Could He Really Be a Genius? (Favorites Requested)

Porto Fino.

As he prepared to board, Dejan Lu rubbed his curly hair and instructed, "You must become a big star in the future and play for my team."

Cristiano Ronaldo pouted.

Mrs. Dolores, holding the check, said to Dejan Lu, "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. Cristiano and I hit it off."

Dejan Lu said with a smile, waved his hand, and turned to board the ship.

Cristiano Ronaldo's family stood on the shore, showing reluctance.

A friend who genuinely helped them without asking for anything in return was truly rare.

Especially after Dias started drinking, they didn't have many friends left.

After boarding, Dejan Lu finally checked his rewards.

[Newbie Gift Pack 2]

Elegant Genius — Cristiano Ronaldo's idol, Rui Costa, was a representative figure of Portugal's Golden Generation. His signature dribbling style, like a graceful swan's dance, and his precise, deadly through balls, along with his seemingly effortless touches, always brought the team brilliant assists and goals. He was one of the archetypes of a classic attacking midfielder. Possessing this skill would greatly enhance your passing ability in the attacking midfielder position.

!!!

Finally, a stadium buff.

Damn it.

If he had a ball right now, Dejan Lu would really want to try it out.

With this skill, he should at least be good enough in Serie C2, right?

There was also a [Portugal's Golden Generation Gift Pack].

After opening it, Dejan Lu's eyes widened.

[Luís Figo Template Card (12 years old)]

What the hell is this?

A 12-year-old Figo?

The good news was that he, Lu, was truly gifted.

The bad news was that he might be a late bloomer.

Even at 12 years old, Figo wasn't mature enough.

But on second thought, it was a good thing. Ball feel was innate; no matter how much you practiced, you couldn't break through the ceiling.

Even a 12-year-old Figo was still a super genius.

His ball feel far surpassed that of ordinary players.

Although Figo's top speed wasn't particularly fast, the league didn't favor whirlwind speedsters at this time.

Figo's playing style was very much in line with the era. Wingers who mindlessly went down the line with oily arms could only sit with the kids these days.

He continued to look.

[Activation Mission 3: Claim after winning the championship...]

Alright.

There was no next mission.

As it stood, winning the championship in Serie C2 should be enough to complete the mission.

He just needed to work harder when he got back.

It was still a two-point system.

2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.

With the improvement of defensive tactics, more teams aimed for a draw when they couldn't win.

It wouldn't be until the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States that FIFA would change to 3 points for a win to encourage attacking play, and then national leagues would follow suit.

Although he hadn't paid attention during this time, the team's situation shouldn't be bad, and they weren't far behind the first-place team.

January 4, 1989.

Calabria Train Station. Dejan Lu got off the train and spread his arms, drawing curious glances from nearby travelers.

He had finally returned to his loyal Calabria.

Traveling far away was really not easy in those days.

He hailed a taxi outside the train station to go home.

Dejan Lu casually started chatting with the driver.

"How's the team been doing lately?" Dejan Lu asked.

"What?"

The driver was a bit surprised by his fluent Italian.

"I'm talking about Reggina's situation, I'm a local," Dejan Lu said.

The driver, who had originally intended to take a detour, now looked at Dejan Lu seriously and said with some surprise, "You're that Chinese player, Lu's nephew."

"...It's me."

Dejan Lu's mouth twitched as he spoke.

To be known as the nephew of a businessman uncle rather than a player showed what kind of impression he made on the locals.

"The team's performance has been good while you were away. We all thought you'd gone back to China. Oh, and I'm sorry about your uncle," the driver said excitedly.

Dejan Lu: ...

He had only played 2 games, yet it felt as if he had been dragging the team down.

When they arrived at his doorstep, Dejan Lu paid the fare and got out of the car immediately.

The team's stability wasn't unexpected; coach Nevio Scala was very talented.

Although he wouldn't become widely famous in the future, he later won the Toyota Cup and UEFA Super Cup as Dortmund's head coach, and was a meritorious coach for the club.

Later, he coached Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and won a domestic double.

This resume might not compare to top coaches like Sir Alex Ferguson or The Professor, but for a Serie C coach, it was already quite impressive.

After entering the house, Dejan Lu immediately opened the windows to let in fresh air.

After resting for a few minutes, he got up to organize his luggage. After dinner, he went to bed to listen to the radio.

The radio was a Sony model released last year, but the Cherie Chung sticker on it had already started to fade.

"...Matthäus has argued with his teammates again. Several players in Inter Milan have expressed that Matthäus has some personality issues. Perhaps this was the reason he was sold by Bayern Munich..."

The next morning, he went to the team.

Reggina's training ground was very old.

After not returning for several months, Dejan Lu's appearance caused quite a stir.

"Dude, I thought you were going to become a business tycoon."

"Want to go sea fishing tonight? I've invited two nurses."

"Come to my place for a party after the game this weekend? I just bought a new Japanese audio system, it wasn't cheap!"

"There's a new game console being released. Want to go to Milan to buy it together? I've saved up some money specifically for it!"

Nevio Scala watched the situation on the training ground from afar and said to his assistant, "Dejan is very popular in the team. Everyone hasn't had any complaints about him for so long."

He had only joined Reggina this season and had barely met Dejan Lu.

The assistant quipped, "A teammate who is rich, generous, and doesn't steal anyone's position – anyone would like him."

Nevio Scala nodded with a smile.

It was indeed like that.

He could tolerate having a player with connections on the team because there weren't that many players.

Moreover, Dejan Lu only took the minimum wage.

Every field has its players with connections, and he wasn't inflexible.

It seemed that young man could at least serve as a lubricant in the locker room.

That was still some use, but the next second, Nevio Scala's eyes widened.

Someone passed the ball to Dejan Lu. Dejan Lu beckoned to his teammate, then used a drag-back and several feints to get past two players.

Coincidence?

But then, Dejan Lu performed a Marseille turn, flicked the ball over his teammate's head with his back to him, leaving Scala completely stunned.

Such technical moves shouldn't be seen on a player from a Serie C team.

Even players in Serie A could only perform them at the highest level, like that Argentine with many illegitimate children who mingled with the Naples mafia.

Nevio Scala was very curious about what Dejan Lu had experienced during his leave of absence.

Did he suddenly have an epiphany?

Could he really be a genius?