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

Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Center.

The stadium, which can hold 80,000 people, was packed to capacity.

The air was thick with heat, sweat, and the tension that only you'd find in a top-tier league.

Wu Shi stood in the player tunnel, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hem of his jersey.

He wore number 21—but at this moment he was playing as the starting left winger, replacing the injured Gao Lin.

Beside him was Muriqui, in front of him was Elkeson, and to his side was captain Zheng Zhi – number 10.

"Nervous?" Zheng Zhi glanced back at him, his voice low.

"A little."

"That's normal." Zheng Zhi turned around.

"It's been several months since your last league appearance."

"You're starting again this time, but if you make a good first pass, the rest will be easier."

On the other side of the passage, the Kyoto team players walked out one after another.

Wu Shi spotted several familiar faces—regulars on the national team, stars of the Chinese Super League. Their gazes swept over the Evergrande lineup, lingering on Wu Shi for half a second.

There was neither disdain nor importance in his eyes, only a professional scrutiny.

[System notification: Environmental stress index: Extremely high (First start in Asia's top professional league + first match in the standings).]

"Welcome to the Chinese Super League exam, kids. Those previous AFC U-19 Championships and FA Cups are just pop quizzes here. Are you ready to get thrashed?"

A gloating female voice appeared in her mind.

"Stop talking nonsense, it's not like I haven't played in the Chinese Super League before."

"Wow, it's not that big of a substitute player. This time you're a starter, and the physical advantage is completely different from when you're a substitute."

"Using your physical strength accurately to play well in this whole game is completely different from coming on as a substitute."

"However, you probably don't need to worry about that. The old man might substitute you in the second half."

"Don't let him get substituted in the first half, that would be too embarrassing. This is Messi's first start."

"Shut up, don't open your mouth. Shut up, Messi, Messi, I am me..."

"Heh heh, you've got quite a temper."

The system stopped talking after saying that.

The referees signaled for the players to leave the field.

The two teams entered the field.

The broadcast camera panned across the stands and suddenly focused on a bald, overweight man wearing sunglasses.

"Wait... what's that?"

The commentator raised his voice.

"Ronaldo! The Phenomenon, Ronaldo, has appeared at Tianhe Stadium! He's here to watch the game?"

"This is interesting," another commentator chimed in.

"Could Ronaldo, who transitioned to business after retiring, be interested in the Chinese market? Or... is he here today to scout a specific player?"

The camera then cuts to Wu Shi – the 16-year-old who made his first start in the Chinese Super League, looking down and adjusting his number 21 jersey.

"Heh, it seems your country's media really knows how to hype themselves up."

"Ronaldo might be here to see Elkeson or Muriqui, or he might be here to see his fellow Brazilian from Kyoto Animation, or he might just be here to discuss business."

"As for you? A rookie who hasn't even proven himself in a high-level league, is he worth aliens making a special trip for? Wake up."

Wu Shi did not respond, completing his final warm-up.

The two captains guessed sides – Zheng Zhi and the captain of Kyoto shook hands.

The referee whistle blows.

In the first minute of the match, Wu Shi experienced firsthand what "top-level intensity in the Chinese Super League" truly meant.

With his first touch, he received a diagonal pass from Sun Xiang on the left wing. Just as he turned, Kyoto's right-back was already positioned on the inside cutting line.

Like a moving wall, it always maintains a half-step oppressive distance.

Wu Shi tried to speed up and force his way through, but his opponent didn't fall for the feint. With a lean, Wu Shi staggered and barely managed to pass the ball out of bounds.

"See? They don't even need to go all out to defend against you. It's like an adult defending against a child—they know what you're going to do next, so they get into position in advance and wait for you to run into them."

In the 16th minute, Wu Shi tried to ask for the ball.

He dropped back to midfield, where Zheng Zhi delivered a precise pass to his feet.

He used the "Messi-style receiving turn"—stopping the ball with his left foot and turning his body to the right.

The action was performed.

But Kyoto's defensive midfielder seemed to have anticipated his thoughts, shifting laterally and bumping him with his shoulder.

Wu Shi was knocked off his balance and lost the ball.

The referee didn't call it.

"Fight back! Intensify the fight!" came Lippi's voice from the sidelines.

Takeshi got up, and Kyoto had launched a counter-attack. After three passes and two turnovers, the ball reached the edge of the penalty area, where a long-range shot grazed the post and went wide.

Heng's goalkeeper took the goal kick.

In the first fifteen minutes, Wu Shi touched the ball six times, made four successful passes, dribbled past no players, and was fouled once.

"The data is honest. Your 'Messi-style' moves are probably just like a rerun of calisthenics in their eyes."

"Wu Shi! Come back and provide backup!" Sun Xiang shouted from behind.

Wu Shi took a deep breath and began to adjust.

He realized a cruel truth:

Here, space and time are compressed to the extreme.

In the China League One, he has one to two seconds to think after receiving the ball;

Here, even a second of hesitation means losing possession of the ball.

In the 18rd minute, the opportunity came.

Muriqui was fouled while breaking through in the middle, and Evergrande won a free kick in the attacking third, about 30 meters from the goal, slightly to the left.

Conca and Zheng Zhi stand in front of the ball.

But Zheng Zhi looked at Wu Shi and beckoned, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Wu Shi was stunned.

"You have good footwork," Zheng Zhi said succinctly. "This position suits you."

All eyes turned to him.

Wu Shi walked to the ball.

He could hear the banter from inside the Kyoto team's defensive wall:

"Relax, little one."

"Don't be nervous, it's not your fault if you kicked it away."

"The pressure test is here. Thirty-three meters, six players in the wall, and the goalkeeper is of national team caliber."

Here's some data: Messi's first direct free-kick goal in La Liga was from 28 meters away, and he was 16 years old.

"You can barely keep up with that, but you're like a goalkeeper in the Chinese Super League who can shoot into an ordinary Chinese Super League goal from over 20 meters."

"However, given this position and distance, if you can score directly from the goal, you might be able to barely see Messi's back from a free kick."

Wu Shi placed the ball and stepped back.

Run-up, kick.

The ball arced over the wall of players, but didn't drop enough in the air—thirty-three meters was still too far for him at this point.

The ball is more than half a meter above the crossbeam.

The Kyoto goalkeeper didn't even attempt a save.

Sighs came from the stands, mixed with comments like "still too young."

"Have you experienced the disappointment yet? You've gotten cocky after scoring a few free kicks in the FA Cup and AFC U-19 Championship?"

"This is a clash between top teams in the Chinese Super League. The average height of the wall is over 185cm, and their jumping height is 20cm higher than when you are training."

"Your arc shot might be okay against young goalkeepers in the China League One, China League Two, or the AFC Youth Championship, but here? It's like a toy arrow."

Wu Shi lowered his head and went back to defense.

"fine!"

Zheng Zhi shouted,

"Adjust the force next time."

The game continues.

Kyoto team had clearly done their homework – they knew that Takeshi was a variable, but also a potential breakthrough.

When attacking, they mainly targeted Hengda's left flank, which is Wushi's side.

In the 25th minute, Kyoto's right winger accelerated and changed direction, breaking through Takeshi's defense.

Sun Xiang stepped in to save the day.