6: Valdi in the factory

The next day, Lin Feng began his journey.

From Hartlepool to Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, even for Lin Feng, a transmigrator who had gradually adapted to England's traffic conditions, it was a rather arduous trip.

He first took a not-so-fast train, then transferred in Sheffield to a short-distance train that stopped at almost every small station, and finally, after a bumpy ride on a local bus, he arrived at this somewhat blurry industrial town on the map.

A light rain was falling, adding a touch of desolation to the already somewhat gloomy town.

Lin Feng tightened his coat, looked up at a road sign, and, following the precise location information provided by the Player Radar module, walked towards a medical equipment factory on the outskirts of the town.

The factory was not large, with a few old workshops whose exterior brickwork was already mottled.

Lin Feng did not rush in; he chose to wait under a bus stop shelter diagonally opposite the factory gate, where he could avoid the rain.

He knew that for an untamed "beast" like Vardy, a rash intrusion would only be counterproductive.

Time passed minute by minute, and the rain showed no signs of stopping. Just after five in the afternoon, the factory's piercing quitting bell rang. Workers gradually emerged, most looking hurried and bearing the fatigue of their labor.

Lin Feng's gaze searched through the crowd. Finally, a figure made his eyes narrow.

It was a young man, about nineteen or twenty years old, wearing oil-stained blue work clothes. His build was not particularly burly, but his stride exuded a fierce courage that was out of place with those around him.

He walked with his head down, seemingly lost in thought, and the rain had dampened the stray hairs on his forehead, making him appear even more uninhibited.

Even from a distance, Lin Feng could feel the flame of unwillingness to be ordinary in his eyes.

"Jamie Vardy," Lin Feng silently recited the name, along with the dazzling "S-rank potential" evaluation given by the system.

He took a deep breath, stepped out from the shadow of the bus stop, and walked directly towards the young man.

"Jamie Vardy?" Lin Feng's voice carried clearly through the sound of the rain.

Vardy, who had been walking with his head down, suddenly looked up, his eyes scanning Lin Feng warily.

He saw an East Asian man, only a few years older than himself, wearing a smart coat that was out of place in this small town, looking at him with an appraising gaze.

"Who are you?" Vardy's tone was full of wariness and a hint of impatience, typical of a street tough.

"I am Lin Feng, the owner of Hartlepool United Football Club." Lin Feng ignored his impoliteness and got straight to the point, "I want to sign you and have you play professional football."

Vardy was stunned at first, then, as if he had heard a huge joke, his lips curved into an undisguised sneer.

"Huh? Hartlepool United? Owner? Professional football? I say, mate, did you forget to take your medicine before you left home? Or do you East Asians all like to joke so much?"

He looked Lin Feng up and down, his eyes full of suspicion, as if he were looking at a madman.

Lin Feng had anticipated this reaction. He calmly took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over: "This is my business card. Hartlepool United was still competing in League One last season. Although we were relegated, we will be playing in English League Two this season. We have just resolved all our debt issues and are preparing for a big season. We need a forward like you."

Vardy took the business card suspiciously, glancing at it briefly. The English title on it indeed read "Hartlepool United Football Club Chairman Lin Feng."

But the mockery on his face did not diminish in the slightest: "League Two? Even if you're the owner, you came all the way to this godforsaken place to find me, someone who screws bolts in a factory? Do you think I'll believe that?"

Lin Feng smiled slightly, stirring ripples in Vardy's heart: "I know you only earn thirty pounds a week from Stocksbridge Park Steels right now. I know you're wearing something inconvenient on your ankle due to some 'little trouble,' and you have to be home before ten at night."

At the mention of the "electronic tag," the mocking smile on Vardy's face instantly froze, but more than that, there was shock.

This secret, apart from a few close friends and the police officer supervising him, was impossible for outsiders to know!

Who exactly was this young Chinese man in front of him?

"Our club has a professional legal team and medical team," Lin Feng continued enticingly,

"We can offer you a formal professional contract, with a salary sufficient for you to live a decent life."

"More importantly, we can help you resolve those off-field troubles, allowing you to fully dedicate yourself to football. You possess unparalleled talent, Jamie, and you shouldn't be buried in a place like this."

Vardy fell silent, clutching the business card tightly.

The dream of professional football had once been so distant, especially after that foolish street fight and the ensuing curfew.

He had once thought that he would only ever drift through these lower Leagues and factories for the rest of his life.

But now, a Chinese man claiming to be the owner of a League Two club had spoken of his predicament and extended an olive branch to him.

This sudden turn of events made his heart, which had long been hardened by reality, beat fiercely and uncontrollably.

"You... how do you know all this?" Vardy's voice was a little hoarse, his eyes looking at Lin Feng with a complex expression.

"It's not important, Jamie," Lin Feng said gently, "What's important is whether you're willing to give me, and yourself, a chance."

Vardy stared at Lin Feng for a full half-minute, trying to find traces of a lie on his face. But Lin Feng's eyes remained calm and sincere.

"There's a place called 'The Hammer Pub' on the street corner ahead," Vardy finally spoke, saying stiffly.

"If you're truly sincere, wait for me there. I'll change my clothes and be right over." With that, he turned away from Lin Feng and quickly walked into the rain, his retreating figure appearing somewhat hurried.

Lin Feng watched him disappear, a slight smile playing on his lips.

[System notification: Target player Jamie Vardy, 'Determination' attribute 95, 'Ambition' attribute 98. Host has successfully touched his deepest desires, and the signing success rate has greatly increased. As long as sufficient sincerity and future plans are demonstrated, igniting his flame of hope, bringing him under your command will not be difficult.]

"An S-rank potential, indeed not an easy beast to tame," Lin Feng thought to himself.

"However, the more challenging it is, the more rewarding and valuable it becomes." He adjusted his rain-dampened collar and walked towards the small pub Vardy had mentioned.