Chapter 168: Paris, the stars are shining!
Early in the morning of November 30, Chen Xiaoliang was dumbfounded as soon as he entered the hotel restaurant.
He tried hard to suppress his shock and nervousness and act relaxed.
Lewandowski, Suarez, Benzema, Cannavaro, Xavi, Kaka, Rivaldo, Kante, Jorginho...
In the restaurant of Maison Villeroy, one of the most expensive hotels in Paris, located on the banks of the Seine, the brilliance of these world stars gathered together made any luxury and expensive decorations around them seem dim.
Looking at these well-known players getting food and chatting with each other, Chen Xiaoliang was at a loss for a moment.
He doesn't know anyone... I don't know if those people know him...
Just as he was hesitating about how to chat with these superstars, a voice sounded behind him:
"Hey, is that Chen?"
Chen Xiaoliang looked back and saw a big black bald head. Who wouldn't know this guy if he was a football player? Didier Drogba, the legendary striker who had played for Donghai Shenhua for less than a season!
"Hello...Hello!" Chen Xiaoliang greeted quickly.
"Congratulations!" Drogba stretched out his hand and shook hands with Chen Xiaoliang.
"Ah?" Chen Xiaoliang looked confused. Why were you congratulating me?
Drogba pulled him aside and said, "The results of the selection came out the day before yesterday. If I hadn't met you here, I would have made a special trip to find you. Congratulations in advance on winning this year's Copa Award! Well done!"
Buzz!
Chen Xiaoliang felt his blood rushing up and his ears ringing, but he quickly calmed down.
What does this have to do with Drogba? Why did he tell him about this when he ran into him? And no one from the organizer contacted him.
In Africa, Andy Lau loves to joke and joke with young players and team staff in private.
"This... why are you the one telling me this, Senior?"
"Huh?" Seeing that Chen Xiaoliang was indeed completely unaware, Drogba explained that he was invited by France Football to host the ceremony for the second time tonight, two years after the 2019 awards ceremony. His partner was the well-known French female journalist Sandy Herribert.
According to traditional practice, the winners will be informed of the award about a day before the award ceremony so that they can prepare to deliver their acceptance speeches.
Chen Xiaoliang was surprised and delighted, but still a little bit unbelieving!
This... just won the award like this?
Kopa Award?!
The Chatelet Theatre?!
France Football?!
After finishing breakfast, Kaka walked to the door of the restaurant and saw Drogba and Chen Xiaoliang. He came up to greet them and hugged Chen Xiaoliang very friendly.
Kaka actually knows me?!
Chen Xiaoliang couldn't believe that the last Ballon d'Or winner before Messi and Ronaldo dominated the football world actually knew him!
Kaka, who is still handsome at the age of 39, laughed:
"I have a friend from the Red Country, whom I also met in Paris. When he met me, he said that he and you are also good friends."
"Who...?" Chen Xiaoliang wondered, which Red Country player could meet a superstar like Kaka in Europe?
Kaka took out his mobile phone and showed Chen Xiaoliang a video. Even Drogba laughed out loud.
In the video, Kaka was seen signing his jersey with a pen, then he looked up at the camera and said, "Hello, Wang Tao!"
Oh shit!
It turned out to be Wang Tao! The autographed jersey he sold was actually Kaka's!
The three people's jokes attracted the attention of others.
Apparently the news of Chen Xiaoliang's winning the award had spread among the ceremony participants.
Soon many people gathered around and congratulated Chen Xiaoliang.
According to different personalities, some people are more unrestrained, such as Suarez. Chen Xiaoliang looked at his big mouth when he laughed, and was always afraid that he would bite him.
Some people were more reserved, like Kante, who just shook hands, smiled innocently like a shy big boy, exchanged contact information and left.
But Chen Xiaoliang was still deeply moved and shocked by the down-to-earth and approachable appearance of these superstars!
Seeing that he was at a loss, Drogba took the initiative to put his hands on his shoulders and kneaded them a few times.
"Relax, relax, kid. This is not a football field, and there are no opponents. Whether active or retired, we are all football players. Only when we work together can this sport flourish forever and spread to every corner of the earth."
Awesome! Awesome in capital letters!
He remembered that the African Footballer of the Year was not only a football player, but also a fighter for Côte d'Ivoire.
He once persuaded the President of Côte d'Ivoire to hold the first national team friendly match in 2005 in the rebel-occupied city of Bourquet, where he led his teammates to a 5-0 victory over Madagascar.
The result of the game itself was not important, but after the game he resolutely met with the leader of the rebels alone and gave him a jersey with his name on it and a pair of sneakers with the word "peace" engraved on them.
