Chapter 25

At the Cobham training ground, Boas was directing the team's training. There was no denying that Boas was an exceptional assistant coach. Just for the last match against Manchester United, he had prepared a report over ten pages long, clearly documenting the strengths and weaknesses of each Manchester United player, as well as the pros and cons of Ferguson's tactics. Although Jowan Xian had no patience to read such a report, it was undeniable that Boas was indeed very dedicated.

This morning, Boas submitted another report, this time about Chelsea's next league opponent, Birmingham, which was also over ten pages long!

For such a weak opponent, Jowan Xian had no interest in studying it. However, the two matches between Chelsea and Birmingham in the 03-04 season ended in draws, which made Boas very cautious in his work.

The Cobham training ground usually did not allow outsiders, but today was an exception. A surprise visitor stood by Jowan Xian's side — the blonde beauty Cheryl!

During the training, Kaka whispered to Joe Cole, "Hey, mate, do you think the boss has a thing for that blonde?"

Joe Cole chuckled, "Of course, didn't you see the way he was looking at her? He'd eat her up if he could!"

Kaka glanced at Boas's position and then sneakily looked at Cheryl, enviously saying, "The boss sure has good luck. Cheryl is even prettier than my fiancée, Caroline!"

Joe Cole glared at Kaka and said sternly, "Don't call her by her name, call her 'Ma'am'!"

"Ha ha..." Kaka and Joe Cole burst into laughter.

Jowan Xian frowned and pointed at them, "Kaka, Joe Cole, what are you two talking about? You look so lecherous! I've said it before, no talking about women on the training ground! Go run laps!"

Kaka and Joe Cole exchanged a bitter smile, secretly thinking, "Boss, you can flirt on the sidelines, but we can't even discuss it?"

After showing off in front of Cheryl, seeing his players obediently following his commands like good little boys, Jowan Xian felt extremely proud and said smugly, "Miss Cheryl, do you like football?"

"Yes, I do." Cheryl's sweet voice and smile were almost forcing Jowan Xian to make a mistake.

Jowan Xian cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Miss Cheryl, if you like football, you will certainly like Chelsea's attacking style. If you like Chelsea's attacking style, you will certainly like the dynamic stars on the field. If you like Chelsea's stars, you will certainly fall in love with Chelsea's greatest..."

Jowan Xian paused, his eyes secretly glancing at Cheryl.

Cheryl smiled and raised her chin, playfully saying, "The greatest head coach?"

Jowan Xian clapped his hands and gave a thumbs up, "High, very high!"

Cheryl tilted her head, her clear eyes sizing up Jowan Xian, making him feel uneasy. Was such a straightforward declaration too crude?

"Do you want to date me?" Cheryl said with a smile, casually revealing Jowan Xian's secret.

Jowan Xian was almost moved to tears. Western girls were so honest and straightforward. If it were a Chinese girl, she would either slap him or run away blushing!

Jowan Xian swallowed and nodded quickly, "What do you think? Since you're a friend of Ye Xuan and she's my agent, us dating... it's only natural!"

Cheryl smiled sweetly, "What kind of logic is that? But... I can consider it!"

"Really?" Jowan Xian was first stunned, then he suddenly hugged Cheryl's soft and tender body, exclaiming, "Great! Don't go to the hotel tonight, come straight to my apartment!"

Amidst the cheers, Jowan Xian awkwardly released Cheryl. His hands still felt the lingering warmth of her waist, making him savor the moment. Jowan Xian was embarrassed, but Cheryl was calm, even smiling and waving to the players, who whistled in response.

However, Cheryl's smile now had a hint of shyness. She smoothed her hair and said softly, "Mr. Jowan... Xian, this... might not be appropriate..."

Cheryl was not stupid; she knew what Jowan Xian wanted her to do at his apartment.

Jowan Xian had already experienced the openness of Western women and their frankness about relationships, so he decided to be straightforward, opening his eyes wide and saying, "You don't want to? Am I not handsome enough?"

Cheryl giggled, "Very handsome, even more handsome than your players!"

"Then... is it because my reputation isn't loud enough to match yours?"

Cheryl bit her lip and said softly, "Your reputation, Mr. Jowan, is much greater than mine..."

"Then do you think I'm too poor to support you?"

