He is a man with a story!
Su Dong looked at Pepe silently and thought to himself.
After getting along with each other, he felt that Pepe was actually a very good peer off the court.
At least his personality is far less obnoxious than he lets on on the court.
"Can you tell me about your hometown?" Su Dong broke the silence and asked softly.
"my hometown?"
Pepe looked at Su Dong strangely, curious why he was interested in his hometown.
"Yes, I am interested in everything from the football kingdom." Su Dong said with interest.
Pepe shook his head and smiled bitterly: "My hometown is not as interesting as football. It is the most economically backward region in Brazil, in the northeast, called Maceio. By the way, Rivaldo, who plays for Barcelona, ​​is also from here."
After a pause, Pepe seemed to begin searching for his memories in his mind, but soon he smiled bitterly again.
"Actually, to be honest, I don't know much about it."
"Why?" Su Dong was very curious.
"I left home when I was 12 and went south to play football in Corinthians in Sao Paulo."
Twelve again.
Su Dong couldn't help but look back and glance at the tent behind him. Ronnie inside also left Madeira Island at the age of twelve and went to Lisbon to receive youth training with the Green Lions.
This seems like an age node in the youth training system.
"In my memory, Maceió is like other Brazilian cities, with charming beaches, many five-star hotels, and many hot girls in bikinis on the beach."
At this point, Pepe changed the subject, "But those don't belong to us."
"It's like the top and bottom of the mountains in Madeira. Can you understand the difference?" Pepe asked with concern.
Su Dong shook his head. He still couldn't understand it.
"The mountains of Madeira are full of villages like Falcao. They are like slums. Although there are houses built by the government, the residents are alcoholics and even take drugs. They are fine. In the slums over in my hometown of Maceio, there are many gangs. They fight all day long. In my memory, I can hear gunshots almost every day."
Su Dong couldn't imagine that kind of childhood, but he absolutely believed that it must be a nightmare that he would never be able to get over.
"You know, in Brazil, studying is actually a luxury. We kids just like playing football, and our family only allows us to play football. I often skipped classes, climbed over the wall to leave school, and went to the street to play football with kids who were five or six years older than me. To compete with them, I had to make myself stronger ."
"At first, I played in the community team. They taught me how to play football and how to compete. Gradually, I performed well. When I was 12 years old, Corinthians from São Paulo in the south took a fancy to me."
"You may not know this, but it is actually a very honorable thing for us. My friends even celebrated with drums and gongs because they felt that I might become the first professional player around them, and even be selected for the national team and become a superstar in the future."
When Su Dong heard this, he had a vague feeling that it should be quite similar to the situation in China where someone's child is admitted to Tsinghua University or Peking University, and the whole village sends him to school by beating gongs and drums.
"In Corinthians, I found that I was not outstanding at all. They had countless kids like me from all over Brazil. We played and competed together. Compared with them, I was too ordinary."
At this point, Pepe changed the subject again and said with a slightly proud smile: "But you know what? Su, we in Northeast Maceio have a characteristic, that is, we are hardworking and persevering. There is a saying in our hometown that only those who are hardworking and persevering can be favored by the God of Destiny."
"My parents have been educating me this way since I was young, and I have integrated it into my blood, so I am very hardworking and practice non-stop every day. When I am tired, I rest, and then continue to practice, day and night."
Su Dong has experienced such days before, and is still experiencing them now, so he understands.
"Last summer, Maritimo's scouts were selecting players in Brazil. They didn't have much money and had only one requirement for the players, that is, they should be young and cheap, and preferably without a transfer fee. The salary subsidy they offered was also pitifully small, but they could promise to give them hope, a hope of playing in Portugal."
"Deco, who currently plays for Porto, is the big brother in our Corinthians youth training camp. He also came to the Portuguese Super League in this way. Every year, there are many players who come out of this way. Some do very well, like Deco, while others do not and go back soon."
When Pepe talked about these past events, it was as if he was talking about something that was very natural. Isn't it just the survival of the fittest?
But to Su Dong, this was still somewhat too cruel.
"I had no contract with Corinthians at the time, and they thought I was still fit, so I came to Maritimo, trained seriously with them, and learned how to play in European football."
