Chapter 1 The Most Desperate Christmas Holiday

This Christmas holiday might have been Chen Hero's most desperate. He didn't go anywhere before January 1st, staying in his own home in Naples. He had bought a lot of food and water beforehand, prepared to not leave the house for ten days.

Since he wasn't going out, he sent Christine Cabrillo back. Since he wasn't leaving, he didn't think he would be threatened. Although Cabrillo was very worried, it was her employer's order, and she had no choice.

In addition, Sharapova asked him to travel, but Chen Hero flatly refused. The two even had a big fight over it—Chen Hero couldn't very well say he was going to train hard in the copy, could he? He refused Sharapova without a reason, so Sharapova naturally started overthinking, resulting in the two of them arguing and then sulking and not contacting each other.

This was fine with the carefree Chen Hero, as he could devote himself entirely to the copy without being disturbed.

Yes, right now, he just hoped the whole world wouldn't bother him. Don't come asking him concernedly, "What's wrong, Hero?" And don't call to request interviews.

He didn't need sympathy, he didn't need concern, he didn't need pity, and he didn't need help.

All he needed was time.

For him, the period after the new coach arrived was crucial. Whether or not he could impress the coach depended on what he could show.

To improve his footwork further, he needed to train hard. Time had never been so precious to him. To save time for training, he hadn't even visited a single nightclub in Naples since arriving—he didn't even know where the nightclubs in Naples were.

This surprised many media outlets. They originally thought that Chen Hero, who was known as the "Saint Petersburg Nightclub Prince," would visit all the nightclubs in Naples within a month of arriving, becoming a popular figure in the Naples nightlife scene.

Who would have thought that he wouldn't go anywhere! Every day, he either went to the training ground or returned home under the protection of his beautiful bodyguard, and then didn't go out all night.

At first, everyone was surprised, but then someone started saying, "Chen Hero's bodyguard is also a beauty..."

Everyone suddenly "realized"—oh~~~~ that's what's going on~~~~~~!

So Chen Hero's rumored girlfriend was born. Sharapova's argument with him also had this factor in it...

Chen Hero was too lazy to pay attention to those boring media outlets. He first called his parents to wish them a Merry Christmas in advance. His father said, "That's a holiday for you young people, what's there for us old folks?" Chen Hero told his parents that he was going on a trip to a place with poor cell phone reception, so he would be turning off his phone. If anything happened, they could call his agent, De Kura, who would definitely be able to find him—that was natural, if De Kura really had something to do, he could instantly teleport to his side...

Then he greeted De Kura, telling him to handle anything that came up, that he would be turning off his phone for a few days. If his parents had anything, he would come himself, anyway, he knew where he was.

De Kura was a little surprised: "Where are you going?"

"I'm going into seclusion, and then I'm going to storm Bright Summit!" Chen Hero said menacingly.

※※※

The training plan Chen Hero made for himself was very simple—physical and technical training in the morning, technical and tactical training in the afternoon, and all tactical training in the evening.

Although it looked very simple, with only three things, he actually put a lot of effort into it. Especially in the tactical training environment, he himself didn't really understand tactics, so he memorized everything, memorizing all of Reia's tactical routines, and then reacting in the copy, using the copy to command the virtual team to cooperate with him in tactical exercises.

Because it was a perfect restoration, the virtual Reia was just like the real Reia. All he had to do was issue instructions, and the training could be completed.

Previously, Chen Hero never thought that the copy could be extended to this kind of usage, that it could be used to practice tactics. He always thought it could only be used to practice personal skills and the like...

Actually, Chen Hero wasn't stupid. The main reason he wasn't used to the complicated tactics in Italy was that he had never experienced them before, he didn't have any experience in this area. It was like asking someone who had never been exposed to calculus to learn calculus. Unless he was a genius, he would think he was listening to heavenly scripture. But if you let him study for a semester, maybe he would understand?

After half a season of training, Chen Hero had already been able to understand some of the tactics Reia had formulated. What he lacked now was experience, the experience of how to skillfully use these tactics. He wasn't like his teammates, especially his Italian teammates, who had practiced various tactics since they were young. The tactics Reia had formulated were something they had long been accustomed to. It was like riding a bicycle, you learned it when you were a kid, and even if you hadn't ridden it for years, when you got back on it, you still knew how to ride.

Chen Hero was different, he had never learned to ride a bicycle before...

He had to learn and familiarize himself with riding a bicycle through constant practice.

This was where the role of the copy came into play. No matter when, even during the holidays when the whole team was on vacation, he could make up for the lessons. What's more... the training effect he gained in the copy was enhanced!

It was like a day of hard training in the copy was equivalent to the improvement gained from a week of normal team training. It would be a waste not to use it.

Chen Hero knew that transferring to Naples was an unprecedented challenge for him, but it was also an opportunity. Here, he was exposed to many things in top football that he had never understood or cared about before. To become a true green hero, he had to learn, understand, and skillfully use these things.

