"Good evening, viewers."
"We're bringing you a live friendly between the China National Team and the Netherlands National Team."
"China are playing aggressively, probing relentlessly down both wings and sending crosses into the box."
"The Netherlands look hesitant. They've dropped deep, and even when they win possession, they don't dare counterattack. They're playing conservatively and just hoofing it clear."
"Hm? It's raining."
"The pitch is getting wetter."
"Rain seemed to seep from cracks in the stone, like moonlight crushed into droplets. Its clear patter rose and fell, now murmuring, now singing, as though whispering to the towering pines and cypresses."
"The air is filled with..."
"..."
"Whoa! A sudden flood has swallowed the entire stadium..."
Ring, ring, ring!
The urgent alarm jolted Li Luo out of his strange dream.
"Why would I dream something like that?"
"I actually..."
Complicated emotions quietly spread through him. What was the meaning of life? Where had the universe come from?
Then he noticed a subtle change in his attribute panel.
[Stamina: 90→90.01] [Jumping: 80→80.03] [Shot Power: 81→81.02]
What?
While I'm still growing... I can get stronger just by sleeping?
No wonder some of football's freakish talents weren't keen on training.
[Passing: 49.9→50]
"The training boost from the One-Touch Passing module... pushed my passing to 50!"
"Better get up. It's a Bundesliga match day, and I can't be late."
A few hours later.
A bus bearing a wolf's-head emblem rolled along a country road in Baden-Württemberg.
"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 a field."
Bendtner yawned listlessly, looking as miserable as a schoolboy who hadn't finished his homework by Monday morning.
Hecking sat with his arms crossed, anxiety written all over his face. It wasn't because of the opposition. No matter who Wolfsburg faced, their manager was anxious. Though he had, in a sense, saved the club years ago, he always felt his coaching philosophy was falling behind the times.
Especially after opponents figured out his tactics of beating weaker sides but struggling against stronger ones in the second half of last season. Teams had targeted Wolfsburg's weaknesses match after match, leaving Hecking to defend deep most of the time and rely on extraordinary performances from his attackers to win.
Most of the players, though, were cheerful and raring to go.
Gustavo, Li Luo's midfield teammate, had spent the whole journey telling him stories about Hoffenheim.
"That's enough about them. Let me tell you my story."
"I started out 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. Those few months felt like a dream. I'd gone from Brazil's lower leagues to Germany's second division..."
"I got promoted to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim."
"Later, I joined Bayern Munich and won plenty of trophies with them..."
"And then, as you know, I started as the holding midfielder in the FIFA World Cup semifinal two months ago. Germany put seven past us."
The Brazilian laughed at himself.
Li Luo nodded.
He thought Gustavo had made twelve interceptions in that match, yet still couldn't stop Brazil from being demolished. When he had time, he wanted to study why and find a path for his own development.
In the next seat, De Bruyne was still smarting. Hoffenheim had thrashed Wolfsburg last season, too. He had felt so frustrated and helpless then. Tonight, he was determined to win.
Night fell.
Sinsheim, on the Rhine, was gradually enveloped in an almost primal restlessness.
Fans from towns and villages across Baden-Württemberg gathered at Neckar Arena.
Blue flags fluttered in the wind.
Blue scarves rose high overhead.
"Zhuangdian'er TV! Good evening, viewers."
"We're bringing you live coverage of the third round of the 2014–15 Bundesliga season."
"Hoffenheim host Wolfsburg."
"Last time they met, Hoffenheim thrashed Wolfsburg 6–2."
"What story will unfold tonight? Let's find out."
At the pre-match press conference.
The reporters had Hecking red-faced.
"Stop bringing up that 6–2!"
"What's past is past. We've learned our lesson."
"Every match is its own event. Previous results mean nothing."
On the other side.
Hoffenheim manager Marcus spoke firmly.
"I don't know anything about Wolfsburg's supposed genius."
"Can one or two matches prove someone's a genius?"
"I've seen plenty of geniuses over the years. Every player on the Germany National Football Team that lifted the FIFA World Cup Trophy was a supertalent."
"Tonight, all I know is Hoffenheim's Firmino. He scored sixteen Bundesliga goals and provided eleven assists last season. He'll be our hero."
The German reporters wanted to argue.
But they couldn't find a way to.
That sly old fox Marcus had worked praise for Germany into his answer.
In the players' tunnel.
Gustavo warmly embraced his fellow Brazilians.
De Bruyne quietly went over his experience of playing Hoffenheim with Li Luo once more.
"Li, let's do this together. I'm confident this time."
Li Luo nodded earnestly.
He had studied the matchup on paper and done his homework.
Captain Benaglio looked grave. "Li, tonight's match will be tough. Be ready for it. Especially since we're away. You'll hear tens of thousands of people booing you. Good luck!"
