Boom!
A ceramic cup shattered on the floor.
In the office of the National Football Federation's headquarters, the newly appointed General Manager, Mr. Cheng, was seething with rage.
"What the hell is wrong with this Blazevic?"
"How dare he say something like that? Who gave him the right?!"
"Absolutely outrageous!"
His fury was justified.
Mr. Cheng, who had just taken over the top job in the Federation, had personally invited the renowned Eastern European coach Blazevic to help the national team qualify for the Olympics.
A successful Olympic qualification would have secured his legacy in the Federation.
And now...
"Mr. Cheng, please calm down... Blazevic must be saying all this because he's about to get sacked after that terrible loss to South Korea..." said Guo Chao, cautiously stepping forward.
He had recently returned to the Federation after being briefly suspended due to a bribery scandal. With no direct evidence tying him to the red envelope incident, he was allowed to resume his post at headquarters.
Cheng sat down, his expression darkening.
"Blazevic must go. I want him out!"
"But more urgently... we need to suppress this storm of public opinion!"
His eyes turned cold as he stared at Guo Chao.
Guo Chao hesitated for a second, then his eyes lit up.
"Mr. Cheng, public opinion is hard to control right now, but... I might have a way."
"Speak."
"Create confusion. Shift the blame."
"Oh?"
"That kid—Alessandro Dybala—his family's wealthy, right? Why not start a rumor that he bought his way into Manchester United's matchday squad?"
Mr. Cheng frowned. "Buy? Who would believe that? We're talking about Manchester United."
Guo Chao chuckled darkly.
"Have you ever seen a 17-year-old player from our country make it into the matchday squad of a European giant like United? Not even the bottom teams in the top five leagues do that!"
He paused, then added venomously, "That kid ruined my entire future. I don't care what it takes—he has to pay."
Mr. Cheng leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "So you're saying...?"
"Even if he never gets a minute on the pitch, just being on the bench is enough to stir public doubt. All we need is to spread the idea that his family paid for the opportunity."
He smiled wickedly.
"And once that seed is planted, the media and fans will run with it. Everyone will be too busy debating Alessandro's legitimacy to care about Blazevic."
Mr. Cheng slowly nodded. "That... could work. Guo Chao, I'll leave this matter to you."
"Don't worry, Mr. Cheng," Guo Chao said with a sinister grin. "Once the dust settles, I'll be back on top."
---
Meanwhile...
Ma Dexin froze as he received a call from Guo Chao.
"Are you serious, Brother Chao? Are we really doing this?"
It wasn't that Ma Dexin had grown a conscience—he just feared Guo Chao no longer had power.
"Relax," Guo Chao said coldly. "Someone high up is backing us."
Dexin's hesitation vanished instantly. "Got it. Leave it to me."
---
Soon after, Ma Dexin personally published an article through the official Weibo of Football Daily:
> "Seventeen-Year-Old Cracks Manchester United Squad? A Cautionary Tale of Overseas Gilding!"
He only briefly mentioned Alessandro's call-up, then steered the narrative toward the known practice of sending players abroad for short stints to boost their reputation before returning to domestic leagues with inflated value.
He linked it to a controversial trend—an industry chain between agents, small European clubs, and domestic media.
Without ever naming Alessandro as fraudulent, he painted a suggestive picture.
And to finish it off, Ma Dexin casually mentioned that Alessandro's family was wealthy—just enough to make readers suspicious.
Soon, the article went viral across Chinese social media platforms.
Many readers raised eyebrows.
The idea that a player from such a weak football nation could make it into Manchester United's squad at 17?
It did sound suspicious.
---
Su Huishan, Alessandro's cousin and a sports journalist, nearly smashed her own phone after reading the article.
Furious, she fired back on social media, blasting Ma Dexin as a corrupt puppet of the Football Federation.
But Ma Dexin had already anticipated this.
He replied instantly:
> "Interesting that this 'reporter from South Sports Daily' just happens to be Alessandro's cousin."
Sitting smugly in his office, Ma Dexin sipped his tea.
"Heh... kiddo, you're a few years too early to go toe-to-toe with me."
As more and more fans were manipulated by the skewed narrative, Su Huishan clenched her fists.
"This is shameless. They're destroying him just because he stood up to them."
"But Brother... you have to rise."
"You must succeed abroad. There's no future for you here anymore..."
Her expression was grim.
Then suddenly, her phone buzzed.
She looked down, froze, then gasped.
She stood up, eyes wide, breathing rapidly.
"This... this changes everything!"
She grinned, tears welling up in her eyes.
"As expected of my little cousin. You've done it!"
She stared at the screen in disbelief.
> "Starting..."
---