After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

The enticing aroma of roasted meat and the hearty laughter of young men wafted from a modern townhouse in the suburbs of London.

This is Rice's home.

On a rare day off, Yan Yuan, Saka, Rodri, Aubameyang, and Upamecano, along with several teammates, enjoyed their time together.

At Rice's invitation, I came to his house for a relaxing home-style barbecue dinner.

Rice had clearly made careful preparations for the party.

In the backyard garden, a professional gas barbecue grill is sizzling with heat.

It was topped with thick-cut ribeye steak, beautifully presented Argentine red shrimp, marinated chicken wings, and various vegetables.

Unlike Yan Yuan's Chinese-style barbecue, Rice treated everyone to a more common Western-style barbecue.

Today, Rice wore a slightly comical cartoon apron and held tongs, turning the food over in a very professional manner.

"Guys, try this! It's a special sauce I made, a secret recipe!"

"Wow, Declan, I never knew you could cook like this!" Aubameyang leaned closer, his eyes fixed on the sizzling steak, sniffing exaggeratedly.

"Looks like we have a second head chef on our team now, right, Captain!"

"That's right, I agree," Yan Yuan said with a smile.

Saka kept taking pictures with his phone, grinning as he said, "I have to post something to make all the guys who couldn't come drool."

Yan Yuan smiled and handed Rice a bottle of chilled beer.

"Thank you for your hard work, head chef. It looks like we'll be having our team dinners at your place from now on."

"Sure, Captain, you can come anytime you have time."

Even Upamecano, who is usually not very talkative, couldn't help but give a thumbs up in praise.

"You cooked it very well, Declan!"

In a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, everyone sat around the outdoor dining table in the garden, enjoying their meal and chatting about holiday fun, training mishaps, and their anticipation for the new season.

Today, there are no tactical boards to bind us, no media cameras to bombard us, only banter and relaxation among friends.

This harmonious atmosphere off the court is equally important for a team aiming to win more honors.

After a satisfying meal, everyone moved to Rice's spacious and comfortable living room.

Aubameyang, a restless man, rolled his eyes and made a suggestion.

"Brothers, just eating is so boring! How about some entertainment? Let's play video games! FIFA! I'm a pro!"

As he spoke, he expertly turned on the Rice family's oversized TV and game console.

The proposal was immediately met with a positive response from Saka and Rice.

Saka rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Come on! I've been practicing my skills a lot lately, let's test the results!" Rice laughed and reached for the controller. "Pierre, don't brag, don't try to cheat if you lose."

Yan Yuan and Rodri exchanged a smile; their enthusiasm for FIFA was clearly not as great as the previous three.

Upamecano sat quietly on the sofa, indicating that he would just watch the game and that he didn't play games much.

The game started quickly, and Aubameyang, as expected, chose his favorite Juventus, controlling his "other self" in the game to run on the virtual green field with his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, while constantly muttering to himself.

"Watch this! Stepover! Marseille turn! Shot!...Tsk, almost there!"

Saka and Rice both chose Arsenal.

When selecting players, both players made surprisingly similar moves, frantically searching for the same name:

Yan Yuan.

"Hey, Bukayo, you're quick! You've snatched the captain away again!" Rice complained with a laugh.

Saka shook the controller triumphantly.

"Of course! Playing with Brother Yan feels completely different, like he's got a cheat code! But..."

He turned his head and, half-jokingly and half-complainingly, said to Yan Yuan, who was sitting on the sofa watching them play,

"Captain, do you know how hard it is to get your player cards in FIFA? Especially that new 95-rated captain card! I've spent so much money and tried countless times, but I just can't get it! The probability is outrageously low!"

Yan Yuan was usually busy with training and competitions and didn't have much contact with the game, so he became curious when he heard Saka say that.

He took out his phone and searched online for "FIFA Yan Yuan player card".

The search results surprised even him.

His three iconic player cards in the FIFA game are clearly displayed on the screen:

The first card, from his Hoffenheim period (17-18 season): Overall rating 91. He was still a slightly green young man on the card, but his stats were already quite impressive.

