the banquet hall, holding a glass of red wine and talking to Alves.
There was no smile on Piqué's face, and his eyes occasionally glanced in the direction of Zhang Kuang, with an undisguised coldness in his eyes.
His ankle was still wrapped with a thin layer of protective gear. The injury was caused by Zhang Kuang 'accidentally' stepping on it during the game, which caused him to miss four months of competition.
Zhang Kuang took one look, then withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
He didn't mean to say hello to any Barcelona players.
Reporters keenly captured this detail.
In the middle of the banquet, a Spain reporter stopped Zhang Kuang and put the microphone in front of him:
"Zhang, we saw that you haven't communicated with the Barcelona players tonight. You didn't say hello to your opponents. Isn't this a bit ungentlemanly?"
Zhang Kuang stopped and looked directly at the camera.
His expression was calm, but there was an undeniable edge in his tone. "China is not such a hypocritical gentleman. I will not say hello to someone who tries to break my leg on the court."
After saying that, he turned around and left, leaving the Spain reporter standing there dumbfounded.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not far away, happened to hear this sentence. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed, raised his thumb and shook it in the direction of Zhang Kuang.
This scene was captured again by reporters and became another focus of the evening.
After the dinner, Zhang Kuang returned to his room.
He took off his suit jacket, hung it on the hanger, and then stood by the window and looked at the night view of Zurich.
There are still a few reporters squatting on the street downstairs of the hotel, their telephoto lenses pointed at the exterior wall of the hotel.
These reporters must be working on materials today. This is a good way for them to earn royalties.
After a while, there was a knock on his door. Zhang Kuang opened the door and saw that it was Vidić.
"Captain, what are your instructions for staying up so late?"
"Instructions? I don't dare to give you any instructions. I just came over to see if you are asleep? Let's chat casually."
"Do you want to have a casual chat, or do you want to go fencing? Let me tell you, I am only interested in women, not men..."
"Oh, Shet, Faq, Zhang, where did you think you were?"
"Haha... I'm kidding you, you've scared our captain, come on, come in quickly."
"No, I don't dare to go in. I'm afraid that bad rumors will spread. As long as you're fine, I'm just here to enlighten you on your attitude towards the media. What you said to the media is a bit ungentlemanly."
"Haha, captain, the media and reporters are all bullshit. Gentlemen cannot be eaten in front of them. Ungentlemen are the most effective.
Don't worry, I've never been a gentleman to some people, why should I be a gentleman?"
"Okay, you win. I have nothing to say, so I'll leave first."
"You really don't want to come in and sit down for a while?"
"No, no."
"..."
January 9, morning.
Zhang Kuang didn't sleep in. He woke up at 6:30 in the morning, ran ten kilometers in the hotel gym, and then took a shower.
He did not participate in the business activities and various discussions in the morning. He had never been interested in the exchanges between politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.
Besides, how can a China person like him fit into Europe's circle? If he can't fit in, it's meaningless.
If you want to blend in, you have to pay a high price. For example, you have to sell some national or national interests, or sell your own interests, such as satisfying some lecherous men and powerful men.
Or they are selling out their business interests.
Other than these, why do people let you blend into their circle?
Therefore, there is no point in not using forced integration.
So, after having breakfast, he put on his baseball cap and walked around the streets of Zurich all morning.
The luxury goods display window on Bahnhofstrasse displays all kinds of famous watches and jewelry. The swans beside Limmat River swim lazily under the winter sunshine.
He spent two hours walking around the stone streets of the old city, bought a warm cinnamon roll in an inconspicuous small bakery, and sat on a bench by the river to eat it slowly.
Zurich's winter was very quiet, there were not many pedestrians on the street, and no one recognized him as the young China who had just conquered world football.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Kuang returned to the hotel.
The image management team sent by the agency is already waiting in the room: two stylists, a makeup artist, a clothing consultant, and three assistants.
They brought suits, shoes, watches, accessories, and even a lapel pin from more than a dozen brands.
Jonathan: "All the sponsors are here, please cooperate tonight."
Zhang Kuang nodded. "Cooperate, absolutely cooperate, how much did you pay?"
Agent Jonathan raised his eyebrows and explained, "George Armani offered 800,000 euros, Dior offered 650,000 euros, Givenchy offered 600,000 euros, and several other brands also bid.
In the end, we chose Armani because they have been looking for you to endorse, but you never let go."
Zhang Kuang nodded. "Then Armani, has the money arrived?"
"That's for sure, and... these add up to 2.8 million euros, and it's just a matter of a few hours a night."
Zhang Kuang nodded with satisfaction. "Very good, I will donate the money later to our basic education project in mountainous areas in China."
Being a celebrity makes money really fast, just show up wearing their clothes, and you can earn so much in just a few hours, okay, okay."
Jonathan was stunned for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
Throughout the afternoon, Zhang Kuang was manipulated by stylists like a sculpture: trying on suits, adjusting cuffs, matching ties, and choosing leather shoes.
Finally, he put on a black Armani custom-made suit with neat tailoring and smooth lines.
There is a Patek Philippe simple watch on the wrist, and a dark red gemstone lapel pin on the chest.
He stood in front of the floor-length mirror and looked at himself in the mirror.
The young man in the mirror has a well-proportioned and tall figure, clear facial features, and a calmness in his eyes that does not belong to a 20-year-old.
It is a temperament that will settle down after experiencing enough victories, enough controversies, and enough spotlights.
"Okay, let's go."