Shock Value Keeps Rising! (Two-in-one)

The scouts in the stands were scribbling furiously.

Each organization had its own evaluation criteria, but they all gave the Chinese youngster the highest marks.

Some were from major clubs, others from various agencies, and they generously contributed a wave of shock points to Li Luo.

"He doesn't rely solely on physical ability and footwork to display his talent. He also has the brain of a commander."

"If my company could sign Li... I'd definitely get him into a top club!"

"Huh? Are you kidding? He's already a prodigy from a top club's academy."

"Does Manchester United even deserve to be called a top club now? They can't even play in the UEFA Champions League this season, while Wolfsburg can play in the Europa League proper."

"Hey, hey, hey! Watch what you say. I'm a Manchester United fan."

Everyone burst into laughter.

That said.

Many agencies gradually gave up on the idea of pursuing Li Luo.

How could Manchester United possibly sell the cornerstone of their revival?

During a dead-ball phase.

Li Luo found Bendtner and said, "When I run back into our half, you push forward and pin down their last line."

The Arsenal Emperor nodded. "Alright. When you drop back, I'll push up front and stretch the vertical distance between Frankfurt's two lines."

Li Luo smiled. "Yes, that's exactly it."

He still did not fully understand strategy and tactics.

The Spatial Awareness module formed a constantly shifting geometric model in his mind.

As he watched that geometric model, he knew how to solve the team's predicament next, as though he were working through a math problem.

By the sidelines.

Wolfsburg's manager and coaching staff huddled together in discussion.

"Damn it, this strategic problem can't be solved at all. They've studied us thoroughly."

"De Bruyne is being tightly marked."

"It's fine. Just like usual, our overall strength is far superior to theirs. As long as the players perform well, a flash of inspiration can solve the problem."

"Just like Li earlier. He was only a tiny bit away from setting up a goal."

"That Bendtner wastes too many chances. We need to reconsider our striker options for the next match."

Hecking was very pleased with Li Luo's performance.

It had far exceeded expectations.

On the other side.

Frankfurt's manager, Schaaf, remained composed.

The media rarely caught any exaggerated expression on his face.

Back when he led Werder Bremen to a Bundesliga and cup double, he had calmly walked off into the distance and silently watched the celebrating crowd.

"Unless Wolfsburg has a young Beckenbauer on the pitch, they simply can't solve this problem from a strategic level."

Decades ago, when Schaaf was still an elementary school student, he had witnessed the 1974 FIFA World Cup final firsthand. Beckenbauer had discovered the weakness of the total football system. Playing with bandages on, he commanded the defense, covered gaps, and launched attacks, ultimately leading the German machine to crush the Tulips.

The match continued.

"Frankfurt's attack is ferocious!"

"Their midfielders and forwards have spread out their attacking shape with flowing precision."

"Oh no, Takashi Inui is too slight! Guilavogui steals the ball!"

"Can Wolfsburg launch a transition attack?"

"Huh? Guilavogui is still passing it back to the center-back... letting the center-back play it out."

"Hehehe, Frankfurt immediately launches a counter-press!"

"What a mess."

Guilavogui did not think he had done anything wrong.

He came through the Saint-Étienne Youth Academy in France. Hailed as a genius from a young age, his physical attributes and technique had far surpassed those of his peers. Every coach had told him that the future tactical trend would see the starting point of build-up play move farther and farther back—from the defensive midfielder to the defenders, and then to the goalkeeper.

There was nothing wrong with that theory either.

Unfortunately, after joining Atlético Madrid, he suffered an immensely heavy blow.

Before he was loaned to Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid manager Simeone had earnestly told him, "You're excellent. Don't be afraid of mistakes, don't be afraid to take responsibility, and don't be so rigid. You'll become a very good midfielder."

The ball moved swiftly among the green shirts.

It returned to Guilavogui's feet once more.

He saw the Chinese youngster dropping back while signaling for the ball.

Without much thought.

Smack.

He passed the ball forward.

"Li Luo timed his drop perfectly."

"In the anime Captain Tsubasa, dropping back is an advanced style of play that can solve every problem. In reality, that isn't the case. If no teammate stays at the very front of the formation, dropping back whenever you please achieves nothing. For example, Götze occasionally makes this mistake."

Dragonfly Skimming.

One-Touch Passing.

"Elegant."

Makoto Hasebe and Takashi Inui closed in from either side, only to come up empty.

What?

The two Japanese quickly shifted to cover, only to realize in alarm:

After making the pass, Li Luo had not stood still in a daze—he had kept running.

The instant De Bruyne received the ball, he saw that Frankfurt's vertical spacing between their two lines... had already been stretched apart by Bendtner and Li Luo.

Smack.

After shaking off the Frankfurt players marking him, the Belgian midfielder passed the ball to the Chinese youngster.

"Beautiful!"

