Chapter 25: A Great Harvest! (Two-in-One)
The white net was pulled taut by a surge of overwhelming power.
The close-up camera at Goodison Park trembled under the weight of the deafening roar from the stands.
A last-minute winner!
A breathtaking, violent header to seal the victory!
Li Luo spread his arms and sprinted along the touchline. His teammates followed close behind. Camera flashes flickered incessantly. The Wolfsburg assistant coaches, who had been waiting on the sidelines for what felt like an eternity, rushed over to embrace the young Chinese star.
...
"Goal!"
"In the final moments!"
"De Bruyne delivers the free kick, Li Luo completes the last-minute strike, and the score is rewritten."
"The Toffees' shield has been shattered by a stunning header."
"This is football."
"Until the final whistle, you never know what might happen."
"Heh, that final set-piece opportunity was one that Li Luo earned through pure grit."
...
In the livestream chat:
- [Incredible! I stepped away to the restroom and came back to this... The over 2.5 goals bet hit, absolutely unbelievable.]
- [Li Luo’s movement and dribbling in the midfield were so elegant, yet he unleashed such a ferocious header in the set-piece!]
- [A young Chinese talent, making his Europa League debut, one assist, one goal, tearing down the fortress with unstoppable momentum.]
- [And against a relatively strong and well-balanced Everton side, no less.]
- [How did he manage a last-minute winner?]
- [Lukaku’s header was impressive, but Li Luo’s was equally stunning.]
- [McCarthy, that lad—his reaction to the ball’s trajectory was so slow, his timing to start his run was off... and he’s seven centimeters taller than Li Luo.]
...
On the Wolfsburg bench, the coaching staff, substitutes, and players celebrated with wild excitement. Hecking shook Li Luo’s shoulders in a frenzy.
"Fantastic."
"Li, you are our hero."
Li Luo replied earnestly: "Yes, I am the hero!"
In the system panel, the "Shock Value" skyrocketed.
[Shock Value accumulated: 215,688]
Can I redeem two "Europa League Stars Blind Boxes"?
...
On the other side, Martinez stood frozen in place. His eyes were vacant, occasionally looking up at the match highlights playing on the LED screen above.
...
Some rejoiced, others mourned.
The Everton players looked dejected. Several local British players even lost their appetite for their planned night out at the clubs.
Lukaku, with a calm expression, muttered to himself, "If I had the chance to be teammates with Li, I think I could better realize my own value."
Mirallas tried to comfort him, "It doesn't matter. We will have many opportunities to face him in the future. Next time, we will surely beat him."
Lukaku nodded, "Beyond club-level competitions, there are also international clashes."
"The European Championship."
"..."
"You fool, Li doesn't play in the European Championship."
...
According to the rules, after a last-minute goal, the referees still had to restart play from the center circle before blowing the final whistle.
A moment later, the ball moved slightly on the center line.
Beep! Beep-beep!
The referee blew the final whistle.
Everton 1:2 Wolfsburg.
The LED screen above displayed the UEFA Man of the Match: Wolfsburg number 10, Li Luo.
"The match is over."
"Congratulations to Wolfsburg, and best wishes to Everton."
"Li Luo and De Bruyne each contributed an assist and a goal tonight to seal the victory."
"Lukaku once tenaciously equalized."
"The world of football is witnessing the emergence of many excellent young players."
"Among them, China's Li Luo is an exceptionally dazzling new star. We hope that in his future journey... he will continue to set new milestones for Chinese players!"
Applause thundered through the stadium.
Li Luo took a few sips of water, wiped his sweat with a towel, and prepared to thank the away fans.
As he walked, a blonde girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, leaned out from the front-row stands, waving her arms vigorously.
"Li!"
"Li, I... can I have your jersey?"
"No, I’m sorry. I have to give this shirt to the Wolfsburg fans who traveled all this way."
...
In the CCTV5 studio, the commentator and Coach Zhang were analyzing Li Luo’s total distance covered, passing accuracy, defensive positioning, and heatmap... when the feed suddenly cut to the sidelines.
"Heh heh heh!"
"16-year-old Kelly is so lively; she almost jumped over the advertising boards trying to get Li Luo’s match-worn jersey."
"Li Luo isn't giving it to her, haha."
"Kelly makes a funny face at him."
"Haha, the photographers and the surrounding audience are all laughing, and even the Wolfsburg fans are signaling for Li Luo to give the jersey to the little girl."
"Li Luo has high emotional intelligence; considering her face in front of so many people, he handed the shirt over."
