Chapter 688 - 613: Baggio’s Answer

Chapter 688: Chapter 613: Baggio’s Answer

"Xiaohan, what are you doing?"

Han Zhilu’s teammates were all stunned.

They had never seen this side of Han Zhilu.

"Nothing, just decided to get a little serious." Han Zhilu stretched his shoulders, then said to a middle-aged man on the opposing team, "Brother Li, my apologies in advance for the second half."

The man who was called out, likely the captain of Team B, was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with an exasperated smile.

On the sidelines, Chen Yu and Castelli exchanged a look, seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.

"This kid."

Chen Yu gave a wry smile. It was as if taking off his glasses had turned him into a completely different person.

Castelli said, "Chen, it seems he hasn’t neglected his physical conditioning, at least."

He had a smaller frame and didn’t carry much bulk, but his muscle definition was clear. It wasn’t easy to achieve that level of fitness through natural training alone.

Moreover, his proportions were good. He had long legs, and with his shirt off, he didn’t look scrawny like a little chick. Instead, he projected a sense of lean power.

As they spoke, the match resumed.

Han Zhilu’s style of play changed in an instant.

He started controlling the ball, charging forward on the dribble. He no longer shied away from physical contact like he had in the first half; he even actively sought it out.

In an amateur match, many players get handsy. Grabbing and pulling are common tactics.

But they simply couldn’t hold him back.

He was unbelievably explosive. Bursting through the pulling and tearing of his opponents, he charged past Team B’s entire defensive line in one go, then unleashed a ferocious shot that buried itself in the top corner of the net.

4-1!

Just two minutes into the second half.

The Team B players couldn’t quite believe it.

"Xiaohan, you..." Brother Li was at a loss for words.

Han Zhilu grinned and said, "It’s nothing, Brother Li. Don’t hold back. Just defend against me with everything you’ve got."

’Chen Yu wants Nedved’s tenacity and fighting spirit? Then that’s what I’ll show him.’

The match continued. Han Zhilu was no longer defending at a leisurely stroll like he had in the first half. His feet never stopped moving; he was constantly running.

The entire midfield was his domain.

He ran back and forth, making interceptions, engaging in fierce physical battles, and defending with all his might.

When Team B’s captain launched a long pass to his forwards, Han Zhilu would track back tirelessly, chasing down the ball as if his life depended on it.

At that moment, his shadow covered the entire pitch.

Chen Yu exchanged an exasperated look with Castelli. ’Is tireless running your only impression of Nedved?’

Neither of them spoke, just quietly watched the game.

5-1, 6-1...

Even though Han Zhilu had only trained at a sports school for a few years, his skill level was far above this group of amateurs.

When he was sprinting at full speed and defending every ball with desperate intensity, Team B found it difficult to even carry the ball past midfield.

And they were even less capable of stopping Han Zhilu.

Despite not being tall or thickly built, Han Zhilu’s ability to handle physical contact was superior to these grown men. His fundamentals were also polished, and his solo runs, dribbling past multiple players, were utterly dominant.

In the end, the final score was 12-1.

Han Zhilu himself had slammed in a total of 8 goals in the second half.

That was a goal every five-odd minutes on average.

If they hadn’t been familiar with each other from playing together so often, Team B’s players would have been thoroughly pissed off.

Most importantly, for 45 minutes, Han Zhilu had barely stopped moving. He was constantly running.

And relentless running, it seemed, was also one of Nedved’s key traits.

Drenched in sweat, Han Zhilu walked up to Chen Yu.

The players from both teams also looked over toward Chen Yu. They remembered that during the halftime break, Han Zhilu had exchanged a few words with Chen Yu, and then he had just exploded with power.

"Dr. Chen, is this the kind of player you’re looking for?" Han Zhilu asked.

Chen Yu and Castelli exchanged a look.

The two had just seriously discussed and analyzed his performance.

As for his technique, they could only say he had solid fundamentals. Competing against a bunch of amateurs wasn’t much of a benchmark.

In Castelli’s words, his technical skill was probably at the level of a kid just over ten years old at the Carrington Training Base.

Then there was his physique.

Forty-five minutes of running didn’t prove much, for instance, whether his stamina could hold up for a full ninety-minute, high-intensity match.

And even if he had developed some lean muscle, his frame was still slight.

With his current physique, his speed and power were decent, but if he were to bulk up, it would be a different story.

"I can only say you’re barely passable," Chen Yu said.

That old game footage, that spark of genius he’d had as a child, was still unforgettable to Chen Yu and counted as a bonus.

