Even before this disaster, Alessandro Dybala had already decided to go abroad.
A month ago, he had rejected a professional contract with the Lu Provincial first team.
He had his sights set on Europe.
To prepare, he had sent out self-recommendation videos to multiple clubs. And thanks to Su Maozhen—his mentor and the head coach of the national youth team—he even had a recommendation lined up with the Manchester United Youth Academy.
Originally, he planned to head to Manchester after completing the Olympic team training camp.
Now?
That plan had been pushed forward—by force.
---
Back in the airport lounge, Alessandro leaned back on a plastic bench, arms crossed behind his head. A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced at his cracked phone.
> "Brilliant. Delayed flight and a broken screen... this day just keeps getting better."
Bored and frustrated, he closed his eyes, letting the hum of the terminal fill the silence.
---
But elsewhere, a storm was brewing.
At that exact moment, the national football federation published the new Olympic team training squad online.
30 names.
Alessandro's wasn't one of them.
And the internet noticed.
> "Wait, where's Alessandro?"
"Didn't Blazevic say he'd start as a midfielder?"
"He didn't join the national youth trip to Vietnam because he was staying for Olympic camp… so where is he?"
"This is fishy."
Confused fans flooded the comments section.
After all, it had been publicly known that Alessandro had skipped the U18 national team trip to Vietnam specifically to train with the Olympic squad.
But now?
He was nowhere to be found.
---
And then came the bombshell.
> BREAKING: The Truth Behind Alessandro Dybala's Omission from the Olympic Team—Exposed!
The article, posted on the verified social media account of Football Weekly, was written by none other than chief editor Ma Dexin.
It claimed that Alessandro had attempted to bribe Olympic team official Guo Chao for a guaranteed starting spot—and was dropped from the team as punishment.
The post detonated like a grenade across the national web.
---
The timing couldn't have been worse.
Football in the country had just begun recovering from a decade-long scandal involving match-fixing, gambling, and corruption.
Rumors of red-envelope bribes for playing time had always existed.
But this?
This was different.
A top football journalist was naming names—accusing a teenage player of trying to buy his place in the national team.
---
Even seasoned fans were stunned.
Alessandro had always been known for his grit and talent—not politics. He was one of the best performers on the national youth team and was personally named by Blazevic.
> "Why would someone like him need to bribe anyone?"
"Besides, isn't team selection up to the coach? What does the team leader have to do with who starts?"
But rational voices were drowned in the noise.
Most people didn't think that far.
And so, public opinion exploded like wildfire.
---
> "Disgusting! Get him out of football!"
"Only 17 and already corrupt?"
"His family's rich, right? Figures."
"No wonder poor kids can't play football in this country!"
"We're finished. Our national team is done."
"This guy bribed his way into the youth squad too, I bet."
"Burn it all down!"
Social media platforms were flooded with vitriol.
And it wasn't just from football fans.
Non-fans—people who barely understood the game—joined in simply because it was trending.
The scandal hit the #1 spot on the trending list.
And Alessandro Dybala… was at the center of it all.
---
Unaware of the chaos, he dozed off quietly on his flight.
---
When he landed at Baiyun Airport, the first thing he did was buy a replacement phone.
But the moment his SIM card activated…
BZZZT.
Calls, texts, notifications—it was like a bomb went off in his inbox.
As he scrolled through messages from friends and family, one call came through from his father.
> "Son, it's bad. It's really bad."
Alessandro's expression turned dark.
> "It was him… Guo Chao."
The anger in his voice trembled just beneath the surface.
He had rarely hated anyone before.
But now?
He wanted nothing more than to expose the truth.
---
> "What are we going to do, baby?" his father said on the phone.
"Everyone in the neighborhood's talking. I'm afraid to leave the house…"
Alessandro's tone dropped.
> "Don't worry, Dad. I've got proof."
His hand reached into his jacket pocket.
Inside was the memory card from the hidden camera he'd placed in his dorm—recording every word of his conversation with Guo Chao.
> "They messed with the wrong guy."
---