In the years that followed, he continued to work hard for peace in Côte d'Ivoire, shuttling amidst the gunfire.
This is a true legend who has long transcended victory or defeat in competitive sports!
"Okay, senior. I will definitely prepare well!"
"Let's eat quickly, let's go!" Drogba enthusiastically pulled Chen Xiaoliang into the restaurant.
During the meal, many stars who had arrived and learned the results of the selection came over to greet Chen Xiaoliang, and he responded respectfully one by one.
Compared to these famous stars or retired legends, I am just a rookie.
If it weren't for this award ceremony, these people would be the great gods that he could only admire through videos!
It was so dreamy, really so dreamy. No wonder Mourinho told him not to rush into the next league game against Bologna, but to enjoy the award ceremony.
He recalled a sentence that Yao Ming, a basketball legend from China, once said in a media interview, which roughly means:
"Before I went to the NBA, I thought those players were untouchable myths. But after I went to the NBA, I found that many of them were just like that. They were also human beings, and I had the ability to compete with them."
He couldn't help but think of Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes, who is worth 80 million euros, Manchester United's rising star who was also selected for the Golden Boy Award and Kopa Award like himself, Greenwood, who is worth 50 million euros, and Tottenham's top British star Harry Kane, who is worth 90 million euros.
There is also three-time Serie A Golden Boot winner Ciro Immobile, Chiesa who made a splash at the European Cup, and the 40-year-old legend Ibrahimovic who has not yet retired.
After actually playing against these people, he also realized that he was fully capable of competing with them and helping the team defeat them.
But the sudden good news was too unexpected. He originally expected to get second place in the Copa Award. In his mind, compared to the third place deliberately manipulated by the Golden Boy Award, second place should be a more objective ranking.
After all, he does not have the aura of a wealthy club like Barcelona, nor does he have the stage of major competitions like the Spanish national team.
After finishing his tasteless breakfast, he returned to his room in a daze.
Maison Villaroy, a top-notch hotel, is different from business hotels or general resort hotels. It pays great attention to creating a home-like feeling for its guests. The hotel suites are large suites with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, just like family homes.
So the sisters Helena and Erica, as well as Reese and David, each had a bedroom and lived together in the same large suite.
When Chen Xiaoliang returned to the room, he simply dressed up and was gazing at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower outside the large balcony. The sisters, who were waiting for Chen Xiaoliang to come back and go out for a stroll, noticed that he was absent-minded and came up to him worriedly to ask what was going on.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Chen Xiaoliang pinched his face to make sure he was not dreaming, and asked:
"Have you had breakfast?"
"I've eaten, what's the matter?"
"Have you... seen those stars?"
"I saw it. What's the matter? We both ate with Hummels." said Erica, who is Dortmund's part-time fitness coach. She also filmed a training video with Hummels, which has millions of views on YouTube.
Chen Xiaoliang thought: Damn, people with social incompetence are hard to deal with...
"I……"
"What's the matter?"
"Drogba, the host of the evening ceremony, told me that I had won the prize."
…
"Really?" Helena asked, grabbing Chen Xiaoliang's arm.
Chen Xiaoliang nodded.
…
"oh!!!"
"yeah!!!"
After a short silence, the sisters cheered excitedly! One hugged Chen Xiaoliang on the left and one on the right and jumped up and down!
Reese and David, who had heard the noise at the door a long time ago, also came out, hugged each other and raised their arms to celebrate!
David opened a bottle of champagne on the bar counter. At this moment, David, a bodyguard who usually teetotaled, ignored any professional norms and poured a glass of wine for himself and everyone in the room with red eyes.
Reese shouted excitedly: "Let's raise our glasses together, for the trophy! For our efforts!"
"cheers!!!"
After calming down a little, Chen Xiaoliang video-called his parents who were far away in the East China Sea and told them the good news.
Chen's father encouraged him to keep working hard and take care of his health and avoid getting injured.
Chen's mother didn't know what the Golden Globe Awards ceremony meant. She searched Baidu for a long time and then asked Chen's father in surprise:
"Why is my son going to the United States to make a movie again?"
…
Chen Xiaoliang originally wanted to go out for lunch with his friends to relax, but the staff from the Golden Globe Awards organizer soon came to find him.
As the highest individual honor award ceremony in football that has been held since 1956, there are strict requirements for the on-site process ceremony and dress code.
As one of the evening's award winners, the staff confirmed with Chen Xiaoliang in detail the seating arrangements for him and his companions, his route to the stage when receiving the award, the time limit for his speech, and the content of the host's "casual" interaction with him.
After the award ceremony, a celebratory reception will be held in the hotel.
