On the training ground, the red team had possession.
Kai distributed the ball to the team's full-back.
The full-back passed it to left winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo immediately drove forward, taking full advantage of his speed.
The yellow team's players quickly surrounded him.
Ronaldo liked to cut inside and shoot. His unconventional style always posed a threat.
But now that everyone knew he would cut inside, if one player couldn't stop him, why not two or three?
Maxa was surprised. This time, Ronaldo seemed to have more tricks than just relying on speed.
But it didn't matter. He could have easily gone past the first defender.
Ronaldo feinted to the right, as if cutting inside—but it was a fake.
The next second, he continued down the line, widening the gap between himself and the defenders.
He went all the way to the byline!
Maxa covered his head. This was unthinkable!
Cristiano Ronaldo never went that far out before—at least not this month.
Maxa knew Ronaldo was part of the team's "Next Quaresma Plan" and didn't dare to scold him. He simply let it slide.
Ronaldo was playing differently now. But could this change be because of Kai? Maxa couldn't understand.
Ronaldo silently counted in his head: "Three… two… one…"
He felt sorry for the slower defenders. Too slow!
But he had to admit—Kai's positioning was excellent.
When Ronaldo faked a cut, it wasn't just to fool the defenders—it was to gauge their positions.
Previously, he had lost the ball to three consecutive yellow team defenders. But he wouldn't make the same mistake again. This time, he planned to bypass three in one move.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ronaldo noticed someone advancing—a dangerous figure ignored by the opposition, rapidly approaching the shooting zone.
Coincidentally, the other player also spotted Ronaldo. Their eyes met.
Kai: "Pass the ball!"
Ronaldo: "No pass!"
Kai: "If you don't pass, you don't understand the game!"
Ronaldo: "Even if I pass it, you can't receive it!"
Kai: "If you don't pass it, you're rubbish. If I can't catch it, I'm rubbish!"
Ronaldo: "Okay!"
Instantly, the two synced perfectly.
This unspoken understanding even surprised Ronaldo.
The conversation in the player tunnel that day lingered in his mind. He didn't completely agree with Kai, but he called his mother afterward and thanked her.
His mother cried on the other end.
From that moment, Ronaldo's dislike of Kai vanished.
Kai had stolen a trophy from him—but given him something far more important.
"You set it up for me!"
Boom!
Ronaldo made a shocking left-footed pass while sprinting.
The young players chasing him were stunned.
"Pass it, pass it!" Maxa shouted, witnessing the play.
"This ball…" Triguera frowned. "It's insane! Truly insane!"
The ball floated unpredictably, difficult to control. Ronaldo's pass was… outrageous.
Maxa watched it fly toward the byline, slapping his thigh.
Cristiano Ronaldo's passing ability… still needs practice.
Maybe after the game, we can discuss putting him as a right winger. He's right-footed, easier for crossing from that side.
But the next moment… Dang!
The ball hit the crossbar and bounced toward the penalty spot.
The yellow team's center-back stretched to stop it but never looked behind.
"Careful! Behind you!" a teammate shouted, too late.
A "cheetah" came from behind the defender.
Kai seized the ball, cut inside, and drove into the penalty area.
"Beautiful! His awareness is incredible! He uses his positioning to guide teammates, and even after a mispass, he maintains judgment and attacks aggressively!" Triguera clenched his fists in excitement.
"It's a pity his balance is off after contact with the defender. But still…" Maxa muttered. "Kai isn't outstanding—he's just lucky. He got an opportunity, that's all."
Boom!
Before Maxa could finish, Kai stretched out his leg mid-stagger and struck.
Black panther hunts.
The ball rocketed toward the goal at lightning speed, scoring before the goalkeeper could react.
2–3. Another goal for the red team!
After scoring, Kai looked at Ronaldo on the wing, pointed at him, and gave a thumbs-up.
Ronaldo didn't respond but turned back, blushing—embarrassed to accept the compliment. That cross was outrageous.
Through this play, Kai clearly assessed the system's "smaller" and "larger" aspects. In his staggered state, scoring seemed almost impossible—yet he delivered a high-quality finish from a tight angle.
The concealment, suddenness, accuracy, power, and speed of the shot far exceeded his normal standards.
Too strong.
Is this a "larger improvement"? Perhaps. But while optimistic about Kai's Panther Hunting ability, he remained skeptical of Ronaldo's passing quality.
Ronaldo's exquisite passes were rare, too rare.
"Luo, you've got to practice passing!"
Maxa, slapped in the face by Kai's brilliance, looked embarrassed. "This kid is so damn lucky."
Triguera shook his head. "Lucky? Those reporters said the same thing during the Diamond Generation Invitational Tournament. It's not luck."
"Why does the goddess of luck favor him?" Maxa asked.
"Because he never stops running! He observes! This stadium is in his mind. He knows where the opportunities are and where he should appear," Triguera explained.
"This is top-tier vision and football intelligence. He's much stronger than he was a month ago. What caused such a transformation?"
Maxa nodded repeatedly.
Despite being a pain in the ass, Kai had one advantage: he listened.
The game resumed.
Score: 2–3, red team trailing by one.
Overall strength between the teams was similar.
But after Kai joined, Ronaldo's threat fully exploded.
In just ten minutes, Ronaldo scored twice more, equalizing the score at 3–3!
"The No. 6 player's passing is quite good. He just assisted a goal. He's material for a core midfielder," Maxa said, eyes shining.
The more young talent he coached, the more proof of his own coaching ability. When a player leaps forward, the coach's reputation rises too.
Maxa had been recommending No. 6 to the youth director, believing he could be the next Rui Costa.
"Good long-pass awareness, but lacks execution."
"Field vision is narrow, misses opportunities around him."
"Lacks creative movement, too static."
Triguera shook his head. Lisbon has really fallen.
Maxa didn't understand football.
Apart from Ronaldo's goal, the real driving force of the red team's attack was Kai—not No. 6.
Player No. 6 simply passed the ball too far. The assist succeeded only because Ronaldo ran fast enough.
Most passing space for No. 6 was created by Kai. Especially the direct return pass that enabled the goal.
Compared to Kai, No. 6's body fakes were trivial—easy for the yellow team to read. But targeting Kai? Impossible. Too slippery.
The yellow team didn't yet have the awareness to focus on Kai. They were still defending No. 6, unaware the ball came from Kai's direction.
The red team's attack was like a tidal wave, giving the yellow team no time to breathe.
And the real tsunami was about to hit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 30+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.