Chapter 816 - 734: Vomiting Reaction

Chapter 816: Chapter 734: Vomiting Reaction

After finishing his ward rounds, Chen Yu arrived at the rehabilitation center to find Ronaldo running on a treadmill, wearing an oxygen deprivation mask.

Chen Yu frowned immediately. He grabbed a trainer and asked who had authorized Ronaldo to train like this.

"He did it himself," the trainer said, looking aggrieved. "We already told him it was useless, but he didn’t believe us. He insists this kind of training will boost his endurance. We tried to persuade him, but it was no use. And since you weren’t in Phoenix, he flat out refused to listen to us."

Chen Yu sighed.

Simulated hypoxic training, or altitude training, did indeed have its benefits. In a low-oxygen environment, the human body was forced to produce more hemoglobin, increasing the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and thus boosting endurance. This was especially true for long-distance running. It was part of the reason why distance runners from the high-altitude regions of Africa dominated the track and field world.

But the problem was that those athletes were born and raised at high altitudes; their bodies had adapted to the environment since childhood. Someone could certainly go to a high altitude or use a specialized training chamber to simulate the environment, but that required time. Without three or four months to adapt, short-term exposure to a low-oxygen environment was entirely useless and could even harm the body.

Furthermore, Chen Yu felt it was completely unnecessary.

Just looking at Ronaldo’s physique was proof enough. The thirty-year-old was currently wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. His shirtless upper body was well-proportioned, his incredibly defined muscles exuding a raw sense of power. He had maintained his physique exceptionally well—one could even call it top-tier. It was more than enough to sustain him through any level of match intensity on the pitch. With the FIFA World Cup fast approaching, there was absolutely no need for him to unnecessarily burden his body.

Right at that moment, Ronaldo suddenly hit the stop button on the treadmill. He hastily ripped off the oxygen deprivation mask, turned his head, and fell to his knees, retching violently.

Chen Yu’s expression shifted slightly as he immediately hurried over.

He then noticed that Ronaldo wasn’t actually throwing anything up; it was more of a dry heaving reflex. While excessive training could indeed induce vomiting, Chen Yu quickly observed that Ronaldo’s reflex faded just as rapidly as it had appeared. It was as if he had experienced a sudden, momentary urge to vomit that instantly subsided. If he had genuinely run himself to the point of throwing up, the physical reaction would have been much more severe.

Panting heavily, Ronaldo spotted Chen Yu and greeted him with a hint of embarrassment. Having expelled nothing, he took a bottle of water, drank a few mouthfuls, and instantly recovered.

"Take a break," Chen Yu said, stepping forward to pat his shoulder. He then turned to find Conte, the trainer responsible for Ronaldo’s daily regimen.

"So you’re saying he’s been dry heaving during his training sessions over the past few days, but a physical examination didn’t reveal any issues?" Chen Yu asked.

Ronaldo had arrived in Phoenix and settled in on May 21st, the day before Chen Yu left for Los Angeles. Since Chen Yu had been away for the past two days, his attention on Ronaldo had been limited. It was during this time that Conte noticed Ronaldo’s recurring nausea during practice.

Conte patted his chest and assured Chen Yu that the training intensity wasn’t high. There were no physical issues, and Ronaldo had been completing the routines perfectly—even easily.

Chen Yu didn’t jump to conclusions. After a moment of thought, he called Ryan William, the team doctor for Real Madrid, to ask about Ronaldo’s physical condition at the end of the season.

A moment later, Chen Yu hung up the phone. According to Ryan, he had never seen Ronaldo exhibit any signs of vomiting during training.

"Mr. Chen, I’m actually wondering if it might be psychogenic vomiting. Like, his psychological stress is just too high," Conte suggested in a low voice.

Chen Yu turned to glance at Ronaldo not far away. After a brief rest, he had already resumed his training. Everything looked perfectly normal.

"That is indeed a possibility," Chen Yu nodded.

There was a precedent for this. Before the 1998 final, Ronaldo had suddenly suffered from epileptic symptoms, which led to him completely losing himself during the match. It had sparked all sorts of conspiracy theories. However, Chen Yu had specifically asked Ronaldo and his teammates from the Brazil Team about it. He could basically confirm that there was no conspiracy at all; Ronaldo’s immense mental pressure had caused a breakdown, which triggered a chain reaction in his body. Colossal mental stress could indeed cause a series of issues like vomiting and convulsions.

So the question remained: was Ronaldo under a lot of pressure right now?

Chen Yu crossed his arms, quietly watching Ronaldo train. After a moment, he reached a conclusion in his mind.

Undoubtedly, the pressure was monumental.

In 2002, he had led the team, only to watch Italy snatch away the FIFA World Cup. That year had been Baggio’s chance to make up for his regrets, while for Ronaldo, it was a battle to prove himself. He, too, had wanted to make up for his own regrets from 1998. Unfortunately, he had failed to achieve his wish.

For the next four years, everything he did was solely for this year’s FIFA World Cup. Over the past few years, whenever Chen Yu chatted with Ronaldo, the topic he brought up the most was always this tournament. Leading the Brazil Team to the championship seemed to have become his sole and highest goal in life.

And now, after four years of preparation, the tournament had finally arrived.

It was completely understandable that his mindset would suddenly shift at a time like this. It was like obsessing over succeeding in 2006 for four entire years, forcing yourself to constantly work hard and prepare. Yet, when the matches were actually about to begin, you became nervous and terrified. You feared losing again because you had already cut off all avenues of retreat. You simply couldn’t afford the consequences of failure. So, you started to dread it.

That kind of crushing pressure was enough to break a person.

"Mr. Chen, what should we do?" Conte asked. He could handle physical or training-related problems, but if it was a psychological issue, he genuinely didn’t know what to do.

"It’s fine. I’ll have a chat with him," Chen Yu replied. He patted Conte’s shoulder, instructing him to keep everything running as usual, and then left the rehabilitation center.

However, Chen Yu was in no rush to talk to Ronaldo. Instead, he started by investigating Ronaldo’s situation from the periphery.

Chen Yu knew all of his teammates, his agent, and the close friends he frequently contacted. He also knew his current girlfriend.

Speaking of which, he had divorced Milanee back in 2004. Chen Yu hadn’t asked for the reasons; he had no interest in prying into other people’s privacy. But he could guess. It was probably because Ronaldo had neglected Milanee after transferring to La Liga, or perhaps both of them were simply too busy with their respective careers. After giving birth to their son and raising him until he was a bit older, Milanee had made a comeback to play football.

Regardless, the two had divorced.

Then, last year, Ronaldo had tied the knot again, this time with a supermodel from Brazil. They got married in February, only to rush into a divorce a mere six months later. Of course, he had quickly found a new flame. He had no intentions of getting married, though. After his divorce last year, his exact words were that the World Cup was next year, and he didn’t want to waste too much energy on women for the time being. In his mind, marriage was a massive drain on his energy.

That was why he hadn’t even brought his new girlfriend along for this trip to the United States.