In the empty virtual soccer field, three blurry figures appeared out of nowhere.
“Ding—Congratulations to the host for triggering a reward critical hit! A beginner virtual coach has been upgraded to a star player, Didier Drogba.”
“Oh my god.” Gao Nuo rubbed his eyes hard. The three figures gradually became clear, and the big black guy in the middle was none other than Drogba, known as “The Beast.”
Didier Drogba, 189cm tall, 88kg weight.
The Ivorian footballer has played for clubs such as Marseille, Chelsea, and Shanghai Shenhua. He has won 4 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League title, 4 FA Cup titles, 2 African Player of the Year awards, and 2 Premier League Golden Boot awards, among many other honors.
Gao Nuo quickly calmed down from his shock and began to ponder.
“The system is really powerful. Drogba’s template should suit me well. His physical fitness is explosive, and his technique was quite rough when he was young. With his guidance, I really might have a chance to stay.”
“Hi, Mr. Drogba!” Gao Nuo enthusiastically greeted Drogba.
As for the other two beginner coaches, they were like NPCs in a FIFA game, clearly random “fake faces.”
Drogba ignored Gao Nuo, simply “pulled” a few soccer balls from his shorts, and began dribbling drills.
Gao Nuo, whose enthusiasm was met with a cold shoulder, didn’t get discouraged. He immediately followed behind Drogba, mimicking his movements.
Whenever he made a mistake, the two beginner coaches nearby would shout reminders: “Lower your center of gravity, firmly plant your left foot before pushing the ball to the right!…No, do it again!…”
The mechanical voices were all in Chinese; the system was truly amazing.
During eight hours of training that night, Gao Nuo tried to communicate with Drogba several times, but the Beast never said a word, only demonstrating the movements for Gao Nuo again and again.
Compared to the coaches during the day, Drogba’s movements were slightly rougher, and precisely because of this, Gao Nuo could imitate them with about seventy or eighty percent similarity.
By the third hour, Gao Nuo, unable to continue, drank a bottle of stamina potion and instantly recovered to full health. His back didn’t hurt, his legs weren’t sore, and he could… dribble five rounds in one go…
At six in the morning, Gao Nuo, who had exited his consciousness training, woke up.
After a night of forced deep sleep, he was full of energy. He got up, washed up, ran a five-kilometer distance at the training ground, then had breakfast, preparing to start today’s training session.
The last week of the training camp involved two sessions a day: 8:00-9:30 AM for physical training, and 10:00-11:30 AM for technical and tactical training.
There was usually no training in the afternoon, just practice matches or analysis of game footage.
Gao Nuo had a special arrangement of three training sessions a day: one physical training session in the morning, one ball control training session in the morning and one in the afternoon, and then he would meet Wang Xiaochuan for an additional two hours of practice after dinner.
Gao Nuo now trained for six and a half hours during the day, followed by eight hours of consciousness training at night.
From the second day onwards, the intensity of consciousness training increased significantly, and Gao Nuo had to drink a bottle of stamina potion every three hours.
At 6 AM on the third day, Gao Nuo woke up and did not continue his run.
Although his body had been in deep sleep, his mind felt like it had been working non-stop for two days. The continuous monotonous training was even a bit much for Gao Nuo’s willpower.
Gao Nuo opened his computer to look at news from various leagues and goal highlights, relaxing his mind.
The time arrived on June 9, 2022. The sixth day of the training camp was a day off. Tomorrow there would be a friendly match against Manchester United U21 team, after which this tryout would end.
After five days of intense training, Gao Nuo’s ball control attribute increased from 5 to 7. He had 10 training cards left and only one stamina potion.
The short-term 2-point increase filled Gao Nuo with confidence. “System, how much ball control attribute do I need to reach the academy level?”
“I have compared the attributes of Manchester United U21 team’s forward players for the host. The average ball control ability is 11 points, and the average for main players is 13 points.” The system’s mechanical voice today did not sound pleasant.
“The gap is that big.” Gao Nuo suddenly jumped up from the bed.
“Host, the two points of attribute you gained are mainly due to the standardization of technical movements. In the European football youth training system, players around 14 years old generally have 7 or 8 points in ball control. The host can understand this as simply reaching the standard for technical movements grants 7 points in ball control attribute.”
The system’s voice now sounded a bit annoying.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s keep at it! Work hard, finish early! System, use 6 training cards for me!”
Gao Nuo said through gritted teeth.
Wang Xiaochuan came to find Gao Nuo at eight in the morning after breakfast, intending to see if he wanted to do extra training. Seeing Gao Nuo sleeping like a log, he couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile. This kid must be too tired; let him sleep. Staying here isn’t that easy.
In the virtual space, Gao Nuo continued his monotonous training.
By the fourth hour, Gao Nuo, unable to continue, drank his last bottle of stamina potion.
Another four hours passed, and Gao Nuo was finally exhausted, lying on the grass, breathing heavily.
“System, can’t you give me some stamina potions? Or can I just buy some attributes directly?”
“Host, don’t fantasize. This system is committed to helping the host achieve their dreams through their own efforts, not a cheat! At most, it’s an accelerator!”
“Then is there any other way I can improve my ball control attribute now?”
“The host’s recent efforts will not be in vain. Please believe that persistence is victory! Perhaps a surprise is coming soon!”
As he was chatting with the system, a black figure blocked Gao Nuo’s sight.
Pulling Gao Nuo, who was lying on the ground, to his feet, Drogba spoke for the first time: “Kid, why are you training so foolishly every day?”
Drogba’s voice was deep, giving off a tough-guy vibe.
“To improve, I love football, I want to become a professional player, I want to stay at Manchester United!” Gao Nuo answered without hesitation.
Drogba smiled and shook his head, “There are many, many people more talented than you, and there are also people who work harder than you.”
At this point, a hint of admiration appeared in Drogba’s eyes, “But how many actually become star players in the end?”
Looking at Gao Nuo, who was deep in thought, Drogba continued, “Football isn’t just about having feet. Do you really understand yourself, or do you truly have your own technical and tactical characteristics?”
“Talent needs to be discovered, but you don’t have a good coach to tell you which direction to strive for. You need to find the position that suits you best.”
“My own characteristics, the direction of my efforts, the right position.”
Gao Nuo murmured to himself. Drogba’s words made him ponder. He had thought about these questions before but never found answers, simply loving football and training and playing according to the coach’s requirements.
Drogba was not in a hurry and did not continue speaking, merely standing by, watching Gao Nuo, as if waiting for something.