Chapter 3: The Virgin Show Reward, the Legendary Treasure Chest!
Old Trafford seemed to be hosting an extraordinarily grand festival.
The Red Devils’ fans were ecstatic.
Supporters from China were burning with passion.
A super talent scored on his Premier League debut.
“Goal!”
“Equalizer!”
“Lee Luo heads in a last-minute goal to help Manchester United level the score!”
“Like a great roc rising swiftly on the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles.”
“An unstoppable header, heralding the prologue of a legendary epic!”
The commentator couldn’t help but grow poetic, rambling about life, truth, dandelions, melancholy, Romain Rolland, Maupassant...
Coach Zhang chuckled quietly to himself.
...
In the live broadcast room,
The slow-motion replay showed the moment of the goal.
—“Awesome!”
—“Thanks to Lee Luo for saving my bet on over 3.5 goals!”
—“Scoring on your Premier League debut? What a superstar start!”
—“The hope of Chinese football, salvation for football in China.”
—“Quick, put the number seven jersey on him; he’s the future king of the Theatre of Dreams.”
...
In the technical area,
The Swansea coaching staff looked utterly bewildered again.
Gary Monk angrily raised his hand and slammed a water bottle onto the turf.
On the other side,
Giggs bent over, fists clenched in excitement.
Van Gaal wore a complicated expression, scribbling in his notebook, reviewing the attack while muttering to himself.
“Lee... his movement and positioning in the offensive build-up are quite reasonable?”
“Really?”
“Damn it, when have I ever doubted myself? Lee is a super genius!”
...
Cheers and applause poured down like a torrential rain over the Theatre of Dreams.
Colorful confetti fluttered in the beams of light.
Lee Luo was in a daze.
He scored?
With a header?
He absentmindedly touched his forehead.
The older teammates excitedly swarmed him.
“Why are you just standing there? Celebrate!”
“You’re too handsome, just like I was on my debut!”
“Don’t leave after the match; I’ll take you to...”
Rooney clapped a hand on Lee Luo’s shoulder, turned toward the stands,
And pulled up the team crest on his chest, showing everyone: This is Manchester United’s future.
...
Some rejoiced, others despaired.
The Swansea goalkeeper was left speechless and tearful: The Chinese boy’s heading technique was mediocre. If it hadn’t just hit the post and changed direction... I would definitely have saved it.
So close.
So close to winning the match!
Damn it, conceding the equalizer at the last moment—I’m the villain!
The atmosphere within Swansea was good, though. Teammates rushed forward to comfort him: “It’s okay, that kid’s a Manchester United rising star. Getting scored on by him isn’t shameful.”
“This is a good thing.”
---
“If Lee becomes a super superstar someday, you’ll be the first goalkeeper he beats in his career! Do you know what that means?”
Gradually,
The Swansea goalkeeper felt his teammates had a point.
No, that wasn’t right.
Lee’s heading was not ordinary!
He must have calculated the ball’s trajectory and angle, capturing the exact moment I jumped to save...
It had to be that.
...
Over the skies of Old Trafford, the name of Manchester United’s heir echoed.
“Lee!!!”
“Lee!!!”
“Lee Luo!!!”
Countless eyes focused on the Chinese boy.
Lee Luo felt like he was dreaming.
His emotions were complex.
Relieved, yet uncertain.
Tonight’s match was over for now; what about the next game? What about tomorrow’s training?
The truth cannot be hidden forever.
One day, it will be uncovered.
Suddenly,
A mechanical, cold synthetic voice sounded:
[Task completed: Premier League debut, a stunning impact.]
[Task receipt: The genius youth who turned the tide, the darling of the Theatre of Dreams, the epic hero’s prologue!]
[Task reward: Legendary treasure chest.]
Treasure chest?
Lee Luo, following his teammates, slowly ran back to the center circle and noticed a plain wooden chest floating above his head.
Creak.
[Opening legendary treasure chest...]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the “Spatial Perception” module (Legendary).]
[Effect: All dynamic information on the pitch will form an intuitive and concise ‘model’ in your mind.]
