Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions

Tang Long heard this, and smiled slightly, but his gaze didn't move away from the phone screen.

He whispered, "Bro, you don't understand, I'm doing extra practice. In the world of football, if you don't train for one day, you feel it; two days, the coach knows; three days, the whole world knows. I can't let myself stop."

Ranocchia tut-tutted twice, looking unconvinced.

"If you want to do extra practice, you should go to the gym, to the training field. Kompany told me recently that the team is really intense; we're okay as defenders, but the forward positions are being messed up by you. Many people have to do extra practice to keep their positions. And you, watching a video on the bus and calling it extra practice, that's too Versailles of you!"

Tang Long said you don't understand, my extra practice is watching videos; everyone has their own methods.

Ranocchia shook his head and laughed, "Okay, okay, you always have your reasons. But once we're in London, we need to relax a bit. Remember to remind me to get that plush rabbit for my little one at home."

The train slowly pulled into London station.

Following the crowd, the two walked out of the station and were immediately surrounded by the city's bustle.

Skyscrapers lined up, the streets and alleys filled with a strong cultural air; people hurried along, each face telling its own story.

"Let's find Gualin first; he should be waiting for us."

Tang Long suggested, then opened his phone map to look for the appointed spot.

The two hopped into a taxi, had a tough exchange with the driver speaking with an Indian accent, and the car arrived at a steakhouse in the city center.

Pushing the door open, the rich smell of black pepper greeted them; the restaurant's decor was simple yet stylish, a few patrons leisurely sitting by the window, enjoying the afternoon sun.

Gualin was already seated by the window; seeing Tang Long and Ranocchia, he enthusiastically waved, his face beaming with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

"Hey, guys, you finally made it! I thought you'd gotten lost."

Gualin quipped, getting up to give each of them a hug.

"How could we get lost, two grown men aren't gonna go missing?" Ranocchia laughed, joining the chat.

Gualin talked about his life after being suspended; though he felt a bit helpless, he took the opportunity to adjust his mindset, preparing to return to the field in better shape.

Of course, the conversation inevitably turned to Icardi; the three unanimously criticized his irrational behavior but also found quite a bit of fun in it, laughter unceasingly.

For instance, Tang Long remembered how Icardi, when playing for Inter Milan, always dreamt of winning the European Golden Boot.

"Mauro has quite the appetite! The youngest Golden Boot winner in Serie A at 22 years doesn't fill him up; the Premier League Golden Boot won't satisfy him; he definitely wants to compete for the European Golden Boot with Messi and C Luo," Tang Long said.

Gualin snorted from his nose, full of disdain.

"With his poor sports ethics, even if he gets the European Golden Boot, it'll be a disgrace to the European Golden Boot! That goal, I want to petition UEFA to strip his goal, it shouldn't count for him."

Ranocchia immediately laughed, chiming in: "The guy didn't say much after the match, but his wife Wanda kept arguing with fans online; truly a case of birds of a feather flock together."

"Which round is the Manchester Derby," Gualin pulled out his phone to check, "you guys have to get revenge for me, finish this punk off!"

"It's the 11th round; we start with an away match." Tang Long said.

"Then at Old Trafford, in front of their own fans, finish this punk off hard!"

Gualin said as he beat his elephant-sized fist against his palm with a loud thud, as if gearing up for a fight.

…

After finishing the steaks, the three chatted for a while longer; then Gualin took the two to a mall to buy some stuff. Ranocchia, doting on his daughter, bought a whole 10 Jellycat bunny plush toys, filling an entire bag.

Tang Long only bought a Sony headset as a gift for Dilata.

The few then parted ways.

Ranocchia headed to Gualin's home to visit his family while Tang Long went to Sky Sports headquarters to find Dilata.

Since Dilata earned a promotion and moved back to the London headquarters from Italy, she has been quite busy, somewhat mentally exhausted.

Knowing Tang Long was coming, she took time off work, leaving at four.

Dilata happily accepted Tang Long's gift, then bought a small, exquisite cake, bringing him to her rented apartment in London.

It's a 2-bedroom, 1-living room apartment; though the size isn't large, just 71 square meters, the location is good, convenient for work.

"Let me make tomato sauce pasta for you."

(Dilata cooking for Tang Long)

Tang Long heard about having pasta, especially with tomato sauce, and his mouth watered instantly.

"Why did you think of cooking pasta for me?"

Dilata giggled.

"I guessed, after leaving Milan and moving to Manchester, you haven't had authentic Italian pasta, right?"

During his time playing at Inter Milan, Tang Long followed the diet plan set by Chiwo, eating pasta at the club's restaurant daily.

The pairing was very strict, only black pepper added, nothing else.

Though it helped maintain his figure, eating too much made him feel like throwing up~

He occasionally added a bit of tomato sauce but didn't dare add too much.

But this time, he hadn't eaten it for a long while; he decided to indulge, Dilata cooked a big pot, and Tang Long ate it all clean by himself.

