Ethan was certain that he had never met this young man before. In fact, if the stranger hadn't been Chinese, Ethan wouldn't have had the patience to stand there listening.
He observed the young man in front of him. He was about 176 centimeters tall, with messy hair and a weary expression. He appeared to be in his twenties, carrying a gray trolley suitcase, his right hand stained with traces of paint. A large black backpack hung over his shoulders, and he wore a black T-shirt under a worn-out brown jacket without a zipper. His jeans had ripped knees, and he was visibly shivering in the October chill of England.
Ethan's smile stiffened as he took in Lin Sen's tourist-like appearance. He felt like he was being pranked. He had assumed this was just another Chinese visitor playing a trick to meet him—after all, Ethan was a well-known figure in Luton. Although Chinese tourists weren't common in the town, they weren't unheard of. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps this was just another football fan hoping to snap a picture with a "celebrity" coach before returning home to embellish a blog post with exaggerated tales and poetic reflections.
He checked his watch—this conversation had already wasted fifteen minutes of his time.
Lin Sen, dragging his suitcase behind him, spotted Ethan from a distance. Compared to his appearance on television, the coach looked even more energetic in person. His posture was straight, and a polite smile still lingered on his face.
Since arriving in Luton, Lin Sen had noticed the warm reception from the locals towards the Chinese community—something that was undoubtedly influenced by the man in front of him. He straightened his collar. To him, this was an interview, and he needed to present himself in the best possible way. But no matter how much he adjusted his posture, he couldn't mask the exhaustion etched into his face from his long journey.
He knew that coming to England was just the first step. Finding Ethan was the easy part. The real challenge was convincing him to accept him as part of his coaching staff.
Before making the trip, Lin Sen had scoured the internet for interview techniques, compiling a set of talking points to ensure he left a strong impression. Now, standing here, he took a deep breath, feeling confident—perhaps a little too confident, as many fresh graduates tend to be. What he failed to notice was that Ethan's smile was growing impatient.
"This is not a place for tourists," Ethan said, glancing at his watch before turning to leave. If not for their shared nationality, he wouldn't have bothered entertaining this conversation at all.
Lin Sen froze. The words he had prepared evaporated. He could only watch as Ethan walked away. It wasn't until the coach had put several meters between them that Lin Sen snapped back to reality.
Without thinking, he abandoned his carefully rehearsed lines and shouted, "Please take me in, Coach Ethan!"
Ethan turned back with an amused expression.
"Do you think I'm running a charity?" he muttered under his breath.
To him, Lin Sen had just gone from an overeager tourist to a naive young man with unrealistic dreams.
Realizing he had only one chance, Lin Sen quickly launched into his story, explaining why he had come and handing over a notebook filled with years of meticulous research—his personal database of players.
Ethan hesitated. He hadn't expected someone to cross continents just to chase a football dream with no guarantee of success. His initial reaction wasn't admiration—it was sympathy. This kid was a fool, a modern Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Ethan wasn't responsible for his fate, but he also couldn't just leave him stranded in a foreign country. The thought of having to buy Lin Sen a return ticket home gave him a headache.
Still, he took the notebook.
Flipping through the pages, he was taken aback. The notebook was filled with an extensive collection of detailed player data, organized with mathematical precision. Lin Sen had analyzed statistics from most players in the English Championship and provided in-depth evaluations based on his findings.
As Ethan studied the data, Lin Sen explained his football philosophy, his understanding of tactics, and his vision for the game.
Ethan had to admit—this young man had talent. His analytical approach to football was far beyond that of an ordinary fan.
More importantly, he was just a young man in his early twenties.
Ethan became serious. In his coaching staff, there wasn't really a dedicated role for a data analyst.
Putting away his smile, Ethan said, "Come with me!"
Lin Sen let out a sigh of relief. As Ethan walked past him, he discreetly clenched his fist in celebration. His first step had been a success.
After a discussion in his office, Ethan decided to hire Lin Sen as part of his coaching team. At Luton, aside from the club owner, Ethan had the highest authority. Everything from the first team to the youth academy was under his jurisdiction, including the selection of his own staff.
However, before finalizing the hiring, Ethan set a probation period.
"On November 5th and November 8th, we'll be playing Walsall at home in the Championship. Your task is to collect data on both teams, analyze their tactics, and present a report to me. I need the Walsall report before our 15th league match."
"Yes, Coach!" Lin Sen grinned. He hadn't even discussed his salary yet.
"I'll arrange for the club staff to help you watch their matches over the next few days. But if you pass the probation, I suggest you get an English driver's license. You'll be traveling a lot in the future," Ethan said, patting Lin Sen on the shoulder.
Ethan wasn't too concerned about the Championship itself. Even if they won the league title, the prize money was barely £100,000.
The FA Cup, however, was a different story. With Luton already eliminated from the League Cup, Ethan wasn't willing to give up on the FA Cup. Reaching the third round would give them a chance to draw a Premier League giant.
Just playing an away fixture against a top-tier club could bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds from ticket sales and broadcasting rights.
That was serious business.
With responsibility came obligations. Ethan also had to think about Luton's financial stability.