Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1240: One Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Three: A Good Start

Chapter 1240: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Three: A Good Start

There was no scene of Eileen and Fritz embracing and reconciling, as icebergs require enough warmth and time to melt, and estrangements obviously follow the same rule.

But no matter what, the fact that Eileen can have a normal conversation with her father is an incredible improvement. It’s a good start.

After exchanging apologies, Eileen seemed a little flustered. She stayed silent for a moment, then pointed toward the door with her finger and whispered, “Um, we need to go out now. The afternoon match is about to start—we need to head to the stadium.”

After saying that, Eileen added quietly, “I’ll come back tonight, though we should be eating out.”

Eileen’s mother was very happy because what Eileen said meant that she wasn’t leaving anymore.

“Alright, go ahead, and be safe on the road.”

Fritz hesitated for a moment but then whispered, “There’s a match today, right? I haven’t watched a game in ages. Uh, is it against FSV Mainz 05?”

Eileen hesitated for a moment before softly replying, “Yes.”

Fritz and Eileen were quite interesting; before saying anything, they both had to pause and think, as if carefully considering whether their next words were worth saying.

After another brief silence, Fritz coughed lightly and said, “Dortmund hasn’t performed too well this year; the Champions League placed them in the group of death, yet they still managed to qualify in first place. That’s great. Plus, their opponent in the Round of 16 is Zenit Saint Petersburg; I think making it to the quarterfinals shouldn’t be a problem—at least the quarterfinals.”

Eileen spoke softly, “Yes, not a problem. Even reaching the semifinals isn’t impossible.”

Fritz shook his head and said grimly, “If they make the quarterfinals, their opponent will definitely be Real Madrid. I think the chances of beating Real Madrid are there, but they’re slim. Dortmund has too many injuries and would have to rely on a substitute lineup—it will be hard for them to go much further.”

Eileen, looking troubled, said, “Injuries are a hassle; they can’t be avoided, nor can they easily be resolved.”

At that moment, Eileen’s mother suddenly spoke up, “How long has it been since you two watched a game together? Why not go together this time, Fritz?”

Fritz was taken aback for a moment but quickly assured, “I have no problem with that. It’s Sunday, and I don’t have much to do when I go back anyway, as long as it doesn’t delay anything tomorrow.”

Talking about football seemed to loosen some of the tension between Eileen and her father.

Eileen’s interest in football was nurtured by Fritz. When she was young, Fritz often took her to watch matches; perhaps this evoked buried memories of happy times. Eileen looked tempted, but after hesitating for a moment, she said, still conflicted, “But I’m planning to go with my friends. If we all go together, wouldn’t that feel a bit awkward?”

Gao Yang quickly interjected, “It’s not awkward at all! The more, the merrier. We can absolutely all go together.”

For Gao Yang, watching matches was just for fun. His interest in football was minimal, and he didn’t really understand it—he was merely tagging along for company. Having Fritz join them might feel a little uncomfortable, but rebuilding the relationship between Eileen and her father was more important.

After thinking for a moment, Eileen finally nodded and said softly, “Alright, then let’s go together.”

Fritz glanced at his watch and hurriedly said, “If we’re all going, the match tickets could be an issue. Calling now, I don’t know if we can still get a box.”

Eileen waved her hand and softly said, “Don’t worry—I’ve already booked a box using your membership.”

The Signal Iduna Park stadium is Dortmund’s home ground, and it has VIP boxes. However, unlike the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with its astounding 200+ VIP boxes encircling the venue, Signal Iduna Park only has a handful, and they’re exclusively available to the club’s VIP members. Fritz, being both a senior Dortmund member and a person of status, certainly qualified.

Fritz seemed somewhat excited. He smiled and said energetically, “Great! Let’s head out right away.”

As usual, Gao Yang’s group of four shared one car, while Fritz and his wife took another.

But when Eileen drove away from the house, everyone in the car collectively exhaled deeply.

Rafael smiled wryly and said, “Finally leaving! Facing a genuine general—too much pressure! Boss, I really admire you; you even got a general to salute you.”

Gao Yang looked relieved as he lounged in the back seat and said loudly, “You could’ve just stood there and said nothing—I couldn’t afford to keep quiet, could I?”

Eileen, slightly embarrassed, said, “Sorry, I misunderstood you earlier. Um, I really thought you’d forcibly make me stay home, just like you did with Frey before.”

Gao Yang waved his hand and said, “You’re not like Frey—I know your personality. Since you don’t want to stay home, how could I possibly force you to? Besides, didn’t Frey’s case teach me enough? I’ve already learned not to waste effort on useless tactics.”

Eileen smiled and said, “Actually, while I was in the house, I could hear you talking. When you started demanding my father treat you as an equal during the conversation, I couldn’t help but laugh.”

Gao Yang smiled bitterly and said, “Your dad might’ve wanted to eat me alive at that moment. The fact that he endured and spoke to me was already an act of extreme self-restraint. If I didn’t come up with a way to make him stay calm and take me seriously, do you think he’d have listened at all? Fortunately, your father is a professional military man who respects ranks—that tactic worked. To think the honorary rank given to me in Syria would serve me best here!”

Laughing but soon sighing deeply, Gao Yang said, “Eileen, try to get along with your father. Do you really harbor hatred toward him? No, you don’t. They love you—your father and mother both. They just show their love in ways that you don’t like, which led to your resentment. In this world, what kind of parents don’t love their children? Yes, I know there are exceptions, but they’re extremely rare, and your parents definitely don’t fall into that category.”

The car grew quiet. Gao Yang softly said, “Eileen, I’m not trying to preach or tell you what to do, but there’s one thing I absolutely need to tell you.”

After pursing his lips and remaining silent for a long moment, Gao Yang finally said earnestly, “There’s an ancient saying in Huaxia: ‘The tree longs for stillness, but the wind will not cease; the child wishes to be filial, but the parent is no longer there.’ Eileen, think about this carefully.”

Eileen nodded, not saying a word, as though she were reflecting on Gao Yang’s words. After a long pause, she finally exhaled and said softly, “Let the past be the past. If I have time in the future, I’ll visit often. The only condition is that they don’t force me to leave Satan. As for other matters, I’ll respect their decisions.” (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)