The Great Flood? (Three-in-One)

"Good evening, viewers."

"We're bringing you a friendly match live: China versus the Netherlands."

"China's approach has been very aggressive, relentlessly probing down both wings and sending crosses into the box."

"The Netherlands seem a little restrained. They've set up in a low block, and even when they win possession, they don't dare launch transitions. Their tactics are very conservative—they only know how to hoof the ball clear."

"Hm? It's raining."

"The pitch is getting wetter and wetter."

"The rain seemed to seep from between the cracks in the stones, like crushed moonlight. Its sound was crisp, sometimes humming softly, sometimes singing high, as if whispering to the towering pines and cypresses."

"The air was filled with..."

"..."

"Waaaaah! A sudden flood has swallowed the entire stadium..."

Ding ding ding~

The shrill alarm jolted Li Luo awake from his strange dream.

"Why would I dream about something like that?"

"I actually..."

Complicated emotions quietly spread through his heart: What was the meaning of life? What was the origin of the universe?

Suddenly.

He noticed that his attribute panel had undergone subtle changes.

[Stamina: 90→90.01]

[Jumping: 80→80.03]

[Leg Strength: 81→81.02]

What?

During his growth period... he could grow stronger even while sleeping?

No wonder some freakishly talented footballers didn't seem to enjoy training much.

[Passing: 49.9→50]

"The training boost from the One-Touch Passing module... pushed my Passing attribute to 50 as well!"

"Get up quickly. It's Bundesliga matchday today—I can't be late."

A few hours later.

The bus bearing a wolf-head emblem slowly drove along a country road in Baden-Württemberg.

"We're almost there."

"That's the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum. Hoffenheim's home ground is right across from it."

"So cool. It looks like a spaceship that landed in the fields."

Bendtner looked listless, yawning with a melancholy expression, like an elementary school student on a Monday morning who still had not finished his homework.

Hecking stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression anxious. It was not because of the opponent's strength... no matter who Wolfsburg faced, their manager was always full of anxiety. Although he had, in a sense, saved the club back then, he always felt that his coaching philosophy was falling behind the times.

Especially after the "bully the weak, fear the strong" tactics from the second half of last season had been figured out, every match saw opponents countering him with targeted measures. Most of the time, Hecking could only set up a low block and rely on extraordinary performances from his attacking players to win.

Most of the players, however, were full of fighting spirit and high spirits.

His midfield teammate, Gustavo, told Li Luo "Hoffenheim stories" all the way there.

"I've finished telling you those. Now let me tell you my own story."

"I first scraped by in Brazil's lower leagues. I got lucky once and was loaned to a club in Brazilian Série B."

"Rangnick spotted me. He brought me from Brazil to Hoffenheim in the 2. Bundesliga. During those few months, I felt like I was living in a dream—from Brazil's lower leagues to the 2. Bundesliga..."

"I was promoted to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim."

"Later, I joined Bayern Munich and won many trophies with the team..."

"And after that, you know. In the World Cup semifinal two months ago, I started as the holding midfielder, and Germany ended up putting seven past us."

The Brazilian laughed at himself.

Li Luo nodded.

He thought, Gustavo made twelve interceptions in that match, yet he still couldn't stop Brazil from being slaughtered. When I have time, I need to study the essence of that issue and find a development path that suits me.

In the seat beside him.

De Bruyne felt somewhat unconvinced. Last season, Wolfsburg had also suffered a humiliating defeat against Hoffenheim... He had felt so frustrated and powerless back then. No matter what, they had to win it back tonight.

Night fell.

Sinsheim, on the banks of the Rhine, was gradually enveloped in a near-primitive frenzy.

Fans from towns and villages across Baden-Württemberg gathered at the Rhine-Neckar Arena.

Blue team flags fluttered in the wind.

Blue scarves were raised high.

"CCTV! CCTV! Good evening, viewers."

"We are now bringing you live coverage of the third round of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season."

"Hoffenheim at home against Wolfsburg."

"The last time the two sides met, Hoffenheim thrashed Wolfsburg 6–2."

"What kind of story will unfold tonight? Let's wait and see."

