Meanwhile, Zhang Kuang, still in the locker room, had no idea that his phone number had spread like wildfire. Nearly every famous woman in Europe now had it.
After washing up, Zhang Kuang packed his things and turned his phone on again. Those texts... He immediately switched it off. Fortunately, the number he had previously given outsiders belonged only to his backup phone.
Zhang Kuang had just slipped his phone into his pocket when Grichting came up behind him and hooked an arm around his neck.
"Zhang, don't think you're getting away." The burly, 188-centimeter center-back was as strong as an ox, and his grip nearly left Zhang Kuang unable to breathe. "Don't forget what you promised me on the pitch."
"What did I promise you?" Zhang Kuang pried his arm away with all his strength.
"To teach us how to pick up women!" Grichting looked as though it went without saying. "You said you'd hold a class sometime, with one bottle of good wine per person as tuition. I've already got the wine. When does class start?"
A chorus of teasing immediately rose in the locker room.
"Exactly! Professor Zhang, when does class start?" Mignot poked his head out from a corner, his eyes shining as though he had discovered a new continent.
"I want to sign up too." Oliech put down his water bottle and raised his hand.
Even Jelen, who rarely joined in on topics like this, came over. He said nothing, but his expression plainly read, "I want to hear this too."
Looking at his teammates, who were five or six years older than him on average, all gazing at him eagerly, Zhang Kuang could not help laughing.
"Are you guys serious?"
"Of course we're serious!" Grichting thumped his chest. "Do you know how long I've been single since my divorce? A year and a half! A year and a half, brother! Do you know how I've spent that year and a half?"
"How?"
"Every day, I go home after training and play video games. After gaming, I sleep, and when I wake up, I come back to training." Grichting looked as pained as though he were describing some form of torture. "My youth has been wasted just like that."
Zhang Kuang suppressed a laugh. "How old are you this year?"
"Twenty-nine."
"You're twenty-nine and still don't know how to pursue a girl?" Zhang Kuang looked at him disdainfully.
Grichting choked for a moment, then said with complete conviction, "I got married at twenty-one. I haven't pursued that many!"
Another burst of laughter filled the locker room.
Zhang Kuang shook his head and went to sit on a bench. Grichting immediately followed and sat beside him, while several others gathered around, forming a semicircle.
"All right." Zhang Kuang leaned against the wall, his hands behind his head, looking as relaxed as though he were sunbathing on a beach. "Since you're so eager to learn, I'll offer a few pointers. Let me make this clear first: hearing them won't necessarily help, and even if they do help, you won't necessarily master them. Even if you master them, you won't necessarily dare to use them. If anything goes wrong, don't come looking for me."
"No problem, no problem!" Grichting nodded repeatedly, like a schoolboy waiting for class to begin.
Zhang Kuang thought for a moment, then said, "If you really want to learn, I'll teach you three moves. Master these, and you can pretty much become experts among the flowers. Listen carefully, everyone. Once this offer expires, there won't be a second chance."
"Go ahead. I'm recording this on my camcorder. A video lesson."
"Hahaha..." The players burst out laughing.
Zhang Kuang cleared his throat. "First move: make yourself presentable, and find women who don't talk about you and have a favorable impression of you. This is crucial. No matter how outstanding someone is, they can't possibly win the affection and approval of every member of the opposite sex. Some people simply dislike the sight of you by nature. Don't get involved with women like that."
"Then how do you tell whether a woman likes the look of you and is someone you can approach?" Grichting asked.
Zhang Kuang smiled. "Eye contact, physical contact, and whether she agrees to slightly excessive requests. Those things will tell you whether she likes the look of you."
"Give us the specifics." Hengbart's interest had also grown considerably.
Zhang Kuang said, "It means she looks at you with warmth or shyness, rather than a routine, mechanical look, or even one concealing disgust. Try getting close to her and see whether she moves toward you or immediately backs away to put distance between you. If it's the latter, she clearly doesn't like the look of you.
"For example, make a request of a woman that only a boyfriend could make of his girlfriend, and see whether she agrees to do it. If she does, she's clearly willing to accept you."
"Whoa, there's even a science to this? Come on, keep going, keep going."
Everyone's interest immediately soared, and they urged Zhang Kuang on.
Zhang Kuang said, "The second move is to offer a woman emotional value that makes her happy. There are three kinds of emotional value. First, hint that you really like her looks, figure, bearing, scent, and so on, as well as the way she talks, her talents, and so forth.
"The second kind of emotional value is showing that you resonate with her emotionally. For example, if she tells you about something unpleasant in her life, you should say, 'My God, I would've done the same thing in your shoes. I would've gone even further. That's infuriating.' You understand what emotional resonance means, right? If you don't, then I can't teach you.
"The third kind of emotional value is appropriately showing off some knowledge or skill that a woman would greatly admire and look up to, making her think you're amazing, knowledgeable, and so on."
After speaking, Zhang Kuang glanced at his teammates, who were listening very attentively. Judging by their thoughtful expressions, they seemed to be reviewing where they had gone wrong.
"What about the third move?" Grichting asked impatiently.
Zhang Kuang smiled. "The third move is to let go in order to capture. I believe you all know this method, but few people know how to use it, let alone use it well.
"Now I'll give you two lines, and you'll understand what truly letting go in order to capture means. The first is, 'Darling, I love you so much, but I don't think I'm worthy of your beauty and character. What should I do? I'm dying. Let's break up!'"
When Zhang Kuang finished that line, everyone screamed and cheered. Clearly, they understood what it meant and liked it.
Zhang Kuang pressed his hands down. "That line creates a sense of urgency in a woman, forcing her to make up her mind while she's wavering. The second line is, 'Darling, I know some of my thoughts are filthy, but I can't sleep. Right now, I just want to hold you as I fall asleep. Without you beside me, I feel as though half the world is empty. What should I do?
"'Of course, I'm not trying to sleep with you. I just love you too much. Nor am I asking you to come over and sleep with me. I only want to confess the sordid side of my human nature to you.'"
Cries of "Mighty! Mighty!" and whistles rang through the locker room. All the players were excited.
Zhang Kuang smiled. "This line breaks down the final barrier between you and a woman, getting her to accept your intimate advances. Don't worry. Even if she doesn't come running over to sleep with you that night, she'll generally go along with it the next time you create an opportunity to sleep with her."
"Good. That's a good one."
Zhang Kuang clapped his hands. "All right, that's all three moves taught. We should pack up and head back too."
Grichting pulled a bottle of red wine from his bag and pressed it into Zhang Kuang's hands. "Tuition."
Zhang Kuang checked the label-a decent bottle of Bordeaux. It wasn't top-shelf, but it was still worth forty or fifty euros. He raised the bottle and gave it a shake. "Thanks. Bring something better next class."
"There's another class?" Grichting's eyes lit up.
"Depends on my mood."