"Tang, we're not bothering you, are we?"
Mendes was the type of gentleman who looked the part, holding a bottle of red wine, an authentic 1982 Lafite.
"No, of course not, please come in."
Tang Long quickly ushered the three into the room. It was his first time seeing Mourinho up close, and he was truly handsome.
At this time, the 'madman' was full of confidence, showered with honors, and revered by fans worldwide.
His arrogance and aggression were confined to the field; off the pitch, Mourinho was a charismatic man.
Just as the world described him, those who loved him were infatuated, and those who hated him gnashed their teeth.
"Tang, what is this?"
"Dumplings?"
Mourinho looked curiously at the neatly arranged pastries on the table. Despite his vast experience, this was his first time seeing them.
The main reason was that his team had no Asian players at the time; Son Heung-min was a matter for later.
"These... I made them myself. The appearance might be a bit off, but the taste is absolutely authentic."
"Authentic?"
Mourinho, with his English accent, didn't quite grasp the depth of the word 'authentic'.
"Probably only slightly less authentic than a five-star chef's."
Mourinho was stunned. He had met many boastful people, but they always boasted about their professional skills and how great they were. He had never encountered a player who boasted about his cooking.
"You'll know in a moment. I guarantee you'll be amazed and fall in love with Chinese cuisine."
[Ding, side quest activated.]
[Make 100 celebrities fall in love with Chinese cuisine.]
[Quest reward: Aomine Daiki Fusion Card]
Tang Long was dumbfounded at the system's notification.
An Aomine Daiki Fusion Card?
Was the system trying to make him dominate the entire league?
Murasakibara Atsushi alone was terrifying. With Aomine Daiki added later, a center who could execute super-fast dribbling and unblockable shots – who could possibly stop him?
Within the league, no one would be his match, especially with Murasakibara Atsushi's formidable defensive coverage.
The more he thought about it, the more excited Tang Long became.
He was a big fan of Aomine Daiki's character.
"Tang, what's wrong?"
Mourinho watched Tang Long's expression shift from shock to daze, finding it utterly baffling.
"Uh, nothing. You're all guests, so eat and drink to your heart's content!"
Tang Long chuckled and recovered his senses, scanning the people in the room. These weren't just stars; they were all experience points for the Aomine Daiki Fusion Card!
"By the way, Mr. Jose, why are you in the United States? Shouldn't you be competing right now?"
"I have an endorsement deal, and I'm here to discuss training camp venues for this year."
Mourinho last year was full of confidence, as Inter Milan had no real rivals in the league.
Mourinho dreamed of leading Inter Milan to Champions League glory but was directly eliminated by Manchester United.
Therefore, this year, he was determined to reclaim all the lost honors.
"Then why did you think of coming to my place?"
"Mendes and I just finalized our cooperation, and we happened to run into Mr. Bill Duffy. He invited us to come along."
Tang Long looked at Mourinho, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Jose, if possible, after coaching Real Madrid, don't go back to Chelsea. Also, be careful of Klopp. When playing against his team, you can't just think about defensive counter-attacks; you need to push forward and find their weak spots to attack."
What?
Mourinho looked at Tang Long in disbelief, his dark, bright eyes filled with incredulity.
Honestly, contact with Real Madrid had only recently begun, and there were no specific details about cooperation.
While Real Madrid was still a 'Galacticos' team at this point, opposing fans mockingly called them the 'Round of 16' team because they were repeatedly eliminated in the Champions League knockout stages.
"Tang, how do you know this?"
"I of course..."
Just as Tang Long was about to speak, the doorbell rang again.
Yao Ming appeared at the door with McGrady and Battier.
"Brother Yao, you're finally here! Can you make dumplings?"
"What?" Yao Ming was stunned.
What was going on?
As he spoke, Yao Ming saw everyone in the room. Although he didn't recognize Mendes and Mourinho, LeBron James was a familiar face.
Both the 'Little Emperor' and Kobe Bryant held Yao Ming in high regard. With Yao Ming's interior support, they saved a lot of energy and ensured a high win rate for the team.
"Hi, LeBron."
"Yao."
They high-fived each other. When it came to McGrady, the two weren't particularly close; they just exchanged a polite greeting before surrounding Scarlett Johansson and starting a conversation.
The Black Widow, who had not yet joined the Avengers, had her eyes gleaming seeing so many stars gathered.
There were too many beautiful women in Hollywood. Without exposure, beauty was useless and attracted the attention of those old lechers.
Scarlett was like this, let alone Sasha.
If Tang Long hadn't repeatedly instructed her that this was a private gathering and she wasn't allowed to take photos, she would have been flashing her camera non-stop, then showing off to her friends.
"You guys chat, I'll go cook dumplings."
"I'll help you."
Hearing about dumplings, Yao Ming quickly walked over.
Far from home, food was a reminder of their hometown and a comfort that sustained them.
Within minutes of the dumplings hitting the pot, a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen, drawing even those who were chatting to gather by the kitchen door.
"Is this Chinese pastry?"
James had been to Yao's restaurant, but the food there was similar to modified KFC, catering more to Western palates, and their dumplings were more Cantonese-style.
Tang Long was cooking Northern-style dumplings: thin skins, generous fillings. With each bite, rich juices flowed out. The savory aroma of the filling blended with the fragrance of the wheat, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Like from James +1
Like from Yao Ming +1
Like from Mourinho +1
A series of jumping numbers made Tang Long beam. It was a pleasant day, fostering camaraderie and gaining star experience points.
It's said that receiving favors makes one feel indebted, a concept applicable across Eastern and Western cultures.
After eating Tang Long's dumplings, it was time to return the favor.
Especially after everyone heard that Sasha's friend had mocked her as a liar and even revoked her qualification to attend her friend's party, the stars were indignant, particularly James, whose eyes were wide as saucers.
Tang Long was his friend, which meant Sasha was also his friend. How could he allow anyone to treat his friend that way?
Everyone offered to help Sasha get her dignity back.
Mendes and Mourinho exchanged glances and silently followed along.
These stars were so interesting!
For such a trivial matter, they all stood up for a common girl like Sasha.
At this moment, Sasha had only one thought in her mind: knowing Tang Long was truly her good fortune!