The plane took off smoothly from Baiyun International Airport, one of the few direct routes to England.
In the comfort of business class, Alessandro Dybala sat alone, a stack of newspapers in his hands. He had picked them all up before boarding — and unsurprisingly, they all reported the same scandal that had rocked the country's football world in recent days.
After all, it wasn't every day that a national Olympic team official got exposed for trying to solicit bribes from a player… and then accused that same player of bribing him in retaliation.
That alone would have been enough to dominate headlines and online trends for a week. No celebrity PR stunt or viral influencer could hope to overshadow the fallout. No marketing team dared try.
Then came the real shock: a complete reversal two days later.
The accused player — Alessandro — released video evidence. In it, Olympic team leader Guo Chao was clearly shown asking for a red envelope. The footage spread like wildfire.
Now, the entire national football authority was under fire, its reputation in tatters.
Guo Chao was swiftly removed and charged with bribery and defamation. Of course, social media had already convicted him the moment the video dropped. "Death penalty!" some shouted online — as they always did — but real-world justice took time.
Still, it was clear: Guo Chao was done. Jail time was inevitable. How many years? That remained to be seen. But the Football Association had already washed its hands of him.
No one knew what kind of promises were made behind closed doors, but for now, the damage had been contained to Guo Chao alone. Other higher-ups exhaled — they had dodged a bullet.
Yet, despite growing public pressure to reinstate Alessandro to the Olympic team, the Football Association stayed completely silent. Not a word. As if Alessandro had never been called up in the first place.
A reporter even tried to corner Olympic coach Blazevic for a statement. But Blazevic met every question with silence.
Silence, in this case, was the loudest answer.
Everyone could guess what was going on behind the scenes.
To the officials, Alessandro wasn't just a rebel — he was a threat. He had secretly recorded his first conversation with Guo Chao. A trap. A ticking time bomb.
A dangerous player who couldn't be controlled.
Bringing him back would keep everyone in the FA up at night. It was too risky.
Alessandro knew exactly what they thought of him.
He wasn't just blacklisted from the Olympic team or the senior national squad — he was persona non grata in the entire domestic football system.
After his previous club, the provincial team, fired him, they too remained silent — no apology, no interest in bringing him back, even after the truth came out.
He was untouchable.
Fortunately, Alessandro had already dissolved his contract. That meant he was free — free from the Football Association's grip, and free to seek his own future.
In a way, the scandal had opened a door.
Many talented players in the past had been blocked from going abroad due to registration issues controlled by the FA.
He wouldn't be one of them.
He pulled out his phone.
An email notification glowed on the screen — from Manchester United. An invitation to trial with their youth academy.
His fingers hovered over the screen.
His thoughts drifted to two days ago, when his former mentor, Su Maozhen — the current head coach of the U18 league — had said to him, voice trembling:
> "Alessandro… remember, you have no way back."
There had been tears in Su's eyes — not just for Alessandro, but for the state of the sport they both loved.
How could anything grow under the weight of corruption?
Alessandro sighed, gazing out at the clouds outside the airplane window.
There really was no way back.
But that was okay.
He wasn't the same player anymore.
And he couldn't wait to prove it.
---
Manchester, England
Jimmy Murphy Youth Academy
This was the youth development base of Premier League giants Manchester United.
Legends had walked these fields.
Especially the famed Class of '92 — Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt.
They defined an era.
Even though no group since had quite matched their glory, the Jimmy Murphy Academy remained the most prestigious youth system in England.
Across the Premier League, its graduates were everywhere.
In fact, statistics showed that more current Premier League players had come from here than any other academy in the country.
Inside the training office, Manchester United U18 head coach Paul McGuinness and his assistant Clacchino Binces were reviewing a scouting profile.
"Alessandro Dybala," Binces read aloud. "Born December 25, 1994. Dual nationality — Spanish and Chinese. Defensive midfielder. Height: 182 centimeters. Weight: 77 kilograms."
He flipped through the report. "Physically strong. Tough in duels. But… positional awareness and technique still rough."
A video compilation was playing on the screen in front of them. As it ended, McGuinness remained quiet, fingers steepled under his chin.
Binces glanced sideways, then added carefully, "My opinion? He's not quite good enough to join our squad."
---