In truth, Su Hang's attention wasn't fully on the national team at the moment.
He had already reached an agreement with Aragonés—barring any surprises, he wouldn't start in the World Cup group stage.
To Aragonés, Su Hang had sacrificed nearly his entire World Cup for the greater good.
But only Su Hang knew that this tournament was his chance to quietly pull off something monumental.
Right-Wing Master Figo 2000
Thierry Henry 2002!
Lionel Messi 2007!
What's that?
Peak Figo!
Peak Henry!
Nineteen-year-old Messi!
Tell me—who could possibly top that?
But still, it wasn't enough.
From the Round of 16 to the Final—four matches.
If he reached the Final only to lose to Italy or France, Su Hang would be crushed.
Second place is the greatest failure of all!
So, he needed one more Moment Card.
Zidane: "What if... you still lose even with a Moment Card?"
Su Hang: "Get lost!"
Finally, the long-delayed Champions League reward arrived with the answer.
"Ding! Congratulations on leading your team to this season's Champions League title! You've also been awarded the Champions League Best Player honor."
"Rewards: White Healing Spray ×2, Black Healing Spray ×3, Gareth Bale 2014, Attribute Points Bonus, Height +3 cm."
???
This... new stuff?
Judging from the names, these sprays had to accelerate injury recovery, right?
If that's true... they're practically divine items!
Spray: "How could they not be?"
"White Medicine Spray: A miraculous spray that increases recovery speed by 200%, usable only on yourself."
"Black Medicine Spray: A standard spray that increases recovery speed by 30%, usable on yourself or teammates."
As expected!
Absolute game-changers!
If this had existed earlier, Real Madrid's second half of the season would've been even more dominant.
Barcelona wouldn't have had a single illusion of hope!
Barcelona: "A 5–0 scoreline counts as an illusion? How much worse could it get?"
Su Hang: "That brings us to Bayern Munich's Rafi."
Barcelona: "Isn't Rafi from Bordeaux's Lafite winery?"
Su Hang: "Rafi can also come from Lisbon's Estádio da Luz."
Barcelona: "Wait, what happened to Munich? Why Portugal now?"
Su Hang: "Ah, that's a long story—let's just say it involves a global pandemic."
Barcelona: "???"
"Gareth Bale 2014: Your dominant performance in the Champions League Final has inspired a Championship substitute player, Gareth Bale. He now dreams of becoming a player like you—one who scores in a Champions League Final."
Good grief!
Didn't expect Bale to be watching my matches too.
The kid's got taste.
Picked himself a fine idol.
Bale: "Damn it! Real Madrid actually beat my favorite player, Bergkamp! I'm definitely watching Barça destroy them in the Final!"
Su Hang: "..."
Still, what surprised Su Hang most was the attribute bonus.
This reward was generous—it added +1 to all attributes below 80.
Dribbling: 80
Curve: 76
Tackling: 77
Interception: 71
Speed: 73
Agility: 75
Jumping: 80
Stamina: 72
And both "Defensive Awareness" and "Covering" were now activated, reaching 70.
In addition, his strongest attribute—Strength—also increased by 1, making it his first stat to hit 90.
"Ding! Your Strength has reached 90. Star Path (Strength) unlocked."
"Star Path (Strength): Strength isn't just about physical power—it's the foundation of health. Many think strength is innate, but even natural strength must be maintained. A truly strong player should be able to help his teammates become stronger as well."
"Find a player with a 'Skinny' physique rating and help him build up to a 'Lean and Muscular' body type."
"Until you complete this mission, your Strength cannot increase further. Upon completion, you will unlock the Star Path (Strength) reward: Injury Immunity."
This...
Star Path!
In real life, many players are reborn through hardship.
Su Hang suspected Adriano's Star Path had been about overcoming the grief of losing his father—but sadly, he never completed his transformation.
From that angle, Adriano's Star Path could have been tied to Strength... or maybe Shooting?
Batistuta's Star Path was likely rooted in his leg power—he even replaced his ankle with a mechanical one to fight through injuries.
Ronaldinho's might be tied to Offensive Awareness or Aggression.
Most South American stars struggle with their mental attributes.
But their Star Path thresholds might not trigger at 90—it could be 95, or even 99.
It all depends on a player's personal ceiling.
Every player's limit is different.
This meant that Su Hang's theoretical physical limit was 90.
World-class—exceptional by any standard.
Far stronger than his old body.
But still not at the absolute top—not Tier 0 level.
Without the Star Path, Su Hang's future would look dimmer, not as radiant as fans imagined.
But with it... everything was possible.
Tell me—Zidane's Star Path, could it be his temper?
Ronaldo's—his injuries?
Beckham's—his looks?
Well, Beckham's is the easiest to fix. A few slashes might be too much, but maybe a Batman-style mask would do the trick?
Jokes aside—football isn't for clowning around.
Back to business: where could he find a "skinny" player?
Su Hang scanned his Real Madrid teammates—none fit the bill.
In professional football, it was rare to find anyone genuinely skinny, especially at Real Madrid.
People might say this guy's weak or that guy's soft, but compared to ordinary people, these guys were all superhumans—muscle-bound freaks, every one of them.
To find a skinny player, Su Hang would have to look toward the summer transfer window.
Normally, that would be difficult, but...
Once Florentino's resignation news broke, things suddenly got easier.
As for the extra three centimeters in height—what a waste.
That brought Su Hang to the golden male height of 183 cm.
But really, there are way too many guys at that height.
Clara: "WTF???"
Su Hang: "Hey, I've always been eighteen, haven't I?"
Clara: "Who said anything about age?! I'm talking about—*&%￥#..."
...
The London Globe: "Breaking News! Florentino Resigns Abruptly—Complicated, Heartbreaking Reasons Behind It; Possible Link to Spanish Domestic Issues!"
"Whistleblower" Clara proved her skills right from the start of her new role.
To fans, Florentino stepping down seemed impossible.
Some media outlets had already speculated it, but they couldn't publish anything before Florentino's official announcement.
Only he knew exactly when he would resign.
Su Hang managed to get the scoop with a bottle of Romanée-Conti and a few well-practiced fake smiles.
Soon, major outlets followed up.
Marca: "Su Hang: Hey, the Galácticos are setting sail! Florentino: No—the Galácticos have already sunk!"