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

Guangzhou, late at night.

The gym at the training base had long been dark, with only one light still on in the far corner.

Wu Shi sat on the bench press, covered in sweat, with a towel draped over his shoulder.

Wu Shi was scrolling through his phone, the screen displaying trending news.

Guangzhou Evergrande clinches the Chinese Super League title two rounds early, with 17-year-old Wu Shi becoming the youngest member of the championship-winning team.

Conca's return and immediate assist lead to Wu Lei's decisive goal.

Lippi: This championship is just the beginning.

He swiped a few times and turned off the screen.

Yin emerged from the void, sitting cross-legged on the barbell plate opposite him, arms crossed over his chest.

"Finished watching?"

"Um."

"How does it feel?"

Wu Shi thought for a moment.

"It feels great, fantastic. But I can't relax yet."

Yin stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Okay, you pass."

She jumped off the barbell and snapped her fingers.

Wu Shi's vision blurred, and the system panel unfolded out of thin air.

[Integration Update Notification]

[Host: Takeshi]

Age: 17

【Height: 185cm】

[Weight: 81.2kg]

Body fat percentage: 11.1%

Current template integration level: 9.30%

[Global ranking for this age group: 79th]

[Special Note: Chinese Super League Championship Achievement Completed - First time winning a top-tier league title as a core member, bonus +0.3% to Fusion Level]

Wu Shi stared at that number.

9.3%.

Before we knew it, we were almost at the 10% threshold.

"Let's look at the detailed data," Yin said.

Switch panels.

[Core Six-Dimensional Radar Chart]

Speed: 82 (Explosive Power 81, Absolute Speed ​​83, Agility 81)

Shot: 81 (Accuracy 85, Power 78, Curve 91)

Passing: 85 (Short pass 87, Long pass 82, Vision 94)

Dribbling: 78 (Ball Control 80, Dribbling 77, Balance 83)

Defense: 52 (Steals 54, Man Marking 53, Interceptions 51)

Body: 83 (Strength 80, Endurance 84, Jump 78)

[Silver's Sharp-Tongued Commentary]

Speed: It has evolved from "good enough in the Chinese Super League" to "very fast in the Chinese Super League", but going to Europe? It's going to be called "old car Pro Max".

Shot: The 91-degree arc is your only saving grace. Power 78? Are you sure those legs are for kicking a ball and not for embroidery?

Passing: Vision 94, the system's favorite. Short passing 87, usable. Long passing 82, occasionally manages a good one.

Dribbling: 78? That's inflated! Seriously inflated! Half of your dribbling skills are achieved by threatening to pass the ball to deceive opponents; in a real one-on-one situation, you're completely outmatched.

Defense: 52. The largest increase, because it started from the lowest point. It's commendable that it has improved from 'disaster' to 'barely passable'.

Body: 83. This is the only number that will make European scouts take a second look at you. 81.2 kg, no loss of speed, no increase in body fat. Continue.

[Skill Proficiency Update]

Outside-of-the-foot curling shot (advanced): 92% (signature move, but only with the right foot).

Surgical scalpel direct insertion (advanced): 76% (visibility delivered well).

Messi-style internal cut (intermediate): 68% (surprisingly, it became smoother after muscle gain).

Multi-position adaptability (advanced): 71% (Can play in five positions, usable in each position)

Defensive positioning (beginner): 51% (Knows where to stand, but often stands too late)

Trash talk offense and defense (intermediate): 62% (Vocabulary is strong, but not elegant enough)

Wu Shi looked at the panel.

"Defense is at 52."

"Um."

"It's increased by 23 points since I first arrived."

"Um."

Aren't you going to say something nice to me?

Yin tilted her head to look at him.

"What are you praising me for? Praising you for crawling from the floor to the first basement level?"

Wu Shi smiled.

"Alright."

He turned off the control panel, picked up the water bottle, and drank some water.

Yin floated to his side, her tone becoming more serious.

"Seriously, it's 9.3%. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

"It means you're getting closer and closer to 'being usable'."

Wu Shi choked on a mouthful of water.

"After more than a year, all I've managed to achieve is 'usable'?"

"Otherwise what?" Yin crossed his arms. "Who do you think you are? Asian Footballer of the Year? Messi II? Wake up, kid."

She paused.

"But you have to admit, a year ago you were a plastic man who couldn't even handle the tough matches in the China League One and China League Two. Now you can deliver through balls in the AFC Champions League semi-final away game and head the ball into the league title race. That's called progress."

Wu Shi didn't say anything.

"Furthermore, 9.3% is just the degree of integration. Integration does not represent ability, but only the degree of match between you and the Messi template."

The system won't give you a score directly after you complete a task, like in the novels you read in your past life.

Your true strength lies in what lies behind this integration: competition experience, mental fortitude, resilience under pressure, and decision-making habits.

She pointed to her temple.

"Those things aren't displayed on the panel, but that's exactly what European scouts look for."

Takeshi put down the water bottle.

When will the system settle the results for the AFC Champions League semi-final?

