Godfather Of Champions

Twain’s daily routine became normal at long last—it could be said to be normal because he could now sleep at night, wake up in the morning, and eat three regular meals a day.

He felt he had no problems anymore and could be discharged from the hospital at once. But Stanley Meyer strongly disagreed. He thought he should continue to be under observation, so Twain was still in the intensive care unit until now, where he was cared for in every aspect by Shania who never left his side.

During this period, Twain received a number of phone calls from people who cared about him, inquiring about his health. His answer was consistently, “I feel good, thank you!”

Most of his people who cared about were his friends and his friends in Nottingham made personal visits. They chatted together to help Twain relax his mood and ease his state of mind. The players of the team entrusted both George Wood and Eastwood to visit and present flowers and greetings. In order to prevent Twain from getting emotional again, they did not talk about the team’s situation, and Twain did not ask. It looked like he made up his mind to leave the work to the others.

The friends who were not in town, called in succession to inquire after him through phone calls and text messages. For example, Des Walker and Ian Bowyer, as well as the ex-Forest players from Brian Clough’s era had also expressed concern about the Forest team’s current manager.

Twain even received Michael Bernard’s regards through a call from as far away as the United States, which moved him so much that he became a complete mess.

The other people who send their regards to him were the managers of Premier League teams. No matter how hard they competed on the pitch and appeared like they were sworn enemies, those things were forgotten by people at this time.

Roy Keane and Alan Shearer called. Even Benítez, a manager whose team had been suppressed for three years in a row by the Forest team, also sent a text message to ask about him.

Evan and Allan also came to the hospital to visit him once and said what Dunn had said before to exhort him to take good care of his health and not think about anything else.

The Arsenal manager, Wenger and Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson had specially traveled from London and Manchester to visit Twain. It put him in a very good mood for the two days.

He had previously thought that his bad mouth and character had caused him to offend all the people who could be offended in the industry, and now that he suffered this great difficulty, those enemies must be laughing up their sleeves endlessly. He did not expect these people to care about his health. He felt some sense of accomplishment in his heart—I, Tony Twain, am rather popular!

Once he felt good, his heart functioned more normally. Stanley Meyer’s smile gradually became wider. Shania was also not so afraid anymore—it was actually the thing Twain cared about the most.

These days, Shania did indeed look thin and pallid. If she had to do a runway show again, she probably did not have to control her weight.

In fact, the reason that those Premier League managers had expressed concern for Twain one by one, was perhaps because the sudden collapse of Tony Twain, a manager who had just turned forty this year, gave them the chills in the winter just after Christmas—everyone was the same and no one had less stress than anyone else. Seeing Twain lying in his hospital bed and unable to continue working now made them a little afraid—Could this be our future? When will I suddenly collapse on the sidelines of the field or on the training ground? Am I going to die because of it? Tony Twain’s life was saved after twenty-four hours in a coma. He is lucky, and it has a lot to do with the fact he is forty. What about us, the old men? When it’s suddenly our turn the next time, will we be ready? Will we be that lucky? Can our aging bodies survive this winter?

Wenger’s words in an interview after his visit to Twain represented almost all the Premier League managers’ common thoughts, “I hope Tony will still be as sharp, full of fighting spirit, able to withstand the pressure and conquer the heart. The last thing I want to see is his downfall. Seeing him in this position for years, I feel I might be next…”

Ferguson also added, “I had a pacemaker installed four years ago. I can understand Tony Twain’s feeling at the moment. He felt that he was in control of the world but was knocked down by the heart and pressure. Having personally experienced it, I can only tell him that it’s no big deal. I’m already sixty-eight years old, but I’m still doing a good job in this position. I receive at least ninety minutes of intense stimulation a week. I’m full of energy and don’t feel tired at all. If I can, I want to keep doing it.”

Roy Keane briefly remarked and expressed his hope for Twain, “I have fully felt the different feelings that this new job has brought to me. If he can get back to the technical area, I think he’ll be a hero to all of us. At that point, when our two teams meet, I’ll applaud him in respect.

No one wanted to be the second “Tony Twain” and no one wanted Twain to collapse due to this. Because that would make them feel a little despair—could this be where all the football managers end up in?

The greatest manager in the history of the Scottish Premiership was Stein, who died of a heart attack in a match; Liverpool’s former manager, Houllier, suffered a heart attack during a match against Leeds United and only came out of danger after fighting to stay alive for eleven hours; and Nottingham Forest’s legendary manager, Brian Clough even went so far as to say, “I’d rather shoot my grandmother if I had to, in exchange for three points”; Taylor resigned from Aston Villa because he could not bear the pressure; the former Newcastle United manager, Glenn Roeder was diagnosed with a cerebral thrombosis after a heart attack; in 2004, Ferguson had a pacemaker put in for his heart just in case…

These examples were sufficient.

