"...You just think it's a good friend's request... Are you, uh... are you interested in returning to Wimbledon to play football, Chu?"

When Chu Zhongtian received a call from Russell, he thought that Russell might come to him to reminisce about the past, chat, or complain. After all, Wimbledon's current situation is not good. The team has been in the English Championship for one season, and this is the second season, but it still can only relegate. The team was always able to upgrade smoothly in other leagues at other levels. After the upgrade, it gained a foothold in this league in one season and successfully upgraded in the second season.

So he thought Russell must be troubled by the current team's predicament and came to him to complain.

I never thought he would say such things.

Because he was not mentally prepared, Chu Zhongtian didn't know what to say for a moment.

His silence was understood by Russell as another meaning.

"Uh... I knew this kind of demand was a bit too forced... Hi, Eric also said that I was a delusion... Originally, even if your contract with Real Madrid expired, there are still many top league teams who want you. How could you come to a small team like us? Forget it, just pretend I haven't said it..." Russell's tone seemed unnatural, and it was obvious that he was trying to hide his disappointment.

Chu Zhongtian then realized: "Alai, I think you misunderstood me... I didn't refuse, but... Well, this is a bit sudden for me, and I am happy to accept any invitation. But for this matter... I probably have to discuss it with my agent... Well, I think if there is any result, I will notify you as soon as possible."

Russell was quite happy when he hung up the phone, because at least Chu Zhongtian did not refuse at all. He said he had to consider it, which means there was still hope - at least he was willing to consider it.

Of course, Russell must not know that for Chinese people, "let me think about it" often means rejection.

※※※When Chu Zhongtian hung up the phone, he kept frowning and staring at the phone in a daze.

His wife Emily had just finished feeding Ai Ai and walked downstairs with the child in her arms. Ai Ai was still holding her nipples and sucking unconsciously.

Emily saw Chu Zhongtian like this, and she was a little strange.

"What's upsetting you so much, my dear?" She sat down next to Chu Zhongtian.

Chu Zhongtian turned his head and saw that it was Emily and said, "Alai called me just now."

"It's Russell. He's very busy recently. Why did he call you when he has time?" Emily also knows the recent situation of Wimbledon Athletics. After all, she is a member of the club's board of directors. She has just given birth to a child recently and has not been on the team's board of directors.

"Well... Amy, you said where should I play football after my contract with Real Madrid expires?" Chu Zhongtian did not answer Emily's question, but asked back.

Emily shrugged: "I don't know, that's your own business with James. What? The recent clubs can't satisfy you? Isn't Hoffenheim wanting you back?"

"Actually, I haven't considered where I will play next stop. James is helping me anyway. But I just received a call from Allele, and he invited me as a Wimbledon head coach, hoping that I will go back."

Emily was surprised: "He wants you to play in the English Championship?"

Chu Zhongtian nodded.

"Uh, this..." Emily and Chu Zhongtian's reaction was the same when they first heard the news - they were a little at a loss and didn't know what to say.

“I’ve been thinking about this.”

"Have you considered a result?" Emily asked.

Chu Zhongtian shook his head: "I don't know, I have never considered this proposal, and I go to the Championship... You know, I don't want to renew my contract with Real Madrid because their contract is very disrespectful to me. They despise me. I want to go to a team with a strong position to prove it to Real Madrid. How wrong their original decision was. But if I went to the Championship and Wimbledon, these would be vain. Not only did I not prove it to anyone, I might become their laughing stock - they would think that no one wanted it, so they could only play football in the Championship team..."

Chu Zhongtian does have such concerns. Although he loves Wimbledon, loving her does not mean playing football in this team. His career and love for Wimbledon are different things. They do not conflict, and there is no need to get entangled.

He hopes to go to a team that will prove himself as a counterattack against Real Madrid.

Therefore, his next stop must be a team that can participate in the Champions League. Hoffenheim does not have this qualification because his friendship with Hoffenheim made him willing to list Hoffenheim as a reference. If there is no better choice in the end, he will consider Hoffenheim. Before this, as long as there are other teams that can participate in the Champions League and are interested in him, he will give priority to these teams.