He slumped in the chair, arms resting on the back, patting his full belly, speaking to Dilata sitting across the table:

"If only you were in Manchester, I'd get to eat authentic Italian pasta every day!"

Blonde-haired Dilata, one hand supporting her chin, elbow resting on the dining table, teased him, saying:

"Then go talk to the head of Sky Sports and transfer me to Manchester!"

After finishing the spaghetti, Dilata started lighting candles for Tang Long again, having him eat cake.

Watching Dilata in her home outfit, bustling around the small kitchen, Tang Long felt a wave of emotion.

He finally understood why so many football stars prefer to be with older women.

Because these women are experienced in life, taking care of their partners like a mom takes care of her son, providing thorough support both in life and emotions.

"Do you want to make a wish?" Dilata asked with a smile.

Tang Long blew out the candles and silently made a wish in his heart.

"Someday, I will defeat Messi and C Luo, and win the Golden Ball Award..."

Seeing Tang Long's determined look, Dilata knew this wish was indeed big and curiously asked him what he wished for.

Tang Long just smiled and said he couldn't say it; otherwise, it wouldn't come true.

After finishing the cake, Dilata cleaned up the table and wanted to talk to Tang Long about an important matter.

"Tang, I've been in media for seven or eight years. I think, given your current achievements, if you want to further expand your influence in the football world, you need a personal trademark."

"My trademark is my passing." Tang Long instinctively replied.

Dilata shook her head, "I'm not talking about that; I mean a personal signature celebration gesture."

"Robbie Keane makes a machine gun gesture after scoring, Giradino plays a violin, C Luo does the 'siu' celebration, these are deliberately designed gestures to showcase personal symbols to the world."

"There must be meticulous team planning behind this. I don't know if your agent Ronar has talked to you about these things. If not, you should seriously consider it."

Tang Long thought for a while and felt Dilata had a point.

He has played only 8 games at Manchester City, and his goal count is almost catching up with his half-season stats at Inter Milan.

This is not only due to his improving skills but also Pellegrini's adjustment of his position.

If so, designing a personal goal celebration gesture could indeed enhance fans' impression of him worldwide and boost his commercial value.

Tang Long, who came across time, actually has many choices in his mind, deeply impressed by two players' celebration gestures.

One is Haaland's sit-down;

The other is Mbappe's crossed hands on the chest.

In 2015, these two were still unknown; why not borrow them?

Thus, Tang Long demonstrated these two gestures in Dilata's dining room.

"Haha, your innovation sense is impressive. No player has ever done these gestures, especially the sit-down one; it made me laugh out loud. Are you a monk?"

"Then I'll think about it more, no hurry," Tang Long said.

Tang Long booked a train ticket for 7:30 in the evening, so he sat for a while longer at Dilata's place before saying goodbye.

Dilata gave Tang Long a big hug, and he felt a gentle softness at his chest, very soft.

"I haven't had a chance to buy a car since arriving in the UK, so you'll have to take a cab."

"Goodbye, nineteen-year-old kid!"

After going downstairs, Tang Long hailed a taxi, headed straight to the train station in London.

Click click!

Two reporters from The Sun, lurking in the corner, captured the moment.

...

The next morning, Tang Long arrived at the training ground at 9 o'clock and was changing in the locker room when he saw his teammates pointing at him and whispering, with many obviously suppressing laughter.

Tang Long felt puzzled until Ranocchia came over and quietly pulled him outside the locker room.

"Tang, you've made the front page of 'The Sun'!"

Ranocchia took out his phone and showed him the freshly released electronic version of 'The Sun'.

[While teammates were doing extra training, he was in London meeting a new flame!]

There were also two pictures, showing Tang Long following Dilata to her apartment and then leaving alone an hour and a half later.

"Manchester City's core Tang, who has never had any love scandals, has finally burst out with a big scoop!"

"His new flame is the Italian beauty Dilata, famed as the queen of Sky Sports."

"We don't need to say it explicitly as readers can understand what Tang and Dilata did in her apartment within that hour and a half."

"The curvy, gentle, and charming Dilata surely captivated this young Chinese player in a foreign country."

"A young footballer, wealthy, handsome, and obviously in good physical condition. An entire day off was spent traveling four hours from Manchester just to see his new flame!"

"But ironically, according to this reporter, nearly ten first-team players voluntarily did extra training at the club on this day off!"

"Such a stark contrast suggests this 19-year-old player is starting to get complacent and his mentality is drifting!"

"The Premier League is a highly competitive league, especially for a strong team like Manchester City where internal competition is fierce; Tang Long's actions have led to deep doubt about his professional attitude!"

"As the player who broke Manchester City's transfer fee record, at least in terms of discipline, Tang is far behind his teammates at Manchester City."

"Many young professional players often fall into traps of alcohol, women, and money after becoming famous, leading to early decline and far less promising career development than expected."

"Wonder what Manchester City's manager Pellegrini will think after seeing our news?"