Chapter 10: Two Little Lives Opposite?
Page 1/3
Gradually, his mood settled. Li Luo absorbed all of Morata’s coaching content. His eyes grew resolute.
“If I have the chance to become teammates with such a genius striker, I’m sure I can learn so much more.”
“No slacking off. The passing attribute training is improving; I have to make the most of my time to practice.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Large raindrops pattered against the patio window.
Outside, the world was a vast expanse of white.
The football, which had been flicked up, landed again on the wooden floor.
“I could go to the gym.”
“The match is tomorrow. The coaching staff said no high-intensity strength training…”
“No excuses. I still have to practice passing!”
“Focus on feeling the essence of the ‘One-Touch Passing’ module.”
Li Luo hurried to the living room, moved the sofa and furniture aside, clearing a spacious area.
He set the football down.
He began practicing against the wall.
Snap!
At the moment of passing, his body felt different.
Snap!
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Li Luo realized he didn’t need to strictly follow every technical detail Morata had taught.
The “Thiago One-Touch Passing” module had deeply imprinted all the key movements and power applications into his muscle memory.
In response to the rebounding ball, his steps and body posture adjustments had become instinctive.
This module.
This style of play.
It was truly elegant.
Only, limited by his passing attribute, which was just over 40, the power and trajectory were hard to control.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
The soft collision of the ball against the wall seemed to echo the rain outside.
After an unknown span of time,
Li Luo was astonished to see the decimal points in his passing attribute slowly advance several digits.
Counting on his fingers, he concluded: By next season, when he returns to Manchester United, his passing attribute would surely rise above 70!
How blissful.
The happiest thing in this world is that hard work truly brings results.
...
When that time comes,
The prodigy from China will ride in on a radiant cloud, returning to the Theatre of Dreams.
Page 2/3
Countless eager and hopeful eyes watch.
Thunderous applause and cheers shake the ground.
Will the elders and legends of Manchester United—Ferguson, Van Gaal the head coach, and assistant Giggs—feel utterly shocked?
‘Our heir apparent has battled in Germany for a year, and yet he shows no progress at all?’
....
Late at night.
Wolfsburg’s office building.
The head coach’s office was still lit.
The night breeze slipped through the window, fluttering disordered sheets filled with sketches and circles.
Heikjin hunched over the desk, incessantly scribbling and drawing.
Suddenly,
He lifted his head sharply, wearing an enlightened expression.
“Why am I even agonizing over the ball possession issue between him and De Bruyne?”
“All I need to do is…”
“Simply place you behind the center forward! That solves everything.”
“In the Youth Champions League final, he excelled at breakthroughs, with explosive bursts.”
“He can make the striker’s job easier and also make De Bruyne’s play more comfortable!”
“The perfect solution!”
Poor Wolfsburg’s coach, pouring heart and soul into optimizing the system, yet...
...
Early the next morning.
Li Luo arrived early at the training base.
Reading the newspaper while eating breakfast.
His seat was near the window.
Suddenly, a tall figure blocked the gentle morning light.
“Good morning, Li.”
“A beautiful day has begun.”
Bendtner sat opposite him, doing exactly the same: reading the newspaper, eating breakfast.
“Damn it, The Sun is slandering me again.”
The restaurant had been quiet, the scenery outside and the morning light soothing everyone’s mood, but now all that peace was shattered by the “Arsenal Emperor’s” roar.
Ears hurt, heart trembled.
Very annoying to listen to.
Bendtner slapped the newspaper on the table: “They said back when Arsenal faced Barcelona, I controlled the ball five meters away… wasting Wilshere’s perfect chance, which led Fabregas to pay out of his own pocket to join Barca, and ultimately caused Van Persie to go to Manchester United.”
Li Luo didn’t immediately understand the relationships between the people mentioned.
After pondering carefully,
He gradually pieced it together.
Though he hadn’t specifically followed star gossip, many comments in football tutorial videos had exposed him to such stories.
Page 3/3
About “Loyalty to France,” about “Van’s ambition.”
Bendtner waited for Li Luo’s consolation... but found the latter seemingly lost in thought.
Wolfsburg’s captain, Benaglio, came over gently.
“Don’t affect your teammates.”
“If you had seized those chances back then, Arsenal’s future might have been different.”
“No, not one chance — two. If you had taken them, you could have sent Barca home right then.”
“You should forget the past now and work hard at Wolfsburg to prove yourself.”
A bowl of soul-soothing words poured out.
Bendtner ruffled his hair, speechless, quietly resumed his breakfast.
Not far away,
De Bruyne, hearing the words “prove yourself,” silently lowered his head.
Gustavo also felt moved, yet his face bore a happy expression, as if his past was a fond memory.
Li Luo had no time to delve into his teammates’ past stories. After breakfast, he headed to the training ground. The assistant coaches said: a fierce battle was imminent; today there would be no scrimmages or resistance training. The session would be simple.
.....
The sun rose and set.
Under the night sky, the Volkswagen Arena was brightly lit, filled with roaring crowds.
News headlines flooded Chinese internet portals:
“Bundesliga Preview: Li Luo vs. Takashi Inui, Makoto Hasebe! The Asian Duel Ignites!”
“Shocking! Wolfsburg’s Starting Lineup Includes This Name.”
“Chinese Prodigy Li Luo Set for Bundesliga Debut.”
“Manchester United’s Heir Apparent, Dominating Germany.”
“Volkswagen Group CEO: Li Luo is a gift from God to Wolfsburg. Data shows he not only fulfills our commercial goals in China, but his future commercial value is immeasurable.”
“Korean Media: Li Luo is only good at breakthroughs and dribbling; he will struggle to adapt quickly to the Bundesliga and Wolfsburg’s system. China has just one player in Bundesliga, but Korea has nine. Chinese media and netizens should stop dreaming about the Asian Cup.”
“Japanese Media: A Burning Fighting Spirit! Facing a genius midfielder like Li Luo, Japanese players in Europe will give their all! Please write a chapter about the commoners defeating Manchester United’s nobility! Kaneshiro, Hasebe — everything depends on you!”
Comments, likes, and shares surged wildly:
- “What? Li Luo’s Bundesliga debut faces two Japanese players?”
- “That’s normal; Bundesliga has over twenty Japanese and Korean players, some are even starters.”
- “Isn’t the commercial value of Chinese players high? We should send dozens more to Bundesliga for experience.”
- “Huh? The Asian Cup is coming in a few months… the opponents are so strong?”
- “Australia’s strength isn’t weak either.”
- “The Asian Cup is still far off. Tonight, let’s see if Li Luo can integrate into Wolfsburg’s tactics.”
- “Frankfurt’s two Japanese players are strong. Li Luo, play well and don’t let Japan and Korea get arrogant.”
- “Go, Li Luo!”