163: The King's Promise and the Strengthening of Military Morale

In the training center's conference room, the air conditioning hummed.

The moment Henderson pushed open the door, Lin Feng was flipping through a thick folder.

It was a detailed analysis report of Lallana, with every page densely packed with the technical characteristics and physical data of the Southampton midfielder.

"Boss, the rumors about Liverpool... are they true?"

Henderson's voice trembled slightly.

He stood at the doorway, his hands clenched into fists, knuckles white from the effort.

Lin Feng slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the folder to look at the young man.

Only the sound of the air conditioning filled the office; even the ticking of the wall clock seemed exceptionally clear.

"Jordan, come and sit down."

Lin Feng put down the document in his hand and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Through the glass, he could see players on the distant training ground engaged in a scrimmage.

Vardy had just completed a brilliant dribble, drawing applause from his teammates.

"The rumors are true."

Lin Feng turned around, looking directly into Henderson's eyes.

The moment these words landed, Henderson's face instantly turned pale.

"Liverpool's chief scout just left my office an hour ago."

Lin Feng walked in front of Henderson, his tone calm and unruffled.

"They want to buy you in the winter transfer window, and the terms they offered are very tempting."

Henderson's body trembled slightly.

Liverpool, the club he had supported since childhood.

The Reds, representing the highest honor in Merseyside.

Anfield, where Gerrard poured out his sweat.

"And they're not the only ones."

Lin Feng's voice continued, each word like a hammer striking Henderson's heart.

"Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal—these giants are all watching you."

The air in the office grew heavy.

Henderson lowered his head, rubbing his hands repeatedly on his knees.

This was his habitual gesture when nervous, familiar to his teammates.

"Boss, I..."

"But I refused."

Lin Feng interrupted him, squatting down in front of Henderson.

This action brought their gazes level, eliminating any sense of condescending distance.

"Because I once told you that here, you would be a King."

Lin Feng's voice softened, but every word was filled with undeniable power.

"A King does not easily leave his territory and his people, right?"

Henderson suddenly looked up.

He saw the determination in Lin Feng's eyes, that absolute trust and expectation.

"Our goal is not for you to become an ordinary member of another giant club."

Lin Feng stood up and walked to the tactics board on the wall.

The formation drawn during yesterday's training was still there, with Henderson's name circled in the very center.

"Instead, it is for you to lead us to become a new giant club."

"I need you, the team needs you, and this city needs you too."

These words struck Henderson's heart like thunder.

He remembered his confusion and unease when he first arrived at Hartlepool.

He remembered the words Lin Feng spoke to him the first time he stepped into this office.

He remembered his teammates' trust in him, and the fans' fervor every time they chanted his name.

He remembered the late-night training sessions, the sweat poured out, and the miracles created together.

"Boss, I understand."

Henderson nodded heavily, his eyes becoming incredibly firm.

"My heart is here."

He stood up and extended his right hand.

Lin Feng smiled and shook his hand, a handshake that lasted a long time.

Neither man let go, as if using this gesture to confirm some sacred pact.

"Then, get ready to sign a new contract."

Lin Feng released his hand and picked up a pre-prepared document from the table.

"New salary, new buyout clause, new commitment."

Henderson took the document and quickly scanned the terms.

When he saw the figure in the buyout clause, his eyes widened instantly.

"Twenty million pounds?"

He looked at Lin Feng in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly.

"This is our valuation of you, and it's our bottom line."

Lin Feng's tone was full of confidence, without the slightest hesitation.

"Any club that wants to poach you must pay this price."

Henderson felt an unprecedented sense of being valued.

Twenty million pounds was an astronomical figure in League One.

This number represented not just money, but trust and expectation.

"I'll sign."

He unhesitatingly picked up the pen from the table and signed his name on the last page of the contract.

The sound of the pen scratching across the paper was exceptionally clear; this signature represented his absolute loyalty to Hartlepool United.

It also represented his firm belief in the future.

After seeing Henderson off, Lin Feng immediately called Richard Arnold.

"Come to my office now, we have important matters to handle."

Ten minutes later, Richard rushed in.

He saw several contract templates on Lin Feng's desk and immediately understood his boss's intention.

"Vardy, Walker, Sigurdsson—all starting players' contracts need to be revised."

Lin Feng said, pointing to the folder on the table.

"I've already sent you the specific buyout clause amounts to your email; follow that standard."

Richard quickly scanned the email, gasping as he saw the figures.

Vardy's buyout clause was set at fifteen million pounds.

Walker's was ten million pounds.

Sigurdsson's was eight million pounds.

These figures were unheard of in League One.

"Understood, Boss."

Richard nodded in response, but with a hint of worry on his face.

