[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-6":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388678,1840,"Chapter 6: The Eaglet Spreads Its Wings","start-with-r9-template-chapter-6",6,"\u003Cp>Ling knew his old dribbling style wouldn't cut it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the academy, being flashy got you noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all about showing off, hoping to gain recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he'd seen the future of football.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game was getting faster, simpler, more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players who held the ball too long, no matter how skillful, were being phased out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simplicity was speed. Efficiency was king. He had to break his old, bad habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the pitch, Rui Faria watched with a complex expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That pendulum dribble... for a second, he wasn't in rainy Manchester.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was back in Barcelona, watching a young phenomenon tear up the training pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he shook the memory off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a professional coach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dribble was the flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The decision-making was the substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling hadn't held the ball. He'd supported the counter. His final pass was a perfect, simple cutback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the sign of a real player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed they had truly unearthed a gem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match restarted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling didn't let the assist get to his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately slotted back into his defensive shape, diligently carrying out Faria's instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One good move was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real goal was the first team. This was just the first step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West Ham, having traveled all the way from London, were furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They intensified their attacks, and their full-back, Luis, had a look of pure resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd been careless, he told himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn't been physical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time, he wouldn't give the \"Chinese kid\" an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hammers' attacks began to funnel down their right flank, trying to exploit the space Ling had to cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling simply glanced at his teammates and dropped deeper, maintaining the team's compact shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>United's formation solidified\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sank deeper, forming two tight defensive lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the classic Mourinho 1-0. Frustrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deny space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protect the lead at all costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some called it the key to championships. Others called it the death of football.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West Ham soon dominated possession, but it was all sterile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They passed the ball in front of United's defensive block, launching wave after wave, but they couldn't find a way through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faria even made a tactical adjustment, signaling for Ling to drift inside, partnering with Gomes to double-team Declan Rice, effectively neutralizing West Ham's only creative spark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Huya live stream, the chat began to grumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[This is boring as hell.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Welcome to Mourinho-ball lol. We're 1-0 up, this is the game now.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ling's defensive skills are just average, but his work rate is insane. He's everywhere.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Faria is literally using him and Gomes to double-team Rice. Smart. Rice can't even get a touch.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentator of the game just sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the Chinese national team's recent struggles, it's no wonder so many fans are tuning in to watch a youth team match. They're pinning all their hopes on the next generation... and right now, Ling is the brightest hope they have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time ticked away, West Ham grew more desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Rice suffocated, they resorted to hopeful long-range shots and speculative crosses, praying for a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 43rd minute, their winger finally got a step on Demetri Mitchell and whipped a cross in from the byline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was off-balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cross was weak and hung in the air, an easy clearance for Tuanzebe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect counter-attacking opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McTominay muscled his man off the ball to win the second header, cushioning it perfectly wide to Mitchell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red tide surged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mitchell, fast as ever, sprinted past the halfway line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up, assessing his options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The striker, Josh Bohui, was marked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The right-winger, Tahith Chong, was covered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Pass it back?' he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The safe play. If he lost it here, Faria would have his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'No. Not this time.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he saw a flash of white and black sprinting down the opposite flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His old rival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of Ling's assist—the move that had left his man for dead—flashed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Mitchell struck the ball with the full instep of his left foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a magnificent cross-field pass, a fifty-yard diagonal that traced a beautiful arc through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bohui, the striker, leaped high, drawing the attention of the last two defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ball was never for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sailed just over his head, dropping perfectly into the space just outside the penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling, who had been sprinting full-out for sixty yards, seized the opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One-on-one!\" the streamer screamed. \"But the pass! It's a bit too strong! The keeper's coming out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pass was a fraction too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling saw he wouldn't win the race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West Ham keeper charged out, his eyes wide, ready to smother the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who will get there first?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gaze of 800 fans, Ling adjusted his posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowed down. Just a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Westham Keeper, seeing Ling hesitate, was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dove, launching his body horizontally to claim the ball at Ling's feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that exact critical moment, Ling lifted his right foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't just chip it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scooped it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an audacious, delicate touch, he popped the ball up and over the diving keeper, and in the same motion, he leaped, tucking his legs to avoid the collision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ederson's pupils contracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was on the ground, momentum carrying him forward, and he could only watch helplessly as Ling flew over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is he really... a youth team player?' he thought in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling landed on his feet, regained his balance, and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2-0, Manchester United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stadium erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fans were exhilarated, witnessing their homegrown youngster's brilliant performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling's face was flushed with adrenaline as he pumped his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a goal in the Premier League B, but to him, it meant everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammates piled on top of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he got up, he pointed back across the pitch to his rival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mitchell! What a ball!\" he yelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mitchell, already walking back to his position, just snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ling was sure he saw the corner of his mouth twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the live stream, the chat exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[AM I SEEING THINGS?!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[HE CHIPPED HIM! HE JUMPED OVER THE KEEPER!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY FILTHY! 2-0!]\u003C\u002Fp>",1044,"2026-06-05T22:48:22.783Z",1,"novelbin.me","c749e617b6fd2a214c7bf6e1c0239e01424cb791eaf9026c3a43c20cbfd40e11","start-with-r9-template-chapter-7","start-with-r9-template-chapter-107",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]