Awakening the Messi template, Florentino Pérez begs me to join Real Madrid

Early the next morning,

Wu Shi got up early and went to the hotel cafeteria, where he found other teammates eating and talking as they got their breakfast.

Everyone practiced late last night, and Wu Shi thought he had gotten up early enough today.

When I woke up and went to the cafeteria, I found that many teammates were already eating breakfast, and some of them, who usually trained very hard, were even warming up by running laps.

Wu Shi got breakfast, and at that moment Chen Liang and several other teammates waved to Wu Shi from a table.

After everyone sat down, one of the teammates took out his phone and said to everyone:

Have you seen it? The knockout stage group stage results, as well as the current top scorers and assists rankings for this tournament, are out.

At this moment, he picked up his phone and sent a link to the national youth team's WeChat group.

Wu Shi clicked on the link. It contained some statistics about the event.

Quarterfinal matchups:

C1 China vs. B2 UAE (October 17, Perth Rectangular Stadium)

A1 Japan VS D2 Saudi Arabia

B1 South Korea VS A2 Syria

D1 Iran VS C2 Australia

As Wu Shi slid his finger down, his gaze landed on the individual data leaderboard.

Top Scorers:

1. Ali Mabkhout (Ukraine) — 6 goals

2. Wu Lei (China) — 5 goals

……

9. Takeshi (China) – 2 goals

Assist Leaders:

1. Omar (UAE) — 8 times

2. Takeshi (China) – 7 times

At this moment, Chen Liang, who was standing next to him, said...

"Of Mabkhout's six goals, three were against North Korea and three were against Bahrain, all against weak teams. He's really good at racking up goals."

He actually scored more than Brother Lei.

Xiao Shi, you're not number one in assists either? Is Yi Jianlian really that strong this year?

Wu Shi didn't respond. He recalled yesterday at the Sydney Stadium, where Yi Jianlian and the entire South Korean team clearly showed they didn't take the Chinese youth team seriously, skipping over us and directly considering the group draw after the semi-finals.

While data can be misleading, it often represents the truth.

This year's attacking line of the Yi Jianlian team is a golden generation.

He also remembered these two people from his past life; it was during the 2015 Asian Cup.

My phone vibrated again; it was a group message from the coaching staff: "Tomorrow morning at 9:00, in the tactics meeting room, Yi Jianlian game video analysis. Everyone be on time."

A private message followed, sent by Lao Li: "Wu Shi, I have an interview for you this afternoon, a joint interview with CCTV and Football Weekly. Get ready."

Inside the studio.

Wu Shi sat on a high stool, his palms slightly sweaty.

There were two dark, empty cameras in front of them, and a mobile phone was broadcasting live to the side.

The backdrop features the logos of CCTV and Football Weekly.

Su Qing sat opposite him, wearing a light gray suit today, her hair neatly tied up. She smiled at Wu Shi and whispered:

"It was really not easy to finally get an interview with you, sister."

The director counts down: "Five, four, three..."

The red light is on.

"Good evening, viewers. Welcome to this special interview about the AFC U-19 Championship."

Su Qing spoke steadily into the main camera.

"Today we have invited one of the most watched rising stars in this tournament - Wu Shi, number 9 of the national youth team."

The camera cuts to him. Wu Shi nods: "Hello everyone."

Congratulations on advancing as the top team in your group!

Su Qing opened the card in her hand.

"Three games, two goals, seven assists, ninth on the top scorers list, second on the assists list. You'll only be 17 in a few months, right? This is your first international match. What do you think of these results?"

Wu Shi thought for a moment:

"Winning is the most important thing for the team. Statistics are results, not goals."

"A very mature answer."

Su Qing smiled.

"But those seven assists were truly impressive, especially the four against Indonesia. Was that passing vision innate or developed through practice?"

"A little bit of both," Wu Shi said. "I usually watch games and think about it, and I also practice passing in training. Sometimes I have to repeat a single foot technique hundreds of times before I get the feel for it."

"Speaking of growth: Shaanxi youth training, played in the China League One at sixteen, went to Evergrande a few months later, and now has skipped a grade to enter the national youth team."

Su Qing paused for a moment,

"What was the most difficult part of this journey?"

Wu Shi remained silent for a few seconds.

The camera zoomed in for a close-up. The boy's profile was clearly defined under the bright light, and Takeshi's outfit today gave him a somewhat affectedly mature look.

"The hardest thing is... not letting other people's words lead you astray."

He spoke, his voice low.

"Some people say I'm a genius, some say I'm lucky, and some say I'm just someone who's been hyped up. After hearing so many of these things, I don't even know who I am anymore."

"So how will you deal with it?"

"Listen less, kick more," Wu Shi said.

"Football is all about the feet. If I train an extra hour every day and run an extra 100 steps during matches, over time, I'll figure it out."

Su Qing nodded and changed direction:

"Your partnership with Wu Lei is now being called the 'Double Wu Connection' and the 'Double Wu Alliance' by fans. You've combined effectively to score goals multiple times in three matches. How did you develop such chemistry?"

"Brother Lei's positioning is too smart."

Wu Shi answered decisively.

"As long as I pass the ball to his running path, he will definitely receive it. I wouldn't dare to make that blind pass against Australia, but I knew Lei would be there."

"trust."