The second image shows Arsenal's debut (early 18-19 season): Overall rating 93. Wearing the Gunners' red and white jersey, all stats improved.

The third one is even more impressive, the Arsenal captain version (latest 19-20 season): an overall rating of 95!

On the card, Yan Yuan wears the captain's armband, his eyes are firm, and his key stats such as speed, shooting, dribbling, and passing are all close to off the charts. The background of the card is also more gorgeous.

As Saka said, the probability of drawing this card is indeed pitifully low.

"95?" Aubameyang leaned over for a glance and exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"My God! Yan, your stats are almost on par with peak Messi and Ronaldo! No wonder we couldn't get Bukayo! The game company is so greedy!"

Yan Yuan looked at his virtual avatar and data, finding it both novel and interesting.

He smiled and said to Saka.

"How about next time I see someone from EA, I ask them if I can pull some strings for you?"

"Really, Brother Yan? That's great!" Saka's eyes lit up, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"Yan, if you don't play FIFA, what games do you play?" Rice asked curiously while operating the controller.

Yan Yuan put down his phone and replied.

"I occasionally play Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) because the gameplay feels more realistic."

He said with a smile.

"Furthermore, I drew my own epic card in Pro Evolution Soccer, with a rating of 99."

"How many?! 99?!" At this, even Aubameyang and Saka, who were in the middle of a fierce battle, stopped what they were doing, turned around in unison, their faces full of disbelief.

"An epic card? A 99 rating? My God..." Aubameyang threw down the controller and ran to Yan Yuan's side. "Let's see! A 99 rating! This is practically a god in the game!"

Rice exclaimed, "What's the drop rate for epic cards in Pro Evolution Soccer? Is it even harder to get them than in FIFA?"

Yan Yuan took out his phone, found the Pro Evolution Soccer interface, and showed off the glittering, 99-rated epic card, "Arsenal Captain Yan Yuan".

On the card, he is making his signature celebration gesture, exuding confidence and power.

The teammates gathered around, making sounds of amazement and envy.

"99... I've never controlled a player with a rating of 99 in my entire life in a game, I've never even drawn one..." Saka murmured, his eyes filled with longing.

Just as everyone was engrossed in discussions about FIFA and PES.

Rhodes, who had been sitting quietly in the corner using a tablet, looked up and joined the discussion.

"Guys, do you only like FIFA and PES? I think those two games are mainly about the control experience. I personally prefer playing Football Manager."

"FM?" Aubameyang raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a game for coaches? A ton of data, just looking at it gives me a headache."

"Yes, I tried that game, and it was a real headache. There were just too many things to keep track of," Saka said.

Rodri smiled; it was the smile of a veteran FM player.

"Does it give me a headache? Actually, I find that I enjoy the feeling of strategizing and building a team more than being a player."

Like playing chess, it requires consideration of tactics, player personalities, finances, youth training... in short, it's very in-depth.

Rodri picked up the tablet and showed everyone his game interface.

It is noteworthy.

The teams he coached were not the typical powerhouses like Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich, or Liverpool.

It is Villarreal.

That "Yellow Submarine" team from the Mediterranean coast, known for developing young players.

This is Rodri's former club, where he came up through the youth academy.

"Great job, Rodri, you've become Villarreal's head coach? You have good taste," Yan Yuan said with a smile.

Rodri nodded, his tone filled with nostalgia.

"Captain, this is where my football dream started. The feelings are definitely different. Although in reality, my former team is still a bit far from being a top team, I have already turned them into a super team in the game."

Then, Rodri changed the subject, a "cunning" smile appearing on his face.

"However, as a rational football manager, I know that to achieve quick success, some maneuvering is necessary."

So the first thing I did when I started the game was to immediately open the list of free agents, and then…”

Rodri looked at Yan Yuan, his smile deepening, and said,

"We approved your visa without hesitation, Captain."

"Me?" Yan Yuan was taken aback.

