NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: 0023 Kevin·Terry
Ah, Huang Kaiwen let out a long sigh.
He really was the ultimate good brother. Since Kaka was destined to be a good brother, it was decided to keep Nanni. Not just that, but also invite Lieven Maesschalck back, and poach Dr. Meiselmann, whom Huang Kaiwen respected most, to transform the Milan lab into a true "cutting-edge football lab".
Right.
Although he couldn't get a misdiagnosis to extend his rest time, Huang Kaiwen could still cling to coattails!
As long as everyone on the team stayed healthy, his chances of getting on the field, as someone who was injury-prone, would certainly decrease. And then wouldn't he just be earning money by lying down?
When one path ends, doubts arise; but as one turns the corner, a new village appears.
Huang Kaiwen suddenly saw the light.
He had an epiphany.
With the Divine Doctor uniting Milan, when the Milan players were all hale and hearty, would he, Huang, still need to play?
No way!
Even if Ancelotti believed in his, Huang's, ability, without much interaction with his teammates, a stable starting lineup would still be the mainstay.
Alright, let's do it this way.
[Ding, you've gained 20 fate points]
[Change the fate of future Ballon d'Or winner Kaka]
Another prompt?
But displaying fate is rather time-consuming; Huang Kaiwen could only wait for his teammates to leave first.
Otherwise, Barbara would think he fell into a toilet.
After coming out, Huang Kaiwen immediately greeted his teammates again, calling them to lend a hand.
Today they were preparing Argentine barbecue. AC Milan couldn't be outdone by Inter Milan, could they? As the organizing committee member, if he didn't shine, it would be a poor show. Whatever Inter Milan had, Milan must have; and what Inter didn't have, Milan must also acquire. He made it clear to his teammates.
Getting involved personally was quite interesting.
"Albert, bring up a few more cases of champagne—the Louise Queen or whatever. Today, my teammates must all drink well. If anyone doesn't get drunk today, then I, Huang Kaiwen, would have failed in my hospitality," noticing there wasn't much drink left, Huang Kaiwen directly called the butler.
Huang Kaiwen, holding a glass, came over to his teammates who were barbecuing, telling half-salty, half-plain jokes, "This Louise Queen champagne, the seller told me it was fermented with the personal saliva of Napoleon's queen Eugenie. Let's also taste what the French queen's flavor is like."
"Kevin, isn't it the Louise Queen? What does it have to do with Napoleon?" Digan, who came with his brother, whispered.
Huang Kaiwen wrapped an arm around Kaka, his little brother, which made Kaka's brother his own little brother, and said earnestly, "Don't worry about whose queen it is. As long as she was a French queen, that's correct. If you want to drink Napoleon's queen, I'll get it for you next time."
"Haha, to the French queen!"
"To the queen!"
Maldini, who was in charge of the barbecue, laughed and cried as he toasted, and the Milan players joined in the rallying call.
Compared to those sophisticated settings, the players preferred this kind of atmosphere.
Initially intimidated by the extravagance of Huang Kaiwen's home, the Milan players were quite reserved. But after a bit of stirring by Huang Kaiwen, they loosened up immediately.
After all, most of the players came from humble backgrounds, unable to fake a noble demeanor even if they tried.
The female partners, on the other hand, were quite civilized, also having a grand time chatting.
Barbara was no useless rich second generation—she was excellent in handling people. Adriana, the team captain's wife, was a good housekeeper. These two, one the daughter of a boss and the other the captain's wife, completely owned the scene.
After a while, the band arrived, and everybody got wild.
Singing along with the band to "Old Time Rock And Roll".
Huang Kaiwen noticed that Kaka had glanced several times at his PS2, so he simply pulled Kaka inside.
"Interested? Fancy playing a bit?"
"Sure!" Kaka rubbed his hands together, took up the controller and said, "I play Winning Eleven a lot."
"Alright, let's play a few matches. I play too when I'm at home."
"That's great. I'm quite skilled, so you better watch out," Kaka said, beaming, finally finding a friend willing to play games.
Huang Kaiwen instantly chose Real Madrid, and after a moment of silence, Kaka chose AC Milan.
In Pro Evolution Soccer 8, team strengths were quite unbalanced. Teams from the Premier League and the Bundesliga were merely extras, with only Real Madrid and Milan as the top-tier choices. Inter Milan and Arsenal had their shortcomings, and even the so-called future stars were no better than third-rate players in the game.
The 10-minute matches flew by quickly, and Huang Kaiwen won 3:1 against Kaka, relying on Ronaldo's bug-like physicality in the game.
