Chapter 39

It wasn't pain or the depletion of his energy that made Rongguang stop this almost self-torturing training, but the net that had been worn out from constant friction with the ground.

When Rongguang kicked the soccer ball again and didn't feel the usual tautness in the rope on his right foot, he thought he had finally found the right feeling.

But when he looked again, the soccer ball had already rolled far ahead, and the net under his foot had deflated, revealing a frayed and broken end.

The net, made of high-strength nylon rope, had thus been honorably sacrificed in Rongguang's relentless "one more time" training...

Rongguang stared blankly at the distant soccer ball, not moving to chase it.

Only then did he feel the fatigue and the burning pain all over his body.

He lifted his arm and found that there was almost no intact skin left, the lightest being red abrasions, and the worst being broken and bleeding.

His right ankle also throbbed with a sharp pain.

Rongguang squatted down, untied the rope around his ankle, and saw a red mark where the knot and the rope had rubbed against it.

This circle was almost completely worn out.

Even without touching it, he could feel the burning pain.

As for his knees and the outer sides of his calves, not to mention the bruises and abrasions on his face, he was covered in injuries.

But Rongguang didn't frown from the pain.

On the contrary, he was excited. His body was exhausted, but his eyes sparkled.

Because he felt a bit of progress!

This meant that the path was correct!

With the right method, it was just a matter of putting in ten thousand hours of training—Godo had told him that anyone who invested ten thousand hours of repeated training in a field could succeed. This was called the "ten thousand-hour rule."

When playing and fooling around with Xiao Bai on the mountain, he would often be covered in injuries. For a mountain child, this was a common occurrence.

And as long as he could perform well and earn big money, what did a little pain matter?

※※※

When Godo saw Rongguang open the door and walk in, he was shocked.

"Who did you fight with?"

He saw Rongguang, who was covered in scars and bleeding in some places.

At first, he almost didn't recognize him.

Rongguang was tired but smiling happily.

"Godo, can you drop me off five kilometers before the training base and pick me up from there in the future?" he asked.

"What for?"

"I want to do special training!" Rongguang said with determination.

"You haven't even explained what happened, Rong." Godo pulled up Rongguang's arm, and the sight was so shocking that he couldn't help but frown. "It was just a morning run, why do you look like you've come back from the Iraq battlefield? Maybe tomorrow you'll come back with a shorter leg, saying it's your leg? And in a few days, you might come back with your head in your hand?"

Because of Rongguang's poor performance in the last two matches, the new contract negotiations that had made Godo confident had fallen into a rut.

Godo had been worried about this for several days.

Now, seeing his most valuable "commodity" so careless with himself, covered in injuries, he wondered if Rongguang was depressed and had given up, causing trouble.

Godo was so angry at this thought that his tone became much more acidic and harsh.

But Rongguang seemed completely oblivious to Godo's emotional tone. He looked at the injury on his arm and said casually, "Oh, this is just a byproduct of my special training."

"Special training, special training, special training... Damn special training! You are a professional soccer player, Rong! Does the training at São Paulo make you look like this? What is the most important thing for a real player? It's not how many goals you can score on the field, but how you take care of your body! If you don't take care of your body, no one in this world can help you, not even God!"

Under immense pressure, Godo finally exploded. In his eyes, Rongguang was a capricious child who didn't know how to take care of himself.

He had to teach him the right path.

He cared so much about Rongguang that he was more anxious about his injuries than Rongguang himself.

Because Rongguang was his most important "commodity," and he had high hopes for him. If Rongguang failed, he would fail too.

But deep down, he also felt the anger and sadness of a father seeing his son give up after a setback.

Pitying his misfortune and angry at his lack of effort.

※※※

Seeing Godo suddenly explode, Rongguang was startled and realized that Godo's emotions were off.

Since meeting Godo, Godo had always been like a friend, never arguing with him or putting on airs.

Otherwise, why would Rongguang call him by his nickname instead of "sir"?

Because their relationship was very harmonious.

Godo always greeted him with a smile, even after arguing with his daughter on the phone, he would still smile at Rongguang.

People say that a broad mind leads to a plump body, and in Rongguang's eyes, Godo was a typical example.

Even if his recent performances in the last two matches had worried him, it shouldn't have been this exaggerated, right?

"What's wrong, Godo?" he asked in confusion.

After shouting, Godo also realized his loss of composure.

Why should he vent his frustration from Leko on Rongguang?

He was just a sixteen-year-old child...

"Sorry, Rong. I got carried away... But I really don't agree with your approach of not taking care of your body, Rong."

"But I really am doing special training, Godo. To master dribbling in the shortest time, I have to pay a price, right?"

