novelraw Chapter 223 - 173: Pire
Chapter 223 - 173: Pire
After sending a message to Lexi telling her to handle the reception, Chen Yu put his phone away.
’A VIP is just another VIP. The clinic has already handled its fair share of them.’
Today was the team’s first joint practice since the All-Star Game.
Most importantly, J Kidd returned to the team and resumed training today.
Chen Yu needed to keep a close eye on J Kidd to make sure nothing went wrong.
In truth, there shouldn’t be any issues. After performing the annulus fibrosus suture surgery, Chen Yu had used the Eye of All-Seeing to check on him. His annulus fibrosus was healing very well, and the problem with his lumbar herniation should be completely resolved.
On the practice court, it was business as usual, with everyone focused on their training.
J Kidd, however, was on the sidelines, with Chen Yu and Nelson personally supervising his recovery training.
"He looks like he’s doing fine," Nelson said with a smile.
J Kidd’s absence had a significant impact on the Phoenix Suns.
Hardaway could certainly run the offense—that wasn’t the issue. But doing so would inevitably divert a large portion of his energy, affecting his own scoring.
Although Hardaway’s scoring hadn’t decreased—in fact, it had increased—during J Kidd’s absence.
But that was because Hardaway was playing much harder.
But playing like that actually increased his burden.
It was fine in the short term, but over a longer period, problems were bound to arise.
That’s why J Kidd’s return was so important. Not only could he score, but he could also relieve the pressure on Hardaway.
Chen Yu nodded. "By the way, about that sports lab I mentioned, I’ve already found a location. The equipment will be delivered in batches. We should go check it out together when you have some free time."
He had previously told Nelson he wanted to build a sports lab.
Construction would start now and finish by the Summer, just in time for the grand opening.
Players usually focused on improving their skills during the off-season.
As for the investment, Chen Yu had someone draw up a budget. It came out to just over three million. He put in just under two million himself, Nelson contributed three hundred thousand, and he got Old Sir Hill to cover the rest.
He was more than willing to invest; he had already made a lot of money from his joint venture in the clinic with Chen Yu.
"Sounds good, but will you have time in the Summer? That’s when the World Cup is, and there’s also the FIBA World Championship. You’ll probably be the Dream Team’s doctor, right?" Nelson could already imagine how busy Chen Yu would be that summer.
Chen Yu knew this but shook his head. "It’s fine. You should have more faith in our National Team’s abilities—they’re sure to be eliminated early. As for the World Championship, that’s not until September. And it’s the Dream Team... they’re not going to lose, are they? I’ll just be there to fill a spot."
’They couldn’t win at soccer, but in basketball, they would completely dominate. Chen Yu probably wouldn’t have much to do. He could just coast along without expending too much energy.’
Nelson nodded and didn’t press the matter.
After practice, Chen Yu drove back to the clinic.
Robert Pires. Chen Yu had never heard the name before. On his way back, he’d specifically looked it up online and found out that he was a French player, currently with Arsenal in the Premier League.
Chen Yu was comparatively more familiar with Serie A.
Of course, the man was very famous—he was Arsenal’s core midfielder and a top star on the French National Team.
When it came to the France Team, Chen Yu at least knew of Zidane.
Lost in his thoughts, he arrived at the clinic.
He parked and walked to the medical center, only to learn from the front desk that Pires was touring the rehabilitation center.
So Chen Yu turned and headed for the rehabilitation center.
As he walked into the rehabilitation center, he immediately heard Lexi’s voice.
She was probably giving a tour of the rehabilitation center.
He rounded a corner in the hallway and saw Lexi leading a group of people on a tour.
There were five of them.
They were all quite tall. The tallest, who looked to be about one-meter-ninety, was wearing a thin black windbreaker and dress pants. He had graying hair and was listening intently.
Another man was in a wheelchair, being pushed by someone. He had a wild mane of medium-length hair; this had to be Pires.
The funny thing was, not far away, three other wheelchairs were parked.
Batty, Scholl, and Desler were all in wheelchairs, with Inzaghi and Maldini standing behind them.
All five wore similar expressions, looking at Pires with a gaze of shared suffering.
Pires seemed aware they were staring at him, occasionally turning his head to offer an awkward smile in response.
’All fellow professionals,’ he thought.
"Alright, you guys, go on, get back to what you were doing." Chen Yu walked over and waved a hand, gesturing for Batty and the others to leave.
The five of them left with a laugh. As Batty wheeled himself away, he turned and gave a nod to the group in the distance.
The middle-aged man with graying hair smiled and nodded in return. His gaze followed the five as they departed, and there was a strange look in his eyes, as if he’d just seen the girl of his dreams.
Chen Yu stepped forward to shake hands and greet everyone.
He then learned that the middle-aged man with graying hair was Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger.
’No wonder his expression was so strange,’ Chen Yu thought, ’especially when he was looking at Desler. He’s probably thinking about bringing the German prodigy to the Premier League.’
Another man, sturdier in build and also with graying hair, was the current manager of the France Team, Roger Lemerre.
