The thirty-fourth round of Serie D had wrapped up.
The top three teams in the standings had all won. Thanks to their advantage in wins, Bisceglie still edged out Francavilla and sat in second place.
But Palermo, who had originally held fourth place, had fallen apart.
They had lost two games in a row!
They were also the only team in the top six that hadn't won.
San Remo had overtaken Palermo, moving into fourth place with 66 points.
Palermo had 64 points in fifth, and Catania had 63 in sixth.
Potenza, who had originally been seventh, had dropped to eighth after losing. They were now more than twelve points behind the promotion zone.
The state of Serie D was becoming increasingly clear—and increasingly chaotic.
But these changes were no longer the biggest news in Serie D.
All the headlines had to make way for the brawl on the pitch involving Lu Yang.
And Lu Yang... was taking part in his second remote video meeting.
The attendees were the same as last time.
"That's about all the information I have at the moment." Hans had just finished a long explanation, mainly outlining the various parties' positions on the matter.
Thanks to timely media guidance, and with Maniero and Soto taking the blame and applauding his actions, most players supported Lu Yang.
A professional player's greatest enemy was injury.
And anyone who deliberately caused injuries was the enemy of every professional player.
On the one hand, Borges had a history of taking opposing players out. He was a repeat offender.
On the other, anyone who had watched the match knew Lu Yang had thrown a punch for justice.
It was just against the rules of the game.
But they couldn't expect the Italian Football Federation to change its rules simply because the public supported him. That would contradict the very essence of the rule of law.
"You did the right thing!" Maniero said firmly.
"Yeah. I just underestimated how much gunpowder you had in your blood, so things got a little out of hand this time." Soto sounded a little awkward. "But in the long run, this will be good for both you and Moric, and the team will benefit from it too."
He said "in the long run" because San Remo was in a difficult spot right now.
Without Lu Yang, Soto wasn't very confident about the upcoming fixtures.
"Maybe we could get some more star players to speak up for Lu and put pressure on the Italian Football Federation?" Arthas suggested. As an agent, he was best at turning other people's influence to his advantage.
"No." Lu Yang spoke up.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at him.
"The Federation is the Federation. How could it possibly back down because of a few individuals? If it did, would it have any authority left? Then we'd see plenty more incidents like this." Lu Yang continued, "Besides, what I did was against the rules of football."
"That red card was deserved."
Everyone on the call was sharp. After hearing Lu Yang's words, they glanced at one another and reached the same conclusion.
The red card was deserved.
But what about the suspension and the fine?
Did he deserve those too?
"You mean appeal?" Maniero asked, looking at Lu Yang.
Soto shook his head. "According to the Italian Football Federation's regulations, a team can appeal a referee's decision, but the outcome of the appeal won't affect the match result. In other words, even if the Federation accepts our appeal, they can't take back Lu Yang's red card or suspension."
But Lu Yang smiled. "I don't need them to take it back. The Italian Football Federation also has a rule that, in order to minimize wrongful decisions, a player can temporarily avoid any additional off-field penalties while an appeal is pending."
"In other words, as long as we keep the appeal open, I only have to serve the one-match suspension that came with the red card. I don't have to serve the additional four-match suspension! The suspension clock won't start until the appeal is concluded."
"Of course, the team and public opinion will need to do something to keep this appeal going for a month. Once Serie D ends, even if the suspension still stands, it won't matter much. It'll just carry over to next season."
When Lu Yang finished, everyone looked at him differently.
Soto said, "So... you'd thought of this from the start, hadn't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so calm after you came off!"
Maniero said, "This really is a good solution! Soto, you need to talk to the club management right away and get the team to appeal!"
Arthas said, "I'll contact a lawyer at once."
Hans said, "I'll get the media to keep speaking up for you."
Lu Yang nodded, then turned to Arthas. "Mr. Arthas, if we suspect a player or a referee of betting on matches, is there any way to find evidence?"
Arthas frowned. "You mean you think the referee from that match..."
"Not just him. There's a good chance Borges was involved too. He wasn't playing football at all, especially after I scored. He seemed especially furious." Lu Yang said, "He wasn't the kind of person who put the team's results first. I'm certain there was no football in his eyes."
Arthas thought it over. "I'll ask some friends to look into it."
Italian football was no clean place.
Many years ago, it had even been hit hard by match-fixing.
