145: The "trouble" of victory and the "prey" of the winter transfer window

The morning sun at Phoenix Training Center streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into Lin Feng's office.

The desk was piled with faxes and emails from various places, each one an inquiry about player loans.

Lin Feng frowned slightly as he read the seventh official offer letter from a Premier League club.

Newcastle United wanted to loan Liam Jones for half a season, with a loan fee as high as five hundred thousand pounds.

"Do these giants really think we're a charity?"

He pushed the offer letter aside, picked up the phone, and dialed Richard Arnold's extension.

"Richard, reply to all loan requests uniformly—not a single one goes out on loan."

Arnold's slightly surprised voice came from the other end of the line.

"Boss, Newcastle's terms are quite generous, and Jones could get more playing time..."

"Our squad depth is key to maintaining dominance in multi-front campaigns."

Lin Feng's tone was unequivocal.

"The best environment for these youngsters to grow is at Phoenix Training Center, not sitting on the bench for other teams."

He stood up and walked to the window, watching the players sweating on the training ground.

"Send a message to the outside world—Hartlepool United is not a satellite club for giants."

"We are an independent football force on the rise."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng called up the system interface in his mind.

The holographic screen of the World-Class Club Development Platform unfolded in his mind, with a soft blue light pulsating.

He clicked into the Player Radar module.

"Although the team is currently on a roll, I never fight an unprepared battle."

The system's scanning function activated, and youth academies and lower-tier Leagues from around the world began to appear on the radar.

"Scan Target Confirmed"

"Target One: To scout more potential wonderkids in advance for next season's Championship."

"Target Two: To find immediate impact players to strengthen squad depth."

Flashing lights began to appear on the radar.

The first name that caught Lin Feng's attention appeared in Southampton.

"Player Profile"

"Name: Adam Lallana"

"Age: 19 years old"

"Position: Attacking Midfielder"

"Current Ability: 72"

"Potential Rating: A"

"Characteristics: Delicate technique, full of creativity, solid footwork"

"Market Value: 800,000 pounds"

"Compatibility: 95%"

Lin Feng's fingertip paused on the screen where Lallana's name was printed, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously curved into a subtle smile.

Lallana would become an England international in the future, an important piece in Liverpool's midfield.

Now, he was just an unknown youngster in Southampton's youth academy.

The second target appeared at Crystal Palace.

"Player Profile"

"Name: Nathaniel Clyne"

"Age: 16 years old"

"Position: Right Back"

"Current Ability: 65"

"Potential Rating: A"

"Characteristics: Blazing speed, active defending, with some attacking ability"

"Market Value: 500,000 pounds"

"Compatibility: 92%"

"These two will be an important part of the club's second batch of wonderkids."

Lin Feng committed these two names to memory.

He picked up the desk phone and called the head of the scouting department.

"I need you to keep a close eye on two players."

"Adam Lallana from Southampton, and Nathaniel Clyne from Crystal Palace's youth academy."

"Collect all their information, including technical characteristics, personality analysis, and family background."

"The more detailed, the better."

After dealing with transfer matters, Lin Feng's attention turned to the upcoming League match.

The home match against Gillingham was in two days.

After the passion of the Derby, the players needed to readjust their form.

He walked out of the office and headed to the training ground.

The autumn sun shone on the green field, where players were engaged in group training.

Old John stood by the sidelines, holding a tactics board.

"John, gather the whole team for a meeting after training."

Lin Feng walked up to him.

"I need to emphasize focus and control of the game tempo."

"A winning streak can easily lead to complacency."

Old John nodded.

"I have the same concern; Vardy was a bit distracted during training yesterday."

"Perhaps his performance in the Derby made him a bit overconfident."

Lin Feng observed the training on the field.

Vardy was indeed less focused than usual, and his passing accuracy had noticeably declined.

Henderson, on the other hand, was holding onto the ball too much in midfield, losing his usual concise and efficient passing style.

"Victory is a double-edged sword."

Lin Feng pondered how to adjust the team's state.

After training, the players gathered in the tactical meeting room.

Lin Feng stood in front of the projector, his expression serious.

