The Shining Theatre of Dreams?

Pre-match press conference.

Manchester United manager Van Gaal sat sternly upright.

His chubby hands adjusted the red tie at his chest.

The reporters eagerly began firing questions.

As usual, Old Van Gaal was easily provoked by the press.

The most outrageous time was... when he got carried away arguing, he would actually pick up a tactics board and meticulously explain his pre-match setup, leaving the opposing coach utterly bewildered: Was he letting me take an open-book exam?

Gradually, the Manchester United manager turned red in the face and began retorting furiously:

"Humph, don't ask such boring questions. How many young players have I unearthed?"

"In all of Europe, no one is better than me at developing and transforming gifted stars."

"Why are you questioning me? Which newspaper are you from? How many titles have you won?"

"During my time coaching Ajax, I boldly promoted Kluivert, the De Boer brothers, Davids, Van der Sar, Overmars, and Reiziger! I transformed Bergkamp and Rijkaard!"

"During my time coaching Barcelona, I improved La Masia's No. 4 role and promoted the young Xavi and Iniesta! Spain won three consecutive major tournaments and built a dynasty—do you know why?"

"During my time coaching Bayern Munich, I unearthed Müller and Alaba, and changed the positions of Schweinsteiger and Badstuber! Germany lifted the FIFA World Cup Trophy this year—do you know why?"

"You dare slander me, saying I won't play Li? Bastards! I will definitely give him time off the bench tonight!"

Old Trafford.

The stands were packed to the brim.

Among the bowl-shaped tiers were many Eastern faces.

Red banners bearing Chinese characters added an Eastern resonance to the chants at the Theatre of Dreams.

Go, Li Luo!

<The Theatre of Dreams Never Sleeps—The Opening Chapter of Li Luo's Legend!>

<Manchester United's Future! China's Football Future! A Super Rookie Burdened with Great Expectations!>

Li Luo sat on the bench, his gaze vacant.

He had already tried hard to steady himself in the dressing room, but at this moment, Old Trafford looked like a roaring red beast in his eyes... its immense presence poured down from the stands on all sides like a flood.

He felt tiny, like an ant being scorched by countless stares.

Would he make a fool of himself like a zoo monkey tonight? Watched by tens of thousands in the stadium, watched by countless people across the world.

Fuck, he was about to be scared stupid.

"Zhuangdian'er TV! Zhuangdian'er TV! We now bring you live coverage of the opening round of the 2014/15 Premier League season: Manchester United at home against Swansea City."

"The director's camera is on Li Luo, sitting on the Red Devils' bench."

"The Chinese prodigy's expression is very calm, and his body language is very composed."

"Stars held in his heart, still waters running deep."

"A pine breeze brushes his face; unmoving as a mountain."

"Light turns in a jade pot; an icy heart reflects itself."

"..."

"We can sense the masterful bearing of legendary midfielders from every era radiating from him: unruffled, calmly plotting every move..."

The commentator spoke excitedly, his emotions surging.

Coach Zhang nodded repeatedly. "Hehehe, when young players are promoted to the first team for their debut, they are usually so nervous that they make mistakes in their movements. But from the looks of it, Li Luo doesn't have that problem."

The livestream chat erupted with comments.

-[Li Luo is so handsome that even I have to avoid his edge.]

-[Husband!]

-[I want to work as a cleaner at Old Trafford. What if Li Luo falls in love with me?]

-[This feels so good. It's been many years since a Chinese player played in Britain, and Li Luo is wearing the Manchester United shirt!]

-[The light of Asia!]

-[Prince of the Theatre of Dreams!]

-[And he plays in midfield—a commander! The core! The brain! The leader! The marshal!]

-[At the Asian Cup in a few months, Li Luo will definitely lead the China National Football Team to punch the Koreans, kick the Japanese, and rule Asia!]

-[Brothers, Manchester United are pretty awful right now. They play like shit. I really don't want Li Luo grinding levels at Manchester United. He'd be better off developing at a strong Bundesliga or Serie A club—he'd gain experience faster by winning matches.]

Beep!

With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

The cheers at Old Trafford grew ever louder.

Li Luo sat on the bench, trying hard to take in everything happening on the pitch: he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

He understood nothing at all.

He couldn't understand his teammates' movement patterns or the changes in either side's formation.

He couldn't understand what the coaches in the technical area were gesturing about.

Time passed.

The match reached the 85th minute.

The LED screen hanging overhead displayed a score that enraged the Red Devils supporters: Manchester United 1:2 Swansea City.

Boos erupted everywhere.

The bowl-shaped stands were filled with curses:

"Fuck you, give us our money back!"

