Chapter 3

At around midnight, Chen Yu fell into a drowsy sleep. When he woke up, it was already eight o'clock, and it was time for work. Chen Yu didn't even have time for breakfast. He quickly put on his clothes, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. He then went to the computer, unplugged the USB drive, hung it around his neck, and left the rental house, heading towards the bus stop.

Siena is a small city in Italy with a population of only 50,000, of which 20,000 are college students. The traffic on the roads is not congested at all. However, Chen Yu got up too late and was already about ten minutes late when he arrived at the China Hotel.

The China Hotel is decorated with a national style. At the entrance stands a waitress in a Chinese cheongsam, and the hall is furnished with ancient-style square tables and lacquered stools. The walls are adorned with dragon and phoenix patterns and Chinese calligraphy, and classical music like Jiangnan silk and bamboo is played. The air is filled with the fragrance of jasmine tea, creating a festive and warm atmosphere, making customers feel as if they are in a teahouse in southern China.

The boss's wife, dressed up beautifully, was wiping the tables and windows with another worker. This was originally Chen Yu's job. Seeing Chen Yu arrive late without any sign of remorse, the boss's wife threw the wet cloth at Chen Yu's feet and shouted at him like a firecracker, "You were up all night playing games again! Chen Yu, I'm telling you, if this happens again, you don't have to come back."

In Italy, workers usually work from 9 AM to 5 PM, but Chinese workers in Italy do not enjoy this treatment. The Chinese workers at the China Hotel start work at 7:30 AM and don't get to rest until 10 PM. The hotel only provides one meal, lunch. Although the monthly salary is 1,000 euros, Italy is a wealthy country in Europe with a high cost of living. Even if they save on food and expenses, they don't have much left at the end of the year. Even so, the boss still treats Chinese workers rudely, showing no respect, and is even worse than foreign bosses. This is what people who work abroad often say: "Our own people treat us even worse."

Among the four Chinese employees at the China Hotel, only Chen Yu is a college student, and his girlfriend is a student at the University of Siena. At first, the boss and the boss's wife respected Chen Yu, but after he broke up with his girlfriend and became obsessed with games and football, his future seemed bleak, and their attitude towards him became increasingly harsh.

"Ms. Wang, don't say such hurtful things. I'm not here to freeload. We are already working more hours than the standard."

If Ms. Wang hadn't thrown the cloth at Chen Yu's feet, he would have ignored her. He had heard many harsh words before, but this action made him angry.

Ms. Wang almost jumped up, "What are you saying? You don't even have a work visa. If we didn't let you work here, you would have starved to death. Now you're talking about working hours? Ungrateful!"

Chen Yu frowned and said coldly, "Don't act like a savior. There are hundreds of thousands of Chinese in Italy, and there are many Chinese restaurants. You know what you want, and you know it well."

Chen Yu's words hit a nerve. Ms. Wang rushed to Chen Yu, pointing at his nose, "There are many good companies. If you have the ability, go there. Why do you want to work in my small restaurant? Leave now, immediately. Our temple is too small to accommodate your big Buddha."

At this moment, the boss, Mr. Wang, came out with his toothbrush, seeing his wife chasing Chen Yu away. He quickly said, "What's going on? Let's talk it out, A-fang, why are you chasing Chen away?"

Although Chen Yu is just a waiter, he has a high education and knows some English and Italian. He basically takes on the role of a hall manager. Mr. Wang doesn't want Chen Yu to leave.

Chen Yu said coldly, "Brother Wang, Sister Wang, I'll call you Sister Wang one last time. Settle my salary, and I'll leave immediately. I don't believe I have to eat hairy pigs without you."

"Chen, if you have any demands, tell me..."

Mr. Wang wanted to retain Chen Yu, but his wife pushed him aside.

"Don't call me Sister Wang. I don't want it and can't bear it... Mr. Wang, settle his salary and let him go."

Chen Yu laughed in anger, "Mrs. Wang, you're tough. You're firing me today, but one day, I'll return the favor."

At this moment, Mr. Wang brought the money and said helplessly to Chen Yu, "Brother, I'm sorry..."

"Don't talk," Ms. Wang glared at her husband, grabbed the money, counted ten bills, and threw them at Chen Yu, "Fine, Mr. Chen, let's see what you can do to make me fire you."

Chen Yu didn't want to deal with this pretentious and vulgar woman anymore. He took the money and left the China Hotel without looking back. He wandered aimlessly on the street for a while and then went to the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

This is the home ground of Siena, an Italian second-tier team. Chen Yu would come to watch Siena's matches on match days and report the scores to an underground gambling organization in China for a small income. On non-match days, if he had time, he would also come to watch Siena's training. Siena doesn't have any star players, but their overall tactics are good, and the players are physically strong, not much worse than the top teams in the Chinese Super League.

