Most minors of Chinese descent who hold foreign nationality can choose to change their nationality back to Chinese citizenship once they reach adulthood.
However, because China does not recognize dual nationality, this also means that the person must give up their original foreign citizenship, which can cause huge losses in many aspects of life and work abroad.
Considering that nationality is directly linked to national team eligibility, this decision is extremely difficult for football players.
Kai's choice of Chinese citizenship may be ten thousand times more difficult than Erling Haaland choosing Norwegian nationality.
Kai looked into the choices made by previous users of the system. Some of them retained foreign nationality and fought for it, helping their second homeland win the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.
It was beautiful, fulfilling, and full of achievement.
But in the dead of night, when they returned to their hometowns and saw old friends, they still felt an inexplicable sense of regret.
In the end, all of these players chose to return to China in their later years and helped Chinese football rise step by step.
The best among them was a commentator named Lu Yang. He sent his son into the Chinese national team, and through decades of nurturing and rebuilding Chinese football, eventually led the national team to the top of the world.
That same Lu Yang once wrote on the system's message board:
"I have never thought that what I did was wrong. Although many people cursed me, my choice maximized the interests of Chinese football and helped not only football in China."
"Those who carry great ambitions for their country and their family are often burdened with misunderstandings. Since I chose this path, I will never regret it."
"If I had refused the Italian Football Federation and chosen Chinese football back then, I probably wouldn't have been able to play football at all, and I wouldn't have been able to help Chinese football more, nor build an ideal image and voice for the country in the Western world."
Below that post, another user named Lu Guanjun left a comment:
"That's my dad upstairs. I just asked him. I know you don't regret choosing Italian citizenship, but if you could do it all over again, who would you choose?"
"His answer was two words… Li Bai—ah… China!"
These two messages gave Kai a powerful emotional shock.
In reality, many African and American players easily give up their original nationality just to play for a national team. The Chinese national team has also recruited many naturalized players who have no emotional attachment to China at all.
They put football above their country, and work above their family. They may be able to play football well, but how can people who don't even love their country or family truly love their profession?
In the end, the planning and naturalization of such players proves to be nothing more than a waste of taxpayers' money.
And Kai is someone who always puts country and family first.
Everything he does is simply to allow his family and friends to live better lives!
So even if he couldn't change his height, he would still change his nationality back to China once he turned eighteen!
Of course, ideals cannot be changed—but methods matter.
Considering the current state of Chinese football and the Football Association, in order not to delay his career, Kai needs to obtain sufficient football status before switching his nationality back to China.
Only then will he have enough influence and authority within the team.
Once he accumulates enough strength domestically, he will have the opportunity to initiate a fundamental transformation of Chinese football.
Lu Yang spent thirty to fifty years reshaping the Chinese football system, leading the national team to become a football powerhouse and win the World Cup.
Kai decided to challenge Lu Yang from above and complete this purgatory-level task in a much shorter time—something as difficult as Winter Is Coming, The Raging Sea, Oliver Twist, or The Tower Still Stands.
After all, with a system in hand, it would be too small-minded to focus only on domestic leagues, the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, and the World Cup of football powers.
The vision must be bigger.
This decision also gave Kai a clearer plan for his football life over the next two to three years.
…
"Which team are you from? Why do I feel like I've never seen you before?" João Moutinho, standing behind Kai, asked curiously.
"I'm a free agent." Kai shook his head, clearing his chaotic thoughts.
His first task was to conquer the stadium in front of him—this match.
"Oh… it's really not easy for you to make it here. I hope you perform well later." Moutinho realized he shouldn't have asked.
Being a free agent at thirteen or fourteen essentially meant that no club wanted you anymore.
The elimination rate in European youth academies is terrifyingly high.
More than 95% of youth players never receive a professional contract.
Every youth player must be mentally prepared for this reality.
"He's here… Look at that expression. It's really unpleasant. Does he think he's Simão or Ricardo Quaresma?" Moutinho thought to himself.