Kaka took the initiative to say, "Let's switch to national teams," and Huang Kaiwen nodded, instantly picking Brazil.
Kaka: ...
After a moment of silence, Kaka selected Italy.
Kaka intended to pit Vieri against Ronaldo.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Italian players were quite average in the game, especially the full-backs, who couldn't compare to Cafu and Carlos. Kaka still lost 3:1 to Huang Kaiwen.
A disgruntled Kaka proposed again, "Let's play with Bundesliga teams."
"Alright, you choose first."
Kaka went with Bayern to face off against Huang Kaiwen's Werder Bremen.
After losing two consecutive games, Kaka finally managed a narrow 2:1 victory over Huang Kaiwen, with Mackay scoring twice against Miku and Klose.
Kaka had just enjoyed his first win when Digan came over to tell him, "Everyone's getting ready to leave."
Kaka could only reluctantly put down the controller and said, "Next time we have the chance, we'll play together, and I'll show you how good I am."
"Sure."
Huang Kaiwen stood up to see off his teammates.
Playing Pro Evolution Soccer was a way to bond with Kaka, as Huang Kaiwen had read an article where Kaka expressed his love for playing Pro Evolution Soccer 8.
To be honest, Huang Kaiwen was more skilled and comfortable playing with a keyboard than with a controller. After trying it out today, Huang Kaiwen decided not to play with a keyboard against Kaka anymore.
It's only fun to play video games when there's give and take. If he keeps getting crushed, Kaka would probably give up soon.
After sending off his teammates and sharing a kiss with the missus, Huang Kaiwen made the excuse of taking a bath to sneak back into the bathroom.
He clicked on "Fate Revealed."
The scene immediately appeared.
"Kaka hit it off with you from first sight, often playing games together."
"Later, Kaka found out that not only were you outstanding at soccer, but you were also witty and humorous, often inviting you to hang out."
"You got to know Kaka's girlfriend, Caroline."
"Because you were often injured and Kaka needed to train, sometimes Caroline would come from Brazil and Kaka didn't have time, so you would take Caroline out for fun, given she was a beauty."
"Caroline developed a liking for you, and she took the initiative to confess to Kaka."
"Kaka was a bit irritated, but luckily he had experience from past relationships and decided to break up with Caroline."
"You felt sure that Kaka would get divorced sooner or later, and for his sake, you had already sacrificed a lot, so you accepted Caroline. Sometimes when Kaka saw you and Caroline together, he would be a bit unhappy, but after injuring his knee and receiving your dedicated care, he was moved and let go of any misgivings in his heart."
"Kaka accepted a marriage proposal from the beautiful female fan Cristina Sampaio, and they got married. You were the best man."
"The experienced Cristina Sampaio was not the innocent Caroline; Kaka became drained and developed a glass-like physique."
"Kaka eventually ended up watching games with you in the stands, and you two often drank mate tea together there."
"Kaka's decline was swift, and he didn't receive a call-up to the national team. Fearing that he might become despondent, you took him out to have a good time, and Kaka felt there was nothing like brotherhood in this world."
"Kaka's child was born, but unfortunately, he got divorced, struggling as a single dad."
"President Barbara of Milan presented you and Kaka with new contracts and decided to build a hotel suite in the stands so you could play games when bored during matches, and Kaka could also conveniently take care of his child."
"With your introduction, Kaka married a wealthy young woman."
"You both were wealthy and losing interest in soccer, thinking about retiring, but Barbara refused, having heard about a Japanese player named Kazuyoshi Miura who played for a very long time. She hoped the length of your career could surpass that of Kazuyoshi Miura."
"Your sons received professional contracts."
"In 2030, when 63-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura signed a new contract, you and Kaka renewed yours too."
"In 2040, you finally outlasted active player Kazuyoshi Miura, but your career length still wasn't as long as his. Barbara was reluctant to let you retire, leaving Kaka no choice but to continue playing alongside you. You, Kaka, and your son would often play cards in the stands, with only Kaka's son battling it out on the field."
"The team suffered an injury crisis, and fans protested furiously against the three of you occupying the registration spots. President Barbara of Milan was unmoved, and when fans tried to complain to UEFA, Barbara's influence proved too strong—money talks, and the fans' attempt failed."
"Kaka lived to be 82 years old. On his deathbed, still registered as a Milan player, he clutched your hand tightly, unwilling to let go. His voice was faint, but you heard him clearly: 'Last time we played cards, you owed me 82 euros.'