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Chapter 549 The Back of the Legend (The Finale)

For Chinese fans, July 2018, 7 was a good day. On this day, they witnessed the Chinese national team defeating all kinds of powerful opponents at Yunjiafengyun Stadium, and finally won the Hercules Cup.
But on July [-], nine years later, a scene that Chinese fans least expected to see happened.

After leading the Chinese national team to win the Asian Cup in 2027, the Chinese Football Association held a grand press conference in BJ. Although the reporters who rushed to the scene were probably already mentally prepared, they were all shocked after the tall figure sitting in the middle of the press conference stage said a word.

The 38-year-old captain of the Chinese national team, the most outstanding center forward in China's history, the top scorer in the Premier League ten times, and the top scorer in Newcastle's history. In his career, he scored more than 150 goals in official games, played more than 130 games for the national team, and scored more than [-] goals. Long Bisheng calmly said a word.

"I officially announce that starting today, I will withdraw from the Chinese national team and will only concentrate on playing for Newcastle from now on."

This sentence is no less than a blockbuster exploded in the crowd. Although for most players, 38 years old is an age to retire for several years and start a new life, but who is Long Bisheng? At the age of 38, he played more than 1 games for Newcastle in the past season and scored more than 28 goals. He played all six games in the Asian Cup and won five consecutive championships as the top scorer in the Asian Cup!At the same time, in terms of technical statistics, his average running ability per game has not declined compared to when he was young, and his running distance per game still reached an astonishing [-] meters-this is something that even a [-]-year-old player may not be able to do!
The world-class coach Mourinho once said: "Long Bisheng is a phenomenon in world football. His professionalism is not inferior to the former Inter Milan captain Zanetti. The only difference is that he has better physical fitness than Zanetti! Zanetti played in Inter Milan until he was 41 years old. I believe that as long as Long Bisheng thinks, he can play like Sir Matthews until he is 50 years old. At the same time, he can always maintain the strength to play the main force in Newcastle, or even stronger."

Mourinho has always made a lot of enemies in international football. No matter what he says, someone will jump out to find fault with his words, but no one has any objection to what he said. For a monster like Long Bisheng, nothing will happen. You must know that after he turned 30, not only did his physical confrontation not decline, but even his previously mediocre skills became more and more outstanding with the growth of experience. The second is experience. For professional players, they don't have much experience when they are young and healthy. After they gain enough experience, their physical fitness will inevitably decline. Long Bisheng is an exception.

But now, this exception has announced that he will withdraw from the Chinese national team, never play for the national team, and concentrate on working hard for the club.

There have been such examples in the past. Players are getting older and feel that it is too much to be distracted by running between the club and the national team. After quitting the national team, they can concentrate on playing in the club. The average fan can understand-but you Long Bisheng will not be able to bear it?You are prehistoric King Kong, Tarzan of the Apes!Other players often look quite haggard after they are over 38 years old, but looking at you at 28, what is the difference from [-] years old?
"I have participated in four Champions Cups, why not participate in the fifth? With your state, I am afraid that you can break Matthaus' record and set a record for participating in six consecutive World Cups! You have already created so many records, why not create one more!"

A reporter stood up and shouted that this reporter was no older than Long Bisheng, it was because he was young that he was so impulsive, and as one of Long Bisheng's loyal fans, he knew all the records created by Long Bisheng like the back of his hand, so he yelled such a sentence loudly.

In fact, this sentence is also the voice of many reporters and even other fans at the scene. Many people become fans of Long Bisheng precisely because they saw him create one record after another, smashing and breaking the scoring records on the European continent. In their minds, Long Bisheng is a terminator of records and a creator of miracles!
Faced with the reporter's yelling, Long Bisheng just smiled: "Since I have already created so many records, what's the point of trying to create one more?"

The 38-year-old Long Bisheng no longer has the incomparable pursuit of victory and honor in his eyes, but a calm cloud.

It's not that he has seen through the gains and losses of honor and disgrace, even if he has seen through these, and he just wants to play football freely for a few more years, there is no need to quit the national team.

