"Nonsense! These media guys don't understand football at all!"
Ronaldo angrily slammed the newspaper onto the table.
The headline read:
"Wing Supernova Showdown: Netherlands vs Portugal — Robben Superior to Cristiano."
Kai picked up the paper and carefully read the analysis.
Honestly…
It wasn't unfair.
Ronaldo was fast.
But Robben was just as fast.
And compared to Ronaldo's explosive but slightly rigid dribbling, Robben's style was smoother, more fluid, almost artistic.
Although Ronaldo had a stronger physique, Robben's body wasn't weak either.
As for injuries and durability, the media couldn't predict that.
Except for Kai.
Only he knew that Robben would become famous later as a "glass man."
But even a glass man who still became a world-class star…
That only proved how terrifying Robben's talent really was.
"Cristiano, you've got to work harder," Kai said with a grin. "Look at the freaks we're meeting in the Youth Champions League. Every single one of them is rated higher than you."
"Right now, people think being compared equally with them is already a compliment for you."
Cristiano Ronaldo shot him a glare.
"Who the hell wants fifty-fifty? I want to crush them! I'm stronger than all of them! I'm the best!"
Kai nodded seriously.
"I admire your confidence. Shame you don't even get as many likes as me on the character cards."
"Get lost!" Ronaldo snapped. "Didn't you say if I live at your place I can eat twice-cooked pork every day? Then why the hell is there chicken breast in my lunchbox again?!"
He opened it and nearly collapsed.
Plain chicken breast.
Boiled vegetables.
Zero happiness.
Kai's promises were pure lies.
These so-called healthy meals tasted worse than trash.
"You want to surpass Robben and Van Persie, right?" Kai said while chewing his own sad meal. "Then eat it. Or do you want to turn into another glass man?"
Even he forced it down painfully.
Chinese cuisine had healthy options.
But those were royal-chef level dishes.
Normal food?
Oily. Spicy. Greasy. Especially Sichuan stuff.
Athlete nightmare.
They could only eat it once in a while.
Recently, Kai had collected enough blue fragments.
He unlocked a new skill:
Ball Control Mastery.
A very basic but extremely practical technique.
Ball lifting, cushioning, flicks, quick touches.
Useful for stopping, passing, dribbling, even shooting.
No flashy effects.
But ridiculously versatile.
Solid.
February 19th.
Youth Champions League quarter-finals.
CCTV Sports somehow got the free broadcast rights through Jiang Yunzhu from Sports Weekly.
Since there were no "important events" like Go, curling, pommel horse, or random fishing shows that day…
Channel 5 finally broadcast football.
Domestic fans were moved to tears.
After all, the sports channel's definition of "important" had always been mysterious.
Huang Jianxiang's voice rang out:
"Hello, viewers! Welcome to today's match…"
"The screen now shows Dutch star Arjen Robben. A genuine prodigy. He showed incredible talent from a young age."
"He even played tennis competitively and won championships before finally choosing football."
"Some say he's even more talented than Van Persie, Sneijder, and Van der Vaart. The only thing he lacks is club exposure."
He quickly read the notes.
"Sporting Lisbon's lineup today—"
"Front three: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lorenzo, Marcelino."
"Midfield: Veloso, Kai, Semedo."
"Defense: Araújo, Ângelo, Manuel, Duarte."
"Goalkeeper: Pilar."
"Duarte returns from injury today. Wu Xudong moves back to the bench."
"Let's see if he gets a chance."
"Alright—the match has begun!"
Soon, Chinese fans were hooked.
Not because Wu Xudong played.
But because the level was insane.
First touch.
Passing.
Shooting.
Physical battles.
Speed.
Everything crisp and sharp.
Nothing like the soft, sloppy domestic leagues.
"Robben again! Araújo can't stop him at all!"
"Goal! Robben scores first!"
"Wait—counterattack! Kai with a through ball! Ronaldo scores! Equalizer!"
"Cristiano's speed is terrifying!"
"Free kick—header—GOAL! Ronaldo with a brace! Sporting leads!"
"Robben again! Nobody can stop him—penalty!"
"Goal! Robben scores twice too!"
"2–2!"
"What a game!"
Halftime.
Total chaos.
Robben unstoppable.
Ronaldo unstoppable.
Pure fireworks.
In the locker room, Coach Marques was hyping everyone up, massaging players, blasting soft music to relax them.
Kai walked around talking to teammates.
Sharing information.
Helping everyone adjust.
Ronaldo pulled off his socks.
His calves were full of bruises.
Groningen's defense was brutal.
Every dribble cost stamina.
And blood.
Meanwhile Robben seemed much lighter.
On the other side, Araújo kept rubbing his ankle.
Kai quietly walked to Marques.
"Robben's too fast. Araújo can't handle him."
"He made too many emergency stops. His ankle's almost gone. He keeps adjusting it — that's a pre-injury sign."
Marques looked at him.
"So?"
"Put Wu Xudong on," Kai said. "He's fast. At least he can keep up with Robben."
Marques nodded.
Then he grabbed the tactical board and pretended to explain tactics.
In reality, the page just had:
Wu Xudong — Speed: Extremely fast
And in red ink:
Kai strongly recommends him
Marques understood.
Kai's eye for talent had basically become cheat-level.
Second half.
Wu Xudong came on.
Chinese fans exploded.
52nd minute.
Robben accelerated again.
Normally, once he hit top speed, nobody could stop him.
But this time—
BOOM!
A sliding tackle.
Clean.
Ball first.
"Beautiful challenge!"
"Perfect tackle!"
"Wu Xudong stops Robben!"
"Marques really knows what he's doing! Switching a right back to the left and it works instantly!"
"Top-class coaching!"
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