Was it now the turn of the fearless “Forest King”, Tony Twain, who thought that no one in the world could subdue him?

※※※

The observation lasted a week, and Meyer came to him again one day. After examining his body’s indicators, he put on a consulting tone and said to Twain, “Mr. Twain, what do you think about installing a small device inside you?” He pointed to Twain’s heart.

Twain wondered, “You want to install what?”

“A lovely little thing called a pacemaker.”

The term gave Twain a scare.

“Isn’t that something an old man…”

“As long as there is arrhythmia, there’s a possibility to install it. It’s not necessarily an old man’s monopoly, Mr. Twain.” Meyer was exceptionally amiable today.

Twain began to feel apprehensive inside. Did Stanley not say that things are getting better day by day these days? Why is he suddenly going to install a pacemaker in me? Don’t tell me… that my condition is actually worse?

“Give it to me straight, Stanley. Is my heart giving way?” He frowned and asked gravely.

When he asked the question, Twain could feel Shania’s grip on his hand tightened.

He did not expect Stanley Meyer to laugh instead. “You’re recovering well, Mr. Twain. But it did break down once.” He said as he pointed to Twain’s heart, “We can’t guarantee that there’s not going to be a problem here in the future. Moreover, your own circumstances determine… Unless you plan to quit from Nottingham Forest and never work as a professional football manager again, maybe then you’ll probably be in control of your emotions. Are you willing to accept my suggestion? Mr. Twain.”

Twain did not expect to hear this. Telling me not to be a professional football coach?

Stop kidding!

What else can I do besides this? If I don’t be a manager, what am I going to do at home? Wait to die?

He suddenly thought of the dream he had in his coma.

I’m never going to live that kind of life again… What’s happening here now is my life. I may encounter failure, may be lying in a hospital bed like this, but I fought here before and will continue to fight.

“Eh, Stanley. I really don’t know what else I can do but this.” Twain said with a laugh.

Stanley Meyer also laughed and said, “Look, I knew you’d give that answer. So, I asked you directly if you wanted to install a pacemaker, and not asked first if you wanted to quit the manager’s position. Listen to me, Mr. Twain. Your career is a high-risk job for heart patients. The world’s most brilliant cardiologists and cardiac surgeons cannot guarantee that a manager who has had a heart attack will not relapse … And the probability of a relapse is frighteningly high. Have you ever heard of such a thing?” Meyer paused at this point.

Twain indicated with a look for him to continue.

“One year, ITV installed a special device for two Premier League managers to test their pulses and had them to carry it with them while they directed the games. In general, a normal person’s heart beats between sixty and a hundred beats per minute. But the figure shown on the device was twice as high as the standard! Generally speaking, it only happens to astronauts and people who are bankrupt from stock speculation…” Meyer spread his hands and said, “I can’t guarantee that your heart won’t have problems again when you are in such an environment for the heart rate for a long time.”

Twain found that Shania had tightened her grip on his hand more and more. He glanced at the anxious-looking Shania, then turned his head and smiled at Meyer, “I’m afraid I can’t answer you right now. Can I think about it?”

Meyer pushed up his glasses and replied, “Of course, as you should. After all, it’s a matter that is as common as going out to buy a pack of cigarettes.”

He turned and took his leave.

Twain glanced sideways at Shania. He knew that Shania had something to say, and he could probably guess what Shania was going to say.

But Shania did not say a word.

The two people looked at each other, and finally Twain spoke first, “I know what you’re going to say, Shania. You’re going to try to persuade me to quit, right?”

Shania nodded.

“But I can’t listen to you this time, Shania.”

Shania’s mouth was set in a grim line as she said, “Why? Isn’t your life important enough?”

“Of course, my life matters, especially for people like me who had died once. There’s nothing more important in the world than to be alive. But …” Twain’s tone quickly turned around, “But there is also an equally important thing as life, and that is to live.”

“Isn’t that the same meaning?” Shania said with a frown. She could not understand Twain’s words.

“Of course, it’s different. Living is not simply about being alive. Shania…” Twain looked at the little fairy in front of him, “Your Uncle Tony is a very incompetent man. I can’t do anything besides being a manager. If I quit this job, I wouldn’t be living even if I had a hundred years of life. You and football are proof that I live in this world, and I don’t want to give up either one of you.”

Yes, both of you make me feel like I’m not dreaming right now. I was not dreaming for the last five years. The time was actually not long, but I had left some traces in this world that belonged to me. If I abandon football, that trace will fade away with the passage of time and no one will remember me. There will be no evidence of my existence and the meaning to continue living. So, what if I’m alive?

To be a zombie, making a living and waiting to due, just getting by, drifting and living without purpose… These words should not appear in my life.

Who am I?

The young clerk in Chengdu, Tang En, died when he was twenty-six years old! Now I’m the 40-year-old Tony Twain, the manager of Nottingham Forest!

Shania’s sigh broke the silence in the room.