At the pre-match press conference.

Hecking had been teased until his face was red.

"Don't mention that 6–2 match again!"

"What's past is past. We learned our lesson."

"Every match is an independent event. Previous head-to-head results have no reference value whatsoever."

On the other side.

Hoffenheim manager Marcus spoke in a firm tone.

"I don't know anything about Wolfsburg's genius."

"Can one or two matches prove that someone is a genius?"

"I've seen far too many geniuses over the years. In the Germany team that lifted the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which one of them wasn't a super genius?"

"All I know tonight is Hoffenheim's Firmino. He scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in the Bundesliga last season. He will become our hero."

The German reporters wanted to retort.

But they found themselves unable to.

Old Marcus was too crafty—his words were helping the Germany team.

In the players' tunnel.

Gustavo warmly embraced his Brazilian compatriot.

De Bruyne quietly went over his experience against Hoffenheim with Li Luo once more.

"Li, let's do our best together. I'm confident this time."

Li Luo nodded seriously.

He had done his homework and preparations on paper.

Captain Benaglio wore a grave expression. "Li, tonight's match will be very difficult. Be mentally prepared. Especially... we're away from home. You'll hear the boos of tens of thousands of people. Good luck!"

Thinking of Wolfsburg being massacred by Hoffenheim last time, Benaglio felt a little stifled.

A slaughter.

The goalkeeper suffered the deepest psychological trauma.

Wolfsburg's crown prince, Arnold, stared intently at Hoffenheim's Firmino... The Brazilian sensed his gaze and, rather than taking offense, returned a smile.

A hot-air balloon bearing the Bundesliga logo slowly rose into the air.

The players of both teams stood on the pitch.

The spectators in the stands roared wildly, while a massive TIFO display quietly unfurled in the home end.

Blue naval smoke bombs also went off in the corners.

Thick smoke billowed.

"The atmosphere at the Neckar Arena is electric."

"Now, let us introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"Hoffenheim have lined up in a 4-4-2 tonight!"

"Goalkeeper: Baumann."

"Defenders: Strobl, Süle, Bićakčić, Andreas."

"Midfielders: Rudy, Polanski, Firmino, Salihović."

"Forwards: Modeste, Szalai."

"Diamond 4-4-2. Firmino's tactical role is crucial."

"When he first arrived at Hoffenheim, he was diagnosed with malnutrition. He looks much better now."

"Wolfsburg have lined up in a 4-5-1!"

"Goalkeeper: Benaglio."

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

"Midfielders: De Bruyne, Gustavo, Li Luo, Arnold, Caligiuri."

"Forward: Bendtner."

"Wolfsburg's away kit this season looks better than their home kit."

"De Bruyne looks a little thin, but according to reports, he has recently begun a muscle-building plan."

"Can Hecking wash away his past humiliation tonight?"

Beep!

The match officially began with the referee's whistle.

Hoffenheim had possession.

The big man—Modeste—kicked off and passed back.

The next moment, his teammates charged wildly past the halfway line.

"They're trying to seize the early initiative!"

"Why is Firmino dropping so deep to receive the ball?"

"He's practically dropped back into the defensive line."

"Beautiful."

"After receiving it, he nimbly dribbled past Bendtner, who had come to press him."

"He drives forward quickly."

"Out wide!"

The ball flew accurately toward the flank.

Strobl controlled it as he advanced, charging into the thirty-meter area of Wolfsburg's half.

He looked up.

Seeing his two towering center forwards pushing into the Wolfsburg box, he decisively abandoned the option of cutting inside or combining with an overlapping run and sent in a cross!

Smack!

Overwhelming cheers and applause erupted from all four stands.

The ball curled through the air and spun into the penalty area.

"Twin demons at the gate!"

"Modeste at 1.87 meters, Szalai at 1.93!"

"This is the spirit of Markus's Hoffenheim!"

Wolfsburg's back line fought desperately to disrupt them.

Smack.

The ball glanced off Modeste's head and floated weakly toward goal.

Goalkeeper Benaglio leaped up and collected it with ease.

Wolfsburg supporters in the away end let out waves of frightened cries.

