Chapter 65

In the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton, after England's talented forward Michael Owen was tackled by Everton's defensive midfielder Li Tie, resulting in a broken leg, the media and fans condemned the violent play. This incident reignited discussions about the most shocking leg breaks in football history. On November 9, the British media outlet Daily Mail ranked the top 10 most shocking leg breaks in football.

The first incident occurred in April 1996 when Coventry City faced Manchester United at Old Trafford. Coventry's defender Andy Halls was caught in a flying tackle by Manchester United's duo of Brian McClair and Denis Irwin. Halls was left bleeding on the field, his right leg almost completely severed. The match was interrupted for 15 minutes. It is reported that Manchester United's legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who witnessed the bloody scene up close, vomited uncontrollably. Despite undergoing 26 surgeries, Halls was forced to retire early due to the severity of his injuries.

The second incident happened in 2000 when Aston Villa's forward Luke Niks collided with the opposing goalkeeper Richard Wright. Niks suffered a severe right leg fracture. After a four-month recovery, his condition worsened, and he was forced to retire.

The third incident occurred just a month ago. During a match between Liverpool and Blackburn, Liverpool's French forward Djibril Cissé, who seemed to have lacked calcium from not drinking enough milk in his youth, suffered a left leg fracture in a non-violent collision, nearly ending his career prematurely.

The fourth incident... is the one that happened in the match between Chelsea and Everton.

Owen's injury further solidified Jowan Xian's determination to make a big move in the winter transfer window. He even went directly to the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, but unfortunately, Abramovich was in Russia dealing with company affairs. Jowan Xian had to settle for the club's CEO, Peter Kenyon.

"I need 100 million pounds for the winter transfer window!" Jowan Xian wasted no time, getting straight to the point after knocking on the door.

Peter Kenyon was drinking coffee and reading the newspaper when he heard this, nearly spitting out his drink. "This Jowan Xian, always talking about 100 million pounds. We're a football club, not a printing press!"

Of course, Kenyon didn't dare say this out loud. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. "Well... Owen is seriously injured and will be out for months. We do need to bring in a top-class forward."

Jowan Xian waved his hand. "That's just one aspect. The team's bench depth is too weak to handle the pressure of competing on four fronts. In the winter transfer window... I plan to bring in five or six players."

"Ah?" Kenyon was taken aback. Seeing Jowan Xian's determined look, he hesitated. "In principle, I support all your work, especially with the team's current success. The club should support you unconditionally. However, the funds... need to be provided by the owner. The club clearly doesn't have that much money."

Jowan Xian nodded. "I know. You'll convince him."

Kenyon looked awkward and said sheepishly, "I'll do my best... Oh, right, Wanhian, your contract renewal..."

Jowan Xian waved his hand. "Talk to my agent about the contract. I only care about football and don't want to be distracted." With that, he turned and left.

Kenyon looked helpless. "I shouldn't have helped you contact an agent. This is just asking for trouble. That cold and icy Ye Xuan, her icy presence during negotiations is suffocating, especially when she insists on a 15 million pound deal. It's simply outrageous!"

Leaving Kenyon's office, Jowan Xian's lips curled into a smile. It seemed that Ye Xuan was a good agent, capable of making even a negotiation expert like Kenyon feel defeated. She had a bit of the shadow of the famous agent Jorge Mendes from the future.

Driving his Lamborghini, Jowan Xian went to the Cobham training base, where he found all the players already present, doing simple warm-up exercises under the guidance of Boas.

With only one day between matches, the team was set to travel to Newcastle the next day for the League Cup fourth-round match against Newcastle United. Therefore, Jowan Xian only arranged for Boas to lead a simple physical recovery training session.

Watching over 20 players jogging and chatting on the training ground, especially the reverent looks they gave him, Jowan Xian felt a sense of happiness.

Suddenly, Wayne Rooney leaned on Kaká's shoulder, laughing loudly. Kaká looked a bit shy and ran to Boas.

Jowan Xian raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Rooney, come here!"

"Ah?" Rooney's smile froze. Terry, Ramos, Kaká, and Johnson, his close friends, were all chuckling. This silly Rooney, he's in trouble now.

Rooney swallowed hard, approaching Jowan Xian with a grim face, and said in a low voice, "Boss, I'm sorry..."

"I didn't ask you to apologize!" Jowan Xian pulled Rooney to the side and sat down, whispering, "What joke made you so happy? Tell me!"

