Chapter 23: Shining Dream Theater!

VIP box.

A red-nosed old man, chewing gum, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

He raised his hand, pointed, and asked: "That Asian player from Lewokusen is outstanding; which country does he come from?"

The assistant beside him said: "Sir, his name is Sun Xingmin, and he comes from the same country as Pao Zhi Xing."

Fu Ge Sen nodded in approval: "Hmm, his tireless running on the pitch is just like Pao back then—disciplined, hardworking, and with a great match attitude!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell onto Lewokusen's bench: "Lewokusen's number 10? That's a great number, worn by an Asian! He's much more handsome than Sun Xingmin, and is he also a Korea player?"

The assistant shook his head: "He is a Dragon Descendant..."

Pfft.

Fu Ge Sen hastily spat out his gum, took out a white handkerchief, and wiped his mouth.

A hint of disdain flashed in his expression.

It seemed to evoke a distant memory.

"Dragon Kingdom is a great country, but... under no circumstances should we have anything to do with their football."

Back on the field.

The two teams launched into an all-out attack.

But Lewokusen was completely unable to get the ball to the forwards.

Qia Er Han Ao Lu was like a ghost, completely shut down.

In front of Lewokusen's two full-backs, preparing to provide him with more passing options.

Manchester United's front-line pressing became even more fierce.

"Facing a Premier League-level midfielder, Qia Er Han Ao Lu's static ball retention and physical confrontation are completely at a disadvantage."

"Shi Mi Te wants to relieve Qia Er Han Ao Lu's passing pressure, but it's useless; increasing passing options on both flanks cannot solve the midfield's positional pressure."

"Both teams favor attacking football, a pressing style; although Manchester United fields many youngsters, they clearly have seized the initiative of the match!"

24th minute of the match.

Qia Er Han Ao Lu finally shook off Fei Lai Ni and was about to play a through ball.

Thud!

A red figure came charging in.

Qia Er Han Ao Lu staggered and fell to the ground.

Ai Lei La easily tackled the ball away!

"Ma Er Ti Ni once said: When I need to make a tackle, it means I've already made a mistake."

"But this saying does not apply to Premier League teams!"

"Did Ai Lei La pass the ball back to Bu Lin De? Isn't that missing the best counterattack opportunity? Lewokusen's defense is wide open!"

Bu Lin De took a short run-up.

His body leaned.

He slammed his left foot into the ball!

The ball lifted off the ground.

Spinning at high speed, it flew toward Lewokusen's backfield.

Beautiful!

"A long pass spanning the entire half!"

Manchester United fans don't like this Dutch center-back.

But Fan Jia Er stubbornly believes: a left center-back must be played by a left-footed player to ensure passing advantage.

Lewokusen's backline only had Yue Na Ta Ta and Pa Pa Duo Pu Luo Si left.

The two full-backs, along with Ben De Er and Ke La Mo, couldn't return to the front to serve Qia Er Han Ao Lu!

Ma Xia Er lifted his foot to cushion the ball in the thirty-meter zone.

He then burst forth with astonishing speed!

Charging toward Lewokusen's penalty area.

Lin Jia De also made a frantic run on the other flank.

Although this time he didn't outrun the referee.

But the result left no doubt.

Ma Xia Er pulled apart Lewokusen's two center-backs and still managed to pass the ball into the box in the tight space!

Lin Jia De showed no panic, facing the onrushing Lewokusen goalkeeper.

He received the ball with his back to goal.

One move: Scorpion Tail.

He struck again with his heel, breaking Lewokusen's goal.

2-0!!!

Beautiful!

"So imaginative! Lin Jia De again! He is the hope of Old Trafford Stadium and the future of English football!"

"Manchester United extended their lead!"

"Lewokusen needs to think of a solution over here!"

Shi Mi Te's face was ashen.

Manchester United vs. Lewokusen formed a dimensional crushing advantage at the tactical level!

Player matchup ability?

Did you see Rooney and Mata walking out from the Manchester United bench?

Those two are warming up!

Lewokusen fans in front of the TV looked grim.

Their almighty Perfect Ball King—why can't he stem the tide?

Match time passed minute by minute.

Beep! Beep-beep~

The referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half.

Lewokusen players walked off the pitch listlessly.

Manchester United players interacted enthusiastically with the fans in the stands.

"Li, could you look after the coach's thermos?"

The assistant coach tossed off a remark and then rushed toward the player tunnel.

