Chapter 33: Three-Goal Safety, Tonight's Massacre (Transition Piece)
Sunday morning at eight, morning news:
"Good morning viewers. Today is the Great London Derby day, and the weather is kind to us — London enjoys rare fine weather.
"Our reporters on the scene report more than thirty thousand Chelsea fans have gathered on the South Bank of the Thames, and the numbers are still growing…"
Jack at home angrily pounded his table and cursed: "Those sons of bitches!"
The Emirates Stadium holds 59,000 seats, and fewer than 20,000 tickets were sold to the South Bank opponents.
Those shameless people actually rallied more than double the "Northern Expedition" force.
These are not tourists!
Nor the soft Tottenham lot!
They are a tough bunch — respectable and frightening enemies…
North London residents and police felt like facing a huge enemy, or rather, trembling with fear.
"Trembling" — that word…!
Don't listen to Mike and the Arsenal fans denying it — their actions betrayed them.
Many Arsenal families sent underage children to stay with relatives and carried baseball bats themselves.
Jack had a bat in his car trunk; his wife Terry not only didn't stop him but thoughtfully prepared a first-aid kit.
When Xia Qi saw Terry's thoughtful preparations and asked Jack whether beyond iodine, plasters, bandages and painkillers there was anything else needed,
a gentle, coquettish voice seemed to say: "Dà Láng, take your medicine now!"
He shuddered.
Is this a soulmate?
Or the English version of Pan Jinlian?
"Hi, good morning! Sorry to bother you — are you off to the match? You look like you're going to war."
"Xia, will you be playing tonight?"
"I don't know, but I'm on the boss's squad list."
"Then you'll score, right?"
"Of course, that's my duty and job."
"Then that's right."
Right about what?
Xia Qi was puzzled.
He didn't yet realize how notorious he'd become. Arsenal fans affectionately called him "the Ice Cream Prince," Chinese fans called him "the Snow Prince."
But in other eyes he was dubbed "the Brutal Emperor!" "a one-run-per-match average!" "the dragon monster!"
In the hearts of many Arsenal fans,
a prince who had scored 12 goals in three matches, averaging four a game, returning home — shouldn't he be crowned emperor?
If he were to achieve five fixtures in a row, with Chelsea's rogue temperament, there'd be no peace in North London!
Tonight, defend the Emirates, defend North London!
Seeing Xia Qi's puzzled expression, Jack didn't explain further. Xia Qi came from Manchester and didn't yet understand the ties to North London.
Last match he was more Arsenal than any Arsenal player.
It was his desperate runs in extremis that ignited the whole Arsenal team and produced the epic winner.
Jack believed it wouldn't take long before Xia Qi would become one of them. Then he and Terry would be the ones tidying his medical kit and arming him like they did.
"Xia, aren't you off to Colney Training Centre? You'll be late. Also…"
Jack wanted to say, "Make sure you score tonight," but didn't want to add pressure, so the words stuck in his throat.
"Okay, I'm off."
Actually, Xia Qi had some sense, he just thought they were a bit over the top — or like the Russians, full of swagger and iron fists…
On the way to "work," Xia Qi felt a different atmosphere.
Cars around him merging or passing would shout: "Arsenal, Kings of London."
Xia Qi was now Arsenal's Ice Cream Prince and his car became widely recognized.
At a red light, a mounted policeman tapped his window and said: "Mr. Emperor, you can score with confidence. Those crawlies from the South Bank don't stand a chance — we've got your back! No trouble."
Xia Qi was flattered.
Arsenal's emperor had only one predecessor: Thierry Henry, aged 32 then, with a longing look that reminded many of his own 22-year-old shadow.
Feeling flattered, Xia Qi made a "6+1" hand gesture popular in the Chinese community.
It comes from a well-known Chinese TV show hosted by the late Li Yong — in Chinese circles this gesture means "I love you."
But the British didn't understand that.
When the mounted policeman later chatted with colleagues at work, he mentioned Xia Qi's "6+1" gesture.
The North London police may have a "morning drink" habit; these officers early in the morning started talking nonsense.
"The Ice Cream Prince means he'll put three past Chelsea tonight."
Numeric gestures aren't universal: in Europe numbers above five require two hands, a single hand can only show up to five.
In the UK the sign for three is the thumb tucked and the other three fingers out — very different from Xia Qi's gesture.
"Why not use that one then?"
Another colleague retorted and showed the correct "3" sign.
"The thumb means great. The Prince's sign means more than three."
Perfect!
Genius!
Leak to the tabloids and earn some betting money.
An article titled "Ice Cream Prince: Three-Goal Safety, Tonight's Slaughter Feast" circulated before the match.
Pictures to prove it!
That "6+1" sign quickly became a greeting among Arsenal fans.
Chelsea fans, however, seethed with anger and began to march north across the river.
Nearly 40,000 Chelsea fans carried club and supporters' association banners, wore uniform blue shirts and sang club songs.
Escorted by two helicopters, numerous police vans and a convoy of mounted police, they marched across the Thames and thundered toward the Emirates.
It was the equivalent of nearly forty thousand people walking from Pudong to Hongkou.
When news of their crossing spread, thousands upon thousands of Arsenal fans donned red and white and streamed toward the Emirates.
Before kick-off the fans were already contesting numbers.
Arsenal fans would never allow those shameless Chelsea people to turn the Emirates into their home.
The vibe at Colney Training Centre was unlike normal.
There was a sense of a storm about to break.
Today's schedule had no tactical or fitness training — only some easing games in the morning.
At midday Wenger announced the starting lineup…
At five in the afternoon the team bus left the training ground.
In the Emirates Plaza the Arsenal and Chelsea fans stood in clearly separated zones.
When the Arsenal bus approached the entrance, Gunners fans spontaneously lined up on both sides to applaud. Though there was no organizer, the applause was coordinated and carried weight.
Seeing Xia Qi leaning against the window looking out, fans flashed the "6+1" gesture.
Xia Qi, having been in the training base that day, genuinely did not know someone had interpreted the gesture to mean: "Three-goal cover, tonight's massacre."
He thought the fans were saying: "I love you!"
Six, six, six!
I love you too! Mwah.
He immediately returned the gesture and explained its meaning to teammates.
After the City match, many teammates — Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Cazorla — had become close friends.
And the gesture's connotation was so good.
A Chinese-style "I love you!"
So the whole bus, even Wenger and Pat Rice, flashed a "6+1" sign.
Outside the windows, a deafening cheer erupted — audible for miles.
I was naive!
It wasn't the Prince's youthful arrogance, but the tactical master's plan for tonight.
"Hi, can I bet on the result? I want to stake Arsenal –3…"
"Marylin, buy Arsenal to win big — they'll score five tonight."
"..."
Chelsea's 4-5-1 lineup:
Forwards: 9 Fernando Torres (forward)
Midfield: 17 Eden Hazard (center), 7 Ramires (center), 10 Juan Mata (center), 12 John Obi Mikel (center), 8 Frank Lampard (center)
Defence: 4 David Luiz (back), 2 Branislav Ivanović (back), 26 John Terry (back), 3 Ashley Cole (back)
Goalkeeper: 1 Petr Čech (keeper)
(END CHAPTER)
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