Unconventional Center

Chapter 26: Goalkeeping: 3

3. Talent: Fox of the Box (I can’t do anything else, but I can score goals); IV. Title: The Beast (Strength +3, Shooting +3); 5. Skill: Scorpion Kick (Requires Shooting 15 and Agility 15; accuracy increases by 5% when combined with the “Tower of God” title); Player Rating: B. Free Stat Points: 2. Reasonable training during this period has increased his Strength and Stamina by one point each. The “Beast” title’s bonus of three attribute points to Strength and Shooting has also significantly boosted his stats: his Strength rose from 9 to 13, his Shooting from 12 to 15, and his Stamina from 7 to 8. All other stats remain unchanged. The “A Journey of a Thousand Li Begins with a Hat” reward granted one free attribute point, and the “Getting into the Groove” reward from this match granted another, which is why the system interface displays “Remaining Attribute Points: 2.” The “Getting into the Groove” reward offers not only attribute points but also a skill—and that’s the real highlight of the reward. “Please select a skill: 1. Beckham’s Free Kick Skill: Crescent Moon (Requires Shooting 15; accuracy increases by 5% when combined with the ‘Heartthrob’ title); 2. Carlos’s Free Kick Skill: Defying-Heaven Curve (Requires Shooting 15 and Strength 15); 3. Pirlo’s Free Kick Skill: Falling Leaf (Requires Shooting 15). All are free kicks, but “Crescent Moon” and “Falling Leaf” prioritize angle and precision, making them short-range free kicks. However, Valencia’s short-range free kicks are almost exclusively taken by Mo Ya, so Chu Yang wouldn’t have many opportunities to take them himself. Additionally, Mo Ya’s dominant foot is his right, so his success rate on free kicks from the left side isn’t very high. Carlos, on the other hand, is left-footed, so once Chu Yang learns Carlos’s “Heaven-Defying Curve,” he can easily take over the left-side and long-range free kicks from Mo Ya. No matter how he analyzed it, Chu Yang felt he should choose Carlos’s incredible curve, but his hand just couldn’t help but tap toward the “Crescent Moon Blade.” What can you do? The stance is just so cool. Just think of Beckham’s flamboyant left arm swing and that exaggerated body lean when he takes a free kick… “Hey, System, can we work something out?” “No problem—we’re on the same team, right?” “Deal!” Chu Yangdao said. “How about pairing the ‘Heaven-Defying Curve’ with the ‘Full Moon Scimitar’ pose?” “Are you also thinking of combining Ronaldinho’s ball control with Messi’s talent, Cristiano Ronaldo’s physique, Beckham’s good looks, and Van Basten’s finishing skills?” “Forget Beckham’s face—I’m actually pretty happy with my own. The rest isn’t out of the question, though.” “Two words for you.” “Dream on?” “Heh.” “…If you’ve got the guts, come out here. I’ll beat you to a pulp.” “If you beat yourself to death, then I’ll come out.” Chu Yang could only sigh and allocate his two free attribute points to Strength, choosing Carlos’s “Heaven-Defying Arc.” His Strength rose to 15, and his overall rating improved from a B to a B+. Chu Yang estimated that to master the “Heaven-Defying Arc” skill to Carlos’s level, he’d need at least 18 Strength. He had only met the skill’s minimum requirement and had no idea how much of its full potential he could unleash; he’d have to find an opportunity to test it out first. With the skill sorted out, Chu Yang walked toward the sidelines and happened to see Elian—who had somehow slipped in—interviewing Mo Ya again. “Chu, come over here—we’re talking about you right now,” Mo Ya called out as soon as she saw Chu Yang. “Are you badmouthing me again?” “Of course not! We’re a great team.” “Like I’d believe that.” “Hi, Chu,” Elena quickly interrupted. “Nice to see you again.” “Hi, Elian.” “It’s Il… Okay, will you agree to my interview?” “No thanks. You’re too cunning—I’m no match for you. You’d better stick to interviewing Cesc.” With that, Chu Yang made a quick getaway, leaving Mo Ya’s disdainful glare to fall on his back. After this round of league play, the standings among the top five teams in Segunda División A remained unchanged, but all teams had begun to focus their attention on Valencia—or rather, on Valencia’s No. 9 striker. Chu Yang’s “shot without looking at the goal” and “dragon’s tail” from the previous match had already been voted the top two goals of that round, and with his hat trick in this match, he suddenly became a sensation in the Segunda División, with fans across Spain taking notice of this player from China. During training in preparation for the 24th round of the league, Chu Yang finally donned the starting jersey. Apart from Adrian, who was sulking, everyone else expressed support for the head coach’s decision. On the soccer field, after all, it’s performance that counts. Adrian didn’t dare to resort to any underhanded tactics; he simply gave it his all during the scrimmage and had a decent showing, scoring two goals—though that still paled in comparison to Chu Yang’s performance. Even when he was on the reserve team, Chu Yang would routinely force Cayo to retrieve the ball from the net; now that he’s on the first team, his chemistry with Mo Ya left the reserve players questioning their own abilities, while Gresel and Heike couldn’t stop grinning. After the scrimmage, Heike, who was acting as referee, walked over to the sideline and said to Greseldau, “Marco, if Chu and Cesc can keep this up, we might actually have a shot at promotion this year.” Greseldau replied, “Let’s hope so, but there are still nineteen rounds left in the league. No one can guarantee their form, so we can’t let our guard down.” “Of course. I think you should have a serious talk with Adrian. He’s a professional player, but he’s still young—it’s best to guide him on certain matters.” “That’s exactly what I plan to do. The team can’t rely on just one forward, and it remains to be seen whether Chu will be just as outstanding as a starter.” Having been in the business for decades, they certainly didn’t share the common fan’s belief that a player who shines as a substitute will inevitably perform even better as a starter. In reality, there are countless examples of players who were “dragons” off the bench but turned into “insects” once they became starters. After practice, his teammates left one by one, but Chu Yang called over the team’s goalkeeper, Fernando Cayo. Just like the other Fernando Chu Yang knew, this guy was incredibly handsome. “Hey, Fernando, stick around and practice with me for a bit.” Cayo, who was packing up his things, shrugged and said, “Alright, you’re the team’s top star now, so of course I’ll do as you say.” Mo Ya, standing nearby, was annoyed and piped up, “Hey, hey, hey, Fernando, let’s be clear—who’s really the team’s top star?” Chu Yang gave Cayo a thumbs-up, showing his full approval of Cayo’s judgment, then picked up a ball. “Come on, let’s do some extra practice on free kicks.” “What?” Cayo and Mo Ya both thought they’d misheard him. Since when could Chu Yang take free kicks? “You didn’t hear wrong. I said let’s practice free kicks. I know what you’re thinking, Cesc. If you don’t agree, come on then.” Cayo covered his face with his hands and said, “Chu, you’re actually challenging Cesc to a free-kick contest? You must be out of your mind.” But in the end, it was both he and Mo Ya who went crazy.