"Long Bisheng, your physical condition is still very good, as if you are 28 years old. Now the Chinese national team still needs you!" The other reporter is obviously much more sophisticated. He knows that Long Bisheng, who came from a military family, has always attached great importance to the sense of national honor. He tried to use this to change Long Bisheng's mind.

But he still doesn't understand Long Bisheng. Anyone who knows Long Bisheng knows that he is usually very kind and rarely argues with other people. However, such people are often the most difficult to change after they make a decision, because the decisions they make must be well thought out.

"Two years ago I thought about quitting the national team." Long Bisheng said amazingly. Two years ago was another glorious period for Long Bisheng. He scored more than [-] goals in various competitions that season and led Newcastle to win all possible championships. At that time, he wanted to quit the national team. Why?
All the reporters were full of question marks, and Long Bisheng continued: "But the national team was in a period of renewal. Almost all my teammates at the same time had retired, and the newcomers hadn't had time to step up, so I dismissed this idea. In last year's World Cup, the young players of the national team performed very well. Even without me, they can continue to be brilliant, so I think it is the right time for me to leave now. There are still three years before the next World Cup, which is enough for the current head coach to rearrange a new style of play."

The reporter has nothing to say, if Long Bisheng chooses to quit the national team after two years, it will be a fatal blow to the national team - no coach can overthrow the deep-rooted offensive method in the national team and reorganize an excellent team in just one year.

"That's all. It's been 22 years since I first entered the national team at the age of 16." Long Bisheng seemed to be very happy with his smile: "The first time I represented the national team in a major event was the Asian Cup, and the last time was also the Asian Cup. It is the best way to end my national team career with such an event. Please forgive my willfulness. For me, the days in the Chinese national team are what I will always cherish."

After saying this, Long Bisheng stood up and was about to leave. The reporters off the field immediately exploded. Long Bisheng has not yet revealed the real reason for his decision to quit the national team. If he only sent out the news that "the captain of the national team, Long Bisheng decided to retire from the national team", those raging fans would rush to their newspapers and tear down everything they saw.

All of a sudden, seven or eight voices sounded chaotically at the same time. As a result, no one could hear what they were saying, but it still played a role. As soon as such a loud voice came out, Long Bisheng stopped in his tracks.

"Stop talking about this! We know you are a player who is never afraid of any challenge! Why did you quit the national team? What is the real reason?"

A senior reporter from CCTV shouted loudly.

Long Bisheng moved, and then a rare wry smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Then he unexpectedly sat down, and the reporters present were overjoyed: There is a door!

"You should know that although I am the father of two children, I have not been married yet."

Long Bisheng once again surprised the reporters. This is no longer news. Although in Europe and the United States, there are many people who have children without getting married. Even celebrities, this situation is increasing in China. However, it is still rare for celebrities. Everyone knows that Long Bisheng lives with two women at the same time. One is his manager and the other is his personal doctor. Except for the national team, banned for 1 years - don't think that people who hold this view are stupid, even many people with great reputation and status held this view when the trouble was at its worst.

If it hadn't been for Newcastle's chairman, Pei Wei, who supported Long Bisheng, if it hadn't been for the already fairly independent Football Association to withstand the enormous pressure, and if it hadn't been for the head coach of the national team, Ding Yu, who insisted on using Long Bisheng and won the World Cup in 2018, I am afraid this matter would not have ended.

Later, all the reporters knew that it would not matter to ask other questions when interviewing Long Bisheng. He would immediately turn his face when he mentioned this.

No reporter dared to speak up, for fear of making Long Bisheng unhappy again, let him walk away.

"I don't know how you will look at this issue. In fact, before I was 20 years old, I would not have thought that I would live under the same roof with two women and maintain a close relationship. I come from a very traditional family, and monogamy is a matter of course for me. But this has already happened. Both Ning Xi and Lu Xiaoshan are the people I love the most in my life. I can't bear to leave either of them, and I don't need to leave either." Long Bisheng said calmly: "I want to have two wives, and I want to live with them ——I have done this now, but they have made huge sacrifices, because in a legal sense, although they lived with me, they did not marry me. This is the only thing I have ever done wrong to them in my life, so now, I want to make up for this regret.”