"Just barely passable?" Han Zhilu was clearly a bit crushed.

Chen Yu nodded.

’This kid has probably been overconfident since he was young. He’s smart enough to be good at soccer, and when he gave it up for academics, he became a top student.’

’He comes from a good family, everything has been smooth sailing, and he’s hardly ever faced a setback.’

That was why Chen Yu was deliberately downplaying his performance, to knock his confidence down a peg.

Of course, Chen Yu did have very high requirements and standards in mind.

He was picking a group of kids for several years of intensive training. Whether they would make it in the future... Chen Yu wasn’t a prophet; he couldn’t predict the future.

In a situation like this, it was best to set the bar as high as possible from the start and select only the most elite talents.

Based on Han Zhilu’s current performance, he was a genius, but he hadn’t reached the level of Ronaldo, the very pinnacle of world-class soccer prodigies.

Chen Yu added, "Young Han Zhilu, since I came here, it means I’ve already looked into your situation. There’s another problem you’re facing right now, and that’s your family’s opposition."

"And you... you say you haven’t given up on soccer, but from where I’m standing, your current situation is no different from having given up."

Han Zhilu’s brows knitted together, but he said nothing.

Chen Yu took a step forward and continued, speaking through the chain-link fence, "Xiaohan, you’re a great student, and you come from a well-off family. I don’t doubt your passion for soccer, but professional soccer is nowhere near as simple as you imagine."

"And what I need are truly Professional Level players. So, before you make any decisions, I hope you’ll also think it over carefully and decide if you really want to walk this path."

Giving up everything to cross the ocean and train for years in a foreign place wasn’t a decision that could be made on a whim.

Han Zhilu was very smart. He pressed his lips together, his eyes flickering. After thinking for nearly three full minutes, he suddenly said, "Dr. Chen, I’ve actually always had a question."

"Go ahead."

Han Zhilu continued, "Like you said, I’m good at soccer, and I’m good at my studies. My mom planned out my future long ago. She wants me to study finance and then come back to take over my dad’s business."

"My dad’s company has always done very well. I hear him say they’re even preparing to go public. He’s already bought the villa for when I get married, so I’m not short on money."

Chen Yu nodded.

This was the difference between Han Zhilu and Song Jun.

In Song Jun’s case, he had almost no other options.

But Han Zhilu had better choices. The path of professional soccer wasn’t necessarily better for him.

"For years, I’ve been thinking about this question: should I give up soccer?"

"I train in secret. My family has several cars, but I still run to and from school every day. I also sneak out to play soccer. I just can’t bear to part with it."

"You’re right. Professional soccer isn’t simple. It’s tough and it’s cruel. You could end up with a body full of injuries and get nothing in return."

"So it’s really hard for me to choose."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up and said, "Dr. Chen, I need a reason to keep going!"

"Dr. Chen, you know Baggio, right? Do you have his number? Could you... could you call him? I want to ask him why he kept playing."

At the mention of Baggio, his entire being lit up.

Without a doubt, he was a die-hard Baggio fan.

Chen Yu thought for a moment, then nodded. "I can do that."

’It’s just a phone call, not a big deal.’

Baggio was retired and had time on his hands. He’d pestered Chen Yu more than once about coming to the United States for a visit.

The call connected quickly. Chen Yu briefly explained the situation, then handed the phone to Han Zhilu, who had run off the pitch.

Han Zhilu took the phone with both hands and carefully offered a greeting in Italian.

To Han Zhilu’s surprise, Baggio, on the other end of the line, cheerfully replied with "hello" in Chinese.

"Hello, hello," Han Zhilu said, his body trembling with excitement.

Chen Yu frowned slightly, only then remembering the language barrier.

Thanks to him, Baggio knew a few simple phrases in Chinese. It was likely the same for Han Zhilu, who probably only knew a few simple phrases in Italian.

So whatever Baggio was about to say, Han Zhilu wouldn’t be able to understand it at all.

But he just smiled as if in a dream, nodding continuously as if he truly understood.

When he took the phone back, Chen Yu couldn’t help but ask, "What answer did Baggio give you?"

Han Zhilu seemed to be in a blissful daze, murmuring, "He said it was because of love for the game. It’s that simple."

Just then, Baggio’s voice came from the phone, "Chen, I tried to talk him out of it. You should too. Like you said, his family is very wealthy, and he’s an excellent student. He really should just go to university. Being a normal person is pretty good too."

"Now that I’m retired, I really feel that being a normal person is a very happy thing."

Chen Yu’s brow furrowed immediately.