Bologna. Adrian's Apartment.Wednesday. Two Days before 2nd Leg.
"Nightmare Mode," Adrian read the projection on his screen. His face was pale. "I ran the simulation, Rio. If you go to the Premier League, the physical load is 30% higher. The tackles are 20% harder. But the real problem is the Pace."
Adrian pointed to a graph comparing Serie A vs Premier League. "In Italy, the ball is in play for roughly 55 minutes per match. In England, it's over 60 minutes. You run more. You sprint more. There is no La Pausa in England." Adrian looked at Rio. "Your Bionic Heart consumes energy based on Metabolic Intensity. If you play at City's intensity... the System will deduct 2 Days per Match instead of 1."
Rio did the math. [Current Lifespan: 315 Days] If he played a full season at City (50 games) + High Intensity Training... he would burn through his remaining life in less than 6 months.
"It's a death trap," Rio whispered. "A golden cage made of money."
"But if you don't go," Adrian countered, "Tyler Stone might bench you. Or worse, sabotage you. He wants that €85 Million transfer fee. He sees you as a winning lottery ticket."
Rio looked out the window. It was raining in Bologna. The city looked grey, but it felt safe. "I need more Time," Rio said. "I need the Big Trophy Bonus." [Objective: Win a Major Trophy][Reward: +365 Days (1 Year)]
"If I win the Coppa Italia," Rio said, his eyes hardening. "I get a year. Then, and only then, can I afford to survive in England."
Adrian nodded slowly. "Then we have to beat Juventus. Again."
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.Coppa Italia Semi-Final (2nd Leg).Friday Night.Aggregate Score: 1 - 1.
The stadium was shaking. The Curva Bulgarelli (Bologna Ultras) was a wall of red smoke and noise. But the locker room was quiet. Too quiet.
The rumors had spread. Every player knew Pep Guardiola wanted Rio. Joshua Zirkzee looked at Rio while lacing his boots. "Are you already in Manchester in your head?" Zirkzee asked bluntly.
Rio stopped stretching. He looked at the team. They looked at him like he was a mercenary. A ghost who was already gone. "I am here," Rio said, standing up. "I want this trophy more than any of you. Because for you, it's just a cup. For me, it's... life insurance." They didn't understand the literal meaning, but they felt the intensity in his voice.
The Match. Minute 20.Allegri's Cage.
The game started, and it was ugly. Juventus didn't press. They sat back in a 5-3-2 Low Block. But Max Allegri had changed his strategy. He didn't mark Rio. He marked Kenjiro.
Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli surrounded Kenjiro every time he touched the ball. They cut off the supply line. Rio was isolated up front. He made runs into channels, but the ball never came.
"They are starving you," Adrian whispered in Rio's memory (from the briefing). "If Kenjiro can't pass, you are useless."
Minute 40.The Mistake.
Frustrated, Kenjiro tried to force a pass through the blockade. Locatelli intercepted it easily. Counter-attack. Federico Chiesa exploded down the wing. He crossed low into the box. Arkadiusz Milik (starting instead of Vlahovic) tapped it in.
GOAL.Bologna 0 - 1 Juventus.(Aggregate: 1 - 2).
The stadium groaned. Tyler Stone, in the VIP box, slammed his fist on the railing. "Dammit! If we lose, his value drops by €10 Million!"
Second Half. Minute 60.The Leadership.
Rio looked at Kenjiro. The Japanese midfielder was hyperventilating. The pressure of being marked by two internationals was breaking him physically and mentally. Rio realized something. I can't wait for the ball. I have to go get it.
Rio dropped deep. Deep into his own half. "Give it to me!" Rio shouted at the center-backs.
He received the ball from Riccardo Calafiori. He was 60 meters from goal. A sea of black-and-white shirts stood between him and the net.
[Stamina: 70%][Elastic Hips: Ready]
Rio started running. Locatelli came to tackle. Rio didn't use a skill. He just dropped his shoulder and swerved. His new hips allowed him to change direction without slowing down. Locatelli grasped at air.