"Wait until after the second leg," Yin said. "The reward will be determined by your combined performance over both legs. If you score a goal in the first leg, you'll get an A rating, but if you underperform in the second leg, the reward will be reduced."

"What about the FA Cup?"

Yin's expression became subtle.

Are you sure you want to talk about this now?

Wu Shi remained silent.

He was certainly aware of the current situation.

Last week, in the first leg of the FA Cup semi-final, the team played away against Beijing Guoan.

Lippi rotated almost all of his key players. Conca, Muriqui, Elkeson, and Zheng Zhi all stayed in Guangzhou to rest. In the starting lineup, Sun Xiang and Wu Shi led a group of substitutes and young players to the Workers' Stadium.

The result was 1 to 2.

Beijing Guoan won at home.

Wu Shi played the full match and provided one assist, but he was tightly marked and didn't have any outstanding performances.

Yin said at halftime, "The old man has given up. He's using the least amount of effort to finish this match and focusing all his energy on securing the AFC Champions League title."

Wu Shi knew she was right.

But even knowing that doesn't hurt, losing still feels bad.

"There will be a second round next week," Wu Shi said.

"Yes, next Wednesday, Tianhe home game."

"Can we translate it?"

Yin remained silent for a few seconds.

"Theoretically, yes. Beijing Guoan is leading by one goal, but only has one away goal. If you can win 2-0 or 3-1 at home, you will advance."

She paused.

"But Lippi won't play like that."

Wu Shi didn't say anything.

"What comes after next Wednesday?"

Takeshi did the math.

"Next Saturday, the second leg of the AFC Champions League semi-final, home game against Kashiwa Reysol."

"Yes," Yin said. "The AFC Champions League semi-final, at home, with a 2-1 aggregate lead. That's the real life-or-death battle. The FA Cup? Lippi will explain to you what 'strategic abandonment' means."

Wu Shi lowered his head, staring at the water stains on the floor.

"You're not reconciled."

It's not a question.

"Um."

Why?

Wu Shi thought for a moment.

"Because we haven't lost yet."

Yin was stunned for a moment.

"What?"

"We haven't lost the FA Cup yet," Wu Shi said. "A 1-2 first leg isn't the end of the world. There are still 90 minutes left, at Tianhe Stadium. Tianhe is our home ground." {Note: In the 2011 FA Cup, the semi-finals were played over two legs, while the final was a single leg.}

Yin stared at him for a long time.

"Have you forgotten who your opponent was in your first home start in the Chinese Super League? Did you win that game?"

"Do you know that it's highly likely this time it will be a non-full-strength lineup again, with Conca and Muriqui continuing to be rested?"

"Beijing Guoan can't compete for the league title anymore, they've fallen behind, but that means they'll go all out to win the FA Cup!!"

"Know."

"Do you realize that if Lippi goes all out in the FA Cup, it might affect the AFC Champions League, causing both competitions to collapse?"

"Know."

"Then why..."

"I know," Takeshi interrupted her, "but that's the coach's problem. All I need to do is go on the court and win."

Yin remained silent for a long time.

"Alright."

She floated up and hovered in mid-air.

"Listen carefully. If Lippi really starts you next Wednesday, it might be because you're young and don't need to be rested."

You're facing the complete defense line of the National Security Bureau. Xu Yunlong, Lang Zheng, and Zhou Ting—three seasoned veterans whose combined age is nearly a hundred—are experts at handling any challenge.

Wu Shi listened.

"They know you're fast, so they won't give you space to sprint. They know you're strong with your right foot, so they'll force you to go down the left flank. They know you have good vision, so they'll cut off your connection with your teammates."

"So what suggestions do you have?"

Yin thought for a moment.

"no."

Wu Shi looked up at her.

"Really, no. They've thoroughly studied all your technical strengths. They have contingency plans for everything you're good at. If you want to win, you can only rely on one thing."

"What?"

"They didn't expect that."

Wu Shi frowned.

"What didn't they think of?"

"How would I know?" Yin shrugged.

"I'm not the coach of Beijing Guoan. What professional players fear most isn't technically skilled opponents, but opponents who don't play by the rules. Why were you able to win those previous matches? Because you were young, and they couldn't predict how you would choose."

She floated down in front of Wu Shi.

"But you're not a rookie anymore. You've been playing for almost two seasons, and your scouting reports could fill three pages. They can predict your choices with just a glance at your positioning."

"so what?"

"So you have to learn to do things that they don't anticipate."

Wu Shi remained silent.

"Wu Shi, I have to admit that what you lack right now isn't technique, but unpredictability. Of course, your technique isn't that great either, it's just enough for the Chinese Super League."

"This is also part of the Messi template. Why is Messi unstoppable? Is it just because he's technically gifted? It's because you can never predict what he'll do next. You think he's going to go right, he goes left. You think he's going to pass, he gets past you. You think he's going to shoot, he passes."

Outside the window, the Guangzhou night sky was still brightly lit.

Three days later, the second leg of the FA Cup semi-final will take place.

Six days later, the second leg of the AFC Champions League semi-final will take place.

Two home games, two do-or-die matches.

The real journey begins after winning the championship.