Chapter 98: Passion

"Jump!" After passing the ball, Suker jumped anxiously on the sideline. He pointed at Mandzukic in the penalty area and shouted, "You're too slow to move forward! The moment I gave you a signal with my eyes, you should've jumped!" Mandzukic pursed his lips, saying nothing. He didn't dare speak up. Though he felt frustrated, he knew that Suker and the others came to help him get used to the tactics and tempo. They didn't have to do this at all, but they still came. That alone made Mandzukic feel grateful. Three minutes later— "Too slow again!! Way too slow!!" Suker was small, but his voice was loud. Mandzukic kept making forward runs but always missed the timing. And he kept getting yelled at by Suker. A fire was burning inside him. His frustration and irritation were nearing the breaking point. Suk was also getting irritated from the repeated failed passes. His voice rose louder. Why is this guy so dumb!? Mandzukic's face turned red with anger. He turned toward Suker, eyes filled with fury. "Oh no!" Fitness coach Losperic muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to step in and stop things, Mandzukic suddenly roared: "I'M SORRY!!!! —" The thunderous roar silenced the entire field. Everyone looked in shock at Mandzukic's furious back. Even Suker was stunned. He coughed awkwardly and said, "Make sure you seize the opportunity next time!" Again and again, Mandzukic ran, again and again, he jumped. Gradually, he started to find a bit of rhythm. And as he began to master the timing of his runs, their coordination improved. Suker played a horizontal pass. Mandzukic laid the ball off to the wing, then spun and sprinted. Suker met the laid-off ball and sent in a cross. The ball's placement was perfect—Mandzukic jumped and headed it toward goal. "Beautiful!" Modric and the others clapped from the sidelines. Finally caught it! Mandzukic landed and roared at the sky. Finally! Damn it! I caught it! Seeing the goal, Suker exhaled deeply. He also felt a bit frustrated inside. How did this guy ever become Croatia's offensive spearhead in the future? Right now, Mandzukic gave Suker the worst impression. Top-tier physicality, paired with third-rate awareness. The only thing worth praising was his grit and perseverance. "All right! Enough for now, continuing won't help. Practice more during tomorrow's training." Suker waved his hand, and the others, visibly tired, agreed. Mandzukic still seemed full of energy, but seeing everyone else worn out, he didn't push further. "Food! Food!" Suker pointed at Srna. "Chinese restaurant!" Srna gave a thumbs up. "Leave it to me!" After washing up, the group changed into casual clothes and took taxis to a Chinese restaurant. Suker loved Chinese food. In a foreign land, being able to eat food that reminded him of his former live was extremely precious to him. In this life, the only time he'd had Chinese food was the few days after returning to Zagreb. Before that, the taste existed only in his memory. He loved the sizzling sound when hot oil hit the pan. He loved the fragrant aroma of white rice. As an athlete, he knew he couldn't eat overly greasy food, and Chinese food was expensive—he couldn't eat it all the time. That's why, whenever he got the chance, Suker was overjoyed. The seven of them took two taxis to Zagreb's commercial district. In the lively crowd, Suk spotted bright red lanterns. A wooden sign read "Chuan Wei Ge" (Sichuan Flavor Pavilion). Suker led the group inside. The restaurant wasn't crowded—its steep prices scared away most customers. "Boss! Seven people. Private room!" Suker shouted upon entering. Soon, the owner led them to a round table in a private room. Suker had a child's palate, so he ordered mostly sweet-and-sour dishes. Kung Pao Chicken, Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork, Mapo Tofu, Spicy Diced Chicken... ten dishes in total. All seven of them were athletes with big appetites. The owner kindly offered forks, but Suker waved him off. "No forks! When in Rome, do as the Romans do—use chopsticks." He then started teaching everyone how to use chopsticks. The novelty of it intrigued the young players. Though they were clumsy with it, they were fascinated. Once all the food arrived, everyone dug in with rice. Suker ate the fastest. After a while, Mandzukic suddenly