Combat Power Module! (Two-in-One)

"Congratulations to Wolfsburg!"

"As things stand, they are temporarily in second place in the Bundesliga."

"Wolfsburg's overall strength has been formidable this season. They only lost to Bayern Munich in the opening round of the Bundesliga, then went on to win eight straight league matches!"

"Chinese player Li Luo has become the midfield core of a Bundesliga club through his outstanding talent."

"In the top five leagues, a rising supernova."

"Countless people are eagerly anticipating just how far he will go in the future."

"I am proud of him."

"..."

The commentator began waxing lyrical.

About the truth of life, heroism, seeing clearly and still loving...

Coach Zhang, meanwhile, seriously analyzed Li Luo's passing completion rate, ground duels, defending, and other relevant statistics from tonight.

Every so often, he would freeze.

His brows furrowed, then relaxed.

Whenever there was something questionable in the data, it had to be the teammates' problem.

Passing completion rate? His teammates had failed to receive the ball properly or make the right runs.

Ground duels? His teammates had made poor passes, leaving Li Luo in a bad situation and allowing the opposition to disrupt him.

Cannons boomed in celebration as green confetti drifted down from the away stands.

Like rain.

The assistant coach was reviewing the match when he suddenly thought of something. Raising his head, he said gently to Bendtner, "If your hold-up play were stronger, breaking through high pressing would be much easier for us."

"And if your off-the-ball movement improved, you could disrupt the space between their two lines."

"That would let Li play more simply as well."

That was true.

With a big center forward who was strong with his back to goal and good off the ball, Wolfsburg's attack could be much simpler.

It would be like adding another massive pillar to the front line.

Bendtner was unconvinced. He spread his hands. "My hold-up play is already better than that of the club's other forwards."

"Considering the market and the price, can Wolfsburg buy a center forward with better technique at his feet, better awareness, and better hold-up play than me?"

"If I met the requirements you mentioned, would Arsenal have driven me away? Would Giroud have replaced me?"

The assistant coach listened earnestly and nodded. "Mm-hmm, you're right. But you should work even harder to prove yourself."

Unable to resist, he pulled out his little tactics board again and began running through hypothetical scenarios...

A center forward? Good technique? Good awareness? Able to disrupt the space between the opponent's two lines? Strong vision?

Who was it?

Morata!

A young talent from Real Madrid's youth academy, now playing for Juventus.

His presence would absolutely ease Li's burden significantly.

However...

Wolfsburg could not afford him.

Even if they could, he would never be willing to come. Juventus were one of the favorites for the UEFA Champions League this season.

Next summer, a wealthy club like Manchester United could afford him!

The assistant coach secretly made up his mind: when the time came, he would seriously recommend him to his friends in Manchester United's scouting department. It would definitely make a difference. Once Li Luo returned to Manchester United, he would surely be treated as the cornerstone of their revival, and the club would build the team around him.

Li Luo's two goals also made his teammates fully realize his finishing ability.

Who would dare question the shooting of the Chinese prodigy after he had beaten the new-generation Bundesliga goalkeeping sensation, Karius?

The Wolfsburg players left the pitch one after another.

After thinking for a moment, Gustavo said, "Malanda, we need to use our heads more too and read the situation. Give Li more time and space to join the attack—free him up!"

Old Gus was Brazil's defensive midfielder; he possessed the mindset of "how to support a midfield-and-attack superstar like Neymar."

Little Black Egg's gaze was resolute. He shook his head. "The boss told me not to think too much. I only listen to Li's instructions."

De Bruyne did not join the discussion. He twirled a blade of grass around his index finger, looking toward Li Luo's retreating back with a smile.

Post-match press conference.

Hecking was all smiles.

"Game of wits? What tactical battle?"

"Don't worry about what others are doing. We just need to play our own game, pass the ball to Li, and the match will naturally become simple."

Clap clap clap!

Warm applause erupted in the auditorium.

The media reporters scribbled furiously, recording the famous coach's golden quotes.

Just like Cruyff's famous saying: "When attacking, spread out the space; when defending, compress the space."

In just one short sentence, it encompassed the essence of spatial principles.

"Hmm? Right! Li directed the team through Tuchel's counter-pressing net during transitions. He's too clever."

"Karius is one of Germany's strongest young-generation goalkeepers, yet Li Luo scored twice against him tonight."

"What does that mean? Do I really need to spell it out?"

Clap clap clap.

The applause rang out once more and went on for a long while.

A moment later.

Mainz assistant coach El walked into the auditorium dejectedly. After enduring the media's barrage of criticism, he was once again asked about the threat posed by the other side...

"I don't think Li is a rising star with exceptionally high individual ability. He's simply good at using Spatial Awareness to handle the ball in a concise manner."