He didn't like the newcomer.
Because the other party was the type of talent who never had to worry about not getting a professional contract.
Although the opponent was still living on the small island of Madeira, everyone knew Sporting Lisbon was preparing to mold him into the next Quaresma.
Kai also looked at the newcomer, and the expression beneath the curly hair made him smile.
No matter the age, Cristiano Ronaldo would always be Cristiano Ronaldo.
As a child, he used pride to overcome fear and discrimination.
After becoming famous, he used pride to crush opponents and silence fans.
When he grows old, he will use pride to fight against time and himself.
This pride has always been one of his sources of strength—and the reason many people admire him.
And it is also exactly what those who hate him despise.
"Are you crazy? He'll think you're provoking him… Damn, he's coming!" Moutinho quickly distanced himself from Kai, using his eyes to explain to Ronaldo, silently saying, I don't know him.
The gazes of the other young players followed Ronaldo as well.
Many believed that anyone who dared to "mock" Ronaldo would suffer badly.
But José Fonte recognized Kai immediately.
Because three years ago, the Cristiano Ronaldo who defeated him in the semifinals was also defeated by the small figure standing in front of him in the final.
That match—his performance was simply that of a midfield god.
"You haven't grown much in the past three years." Ronaldo stood in front of Kai, bitterness and hostility written all over his face.
With that sentence, everything became clear.
The short guy knew Ronaldo.
And their relationship was clearly bad.
"Have we become rivals again? Then your growth has been meaningless." Kai didn't bother looking up at Ronaldo. The height difference was too disadvantageous—he was just over 1.4 meters tall, while Ronaldo, only half a year older, was already 1.65 meters.
Not tall enough, but still sharp-tongued.
"Rivals?" Ronaldo sneered. "Don't you know what that substitute vest means? To be blunt, it'll be lucky if you even get seventy minutes."
Ronaldo deliberately lowered his head to stare at Kai.
"It's been three years. Do you know how I've spent these three years?"
"The day I lost to you, I cried and swore I would never lose again—and I kept that promise!"
"And you? What were you doing? Studying trigonometric functions? Memorizing the periodic table? Learning Newton's first law?"
"Kai, I've already left you far behind!"
Ronaldo's words made the other substitute players feel awkward.
After all, wearing a substitute vest meant you were inferior to the starters.
But Kai simply spread his hands and smiled.
"What does a vest really mean? Are you overthinking it? If it means anything at all, maybe it means I only need twenty minutes to let you taste failure again."
"The taste of defeat."
"No one who plays football never loses. You think too highly of yourself, Chris. If you want to become a real star, you must first accept your own shortcomings."
"It's been three years. I thought you would've understood that by now—but I overestimated you."
"In that case, let me wake you up myself. Otherwise, I'm afraid it'll be hard for you to become a better Ronaldo."
Hiss—
The temperature in the players' tunnel dropped to freezing point.
Everyone worried Ronaldo might punch Kai, completely ignoring the fact that Kai had just casually called him Chris.
After clenching his fists for several seconds, Ronaldo suddenly turned around and walked back to the end of the line. His face was stiff, but a faint smile still leaked through.
In truth, no one was happier than Ronaldo to see Kai back on the pitch.
Because Kai was the only one, like Ronaldo himself, who had almost no real opponents among his peers.
Seeing Kai, Ronaldo felt as though he was looking at a midfield version of himself.
Another version of "me" in this world.
Another possible path beyond his own.
The feeling was strange—perhaps this was what people meant by recognizing an old friend at first sight.
Yes, Ronaldo had even taught himself Chinese over the past three years, making his life absolutely miserable—cut cock miserable.
"I'll wait for you on the pitch," Ronaldo said without turning back.
"Let me see how you make me lose again, Kai."
"You better not disappoint me."
"Otherwise… I won't even be able to forgive myself for losing to you three years ago."
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