"Li Luo has once again displayed an incredibly high football IQ. Through his movement and One-Touch Passing, he has linked himself, Guilavogui, and De Bruyne into two triangles."

"The first triangle is a right triangle."

"The second triangle is an acute triangle."

"The shapes of those triangles depend on Li Luo's movement and passing."

"A brilliantly gifted young midfielder."

The commentator and Director Zhang were so excited that they were practically incoherent.

On camera, Li Luo surged into the open space between Frankfurt's two lines.

De Bruyne's pass was exquisite to the extreme.

Frankfurt's defensive line began to warp and shift in his field of vision.

The instant Li Luo touched the ball.

He played another one-touch pass.

This time, it was a chipped ball.

Without looking back.

The football rose from the ground, sailed over their heads, and traced an ethereal path through the air.

Bendtner brutally barged the opposing defender aside: center-backs from Premier League powerhouses could bully him, but Frankfurt's defenders of this era were the ones being bullied by him.

"One-on-one!"

Wave after wave of gasps erupted from Volkswagen Arena!

The landing point was near Zone 14.

Frankfurt's goalkeeper rushed out quickly.

But.

The fluttering ball took an irregular bounce after hitting the ground...

The goalkeeper was dumbfounded. "What the hell? That Manchester United prodigy has such elite passing vision, yet his passing quality is this poor?"

The wrong read.

Led to disastrous consequences.

Bendtner arrived a moment later, brought the ball under control, nudged it one step toward the outside, raised his arm, and swung his leg.

Smack.

The ball rolled along the grass and into the net.

1:0!!!

The entire stadium erupted.

Li Luo felt something he could not quite put into words.

The spotlight shone down on him.

A breeze from the river gently brushed against his sweat-soaked jersey and hair.

The cheers crashing over him like waves did not drown out the fresh scent of zoysia grass.

"I got an assist."

"So it wasn't entirely luck?"

"I was right to play this way."

Coming back to his senses, he turned to face his teammates gathering around him, smiling as he spread his arms.

Guilavogui said excitedly, "I knew you'd drop back to help link things up!"

De Bruyne flicked a few blades of grass off the Chinese teenager, his tone faintly excited. "Li, well done."

In the distance, Bendtner finished celebrating, pulled his pants back on, and ran over eagerly. "Li, you're too damn smart. From now on, we split my goal bonuses fifty-fifty!"

[Shock Value gained: 84697]

[Shock Value +1]

[Shock Value +1]

The number kept skyrocketing.

Li Luo realized that the more than thirty thousand spectators at the stadium could actually contribute so much Shock Value.

Was it because of his earlier performances?

Sure enough, Wolfsburg fans were unfamiliar with him, so they kept contributing Shock Value.

By the end of this match, would he be able to save up one hundred thousand points to exchange for a football star blind box?

"Goal!"

"Bendtner did not waste Li Luo's chipped through ball. He finished it in one smooth move to break the deadlock."

"A perfect connection."

"Wolfsburg had taken the lead."

"Chinese youngster Li Luo had delivered an assist on his Bundesliga debut."

"More than that, he cleverly linked the midfield and attack, launched the move, and tore apart Frankfurt's defensive line."

"I firmly believe that Li Luo will establish himself in the Bundesliga and become the pride of Chinese football."

The commentator spoke with deep emotion.

Coach Zhang, meanwhile, kept muttering about vertical spacing, shifting triangles, positional ambiguity, switching passing outlets to break high pressing, and other such concepts, all while praising Li Luo's intelligence.

In the livestream chat.

-[From escaping the press to switching into attack and finally scoring, Li Luo touched the ball only twice.]

-[Breaking the deadlock on the spot, controlling everything, simplifying complexity... Li Luo isn't a technician, he's a designer!]

-[Was this template developed by Manchester United? Why does it feel like the styles of La Masia and Arsenal's academy?]

-[Don't talk nonsense. Li Luo's style might not have fully emerged yet.]

-[When he dropped back, he gestured for Bendtner to push forward, then signaled to the Wolfsburg midfield for the ball. Their Japanese holding midfielder followed him out, and Takashi Inui pressed over too... with a string of One-Touch Passing, football really is a game of space.]

-[De Bruyne was great too. He played very selflessly.]

-[Bendtner's finishing is reliable most of the time, as long as he doesn't come up against an overly strong center-back.]

In the technical area.

Hecking raised both fists excitedly.

The assistant coaches embraced in excitement.

"With a one-goal lead, things will be easier. Their overall strength is below ours."

"They'll become very passive."

"Boss, let Li drop back. Have him help link things up and help the back line build attacks."

Wolfsburg's head coach frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about? Let Li play the way he wants!"

Over on the other side.

Frankfurt's head coach, Schaaf, remained calm.

Even though he felt deeply frustrated inside.

Over the decades, he had seen countless prodigies in the football world.

But most of those prodigies had displayed their talent through physical attributes and technical ability.

