In a small city of just 190,000 people north of Milan, the story of an overnight sensation sparked by a single goal was quietly unfolding.
Sandro's performance off the bench—a goal and an assist—quickly became the city's favorite after-dinner conversation. Several prominent Italian sports outlets also covered the match with a hint of surprise.
La Gazzetta dello Sport even wrote with a slightly condescending tone: "Following his appearance off the bench in the Milan Youth Derby, where he turned the tide with two goals and an assist, AC Milan youth product Sandro Xiao has once again performed the feat of single-handedly saving his team off the bench at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti, less than a hundred kilometers from the San Siro Stadium. As the pride of Milan's youth setup, Sandro used his dreamlike performance to deliver a small shock to Serie B and the people of Brescia..."
Inzaghi fired off a string of rhetorical questions during an interview to show his appreciation for Sandro: "Sandro scored on his debut? Why are you all so surprised? Isn't that completely normal? What? I drove him out? Who said that? Voice of Brescia Football? What the hell is that? I agreed to send Sandro out on loan, but we have a promise. If I ever become the head coach of a senior team, he'll be one of my top choices up front..."
As for Allegri, it took him a full five seconds to remember who Sandro was.
"Yes, I know him, an excellent young man. I promised he could train with the first team and was willing to give him a few opportunities, but obviously, he prefers the fountains and art galleries of Brescia... I'm glad he's off to a good start there, and I hope he keeps it up.
"Kaka? He isn't ready yet, but I promise everyone will soon see him playing in a Milan jersey again..."
Elisa, a field reporter for the Brescia Daily, proved exactly what happens when professional objectivity takes a backseat to a handsome face. She unexpectedly used the word "surprise" three times in a single breath to describe Sandro: "He is Brescia's biggest surprise this season, very likely to be a major surprise for Serie B, and could even be a little surprise for Italian football..."
Despite their lingering doubts, Brescia's fans were filled with anticipation, hoping their team had truly found a new Kaka.
A Kaka who, at the very least, would belong to them for the next year—and who wasn't even eighteen yet.
The Brescia players soon discovered that the crowd of fans watching their training sessions had grown at least fivefold. Even the reporters seemed to have suddenly remembered the way to the Mario Rigamonti training base, submitting interview requests one after another.
Brescia's upper management was completely dumbfounded.
This club was an anomaly. Over the summer transfer window, more than a dozen players had arrived, and more than a dozen had left. Almost all the arrivals were loans or free transfers, while the departures were either expiring loans or players being loaned out themselves. Though they managed to retain their core starting lineup from last season, the squad players came and went like a revolving door. Many packed their bags without ever playing a single official match for Brescia.
Nobody knew what they were trying to achieve.
Yet, against all odds, they had hit the jackpot.
And not just any jackpot—the grand prize.
Giampaolo had already planned to increase Sandro's playing time and make him a focal point in training, but with all this hype, he couldn't hold the kid back even if he wanted to.
Of course, ten-odd minutes of brilliant play didn't prove everything. It was impossible for everyone to like Sandro, and there were plenty of people waiting for him to make a fool of himself.
Whether he was a true genius, a flash in the pan, or simply lucky that his opponents had underestimated him and ended up with egg on their faces—that would soon be put to the test.
On September 17, in the fourth round of Serie B, Brescia were scheduled for an away fixture against Ternana. Even if Sandro didn't start, he was guaranteed more playing time. Ternana naturally wouldn't treat him like a nobody, either. By then, everyone would see if he had merely benefited from beginner's luck, or if the kid genuinely was that incredible...
However, those doubts were strictly confined to the outside world. For the Brescia players and the fans who showed up to watch training in person, the question had already been answered.
Because during their preparations for Ternana, Giampaolo organized an intra-squad training match.
Sandro wasn't handed the blue bib of the starting lineup; instead, he was assigned to the substitutes' side.
But when the hour-long match concluded, the final score was 3–5.
Starters 3, Substitutes 5.
Sandro "only" scored two goals, but he was involved in four of his team's goals.
In addition to the two goals he scored himself, he provided one direct assist and one secondary assist.
Most importantly, he wasn't just posting excellent numbers; his overall performance on the pitch was simply in a league of its own.
The kind of performance that gave his teammates goosebumps...
They say a name might be wrong, but a nickname never is.
They were now absolutely convinced that a new Kaka had genuinely slipped into their ranks...
After training, the players headed over to the touchline to sign autographs for the fans.
Sandro was actually a little nervous. He didn't know how to act like a guy who signed autographs all the time, so he simply kept his usual deadpan expression, played it cool, and dashed off his signature.
A rosy-cheeked little girl received the very first autograph of Sandro's professional career.
Sandro thoughtfully signed both of his names—in Chinese and Italian—on her Brescia number 11 jersey, bringing the day's training session to a close.
The team headed back to the dressing room in twos and threes.
Sandro looked up at his reflection in the mirror.
Sweat rolled down his jawline from his temples, leaving a small dark patch on his shirt near his collarbone.
He reached back and pulled the sweaty jersey away from his skin. The moment the cold air hit his back, his Adam's apple bobbed instinctively.
After his career had been ruined in his previous life, this was a scene he'd envisioned countless times in his dreams.
"Sandro!"
Caracciolo suddenly barged over, reeking of booze, and leaned in close. "Are you sure you don't want a glass of this clear orange juice?"
To be precise, it was clear, 50% ABV whiskey masquerading as orange juice.
It was hard to imagine that in 2013, a club with such lax management still existed.
"Who exactly started this trend?" Sandro chuckled, pushing his drunk teammate away. "Let me guess—Hubner?"
"Of course. Smoking, drinking, top scorer—my eternal idol, Hubner," Caracciolo declared. "The more you drink, the sharper you shoot!"
Sandro shook his head, completely failing to understand the logic.
He'd actually been a heavy drinker in his previous life as well—the kind who could barely fall asleep every night without alcohol to numb himself. But since his rebirth, he hadn't touched a single drop.
To sound a bit cheesy, the feeling he used to rely on alcohol to achieve was now easily supplied by his dreams...