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Reborn in Football to Build Top Clubs from English League Two

Chapter 126 : Invitation from the ”Chess Player” · Oct 01, 2026

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Chapter List (220)

Page number / 5

101 Chapter 101 : Battle of the Giants at Victoria Park 2026-10-01
102 Chapter 102 : The fatal ”diagonal line” 2026-10-01
103 Chapter 103 : The value of a champion 2026-10-01
104 Chapter 104 : The covetousness of the wealthy 2026-10-01
105 Chapter 105 : The test at St Andrews 2026-10-01
106 Chapter 106 : Critical Blow 2026-10-01
107 Chapter 107 : The growth curve of the ”monster” 2026-10-01
108 Chapter 108 : The King’s Weakness 2026-10-01
109 Chapter 109 : Brunton Park’s ”stifling” game 2026-10-01
110 Chapter 110 : Cracks in the ”Iron Bucket Formation” 2026-10-01
111 Chapter 111 : The ”no-striker formation” experiment and the youth training parade 2026-10-01
112 Chapter 112 : Children’s ”War Games” 2026-10-01
113 Chapter 113 : Space Hide and Seek and the Storm of Youth (Part 1) 2026-10-01
114 Chapter 114 : Space Hide and Seek and the Storm of Youth (Part 2) 2026-10-01
115 Chapter 115 : The Beginning of the Frenzy and the Future of the Chess Game (Part 1) 2026-10-01
116 Chapter 116 : The Beginning of the Frenzy and the Future Game (Part 2) 2026-10-01
117 Chapter 117 : The ”taste” of victory and the ”foundation” of the future 2026-10-01
118 Chapter 118 : Mirror match at Victoria Park 2026-10-01
119 Chapter 119 : The ”truth” of victory and the ”loneliness” behind the scenes 2026-10-01
120 Chapter 120 : ”Games” Beyond the Board (Part 1) 2026-10-01
121 Chapter 121 : ”Games” Beyond the Board (Part 2) 2026-10-01
122 Chapter 122 : A beast trapped in the quagmire 2026-10-01
123 Chapter 123 : The Victory of Will and the Gaze of ”K” 2026-10-01
124 Chapter 124 : Uninvited guests and the ”disturbance” in Phoenix 2026-10-01
125 Chapter 125 : ”Checkmates” on and off the chessboard 2026-10-01
126 Chapter 126 : Invitation from the ”Chess Player” 2026-10-01
127 Chapter 127 : Seagull’s ”broken wings” 2026-10-01
128 Chapter 128 : The beginning of the ”chess game” 2026-10-01
129 Chapter 129 : Chess pieces and players 2026-10-01
130 Chapter 130 : declaration 2026-10-01
131 Chapter 131 : The ”Sponge” of the Stadium of Light (Part 1) 2026-10-01
132 Chapter 132 : The ”Sponge” of the Stadium of Light (Part 2) 2026-10-01
133 Chapter 133 : Final Shot 2026-10-01
134 Chapter 134 : Derby Carnival and the ”Heart of the Empire” (Part 1) 2026-10-01
135 Chapter 135 : Derby Carnival and the ”Heart of the Empire” (Part 2) 2026-10-01
136 Chapter 136 : The Devil’s Lair and the Alarm Bell 2026-10-01
137 Chapter 137 : ”General” at the devil’s home court 2026-10-01
138 Chapter 138 : Sky-high Naming Rights Price (Part 1) 2026-10-01
139 Chapter 139 : The Empire’s ”Declaration” (Part 2) 2026-10-01
140 Chapter 140 : Derby’s heritage 2026-10-01
141 Chapter 141 : The A19 Derby of the ”Kindergarten” (Part 1) 2026-10-01
142 Chapter 142 : The A19 Derby of the ”Kindergarten” (Part 2) 2026-10-01
143 Chapter 143 : Derby’s heritage 2026-10-01
144 Chapter 144 : The ”habit” of victory 2026-10-01
145 Chapter 145 : The ”trouble” of victory and the ”prey” of the winter transfer window 2026-10-01
146 Chapter 146 : - Chapter 2: The Troubles of Victory (Part 2) 2026-10-01
147 Chapter 147 : The ”timid” opponent and the ”hungry” lion 2026-10-01
148 Chapter 148 : Heavy artillery and overwhelming victory 2026-10-01
149 Chapter 149 : The ”students” of St George’s Park 2026-10-01
150 Chapter 150 : The reputation of ”masters” and the ”soft power” of the empire 2026-10-01

126: Invitation from the ”Chess Player”Old John nodded, half understanding, then returned to the side of the training ground.

Sophie stood by, silently recording everything.

Her pen moved quickly across her notebook, but her thoughts drifted far away.

”Are you alright?” Lin Feng suddenly asked.

Sophie looked up, meeting Lin Feng’s gaze: ”I’m fine, just thinking about how to write this report.”

”Just be realistic,” Lin Feng said, ”no need for too much interpretation.”

Sophie smiled slightly: ”As a journalist, my duty is to discover the truth behind appearances.”

Lin Feng looked at her, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: ”Then I look forward to your report.”

