Munich, 2013.
Bayern Munich Youth Academy.
Lu Xiao was enraged, his fists clenched.
It was only by relying on his remaining sanity that he didn't punch the bald man in the face.
Who do you think you are?
Just because you're bald, you think you're Guardiola, the decorated coach of six titles and current head coach of Bayern Munich?
No!
You're just Erik ten Hag, the coach of Bayern Munich's second team!
You haven't achieved anything significant in the Eredivisie, so what right do you have to act so high and mighty?
This is truly infuriating!
"Asian boy, yes, your training attitude is serious, you work hard every day, and you're active in tackles on the field. These are all commendable qualities…"
Erik ten Hag shook his head, arms crossed:
"However, football places more emphasis on talent. With all due respect, you don't have much talent and are not suited for professional football.
Your body isn't strong enough, and your technique isn't refined enough.
So, forgive me, I cannot offer you a professional contract, and please vacate the dormitory as soon as possible today."
Erik ten Hag praised Lu Xiao first before criticizing him. His tone sounded polite, but his words were filled with disdain for Lu Xiao.
Lu Xiao admitted that his talent couldn't compare to people like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, or Mario Götze.
But as a role player, Lu Xiao believed he was qualified.
He was good at running and creating space in the number 10 position, using his off-ball movement to help teammates create scoring opportunities.
Lu Xiao had a certain ability in crucial link-ups, passing, and finishing.
If he continued training at Bayern, he might even become the next Thomas Müller.
Even if, for argument's sake,
Lu Xiao truly had no talent,
But he had a System!
A System!
A Football System!
He had been waiting for nearly three years; he only needed to hold on for three more days, and the System would activate.
At that time, whether it was Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi,
Lu Xiao could completely become the new King of Football, the one and only GOAT!
The numbers before his eyes constantly reminded Lu Xiao,
The path to being the King of Football was within reach!
【Football GOAT System is loading — 997 / 1000】
【Friendly reminder: You are currently in the activation area. To avoid unknown errors, please avoid leaving the activation area for more than 12 hours.】
Therefore, Lu Xiao suppressed his anger towards Erik ten Hag and forced out a polite smile.
"Mr. Erik ten Hag, could you please give me three more days? Just three days, and I'll leave immediately!"
"No, your apprentice contract expired yesterday. You must move out of the base today… Oh, and the player cafeteria is not open to external personnel. If you need to eat, I suggest you look outside the base. Good luck, goodbye."
Erik ten Hag turned away heartlessly, giving Lu Xiao no chance!
"Erik ten Hag, that scumbag!"
Lu Xiao was truly exasperated.
Was he going to miss out on an opportunity to become the King of Football just because of Erik ten Hag?
Absolutely not!
…
Lu Xiao was Chinese, or more precisely, a Chinese-Belgian.
Both his parents were Chinese nationals and came to Belgium to work hard when they were young,
Residing in the small Belgian city of Henk.
At that time, everyone thought the grass was greener abroad. After accumulating sufficient resources, the couple impulsively immigrated and became Belgian nationals.
This made it incredibly difficult for Lu Xiao to move back to China after he grew up.
Belgian nationality indeed offered some Western European benefits, such as 12 years of free education, free healthcare, and pensions…
However, the price for free medical care was a two-month waiting list for even minor ailments.
By the time Lu Xiao's turn came, his illness would have long since healed.
Leaving these aside for now, everyone has their own preferences, and these are matters of free choice.
Lu Xiao simply loved his homeland.
Of course, there was one advantage in Belgium: football fields were everywhere.
Lu Xiao developed a strong interest in football from the moment he could walk.
He started formal football training at age five and joined the Henk Football Club at age eight.
In the youth academy, he also befriended a brother five years his senior, Kevin De Bruyne.
That period at the Henk Youth Academy was Lu Xiao's happiest few years.
When Lu Xiao turned 12,
His family decided to invest in a Chinese restaurant business and moved to Munich, Germany, with their partners.
Lu Xiao had no choice but to transfer schools to Germany and successfully joined the Bayern Munich Youth Academy to continue his training.
The moment he entered the Bayern Munich training ground,
A line of peculiar text inexplicably appeared on Lu Xiao's retina!
【Football GOAT System is loading — 1 / 1000】
【Friendly reminder: You are currently in the activation area. To avoid unknown errors, please avoid leaving the activation area for more than 12 hours.】
【After activation, you can choose one of the superstar templates:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka…】
Later, Lu Xiao finally understood,
This thing was the System!
He was the chosen one!
Spending two hours daily at the Bayern Munich training academy would increase the loading progress by one!
Thus, after Lu Xiao's 16th birthday, the System could be activated!
He would become the King of Football!
From that day on, Lu Xiao was almost unshakeable, going to the Bayern Munich training base every day.
Even if Munich experienced extremely bad weather, it couldn't stop Lu Xiao from going out.
If he couldn't stay outdoors, he would go to the indoor gym to run.
Every day, Lu Xiao fantasized about whether he would choose Ronaldo or Ronaldinho after activating the System.
Kaka seemed good too;
He could use the System to make up for Kaka's regrets.
Then he would lift the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy, the Ballon d'Or trophy,
Standing at the pinnacle of football, being draped in a black cloak by members of the Qatari royal family…
The anticipation for the future made Lu Xiao enjoy even the most arduous training.
His diligent training even earned the admiration of Bayern players.
For example, Thomas Müller,
First-team core player Thomas Müller actively befriended Lu Xiao, and the two became good friends.
Unfortunately, everything was about to become nothing.
Lu Xiao couldn't even eat in the cafeteria, let alone stay at the base?
Erik ten Hag was truly despicable!
Wait a minute?
Lu Xiao quickly realized, what was Erik ten Hag to him!
Couldn't he just endure for three days?
He would temporarily find a place near the training base to make do,
Sneak into the base for two hours every day,
As long as he could activate the System, even sleeping under a bridge would be fine!
His parents' Chinese restaurant was nearly 50 kilometers from the Bayern training base, which was too far and inconvenient; otherwise, he wouldn't be without a place to go.
Grumble—
While considering his options, Lu Xiao's stomach rumbled with hunger.
He hadn't eaten much in the morning, and his day of training had consumed immense energy, so he desperately needed to replenish it.
"What now?"
It was desolate outside the training base; there was nowhere to eat nearby.
Just as Lu Xiao was at a loss,
He heard a familiar voice behind him, calling his name enthusiastically.
"Lu!! Hey, brother, what are you doing standing here?"
Indeed, it was his old acquaintance, Thomas Müller.
Lu Xiao's eyes lit up!
Here came the solution!
