Chapter 5: Outrage in Poland! The Truth Twisted!
At the same time, it is late at night in Poland, and the internet has exploded!
Netizens are outraged by the conflict at the National Youth Team base, with videos being shared and discussed everywhere.
The reporters who were bribed continue to publish emotional, biased reports across the web.
An article titled "Terrorist Attack at the National Youth Training Base! Naturalized Player Viktor Gyökeres Beats the Team Leader" went viral instantly.
In the article's illustration, the tall, burly Viktor Gyökeres is shown grabbing Julian Vance and punching him repeatedly.
Even Arthur Vance, the National Youth Team leader, was not spared and was struck several times by Viktor!
The other team members are shown "trying" to stop him, but to no avail.
With these out-of-context reports, Viktor is painted as an overbearing, unreasonable "foreign" bully.
There is no mention of the cause—Julian's bone-breaking tackle—or the corruption involved.
Brainwashed netizens began attacking him behind their screens, their keyboards clacking in rage!
The internet is filled with countless bad reviews and insults.
* "Disgraceful! This is a criminal case! Viktor must be arrested!"
* "He isn't one of us! No wonder he acts like this, he's a different breed in his bones!"
* "He's just a gold-plated reject from abroad. Does he really think he can play in Europe?"
* "It's bad enough to beat a teammate, but he hit the Team Leader! Lawless!"
* "Ban him for life! He should never be allowed to step foot in Poland again!"
* "Throw him in prison! Give the National Youth Team justice!"
Even in 2013, the power of public opinion is terrifying.
Once the situation fermented, the negative impact spread rapidly through all circles.
Suddenly, Viktor Gyökeres was labeled with every negative tag imaginable in the Polish fan community.
Spanish Local Evening.
After a long twelve-hour flight, the plane finally arrived at Barcelona's El Prat Airport.
Viktor didn't notify La Masia in advance, so no one was there to pick him up.
He took Lisa into a taxi with ease and went straight to his villa in Barcelona.
As a student of La Masia, Viktor is a "day student," meaning he lives off-campus.
He lives in a three-story villa not far from the academy, with a housekeeper arranged by his father.
Since it's the weekend and the nanny is off, Viktor planned to take Lisa home first to sleep off the jet lag.
"Oh my god... Viktor, look! They are so evil! They distorted the truth completely!!"
In the taxi, Lisa checked the news on her phone and saw the Football Association's latest release.
She frowned deeply, holding the phone out to Viktor with unconcealable anger.
Viktor read the report with a slight frown, but soon a sneer formed in his heart.
Sure enough, there is nothing money and influence can't manipulate.
The reports were truncated and taken out of context to the extreme; clearly, the journalists were paid off.
The lead photo showed Julian Vance beaten like a "pig's head," covered in blood.
The report portrayed the Vance father and son as absolute victims.
"Blacklisting me? Kicking me out of the National Team?"
"Do they really think I ever planned on going back?"
Viktor simply thought it was funny. He was "fired," but he didn't care about something he never valued.
Thinking of those flattering, sycophantic youth players, Viktor was furious but had no sympathy.
In such a rotten environment, their careers were already doomed.
"Viktor, don't worry. I took a video of the whole thing. I'll post it online and help clear your name!"
"These journalists are abominable. How could they lie like this..."
Lisa grasped the corner of Viktor's clothes, trying to comfort him.
She has liked him for years and wants him to succeed in football. She didn't want him to be hurt by these rumors.
But Viktor wasn't as angry as she imagined; he was remarkably calm.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if they understand or not."
"I'm never going back there to develop anyway. Let them scold; I can't hear them."
"I got my revenge, I'm satisfied. We don't need to fight for the 'truth' there."
Viktor patted Lisa's head, truly unbothered. He decided right then to have nothing to do with that system again.
He has triple citizenship. In the future, he can choose Spain or Argentina. His path will be much smoother.
But Lisa shook her head stubbornly.
"No! You wanted to win glory for your heritage, and they did this! We can't let it go!"
"Leave it to me. I know people at several European newspapers. I'll help you restore the truth!"