My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 60: Football is joy!

"I’m home."

Rio stated after opening the door to the apartment. As he was taking off his muddy boots, he saw a large pair of dress shoes near the entrance causing his face to light up.

’Dad’s here!’

In his excitement, he didn’t realize that there was no response welcoming him home.

After entering the living room, his eyes were drawn to both his father, Carlos, and Leo sitting at the dining table. The atmosphere was heavy, thicker than the Yorkshire fog outside.

"Dad! You flew in?" He said with a smile, however, after seeing the expression on his father’s face, it was quickly wiped off.

"Sit down, Rio," Carlos said, pointing towards the chair on the opposite side.

Rio’s mind raced, wondering what could have possibly happened while he was on the bus back from Millwall. Seeing the grave look on his father’s face, it couldn’t be good.

His heart instantly felt tight as he thought of the worst.

"What is it? Is Mateo okay!? Did the medical at United fail?" Before he could even process what was going on, Rio jumped to conclusions, clutching his chest.

Carlos and Leo looked at each other and blinked a few times. Their faces softened a little after seeing how much concern Rio had for his best friend.

"Mateo is fine. He passed the medical. It’s you who is in trouble," Carlos responded, gesturing for him to take a seat once more.

’I’m in trouble?’ Rio’s face faltered for a moment, but he also let out a sigh of relief. Since he had the mind of a veteran gamer (and the wisdom of the Legends), he would take responsibility for whatever he had done wrong.

’Did they find the stash of Haribos under my bed?’ Rio thought, sweating slightly. The Body Transformation Protocol was strict, but a man has needs.

Rio sat down at the table and looked at his father and Leo, waiting for them to speak first.

His father tapped on the table a few times, something that used to bring him fear in his previous life when he had bad grades. However, Rio could now understand that he was likely choosing the right words to say first.

After a few moments, Carlos began to speak.

"I received an update from Elena. She’s doing well with Mateo’s contract details... Is there anything you want to tell us, Rio?" Carlos asked, his face a perfect poker face.

Rio frowned for a moment. ’Elena... Why would she call Dad about me?’

’Crap! The text on the bus.’

Rio felt his face heat up after being caught. He had forgotten that agents talk. If Jorge Mendes was sniffing around, Elena would hear the whispers. The football world was a small village, especially when sharks entered the water.

There was no point in withholding anything now, so he decided to explain everything.

"Jorge Mendes texted me." He said simply. Since his dad already suspected something, he didn’t have much reaction.

"So why did you hide it?" Leo asked, his previous stern expression reforming on his face. "We are family, Rio. You don’t deal with sharks alone."

’Technically I didn’t hide it. I just got the text two hours ago,’ Rio thought inwardly, however by not calling them immediately, it looked suspicious.

Before he could answer, Carlos spoke up.

"I saw you on the TV against Millwall. That rabona... it was not the play of a boy who wants to stay in the Championship. It was an advertisement," He said, his expression softening slightly.

A sullen expression formed on Rio’s face. He wasn’t trying to advertise himself; he was trying to complete the Lone Wolf mission. But explaining that he had a System inside his head that gave him superpowers for scoring goals would sound insane.

"I didn’t tell you because I haven’t decided yet."

"What!?" Carlos stood up in shock.

Leo too looked shocked. Ever since Rio had started playing football in the academy, his dream was to play for the biggest clubs. Mendes was the key to that door.

Suddenly everything seemed to make sense.

"I tried to think about it on the bus ride home, but the thought of leaving Leeds right now... it just feels wrong. We are building something. The fans, the squad... Farke trusts me now." Rio admitted, looking conflicted.

"I was worried that if I told you all, you might try to convince me to take the easy route. To go to Benfica or Wolves just because Mendes says so."

Carlos looked at his son who had his head lowered and couldn’t help but let out a sigh. He had thought of many possible reasons as to why Rio was secretive, but this was not what he was expecting.

He thought Rio was being arrogant. Instead, he was being loyal.

After a few moments, he sat back down and leaned forward, getting Rio’s attention.

"I don’t think you’re wrong for wanting to stay."

Rio’s face morphed from surprise into happiness. Since he was always the "second best" compared to Mateo in his previous life, he was a little shocked at how supportive his father was being.

"But... Even if you want to stay, dealing with Mendes alone is dangerous. He eats kids like you for breakfast. Did you think we would force you to leave?" Carlos gazed at his son, their eyes making contact.

"Rio. You are nineteen, but you are still my son. You’re allowed to be confused. You’re allowed to ask for help and rely on us." As he said these words, he felt his throat tighten a little.

As a father, he felt as if he had failed his son. He wanted to provide a safe space where both his boys were free to strive towards their dreams, without the political bullshit of modern football weighing them down.

"Perhaps I’ve been too focused on Mateo’s big move," Carlos stated, a painful smile appearing on his face.

Leo felt the pain in Carlos’s words and placed his hand upon his shoulder. He knew how hard Carlos worked to ensure that they all could flourish in a foreign country.

"Dad, stop," Rio said, reaching across the table. "You haven’t failed anyone. Look at us. Mateo is a Red Devil. And I... I just scored a rabona in Millwall. We are doing okay."

Carlos let out a watery chuckle. "Yes. A rabona. Don’t ever do that again, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"No promises," Rio grinned.

