“Is big brother going to play soccer again?” In the heart of little brother Richie, who was only four years old, whether juggling the ball in their own backyard or playing at Morumbi Stadium (the home ground of São Paulo FC), it was all just playing soccer. Kevin smiled and said to him, “Yes, I’m going to play soccer!”

In Brazil, the dream of countless teenagers is to play soccer and make a name for themselves, and Kevin’s parents were no exception. They hoped that Kevin could achieve something on the path of professional football. So, as soon as Kevin returned from China, they got busy planning for his future. They visited every club, big and small, near São Paulo, but none of them even watched Kevin play. As soon as they heard that this boy, who looked a bit Asian, had come back from China, they would put on a big smile and say, “Alright, alright, let us think about it.” Then, after seeing them off, it would be an indefinite “let us think about it.” Although his father was very confident in Kevin’s abilities, there was nothing they could do if others wouldn’t give him a chance. They could only try another club. Each time, his father would say, “Shall we try the next one?”

Kevin would just nod, “Okay.”

And so, a month passed. Today was the last club, and also the biggest one. It was do or die.

Kevin picked up his memo and looked at it. Under July 13th, there was only one word: “São Paulo.”

Gomes Pedro Avenue, São Paulo City, São Paulo State, Brazil.

“You said he came back from China?” The coach of São Paulo, Samuel, asked the Asian man beside him with a smile.

The man nodded.

Kevin deftly used a feint to get past a defender.

“You mean China, the one with Tiananmen and the Great Wall?”

The man nodded again.

Kevin used a fake move to trick the charging goalkeeper, then gently pushed the ball into the empty net. Kevin’s red team was leading the yellow team 3-0, with Kevin scoring two goals and assisting one.

Samuel’s expression became strange. “Are you kidding me? With skills like that, he spent three years in China? In Brazil, someone with that kind of skill and awareness would have joined a professional team long ago, and probably would already be a starter for the first team! And you’re telling me he went to China instead of developing in Brazil? My God!” Seeing the other man still looking at him, Samuel calmed himself a little. “Uh… your surname… may I ask what his nationality is?”

“Brazilian. Although I am Chinese, his mother is Brazilian, and he was born in Brazil…”

Samuel interrupted him, clapped his hands, and looked up, “Thank God! Sandy! Bring the contract!”

A short, chubby man ran over and started getting things ready.

His father watched Sandy bustling about, while Samuel was on the phone with the club president. Judging by his excited expression, it was as if he had just kicked out a 50-carat diamond.

“Mr. President, you have to trust me, I guarantee he’s a genius! A genius that only comes along once in thirty years in all of Brazil! I only watched him for thirty minutes, and I was deeply impressed! He reminds me of our club’s former player Rai! Fast! Skilled! He can organize attacks, fill in positions, and score goals! My God! He’s perfect! Mr. President, if we let him walk out the door today, we’ll have nightmares every night!”

A long five minutes—yes, it was only five minutes. His father could tell that the president wasn’t interested in this unknown kid, but the coach was doing his best to persuade him. He himself really hoped his son could stay at this famous club, as it would be a huge help for his future development.

Five minutes later, Samuel put down the phone and walked over with a big smile. “Alright, Mr. Thompson, I think we can sign the contract now.”

The terms had already been discussed; all that was left was for both parties to sign their names in the right places.

Samuel looked at the contract with satisfaction. Wait… this genius’s name…

“Uh, Mr. Thompson, your son’s name?”

“Ricardo Izecson…”

“Please call me Kevin.” Kevin smiled at the two of them.

On that dusty afternoon, a sweaty someone hugged another person and shouted, “Kevin! Kevin! Nice name! I like it!”

“Kaká?” the two of them asked in unison.

“Yes, Kaká.” Kevin nodded with a smile.

Chapter 002: Welcome, New Students

A taxi stopped in front of a tall gate. A boy jumped out of the car and, as soon as he got out, exclaimed at the gate in front of him, “A warm welcome to all the new students from across the country! US University! I’m here! I’ve finally arrived! I…”

“Stop embarrassing yourself! Grab the bag!” Paul Young swung a backpack onto the back of his head. Sophie dragged a large suitcase around from the other side of the car. “How can you let Sophie, a girl, carry such a heavy suitcase?”

Snapping out of his excitement, Jason Bolton hurriedly took the suitcase from Sophie, then took another case handed over by Paul Young, and slung the backpack Paul Young had tossed over his shoulder.