From the Relegation Zone to the Promotion Zone, San Remo's Golden Midfield

"Have you grown taller?"

This was the first thing Moric said after seeing Lu Yang.

As a short midfielder who stood at only 172cm so far, Moric was extremely sensitive about height.

The fact that he and Lu Yang were such good friends was not unrelated to their shared plight.

After all, they were both the shortest people in their respective fields.

But now, it felt as if Lu Yang was defecting.

"Moric, in my hometown, there is a song called 'Who Do You Think Of When You Are Lonely?'" Lu Yang began.

Moric was stunned: "What do you mean? I'm used to being away from home; I don't fear loneliness."

Lu Yang said: "That's good, because the sky will always turn dark, people must eventually part ways, and no one can accompany anyone forever."

Moric: "What on earth are you talking about? Are you leaving San Remo?"

"Silly kid." Lu Yang patted Moric on the head and said, "I am leaving the 1.7-meter realm to breathe the fresh air of the 1.8-meter zone! From now on, we are no longer people of the same world."

Lu Yang ran off as soon as he finished speaking.

Moric chased after him, trying to land a hit.

Does being 1.7 meters tall eat your food?

Are you implying that you can breathe tropospheric air just because you're 1.8 meters tall?

"Lu Yang, Moric, come over here for a moment." Soto called out to the two from the sidelines. Beside him stood a man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp suit and wearing a smile.

"Boss." The two walked over.

Soto introduced: "This is Arthas, Maniero's younger brother. He is a professional agent."

"Maniero's brother?" Moric was very surprised.

"An agent?" Lu Yang was focused on the latter.

"Hello, I am here to discuss a partnership with you." Arthas looked at the two, maintaining a constant smile.

Ten minutes later, the four of them appeared in a cafe in San Remo.

"Could you explain your reason for seeking us out?" Lu Yang took the initiative. "I don't believe a top agent who only manages contracts for stars would have the time to pay attention to Serie D."

After Lu Yang said this, Arthas stiffened.

A sharp and aggressive player—this was his first judgment of Lu Yang after meeting him.

Lu Yang's words clearly told Arthas that even in just ten minutes, he had used his own channels to learn about him.

Regardless of how much truth or depth there was to Lu Yang's understanding—after all, ten minutes was very limited—this attitude was enough to make one take him seriously.

This was definitely not someone easy to fool; he had his own judgment, was accustomed to listening, but would absolutely never allow others to make decisions for him.

And this part was a very sensitive issue in the cooperation between players and agents.

If this relationship wasn't handled well, the partnership between an agent and a player would never be pleasant.

Arthas kept his smile; he truly loved to smile: "I actually don't have much interest in being an agent. The players I have on hand were basically signed only because of my brother's connections."

"If you are observant enough, you can tell from my roster that ever since my brother Maniero retired, I haven't signed any new players."

"My career as an agent began because of my brother. I became his agent only because he didn't want to let others earn that money, especially when he saw me idling about."

"After becoming his agent, I started learning many things, which allowed me to be useful when my brother's friends needed help."

"My roster grew a few names because of that, but in essence, I have no interest in them."

Arthas made his life story very clear.

But if this conversation were made public, it would definitely cause a stir.

Because in reality, Arthas was one of the top ten football agents in Italy. He represented over five star players, four of whom played for Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan respectively.

His influence was evident.

And yet, when a man like this said he wasn't interested in stars, you'd want to punch him.

It was too much of a humblebrag.

"I am only interested in players like my brother." Arthas looked at Lu Yang.

"You're only interested in midfielders?" Moric didn't quite understand; why then was Arthas looking for Lu Yang?

Lu Yang shook his head and looked at Arthas: "No, he is only interested in genius players. The truly genius kind!"

Arthas's smile became radiant: "Exactly."

Moric suddenly realized: "Because you want to watch a genius grow step by step and experience the joy of being a talent scout?"

Lu Yang shook his head again: "No, it's because the profit a genius player brings him will be ten or a hundred times that of other players, even if the latter are stars!"

Arthas slapped the table in approval: "I must sign you, Lu! Of course, Moric, you are also excellent, and I will sign you as well."

