The Favored Son of a Serie C2 Team

Reggio Calabria Cathedral of Our Lady.

Farewell ceremony.

The priest had a solemn expression.

After the mass, guests went up to the coffin one after another to pay their respects.

The deceased, Lu Ming, was Chinese, but almost all the guests present were Italian.

Dejan Lu, as the only relative, stood to the side, sending his uncle on his final journey.

He had lost his parents when he was young and was adopted by his uncle, who did business in Italy.

He hadn't expected that even after being reborn in 1988, he still couldn't make it in time for his uncle's shipwreck.

Now eighteen years old, he was currently a connected player for the Serie C2 team Reggina. Reggina's owner, Bianchi De Rosso, was his uncle's business partner.

Rosso had a cousin named Giuseppe Morabito.

He was the gradually rising leader of the Calabrian mafia, replacing the Sicilians, and controlled most of Italy's olive oil production.

Ever since Americans discovered that people in the Mediterranean region, despite their poverty, maintained longevity, they began researching it. They found that olive oil was the secret to longevity, and American newspapers and television programs continuously promoted olive oil as the key to a long life. Italian extra virgin olive oil became a sought-after product worldwide.

Often, these Calabrians would mix plant-based oils with olive oil before selling them, making it incredibly profitable.

There was a saying in Calabria: "Even the head chef at the best restaurant in Paris might not be able to distinguish real extra virgin olive oil from fake."

His uncle was in the olive oil business, responsible for supplying high-end restaurants in various parts of Asia.

He was quite well-known in Reggio Calabria.

Today, even the Morabito family was present, so naturally, nothing unexpected would happen.

The Calabrian coast often experienced rain, but today was a bright, sunny day.

The Mediterranean sea breeze carried the scent of summer.

After the burial by the sea.

Many people expressed their condolences to Dejan Lu.

Old Bianchi walked over and advised, "You like football, but football can't be your lifelong pursuit. Now that you're alone in the family, you should take over your uncle's business."

"I'll consider it," Dejan Lu replied.

"If you encounter any trouble, you can talk to me. Lu Ming was my best friend," Old Bianchi said, shaking his head before leaving.

In his opinion, Dejan Lu was already an adult, yet he still held onto an unlikely football dream.

However, even with their good relationship, he couldn't arrange the life of someone else's child.

After everyone had left, Dejan Lu glanced at his uncle's tombstone before departing.

If he hadn't loved football, he wouldn't have ended up being a connected player for a Serie C2 team.

Normally, in his current situation, he should indeed take over his uncle's business; selling olive oil was very profitable.

Perhaps this was the best option.

It was a shame about his and his uncle's football dreams.

[Ding, successfully activated the If We're Brothers, Let's Play Football System]

[The If We're Brothers, Let's Play Football System helps every player who needs brothers]

[Activation Mission: The future superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are gradually emerging. As an ambitious player, please become brothers with Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi and start your brotherhood football journey. To achieve great things, you need the strongest brothers! (Complete the mission to successfully receive the beginner gift package)]

Dejan Lu: ???

Dejan Lu was completely bewildered.

He, Lu, relied on having many brothers when he was out and about. Becoming brothers with excellent players in the future football scene was understandable.

But this was 1988!

Gradually emerging?

A few years earlier, those two were still in liquid form!

One was born in '87, and the other in '85.

They probably couldn't even speak properly yet, damn it!

Dejan Lu thought for a moment, and this mission still had a chance of being completed.

Even if he wasn't a fan of these two players, as a football fan, he would be quite familiar with their stories.

Becoming friends with someone much older wasn't exactly new.

What was wrong with liking to make friends in kindergarten?

Some people even swore brotherhood in elementary school!

Upon returning home, Dejan Lu immediately used Bianchi's connections to find a private detective to help. Knowing their full names should make finding them not too difficult.

After taking a few days off, Dejan Lu also returned to the team for training.

Even on this Serie C2 team, he was considered below average.

Sports are just unfair like that. Even if you train to your absolute limit, you're still no match for someone who just plays around casually.

Talented people can drink and skip training every day, yet still make it onto the national team and become a page in football history.

However, Dejan Lu didn't get discouraged.

After all, his talent was there, it just hadn't been developed yet.

October 1988.

The team was currently performing well, and it looked like they still had a chance to get promoted to Serie B by the end of the season.

After dinner, Dejan Lu casually turned on the TV, and the host was reporting football news.

At this time, Italian sports programs weren't as outrageous as they would become. They were relatively serious. In a few years, they would start using scantily clad female sports anchors to attract viewers; that whole LPL approach had already been overused in the sports world.

"Having overcome his injuries, Van Basten has finally shown his European Footballer of the Year level. In the second leg of the first round of the European Champions Cup, he scored four goals to help AC Milan defeat Levski Sofia 5-2. After the match, Paolo Maldini, in his second Champions League appearance, called Van Basten the best striker in the world... Diego Maradona was photographed frequenting nightclubs. His wife, Claudia Villafañe, kept repeating in an interview that she believed in Diego. Perhaps she's the only person in the world who still believes in that Diego..."

This was the golden age of Serie A.

Maradona, the Three Horsemen, the Three Musketeers... even a top team in the Apennines had star players to boast about. It wouldn't be easy to attract the attention of a Serie A club.

Chinese fans could say they were lucky to have witnessed the best Serie A.

Dejan Lu was exactly 18 years old now, so he wasn't too anxious.

At worst, he could go play in another country first, then play in the Champions League, and after performing well in the Champions League, he could attract the attention of Serie A giants.

Three years in the Champions League, five years in Serie A – this pace was perfectly acceptable.

However, if he wanted to realize his potential, he still had to rely on his brother.

Playing football depended on having many brothers.

Just as Dejan Lu was staring at the ceiling, the landline at home rang.

He practically lunged for it instantly.

There was some static on the other end of the phone, and the detective complained, "Boss, do you know how hard I worked? To find the Ronaldo you wanted to see, I spent three months in Madeira... I've found him. Apparently, before, she couldn't afford to raise the child, and the woman wanted to abort the boy by drinking and running, which is just ridiculous..."

"Yes, that's him!!!"

Dejan Lu said excitedly.

After calming the agitated detective, Dejan Lu immediately called the coach to ask for leave.

The coach didn't make it difficult for him.

After all, Dejan Lu was just the team's mascot.

Then, he rushed to the airport in a flurry and immediately bought a ticket to Rome.

From Rome to Lisbon, then from Lisbon to Casablanca, and finally from Casablanca, he would take a boat to Madeira.

This archipelago was closer to Morocco than to mainland Portugal.

Although the Madeira Islands had an airport, the extremely short runway combined with heavy rain and strong winds made it one of the most dangerous airports in Europe. Pilots needed to undergo special training before flying to Madeira.

Dejan Lu didn't want to gamble with his life.

He'd rather be slow.

Before his transmigration, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were still competing. He wondered if they had settled it yet.

He was even looking forward to Trump's presidency, hoping some videos would be leaked.

The USA was so big, it could be divided into two countries: one USA and one USB.

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