Chapter 1 What Kind of City is Milan?

What kind of city is Milan? Zhang Jun had thought about it for a long time. What he heard from others was that Milan was a city of desire, with fashionable and extravagant architecture that blended the ancient and the modern… all these intertwined to form a bizarre and dazzling world.

But when he actually arrived in Milan, he realized that everything wasn't as serious as he had imagined. What a city is like depends on your lifestyle. For him, Milan was just an ordinary city.

Zhang Jun was AC Milan's biggest signing of the summer. His annual salary of 3.2 million euros and a transfer fee of 8.5 million euros also proved his ability. You should know that this amount of money was much more than what Kaka had received when he first came to AC Milan.

Many Chinese media outlets couldn't wait to announce that "Zhang Jun is the most dazzling star in the transfer market this summer." This confidence also came from Zhang Jun's salary. The status of a player in a team can be inferred from his annual salary and transfer fee. AC Milan's highest-paid player was the Ukrainian "Nuclear Warhead" Shevchenko (Andriy Shevchenko), with 4.7 million euros. He was also the top scorer in Serie A for the past two consecutive seasons and AC Milan's current top scorer, with his total number of goals far exceeding the legendary superstar Van Basten.

Zhang Jun's annual salary was in the upper-middle range within the team. It can be seen that AC Milan really wanted to cultivate Zhang Jun well, to make him another great forward who could bring glory to Milan, following in the footsteps of Van Basten and Shevchenko.

Giving such a high salary was to keep him happy.

Crespo (Hernán Jorge Crespo) left, and the "11" jersey he left behind naturally went to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun was able to get the number he liked, but Yang Pan wasn't so lucky. The "7" he liked was worn by Shevchenko. Unless Sheva retired, Yang Pan could forget about it. After returning to AC Milan, he had to choose number 16, but according to his request, there was a small "+" sign between "1" and "6", meaning "1+6=7." Although the number looked different, he was actually still wearing "7." This is a self-comforting method adopted by many players after failing to get the number they like.

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Zhang Jun, accompanied by Galliani and Ancelotti, attended a press conference together.

"Milan is a very beautiful city, and AC Milan is a great team. I'm here to prove myself, and the best way to prove it is to bring a trophy back to Milan."

Compared to two years ago, the shyness and nervousness could no longer be found on Zhang Jun's face, replaced by a trace of maturity and a steady smile. It seemed that he had really grown a lot. Li Yan sighed to himself below.

Andrea Galliani was also among the reporters, looking at Zhang Jun on the stage answering questions, and he felt very happy. With Kaka's help, his exclusive interview with Zhang Jun was released when he transferred to Milan, and the response was very good. Everyone was very interested in this most expensive transfer player in Milan this summer. Italians are a bit arrogant and know very little about football outside their own country. Zhang Jun, a player who came from a small Dutch club, made them feel very mysterious. Later, through Galliani's exclusive interview, it was revealed that he and Kaka, who is now very popular in Milan, were high school classmates and teammates on the school team, and they had a very good personal relationship. This made the AC Milan fans in Milan even more interested, and their attention to him gradually increased.

Finally, Zhang Jun, Galliani, and Ancelotti held up an AC Milan red and black jersey with Zhang Jun's name and number on it for a group photo. This would be a very memorable photo worth collecting, because it might prove that Chinese players can also play for the world's top teams.

Was Hidetoshi Nakata very impressive? He only ever played for Roma.

But we have players playing for AC Milan, and two of them!

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After the press conference, the reporters crowded into the San Siro stadium, where more than a hundred fans were waiting to welcome Zhang Jun. The reporters would also take pictures of him, many pictures. Then these photos would appear on the Internet and in newspapers and magazines as soon as possible.

When Zhang Jun entered the stadium, he realized that AC Milan had arranged a surprise for him: Yang Pan and Kaka were smiling and looking at him in AC Milan jerseys.

Seeing his old friends, Zhang Jun was overjoyed, and the nervousness of meeting the fans was thrown to the wind.

To be honest, Zhang Jun was a little nervous when he first heard that he was going to meet more than a hundred fans. Although he was very successful in the Netherlands, he was still a bit apprehensive as a newcomer who had just landed in Serie A. Even Yang Pan, whose value was not as high as his, would be regarded as his "senior."

Now that he had two good friends with him, Zhang Jun felt a lot more relaxed and handled things more freely. He signed autographs for the fans, showed off his skills in front of everyone, held up a red and black scarf with "frozamilan" written on it, and posed for photos for the reporters. Finally, Zhang Jun, Kaka, and Yang Pan took a group photo at the request of the reporters.

The three stood side by side, smiling for the camera.

But Galliani, while pressing the shutter button, always felt that the photo lacked something, it was too ordinary. He needed some kind of gimmick.