"Ah?" Rooney's face changed, then he turned from worry to joy, saying happily, "Boss, you're amazing!"

"Less flattery!" Jowan Xian rolled his eyes.

Rooney grinned, "Boss, you don't know, last night, I saw Kaká and Kelly Brook together at the hotel entrance in London. That Brazilian looks shy, but he's actually quite wild. He has a fiancée in Brazil and a sexy girlfriend in England. Wow... what a life!"

"Kelly Brook? The woman known as the sexiest in Britain in the past 50 years?"

"Right, that's her. Boss, I think Kaká is as capable as you. You have two women, and so does he!" Rooney, still in his teens, spoke with a naive and animated expression, making Jowan Xian laugh and cry at the same time.

Jowan Xian smirked, "Comparing yourself to me? Look at him, with two women, he'll eventually crash. I'm different; I'm an aircraft carrier, I won't capsize!"

"Ha ha, Boss, you're funny." Rooney's loud laughter drew the attention of the players on the training ground. What's going on? Is Rooney being scolded by the boss and laughing?

Jowan Xian waved his hand and lowered his voice, "Alright, no more jokes. I have something serious to discuss with you. Your agent... is it Strideford, right?"

Rooney was surprised, "Yes, what about it?"

Jowan Xian frowned, "He's a greedy scoundrel! I heard... he takes 20% of your earnings as commission?"

Rooney's face darkened, and he nodded helplessly, "Yes, when I was young and naive, I was so happy to have an agent willing to recommend me that I signed a 10-year employment contract with him."

Jowan Xian was shocked, "Break the contract!"

"Ah?" Rooney was stunned, shaking his head, "He won't agree. Since I've been under your guidance, my performance has improved, and my income will definitely increase. He won't let go of this opportunity to make a fortune."

"Force the termination. If that doesn't work, sue him! A 10-year contract is illegal and has no legal effect!" Jowan Xian, though not a legal expert, was confident in his statement because in the 2008 of his previous life, Rooney, unable to bear it any longer, broke ties with Strideford. Strideford and his company sued Rooney, but Rooney won the case.

"Ah?" Rooney was shocked by Jowan Xian's decisive action, staring at him in disbelief.

Jowan Xian said firmly, "That's settled. I'll find you a new agent, someone capable and reasonably priced!"

"Boss, can this work?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Trust!" Rooney chuckled.

Back at his mansion, the house was rather quiet. Cheryl was singing out of town, and Lucy was gaining fame, shooting a magazine photo in Manchester. Only Ye Xuan was watching a TV drama, a Mandarin show, surprisingly, "Meteor Garden"!

Jowan Xian laughed, and Ye Xuan, hearing the sound, turned her head. A hint of unease flashed across her face, and she quickly switched to BBC to watch a talk show.

Jowan Xian smiled, sat on the sofa, and said proudly, "Ye Xuan, I've got you a new client!"

"Client? What client?" Ye Xuan, who had already become less cold around Jowan Xian, still had a hint of chill, but Jowan Xian no longer minded.

Jowan Xian, with his legs crossed, picked up a glass of juice from the coffee table and drank it without asking whose it was. "I made Rooney fire his agent. You can be his agent."

"I'm not going. Stinky man!" Ye Xuan, as Jowan Xian's agent, was now fully aware of the developments in European football. She was unhappy with Rooney's recent scandalous news.

Jowan Xian, a bit awkward, touched his nose, "Ye Xuan, don't rush to refuse. The players I recommend are all future Ballon d'Or winners! Don't you want to be the agent of a Ballon d'Or winner?"

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Ye Xuan was taken aback.

Jowan Xian chuckled, "In the future, I'll use my influence to recommend players with the potential to win the Ballon d'Or. Do you want to become the top football agent in Europe?"

"The top football agent?" Ye Xuan was somewhat moved.

"High income is one aspect, but the reputation is the most important!" Jowan Xian, envisioning a bright future, said, "Imagine, in a few years, countless excellent players will want me as their coach, and countless excellent players will want you as their agent! It's a perfect match, a perfect match!"

Ye Xuan's body trembled slightly. She glared at Jowan Xian and got up to go upstairs. She seemed to be worried about something, looking back and saying coldly, "Tell that stinky Rooney, I can be his agent, but he can't have any wild thoughts or schemes! Otherwise... I'll castrate him!"

Jowan Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed hard, his face turning red. He understood that Ye Xuan's words were not about Rooney but a warning to him...