"Is Sanremo Football Club really that good?"
"Has Italy produced another pair of twins?"
"Is Maniero sure he wasn't drunk?"
"Can someone tell me what on earth happened?"
"It's those two! Sanremo's double-pivot midfield!"
Italian football was in an uproar.
Everyone was taking a closer look at the latest round of Serie D matches.
In Sanremo's match against Foggia, the team's veteran center-forward scored a goal, and substitute center-back Nagy scored one too.
The team's left forward, Vedian, scored one and assisted another.
The team's midfield maestro, Moric, recorded two assists.
And the team's new defensive midfielder, Lu Yang, put up a staggering two goals and two assists!
Maniero marveled at how Sanremo had transformed, and he was also drumming up support for his old friend Soto.
He knew what his friend needed.
If they wanted their wealthy but stingy chairman to open his wallet, Sanremo needed a dramatic transformation.
A transformation in every respect, from ability to reputation.
And after watching the highlights, and even the full match replay, those who had flocked in because of Maniero's comments really were impressed.
"My goodness, that number 23 really does look like Maniero when he was young. The only difference is that young Maniero hadn't yet pioneered the deep-lying playmaker role, so he was a lot more aggressive."
"Yeah, his name's Moric. He really is a promising young midfielder. Why hasn't a big club picked him up?"
"Someone already has. A Serie C club."
"What? Serie C? With the way Moric organizes and controls the midfield, he could do fine in Serie B, couldn't he? He's only seventeen!"
"Maybe it's his height! Moric's only 1.72 meters tall. Given his age, it's unlikely he'll grow much past 1.75. That doesn't fit the trends in Italian football these days."
"Right. Maniero was at least 1.77 meters, and even he struggled early in his career because of it. Moric might have a hard time making it."
"Look at the players called up to the Italy National Team's U21 and U19 squads. The midfielders average over 1.78 meters."
"Unfortunately, physical attributes have become a hard requirement in Modern Football. Personally, I don't think that's a good thing. Height is an advantage, sure, but shorter players have their own strengths too."
"You mean that Argentine talent who scores for fun in La Liga? He's the exception!"
"Lu Yang has a bit of Soto's playing style from when he was young."
"Yeah, I heard he started out as a center-back. Was this his first game as a defensive midfielder?"
"Why does he look familiar?"
"Is he the guy who scored in the Celebrity Match? The one who took a shot like he was chopping wood and fooled five Serie A players?"
"That's him! That unbelievable bicycle kick two months ago, from thirty-three meters out. Can you believe it?"
"So that was him?"
"It's a shame. He's got some nice touches, but his fundamentals aren't solid. Look at that pass—it's obviously gone awry. He does that a lot."
"He's definitely Serie D quality. In a higher division, with more pressure and a faster pace, there's no way Lu Yang could control the midfield like this. Moric, on the other hand, might have a chance."
"Lu Yang's defense would be decent even in Serie C, but his ball control and passing aren't up to this level. His shots look great, but they lack power, so he'd struggle to beat a top goalkeeper."
"Those two Rabonas were pretty, but the defenders were caught off guard."
"His first touch is beautiful, though. He feels like a real wild card."
"You could call him a bargain-bin version of Soto. Soto showed some attacking talent when he was young too, but he eventually couldn't keep up with the team's level and converted into a defensive workhorse. Lu Yang's attacking ability is probably nowhere near as good as Soto's was back then."
"Of course, considering Lu Yang and Moric are only sixteen and seventeen, they still have some potential. Maybe in a couple of years, some big club looking for a hidden gem will try to develop them. But it's too early for that now."
There were a lot of professionals who had come to watch Sanremo this time.
Unlike ordinary fans, who were just there for the spectacle, their evaluations weren't as flattering, but they were much more precise.
That disappointed some of the football people who had flocked to the match.
The claim that the Italy National Team was a little Sanremo was clearly an exaggeration.
But considering that it had come from Maniero, everyone understood his affection for young players and his desire to promote them.
And Lu Yang and Moric really did bear a faint resemblance to a young Soto and a young Maniero.