"No..." Cheryl sniffed cutely.

Jowan Xian took a deep breath and asked, puzzled, "I don't understand. If you like me and have agreed to date me, why won't you... sleep with me?"

Such a blunt question made Cheryl's face turn slightly red, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "We've only known each other for a short time. It's best to get to know each other better."

"Oh, so Western women also care about this." Jowan Xian rolled his eyes and racked his brain for a devious idea, smiling wickedly and saying, "Miss Cheryl, I want to discuss a serious matter with you."

Cheryl blinked and said playfully, "Dating is a serious matter."

Jowan Xian raised an eyebrow and sighed, "Sigh, do you know why I told Ye Xuan that I urgently wanted a girlfriend?"

"Isn't it to wash away the rumor that you're gay?" Cheryl teased.

Jowan Xian sighed, "That's just an excuse. Do you know, football is a very passionate sport, full of excitement and drive! It ignites a man's competitive spirit and releases a lot of hormones, especially for the coach on the sidelines!"

"Ah?" Cheryl gasped, covering her mouth, hesitating, "You... you mean..."

Jowan Xian nodded heavily and sighed, "Exactly! That's why after the team wins a match, I give the players a half-day off. But you know, I have Eastern roots and more traditional values. I don't like one-night stands with nightclub girls like the players do, which is why I found you through Ye Xuan."

"Do... do you really like me?" Cheryl raised her head and stared at Jowan Xian intently.

Jowan Xian said firmly, "Yes, your voice is sweet, and your smile is charming. I've been paying attention to you for a long time!"

Cheryl blinked and said playfully, "But I heard from Ye Xuan that you've never heard of me."

Jowan Xian blushed, this woman was really giving him a hard time! He coughed and said, "Don't listen to her. I'll tell you a secret, she's just jealous!"

"Jealous?"

"Yes, jealous!" Jowan Xian thought, I have no choice, if you're going to sabotage me, I'll use you to counteract it. "Actually, Ye Xuan likes me, but I've made it clear that I only want the beautiful and gentle Miss Cheryl. That's why she told you that to prevent you from accepting me!"

Cheryl burst into laughter, making the assistant coach Boas very frustrated. This Jowan Xian, bringing such a beautiful woman here, how can he focus on training? The young players like Ramos and Johnson were still naive, but the mature ones like Cannavaro and Makelele were already shouting, "Ma'am! Ma'am!" nonstop.

Cheryl waved to the players and said softly, "Hello, everyone!"

Jowan Xian's eyes lit up, his heart almost jumping out of his throat, exclaiming, "Cheryl, you... you agree?"

Cheryl's eyes were watery, and she bit her lip, flicking her golden hair and whispered, "Jowan, that's a very rude request, but... I might consider it! I have one condition, if you can meet it, I'll agree!"

"Okay! What is it?" Jowan Xian was overjoyed, he wasn't afraid of conditions, just afraid of not even getting the chance to discuss them.

Cheryl tilted her head and giggled, "Your next match is against Birmingham, right? I want Chelsea to win by a margin of 10 goals or more, and I'll agree!"

Jowan Xian was shocked, "What? 10 goals? How is that possible! Miss Cheryl, do you not understand modern football? In the same level of league, such a score is impossible! Winning 5 goals against Manchester United was already the best we could do!"

Cheryl raised her chin proudly, showing her long, snowy neck, and said cunningly, "I don't care. If you want me, you have to win by 10 goals!"

Jowan Xian hung his head in defeat and said helplessly, "Alright, I'll try my best. By the way, will you come to the next match?"

Cheryl smiled and nodded gently, "Yes, I want to witness this moment! If you can lead Chelsea to a 10-goal victory, I'll stay at your hotel that night. If not, we'll have to take it slow..."

Jowan Xian gritted his teeth and shouted, "Alright!" But inside, he was elated. A 10-goal victory over Birmingham? With my invincible cheating tool, Source 1, it's a piece of cake!

In the last match against Manchester United, the awkward situation in the first half was due to ignoring the drawbacks of Source 1. Once adjusted in the second half, we dominated. Cannavaro had a minor cold, and Mutu... Ah, right, what was the reason for Mutu? If his body was normal, he wouldn't have been affected by Source 1, but the coach and the team doctor said he was completely healthy...

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