The Last Chance

This match couldn't simply be dismissed as chaotic. Qi Ce managed to score a goal right under Bian Jun's nose, igniting Bian Jun's fighting spirit. Subsequently, Bian Jun played with heightened seriousness, leaving Qi Ce feeling uncomfortable.

However, from the bystanders' perspective, Qi Ce seemed to have a slight edge. The teammate responsible for scoring suggested that the final result of the game should have been 8:6 in favor of Qi Ce's team.

This victory was partly attributed to Jun Bian reluctance to push forward and attack, otherwise, the outcome might have been different.This slight advantage over professional players didn't go unnoticed.
After the game, Qi Ce's teammates began to regard him differently.

Unlike before, many now approached him, hoping to recruit him to their teams, even considering him as a potential foreign player.

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[Task 1 completes any football game task progress 1/1, rewards 2 football coins].
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On the way home, Qi Ce retreated to the virtual stadium. As expected, the task had been completed. Two more black and white tokens lay on the table in the dressing room, adding to the four football coins he already possessed.

After completing the mission, some new items were unlocked in the vending machine. Qi Ce glanced over them quickly, noticing that most of them were sneakers. For now, he didn't need to consider these special products.

Turning his attention to the other two tasks, Qi Ce realized that the third one might be more challenging in the short term. Therefore, he decided to focus on the second task: training.

"What exactly does this training entail?" Qi Ce wondered, his gaze falling on the football lying on the bench in the locker room. It was the same one he had bought from the vending machine earlier, now involved in both reality and the virtual stadium.

Could it be?

Qi Ce stood up silently, picked up the football, and walked outside the locker room. The small pitch remained empty as he placed the football on the ground and attempted to kick it.

To his surprise, the default body equipment was very basic, with all-white sleeveless jerseys and a pair of ordinary slippers that weren't suitable for playing football. Nonetheless, Qi Ce decided to give it a try.

As he kicked the ball around, a thought crossed his mind: Could training in this place also be a task?

Indeed, the significance of this stadium seemed to go beyond mere data analysis. It appeared to be a training base!
With his newfound determination, Qi Ce returned to the vending machine and inserted two football coins. He purchased a pair of Mizuno football shoes and eagerly put them on before heading back to the stadium.

"It's much smoother like this," Qi Ce remarked as he tested out his new shoes. Lifting his foot gently, he watched as the ball responded obediently to his movements, smoothly cycling back and forth between his feet.

Despite his enthusiasm, Qi Ce was aware of his technical limitations compared to professional players. Most of his technical attributes were only single digits, and he was not considered excellent even among the small players in Chongming. While he could control the ball well in some instances, his error rate remained relatively high.

This realization reminded Qi Ce of why Xu Lao had ultimately given up on him in his previous life.
Ball control was a fundamental skill for any player, and while professional players didn't need to perform flashy moves like Ronaldinho, they couldn't afford to have a high turnover rate with the ball.
Returning to his sixteen-year-old self, Qi Ce resolved to start from scratch and focus on refining his basic skills, with ball control being the first step.
He understood that with solid fundamentals, he could handle situations like the goal scored by Jun Bian more effectively, finding better options than simply shooting directly at the goal.
However, Qi Ce's lack of confidence in his stopping skills when facing professional players led him to choose the direct approach of shooting for goal.
Bumping the ball training involved repeatedly touching the ball, which was crucial for improving Qi Ce's weak point—stopping the ball. This skill was especially important for forwards like him.

"Cer, what are you doing?" Zhang Huafang[Qi Ce's mum] interrupted during dinner, noticing Qi Ce's intense focus on smashing the ball in the virtual stadium.

Qi Ce snapped out of his concentration, shaking his head. "Oh, nothing," he replied casually.

After discussing with Qi Ce's father, Zhang Huafang proposed a plan. "Let's take a step back for half a year," she suggested.

Qi Ce set down his chopsticks and exited the virtual stadium, meeting his mother's gaze. One advantage of the virtual stadium was its convenience, allowing him to exit seamlessly.

