"Ding! You won the match. Final rating: SS!"
"You obtained 10 training stakes and one Super Training Stake… Star Drop: Rafael van der Vaart – Flash of Inspiration."
"Van der Vaart – Flash of Inspiration: As the first winner of the European Golden Boy Award, Van der Vaart's talent is beyond doubt. His passing and shooting are full of imagination and threat.
Dribbling +1, Long Pass +1, Short Pass +1, Shooting +1, Agility +1, Clearance +1.
You have obtained the Purple Star Skill: 'Scorpion Tail.'"
"Scorpion Tail: Van der Vaart often has flashes of brilliance, but this particular moment is nearly impossible to replicate. Your Scorpion Tail shots are less likely to be blocked. Your heel control has improved. Your ability to handle balls behind you has significantly improved."
"You spent … to obtain the Blue Player Skills: 'Inside-Step Pass' and 'One-Touch Pass.'"
"Inside-Step Pass: Your foot moves across the outside of the ball toward the inside, changing its direction sharply. This is a basic yet deceptive passing technique. When you successfully complete this move, your burst speed increases."
"One-Touch Pass: An essential skill for every elite midfielder. Your overall passing improves slightly. When passing with one touch, both accuracy and power are enhanced."
The match against Ajax brought Deng Kai another major breakthrough.
Most importantly, Rafael van der Vaart was strong enough to trigger a Star Drop reward.
Compared to that, Wesley Sneijder seemed a little stingy.
Still not convinced, huh?
But what exactly did "Clearance +1" mean in Van der Vaart's flash?
A genius has moments of inspiration. If those flashes fail to create danger, then sometimes shooting and passing simply help the opponent clear the ball.
That was painfully accurate.
The "Scorpion Tail" move itself wouldn't normally qualify as a Purple-tier skill.
But once it enhanced heel control and awareness of balls coming from behind, it became worthy of that level.
The highlight of the move is the scorpion-like backheel flick.
But the real difficulty lies in heel precision and spatial awareness.
Kicking a ball in front of you is easy.
Striking one that flies behind your back?
That's not twice as hard—it's exponentially harder.
Anyone who dares to pull off a scorpion-tail finish in a match isn't just technically skilled.
They're ruthless.
Absolute werewolves.
"Kai, come here."
Coach Marques interrupted Deng Kai's thoughts during training.
Cristiano Ronaldo was already waiting near the players' tunnel.
The two walked together into an office.
Inside were Triguera—and a middle-aged man.
"Deng Kai, Cristiano Ronaldo, this is Mr. António Violante, head coach of Portugal U16," Triguera introduced. "He will lead the team in this summer's European Junior Championship."
The moment those words landed, Ronaldo's eyes lit up.
He knew exactly what this meant.
Both players quickly greeted Violante.
Portuguese names are famously long, often with multiple syllables and repeated first names like José or João—making life difficult for journalists and commentators alike.
António Violante shared the same first name as Miguel Veloso's father—António—a common Portuguese name.
Violante had previously stated in interviews that he was monitoring Ronaldo and Deng Kai.
Today's visit confirmed it.
As Deng Kai expected, Violante offered encouragement and told them to perform well in the upcoming UEFA Youth League final. He also mentioned that he would continue observing their league performances.
If nothing unexpected happened, both Deng Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo would likely be included in his upcoming squad.
At the same time, Violante subtly tested Deng Kai's attitude.
The result pleased Triguera immensely.
Deng Kai showed strong enthusiasm about joining Portugal U16. He had no intention of refusing.
The first step of Triguera's "boiling the frog in warm water" plan had succeeded perfectly.
What they didn't know was that Deng Kai shared the exact same excitement.
Selection to Portugal's youth national team was a crucial milestone in his career plan. He had expected it to take two or three more years.
Instead, the opportunity arrived early.
It felt like falling asleep and being handed a pillow—or stepping outside and finding perfect sunshine.
Naturally, they discussed the Ajax match.
Violante praised Sporting Lisbon U15's resilience.
But between the lines, it was clear he still believed the Ajax Twins—Van der Vaart and Sneijder—might be individually stronger.
Ronaldo felt slightly displeased but remained silent.
Deng Kai also planned to stay quiet—
Until he heard something.
"By the way, how is Hugo Viana's foot?" Violante asked casually as Triguera walked him toward the door.
Hugo Viana.
A Sporting Lisbon youth prodigy.
By age, he belonged in U15, but he was already playing at U17 and would move to U19 next season.
Talented players often skip levels.
Cristiano Ronaldo himself would later set a record by jumping through five team levels in one year before reaching Sporting's first team.
Sporting were expected to sign Simão Sabrosa this summer and pursue Ricardo Quaresma. But once Quaresma rose, resources would shift toward Hugo Viana.
Viana's projected role was midfield core.
He could play central midfield, attacking midfield, left midfield—even left forward.
At this stage of football development, most artificially promoted stars were wingers.
For a central midfielder like Viana to be treated as the crown prince showed undeniable talent.
In the future, he would briefly be hailed as Portugal's most gifted young midfielder.
At the beginning of Portugal's new golden generation, Ronaldo was honestly just one of many promising names.
Several young stars were rated above him.
"His right foot has fully recovered and he's in excellent form," Triguera replied confidently. "He's definitely a better option than Igor, Vilela, or Raul Meireles."
Igor — Porto U15's core attacking midfielder.
Vilela — Benfica U15's versatile midfield engine.
Raul Meireles — Boavista U17's midfield core, strong both offensively and defensively, a player who would later leave his mark at Liverpool and Chelsea.
This was the projected Portugal U16 midfield configuration.
Deng Kai's heart sank.
Was Violante planning to build the midfield around Hugo Viana?
If so, Deng Kai would be in trouble.
He might only be a substitute.
Violante favored a 4-3-3 system.
That meant only three midfield spots.
If Viana became the attacking core, the team would require strong defensive support.
A defensive midfielder plus Raul Meireles would be the ideal balance.
At this stage, Deng Kai couldn't compete with Meireles' physical maturity and two-way dominance.
Deng Kai excelled offensively and defended well for an attacking midfielder—but his overall impression leaned toward "attack-first."
That overlapped too much with Viana.
He would likely become Viana's backup.
And the worst position in football isn't "substitute."
It's "substitute for the core."
If the core never gets replaced, you never play.
If the core struggles, the team collapses anyway.
Either way, playing time would be limited.
And if thoughtful commentators back home analyzed it, the image of a dominant European midfield genius would quickly crumble.
If Deng Kai joined Portugal U16—
He couldn't just be selected.
He had to stand out.
"Mr. Violante…" Deng Kai suddenly spoke.
"Do you know why Ajax lost to us?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 100+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
📢 Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: I Don't Want Recognition]