Li Kang had no need to attend the locker room's "halftime meeting".

He just sat alone in the corner of the bench.

As if he had nothing to do with this match.

The broadcast camera just panned to the bench.

Dragon Kingdom livestream.

-【Hey, he doesn't even get playing time, nor does he need to attend the locker room meeting—what's the difference from being isolated? Li bro would be better off going back to train with the youth team!】

-【Lewokusen is facing a huge headwind in this match—do they really dare to put Li Kang on?】

-【Li bro is impressive in the youth league, but this is the Champions League! Even if Lewokusen were money‑mad, they wouldn't give him much playing time.】

-【Manchester United has many fans in the Dragon Kingdom; if Li Kang gets to appear at Old Trafford, that would be worth more than any ad Lewokusen could run.】

Lewokusen locker room.

Schmidt's face flushed red as he ranted wildly.

"Sun, your runs are pointless; you should drop back more to link up with Hakan!"

"And Lars, you should step up to protect Hakan!"

"I don't get why you can't stop Manchester United's two youngsters, who scored twice the same way—are they better than Robben? Christoph, go home and hug your game console!"

A silence fell.

No player offered any rebuttal.

Lewokusen's morale hit rock bottom.

Schmidt walked aside, leaving his pep talk for just one person.

He gently said to Calhanoglu: "Hakan! We still have time! You are our core!"

The fifteen‑minute break ended quickly.

The players from both sides returned to the pitch.

"Lewokusen have used their first substitution!"

"Young Brandt replaced Bellarabi, a like‑for‑like swap!"

"Teams switch sides for the second half—let's hope both sides give us an even more exciting match!"

"The referee's whistle blows—second half officially underway!"

Lewokusen's situation still wasn't improving.

Even though the whole team was playing for Calhanoglu.

He remained lost in Manchester United's midfield frenzy.

-【What's going on? Why isn't the Perfect Ball King performing?】

-【That's normal for this type of player—when the wind's at his back he's a god, when it's against him he's a dog.】

-【Lewokusen is done; I don't get why United fans keep whining about weakness—even a rag‑tag United side can easily handle a top‑five league powerhouse, and Rooney and Mata haven't even come on yet!】

Minute 60 of the match.

After receiving the ball, Brandt did not pass it to Calhanoglu to organize.

Schmidt screamed furiously from the sideline.

It was useless.

Brandt decided to do it himself.

He dribbled alone into Manchester United's half‑flank.

Facing Smalling's challenge, he suddenly burst of speed, trying to change direction.

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his calf.

He collapsed to the ground.

Beep!

The referee blew the whistle and showed Smalling a yellow card!

"From the slow‑motion replay, Smalling kicked Brandt's calf!"

"Lewokusen have earned a decent free‑kick in the attacking third—can they pull one back!"

"It's time for Calhanoglu to shine! Last season his free‑kick accuracy was tops among the big five leagues!"

Calhanoglu stood at the penalty spot.

He waved his teammates forward to join the attack; he doesn't need the free‑kick Sheep Assault.

Old Trafford stadium erupted in boos.

Manchester United fans strongly dislike this 'Beckham imitator'.

Don't talk about free-kick level.

Just talking about looks, he's not on the same level as Beckham.

On the sideline.

Schmidt seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

He stood bent over on the sideline, his eyes fixed on Manchester United's half.

Calhanoglu scored 6 free kicks last season!

Lewokusen hasn't lost yet!

We still have a chance!

The other side.

Van Gaal crossed his legs, expression relaxed.

"Guess which position he'll play?"

Giggs held the tactics board, speaking seriously:

"Based on last season's data analysis, the coaching staff thinks he has a 70% chance of shooting to the top left corner."

Calhanoglu began his sideways run-up.

Three steps to the ball.

Twist his body to generate power.

Swing the leg!

The ball left the ground.

With an arc like a scimitar.

It went over the wall.

Straight to the top left corner of Manchester United's goal!

"Nice!"

"Old Trafford Stadium, a crescent-moon scimitar reappears!"

De Gea dug his feet into the turf.

That was an unbelievable reaction speed.

His body stretched to the limit in midair!

His red gloves clenched into fists.

Thud!

The ball was cleared out of bounds!

Old Trafford Stadium instantly erupted with thunderous applause.

Lewokusen fans, as if plunged into an ice cellar.

Calhanoglu looked dazed.

