[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-285":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388848,1840,"Chapter 285 - 285","start-with-r9-template-chapter-285",285,"\u003Cp>After taking the team bus back to Manchester, everyone first went home to freshen up, changed clothes, and headed to their usual private bar spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, thank goodness, Ling!\" Lingard exclaimed in a strange voice as Ling walked in. \"You finally didn't show up to the party in training gear!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling was wearing a light blue casual suit paired with a crisp white stand-collar shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the overall outfit was fairly conventional, on Ling's robust, athletic physique, it exuded a unique charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the girl on his arm was dressed in an elegant black evening gown that balanced sophistication with a stunning figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the dim lighting of the bar, Maria's already radiant appearance looked even more breathtaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, aren't you going to introduce her?\" Maguire winked at Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My girlfriend, Maria,\" Ling said with a proud smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, everyone,\" Maria greeted them gracefully and confidently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Ling had initially thought of postponing the gathering for a couple of days, as everyone was exhausted after the brutal match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who knew the Manchester United players would disagree? The minority had to yield to the majority, so he had no choice but to agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because he was bringing Maria along, Ling had specifically reminded his teammates to bring their partners too, so Maria wouldn't feel awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jesse, is this your daughter?\" Ling asked, looking toward a booth where a cute little girl, about a year old, was staring blankly at a glass of orange juice in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hope. I'm just letting her get used to the environment early,\" Lingard said gently, ruffling the little girl's hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're something else!\" Ling couldn't help but sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Jesse Lingard would think of bringing a toddler to a bar to \"get used to the environment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they had booked the entire place for the night, so the atmosphere was relatively quiet and clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, do you know what day it is today?!\" Mahrez asked mysteriously, stepping forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? Your birthday, or are you getting engaged?\" Ling took a sip of his cocktail and replied casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, with the tight schedule, he had even lost track of time, only remembering match dates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, after the match against Liverpool, Manchester United only had two games left for the year—against Huddersfield and Bournemouth, both teams in the lower half of the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manchester United shouldn't have too much trouble winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there are no easy games in the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling certainly wouldn't underestimate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guys, get ready!\" Mahrez shouted at the top of his lungs while pulling out a party popper, aiming it at Ling and pulling the string.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang, bang, bang!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a series of muffled sounds, colorful confetti shot into the air before showering down on Ling, turning him into a disheveled \"drowned rat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, the bar echoed with a melodious tune as everyone joined in, singing \"Happy Birthday\" in rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria pushed a large cake cart over, gently removed the colorful streamers from Ling's head, and then playfully placed a birthday hat on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Happy birthday!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A belated birthday party!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, I wish you could score forty goals this season—no, fifty goals!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you underestimating him? I'll say a number—eighty goals!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Manchester United players offered their blessings one after another, along with gifts they had prepared in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You guys always manage to surprise me!\" Ling sighed with genuine emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his first real birthday celebration since being reborn into this timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, as he hadn't secured a starting position yet, he threw himself into training every day and simply wasn't in the mood to celebrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would have thought this year would be so different...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, don't get too emotional. Hurry up and blow out the candles—Hope is waiting to eat the cake!\" Maria urged with a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that professional footballers have impressive lung capacity since Ling blew out all twenty candles in one breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, he turned to his teammates. \"Remember not to eat too much cake—we have a match in three days!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it, got it. You're only 20, why do you sound like my grandpa?\" Aaron Wan-Bissaka groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hurry up and cut it!\" Wan-Bissaka impatiently shoved the knife into Ling's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tomorrow at 8 a.m., I'll be waiting for you at the training ground,\" Ling raised an eyebrow at the right-back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We'll do extra one-on-one defensive drills!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan-Bissaka's face instantly fell, and he shot a pleading look at Antonio Valencia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valencia shrugged and laughed. \"I can't control Ling—he's the captain now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's eat quickly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Ling finished cutting the cake, Maria distributed it to the others, and the booth grew lively again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, what did you wish for?\" Luke Shaw asked quietly, reaching out to grab another piece of cake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his hand was swiftly swatted away by the quick-handed Ashley Young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It won't come true if you say it out loud!\" Young said sternly. \"And look at your little belly—still eating? Aren't you afraid the boss will make you run laps tomorrow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luke Shaw could only awkwardly withdraw his hand. Seeing this, the Manchester United players all burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone tacitly refrained from overindulging because they shared the same professional goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around 11:30 p.m., the birthday party finally came to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bidding each other farewell, everyone headed home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling had his assistant drive Maria home safely, while he decided to walk to his apartment in the city center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A biting cold wind blew against him, making passersby instinctively tighten their coats. Late-night Manchester was very quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buildings on either side, bathed in warm yellow lights, created a lazy atmosphere, occasionally punctuated by the sound of a street musician's guitar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling's slight tipsiness quickly faded as he pulled out his phone and glanced at the Premier League scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match between Everton and Tottenham had just ended, with Tottenham securing a resounding 6–2 victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry Kane and Son Heung-min each scored a brace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, under Mauricio Pochettino's leadership, Tottenham had gradually found their form, achieving five consecutive wins across all competitions and climbing to fourth place in the league table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea, on the other hand, seemed to be playing worse and worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this round of the league, they lost 0–1 to Leicester City. So far, Chelsea had conceded over 20 goals in the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside media commented, \"Maurizio Sarri has worn out N'Golo Kanté and Eden Hazard, leading to Chelsea's Waterloo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, their assessment was quite objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make room for Sarri's favorite player, Jorginho, Kanté was forced to play in an unfamiliar, advanced right-sided midfield position, preventing him from performing at his full defensive potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Hazard... due to the poor form of Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, Sarri had shifted Hazard to play as a false-nine center-forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the result? Before Hazard changed positions, he had recorded 7 goals and 3 assists in the first 8 league matches from the wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the position change, he had gone 4 consecutive rounds without scoring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Chelsea trailed the top of the table by 13 points, essentially leaving them with no hope of winning the title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Manchester City, their performance remained frustratingly stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They defeated Crystal Palace 3-2, firmly holding onto the top spot, two points ahead of United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling arrived at the Carrington training base early, only to find Wan-Bissaka already there waiting on the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Was it just a joke from last night, or did this dude actually take my threat seriously?' Ling wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amused, he generously gave Wan-Bissaka a brutal special training session in 1v1 defending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Days passed by in training and video review sessions—monotonous yet fulfilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, December 26th arrived, marking the start of the 19th round of the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boxing Day football.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manchester United faced Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon (.)com\u002FNewbietranslator\u003C\u002Fp>",1317,"2026-06-05T22:48:23.062Z",1,"novelbin.me","1bbf781bc177f2c40c8e46bdb8750b15a147c6b7f47a6beb103fcebd65440110","start-with-r9-template-chapter-286","start-with-r9-template-chapter-348",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]