nycdaug Chapter 50: It's terrifying to be facing Li Jing!
Chapter 50: It's terrifying to be facing Li Jing!
The air in the physiotherapy room was filled with the pungent smell of medicinal oil.
Li Jing lay naked from the waist up on the white physiotherapy bed, his massive body sprawled out.
The two extremely exaggerated latissimus dorsi muscles on his back rose and fell evenly with his breathing.
He blushed a little when he looked at the female nurse who was giving him physical therapy.
Humans' urges are always so strange; in inexplicable places, they feel this thing is a little irritating.
……
He completely ignored Courtois, who was complaining that the ice pack was too cold.
With a thought, the system panel, visible only to him, instantly unfolded in the void.
The mission was titled "Mission 7829: Win against Barcelona after Lionel Messi's Barcelona team loses in their season".
It was prominently displayed in the most conspicuous position.
The question mark in the target team column, which had been bouncing erratically, suddenly stopped.
The subtitles were frozen in time with remarkable clarity, forming four large characters.
Osasuna!
Immediately afterwards, a line of small red text appeared quickly at the bottom of the task bar.
[Mission Code: My father's father is called Grandpa.]
[Current Status: Osasuna has just defeated Barcelona.]
[Mission Objective: Defeat them! Become Barcelona's grandfather!]
[Reward: 50000 training hours! (To be completed)]
Li Jing stared at the number "50000" with four zeros, and his breath hitched slightly.
50,000 hours of intensive training!
This is a huge sum of money that allows him to max out several of his core abilities simply by spending time!
Li Jing blinked twice quickly, forcibly suppressing the excitement that was rushing to his head.
He stretched out his arm, grabbed the transparent water bottle on the bedside table, tilted his head back, and gulped down three large mouthfuls of warm water.
With this perfectly reasonable action, he swallowed the boiling turmoil in his chest.
"Snapped!"
The kettle was just put back in the cabinet.
……
Courtois, on the bed next to him, appeared to have finished his muscle massage.
Then he walked up to Li Jing.
Li Jing paused for a moment, then subconsciously raised his right hand.
"Snapped!"
The two large hands collided heavily in mid-air, producing an extremely crisp and powerful explosion.
Courtois Road.
"Li!! You two have such great chemistry, bro!"
"They even knew I was going to high-five them."
"They truly deserve to be called our Atlético Madrid's twin stars!"
Li Jing was taken aback, and grabbed a towel from the side to wipe the sweat from his neck.
"Gemini?"
Li Jing threw the towel into the basket.
"What about Falcao?"
"Go to hell!"
Courtois waved his hand dismissively, then curled his lip in utter disgust.
"Don't get involved, Old Deng!"
"This is a youth storm!"
……
The physical therapy is completely over.
Li Jing changed into a black cotton sports jacket, zipping it all the way up to her chin.
He walked out of the side gate of the Calderon training ground, carrying a black backpack with the Atlético Madrid logo on one shoulder.
Today is the 14th, and the entire team is on holiday.
Although Simeone is a training fanatic, he also knows that players' bodies aren't made of iron.
Having just experienced a high-intensity away game with a big win, there is no ball training today; the entire team is forced to undergo pure post-match recovery.
It was already dark outside the base, and the evening breeze in Madrid carried a dry chill.
Li Jing didn't call the club's car; instead, he walked to the intersection and flagged down a yellow Madrid taxi.
He opened the back door, plopped down inside, and gave the address of the villa Raiola had rented in the suburbs.
The driver was a middle-aged, overweight man in his forties.
He had only glanced at the passengers getting into the car in the rearview mirror subconsciously, but the fat man's hand on the steering wheel suddenly jerked, and the taxi swerved in an "S" shape on the road.
"Holy crap! My God!!"
……
The driver turned his head, ignoring the stomach pain from the seatbelt, his eyes wide like saucers.
"You're Li Jing?!"
"My daughter is a die-hard fan of yours! After yesterday's 5-1 victory, she said she absolutely loves you!"
The driver hurriedly rummaged through the glove box in the passenger seat, pulled out a marker, and haphazardly tore off an order form, handing it to him.
"Li! Can I get your autograph? And take a picture with you? Please?"
"If you don't sign, my daughter will know I met you and you didn't sign!"
"I can't even get into my house when I get home today!"
Li Jing accepted the pen with ease.
I quickly signed my name. Then, taking advantage of the driver's extremely awkward angle, I took a group photo.
"You now have your own special nickname on the Atlético Madrid fan forum!"
The driver excitedly stepped on the gas, and the car roared off.
They call you "Iron Man"!
The driver said as he drove:
"Your tireless stamina, combined with Atlético Madrid's red and white jersey, makes you look exactly like someone in a movie!"
Li Jing leaned back in the leather seat in the back and raised an eyebrow when he heard the nickname.
