Chapter 56

After the match between Chelsea and Liverpool, a reporter from the Daily Mirror suddenly spotted a surprising figure—it was none other than the French national team's head coach, Raymond Domenech!

Such an interview opportunity was not to be missed. At this time, Domenech was not yet well-known to the public, and he was not a particularly reserved person, so he readily accepted the interview.

"Mr. Domenech, after watching this thrilling offensive battle between Chelsea and Liverpool, what do you think of both teams' performances? Especially regarding Chelsea's young manager, Jowan Xian, do you think he will be the dark horse of this Premier League season?"

Domenech pursed his lips, his expression unfriendly: "Jowan Xian? You mean 'Big Gun' Jowan, right? In my opinion, he won the game purely by luck! Throughout the match, Chelsea's defense was abysmal. With a world-class defensive midfielder like Makelele, Chelsea managed only 7 tackles in the entire game, which is simply unbelievable! Especially, putting a top-class central defender like Gallas on the bench was a terrible move."

The British reporter somewhat disliked this Frenchman, finding it easy to criticize from the sidelines, and his voice turned cold: "Mr. Domenech, do you think your coaching skills are far superior to 'Big Gun' Jowan? I remember that in your ten years as a coach, you have never won a significant title!"

Domenech sneered: "Jowan's tactics are like the sails on a ship; they have an advantage when the wind is favorable, but once it turns against him... hum! It's like rowing against the current!"

The Daily Mirror reporter ignored this unknown French national team coach and published an article the next day titled "Domenech Blasts 'Big Gun' Jowan, Seeking Attention with Ignorance," harshly criticizing the much-questioned French coach.

Compared to the Daily Mirror, other major media outlets focused on the Premier League's 8th round highlight match between Chelsea and Liverpool.

The Times: "Chelsea's offensive waves, Liverpool's effective counterattacks! One tight, one loose, one relaxed, one intense, tactical masters Jowan Xian and Rafa Benitez delivered a thrilling offensive battle! Just like the smiles on the players' faces after the match, there were no losers in this game!"

The Sun: "Tactical master teaches 'Big Gun' Jowan the taste of heavy losses! Up to the 8th round of the league, although Chelsea has maintained a perfect record, it's not hard to see that Chelsea's scoreline has gradually shifted from 10-0 to 6-4 against Liverpool. This indirectly suggests that Chelsea's dark horse run is about to end, and Chelsea's tactics have been figured out by other team managers! 'Big Gun' Jowan, how long can you keep this up?"

The Liverpool Echo: "Salute to Jowan Xian, salute to Rafa Benitez! Cheers for Liverpool, for the great Red Army hero, Michael Owen, you will never walk alone!"

The Daily Express: "10 goals! Chelsea and Liverpool jointly presented a spectacular football feast! 'Big Gun' Jowan, bringing shock, admiration, and endless aftertaste to English football fans!"

Once again, the media focused on Jowan Xian, but the Observer took a different angle. The front page of the sports section featured not a football player or coach but a young and beautiful woman named Lucy Piddle.

The Observer described Jowan Xian and Lucy's relationship with words like "inseparable," "passionate," "intense kisses," "thirsty for more," and the headline was particularly eye-catching: "Cheryl, where are you?"

After the news was released, Lucy excitedly called Jowan Xian to share the good news, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to her. He briefly responded and hung up, then sat in his office for a serious conversation with Boas.

"Are you saying that our team's bench depth is severely lacking?" Jowan Xian frowned.

Boas nodded: "Yes, I've done some statistics. So far, the team has played 8 league matches and 2 Champions League matches. Although we've won all of them, the drawbacks of a dual-front battle have become apparent. Kaka was very out of sorts for a while and missed a league match; Owen has a sprained ankle and will be out for at least two weeks. The bench players you've used, such as Gallas, Gudjohnsen, Johnson, Fosu, Duff, and Parker, are not enough to support the team's multi-front pressure."

"Hmm..." Jowan Xian tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes half-closed as he said calmly, "The League Cup will start at the end of the month, and the FA Cup will kick off in January. With the players we have, handling four fronts... is indeed challenging."

Boas's face lit up, and he nodded solemnly: "Yes, the team must strengthen in the winter transfer window! I've drawn up a list; please review it."

Jowan Xian took the list, glanced at it, and smiled as he put it down. Boas had proposed five positions for reinforcement: striker, left winger, attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, and left-back. Below were the recommended candidates, but Jowan Xian stopped reading after the striker position.