said, "Thank you." Everyone paused. Suker pointed at Srna and said, "You should thank him. He traded this meal for a training opportunity." Mandzukic was a bit surprised, but he sincerely thanked Srna. After all, they had no obligation to help him, but they did anyway. Mandzukic was someone who appreciated kindness. Srna waved it off. "I just wanted to set a good example. The pro league is harsh. We never know if our form will last or if we'll fit into a team. Sometimes, we need help." "The fact we're here together means we share a common goal. And the journey will be tough. When facing difficulties, having teammates is better than facing it alone." "This time, we helped Mario. Next time we're in trouble, he won't stand by." He paused, then smiled. "We were all hand-picked by Bessic. I don't know what the future holds, but I believe we're all very talented." Everyone looked at Srna in surprise—he had quite a way with words. Even Suker was impressed. He had thought Srna was just a nice guy, but now realized he had his own reasoning and plans. "Okay, to strengthen our bond, I propose..." Suker raised his hand. "Chinese food once a month—everyone takes turns paying!" Everyone shouted and laughed: "Why Chinese food!?" That night, back in the dorms, Suk returned to his second-floor space. In his room, Suker opened his stats panel. [Name: Suker][Height: 167 cm][Weight: 56 kg][Speed: 78+15][Agility: 86][Strength: 72][Explosiveness: 90] Seeing his height stat, Suker clenched his fist. He'd grown one centimeter taller. Daily effective training and nutritional intake were helping him grow. Though still short, Suker had hope for further growth. The two attribute cards from his season-end rewards were used to boost strength. The improvement wasn't huge, but he was noticeably better at holding off defenders, helping him complete dribbles more smoothly. Right now, Suker's main focus was card farming. His impressive debut for Dinamo Zagreb was largely thanks to the yellow card bonuses. Especially [Yellow Card – Vampeta's Dribbling], which made him a real threat on the wing. Just like Boscinovic's interception ability, yellow cards brought immense improvements, allowing Suker to perform at an elite level in the Croatian league. He could even outshine other rising talents. Of course, he was still far from the real prodigies shining in Europe—but he wasn't discouraged. Falling behind now didn't mean he'd stay behind. He'd catch up. When the new era arrived, he'd make sure his name was heard! In a week of team training, the focus remained on chemistry. Coach Bessic wanted the team to dominate possession. He aimed to match the tempo of Europe's top five leagues. Davor Suker played a key role in that. His experience and skill helped all the young talents. Davor Suker taught them a lot—not just gameplay, but also day-to-day training. While the head coach handled overall strategy, Davor Suker focused on small details. Like ball-handling choices, passing disguise, and interception timing—his rich experience accelerated their development. Throughout the week, Suker and Modric stood out as the top performers. Srna and Dujmovic managed to keep up. As for Mandzukic—he fell behind again. He struggled with new concepts, In attacking drills, he defaulted to his old style rather than embracing the tactical system. Despite everyone's help, some things had to be learned on his own. In the end, Coach Bessic pulled Mandzukic aside. "The second league match is coming. This year we won't be playing Champions League qualifiers, so we can focus on the league." As the dominant force in Croatian football, Dinamo Zagreb often played in Champions League qualifiers. Though they'd never reached the group stage, they had plenty of experience. But due to last season's chaos, they didn't qualify this time. Which allowed them to pour all their energy into the league. "Our next match is against Šibenik. The goal is a draw away." The room erupted. "Why just a draw?!" Dujmovic grumbled, "We can win!" Modric added, "We'll take all three points!" "Don't underestimate us!" Vukojevic shouted, clenching his fist. Seeing the fiery spirit in these youngsters, Davor Suker smirked and muttered: "So passionate!" Then he looked beside him. "Except for him." Suker stared ahead calmly, not sharing the others' fiery anger.