Chapter 51: Second half of the league
During the New Year, Wang Feng had a phone call with his family. Unlike last year, they could celebrate the New Year in their new house, without crowding into the narrow old house. In just over a year, both he and his family had undergone tremendous changes.
His mother chattered on the phone, "Ah Feng, remember to keep warm during the New Year, eat well, and be safe when you're alone outside. If you feel lonely, just call home and talk to us." She choked up as she spoke.
Wang Feng could only comfort her, saying that he would have a lively New Year celebration and wouldn't feel lonely. Indeed, Ostend was much livelier than Virton and Genk, especially during the New Year, with activities like "Sea Jump" held on the beach.
Many people gathered by the sea, barbecuing, singing, dancing, and celebrating the arrival of the New Year. They also set off fireworks to celebrate. Wang Feng stood on the balcony of the villa, watching the bustling scene, feeling less lonely.
As for why he didn't join in, it was mainly because Wang Feng was reserved by nature and not accustomed to such lively gatherings abroad. So, he just observed from a distance.
The winter break was also the time for clubs to strengthen their teams through trades. Teams like Anderlecht and Bruges were busy improving their squads to challenge Genk in the second half of the season. However, Henk didn't make any moves, not because their squad was perfect, but because they were financially restrained.
In early January, just before the players gathered for training, Wang Feng finished his additional training and returned to Genk.
When they assembled, the players' physical conditions were not great. Bess had even gained some weight, being a homebody who refused to diet.
Head coach Aimee Antonis was very angry. He ordered those with poor physical conditions to train extra hard and insisted they restore their fitness before the start of the second half of the season. Looking at Wang Feng's physical report, he nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself, "Wang Feng is reliable after all. He must have trained diligently during the holiday. If the core players in the team have self-discipline, there will be fewer problems."
During breaks from training, Wang Feng often chatted with his family. Especially after his sister taught him to use a product called QQ, he abandoned international long-distance calls and switched to chatting online.
For this, he had to buy the expensive latest model ThinkPad T20, while his family, with his uncle's help, set up a desktop computer and internet connection. But his sister also wanted her own computer, so she pestered Wang Feng relentlessly. Unable to refuse, he bought her a laptop with his own money.
Now, his QQ contact list included his mother, sister, and sister's friend, Lu Yao. Lu Yao's family was well-off, so they had a computer early on. When Wang Feng's sister revealed that Wang Feng also had QQ, Lu Yao bribed her with snacks and successfully obtained Wang Feng's QQ number.
Perhaps because they weren't face-to-face, Lu Yao was not shy about chatting online. She often found Wang Feng to chat, sharing little anecdotes from her life. Wang Feng found this girl much cuter than his sister, so he was happy to chat with her.
Through their chats, Wang Feng learned that Lu Yao's family wanted her to study abroad. However, she was worried about living abroad. While comforting her, Wang Feng had an idea. Didn't his mother want his sister to study abroad too? Why not have the two of them go together, providing mutual support?
So he kept this idea in mind, knowing that his sister still had a year and a half before graduating from high school. He would discuss it with her when the time came.
Francisco Balmond, besides helping Wang Feng find the villa in Ostend before the winter break, spent the rest of his time in China dealing with Wang Feng's business matters. Since Wang Feng became the first Chinese to win the Asian Footballer of the Year, many domestic companies had contacted him, wanting him to endorse their products.
Adhering to the principle of quality over quantity, Wang Feng cautiously selected three companies to endorse, earning a seven-figure endorsement fee in total. This further increased his income.
Genk's training mainly focused on recovery training and tactical drills. Wang Feng was in the best condition, so while his teammates were sweating it out lifting weights, he could focus on ball control training.
Tactical drills continued to use the 4-4-2 formation from the first half of the season, aiming to improve the players' teamwork. Wang Feng clearly felt that his ability to receive passes had improved, mainly due to his better ball control.
This improvement was thanks to the flexibility training during the winter break and the juggling training for different parts of the body. He remembered the force and effect of each touch on different parts, so every time he received the ball, it stuck to him like glue.
As a result, his shooting became more threatening. Regardless of where he received the ball near the penalty area, he could quickly adjust and shoot. In one scrimmage, he even scored seven goals out of seven shots, leaving the opposing team bewildered.
Renee exclaimed that this guy was unreal. Only the head coach noticed the clue that it was Wang Feng's excellent ball control that led to his threatening shots. It seemed that as long as the midfielders provided enough support to Wang Feng, he could produce incredible results.
In the first game of the second half of the season, the 17th round of the Belgian First Division A, Genk would face Bruges away.
Before the match, Bruges' head coach, Gerald Anderson, was giving his players a final pep talk, "Come on, guys. Our chances of advancing in the Europa League are slim, so we must win the honors in the league."
"We are currently third in the league, with Genk's lead very small. As long as we defeat them in this game, we can pull them down from the top of the table."
The game started with Bruges launching an attack. Striker Darrin Muralic broke into the penalty area and had his shot saved by the goalkeeper. Although they didn't concede, the attack still made the Genk players break out in a cold sweat. Antonis couldn't sit still and walked to the sidelines, shouting for the players to focus.
In the 17th minute, Genk won a free kick in the opponent's half.
"Barry throws the ball to Wang Feng on the wing, Wang Feng calmly controls the ball. Bruges' defense is very active, constantly pressing Wang Feng. Wang Feng passes it back to Barry."
"Barry dribbles sideways and passes into the penalty area. Wang Feng sprints into the box, shoots, goooooooal! In the 17th minute, Wang Feng breaks the deadlock and opens the scoring for the away team!"
"It's a beautiful combination play. When receiving the ball from the sideline, Wang Feng demonstrated his skillful technique. Even with defenders constantly interfering from behind, he could smoothly control the ball."
"Then passing it back to Barry and quickly inserting into the penalty area was an excellent choice. Wang Feng's attacking instincts on the field are too sharp. He knows how to create better opportunities. This will definitely be a nightmare for defenders from other teams."
"Of course, this goal also owes to Barry's exceptional awareness and passing skills. He understood Wang Feng's attacking intent and executed it."
After scoring, Wang Feng sprinted to the sidelines and pointed to Barry, signaling him to come and celebrate the goal together.
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