Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4

15 min read3,747 words

The city of Siena was small, and Chen Yu only took about ten minutes to ride his bike to the park.

Beside the basketball court, Xu Bing and other Chinese students were already waiting. There were many Chinese students in Siena, but since they often played soccer together, Chen Yu knew most of them. Among them, there was a tall and strong young man whom Chen Yu had never seen before. From his agile body and powerful gait, Chen Yu guessed that he was the professional player Xu Bing had mentioned.

People who had played professional soccer often had a kind of tacit understanding. The tall young man also noticed that Chen Yu was different from ordinary students. He said a few words to Xu Bing and then walked over to Chen Yu, "Are you Chen Yu? I'm Gao Fei. You must have played professional soccer, right?"

Chen Yu had a good impression of this sunny and straightforward boy and replied, "Yes, I played in the second division for a year."

"Why didn't you continue?"

"I graduated, and no club wanted me, so I came out to look for a job."

"Graduated? Which university? Beijing Institute of Technology?"

"Yes, where did you play?"

"Beijing Institute of Technology. No wonder. I used to be in the Metz youth team in France. I'm a Fiorentina fan. Since Fiorentina went bankrupt and dropped to the third division, all the players left. So I decided to come to Fiorentina to develop my career."

"Third division is a bit low, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's even lower than the Chinese second division. However, this is just a stepping stone for me. If I perform well, I'll have a chance to go to the second division, like Siena, and then to the Serie A. That's the stage I dream of." Gao Fei was full of confidence and vigor.

"What position do you play?"

"Central midfielder, and I can also play as a defensive midfielder. What about you?"

"I'm a forward."

While Gao Fei and Chen Yu were talking, the group of foreign students arrived. They had just defeated the Chinese students by a large margin the day before, so they were very arrogant and arrived more than ten minutes late. They even said they would score a double-digit score, not noticing that there was a new player among the Chinese students. Even if they had known, they wouldn't have taken it seriously. In their minds, Chinese people only knew how to play table tennis and had no idea what soccer was.

The game started quickly. To avoid disputes, two Chinese students and two foreign students who organized the match served as referees.

The foreign students had won 8-1 the day before and didn't take the Chinese students seriously today. They started the game by using their physical advantage to bombard the Chinese students' penalty area. However, with Gao Fei, who had played in the Metz youth team, the Chinese students' defense was greatly strengthened. Gao Fei headed out several high balls, and his command and coordination significantly improved the defense.

Gao Fei's performance didn't surprise the Chinese students, as he was already highly expected. However, Chen Yu's transformation shocked everyone.

In the previous match between the Chinese and foreign students, Chen Yu's skills were outstanding, arguably the best among the 22 players. Although his technical and tactical advantages offset the physical gap and gave him an individual edge, the overall level of the Chinese students was poor, limiting his impact.

In this game, with Gao Fei in the back, who could clear and control the ball, Chen Yu had more opportunities to get the ball. However, this wasn't what surprised his teammates and opponents. What amazed them was Chen Yu's ball control. His skills were already excellent, but they weren't fundamentally different from others. People felt that with more practice, they could achieve the same level. However, the current Chen Yu was different. His ball control, dribbling, and passing were so fluid and precise, and his positioning and shooting were so reasonable, that it felt like a world apart from amateur soccer.

Gao Fei was also surprised. Although he had played in the Metz youth team, he had only been there for two years and was very familiar with the domestic soccer scene. The football talents recruited by Beijing Institute of Technology were young players who couldn't make it in professional soccer, which meant they were of lower quality. He didn't think Chen Yu could play very well, but when the game started, Gao Fei was stunned. This level was far beyond amateur, and while it might not be up to the standards of the top five leagues, playing in the Dutch or Belgian leagues should be no problem. The only drawback was his lack of physical strength, which would be a significant disadvantage in European soccer.

With Gao Fei in the back and Chen Yu in the front, the Chinese students, though not dominating the game, posed a significant threat. At the 8th minute, Gao Fei made a precise long pass, and Chen Yu, who had already started running, slipped through the two center-backs. As the ball descended, he leaped and controlled it on his foot, then dribbled forward, creating a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper.

Chen Yu's positioning was very clever. The two center-backs had just seen him running back slowly, but in the blink of an eye, he had already slipped through the gap between them. They didn't even notice when he turned and started running.