The topic returned to "special training."

"Who gave you this bad idea? Proper training would never harm your body."

Seeing that Godo didn't believe him, Rongguang told him about the old sage he met during his morning run.

After listening, Godo looked at Rongguang with a complex expression.

"Are you sure he's not crazy, Rong?"

"The old sage is a great person, Godo!"

"You went out for a morning run and suddenly met a sage who taught you this method? If he were really a sage, why didn't he just teach you how to dribble directly?" Godo pointed out the logical flaw in Rongguang's story.

To his surprise, Rongguang said seriously, "It's wrong to get something for nothing, Godo."

"..." Godo barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"But I think it's more like a prank, Rong. Don't let someone fool you."

Rongguang shook his head firmly, "That's impossible, Godo. I really feel some progress. Don't you think this method is suitable for me? It makes sense..."

Godo shook his head and spread his hands, "Not at all."

They had a discussion about the special training, but in the end, Rongguang couldn't convince Godo to agree to drop him off five kilometers before the training base.

"If you get injured now, it will be over, Rong. All your efforts and the treatment you've received will be gone. You'll lose your chance in the first team, and challenging Kaká will become a joke. Just follow the club's training program. It may take longer, but it's safe and effective. You're only sixteen, and your future is long. There's no need to rush to make money. I can support you easily."

Godo spoke with deep concern.

Rongguang wanted to insist, but seeing Godo's expression, he opened his mouth and then closed it, saying nothing.

But he had already made up his mind.

If Godo didn't agree, he would continue the special training during his morning runs!

※※※

The next day, Godo drove Rongguang to the training, and as expected, he didn't drop him off five kilometers before the training base but drove all the way to the entrance.

Throughout the journey, Godo's face was stern, and he didn't talk to Rongguang.

It was clear that he was firmly against Rongguang's special training.

Rongguang knew that further argument was futile, as he had already decided to stick to his special training.

He believed the old sage's method was right because he had felt progress during his morning training.

This progress was more noticeable than what he had experienced in the club's training.

So Rongguang was confident in his choice.

Godo didn't understand because he doubted the old sage.

No problem, once he succeeded, Godo would believe in the old sage!

"Goodbye, Godo." After saying goodbye, Rongguang pushed open the car door and got out.

Godo didn't say anything, just watched him leave.

Am I being too harsh?

He asked himself.

Thinking about it, Rongguang, though young, was not someone who didn't understand things.

Even challenging Kaká didn't seem wrong to him. Aiming for a strong opponent was the only way to become strong. Aiming for ordinary people would only make you ordinary.

So Godo mostly supported Rongguang's actions.

Why did he react so strongly this time?

Because of the injuries?

Seeing his injuries when he came back was indeed shocking... A player who doesn't take care of his body has no future. Godo was firm on this point.

But the situation was special. If Rongguang could solve this problem quickly, wouldn't he have more confidence in front of Leko?

Thinking of Leko's arrogant face, Godo felt very uncomfortable.

He hadn't realized his own change—before, if Leko was arrogant to him, he wouldn't dare to say a word, let alone make Leko look bad. But now, with Rongguang, he had ambitions and was unwilling to be trampled like mud.

His once humble heart, facing the big clubs, was now stirring.

After seeing Rongguang's impressive start, Godo might no longer be content to be a nobody.

※※※

When Rongguang entered the locker room, his teammates, regardless of what they were doing, stopped and looked at him with surprise.

It wasn't that they were overreacting; today's Rongguang was too "unconventional."

His face, covered in medicine, had an odd color.

His exposed skin was covered in medicated wounds.

From his arms to his legs, there was no intact spot.

When he sat down to change, everyone was even more stunned—Rongguang's injuries were shocking!

"Did you get into a fight, Rong?" Riko asked with concern.

"No, Riko. I was just doing special training," Rongguang replied.

"Special training?" Riko frowned.

He had never seen such a training that left someone so battered...

Captain Ceni also reminded Rongguang to take care of his body.

"Getting injured during training, especially outside the team's training, can make the head coach doubt your professionalism, Rong," Ceni said solemnly.

Rongguang nodded, "I know, Captain. I think once I get better at it, it won't be like this anymore!"

Ceni knew Rongguang's current situation, from his initial brilliance to his current slump, Rongguang must be under a lot of pressure.

So he didn't say too much, just a reminder, a gentle nudge.

And from Rongguang's challenge to Kaká, Ceni had fully recognized Rongguang's determination and stubbornness.

What he initially thought was a joke, Rongguang was taking very seriously.

So he knew that if he insisted on changing Rongguang, it would be very difficult.