It was early morning in Manchester, and raindrops mercilessly hit the windows, as if narrating endless sorrow. Lin Feng sat alone in the dim room, his eyes blankly staring at the darkness outside the window. His mood was as gloomy as the weather outside.
As a member of the Manchester United youth academy, Lin Feng once harbored infinite dreams and hopes. However, reality pressed down on his chest like a giant boulder, making him breathless. In the fiercely competitive youth academy, he was never able to secure stable playing opportunities, and even when he was occasionally sent onto the field, he was often substituted early due to his lackluster performance.
To make matters worse, his family's difficulties also made him extremely anxious. After his father passed away from illness, his mother had to work several jobs to support the family. Seeing his mother's increasingly gaunt figure and tired expression, Lin Feng felt immense self-reproach and helplessness. He wanted to give up, but a voice inside him always told him: "You can't give up, you still have dreams to achieve."
Lin Feng, who had always believed that hard work surpassed everything, never gave up on pursuing his football dream, until last week when he was called into the office by the Head Coach of the Manchester United U23 Youth Team, Butt.
"Coach, I heard they said you were looking for me?" Lin Feng carefully pushed open the door. As a fringe player on the team, he never knew whether a good message or a bad message awaited him before opening the Head Coach's office door. Given his current standing on the team, it was very likely that a bad message was waiting for him.
Butt was sitting upright at his desk. This tall, thin, bald man was once a member of Manchester United's 'Class of 92' golden generation. His 12-year career as a Manchester United player brought him 6 Premier League titles and one Champions League title. After retiring, he entered the Manchester United youth training system and became the Head Coach of the Manchester United U23 Youth Team.
Looking at the player list in his hand, Butt felt a pang of reluctance, but competitive sports are like this: only the capable rise, and the mediocre fall. The list in his hand was Manchester United's player release list for the new season, and Lin Feng's name appeared on it.
"Lin, I'm sorry to inform you that you are not on the team's roster for next season. I can understand how you feel, but this doesn't mean you're not a qualified player. Perhaps you just aren't suited for here." Looking at this disciple, who was usually the most diligent, Butt knew how cruel this moment was for him.
"Of course, before your contract is terminated this month, the club will provide you with all possible assistance. You are still a member of the club and can continue to enjoy all the services the club offers. Naturally, I will also use my connections to find you some lower-tier clubs where you can get opportunities to play and develop."
Walking out of Butt's office and returning to the player dormitory, a huge sense of despair enveloped Lin Feng. He didn't know what his future as a player would hold.
At Lin Feng's most desperate moment, a dazzling light suddenly flashed before his eyes. This light seemed to burst forth from deep within him, illuminating the dark world around him. He instinctively closed his eyes, feeling a warm current slowly flow down from the top of his head, gradually spreading throughout his body.
When Lin Feng opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange space. This space was surrounded by endless light, and he was floating in mid-air, his body free from any gravitational pull. He looked around in surprise, trying to understand this sudden situation.
Just then, a clear and mechanical voice sounded in his mind: "Welcome to the 'Star Template System'. I am your guide spirit." Lin Feng looked around in shock, trying to find the source of the voice, but there was nothing in the space except light.
"No need to look, I am in your consciousness," the voice sounded again, answering Lin Feng's confusion. "You have been selected as the host of the 'Star Template System'. This system can grant you the skills and talents of different football stars, helping you become a top player."
Lin Feng was overjoyed. He couldn't believe his ears. This system could actually allow him to possess the skills and talents of world-class football stars; this was something he had always dreamed of. He eagerly asked, "How do I acquire these skills and talents?"
"It's simple," the voice replied. "You just need to silently recite the name of the football star you wish to emulate in your mind, and the system will automatically match you with the corresponding template. Then, you can gradually unlock and enhance these skills and talents through training and matches."
Lin Feng unhesitatingly chose Nesta as his template. He knew that as a defender, defensive skills and leadership abilities were crucial. And Nesta was a top defender renowned for his excellent defense and leadership.
After Lin Feng completed his selection, he returned to the real world. He looked at his body and felt that nothing had changed. Strange, was it just a dream?
Just as Lin Feng was feeling confused about the previous anomaly, the voice sounded again: "You have chosen a Star Template. Now, unlock achievements to unlock the Star Growth. The higher the growth, the more skills and physical functions will be unlocked and improved."
Specks of white light gathered before Lin Feng's eyes, finally converging into a sentence: Initial Achievement—Gain a playing opportunity, reward 1 growth point. A few seconds later, the white light vanished into thin air, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Feng quickly picked up his phone. Sure enough, there was a friendly match tomorrow against Villarreal B Team, a team from the Spanish Segunda División. This was a rare opportunity for him. No matter what, he needed to get that growth point first.
Villarreal first ascended to the top flight in 1998, at the end of the last century. After a brief period of adjustment in the top League, the "Yellow Submarine" rose unexpectedly in the new millennium, becoming a formidable force in Spain football and shining brightly for Spain football on the Europe stage, writing a new legend in Europe competitions.
This friendly match might be an opportunity for him. Since he couldn't make it at Manchester United for now, perhaps going to Villarreal would be a good choice, Lin Feng thought to himself.
Although Head Coach Butt was very tactful in his office, Lin Feng knew that the club signed him because of his identity as a China national. His identity, if signed by the club, would be enough to ignite the fan market in mainland China. But now, for the club, he no longer had commercial value, and being abandoned by the club became a matter of course.
Of course, Lin Feng being abandoned was indeed not his fault. He was the first to arrive at the training ground every day, and after training, he would go to the gym for extra physical conditioning. In terms of effort, he should have been the first player signed by the club. And from the club's perspective, Manchester United was not wrong either. With its powerful youth academy system, Manchester United already had an abundance of talent in its youth team, and as a successful commercial club, extracting Lin Feng's commercial value seemed to be nothing wrong.
It's just a shame that his own strength hadn't met the club's standards, Lin Feng thought to himself. But, starting today, I am no longer the Lin Feng of the past. I must make a name for myself on the Europecontinent!