Chen Yu's ball control and dribbling were also impressive. Although professional players often did this smoothly, it was rare in amateur games. The spectators couldn't help but applaud and cheer.

There was no doubt about the goal. Chen Yu's simple and straightforward move and shot left the goalkeeper on the ground as the ball flew into the net.

"Amazing! Brother Chen!"

"I feel like you've become a different person."

"You've activated the invincible mode!"

His teammates cheered, but Chen Yu was in a daze. The series of actions just now felt like a dream. This was what he had always dreamed of doing, and today he finally did it. He didn't know how he did it. His body seemed to act on its own, and every move was the most reasonable.

"Is this Hao Dong's soccer awareness? Is this the level of the top forward in the Chinese Super League? It seems I don't have the qualifications to play in a professional team."

The gap was very obvious. Chen Yu was a bit disappointed but more excited. As long as he gradually improved, he could bind to higher-level stars' awareness and achieve his dream of professional soccer.

The rest of the game became a performance by Chen Yu and Gao Fei. One attacked, and the other defended, overwhelming the foreign students. They won 5-0, with Chen Yu scoring all five goals, and Gao Fei's defense not allowing the foreign students to score. After the game, the foreign students left without even daring to talk about revenge.

"Go play soccer. I'll introduce you. Working as a waiter in a hotel is a waste of talent."

After the game, Gao Fei, holding Chen Yu's hand, said angrily. He had heard about Chen Yu from Xu Bing and other students and knew that Chen Yu played well, but he thought these amateur enthusiasts couldn't distinguish good from bad. They just enjoyed the show, and what they considered good was often just flashy play, which wouldn't impress professional coaches. However, today, he saw that Chen Yu was indeed good, so good that it made him a bit jealous. Whether it was positioning, shooting, ball control, or dribbling, everything was very reasonable and concise, with no unnecessary movements. It was the result of years of professional league training, not like a player who had only played in the second division for a year.

"Um, I've already resigned." Chen Yu draped his wet jersey over his shoulder. "Someone recommended me to Siena. I want to give it a try."

"Siena? A second-division team. Forget it, don't go. Although your level is good, Siena has been working hard in recent years. The owner is heavily investing in players, aiming to promote to Serie A. Their strength is not much different from the lower teams in Serie A. You probably won't get hired. It's better to go to Fiorentina 1926. Although they are just rebuilding, they have a rich history, and the owner is wealthy. I think they will be promoted soon."

Gao Fei, younger than Chen Yu, spoke with an old-fashioned air, as if he were a seasoned agent.

Chen Yu pondered for a moment and felt that going to Siena was a better choice. If Siena could promote to Serie A, there would be many opportunities to participate in European competitions, which would be beneficial for his future development. As Gao Fei said, he was not young anymore, and if he spent two more years in the third division, his age would be a bigger disadvantage.

"Thanks, brother. I'll try Siena first. If it doesn't work out, I'll ask for your help."

Gao Fei, seeing Chen Yu's determination to go to the second division, shook his head. "Alright. Go and try. If it doesn't work out, call me. Give me your phone number."

Chen Yu handed his old Motorola phone to Gao Fei, who dialed his number. "This is my phone number."

Xu Bing walked over. "What are you talking about? You haven't finished yet. Come on, let's go and have a good time. I and Old Sha will treat you."

Gao Fei said, "You go. I won't. I just arrived in Florence, and getting drunk tonight might affect my training tomorrow..."

Just as Gao Fei was speaking, his phone rang. He looked at the number and waved to the group. "I'll take a call... Hello, oh, Uncle Zhang. I know. I'm out helping a friend. I'll be back soon. Okay, okay, bye."

Closing his phone, Gao Fei said, "I really can't go. My agent wants me to study Italian and English. I'll treat you another time."

"Uncle Zhang called? Alright, next time." Xu Bing said with a hint of regret.

"Sure, next time. If those foreigners get arrogant again, call me, and I'll deal with them."

"Alright." Xu Bing chuckled.

"Alright, see you."

Gao Fei left, and Chen Yu touched the USB drive around his neck, feeling infinitely moved. Because of this small USB drive, his life had fundamentally changed overnight. The days of working as a waiter in a restaurant were over, and now a path to glory and brilliance lay before him.

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