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: Agents are parasites! Tell him to fuck off, Rio! You don’t need Mendes. You have your feet!

Total_Football_14: Calm down, Diego. An agent is a necessary evil. Like a goalkeeper. You need one, even if they are annoying. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Zizou_5: Listen to your father. But tell Mendes to wait. If you win the league, his price goes up. Leverage, Rio. Leverage.

Rio listened to the voices, feeling a headache coming on. Maradona shouting in his left ear, Cruyff lecturing in his right.

"Okay," Rio said aloud. "I won’t reply to Mendes. Not yet. I have one game left before the break. Hull City."

"Hull City?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "Why is that game so important? They are mid-table."

Rio glanced at the mission timer in his peripheral vision.

[Mission: The Lone Wolf]

[Task: Score 3 goals in 3 games (2/3)]

[Reward: Skill ’Captain’s Presence’ + 500 Major Points]

"Because," Rio said, standing up and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. "If I score in that game, I prove something to myself. That I don’t need Mateo to shine."

Carlos and Leo exchanged looks. They didn’t know about the System, but they saw the fire in Rio’s eyes.

"Okay," Carlos nodded. "Focus on Hull. We will handle the sharks."

"Thanks, Dad."

Rio walked to his room, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

It was good to have a team off the pitch too.

The rest of the week seemed to drag on for Rio, who found himself staring at the tactical board in the analysis room just like old times. Yet instead of looking at the formations, he now had the status window of his System hovering in front of him.

MAJOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

SYSTEM LEVEL: 3 (4450/10000 Major points to level up)

NAME: Rio Lance

AGE: 19

TALENT ASSESSMENT: A-

POTENTIAL: D (S+)

MAJOR POINTS: 4450

USER STATS:

Physical Fitness: A-

Shooting: S

Passing: B-

Game Intelligence: S- (Boosted by Legends)

Mental: S-

PHYSICAL FITNESS: (Avg. A-)

Balance and Coordination: S

Agility: S

Strength: B

Stamina: A+

In the days since the Millwall game, Rio had been working hard on not just his recovery, but also brushing up on his leadership skills. In reality, he had no other choice since Farke had started giving him more responsibility in training.

Which was why his Mental stats had improved.

Rio was hopeful that the Captain’s Presence skill would be able to push his leadership to the next level. Although he realized that leadership was harder to quantify than speed or shooting.

This also begged the question, were there specific requirements to be a captain? Rio had seen Liam Cooper’s leadership was at the A+ grade, which was high, but Cooper wasn’t a starter anymore.

Rio had a feeling that there were levels above simple shouting. He needed to lead by example.

DING DONG.

Rio was startled from his deep thoughts by the sound of the doorbell, signifying the arrival of his "study partner." Before he could even make a move to tidy his room, the door flew open.

"Let’s go Rio! FIFA time!"

Holding back a laugh, Rio calmly placed his controller on the bed.

It was Archie. Again.

"Archie, you don’t live here," Rio sighed.

"Mateo gave me a key before he left," Archie grinned, holding up a shiny key. "He said I have to make sure you eat your vegetables."

Rio facepalmed. "I’m going to change the locks."

"You love me really," Archie said, flopping onto the beanbag. "So, Hull City. Liam Rosenior’s team. They play possession football. Very boring."

"Boring is good," Rio said, sitting up. "Boring teams leave gaps when they lose the ball."

"Exactly," Archie nodded, suddenly serious. "I’ve been watching the tapes. Their left-back, Coyle. He likes to overlap. If I win the ball deep..."

"...you hit it long into the channel," Rio finished the sentence.

"And you use those S-Grade legs to run past the center-back," Archie grinned.

Rio smiled. The kid was learning.

"But Rio," Archie hesitated. "What happens if you score?"

"What do you mean?"

"The mission," Archie whispered, looking around as if Farke was hiding in the closet. "The Lone Wolf thing. You said if you score three, you get a prize."

Rio chuckled. He had told Archie vaguely about setting personal targets, but Archie treated it like a mystical quest.

"If I score," Rio said, eyes gleaming. "I become the Captain."

"The Captain?" Archie gasped. "But Coops is the captain."

"Not literally, idiot," Rio threw a pillow at him. "In spirit. I unlock the... vibe."

"The vibe," Archie nodded solemnly. "I want that vibe."

"Then pass me the ball," Rio said.

"Deal."

Saturday arrived. Elland Road was packed. The air was crisp, the smell of burgers and optimism filling the stadium.

Rio stood in the tunnel. The noise was deafening. Marching On Together echoed off the concrete walls.

He looked at the Hull City players. They looked confident. Organized.

Then he looked at his own team. Meslier was slapping his gloves. Rodon was headbutting the wall gently. Summerville was dancing to imaginary music.

And Archie Gray was staring at Rio, waiting for a signal.

Rio took a deep breath.

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: This is it, kid. The final test. Show them who owns this stadium.

Total_Football_14: Hull will try to keep the ball. Let them have it. But when they enter your zone... bite.

Zizou_5: And smile. Football is joy.

Rio smiled.

"Let’s go, lads!" Rio shouted, his voice echoing in the tunnel. It wasn’t a scream. It was a command.

The heads turned. Even Liam Cooper looked back, surprised by the authority in the young Spaniard’s voice.

"You heard him!" Cooper roared. "Let’s fucking go!"