Bundesliga Debut!

Cheshire.

Under the night sky, Hale Village was wrapped in a gentle veil of mist.

Dong! Dong-dong!

The seven o'clock bells rang.

"Oh! A few Manchester United fans were walking through the cobblestone lanes when they spotted Ferguson's weathered face, lit by the warm yellow glow of the fire through the window. It was a night full of surprises for them... Sir, do you still like to smell the aroma first?"

"Jack, what the hell are you talking about? Speak properly."

"Yes, Sir. Wolfsburg's Bundesliga match starts in half an hour."

Ferguson rubbed his forehead. "I'm a little tired. Who cares whether Wolfsburg wins or loses? I only care about Li's performance."

Jack nodded seriously and agreed, "Sir is right. I trust Hecking. He won't let Li pick up any bad habits, such as La Masia's possession play or the Apennines' metronome... Those things have major flaws when applied to an independent individual. They don't suit the future Manchester United."

"Can't you use simpler words? Something so simple, yet you always have to make it sound so complicated. Forget it, I'm tired. Take me home."

It was not that Ferguson enjoyed criticizing Jack.

Many years ago.

During Manchester United's early stage of adopting ideas from continental Europe, he had spoken with a technical team and reached a conclusion: complicated "theories" had to be simplified into clear, understandable things that players could grasp easily.

Unfortunately, few of his successors had managed to do that.

Manchester.

Van Gaal and the coaching staff were busy preparing for the next round of the Premier League.

Giggs really wanted to watch Li Luo's Bundesliga debut, but he had no time and could only watch the replay tomorrow.

Many Manchester United staff members were also concerned about their "crown prince."

"It'll be fine."

"With Li's ability, he'll adapt to the Bundesliga quickly."

"I watched him grow up in the academy. His only weakness is heading. Even though he scored a header on his Premier League debut, that was a stationary header after he used his awareness to get into position early. It wasn't the kind of thunderous aerial finish from a legendary striker."

"When Li comes back and revives Manchester United, we'll be getting plenty of bonuses again."

Under the night sky, the glass curtain walls of Volkswagen Arena gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, perfectly matching the industrial character of this automobile city.

Green team flags, green shirts, and green glow sticks formed streams of emerald outside the stadium.

Wolfsburg's primary club color was green.

Pre-match interview.

De Bruyne stood before a GG backdrop and answered questions from the German media.

"How has Li Luo performed in training? What do you think of his level?"

The reporters knew the Belgian midfielder's personality at this point: he disdained lying, never flattered others, and was honest but hot-tempered.

"Li? He's a true genius."

De Bruyne recalled the training match in the pouring rain, and an expression of amazement unconsciously appeared on his face.

The reporters looked at one another.

They had never seen the Belgian midfielder praise anyone like that.

Wolfsburg's dressing room.

After repeating the pre-match instructions twice, the coaching staff left the remaining time for the players to rest and adjust their mindsets.

Li Luo was still a tiny bit nervous.

It was his first time starting and playing a full match. How could he not be nervous?

He had repeatedly watched footage of the opposition's matches.

Setting aside the tactical breakdown from the Spatial Awareness module and speaking only in broad terms:

Several Bundesliga powerhouses played at a ferocious tempo and intensity, no less than the Premier League, greatly boosting the Bundesliga's European competition coefficient.

However.

Tonight's opponent—Frankfurt—was in a historical slump. Strong in attack and weak in defense, they had been mired in trouble last season, and their summer transfer spending had once again been poured into the attack.

Their new manager did not like parking the bus. He was willing to go all out and take anyone on—whoever defended was a coward.

Far away in China.

Many fans heard a familiar voice coming from their televisions.

"Zhuangdian'er TV! Zhuangdian'er TV! Good evening, viewers!"

"Now broadcasting live, the second round of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season."

"Wolfsburg are hosting Frankfurt."

"What kind of story will unfold when the Wolves meet the Eagles? Let's wait and see."

"Most excitingly, Chinese youngster Li Luo will start in this Bundesliga match!"

The commentator spoke in an excited tone.

Director Zhang looked full of anticipation, eager to see what kind of chemistry Wolfsburg's distinctly talented attacking players would develop with Li Luo.

Being named in the starting lineup also showed that Li Luo was gradually integrating into this Bundesliga powerhouse.

"The director's camera has switched to the players' tunnel!"

The players' tunnel.

The green lighting made every face look utterly eerie.

Combined with the "Awoo~~ Awoo~~" wolf howls coming from the ceiling speakers, it looked exactly like a scene from a horror movie.

Wolves were the totem of Wolfsburg Football Club, and their images could be seen everywhere at Volkswagen Arena.

The next moment, the stirring entrance music changed the audience's perception.

"Dang dang~ dang! Dang dang~ dang!"

"Deng deng~ deng! Deng deng~ deng!"

It made one's blood boil.

The narrow tunnel bathed in green light was no longer a horror-movie setting, but a staircase leading to victory and glory.

The Frankfurt line.

The two Japanese players quietly studied Li Luo, chattering to each other for a few moments with serious expressions.

The Wolfsburg line.

Benaglio turned back and reminded him, "If your dribbling leaves them looking too embarrassed, be careful—they might hack you down. Make sure you go down in time and exaggerate your expression a little... It's a way to protect yourself. Don't be afraid. We'll stand up for you."

The captain's concern was unnecessary.

Li Luo nodded.

The tunnel doors slowly opened, and cheers as thunderous as collapsing mountains and roaring seas rushed toward them on the wind.

The referees led both teams out of the tunnel.

A hot-air balloon bearing the Bundesliga's "flying kick" emblem slowly rose into the air.

The roar from all four stands grew ever more immense.

Standing on the open pitch, Li Luo could instead clearly hear Bendtner leaning over to say, "Li, German fans aren't familiar with you. This isn't Old Trafford. Not many people here will hold you up like the stars and moon..."

"That's a good thing."

If German fans did not know him well, that meant it would be easier to earn Shock Points.

Volkswagen Arena could hold more than thirty thousand spectators.

"What's so good about that?"

Bendtner looked around at the stands and straightened his over-six-foot-three frame, speaking proudly. "Our experiences are very similar. When I was eighteen, Arsenal loaned me to an English Championship club. That club's manager was called Bruce. Arsène Wenger believed he was especially good at developing target men, so... that season, I scored 11 goals and made 7 assists."

"Li, make sure to pass the ball to me. I'll show you... just how easy it is to get an assist."

"Now, let us introduce both teams' starting lineups."

"Wolfsburg are lined up in a 4-5-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Benaglio."

"Defenders: Sebastian, Naldo, Knoche, Ricardo."

"Midfielders: Vieirinha, Gustavo, Li Luo, Guilavogui, De Bruyne."

"Forward: Bendtner."

"Hehehe, quite a few familiar faces here."

"Gustavo made a deep impression on many fans with his performances during his time at Bayern Munich."

"Guilavogui, the defensive midfielder loaned to Wolfsburg from Atlético Madrid."

"De Bruyne and Bendtner need no further introduction..."

"What we're looking forward to even more is the performance of Chinese youngster Li Luo tonight!"