That had been close.

They had almost been cracked open again, just like last time!

Li Luo and the forwards had only just tracked back into the penalty area. Seeing possession change hands, they immediately spread out.

Through the Spatial Awareness model in his mind, he realized that the tactics their opponents were using tonight were both ancient and modern.

Old-fashioned wing crosses.

Old-fashioned two-man charges at goal.

Yet the way they built their attacks seemed ahead of its time.

"Why could Firmino, an attacking midfielder, drop all the way back to the defensive line to help move the ball out and drive it forward?"

In the technical area.

Marcus kept shouting, his expression exaggerated.

"What Wolfsburg prodigy?"

"Can you stop hyping him up?"

"The last time they met, the Bundesliga media praised Wolfsburg to the heavens before the match too. Didn't Hoffenheim still massacre them?"

He knew that many of his own ideas had also fallen behind the times, but what the previous manager had left behind could make up for those shortcomings.

Firmino was the key figure.

Hoffenheim's current squad structure made it difficult for them to play any sophisticated brand of football.

But Firmino's unique qualities could catch opponents off guard.

On the other side.

Hecking paced back and forth anxiously.

"Look at that. They failed to seize the opening, and now they're going to defend deep again."

"Marcus is like a huge turtle."

"He has none of Rangnick's spirit at all!"

Hoffenheim had not created miracles back then by playing timidly.

But the current Hoffenheim were highly adaptable.

When it was time to park the bus, they did so without hesitation.

The tempo of the match slowed.

Wolfsburg's advance met little resistance.

In the blink of an eye, they had pinned their opponents back in the penalty area and launched a siege.

"Oh dear."

"Once they cross the thirty-meter line, the pressure starts."

"Hoffenheim aren't letting De Bruyne play comfortably. The moment he receives the ball, two big men come crashing into him."

"It was the same situation in that 6–2 match the last time they met."

"We believe that a midfielder with De Bruyne's limitless potential will gradually solve this problem as the match goes on."

"Hehehe, that's right. He's constantly improving too."

Hoffenheim also paid close attention to Li Luo.

They assigned their all-round midfielder, Rudy, to mark the Chinese youngster.

Rudy's abilities were very well-rounded.

At this stage, he had only a few weaknesses: slow turns, slow pace, and poor jumping ability.

But Hoffenheim's coaching staff believed that during the "set defense" phase, a midfielder standing 180 centimeters tall could use his physicality to thoroughly overpower one standing 173 centimeters tall.

Hoffenheim's owner, Hopp, had developed several pieces of "cutting-edge equipment" to improve the players' overall physical attributes during training.

On the pitch.

Li Luo loved opponents like Rudy.

He was slower than Li Luo.

His thinking was slower too.

At most, he could tug at Li Luo's arm, pull at his shirt, and restrict his turns after receiving the ball.

After several localized duels.

Rudy was so flustered that he spun in circles, his cheeks flushed red. Against any other opponent, he would have thoroughly suppressed them already.

Hoffenheim's fans erupted in boos, trying to disrupt Wolfsburg's midfield.

Without realizing it, many people came to understand:

Li Luo's Spatial Awareness, combined with One-Touch Passing, was simply the nemesis of traditional deep-lying midfielders in mid-table Bundesliga teams.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Li Luo had become the player with the most touches during the "positional attack phase."

Set against Rudy's "slow" movement, the Chinese youngster appeared incomparably graceful and agile.

One-touch passes, one after another.

Constant lateral movement.

Through the Spatial Awareness model, the passing lanes he constructed were like precise steel wires, strangling Hoffenheim's "parked bus."

The quality of his passes was somewhat inconsistent.

But with Hoffenheim's formation compressed, their players did not dare abandon their positions recklessly.

Most of the resources were poured into De Bruyne.

As a result, Wolfsburg's other players were passing and moving on the perimeter as if they were in training...

The Wolfsburg players did not question Li Luo's passing quality. Instead, they thought they had not been active enough in their positional movement and had failed to keep up with Li Luo's rhythm.

That was right.

With the football intelligence and vision of such a young genius, who would dare question whether his passing was a problem during positional attacks?