Any older person who was lucky enough to meet a young person who reminded them of themselves in their youth would pay them more attention—and might even help them for no particular reason.
That was human nature.
Everyone understood Maniero.
But the fans who'd come for the spectacle didn't care about any of that.
Lu Yang's Rabona assists and goals were dazzling!
That Dipping Shot was absolutely ferocious!
His final headed pass was a classic!
Moric played just like Maniero. He was a midfield maestro!
And Sanremo's record was incredible!
They'd raced up the table from fifteenth place at the start of the second half of the season, and now they were seventh.
They were just two points behind sixth place!
They'd played ten matches so far, winning eight and drawing two. They were unbeaten and practically unstoppable.
All it took was one look at a team like this, and you were hooked.
"Come on, Lu, Moric, hurry up!" Vedian hollered from downstairs at the dormitory, clearly excited.
"Yeah, yeah, we're coming." Moric looked utterly exasperated. "Why are they so enthusiastic about this kind of thing? Wouldn't it be better to spend our limited time on something more meaningful? Why not just play some football?"
Lu Yang had just showered and was changing into casual clothes. "It can't be helped. Most teams have this kind of tradition. Besides... they really do need to unwind. After tonight's party, we're going to make a run at the promotion spots."
With that, Lu Yang changed into a white shirt and jeans, and put on a pair of brown lace-up boots.
It was a very casual outfit, but on a handsome guy who stood 1.81 meters tall, it just looked different. He seemed to be glowing.
The players had agreed to go out to a bar together that night.
It was a team event. Even Rondo had agreed to come, so there was no way Lu Yang and Moric could skip it.
But they weren't like some of the other players.
Some players went to bars for adult entertainment.
The older ones paid for it outright.
The guys in their twenties preferred to try their luck at scoring a free hookup with their personal charm.
As for rookies like Lu Yang and Moric, they wouldn't take things any further. They were just there to drink, sing along, and keep the mood going.
That was why Moric didn't want to go.
The guy was a flirt, but he wouldn't pay for thrills. At his age, he still believed more in love.
Too bad there was no love in a bar.
And even if there were, it wouldn't be for a 1.72-meter-tall boy.
Once the two of them got downstairs, they climbed into Rondo's car with Vedian.
"Your passing's gotten a lot more accurate today," Moric said in the car, still talking about his practice with Lu Yang.
"That's because I want to give Vedian some great assists too." Lu Yang grinned.
"You're still not quite there. Your long balls are a lot more accurate now, and the spin helps the receiver control the ball, but they're slow, so they're hard to turn into direct assists." Moric was an expert. He could tell at a glance that Lu Yang's passes were Weighted Spin Passes.
That was right: the player-level skill Weighted Spin Pass from Superstar Legacy.
After the last match, Lu Yang had learned from the system that he'd earned a measure of recognition from Soto, and the system had given him his reward.
His long-passing attribute had unlocked as a result. At 50, it was just barely usable.
"I'm touched that you're all fighting to assist me, but could you stop talking about football for a minute? We're going to the biggest bar in Sanremo. It's full of beautiful women. Aren't you excited?" Vedian was every bit the Black friend he seemed to be; mention this, and he was wide awake.
"Uh... that's assuming you've got enough money, Vedian." Lu Yang reminded him that, given his looks, he might not find a free "playing field" to come and go from.
"I'm willing to spend all my goal bonuses!" Vedian declared confidently.
Rondo listened to the three rookies talking and sneered.
Amateurs, all of them.
Once they got to the bar, he'd show them the style of Sanremo's dashing veteran, Rondo.
Eight o'clock. A bar somewhere in Sanremo.
Lu Yang and Moric sat in a booth, looking rather bored.
Rondo really was a local celebrity. As soon as they walked in, people started greeting him, and he immediately began working the room. But he didn't interact with any women, because he already had a wife.
Lu Yang could see tears glistening in Rondo's eyes.
Sanremo was just too small. He didn't dare mess around.
The other players weren't nearly so well-behaved. They were in their element at the bar. After all, Sanremo had practically become the city's pride and joy lately. The coastal city already had a decent tourism industry, and the team's success, with Lu Yang's part in it, had brought in even more visitors.
