Chapter 27: The Hero's Fondness for Hamburgers (Please Support with Votes and Follow the Story)

"Deyang, you didn't have any remarkable performances when you were at Reggina, so why have you suddenly become so powerful?" a reporter asked.

Lu Deyang was so hot right now that every detail about him had been thoroughly investigated.

"Ah, reporter, you’ve hit the nail on the head." Lu Deyang smiled, pointing his index finger at the man. "I don't know if you are aware, but Americans are obsessed with Italian olive oil. Whether it’s in newspapers or on food programs, they all say that eating olive oil regularly leads to longevity, right?"

"Of course, olive oil is selling so well right now."

"The price has even gone up, damn it!"

"I can't even find my regular brand anymore."

With just one sentence, Lu Deyang struck a chord with the reporters. In this day and age, whether in terms of raw power or cultural influence, the United States was simply too overbearing. Every resident of the Apennines felt a sense of pride that an Italian product could conquer the Americans.

"So, is it because of the olive oil?" the reporter asked.

How naive!

Lu Deyang shook his head with a smile. "Actually, it’s because of what I eat!"

"Eating? Is it some kind of health supplement?" the reporter pressed.

For the past century, health supplements had been incredibly popular; there was even a time when people sold radioactive elements as health products.

"No, it’s about food, just like olive oil," Lu Deyang said. "I found an Italian culinary recipe and improved the hamburger. This dietary habit has made my body better and better, allowing me to unlock my own potential."

Lu Deyang had been thinking about it for a long time—he was so famous but couldn't make any money, forced to watch these bottom-feeding reporters get promoted and rich; it wasn't fair at all. He had been brainstorming how to monetize his traffic. He previously thought he couldn't beat McDonald's, but hell, McDonald's hadn't even entered China yet, and KFC had only just opened a few stores. Why couldn't he open one himself?

"A hamburger?"

"Yes!" Lu Deyang nodded. "Monica and I have recently discussed opening a shop so that everyone in Genoa can eat healthy food. Roberto Mancini tried it before and said it was good; he’s been eating a burger every day lately."

Whether Mancini had actually said it didn't matter; from now on, he had said it. This was good for him, too. In a couple of years, when Baggio and the others rose to prominence, Mancini’s name would almost be buried. At worst, when Lu the "King of Soccer" made his fortune, he would just send Mancini a free membership card.

He could reverse-engineer the products McDonald's released based on local tastes to stay decades ahead of the competition. When he got home, he would start product placement in *Pokémon*, and later "create" works with similar product placement. Combined with his connections in the football world, he didn't believe he couldn't beat those American fast-food chains.

The reporters were stunned. They hadn't expected to gain such information during the interview. However, they all assumed Lu Deyang just wanted to open a small snack shop; many players' families went into business these days, and it was almost always in catering.

"What did Bergomi say to you today?" a reporter asked. This was what they cared about most. They were hoping the two had argued so they would have more news to write.

"He didn't say much. Mr. Bergomi encouraged me and said he would keep working hard next time. He is a great player; I loved watching him play before. Italian defenders have turned defense into an art form," Lu Deyang said.

The reporters felt a mix of joy and disappointment. It was no wonder why managers like Mourinho were a journalist's favorite—if you didn't throw verbal grenades, there was no news worth writing. Plenty of people praised Bergomi and Italian defenders.

Boškov, afraid that Lu Deyang would say the wrong thing, gave the press officer a look and led him away. There weren't many rigid rules for press conferences in this era.

When Lu Deyang returned to the locker room, he was immediately met with applause and whistles from his teammates.

"Roberto said he was going to buy you a car. I think he should go get his head checked—I can't believe a miser like him would be so generous!" Vialli teased, afraid that Mancini might change his mind. In Europe, it was rare to give such expensive gifts.

"A motorcycle, a motorcycle!" Mancini hurriedly explained. "I'll take you to Milan tomorrow; pick one out yourself?"

"I thought it was a car. You've been playing for so many years and you're still this stingy? Deyang stood up for you for nothing," Pari chimed in. He knew exactly what had happened in the match. As a midfielder, he had clashed with Matthäus plenty of times himself.