"Excuse me, let me interrupt for a moment, could you do this..." he stood up and gestured.

"Like this?" The three re-arranged themselves according to Galliani's words and asked.

Galliani grinned: "That's right! That's it!"

Ancelotti and Galliani, who were watching from the sidelines, were both taken aback. They saw Zhang Jun squatting between the two, his hands pressing on the football, while Kaka and Yang Pan stood on either side of Zhang Jun behind him, one with his arms crossed, and the other with his hands behind his back. The three smiled at the reporters, and the cameras in the reporters' hands started clicking non-stop.

What did they see, what made them so surprised?

It was actually very simple, because they saw a period of time that they missed very much.

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While frantically pressing the shutter, Galliani praised his own idea in his heart. Back then, the three Dutchmen, Basten, Gullit, and Rijkaard, also took photos in front of reporters like this. At that time, Basten's position was exactly the same as Zhang Jun's. Now, his meaning of copying it was very obvious, which was to compare these three people with those three people in the past.

Watch! These three young people will surely write a new legend for us! I firmly believe it.

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The next day, *La Gazzetta dello Sport* used an entire page to report on the press conference, and naturally used that photo. The caption read: Three young people with close personal relationships gather in Milan, as if making people see the Dutch Three Musketeers of the past again.

In the article, Galliani analyzed that Inzaghi's (Filippo Inzaghi) pre-season injury gave Zhang Jun a great opportunity to prove himself. What he had to do now was to integrate with his teammates as soon as possible, adapt to the style of Serie A, and then, after the league started, seize every opportunity to strive for a starting position.

As long as you are truly capable, no one at AC Milan cares what country you are from.

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The day after the press conference, Zhang Jun threw himself into AC Milan's pre-season training. With Kaka's help, he and Yang Pan integrated very smoothly. Pirlo (Andrea Pirlo) was familiar with Yang Pan because he had played against the Chinese team in the Olympic Games. He would also jokingly "interrogate" Yang Pan as to why he had been so ruthless when he played against AC Milan last season.

Seeing so many stars that he had admired since he was a student, Zhang Jun couldn't help but get a little overexcited, and he really wanted to ask everyone for autographs. Kaka told him not to do that, otherwise he would only be looked down upon. Zhang Jun was surprised that Yang Pan could behave as usual. Kaka smiled and said, "When he was still in Bologna, he went all out every time he played against AC Milan, fighting with real knives and guns. How can he put on a star-chasing act now?"

Only then did Zhang Jun understand why Pirlo said that.

Zhang Jun doesn't speak Italian yet, but with Yang Pan and Kaka as translators, there aren't too many language problems. He and Yang Pan rented a villa together, which was very close to Kaka's house, so the problem of accommodation was also solved. Moreover, his dream sports car was also airlifted from the Netherlands to Milan, making travel very convenient.

After being taken out by Kaka a few times, he gradually became familiar with the city of Milan. In this way, everything in Milan gradually got on the right track.

Zhang Jun now puts all his thoughts on football, and he is impatiently waiting for the arrival of the first round of the league on September 1st. Because Inzaghi was injured, as long as he performed well in training, he would definitely start.

But Yang Pan wasn't so lucky. There was an abundance of talent in the midfield. Although he had two years of Serie A experience, he couldn't help but give up the right wing to Gattuso (Gennaro Ivan Gattuso), a tough player.

Yang Pan didn't care. After returning to AC Milan, he was already prepared to start all over again. AC Milan's strongest point was the midfield. If he wanted to stand out here, he had to put in several times the effort he had put in in Bologna and patiently wait for the opportunity.

Yang Pan was very smart and planned everything he did, so he naturally expected this situation. Therefore, he often told Zhang Jun not to worry about him and to take care of himself. Kaka also had a hands-off attitude. They all knew very well that in a team like AC Milan, personal relationships didn't play a big role. If you want to stand out, speak with your strength.

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AC Milan lost to Juventus in the fierce league title race last season, and was eliminated by Manchester United in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The slight shock that Berlusconi's resignation brought to the team was all used in the important Champions League. AC Milan, who came away empty-handed, was still ambitious this season, proposing to win the Serie A title, the European Champions League title, and the Italian Cup title, not a single one less.

Under such goals, Ancelotti was under a lot of pressure. In fact, he did not agree to buying Zhang Jun, at least he did not agree to spending so much money to buy him. There was also Borriello (Marco Borriello) as a forward.

Compared with the vibrant mid-to-front court, the defense line was obviously a bit old.

However, Galliani was obviously more interested in this genius boy known as "Basten the Second." As a result, Milan spent tens of millions of dollars to buy him, and the transfer budget for other positions was very tight. Apart from Yang Pan, who returned from Bologna and had good skills and was worth looking forward to, the few players who were bought casually only had the ability of ordinary substitutes.