Maybe he had passed that way on purpose!

By guiding changes in the team's overall tempo, he could ultimately break through the parked bus.

"Masterful."

"So elegant and effortless."

"Li Luo's style of play has made Wolfsburg's overall rhythm faster."

"Is he going to use his signature move to break through this time?"

"No."

"He passed it to De Bruyne, who had found space."

"Ah, Bendtner wasted the Belgian's wonderful pass..."

"It's okay. Breaking down a parked bus requires patience."

Live broadcast chat.

-[So handsome.]

-[Li Luo is dancing near the opposing penalty area, organizing play along the ground and dismantling the defense.]

-[The most attention-grabbing style of football.]

-[Rudy has a very high success rate in ground duels in other matches. Why can't he keep up with Li Luo tonight?]

-[I get it now. De Bruyne draws two big defenders, while Li Luo takes over the midfield and speeds things up; De Bruyne shakes off his markers without the ball and finds space, then slows things down and changes the tempo, continuously draining Hoffenheim's overall stamina.]

VIP box.

The Volkswagen Group executives were very dissatisfied.

They whispered among themselves, complaining about their own coaching staff.

"How could Hecking make Li work so hard?"

"Why not let Li be like that big oaf Bendtner? He could just wait in the penalty area for his teammates to pass to him."

"We set up goal and assist bonuses for Li."

"Forget it. We can't interfere with the club's tactical arrangements."

Technical area.

Hecking applauded from time to time.

He thought again of the pressure from Volkswagen Group's upper management: find a way to get Li Luo scoring and put up better-looking numbers.

"Damn it."

"Amateurs directing professionals—if we keep doing this, can the team's results possibly improve?"

"How could a genius midfielder like Li be pushed up to the front line during positional attacks?!"

The assistant coach clutched the tactics board and hurried over. "Boss, this is bad. More and more players are closing in on Li. Once we lose the ball, it'll be easy for Hoffenheim to launch a counterattack..."

"Hm?"

"Then get Li up front immediately!"

"Push Knoche into midfield. Have everyone else spread out the attacking shape and increase the distance between their runs!"

The other side.

Marcus shouted loudly.

He told his disciples not to lose their positions, not to let Wolfsburg's players drag them out of space.

The signal of Wolfsburg's coaching staff making adjustments reached Li Luo's ears.

Move up to the front line and stand level with Bendtner?

That was a good thing.

He had been thinking about how to break through Hoffenheim's bus through organization and distribution.

Now it was fine—let his teammates do the thinking.

In the first Bundesliga match against Frankfurt, Li Luo had learned how to initiate transition attacks and defuse high pressing.

In the second Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim, Li Luo had learned to think about dismantling a low block.

These two opponents with vastly different styles had fed the Chinese boy a great deal of experience.

"Hm? One tall, one fast!"

"Bendtner is the tall one."

"Li Luo is the fast one."

"Hoffenheim have committed more players to surrounding Li Luo, but he has moved into a position closer to the penalty area."

"Cruyff once said: defend by compressing space, attack by expanding space."

"What we are seeing now is exactly that."

The commentator looked puzzled.

Li Luo was 173 centimeters tall. What was the point of pushing him up front in a positional attack...?

Hoffenheim's back line was huge.

The match gradually became dull.

The cheers at Neckar Arena grew quieter and quieter.

In the 28th minute.

A sudden change occurred.

Wolfsburg midfielder Caligiuri received De Bruyne's difficult pass amid an intense challenge.

Wolfsburg fullback Sebastian quickly overlapped down the flank.

The two played a series of give-and-gos.

They broke into the edge of Hoffenheim's penalty area.

"Ah!"

"Beautiful!"

"Nothing could be done, there were too many people."

"Süle positioned himself precisely, and the ball bounced up."

"Bendtner stretched out his long legs."

Li Luo was not idle.

He tried to weave his run toward the near post and seize the most logical finishing point.

Suddenly.

The geometric model created by Spatial Awareness condensed into a red phantom.

[False Run]

The red phantom charged toward the far post.

Why?

Wasn't the near post the most logical position?

