Chapter 721: Everyone Is the Same
On a summer morning, the sky always brightened early. When a ray of sunlight shone upon the estate, the gray-white villa complex and the beautiful garden, along with the flowing stream and bridges, appeared vibrant and colorful.
This harbor, meticulously crafted by the Chinese superstar, had undergone numerous expansions and renovations, now covering an area of ??15 acres. It had become a luxurious estate combining residential, scenic, and leisure entertainment facilities.
The core area was naturally a villa where a family lived. Wang Feng lay comfortably on the soft master bed, unwilling to move, faintly hearing the sound of frolicking.
It must be the two energetic little devils at home again. Seven-year-old Si Yao was playing downstairs with his four-year-old brother, Xiao Haoxin.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but show a satisfied smile. Wasn't his struggle all for the sake of allowing his family to have a good life? It had been like this since he was sixteen.
At this moment, his sleepy-eyed wife, Lu Yao, poked her head out from the quilt and asked, "What's wrong? Are you going to training again?"
Looking at his lovely wife, Wang Feng said softly, "No need. I'll lie down with you for a while. I haven't spent much time with you and the children in the past year. This summer, I'll make sure to make up for it."
In the just-ended season, in order to fully devote himself to training and matches, the Chinese superstar had sacrificed almost all of his personal time. In harsh conditions, he had even been away from home for several months, causing his daughter to pout and his son to become less close to him.
After holding a grand parade celebration and completing various club-arranged activities, Wang Feng could finally take a break and enjoy his vacation. He decided not to tire himself out like this in the future, to enjoy both football and life.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yao nestled into his arms and said, "Then let's go on a trip this summer. I really want to travel around like before, eating and sightseeing along the way. This time, let's bring the whole family and form a travel group, hehe."
"Of course, no problem. I have more than a month of vacation, so we can plan it well. Shall we follow the old route or go see some new scenery?"
Although the Chinese team had the World Cup Asia Zone qualifiers in the summer, Wang Feng didn't plan to participate at the moment, and even Dong Fangzhuo might not go back.
Because the group opponents Qatar, Maldives, Bhutan, and Hong Kong were relatively weak in strength. The young team that had just won the Asian Cup runner-up had proven their strength, and it was time for them to stand on their own.
"Anywhere is fine, as long as I'm with you and the family," Lu Yao murmured.
Wang Feng didn't participate in various commercial activities or handle group business affairs as he had done in previous years. Instead, he almost disappeared from the public eye, simply enjoying his vacation. This disappointed many media outlets, as they wanted to dig into future issues and make big news.
For example, why hadn't he renewed his contract with Real Madrid so far? Would there be other plans? Many fans were eager to know these details.
The outside world generally speculated that the Galactic team would offer a hefty lifetime contract to the Chinese superstar. Therefore, various terms and clauses were more complicated. Although the club had never had such a precedent, they would certainly break tradition for their greatest contributor.
Unable to find Wang Feng himself, and with the club remaining ambiguous about it, the various speculations and discussions soon died down, and people shifted their focus to the summer transfer activities of major clubs.
On the Real Madrid side, Zidane had spent a considerable amount of time honing his skills with the Castilla team and was eager to take over the first team, but Florentino advised against it.
"It's not your time yet. The club still has a year left on the contract with Ancelotti. By then, a brand new lineup and new challenges will be waiting for you."
Zidane was also one of the few key figures who knew that Wang Feng would leave the team in a year. He felt regretful but also somewhat anticipatory about the new era.
During his years as an assistant coach for the first team, the Frenchman deeply felt that every aspect of the team was marked by the Chinese superstar. Although it was outstanding, it was impossible for the team to remain this way forever.
Moving forward, the turnover of old and new was an eternal theme. Perhaps Wang Feng saw through this point and decided not to accept a lifetime contract, opting to leave the club resolutely.
Casillas suddenly deciding to leave caught everyone off guard.
With more seniority in the team than Wang Feng, although Florentino didn't like Casillas's personality and felt that his performance was not enough to support a starting position, perhaps slowly becoming a substitute could allow him to retire at Real Madrid.
But the Spanish goalkeeper was not willing to accept this. He felt that he was not old yet and still had plenty of energy to fight, especially after seeing Navas gradually replace him in the just-ended season. Sitting on the bench made Casillas uneasy.
There would be no improvement if he continued like this. After several nights of painful reflection, he decided to leave the Galactic team, where he had served for 25 years.
Before this, he called Wang Feng to inform him of his decision. The two had fought side by side for many years and had a good relationship.
"You don't need to persuade me, Wang. There's no need for the club to come to you to persuade me either," Casillas said.
"You, me, and Raúl are the same type of player. None of us want to waste our years on the bench. You'll probably leave Real Madrid next year too, although the confidentiality work is well done, I can guess."
The Chinese superstar couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"Real Madrid, oh Real Madrid, it's the most enviable club in the world, but also the cruelest club in the world," Casillas's tone gradually became distant, as if recalling the past.
After a moment of silence, Wang Feng said with a hint of sadness, "Alright, I won't persuade you to stay. I wish you all the best in Porto. Have a few more drinks when we say goodbye."
A few days later, Casillas held a press conference to officially announce his departure, choking up several times during the process.
The club held a farewell ceremony for him at the Bernabéu Stadium, and many fans shed tears on the spot. They felt that their youth had ended, and many criticized Florentino for being cold-hearted.
The president of Real Madrid fully affirmed Casillas's performance in an interview, "He is the best goalkeeper in the history of the club and the best goalkeeper in the history of Spain."
"No one wants him to leave. He received a good offer, and he asked us to consider it. I understand Casillas. Like Raúl, every player has the right to start a new chapter in their career."
"Everyone is the same. What about Wang Feng?" a reporter asked loudly.
Florentino paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, Wang is the same."
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