【381】Comfortable Lorenzo

After coming to Curitiba, a small Brazilian city with a population of only 500,000, the Chinese national football team stayed in this small hotel called "Comfortable Lorenzo" arranged by the Brazilian Organizing Committee.

Comrade Miao Qihui, a Chinese diplomat in Brazil who arrived in advance, had already arranged the room. After introducing to the team leader Huang Zhong, a local overseas Chinese Yuan Biao who volunteered to act as a translator of the Chinese team, he led the team members into their respective rooms.

In front of the 'Comfortable Lorenzo', there was a football field-sized turf that had been drawn by the Brazilian organizing committee with lime powder, and a goal was erected on both sides and a net was pulled up. On the side of the court, there were several simple white-painted flagpoles. Although the middle of the turf was slightly raised, after the Chinese team had a week-long Pacific air journey, they needed a field to adapt.

Seeing the players wearing mesh training suits one by one, pressing their legs or trotting on the grass, Li Fenglou did not care about his fatigue on the journey and ordered loudly: "Get together! Carry out warm-up exercises in a unified manner!"

So the team members lined up neatly in two rows, opened the distance, and started to perform soothing stretching exercises under the leadership of Li Fenglou.

After the warm-up, Huang Zhong ran out of the hotel, holding the five-star red flag that had just been ironed in the hotel in one hand, and a single-cass dual-horn recorder filled with No. 1 battery in the other hand, shouting excitedly: "Comrades! Comrades! Our first flag-raising ceremony in Brazil! Come and stand up quickly! The flag-raising is coming!"

"...The five-star red flag flutters in the wind! How loud the song of victory is! Singing our dear motherland..."

The passionate national anthem was accompanied by this rectangular stereo tape drive, and the five-star red flag was slowly raised to the top of the six-meter-high flagpole by the leader Huang Zhong.

Next to the lawn, a group of curious locals gathered together to watch the strange Chinese people from thousands of miles away in front of them.

Among the onlookers here, two local Brazilian reporters were also looking at these visitors from afar with curiosity.

"Silva, look at these Chinese people. The sportswear they wear looks so handsome. Why are the football shoes also red? It looks like women wear it. How much shoe polish do they apply? It's so bright."

"Yes, it's not in vain today! Oliveira, please get out of the way. I want to take a photo. This will be the headline of the Curitiba News tomorrow! "The Chinese football team has come to Brazil for the first time!" Haha, it sounds very exciting."

Oliveira quickly moved away from Silva, stood beside Silva, who was busy adjusting his aperture and said, "I want to interview the Chinese. Silva, do you say, can they understand what I said?"

"Oh! Oliveira, you need a translator. But you can try it first. Maybe the Chinese brought their own translator. After all, they looked like they brought a lot of things."

"Well, then I won't be busy with interviews. Look, they put away the expensive speaker and started to warm up. The machine is such an amazing invention. Silva, you said, is it a product of the Soviet Union? Or is it a new American product? It sounds great. I really wish I could have such a tape player."

………………………………………

"Old Huang, please put away the balls you brought in China. We will train with the football provided by Brazil in the hotel. The two footballs brought in China are too light and too fast. The training is very good, but the game is about to be played, so you have to adapt to the balls used in the game." Li Fenglou commanded the team members to train while instructing the team leader Huang Zhong.

"Okay, Lao Li, tell the guys to be more at ease, don't get injured before the game. And..."

“Ola~~~”

Just as the Chinese team was watching from Curitiba locals and was scientifically conducting adaptive ball training, Brazilian News Agency reporter Santos rushed up unswervingly and tried to say hello in Portuguese.

Huang Zhong was stunned and remembered that when he was visited by the Prime Minister during the training camp in Beidu, a young cadre named Cao Xiaoqiang said: "It is very simple to say hello to Brazilians. It just goes up with a 'Ora~~~', and say hello to our Beidu people and say 'Have you eaten?' It means the same."

Huang Zhong not only has a good memory, but also has a quick reaction. He called Yuan Biao, the local overseas Chinese translator next to him who was excitedly watching training, and ordered: "You said to this Brazilian journalist friend: 'I've eaten it, where are you?"

Yuan Biao didn't react for a long time. After asking what was going on, his face turned red with a smile on his face.

