Soccer: If they're using these kinds of cheats, what's the point of training?

Jonathan cleared his throat on the other end of the phone, clearly preparing a detailed report.

"Let's start with Serie A. Florence and AC Milan both gave feedback, but the situation is similar—they see you as a potential star and are willing to sign long-term contracts, starting at three years, with five years being even better. In terms of salary, Florence offered 12000 euros per week, while Milan was slightly more generous at 15000 euros."

"What about the starting positions?" Zhang Kuang asked.

"There's no promise." Jonathan's tone became cautious. "They said they'd put you in the first team, but whether you get playing time depends on your training performance and the head coach's arrangements. AC Milan even hinted that they might put you in the youth team for half a season to adapt."

Zhang Kuang remained silent for two seconds.

Serie A, once known as the "mini World Cup," is attractive to any player. But if you go there and only end up on the bench or playing for the youth team, what's the difference between that and staying in your home country?

What he wants is playing time, goals, the Golden Boot, and promotion cards.

It's not about sitting on the bench watching the game.

"What about the Bundesliga?"

"Bundesliga teams Werder Bremen and Hamburg, with Hamburg offering better terms – a weekly wage of €14000, a guaranteed spot in the first team, but not a guaranteed starting position, requiring competition with existing strikers. The contract is at least three years."

Jonathan paused, then added, "It's similar at Werder Bremen, with slightly lower salaries but a greater guarantee of playing time."

Zhang Kuang thought about it. The Bundesliga is faster-paced and more physically demanding than Ligue 1, requiring a higher level of skill from its players. With his current rating of around 80, he could definitely secure a starting position in the Bundesliga.

However, this long-term contract is a bit restrictive. But if there are really no better options, the Bundesliga is a good choice. However, the Bundesliga's winter break is almost over, leaving him with very little time to adapt.

"What about Ligue 1?"

"Four Ligue 1 teams are interested – Auxerre, Rennes, Lorient, and Montpellier," Jonathan said, listing them one by one. "Rennes offered the highest salary, €11000 per week for a four-year contract, but there will be competition for the starting position, as they already have three strikers."

"The conditions in Lorient and Montpellier are similar, with a weekly wage of 8000 to 9000 euros and a willingness to offer rotation, but the contracts are all for a minimum of three years."

Zhang Kuang listened, already having made up his mind.

"What about Auxerre?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were confirming something.

"Auxerre's terms were the most unusual," Jonathan said. "Their budget was extremely limited, and they could only offer 8000 euros a week—that was the highest they could give, and they practically approved it through gritted teeth. But they made complete concessions on two things."

"explain."

"First, a guaranteed starting position. Fernandez personally promised that as long as you sign, you will be his second striker, with no competition, no rotation, and as long as you are healthy, you can play. This means a lot of playing time for you."

Zhang Kuang nodded. This was very important.

"Second, the transfer clause." Jonathan's tone was tinged with smugness. "They agreed to include a low release clause in the contract, set at 300 million euros."

In other words, if another team offers 300 million after half a season, Auxerre must release him. That figure is very favorable for a rising star like you.

Zhang Kuang did a quick mental calculation.

€3 million is neither a high nor a low price for an 18-year-old player who has only played half a season in Ligue 1. If a team is truly interested in him, this price is not an obstacle at all.

"What about the other teams? What about their release clauses?"

"Nobody wants to," Jonathan sighed. "They all say they need at least two seasons before we can talk about this, and some even require a three-year contract before they can include a release clause."

Zhang Kuang did not answer immediately, but walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of the apartment.

Outside the window, the Eiffel Tower gleamed in the winter sun. In the distance, the Seine flowed gently, with a few boats gliding slowly across its surface. Paris is beautiful, but this beauty is consumerist—it requires money, time, and freedom.

What he lacks most is time.

He needs to boost his rating in the shortest amount of time, win the Golden Boot and the championship in the shortest amount of time, and accumulate enough upgrade cards and health points in the shortest amount of time.

You can't rack up stats sitting on the bench, and you can't rack up high-quality stats in lower-level leagues either.

He needs to play, he needs to score goals, he needs exposure.

Although Auxerre is a small city, Ligue 1 is a great platform. If he can score a dozen or even 20 goals in half a season and perform at a top level, big clubs will naturally come looking for him in the summer transfer window.

"Jonathan," Zhang Kuang turned around, "which one do you think I should choose?"

"From an agent's perspective," Jonathan said frankly, "I would suggest you choose Auxerre."

"reason?"

"Three things: First, playing time. What you need most right now is playing time, not money. You're only 18. Once you make it big, the money will come eventually."

Second, tactical importance. Fernandez appreciates you and will build his attacking system around you. Other teams won't.

Third, the release clause. A €300 million release clause would make you one of the most sought-after young strikers on the market after half a season.

Generally speaking, the termination fee is usually 15-20 times the annual salary. If your weekly salary is 8000 euros, your annual salary is 41.6 euros. At 15 times, that would be a termination fee of 624 million euros.

However, we repeatedly pressured them. First, you don't have a transfer fee, which can reduce the release clause. Second, you can be used immediately. They can't find a striker with a score of nearly 80 points on the market, and at such a low price.

Third, they profit. If they sign you and you prove to be very useful, then someone will offer 300 million euros to buy you outright. For them, your arrival not only helps them score many goals and might even help them win the championship, but they also get a 300 million euro transfer fee for free.

Anyone with half a brain could see the math: it's entirely beneficial with no drawbacks, and the only cost they'd make is a little over 200,000 euros in salary for half a season.

After listening, Zhang Kuang's lips curled into a slight smile. What Jonathan said was almost exactly what he had in mind.

"What about bonuses for goals or assists? What about the championship bonus?"

"Ha, yes, you get them all, though not much. For every 10 or more goals, you get 2000 euros; for fewer than 10, there's no bonus. Assists are calculated the same way, but the bonus is only 1000 euros."

As for the championship prize money, there's no specific calculation method; it's simply allocated according to the team's individual prize money distribution.

"Then Auxerre will be it."

"Are you sure?"

"It's confirmed."

"Okay." Jonathan's voice was tinged with laughter. "Then I'll start discussing the contract details with Auxerre. 8000 euros a week, six months' contract—no, it should be two years."

But it includes a $300 million release clause that takes effect halfway through the season. I will try to negotiate the best possible other bonuses.

"There's one more thing," Zhang Kuang added, "help me find an apartment in Paris. I prefer a more vibrant area; Auxerre is too small."

"Would you rather endure five hours of commuting by car or train every day?" Jonathan was somewhat surprised, and at the same time felt a little uneasy, as he felt that Zhang Kuang didn't give off a very grounded feeling. "It takes two and a half hours to drive from Paris to Auxerre, and two hours by train."

"It's alright, I can handle it," Zhang Kuang said firmly.

"Okay, I'll arrange it," Jonathan said. "It should take about three to five days to sign the contract. During this time, you should keep training."

"rest assured."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Kuang threw his phone onto the sofa and lay down.

Auxerre.

A small French town he hadn't heard of two weeks ago, a "township" with only 40,000 inhabitants, a place without even its own airport.

But this is the stage he needs.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sank into his mind, and opened the system; he was ready to add points.