Iron Man?
……
Loud Spanish pop music was playing in the carriage, and the driver kept bragging about Li Jing's positioning.
Li Jing turned his head, looking at the Madrid street scene rushing past the car window, but his mind was already clearly calculating the upcoming schedule.
Time is of the essence.
Three days later, on the 17th, their entire team will fly to Pamplona.
They will face Osasuna, the team that just defecated on Barcelona's head, away from home.
If they fail to win this league match, their hard-won position in the standings will immediately slip away.
What's even more deadly is...
After this league match, there won't even be time to catch your breath. The packed Europa League knockout stage schedule will be hitting us right away.
Their opponent is Lazio, a long-established powerhouse in Serie A.
Moreover, it was an extremely important Round of 16 match.
The two-round elimination tournament was extremely brutal, leaving absolutely no room for error.
We can't fall behind in La Liga, and we must achieve results in the Europa League.
These are two formidable obstacles weighing heavily on Atletico Madrid's currently extremely thin squad.
A high-intensity competition every three days, they really don't treat the athletes like human beings.
……
The next day.
8:00 AM on the 5th.
The lights weren't even on in the coaches' office at the Calderon training facility.
Only a few rays of morning sunlight slanted through the half-drawn blinds and fell obliquely onto the floor.
At this moment, the Atletico Madrid players are probably still dreaming.
However, all the players need to do is play football.
As head coach, Simeone has many things to consider...
Simone was pressed against the huge tactical whiteboard.
The old man braced himself firmly on the tray at the bottom of the whiteboard with both hands.
He held a red, thick-tipped marker in his hand, his rough fingertips slightly white from the excessive force.
His bloodshot eyes stared intently at the densely packed player name tiles on the whiteboard, like an eagle's gaze.
The old man's brows were completely furrowed into a tight knot.
He is now facing an extremely critical choice.
To secure both league points and a Europa League qualification spot, the head coach must make a very risky, large-scale rotation of players in the away game against Osasuna the day after tomorrow.
Moreover, it must be a thorough, even drastic, overhaul.
Simeone abruptly raised his hand and, in extreme frustration, ripped the names of several key players from the "starting lineup" and slammed them heavily into the "substitutes' zone."
After doing all this, the old man let out a long sigh of relief.
If this depleted squad were to be fielded, the defensive solidity of the midfield and backline would absolutely plummet.
That's the only thing we can count on now.
Simone's gaze moved down the whiteboard and finally settled on the red tile that represented the number "13".
The old man reached out and forcefully pressed number "13" directly into the center of this shabby starting lineup.
We want the strength to be more than that.
Li Jing shouldn't be substituted.
Ugh……
Being a coach is fucking tough!
……
in the afternoon.
The sunlight was blinding on the training field.
Simeone called all the players who had just changed into their training clothes to the center of the grass.
He didn't bring a tactical board or a megaphone.
With a wave of his hand, he decisively released a list of combat training groups that was enough to shock everyone.
Listen carefully!
Simone's voice was as rough as gravel.
"Today! Gabi, Miranda, Juanfran, Turan, all of you, go and wear those yellow training vests!"
Upon hearing this, several core members froze on the spot.
Gabby thought he had misheard and reached up to rub his ears.
Followed by.
Simeone pointed to the group of fringe players who usually struggle to even make the squad and spend most of their time in the reserve team or on the bench.
"You guys, along with Li Jing and Falcao, form today's starting lineup. Wear your red and white training vests!"
The old man didn't give these people any extra time to explain; he immediately blew the iron whistle around his neck.
"Beep!"
"Change vests in thirty seconds! Let's start the real combat!"
Juanfran stood to the side, glancing at Gabi with a blank expression.
The Atlético Madrid captain opened his mouth, and roughly understood what Simeone meant.
indeed.
High-intensity competition.
It made them very tired too.
This fatigue is mental.
If there is a reasonable rotation tactic.
That would be extremely friendly to old people like them.
……
The whistle to start the training match had just fallen.
Even those watching from the sidelines could clearly sense the extremely strange situation on the field.
Simeone roared from the sidelines, still demanding the same unreasonable, high-pressing tactics.
However, in terms of execution, this lineup, composed of a large number of substitutes and fringe players, was simply a disaster.
The technique was rough, the positioning was disjointed, and the passes were never timely enough.
Actually, it can't be said to be too rough or too bland.
However, compared to the first team's starting lineup.
It does pale in comparison.
……
The opposing team, consisting of key players like Gabi and Miranda, easily broke through the first line of defense set up by the substitute midfielders with just two extremely simple passing moves.
Gabi received the ball in the center circle and glanced up at the field in front.
There was no sense of oppression.
He even had the leisure to remark in his mind, "This defense is as loose as my grandmother's belt."
But just as Gabi pulled the ball back with his right foot, preparing to send a through ball forward...