"Did the £135 million spent in the summer transfer window just go down the drain?"

"Damn it, De Gea is far too pitiful as a goalkeeper!"

In the technical area.

Assistant coach Giggs had anxiety written all over his face and couldn't help suggesting that "Angel" Di Maria be brought on.

Van Gaal remained expressionless, turning a deaf ear as he continued scribbling in his notebook.

South Americans? He hated them most of all.

Though whenever the Ballon d'Or votes came around, old Van would always secretly cast his vote for Lionel Messi.

"Alright, Li's done warming up. Get him ready to come on!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"In the Premier League, you address me as BOSS!"

The moment Li Luo heard Giggs call his name, despair welled up inside him.

There was no escaping it after all.

In the final stage of the match, he was ultimately going to make his Premier League debut.

Giggs took the bib, then bent down to tie the Chinese youngster's shoelaces. In a gentle tone, he said, "Don't be nervous. Play according to the plan I explained in the dressing room—4-2-3-1! You're the one right in the middle of the '3'!"

"There isn't much time left for Manchester United. Don't waste time building up play—be bold and break through from the wide half-spaces."

Li Luo: "..."

The pressure was immense.

Especially with the Manchester United coaching staff looking at him with such expectation in their eyes...

When the Chinese teenager appeared beyond the center circle.

Chinese fans all around the world were overcome with excitement.

The CCTV-5 commentator's voice also became hurried:

"Manchester United are making their final substitution."

"Coming on from the bench is 18-year-old youngster Li Luo!"

"A Chinese genius midfielder and a gem of Manchester United's academy, he carries the hopes of countless fans."

"After many years, a Chinese player has once again appeared on the top stage of Europe's five major leagues!"

Applause surged like a tide.

Tens of thousands cheered and shouted.

The broadcast camera focused on the sideline: the Chinese teenager high-fived and embraced Mata, then stepped into the Theatre of Dreams against the wind.

Li Luo was very nervous.

So nervous that he could hear his own heartbeat.

Even his breathing rhythm was hard to control.

He forced himself to start running, trying to close down the opponent in possession, yet he felt like a lone boat adrift on the ocean.

The football rolled rapidly across the grass.

Li Luo didn't know where to go next.

He didn't know where the direction lay.

Manchester's night wind was like a sharp blade, mercilessly cutting across a headless fly.

The viewers in front of their televisions instantly sank into despair, but upon hearing the commentators' voices, hope reignited in the blink of an eye.

CCTV-5 live broadcast studio.

The commentator and Director Zhang spoke with delight:

"Good!"

"Good! Running without sparing any effort!"

"Such tenacious fighting spirit!"

"Li Luo's fighting spirit on the pitch is worth learning from."

Gradually.

Li Luo's nerves stretched to the breaking point. His body trembled, and he couldn't help slowing down.

Why?

Why was he full of energy, yet his legs felt as though they had been filled with lead... Why couldn't he run anymore?!

His breathing grew increasingly erratic.

Forget it. If he embarrassed himself, then so be it.

What else could he do?

If a massive crack suddenly opened in the pitch right now, Li Luo would have jumped into it without hesitation.

In the eyes of all the spectators...

Was this kid taking a stroll?

The commentator and Director Zhang stared in shock:

"What?"

"This..."

"This is the way a football king plays!"

"This is the way a football king plays!"

"After possession changed hands, Li Luo began playing like a football king!"

"Hehehe, he took far fewer detours than Lionel Messi did."

"Looking back at the FIFA World Cup not long ago, there was a match where Lionel Messi covered only 7.5 kilometers, spending long stretches walking, yet still produced one goal and two assists. With the least running, he orchestrated the most efficient attacks."

"Breaking down defenses, observing tactics, reading the match."

"Li Luo truly deserves to be called a genius midfielder. His tactical awareness is innate."

"With an unhurried manner, he controlled the whole field."

"Strolling leisurely beneath the moon among the clouds; when the mountain stood still, the wind rose on its own."

Swansea City's coaching staff were completely dumbfounded.

What the hell was this?

What kind of bizarre tactic was Manchester United pulling now?

Head coach Garry Monk froze for a moment, then began frantically gesturing in the technical area. "Don't let him fool you! Get tight on Li! Don't let him have any chance to touch the ball!"

Before the match, the coaching staff had carefully studied the footage: when Li Luo received the ball facing forward, he was unstoppable. He could dribble, play through balls, and dictate play in the final third. He was a terrifying triple threat.

On the other side.

Giggs tugged at his hair in confusion.

What was the Manchester United Crown Prince doing?

Van Gaal frowned deeply, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "Beautiful! Li has drawn out two Swansea City defenders!"