This made Ancelotti uneasy. Milan was a team that was going to fight on three fronts. If the bench strength couldn't keep up, the team would suffer more and more in the crucial stages later on.

Seeing that the transfer market was about to close, the club still had not reached an agreement with Lazio's Oddo (Massimo Oddo). It seemed that any requests would have to wait until the winter break.

AC Milan's first game of the 0506 season was at home against Cagliari (Cagliari), led by veteran Zola (Gianfranco Zola). As Zhang Jun had expected, he, who had performed well in training, entered the starting list, while Yang Pan appeared on the bench.

The news that Zhang Jun was starting in Milan caused another sensation in China. This was definitely a historic moment: Chinese players not only joined the giants AC Milan, but also had the ability to start! Look, how inspiring!

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A newspaper was thrown on Sophie's desk, with Zhang Jun's photo on the front page and the headline: Starting, Zhang Jun Creates History!

She raised her head strangely and saw her mentor, Zeng Yi, the gold medal photojournalist in this newspaper, Teacher Zeng.

Zeng Yi said to Sophie with his usual stern face, "I thought you were a bit busy, so I brought you a copy." After saying that, he turned and left, without saying a word more.

Zeng Yi was introduced to Sophie by Li Yan. The two were college classmates, and he asked Zeng Yi to get Sophie into this newspaper as an intern photojournalist. Zeng Yi was good at news photography, and that was exactly what Sophie wanted to learn.

For Sophie, Teacher Zeng was an absolute "strict teacher" and never saw him smile. The newspaper was already used to his sternness, but Sophie was a little surprised when she first came in: How could a person never smile?

In fact, not to mention Sophie, even Li Yan, who had been in college for four years, rarely saw him smile.

Zeng Yi's demands on Sophie were very strict. If something was slightly wrong, he would scold her. He didn't treat her like a girl at all, let alone a beauty. At first, Sophie couldn't stand it. After being scolded by Zeng Yi a few times, she didn't dare to argue and could only run to a place where no one was around to cry secretly. But after crying, she continued to work as if nothing had happened. Zeng Yi just took a camera and took pictures everywhere, while Sophie had to carry a large shoulder bag full of various photographic equipment that was disproportionate to her body, running around behind him. If there was a sudden event and she was slow to change lenses or films, she would naturally be scolded mercilessly.

There were many hardships and grievances that were not enough for outsiders to know. Sophie didn't even tell Zhang Jun and silently endured everything by herself. She knew that compared to the pain Zhang Jun had suffered, hers was nothing.

I want to become strong, Zhang Jun.

Sophie's eyes and thoughts returned to the newspaper. She had already read what was written on it, and she hadn't forgotten to buy it. In fact, she had already bought a copy and read all the reports related to Zhang Jun.

But she still wanted to thank Teacher Zeng in her heart. It turned out that under his cold and unapproachable expression, there was also a delicate heart. Thinking like this, Sophie didn't find Teacher Zeng that scary anymore.

Zhang Jun made the starting lineup, although it was related to Inzaghi's injury. But this is also an opportunity, you have to seize it, Zhang Jun.

Sophie thought as she looked at Zhang Jun's photo. She suddenly realized that Dutch football and Italian football were very different. She wondered if Zhang Jun could adapt.

"Sophie, work!" Zeng Yi rushed out of the inner room, and Sophie hurriedly agreed, grabbed the satchel on the table, and rushed out after him.

Zhang Jun, work hard!

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Zhang Jun lay on the bed and found that he couldn't relax no matter what he did. He, who thought he was used to seeing big scenes, felt nervous on the eve of the first round of Serie A.

"Hey, Yang Pan..." He got up and knocked on Yang Pan's door, but there was no response. He thought that Yang Pan was sound asleep.

But once Zhang Jun got up, he couldn't fall asleep. He came to the living room alone and sat down, playing with his phone. Looking at the phone emitting a shimmering light in the dark, he really wanted to call Sophie, pour out his heart, and listen to her voice.

But he quickly realized that every time he encountered something, he had to find Sophie to confide in, and he was really too useless. So he gave up the idea of calling, threw the phone aside, and leaned back on the sofa in a daze.

Think about other things to forget the tension in front of you. Zhang Jun said to himself, then he closed his eyes.

When a beautiful girl took the initiative to find him and asked him to join the school football team, he probably never imagined that his life would change so much in the future. Originally, with his personality, he would have muddled through high school, found a third-rate school to study at, and then found a job in society to muddle along, but he never expected that he would be so hardworking now.

There are also those brothers and friends. Everyone has accompanied each other along the way. There are many times when I feel tired and bored. As long as I joke with them and mess around, everything is gone.

