Chapter 5: The Desire of the Strong

As the potential values of the six attributes have been fully maximized, the most important priority for Sudong now is to explore his potential through training in order to enhance his own strength

However, as soon as he thought of his parents in the country, who were eagerly looking forward to sending him to Europe for training by selling everything they had, and the football path he had aspired to pursue since childhood, Su Dong gritted his teeth and persevered.

It is just like that saying goes, if a man can even quit smoking, how strong must his resolve be

Su Dong does not mind, for the sake of the king of football, despite being crushed, he still refuses to give in, issuing challenges time and again

Although it was just over the phone, Lionel Pontes was filled with curiosity and anticipation regarding the Su Dong mentioned by Roni

"Jose Semedo, I am Ronnie's teammate," the African boy introduced himself with a cheerful smile

But I see you this ... ...

However, in the following period, Su Dong demonstrated his determination through concrete actions, convincing Roni that he was not merely a blowhard, but someone genuinely seeking to change and improve himself

Do you remember more than two years ago, when he first joined the team? Ronnie was as thin as a monkey, his skills were decent, but his performance on the field was lacking, especially his physical condition, which was quite poor

"You have not yet answered my question," reminded Su Dong

As soon as Su Donggang finished asking, Semedo immediately regarded him with a very strange look, as if he had asked a very foolish question

Are you Su Dong?

This is the sorrow of you weaklings," Su Dong replied with a hearty laugh, "because you will never understand the desires of the strong

Semedo was so enraged that he jumped up on the spot, ready to engage in another three hundred rounds with him

Ronnie helped Semedo integrate into the team, while Semedo took Ronnie to the gym, which is the place Semedo is most proud of

He plays as a central defender, occasionally filling in as a full-back and defensive midfielder, which makes his playing style completely different from that of Ronaldinho

I am, who are you?" Su Dongqi asked curiously

Lionel Pontes' training programs consist of the most basic and ordinary content, and the training itself is quite tedious and monotonous. Even when dealing with children around the age of ten, it is necessary to incorporate some fun games to make the sessions engaging.

... ...

Without saying anything else, just based on this determination, he firmly believes that someone like Su Dong cannot play professional football; that would truly be a case of God being blind.

... ...

In one-on-one confrontations, Ronnie still maintains a crushing advantage in strength over Su Dong.

By the way, is there nothing going on at his home? Su Dong inquired with concern

Is it necessary for Su Dong to feel so gloomy

On one hand, it is due to the fact that Su Dong's foundation is truly poor, with certain issues and bad habits stemming from unprofessional youth training institutions in the country, which have constrained Su Dong's abilities. At the same time, this has made it particularly painful for him to implement Pontes' training plan.

His smile makes him appear very approachable

Hmm. Su Dong nodded

Not only has the speed of improvement for each attribute in the personal attribute panel within the system accelerated, but Su Dong has also become more at ease in coping with Pontus's training regimen, which has led to a change in Su Dong's mindset, allowing him to envision a promising future

Through this, Ronnie has also become the best-performing and most talented rising star within the team

No one knows, including Ronnie

Su Dong would certainly not refuse

In the face of Pontus's training program, he executes even the most tedious and fundamental tasks with meticulous attention to detail

He dedicates most of his time each day to the fundamental training of Pontus, only setting aside some time in the morning and afternoon to engage in one-on-one duels with Ronnie in the indoor arena, accumulating some king of the court points

Semedo scratched the back of his head somewhat shyly, chuckling awkwardly

Ronnie was also pleased with Sudong's progress. At the same time, he maintained regular contact with Lionel Pontes to communicate Sudong's advancements and conditions, making timely changes and adjustments to Sudong's training program to help him continue to improve

You can ask him about this yourself in the future, Semedo said with a mysterious smile

Oh. Su Dong felt somewhat disappointed in his heart, after all, he had been training with Roni for the entire month prior

It is precisely this tenacity and persistence that, in just two short years, has led to a remarkable improvement in Ronny's physical fitness, with speed and strength that are comparable to defenders like Semedo

The improvement in strength is slow, and the training is arduous, making Su Dong's mood extremely difficult to endure

Especially by the third week, he began to become more composed and adept, with a faster rate of improvement in his personal abilities

This means that José Semedo is significantly inferior to Ronny in terms of strength

There was even one occasion when he stayed until after 2 a.m., and it was only when he was discovered by the security guards patrolling the club that he was finally asked to leave

However, knowing that Ronnie is fine, he no longer worries

Changing a person's footballing habits, as well as the muscle memory developed from long-term play, is undoubtedly a far more challenging task than quitting smoking; even Pontus considers it an impossible feat

Then you are ... ...

"Do not worry, he is fine," Semedo said with a smile. "It's just that there is an urgent matter at home. He took a flight back last night to handle it. He asked me to come and inform you that he estimates he won't be back for a few days, so you should train on your own."