"I don't have extraordinary skills, nor am I as good as Deco. I am dumber and my brain works slowly. My only advantage is my strong body. So they told me that if I want to stay, I must play to my strengths and let everyone see my advantages. So, I have to try my best in every game, because I don't know when there will be another game after this one."
When Su Dong heard this, he suddenly felt that he might have misunderstood Pepe.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Pepe on the court is not annoying, but that Pepe off the court is the real Pepe.
On the court, he is just a tool struggling to survive and gain a foothold.
"Where are your family?" Su Dong asked.
Pepe smiled and said, "Actually, I'm better than Ronnie. My father doesn't drink and no one in my family takes drugs, but our family is very poor and they are waiting for me to send money back every month. So, I have to stay because I don't know how "
At the end of his speech, Pepe looked worried and sad.
He has no special skills and can only play football.
What else can he do if he can't play football?
"Maritimo still hasn't notified you of the contract renewal?" Su Dong asked with concern.
This is also the reason why Pepe has to work part-time.
Pepe shook his head. "I heard that they are considering whether it is possible to sell us."
"What's the meaning?"
"It's very simple. I came here for free last year and the salary they paid me was pitifully low. If they sell me now, even if the transfer fee may only be a few hundred thousand euros, this money will be picked up for free."
Su Dong understood, "What if it can't be sold?"
Pepe smiled bitterly, "Then renew the contract. When the time comes, I will have to accept whatever they offer. What else can I do? Here, at least I can still play games. If I play well and become famous, I will have bargaining chips, right?"
This is the most realistic professional football.
There is no mercy, no warmth, only calculations of interests.
"Actually, you don't have to feel sad for me, really." Pepe smiled freely, "Most of the people who came out with me only stayed for two months, and the longest was only half a year. I was relatively lucky. Not only did I stay, but I also played a few games."
Su Dong was amused by him. If that was really the case, then Pepe was indeed a lucky man.
Suddenly, Pepe took a deep breath, stood up, walked forward, came to the guardrail of the observation deck, looked out at Funchal in the south, and roared as if he had used up all his strength.
The echo lingered for a long time.
"Don't worry, Su, we Maceio people are never defeated so easily. I will keep persisting until the day I succeed, because I always know that playing football is not just because I love football, but also to make my family no longer poor!"
Su Dong came to his side and listened to his sonorous and powerful voice. It seemed as if he was speaking to Su Dong, but also as if he was speaking to himself, to encourage himself.
"Believe me, Pepe, you are a player with great potential and you will definitely succeed."
What Su Dong said was not false.
He and Pepe have competed on the court and practiced against each other privately. It is difficult to judge their strength, but from the feedback of the Road to King of Football system, the system gave 500 points of King of Football value as a reward for every match between Su Dong and Pepe, which is considered quite high.
Based on this point, it can be predicted that Pepe's strength and potential are definitely not simple.
After hearing this, Pepe turned around and looked at Su Dong, grinning and laughing, "You too, Su, you and Ronnie are younger than me, but you have already played in Sporting Lisbon and performed well. You have a brighter future than me. More importantly, you work harder and more desperately than me, so you will definitely succeed!"
"Then when we are all successful in the future, you can invite us back to your hometown, where we can stay in those five-star hotels, hang out with those hot beauties on the beach, and eat the most delicious Brazilian food." Su Dong suggested.
"No problem." Pepe agreed readily, "But I think you will succeed before me, so let's go to China first."
Su Dong laughed and nodded.
He felt that he was luckier than Ronnie and Pepe.
At least he could study in the country and didn't live in a slum where there were fights all day long. There were no messy things in his childhood, which made him feel warm.
For the first time, he felt proud of his motherland from the bottom of his heart!
…
…
The next morning, the three watched the sunrise at the highest peak, had breakfast in a nearby hotel, and then went down the mountain the same way.
Arriving in Santana, the three of them headed west along the north coast, then south from San Vicente and into the mountains again.
When they arrived at Tabua, it was still a little early, so the three of them did not take a car and continued to ride eastward on the 11-wheeler.
When they returned to Funchal, Nuno Cruz had just returned from Lisbon.
After hearing the experiences of the three people, the personal trainer was amazed.
“Three crazy guys!”