"DOUHU" is the largest comprehensive forum in China.
Few forums can successfully balance content for male and female audiences while attracting both groups, but DOUHU is the only one that manages this.
During high school, Lin Wanxing read serialized historical novels by master writers on "DOUHU." Back then, she knew its basketball and football sections were very popular, but she had never visited them.
It was only because of Wang Fa's situation yesterday that she thought to open the forum and check for news about Yongchuan Evergrande's new head coach.
When Lin Wanxing mentioned "DOUHU," the boys weren't very enthusiastic.
Firstly, they had zero interest in the national football team or the Chinese Super League.
Secondly, they felt this forum was a place for adults (Qin Ao's exact words were 'uncles and aunts') to hang out, while young people like them went to Bilibili, Tieba, or NetEase Cloud.
"What exactly do you want us to see?" the boys asked, puzzled.
"Um..." Lin Wanxing picked up her own phone, checked it, and said, "Please click into the 'Chinese Football' section."
"DOUHU has a local football section? Are we going to find coach information or public recruitment there?" Fu Xinshu asked very seriously.
Lin Wanxing: "..."
The boys, still confused, did as she said and entered the section.
The "Chinese Football" section was very cold, a stark contrast to DOUHU's "International Football" section, which was like fire and ice.
So the moment the students entered, a pinned hot post on the front page captured their full attention.
《[Real Rumor] Inside Info: Yongchuan Evergrande Head Coach Finalized!》
Main post: Spilling the tea! Heard from someone inside Yongchuan Evergrande that they've set their sights on the former deputy director of Southampton's youth academy, a young coach named Winfred!
Why not use Director Liu? Just worshiping foreigners, huh?
Director Liu has been dedicated all these years, from the old professional teams to the later National Youth Team. Even as an advisor at Yongchuan Evergrande, he's been diligent. Who in the team doesn't respect him? He has experience leading a first team, gets along well with everyone, and is the perfect fit.
"Who is Winfred?" Chen Jianghe asked. "Our coach?"
Lin Wanxing: "Mm, that's your coach's 'stage name' in the UK."
Since it concerned "one of their own," the students immediately focused completely.
DOUHU's posts have a feature where the most upvoted replies are listed at the top.
So when the boys scrolled down, the first thing they saw was a highlighted reply with over three hundred "likes."
—So it's really decided? After hearing the two candidates from the OP, I feel like our team is even more hopeless.
The replies below weren't any better, disparaging both Liu Chuangguang and dismissing Wang Fa as the best choice.
—What has Liu Chuangguang accomplished at his age? Everyone knows after he led the National Youth Team, he couldn't even lead the Olympic team. Why not talk about why he couldn't lead the Olympic team? He doesn't have the ability, you know? Besides, you talk about experience and popularity, but not his team-leading skills. You know he's no good at leading a team, right?
—It's not that I have anything against deputy directors of youth academies, but this Winfred is too young. Rumor has it he's not even thirty and doesn't seem to have first-team coaching experience. Having experience teaching kids how to play and leading a first team are two different things.
—Yongchuan Evergrande is hopeless if they don't replace that damn midfield. I really don't think finding a new coach will make any difference.
The top replies mainly criticized Director Liu, while many others questioned whether Wang Fa had the ability to coach a first team.
The students frowned deeply until they finally saw a "professional" reply fiercely criticizing the original poster.
—Do you even understand Southampton's youth academy's status in the Premier League? Getting to be deputy director of Southampton's youth academy at such a young age—that's ability! Besides, what Chinese players need now isn't someone like Lippi to teach them how to play matches. They need a good youth training coach to teach them the basics! Remember Milu back in the day?
They immediately wanted to upvote this comment but found out they needed registered accounts.
The boys gradually huddled together, briefly discussed what to reply, and had Qin Ao, who finished registering first, post the response.
【Liu Chuangguang is nothing! He's not even fit to carry Winfred's shoes! Mark my words, Yongchuan Evergrande's head coach will definitely be Winfred!】
Qin Ao typed out the reply in the response box with a flourish and confidently hit send.
Lin Wanxing stood beside them, almost unable to bear reading it.
After Qin Ao finished his reply and refreshed, he noticed a comment posted just before his.
—OP must be happy now, Director Liu has been officially announced.
"What does 'officially announced Director Liu' mean?" Qin Ao frowned and asked instinctively.
"It should mean exactly what it says, an official announcement," Fu Xinshu answered matter-of-factly.
Qi Liang, who had been standing outside the crowd, finally couldn't hold back and cursed: "Are you all idiots?"
Qin Ao turned around: "Watch your mouth, or I'll motion to vote you out!"
"Damn, would this woman have us look at the forum for no reason? Of course, she wants you to see the news. Haven't you figured out what it means yet?" Qi Liang rarely shouted, clearly having endured these fools for too long.
Yu Ming, who had been reading the earlier replies, suddenly spoke up: "Boss, does this mean Yongchuan Evergrande's new head coach is Director Liu?"
