Chapter 8: Reaping Shock Value!

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At dawn, the Wolfsburg training ground was shrouded in a veil woven by the drizzling rain.
The usually dry Lower Saxony was drenched in steady rain.
Li Luo was punctual, arriving right on time.
After changing into his jersey and boots, he stepped onto the training field.
Suddenly, he noticed the sensation beneath his feet was different from that in Manchester.
The Wolfsburg coaching staff gathered around warmly. “Keen-eyed Li, the climate in the Premier League and Bundesliga differs. For this season, we use turf with rougher blades and denser roots.”
“You’ll need some time to adapt.”
They had studied the footage of the Chinese prodigy’s time at Manchester United’s youth team and held a fixed impression: Li Luo’s ball control, passing, and footwork were exquisite, akin to players like Xavi or Pirlo. He would need time to adjust to the turf.
“Mm.”
Li Luo nodded quietly, committing this information to memory.
Nearby, the Wolfsburg first-team players paused their intense training, curiously observing the newcomer from China.
“Hey? That guy’s really short!”
“A clean face, no beard—looks like a kid.”
“He is a kid.”
“Li’s probably the shortest in our first team. Lucky—low center of gravity, quick steps. I watched that Youth Champions League final; his ball control and dribbling were impressive.”
“Vienna’s short too, but he’s got a thick beard.”
Their comments bore no malice; rather, they tactically saw Li’s height as an asset.
The head coach, Black Gold, broke their chatter sternly: “Quiet! The rain is no excuse for relaxation! Tomorrow’s opponent won’t slack off just because they’re wet!”
His tone was severe, his expression fierce.
Then he turned, softening into a friendly smile, jogging over to greet the Chinese prodigy.
The Wolfsburg players immediately fell silent and resumed warming up.
The team doctor had advised the coaching staff against training in the rain to avoid colds, but the suggestion was always firmly rejected.
Gradually, the club’s senior staff had grown accustomed; the previous head coach, Magath, had imposed brutally intense training, pushing players to their limits.
Players had no complaints—this rain was nothing. Compared to other clubs, Wolfsburg’s current training intensity was reasonable.
Rain fell diagonally, mingling with the earthy scent and the coolness of grass blades.
Li Luo’s black hair seemed sprinkled with grains of sugar.
He smiled politely and greeted the Wolfsburg head coach.
“Good morning, Mr. Black Gold!”
Hearing this, Black Gold smiled and nodded, instantly relaxed. He had a good impression of Li Luo: gentle, polite, with a comforting smile; unlike the troublemaker from Arsenal or the reserved De Bruyne waiting for him to speak first.
He took the medical report handed over by the assistant coach and murmured:
“Hm? Slightly unaccustomed to the environment?”
“Boss, I’m not unaccustomed.”
“Good, fine young man!”
Li Luo responded instinctively, then took the vest from the staff and joined the warm-up.
Nearby, the Wolfsburg assistant coach blew the whistle to start group scrimmages.
The rain intensified, making the turf increasingly slippery.
Players’ ball control, technical moves, and passing were all affected.
Even De Bruyne, known for top-class passing, made mistakes.
Li Luo stood on the sidelines with a few teammates.
He wasn’t nervous at all.
The spatial awareness module in his mind was working overtime.
This time, he wouldn’t run around like a headless chicken.
At the 12th minute of the training match, De Bruyne sent a brilliant long pass, the ball tracing a rainbow arc through the misty rain.
The 190cm tall Bentner made a forward run.
Thud.
The damp turf caused the big man to fall heavily.
The ball splashed on landing and rolled out weakly over the sideline.
The Arsenal star laughed as he got up, giving a thumbs-up to the Belgian genius.
De Bruyne shyly returned the gesture.
The Wolfsburg coaching staff on the sidelines nodded with approval.