His free-kick power and contact point were perfect—why was it still blocked?

"25-year-old De Gea produced a miraculous save, looking relaxed, still chewing gum!"

"He's being called the successor to Casillas and Van der Sar!"

"The cornerstone of Manchester United's defense for the next ten years!"

-【We should thank Real Madrid's broken fax machine for leaving De Gea at Manchester United!】

-【De Gea's long legs have a higher blocking success rate than his hands... Lewokusen has no chance!】

-【Weak team's away game god! (Dog head for survival!)】

"Gllory, ManUnited~"

"Gllory, ManUnited~"

"Andtheredsgononon!!!"

Manchester United's anthem floated above Old Trafford Stadium.

Inspiring and loud.

Uplifting.

But in Lewokusen's manager's ears, it was a funeral dirge from hell.

Schmidt, dazed, sat back down on the bench.

He couldn't think of any countermeasure.

No midfielder on the bench was stronger than Calhanoglu.

Lewokusen's players had low morale.

In terms of one-on-one ability, Son Heung-min and Kiesslin would not lose to any Manchester United defender.

But the ball never reached their feet.

If they dropped back to receive, the attacking tempo would become slow.

The situation would turn into a positional battle.

Positional battle.

Lewokusen had no significant advantage against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Calhanoglu also became increasingly irritable under Herrera's harassment.

He began blaming teammates for their runs and timing.

82nd minute of the match.

Calhanoglu was again tackled, losing both man and ball.

He writhed in pain on the turf.

"The referee signaled for the team doctor to come onto the field immediately!"

"Ah! From the slow-motion replay, Herrera didn't foul; he first won the ball, then brought it to Calhanoglu!"

"If Calhanoglu can't continue the match, for Leverkusen it's absolutely adding insult to injury!"

At the sidelines.

When Schmidt saw the team doctor's gesture,

All hope was lost.

Only 8 minutes of regular time remained.

The midfield core is injured again.

How are we supposed to play now!

Do we really have to bring on that Dragon Descendant?

This is the Champions League qualifier!

"Let Li come on..."

"But he hasn't warmed up yet."

Li Kang heard the assistant coach calling his name.

The system notification sound also sounded at the same moment.

【Ding! Mission triggered: Shining Dream Theater!】

【Mission content: This ancient and great stadium has given birth to countless legendary moments; believe in yourself, you can do it too!】

【Mission reward: Platinum Treasure Chest!】

"Listen, Li... forget it, just play well; we can't concede another goal!"

The assistant coach took back all the tactical details he wanted to say.

He thought Li Kang wouldn't understand in such a short time.

The four stands of Old Trafford.

Manchester United fans curiously watched the Asian youth wearing Leverkusen's number 10 jersey.

They couldn't help but whisper.

Van Gaal chuckled:

"Isn't that the little guy we met in the tunnel?"

Giggs nodded: "Before the match, our coaching staff couldn't find any match data for him in the first team; we only knew he came from La Masia..."

Van Gaal's face darkened, as if he didn't want to recall his time coaching Barcelona.

"We saw Leverkusen make another substitution!"

"Number 10 player Li Kang replaces Calhanoglu! This should be a like-for-like substitution."

"We're not yet familiar with the traits of this Dragon Descendant player."

"Hope he can put on a shining performance!"

-【The brother who said Li Kang would eat thirty catties of feces if he played in the first team? He not only appeared in the Bundesliga, but also played in the Champions League qualifier!】

-【What's the use? Can he even touch the ball? Does winning have anything to do with him?】

-【Leverkusen is just giving up, completing the commercial expansion task in the dying stages of the match.】

-【Li Brother is awesome! A big weapon in the youth league!】

-【Manchester United fans cry weakly, Li Kang fans cry strongly...】

Li Kang stood at the edge of the center circle.

The system panel also appeared before his eyes.

【Ball control: 74; Passing: 81.】

【Shooting: 65; Heading: 59; Set pieces:??.】

【Curve: 68; Speed: 72↑; Leg strength: 70↑.】

【Jump: 67; Physical contact: 78↑; Stamina: 79↑.】

【Defense: 76; Tackles: 74↑; Goalkeeping: 30.】

During this period, with the help of the Destroying-type Midfielder template.

Several of his attributes have greatly improved.

Beep!

The referee's whistle blew.

All the data before Li Kang's eyes vanished in an instant.

He faced the wind.

He stepped onto the Dream Theater.