Manchester United's heir apparent, but can't play football.

Chapter 93 Pre-Match Transition (Chinese National Football Team Story)
Four o'clock in the morning.

Drop drop drop.

Li Luo, who was half asleep, was suddenly woken up by her phone ringing.

Turn on the lights.

I looked up at the clock on the wall.

"I forgot to put my phone on silent before going to bed, and I slept for six hours?"

"Who is it in the middle of the night?"

When I unlocked the screen, I saw a message from a Dutch girl.

Lauren: Lee, I've arrived! I brought you some delicious food! [Shared location]

what's the situation?
Li Luo was puzzled and scrolled through the chat history from this period.

[Li, I've learned another Chinese phrase: "knowing each other inside and out." Do we two count as knowing each other inside and out?]

【Doesn’t count. 】

Keep scrolling up.

Oops.

Lauren said two days ago that she wanted to come over secretly to meet me, but I didn't read it carefully at the time and just gave her a perfunctory reply.
Will she be carried off by dingoes now?
Li Luo had a pretty good impression of the Dutch girl: before she met him, she had been to China, climbed the Great Wall, and actively shared her experiences in China on social media, such as eating douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) in alleyways and buying panda dolls. She identified with Chinese culture, was not prone to making careless remarks, was gentle and considerate, understanding, and mindful of her commercial value.

Preparing for the competition diligently is very important.

But it's impossible to put our international friends in danger.

I'll just go out for a bit and come right back.

The principle of never wavering.

The night was so quiet that one could count the chirping of insects.

Ten minutes later.

Using the shadows cast by the buildings, Li Luo cleverly avoided the flashlights of the night patrol staff, made his way to a secluded spot in the camp, easily climbed over the barbed wire fence, and leaped down, landing with a soft rustling sound as he crushed the bushes at his feet.

"Meow~"

"Woof woof woof~ Li! Over here!"

A graceful figure emerged from behind the bushes. The Chanel heiress had her hair tied in a ponytail, with a few fallen leaves still clinging to the ends. She clutched a crumpled paper bag in her hand. When she saw Li Luo looking over, she quickly hid the paper bag behind her back, her eyes shining like stars: "You found me so quickly!"

The night breeze was a bit chilly.

Li Luo walked over, took off his national team training jacket and handed it to the other person: "Your courage is commendable, daring to come looking for me in the middle of the night. You should go back quickly, it's not safe outside."

“You promised to see me, and my hotel isn’t far from here. The moonlight illuminates the road, so it’s not dark at all.”

The Chanel heiress took the coat and draped it over her shoulders. The fabric still carried a faint fragrance, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. She excitedly said, "Li, isn't this sneaky feeling like Romeo and Juliet right now?"

"No, I'm not dating you."

Li Luo refuted the claim seriously.

He was just worried that the Dutch girl might be snatched away by some dingoes, so he came out specifically to check and say a few words to persuade her to leave.

During the Asian Cup, we can't afford to act recklessly.

We must adhere to principles.

With the finals about to begin, who has the mind to go on a date?

"You're not dating? But the gifts you gave me and the sweet nothings you said to me, aren't those things only lovers say?"

Lauren's tone revealed dissatisfaction and grievance.

Li Luo thought for a moment and said frankly, "That happened before the Asian Cup. I talk to other girls like that all the time. You should go back now. I need to focus on preparing for the competition."

A moment of silence.

The Dutch girl wasn't as disappointed as expected. Instead, she quietly clutched the hem of the coat draped over her shoulders: "You must be worried about my safety outside at night, so you're deliberately acting so cold to make me leave and go back to the hotel, right?"

"."

Li Luo asked in confusion, "If I hadn't woken up, were you going to stay here all night?"

"Um"

Lauren nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and handed over the paper bag she had hidden behind her back: "But this is the craziest thing I've ever done in my life, Li. I brought you some snacks that I made myself, following a Chinese cooking video."

Li Luo reached out, gently touched the bag, then slowly withdrew it, shaking his head: "I can't eat these things during the competition preparation period. You should go back now."

Just finished speaking.

He noticed Lauren's disappointed look, as if stars were obscured by dark clouds, so he added, "You can give me some after the final."

"Ok, I will wait for you."

The night breeze is very cold.

The moonlight gradually overlapped the two shadows.

"Li, I'm so happy to see you. Finally, this time, that wicked woman Beya won't be here to ruin things for us."

"Wait a minute, don't do that. Why do you girls start touching each other as soon as you meet and barely say a few words? I don't like that."

Have you ever gone on a date with other girls alone?

"."

"."

"I only know you, a Dutch girl."

early morning.

The sea breeze rustles through the palm leaves.

The first rays of sunlight illuminated the sea and the beach, as waves surged and crashed against the reefs of the Gold Coast.

Li Luo easily climbed onto the barbed wire fence.

He and Lauren didn't do anything particularly outrageous in the bushes.

Their relationship is purely platonic.

However, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and the two of them should definitely not waver in their principles next time they meet! He jumped down, landed, and successfully returned to the national football team's camp.

But they encountered a completely bewildered Perrin.

Good morning, Li.

Good morning, Mr. Perrin.

The Chinese national team coach watched the departing figure of the Chinese prodigy, his thoughts in disarray.