There were very few young talents like Li Luo, who possessed outstanding awareness, match reading, vision, flexible movement, macro-level strategy, and the ability to break deadlocks.

Even every pass and run he made seemed like the optimal result calculated by a computer.

In the VIP box.

The Volkswagen Group executives were overjoyed.

Their luck was incredible.

Manchester United loaning Li Luo to Wolfsburg was practically a gift from heaven to Volkswagen.

"Draft a supplementary agreement and add extra bonuses for Li."

"Tiered bonuses."

"Deploy more security personnel around his home to keep him from being harassed."

"The way he plays is too captivating."

"Too bad he can't stay at Wolfsburg. Once the loan ends, he'll have to return to Manchester United."

The match restarted from the center circle.

Rather than having their fighting spirit extinguished, Frankfurt's players grew even more fired up.

They were not discouraged by falling behind.

"Keep going."

"Frankfurt finished sixth from bottom in the Bundesliga last season. They scored 40 goals and conceded 57 in 34 matches. They need to work hard this season and not get dragged back into the relegation mire."

"Many years ago, a Chinese player played for this club and performed exceptionally well!"

"Wolfsburg are very steady. After taking the lead, they've begun defending deep."

"Li Luo has also joined in the deep defensive retreat."

"He's very confident, even raising his hand from time to time to remind his teammates..."

"Many Asian players competing in Europe's top five leagues lack exactly this kind of confidence because of cultural differences."

Frankfurt's head coach, Schaaf, made several adjustments.

Unfortunately, the other side had parked the bus.

Their overall player quality was inferior, they were a goal behind, and they were on the back foot. No tactical adjustment could change that.

Even the strategy of cutting off the backline's passing outlets no longer worked.

Because Frankfurt were launching a fierce attack, while Wolfsburg abandoned proactive offense and chose to sit deep and counterattack.

Gradually.

Frankfurt's coaching staff frowned as they closely observed the Chinese youngster's movement. "How is his supporting defense awareness so strong too? His vision is terrifying—so terrifying it's as if he can look down over the entire pitch."

Time ticked away, second by second.

Wolfsburg remained as cautious as ever.

Like an armored fat wolf, they quietly blocked the goal, occasionally lifting their heads to take a bite out of their opponents.

During the deep defensive phase.

Most Wolfsburg players had few opportunities to touch the ball.

Everyone was the same.

Relying on the Spatial Awareness module, Li Luo actively covered for his teammates. Although his defense and tackling stats were only 40 points, he could still provide assistance to his teammates.

The Shock Value kept coming in, though its rate of increase had slowed.

[Shock Value acquired: 94697]

Only a little over five thousand remained.

CCTV-5's live broadcast booth.

The Bundesliga's real-time official data stunned both the commentators and Analyst Zhang.

"Li Luo's distance covered is incredibly high—first on the Wolfsburg team!"

"He can really run."

"He has great physical attributes, and his frame isn't that big, so his stamina consumption is relatively low."

"A large proportion of his running was tracking back. He can rival some Eastern European midfielders, such as Real Madrid's Modric and Serbia's Rakitic..."

In the 67th minute of the match.

The fourth official raised the LED number board beside the halfway line.

"Wolfsburg are making their second substitution."

"The academy crown prince, Arnold, replaces Li Luo."

"Hecking's adjustment is very reasonable. Young players can't be overused, or their bodies will be run into the ground. Wolfsburg also have a multi-front campaign this season: the German Cup, Europa League, and Bundesliga."

The LED screen hanging overhead replayed Li Luo's highlights once more.

Across all four stands, Wolfsburg supporters rose to their feet in unison.

Volkswagen Arena was instantly drowned in thunderous applause.

Quite a few people excitedly shouted the Chinese teenager's name.

"Li Luo!!!"

"Li Luo!!!"

"Li Luo!!!"

Though he was only on loan, many firmly believed that Li Luo could help Wolfsburg achieve better results this season.

[Shock Value +1]

[Shock Value +1]

[Shock Value +1]

[...]

The numbers changed wildly as his Shock Value kept climbing!

That worked too?

Li Luo gave Arnold a brief hug, walked to the sideline to embrace Hecking, then had his hair ruffled by the assistant coaches before exchanging high-fives with his teammates one by one.

He returned to the bench.

He accepted the water and towel handed over by the logistics staff.

He felt exhausted, so he quietly reflected to himself: I wasted too much energy on defense and didn't manage my stamina properly. I need to pay attention to that next match.

Then, when he looked at the system panel, he was surprised to find:

[Shock Value Collected: 112648]

It had risen by so much at once—enough to exchange for a football star mystery box!

As time passed on the pitch, most players on both sides began to tire, and the match entered the stage most beloved by fans who enjoyed chaotic, wide-open football.

In the end.

Beep! Beep-beep~

The referee blew the final whistle.

Wolfsburg 3:2 Frankfurt.