2018, January
China – National Men's Football Training Base
The naturalization trial match was in full swing.
After yet another failure in the World Cup qualifiers, the Football Association had intensified its naturalization efforts, recruiting Chinese players from around the world and organizing this trial match.
On the sidelines, the head of the Football Association, accompanied by men's team leader Zhao Chen, observed the game while smoking.
"The candidates this time have been carefully selected. They all come from good family backgrounds," Zhao Chen said with a flattering smile. "The three available spots will go to the highest bidders. We're going to make a lot of money!"
The official justification was to strengthen the national team through naturalization.
But in reality?
It was all about money.
The quotas were openly for sale—completely fair to those who could afford them.
The head of the association nodded in satisfaction, his gaze fixed on a particularly active player on the field.
The young man's mixed-race features were striking—black hair, yellow skin, sharp eyebrows, and piercing blue eyes. He was exceptionally handsome, but his eyes stood out the most.
He played as a defensive midfielder, holding his ground like an iron wall.
No matter how his opponents attacked, he intercepted and dismantled their plays with ease, as if he were dealing with a group of schoolchildren. His composure and control over the game were remarkable.
This surprised the Football Association chief.
He hadn't expected to see such a skilled Chinese player.
"Who is that?" he asked, pointing at the teenager.
"His name is Pierre," Zhao Chen replied. "Eighteen years old. A Chinese-Portugiese mixed-race player. His father is a second-generation immigrant, and his mother is French."
"He trained at La Masia since childhood and plays as a defensive midfielder."
Zhao Chen recognized him immediately.
He had been particularly impressed when reviewing Pierre's file. The fact that he came from La Masia, one of Europe's top youth academies, was rare. Barcelona's academy was famous for producing world-class talent.
However, what stood out even more was the fact that Pierre had briefly joined Barcelona's first team before his contract was terminated.
"La Masia? No wonder!" the Football Association chief said, visibly impressed.
"He's very strong! Give him one of the three spots!"
A player with talent and a strong resume—naturalizing him would not only improve the national team but also bring in money and potentially earn the association some credit in the future.
A win-win situation.
However, Zhao Chen hesitated.
"Boss, there's a problem…"
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Pierre was promoted to the first team before the winter break, but Barcelona terminated his contract soon after. I looked into it—he got into a fight during a training match."
"He refused to apologize after getting into a physical altercation with a teammate, which upset Barcelona's management. They forced him out of the club, and now he's without a team in Europe."
The Football Association chief dismissed the concern with a wave.
"That doesn't matter. We don't need to answer to European clubs. As long as he's sincere, we can work something out. A Longchao club could even provide him with a platform."
His meaning was clear: as long as the money was right, there would be no problem.
"Understood!" Zhao Chen nodded. "Leave it to me."
---
On the Field
Pierre continued to dominate the game, repeatedly making successful tackles and interceptions.
As he did, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Negative emotion points received from Zhang Chenglong: +26]
[Negative emotion points received from Ye Feng: +18]
[Negative emotion points received from Wang…]
Chen Mo had been reborn three months ago, awakening a system that allowed him to collect negative emotion points from opponents during training and official matches.
Points could be earned through tackles, goals, dribbles, and other impactful plays.
The stronger or more famous the opponent, the higher the points.
These points could then be exchanged for rewards from the system, ranging from skill upgrades to rare abilities.
Thanks to the god-tier prediction ability he received from the system's starter pack, he had already unlocked elite fundamental skills from a gold-tier chest and superior ball control from a platinum-tier chest.
With these advantages, he quickly stood out in Barcelona's youth setup, earning a promotion to the first team.
But that was when things went south.
During a training match, he had been assigned to mark Ousmane Dembélé, a high-profile signing from France.
Pierre barely needed to tackle—his positioning and defensive awareness alone frustrated Dembélé, forcing him into mistakes.
Dembélé eventually lost his temper.
In a moment of frustration, he attempted a reckless challenge, nearly breaking Pierre's leg.
Fortunately, Pierre's god-tier prediction allowed him to dodge in time.
Before he could even protest, Dembélé turned the situation against him, hurling insults—including racial slurs.
Pierre snapped.
When Dembélé tried to throw a punch, Pierre dodged and retaliated with a perfectly timed counter.
A single punch sent Dembélé to the ground.
But Dembélé was a €100 million signing.
Pierre, despite his talent, was considered a low-ceiling prospect.
Barcelona sided with their expensive star and demanded that Pierre apologize.
He refused.
As a result, he was released from his contract.
While his agent worked on finding him a new club, Pierre had temporarily returned to China to participate in the nationalization trials.
---
Back to the Present
The trial match ended, and before Pierre could even check his negative emotion points, he was summoned to an office.
Zhao Chen was waiting for him, wearing a practiced smile.
"Your performance was impressive," he began. "We're aware of your history with Barcelona. Unfortunately, that incident does have some impact. The national team prefers players with a clean image."
A classic negotiation tactic—undermine confidence before making an offer.
"But…"
Zhao Chen's smile widened.
"We can work around it. We can even arrange for you to join a major Longchao club."
"It just depends on your sincerity."
Pierre scoffed internally.
He had underestimated just how corrupt the system was.
Even naturalization required a bribe?
Of course—after all, the Football Association's leadership had been infamous for its greed.
Seeing Pierre remain silent, Zhao Chen decided to be blunt.
"I'll get straight to the point."
"One million euros."
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