Now that the Premier League and La Liga had risen while Serie A had declined, some of that could be attributed to its past.
Those problems were extremely difficult to eradicate.
Match-fixing still existed in Italy, though not necessarily in the top divisions. It took place in less visible corners, run by organized groups. Local people with the right connections could get involved.
How could a major Italian agent like Arthas know nothing about such things?
Some agents were even tied to the betting syndicates themselves.
A day later, San Remo Football Club filed an appeal regarding the thirty-fourth-round match.
They argued that the referee's decisions had been seriously flawed and that the Potenza players had not been punished enough. But they didn't make much of an issue over the punishment Lu Yang had received.
This kind of appeal helped the Italian Football Federation save face to some extent.
After all, if they could somehow excuse a full-on brawl like Lu Yang's, they might as well organize match-fixing themselves.
Two days later, many people began to catch on.
According to the rules, Lu Yang's additional suspension would not be enforced while the appeal was pending.
That meant Lu Yang would only miss the thirty-fifth-round match.
San Remo's fans immediately came back to life.
The other five teams in the top six were just as agitated. Each made a statement about Lu Yang's brawl, demanding that the Federation punish this kind of behavior harshly.
But they knew those statements were actually useless.
Once the process had begun, there was no turning back.
Just as a football match's result usually couldn't be changed even if a decision had been wrong—even if it was confirmed afterward that the call had been flawed.
One day later, the attention of Italian football shifted from Lu Yang and San Remo to Borges of Potenza and Odin, the referee of the thirty-fourth-round match.
According to an exposé by Live Football News, both men's accounts had shown suspicious activity for years.
And with evidence provided by an anonymous user, people were able to confirm that both had bet on matches through an online gambling site.
The report instantly struck fear into the Italian Football Federation!
Match-fixing was back!
Since all of European football was paying attention to Italy, if the Federation failed to handle this properly, its dark history—which people had only just forgotten—would resurface in an instant.
That would deal a huge blow to the commercial value of Italian football as a whole. The stakes were far higher than a few million, or even tens of millions.
The Italian Football Federation quickly launched an investigation. Its internal data soon confirmed that the two men had indeed bet on matches. They often bet on games they were playing in or refereeing.
They hadn't placed the bets themselves, but often used friends and family or exchanged favors to do so.
Don't ask how the Federation had "inside information." Those in the know understood.
They couldn't let this drag on too long. With international attention looming, even a successful resolution could end up doing more harm than good.
So... from the moment the Serie D scandal broke to its resolution, only two days passed.
Borges and Odin were taken away by the police.
It was reported that they would face charges from the Italian Football Federation, hefty financial penalties, and an almost certain prison sentence.
The Italian Football Federation had specifically asked the relevant media to keep the matter quiet.
They urgently needed something else to happen in Serie D that could grab the public's attention and turn it elsewhere.
And if Lu Yang remained unable to play, people would pay even more attention to the scandal, since he was its "victim."
After all, if those unfair calls hadn't happened, why would Lu Yang have started throwing punches on the pitch?
But the Italian Football Federation couldn't contradict itself. It couldn't revoke a punishment it had imposed itself.
In these circumstances, the appeal became the perfect cover.
The Italian Football Federation didn't rush to process the appeal. It let the matter drag on.
That meant Lu Yang would only serve a one-match suspension.
Of course, the club would pay his fine.
During the thirty-fifth round of Serie D, Sophia was at her seaside villa in San Remo.
Lu Yang and Sophia sat on the sofa, turning on the television to watch the match.
This might have been San Remo's biggest challenge of the season.
They had to win while Lu Yang was suspended and keep chasing the teams above them in the standings.
"Do you think you'll win?" Sophia asked as she watched the intense match.
"Of course! Look, that guy is Moric. With him organizing our attack, we're sure to win." Lu Yang pointed to Moric on the screen.
"Oh, I remember that kid. He was the one who served the drinks." As she spoke, Sophia pulled out a ring of keys. "I'll be leaving San Remo for a while."
"You're still living in the team dormitory, right? I think you could stay here instead. There are so many rooms."
A flush crept across Sophia's face.
She wasn't short of money. She owned properties in several Italian cities.
"Huh? Here? Me?" Lu Yang froze.