For some reason, Moric felt a bit unhappy, as he felt like the "buy one, get one free" addition.

Arthas had already been spoiled by Maniero.

The returns Maniero brought him to this day were the highest; all the other stars in his stable combined didn't amount to as much.

This was the difference between a superstar and an ordinary player.

Perhaps in terms of transfer fees, this point wasn't particularly obvious.

But looking at the celebrity effect, the disparity was terrifying.

On a competitive level, within the same tier, no single superstar could outweigh the impact of three players on the pitch. Otherwise, if you played an 11-versus-8 match, the team of eight would certainly lose.

Yet sometimes, a superstar's annual income exceeded the combined earnings of every player on a team of the same level.

And his agent... would naturally rake in a fortune.

"But why should I choose you, Mr. Arthas?" Lu Yang countered.

Moric was stunned.

Are we actually in a position to choose?

This is Arthas!

He held immense influence in Italian football; he could even get us into Serie B or even Serie A in a couple of years.

Lu Yang patted Moric on the head and said, "I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. Moric, remember, the only thing that can allow a player to step into a top-tier league is the player's own ability."

"Otherwise, even if you get there, it will be a disaster."

Arthas applauded, "I completely agree with your assessment, Lu Yang. In fact, if I hadn't secretly used my brother's computer and seen all the match footage and related news about you in his personal files, I would never have imagined that there was such a genius player in the Serie D."

"Whether it's in you or in Moric, I see a radiance."

"Moric is very talented; he will absolutely become a formidable midfielder. On this point, I have just reached a consensus with Coach Soto."

"Because the way Moric plays reminds us of Maniero in his younger days."

Moric was flattered.

He was actually worthy of being compared to Maniero?

"You are already playing the way Maniero does, kid," Soto said, clarifying for Moric. "You play the defensive midfielder position, bearing the responsibility of organizing the midfield and creating attacking opportunities. You are the core of the team; you are the brain of San Remo."

"Perhaps you aren't as good as Maniero yet, but when Maniero was your age, he wasn't as good as you are now, because back then, he couldn't help the team defensively."

Moric's eyes almost turned red.

Anyone would feel this way if told that their current self was already on par with their idol's younger self.

"And you, Lu Yang," Arthas's eyes flashed with intensity, "I cannot see your future, because your future has infinite possibilities. I don't believe your final position on the pitch will be center-back. Of course, playing in this position for a while isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Every position on the football field has its unique aspects. If you can perceive all of this... you might become different from other players."

Lu Yang nodded, took a sip of coffee, and said, "Being able to see my uniqueness is what makes you closer to me than other agents. But I need a more direct reason, or rather, conditions."

Soto watched Arthas and Lu Yang, feeling as if he were witnessing a corporate-level negotiation.

Can't you two just speak simply?

Why must you be like that jerk Maniero, making people guess every single sentence?

Aren't you tired?

Arthas held up three fingers and said, "How about this? I only take this much! Whether it's transfer fees or commercial endorsements, I only take this percentage! Furthermore, until you reach a secondary league, I will provide my services for free!"

Three percent!

A very low percentage.

A normal football agent's commission on a transfer fee is usually around ten percent.

And for a player's commercial contracts, the commission is usually around fifteen percent.

Three percent!

It was absolutely a bargain price.

No agent would agree to such a commission ratio.

Unless... they were an agent for a superstar.

Because even at three percent, the profit for a superstar's agent is far greater than that of an ordinary player's agent. And... the difficulty of their work is completely different.

Collaborations for superstars are often sought out by the other party; everything is top-tier, and as long as you nod, you can demand whatever else you want. Therefore, a superstar's agent mainly focuses on brainstorming demands.

Collaborations for ordinary players involve many trivialities that require the agent to fight for them one by one; every clause is like a battle, and the money earned is truly hard-earned.

Arthas showed Lu Yang through his actions that he truly valued him—the kind of valuation reserved for a superstar.

Only then did Lu Yang smile and extend his right hand: "In the coming years, perhaps some will sigh at how lucky I am to have met a great agent like you. But I think many years from now, you will surely sigh at how hard you worked and that you didn't miss out on a player like me... Mr. Arthas, happy to be working with you."