"The camera pans to Lukaku not far away. The Everton striker is standing shirtless, holding his own jersey, looking bewildered... Haha, he probably wanted to swap jerseys with Li Luo too."
...
The Wolfsburg fans didn't mind the detail. They chanted the young Chinese star's name, their voices filled with joy and happiness.
"Li Luo~"
"Li Luo~"
"Our hero, Li Luo~"
In the first round of the Europa League group stage, Li Luo not only helped the team walk away from Goodison Park unscathed but also scored the decisive winner in the final moments to secure 3 valuable points. His status in the hearts of Wolfsburg fans rose rapidly; they didn't care at all that he was only on loan.
...
In the mixed zone, De Bruyne was unusually talkative today.
"As long as Li stays healthy, I think Wolfsburg can win many honors this season."
"I will help him..."
"He doesn't need anyone's deliberate help to win the Golden Boy Award. He has the ability."
...
As the night deepened, Goodison Park slowly grew quiet. The Wolfsburg players returned to the locker room. Everyone was in high spirits, still savoring their performance like a game they had just won.
Bendtner pulled up his shorts to show off his thigh muscles: "Was I handsome tonight? Was I a team player? I’m nearing the peak of my career as a great center-forward! I pinned down their defensive line, I set up plays for you all, and the Everton defense couldn't even beat me in a trash-talking contest."
"My impact is just that great. Even without a goal or an assist—look at Arsenal 6-2 Everton, and Wolfsburg 2-1 Everton, haha!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Captain Benaglio didn't boast, instead complaining about how lucky Lukaku was...
Malanda was silently tapping away on a calculator app on his phone, his tone excited: "Li, it’s great to have you. With the win bonuses I’ve saved up over these past few rounds... I can buy a car!"
The lad was only 19 and hadn't played many minutes, so his share of the win bonuses was smaller.
Li Luo thought for a moment, pulled a copy of *Buffon: My Investment Insights* from his bag, handed it to the young man, and said earnestly: "A small piece of advice: we should learn from Buffon and learn how to manage our finances."
It was just a suggestion. Li Luo would never interfere with anyone else's spending habits.
The young man was stunned, deeply moved, and took the book with both hands, looking pious: "Thank you, Li. I won't buy the car."
...
At the post-match press conference, Hecking was becoming increasingly accustomed to the media's praise.
"Unparalleled Master Coach," "Tactical Genius," "Grandmaster of merging the Cruyff and German football philosophies..."
He adjusted his tie and said with a straight face:
"Yes! Yes, exactly!"
"However, you overlooked one point. Tonight, I made a tactical adjustment in the defensive midfield position. I didn't use Arnold, nor did I use Guilavogui."
"I used Malanda."
"Do you understand? With different midfield partners, Li plays a different game."
"Different ingredients, different recipes."
"Why did he dribble past opponents repeatedly tonight? Oh! God, the moment he received the ball and turned, it was like he was dancing. Everyone is praising how stylish and charismatic it was... I want to say, this is Li’s normal level."
A moment later, Martinez appeared in the auditorium. After a long silence, he spoke slowly:
"I am not as good as Mr. Hecking."
...
The entire Wolfsburg team returned to their hotel. Bendtner snuck out through the lobby side door. Li Luo and his teammates couldn't help but admire the stamina and energy of the "Arsenal Emperor"...
Back in his room.
[Do you wish to consume 100,000 Shock Value to redeem a Europa League Star Blind Box?]
[Redeeming...]
[Do you wish to consume another 100,000 Shock Value?]
[Redeeming...]
He guessed right.
He really could redeem two UEFA Star Blind Boxes!
Rumble.
Rumble.
Two giant cards suddenly towered before him!
Different figures slowly emerged from within the cards. Every time he opened a box, he couldn't help but feel nervous and excited.
Li Luo took a deep breath.
What did he want?
There were too many things he wanted.
He revealed the first card!
[Blind box opening...]
A figure clenching his fists roared loudly.
[Glory and dreams, our Roma "Vice" Captain.]
[From "New Wolf King" to "Vice Wolf King."]
[An important supporting character in "The Totti Joke Collection."]
[Last season, the Roma vice-captain who averaged 2.8 tackles per game.]
...
[Congratulations on obtaining: De Rossi's "Precision Interception" module.]
[How can a top-tier midfielder not know how to defend?]
[Use your brain to predict the opponent's attacking direction and passing patterns.]
[Bonus Attribute Increase: Defense +5, Tackling +5!]
The back of his head felt slightly numb.
Great stuff. It added two attributes outright!
