Chapter 19 A strong feeling rose in Nesta's heart...
After the holiday, Fino drove to Milanello for training as usual, but was blocked outside the Milanello by the media and fans.
Standing in front were fans who held up Fino's number 14 jersey, hoping to get his autograph. Only then did Fino realize that he already had his own fans.
With some time before training began, he rolled down the car window to try to meet the fans' needs. Reporters hiding behind the fans seized the opportunity to swarm in, with countless microphones sticking out of the car window.
"Ciao, Cabrini, how did the car accident you had when you were 9 years old affect you?"
"Cabrini, what are your thoughts on not being selected for the national team for so long? Do you feel that this is discrimination against your Asian heritage by the Italian Football Federation?"
"It's said you lost your memory in the car accident. Did you remember anything afterward?"
"What made you decide to come to Milan for a trial? Is it because your parents are football fans and you want them to see you fighting for Milan from heaven?"
"Ciao, Fino, Pirlo, and Kaká posted photos of your get-together on social media. Why didn't you invite your other teammates? Have you five formed some kind of alliance?"
...
Fans and reporters were packed together, and the scene was very chaotic. One fan carrying a child was almost knocked over.
Fino immediately signaled to everyone not to crowd, as it could easily lead to injury, and then, with the help of the gatekeeper, he managed to extricate himself from the crowd.
"Thank you for your help, Massimo." After entering Milanello, Fino stopped the car and thanked the gatekeeper.
The other player shares the same name as Ambrosini, Massimo. When Fino came for a trial as a child, Massimo was the goalkeeper for Milanello.
Massimo waved to him: "Good boy, you played so well against Lazio the other day, I knew you would succeed."
Massimo was tall and muscular, with a shiny scalp and a face full of menacing features. His appearance was intimidating, but now he was trying to force a gentle tone in his voice, which was as frightening as it could be.
Something must have happened. Based on the reporter's question, Fino guessed that her background might have been exposed.
Once inside the locker room, his teammates reacted even more dramatically. They looked at him with pity and rushed over to hug him, ruffle his hair, and kiss his forehead and cheeks.
Even Maldini was there; he hadn't been to Milanello for a long time since his knee surgery in the summer.
Fino's background was never a secret. Many government officials and children's welfare home staff who handled the case back then knew about it, and it was easy to find out if you were willing to.
But that car accident happened ten years ago. If it weren't specifically dug up, who would keep an orphan they met ten years ago in their mind and on their lips all the time?
When Fino joined the youth team, his family situation was recorded in detail in his file, and the youth training coaches at the time also paid special attention to Fino's condition.
Fino always remained calm and never showed any negative emotions such as vulnerability, breakdown, or depression. Apart from being a little quiet, he was no different from any other child, and gradually the youth training coaches stopped paying attention to his orphan status.
Over the next decade, the staff in the talent pool naturally changed, and fewer and fewer people knew about it.
When Fino signed the contract in the summer, he was already 18 years old and could sign it himself. His parents did not appear, and the club only considered him as mature and independent, without thinking about anything else.
In the locker room, family circumstances are considered private matters, and unless someone brings it up themselves, no one will usually pry.
And so, even though Fino never intended to hide it and was quite frank, no one knew he was an orphan until this morning when it was revealed by the Gazzetta dello Sport.
Fino felt a little helpless. He had long since come to terms with the fact that he had few family ties, and only occasionally thought about it and sighed about it when the night was quiet.
Moreover, he is living a very comfortable life now. The past should remain in the past; one should always look forward.
He was touched by his teammates' care and friendship, but this cautious demeanor was unnecessary; he didn't need anyone's pity.
Sometimes pity feels like the strong looking down on the weak; even if it's well-intentioned, it can make people uncomfortable. Fino has grown up and is capable of living independently; he no longer wants to be treated as a weakling.
"Can I see the newspaper first? I want to know what it says that has made you all act like this."
Kaká immediately handed the Gazzetta dello Sport to Fino, who looked like he was about to cry.
Fino gently patted his face and took the newspaper to read.
The report contained nothing new, which disappointed Fino. He had thought that the Gazzetta dello Sport would be able to dig up some information about the original owner before his death, but the report was pretty much what he already knew.
After Fino put down the newspaper, Kaka came over and hugged him again: "Everything will be alright, God will bless you."
Others gathered around as well.
Maldini ruffled his hair and said gently, "Milan will always be your home, and we will always be your brothers."
Fino clapped his hands together twice to signal his teammates to listen to him.
