NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Guardiola's Command — Sign Him No Matter the Price
"Midfield Genius Ignites Argentina's Golden Generation!"
"Romeo Teixeira: The Young Architect Behind a 6-0 Destruction"
"Aguero: I Thought Romeo Was Joking About the Hat-Trick—He Was Dead Serious"
"Romeo Teixeira: From Youth Team Reject to National Hero"
"Argentina Crush Chile 6-0—All Roads Lead Through the Teenaged Maestro"
The headlines flooded every major sports outlet—ESPN, BBC Sport, FOX, Marca, L'Équipe. Football fans from Buenos Aires to Manchester were asking the same thing:
Who the hell is Romeo Teixeira?
In the quiet of his hotel room, Romeo ignored all of it.
He wasn't on Twitter. He didn't scroll through Instagram or read the articles. He laid flat on his back in the darkness, sweat still clinging to his skin from the post-game adrenaline rush. His legs ached from covering nearly thirteen kilometers on the pitch.
And yet his mind was calm.
The System came online.
> [Ding! Congratulations, you won your match. You've earned a Reward Chest.]
Romeo didn't care about the flash or the sound effects. He blinked once, then responded internally.
"Open it."
> [Opening Chest…]
[You've received: 1 Physical Recovery Tonic]
[Description: Instantly restores the user's stamina to peak condition and removes all fatigue.]
Romeo's expression barely shifted—but inside, he knew how rare that was.
He'd just played the full 90, orchestrating the entire attack, tracking back on defense, covering lanes, breaking the press, commanding Argentina's tempo against one of South America's most physical sides.
Midfielders like him didn't just play games. They carried them. No one ran more. No one thought more. No one suffered more.
And the physical cost? Always brutal.
Even with his top-tier stamina, his muscles burned. His calves twitched every time he moved.
A full recovery in one vial? That wasn't just valuable. It was a tactical weapon.
Romeo slid the tonic into his system's internal inventory and shut everything down.
"Save it. I'll need that in the knockout rounds."
He had other things to do tonight—like rest, think, and sharpen his edge.
Before closing his eyes, Romeo allocated five free attribute points—all into Physical Strength.
Current Physical Confrontation: 92
---
Meanwhile, in Argentina, the headlines had triggered something far more explosive—outrage.
Not over the match. But over Romeo's past.
The video of the press conference had gone viral. A reporter had asked why Romeo had been expelled from his old youth team.
Romeo didn't dodge.
"He came at me with his studs up," he'd said, voice cold. "Tried to end my career before it started. I reacted."
That was all it took.
Investigations opened like floodgates. The incident with Riley Tate was dragged into the spotlight. Video footage of the tackle. Testimonies from teammates. Even Riley's off-field behavior—drunken brawls, reckless spending, luxury cars bought on a coach's salary—surfaced overnight.
The Tate family was buried in public criticism.
More than that, the U.S. youth football administration found itself in hot water. Coaches. Directors. Corruption whispers turned into accusations.
Romeo didn't care.
He hadn't said it to get revenge.
He'd said it to stop carrying someone else's shame.
---
Back on the pitch, Romeo didn't let off.
In the following two group-stage games, he added seven more assists, including a four-assist masterclass against Bolivia. His movement was sharper. His vision was cleaner. The connection with Messi and Di Maria only deepened.
Three games. Twelve assists. Zero goals conceded.
Argentina topped the group, unbeaten, untouchable. For the first time in years, fans weren't just hopeful—they were euphoric.
Romeo, though? He wasn't satisfied.
His opponents had been weak. No real pressure. No real resistance. And worst of all?
No reward chest.
The system only granted loot from matches rated one-star difficulty or higher. And these games? Not even worth grading.
He walked away from the group stage with nothing but seven free points, which he immediately dumped into strength.
Current Physical Confrontation: 92.
But it wasn't enough. He needed more. Better.
---
England — Manchester City Training Center
Inside the manager's office at the Etihad Campus, Pep Guardiola was hunched over a scouting report when his assistant, Mikel Arteta, walked in carrying a folder.
"Gündoğan's almost finalized," Arteta said. "Sane's still tough—Schalke want sixty million."
Guardiola nodded.
"What about Bravo?"
"Interested. Not thrilled about being benched at Barça. But…" Arteta paused. "He conceded six against Argentina."
Guardiola raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't matter. I want a keeper who can play with his feet. My tactics need that."
Arteta hesitated, then slid a tabloid across the table.
"Then there's this."
Guardiola looked down.
"TEIXEIRA: ARGENTINA'S NEW MIDFIELD GENERAL"
Beneath the headline: Romeo, arms crossed, eyes fierce, flanked by Messi and Aguero.
Guardiola frowned, then suddenly remembered.
"Aguero called me about him. I never got to watch…"
He turned to Arteta. "What's he like?"
Arteta didn't hesitate.
"Vision. Positioning. Technical balance. Passing range. He's not just talented. He's surgical. In the group stage, twelve assists—most of them against tight lines. Not flashy. Just clean, decisive, precise."
Guardiola's eyes narrowed. He opened his laptop and began watching.
---
Thirty minutes later…
The room was silent.
On screen, Romeo pulled the strings like a conductor—dictating rhythm, setting tempo, pressing, winning balls, launching passes that split entire defenses.
Guardiola leaned forward.
"Put him next to De Bruyne… and we control Europe."
Arteta nodded.
"Should I make contact?"
Guardiola stood up slowly.
"No. Don't contact him."
Arteta looked confused. "Why not?"
"Because you don't contact players like that. You go straight to the top. Get the owner involved. Get the agents. Sign him—at any price."
He stared at the paused screen—Romeo standing still in midfield, head up, scanning the pitch before delivering a laser pass between five Chilean players.
Guardiola's voice dropped, filled with certainty.
"That kid… is the future of this sport."
---