In the training space's cafeteria, the Copa del Rey third-round draw ceremony was being broadcast on the television screen.
Lu Chuan sat in a corner, coffee in hand, his eyes fixed on the screen.
When the host drew Rayo Vallecano's name from the transparent sphere, the entire cafeteria fell silent.
"Our next opponent is..." The host paused deliberately, "Real Betis!"
"Damn it!" Álvaro García's fork clattered onto his plate with a crisp sound.
Tiago Bebe jumped up, hands clutching his head, "Damn it, Joaquín that old fox, he's going to mess with us until we're dead!"
Mario Suárez, however, grinned, "Lads, do you know what this means?
Vallecas against La Liga! This is our chance to prove ourselves!"
Captain Trejo banged on the table, "Quiet! This is a good thing! At Vallecas Stadium, we fear no one!"
"Knowing how to conduct oneself?" Lu Chuan chewed on these words in his mind, a strange sense of awkwardness welling up.
In Carlos's office, the agent was flipping through a fax document. Lu Chuan sat opposite him, hearing the rustle of paper.
"Lu, it's settled." Carlos put down the document and took off his glasses to wipe them. "
Li Tie's national team coaching staff will send a technical analyst to watch this match live."
Lu Chuan's breathing instantly quickened.
"They want to know how much of your ability you can display when facing a genuine La Liga team."
Carlos put his glasses back on, "This is essentially an unofficial national team 'exam'."
"I understand." Lu Chuan's voice trembled slightly but quickly stabilized.
"Don't be nervous, kid." Carlos stood up and walked to the window. "You just need to be yourself."
"I'm not nervous." Lu Chuan took a deep breath, "I'm just... excited."
"That's good." Carlos turned around, "You should know, this could be a game that changes your destiny."
"However, Lu, I must give you a heads-up." Carlos's tone became serious. "
You need to understand that sometimes, being selected for the national team, ability is only part of it. Interpersonal relationships, 'knowing how to conduct oneself,' are very important in certain places."
Lu Chuan frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, the water in Chinese football runs deep." Carlos returned to his seat,
"Some things aren't as simple as you imagine."
"Then what should I do?"
"You just need to play your game well, and leave everything else to me." Carlos's fingers tapped lightly on the table, "Just be aware of it."
These words planted a seed of doubt in Lu Chuan's heart.
He didn't understand why football, such a pure sport, would be entangled with such complex matters.
Late at night, Lu Chuan lay in bed, wide awake. He closed his eyes and silently chanted, "System, enter training space."
The virtual Vallecas Stadium appeared before him.
He set the simulated opponents to Real Betis's main center-backs—former Barça star Marc Bartra and Algerian international Aïssa Mandi.
"Start training."
The virtual Bartra came at him, his defensive movements precise and fierce.
Lu Chuan tried to use a feint to get past him, but Bartra's center of gravity remained stable.
"Bang!" A tackle, and Lu Chuan was brought down.
"Again!" Lu Chuan got up and started over.
Each time he was cleanly tackled by the virtual Bartra, the flying grass and impact felt incredibly real.
Lu Chuan finally understood that La Liga's defense was not just fierce, but a kind of ingrained anticipation and timing.
Sweat drenched his clothes, but his eyes became increasingly focused.
In the training space, Lu Chuan focused on practicing the seamless integration of the Penalty Box Finisher and Heading Expert experience skills.
He found that heading wasn't just about winning aerial duels.
Facing an anticipatory center-back like Bartra, the key was how to use elusive runs to find space behind him.
"The timing... is now!" Lu Chuan suddenly changed direction, shaking off the virtual Bartra's entanglement, and leaped high to meet the cross.
"Bang!" The header found the net.
He closed his eyes, as if he could "see" the next move of every defender in the penalty box.
That perception of space, like an invisible net, clearly presented itself in his mind.
On the training ground, Paco Jémez held a tactics board covered with arrows and circles.
The entire team began intensely practicing a 4-4-2 defensive counter-attacking strategy.
"Listen up!" Paco's voice echoed across the training ground, "Against Betis, we are the underdogs! They will control possession, we will sit back!"
He pointed at Lu Chuan, "You are the sharp blade I'm placing at the very front! When they push up, your speed and impact are our only weapons!"