Remembering the last time Hoffenheim had slaughtered them left Benaglio feeling oppressed.
A massacre like that.
No one bore a heavier psychological scar than the goalkeeper.
Wolfsburg's golden boy Arnold stared intently at Hoffenheim's Firmino. The Brazilian noticed, but instead of getting annoyed, he smiled back.
A hot-air balloon bearing the Bundesliga logo slowly rose into the sky.
The players stood on the pitch.
Cheers erupted from every stand as a giant tifo unfurled in the home end.
Blue marine smoke flares went off in the corners at the same time.
Thick smoke billowed upward.
"The atmosphere at Neckar Arena is electric."
"Now, let's look at the starting lineups."
"Hoffenheim line up in a 4-4-2 tonight!"
"In goal: Baumann."
"Defenders: Strobl, Süle, Bićakčić and Andreas."
"Midfielders: Rudy, Polanski, Firmino and Salihović."
"Forwards: Modeste and Szalai."
"It's a diamond 4-4-2, with Firmino playing a crucial tactical role."
"When he first arrived at Hoffenheim, he was diagnosed as malnourished. He looks much better now."
"Wolfsburg line up in a 4-5-1!"
"In goal: Benaglio."
"Defenders: Sebastian, Naldo, Knoche and Ricardo."
"Midfielders: De Bruyne, Gustavo, Li Luo, Arnold and Caligiuri."
"Up front: Bendtner."
"Wolfsburg's away kit looks better than their home kit this season."
"De Bruyne looks a little thin, though reports say he's recently started a muscle-building program."
"Can Hecking avenge that defeat tonight?"
Tweet!
The referee's whistle sounded.
The match began.
Hoffenheim had possession.
The big man Modeste played the kickoff back.
In the next instant.
His teammates surged across the halfway line.
"They're going for a fast start!"
"Why has Firmino dropped so deep to receive the ball?"
"He's almost on his own back line."
"Beautiful."
"He takes the pass and glides past Bendtner's pressure."
"He drives forward at pace."
"Out wide!"
The ball flew precisely toward the flank.
Strobl controlled it and carried it into the final thirty meters of Wolfsburg's half.
He looked up.
Both of Hoffenheim's big strikers had pushed into the Wolfsburg box.
He abandoned the idea of cutting inside or combining with an overlapping teammate and whipped in a cross!
Smack!
A roar of cheers and applause swept across the stands.
The ball curved into the penalty area.
"Two men arriving at once!"
"Modeste at 1.87 meters and Szalai at 1.93!"
"That's the spirit of Marcus's Hoffenheim!"
Wolfsburg's defenders fought to put them off.
Thud.
The ball glanced off Modeste's head and floated weakly toward goal.
Benaglio sprang up and caught it with ease.
Gasps of alarm rose from the Wolfsburg fans in the away end.
That had been close.
They had nearly conceded an early goal just like last time!
Li Luo and his attacking teammates had only just tracked back into the box. As soon as possession changed, they spread out.
Through the Spatial Awareness model in his mind.
He realized the tactics their opponents were using tonight were both ancient and modern.
Ancient-fashioned crosses from the flanks.
The age-old two-man charge at the goal.
But the way they built their attacks seemed ahead of its time.
"Why can Firmino, an attacking midfielder, drop all the way back to the defensive line to help bring the ball out?"
On the touchline.
Marcus kept shouting, his expression exaggerated.
"What Wolfsburg genius?"
"Give me a break."
"The Bundesliga media hyped Wolfsburg to the skies before our last meeting too. Hoffenheim still thrashed them!"
He knew many of his own ideas had fallen behind the times, but what the previous manager had left behind could make up for it.
Firmino was the key.
Hoffenheim's current squad simply wasn't built to play anything too sophisticated.
But Firmino's unusual qualities could catch opponents off guard.
On the other side.
Hecking paced back and forth anxiously.
"Look. They didn't get their early lead, so they're sitting deep again."
"Marcus is a giant turtle."
"He has none of Rangnick's spirit!"
Hoffenheim hadn't worked miracles back then by cowering.
But the Hoffenheim of today was adaptable.
When it was time to park the bus, they did it without hesitation.
The pace of the match slowed.
Wolfsburg advanced with little interference.
In the blink of an eye, they had pinned their opponents back around the penalty area and laid siege.
"Oh dear."
"Once they cross that thirty-meter line, the pressure starts."
"Hoffenheim won't let De Bruyne play comfortably. Two big men crash into him whenever he receives the ball."
"It was the same in their last meeting, that 6–2 match."
"We believe a midfielder with De Bruyne's limitless potential will gradually find a way through as the match goes on."
"Heh, exactly. He's still growing."
Hoffenheim also paid close attention to Li Luo.
They assigned their all-round midfielder, Rudy, to mark the Chinese teenager.
