2014, Italy.
Inter Milan Youth Academy.
"The 2006 World Cup final, France vs. Italy..."
"The 2005 UEFA Champions League final, when AC Milan were overturned by Liverpool after going three goals up..."
"Round three of the 2009–2010 Serie A season, Roma vs. Lazio..."
Inside the dim youth academy dormitory.
A black-haired teenager rubbed his sleepy eyes,
his gaze fixed on the replays of football matches on his computer screen.
He watched until the first light of dawn appeared and the sun climbed into the sky.
A few Inter Milan youth players passed by and peered through the window at the boy in the room.
"He's staring at the screen watching matches again. Is that Chinese guy crazy?"
"Is something wrong with his head? He's not even a coach. Why watch so many matches?"
"He often watches until midnight. He's spent the last five months doing nothing but watching matches, and his skills haven't improved at all!"
"He doesn't seem worried in the slightest. Doesn't he know his youth contract expires next month? Is he not planning to renew it?"
"Hey, forget about him. Maybe Chinese people just aren't born to play football!"
One of his teammates couldn't resist knocking on the window.
"Tang, training starts at nine. Hurry up and change for the training ground!"
Tang Long kept his eyes on the screen and waved without turning around.
"Don't worry about me. You go ahead—I'll be there in a minute!"
"What a lunatic!"
His teammate shrugged and left.
The referee's final whistle sounded from the computer, signaling the end of the match.
Tang Long, who had been sitting as still as a stone, sprang to his feet!
He raised his arms and shouted!
"I've finally watched a thousand matches!"
The hardship of these past five months—
who could understand it?
Five months earlier.
Tang Long had transmigrated into the body of an 18-year-old player at Inter Milan's youth academy.
He'd signed a six-month youth contract.
With his average talent, he seemed unlikely to earn a renewal.
But only he knew the truth.
The moment he'd transmigrated, he'd awakened an extraordinary system!
[Green Field Intelligence Engine System]!
It was an AI system from the year 2084.
Designed specifically for football players.
It had been embedded in Tang Long's brain, merging with his nervous system.
It could provide data-driven tactical insights on the pitch!
Of course,
all AI systems first needed to be fed.
So, five months ago, the system had issued him a task:
"Please have the host watch 1,000 full recordings of professional football matches!"
To complete this task,
Tang Long had suffered immensely!
He couldn't skip his daily training,
so he'd had no choice but to stay up late watching matches.
Finally,
he'd watched all 1,000 matches!
"Ding!"
"The Green Field Intelligence Engine System has been fed 1,000 professional match recordings!"
"System activated!"
"Green Field Intelligence Engine System—Basic Level!"
"Host has acquired AI tactical skill: Passing Route Prediction!"
Tang Long had learned five months ago
that this Green Field Intelligence Engine System, powered by AI big-data analysis,
had five levels!
Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, and Master.
At the Basic Level, the system analyzed match recordings, learning the passing routes and teammate movements of top professional players.
It then designed the optimal passing route!
This would allow Tang Long to anticipate what to do in a match, even as the situation changed in an instant!
Tang Long didn't have time to think.
He changed into his jersey as fast as he could, grabbed the football boots from the ground, and ran for the training ground!
Training started in three minutes.
He couldn't afford to be late.
Inter Milan youth team assistant coach Chivu.
He raised his hand and glanced at his watch.
"Where's that Asian kid on the team? Why isn't he here yet?"
Training was due to begin in one minute.
The entire Inter Milan youth team had assembled.
Twenty-five players stood neatly in two rows before Chivu.
But Tang Long was nowhere to be seen.
"Coach, Tang was up late watching matches again last night. He's probably still in bed asleep!"
A teammate said with a laugh.
Laughter rippled through the team!
Chivu furrowed his brow.
He'd long known that the player from China never went clubbing or hung around outside after training.
He just liked to hole up in his dorm and watch football.
Apparently, he'd stay up until two or three in the morning and still wouldn't go to sleep!
At first, Chivu had admired him.
He'd even praised him in front of the whole team.
"Look at Tang. You should all learn from his passion for football!"
But later, he'd realized that Tang Long's football skills were decidedly average.
Surely, watching so much football meant he'd learned a thing or two!
Yet Tang Long performed worse on the pitch than the local Italian teammates who went straight to bars to fool around with girls after training.
With just one month left,
Tang Long's youth contract was about to expire.
Chivu was wondering whether he should offer the kid a renewal.
"That brat. It's one thing if he can't play well—that's a matter of talent. But surely he can't be late for training. That's a question of atti—"
Chivu had only made it halfway through his sentence
when he saw Tang Long sprinting toward them at full speed, his football boots dangling from one hand.
"Reporting in!"
Chivu was taken aback and instinctively glanced at his watch.
The second hand had just reached twelve.
Good. He wasn't late.
"Hurry up and put on your boots! Look at you, training in slippers. What kind of look is that?"
Chivu sighed.
Under the unfriendly gazes of his blond-haired, blue-eyed teammates,
Tang Long reluctantly changed into his football boots,
then quietly took his place at the back of the second row.
He usually arrived at the training ground half an hour early.
If he hadn't been trying to finish the thousandth match before training today, he wouldn't have been in such a rush!
While Chivu addressed the team,
Tang Long opened his status panel.
Host: Tang Long Age: 18 Height: 182 Positions: Attacking Midfielder, Second Striker, Defensive Midfielder. Attack: 55 Shooting Accuracy: 58 Shot Power: 58 Heading: 55 Dribbling: 58 Long Passing: 52 Short Passing: 54 Set Pieces: 42 Speed: 65 Stamina: 60 Strength: 56 Jumping: 60 Defense: 35 Overall Rating: 55 Player Level: Serie C Substitute (Rating Guide: 90 = Top Five Leagues star level; 80 = Top Five Leagues average level; 70 = Serie B level; 60 = Serie C level)
Looking at how slowly his stats had improved over the past five months,
Tang Long felt a pang of anxiety.
This system had been dormant for five whole months.
Would it actually be useful?
Could it help him win a contract renewal with Inter Milan's youth team?
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