187: The King's New Clothes and the Devil's Schedule

In the conference room of the Phoenix Training Center, Lin Feng gently placed the document in his hand on the table.

Richard Arnold had just returned from Southampton, his face still showing the fatigue of a long journey, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Boss, Southampton has basically agreed to our terms."

A hint of pride was in Richard's voice.

"But they made an additional request—they hope Joel Porter can be loaned to them to help them avoid relegation."

Lin Feng's fingers tapped lightly on the table a few times.

Porter was the team's veteran striker; although he didn't get much playing time, his professionalism had always been a role model for young players.

From a purely business perspective, this deal was indeed beneficial for Hartlepool United.

Porter's departure would free up more space for young players, and Lallana's arrival would significantly improve the team's technical level.

"Arrange for me to talk with Porter."

Lin Feng stood up and walked to the window.

"This kind of thing must be handled properly; no one should feel abandoned."

An hour later, Joel Porter knocked on Lin Feng's office door.

The 33-year-old veteran striker had a hint of apprehension on his face, clearly having heard some rumors.

"Have a seat, Joel."

Lin Feng pointed to the chair opposite, his tone gentle.

"I think you've already guessed why I called you in."

Porter nodded, his hands clasped together.

"Is it about Southampton?"

"That's right."

Lin Feng looked directly into Porter's eyes.

"They hope you can go on loan to help them complete their mission of avoiding relegation."

A complex expression flashed across Porter's face.

As a professional player, he naturally hoped for more playing opportunities.

But Hartlepool United had already become his second home.

"Boss, if this is the club's decision, I will obey."

Porter's voice was a little hoarse.

"But I want to know, does this mean I no longer have value here?"

Lin Feng shook his head, a sincere smile on his face.

"Quite the opposite, Joel. The reason Southampton wants you is precisely because of your value."

He took a contract from the drawer.

"This is the new contract the club has prepared for you. No matter where you play, Hartlepool United will always be your home."

Porter took the contract and read the terms carefully.

The club not only promised to pay part of his salary during the loan period but also guaranteed to offer him a coaching or scouting position after his retirement.

"Boss, you're..."

Porter's voice trembled slightly.

He had never imagined receiving such generous treatment.

"You deserve this, Joel."

Lin Feng's tone was firm.

"You've given everything for this club, and now it's the club's turn to think of you."

Porter took a deep breath, his eyes a little moist.

"I agree to this loan, Boss. But I hope to return here after the end of the season."

"Of course."

Lin Feng extended his hand.

"You are welcome home anytime."

The two shook hands tightly, and the warmth of that moment filled the entire office.

After resolving Porter's issue, Lin Feng immediately turned his attention to the upcoming "Christmas Fixture Congestion."

Starting in December, the team would face multi-front battles in the League, FA Cup, EFL Trophy, and League Cup.

The schedule was incredibly dense, with a match every three days on average.

Lin Feng spread out a huge schedule chart in the tactical meeting room.

The dense list of match dates put pressure on everyone present.

"Gentlemen, the next month will be our biggest test of the season."

Lin Feng pointed to the red markers on the schedule chart.

"We need to maintain our League lead while continuing to advance in the Cup competitions."

Old John frowned, studying the schedule.

"Boss, this intensity of fixtures is a huge challenge for the players' physical fitness."

"That's precisely my main point."

Lin Feng drew three different squad frameworks on the whiteboard.

"From now on, we will implement a full squad rotation system."

He divided the team's more than 30 players into three sets of lineups: A, B, and C.

The A lineup, centered around key players like Vardy, Sigurdsson, and Henderson, would primarily handle crucial League matches.

The B lineup, led by experienced players such as Smalling, Maloney, and Snodgrass, would undertake most of the Cup duties.

The C lineup, consisting mainly of youth team players, would be used to develop new talent and face relatively weaker opponents.

"In the coming month, there will be no absolute starters and substitutes."

Lin Feng's voice echoed in the meeting room.

"Every single person is an indispensable part of the team. Your task is to maintain your condition and be ready to play at any time."

These words caused a strong reaction among the players.

The eyes of the substitute players, who usually had fewer playing opportunities, sparkled with excitement.

And the main players also secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the dense schedule indeed required more rest time.

After the meeting, Lin Feng returned to his office to handle business matters.

Northern Storm TV had just officially launched its paid membership service.

Leveraging the team's immense popularity and exclusive content, the platform attracted over five thousand global users to subscribe on its first day of launch.

This number far exceeded Lin Feng's expectations.

The [Market Analysis] module showed that the platform's users primarily came from the UK, China, and Nordic countries.

Among them, Chinese users had the strongest willingness to pay and the longest average subscription duration.

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction.

The success of this business model provided the club with a new revenue stream and laid the foundation for future media expansion.

His assistant knocked and entered, holding a match schedule.

"Boss, the opponent for the FA Cup Second Round has been confirmed: Leyton Orient. The match will be played at their home ground."

Lin Feng took the document and quickly scanned the opponent's information.

Leyton Orient was a mid-table League One team, not too strong, but playing at home, they would not give up easily.

"Inform Old John that we will field the B lineup for this match."

Lin Feng made his decision.