"He's created the weak side for Manchester United!"

"A space creator!"

"Blind! For fuck's sake! Hurry up and hit that diagonal long ball!"

Smack!

Above the Theatre of Dreams, an incomparably beautiful arc was traced.

The ball suddenly dropped into the open space on the left edge of Swansea City's penalty area!

"Rooney!"

"Here!"

"No control! A volley!"

"Wow! A miraculous save by the Swansea goalkeeper!"

"Brilliant!"

"In the final moments, Manchester United earned a corner. They came within inches of equalizing! Since 1972, the Red Devils had gone 42 years without losing their opening Premier League match at home!"

"Let's look at the replay of Manchester United's attack... Huh? Li Luo's decoy run?"

CCTV-5's live broadcast studio.

The slow-motion replay showed Manchester United's attacking move.

The commentator watched intently. "Coach Zhang, what do you think?"

Coach Zhang took a sip of tea, his tone excited. "That was very advanced football! Li Luo's run... his positioning! It had shades of Cristiano Ronaldo. A top-level battle of minds off the ball—he used a false movement to draw two Swansea defenders, helping Manchester United create space on the weak side!"

"It could be said that 18-year-old Li already had the potential to become a superstar."

"An unbelievable creation of space. He might become... China's sharpest sword."

The livestream chat.

-[So that was it. I almost thought Li Luo couldn't play football! I was just thinking I might as well go on myself!]

-[That's so advanced, freaking awesome! My Li!]

-[Big brother is so handsome.]

-[A master.]

-[He planned from afar and decided victory a thousand miles away.]

Li Luo had never played football, so he had no idea what positional psychological battles on a Premier League pitch were.

The two Swansea players marking him kept chattering away, trying their best to distract the Manchester United prodigy's "focus." They wore vicious expressions and attacked his mentality with trash talk.

"Kid, don't move around, or I'll cripple you."

"I'll break your legs."

Throughout Premier League history, many foreign players and young prospects had been intimidated into losing their composure, making mistake after mistake.

What was more, quite a few of them... had been scared into tears or kicked into tears during Premier League matches.

Li Luo was not afraid. Instead, he raised his head and started chatting with them. Where was home? How many people were in their family? Oh! The Taylor family had a daughter too? She was about the same age as him?

After chatting for a while, he did feel much better.

He was no longer so nervous.

It was just that these two Swansea players would nervously spread their arms from time to time, grabbing his arms and pressing against his chest.

After a few minutes of play.

Li Luo deeply regretted putting his attribute points into heading. He had no chance to head the ball at all... and even if he did, at his height...

The fourth official raised the LED board.

Three minutes of stoppage time.

Manchester United treasured this corner opportunity, pushing the entire team into Swansea's penalty area!

Rooney pressed both hands onto Li Luo's shoulders and "moved" him into position at the far post.

At this point in history, lower- and mid-table Premier League teams placed great importance on defending set pieces. Swansea City manager Garry Monk issued another order. "Damn it, Li is so short. There's no need to mark him tightly on set pieces!"

"He's so short!"

"He can't head the ball!"

According to the footage: Li Luo's heading was utter crap, and his ability to contest aerial balls during set-piece attacks and defenses was practically nonexistent.

At 173 centimeters, what threat could he possibly pose against Swansea's towering back line?

By the corner flag.

Blind raised his left hand.

Then he took two steps back, swung his arm, and kicked.

Smack!

The ball lifted off the ground, spinning violently as it flew toward Swansea City's penalty area.

The tallest players on both sides leaped fiercely.

No one got a touch.

The ball dropped straight toward the far post...

There stood a "slender" figure from China!

Old Trafford fell briefly silent.

Van Gaal's eyes widened.

Giggs stared blankly, clutching a bottle of mineral water.

Li Luo looked up and saw a white object hurtling down at him.

He had been wondering how many seconds remained before he could "clock off."

In an instant.

His 58 heading stat made him react on pure instinct.

He drove with his waist and core.

Whipped his head.

The Swansea City defender, scrambling back in desperation, rushed over... but he was already too late.

Smack!

The violently spinning ball changed direction as it fell, rocketing toward the Swansea City goal.

Bang!

The ball slammed hard against the post and ricocheted into the net.

The Swansea City goalkeeper, diving through the air, wore a face full of shock.

2:2!!!

In an instant, Old Trafford shook as though the earth itself had split apart.

The close-up cameras trembled nonstop beneath the tsunami-like roar of the crowd.

The entire stadium erupted.

"Beautiful!"

"It's in!"

"Eighteen-year-old Chinese prospect Li Luo shines at the Theatre of Dreams!"