He turned and left, returning to his office.

Sophie watched his retreating figure, a mix of emotions in her heart.

That night, Sophie sat on the sofa in her apartment, the screen of her laptop glowing, but her fingers hovered over the keyboard, not typing a single word.

She repeatedly listened to the interview recording, especially the part where Keira mentioned ”chessboard.”

Each time she re-listened, she discovered new details, information hidden beneath the surface.

”She wasn’t just here to visit,” Sophie murmured to herself, ”she was here to... test.”

Sophie realized that she was facing not just a potential rival in love, but an extremely powerful woman who was engaging in an intellectual game with Lin Feng on another dimension.

This gave her an unprecedented sense of crisis and determination.

She closed her laptop and walked to the window.

It was late, and the streets of Hartlepool were sparsely populated.

In the distance, the outline of the Phoenix Stadium was faintly visible in the night, like a sleeping giant.

Sophie took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and sent Lin Feng a text message: ”Do you have time after the game tomorrow? I think I need a ’chess player’ to teach me how to play chess.”

After sending the message, her heart suddenly raced.

This was a bold move, a clear signal.

She didn’t know how Lin Feng would respond, but she knew she couldn’t wait passively anymore.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng was in his office, studying Brighton’s match footage.

A game of Chinese chess was laid out on the table, a few pieces gleaming with an ancient luster under the light.

His phone vibrated, and the screen lit up.

When he saw Sophie’s text message, the corner of his mouth curved slightly upwards.

He didn’t reply immediately, but picked up a ”chariot” and gently placed it on the board, making a crisp sound.

”Checkmate,” he whispered, as if declaring to some unseen opponent in the air.

Outside the window, the night was deep, and stars twinkled.

Tomorrow’s game, tomorrow’s conversation, tomorrow’s game of wits, had not yet begun.

But the chessboard was already set.

---

After reading Sophie’s text message, Lin Feng’s expression relaxed, and the tight corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards.

The office was so quiet that only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.

He tapped the screen a few times and replied: ”Gladly. But first, let’s win today’s game.”

The moment he pressed the send button, he felt a subtle sense of control.

This reply both accepted Sophie’s invitation and cleverly brought the focus back to the upcoming match.

He put down his phone and turned his attention back to the Brighton tactical analysis report spread out on the table.

But Sophie’s intelligent eyes kept appearing in his mind.

On match day at Victoria Park, the atmosphere was even more vibrant than usual.

Keira Knightley’s visit had turned Hartlepool, a small football town, into the center of a media storm overnight.

The small town of Hartlepool had never received such high-level attention.

In the parking area outside the stadium, in addition to local fans’ cars, there were several luxury sedans with London license plates.

Clearly, Keira’s visit had attracted more neutral fans and media attention to the area.

Sky Sports’ broadcast van was already in place early, with twice as much camera equipment as usual.

Martin Tyler sat in the commentary box, his voice filled with obvious excitement: ”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Victoria Park!

Today’s League One Round 7 match, Hartlepool United at home against Brighton, is destined to attract more attention.”

”It seems Hartlepool United is not only attracting attention on the pitch, but also off the pitch.

Let’s see if they can continue their winning streak today.”

Alan Hansen took the microphone and added: ”Keira Knightley’s visit yesterday indeed caused quite a stir.

However, today’s focus should still be on football itself.

Brighton is an opponent not to be underestimated.”

The fans in the stands were buzzing, most of their conversations revolving around the unexpected appearance of the Hollywood star yesterday.

Sophie Green sat in the second row of the press box, her notebook already turned to a new page.

She had specifically chosen a light blue business suit today, and her hair was impeccably styled.

She lowered her head to write in her notebook, but her pen hovered over the paper several times, betraying her distraction.

”Let’s look at the starting lineups for both teams,” Martin Tyler’s voice drew everyone’s attention back to the match.

”The away team, Brighton, has fielded a relatively stable 4-5-1 formation, clearly aiming to contend with Hartlepool United in midfield.”

”Their core is midfielder Dean Cox, a 28-year-old veteran with rich experience and excellent organizational skills.

The lone striker is Bas Savage, a 1.88-meter tall Dutch center forward with strong heading ability.”

”For the home team, Hartlepool United, Lin Feng and Old John have once again chosen to trust, with no changes to the starting lineup.”

”It’s still that troublesome 4-3-3 attacking formation.

Goalkeeper Schmeichel; defensive line Walker, Shawcross, Nelson, Robson; midfield Henderson, Sigurdsson, Tinkler; forward Maloney, Vardy, Snodgrass.”

In the VIP box, Lin Feng held a cup of coffee, his expression focused as he watched the players warm up before the match.

Richard Arnold sat beside him, holding a thick business report.

”Boss, Keira Knightley’s visit has had an even better effect than we anticipated,” Arnold reported in a low voice.

”The club’s official website traffic has surged by 300% in 24 hours, and discussions about Hartlepool United on social media have reached an all-time high.”

Lin Feng nodded, but his eyes never left the pitch.

”An increase in commercial value is a good thing, but don’t let these external factors affect the players’ form.”

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