For each matter, there are videos and pictures on the PAD held by the staff, which are played one by one for Chen Xiaoliang to see.
After all of these were confirmed and memorized, the staff left. It was already afternoon.
Looking at the dense crowds of fans, media and , the few of them gave up the idea of going out for dinner and just ordered some food in the hotel to get by.
Starting at 5 pm, the Paris city government began to close roads.
All roads along the Seine River from the Maison Villeroy Hotel to the Chatelet Theater are closed to outsiders and vehicles.
The staff began to remind those participating in the award ceremony to go to the restaurant for dinner early.
At 6:30, a makeup artist specially hired by the organizer came with a makeup box to do makeup for Chen Xiaoliang.
Watching the beautiful makeup artist fiddling with Chen Xiaoliang's face and hair, and how he looked like a groom going to a wedding after putting on a suit and a bow tie, while the sisters who had already dressed up were helping and giving suggestions, David was amazed.
"To be able to live like this, surrounded by two beautiful women, this life is worth it."
Reese was in a good mood today. After hearing what David said, he pulled him aside and whispered, "Let the three of them go to the ceremony party to relax in the evening, and we will go to Pigalle to relax."
David was delighted.
How many men in Europe don't know the Pigalle district in Paris? Even the 8th arrondissement in Rome pales in comparison.
Only Hamburg, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands are better.
Starting at 7 o'clock, all the guests staying at Maison Villeroy Hotel took the limousines arranged by the organizer and went to the Chatelet Theater.
There were also many football stars, club presidents and sports celebrities who were arranged to stay in other luxury hotels and also drove here from nearby.
In addition to the driver, two guests were in the same car. In the car with Chen Xiaoliang was the Englishman Bellingham, who is also a candidate for the Kopa Award, the talented midfielder of Dortmund.
Relatives and friends including Reese will be transported together in a unified luxury bus at a later time.
"Congratulations." Bellingham said straight to the point after getting in the car.
"Pedri is a monster. I really didn't expect you to beat him with your incredible performance recently. It's not easy. I have no other meaning, I'm just happy for you and congratulations again."
The distance was only 1 kilometer, and Chen Xiaoliang and Bellingham arrived at their destination before they had time to exchange a few words or contact information.
There was a long line of limousines. When the guest in the previous one got off and walked to the end of the red carpet to enter the theater, the handsome waiter in a tuxedo would open the door of the next car and let the two guests walk onto the red carpet.
Particular.
When it came to Chen Xiaoliang's car, he got out from the doors on both sides. He and Bellingham exchanged some politeness. In the end, Bellingham, who was slightly older and became famous earlier, walked in front.
Seeing the two people coming, the cameras on both sides of the red carpet immediately turned around and took pictures of them frantically. Female reporters also kept shouting at them, "Look here! Please look here!" to attract their attention and take red carpet photos from the best angles.
It took more than two minutes to walk the more than 20-meter red carpet. Because Chen Xiaoliang was selected this time, the official media of the Red Country sent a group of reporters to broadcast the award ceremony live.
In the past, except for sports channels, official media basically did not report on such activities that had nothing to do with the Red Country, or only mentioned them in one sentence.
"Xiao Liang! Xiao Liang!"
Suddenly a familiar voice shouted in the crowd.
Chen Xiaoliang looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Wang Tao and Qing Shu!
He walked over immediately with a look of surprise on his face, but after taking a look at the press cards on their chests, he realized that they were here to interview on site on behalf of Penguin Sports.
When the reporters around saw the movement, they immediately turned their cameras to shoot, while the staff politely urged Chen Xiaoliang to enter the theater as soon as possible. After all, the guests in a car behind were still waiting to walk the red carpet.
"Xiaoliang, leave this dress to me!" Wang Tao didn't say a word during the interview. He was just thinking about the clothes on Chen Xiaoliang.
"Okay, okay, I'll leave it to you."
Chen Xiaoliang smiled helplessly, waved goodbye to them, and walked towards the theater.
It was still early for the ceremony to officially begin. When he walked into the theater's waiting hall, Chen Xiaoliang was shocked again!
At the stairs in the distance, Messi, Suarez, Pedri and Mbappe are talking!
This was the first time he saw Messi in person!
Almost all the players and guests who walked past him would politely say hello to the superstar who was about to win his seventh Ballon d'Or.
On the other side, Italians including Roberto Baggio, Cannavaro, Donnarumma, Jorginho and others were chatting together.
Near them, Germans such as Rummenigge, Sammer, Matthäus, Kahn and Neuer gathered together.