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“The rain affects visibility.”
“Bentner’s timing was half a beat slow, but looking back, his running path was very rational. No wonder he’s a gem from Arsenal’s academy—top-notch spatial awareness.”
“De Bruyne’s game reading is also elite.”
“The others were quite affected.”
“Put Li on!”
“Let him join De Bruyne’s team!”
Beep!
Li Luo donned the A team vest and jogged onto the pitch.
His teammates had little expectation: heavy rain, slippery turf, and a small, quick genius skilled in passing, stopping, dribbling, and shooting wouldn’t pose much threat.
Black Gold thought the same.
“Li still needs time to learn our formation changes and tactical system, to gradually integrate.”
“Even geniuses find everything here unfamiliar; he needs time to adapt to Wolfsburg.”
“Take it slow.”
“I’m not in a rush.”
Not nervous at all.
Completely calm.
Li Luo’s expression was serene.
The spatial awareness in his mind had perfectly deconstructed Wolfsburg’s tactical shifts.
Everything on the pitch was under his control.
The rain masked his deficiency in foot skills, which hovered around the forties.
The match went on.
The ball continued to splash droplets on the grass.
Both teams’ formations shifted constantly with player movement.
A group of assistant coaches shouted from the sidelines:
“Li, over there!”
“Make the run, Li!”
“Come back, Li!”
They tried to help Li adapt to Bundesliga turf, integrate into the new environment and locker room.
Gradually, everyone began to sense something was off, furrowing brows in surprise:
Li Luo’s positioning was even more logical than their shouted instructions.
His timing anticipated their voices.
No—
Li Luo’s mind was faster than theirs!
Black Gold’s mouth dropped open.
Bentner, replaced and watching, widened his eyes: this kid’s spatial awareness… wasn’t just hype from The Sun; Swansea’s players weren’t fools.
Teammates on the field were secretly shocked: this kid’s vision… isn’t affected by rain? His movement was so rational, it looked like the result of precise computer calculations.
De Bruyne grew increasingly baffled; every time he received or passed, he noticed Li Luo already positioned perfectly, creating the safest and most advantageous passing lanes.
“Hey, Li Luo even raises his finger to signal teammates’ runs!”
“Genius!”
“Super genius!”
“Commander!”
“The rain hampers Li Luo’s passing, stopping, dribbling, and shooting, but can’t conceal his vision, game reading, positioning, awareness, and off-the-ball movement…”
Black Gold and the assistants trembled with excitement.
Their expressions said it all: they’d struck gold!
“By the way.”
“Have you noticed Li’s way of engaging in physical challenges is very rational?”
“Up-to-date tackling technique.”
“Though short, he’s excellent at using his core strength, and his hip movements are very effective.”
“Yeah, very effective—Manchester United’s academy has some substance.”
European youth training manuals evolve rapidly, shedding outdated techniques every year. Many young players’ technical habits become fixed, with some flaws hard to correct.
Manchester United was no exception.
But prodigies weren’t affected.
At this moment, no one knew.
Li Luo had only recently started playing football, and his training manual was the latest edition.
Ten minutes later.

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Li Luo noticed a teammate behind him win possession.
In an instant, he sprinted.
His physical attributes were strong—173cm tall, low center of gravity, and rapid acceleration from a poised start.
Cruyff once said: speed isn’t just running fast but starting earlier than your opponent.
“Transition attack!”
“Pass the ball to Li quickly!”
The assistant coaches were exhilarated again.
Gustavo completed a tackle and passed to De Bruyne.
The Belgian was utterly astonished.
He didn’t need to calculate the lead time for his pass…
Snap!
The ball rose off the ground.
Li Luo’s figure dashed past the opposing defense line.
No offside.
“One-on-one!”
“This kid’s football IQ is insanely high!”
The B team goalkeeper was baffled.
Initially, seeing Li Luo unfamiliar with Wolfsburg’s tactics and stepping onto the pitch in the A team vest, he thought the scrimmage was unfair.
Now, watching Li stumble slightly while controlling the ball, then charge in alone, he felt the match was even more unfair.
The gap narrowed.
Li Luo stared at the charging B team keeper.
Uh-oh.
He had just made an error controlling the ball, exposing his foot skill flaw in the forties.
Facing a one-on-one now would reveal his weaknesses in control and shooting.
The next moment.
His dribbling faltered; his ball control stability was poor.
He was about to lose control…
The goalkeeper watched Li Luo’s shoulder movements carefully.
Fake move?
Real move?
The keeper lost balance, fell to the ground.
Trying to push himself up, the slippery turf caused him to fall again.
To everyone’s eyes, Li Luo and the ball veered off the advancing line separately.
“Step over!”
“Wow!”
Li Luo rounded the fallen keeper, touched the ball again, and gently nudged it into the empty net.
Applause erupted!
Black Gold and the assistant coaches’ eyes shone with admiration.
Teammates couldn’t help but thumbs-up.
The torrential rain, the drenched turf—no one doubted Li Luo’s foot skills.
**The Bundesliga journey officially begins...**
**Shock Value +1**
**Shock Value +1**
**Shock Value +1**
**...**
Li Luo stared at the continually rising shock value, somewhat dazed.
The system prompt sounded continuously.
**Star Blind Box reward range confirmed: Bundesliga stars.**
**Newbie benefit: first redemption of Bundesliga stars blind box requires only 40 shock value points.**
**Subsequent redemptions require 100,000 shock value points each.**