As October arrived, the final two rounds of the World Cup qualifiers were in full swing.
In Asia, aside from Iran, South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, who had already secured their spots,
Australia had also narrowly defeated Syria in the playoffs, advancing to the next round.
In the European qualifiers, Iceland, with their Viking Thunder Clap, made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.
But the most thrilling drama unfolded in the South American qualifiers.
Argentina was languishing in sixth place.
If they failed to defeat Ecuador, their chances of making it to the World Cup were practically nonexistent.
At Carrington Training Ground, the thin morning mist had yet to dissipate, enveloping the place in an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity.
Outside the pitch, the trees were ablaze with autumn colors, their leaves weaving together into a beautiful tapestry.
On the pitch, someone was sweating profusely, diligently following the training regimen.
"Ling, your supporting foot isn't moving quickly enough. You need to work on your ankle strength," Faria remarked while operating his tablet.
"Understood, sir," Jeremy Ling replied.
Ling began consciously adjusting the coordination of his feet, striving to make his movements and rhythm as fluid as possible.
Dribbling, weaving through cones, changing direction, stopping abruptly…
The drills were fundamentally simple, with no overly complicated maneuvers.
After all, the basics of football training are straightforward, relying mostly on repetition to achieve mastery.
Of course, there are also many players born with extraordinary ball control.
Legends like Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldinho, and Messi come to mind, but even they needed training to maintain and elevate their skills.
The consequences of neglecting discipline are plain to see.
At his peak, Ronaldinho was a magician on the pitch, his play brimming with artistic transcendence and ethereal beauty.
He should have achieved even more, but like a firework, he blazed brightly before fading into obscurity.
Such examples are everywhere.
Now, having been given a second chance and blessed with a system that could elevate his natural talent, Ling had no intention of squandering it on indulgence and distractions.
Two hours later, the tedious training finally came to an end.
"Mr. Faria, do you have time to explain Liverpool's tactics to me?" Ling wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked.
The North West Derby in half a month was a crucial match, and he had to make thorough preparations in advance.
"Liverpool's main strength lies in their luxurious attacking line. Combined with Klopp's belief in attacking football, they tend to use offense to alleviate defensive pressure."
"However, this approach is very effective against strong teams. Of course, I don't mean to say we aren't a strong team, but our primary style is defensive counter-attacks, which to some extent counters their tactics."
"..."
Faria briefly outlined the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and then analyzed from the players' perspective.
His reasoning was much clearer than the last time he explained tactics.
...
A while later.
Ling returned to his dorm alone, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Why did Faria today seem so much like Mourinho?
But he didn't dwell on it.
fter a quick wash, he eagerly opened the system.
Having returned too late the previous night, he had forgotten to claim his rewards.
As the cold, mechanical voice sounded—
[Congratulations on completing the main quest: Help Manchester United score 5 goals!]
[Quest reward: Golden Module Treasure Chest!]
No sooner had the words faded than an ornate treasure chest materialized in mid-air.
[Module selection complete...]
[...]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Ronaldinho's "Elasticó" module!]
[Module details: Rapidly improve curling shot ability through training...]
Crack!
With a shattering sound, the golden treasure chest dissolved into countless points of light, rushing eagerly into Ling's mind.
Elasticó?
That was Ling's last thought before he slumped over the desk and fell asleep.
...
Meanwhile.
The results of the second round of the Champions League group stage were all in.
[PSG 3-0 Bayern: Neymar with one goal and one assist, still in blazing form after leaving Barça!]
[Dortmund 1-3 Real Madrid: Ronaldo continues his brace!]
[Liverpool 1-1 Spartak Moscow: Klopp and Benítez's first encounter!]
[Manchester United 4-0 CSKA Moscow: Youngster Jeremy Ling with two goals and one assist!]
[...]
As soon as the media reports surfaced, they captured the attention of football fans everywhere.
In China, in particular, the news created a tidal wave of excitement.
Although the national team had come from behind to beat Qatar 2-1, they ultimately finished third in their group, missing out on the World Cup in Russia.
Amid their heartbreak, Chinese fans turned their focus to the recently concluded Champions League matches.
Even though Manchester United's opponent wasn't particularly strong—not even from one of Europe's top five leagues—for Chinese fans, this wasn't just about breaking a long-standing record.
It represented a glimmer of rising hope.
In just one night, Manchester United's official flagship store sold out of jerseys, and the Yiwu factories shifted into overdrive.
It was foreseeable that, in the future, the number of Manchester United's No. 23 jerseys on local pitches would not fall short—and might even surpass—those of Real Madrid's No. 7 and Barça's No. 10.
Never underestimate the influence of an outstanding football player.
With Ling's exceptional performances in both the Champions League and the league, coupled with Manchester United's solid fanbase in China, the club—already something of an internet sensation—quietly capitalized on the surge of attention.
The combination of various factors caused Jeremy Ling's popularity to skyrocket, propelling him directly into the top three of the trending charts.
Recently, many domestic companies had approached him seeking advertising opportunities or commercial collaborations.
Online discussions were even more fervent.
[Brothers, are there any cheaper authentic player edition jerseys? 999 is way too expensive.]
[You can buy last season's version and bring the receipt to an offline store to get the number printed.]
[Manchester United's last two matches have been so satisfying. Ling scored three goals and provided one assist, about to break another record.]
[He's genuinely playing better and better. You can clearly see the difference compared to the start of the season!]
[Keep it up! Once you've developed, come to Arsenal and help the Professor win the Champions League. We've got money now!] (lol)
[Sigh, before we knew it, Wenger has been managing Arsenal for 21 years. After Arsenal defeated Brighton in this round of the Premier League, the number of different opponents they've beaten in the league reached 45, surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson and setting a new Premier League record.]
[But I always feel like he's about to leave.]
[You're thinking too far ahead. First, focus on improving yourself steadily before considering those issues.]
....
Meanwhile, in Bin City, China, inside a dilapidated apartment building.
"Mr. Ling, we're willing to offer two million RMB per year to become the exclusive sponsor of Ling's sports products."
"Of course, if the contract term can be extended to ten years, we can significantly increase this amount."
He Hongzhen, Northeast Regional General Manager of Li Ning Sports Goods Company, maintained a calm demeanor.
Ling Changzheng decisively refused and escorted him out the door without any intention to negotiate.
Nowadays, with the internet so developed, it's hard to keep anything hidden.
He had previously seen Li Ning offer ten times that amount to a second-tier celebrity.
Moreover, commercial endorsements for football players require club approval.
"Chang, let's leave our son's matters to him. We shouldn't interfere."
Yan Lanxia sighed inexplicably, thinking how fame breeds trouble—they'd encountered quite a few headaches recently.
"Hmm."
Ling Changzheng nodded with a serious expression.
It wasn't that he was dissatisfied with the endorsement fee being too low, but he understood that many football players had gotten entangled in financial disputes due to their families signing contracts recklessly, which affected their performance.
He couldn't hold his son back.
Besides, their family didn't place too much importance on money—otherwise, they wouldn't have spent their entire savings to send Ling abroad to play football.
Thus, the minor incident passed.