Not only that, but in the geometric model of spatial perception in his mind, a red line faintly appeared—a latent improvement?
In high-intensity matches, defense was never a one-man job. His teammate Gustavo was a strong defender, but he still couldn't cover every hole. Working with his teammates, Li Luo now felt confident he could make a greater defensive contribution during the periods when Wolfsburg had to sit deep.
...
The second card.
[Blind box opening...]
A bald figure, captured in a volleying posture, gradually became clear.
[1996, the 24-year-old French midfielder, playing in the final Europa League match of his career, against Bayern Munich.]
[The Silent Leader; the Bordeaux coach once suspected this young man was a mute.]
[The final curtain call: The Iron Headbutt.]
Rumble.
The card burst with an incredibly blinding light.
[Congratulations on obtaining: Zidane's "Dragonfly Skimming the Water" module.]
[Passive effect: In the moment you handle the ball, you may gain extra inspiration; it is a type of inertia, a type of instinct.]
Zidane!
Li Luo had watched his match footage and highlight reels.
"Dragonfly Skimming the Water"—judging from the passive effect... combined with spatial perception and one-touch passing, it could become a god-tier skill, and one with extremely high flair.
It could solve many problems during a match.
Especially when dealing with the ball in the area between the opponent's lines, it might alleviate a great deal of pressure.
The battle against Everton could be called a massive harvest. The De Rossi module and the Zidane module had given Li Luo a comprehensive boost in ability.
...
Without wallowing in the joy of his improvement, Li Luo opened his notebook.
He began to write his diary, summarizing the day.
"Coach Hecking is a top manager. He is very capable. Sending on Malanda to fully assist me reduced my pressure."
"Next match, I can let Malanda do more of the legwork?"
"Everton’s midfield and defensive players use many dirty tactics, and the physical confrontation was quite intense. I was lucky today not to get injured."
"Receiving the ball while facing forward and turning—in high-tempo confrontations—is a magical skill for beating defenders."
"The tempo of a match needs to be supported by the players' abilities. If it's blindly fast, the more flaws will appear."
"Bendtner invited me to the 'Men's Paradise' on George Street to experience the local culture, but I refused, because infectious diseases are terrifying."
"Strong heading ability... it's not just for shooting, but also for flick-ons and setting up teammates."
"Wolfsburg has entered a phase of multi-front competition. In three days, we have the fourth round of the Bundesliga. Everyone will be very tired."
"Everton manager Martinez executed a technical counter-attacking system tonight. This style is still quite rare among the top five leagues, so there's no need to spend too much time on in-depth research for now."
He closed the notebook.
Li Luo was gradually surrounded by fatigue and sleepiness. He struggled to set his phone to silent mode and collapsed onto the bed.
......
In the East, the rooster crowed at dawn. People began their busy day.
Li Luo's highlight reel was being played on phones on sidewalks, in subway stations, on buses, and in breakfast shops... The vast majority of Chinese fans felt an immense sense of emotional fulfillment.
"Damn! He can turn like that?"
"Calm and composed, walking in a courtyard."
"So cool."
"A playing style that is both minimalist and stylish."
"Awesome! A last-minute winner!"
"With this background music, it’s so lit."
"Europa League debut, Li Luo took down Everton, who ranked fifth in the Premier League last season. His form is very stable; no regression at all."
"Everton's strength this season might just be mid-table in the Premier League, but for Li Luo to lead Wolfsburg to a result like this away from home is already very impressive."
"I read an expert analysis: Coach Hecking changing Li Luo's playing style was truly aimed at preventing him from getting injured."
The front pages of major sports newspapers featured photos of Li Luo in his white away kit.
Different photos, different moments.
"The Chinese Man Conquering the Europa League."
The hearts of Chinese fans remained unsettled for a long time.
....
Manchester.
Van Gaal stared at the footage, filled with pride.
"See."
"The technical support we provided to the Wolfsburg coaching staff was very useful."
Giggs scratched his head: "Boss, I don't... I don't really see it. I think it’s because Hecking gives Li a lot of freedom, which is why they managed to win the match."
"..."
"Let's change the subject. Can we ask Hecking for advice?"
"How does he train Li and De Bruyne? Have him provide Manchester United with some technical support as well."
"We can also use these methods to develop Manchester United’s young midfielders."
Van Gaal’s eyes were full of anticipation.
Giggs nodded.
The Manchester United staff were envious of Wolfsburg's results: they were fortunate that Li Luo was only on loan... If he had been sold, how much would Manchester United have to pay to buy him back?