What Jersey Number Do You Like (Seeking Collections and Monthly Tickets)

Barefoot Monica gently pushed aside the curtains. It was dawn outside, not yet fully light.

Glancing at Dejan Lu, who was still asleep, the recently transformed Monica Bellucci headed to the bathroom.

Washing long hair was troublesome, so she didn't wash it again.

After a simple freshen-up, she put on light makeup, ensuring her lover would see her at her most perfect when he woke up.

She hadn't brought a change of clothes, and her hair was just tied up with a simple hair tie.

Monica Bellucci, now ready, sat quietly on the sofa, watching the sleeping Dejan Lu.

The two had only known each other for a few days.

She used to think she was a completely rational person, but when faced with reality, she realized that emotions had nothing to do with logic.

She had previously given up law school to enter the modeling world.

Now, she wanted to change her life's trajectory again.

About half an hour later, when Dejan Lu woke up, breakfast was already laid out on the dining cart, along with several newspapers with large circulation.

"Didn't you eat?"

Dejan Lu asked.

Monica leaned in to give him a kiss and said, "I'm not hungry yet, I was waiting to eat with you. By the way, someone called for you earlier."

Dejan Lu took the pager from his pants and said, "It's the club. Something must have happened. If you're curious, you can definitely take a look."

"It's fine, I'm not curious,"

Monica said with a smile, shaking her head.

Her mother was a painter and also a housewife.

Many aspects of her were influenced by her mother.

Dejan Lu picked up the phone and dialed. After listening for a few sentences, he asked in surprise, "Who did you say? Gianni Rivera wants to see me? Is it the Rivera I know?"

"Yes, it's him, AC Milan's superstar, formerly!" The coach on the other end of the phone instructed, "Dejan, he probably wants you to play in Milan. Don't miss this opportunity."

"Don't worry, coach."

Dejan Lu asked, holding the receiver between his shoulder and ear, "Do I need to contact him?"

"No need, I'll call him back. We're old acquaintances," Scarla on the other end of the phone said.

"Okay, I'll wait for your call."

Dejan Lu said.

As soon as he hung up, Monica threw herself onto him, asking with some excitement, "They want you to play for AC Milan, really? I'm so happy for you, darling!"

"Maybe, I can't be sure,"

Dejan Lu said.

He had been very excited when they first spoke on the phone, but now he had regained his composure.

There was a problem he couldn't get around: AC Milan's foreign player quota.

AC Milan currently had three Dutch players. Would they sell Rijkaard or Gullit to make room for him?

"If you play in Milan, you'll quickly become a big star. Will you become a playboy like Paolo Maldini then?" Monica asked with some worry.

As a second-generation star, Paolo Maldini had a penchant for nightlife in his early days.

He only changed after a talk with Sacchi, an event he later wrote about in his autobiography.

"Don't worry, I'm not a jerk like Paolo Maldini,"

Dejan Lu said with a smile, then looked at Monica and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I, I'm fine."

Monica said, sticking her neck out and trying to stand steady.

"Then let's eat breakfast quickly. We might have to go to Milan to meet Mr. Rivera later," Dejan Lu said, pulling Monica over.

A man in love was incredibly affectionate.

The two fed each other. If there wasn't an important matter to attend to soon, they might have moved to a different battlefield.

The ringing of the phone interrupted them at just the right moment.

"Dejan, Gianni Rivera is already driving to Genoa. You can just wait for him at the hotel restaurant," Scarla said briefly before hanging up.

Dejan Lu quickly got up to find clothes.

Genoa was only about 100 kilometers from Milan.

"It's a shame there are no suits," Monica said, helping him straighten his denim jacket. "With a suit, you'd definitely be the most handsome man on the Apennines."

"You're the most beautiful woman on the Apennines no matter what you wear."

Dejan Lu said, putting his arm around her waist.

Monica's gaze towards him was so intense it could drip water.

The two kissed again and again. Monica used a towel to wipe off his lipstick, and only then did they head to the hotel restaurant.