"Fine, a car! Damn it, we'll go to Milan tomorrow and you can pick whatever you want!!!" Mancini said through gritted teeth.

A star of his caliber earned about $10,000 a week. Most players on the team earned only a few thousand dollars a week; they couldn't afford to buy several luxury cars with a week's wages like Rashford or Sancho would later on. Buying a car would cost Mancini one to three months' salary, and a sports car might cost nearly a year's wages. Naturally, it stung. But thinking of Matthäus's sour face, Mancini felt it was worth it.

Vialli said with a hint of jealousy, "I've known you for so long, and the most expensive gift you've ever given me was a movie ticket."

"Nonsense, I brought good wine to your house last time."

"That's because someone else gave it to you."

...

After returning home, Lu Deyang told Monica about his idea of opening a fast-food restaurant.

"Fast-food restaurants aren't easy to run," Monica said.

"At least there’s still an opportunity now," Lu Deyang replied.

"If you want to do it, do it. I'll support you no matter what!" Monica said.

Lu Deyang hugged her and patted her back. What he wanted to build was a food empire, not just a single shop. Once he had the reputation, he could expand through franchising, using standardized semi-finished ingredients. In this era, many people in the country didn't distinguish between burgers and other Western food, and burgers were certainly not cheap. If he tried to engage in a price war, he wouldn't be able to beat the international giants. He had to find another way.

He was quite optimistic about the future of this industry. Even the son of the richest man in China was selling beef jerky and planning to open 100 steak houses, which proved that the catering industry was lucrative if done right.

Serie A was a microcosm of the World Cup, and almost the entire European football world was shaken. Sports reporters were rushing to finish their drafts, trying to ensure fans would see the news the next day.

*La Gazzetta dello Sport* wrote: "In the summer, Gigi Riva, Rivera, and Mantovani all determined that Deyang was a super talent. Inter Milan proved this in the match. Just as Trapattoni said, Inter played well, but unfortunately, their opponents were better."

*Tuttosport* published a photo of Lu Deyang kissing Monica, writing: "We won't discuss football today, only love. If we were to discuss football, Inter Milan and Galliani would both be very embarrassed."

*Corriere dello Sport*: "According to informed sources, Deyang is still on an annual salary of 80 million lira. It is believed that Sampdoria can no longer sit still; they will offer Deyang a new contract before the next match. This may be the fastest contract renewal in Serie A history."

The struggling Scottish manager also saw the newspapers after waking up.

*The Times*: "Just yesterday, Inter Milan used four world champions to defend an 18-year-old, and they lost. A supernova is rising. If everything goes well, he will become another superstar in Serie A."

Ferguson looked at Lu Deyang’s photo and couldn't help but gasp. He had seen many geniuses, but one who rose to prominence this quickly was truly rare. Few geniuses could score in their first match, and even if they could, the opponents were usually minnows. That Yugoslavian colleague of his was truly bold to field a newcomer in a match against Inter Milan.

It was no wonder reporters suspected there was a conflict between him and Lu Deyang. After all, as a coach, one usually wouldn't arrange a debut like that. Combined with Lu Deyang’s performance, Ferguson felt Boškov might have had too much confidence in him.

Subsequently, *The Sun* found someone to interpret the conflict between Matthäus and Mancini. As long-time Anglo-German rivals, they were happy to fan the flames. After a full breakdown of their dialogue, they commented: "When you can't get revenge yourself, you need a powerful teammate."

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Mancini knocked on Lu Deyang’s door early in the morning. "Let's go, come with me to Milan." If he hadn't seen Lu Deyang in his pajamas, he would have dragged him away immediately.

"So early, honey?" Monica asked, rubbing her eyes after Lu Deyang entered the room.

"Roberto is probably heartbroken over the car money," Lu Deyang joked. That was several months' salary, after all.

Monica giggled. She never interfered in Lu Deyang’s affairs with his teammates. Lu Deyang always got along well with them.

