"Ding! You have won a match, and the rating for this game is SSS!"
"Rewards obtained: Blue Shards ×17, Purple Shards ×1, Golden Shards ×5, Super Charging Stations ×4, Donglong Special Drink ×3…
Star drop obtained: 'Actually, My Name Is Not Gomes'."
"Actually, My Name Is Not Gomes:
As the short-lived light of Portuguese football between the two kings of Portugal, Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes was once crowned the national team's all-time top scorer, ranked among the top ten scorers in European Championship history, and was hailed as the golden representative of a generation of Portuguese football.
But in fact, his real name is not Gomes—it is Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro.
Just like Pelé is not called Pelé, Kaká is not called Kaká, Gomes is not called Gomes, and Caesar is not called Caesar.
During a match, for every 10,000 fans who chant "Caesar," your long-range shooting ability receives a slight boost!
(Recalculated every match.)"
"Ding! You have consumed 20 Blue Shards and obtained the player-level skill: Outside-of-the-Foot Passing."
"Outside-of-the-Foot Pass: Everything has two sides—so do your feet. Your passing ability is slightly improved. When using the outside of your foot to pass, the probability of interception is reduced. Your outside-of-the-foot pass also has a very small chance of being converted into a shot."
The post-match rewards from the Lisbon Derby were finally revealed.
Both the blue shards and gold shards triggered critical hits.
Kai's first golden, superstar-level skill was no longer far away.
The outside-of-the-foot pass was perfectly timed.
Kai's current position was right midfielder, allowing his right-footed passing to be used to its fullest.
Fixed positions are good for ordinary players and help maintain team stability.
But for core players, being locked into one position can actually be harmful.
Even being fixed in the center is not the best choice for extremely creative players.
Freedom is where they can truly show their talent.
However, there is a prerequisite—you must have the ability to operate in multiple positions.
A right-footed midfielder plays on the right to deliver passes.
A left-footed center back plays on the left to better defend crosses.
A left-footed midfielder plays on the left, also for distribution.
A right-footed left winger plays on the left to cut inside and shoot.
If Kai wanted to move from right midfield to the center—or even into a free role—he had to solve the problem of only being able to pass left, especially when making quick passes.
Using the outside of the foot was clearly the best solution for normal people.
After all, not everyone can train their weaker foot.
At the very least, Kai's left foot, which only had 3 points, was nowhere near good enough.
And the effect of "Outside-of-the-Foot Passing" was indeed solid.
The passing improvement was only "slight," probably even smaller than the previous "minor" boost.
But the reduced interception rate alone already felt comfortable.
What's more, there was also a very small chance of it turning into a shot.
It was a comprehensive enhancement to both passing and shooting.
The real surprise was Nuno Gomes.
He actually dropped as well.
Except for a few star drops marked as "wearable," the rest took effect permanently once used.
The star drops currently equipped by Kai were "Guardiola's Tears" and "Čech's Hockey Stick."
The former enhanced vision; the latter provided psychological comfort.
Previously used star drops included "The Dutchman's Applause," "Young Ronaldo's Flame of Revenge," "Young Ronaldo's Secret Fear," "Black Panther's Trial," and "Van Persie's Ambition."
All of their effects were still active.
Although the activation threshold of "Actually, My Name Is Not Gomes" was quite high, considering that European football has super stadiums with capacities exceeding 100,000, its potential was terrifying.
In a single match, if your shooting ability was boosted ten times in a row, no matter how small each increase was, the accumulated change would lead to a qualitative leap.
Once Kai stepped onto a real professional stage, this special effect might become his core skill.
After all, stadiums with massive crowds usually belonged to big clubs—and players who could shine against big clubs were nothing short of superstars.
So, how many stadiums could hold 100,000 people and allow Kai's shooting bonus to reach its limit?
Camp Nou.
Camp Nou.
Camp Nou.
Well… looks like Barcelona will have to suffer first.
"Hey, what's going on outside?"
A commotion near the training ground entrance interrupted Kai's reward-counting session.
"Looks like someone wants to come in and look for you." Teammate Lourenço had just walked over from that direction.
"Are they my fans?" Kai brightened up. "I'll take a look. Maybe they want a photo or an autograph."
It was rapidly turning into fanatic territory.
This kind of sharp-eyed fan had to be added as a friend.
"Well, I suggest you don't go." Lourenço looked strange, then suddenly burst out laughing. "The one looking for you is Miguel Veloso from Benfica."
"Huh?" Kai hadn't expected that.
"His posture looks pretty scary—like he's here to cause trouble," Lourenço said. "You can imagine what kind of revenge a kid who's lost his football dream might want."
"I suggest we call Coach Marquesa… or just call the police."
Kai shook his head. How could he back down?
"It's fine. I'll go take a look." Kai walked toward the gate. "By the way, Lourenço—go get Chris for me. Tell him to come over immediately."
Although Kai trusted the professionalism of Portuguese youth players, you couldn't bet everything on someone else's morals.
Better safe than sorry.
With the Madeira Falcon here, he could relax.
…
Separated by the large iron gate, Kai and Veloso stood facing each other.
"Come out. I've got something to say to you." Veloso waved at Kai.
"Just say it here." Kai firmly refused to leave the protection of the gate.
"It's inconvenient." Veloso clenched his fists.
"What are you trying to do? Looking for trouble with Kai? Damn it—come at me if you dare!" Cristiano Ronaldo ran over from a distance, thinking Veloso was there to cause trouble. He opened the iron gate and was about to give Veloso a proper dressing-down.
Veloso snorted coldly.
Seeing more and more people gathering around, Veloso finally spoke:
"Don't touch me. Just listen. Kai, you and Chris are about the same age, but you're much shorter. Besides genetics, this is very likely related to your personal lifestyle."
Kai's mind was filled with question marks.
What does that even mean?
Veloso continued:
"I've been one of the better players in Benfica's youth system since I was a kid. If my height had developed as expected, I would definitely have become the cornerstone of Benfica's first-team defense."
"I have good speed, strong physicality, excellent defensive ability, and passing skills most center backs don't have. My only problem is my height."
"You're a very good player. I can see countless shining points in you."
"But your height and physique are a real problem."
"You're at a critical stage of development now. If you don't want height to limit you in the future, you need to eat more. Others eat three meals a day—you should eat five. Eat nutritious food."
"Go to bed early every night. Never stay up late. People who stay up late never grow taller."
"And finally—control yourself! Don't indulge in sex, and don't secretly play with your phone in the middle of the night while doing it! That's the most damaging thing to your body!"
Kai was completely petrified.
This Veloso… had he seen his own past in Kai and come here specifically to warn him?
Why was this suddenly so touching?
But—
Seeing everyone around him staring strangely, Kai waved his hands frantically:
"No, I didn't! I'm innocent! I've never done that kind of thing since I was a kid!"
Cristiano Ronaldo sighed and patted Kai on the shoulder.
"No wonder you eat well and sleep well but never grow taller. So that's how it is. I didn't expect this from you, Kai."
"I was wondering why your bed always smells like disinfectant."
Kai: ???
Kai: "That's disinfectant!"
Ronaldo: "No need to explain. I understand. Everyone needs hobbies. You don't smoke, don't drink, don't gamble—it's normal to have a bit of sex!"
Hahaha!
Laughter erupted all around.
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