GRANDMAESTA_30
patreon
Chapter 25: A New Hope For The East
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 15:18:06 +0000 UTCIn a modest London apartment, Zheng Xin folded his shirts with practiced ease, placing them neatly into his suitcase.
In just three days, he would be on a flight to Paris.
Unknowingly, he had spent eight years in this city. Eight years of work, change, and watching history unfold on the green fields of English football.
After the 2002 World Cup, he'd been assigned to London as a sports journalist. Since then, he had watched wave after wave of Chinese players try their luck in the Premier League—only to leave in silence.
From pioneers like Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai to younger prospects like Yu Hao and Guo Liang, Zheng Xin had seen it all.
Sadly, none had truly made their mark, perhaps except for Sun Jihai, who once wore the captain’s armband for Manchester City in his farewell match. That moment, in front of tens of thousands of fans chanting, remained etched in Zheng Xin’s memory.
He smiled to himself, reminiscing.
"Fan Zhiyi... what a player," he murmured.
But those were now just memories.
Yu Hao and Guo Liang had each lasted only two seasons before drifting away to other leagues. When Guo Liang left West Ham United, Zheng Xin knew his time in London was drawing to a close as well.
Now, he was heading to Paris, where the football scene was buzzing.
Wang Yi was at Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 15 goals in a season and contributing to PSG winning another Ligue 1 title. At just 23, Wang Yi’s golden right foot had reignited hope for Chinese football fans.
And Wang Yi wasn’t alone. There was also Chen Man, the explosive winger, playing for FC Porto in the Portuguese league.
His name might mean "slow" in Mandarin, but on the pitch, Chen Man was anything but. Porto insiders even claimed that when Chen hit full speed, he might rival the pace of Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.
That speed earned him a starting spot in Porto’s first team at just 18 years old.
Chen Man was a product of China’s third wave of the National Youth Training Program—a post-2002 joint initiative by the General Administration of Sports and the Chinese Football Association. Under semi-marketized management, young talents were rigorously screened and sent abroad for development.
These players were now scattered across European leagues, representing China in top-level competitions.
Then there was Liu Kairui, the iron-willed defender now starting for Atlético Madrid. At 19, he had become a mainstay in their backline.
Born to a Chinese father and a Spanish mother, Liu stunned many when, upon turning 18, he chose to renounce his Spanish citizenship and officially declare for China.
When Zheng Xin asked him why, Liu’s answer was simple:
"My dad wants to see China go further in the World Cup. I want to help make that happen."
That sentiment alone had boosted morale in the Chinese national setup.
With Wang Yi leading the line, Chen Man charging down the wing, and Liu Kairui anchoring the defense, the national team was building a solid foundation.
But there remained one glaring gap—China had yet to produce a true midfield general.
Wang Yi often found himself stranded up front, his pace leaving even his midfielders in the dust. The domestic leagues simply couldn’t keep up with the tempo of Europe.
Even at the 2010 World Cup, Wang Yi had scored twice against Denmark in the group stage, but it wasn't enough. The gap in overall quality was still too wide to bridge alone.
After that match, his sorrow was visible to all. Fans ached for him, but everyone understood—the Chinese team needed more players like Wang Yi, not ones who leaned on him, but ones who could fight beside him.
That’s why the rise of Chen Man and Liu Kairui brought renewed optimism.
“Alright, time to go,” Zheng Xin said aloud, stretching his arms above his head. Eight years in London. Now that he was finally leaving, he felt an unexpected tug of reluctance.
Ringing noises
His phone buzzed. He picked it up.
“Fredrick? You calling to see me off?” he said, chuckling.
Fredrick, a fellow journalist with London Sport, was a Manchester City fan through and through. They had met at the Etihad and quickly bonded. Over the years, they shared more than a few scoops and plenty of banter.
“I don’t think you’re leaving just yet,” came Lawn’s teasing voice.
Zheng Xin smirked. “You’ll have to give me a good reason.”
“Well, how about this—my friend at the Home Office told me a Chinese player just got approved under the ‘special talent clause’. He’s officially joined Arsenal.”
Zheng Xin froze.
“Are you serious?”
“My friend wouldn’t make that up,” Lawn replied. “There’s no reason to.”
Zheng Xin’s heart raced.
A Chinese player joining Arsenal? And through the special talent clause? That was headline material.
“Hold on!”
Balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear, he threw open his suitcase and dug out his laptop. In moments, he was online and scrolling feverishly through Arsenal’s official website.
And there it was, tucked in a quiet corner of the site:
"On July 3, 2011, Arsenal signed a Chinese teenager from Sporting CP for €800,000."
Zheng Xin’s eyes widened.
“It’s true…”
“I’ll call you back,” he said quickly, hanging up.
He immediately began typing again, trying to dig up more on the mystery player. But Arsenal’s website offered nothing beyond the one-liner.
Frustrated but determined, Zheng Xin turned to Sporting CP’s official site and scoured their previous season's squad list.
Finally, he found him.
A young, fresh-faced teenager, no older than seventeen or eighteen.
Name: Le Kai
Age: 17
Position: Central Defender / Defensive Midfielder
Foot(s): Left/ Right
Status: Transferred
Zheng Xin stared at the image, stunned.
This was the player Arsenal had invoked the special talent clause for? He'd nearly missed it.
Quickly, he pulled up a European football database to look at Kai’s stats from last season.
25 appearances.
The teen had earned his place as the season progressed.
Then came the eye-opener:
80 successful tackles.
Zheng Xin leaned back, astonished.
“Three-point-two successful tackles per game? No wonder Wenger is excited.”
Without hesitation, he started hunting for match footage of Sporting CP. He didn’t care about anything else—just Kai’s performances.
And once he started watching, he didn’t stop.
By the time he looked up again, the sun was rising over London.