Chen Yu once had a dream of playing in the Italian second tier, but he never dared to say it. It wasn't that he lacked courage, but he knew the gap between him and these players. His technique wasn't much different, but his physical and mental awareness were far behind. He probably couldn't even be a substitute, and even if he could, the non-EU quota for European teams is limited. They wouldn't give a precious foreign player slot to a Chinese player who couldn't even be a substitute.

But this time, Chen Yu decided to give it a try. He touched the USB drive hanging around his neck and walked towards Siena's assistant coach, Mendelsohn, who was resting on the sidelines.

Mendelsohn likes Chinese food and often visits the China Hotel where Chen Yu works. Chen Yu can speak some English and Italian, and he mainly communicates with Mendelsohn. They are quite familiar with each other.

"Coach Mendelsohn, I want to play for Siena. Can you give me a trial?"

Mendelsohn stared at the young Chinese man with eagle-like eyes. He is young, but his eyes are full of confidence and fearlessness. He only knows a few simple Italian words and speaks broken English, but he is respectful and sincere. However, what made Mendelsohn like him wasn't just his attitude. He often sees this young man in the stands, not just on match days but also during training. But this alone wouldn't be enough to give him a trial. If every stranger who came asked for a trial, it would greatly affect the team's training. Moreover, the team's recruitment is already complete, and they are strong and don't need to bring in more foreign players.

"Ha, young man, which team did you play for professionally?"

"I played in the Chinese second tier for a year."

"I admire your courage, but I'm sorry, I can't give you a trial. I don't have the authority, and we don't need to bring in more foreign players... But if you can give me a highlight reel that impresses me, I can recommend you to our head coach, Mr. Maridimo, and see what he thinks."

Chen Yu had expected this result. He knew it would be difficult for someone with no professional experience to join an Italian second-tier team, but he wouldn't give up without trying. He didn't expect Mendelsohn to offer him this opportunity. Chen Yu bowed deeply to Mendelsohn, "Thank you for giving me a chance, Coach Mendelsohn."

Mendelsohn chuckled, "Talented people won't be buried anywhere. I'm just providing an opportunity. Whether Coach Maridimo will accept you depends on your ability and luck."

"Yes, I understand."

Chen Yu left the Artemio Franchi Stadium as quickly as possible, went home, and rummaged through his belongings to find his highlight reel, which he then gave to Assistant Coach Mendelsohn. He then went up to the stands, watching Siena's training, studying the players' techniques and tactics, and secretly observing Coach Maridimo's expression. However, Maridimo showed no reaction and didn't even look at the stands.

At noon, Chen Yu bought two bread rolls and a cup of coffee for a quick meal. After eating, he started playing Pro Evolution Soccer 8. Just as he was playing intensely, Xu Fei called.

"Brother Chen, let's go play football. We're going to take revenge today. You have to come, or you'll regret it."

Chen Yu, hearing Xu Fei's mysterious tone, said, "Xu Fei, what are you up to?"

Xu Fei said, "I've called a friend who plays in a professional team. We're going to take on those foreign guys."

Chen Yu shook his head, "If he's recognized, winning won't be fair, and losing will be embarrassing."

Xu Fei said, "No worries. This friend is from Florence and has been signed by Florence's team."

"Florence?! I doubt he's that good." Chen Yu shook his head. Although he lives in Siena, he is also a partial fan of Florence. The two cities are only 50 kilometers apart, and he often goes to watch Florence's matches on match days. However, the current Florence is not the same as the former Serie A powerhouse. This year, Florence has suffered multiple setbacks, not only being relegated from Serie A but also being forced to play in the fourth-tier Serie C2 due to bankruptcy, which is two levels below Siena. Playing in Serie C2, his level probably isn't much better.

"Alright, I'll change clothes right away. By the way, bring the camera and record the match."

Chen Yu was still happy. He was worried that he might not be able to handle the foreign guys alone, as football is a team sport. Hao Dong is not a world-class forward, and even with Chen Yu's body and his football awareness, he is only a third-rate professional player. But with another professional player, victory is more likely.

"Sure, no problem." Xu Fei thought Chen Yu wanted to record the glorious moment of defeating the foreign guys and agreed without hesitation.

After hanging up, Chen Yu opened his computer, plugged in the USB drive, and nervously waited for the football spirit to appear.

"Welcome to the Star Player Rapid Training System. Spirit No. 1 is here to serve you."

The computer screen quickly changed from the classic Windows 2000 interface to a golden world. The football spirit, with a large head and small body, spoke in a stiff voice, which made Chen Yu's nervousness and anxiety disappear. He found the amateur version of the star player awareness training system, bound the awareness of forward Hao Dong, and quickly left the rental house, riding his bike to the park stadium.

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