The boys crowded around Qin Ao, looking at the phone in his hand, all stunned and shocked, as if they couldn't believe this speculation.
Qi Liang pulled the news article he had just read back to the headline section, zoomed in, and slammed his phone on the table: "Idiots, look clearly."
《Yongchuan Evergrande Football Club Appoints Liu Chuangguang as First Team Head Coach》
The news was published at 7:00 AM on October 1st.
And the main news post featured the official red-headed document Lin Wanxing had seen in her email last night.
The next moment, as if a spell had been broken, the boys suddenly started howling and scrambling to look at Qi Liang's phone.
"Why Director Liu again? What right does Liu-dog have!" said Zheng Feiyang, who had some Yongchuan Evergrande fan in him.
"Then what about our coach? Where's our coach going? Is he returning to the UK?"
"Yeah, wasn't our coach supposed to become Yongchuan Evergrande's head coach? Was our coach KTV'd?! Just because of this post?" Feng Suo suddenly yelled.
Lin Wanxing silently watched these little fools, utterly speechless.
——
"Coach, why haven't you left yet?"
On the second day after Wang Fa announced he was leaving, at noon.
The boys from the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School football team rushed upstairs and slammed open the rooftop door.
The midday sun was blazing, making the entire rooftop hot and stuffy.
In the bright light, the first boy to charge up gaped, showing an astonished expression.
On the rooftop, the man who had been discussed back and forth on the forum, who in their minds had already left and should be throwing his weight around at Yongchuan Evergrande.
Was currently sitting under a patio umbrella, wearing a shirt and slippers, leisurely inserting a straw into a yogurt box.
"You really haven't left yet?!" Yu Ming shouted at Wang Fa.
At that time, Lin Wanxing was left behind at the back. She hadn't eaten breakfast, only snacked, and had been teaching the students for two hours. Already feeling dizzy from hunger, hearing Yu Ming's loud shout made her head spin even more.
"Watch your language," Lin Wanxing said, holding onto the railing as a reminder.
Yu Ming stood thoughtfully in the rooftop doorframe, blocking the way for those behind, and was shoved aside.
Feng Suo, just reaching the rooftop and seeing Wang Fa leisurely enjoying the breeze and drinking yogurt, naturally rephrased for Yu Ming: "Coach, why are you still here!"
Lin Wanxing thought there was a reason Feng Suo probably couldn't get a girlfriend.
The boys came up one by one, each expressing shock that Wang Fa was still there.
Lin Wanxing, coming up last, directly sat down opposite Wang Fa, picked a bag of Cuiyuan cookies from the snacks on the table, opened it, and ate to settle her stomach.
"It seems they really want me to leave?" Wang Fa took a sip of yogurt and said with feigned sadness, "Maybe I should just go."
"Enough already," Lin Wanxing warned Wang Fa. "I bought these snacks. What was our agreement?"
In the wind, the students still didn't understand what was happening, unable to believe what they were seeing.
They started chattering all at once.
"Why are you still here? Why did Yongchuan Evergrande's head coach become Director Liu? What does that mean?"
"Aren't you going to Yongchuan Evergrande, or is there another team?"
"Or did Yongchuan Evergrande not want you? Did Director Liu double-cross you? We'll go to 'DOUHU' and roast him for you!"
"DOUHU?" Wang Fa questioned.
"Well, I had them check the forum and used official means to announce that you weren't leaving," Lin Wanxing said righteously.
"Then it might be more official if I do it myself."
Lin Wanxing saw Wang Fa face his players, pause for a moment, and then announce very solemnly: "Yes, I'm not leaving. I chose not to go to Yongchuan Evergrande. I've decided to stay."
He said.
The wind blew across the autumn rooftop; it was still a beautifully clear, sunny day.
"Why?"
The boys still couldn't believe their ears. They scratched their heads and ears, and "why" slipped out almost involuntarily.
"Because I can't bear to leave you all, so I decided to stay," Wang Fa said.
In that instant, as if they had heard something utterly unbelievable, the students all froze like statues.
Their wide-eyed expressions reminded Lin Wanxing of the meerkats she had seen online. A group huddled together, standing upright, paws on their bellies, necks stiff as they stared at their target.
For a while, the students couldn't say anything.
Just as Wang Fa would use a "little excuse" that sounded fake to cover his true feelings.
The boys would do the same.
Lin Wanxing cleared her throat lightly, signaling for everyone to say something. The students then started talking over each other.
"Coach, did you really ditch Yongchuan Evergrande to stay and teach us?"
"Coach, that's so cheesy."
"What do you mean, 'can't bear to leave us'!"
"Is it because you can't bear to leave Teacher Lin?"
Wang Fa was very open about all this: "Well, I can't bear to leave her either."
That's what he said.
Lin Wanxing had just picked up another bottle of yogurt from the table when she noticed all the students, including Wang Fa, were looking at her.
"What? I do have quite the charismatic personality," she said, taking a sip of yogurt and also using a small excuse to cover up a little.
OpenNovel