After Lu Deyang washed his face, he hopped onto the sidecar of Mancini’s motorcycle, and the two set off for Milan.

"Is it because you're annoyed that you're driving this thing?" Lu Deyang complained after a while. Riding in a sidecar could be cool sometimes, but 100 kilometers was not comfortable; the suspension on this bike was mediocre.

"No, I thought you liked motorcycles," Mancini said.

The two struggled for over two hours before reaching Milan near noon. Mancini immediately took Lu Deyang to look at Ferraris. He had already given his word; he couldn't lose face by going back on it.

"How much is the F40?" Lu Deyang asked.

"450,000 dollars!" the salesperson said immediately. Mancini looked like he was about to cry.

Lu Deyang curled his lip and said, "It was 400,000 when it launched. You guys are marking it up too much. Not buying it." He pulled Mancini away.

Mancini looked back and said, "It's okay if you really want the F40."

"Shall we go back then?" Lu Deyang teased.

Mancini paused, and upon seeing his expression, he gave Lu Deyang a punch.

"I'll spend someone else's money to buy one at the end of the season. That car is cool, isn't it?" Lu Deyang said. The salary for playing football these days was too low; he felt a bit of a sting spending his own money.

"It certainly is," Mancini nodded. He liked sports cars too.

"Actually, the 928S is fine, and the price isn't too high," Mancini said.

"Forget it, I don't like that model," Lu Deyang said, pulling him off to lunch. The 928S was Jackie Chan's car, costing tens of thousands of dollars, but Lu Deyang didn't like the rear design.

"Let's go look at Japanese cars," Lu Deyang said after lunch. He remembered that Japanese cars weren't expensive at this time, and there were many classic models. Because of their stylish appearance and low price, Japanese cars sold well in Europe; the period from 1980 to 1990 was their golden age in European sales. Japanese cars often appeared in Jackie Chan and Cinema City movies.

They did see a Corolla AE86, but driving that car didn't feel like a good omen. Finally, the two bought a '78 M1; because it was old stock, it only cost a little over 20,000 dollars.

"This isn't me not letting you choose a Ferrari," Mancini said.

"Don't worry, I like this car myself," Lu Deyang waved his hand. To save Mancini's face, he couldn't choose a car that was too cheap, but a car that was too expensive would be a burden on him. If not for this M1, it would have been hard to choose.

He would have to return the favor eventually. Judging by how lovey-dovey he and Federica were, they would probably have children soon.

On the way back, Mancini simply left the motorcycle in Milan, found a driver to help drive the car, and hitched a ride in Lu Deyang’s car. He immediately asked Lu Deyang to drive to see Vialli. The rich kid lived by the sea in Genoa, and he had quite a lot of movie merchandise.

When they reached the gate of the villa, Mancini leaned over and honked the horn wildly. Vialli came out, saw the red M1, and joked, "Roberto finally bled out, though I thought he would buy a Ferrari."

"Deyang didn't want one himself," Mancini said, feeling a bit guilty.

Vialli didn't tease him further and pulled them inside to study his new toys.

"The Human Cannon?" Lu Deyang asked immediately.

Vialli gave him a thumbs up and said, "I didn't expect you to know it. I thought this show looked cool."

"It really is quite good," Lu Deyang exclaimed. *Koseidon* was the first *tokusatsu* show he had ever watched.

"Do you want to come and film our own work together?" Vialli encouraged. He wanted to play the protagonist fighting little monsters again.

Mancini shook his head vigorously. He always played the villain, and he felt that someone as handsome as him was born to be the lead.

"Roberto, I have a once-in-a-lifetime request." Seeing the camera, Lu Deyang’s eyes lit up. He hadn't thought of a brand name for his burger yet, but he could film an ad first as a backup.

A few hours later, Vialli and Mancini were finally ready. Dressed in makeshift costumes, they performed a few clumsy side rolls in front of the camera. After barely managing to stand steady, they immediately held up their burgers and said in broken Chinese: "Da Sha Han Bao Bao, Di Shu Ji Shen Hao, Kao Xi Kao Bu Dao..."