"Let the main players rest well and prepare for the upcoming League matches."

The assistant nodded, noted the instructions, and was about to leave when Lin Feng's computer chimed with an email notification.

The sender was Keira Knightley's agent.

Attached to the email was an exquisite invitation card, printed with detailed information about a charity gala.

Most striking was a line of small text at the bottom of the invitation: "Miss Knightley said that if Mr. Lin could attend, she would be willing to donate an additional one hundred thousand pounds to the gala in your name."

Lin Feng stared at the invitation on the screen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The Hollywood actress's offensive was becoming increasingly direct.

A donation of one hundred thousand pounds was enough to make any charity gala headline news.

And donating in his name was an even more clever "binding" strategy.

Lin Feng's fingers tapped on the keyboard, thinking about how to respond to this "invitation."

A direct refusal would seem too cold, but attending rashly might fall into her trap.

In the end, he chose a compromise.

"Thank you, Miss Knightley, for your kind invitation. Due to a critical period of preparation, I am unable to attend, but Hartlepool United Football Club is willing to donate fifty thousand pounds to the gala in its own name to support charity."

After sending the email, Lin Feng leaned back in his chair.

This response expressed goodwill while maintaining an appropriate distance.

At the same time, a donation made in the club's name would also bring positive public relations effects for the team.

Outside, the night grew darker, but the lights of the Phoenix Training Center remained bright.

The players were undergoing evening recovery training, making their final preparations for the upcoming Fixture Congestion.

Lin Feng stood by the window, watching the players sweating on the training ground.

The next month would be Hartlepool United's biggest test of the season.

The pressure of multi-front competition, the dense schedule, the threat of injuries—every factor could become a stumbling block on the team's path forward.

But there was no trace of worry in Lin Feng's eyes, only firm confidence.

He believed that the team he had meticulously built had the ability to stand firm against any challenge.

The [Player Radar] module silently activated in his mind, scanning each player's physical and psychological condition.

Most players' data showed green, indicating they were fully prepared for the upcoming challenges.

Only a few players showed yellow warnings, mainly due to slight fatigue caused by excessive training intensity.

Lin Feng mentally noted the names of these players, planning to give them more rest time in the upcoming training sessions.

Sophie Green's latest column appeared on Lin Feng's computer screen.

She described Hartlepool United's upcoming Fixture Congestion as a "dynasty's stress test."

The article contained both anticipation for Lin Feng's rotation strategy and a hint of concern.

"Hartlepool United has created so many miracles this season that people have begun to believe they are invincible. But the world of football is never short of stories of falls from grace. The next month will test whether this team truly possesses the foundation of a king."

Lin Feng carefully read Sophie's analysis.

As a professional sports journalist, her views often represented mainstream external opinion.

The concern was reasonable; after all, Hartlepool United was still just a League One team.

But Lin Feng knew that it was precisely this kind of questioning that could ignite the team's stronger fighting spirit.

He picked up his phone and sent a text message to Old John: "In tomorrow's training session, have the players read Sophie's article. Sometimes, external doubts are more valuable than praise."

Old John quickly replied: "Understood, Boss. These lads need to stay sharp at all times."

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction.

As Head Coach, Old John had fully understood his tactical thinking and management philosophy.

This tacit agreement was an important guarantee for the team's success.

It was late, but Lin Feng's work was not over.

He needed to formulate detailed tactical plans for every upcoming match, ensuring the team could perform at its best in any situation.

The FA Cup match against Leyton Orient would take place in three days.

This would be the B lineup's first official appearance and an important opportunity to test the team's squad depth.

Lin Feng drew a 4-3-3 formation on the tactics board.

Smalling and Hartley would form the center-back partnership; their experience and height advantage would be well-suited to counter the opponent's long-ball tactics.

In midfield, Bridcutt would take on the organizational duties, with Tinkler and Ince responsible for balancing attack and defense.

Upfront, the combination of Maloney, Kevin Kyle, and Snodgrass offered both speed and skill, fully capable of breaking through the opponent's defense.

Although this lineup was not the team's strongest configuration, every player in every position possessed the quality to start in League One.

Lin Feng was confident in the outcome of this match.

More importantly, this match would provide valuable opportunities for players eager to prove themselves.

At Hartlepool United, everyone had a stage to show their worth.

This was precisely Lin Feng's consistent philosophy—trust those you use, and don't use those you doubt.

In the early hours of the morning, Lin Feng finally finished his day's work.

As he left the office, he saw a few players still doing extra practice on the training ground.

Among them was Mark Vydra, with whom he had just spoken.

The young striker was repeatedly practicing his shooting, each touch filled with focus and desire.

Lin Feng did not disturb him, quietly observing for a few minutes.

The [Potential Dynamic Prediction] feature showed that Vydra's potential value was steadily rising.

This positive change brought Lin Feng satisfaction.

A player's attitude is often more important than talent.

As long as he maintained this training enthusiasm, Vydra would surely be able to prove his worth in future matches.

Lin Feng gently closed the door of the Training Center.

Tomorrow would be another busy day, but he was fully prepared for the upcoming challenges.

Hartlepool United's path to a dynasty had just begun.

And the upcoming Fixture Congestion would be a crucial step in the team's maturation.