With Sophie and friends, Zhang Jun felt that he was a happy person and didn't want to ask for anything more.

When Zhang Jun opened his eyes again, a trace of sleepiness hit him. He stood up and yawned, intending to go to sleep.

Tomorrow, will it be a good start like in the Netherlands?

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This wasn't the first time Zhang Jun had come to San Siro, but every time he came, he was still shocked by the magnificent building he saw. This was one of the most famous football stadiums in the world!

But this time, seeing it again, he had a different feeling. In the past, he was at most a tourist, but this time he was here to be the master of this place.

Treat this place as a battlefield, he is here to fight.

Kaka leaned closer to Zhang Jun and said, "Nervous?"

Zhang Jun nodded: "A little bit."

Kaka smiled: "Don't think too much, with your strength, you are fully capable of gaining a foothold in Italy. Don't take the game too seriously, imagine how we used to play football at school, um?" He winked at Zhang Jun.

This made Zhang Jun calm down, because he recalled the happy and beautiful times in the past. Yes, it's not a big deal, isn't it just playing football together again!

AC Milan still used their traditional 4312 formation, with Brazilian Dida in goal, Nesta and Stam as the two centre-backs, captain Paolo Maldini as the left-back, and Cafu as the right-back. Pirlo played as a single defensive midfielder, Seedorf played as a left midfielder focusing on offense, and Gattuso played as a right midfielder focusing on defense. Kaka was the attacking midfielder. Shevchenko and Zhang Jun were the two forwards.

Cagliari was not strong, and AC Milan hoped to get off to a good start against them. Naturally, this game brought out all the elites.

CCtv5 broadcast this game, and hundreds of millions of fans across China focused their attention on the Apennines and on San Siro. They wanted to witness history and watch Zhang Jun step onto this green football shrine with their own eyes.

In the player tunnel at San Siro, Shevchenko stood in front of Zhang Jun, communicating with him briefly, with Kaka translating for the two. As a forward partner, communication was essential.

Yang Pan was already sitting on the bench, and the TV camera gave him a close-up of three seconds. He sat on the chair with a blank expression, without any movement. The commentator of the Italian Sky TV wanted to find his inner thoughts on Yang Pan's face. His friend, a novice who had just arrived in Italy for less than two weeks, had become the focus of attention in a short period of time and was selected into the starting lineup. And he has been in Italy for two years, but he has never become very popular, and now he can only be a substitute. Wouldn't he have any opinions? Wouldn't he feel injustice? Wouldn't he be jealous?

But they only knew that Zhang and Yang were good friends, but they didn't know how good the two were - they could basically be said to be like brothers. Yang Pan, as the elder brother, would only be happy for Zhang Jun's every progress, and would never have a trace of jealousy.

What's more, Yang Pan had cultivated a "iron face" in Bologna, how could mortal eyes be able to see through what he was thinking?

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Zhang Jun could feel that the Milan players were taking care of him. Although it was a wealthy team, he didn't feel the arrogance and indifference of a wealthy team. No wonder Kaka chose Milan. Everyone got along well, and it was rare to hear that any conflicts or scandals would break out in the Milan locker room.

This is a wealthy team with a strong sense of human touch.

"Let's go!" Maldini shouted at the front, and everyone immediately changed their expressions. Kaka, who was still joking with Zhang Jun just now, also looked serious, his eyes focused on the front.

This sudden change made Zhang Jun unable to accept it. He looked around and happened to see the veteran Zola leading the way on Cagliari's side, and his eyes lit up. Just now, he was only busy chatting with his teammates and didn't notice the silent captain on the other side.

Speaking of which, Zola was also one of Zhang Jun's favorite players, because his skills and free kicks fascinated him. In the past, he could only watch Zola's wonderful performances at Chelsea in front of the TV. He never thought that he could compete with him on the same field, that was almost someone who could be his uncle!

Zhang Jun now increasingly felt that coming to Italy was the right thing to do. He wondered how he would ask this "short-legged tiger" to exchange jerseys after the game.

At this time, the team moved. Zhang Jun knew that he was going out, he was going out to receive the cheers of 85,000 people!

He also regained his composure, pursed his lips, and touched the red lucky bracelet on his right wrist with his left hand at the same time. "Sophie, watch me play football, this time it's at San Siro."

He bent down and ran out of the tunnel, running towards San Siro.

"Milan! Milan!!" AC Milan's team song resounded through San Siro. Zhang Jun had heard this familiar melody no less than a hundred times in different occasions, but this time, when he wore AC Milan's red and black jersey, stood at San Siro, and waved to the fans, he felt an inexplicable impulse in his heart when he heard this song again.

He yearned to play football here, yearned to win cheers here.

Italy, Zhang Jun is here!