A terrifying whooshing sound came crashing into him from his blind spot!
Li Jing's massive body unleashed a completely unreasonable [Legendary Off-the-Ball Movement].
He appeared like a heavy tank roaring at full speed, appearing extremely violently in the most critical position along Gabi's passing route.
The instant Gabi kicked out.
Li Jing's long legs swept across the grass with overwhelming force, completely crushing the opponent with world-class combat intensity.
"Bang!"
Before the ball could even take off, it was firmly pinned to Li Jing's feet by his heavy boots. Gabi felt as if he had crashed into a wall made of cast iron; his shoulder went numb, and he and the ball were knocked back a large step.
Possession of the ball changed hands instantly.
Seeing this, Simeone, who was standing on the sidelines, suddenly loosened his clenched fist a little.
This is the ultimate safety net role that number 13 played on the field.
The next twenty minutes.
Li Jing is like a complete beast of burden!
A substitute teammate is out of position? He'll cover for him!
The defense has been breached? He goes after them!
The opponent has formed a local numerical advantage through a double-team?
He used his abnormal physical abilities to forcefully push everyone aside and kick them out of the way!
As soon as possession of the ball is lost.
Li Jing used a coverage area that completely defied common sense about human physiology to single-handedly raise the defensive hardness of this extremely dilapidated lineup by two whole levels!
The starting lineup faced no offensive pressure against the substitutes.
However, once they advance to the 30-meter zone, all passing and control routes seem to encounter an invisible black hole, and most of them break at Li Jing's feet.
……
"Beep!"
The short whistle blew during halftime, signaling the start of a water break.
Li Jing casually wiped the sweat from his forehead and strode to the sidelines. Without even breaking a sweat, he picked up a bottle of mineral water and bit open the cap.
Gabi approached, panting heavily. He was covered in sweat, and his eyes held an extremely complex expression.
"Li, the old man is treating you like an animal."
Gabby handed him a dry towel, lowering his voice.
"Isn't it incredibly difficult for you to play with a bunch of guys who can't even position themselves properly?"
Li Jing took the towel, emptied the water bottle, and placed it on her head to cool down.
Hearing Gabi's complaint, he paused for a moment, and his mind suddenly flashed back to those "teammates" from his previous life's national team who made his blood pressure soar.
That feeling of despair when a pass is delivered to your heel and you can stop the ball three meters away.
Li Jing threw the empty bottle on the ground and looked at Gabi very seriously.
"Captain, to tell you the truth..."
Li Jing grinned.
"These substitutes? Compared to the teammates I had a long time ago, they're practically god-level."
"I have suffered mental torture a hundred times worse than this before."
"Sigh, never mind, you wouldn't understand!"
Li Jing actually played for the national youth team!
Gabby was completely bewildered by this nonsensical statement.
Looking at Li Jing's indifferent back, he could only reach out and grab his hair with extreme force.
……
On the other side of the training field.
Gabi and Juanfran, who were assigned to the sparring group and were completely simulating Osasuna's tactical roles, were standing on the grass, panting heavily.
Gabby lowered his head, staring intently at his feet.
Just seconds ago, Li Jing made an extremely precise low tackle, sending the ball and himself rolling out of bounds.
The Atlético Madrid captain, known for his tough and resolute demeanor, was now experiencing violent twitching of his facial muscles. His deep-set eyes were filled with utter shock, as if he had witnessed something truly bizarre.
"Grass!"
Gabi suddenly stretched out his gloved hand and hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"We used to be in the back, watching the opposing forwards and midfielders get tormented by Li Jing's constant interceptions."
"I thought the opponent was just too weak!"
Gabby, extremely frustrated, kicked a nearby sign cone away.
"But today, I'm playing this half of the game from the opponent's perspective!"
"That's really scary..."
"This is absolutely a monster."
"No matter how well we pass and cut, no matter how many openings we create, he can always be standing at that damn spot three seconds in advance, waiting for us!"
Juanfran stood to the side, his face flushed.
He nodded frantically while vigorously rubbing his chest, which was numb and even slightly aching from being bumped by Li Jing's shoulder.
That's scary...
Being Li Jing's opponent is a nightmare.
He actually felt a sense of fear?
Did the opponents in the first two matches have this feeling?
This is terrifying.
For football players.
afraid.
That concludes the explanation!
……
(P.S.: PK is back! It's especially important to read on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday!)
Please bear with me a little longer, there are only a few tens of thousands of words left before it goes on sale.
I'm a reader myself and I know it's not pleasant to read 4k chapters every day, but please bear with it, the updates will be more frequent once it's officially released!
Thank you all for reading and supporting me these past few days!
(P.S.: All the pictures are in the book reviews. Let me know what kind of picture you want to see. I actually generate a lot, but it's not easy to insert them on Qidian!)