"Hello, big star of Manchester City, we meet again." Dilata gave a thumbs up to the camera.
"Hi, Dilata, what do you need from me?"
"Can’t I just look for you if there’s nothing? Haha, I do have something to tell you."
On the phone, Dilata said she was being relocated to the United Kingdom for work and was on the flight to London.
"Weren’t you with Sky Sports in Milan? Why are you coming to the UK?" Tang Long asked curiously.
"Why is it only okay for you to transfer to Manchester City and I can’t transfer to London," Dilata said, "Sky Sports’ headquarters is in the UK, Italy is just a branch. Speaking of which, I owe you for that exclusive half-hour interview you gave me. Thanks to that, I’ve been promoted and am returning to headquarters."
Tang Long congratulated her on the phone, and Dilata continued: "My first task upon arriving in the UK is to report on the charity gala for retired players held in Manchester. I’ll arrive in Manchester tomorrow afternoon, one day early. I know you’ll attend as a representative of Manchester City, and since you’re more familiar with the area, I’d like to discuss this with you beforehand to prepare for the interview."
"Sure, I’m free in the afternoon; let me know anytime." Tang Long said.
Just then, Gracie gave Tang Long’s shoulder a heavy squeeze.
Tang Long exclaimed "Ah," and his hand holding the phone shook, revealing his half-naked upper body and Gracie’s fair little hands in the frame.
Dilata froze for a moment, then chuckled twice.
"I was wondering why your face looked so weird, alright, I won’t disturb your fun, goodbye!"
Tang Long’s hand holding the phone hovered in the air.
Gracie’s little hands also stopped pressing.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward for a moment.
"An Italian journalist friend, coming to report on the charity gala news."
Tang Long coughed twice, got up from the massage bed, and explained to Gracie while putting on his clothes.
Gracie responded with an "Hmm" and said: "Your left shoulder still hurts a bit, so when you stand, you’ll subconsciously lift your left shoulder, making it look like you have uneven shoulders. Pay attention at the gala; many reporters will be taking photos."
Tang Long nodded, thinking how meticulous the girl was to even notice how his injury might affect photos. It was surprising, but then again, considering she’s close to the mayor of Manchester, it’s no wonder she’s attentive to such things.
Tang Long arrived at the training ground, and after warming up, he joined the team’s shooting practice, where players took turns shooting.
Pellegrini and assistant Rein observed from the sidelines.
Unlike Mancini, Pellegrig personally leads the training every session, practically involving himself in almost every session.
However, being over sixty years old, he could only participate in simple exercises rather than joining the competitive games like the 50-year-old Mancini.
"Funny, Rein, look," Tang Long had just finished a shot, and Pellegrig pointed at him, saying to the assistant, "I don’t feel his shooting power is that strong, so why were those two shots yesterday so fast?"
Rein was also puzzled.
They were not seeing Tang Long train for the first time; his shooting power was only average among the Manchester City team and was far from being a Premier League heavy hitter.
Yet yesterday’s two shots against Arsenal, especially the first long shot, had the flair reminiscent of Liverpool’s heavy hitter Risser of the past.
"Boss, I feel this kid is a puzzle. He might be deliberately hiding something, not easily showing it." Rein said.
Pellegrini nodded, then shook his head.
"I think we should say this: Tang still has a lot of potential to tap into; we have yet to truly understand him."