Sometimes, did attacking not need to be logical?

The far post!

Rudy was a little confused.

He did not understand why Li Luo was moving toward the far post.

The ball couldn't possibly be switched there!

Instead of following, he moved to cover his teammate.

Smack!

Smack!

Two consecutive touches threw the scene into momentary chaos.

Yet the ball flew out of the crowd.

Dropping toward the far-post area.

Following its drifting trajectory, everyone was astonished to discover...

The Chinese youngster had appeared right at the landing spot.

Completely unmarked.

The entire stadium was dumbfounded.

The commentator exclaimed excitedly, "How did Li Luo get there?"

Hecking looked utterly stunned.

Marcus furrowed his brow.

Why?

Why was Li Luo there?

The tens of thousands of spectators were searching for the answer in their hearts as well.

In that instant.

The Chinese youngster at the center of everyone's attention raised his arm and swung his leg.

Smack!

The crisp sound of contact was like the ticking of a bomb in Hoffenheim goalkeeper Baumann's ears. There was simply no time!

From the near post, he had no chance of reaching the far post!

The ball hit the net.

0:1!!!

The entire stadium erupted.

De Bruyne wore an incredulous expression.

Bendtner was still trading trash talk with the opposing center-back.

The Wolfsburg players froze for a fraction of a second before charging excitedly toward Li Luo.

It felt incredible.

They had been slaughtered by Hoffenheim in their last meeting.

Tonight, Li Luo had sounded the horn of revenge!

[Shock Value +1!]

[Shock Value +1!]

[Shock Value +1!]

[...]

Watching his experience points rise in unison, Li Luo had no idea how he should celebrate.

He had not yet learned any celebration moves from the tutorial videos.

So he could only run foolishly toward the away stand and raise his fist at the Wolfsburg fans who had traveled with the team...

They answered him with enthusiastic cheers.

"Li Luo!"

"Li Luo!"

"..."

Li Luo did not lose himself in the joy of taking the lead. His mind kept working: the "unreasonable" positioning and darting runs created by feints might not always result in a goal, but compared with "reasonable" running patterns, they were far more unexpected and better at confusing the opposing defense.

"Beautiful!"

"It's in!"

"Chinese youngster Li Luo has broken the deadlock, scoring his first Bundesliga goal."

"He helped Wolfsburg take the lead."

"Such a graceful, effortless shooting posture—textbook perfect."

"The key was his movement off the ball."

"Looking at the slow-motion replay, Li Luo's run and his attack on the ball caught Hoffenheim's defense completely off guard."

"Unbelievable. Elite instincts in front of goal."

The commentator's voice was brimming with excitement.

Thinking of his earlier doubts about Li Luo, he lightly slapped himself.

Coach Zhang beamed. "He's too complete. Li Luo's attacking attributes are simply too well-rounded. He can be 'reasonable' when controlling the game and 'unreasonable' when finishing. It's unbelievable."

CCTV-5's live broadcast studio.

The big screen replayed the goal.

-[Ghostly movement.]

-[I've watched it forever and still can't figure out how Li Luo ended up there.]

-[Wasn't that just poaching? I could've kicked it in from that position too.]

-[Scoring it isn't hard. The key is getting into that position and reaching that ball.]

-[Holy shit, Li Luo can play as a shadow striker too?]

-[Müller, known as "Little Li Luo."]

By the sidelines.

Wolfsburg's assistant coaches excitedly hugged one another.

Hecking rubbed his face with both hands.

"Boss, your adjustment was genius. Li really scored!"

"Cough... cough cough, that's right. This is how we should play. Give Li even more freedom!"

On the other side.

Marcus flew into a rage, roaring wildly at his players.

In the VIP box.

Volkswagen's executives cheered jubilantly.

The armrests of their seats were slapped with loud bangs.

"I fucking knew it."

"I knew Li would score. His commercial value is soaring—golden rivers are pouring out."

"Hecking did well! Huh? What can we do to keep Li?"

"The young ladies of the Porsche Family and the Piëch Family aren't all infatuated with Li? Have Li stay in Germany, get married, and have children."

"You people still think you're living a hundred years ago?"