[This day, no longer will the sky conceal your eyes, nor the ground...]
What is this?
Is it useful?
Lee Luo was puzzled.
But the instant the ball was reset to the center circle,
A sandbox-style model of the football pitch appeared vividly in his mind!
...
The Swansea forward kicked off miserably.
Beep! Beep beep~
The referee blew the final whistle.
Manchester United 2:2 Swansea.
The Red Devils’ fans’ eyes never left their youth academy prodigy.
Gradually,
Some came back to their senses: Damn, a draw. Manchester United drew with Swansea at home! And it was the youth player who equalized—can we accept this result?
Trash and debris rained down, hitting the roof of the coaching bench.
Van Gaal’s cheeks flushed red as he tried to argue, but was quickly pulled aside by staff.
...
In the VIP box,
77-year-old Ferguson sipped his red wine and hummed the team anthem along with the fans.
“I believe soon, the Red Devils’ anthem will include Lee’s name.”
“There’s something off...”
“Lee is a bit off.”
The old man’s face darkened as he closed his eyes, recalling Lee Luo’s growth in Manchester United’s youth ranks.
In 2005, a street orphan wandering Manchester was spotted for his nimble dribbling and explosiveness. The Manchester United scouting team intervened, brought him back to Carrington, coordinated his guardianship, and based on language clues, deduced he was a Chinese child. The United kit staff then contacted the Chinese Embassy in the UK, finally confirming the orphan’s background.
After multiple arrangements and paperwork, Manchester United successfully retained Lee Luo.
The Chinese youth lived up to expectations, breaking youth academy records year after year.
Just like...
Just like Bojan from Barcelona.
Ferguson vaguely remembered when he first met the eight-year-old Chinese boy, the little guy smiling and sharing candy with him.
“No.”
“It’s not Lee Luo’s fault.”
“It’s Van Gaal’s fault. He didn’t fully let Lee showcase his talent in this match. He might ruin Lee, turning him into an ordinary product off the assembly line.”
The Manchester United executives behind him were startled.
They exchanged glances: Seriously? The old man’s retired but still meddling in United’s affairs?
Changing the coach was impossible.
The old Van...
“Tom, who is currently the best coach in Europe at developing midfielders?”
“Jack, stop standing there, get the technical team working!”
...
Old Trafford gradually fell silent.
After thanking the fans, the Chinese boy and the older Manchester United players quietly returned to the dressing room.
“Haha, shy guy, why did you turn your back when you showered?”
“Let me see... wow~”
“Never mind, just teasing.”
Lee Luo blushed deeply.
After showering, drying his hair, and putting on a clean long-sleeved tracksuit, he suddenly remembered something and curiously asked Rooney, “Why did the referee wait for the restart at the center circle after our celebration and beyond injury time before blowing the final whistle?”
Rooney thought for a moment: “A few seconds after you scored, the injury time ended.”
“You wouldn’t know; in youth leagues, this rule isn’t strictly enforced. But in the big five leagues... no, even Bundesliga referees clock out right on time!”
“Don’t run off later, I’ll take you somewhere fun tonight! Experience the charm of mature women!”
Clap clap clap!
Giggs slapped a folder and said, “Lee is still young—well, not that young anymore. Lee, the boss wants you to write a post-match summary tonight.”
“Okay.”
Lee Luo nodded seriously.
He must summarize.
From now on, he must seize every spare moment to diligently relearn football knowledge.
Maybe watch star player tutorials?
Right, video tutorials are the most straightforward.
He pulled out his phone from his backpack, collecting some resource packs:
“Morata’s Step-by-Step Guide to Shooting.”
“Who Says Speed Can’t Be Improved? Giroud Shares His Secrets: Speed Training Methods.”
“Maguire Teaches You Defense.”
“Çalhanoğlu Explains: How a Great Midfield Core Escapes High-Pressure Marking.”
“30 Days to Become a Box-to-Box King with Lukaku: The Importance of the Final Touch.”
“Hazard Personally Explains: How to Adjust Your Diet.”
Just like playing a game.
New player Lee Luo decided to start by studying the guides from the masters!