"What's going on? Why would our perfect Chinese hero come back by climbing over a barbed wire fence? He probably went out for a run, but as for climbing over the wall? His purpose was to train his core strength!"

"The blonde hair on his clothes, the scent of perfume, the lipstick on his face—he probably ran into a group of enthusiastic female fans on the way and was forcibly kissed. He was powerless to resist; he was innocent. That must be it!"

On the eve of the big battle, major media outlets rushed to generate buzz.

The Sun: Li Luo sneaks up late at night to meet Davika Hoorne.

Ferguson: Fuck you, The Sun is a disgrace to journalism, utterly shameful!

South Korean media: Chinese fans, don't dream, the South Korean team will shatter your illusions.

"Japanese Media: The Final Battle of the Great Demon King Aya's Asian Apex System!" 》

FIFA official: Surprisingly, the attention surrounding the Asian Cup final has changed because of Li Luo.

Aiming for the top of Asia, Li Luo has the potential to make history!

Comment area.
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[When I was reading The Sun during class, the teacher called on me to answer a question, but I didn't dare stand up, afraid I'd knock the desk off its feet.]
-
[It must have been those Koreans who bribed those toilet paper newspapers to deliberately mess with my mentality before the game.]
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I remember Ferguson and The Sun were bitter enemies, exchanging barbs for years until Ferguson retired and the conflict eased somewhat. Now they're starting a fight again?
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The finals are coming! I'm so excited! Nothing can stop me from watching the live broadcast of the finals that day.
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[South Korea giving a half-goal advantage? The bookmakers are trying to lure bettors, do they think I'll fall for it? I'm betting on China to win without hesitation!]
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If Li Luo can lead the Chinese national football team to win the Asian Cup, then he can certainly lead Manchester United to a resurgence.
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The opponents are of a different level; I feel that Manchester United's revival will be quite difficult.
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FIFA's recent attitude seems to be begging us to win the Asian Cup and qualify for the World Cup finals.

Final day.

Australian stadium.

The LED screen in mid-air began to flash, displaying the logo of this Asian Cup.

On stage, renowned Australian singer Havana Brown began today's closing ceremony performance.

As soon as the hand gesture ended, the backup dancers ran out from both sides of the stage, their costumes resembling black and white tile patterns.

"Chirp chirp chirp~ Chirp~ Chirp~ Chirp chirp chirp~"

The moment the singing burst forth from the speakers, the cheers in the stands surged like a ignited flame.

Followed by.

The drumbeats swept over the stands like a heatwave, and the audience couldn't help but sway their bodies to the rhythm.

It gradually builds to a climax.

When Havana Brown raised the microphone and shouted "Asian Cup~", the entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.

"Zhuangdianertai! Zhuangdianertai! Good evening, viewers!"

"We are now broadcasting live the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final!"

"China vs. South Korea."

"The highly anticipated showdown."

"The ultimate battle between spear and shield!"

"South Korea is the strongest shield in Asia. They have not conceded a single goal in this Asian Cup, setting a record for the longest clean sheet in a single Asian Cup."

"Li Luo is Asia's sharpest spearhead; he has already broken Ali Daei's record for most goals in a single Asian Cup tournament!"

Pre-match press conference.

Perrin looked serious.

There is a proverb in my hometown: "A grapevine that has just taken root in a crack in the rock wants to fight against the storm."

"No, you've misunderstood me."

"The storm doesn't refer to the South Korean team, it refers to Lee."

The reporters were stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening.

I thought the French would use some inspirational words about resilience and perseverance to give Chinese fans confidence.

It turns out they were comparing the South Korean team to a grapevine!
The other side.

South Korean head coach Uli Stielike spoke calmly.

"Li deserves to be in the final. He is a sharp sword, sharp enough to cut through all of Asia's defenses."

"But the South Korean team has already set a record of five clean sheets in a single Asian Cup, and I want to take the championship trophy away."

He is German and had an impressive playing career in his youth, winning numerous championship trophies as a key player.

For a time, he was considered Beckenbauer's midfield successor, and of course, at that time there were also talk of him being Beckenbauer's defensive successor and attacking midfield successor.
In the 1982 World Cup final, Beckenbauer was absent due to injury, and Stielike took over the responsibility of organizing the attack and defense and transitioning between offense and defense, ultimately leading Germany to a 1-3 defeat to Italy.

Later, after retiring and taking up coaching, he did not stay in Germany, but instead moved around to overseas leagues.

Player tunnel.

The atmosphere was tense.

Even South Korean foreign players in Chinese Super League clubs don't dare to be too enthusiastic towards their Chinese teammates.

"Li, it's been a long time."

"Hello."

Son Heung-min took the initiative to greet Lee Nak.

The two have faced each other in the Bundesliga.

There was no further communication at that moment.

Gao Lin, deep in thought, whispered, "Be careful. Kim Young-gwon of the South Korean team is the best defender in the AFC Champions League. He already has the ability to play in Europe, but he's more interested in money."

The best defender in the AFC Champions League?
Li Luo nodded. He had been preparing diligently for the competition and had watched videos of the South Korean team.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

I am now at the level of the Supreme Emperor of Asia!

(End of this chapter)