"His talent lies in his vision, match reading, tactical battles, focus during matches, understanding of space..."

"A genius midfielder who plays with his brain, a commander with a system built into him, one who can only realize his greatest value at a powerhouse club."

"That was Tuchel's assessment. It has nothing to do with me."

Back at the hotel where they were staying.

Li Luo eagerly slipped into his room.

Beep beep beep.

His phone rang.

There were more messages from Lauren and Lei. Even Larissa had sent him one.

With a crisis looming, how could he let girls interfere with his improvement?

He ignored them.

[Shock Points acquired: 165687]

[Would you like to spend 100,000 Shock Points to exchange for a Bundesliga Star Blind Box?]

[Exchange in progress.]

Rumble!

A gigantic card suddenly rose before him!

Within the card, a figure slowly emerged.

Li Luo took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes.

This was his last chance to draw a blind box before the international A-level match!

It was time to test his luck.

Tonight, he absolutely could not be unlucky.

He had to draw an immediately usable module to overcome this crisis.

It was a grueling challenge where even Macroscopic Spatial Awareness and Tactical Game Theory would have no obvious effect!

The reward could not be a team buff. It had to be an individual "boom boom boom"!

[Blind Box opening...]

A figure with a balding hairstyle held a sprinting dribble posture.

[While dribbling, the limit of human step frequency is 4.4 hertz. His is 4.2 hertz.]

[Left foot, left foot, left foot, left foot, right foot.]

[Right, right, right, right, left; left, right, left, left, left, right, left—continuous touches with no pattern.]

[The Little Flying Dutchman who began his charge from Groningen.]

[The whole world knows he'll cut inside, but no one can stop him!]

What?

It was actually...

[Congratulations, you have obtained: Robben's "Step Frequency" module.]

[Boom Boom Boom!]

[As your ball control attribute increases, this module will gradually reveal its power.]

[Ball Control Attribute Adjustment: 48 → 60!]

[Additional Attribute Increase: Speed +2!]

Wow! A Golden Legend!

Just like the Müller module, it directly adjusted his attributes to the minimum threshold needed to unleash its power!

His speed had also increased by two points.

His speed attribute had now reached a staggering 88 points!

The back of Li Luo's head tingled faintly.

No fragmented memories surfaced.

Why?

The next moment, he understood.

This was the Step Frequency module, the most fundamental and primal improvement—not the Robben Cut-In module.

They were both Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

But what Qiao Feng, Hong Qigong, Guo Jing, and Shi Huolong unleashed were not the same.

Likewise, when carrying the ball at high step frequency—

Lionel Messi, Robben, Neymar, Hazard, and Walcott all had different combat forms.

Li Luo let out a long breath.

He had finally drawn the ultimate "Boom Boom Boom" individual module.

He could not relax.

He still had to keep learning.

He took out his tablet and continued watching <Cristiano Ronaldo Teaches You High-Speed Sprinting and Explosive Headers>.

At the previous charity event, Morata had advised him that he could study Cristiano Ronaldo's heading techniques. They were highly practical.

A heading attribute of 98.

In that difficult battle, it would surely become a crucial weapon as well.

One news item after another climbed the hot search rankings on China's internet.

<Chinese youngster Li Luo scores twice in the Bundesliga.>

<The ultimate clash between the new generation's spear and shield: Li Luo breaks through Karius with an elegant chip.>

<Japanese media: Shinji Okazaki's unwilling kneeling, his sweat and tears—can none of this be changed?>

<South Korean media: Li Luo was too savage. Koo Ja-cheol merely launched a flying tackle at him, yet he leapt up and viciously stomped on Koo Ja-cheol's body.>

<The Sun: During the international break, the Eastern girl Li Luo secretly met with was definitely not South Korean.>

Finally.

A major news story broke, setting off a nationwide frenzy.

<International A-Level Match: China VS Japan—Li Luo to make his national team debut.>

The accompanying image showed Li Luo's dashing moment as he chipped Karius.

The numbers of comments, likes, and shares skyrocketed crazily.

-[What?]

-[My Luo is going to play for the country?]

-[I'm so excited! A genius midfielder shining in the Bundesliga, putting on the China National Football Team jersey... Am I dreaming?!]

-[Aaaah! So handsome! If I had Li Luo's football skills, I'd also charge into battle for my country without hesitation.]

-[Li Luo, please break free of this and wash away the China National Football Team's shame. Let us see hope!]

-[We shouldn't put too much pressure on Li Luo. He's still young. Winning or losing with the national team doesn't matter; the most important thing is that he doesn't get injured or suffer any lasting effects.]

