Chapter 36

"In the latest round of the Rio-São Paulo Championship, São Paulo drew 1-1 with Botafogo at home. Not losing another game is a good thing. Another piece of good news is that Kaká has fully recovered from his injury and came on as a substitute for Rong in the 61st minute, performing well... However, I think this is not good news for Rong. His strongest competitor is back, and his poor performances in the last two matches might cost him a starting spot in the next game..."

"In the last two matches, Rong's performance has not been good, and in this game, he was finally substituted early by the recovered Kaká... What has made the once-magical Chinese kid lose all his magic? In these two games, we didn't see the speed and agility that Rong prides himself on; instead, we saw him fall to the ground repeatedly under the tight marking of his opponents..."

"At the post-match press conference of the previous Rio-São Paulo Championship, São Caetano's head coach Jair Picerni said he had studied Rong's match videos extensively and found a way to deal with him... Perhaps the biggest significance of that match was not just the end of São Paulo's three-game winning streak, but that Picerni provided other team coaches with a new perspective—don't be intimidated by Rong's speed, he is just a rookie who has only been playing football for three months! Botafogo clearly took this advice..."

"Although São Caetano can only play in the national second division this season, their performances in the Rio-São Paulo Championship and the Copa Libertadores have been impressive, and their success is no fluke..."

"Oswaldo Oliveira did not think after the match that São Paulo's two-game winless run was due to Rong's poor performance. Losing games is not the fault of one player, but this match also exposed Rong's issues. I think we should all calm down from our previous euphoria. Rong is just a rookie who has only been playing football for three months, and we shouldn't have such high expectations for him. In football, there is both over-praising and over-criticizing!"

"When the mysterious veil was lifted from Rong, everyone finally realized that he is actually a rookie with a weak foundation. There are many ways for professional players to deal with such a rookie. Reality is harsh, but that's the truth... Rong's impressive performances in three games ended once he was thoroughly studied by his opponents. He is no longer the 'magical Chinese kid' but an ordinary rookie. As long as he is frequently physically challenged and fouled, and various small tactics are used against him, his speed will be completely nullified! A person who only started playing football at 16, no matter how talented, has limits, and the eight-year gap with his peers cannot be bridged in just a few months!"

"Perhaps we can already conclude that Rong is just one of the many shooting stars that have appeared on the Brazilian domestic stage in recent years. Relying solely on speed, he will soon be eliminated! The myth of the magical Chinese kid once made me excited, but reality is not a novel or an American superhero comic or movie..."

"Congratulations, Kaká!" Renaldo said to Kaká in the locker room.

Kaká was puzzled: "For what?"

"For your excellent performance as a substitute in the last game. Although we didn't win, I think your return to the team marks the beginning of our winning streak," Renaldo said with a smile.

Kaká shook his head: "It's meaningless to say anything if we don't win. I care more about the team's results."

He wasn't happy about it.

Renaldo felt a bit embarrassed but quickly put on a smile: "The last two games not winning clearly wasn't your fault, so you don't need to feel guilty. Someone else should be held responsible, and I think... we might not see him soon? I hope he doesn't cry! Ha!"

Kaká didn't respond, just frowned slightly.

He also remembered that Rong had not performed as expected in the last two games. Would he be sent back to the youth team?

He was originally brought up from the youth team to fill a gap, and it was said he was still on a youth contract. It seemed unlikely that such a player would remain in the first team.

In the past, where Rong went had nothing to do with Kaká. Although he was only 19, he had seen many comings and goings and was used to it. This was the harsh reality of professional football, and it wasn't worth getting emotional over every player.

But now, he couldn't let it go.

He suddenly wanted to see how the Chinese kid would react to such a setback.

The kid who dared to challenge me in front of so many people—it's hard to imagine him crying...

At noon, Kaká, who usually went home for lunch, suddenly came to the training base's cafeteria.

If it were any other day, his arrival would have made the young players who saw him feel honored, as if eating in the same place as their idol Kaká was a great pleasure.

But today, there was no such treatment.

When he walked to the cafeteria entrance, he found it empty.

Had no one come to eat? Or was he late?

Kaká walked in with this doubt and realized he had made a mistake.

In the depths of the cafeteria, there were actually many people gathered in layers—everyone had moved there!

There were players from the youth team and Kaká's teammates from the first team.

Not only them, but Kaká also saw the cafeteria staff in the crowd...

They all stretched their necks to look, full of anticipation and surprise.

Although Kaká didn't often eat in the cafeteria, he knew such a scene was rare...

Something special must have happened.

What was going on?

Before he could figure it out, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd, mixed with excited whistles. Some raised their arms in celebration, some clapped, but more people slapped the table, stomped their feet, and held their heads in frustration, looking very annoyed.

"Ah! How is this possible?! How can a human do this?!"

"This is impossible! Is he even from Earth?!"

"Let's settle the bet, everyone is a famous star, and a little money doesn't matter... Come on, pay up, pay up!" Another voice rang out clearly in the noise.

Some people grudgingly took out bills and slapped them on the table, then walked away with a shake of their heads, still looking incredulous, muttering: "How is this possible... How could he fit four... in his mouth..."

"Even if they were flattened, it's still too much... I can't do it..."

"Maybe I should try to fit four sandwiches in my mouth at once?"

This made Kaká even more confused.

What was going on?

As the crowd dispersed, Kaká finally saw what had happened.

Rong was sitting at a table, his mouth stuffed with four sandwiches from the training base!

Each sandwich consisted of two slices of bread, a slice of tomato, a slice of lettuce, and a piece of boiled chicken. No cheese, no cheese, no salad dressing—completely healthy, low-calorie food, but very unpalatable.

Each sandwich was initially more than four centimeters thick, but now they were all flattened and stuffed into Rong's mouth!

Next to him, a mixed-race teenager was busy collecting the money on the table and passing it to others, but even so, he still had a lot in front of him.

While dividing the money, he said to Rong, "We made it, Rong! We made a lot of money! As usual, 30-70 split!"

Rong's mouth was full of sandwiches, so he could only nod and make a muffled sound.

When Kaká saw this, he remembered Renaldo's words.

Crying?

How is that possible?

I knew it... Crying is just too out of character for him!

He lowered his head and quickly walked to the food line, picked up a tray, and started getting his meal.

He took some food randomly and found a secluded corner to eat, trying to avoid drawing attention and not letting others know he was there.

But now he regretted it—What an idiot, why did I decide to come here?