To put it in a popular and easy-to-understand way that the masses liked to hear, it was like playing an online game. You had to get stronger new equipment and learn more powerful new skills for your leveling up to be meaningful, for your strength to be enhanced, and for you to be able to challenge more powerful enemies, instead of stubbornly holding on to beginner equipment.

Chen Hero liked to play online games, so he understood this principle very well.

※※※

During this Christmas holiday, you could often see news in the media about a certain star relaxing and playing with his wife, children, or girlfriend at some vacation resort.

But the only thing you couldn't find was any news about Chen Hero.

It wasn't that the media ignored him. On the contrary, the media paid a lot of attention to him. Such a controversial player was the focus of media attention wherever he went. Everyone wanted to strip him of all his privacy and expose it to readers all over the world.

But they just couldn't capture any information about Chen Hero.

Some familiar reporters called Chen Hero's cell phone, but it was turned off. They called his agent, De Kura, who said he didn't know where Chen Hero went either. "Maybe he went somewhere to travel, as everyone knows... well, he's always a bit impulsive, and sometimes an idea might just lead to action..."

That was as good as saying nothing.

The reporters who squatted around Chen Hero's house in Naples were also disappointed, because Chen Hero's house was quiet. At night, it was dark and empty, forming a stark contrast with the houses around it that were flashing with warm lights. It was as cold as a haunted castle.

Other people's Christmas Eve was lively, but Chen Hero's house was silent.

Obviously, he wasn't at home. Otherwise, if he was there, why wouldn't he go out or show his face? There was no sign of anyone living in the house at all.

During these few days, although no photos of Chen Hero going out on vacation were taken, his name still appeared prominently in various media outlets—who told him that after the "battle" just after joining Naples, he had completely established his status as a popular figure in public opinion? Even if he was as elusive as a dragon, everyone still had to report on him.

However, the content of the reports was basically "Looking for Chen Hero!" "Where did Chen Hero go?" "A quiet Christmas, Chen Hero isn't at home!"... Speculation of this kind.

No one knew what was going on with Chen Hero, where he went, not even his closest friends.

Arshavin: "Huh? I don't know, I haven't contacted him? What? Can't you find him? Ah, I called him, and it's really turned off! Well... I don't know what's going on, I'm sorry, my child is crying..."

Hamsik: "Hero told us he was going to a... uh, a... a place I've never even heard of to travel, saying that it's isolated from the world, that the people there still insist on not using cell phones, having televisions, radios, computers, and the Internet even in the twenty-first century? Then it's even more impossible to have them. Microwave ovens, refrigerators, and the like, are also not available... Yes, a place completely isolated from modern civilization. To be honest, I also really like that place, but if I hadn't already told my girlfriend that I was going to take her to the Maldives... I heard it's disappearing soon... Ah, what was I talking about? Right, Hero's whereabouts, the place he went to is really isolated from the world... What's it called? Uh, let me think... Sorry, I can't remember at all, that name is too awkward! That place is completely isolated from the world, there's no trace of civilization, but the scenery is very beautiful, it's said to be the last paradise on earth... no cell phones, televisions, radios, computers, or the Internet. Unbelievable! Even more unbelievable is that they don't even have microwave ovens or refrigerators! God... hello hello?" The reporter on the other end had already hung up the phone with a black line—Hamsik had this problem, he was a chatterbox!

De Laurentiis: "Yes, Hero told me he was going on a trip and even asked me if I wanted to go with him, but you know I'm very busy... I don't know where he went to travel."

"Napoli Ultras": "We definitely didn't kidnap Chen Hero! His disappearance has nothing to do with us! But I'm very happy you can tell us this news, hahahahaha! Thank you!"

※※※

When the outside world's speculation about his whereabouts had developed into a divine plot where Chen Hero had been kidnapped by aliens, on the morning of January 2, 2009, Chen Hero appeared in front of everyone with disheveled hair and a dirty face.

At the door of his house, he was carrying large and small bags, wearing travel gear, and he made a gesture of raising his middle finger to the media who had been squatting there.

Chen Hero is back!

The Naples media suddenly felt at ease—when he was there, they hated this guy to the bone. But when he suddenly disappeared for ten days, they felt like something was missing in their lives...

This guy had actually become the focus of everyone's pursuit and the center of their lives without them realizing it.

I don't know if Naples is influencing him, or if he is influencing Naples...

※※※

ps, Where there’s a will, there’s a way; those who are determined will succeed—having sunk the boats and burned the huts, the hundred and two Qin passes will eventually belong to Chu; Heaven rewards those who work hard; those who endure hardship will be rewarded—sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall, the three thousand Yue armor can swallow Wu.

The seclusion is over, starting tomorrow, please look forward to Chen Hero's explosion!