System?!
Finally!
After 17 long years in this parallel world, Alessandro Dybala's golden finger—his cheat, his system—had arrived!
> "Is this even a choice?"
Obviously not.
A time traveler getting a system was practically fate.
> "I choose to refuse the bribe!" he said silently.
Then out loud, he looked Guo Chao in the eye and said coldly:
> "In that case, I'm not going."
"I don't pay bribes to play football."
As the words left his mouth, the voice in his mind echoed once more:
> Ding! System is activating… please wait.
Alessandro felt a thrill ripple through his chest.
Meanwhile, Guo Chao's face turned from smug to grim.
He'd been sure the 200,000 yuan would land in his pocket.
After all, Alessandro's family wasn't poor. They had a few buildings in Suicheng they rented out—lucky from redevelopment compensation—but they weren't some ultra-rich dynasty.
This should've been easy money.
But this kid…
So stubborn. So infuriatingly firm.
Guo Chao remembered how Alessandro had almost been kicked out of the provincial team once—if it weren't for Su Maozhen standing up for him, his football career might've ended before it started.
After a few moments, Guo Chao forced a fake smile.
> "Xiao Alessandro, let me give you some advice. Football isn't just about playing on the pitch—it's also about knowing how to deal with people."
Then he turned and walked away.
---
Alessandro's expression darkened.
> "Damn it. I thought this world might be less corrupt than the one I came from. Guess I was wrong. Crows are black everywhere…"
In his previous life, he had been a footballer too—but injuries ended his dream before it ever truly began.
> "Good thing I was cautious," he muttered.
He reached into the back of his cabinet and pulled out a small camera—its lens hidden behind a few stacked books. A precaution he had planned just in case.
> "Never let your guard down."
He pulled the memory card and slid it into his pocket.
---
Just then, his phone rang.
> "Hey, Old Man," Alessandro answered.
His father's voice came through, casual and gruff.
> "Well? Joining the Olympic squad or not?"
> "Nope. They asked for 200,000. I refused. I'm flying home later."
There was no disappointment on the other end—just a knowing chuckle.
> "I figured those crooks wouldn't let you in that easily. Just come home. You can help me collect rent. Your old man's getting too old for the stairs."
Alessandro sighed.
> "Dad, all the buildings have elevators. You don't even use the stairs anymore."
> "Still! Why bother with football? Just collect rent and live easy!"
> "No way! That's not my life. I'm not going to be some spoiled landlord doing nothing. I want to play football. I want to be a pro. I want to be the best!"
He hung up.
And the voice returned.
> Ding! The PES 2011 System has been activated!
Ding! You have received your novice reward: Skill - Full-Level Prediction!
Alessandro froze.
With no one around now, he focused—and a translucent screen appeared in front of him, floating midair.
With a thought, he began to explore the system interface. It had three sections:
Player Attributes
Task Board
System Shop
He opened Player Attributes first.
Attributes were divided into three categories:
Technical (dribbling, shooting, long shots, headers, tackles, penalties…)
Physical (explosiveness, speed, agility, stamina, strength, balance…)
Mental (willpower, prediction, vision, awareness, imagination…)
Immediately, Alessandro noticed his strengths:
> Strength: 82
Stamina: 85
No surprise there. He already knew he had good physical conditioning—better than most players his age.
But when it came to technique?
Mediocre.
Most of his technical stats were in the 50–60 range. He wasn't a gifted dribbler or shooter—not yet.
Still, what he lacked in flair, he made up for in strength, experience, and positioning. In his previous life, he had played long enough to understand the game's rhythms. He had the mind of a veteran—and now, the body of a machine.
And then, he opened the Skill Panel.
There it was:
---
Skill: Full-Level Prediction
Description: Your anticipation has reached elite, world-class levels. You can accurately predict:
1. Ball trajectories.
2. Dangerous areas during defense.
3. Opponent actions in one-on-one situations.
4. Your teammates' passing and shooting options.
---
Alessandro took a deep breath.
The skill didn't boost his raw stats…
But it elevated his game to another dimension.
As a defensive midfielder, he could now always be in the right place at the right time. He could shut down plays before they even started.
But even more, it helped in attack.
Predicting passes and movements meant he could make perfectly timed runs—arriving late in the box like Lampard, or ghosting into space like Müller.
> "With this…" he murmured, eyes gleaming, "I can become the best midfielder in the country."
And then—maybe the world.
---
He tapped into the Task Board.
---
Main Quest:
Join any club in the five major European leagues before January 29, 2012.
Rewards: Varies by performance.
Failure Penalty: Permanent loss of the system.
---
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
A one-month deadline.
That was tight.
But not impossible.
The fastest route? Go on trial with clubs in Europe.
And that meant one thing:
> "I need to book a flight. Right now."
His new life was just beginning.
---