Chapter 302: Christmas (With Emotional Scenes, Proceed with Caution if You Mind)

The cold wind was fierce.

Snowflakes drifted.

A business car drove along the winding mountain road.

White snow covered the plants, valleys, and lakes, as if draping Bei lai yin in a wedding veil.

The assistant looked out the window and couldn't help but sigh: "It's colder in the mountains; winter came early this year; in previous years, heavy snow didn't fall until January or February."

Li Kang nodded.

He held a tablet, watching Chelsea's match footage.

"Li, is there any point in watching Chelsea's matches? It's either 1-0 or 2-0."

After Conte led Italy to a loss against Spain in the European Cup, he seemed possessed; after being eliminated, he also made the old Italian guys train hard for a week, claiming it was for the future of Italian football.

After taking over Chelsea, he seemed to have found a new testing ground.

Initially, his coaching style was still open and aggressive.

A string of 4-2, 5-3, 3-2...

After half a season of adjustment, Chelsea seemed to return to its former invincible season, with an impregnable steel defense... making the attacking players of other Premier League clubs feel despair.

No matter which coach is hired... the blue beast of Stamford Bridge always puts all its skill points into defense.

"Li, why not watch Manchester City's footage? They lost 4-0 to Everton, but that's because Guardiola is experimenting..."

"Arsenal's New Year opponent is them!"

Li Kang shook his head.

It's not that he doesn't watch; it's that he doesn't understand.

After half a season of adjustment, Guardiola still hasn't given Manchester City a fixed tactical framework.

Back then, Van Gaal could field eighteen different center-back pairings at Manchester United.

Now Guardiola's lineup arrangements at Manchester City surpass even that.

The rebuilding process of the Blue Moon has been difficult.

Many Manchester City veterans, knowing they would be cleared out next season, still showed formidable fighting spirit at the Etihad Stadium, for example Yaya Touré.

In fact, Li Kang downloaded dozens of gigabytes of Lewokusen footage.

But now he is riding in a Lewokusen car, whose driver, a grandfather, and his family for three generations are loyal to the pharmaceutical plant...

If the assistant chimes in with the wrong words...

The two might end up abandoned among the high mountains and glaciers, feeling the magnificent grandeur of the Bei lai yin snow scenery.

The business car slowly drove into the fairy-tale-like town of Fei Ai Er Ting Si.

Ms. Shan De La, who had been waiting a while, ran up to them.

"Li, did you see last night's Bundesliga awards ceremony? Did you notice the beer raised by Beckenbauer and Mr. Wo Le Er?"

"That's the beer from Fei Ai Er Ting Si."

"It's cold outside; hurry inside."

The main purpose of this meeting was not to discuss cooperation.

Nor was it to film an advertisement.

The management team originally thought: Li doesn't need to endorse fast-moving consumer goods, but the data shows fans prefer him to endorse products they can afford.

Over the past year, as Lewokusen won the championship and the Fei Ai Er Ting Si beer strongly occupied all of Germany, it was undoubtedly the most suitable partner.

Moreover, the other side strangely increased its quote after the Champions League draw ceremony ended.

They didn't linger on pleasantries.

Ms. Shan De La led the assistant to try the new beer.

Li Kang then followed the staff to the old place.

Colored marble columns.

Beneath the gray sculpture, melted ice blocks formed staggered water columns.

Bronze-colored cast-iron railings.

Ornate plaster decorations.

Pap.

A crumpled newspaper flew lightly into his hand.

Li Kang unfolded it and looked.

The newspaper's front-page headline was a photo of him and Ai si li by the lake.

The wheelchair rolled slowly over the blue stone bricks.

Accompanied by the sound of a bullet being chambered...

"I'm just scaring you."

Ke Lao Di Ya smiled, her pale cheeks flushing slightly.

Li Kang felt relieved.

He walked up slowly and grasped the wheelchair's handles.

"You don't like girls like Qiao Dan·Ka Fo?"

"Qiao Dan·Ka Fo?"

Initially, Li Kang's first advertising partner in Fei Ai Er Ting Si was...

A female model and boxer.

Her figure was explosive, embracing all rivers.

"Your taste is a bit childish; the girls you've dated all..."

Li Kang smiled and shook his head.

Coincidence.

Youthful appearance? It's just that I happened to meet people of the same type; there's not even any interaction to speak of.

"Go that way."

Claudia raised her hand to point in a direction.

The wheelchair rolled slowly over the blue stone bricks.

The setting sun suddenly broke through the thick clouds, bathing the two in warmth.

The twilight-lit ancient town of Feiltins became ever more intoxicating.

"It's fine."

"I know you only like..."

A harsh scraping sound interrupted the girl's speech.

The wheelchair broke down again...

Compared to the initial physical contact.

Their performance this time wasn't nervous... because the cold, damp ground was a bit slippery.

"Have I gained weight compared to last year?"

"You're lying to me again."

"Then have you ever carried someone else?"

Li Kang nodded.

He has carried many people, for example teammates after scoring: Havertz, Brandt, Morata, Verbeke, Yin Si Ke...

His back was suddenly jabbed by something hard.

He could only shake his head.

"Guys don't count."

Two and a half hours later.

Li Kang is doing well, not just fully charged; Claudia also let him bring many gifts back to Lewokusen, which of course did not include Feiltins beer.

He thinks she's nice, but he can't often hang out with girls.

He didn't win the Champions League.

The World Cup title is even farther away.

The road ahead is still tough; one must stay disciplined.

On the training field.

Li Kang changed into his training gear, picked up a tool shovel, cleared a patch of ground, and began training.

He can no longer improve his stats through training.

But if he slacks off for a few days, each attribute on the system panel will drop by 0.000001.

He still needs to train to maintain his competitive condition.

The advantage of spending Christmas in Lewokusen became apparent; the hotels in Cologne and Düsseldorf don't have such a professional training facility.

Shortly after.

His whole body steamed with hot white vapor.

Loud explosive bangs rang out.

The security guards on the sidelines kept clapping and giving thumbs up, inevitably reminiscing about Li's time in Lewokusen, when whenever the team advanced in the Champions League, Woler would also give bonuses to these logistics staff...

By comparison, Balotelli, who set off fireworks that burned down the guardhouse, is truly infuriating.

There's no Santa Claus.

Li Kang, the little assistant, Dino, and the members of the grandfather group gathered in the cafeteria.

The fireplace crackled as the firewood burned.

From outside the window, fireworks and firecrackers sounded off from time to time.

The hot mulled wine flushed everyone's faces red.

"Time really flies."

"Li is about to turn 19; when I saw him in Düsseldorf, he wasn't as tall as he is now, as if everything happened just yesterday."

"I've prepared a poem that must be recited on Christmas Eve!"

"Wilde, shut up first."

"Let's skip this part and hurry up to open the gifts."

"Gifts? I miss last year's gifts more, envelopes stuffed with cash..."

"Professor Belinda, what kind of gift is this? Winter homework for Li?"

After dinner.

Li Kang then shook bells around the club with everyone, dispelling the monsters of the Bei lai yin legend.

Immediately after.

They then took the club's business vehicle to the Lewokusen Christmas market.

Cozy moments are always fleeting.

Two days later, Li Kang had to return to North London to prepare for the Blue Moon.