So more people had started supporting the team.
Vedian went out a few times, striking out each time. In the end, a Black girl gave him the chance to keep chatting.
After all, not every woman was into men who went too fast.
The team's substitute center-back, Nagy, had the opposite problem: he was so tall that he kept striking out too.
There was no real way to get into it when someone who was 1.6 meters tall stood next to someone who was 1.9 meters tall. Unless it was to treat neck problems, that kind of pairing wasn't recommended.
"Are we really going to spend the whole night like this?" Moric asked miserably.
Lu Yang nodded and stretched.
Right then, someone happened to pass beside him and got blocked by Lu Yang's arm.
"Ah!"
The person let out a scream, and something in her hand fell to the ground.
Lu Yang hurried to get up and pick it up for her, apologizing as he looked at her.
Then he froze.
What headlights!
Classic black hair, long and wavy, falling over her shoulders.
A sexy, figure-hugging purple miniskirt.
The top had a halter design, but the straps were made of an unusual material: thin strips of leather that had dug deep marks into her shoulders.
That meant those straps were supporting quite a lot of weight.
Sure enough, his gaze moved down to the woman's ample chest, a snowy expanse.
The skirt was so short it barely covered her backside.
She wore black stockings, and the combination of purple and black made her look intensely mysterious and alluring.
This woman was stunning!
"Could you give me my script?" she asked, looking less than pleased.
"Sure." The floor wasn't very clean, so Lu Yang wiped the script with a tissue. To make sure it was clean, he even opened it to check whether any pages inside had gotten dirty.
The gesture earned him some goodwill. At least she no longer looked so displeased.
Respect went both ways.
"The Naples Merchant Murder Case?" Lu Yang read the title of the script and instinctively glanced at its contents.
The woman took the script, nodded, and prepared to leave.
But she couldn't move.
Lu Yang hadn't let go.
A question mark appeared on the woman's face.
"I'm a mystery fan. This may be a bit presumptuous, but could I take a look at the script?" Lu Yang asked.
Rather than sit in the bar watching everyone dance around, he'd rather revisit a few classic mysteries and keep his mind sharp.
"That's not a very clever way to hit on someone. How old are you? Nineteen? Twenty? I'm already twenty-eight, and I like mature men." The woman's expression was cold. It seemed like she was answering a different question, but her words could instantly crush anyone with impure intentions.
Like the rookie Moric beside him.
Because what she meant was: You're just a kid!
But Lu Yang smiled. He'd clearly seen a glimmer of passion in her eyes.
Every creator wanted their work to be appreciated.
This woman was no different.
But she'd already been rejected too many times, so...
"Actually, when I saw the title, a story came to mind too. We could talk about it in a minute. Then you'll see I'm not hitting on you. It's just my first time at a bar, and while I was feeling out of place, I spotted something that interested me, so..." Lu Yang explained.
The woman looked at Lu Yang.
Lu Yang's gaze was steady, and he wore an easy smile.
"Fine. You, over there—the kid. Could you order me a Mojito and bring it over? Thanks." The woman plopped down beside Lu Yang. "I'd love to hear your thoughts."
Moric saw the look in her eyes and got up to leave on his own.
He'd taken a couple of steps before he remembered, What the hell? I'm not the kid. Lu Yang's the real kid. I'm a year older than him!
But it was too late. He was already on his feet, so he could only go and order the drink.
He couldn't fight supernatural forces like "Since we're already here," "It's the holidays," and "They're just kids; it's hard for everyone."
When Moric came back with the Mojito, his world collapsed.
Lu Yang was actually chatting and laughing with the beautiful woman in the purple miniskirt. He was pointing at things in the script as he explained, while she listened with rapt attention. In fact, so she could hear him better over the noise, she leaned toward him, getting very close.
That bastard. They played football together every day, so when had he learned to pick up women?
Before long, word that Lu Yang was hitting on a beautiful woman had spread through the bar.
The Sanremo players were watching Lu Yang's progress from every direction.
When Rondo got a good look at the woman's face, he exclaimed in shock, "My goodness, it's Sophia Catina! That's the big star!"