Tobías’s gaze rested on the Interception column.
65 to 94.
This kind of improvement was no longer just ordinary growth.
At the youth team level, an Interception rating of 94 was practically a dimensional reduction strike.
Combined with his God-Level Vision, the things he could do in midfield increased exponentially in an instant.
Before, he could see the passing lanes, but he couldn’t necessarily intercept the ball.
Now, it was different; he could not only see them, but he could personally cut them off.
In two days, Boca Juniors would likely get a real taste of what midfield suffocation meant.
The system notifications weren’t over yet.
[Brand new training mode activated.]
[After completing effective daily training, the host can obtain 1 free attribute point.]
[Free attribute point usage restriction: Can only be used for attributes below 80.]
Tobías’s eyes narrowed.
One free attribute point daily.
It didn’t look like much, but its strength lay in its stability.
And the rule that it could only be added to attributes below 80 was very clear.
The system wouldn’t allow him to mindlessly stack an overpowered attribute; instead, it forced him to patch up his weaknesses bit by bit.
Strength 64, Physicality 61, Stamina 69, Shooting 63.
These were all the areas he needed to patch up the most right now.
As long as he persisted in training, his physical shortcomings would sooner or later catch up with his technique and vision.
For a sixteen-year-old player, this was more important than a one-time reward.
Because professional football was never about a day or two, but years, even over a decade.
Immediately after, a new interface popped up.
[Match treasure chest mechanism unlocked.]
[After the host participates in an official match, they will receive a corresponding level of treasure chest based on the tournament level, individual performance, and match result.]
[Low-level youth tournaments: Bronze Treasure Chest.]
[High-level youth tournaments: Silver Treasure Chest.]
[Professional League: Gold Treasure Chest.]
[Intercontinental club tournaments: Platinum Treasure Chest.]
[Champions League tournaments: Mysterious Treasure Chest.]
[National team tournaments: Legendary Treasure Chest.]
Tobías read line by line: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
This was already exaggerated enough, but the last line was the real key.
National team tournaments, Legendary Treasure Chest.
The highest level.
In other words, the World Cup, intercontinental cups, and official national team competitions were the stages with the most generous system rewards.
Tobías looked at those words, suddenly remembering the newspaper on the coffee table.
Permanent ban from the Chinese national football team, lifetime prohibition from participating in all football events under the Chinese Football Association.
He had not naturalized in Argentina, nor was he in any other national team system.
At least for now, the path between him and national team competitions had been personally severed by the Chinese Football Association.
Tobías’s face remained expressionless, but the matter itself was indeed quite ironic.
The Chinese Football Association thought that banning him would block his path to serving the country.
But no one knew that they had also conveniently closed the entrance to the system’s highest-level rewards in front of him.
The next morning, the sky over Buenos Aires hung very low.
Dark clouds covered the River Plate youth team training base, the turf still held the lingering dampness from the previous night, and the air smelled of a mixture of soil and grass.
Outside the base office, a black sedan pulled up.
The car door opened, and Sculli, the sporting director of River Plate Club, stepped out.
He was wearing a dark overcoat, holding a file in his hand; his expression wasn’t exactly ugly, but there was no smile.
The youth team head coach, Gil, had been waiting at the entrance for a long time.
“Mr.
Sculli.”
Gil walked up to greet him and reached out to shake his hand.
Sculli glanced towards the training ground: “You said there was something important that must be discussed in person?”
“Yes.”
Gil didn’t beat around the bush and said directly: “It’s about Tobías.”
Hearing this name, Sculli paused.
He looked up at Gil: “That kid who just came back from China?”
“Yes.”
Gil’s tone was very serious: “I suggest the club renew his contract as soon as possible, and not just a normal renewal.
We must increase his compensation, raise his buyout clause, and include him on the youth team’s priority development list.”
Sculli raised an eyebrow: “Gil, I remember your previous evaluation of him wasn’t like this.”
“It wasn’t before.”
Gil nodded in admission: “The previous Tobías had spirit, his passing was good, and his vision was good, but his physical contact was poor, his defensive contribution was insufficient, and his match consistency was average.”
He lowered his voice slightly as he said this: “But after he came back from China, he changed.”
Gil continued: “His football IQ and vision have improved significantly, not just his passing.”
“He can now judge the opponent’s attacking routes in advance and block the most critical positions on the defensive end.”
“In yesterday’s training match, he led Team A to a 5–0 thrashing of Team B.”
“It was just a training match.”
Sculli said indifferently: “If it were just about scoring a few goals, I wouldn’t have come to see you specifically.”
Gil immediately replied: “The key is his method of handling the ball; in the rain, with erratic ball speed and strong physical contact, he was still able to keep the rhythm very steady.”
“Giovanni’s two goals were both directly related to him.”
Sculli looked toward the distant turf.
Training hadn’t officially started yet, and several youth team players were already warming up on the sidelines.
His gaze landed on one black-haired teenager among them.
Tobías was wearing a River Plate training kit; his build wasn’t particularly sturdy, but his movements were light as he engaged in simple passing and receiving with his teammates.
He didn’t look like anything special.
Sculli withdrew his gaze: “You should have heard about the situation over in China.”
Gil’s expression sank: “I was just about to ask you.”
Sculli handed him the file in his hand: “A fax sent by the Chinese Football Association.”
Gil took it, lowered his head to read it, and frowned.
The content of the fax wasn’t long, but the phrasing was very severe.
During the national youth team training camp in China, Tobías assaulted a teammate, committed a serious disciplinary violation, and had a negative impact.
The Chinese Football Association decided to permanently ban Tobías, prohibiting him from participating in all events under the Chinese Football Association.
At the same time, they also demanded that River Plate Club expel Tobías and notify relevant South American football institutions to prohibit Tobías from participating in all leagues within South America.
When Gil saw the end, his expression turned ugly: “Are they crazy?”
Sculli’s tone was calm: “They aren’t crazy, they are just used to handling problems this way.”
Gil looked up, suppressing his anger: “Just because he hit that team leader’s son?”
Sculli looked at him: “You know?”
“I know a little.”
Gil gripped the fax tightly: “I heard from Tobías that the other party had studs up from behind during the training match, aiming for his supporting leg.”
“If that tackle had landed, a sixteen-year-old player’s professional career would likely have been ruined.”
He said this, his chest heaving more heavily: “And then the person who was almost crippled fought back, and instead, he gets permanently banned?”
Sculli didn’t deny it: “In the Chinese Football Association’s version, there were no studs up, no malicious fouls, only Tobías assaulting a teammate without cause.”
Gil sneered: “And this is called football management?”
Sculli said: “They also reminded us in the fax that Tobías has serious character issues and is not suitable to remain in the professional youth training system.”
Gil slammed the fax onto the desktop: “Ridiculous!”