"Are these buyout clauses set too high? What if the players have objections...?"

"High?"

Lin Feng retorted, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"When you see their future performance, you'll find these numbers are actually quite conservative."

Richard dared not say more; he had grown accustomed to his boss's forward-thinking judgment.

From signing Vardy until now, every decision Lin Feng made had been proven correct.

Meanwhile, the scouting department also received Lin Feng's latest instructions.

Chief Scout Tommy White immediately began contacting relevant personnel at Southampton and Crystal Palace.

"Tell them that Hartlepool United's offer will absolutely not be lower than the market price."

Tommy assured the other party on the phone, his voice full of confidence.

"We have sincerity, and we have strength."

Southampton was not eager to sell Lallana.

The skilled midfielder was in his prime and an important rotational player for the team.

However, Hartlepool United's offer of three million pounds was indeed very attractive.

This was definitely a big move for a League One club.

Crystal Palace's attitude towards selling Clyne was relatively more open.

The Dutch defender's position in the team was not stable, and his contract was about to expire.

The two million pound offer made Crystal Palace's management very tempted.

On the training ground, the team was making final preparations for the away match against Cheltenham Town.

Old John clearly felt a change in the players' mood.

The rumors about Liverpool made everyone realize that they were no longer obscure young players.

"Focus on training, forget those rumors."

Old John clapped his hands, trying to get the players to concentrate.

"Cheltenham is a tough team to deal with, and their home advantage should not be underestimated."

But the players' performance was noticeably distracted.

Several of Vardy's shots went wildly off target.

Walker's crosses also lacked their usual accuracy.

This state made Old John secretly worried.

He knew that external attention and temptations were huge tests for these young players.

After training, Henderson voluntarily sought out his teammates.

He relayed what Lin Feng had just said to everyone.

"The boss said our goal is to become a new giant club, not to be supporting roles elsewhere."

Henderson's words silenced everyone.

"I've already signed a new contract, with a twenty million pound buyout clause."

This figure shocked his teammates.

Vardy was the first to speak: "If the boss believes in us so much, then we can't let him down."

Walker immediately followed up: "We are a whole, no one can fall behind."

Sigurdsson also nodded in agreement: "Giant clubs poaching us shows we have strength. But we need to use that strength to create history."

The players' spirits began to rise.

They realized that external attention was not pressure, but recognition of their abilities.

Lin Feng was currently in his office devising tactical plans for Cheltenham Town.

Data analysis from the World-Class Club Development Platform showed that Cheltenham Town's head coach, Mark Johnson, was a coach known for his defense.

He would likely set up a defensive wall at home, attempting to ambush Hartlepool United with counterattacks.

Lin Feng decided to employ a "blitzkrieg" tactic.

He demanded that the team launch a fierce attack in the first fifteen minutes of the match, utilizing their superior physical fitness and form.

The goal was to score as early as possible, avoiding the deadlock they faced in the previous match against Luton.

He specifically requested that fullbacks Walker and Robson boldly push forward in the opening stages.

This would create a situation where four forwards simultaneously attacked the opponent's defense.

This high-intensity pressing style of play required excellent physical fitness and tacit understanding.

These two points happened to be Hartlepool United's strengths.

In the business realm, the "contract of the century" with Samsung had completed all legal procedures.

Now, they were just waiting for a suitable moment to announce this shocking news to the world.

Lin Feng planned to release this news on the eve of an important match.

Using business success to boost the team's confidence and momentum.

"Eye of the North" data company also began providing preliminary data services to the club.

By analyzing footage from Cheltenham Town's last ten matches, they identified weaknesses in the opponent's tactical system.

Cheltenham Town's left-back often failed to track back in time after assisting.

This fatal weakness provided crucial data support for Lin Feng's "blitzkrieg."

At seven in the evening, the team embarked on their journey to Cheltenham in an atmosphere of unprecedented unity and confidence.

The team bus slowly drove out of the training base, the players' faces filled with determination to win.

Their goal was only one: to secure twelve consecutive victories.

They were just one step away from equaling the League One winning streak record.

Inside the bus, the players discussed tomorrow's match.

Everyone seemed exceptionally excited, as if they could already see the dawn of victory.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham Town's head coach, Mark Johnson, was being interviewed by local media.

He appeared very low-key at the pre-match press conference.

"We know the gap between us and Hartlepool United, but football is round."

Johnson's voice was a little nervous, but his eyes revealed an unyielding determination.

"Anything can happen on our home ground."

These words were quickly widely reported by the media, adding more suspense to tomorrow's match.

Hartlepool United's players laughed when they saw this news in their hotel.

They knew that their opponent was already at a psychological disadvantage.

Tomorrow's match was destined to be an exciting contest.