In fact, Leon Thompson's decision was also the result of careful consideration. He carefully recalled everything he had experienced in his previous life and thought about which of those things could become his advantages in this life. The final result left him both happy and frustrated—he realized that he knew the trends of the football world for the next ten years or so, including which club, which coach, and which player would achieve success. These were all things he could take advantage of. But apart from that, he had nothing.

In terms of finance, he only knew about the Asian financial crisis, which had already passed, and he had no qualifications to fish in those waters. He also knew that Microsoft and Google would definitely make money, but unfortunately, after missing out on Microsoft, he was going to miss out on Google as well. At this time, Google should have already been founded, but he didn't have enough funds to get involved.

After thinking it over, perhaps the only way he could make a difference was by relying on his knowledge of football. He believed that if he became a transfer manager or a scout for a club, he could scoop up all the future superstars. The premise was that the club couldn't be too terrible.

"I've decided too! I want to become a great football star! Then I'll let my brother be my agent! And then I'll score goal after goal at the San Siro." After washing his face, Cole Thompson suddenly jumped out again, loudly announcing his intentions. And it was obvious that old Flores' plan to raise a second-generation little football 'fan' was already showing results.

"Idiot Cole Thompson! I've already said, being an agent is just one possibility! Maybe I'll become a coach, maybe a scout, or even just an ordinary office worker. But if you really have the potential to become a football star, I don't mind being your agent part-time."

"Hehe!" The little guy ignored his brother's teasing and just kept grinning foolishly, clearly daydreaming about his awesome life as a football star...

The family meeting that decided Leon Thompson's future ended in a harmonious atmosphere, and with it, the course of Leon Thompson's life for the next few years was set, lasting until several years later.

Time quickly moved to 2002.

That year, many things happened, especially for those living in Florence. And for the fans of the Florence club, it was undoubtedly a disaster.

April 5, 2002. There was a personnel change at the top of the club: President Ugo 'Bo'ggi resigned, coach Ottavio Bianchi became the 19th president, and assistant coach Chiarugi became the team's third head coach of the season. This move signaled that the Florence club had basically given up on that season's Serie A.

April 14, 2002. In the 31st round of Serie A, Florence lost 0-1 at home to Lazio. The fatal strike from Argentine Castroman completely shattered Florence's theoretical hopes of avoiding relegation, and the team was relegated to Serie B three rounds early.

April 18, 2002. Around 30,000 die-hard Florence fans gathered at Piazza della Signoria in Florence for a *** event, protesting club owner Cecchi Gori for leading the team into a dead end.

May 5, 2002. In the 34th round of Serie A, they lost 0-2 away to Perugia, ending their final Serie A journey with a record of seven consecutive defeats. In the end, they finished second to last in Serie A with 22 points.

In May 2002, rumors about the club's impending bankruptcy and pay cuts grew more and more intense, and the players began to look for new clubs.

May 31, 2002. Cecchi Gori stated that he had raised the first sum of money to save the club, and the rest would be in place by June. People therefore relaxed their vigilance about the club's bankruptcy. But these statements were later considered to be fabricated lies.

Meanwhile, in a café not far from the German Cologne Sports University.

"There are so few people here!" A handsome Italian guy in an Armani suit, with a head of brown hair, stood in front of a seat, looking at the person sitting there reading a newspaper and asked, "Have you been waiting for me long?"

"Not very long!" The newspaper was folded and set aside, revealing a gentle yet handsome face, with long black hair parted to both sides, exposing blue eyes. "By the way, after not seeing you for a few years, how did you get shorter?"

"Oh! You're so stingy, seeing an old friend after so long and you can't even give me a hug?" As he sat down, he flirted with the waitress who had just come over: "A coffee, no sugar, thank you." Then he turned his gaze to his friend: "It's not that I got shorter, it's that you got taller. I'm 185 centimeters tall, you know." He gestured as he spoke, "A perfect clothes hanger. That old man from Armani even wants me to be his model."

"Is that so? Why didn't you go? I think the female models there would be very interesting to you!" He put special emphasis on the words "very" and "interesting," and before he could answer, Leon Thompson immediately threw out his own question: "Alright, Saul, enough of that! We haven't seen each other in years, you called me in a hurry yesterday, and today you came all the way to Germany to find me. What's so urgent?"

Seeing his friend get to the point, Carney put away his smile and straightened his expression. "Do you still remember the promise we made back then?"

"Hmm? Promise?"

"You damn guy! I knew you'd forget!"