"Brothers, I appreciate your concern, but please stop pitying and sympathizing with me. I'm not that pitiful. That car accident happened many years ago, didn't it? Actually, I have no memory of anything before the accident. I don't know what my family is like, I don't know what my parents are like, and I've even forgotten Italian and need to learn it all over again."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Sometimes amnesia is a kind of luck, because if you don't remember anything, you won't be painfully immersed in the memories. I have no past, but I can create the future, so I came to Milan, fell in love with football, gave it my all, and was reborn because of football."
Fino's tone gradually became more spirited: "Brothers, I am not weak, nor am I suffering for myself. Please don't be sad for me. Perhaps it is precisely because I lost everything that God gave me the opportunity to meet you all. The past cannot be changed. Let's work together to win more championships for Milan and create more beautiful memories for ourselves, okay?"
After Fino finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence in the locker room, everyone was shocked by Fino's words.
A boy who has just come of age has such a resilient soul, seemingly indestructible.
Applause gradually rose, like thunder, followed by cheers—
"Milan, champions! Milan, champions!"
...
As training ended, Nesta walked over and put his arm around Fino's neck, leading him towards the locker room while asking, "Do you have any plans for later? To thank you for your Chinese food, I'd like to treat you to dinner. There's no Milanese restaurant I don't know."
Fino declined with a regretful expression: "Next time, Sandro, the club has booked my next appointment. The outside world is too curious about the morning's news, and the club wants to do an interview and put it on the official website to prevent fake news from spreading."
“You can’t say ‘next time’.” Nesta turned and gently kissed his forehead. “This interview won’t last long. I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Fino is a young player who is easy to like. When he first joined the first team, his composure and steadiness left a deep impression on Nesta.
He speaks very little, but has high emotional intelligence. He can quickly integrate into the team and get established stars to give him their unreserved guidance, something many lively kids can't do, but the taciturn Fino did.
Last season, everyone only regarded Fino as an approachable and promising junior, with a bit of encouragement and affection from adults looking after a child. This season, however, he has quickly grown into a reliable teammate and a stable scorer, earning the respect of the locker room with his strength.
Because he always seemed mature beyond his years, the older players liked to tease him. Gradually, his personality became more lively, as if he had shed many burdens, his soul became lighter, and he became more likable.
But who could have imagined that such a lovable teammate would suffer such a great misfortune in his childhood?
Moreover, this misfortune did not break him. He never spoke a word about it to anyone and always remained calm and composed, so strong that it was heartbreaking.
This was clearly something that had nothing to do with Nesta, yet Nesta felt a strong sense of indebtedness.
How much pain and fear must 9-year-old Fino have felt lying all alone in the hospital bed?
He doesn't speak Italian. Was he bullied during his months at the children's welfare home?
How did he spend his lonely nights living in Milanello all these years?
Did he receive any birthday wishes or gifts at Christmas?
...
Nesta didn't understand why he felt such a strong sense of indebtedness. He wanted to be better to Fino and make up for Fino's unhappy childhood, even though Fino had a strong soul and didn't need anyone's sympathy or pity.
He carefully concealed his emotions, casually inviting Fino to dinner under the pretext of expressing his gratitude, and then declined Fino's offer.
Fino's side is progressing smoothly.
The interviewer was a public relations professional named Theresa, who had served Milan for many years and was very professional.
Theresa had printed out all the interview questions in advance and outlined different possible answers based on Fino's perspective.
After Fino arrived at the interview room, Teresa discussed the direction of the answers with Fino one by one, referring to the outline, and helped Fino improve the content of the answers. The preparation work was completed in less than 20 minutes.
The interview was nothing more than describing his past, expressing his strength, and confessing his love for Milan, which was similar to what Fino said in the locker room, nothing new.
Fino recorded very quickly, answering almost all the questions in one take, and finished the work in less than 10 minutes.
Next, it's the publicity department's turn.
Fino returned to the locker room with a relaxed expression to meet Nesta, only to find that not only Nesta, but also Kaká, Inzaghi, Maldini, Brocchi, and many others were waiting for him.
Maldini came up and put his arm around Fino's shoulder, laughing as he said, "We're so jealous that Sandro and the others get to eat your Chinese food, so we're going to treat him to a big meal and at the same time try to win over our little friend. Remember to bring us to the next Chinese food party."
“Café and Dida had an appointment and left first. They said that in order to eat the Chinese food you make, the Brazilians will treat you to dinner tomorrow, and Ronnie will also be there,” Kaka said with a bright smile. “But I’ll be paying the bill because I went to a Chinese food party and didn’t invite them.”
Fino understood what was going on in an instant.
At this moment, he couldn't say anything polite, even expressing his gratitude seemed too formal. He was touched by his teammates' thoughtfulness and didn't want to let them down.
He blinked, holding back the tears welling up in his eyes, and hugged his teammates tightly.
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