-[That's right. We need to be tolerant, understanding, encouraging, and supportive of Li Luo. He's played so well in the Bundesliga and Europa League—if the China National Football Team loses, it definitely won't be his fault!]

-[Go, Li Luo!]

Cheshire.

Hale Village, shrouded in mist.

Ferguson sat before the fireplace, watching Wolfsburg's match footage with satisfaction.

Jack carefully poured the wine. "Sir, there's news from Tom."

"Hm? Is Li dating? That's normal at his age. As long as she's a good girl, we shouldn't interfere too much."

Ferguson looked conflicted. He sighed, lowered his head, and seemed to be recalling old memories.

Jack shook his head. "No. Tom said Li doesn't know any girls in Germany."

"A lot of football agents have been trying to get Li's contact information."

"One guy named Raiola said he had the ability to get Li into a giant club."

Pfft.

Ferguson picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. "What a joke. Get Li into a giant club? Manchester United is a giant club!"

Jack looked hesitant as he stammered, "That guy's idea is... to get Li to Barcelona, make him Xavi's successor, the new generation's La Masia number four, and usher in the Dream Team IV dynasty."

"Haha!"

Ferguson smiled. "I will always believe in Li's character."

Jack nodded. "Yes, I believe it too. Tom will report Li's situation truthfully and deal with every problem."

As they talked, and took a few sips of wine, the two of them actually became a little pleased:

The Manchester United Crown Prince had proven his strength in the Bundesliga, so naturally he would draw the attention of many forces.

There was certainly nothing wrong with Li Luo's character.

He had no idea that any agency was trying to obtain his contact information.

Even if they found him, he would refuse without hesitation.

Once his loan ended, he would return to Manchester United. That was the agreement. He would not go anywhere else.

"Li, are you changed?"

"Coming."

When he stepped out of the hotel room, the Wolfsburg players had all changed into casual clothes as well.

Bendtner had even put on a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask. "I'm afraid the fans will recognize me and cause a commotion."

"Hey, kid, you're not famous enough for that yet..."

"Even top stars with huge reputations are the same. Last time Benzema came to Mainz for fun, the locals and tourists here stayed very calm and treated him like an ordinary visitor."

Since they were in Germany, the coaching staff had no concerns about the players going out.

People needed to relax. They could not stay tense all the time.

They just could not go to the red-light district.

The cobblestone streets of the old town glistened with damp dark patterns beneath the light and shadow. Gothic spires pierced the clouds, while the Rhine resembled a flowing Milky Way, reflecting the lights on both banks and the silhouettes of ancient buildings.

Bendtner pointed at a church and laughed. "With so many brothels on both sides, do the nuns hear moaning while they're holding Mass?"

Everyone froze for a moment. They could not help admiring the Arsenal Emperor's train of thought.

Next came the international break. The next Bundesliga match would not be held until thirteen days later.

For players who had not been selected for their national teams, it was practically a two-week holiday.

Malanda said, "The competition in the Belgium National Team is too fierce. I can't get in, so I have to go back to the U23s and be captain."

The situations of several other teammates were much the same.

In Europe and South America's footballing powers, unless a player occupied a scarce position in the head coach's tactical system, they generally had to face incredibly fierce competition.

De Bruyne hesitated for a long time before saying to Li Luo, "Li, have a safe trip. Don't get injured."

Gustavo laughed. "Don't worry. Li's treatment in China is the same as Neymar's treatment in Brazil! Li, listen to me! If someone kicks you, roll around like crazy and get the referee's attention. Protect yourself properly."

Li Luo nodded seriously. "Mm, got it."

"Come on, come on! Photo time!"

Wolfsburg's crown prince, Arnold, pulled out a camera and gestured for everyone to stand by the riverbank.

"What about you?"

"Oh, right! Hey, brother passing by, could you take a picture for us? I'll give you an autograph!"

"Careful, don't let the wind blow you into the river!"

Everyone had already taken their positions.

Arnold scampered off to the side.

The bystanders excitedly waved their cameras around.

Click!

Li Luo and his Wolfsburg teammates left behind a precious group photo on the banks of the Rhine.

Everyone wore brilliant smiles.

Their faces were filled with hope for the future.

Hotel conference room.

The Wolfsburg coaching staff finished reviewing the match.

A staff member gently knocked on the door. "Boss, the China National Team sent a fax to the club..."

Hecking took the document.

He examined it carefully.

Then he muttered, "Not bad. The form of address is very accurate. Famous coach!"

"They want to ask for advice... on how the national team should use Li. They hope to receive our suggestions."

The Wolfsburg manager raised his eyebrows.

Huh?

They didn't even know how to celebrate along with everyone else?

"Whoever has time, write them a serious reply."

"What I mean is, don't let Li get too tired. Make... write around that point!"