"Understood, coach." Lu Chuan nodded.
"Don't give me any fancy stuff!" Paco continued to emphasize, "As soon as you get the ball, charge forward! Use your speed to tear apart their defense!"
During training, Lu Chuan practiced the counter-attacking routes repeatedly.
His positioning became more precise, and his timing improved.
On the weekend, for the League match against Ponferradina, Lu Chuan was still not in the squad. He sat in his apartment, watching the game on TV.
The team lost 0-1 away. Lu Chuan saw the team's helplessness in the absence of an efficient finisher.
The counter-attacks were all bark and no bite, lacking the lethality of a final blow.
"Without me, they're just missing that little something." Lu Chuan turned off the TV, his eyes firm.
This made him further understand Paco's positioning of him. He needed to become that sharp blade capable of delivering a fatal blow, giving the opponent the final strike at a crucial moment.
In a photography studio in downtown Madrid, spotlights shone glaringly on Lu Chuan.
He wore Joma's new jersey, standing in front of a green background, looking a bit constrained.
"Relax, Lu." Photographer Miguel held his camera, "Just be natural, like on the field."
"I... I'm not really used to this." Lu Chuan's hands seemed unsure where to go.
"It's okay, take your time." An assistant handed him a football, "Try holding the ball."
Lu Chuan took the football and instantly felt much more relaxed. This was his most familiar companion.
"Yes! Just like that!" Miguel pressed the shutter repeatedly, "Your eyes are great!"
After the shoot, Miguel walked over and patted Lu Chuan's shoulder, "Kid, you have an unyielding spirit in your eyes, it tells a story."
"Really?" Lu Chuan rubbed the back of his head, "I was just thinking about the next game."
"That's right." Miguel smiled, "True athletes are always thinking about the next game."
This was the first time Lu Chuan had a direct sense that his commercial value outside the pitch was budding.
With one day left until the match against Real Betis, Lu Chuan was preparing dinner in his apartment. Suddenly, the familiar system voice echoed in his mind:
"Ding! Challenge Mission Issued: The Stepping Stone to La Liga!"
Lu Chuan's knife paused in mid-air.
"Mission Objective: Score a goal or provide an assist in the match against Real Betis."
"Mission Reward: 800LP, Big Heart skill shard x1"
He put down the knife and walked to the window. The Madrid nightscape twinkled outside, but his attention was completely focused on the system panel.
Seeing the Big Heart skill, Lu Chuan's breathing momentarily stopped.
He knew too well the value of this skill.
In the Legendary Shop, it was one of the most expensive mental skills, costing 3500LP. It would allow him to perform beyond his usual level in crucial matches and critical moments.
"This is exactly what I need." Lu Chuan clenched his fist.
Facing a strong opponent, turning the tide, this skill was the weapon he needed most.
Tomorrow against Betis, this would be his best chance to prove himself.
On the eve of the match, all the Rayo Vallecano players were gathered in the meeting room. Paco Jémez stood at the front, his voice not loud but extremely penetrating.
"gentlemen!" Paco scanned each person, "Tomorrow, all of Spain will be watching Vallecas!"
"Forget that we are a segunda división team!" His voice gradually rose, "When we step onto the field, we are warriors defending this neighborhood!"
"Coach, we are ready!" Trejo was the first to stand up.
"Yes! We fear no one!" Álvaro followed closely.
"Go fight!" Paco shouted loudly, "Go bite them! Make them remember our names!"
"Rayo Vallecano!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"Vallecas!"
The atmosphere in the meeting room reached a boiling point.
Everyone's eyes were burning, everyone was ready to fight for this land.
At midnight, Lu Chuan lay in bed and turned off the light. In the darkness, his eyes were exceptionally bright.
In his mind, on one side were the scrutinizing gazes of Coach Li Tie's staff, and on the other, the tempting mission issued by the system.
The famous names of Real Betis—Joaquín, Canales, Bartra—echoed repeatedly in his heart.
He clenched his fist and whispered to himself in the darkness, "This is not just a game; this is my ladder to La Liga, to the national team, to the path of a legend."
Madrid outside his window was sleeping, but his heart was burning.
"I must, and I will, step on it hard!"