Alessandro took a deep breath.
As soon as he stepped out of the signing room, he couldn't wait to open the system.
The first thing he saw was the skill reward.
---
Skill Acquired: Basic Shooting (Lv.1)
Type: Passive
Effect: Overall improvement in all shooting techniques — including shots inside the box, long-range shots, and headers.
Bonus: All shooting stats +10
Level Cap: 10
Level-Up Conditions: Gain experience through training and official matches.
Note: Advanced shooting skills unlock at full level.
---
Alessandro's eyes widened as he opened his attributes panel and scrolled to the Shooting section.
Three key stats appeared:
Shots in the Box: 72
Long Shots: 78
Headers: 79
He sucked in a breath. For a defensive midfielder, those were ridiculous numbers.
He knew how rare it was to push any stat past 70. A professional's attributes were spread across dozens of categories, and very few players ever pushed everything into elite territory. Breaking 70 was a mark of top-tier talent—and he'd just jumped past that with one skill reward.
Even some backup strikers in mid-table Premier League teams wouldn't have shooting numbers this high.
He was stunned.
First, Full-Level Prediction made him the most intelligent defensive midfielder on the pitch.
Now, Basic Shooting made him dangerous in attack.
This wasn't just becoming a top midfielder…
He was becoming the most complete footballer in the world—someone who could defend, control, create, and finish.
The thought fired him up.
Alessandro quickly turned to check his second reward.
---
Reward: 1 Free Physical Attribute Point
Function: Permanently boosts a chosen physical trait
He paused for a moment, thinking it over.
His strength and body balance were already solid—but he lacked explosiveness. And for a central midfielder, that initial burst of speed over short distances was vital.
Explosive Power would also impact his jump height, shooting force, and acceleration.
He tapped the [+] icon next to it without hesitation.
A warm current flowed through his body.
He felt… lighter. Stronger.
He bounced on his toes and gave a light jump—yes, there was a noticeable difference already.
Then, the system pinged again. A new task had appeared.
---
Main Quest Unlocked:
Objective: Start and win one official match
Deadline: 1 month
Reward: Based on match rating
---
Alessandro grinned. Getting a start for Manchester United's U18 squad within a month?
No problem.
The real challenge would be how well he performed on the pitch.
Satisfied, he closed the system.
Just then, a club staff member contacted him. Manchester United had arranged accommodation for him—a modest one-bedroom apartment near the Youth Academy.
It wasn't luxury, but it was quiet, well-located, and private. Just what he needed.
Since the youth academy had no dormitories, players—especially foreign ones like him—were usually helped with housing arrangements.
After settling into the apartment, Alessandro checked the time. It was past 7 PM in England. That meant it was deep into the night back home.
He didn't call anyone.
Instead, the next morning, around 8 AM, he called home to let his parents know he'd arrived safely. Then he messaged Coach Su Maozhen and his cousin Su Huishan.
Su Maozhen's reply was short and solid as always:
> "Good. Work hard. Manchester United is no joke."
Alessandro smiled. The man had always been straight to the point.
Then came the call from Su Huishan.
The moment she picked up, all Alessandro could hear was screaming.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Manchester United?! MANCHESTER UNITED?! Is this for real?! Oh my God, congratulations, congratulations, congratulations!!"
He chuckled.
"Yeah, I've signed the contract—but it's just the youth team. Getting to the first team is still a long road."
"I don't care! Why haven't I seen it on the official site yet?"
"I signed around 6 PM yesterday. Probably everyone from the media team had clocked out by then."
Right then, her tone changed.
"Wait—OMG! They just posted it! I'm sending a screenshot now!"
A few seconds later, she texted him the image.
It was a photo of Alessandro signing the contract.
Caption: "Welcome our young talent from overseas to the Jimmy Murphy Youth Academy! Officially joins Manchester United U18."
It wasn't even front-page news—you had to dig through the youth section to find it.
But for Su Huishan, this was seismic.
"If I post this online back home…" she muttered, "...it's going to set off an earthquake."
Then she asked carefully, "Can I report this first?"
"Go ahead," Alessandro said, smiling. "Nothing to hide."
"Actually," she replied, "you should post it first. On your own account."
"You're a public figure now, like it or not. Especially since… well, the Football Association might not be very friendly with you anymore."
There was a pause.
"If you can't go back, then don't. Don't come back. Stay far away from them."
Alessandro froze.
"…Yeah. You're right."
He let out a breath.
"I'll make the official announcement myself."
"Besides… I never really planned to go back. Not for the national team. Not after what happened."
He remembered the whispers—of promising players returning injured. Of talent wasted, buried.
After what happened with the bribery scandal… he didn't trust the system anymore.
Not at all.
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