Boas actually suggested signing Real Madrid's discarded striker, Moraientes!

Moraientes was undoubtedly a capable player, but at Real Madrid, he was the fourth-choice striker after Ronaldo, Raul, and Drogba. In the new season, Mourinho hadn't given him a single chance in nearly two months!

Jowan Xian smiled lightly: "Alright, I understand. The five positions you mentioned do need reinforcement, but the candidates you recommended... I'm sorry, I won't be adopting them."

Boas smiled sheepishly, scratching his head: "Actually... I just wanted to learn how you select players. Every player you transfer in is world-class..."

Jowan Xian pondered for a moment, then said in a profound tone: "Hmm... this is a very serious topic. I've studied the world's most mysterious book, the I Ching, for decades and have a deep understanding of the Eight Trigrams and the Book of Changes, which allows me to glimpse the ways of heaven. If you want to learn, you should put in the effort yourself!"

"Studied for decades?" Boas's expression changed, and he grew even more respectful of Jowan Xian, impressed by his perseverance.

In the afternoon, Jowan Xian received a call from his agent, Ye Xuan. She said that Pepe Jeans, a denim brand, wanted to invite him to shoot an advertisement, endorsing the brand for three years with a total value of 1.2 million pounds. She asked if he would agree.

Jowan Xian was overjoyed when he heard this. He was currently facing huge mortgage and car loan payments, and with his meager weekly salary of 10,000 pounds, supporting a beauty like Lucy Piddle was quite a challenge. Such a lucrative deal, how could he refuse?

Pepe Jeans, created by three brothers in London, quickly swept the globe with its elegant and rebellious yet noble image. Endorsing such a brand was itself an honor.

Gradually, Jowan Xian realized that after two months of effort, he had successfully reached the pinnacle of fame in England!

The company's requirements were simple: shoot a 48-60 second advertisement each year, and Jowan Xian would receive an annual salary of 400,000 pounds. This wasn't a sky-high price, as even Kaka's endorsement fee for a Chinese throat lozenge could reach this amount, but Jowan Xian had a good attitude. After all, it was just the beginning.

Jowan Xian, with his great physique and cool looks, completed the advertisement shoot in just two hours. After the shoot, he naturally invited Ye Xuan, who had accompanied him, to dinner.

In a Chinese restaurant.

"Bro, I've got some money again. Let's buy you a car tomorrow; living in the school is really too much of a hardship," Jowan Xian said, eating rice and speaking in Chinese.

"How can I keep spending your money?" Ye Xuan lowered her eyes and sighed softly.

Jowan Xian waved his hand: "Forget it, I'm not stingy. It's just money. If you help me get more deals, we'll have everything! Alright, it's settled. Tomorrow, you'll move into our big villa!"

"I heard you brought back a beauty named Lucy, and Cheryl left in a huff?" Ye Xuan raised her eyelashes, curious.

Jowan Xian shrugged: "It's no big deal! By the way, there's something I need to consult you about."

"What is it?"

Jowan Xian leaned forward, lowering his voice: "You know, I signed a hidden contract with Chelsea. For any player transferred through me, if there's a net profit from the transfer, I get 50% of the profit."

At this, Ye Xuan smiled, her eyebrows raised in admiration: "That's an interesting contract. I wonder how you convinced Abramovich; it's really absurd!"

"Whether it's absurd or not, let's put that aside. I want to ask you, how long is this contract valid? Or, if I leave Chelsea, does this contract still count?" Jowan Xian opened his eyes wide, looking at her nervously.

Ye Xuan's face furrowed slightly as she thought: "The contract doesn't specify. It just says that any player you transfer will have their future sale profits split equally, and any losses will be covered. It doesn't specify whether you must be at Chelsea."

"Ha ha, we're rich!" Jowan Xian excitedly slapped the table, standing on the sofa, almost bursting into song.

"What are you doing? Get down, look at how people are staring at you!" Ye Xuan was a bit embarrassed; dining with Jowan Xian was embarrassing her!

But soon, her thoughts changed, and she felt it was an honor rather than a disgrace!

"Wow, isn't that 'Big Gun' Jowan?"

"It is 'Big Gun' Jowan! Oh my God, it's really him!"

"I didn't expect him to be even more handsome than on TV. I have to get his autograph!"

...

In a mix of Chinese and English, over twenty men and women rushed towards Jowan Xian.

Jowan Xian and Ye Xuan exchanged a glance and both burst into laughter.