Chapter 372: This Is How We Are

Ronaldo has officially joined AC Milan and will wear the No. 99 jersey this season.

The media speculated a lot about this jersey number.

Some said that since he couldn't choose No. 9, Ronaldo opted for 99 instead.

Others believed that since the jersey's previous owner was Šuker, this was Ronaldo's way of showing he had no intention to compete with him.

But regardless of the reason, Ronaldo is now part of AC Milan.

Šuker had also spent some time getting to know Ronaldo.

He was just like people imagined—cheerful, easygoing, playful, fond of nightclubs and beautiful women.

Even though he had just joined, Ronaldo integrated into the team very quickly.

Ronaldo had previously played for Inter Milan, but when it came to "betraying" former clubs, he was already experienced.

After all, he had also played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid—the two teams in Spain's El Clásico rivalry.

No one cared about that kind of thing, and Ronaldo himself certainly didn't.

On January 14, AC Milan was set to face Reggina at home.

As the first match of the second half of the season, the fixture drew significant attention.

New signings Ronaldo, Oddo, and Šimunić were also expected to make their debuts.

Which game they would debut in depended on Ancelotti's arrangement.

However, given Ronaldo's star power and reputation, this match was highly anticipated.

"Pass it here!"

During a training match, Pirlo passed to Šuker, but the ball was a little off, landing behind him.

Pirlo grimaced at the poor pass and was about to raise his hand to apologize—until he saw what Šuker did to Gattuso.

On the edge of the pitch, Gattuso saw the errant pass and rushed in to press.

But Šuker merely stepped back and used a one-legged scorpion flick to pop the ball over Gattuso's shoulder, smoothly slipping past him.

"Whoa!!"

Kaká and others howled in excitement.

"You bastard!"

Gattuso blushed with embarrassment, realizing he'd just been played. Instinctively, he reached to grab Šuker's training shirt.

Šuker suddenly stopped and dragged the ball sideways—nutmegging Gattuso.

"WHOA!!!!!!"

The commotion was even louder this time.

In football, nutmegging someone is considered an outrageous humiliation.

After completing the move, Šuker didn't care about training—he just sprinted off, running for his life.

"Stop right there!"

As expected, Gattuso's furious shout echoed behind him.

"Only an idiot would stop!"

Šuker yelled with a grin as he kept running laps around the pitch, with Gattuso in hot pursuit.

One chased, one ran.

Maldini yelled from the field, half-laughing, "You two, focus on training!"

The whole training ground was in an uproar.

On the sideline, Kaká sat with Ronaldo.

Ronaldo looked at the pitch in amazement.

"Yup! This is how we are," said Kaká, instantly reading Ronaldo's expression.

Every player joining AC Milan would experience this strong sense of culture shock.

"They're running this way!" Ronaldo pointed ahead.

Kaká turned and saw Šuker sprinting toward them.

A bad feeling rose in him.

Šuker dashed past and tossed out a line:

"Ivan, Kaká says your fishing skills suck!"

"I didn't say that!"

Thud!

Gattuso gave Kaká a punch in passing.

Kaká, caught in the crossfire, stood up angrily and started chasing Gattuso, aiming kicks at his backside.

Soon, Pirlo also joined the chaos.

The whole field turned into a wild scene.

Ronaldo looked on, bewildered, feeling that something about this AC Milan seemed… odd.

But it felt nice.

Compared to Real Madrid's artificially manufactured sense of unity, this atmosphere was more relaxed, the jokes more genuine, the smiles more sincere.

There was no backstabbing or mind games—just authenticity.

Eventually, Ancelotti called a halt, and Šuker finally stopped.

Gattuso panted furiously and glared at Šuker, as if saying, "Just you wait till training's over."

Gattuso got angry easily, but he was also easy to calm down.

A few kind words, and he'd be grinning again.

For example: "I think your fishing has really improved." Just one sentence like that, and he'd be happy the whole day—forgetting all about the teasing and his anger.

Šuker was his best buddy.

Time flew, and it was finally match day.

The AC Milan squad boarded their team bus and headed to the San Siro.

Their opponent this round, Reggina, was a team full of spirit.

Even in an age dominated by defensive "park-the-bus" tactics, they stubbornly stuck to an attacking philosophy.

Even against top teams, they shouted about "the art of attacking" and went full throttle forward.

Their results weren't great, but to Reggina fans, losing was acceptable—abandoning their belief was not.

AC Milan, in fact, liked teams like this.

Compared to those who parked the bus, these guys were much more likable.

Starting Lineups:

AC Milan (4-3-2-1):GK: DidaDefenders: Šimić, Nesta, Šimunić, OddoMidfield: Gattuso, Pirlo, AmbrosiniForwards: Kaká, Šuker, Seedorf

Reggina (4-4-2):GK: PelizzoliDefenders: Mesto, Lanzaro, Modesto, LucarelliMidfield: Tedesco, Tognozzi, Aronica, LeonForwards: Amoruso, Bianchi

In the first half of the season, Reggina ranked 15th on the table, still at risk of relegation.

But their fearless mentality against AC Milan made Šuker "like" them.

As long as the opponent didn't park the bus, it didn't matter how they played.

As the first match of the second half of the season, many media outlets turned out to cover it.

They were curious whether AC Milan could maintain their first-half form.

After 18 rounds, AC Milan held a record of 16-2-0.

If not for the damn 8-point deduction, they would've left Inter in the dust.

But fate had its way.

AC Milan was implicated in a match-fixing scandal and had to accept punishment.

Still, the club insisted they had not fixed any matches—only that they were allegedly involved, with no hard proof yet.

Back to the match.

The cameras focused on Šuker.

As the most outstanding striker of the season so far, he had shined in both the league and the Champions League.

His performance outshone everyone else.

People were eager to see whether he could maintain this crazy form in the second half.

After all, many players and teams start to collapse as the season wears on.

Other questions included how AC Milan would manage their limited squad depth.

How long before Ronaldo gets his chance?

Can Šimunić and Oddo establish themselves in the team?

Due to foreign player quota rules, Cafu didn't feature in this match.

Šimić, who held an EU passport, started instead.

Surprisingly, AC Milan had three Croatians on the field.

Of course, everything centered around Šuker.

Šimunić and Oddo, both new to a club of Milan's stature, were eager to prove themselves.

They looked sharp and full of determination.

Šuker did his signature bouncing warm-up.

He jumped high, legs tucked, arms extended as if embracing the air—pumping himself up to max excitement.

After a few reps, he exhaled and adjusted his breathing rhythm.

When he looked up toward Reggina's half—

Their players were also looking at him.

Šuker was clearly the biggest threat in this match, and Reggina had yet to find a way to contain him.

Still, believing in their attack-oriented faith, they felt that as long as they pressed forward, they could suppress AC Milan.

The pre-match atmosphere grew tense.

AC Milan fans cheered loudly.

They couldn't wait for the game to begin.

In the center circle, Šuker and Kaká stood ready for kickoff.

The atmosphere became heavy.

The Milan supporters were relishing this moment of pre-game tension, shouting and cheering like mad.

Under this wave of roars, the referee blew his whistle.

Kickoff!