A Historic Moment

"Huang is a gifted kid—no, he's a genius. I don't know why he never received professional football training. To perform like this without professional training, his talent may be even more frightening than what he has shown. Everyone at AC Milan, myself included, is delighted that he has joined the club. This is a great day, a historic moment. He will undoubtedly become an important part of Milan's glittering history."

The flashes below the stage lit up in a blaze, as if film cost nothing.

Compared to news this huge, the cost of a few rolls of film was nothing.

After the 2002 World Cup had turned anticipation into disappointment, and the past two years had brought even greater disappointment, Chinese football desperately needed a savior. Everyone had watched yesterday's match. Whether it was Huang Kaiwen's manner of taking the field or the ability he displayed, it had excited these reporters.

Huang Kaiwen's sharp dribbling, explosive speed, strong physicality, and incredibly precise assist had all amazed some veteran fans. Though he had played for less than twenty minutes, what he showed was astonishing.

After a day of buzz, practically the whole country knew about him.

Footage of that match, especially the clips of Huang Kaiwen's two appearances, was still being replayed over and over on Eastern TV.

Huang Kaiwen also graciously accepted interviews and answered every question.

"May I ask how old you really are this year?"

"Twenty-one. I graduated from university a year ago."

"Twenty-one? You don't look it. And why did you graduate so early? How were your grades?"

Huang Kaiwen rolled his eyes. What did his grades have to do with anything?

Besides, his parents were university professors. Was skipping grades really that unusual?

Reporters these days truly had no professionalism and lacked logical thinking as well.

"Not bad," Huang Kaiwen said vaguely. "I graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology. As for looking young, maybe I just have good genes? My parents are professors, so graduating early wasn't a problem. In fact, I was already studying middle school courses when I was very young. If they hadn't worried that I wouldn't be able to build relationships with older classmates, they might have sent me to middle school before I was ten."

Elementary school-level coursework was not difficult for a smart child. The original owner had inherited every advantage from his parents. The only problem was the cancer gene on his mother's side of the family. Otherwise, he would have been a winner in life.

"Alright, then have you received professional football training?" another reporter asked, snatching the microphone.

"No. I only attended a football summer camp when I was very young."

"Then why are you so good?"

He had voiced everyone's question.

"Maybe... that's just talent." Huang Kaiwen sighed, and the way he shook his head made the reporters grit their teeth.

"What are your thoughts on joining AC Milan?"

"Hm?" Huang Kaiwen thought for a moment and organized his words. "AC Milan has a great history. I've always been a Milan fan. Of course, I like many teams, because I like teams that play well, and AC Milan is one of those teams. Maldini, Stam, Kaka, Shevchenko... this team has the foundation to win everything, and I want to be a winner too. Joining AC Milan couldn't be better."

"Best of luck. Do you have a girlfriend?"

The reporters' focus gradually shifted away from football and toward his personal life. Football itself was less attractive than the gossip surrounding stars, and since Huang Kaiwen had not played many matches yet, they wanted to know more about his private life.

Huang Kaiwen answered every question without showing the slightest annoyance.

The press conference lasted for more than an hour before ending at the press officer's reminder.

If they did not leave now, they would miss their flight and be left waiting with Dao Lang for the No. 2 bus on the eleventh floor.

The group hurried to the airport to meet up with the main squad.

AC Milan had chosen the lavish option of chartering a plane. They were not yet the future club that could buy a starter for two million.

After the plane took off, Carrozzieri took the initiative to sidle up to Huang Kaiwen and asked, "I heard Chinese girls are great. Is that true?"

"Yes, that's true."

"What a shame. Otherwise, we could have gone out and had some fun." Playboy Carrozzieri sighed. Before coming here, he had planned to relax properly.

Huang Kaiwen was rather glad Milan's itinerary was tight.

Although he understood that he needed to build good relationships with his teammates, he had never considered leading them around China to fool around. That was a matter of principle. Anyone who led white trash around to cause trouble was a traitor.

After that, his teammates all asked questions about things they cared about.

Maldini, for example, had come to China with Milan more than a decade ago. Everyone had a fairly good impression of China. They could not say they were completely satisfied, but they could feel the sincerity and enthusiasm of the fans.

Watching the lively scene, Ancelotti gave his assistant coach a look.

His assistant stood up and clapped his hands to get their attention. "Guys, this is a long-haul flight. If you don't want to feel terrible afterward, you'd better get some rest on the plane."

The flight from Shanghai to Milan would take twelve to thirteen hours.

They were expected to land after ten at night.

Finally getting some peace and quiet, Huang Kaiwen put on an eye mask and rested.

There had been too much going on these past few days. When the coaching staff woke him up, they thoughtfully sent him to the hotel in a private car.

The assistant coach also said, "In a few days, club staff will take you to look at apartments. While you're playing in Milan, the club will cover your rent. The club will also advance part of your salary so you'll have money to live in Milan."

Hearing such generous treatment, Huang Kaiwen silently bared his teeth, not knowing what to say.

Even Kaka probably had not received treatment this good back then. He had performed too well that day in order to get signed, and now AC Milan had raised their expectations for him.

That gave Huang Kaiwen a headache.

He should have held back a little.

AC Milan might be treating him like royalty now, but once he spent all his time lying on a stretcher, the backlash would probably be vicious. If not for the contract, he would have wanted to run away already.