Chapter 7

The next noon, while Chen Yu was having lunch, Zhang Shubin finally called, telling him to come to Florence immediately. The Florence 1926 team had agreed to his trial, which was scheduled for 3 PM that afternoon.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu was so excited that he almost jumped up. His mind was filled with nothing but joy. He knew that this was the most important moment of his life. Seizing this opportunity would completely change his life; missing it would mean he would have to continue his current bleak and hopeless life.

However, Chen Yu was very confident, or rather, he was confident in the USB drive hanging around his neck. As long as he could enter Florence, with the improvement of his abilities, he could bind to the consciousness of higher-level players, and his future would be very bright. Of course, Chen Yu did not expect to become a world-class superstar. After all, he was already 24 years old and had little potential for development. He would be satisfied if he could become an Asian superstar, surpassing Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata and Iran's Ali Daei.

Siena is only about 50 kilometers from Florence. Chen Yu didn't bring much, just his remaining savings, a genuine Florence jersey he bought the previous afternoon, and a pair of genuine Adidas leather football boots that he usually didn't wear.

Upon arriving in Florence, the first thing Chen Yu did was to find a private room in an internet cafe to bind to Hao Dong's football consciousness. Then he took a taxi to the Florence training base.

Like most Italian teams, Florence did not have its own training base. Land transactions in Italy are very strict, and just having money doesn't mean you can buy land. This training base on the outskirts of the city was rented from the municipal government last year. It was somewhat dilapidated, but the facilities were complete. When Chen Yu arrived, the team had already started the afternoon training session, and a group match was underway.

"Where have you been? You're 30 minutes late, and the team has already started training. Come on, let's go in quickly."

Zhang Shubin was anxiously waiting at the entrance. Seeing Chen Yu get out of the car, he glanced at his watch, his tone somewhat displeased. Europeans are very punctual, and being late would leave a bad impression on the coach.

Chen Yu didn't take a taxi; to save money, he took the bus, and he also spent some time in the internet cafe. However, he didn't explain. He wasn't close enough to Zhang Shubin to understand the difficulties of a low-level worker's life, and it was better to keep his dignity.

"Coach Pietro, this is Chen Yu. He was once hailed as the most promising forward in the country, known for his agility, speed, and excellent awareness. I believe he is the person you need."

Zhang Shubin introduced Chen Yu to the head coach, Vierchowod, with a humble and somewhat flattering tone.

Vierchowod was a first-time coach, but in Italy, he was a great defender, mentioned alongside Baresi and Bergomi. His career included 562 Serie A matches, making him the best man-to-man defender in Italian football in the last 15 years of the 20th century, second only to Dino Zoff (570 matches).

Vierchowod had Russian heritage; his father was Russian, and his mother was Italian. On the field, he was known as the "Tsar" by fans. In life, Vierchowod also had the demeanor of a tsar—cold, authoritarian, strong, and unapproachable.

Due to Florence's bankruptcy and relegation to Serie C2, all the players except the old captain Di Livio had left, and even the youth team players were gone. Shoe magnate Dela Valle, at the request of Florence's mayor Domenico, formed a new team. The players came from the reserve teams of Ancona, Reggina, Bologna, Catania, and amateur teams like Arianes, Gubbio, and Montevaccino. To intimidate these young, old, and amateur players, Dela Valle brought in the "Tsar" Vierchowod.

There were several different opinions within the Florence team about Chen Yu's trial. Vierchowod believed that with Rigano, who scored 27 goals in Serie C1 last season, and players like Massito and Matuzalem, and with Torino wanting to loan young forward Quagliarella to Florence, they didn't need another forward from China.

The club's general manager Galli, however, believed that having a Chinese forward would help open the Chinese market, which was very hot at the time, with a large fan base. If they broadcast Florence's matches and sold Florence jerseys, it would be very important for the club's market expansion.

Captain Di Livio, who was influential in Florence, was very impressed with Chen Yu's skills and awareness, believing him to be a smart player who used his head. However, he was concerned that Chen Yu's language barrier might cause communication issues with his teammates, which wouldn't be a problem with Quagliarella.

Ultimately, the decision was made by the owner, Dela Valle. The shoe magnate believed that having one more Chinese player wouldn't hurt, as long as he had the ability to stand on his own in Florence, he would give him the opportunity.

"Mr. Zhang Shubin, don't try to influence my judgment. If China really had such a good forward, they wouldn't have been shut out in this year's World Cup."

Vierchowod answered bluntly, showing no respect for Zhang Shubin.

Vierchowod spoke in English, and Chen Yu understood most of it. His heart sank because from Vierchowod's tone and the way he looked at him, Chen Yu felt that Vierchowod didn't like him. He didn't know why, but he had this intuition.

"Yes, yes. Coach Pietro, when will the trial start?"

Zhang Shubin cursed inwardly but showed no expression on his face.

"Right now. Have him put on a yellow jersey and get ready to play." Vierchowod turned his head, his deep blue eyes fixed on Chen Yu. "You, you have only 30 minutes."

"What? Only 30 minutes? That's too little." Zhang Shubin protested to Vierchowod, very dissatisfied.

"Of course, 30 minutes is enough for a professional player to show his level."

Vierchowod said this to Galli and Captain Di Livio, not bothering to explain to Zhang Shubin.

Thirty minutes was too short. A trial usually takes several days, at least one day. Although Galli and Di Livio knew that Vierchowod favored Quagliarella and didn't want a Chinese forward, regardless of his level, they couldn't oppose Vierchowod and undermine the coach's authority before the new season began.