However, he must say that the future of Su Dong is not bright

This not only filled Su Dong with admiration but also motivated him even more

The first team is thus, and the youth team is even more free

Today, José Semedo has also seen the spark that he once observed in Rony, reflected in Sudong.

Not only do they not compromise, but they also take the initiative to increase their training volume

This made Ronnie begin to acknowledge, and even admire, the tenacity of Su Dong.

The initial period is undoubtedly the most difficult to endure

The two individuals are very close due to their shared Cape Verdean heritage

He indeed surprised me greatly, but what I am even more curious about now is how far he can go

Certainly, even so, Semedo is more than capable of dealing with Sudong

This guy is probably feeling quite depressed in the team, but he rarely encounters a weaker player like Su Dong, and he seems to be having a great time

The African boy first watched Su Dong train for a while from the sidelines, and only then did he leisurely step onto the field

Ronnie is a technical player, whose dribbling relies more on ball control skills and changes in speed and direction. However, Semedo is different; he is more straightforward and direct, always using his body to overpower his opponents.

Su Dong nodded, acknowledging that this is someone else's privacy

Ronnie's teammates are certainly not lacking in skill, and their efficiency in boosting the king of the ball value is also outstanding

Just when he was filled with curiosity, a dark-skinned African boy appeared

At the very least, in his aspiration to become a professional player, Su Dong has missed out on far too many things, and it has also been exceedingly difficult

Is the strength insufficient

Having endured the initial week, the training is gradually reaching a favorable state

Su Dong stopped training and walked over to him, asking with concern: "What's wrong with Ronnie today?"

Is Ronnie very impressive in your team

Little did he know that what supported Su Dong in persisting with his training was not only his own willpower but also the support from the system

Jose Semedo does not even understand what Su Dong is still insisting on

The training plan that Ronny brought to Pontus is undoubtedly the best gift

With a powerhouse like Ronny urging and provoking him, he cannot accept being too inferior

So, you didn't know, huh

The two individuals meet at the park entrance every day at five o'clock in the morning, and then spend the entire day in the park, accompanied by a football

Gradually, Jose Semedo began to sense this tenacity in Sudong, and he could not help but understand why Roni held Sudong in such high regard, for the two were indeed very similar.

European football is entering the preparation period for the new season, which also marks the peak of the preseason friendly matches

At the beginning, Ronnie was somewhat skeptical, unsure whether Su Dong could withstand it

Moreover, changing a person's habits is quite difficult and extremely painful

"Have you been training here with him for the past month?" Semedo suddenly asked

In the words of Su Dong, this does not seem like a youth team at all, but rather resembles a domestic football training class

Until one day, Su Dong waited for Roni at the south gate of the park, but when he did not see Roni, he went to the indoor soccer field to train, yet still did not wait for Roni to arrive.

Semedo shook his head, "I don't know, he didn't say, and I didn't want to ask."

On weekdays, there are not many people in this park, mostly pairs of students from the nearby University of Lisbon.

Semedo immediately burst into laughter, "So he likes this tune."

Time has slowly reached the middle of July

Come on, I haven't played indoor soccer in a long time either, let's play together.

Yes, I only know that his name is Ronnie and that he is very skilled at playing football, and that is all.

At the beginning, Ronny's performance in the gym was extremely poor, yet he was always unwilling to accept this reality, continuously challenging his own limits. He spent almost every waking hour in the gym, dedicating himself to rigorous training

The commonality between the two individuals is that they both move very quickly, and Su Dong is completely unable to keep up with their rhythm and pace

As night fell, when the two lay panting like exhausted bulls on the sidelines, Semedo could no longer contain his curiosity and finally asked his question.

For this reason, Su Dong has not reported to the team, but has been training on his own under the supervision of Ronny in Edward VII Park

As a semi-professional team, Sporting CP does not have a strict preseason preparation. Many of their first-team players are not even professional athletes; each individual has their own job to attend to, and they only train and compete with the team during their spare time.

It has become quite something

... ...

Do not be deceived by the fact that José Semedo's height is similar to that of Su Dong; his build is noticeably more robust.

For someone of Su Dong's age, it is undoubtedly even more tedious, dull, and unacceptable

Gradually, he began to realize that Su Dong not only endured but also accomplished even more, even doubling the training volume required by Pontus. Sometimes, even he, as an observer, felt overwhelmed, yet Su Dong continued to grit his teeth and persevere

Perhaps it was after seeing Su Dong's training that his feet felt a bit itchy, or maybe he wanted to show off his skills. Jose Semedo did not give Su Dong any more time to ask questions and directly walked onto the field

Oh, indeed, he is quite impressive and should be considered the strongest in our team. However, this is a matter of contention, as three individuals simultaneously believe they are the best in the team, and Ronny is one of them

The most significant difference lies in the fact that each confrontation with Ronnie grants Su Dong a maximum of 200 points in king value, whereas each encounter with Jose Semedo only yields 100 points in king value