There is also the AC Milan veterans club of Shevchenko, Kaka, Van Basten, Ronaldo and Cafu;
The Premier League circle of Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen, Salah, De Bruyne, Greenwood, and Bellingham, who entered a little earlier than him, also joined them.
this……
When Chen Xiaoliang was looking for anyone he knew, a big hand was placed on his shoulder.
"Boss!"
Chen Xiaoliang was so excited that he immediately hugged the man and greeted him!
"Boss! It's great that you're here!"
Gerrard seemed to be under a lot of pressure. After not seeing him for only four months, he already had a lot of fine lines on his forehead and around his eyebrows.
"I didn't want to come because I have a league game in two days, but I heard that you won the prize this time, so I had to come! Haha! I'm so happy for you!"
"Brother Xiaoliang..." The tender words made Chen Xiaoliang's anus tighten.
He almost forgot that Gerard would take his precious eldest daughter with him wherever he went except when he was working.
"Hi, Lily, long time no see."
"Kid, I'm going to go say hello to Owen, you chat with Lily for a while!"
Gerard walked away after he finished speaking, leaving only Chen Xiaoliang and Lily...
They hadn't seen each other for a few months, but compared to his slightly old and tired father, Lily seemed more mature. The two chatted awkwardly for a while, and Chen Xiaoliang took the opportunity of Gerrard's presence to take Lily over to join the chat in the Premier League circle.
As soon as he saw him, De Bruyne became interested. After a few pleasantries, he pulled him aside and told him a lot about how good Manchester City is, how good Guardiola is, who they are going to buy next year, and that they are short of defensive midfielders. He hoped that he would seriously consider it. Money is not a problem...
As he was speaking, his face suddenly turned pale and he turned to look away.
Chen Xiaoliang looked over and saw that it was Courtois and his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius who entered the theater...
In short, with Gerard's introduction, Chen Xiaoliang got to know many important people.
At 8:15, the staff began to invite the guests to take their seats.
Chen Xiaoliang's seat is the second from the far left in the middle of the first row. To his left is Bellingham, and to his right sits a very beautiful woman in a black dress.
Chen Xiaoliang had no idea who she was, but he thought that since she could sit in the first row, she must be an extraordinary person.
"Hello, Mr. Chen Xiaoliang, I'm sorry, I don't speak Chinese and my English is just so-so."
"Hello, I... you can speak your native language, maybe I can understand..."
"Oh? Really?" The woman's eyes lit up and she blurted out something in Spanish.
【Dong Dong Dong】
[Host language difficulties detected]
[System language pack (Spanish) unlocked]
"Yes, I studied Spanish and it's an honor to meet you."
Chen Xiaoliang appeared calm, speaking Spanish with a pure accent, but secretly nudged Bellingham with his left arm, then turned his head and asked softly, "Brother, who is this? I don't know him..."
Bellingham took a look and said, "I...I don't know him either..."
The woman couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh as she watched the two children going back and forth.
"My name is Alexia Putras and I'm from Barcelona."
Putlas formally introduced himself to the two of them.
Chen Xiaoliang had heard this name before, and quickly said, "Of course I know you. You are the 2021 FIFA World Footballer of the Year! Not only the captain of the Barcelona women's football team, but also the captain of the Spanish women's football team!
I just didn’t expect that seeing you in person would be… compared to the photo… this…”
Chen Xiaoliang pretended to be speechless for a moment.
Putras looked at himself and asked worriedly, "Is there something wrong?"
"No, no, no, it's the first time I've seen such a beautiful lady up close."
Putras blushed suddenly!
Bellingham didn't understand Spanish and didn't understand what they were saying.
But suddenly someone in the back row started applauding.
Chen Xiaoliang and Putlas looked back and saw Benzema and Courtois sitting behind them!
Although neither of them is Spanish, they have lived in Madrid for many years and are already fluent in Spanish.
Benzema first greeted Putlas in a gentlemanly manner, and then shook hands with Chen Xiaoliang: "I have always heard that you are a genius. I was a little skeptical in the past, but today I believe it! You are definitely a great genius!"
Benzema pointed at Courtois and said, "You know what? He is also a genius."
Courtois smiled helplessly and ignored Benzema.
How could Chen Xiaoliang not know that De Bruyne had a stern face and turned his back to Courtois just now, wasn’t it because of the cuckold incident that year!
At this time, all the guests in the venue had taken their seats. The lights suddenly dimmed, and the spotlight on the stage came on. Female reporter Sandy Herribert took Drogba's arm and walked to the center of the stage.
Next to them was a cup holder, on which the Golden Globe Award, sparkling brightly under the lights , was placed!
On November 30, 2021, at 8:30 pm Paris time, the most important glorious moment in world football began!
