Chapter 1

July 2, 2001

Today, Choi and his family returned to São Paulo after visiting relatives in China. He invited me to his house tomorrow, and I am very interested in what he brought back from China. That mysterious country has always fascinated me... They said they brought something back for me, something I will definitely like... I am so curious, what could it be that I would like so much?

July 3, 2001

It was truly astonishing! Can you guess what I found? Choi showed me a video they shot in China! In the video, I saw a Chinese teenager who runs incredibly fast, with a very agile and flexible body! He can run barefoot through the mountains with agility surpassing that of a dog! I am sure I didn't misjudge him; he is a genius and will surely become a world-class player in the future! Will my failed career as an agent finally see a glorious future? I have decided, I must go to China and bring him to Brazil!

God bless, I hope I haven't misjudged this time...

August 9, 2001

After a month of preparation, I finally arrived in China! Tomorrow, I will go to Choi's hometown with him, where he apparently filmed that teenager... I hope I can find him smoothly.

August 11, 2001

I finally found the teenager named Rongguang, but I encountered some competition. According to Choi, it seems to be a local track and field team... Fortunately, I managed to secure him with 20,000 RMB (about 6,000 Brazilian reais)! It seems this teenager really likes money... That's good, I was afraid he might be a lazy person with no motivation or fighting spirit. I've seen and heard too many so-called geniuses who lack the drive to turn their talent into strength... Money can also be a motivator, right? We all like money, don't we?

However, we can't leave immediately because Rong insists on waiting for his family's new house to be built before leaving. What a stubborn kid, but his home is indeed in very poor condition; I really doubt a strong wind wouldn't blow it down... Well, I plan to use this time to teach him Portuguese. If he can't communicate in Brazil, he won't be able to get by.

Anyway, Choi helped me get a work visa, so I have time.

December 26, 2001

I never thought I would spend a Christmas in a remote mountain village in the northwest of China...

It's starting to get colder here, and it's supposed to snow soon, but I came here in the summer and didn't bring any warm clothes... Thank God, Rong's new house is finally built, and we can leave China... I am amazed by Rong's learning ability; he has basically mastered conversational Portuguese—though he can't write yet, and his reading is still a bit choppy, his listening and speaking skills are fine. Perhaps, as he boasts, if his family weren't so poor, he would have gone to high school in the county and become the first person in the village to attend university, instead of herding sheep in this poor mountain village with only a dog for company...

I told Rong that he can still make a name for himself without going to university because he is a genius in football! Although he hasn't started playing football yet—I forgot to bring a football, and there are no footballs in the village—I firmly believe that if he applies his language learning ability to football... he will soon astonish the entire Brazil!

But most importantly, it's his body! His athletic talent, something that can't be trained, is truly a gift from heaven!

...

January 5, 2002

Damn it! Damn Edvaldo Simões! Damn Corinthians! How can they be so arrogant, not even giving us a tryout opportunity! You will regret it! You will definitely regret it! I swear! When Rong succeeds in the future, you will regret humiliating me today!

January 14, 2002

What's wrong with being sixteen? Can't a sixteen-year-old play football anymore? Can't you see his outstanding talent and potential?!

Why do all the clubs lose interest just because he is Chinese and sixteen?

Some people say I have a poor eye for talent... Do I really have a poor eye for talent?

Is Rong not a genius?

No!

Perhaps my previous failures as an agent and my poor eye for talent are related... But this time, it's not the case!

Rong is definitely a genius!

I am convinced!

Alright, Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras, Fluminense... You will regret your decision today!

Tomorrow, I will take Rong to São Paulo, known for its youth training, where Kaka was developed. Rong's speed is similar to Kaka's, so maybe there's a chance.

This is the last opportunity. If it doesn't work, I will take him to other states to try his luck...

A bunch of short-sighted fools!

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