Post-match.
At the press conference, Burnley's head coach was cornered by the media.
"You originally aimed for a three-goal victory over Crystal Palace! Yet as the match progressed, your goal kept dropping—first it was to maintain a one-goal lead, then to hold the draw, and in the end, your team was overturned with three consecutive goals!"
"Was it Crystal Palace's genius midfielder that put too much pressure on you?"
Burnley's manager's face turned ashen. He threw down the microphone and stormed out of the press room.
On the other hand, Holloway told the media:
"Although we've secured five consecutive wins, please don't put our players under a microscope. If we fail to maintain our form in the upcoming games, feel free to blame me. But don't be too harsh on the players."
---
"Constant Game-Winners! Crystal Palace's Super Genius is Unstoppable!"
"Midfield Wonder Goal Shocks the Crowd! History Repeats Itself!"
"Crystal Palace Takes Five Straight Wins! Three Consecutive Assist Hat-Tricks, the 16-Year-Old Prodigy is Unstoppable!"
"Cherishing Talent Like Life Itself! The Professor Declares: Arsenal Would Even Take a Loan to Activate Kai's Release Clause!"
"Sir Ferguson Shows Interest! Invites Kai to Trial at the Theater of Dreams!"
"Man City Manager Mancini Says: We Have a Historic Talent in Balotelli—He's the Real Golden Boy This Year!"
After the match, wave after wave of sensational headlines dominated the news.
All of South London was in a frenzy!
What seemed like an ordinary league match…
Had shaken the very nerves of English football!
Premier League giants were now stepping in!
At the forefront: Arsenal and Manchester United.
The war to sign the super prodigy had quietly begun two months before the winter transfer window.
Manchester City also took notice.
But this season, City had already signed the gifted Balotelli from Inter Milan for €28 million.
Manager Mancini stayed composed, choosing not to join the fray.
He firmly believed that his prized pupil Balotelli was the only true contender for this year's Golden Boy Award.
---
As the hype surrounding Kai and Crystal Palace reached a fever pitch, it quickly spread to the rest of Europe.
Spain — Barcelona.
Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Guardiola was overseeing the training of Barça's first team.
The players moved fluidly on the pitch.
But Guardiola wasn't watching.
He silently stood at the sidelines, eyes fixed on a scouting video just handed to him.
> "This kid is a genius."
"I doubt Real Madrid's scouts are as efficient as ours. We can't let them get to him first."
But soon after, Guardiola's expression froze—the situation was completely different from what he imagined!
The Barça manager had just learned a bombshell revelation:
> "You're saying this 16-year-old super prodigy, mature playing style, incredible vision, 13 assists in five games—came from our own La Masia?"
"I asked Vilanova to scout players at La Masia, and he overlooked this genius?"
"What? The La Masia sporting director sold him off for just €500,000?!"
> "Are you kidding me?!"
Guardiola felt the world spinning around him.
€500,000?!
That wasn't even enough to hire a fitness coach!
His assistant whispered, "The €500,000 figure is real, but Palace paid in installments. We've only received about €100,000 so far…"
That sentence hit like thunder.
Guardiola exploded.
> "A bunch of useless drunkards!"
That night, the lights at FC Barcelona stayed on till dawn.
---
Back in London, Kai was unaware of all these dramatic developments.
He continued his training routine, preparing for the next match.
After the Burnley match, he gained 5 attribute points and a god-level experience card.
After using the "Guaranteed Long-Range Goal" card, his shooting attribute had improved:
[Shooting: 40 → 60!]
A 20-point jump—Kai was stunned!
> "That's insane! That's like five matches' worth of growth all at once!"
He still had 5 attribute points remaining.
After thinking for a moment, he allocated them to Physical Duels.
As the season wore on, physical battles were becoming more intense. Good physicality was essential.
Currently, his Stamina had reached 80, meaning he could no longer use attribute points to increase it.
However, Kai unexpectedly discovered that once stamina hit 80, even though he couldn't level it up with points, it could still improve through regular training!
Then, he checked his newly obtained god-level card:
[20-Minute Supreme Interception Card]!
For 20 minutes, all defensive interceptions against attacking players are 100% successful!
His eyes lit up.
Until now, all his rewards—whether star modules or experience cards—were focused on offense.
This was his first defensive-oriented reward!
> "100% success rate in defensive interceptions for 20 minutes? That's insane."
If used against a top-tier team, wouldn't it make even superstar strikers question their entire existence?
---
The day after the Burnley match.
After training, Holloway called Kai over.
He said someone had come to visit him.
When Kai stepped out of the club, he saw Fan Sijing.
> "You were looking for me?"
Kai was puzzled.
Fan Sijing shook her head, then ran up cheerfully and wrapped her arms around his:
> "I saw your match the other day—and I ran into this 'weirdo'. He's the one looking for you!"
The two of them headed to a café next to the club.
Someone had been waiting there for quite a while.
Kai, being Portuguese by nationality, immediately recognized the man's Portuguese-style attire.
> "Kai, we need to talk!"