"Gentlemen, I know the Derby victory has made everyone very excited."

"But I want to remind you of one thing—the League is our main battlefield."

He clicked the remote control, and last round's League statistics appeared on the screen.

"We currently have 19 points, leading the second-place team by 5 points."

"But this advantage could be erased at any time."

Vardy sat in the front row, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"The competition in League One is more brutal than you imagine."

Lin Feng didn't look at anyone, just calmly stated the facts, but everyone in the meeting room felt the invisible pressure looming over them.

"The loss of any single match could make all our efforts go to waste."

"So I need you to maintain one hundred percent focus in every match."

Sigurdsson raised his hand to speak.

"Boss, we will adjust our form."

"The Derby is in the past; the League is the future."

Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction.

After the meeting, he stayed in the office alone to handle business affairs.

Negotiations for the naming rights with Samsung had entered the final stage.

Both legal teams were confirming every clause in the contract.

This unprecedented, sky-high contract would provide ample financial support for winter transfers.

Lin Feng opened another folder.

Inside was Northern Capital's latest investment report.

Through this investment company, he had quietly acquired shares in a sports data analysis company located in London.

This small company, named "Data Equation," possessed advanced match data collection and analysis algorithms.

Lin Feng planned to integrate its technology into Phoenix Training Center's research system.

"The combination of technology and football will be the trend of the future."

He signed his name on the investment agreement.

There was a soft knock on the office door.

Sophie Green pushed open the door, holding recording equipment and a notebook.

"Lin, I want to talk to you about the youth academy system."

She sat down in the chair, immediately turned on the voice recorder, and on the first page of her open notebook, several sharp questions about the club's financial situation were already listed.

"The performance of those young players in the Derby left everyone deeply impressed."

"The outside world is curious about how you built this 'wonderkid factory'."

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"Football is a sport that requires talent, but even more, it requires scientific training methods."

"Our youth academy system not only teaches techniques but also focuses on developing psychological qualities and tactical understanding."

Sophie quickly wrote down his words.

"Could you elaborate on your training philosophy?"

"Traditional youth academies often only focus on players' physical qualities and basic techniques."

Lin Feng stood up and walked to the tactics board.

"But we place more emphasis on cultivating players' football IQ."

He drew a simple formation diagram on the tactics board.

"Players in each position must not only master their own responsibilities but also understand the operational logic of the entire tactical system."

"Players trained this way have stronger adaptability and greater potential for growth."

Sophie nodded thoughtfully.

After the interview, she left the office.

Lin Feng continued to work.

Outside, the players' laughter and cheerful voices could be heard, and the training atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

The confidence brought by the winning streak made everyone seem at ease.

But Lin Feng knew that the real test was yet to come.

The path to promotion is never smooth sailing.

As night fell, a piece of news caught his attention.

The Gillingham manager's remarks during a media interview were both amusing and frustrating.

"Our goal at Victoria Park is very simple."

On the television screen, the manager smiled wryly and shook his head.

"It's just to try and get one corner kick."

Reporters let out good-natured laughter.

"You're joking, right?"

"I'm serious."

The manager's expression became serious.

"Hartlepool United's dominance is indeed terrifying right now."

"All we can do is try our best and try not to lose too badly."

Lin Feng turned off the TV, a slight frown on his brow.

While the opponent's mentality was conducive to the team winning, it also harbored danger.

When opponents no longer resist, players can easily lose focus and fighting spirit.

This was precisely the problem he was most worried about.

He picked up his phone and sent a text message to Old John.

"Tomorrow's training focus: maintaining hunger and focus."

"Tell the players that true strong players do not relax their vigilance because of an opponent's weakness."

After sending the message, Lin Feng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the night sky.

Hartlepool's night was quiet and peaceful, but his heart was restless.

Behind the joy of victory lay greater challenges and responsibilities.

This young team still needed more tempering.

And he, the mastermind behind the scenes, also had to be fully prepared for the upcoming trials.

The targets for the winter transfer window had been locked.

The expansion of the business empire was underway.

Everything was progressing steadily according to plan.

But the world of football is never short of surprises and variables.