In 2007, at Colney Training Base, Arsenal's head coach, Wenger, who was organizing new season tactical plans, received a phone call.
"Arsène, I need you to see a treasure."
"You better be talking about a real treasure."
"Oh, I swear to God, when have I ever lied to you? Fabregas, Walcott, weren't they all scouted by me?"
"Spare me, who is it this time?"
"A Chinese person, 15 years old."
"My goodness, are you kidding me?"
Arsenal's coach, "Professor" Wenger, pushed up his glasses, suspecting he had misheard.
The level of the chief scout, Steve Rowley, was beyond doubt.
Admittedly, it was no secret that Wenger liked to coach young talents.
But this was too outrageous.
"Listen to what you're saying, 15 years old, from China… It sounds truly absurd!"
"Please, trust me this time. His talent is so high, rarely seen in this life, even surpassing Fabregas, enough to rival those two."
Hiss—
Wenger gasped.
Fabregas was already a rare genius, otherwise he wouldn't have debuted for Arsenal's first team at 16.
As for those two, there was no need to say more; they were recognized future superstars in football, individuals who could become kings.
A 15-year-old Chinese person compared to them?
Either chief scout Steve Rowley had gone mad, or Wenger himself had gone mad.
"What's the story?"
"I was waiting for you to say that. I'm currently observing a match at Everton's base and secretly filmed a short clip. You can take a look."
Half-believing, half-doubting, Wenger reluctantly opened his email to check a video he had just received.
The video was clearly recorded on a phone, with a touching picture quality.
It was uploaded intermittently to the email via a Wi-Fi connection.
How shocking must it be for a scout to be in such a hurry to send a video?
Wenger couldn't help but feel a hint of curiosity.
After wasting some time downloading the attached video, he finally opened it.
A green field quickly appeared on the screen. Wenger looked closely and saw it was Everton's training base in the Premier League.
On the field, 11 black-haired, yellow-skinned Chinese teenagers were playing against Everton's U16 youth team.
After only a few minutes, Wenger couldn't help but frown. The scene was unbearable, a one-sided slaughter.
He knew well the strength of Everton's youth academy, which was relatively weak in the Premier League.
Other than Rooney, who debuted after defeating Arsenal back then, there hadn't been anyone good recently.
"Is that it?"
"Don't rush, my old friend, you will surely be as surprised as I am."
...
Merseyside, England.
Finch Farm Training Ground, in the Halewood district, 9 miles from Liverpool city center.
Chen Tao slumped on the bench, staring blankly at the field.
The tragic situation on the field was already too much for him to watch.
In the spring of 2007, in response to the football craze after the World Cup, Hunan TV's "football boy" began broadcasting.
Guided by the Football Association's Youth Department and jointly organized by domestic and international parties, the "Sino-English Youth Training Camp" planned to select excellent young football talents from across the country to participate.
They hoped to discover "China's Ronaldo" or "China's Messi" from it.
The participating teenagers were divided into two age groups: 14-16 and 17-19. Ultimately, an 18-person team was sent to England.
They would have free visits to Premier League Bolton and Everton, and play final exhibition matches against local youth players.
Chen Tao received professional football training at age 5 and played until his second year of junior high, when he gave up football due to academic pressure.
In his third year of junior high, facing the critical moment of the high school entrance exam.
Chen Tao learned that the selection venue was in Guangfu, and it was less than 3km from his home!
He begged his grandparents and parents and finally convinced them to let him attend the tryouts. By chance, he actually passed.
While preparing for the high school entrance exam, he also filmed the show.
Chen Tao showed his true colors as an academic ace, excelling in both academics and sports.
He scored over 700 points on the high school entrance exam and was admitted to the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University.
He also successfully advanced to the final stage of the tryouts, becoming one of only 3 "football boys" in the 14-16 age group, earning the opportunity to go to England.
"Alright, consider this summer vacation your trip abroad. When you come back, focus on your studies. You're material for Tsinghua University, don't neglect your proper work!"
His mother, though verbally disapproving, was physically honest and had always not supported Chen Tao playing football, but couldn't bear to refuse her child.
His father, on the other hand, was very open-minded:
"Play well, become a star in the future, and your dad can bask in your glory."
Two months passed, and Chen Tao sat at the Everton training base, his face full of resignation.
Before going abroad, he considered his football talent extraordinary, believing that Messi of Barça would have to polish his shoes.
Now, Chen Tao truly realized the gap between domestic and international youth football training levels; it was like the Mariana Trench, simply incomparable.
The so-called domestic young geniuses were being toyed with by their opponents.
Everton youth team's 4-0 score was just them being polite.
At this moment, Everton was too lazy to shoot, fluidly passing the ball outside the penalty area, toying with their opponents.
Dribbling past them once wasn't enough; they would retreat and dribble past them a second time!