"China does not allow you to marry two people at the same time..." A reporter finally couldn't help it, and reminded weakly.

"So I announced that I would quit the Chinese national team and no longer play for the national team." Long Bisheng smiled and threw out the last blockbuster: "Then I will be naturalized in other countries, no matter what country it is, as long as their laws allow to marry more than one wife, it is not very difficult."

Noisier voices came from the scene than before, and all the reporters were blown up again. This was something they couldn't believe even more than Long Bisheng's retirement from the national team!

"Do you know what this means? This means that you will automatically lose your status as a Chinese citizen!" An excited reporter could no longer keep calm, and he even forgot to shout out politely.

Long Bisheng announced his retirement from the national team. Although the reporters felt it was a pity, it was not a pity, because if the Chinese team were in trouble after Long Bisheng retired, there would definitely be many people lobbying Long Bisheng to return to the national team.

However, if Long Bisheng chooses to join other nationalities, this road will be blocked directly - China does not recognize dual nationality, and joining other nationalities will automatically cancel the status of Chinese citizens.

"Of course I know, otherwise I would have done it ten years ago!" Long Bisheng roared loudly, and his roar made everyone quiet: "I let two women wait by my side for ten years! They willingly stayed by my side for ten years in order to satisfy my desire to serve the national team! Do you know what other people think of them? This is a world where men are respected. I am capable, and I can still play in the national team. Others will only say that I am capable and capable. Liu, but they will say that they are willing to stay by my side! They have been waiting for ten years, and they can't wait any longer, and I can't bear to let them wait any longer!"

Long Bisheng's roar echoed back and forth at the press conference. Everyone saw what it was like when the usually gentle and elegant Tarzan got angry. Everyone shut their mouths. Long Bisheng was right. If he continued to play for the national team, he would be sorry for the two most important women to him. From the age of 22 to 38, he has contributed enough to the national team.

A player has played for the national team for 16 years, which is almost the limit. In the past 16 years, the Chinese national team has won two World Cup championships, two Confederations Cup championships, four Asian Cup championships, and countless honors in other small games. Not doing our best.

There was silence at the scene, and after a while, a young reporter stepped forward and extended his hand to Long Bisheng.

"You are right, Long Bisheng, you can't be too sorry for your two wives." Young people are always less worried than old people: "You have contributed for 16 years, and your sacrifices are enough. Now I can only wish you a happy life with your wives."

"Thank you." Long Bisheng showed a sincere smile, and stretched out his big hand to hold the young reporter tightly.

"Also, are you sure you just quit the national team? The club won't quit, right?" the young reporter continued to ask.

Long Bisheng laughed loudly: "As you said, although I am 38 years old now, I am showing the same state as 28 years old... How can I completely retire? I haven't played enough, and I haven't scored enough goals... What is the total number of goals Pele has scored in official games?"

Long Bisheng’s last sentence made all the reporters present laugh. Long Bisheng is close to 48 goals away from Pele’s goal record. If he can maintain his current state, it may only take two years to break Pele’s goal record. The player with the most goals is another Brazilian, Friedenlake. He has scored [-] more goals than Pele. It does not seem too difficult.

It is said that the Chinese football king Li Huitang scored more than 2000 goals in total, but there is no exact record left...

After laughing, Long Bisheng waved his hand: "Goodbye everyone... Newcastle bye."

This time, no reporter spoke out to persuade him to stay. Everyone looked at Long Bisheng's back, watching this tall figure slowly disappear into the corridor.

"I suddenly felt that this is the back of a legend. He is a living fossil among active players." The young reporter who shook hands with Long Bisheng murmured.

Long Bisheng who walked out of the press conference showed a lazy smile. Not far away, two slim figures ran towards him. Long Bisheng smiled and stretched out his hands to them.

The dense dark clouds in the originally gloomy sky suddenly opened a gap, and the golden sunlight swayed down from the sky, bathing Long Bisheng's figure in a golden light.

(End of this chapter)