Chapter 629: Why Would He Agree

It was already very late when Ji Xiang met Fan Dao, and Fan Dao's spirited appearance gave Ji Xiang a start.

"Fan Dao, did you drink Red Bull?"

"Xiao Ji, you really are capable! Awesome!! That, is there any news from Neymar's side?" Fan Dao grabbed Ji Xiang's hand and asked eagerly.

"Neymar is already preparing to fly over; you are being too anxious." Ji Xiang smiled helplessly.

"Xiao Ji, I just knew you were the lucky star of the production team!" Fan Dao's face was glowing. "Do you think Neymar would agree to reveal his name? Could he accept an interview? If he could, it would be such a huge help to the show. By the way, can you get a few signed jerseys? If you can, we could even organize a lucky draw at the end of the show."

Ji Xiang looked at Fan Dao, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

With this request, he might as well have pre-selected Neymar as a special guest for the show.

"Is the request a bit too much? My words don't carry much weight on this side, you must help try your best to secure this for the show." Fan Dao let go of Ji Xiang's hand, subconsciously clasping his own hands together, his tone filled with pleading.

"I will try; I haven't talked to Neymar's team about this yet," Ji Xiang said. "We mainly discussed the surgery and post-operative recovery. I'm sorry, Fan Dao, I hadn't considered the show side of things for the moment."

Fan Dao looked as if he were seeing a piece of trash who wore long johns while whistling.

But what Ji Xiang said didn't seem wrong either; Neymar came to find Ji Xiang for surgery, not for the production team.

Being able to connect with Neymar, being able to have a sports star appear in the final episode, and having the show conclude perfectly—Fan Dao really shouldn't have any other requests beyond that.

"Xiao Ji." Fan Dao's form of address for Ji Xiang became infinitely more intimate. "You must help your brother with this favor. You participated in the show from beginning to end, and I believe you have feelings for it too. We've done very well so far; we absolutely cannot drop the ball at the very end."

Looking at Fan Dao's earnest exhortations, Ji Xiang nodded.

He could understand Fan Dao's thinking; it was just like finishing a surgery oneself—no one wants to start with a roar and end with a whimper.

In Ji Xiang's view, Neymar was just a patient; he would communicate with the patient, and as for whether he agreed or not, that was another matter.

After seeing Fan Dao off, Ji Xiang didn't just walk away without honoring his word; instead, he communicated with Neymar's team.

He laid out Fan Dao's requests and his own ideas for the show, and to Ji Xiang's surprise, the other side agreed to all of Ji Xiang's requests after only half an hour of discussion.

Ji Xiang was a bit confused, but he wasn't in a hurry to tell Fan Dao the "good news." Instead, after washing up, he lay quietly on the bed and entered the System Operating Room.

"Teacher, hello." Ji Xiang entered the System Operating Room and respectfully greeted the System NPC.

"You're here."

"I'm here, Teacher. I encountered a special matter."

Ji Xiang briefly reported the situation regarding Wembanyama and Neymar to the System NPC.

Regarding their different attitudes, Ji Xiang had his own judgment, which he relayed to the System NPC as well.

"People think differently; to use an old saying, you sing the song of the mountain you are on," the System NPC said indifferently. "One patient is young, one patient is old; the things they think about are certainly different."

"The main thing is that I made some very demanding requests to Neymar and his team later on, but they agreed very quickly, which was beyond my expectations."

The System NPC raised his eyes to look at Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang was full of vigor and vitality, a stark contrast to the System NPC's aged state.

"Do you want to go and try it?" the System NPC asked.

Ji Xiang also wanted to experience Empathy, but he didn't agree immediately; instead, he pondered for a long time.

"I suggest observing from the patient's perspective," the System NPC said.

"Very well, Teacher." Ji Xiang followed the System NPC's suggestion without hesitation.

"Actually, it's all about the same." The System NPC walked in front with his hands behind his back and his waist hunched, shuffling in slippers, looking so frail that it seemed every step consumed his remaining Spirit.

Meanwhile, Ji Xiang controlled his own pace, following cautiously and respectfully behind the System NPC; the layers between the two figures were distinct.

Arriving at the adjacent Operating Room, light and shadow flickered before Ji Xiang. After he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on the edge of a green field, doing warm-up exercises.

"The Coach is crazy, actually sending a piece of trash onto the field."

"We're already down by four goals, it's pure garbage time, why not let the trash play?"

Whispers from several teammates reached Ji Xiang's ears.

They weren't speaking loudly, but they weren't quiet either; he could hear them very clearly.

Those people didn't seem to care about his feelings at all, and were even saying it deliberately for him to hear.

Ji Xiang smiled slightly; there were many such people. Every time he stood out at school, it would draw countless jealous gazes.

There were also plenty of people who spoke ill of him behind his back. Although Ji Xiang found it hard to imagine their thought processes, he had long since accepted this reality.

When the ball went dead, Ji Xiang was substituted onto the field. He reached out to high-five the star player being subbed off, but that star player acted as if he didn't see Ji Xiang, spat viciously, and brushed past him.

Ji Xiang shrugged.

His experience was somewhat similar to Zhao Dali's, though a bit smoother than Zhao Dali's—at least he hadn't been injured yet.

With powerful strength and infinite energy contained within his body, Ji Xiang was full of confidence in winning.

Besides not being injured, Ji Xiang discovered during his first tackle that the opponent's movements were very slow, like watching slow motion. He moved his foot and nimbly hooked the ball back; it was as simple as eating or drinking water.

His ability level was also a cut above Zhao Dali's; one could even call him a genius.

Ji Xiang didn't think about why a genius player like "himself" wasn't valued; society is complex, and a team doesn't just rely on ability to let people play.

Some people pursue victory, but some people pursue profit.

Without thinking too much, Ji Xiang dribbled forward after the tackle. He found his speed to be extremely fast, to the point that even he, who was accustomed to running half-marathons and full marathons, couldn't quite adapt.

And!

In Ji Xiang's eyes, everyone else's movements were all in slow motion!

At least one or two beats slower than his own movements.

The advantage was extremely obvious. Ji Xiang dribbled forward with full confidence, used a feint to shake the goalkeeper, and then nimbly kicked the ball into the empty net.

The audience was sparse, and only scattered applause came from the stands.

The coach on the sidelines and the other players didn't applaud; they even acted as if they hadn't seen this goal, remaining listless.

Ji Xiang turned back to celebrate, but found his teammates looking at him with cold faces one by one.

Uh... Ji Xiang looked toward the stands in some embarrassment, seeing two foreigners applauding for him.

(End of chapter)