“I knew Uncle Tony would say that. That’s so you.” She shrugged and said, “If you’re not allowed to go near football, you’ll be worse off than dead… As long as there is football, you can even forget about me… To tell you the truth, Uncle Tony, I’ve always been jealous of football.”

Twain smiled and hugged Shania, “You don’t have to be from now on. You both hold the same places in my heart…”

Unexpectedly, Shania did not get mad and laughed instead, “Who comforts people in such a way? Shouldn’t the normal way of saying it is to look at me lovingly and say: ‘From now on, you are the first in my heart’? All right, I’ll grant you this. But please pay attention to your health. Don’t treat my words as in one ear and out the other this time.”

Twain nodded vigorously and said, “Don’t worry. I still have a long way to go in my life.”

People who were not afraid of death were often because they had lost all interest and attachment to the world. So, they could meet death without regrets. Tony Twain was not afraid of dying…

※※※

Stanley Meyer was a competent doctor who was good at understanding others. The method he prepared for Twain was the best of both worlds. He did not have to worry about sudden death or to give up football for it. Implanting a pacemaker in the chest cavity was a good idea.

Some people might think that it was somewhat an exaggeration for a forty-year-old man to install a pacemaker. But for Twain, who nearly died, the problem with a little dignity was out of his consideration.

Both he and Shania agreed to undergo the operation to implant a pacemaker.

Before the operation, Meyer offered a number of pacemakers for them to choose from. His top recommendation was certainly the improved r-wave inhibited pacemaker which Twain was keenest on this type of pacemaker because it was an on-demand artificial pacemaker.

The pacemaker would not function when the patient’s heart rate was normal or higher than the pacemaker’s fixed pulse frequency. And once the rhythm of his own heartbeat was lower than the set frequency of the pacemaker, that was, the ventricular electrode could not sense the R wave that occurred in his body’s own rhythm, the pacemaker would wait for a predetermined period of time and immediately act in accordance with the inherent pace frequency to release pulses to the heart to put it into a working state. This was currently the most commonly used and most convenient kind of pacemaker.

None of the other pacemakers were suitable for Twain’s condition.

In terms of power in the pacemaker, Twain expressed the hope for a battery that could be used for a long time and did not need to be replaced—he really did not like to come to the hospital. He found it unbearable to have to live here for half a month this time. Moreover, replacing the battery was a dangerous operation in itself. He wanted to lessen the risk as much as possible.

Stanley Meyer smiled when he heard Twain’s special request, because he thought of something and said, “Although most pacemaker batteries are said to function for ten years, in fact, they only last four or five years. But five years is not considered too short… Well, if you don’t want to have to replace the battery for a long, long time… there’s one power source that should meet your requirements.”

“What is it?”

Meyer snapped his fingers and said, “Nuclear battery.”

Hearing the word “nuclear”, Shania widened her eyes and turned pale. She was obviously startled. Everyone knew what “nuclear” was and its harms.

Twain clearly had the same concerns, but he obviously did not show it.

“The technology for nuclear batteries has been perfected. You don’t have to worry about radiation.” Meyer explained to them with a smile, “The maximum radiation dose is the same amount as what the phosphor emits on a watch at night. Within a year, the total dosage of radiation received by the body is equivalent to the dosage of one chest X-ray. The battery is very tightly sealed, and the nuclear substance inside is unlikely to leak. Moreover, even if there is a risk of leakage, then the installation of mercury batteries will not reduce this risk. Once there is a leak, whether it is mercury or nuclear battery, it will be hazardous to the body. So, the safety standards in this area are very, very strict.”

Having said that, Meyer stroked his chin and muttered, “I also think it’s necessary to require longer-life batteries… After all, there are huge risks to the battery replacement surgery, and very inconvenient to Mr. Twain’s job… It’s best not to frequently open up things that are implanted under the skin. Nuclear batteries are really a great choice!” He raised his voice, as if he agreed with the idea himself. “There are now one hundred and thirty-six patients in the UK with nuclear-powered pacemakers. The device of the patient with the longest record, has been working without problems for thirty-four years, and there is no sign of the battery running out at all. You know, most patients come to the hospital on an average of two to three years to have an operation to replace the pacemaker battery. From the looks of it, nuclear batteries are very cost-effective.”

Twain gave a whistle and said, “And it sounds pretty cool. So, it’s decided, nuclear-powered pacemaker it is!”

※※※

Five days later, Twain was pushed into the operating room with Dr. Stanley Meyer personally in charge of the operation to implant this extraordinary pacemaker for him.

Three hours later, the Royal Hospital held a press conference to announce to all the media that Tony Twain’s operation to implant a pacemaker was a great success. From now on, Twain had a nuclear-powered heart.

The “core” would be full of power in the days ahead, and there would be no problem. And as a result of this, people also termed Twain as “the nuclear-powered Twain” …