Purely toying with them!
Chen Tao watched, his fists clenching!
But what then?
Even the 18-year-old group couldn't beat the opponents' 16-year-olds, let alone himself, who was merely a background character accompanying the run.
"Uh, the current situation on the field is quite tense."
The host and commentator, Huang Jianxiang, had a complex expression.
This final match, which was meant as a gimmick, could be completely edited out; it was too embarrassing. He didn't know what to say in his commentary.
"Everton's U18 youth team has excellent technique, still passing fluidly in the midfield and defense."
"The second half has only just begun. Although we are behind, there is still a possibility of equalizing. Young lads, don't give up."
Huang Jianxiang himself didn't believe these words.
The host and guest commentators, Su Xing and Li Hao, looked at each other, speechless.
"Okay! The Chinese football boy completes a tackle! Oh, the ball was stolen back again. Midfielder Song Yang is tackled to the ground; he can't hold on!"
"We can only be forced to make a substitution…"
Huang Jianxiang's tone became increasingly low.
Song Yang was the champion of the Capital station, the team's second-ranked midfield core.
If he went down, the game would truly be over. Striker Jin Hui was isolated and completely unable to threaten Everton's goal.
Former National Football Team player and Luneng legend, head coach Liu Yue, looked at the substitutes' bench with similar worry.
Currently, there were only two midfielders available to play. One was 18-year-old Huang Xiaolong, from the Hunan division.
The other was 15-year-old Chen Tao, from the Guangfu division.
Facing the chance to be humiliated on the field, Huang Xiaolong had already lost all confidence, deliberately lowering his head to avoid the coach's gaze.
Only the young Chen Tao stared intently at the field, concentrating on reading the game.
"This kid, his mentality is quite good. It's just that…"
Chen Tao's weaknesses were average ball control and a thin physique.
His strengths were speed, excellent field vision, good overall awareness, and decent passing technique.
He was also the person with the most football passion on the entire team; every time he finished filming, he would still practice juggling the ball on the field.
But football is about talent; no matter how hard you work, without talent, you can't play well.
Let him experience the atmosphere of European football, then go back and study hard.
"Chen Tao, come here… Chen Tao?"
"Hey, he's calling you."
Elbowed by a teammate, Chen Tao finally came to his senses and quickly ran to the coach.
"Coach?"
"You just finished warming up, change your clothes and get ready to play, hurry up."
Chen Tao pointed to his nose, just like Ben Bo'erba from Journey to the West—You go and take down Everton.
"Me?"
"Nonsense! You were watching the game so intently, you must have been waiting to play. Don't dawdle! After you get on the field…"
Coach Liu Yue was about to encourage him, then sighed softly.
"Forget it, just experience the atmosphere."
The assistant referee on the sideline was urging him, Chen Tao didn't have time to think, so he just took off his training uniform, revealing his white jersey with "No. 24 - Chen Tao" on the back.
Man!
I was just spaced out!
And the whole team's strength is being crushed, what's the use of me going on?
Chen Tao, forced into action, stood on the sideline.
He watched helplessly as his teammate Song Yang was carried off the field on a stretcher, his eyes hollow, having lost the light of his former confidence.
On the field were the fierce Everton players, staring at him with sneers and mockery, ill-intentioned.
There were also a few dark and strong midfielders, whose explosive muscles made one's scalp tingle.
"It doesn't feel like playing football; it feels like going to the execution ground."
With trepidation, he tied his shoelaces, Chen Tao gritted his teeth and stepped onto the green field.
"If only I had talent that surpassed Ronaldinho, surpassed Ronaldo, surpassed Messi."
"But at what cost?"
??
An inexplicable thought from the depths of his mind.
Whatever, I don't care about the cost. Talent more amazing than Ronaldinho is enough for me to show off.
"..."
The moment his cleats stepped onto the field and touched the grass, a strange hot current surged up from his feet, rushing straight to Chen Tao's head!
At that time, Chen Tao didn't take it seriously, until 2 minutes later.
He faced two defenders sandwiching him from left and right, instinctively using a 'roulette' followed by a 'Marseille turn' to easily break through.
Then he dragged the ball with his foot and evaded another person.
In front of the penalty area, he chipped the ball over the player and ran past him.
In an instant, when he had dribbled past four people and burst into the penalty area…
The entire field collectively turned to stone, dumbfounded!
It was then that Chen Tao realized something was wrong!
What just happened?
"Shoot!"
Chen Tao faced the Everton goalkeeper, the goal right in front of him full of openings.
As everyone waited for Chen Tao to score with expectant and astonished eyes—
An extremely absurd high shot blasted over the fence, flying towards the office building outside the training ground, smashing through a third-floor window.
The entire field collectively turned to stone again!
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Chen Tao felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at.
"Just tell me if it's accurate or not!"