Genoa is a tourist hotspot year-round, and the hotel restaurant was still quite full.

Dejan Lu ordered a coffee to wake himself up.

"You don't seem as composed as yesterday. I thought you were fearless." Monica teased, drinking her lemonade.

"Because that was Rivera!" Dejan Lu said. "The legendary midfielder for AC Milan and Italy. Anyone who loves football understands the glory that surname represents."

"Perhaps he thinks you're even better, otherwise, he wouldn't have driven all the way here," Monica said with a smile.

While they waited, Dejan Lu noticed an old man's gaze fixed on them. He didn't pay it much mind. After all, a Chinese man and a beautiful Italian girl would naturally attract attention.

Just as Dejan Lu was ordering his second coffee, Rivera, looking travel-worn, approached them. The old star took off his hat and said, "Sorry to interrupt your date, but I do have something important. Could you introduce me to your companion, Dejan?"

"Monica Bellucci, my girlfriend," Dejan Lu replied.

"Alright, Miss Bellucci, my apologies again. If I were younger, I wouldn't like the current me either. I might even think, 'This old man is so annoying'," Rivera said self-deprecatingly.

Monica giggled, covering her mouth, and then asked, "You're quite amusing. Did you come today to ask Dejan to play for AC Milan?"

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Rivera nodded excitedly. "I guarantee Dejan will become another flag bearer for AC Milan. Gigi introduced me to Dejan, and I've learned a lot about him recently. He's a natural AC Milan player..."

His attitude made Monica's face light up with joy. She hadn't expected Rivera to think so highly of Dejan Lu.

Dejan Lu remained silent, quietly stirring his coffee with a small spoon as he listened.

After Rivera finished speaking, Dejan Lu asked, "Sir, is AC Milan preparing to sell one of Rijkaard, Gullit, or Van Basten?"

Rivera froze. He cleared his throat a few times before saying, "I will try to push for a four-foreigner or three-foreigner policy on the field. Many old friends are thinking this way lately. You can continue to train yourself. I promise, within three years, no, two years, you will definitely be playing in Milan."

Dejan Lu nodded. He could tell Rivera thought highly of him. Otherwise, the legendary star wouldn't have driven over a hundred kilometers early in the morning just to meet him.

However, Rivera didn't really have much influence in Milan at the moment. The person who truly called the shots in Milan was likely Berlusconi's top lackey, Galliani.

To avoid making Rivera feel awkward, Dejan Lu proactively asked about some amusing anecdotes from his playing days.

It wasn't just that Rivera couldn't guarantee anything. Even if he held real power, Dejan Lu wouldn't entrust his future to someone else's promise. If he couldn't get a work permit to go to England, he might only have luck in Germany or Spain.

After chatting for over an hour, Dejan Lu and Rivera exchanged contact information. After promising to visit his home next time, the two finally got up to see the old star off.

"I can tell he really likes you, darling!" Monica Bellucci said proudly.

"It's a shame he's not the president of Milan," Dejan Lu shook his head.

"It's really not a big deal. If you go abroad to play football, I'll go with you. It would be a good opportunity for me to go back to school and study law; being a lawyer has always been my dream," Monica comforted him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation." The person sitting nearby leaned over and introduced himself. "My name is Paolo, Paolo Mantovani. I own a team. If you're looking for a job, would you consider my team? What jersey number do you like to wear? Our achievements are quite impressive, and Sampdoria is the pride of Genoa!"

Dejan Lu was completely bewildered. No wonder that old man had been paying attention to them earlier.

Dejan Lu asked, "You don't know me, do you? I'm currently a player for Reggina, and the team just got promoted from Serie C2. Why would you suddenly invite me to join Sampdoria?"

Mantovani sat down in the seat Rivera had just vacated and smiled. "The fact that Rivera drove all the way to Genoa early this morning to persuade you not to transfer and to wait for AC Milan says it all. I trust Rivera's judgment!"

Hahaha, you guys thought it was Milan? Milan was too strong back then, it wasn't interesting.

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