"The game's timeline can be traced back to the summer of 2017, so Captain, you are the best choice for us players."

In the summer of 2017, Yan Yuan was a free agent after leaving the Paris youth academy and before joining Hoffenheim.

"You mean you signed me up to Villarreal in the game?"

"That's right!" Rodri said confidently, pointing to the player attribute page on the tablet screen.

"Furthermore, Captain, even though I know how good you are, I was still shocked when I saw your game stats."

This piqued even Yan Yuan's interest.

He leaned closer and looked closely at the data panel for "virtual self" in FM2018.

Everyone gathered around.

Rodri, like a professional scout, began to "educate" everyone.

"You see, in FM, there are two core values ​​for measuring a player's ability: CA (Current Ability) and PA (Potential Ability)."

He pointed to the numbers on the screen and said.

"At the start of the game, the captain's CA was 121, which is already an excellent level. This statistic would put him in the starting lineup for many mid-table teams. But what's even more terrifying is his PA, a full 200!" Rodri emphasized as he continued.

"Guys, PA200 is the upper limit in the game, extremely rare, representing a player's potential to reach the theoretical limit."

Legends like Pelé, Messi, and Maradona typically have a PA (Player Ability) of 200. This means that in the game, with proper development, a future captain has the potential to grow into an epic player on par with Messi and Ronaldo!

The guys were all amazed.

Yan Yuan couldn't help but smile at this somewhat exaggerated premise.

"200? That sounds a bit too incredible."

"It's unbelievable!" Rodri said earnestly.

"And your growth rate is incredibly fast. In this save file, I've only simulated two seasons, and your CA has already increased from 121 to over 160. Your attributes are rising at breakneck speed. Look at these key attributes..."

Rod swiped the screen, pointing to the specific attribute values.

Yan Yuan's FM data panel was almost entirely highlighted.

Rodri continued.

"Your dribbling, technique, long-range shooting, off-the-ball movement, talent, vision... these offensive attributes are almost all between 16 and 20, and they are still increasing. Your physical attributes, speed, explosiveness, and stamina, are 18, 19, and 20 respectively."

Free kicks are relatively weaker, but they're perfectly adequate for a player in your position.

In the FM player community, being able to sign in for free at the start of a game is like landing a top-tier talent – ​​the ultimate weapon to lead a small to medium-sized team to create miracles!

Captain, did you know? On the FM forums, players call you "Yan the Almighty" or "The Free God."

Everyone was amused by Rodri's professional yet enthusiastic explanation.

Aubameyang slapped his thigh and said.

"This game looks complicated, but the data is really detailed. I'll try it out sometime."

Saka and Rice were also captivated, and they even asked Rhodes about their own stats.

Yan Yuan himself found it very interesting and novel to look at the data-driven "himself" on the screen.

Examining one's abilities and potential from another dimension, especially from the perspective of strategic management games, is a very unique experience.

"Hmm...that sounds quite interesting," Yan Yuan said to Rodri with a smile. "Looks like I'll have to download FM when I get back and play around with it. I want to experience what it's like to coach myself."

"Highly recommended!" Rodri pointed to the screen and said seriously.

"Captain, I highly recommend this game! You'll absolutely love the feeling of being in control!"

After thinking for a moment, Yan Yuan said.

"To be honest, there are two things I want to experience. One is being the head coach of Hoffenheim and turning them into a super club. The other... I'd also like to try being the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, and then I'd like to buy myself back in Paris. I'm quite curious to see how my career at Paris Saint-Germain will develop."

Rodri was amused by Yan Yuan.

"Hahahaha... then Paris will probably have to spend at least 3 million euros."

"Captain, if you really go to Paris, then Mbappe won't be able to do anything, right? After all, a team can't accommodate two top strikers of captain caliber."

"It's okay, who knows, Mbappe might go to Real Madrid..."

The enjoyable game time passed by amidst laughter and joy.

This afternoon, there was no fatigue from intense training, no pressure to win or lose, only delicious food, friendship, and shared interests.