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Chapter 77: Travel to Italy
At this crucial moment, Wang Feng felt extremely confused. He wanted to call someone for advice, but he didn't know who to call. It didn't seem appropriate to call his mentor Maglietti, Antonis, or his friends Renee and Bess.
At that moment, his eyes glanced at the chat software icon in the bottom left corner of his computer screen. Unconsciously, he opened the chat interface with Lu Yao and sent a message saying, "Are you there?"
After sending the message, he felt some regret. He couldn't believe he was thinking of consulting a little girl. It seemed ridiculous.
To his surprise, Lu Yao replied quickly, "I'm here, I'm here," with a cute emoji attached. Wang Feng's tense emotions seemed to relax a bit.
"You replied so quickly. It's almost eleven o'clock at night in China now, right? As a high school senior, you should go to bed early, wake up early, study hard, and stop playing on the computer all the time," Wang Feng said, adopting a lecturing tone.
Lu Yao sent a tongue-out emoji and then said, "Brother Feng, your tone sounds like my dad's, even though you're only a year older than me. I'm actually studying hard right now. Seeing you looking like you want to chat, I decided to reply."
Wang Feng was very surprised. How did Lu Yao know he was feeling troubled and wanted to chat? So he typed, "How did you know I wanted to chat with someone?"
"Normally, you never message me first. It's always me messaging you. Now that you're contacting me on your own, and since you probably don't have many friends in China, I figured you must have something on your mind that you want to talk about. So spill it," Lu Yao replied.
Wang Feng shook his head with a wry smile. Lu Yao was indeed a clever girl. After hesitating for a moment, he typed a long paragraph introducing the transfer choices he was facing, but then he felt it wasn't appropriate. How could Lu Yao, an outsider, understand this situation?
So he deleted the entire conversation and thought for a while before typing, "I'm facing a major decision that will impact my future career, so I'm very hesitant."
After sending this message, it took a while before Lu Yao replied, "The first time I watched you play, I was attracted by your demeanor. Not because of your outstanding skills or spectacular goals, but because amidst a group of strong black and white players, you played with confidence and ease."
"This confidence seems to be ingrained in your bones. Every time you dribble, every time you compete, every time you shoot, I can see it."
"Brother Feng, no matter what decision you make, I just want to say, please maintain your confidence. I, and many Chinese fans, are supporting you from behind."
After reading this message, Wang Feng couldn't calm down for a long time. Yes, why couldn't he be more confident? He had extraordinary senses that others didn't possess, a strong physique, and with diligent training, what else was there to worry about?
To further impress Wang Feng, Moratti invited him to Italy to experience the football atmosphere of Inter Milan. So Wang Feng and Balmond accompanied them to the ancient city of Milan.
Milan was not only a world-famous historical and cultural city but also a center of fashion and art. Driving through the streets, one could see ancient churches, theaters, and distinctively designed skyscrapers, giving a strong visual impact.
Wang Feng's first stop was the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in the San Siro district. This was the shared home of AC Milan and Inter Milan. Standing in front of the stadium, the most eye-catching feature was probably the several thick spiral-shaped pillars outside.
Although Wang Feng didn't understand architecture, he could feel the unique ideas of the designers. The accompanying staff explained, "This stadium has a history of 76 years. After two renovations, the total seating capacity now reaches 80,000."
This surprised Wang Feng. He couldn't imagine how spectacular it would be if the entire stadium were filled. The staff added, "The attendance rate at Inter Milan's home games is quite good, generally exceeding 70%."
Then, guided by the staff, Wang Feng visited the museum inside the stadium, which showcased the great history of both Milan teams. Wang Feng saw the league championships, cup victories, UEFA Cup victories, and of course, the UEFA Champions League trophies won by Inter Milan.
The staff noticed Wang Feng's gaze and said somewhat helplessly, "The last time Inter Milan won the Champions League trophy was back in 1965, a distant memory. I wasn't even born then."
It seemed that this Italian powerhouse was eager to lift the European club's highest honor once again.
After visiting the home ground, Wang Feng's next stop was Inter Milan's training ground, located in the town of Appiano Gentile in Como Province, funded by current chairman Massimo Moratti's father, Angelo Moratti, and named Pinetina.
When Wang Feng arrived, Javier Zanetti was already waiting at the door, warmly inviting Wang Feng to visit. The place looked relatively simple, but the basic training facilities were complete, including the training ground, gym, and swimming pool, all well-maintained.
What surprised Wang Feng the most was the players' dormitory. It was a small main building with very narrow rooms, even smaller than the room he rented in Genk, with small windows and inadequate lighting.
Such an environment seemed inadequate compared to Inter Milan's reputation. Seeing Wang Feng's puzzled look, Zanetti explained, "This building was built in 1965 without much planning for functionality and structure, so it appears somewhat rudimentary."
"When we have home games, we rest here instead of at hotels. To be honest, the conditions are quite harsh."
"We've wanted to suggest to the club to renovate the dormitory building, but we don't have the face to make such a request, so every time we stay here, everything seems to remind us constantly that we need to achieve good results."
"Compared to Juventus and AC Milan, our performance is far inferior."
After bidding farewell to everyone at Inter Milan, they were driven back to the hotel. Wang Feng would stay in Italy for two more days to experience the beauty of Milan.
Of course, he also needed to make a decision as soon as possible.
In the hotel, Balmond analyzed, "Inter Milan's sincerity is evident, with even the club chairman personally coming to Belgium to invite you. I believe that after you join, as long as you perform well, all resources will be utilized for you."
"And compared to Deportivo La Coru?a, Inter Milan has another advantage in terms of its reputation and team operation. Under the same conditions, you can achieve more honors at Inter Milan."
Balmond added, "For example, the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, it's definitely easier to win them at Inter Milan than at Deportivo La Coru?a."
"But the high level of attention at Inter Milan also means greater pressure for results. You need to show more dominance to convince the discerning Milan fans."