Rudy had a well-rounded game.
At this stage, he had only a few weaknesses: he turned slowly, lacked pace, and couldn't jump well.
But Hoffenheim's coaching staff believed that, when defending deep, a 180-centimeter midfielder could use his physique to overpower one who stood 173 centimeters tall.
Hoffenheim's owner, Hopp, had developed several pieces of cutting-edge equipment to improve the players' overall physical conditioning in training.
On the pitch.
Li Luo loved opponents like Rudy.
He was slower than Li Luo.
He thought slower, too.
At most, he could tug Li Luo's arm, pull at his shirt, or stop him from turning after he received the ball.
After several little battles between them.
Rudy was left chasing in circles, his cheeks flushed. Against anyone else, I'd have pinned him down by now.
Hoffenheim fans booed furiously, trying to disrupt the Wolfsburg midfielder.
Many of them gradually realized something.
Li Luo's Spatial Awareness paired with One-Touch Passing made him the natural enemy of traditional holding midfielders at mid-table Bundesliga clubs.
The minutes ticked by.
Li Luo took more touches than anyone else while Wolfsburg attacked the set defense.
Beside Rudy's "slow" movements, the Chinese teenager looked impossibly graceful and quick.
One-touch pass after one-touch pass.
Lateral run after lateral run.
Through his Spatial Awareness model, the passing lanes he constructed were like fine steel wires, tightening around Hoffenheim's parked bus.
The quality of his passes was a little inconsistent.
But Hoffenheim's formation had contracted, and their players dared not abandon their positions rashly.
Most of their defensive attention was focused on De Bruyne.
That left the other Wolfsburg players passing and moving around the edge as though they were in training...
Li Luo's teammates didn't question his passing. Instead, they thought they weren't moving actively enough against the set defense to keep up with him.
Of course.
With that kind of football intelligence and vision, who would dare think the young genius's passes were at fault?
Perhaps he was passing that way on purpose!
Perhaps he was guiding the whole team through changes of tempo to break through the bus.
"A master."
"Effortless and elegant."
"Li Luo's style is speeding up Wolfsburg's entire game."
"Is he about to use his signature move to break through?"
"No."
"He's passed to De Bruyne, who found space."
"Oh, Bendtner has wasted the Belgian's wonderful pass..."
"No matter. Breaking down a parked bus takes patience."
In the livestream chat.
-[So smooth.]
-[Li Luo's dancing around the edge of their penalty area, orchestrating play on the ground and dismantling the defense.]
-[The kind of play that wins you the most fans.]
-[Rudy usually wins plenty of ground duels. Why can't he keep up with Li Luo tonight?]
-[I get it now. De Bruyne draws two big men, and Li Luo takes over midfield to raise the tempo. Then De Bruyne shakes them off without the ball and runs into space, slowing things down and changing the rhythm again. They're steadily wearing out the whole Hoffenheim side.]
In the VIP box.
The Volkswagen executives were far from pleased.
They leaned toward one another and grumbled about their own coaching staff.
"How can Hecking make Li work so hard?"
"Why not let Li do what that big oaf Bendtner does? Wait in the penalty area for a teammate to pass to him."
"We've set goal and assist bonuses for Li."
"Forget it. We can't interfere with the club's tactics."
On the touchline.
Hecking applauded now and then.
Then he remembered the pressure from the Volkswagen Group executives: find a way to get Li Luo scoring and put up better numbers.
"Damn it."
"Amateurs telling professionals what to do. How is the team supposed to get results like this?"
"How could I push a gifted midfielder like Li up front against a set defense?"
The assistant coach hurried over with the tactics board. "Boss, this is bad. More and more of them are closing in on Li. If we lose the ball, Hoffenheim could counter easily..."
"Hm?"
"Tell Li to move up front. Now!"
"Push Knoche into midfield, have the others spread out across the attack, and widen the gaps between their runs!"
On the other side.
Marcus shouted instructions.
He told his players to hold their positions and not let Wolfsburg pull them apart.
The Wolfsburg coaching staff's instructions reached Li Luo.
Move up front and line up alongside Bendtner?
That was good news.
He had been thinking about how to orchestrate a way through Hoffenheim's parked bus.
Now his teammates could think about it instead.
In his first Bundesliga match against Frankfurt, Li Luo had learned to launch transition attacks and beat a high press.
In his second, against Hoffenheim, he had learned to confront a parked bus and think about breaking down a deep defense.
Those two opponents, with their contrasting styles, had given the Chinese teenager plenty of experience.
"Hm? One tall, one quick!"
"Bendtner's the tall one."
"Li Luo's the quick one."
"Hoffenheim have committed more players to closing down Li Luo, but he's moved closer to the penalty area."
"Cruyff once said that defending means shrinking space, while attacking means expanding it."
"That's exactly what we're seeing here."