Arthas decisively extended his right hand: "I look forward to the day you speak of. By the way, since you are signing together, to show my sincerity, Mr. Moric will also receive my free services until he enters a secondary league."

Moric, still dazed and not quite understanding what this meant, stood up and shook hands with Arthas.

"Is that all?" Lu Yang asked with a smile, though his gaze was quite sharp.

Arthas laughed awkwardly: "Fine, the commission will be the same as Lu Yang's."

The reason for the hesitation was simple: if Moric wasn't talented enough to become at least a star-level player, Arthas would definitely lose money.

As for Lu Yang, his lumberjack-style shots and that thirty-three-meter stunning bicycle kick had already provided Arthas with inspiration.

A player who knows how to handle himself will never lack hype, and once there is hype, an agent has plenty of ways to monetize it.

Over the next month and a half, San Remo went on a rampage, securing four wins and two draws in six matches, snatching a massive fourteen points!

Added to their previous three-game winning streak, they were now nine games unbeaten!

Exactly half of the second half of the season had passed, and San Remo had already bagged twenty-three points.

Keep in mind, they had only barely managed twenty-five points in the nineteen matches of the first half of the season.

What kind of level is this?

This unbeaten run sent San Remo soaring from fifteenth place in the standings all the way up to seventh.

They had moved from the relegation zone to within striking distance of the promotion zone.

In Serie D, there are three promotion spots and three relegation spots each season. The fourth and fifth-placed teams, as well as the fifteenth and sixteenth-placed teams, must play in promotion and relegation playoffs, respectively.

San Remo was not far from fifth place.

This was absolutely the most exaggerated adventure in Serie D history.

Even a script wouldn't be this outrageous.

The "Last-Minute Hero" Lu Yang, the most aggressive center-back in Serie D history—without his miraculous performances, the legend of San Remo could never have set sail.

In these six matches, Lu Yang's efficiency dipped slightly, recording three goals and one assist.

Including the first three games, he had seven goals and three assists in nine matches, averaging over one goal contribution per game.

Corresponding to this were his defensive stats: 6.1 tackles per game, 3 interceptions per game, and 2.2 clearances per game. Aside from the clearances, all his other defensive metrics ranked first in Serie D.

To call him the best center-back in Serie D so far this second half of the season was well-deserved.

He was equally adept at offense and defense!

But the surprises San Remo brought everyone clearly didn't stop there.

Starting from the 24th round of the league, San Remo's style of play underwent a qualitative change.

Having finished gelling with his teammates, Moric displayed the demeanor of a midfield commander; "He gave San Remo's pitch a midfield once again!"

He repeatedly created opportunities with all sorts of ingenious, unexpected passes.

His key passes not only ranked first at San Remo but also topped the entire Serie D during the same period.

In the nine matches he participated in, he racked up seven assists and scored two goals, also averaging over one goal contribution per game.

Finally, there was the biggest beneficiary of the sudden emergence of Moric and Lu Yang... Vedian!

Vedian recorded five goals and two assists in the last six matches, stunning the crowd with his skill. In the nine total matches of the second half of the season, he had seven goals and two assists, matching Moric's efficiency and trailing only Lu Yang, ranking among the best in Serie D.

Moreover, what made him even more of a headline-grabber than Lu Yang and Moric was that Vedian's first-half stats were already decent, with twelve goals and five assists.

As a result, after playing the second half of the season, he now had nineteen goals, firmly sitting at the top of the scoring charts.

He was five goals ahead of Arnold, who sat third in the scoring charts.

Yes, Arnold returned from injury two matches ago but failed to score in both. His goal tally had been surpassed by others by one, forcing him to settle for third place.

Such explosive statistics left the long-dormant Serie D fans ecstatic.

Everyone bestowed upon Lu Yang, Moric, and Vedian a resounding nickname: San Remo's Golden Axis!

A forward, a midfielder, and a defender—on each of the three lines, there was a genius who transcended the level of the league.

San Remo, it seemed, was ready to challenge for a promotion spot!