"Yes, trust." Wu Shi paused.

"Lei Ge talked to me a lot in private. He told me what young players should learn most: not to be eager to show off, but to learn to read the game and to run to the right position at the right time."

"Does he resemble your teacher?"

"More like the eldest brother." Wu Shi smiled, his expression relaxing a bit.

Twenty minutes into the interview, the atmosphere became a bit more lively. Su Qing asked about what was happening offstage.

"What do you do when you're not playing football?"

"Playing video games and watching anime," Wu Shi said. "Recently, I've been watching One Piece and Naruto."

Who do you like?

"Naruto." Takeshi's eyes lit up for a moment. "Once you've made up your mind, stick to that path to the end, no matter what others say."

"You look a lot like me," Su Qing smiled.

"What about relationships? He's under 17, handsome, and plays soccer well, so he should have some girls interested, right?"

Wu Shi's ears turned visibly red.

"I haven't thought about it. I'm training and competing every day now, I don't have time."

"You don't even have an ideal type?"

"...Really not."

Wu Shi scratched his head.

"Maybe... someone with a better personality? Someone who can understand the irregular work schedules in our line of work."

The live chat exploded instantly:

"Haha, his ears turned red!"

"My younger brother is so innocent."

"Mommy fans feel sorry for them."

"My future husband, you must continue to be self-disciplined and not date too early. Let's get married right now when you're 22 and I'm 20."

Su Qing steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Okay, let's get back to the match. Did you watch Yi Jianlian's quarterfinal game against South Korea?"

"I've seen it." Wu Shi's expression turned serious.

"That game...was rather slow-paced," Su Qing said carefully. "What's your assessment of Yi Jianlian's ability?"

Wu Shi remained silent for a few seconds.

In the video, his gaze gradually darkened.

"They have good players, Omar and Mabkhout, who are top young talents in Asia."

"But football is about playing for 90 minutes, not just comparing strength on paper," Wu Shi said. "We respect every opponent and will give it our all."

"What if they face Omar?"

"I'll follow the coach's instructions," Wu Shi said. "But when I face him, I'll treat him as my best opponent—I'll play with 100% focus."

"One last question." Su Qing closed her notebook. "Sixteen years old, and this is your first major competition. What's your next goal?"

Wu Shi looked at the camera and said, word by word:

"First, beat Yi Jianlian to advance to the semifinals and secure a spot in the World Youth Championship."

"And then?"

The boy raised his chin:

"Let's go see higher places."

It was almost nine o'clock when the interview ended. As Wu Shi came out of the studio, Su Qing called out to him.

"Here you go." She handed over a bottle of water. "That's well said, very sincere."

"Thank you, Reporter Su."

"Just call me Su Qing." She smiled. "The live stream just now had over eight million viewers. Many of them were seeing you for the first time—not through highlights, but through the way you speak."

Wu Shi unscrewed the water bottle: "The pressure is even greater now."

"But you've also given more people hope," Su Qing said softly. "Chinese football needs stories like this—children from ordinary families climbing the ladder step by step through hard work. Every step you take is changing many people's prejudices."

Wu Shi remained silent.

"Good luck." She patted his arm. "I'll be in the stands during the quarterfinals."

Back in my hotel room, my phone was so hot I could barely hold it.

My WeChat messages are over 999 unread, my Weibo private messages are overflowing, and I have a bunch of missed calls from unknown numbers—either media outlets or business partners.

Wu Shi opened the pinned family group chat. His mother had sent a long voice message:

"Son, Mom watched the live stream with my coworkers... They all praised you for being capable and promising... Mom cried, I was so happy... Take good care of yourself out there, don't overwork yourself, and eat on time..."

"And what you told me before, about quitting my job and taking a break, I've thought about it carefully. I've worked here most of my life. Your father passed away early, and the factory has taken care of us, often supporting us. This place has long been my home. My work isn't tiring now, and more importantly, I like this environment. You've always been strong and independent, and I believe you can take good care of yourself on your own. I'm so proud of you..."

The mother's voice became hoarse towards the end, with obvious sobs and trembling.

A tear slid down his cheek. Wu Shi wiped it away with his hand, his heart filled with...

"Mom, in my past life I lived in a daze, but you never gave up on me. I know you wanted to see me succeed. In this life, I will always make you proud!"

With a lump in his throat, Wu Shi finally replied:

"Mom, I'm fine, don't worry."

Chen Liang tagged him in the teammates' group chat: "@WuShi, you're awesome! 'WuShi's ideal type' is trending third! You're going to become a sensation, bro!"

Wu Shi smiled and locked the screen.

He walked to the window. It had just rained in Perth, and the air was damp.

We'll find out in four days.

At this point, the system panel pops up automatically:

[Media influence has increased significantly]

Public awareness: From regional level to national level

[Additional effect: Increases stress resistance in crucial matches by 10%]

Template integration accuracy: 2.5% → 2.7%

[Special Note: Detected conflict between the host's aversion to the 'Messi template' and public expectations]

[Suggestion: Tools are tools, and you are you. Templates are just a path; you decide where it leads.]

Wu Shi stared at the last line of text for a long time.

Then he opened the wardrobe, took out the number 9 national youth team jersey, and ran his fingers over the national flag on his chest.

"Ya Lian..."