The commentator sounded puzzled.
What use was it to push the 173-centimeter Li Luo up front against a set defense?
Hoffenheim's back line was full of towering players.
The match gradually grew dull.
The cheers inside Neckar Arena faded.
In the 28th minute.
Everything changed in an instant.
Wolfsburg midfielder Caligiuri received a difficult pass from De Bruyne, who was locked in a fierce challenge.
Wolfsburg fullback Sebastian quickly surged forward on the overlap.
The two played a series of wall passes.
They reached the edge of Hoffenheim's penalty area.
"Oh!"
"Beautiful!"
"Nothing he can do. There are too many bodies."
"Süle positioned himself perfectly, and the ball popped up."
"Bendtner stretches out a long leg."
Li Luo hadn't stood still.
He tried to dart toward the near post and reach what looked like the best spot to finish.
Then, suddenly.
The geometric model formed by his Spatial Awareness produced a red phantom.
False Run
The red phantom charged toward the far post.
Why?
Shouldn't the near post be the best place?
Did an attack always have to follow the obvious logic?
The far post!
Rudy was baffled.
He couldn't understand why Li Luo had gone toward the far post.
The ball couldn't possibly go there!
Don't follow him. Help cover a teammate instead.
Smack!
Smack!
Two touches came in quick succession, plunging the scene into chaos.
But the ball flew clear of the crowd.
It dropped toward the far post.
Following its drifting path, everyone realized in astonishment...
The young player from China was right where it would land.
No one was marking him.
The entire stadium was stunned.
"How did Li Luo end up there?" the commentator cried.
Hecking stared in disbelief.
Marcus's brows drew together.
Why?
Why was Li Luo there?
Tens of thousands of spectators searched for an answer too.
As they wondered, the young player from China at the center of every gaze raised his arms and swung his leg.
Smack!
The crisp sound of the strike reached Hoffenheim goalkeeper Baumann like the final tick of a bomb. There was no time!
From the near post, he had no chance of reaching the far post!
The ball hit the net.
0–1!!!
The stadium erupted.
De Bruyne looked incredulous.
Bendtner was still trading insults with the opposing center-back.
It took Wolfsburg's other players a split second to react before they charged toward Li Luo.
It felt incredible.
Hoffenheim had thrashed them last time.
Tonight, Li Luo had sounded the call for revenge!
[Shock Value +1!] [Shock Value +1!] [Shock Value +1!] [...]
Watching his experience points climb, Li Luo couldn't decide how to celebrate.
He hadn't learned any celebrations from the tutorial videos yet.
So he could only run awkwardly toward the away stand and raise a fist to the Wolfsburg fans who had traveled with the team.
They answered with cheers.
"Li Luo!"
"Li Luo!"
"..."
Li Luo didn't lose himself in the joy of scoring. His mind kept working: the "illogical" positioning of False Run wouldn't always produce a goal, but it caught defenders off guard more effectively than "logical" movement.
"Beautiful!"
"It's in!"
"Li Luo, the young player from China, has broken the deadlock with his first Bundesliga goal."
"He's put Wolfsburg ahead."
"That effortless shooting motion was textbook-perfect."
"But the key was his movement."
"On the slow-motion replay, you can see how Li Luo's run to meet the ball caught Hoffenheim's defense completely off guard."
"Unbelievable. A world-class instinct for goal."
The commentator's voice rang with excitement.
Remembering how he had questioned Li Luo moments earlier, he gave himself a light slap.
Coach Zhang beamed. Li Luo was so complete in attack. He could play the "logical" way to control the game, then do the "illogical" thing to finish. It was almost unbelievable.
In the CCTV-5 livestream room:
The big screen replayed the goal.
—[Ghostlike movement.]
—[I've watched it over and over, and I still don't get how Li Luo ended up there.]
—[Wasn't that just a tap-in? I could've scored from there.]
—[Scoring wasn't the hard part. Getting into position and reaching the ball was.]
—[Holy shit, Li Luo can play as a second striker too?]
—[Müller, also known as "Little Li Luo."]
On the touchline:
Wolfsburg's assistant coaches hugged one another in excitement.
Hecking rubbed his face with both hands.
"Boss, that adjustment was genius! Li really scored!"
"Ahem... Right. That's exactly how we should play. Give Li even more freedom!"
On the other side:
Marcus flew into a rage, roaring at his players.
In the VIP box:
Volkswagen's executives cheered.
They slapped the armrests until they thudded.
"I fucking knew it."
"I knew Li could score. His commercial value is shooting up—the money's practically pouring in."
"Hecking did well! So, how do we get Li to stay?"
"Aren't the young women of the Porsche Family and the Piëch Family smitten with him? Get Li to settle down and start a family in Germany."
"You lot think we're still living a hundred years ago?"
Before you continue