Chương 20: Chapter 20: The Opening of the Mysterious Treasure Chest!
That night, Bayer Leverkusen's official website and social media accounts extensively covered the victory in the first round of the season. Among them, Li Kang's appearance in the last moments of injury time occupied a quarter of the coverage.
The pharmaceutical team's fans were not pleased and expressed their discontent in the comments:
"Oh my God, is Li Kang Waller's grandson? No one in the pharmaceutical team has ever been treated like this!"
"I'm sure they're not related by blood; Li Kang is more handsome than him!"
"Waller has turned our club into a lapdog of the Dragon Country in these years, making money there and donating fewer resources here!"
"Li Kang is outstanding, but he's still very young. He may not adapt to the intensity of the Bundesliga games. I suggest the club let him practice for two more seasons with the youth team! Now, please give the No. 10 jersey back to Chalhanoglu!"
"Give the No. 10 jersey back to Chalhanoglu!"
In the office, the assistant handed over a report with a frustrated expression: "Boss! Li Kang's No. 10 jersey in the Dragon Country has only sold 12 pieces since he joined the club."
Waller exclaimed, "Fantastic! This is a wonderful start!"
The assistant was puzzled, not understanding the sporting director's mindset. Hesitatingly, he added, "Regarding the jersey number change incident, fans have strong opinions now, and the coaching staff is concerned it might affect Chalhanoglu's mood."
"Boss! Our Champions League qualification match in a few days is crucial! Mr. Schmidt said we can't include Li Kang in the Champions League squad. You know, we can only bring 7 substitute players to Old Trafford."
Waller tapped the table and shook his head, "The Bundesliga is not the J-League on an island. We can't change jerseys midway through the season. Don't mention this again! As for the Champions League qualification match, Li Kang must be on the list! He needs playing time! Manchester United has a large number of Dragon Country fans!"
The assistant: "."
He didn't know how to convey this to Schmidt. In the top five leagues, Waller was the only sporting director with such power.
Waller lit a cigar and laughed, "Our opponent is not the Manchester United of the Ferguson era."
"If Schmidt can't defeat this rebuilding Manchester United, then he should leave!"
After training, Li Kang returned to the first-team dormitory. Even with luxurious facilities, no first-team star would live there. As he was about to open the door, he heard a shout.
"Hey! New guy, shouldn't you greet me?"
Turning around, he saw a casually dressed blond guy, seemingly friendly. The atmosphere was awkward, but the guy wasn't hostile. Li Kang tried to recall his name, Brent, 19 years old?
"Don't you recognize me? Well, I just recovered. I'll officially report to the first team tomorrow!"
"Both of us are poor guys living in the dorm area! If you need anything, just ask. This is my territory!"
Brent patted Li Kang's chest, trying to act like a big brother, and then left a pack of chocolate before entering the adjacent dorm.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: Bundesliga debut!]
[Mission rewards are being distributed.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mysterious Treasure Chest *1!]
A black misty chest floated in the air—a rare item that could only be obtained in the Champions League.
He quickly checked the prize pool.
[0.0001%: Cruyff "Football Deity" module.]
[0.0001%: Beckenbauer "Super Divine Free Man" module!]
[0.001%: Platini "Free Kick King" module!]
[0.001%: Messi "Dream Dance Steps" module!]
[0.001%: Ronaldinho "Devil's Curve" module!]
[...]
No miscellaneous hair tonic or latex gloves!
A dazzling array of star modules.
However, Li Kang found the drop rate a bit hard to understand. Were Beckenbauer and Cruyff really that much better than later players?
After carefully studying the module names, he began to understand. For example, Messi's module was only about the "Dream Dance Steps," not including his other abilities. In contrast, Cruyff and Beckenbauer's modules undoubtedly encompassed their peak period's comprehensive abilities.
[Mysterious Treasure Chest is opening.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mihajlovic "Bogward Missile" module!]
[Additional attribute increase: Ball Control +3, Defense +5, Set-Piece +??]
[He is the last elegy of Yugoslav football.]
The mysterious chest emitted rolling black smoke, madly pouring into Li Kang's body. A nameless and intense pain struck the back of his head. Memories of free-kick goals played in his mind.
Half an hour later, he crawled up from the ground, drenched in sweat.
The classic showdown between Leverkusen and Manchester United in the Champions League—dating back to the 2001/02 season's semi-final. The first leg ended 2-2, and the second leg 1-1. Leverkusen advanced to the final with the advantage of away goals. The coach at that time was old man Top.
The final that year, marked by Zidane's "Heavenly Feint," was forever engraved in football history.
Now, over a decade later, Leverkusen and Manchester United met again, but the strengths were not the same. Both teams finished fourth in their respective leagues last season, requiring playoffs to qualify for the Champions League.
Media from the Bundesliga and the Premier League quickly started a "confrontation." The mascots of both teams innocently got caught in the crossfire.
The Sun analyzed the strength gap and tactical styles with seriousness, featuring illustrations like lion Brian chasing Red Devil Fred.
The Mirror dug up a series of scandals about Leverkusen's high-ranking officials, featuring an illustration of Red Devil Fred, wearing a scarf and holding a knife and fork, with a cartoon lion's head on the dining table.
Fans from both sides clashed on European online forums. Amidst the arguments, retired Beckham also got caught in the crossfire. Manchester United fans claimed that Chalhanoglu's free-kick style imitated Beckham's, while Leverkusen fans countered that Chalhanoglu's free-kicks were much better.
Three days later, at Leverkusen's training ground, the assistant coach read out the last player's name on the Champions League playoff squad.
"Li Kang!"
Schmidt's face darkened. He didn't have the courage to defy Waller's arrangement. Rolfes sneered, "Waller must be a Dragon Country person in his past life. If we can't enter the Champions League, well, I'd like to say, doesn't the club have any interest in the broadcast revenue share of the Champions League?"
"Shut up! Stop acting like a woman!"
Schmidt angrily shouted. He looked at Li Kang, a twisted thought forming: the arrival of the Dragon descendant caused unrest in the locker room.
'Why is he picking on you and not others?'
Leverkusen's head coach took a deep breath, quickly suppressing this distorted thought. He patted Li Kang on the shoulder and offered a few comforting words. Chalhanoglu, chewing gum, gazed at the sky.
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