Chapter 26: The Invincible Formation of the Legendary General Hei Jin?
In mid-September in Lower Saxony, the Elbe River had already awakened before the morning mist had fully dissipated. The river, wrapped in pale golden morning light, meandered through the reeds, while the willow branches along the bank, heavy with dew, swayed gently as if grumbling at the chill of the autumn wind.
"Oh! The hillside covered in marigolds is sprinkled with clouds."
"Those aren't clouds, they're sheep."
"Li, you have no romantic soul..."
"To be precise, they are Heidschnucke sheep. Tom told me last time; he said this breed was introduced from England, though the folks at Volkswagen Group insist they are an ancient native German breed."
"Thank you, Li. I must remember that. Next time I share this trivia with a girl I like, she will definitely think I am very well-read."
On the plane.
Malanda and Li Luo were seated next to each other, chatting idly.
De Bruyne couldn't get a word in. He was eager to talk about the match, but the conversation between these two always easily veered off track.
...
Captain Benaglio felt something was missing. Looking around, he asked with a puzzled expression, "Where is that guy, Bendtner?"
The assistant coach yawned, his eyes bleary with sleep: "He went to the red-light district yesterday and got caught. Don't worry, the club will send someone to bail him out."
"Isn't the red-light district in Liverpool legal?"
"Well, he was drunk and started peeing on someone else's car door..."
"Fine."
Benaglio's tone was somewhat melancholy. The club had entered a phase of competing on multiple fronts, and in two days they would face the Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen... Exhausted from the workload, they had now lost a major center-forward to an arrest.
During the summer transfer window, Wolfsburg had been desperate to sign a reliable striker:
They began by making an offer to Real Madrid for Morata... but talks fell through, and the talented forward was taken by Juventus.
They then tried to buy back Mandzukic from Bayern, but unfortunately, the Croatian chose Atlético Madrid.
Turning their attention to Balotelli, they were snubbed by his agent, and the Italian star went to Liverpool.
In the end, Wolfsburg had to settle for second best, signing the Arsenal "Emperor," Bendtner.
In the top five leagues, the appeal of mid-table clubs to players is far inferior to that of the giants.
...
Hecking was starting to get anxious again.
Since taking over Wolfsburg, he had often confided his anxieties to friends, and his family and friends had, in turn, exposed these matters to the media.
"Bendtner getting caught means he might not be released that quickly."
"Dost, that guy... he doesn't like passing to Li during training."
"Olic is nursing an injury again."
The assistant suggested: "Boss, let's play a false nine. We could let Li... play like Fabregas or David Silva."
"No."
Hecking looked hesitant. "Actually, maybe it's not impossible."
The assistant was eager: "Matthäus and Beckenbauer were saying in the media last night that 'Li is very much like I was when I was young.' Both of them played as forwards when they were young, too!"
"They say similar things whenever they catch a glimpse of a young talent..."
...
The plane passed through thick clouds and slowly landed at the airport.
The local Wolfsburg fans had been waiting for a long time, excitedly welcoming their Europa League heroes back in triumph.
They had crushed Everton, and if they could next crush Inter Milan—and then crush them again in the second leg at home—their hopes of advancing would be secure.
As for the Russian powerhouse, Dynamo Moscow?
Even the top European giants might struggle to crack that frozen, demonic stadium.
"Li!!!"
"De Bruyne!!!"
"Heroes!!!"
Looking at the crowds on both sides of the cordon, the smiling faces, and the waving posters, the Wolfsburg players felt a sense of fulfillment; their value had been recognized.
Beep, beep, beep.
Li Luo noticed his phone ringing.
Unlocking the screen, he saw a message from Lauren, which read roughly: "The Sun says you gave a match-worn jersey to a little girl at Everton; I want one too."
He ignored it.
One must have the right perspective when dealing with the initiatives of the opposite sex.
"Neymar: I must be disciplined; after joining Barca, I broke up with three Brazilian girls."
Beep, beep, beep.
The phone rang again. Lauren had sent a sexy photo of herself wearing a Wolfsburg No. 10 jersey, looking as if she wasn't wearing any pants.
Li Luo hesitated for a moment and typed back: "Next time you find a chance to come watch a match in person, I'll give you a match-worn jersey."
When he had been loaned to Wolfsburg, he inherited the No. 10 jersey, which had originally belonged to his teammate, Hunt.
Hunt was a man of good character; he was currently nursing an injury and didn't care much about the number, occasionally sending messages to congratulate Li Luo on his assists or goals.
....
The club had just finished its away expedition, and the coaching staff, concerned that the players' bodies wouldn't hold up, saw Hecking wave his hand, granting all players a day off.
Li Luo returned home to find Tom directing workers to replace the turf.
"The weather is getting colder, so we need to replace the seasonal turf bit by bit to prevent you from getting injured."
After saying this, he handed over an unopened phone box: "A Chinese phone brand wants to collaborate with you; they sent a phone for you to try out."
"Good."
Li Luo couldn't experience the new modules during training, so he returned to his room and began watching the match footage of their next Bundesliga opponent, Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen was a strong side in the Bundesliga and a Champions League contender.
"Their midfield maestro, Calhanoglu—why isn't he as strong as in the teaching videos?"
"He falls over at the slightest touch in the middle of the park."
"Why is his passing accuracy so low? Zero successful dribbles? And the highest number of lost possessions in the entire match?"
"In a high-pressure environment..."
"How is his level about the same as mine?"
.....
North Rhine, Bayer Leverkusen training base.
The screen in the conference room was playing footage of a Wolfsburg match.
"How is his level about the same as mine?"
Calhanoglu said with a solemn tone: "Li and I are both talented midfielders of the new generation."
His teammates remained expressionless, seemingly accustomed to his arrogance.
Kießling, nicknamed the "Heading Monster," wore a equally serious expression: "Li's heading ability seems to be a little bit better than mine."
Matches between Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were prone to high scores; once the two teams went crazy, they abandoned defense entirely and attacked relentlessly.
The assistant coach comforted them: "Don't worry, they just finished playing in the Europa League. With very little rest, they will definitely be exhausted."
"Where is Son?"
"Son was called away by his father for extra training."
...
At a small training ground near the Leverkusen base.
The young Korean player, Son Heung-min, was being severely whipped into shape by his father.
"Nine hundred and ninety-six, switch to your left foot."
"Nine hundred and ninety-seven, switch to your right foot!"
"..."
"One thousand, rest now."
The Leverkusen forward collapsed onto the turf in agony.
His father, Son Woong-jung, picked up a Korean newspaper he had been using as a seat cushion and said with a stern face: "Your performance in the next Bundesliga match must be as dazzling as that of the Chinese player, Li. The fans of the entire Republic of Korea are looking at you with expectant eyes! That is a source of inspirational power!"
Son Heung-min didn't quite understand the mindset of the Korean public. He had been raised in the German youth training system from a very young age.
"Dad, the fans of the entire Republic of Korea... might not even be as numerous as the fans in one single Chinese city? Wouldn't Li be receiving more inspirational power?"
"Aish, stop talking nonsense, get up, and practice another thousand times!"