After outrunning Gattuso, Huang Kaiwen earned the respect of his teammates.
Inzaghi invited him to hang out after class, and Kevin was very tempted, but he still declined.
Barbara said she would pick him up after training, and in that case, he couldn't go out and have fun.
Inzaghi was very disappointed that he couldn't take the new brother on an outing, especially since Kevin had helped him win over the whole team that day.
Players from both Milan teams liked to hit the nightclubs, and Inzaghi, the playboy, was one of them.
A bit regretfully, Inzaghi drove Kevin to the parking lot and left in his sports car.
Kevin got into Barbara's Mercedes and kissed the young miss, drawing a coquettish rebuke.
"How was today? Did you have a good time with your teammates?"
The young miss asked softly.
In her mind, it likely wasn't easy for Kevin to fit in with the team.
In Italy, racial discrimination is very severe, and even if you have skills, there's nothing you can do if the whole team ostracizes you.
"Not bad, the teammates are pretty good, I invited them to have dinner together tomorrow, and everyone said they would come."
"Hmm… hmm?"
Barbara turned her head to look at Kevin, asking with some surprise, "They are friendly and even accepted your invitation?"
"Yeah, what's the matter?"
"No... nothing," Barbara started the car, leaving the parking lot, feeling much better.
She hadn't expected the man she had chosen to be so outstanding.
You should know that Milan's stars are not easy to handle. As the daughter of the boss, she has heard quite a bit about the disharmony among Milan's players.
The power of the local players was enormous.
The legendary Table of Milan's Knights.
She hadn't expected that Kevin would get along well with his teammates on the first day.
With this thought, she realized the man she fancied was even more superb than she knew.
She felt proud of Kevin and happy for him, leading to another tempestuous night.
The next morning.
Feeling Kevin getting up, Barbara turned over and with tenderness in her eyes, asked the dressing Huang Kai, "What are you up to this early, dear?"
"I'm planning to warm up a bit, considering I'm a professional athlete."
"Alright, I'll get up and make breakfast in a bit."
Barbara's sleepiness disappeared instantly.
Her man was so outstanding and hardworking; how could she lag behind?
Barbara's eyes wandered to the ceiling, thinking about which restaurant to choose for tonight's dinner that wouldn't embarrass Kevin.
As for reservations, someone of her status simply didn't need to worry about that.
Today was an important day. Any restaurant that didn't show her face, she'd have it shut down.
After dropping Kevin off for training in the morning, Barbara got a dose of reality. Enrico Bartolini at Mudec, the only Michelin three-star in Milan, was indeed fully booked with several reservations.
Some of the diners had significant status, and even her father could not treat them lightly.
After calling some second-generation friends, they ultimately decided on Viva Viviana Varese, a Michelin one-star.
This unpleasant reservation experience got Barbara thinking about opening her own restaurant.
The young miss currently had plenty of money; even her father, worth over 60 billion dollars, didn't have as much liquid assets as she did.
She had previously given Kevin a card with 20 million Euros and bought their current house; she still had almost 150 million Euros left. If she didn't invest and utilize it, it would indeed be a waste.
Lately, Barbara had also been studying some investment projects.
In Milanello, Huang Kaiwen began another day of running laps.
"Injury Risk Status Change — Starting from the moment you step onto the pitch, injury probability increases by 200%, and increases by 5% every second. After leaving the field due to injury and returning, the initial injury probability is reset, fatal injuries will not occur, and injuries won't affect physical functions. This cycle repeats until the successful defense of the UEFA Champions League title, at which point the status abnormality is removed."
Fortunately, the running track at the training ground wasn't turf, but he wasn't clear whether 'stepping onto the pitch' referred to the training ground as well, or only official match venues.
If it meant any turf, he might get injured even during warm-ups.
What a pain in the ass.
Milan's players were having a great time on the training field.
However, Ancelotti, speaking to his assistant coach at the sidelines, said, "I wonder how Kevin's physical condition is."
"Let's have him checked by the team doctor again this afternoon. If he's okay, it would be good for him to play in the friendly match to integrate into the team quickly."
"Okay, you take him there later."
Ancelotti nodded in response.
Right now, Kevin's fitness was his main concern.
After the afternoon check-up, the team doctor said there was absolutely nothing wrong with his body.
Huang Kaiwen rolled his eyes in silence.
Damn, this team doctor was definitely getting fired once Barbara became chairman.
Ancelotti was very pleased to hear the news.
He pulled Huang Kaiwen aside and said, "In the friendly match in a few days, I'll plan for you to come off the bench. Try to get familiar with your teammates as quickly as possible to integrate into the team. I'll arrange for you to play in the starting lineup."
By the time Huang Kaiwen had received his contract of 2.5 million Euros after taxes, he was already on standby for the first team.
Even if Milan hadn't declined, they wouldn't sign such a highly paid substitute.
Huang Kaiwen had a lot on his mind, but fortunately, the dinner that evening went off without a hitch.
Barbara had arranged everything perfectly, booking the entire restaurant. Huang Kaiwen got to meet his teammates' families, and with Barbara, the social butterfly orchestrating, he managed to establish some good relationships.
Paolo Maldini's wife asked him when they got home that evening, "Should we go to Kevin's house in a few days? They've invited us and the kids over for a visit."
Paolo Maldini answered with a smile, "Don't worry, Adriana, Kevin's a good lad. I'd like the kids to get to know him as well."
"I'm not saying he isn't good. I also find Kevin quite nice. But won't taking the kids along be a bother?"
"It's no trouble, Kevin already mentioned it."
"Alright then."
Mrs. Maldini, Adriana, nodded in agreement.
For some reason, from the first meeting with Huang Kaiwen, she felt the young man was quite pleasant and even shared some embarrassing stories about Paolo Maldini with him, something she never did outside the house.
Adriana concluded it must be a special kind of charm that Huang Kaiwen had.
Before, she hadn't had any Asian friends, so it wouldn't be bad to have one.
Huang Kaiwen was numb to it all.
The team doctor was up to no good, declaring his body free of issues.
Fortunately, Ancelotti hadn't forced him into ball training, otherwise, his cover would've been blown.
And so, the "Milanello Running King" conquered Milanello with his stamina, and the first friendly match arrived.
The opponent was but Grosseto Football Club from the Italian Serie C.
Such minnows were mainly used to help the players who had indulged over the summer get back into form.
It wasn't about experiencing high-intensity matches.
Being invited to play at San Siro by Milan, Grosseto would also receive a sum of money for transportation and partnership in training.
To support Huang Kaiwen, Barbara, along with her best friends, made her way to San Siro.