In the following days, Ling lived a routine life between three fixed locations.
While others might find it monotonous, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Whenever he felt exhausted, he would just open the system and look at his steadily increasing attributes, immediately regaining his motivation.
Due to limited daily training time, he could only focus on ball control and dribbling.
After all, with the system module's existence, it could significantly enhance training effectiveness in these areas.
As for long passes and weak foot training, they wouldn't show immediate results and could only be developed gradually over time.
When the results of the second round of Premier League matches came out, they once again surprised everyone.
Arsenal lost 0-1 to Stoke City.
Considering Stoke only finished 13th last season and weren't particularly strong overall, yet they dominated the game, playing proactively and passionately.
In contrast, Arsenal, after conceding a goal just two minutes into the second half, saw their defensive coordination fall apart, with players' morale hitting rock bottom.
Simply put, they lacked fighting spirit, tactics, and toughness.
Wenger found himself embroiled in dismissal rumors again.
Not only were players like Sánchez and Chamberlain wanting to leave the team, but external fans were adding fuel to the fire.
Perhaps his departure from Arsenal was only a matter of time.
This match served as a wake-up call for Mourinho, who held a different view from the general consensus - because Stoke City really weren't weak.
Looking at their players - Choupo-Moting, Jesé, Zouma, Shaqiri - all were castoffs from big clubs.
A team pieced together from such players reminded Mourinho of when he coached Inter Milan, leading a group of rejects to conquer European football.
And in the third round of Premier League matches, Manchester United would face Stoke City away.
So he needed to prepare in advance, aiming to leave with three points.
Another match that caught his attention was Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Everton.
The two managers took charge of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively last season, both choosing to tear down and rebuild.
Yet their final league positions differed by three spots.
Though factors like injuries played a role, a loss was still a loss—something Mourinho never shied away from.
As a former colleague and rival of Guardiola, he never doubted the other's capabilities.
After a season of transformation, Manchester City had become title contenders.
Mourinho grew increasingly eager for the Manchester derby, wondering what the outcome would be this time.
Suddenly, he heard a "thump-thump" sound and walked to the window, curiously looking down at the training pitch below.
Two people were practicing.
"In this situation, besides playing a diagonal long ball to the wing, you can also hold possession to draw the opponent's attention, then wait for a teammate to support and create a numerical advantage in that area."
Carrick gestured with his finger.
His ability to read the game was exceptional, even surpassing Pogba's, as he clearly explained the wing attacking patterns.
Ling nodded, taking it to heart.
No matter the task, using one's brain could achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Football was no exception.
Focusing solely on technique while neglecting football intelligence would limit future achievements—Balotelli was a living example.
"By the way, don't be too rigid in wing attacks. Make frequent vertical or horizontal runs to pull the opposition defense out of shape."
"I'm not too familiar with dribbling aspects. It's a shame Ryan (Giggs) left."
Carrick thought of his old partner; if he were still here, he could have offered Ling plenty of guidance.
After chatting a while longer, the two left the training ground.
Mourinho returned to his seat and began preparing the squad list for the next match.
Rashford had started two consecutive games and needed rest to recover.
Ling wasn't yet ready, leaving only one option.
This match would be a good opportunity to test Martial's form and give him another chance.
If he failed to seize it, he had no one to blame but himself.
.....
Time passed day by day, and soon it was August 27th.
At the Britannia Stadium on the banks of the River Trent.
The match had reached the 86th minute, with Stoke City trailing Manchester United 1-2.
But then, Martial drove down the wing.
Kurt Zouma, the defensive powerhouse who had joined Stoke City from Chelsea, flew into a sliding tackle and cleanly won back possession.
Perhaps due to fatigue, Martial only made a token effort to press after losing the ball.
Zouma easily adjusted his stance and delivered a precise through ball to a teammate upfront.
Xherdan Shaqiri turned away from Matteo Darmian, drove to the byline, and sent in a cross.
The ball sailed over all Manchester United defenders and dropped toward the back post.
An unmarked Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting met it with a header, scoring his second of the game to equalize for Stoke City.
The Britannia Stadium erupted instantly.
Stoke City fans cheered hysterically, celebrating what was nearly a last-gasp equalizer.
Not only had they ended Manchester United's two-match winning streak, but they also halted United's cross-season league clean sheet record at 534 minutes.
Even more satisfying than winning!
On the touchline, Mourinho's face turned ashen.
Maintaining an advantage throughout the match, only to be pegged back at the death—anyone would be furious.
Besides, this goal should never have happened.
Martial only needed to press immediately after losing possession, and Zouma wouldn't have been able to deliver such a high-quality pass.
This, as Zouma's former head coach, Mourinho could confirm.
If it were just technical issues, they could still be addressed through training.
But a poor attitude...
Whether last season or this one, Mourinho felt he had given Martial plenty of opportunities.
Yet if the player didn't cherish them, he couldn't blame the manager for being harsh.
When the final whistle blew, the score remained unchanged.
Manchester United's first draw of the new season had arrived unexpectedly.
...
On the substitutes' bench.
The players sensed the chill emanating from Mourinho and didn't dare to breathe too loudly.
Ling was no exception.
He silently reminded himself that when games were nearing their end, he must fight even harder.
Otherwise, a single minor mistake could waste the entire team's efforts throughout the match.
No matter how outstanding your previous performance had been, you would become the team's culprit.
But after United's draw, he would likely soon feature as a starter, possibly even in the next match.
Because the following two weeks were dedicated to international fixtures.
Players like Rashford, Lingard, and Mkhitaryan would return to their national teams for World Cup qualifiers.
Considering their physical condition, Mourinho would probably rotate them as substitutes.
That left only himself and Martial for the left-wing position, didn't it?
By the way, United's next opponent was Leicester City.
The very team that had created a miracle in the 2015-16 season.
Although Kanté had left, key players from that title-winning squad like Vardy and Mahrez remained, and they had added the solid Maguire.
While their overall strength had declined somewhat, they were still a force to be reckoned with.
If he could seize this perfect opportunity and help United defeat Leicester City, he would take a significant step toward securing a regular starting spot.
Lost in thought, Ling followed his teammates into the dressing room.
The moment the door closed.
Ling frowned, subtly stepping back to position his teammates in front of him.