Rio crossed the halfway line. Adrien Rabiot came sliding in. Rio performed La Croqueta. Zip-Zap. He was past the midfield.
The crowd began to rise. The noise grew louder. Roar...
Rio was now facing the defensive line. Bremer and Danilo. Kenjiro was making a run to the left. Zirkzee to the right. Bremer hesitated. Will he pass?
Rio looked at Kenjiro. A fake look. Bremer shifted weight to intercept the pass. Got you. Rio didn't pass. He drove straight at Bremer. At the last second, he executed a 360-degree Roulette (Zidane Turn). His hips spun so fast he was a blur.
He came out of the spin inside the box. He was one-on-one with Szczesny. His legs were burning. The 60-meter run had drained him. He couldn't shoot with power. He used the Golden Arc. He caressed the ball into the far corner.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 1 Juventus.(Aggregate: 2 - 2).
Rio fell to his knees, gasping. He had done it all himself. A "Maradona Run".
Minute 88.The Killing Blow.
The game was tied. Extra time loomed. Rio knew he couldn't play extra time. His stamina was at 15%. "One chance," Rio muttered. "I need one chance."
Juventus had a corner kick. They pushed everyone forward, trying to win it. The ball was cleared. It fell to Kenjiro. Rio was already sprinting. "Now!" Rio screamed.
Kenjiro didn't look. He trusted. He launched a long ball over the top. Rio chased it. Danilo chased him. Danilo was pulling Rio's shirt. Rio felt his speed dropping. I can't shake him.
They reached the box. Danilo tackled from behind. It was a foul. A clear penalty. Rio could fall. If he fell, Danilo gets a Red Card, and Bologna gets a penalty. It was the smart play. It was the safe play.
But Rio saw something. As Danilo tackled, the ball squirted loose... slightly to the right. Rio stumbled. He didn't fall. [Balance: Grade A] kept him upright.
He stayed on his feet. The referee put the whistle to his mouth but didn't blow. Advantage.
Rio was at a tight angle. He had no angle to shoot. But he saw Lewis Ferguson sprinting into the box late. Rio faked a shot. The keeper committed to the near post. Rio cut the ball back. Ferguson smashed it into the empty net.
GOAL.Bologna 2 - 1 Juventus.(Aggregate: 3 - 2).
The stadium exploded. Rio collapsed. He didn't celebrate. He just lay on the grass, listening to the roar. He didn't take the easy way out (Penalty). He stayed on his feet. He earned the win.
The Aftermath.Tyler Stone's Office.Saturday Morning.
Rio walked in. He was limping. Tyler Stone was on the phone. "Yes, €85 Million. Plus add-ons. I'll send the paperwork." Stone hung up. He smiled at Rio. "You are a hero, kid. The fans are singing your name. Which makes this perfect timing." Stone pushed a contract across the desk. "Manchester City. Five years. €200,000 a week. Sign it."
Rio looked at the contract. It was a ticket to fame. To wealth. But also a ticket to an early grave. "I'm not signing," Rio said.
Stone's smile vanished. "Excuse me?"
"I have a contract with Bologna until the end of the season," Rio said calmly. "We are in the Cup Final. We are fighting for Top 4. I am staying."
Stone stood up, his face turning red. "You listen to me, you ungrateful glitch. I own you. You are an asset. I can sell you whether you like it or not."
"No, you can't," Adrian rolled into the office. He was holding a tablet. "Under FIFA Transfer Regulations, a player must agree to personal terms. You cannot force a transfer." Adrian smirked. "And if you try to pressure him... we will refuse the medical."
Stone froze. "Refuse the medical?"
"Rio will simply fail the medical on purpose," Adrian bluffed brilliantly. "Or I will leak certain... worrying biometric data to the City doctors. Just enough to make them pull out of the deal. His value would drop to zero overnight."
Stone stared at them. He was trapped. He sat down slowly, realizing he had lost control of his asset. "Fine," Stone hissed. "You stay until June. But if you don't win that Cup... I will destroy you. I will bench you for the rest of your contract."
Rio took the Man City contract and tore it in half. "See you in June."