Unfortunately, the end of the season is still long, and everyone doesn't know which teams are certain to be qualified for the Champions League. Teams that are certain to be qualified for the Champions League are not very interested in a 34-year-old veteran like Chu Zhongtian.

This is what is called "high or low or low"... Emily leaned close to Chu Zhongtian and said softly: "I know your mood, but my dear, I think you may have overlooked a problem..."

Chu Zhongtian looked up at her: "What's the problem?"

"You don't need to prove anything at all, you don't need to prove it to Real Madrid, or you don't need to prove it to the whole world," said Emily. "You are the winner of three World Footballers, you have won three European Champions Leagues, and you have won twenty-one important championships in your career. What else do you need to prove?"

Chu Zhongtian was speechless when Emily asked a question.

"I know you play football to win, not to lose. Your career is almost always pursuing victory and championship, constantly meeting everyone's expectations, constantly proving your abilities, and pursuing perfection... But you are almost thirty-four years old. Is it necessary to pursue perfection so much at this time?"

"What else do you want? World Cup? Your results have made countless professional players envious. What else do you want to fight? Do you want to change teams to beat Real Madrid in the final and then win the European Champions League?"

Chu Zhongtian really had such an idea... "I think Russell's call came in time, and I had no intention of interfering with your plan. But I think you can seriously consider his invitation." Emily said. "I thought it seriously just now, and I think there is nothing wrong with this. What's wrong with going to the English Championship? The English Championship is not worse than the Premier League. And... do you still remember what happened when our team was first established? At the Kings Ranch Stadium, our common goal was at the founding conference with more than 4,000 people participating in it."

How could Chu Zhongtian not remember? That afternoon, the club's first chairman, Chris Stewart, shouted: "Return to where you should go, go to the top league! Return to where you should go, Southwest London!"

More than 4,000 people shouted with him, leaving a very shocking impression in Chu Zhongtian, who was not a fan of Wimbledon's athletics at the time.

After listening to Emily's words, Chu Zhongtian asked, "Do you have any suggestions, Amy?"

Emily smiled: "Want to hear me say my inner thoughts or the scenes?"

"Absolutely, of course I listen to my inner thoughts." Chu Zhongtian said.

"Okay, I think so, it's actually quite selfish - I also hope you go back to Wimbledon to realize the common dream of all of us. I know you will not be able to participate in the Champions League and will disappear from the front line of European football. Maybe no one will remember your name again after less than a season. Your business contract will be affected, and many sponsors will dispel the plan to continue working with you. Your exposure rate will be greatly reduced, and your fans will also decrease... But out of my own selfishness, I like you to go back to Wimbledon. I think... If it is true, everyone will be very, very happy..."

Chu Zhongtian was silent.

Emily found that her daughter in her arms stopped sucking her nipples. She looked down and Ai Ai was already asleep.

So she stood up gently, carried her daughter upstairs, and put her back on the bed to sleep.

Only Chu Zhongtian was left in the living room. He lowered his head and thought quietly about Emily's words.

Return to Wimbledon and lead the crazy gang to the Premier League?

This transfer will be his last transfer in his career, so is this his last goal in his career?

The unfavorable factors Emily mentioned do not affect him at all. He doesn't care about business contracts, and he has long played football for money, otherwise he would not have had an annual salary of 10 million. Chu Zhongtian doesn't care about fame, he never played football for some people. He plays football for himself, he wants to play football, and likes football, so he plays. The support of fans is his motivation to move forward, but not all. Without these fans, he can move forward alone, so the decline in fame has no effect on him.

Not being able to participate in the Champions League is indeed a very important unfavorable factor. He transferred to Real Madrid in the hope of going to a team that can participate in the Champions League, so that he can continue to prove himself in the top European arena and show to the world that although he is 34 years old, he can still show his level in such a high-level arena. There is no need for those 25 or 26 years old, seven or eight years old. His performance is completely worthy of a dignified contract.

If he can't participate in the Champions League, who knows if he is really capable of continuing to play high-level football for two or three years as he said? Others may think he is bragging. These people will say: "It is correct for Real Madrid to not give him a two-year contract. Look, he has now played in the Champions League..."

Can you tolerate such contempt at that time?