"You'll continue practicing football in Chongming for the next six months," Zhang Huafang continued. "If there's no improvement by then, you'll go back to school. The new school year starts in half a year, and the city competition is in the second half of the year. Teacher Zhao has agreed to this plan."

That should be enough time, Qi Ce thought to himself. With his abilities, he believed he could make significant progress. He was almost certain that he could hold his own against Jun Bian, a professional player in the Super League, let alone the younger players.

More important than individual ability is the overall environment. In this era, Chinese football remains veiled in obscurity, unlike most grievances that surface years later—it's the original sin. What's murkier in this era isn't football itself, but rather the football environment.

It's a stain that can't be erased in this era.

If the broader environment isn't conducive, the significance of the smaller environment becomes apparent. Qi Ce finds himself in one of the purest spots within the football circle at that time—a secluded island far from the city's clamor.

Thus, he firmly believes he'll find his opportunity here.

But his ambition goes beyond that. Securing an opportunity at Chongming and Bao's base is merely laying the groundwork.

You see, he Regressed with a mysterious football system.

In this system, Qi Ce set his potential attribute at 185. If fully realized, his ability would reach this level. What does this mean?

Consider Football Manager 2021—a Forward with an ability value of 184, leads Bayern Munich, and is none other than Our Favorite Polish forward, Robert Lewandowski.

While the potential of this system can't be directly queried, if set according to Qi's standards, even if not at 185, it shouldn't differ much. In fact, anything above 160 is ample to play a pivotal role in European giants.

Therefore, Qi Ce isn't content with merely playing in the professional league in China—he aims for Europe.

At sixteen, there's still time, I'm not too late.

"Dad, Mom, if I make it, I want to go abroad."

"Huh?" Zhang Huafang, engrossed in conversation while eating, was startled by Qi Ce's declaration, causing her to choke and cough. Qi Jian[Qi Ce's dad] quickly patted his wife on the back to ease her discomfort.

Qi Ce also patted his mother on the back and repeated firmly, "I want to go abroad and play in Europe."

"You can't speak English, so still think about it!" Zhang Huafang retorted, not showing any sympathy towards her son as she poked at the sensitive topic.

"This... I can learn," Qi Ce replied, attempting to reassure his mother.

Qi Jian, typically reserved, spoke up once more. "Son, it's premature to discuss these matters now. If you truly excel, I'll support your decision to go to Europe... in fact, I hope you do."

Qi Ce glanced gratefully at his father. In their previous life, father and son hadn't communicated much, yet there had always been an unspoken understanding. As Qi Ce's life took a downturn, his father quietly managed things, like arranging that blind date, always with his son's best interests at heart.

In this life, it seemed their tacit understanding was growing stronger. Qi Ce wondered if, at thirty years old, he had mentally reverted to his father's age in his early forties.

Zhang Huafang remained silent for two reasons. Firstly, deep down, she doubted Qi Ce's ability to make it abroad. She was prepared to send him to West Middle School for further studies. Secondly, lacking the support of her own parents, she often deferred to her husband Qi Jian's opinions in major decisions. If Qi Jian ultimately decided to send Qi Ce abroad, she would support him too.

"But Ceer, you have to remember,"

Qi Jian's tone grew serious. "I'm well aware of your current level. I frequently visit the base to inquire about it. If it's not promising, I doubt you'll succeed."

A sobering reality washed over Qi Ce, but he remained composed. Only he knew that he was different from his past self.

"But I want to offer you an opportunity, a last chance to pursue your dreams," Qi Jian continued, extending a finger to emphasize his point. "Your grandfather also granted me such a chance, but I lacked the capability and gave up."

Qi Ce listened intently to this anecdote. Qi Jian had been passionate about football, displaying considerable skill. He even made it onto the Shanghai team's inspection list during his schooling years. However, despite his efforts, Qi Jian ultimately fell short of meeting the required standards of the professional system in the early 1980s and was eliminated.

"So regardless of the outcome, I'll give you a chance. Just this once, I don't want you to have any regrets," Qi Jian concluded firmly.

Qi Ce nodded silently, his fists clenched.

Only success, not failure.