The remaining two were Wesley, Arsenal’s team doctor, and Lemerre’s assistant.
"Dr. Chen, I’ve heard so much about you. Your clinic is incredibly professional, and your medical standards are exceptionally high." Wenger grasped Chen Yu’s hand with his own broad one and didn’t immediately let go, speaking with a warm smile.
Chen Yu thanked him, but a thought crossed his mind.
’Isn’t the Premier League season still going? It’s unfortunate that his player is injured, but for a manager to just abandon his team and fly to the United States...’
’And Lemerre... is he as idle as Trapattoni?’
Chen Yu took over and continued leading the group through the rehabilitation center.
"What’s the purpose of sealing someone in an enclosed space like this? Wouldn’t they get scared? Maybe even develop claustrophobia?" Wenger asked curiously, looking at the massive piece of equipment before them.
He could understand the purpose of the other equipment, like the Anti-gravity Treadmill and the Ultra-Low Temperature Freezing Chamber, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out the function of this Floating Pod.
Chen Yu stepped forward, opened the Floating Pod, and showed them the internal structure.
The machine had just been delivered and installed two days ago, so it hadn’t been officially used yet.
However, NASA had detailed reports on its use, and its effectiveness had been verified over many years.
"The primary purpose is to create a completely enclosed space with no light and no sound. Combined with floating in a high-density liquid, it creates a microgravity environment. This allows the brain to completely relax and also greatly relieves muscle fatigue throughout the body. According to the data I’ve received, one hour in here is equivalent to six hours of deep sleep. And I’m sure all of you are aware of the benefits of deep sleep."
Wenger nodded thoughtfully. He had always believed that top clubs like those in the Premier League invested heavily in hardware for training and rehabilitation, with world-class facilities. But this tour revealed a considerable gap compared to the United States.
Top stars like Ronaldo and Baggio abandoning Europe to seek treatment in the United States had once prompted sour complaints from the European media, who argued that Europe’s medical standards were no worse than those in the United States.
But now, seeing it firsthand, there was clearly a gap.
It was for this very reason that Wenger had taken the time to make a special trip to the United States and see it for himself.
If the medical standards were truly this high, then in the future, injured players from his team could absolutely be sent to the United States for treatment.
Wenger didn’t care what the media complained about. He just wanted his players to receive the best possible treatment.
Wenger also wanted to bring some of this high-tech equipment to Arsenal.
"The Ultra-Low Temperature Freezing Chamber and some of the other rehabilitation devices are manageable, but I’m afraid the Anti-gravity Treadmill and Floating Pod are not."
The Ultra-Low Temperature Freezing Chamber, for instance, is produced by a Japanese company and is commercially available.
As for the other devices, Chen Yu co-developed them with Johnson & Johnson. If a team needed them, he wouldn’t be secretive.
He had even been willing to provide purchasing channels back in China.
Only the two items from NASA were different. They were for internal use only and not sold publicly. If Chen Yu weren’t a medical consultant for NASA, he wouldn’t have been able to acquire them either.
"That’s a real shame," Wenger sighed. "However, I’m very interested in what you said about using various sensors to monitor a player’s training status and then analyzing the data."
Wenger’s intuition told him that this approach could improve training efficacy, monitor physical condition, and help prevent injuries.
Beside him, Lemerre also nodded in agreement.
The tour today had been quite a shock for him as well, a real eye-opener.
After a thorough tour, the group returned to the medical center to discuss Pires’s injury.
"Dr. Chen, I’m only worried about one thing right now: after the surgery, will Robert be able to return before the World Cup in June?" The specifics of the injury were clear from the medical records, so Lemerre was only concerned about whether Pires could make it in time for the World Cup.
It was now mid-February, leaving only three and a half months until the World Cup kicked off in June. With a severe injury like a torn cruciate ligament, whether he could return, and what his condition would be if he did, were major question marks.
After all, this was no minor injury.
Wenger also looked at Chen Yu.
It wasn’t that they didn’t believe in Chen Yu’s medical skills—if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have traveled thousands of miles to the United States. But three and a half months... that would truly require a miracle.
"It shouldn’t be a problem," Chen Yu said with a smile.
’I just scanned his knee with the Eye of All-Seeing. Besides the torn ligament, there are no other issues. His underlying condition is good, so recovery should be quicker.’
’Three and a half months... If I push the rehabilitation effects a bit, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
"Really?!" Lemerre’s eyes lit up. He stepped forward and emotionally gripped Chen Yu’s hand, thanking him profusely.
Pires had already been diagnosed in the United Kingdom and France after his injury, and the prognosis was at least a six-month recovery period post-surgery.
In six months, the World Cup would be long over.
Pires’s importance to the French National Team was self-evident. One could say that the France Team could do without Henry, but they absolutely needed Pires and Zidane.
That’s why Lemerre’s first thought had been to have Pires come to the United States and try his luck.
Lemerre hoped that the miracles performed for Ronaldo and Baggio could be replicated for Pires.