Yuan Biao finally managed to hold back his laughter and quickly helped Huang Zhong to translate and introduce him.

Seeing that Santos of the Brazilian News Agency had already started his interview with him, two reporters from the Curtiba News Agency, Silva and Oliveira, also hurriedly surrounded him to ask questions.

Santos of Brazil News Agency took the lead: "Mr. Huang, which company is the Chinese team uniform made? It looks very modern. Can you give us one? You can buy one."

"This is a Chinese Li Ning brand sportswear. We bring an extra 100 sets to exchange team uniforms with opponents after the game. If there is any extra after the game, we will give it to friendly people." Huang Zhong pulled himself to cool down and replied.

Santos rubbed Huang Zhong's merceratedly with his hands. The scarlet color very much echoes the Brazilian's enthusiastic personality. The mercerized appearance of the high-end sports fabric chemical fiber is enviable. The soft texture and inner mesh lining show the high-end taste of this competition uniform.

Santos hoped to get such a decent football uniform. He hurriedly said: "We Brazilian people are very friendly. I believe that during this period of time in Brazil, the Chinese football team will fully feel the enthusiasm of the Brazilian people. We welcome athletes from all over the world to show their skills in Brazil and show themselves at the World Cup.

For the Chinese football team that has worked tirelessly and traveled thousands of miles to participate in the competition, I am here to express my warmest welcome and thank you to you on behalf of the friendly and sincere Brazilian people. Mr. Huang, we Brazilians are as enthusiastic as fire."

When Huang Zhong saw that all three reporters were looking at his football uniform, he thought for a while, and immediately decided to say, "You guys wait for me."

After saying that, Huang Zhong turned his head and ran into the hotel, took out three sportswear and returned, saying: "In order to express the gratitude of the Chinese people for the thoughtful reception provided by the Brazilian host, on behalf of the Chinese football team, I will give each of our national team uniforms."

This move immediately won the favor of Santos, Silva and Oliveira.

Photo reporter Silva was very enthusiastic and changed the top of the football uniform directly on the spot, and was very excited. Then he used all the remaining rubber rings to take photos with Huang Zhong, and also to shoot the Chinese team training.

Even for journalists with higher incomes in this era, a regular football uniform with pants and tops is the cheapest, and a better one costs more than $30. As for this double-layer, high-end "silk cotton" texture that has never been seen before, and its beautiful and fashionable football uniform, all three reporters affirmed in their hearts that this might be worth $70 or 80? No! It is impossible to buy it on the market!

Not to mention anything else, the Chinese national team logo on the cuffs is embroidered incredibly exquisitely, and it is also zipped out with thick mercerized lines, which feels luxuriously. It looks like a relief. The three of them can't let go of the transparent glass and plastic wrapping paper that is outsourced.

"Mr. Huang, your football shoes look very gorgeous. Can you introduce them to us?"

"Yes, this is also the Double Star brand football shoes we produce in China."

Huang Zhong introduced the reporters according to the information he received. Except for the same 399 on Taobao, he said everything he knew. According to the tasks assigned by his superiors, he required that "the Chinese delegation is a sports team and a propaganda team", but not to promote political slogans, but to promote Chinese products so that Chinese products can go out.

"Ah, the appearance design is great. Can shoe studs be replaced? The sneakers produced in Europe can be replaced with long or short nails according to the soil quality of the venue."

"In order to protect the players from harm, our Chinese football shoes are all plastic nails, and the nails cannot be replaced. However, this also ensures that the shoes are lighter. Our pair of shoes only has more than 300 grams, while the current steel nail football shoes generally weigh more than 500 grams."

"So that's how it is." Text reporters Santos and Oliveira quickly wrote down on their notebooks.

After attending the cocktail party held by Curitiba City Hall to welcome the arrival of the Chinese team that night, two enthusiastic articles appeared in the newspaper the next day.

The Brazilian News Agency wrote in a newsletter: "The freshman Chinese look very energetic. They wear beautiful and clean football uniforms and domestic professional football shoes. They look very good, at least in my opinion, very well-organized. The Chinese are very enthusiastic about me, and I can feel that they are kind and hospitality. I heard that their country has just gained independence recently, which is really good news. We Brazilian people should welcome this distant neighbor who has joined the global village. Those who buy tickets to enter the venue must remember to cheer for the Chinese team, Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!"
Chapter completed!