"Think of it as keeping an eye on the house for me? It's been empty for so long, and I'm afraid... You don't need to worry. I'll hire someone to look after it. You'd just be helping me... helping keep an eye on it..." Sophia's reasoning grew muddled, until even she no longer believed it. "You don't need to worry about the cost of staying here. Just watching the place for me would already be a favor..."
"But there's no pitch here." Lu Yang shook his head. "Living here wouldn't affect my team training, but it would get in the way of my extra practice."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything before I leave." Sophia had a sudden idea. "Actually, I'm interested in football too. I've always wanted to put a small pitch on that empty lot behind the house, but when you're on your own, you always end up putting things off... If you're willing to stay here, I can get someone to start right away. It should be done before I leave!"
"Really?" Lu Yang was tempted.
Such a big house, such great facilities, convenient electric curtains, a whirlpool tub, a powered sofa, smart home devices... Lu Yang had been to Sophia's house more than once, but every visit still left him impressed.
Don't ask why Lu Yang noticed the sofa and the bathtub and things like that. I can only say that people see what they want to see!
But for Lu Yang, who could turn down the chance to live in a house like this?
"By the way, you said you'd be away for a while. Does that mean you've found someone interested in the script?" Lu Yang finally noticed the important part.
Sophia looked even happier and nodded. "Yes! Someone finally liked our script. The crew will start filming soon, and we expect to finish within three months."
"We have to shoot in other cities, so I'll be busy for a while. I might not even be able to make it to your championship celebration."
The confidence Sophia had in San Remo's prospects showed in her words. She was already talking about a championship celebration.
"That's all right. Make the film, and let people see your confident self again, Sophia!" Lu Yang looked into her eyes.
Sophia's eyes reddened. Moved by Lu Yang, she slowly leaned toward him, her lips drawing closer to his.
The atmosphere grew intimate, and the air seemed to thicken.
Their dopamine levels began to surge.
But... just then, a voice came from the television.
"What a goal! GOAL! Just five minutes into the match, Vedian has scored for San Remo! This is simply incredible..."
"GOAL!" Lu Yang jumped up in excitement. They'd done it! They really could win! They still had a chance to fight for the title!
An immeasurable disappointment flashed across Sophia's face.
Honestly, she wasn't much of a football fan.
And now, she was starting to hate football.
Some things, some moments, once missed, never came again.
Sophia watched Lu Yang's intent profile as he focused on the match. She sighed and joined him in watching.
She knew that, suspended after his red card, Lu Yang probably wasn't in the mood to fool around with her at that moment either.
After all, his team had a chance to create a miracle this season.
Lu Yang didn't leave Sophia's house that evening.
After the match, Sophia cooked a lavish dinner herself to thank him. Lu Yang couldn't possibly refuse.
After dinner, they spent a long time discussing the script.
Lu Yang's descriptions were always vivid, and Sophia herself was still an inexperienced director. The two hit it off immediately, and really ought to talk more.
No one knew how late they talked. In any case, once they grew tired, they fell asleep right there on the sofa.
The next day.
Bzzzz.
Lu Yang was woken by his phone ringing.
"Hello, Lu Yang. Where on earth did you go? I couldn't reach you all night." Moric sounded unusually cheerful.
"I had dinner with Sophia last night. I turned on airplane mode so we wouldn't be interrupted." Lu Yang replied.
"You went to Sophia's house again?" Moric was green with envy. "Did you watch our match? We won!"
"Of course I watched. That assist of yours was incredible! Vedian scored once and assisted once. His stats are already twenty-four goals and ten assists. It's ridiculous!" Lu Yang got excited whenever football came up, and ended up waking Sophia beside him.
"What was that?" Moric had sharp ears.
"Nothing. It's Sophia. I was talking too loudly and woke her up." Lu Yang lowered his voice. "All right, let's talk this afternoon. Sophia and I fell asleep on the sofa last night. She probably didn't sleep comfortably, so let's not wake her."
"You two slept on the sofa?" Moric felt as if his whole world were about to collapse.
Last time it was a bed, and this time a sofa?
The bed, the sofa, the hallway, the kitchen, the bathroom, the dining table, the balcony... Just how many places were left that Lu Yang and Sophia hadn't tried?
Good heavens!
Why did a pure-hearted virgin like me have to hear this?
This was enough to drive a man to his death!
Moric angrily hung up and never wanted to hear Lu Yang's voice again.