Chu Zhongtian is a very proud person. He cannot tolerate being looked down upon by others, whether he was when he first debuted or now he is thirty-four years old.

If you go to Wimbledon to play football, you will definitely hear such rumors.

Can he tolerate it?

Chu Zuosheng walked down from the building and sat next to Chu Zhongtian.

"Son," he said.

"dad?"

"Do you have time now?" Chu Zuosheng asked.

"I... I have it, what's the matter?"

"We two have a good chat. We haven't talked with you for a long time." Chu Zuosheng waved his hand. "What are your plans for the future?"

"I... don't know. An old friend called me just now and wanted me to play football in his team, but his team was in the English Championship..." Chu Zhongtian expressed his confusion.

After hearing his son's words, Chu Zuosheng smiled: "You. Say one thing and do another."

Chu Zhongtian felt inexplicably, why did he do one thing?

"You said you didn't play football for whom, but just for yourself, right? You don't care about other people's opinions, right?"

Chu Zhongtian nodded.

"So, why do you care about other people's opinions about your choice to go to Wimbledon?"

Chu Zhongtian was speechless when his father asked.

"If you really don't care, you care what they say. You only choose what you like, do whatever you want, and who can control you? When you tried hard to play football, your mother was so opposed, didn't you insist on playing? So there is nothing to worry about. You just need to think about what you want. Whether you are playing in the Champions League or the English Championship, it only depends on what you want."

"Why? Did your IQ deteriorate after becoming famous? Wasn't you quite smart in the past? Or... Now you have a good reputation and hope, but you have more concerns? Hehe."

Chu Zuosheng smiled, raised his butt and got up from the sofa, then handed his hands behind his back, and slowly walked back upstairs.

Chu Zhongtian continued to sit on the sofa alone, thinking about his father's words just now.

※※※James Merry is in Germany and has already dealt with all the things he has delayed before. The task now is to find a good boss for Chu Zhongtian. Chu Zhongtian is not very satisfied with the team reported in the newspaper and the teams he has contacted privately. He asked him to go to the next club to participate in the Champions League next season. But at this time, where can I find a team that can definitely participate in the Champions League next season... In a long season, anything can happen. Do you think this team can do it now. After signing the contract at the end of the season, I found that this team can't even play in the Europa League, so where can I go to make sense?

Meili felt that this was too difficult to deal with... But as Chu Zhongtian's agent, he still had to find ways to help Chu Zhongtian complete the task.

There are also teams that are certain to participate in the Champions League, such as those traditional giants in each league. But these teams will not need a 34-year-old player... Although Chu Zhongtian said that he can still maintain his level and play high-level football for two or three years, this is his one-sidedness, and it is another matter whether others believe it or not.

Just when he didn't know what to do, he received a call from Chu Zhongtian: "James, where are you now?"

"I'm in Germany, Chu. I plan to get in touch with Hoffenheim..." Merry had no plans at all, and when Chu Zhongtian asked about where he was, he had an idea and said this.

Unexpectedly, Chu Zhongtian said, "No need. I want you to help me go to England, James."

"Go to the UK? Which team has a crush on you, Chu?"

The teams that Merri has mastered that are interested in Chu Zhongtian are not those that can participate in the Champions League... Is there anything wrong with Manchester United?

Mourinho is at Manchester United, maybe he wants Chu to help him?

"Well, go back to your house, James. Go and get in touch with Wimbledon..."

"What did you say?" James Merry thought he heard it wrong. Wimbledon is the English Championship team. No matter how no one wants Chu Zhongtian, he would not have fallen to the point of playing in the English Championship, right?

"I thought about it and decided to play back to Wimbledon and I'm going to end my career there."

"Hey, Chu... don't give up on yourself..."

"This is not self-deprecation." Chu Zhongtian knew that Meili would say that. In fact, it is quite normal. This is the normal reaction of any normal person after hearing his choice... "What do you think, Chu? Why do you want to go to the English Championship?" Meili still couldn't understand.

"It's not going to the Championship, but to Wimbledon." Chu Zhongtian corrected.

"Is there any difference between these two? Wimbledon is in the Championship and is in the relegation zone..."
To be continued...