Unconventional Center

Chapter 35: I Hear There’s Going to Be a Twist

Of course, Xiao Luo didn’t actually give Chu Yang a lion right then and there. In fact, neither of them had mentioned the matter of compensation, but Chu Yang knew that Xiao Luo certainly wouldn’t shortchange him. Xiao Luo had also noticed that when Chu Yang stood before him, he didn’t display the nervousness and timidity typical of an ordinary employee facing their boss. Instead, he exuded a confident and carefree attitude—as if to say, “You pay me, I do the work; if you don’t keep me, I’ll find another place to go.” Xiao Luo found it quite amusing; this young man was a fascinating character, someone worth getting to know better. Mei Yun and Chu Yu had gone on a trip to Madrid, so Chu Yang returned to his old routine. Amid the calm, he faced his fifth match in Valencia—and his second as a starter. However, there was a minor incident before this match. Chu Yang received an award. “Congratulations, Host, on being named the Segunda División B Player of the Month for January. You’ve earned 1 free attribute point and one skill reward.” “Hey, your tone gets so formal at times like this—I’m not quite used to it.” “Don’t be like that—I’m a proper system.” “Alright, but serious System, could you please explain what’s going on here?” Chu Yang looked at the system interface in front of him, instinctively sensing that the System was up to something. In the past, when awarding skills, the system interface would directly display three skill cards for Chu Yang to choose from. But this time was different—although there were still three cards, they were all pitch black, with no images or descriptions whatsoever. “Ahem. I thought about it—just giving you the skill reward outright would be too boring. We should play a game that’s a bit more fun and exciting.” “Is this what you mean by ‘fun’ and ‘something new’? What is this? A lottery?” “Yes. Suspense—get it? It’s all about the suspense! Future skill rewards will still be a choose-one-of-three, but you won’t be able to pick freely anymore—it’ll depend on your luck,” the System’s voice actually carried a hint of smugness. “So, how about it? Surprised? Unexpected?” “Surprise my ass, unexpected my ass!” Chu Yang’s face darkened with exasperation. “Hurry up and change it back.” “Dream on. Take it or leave it—it expires anyway.” “……” Chu Yang could only say earnestly, “Comrade System, what you’re doing is wrong, inhumane, unprincipled, impure, and full of lowbrow humor.” “Are you going to choose or not? If not, forget it. 5, 4, 3…” “I’ll take it! You’re the boss, right?” Chu Yang hurriedly said. “Damn it, the one in the middle… no, the one on the left.” “Ding, ding, ding! The thrilling moment has arrived—what will you draw? Coming up after the commercial break… Just kidding! Don’t give me that look, okay? You scored a hat trick, not a green… Cough. I forgot—wearing a hat of that color requires certain conditions, and clearly, you don’t even meet those.” “What the hell’s gotten into you? Have you turned into a chatterbox?” “All right, look how anxious you are.” The card on the left flipped over, revealing a figure familiar to Chu Yang—he was in the midst of a volley, his posture commanding and his spirit shaking the very mountains and rivers! Battistuta’s Shooting Skill: Earth-Shattering (Requires Shooting 15, Strength 15). Chu Yang finally let out a sigh of relief. He was relieved not only because he hadn’t drawn something like “Buffon’s Saving Technique,” but also because this skill card was exactly what he desperately needed. Although the two skills he currently possessed were both forms of shooting, neither the “Scorpion Kick” nor the “Defying-Heaven Curve” counted as conventional shooting techniques. Strictly speaking, both belonged to the “miracle goal” category—the kind a player might score only once or twice in a lifetime. Even a maverick like Zlatan Ibrahimović, who defied convention, wouldn’t rely on such shots as a regular tactic. Such goals are a combination of skill and luck. The system can only provide Chu Yang with the skill; the remaining element of luck depends on divine favor and Chu Yang’s own ability to observe and seize opportunities during the game. Therefore, this “Earth-Shattering Shot”—which can be used under normal circumstances—was exactly what Chu Yang had been hoping for. Unfortunately, “Earth-Shattering” appears to be limited to Bati’s long-range shooting skill, rather than encompassing all of his shooting techniques. After all, while Bati is renowned for his long-range shots, he actually relied more on finesse shots throughout his career. With a Strength of 15 and a Shooting stat of 15, Chu Yang’s long-range shooting ability is certainly nothing to sneeze at—but whether it’s “nothing to sneeze at” depends on who he’s being compared to. Comparing long-range shooting to Bati? Hmm, that’s not much different from comparing saves to Buffon. Bati’s shooting power is certainly more than 15; 15 is merely the minimum strength requirement for this skill, meaning there’s still plenty of room for improvement. “By the way,” Chu Yang asked curiously, “what are the other two skills?” This time, the system didn’t keep him in suspense and gave the answer straight away. “Pepe’s Tackling Technique: Monk’s Groin Kick.” “…Why do I feel like I’ve narrowly escaped death?” Chu Yang asked. “What’s the other one?” “Ronaldo’s Dribbling Technique: Death Pendulum.” “what？” “Hmm.” “Holy crap! I demand a replacement!” I can handle long-range shots on my own—I’m close, but not quite there yet—but at least they’re usable. However, a move like the ‘Death Pendulum’ is absolutely not something someone with my lousy natural talent could pull off. If I miss this chance, who knows when it’ll ever come around again. “Are you sure?” “Of course… I’m not sure—there’s definitely something fishy here,” Chu Yang realized immediately. “What are the requirements for the ‘Death Pendulum’?” “Ronaldo’s Dribbling Technique: Death Pendulum (Requires Ball Control 18, Agility 18).” “I knew it…” Chu Yang stared at the text on the system panel, lost in thought. “So 15 is one hurdle, and 18 is another. Does that mean one of my stats will undergo a qualitative change once it hits 15, and another once it hits 18?” “You’re a little smarter than I thought.” “It seems every attribute point is crucial—I can’t just assign them randomly.” Being named Player of the Month had earned him another free attribute point, but for him, it was merely a drop in the bucket. He looked at the attributes he cared about most, unable to make up his mind. Stamina 8, Shooting 15, Speed 11, Dribbling 11, Strength 15, Agility 15. The “Earth-Shattering Strike” skill requires both Strength and Shooting to be at 15—Chu Yang met the requirements exactly. Moreover, with these two stats at 15, he’d essentially be unstoppable in the Segunda División, so he could put off leveling them up for now. The same applied to Agility. Speed and ball control were the stats he most wanted to boost; if even one of them reached 15, his overall ability would skyrocket immediately. However, stamina was equally urgent—he’d only played about sixty minutes in this match, and his stamina was already nearing its limit. By his estimation, if he wanted to maintain his technical skills without faltering throughout the entire match, his stamina would need to be at least 12. and to become the kind of ironman who runs the length of the field all game long, 18 is a must. “Ball control is what I desire, and speed is also what I desire. Since I cannot have both, I will sacrifice them in favor of stamina.” Having made his decision, he hesitated no longer. Reluctantly, Chu Yang allocated his only free attribute point to endurance.