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"The Belgium National Team encountered trouble in their European Championship opener. Lance's brace secured a hard-fought draw against Sweden.
Belgium currently sits third in the group. Their next match will be against group leaders Italy. If they fail to take all three points, they could face the embarrassment of a group-stage exit..."
Belgium being held to a draw came as a surprise to many fans.
On Weibo, countless supporters were already lamenting the result.
"See you on the rooftop, brothers."
"Who said Belgium was strong? I went all-in with my life savings, and now it's over."
"Good thing I bet on a draw. Lance saved my life."
"Are his teammates all useless?"
"Gamblers never get a house."
Leaving aside the people who only followed football for betting purposes, most fans who regularly watched Lance's matches had already developed a deep understanding of the game.
They could all see the same thing.
Belgium's three core players—Hazard, Lance, and De Bruyne—were all in excellent form.
The real issue was ball distribution.
All three were ball-dominant players.
Whether it was Lance, Hazard, or De Bruyne in possession, each could create enormous danger for the opposition.
However, their off-the-ball movement and overall coordination were still lacking.
Meanwhile, the two forwards, Lukaku and Benteke, squandered numerous chances.
Jian Jun expressed a similar opinion on Weibo:
"...Toward the end of the match, Lance moved up to play as a striker.
That allowed him to use his off-the-ball movement to find shooting opportunities.
Hopefully, Belgium can learn from this and prepare seriously for the upcoming life-or-death clash against Italy."
No one knew what the Belgian camp in France was thinking.
But fans back in China were already sweating for Lance.
North of Paris, Belgium's training base.
The team boarded a bus and set off for Lyon, where a decisive battle awaited them at the Stade de Lyon, France's third-largest stadium.
"Any questions about what I just explained?" Head Coach Marc Wilmots asked through the microphone.
"No, Coach!"
The Belgian players answered in unison, sounding like obedient elementary school students.
"You'd better not."
Wilmots shook his head.
Still, seeing everyone's spirits remain high despite disappointing warm-up results and a draw in the opening group match, he felt somewhat relieved.
The players were chatting and laughing.
The atmosphere was relaxed.
"Their mentality is excellent."
Sitting nearby, French football legend Thierry Henry smiled as he looked back at the squad.
Henry had originally planned to work in England as a guest analyst for Sky Sports during the tournament.
Instead, Belgium had hired him as a forwards coach for the duration of the European Championship, with a contract running through 2018.
Initially, Henry had no intention of joining Belgium.
His plan had been to work as an assistant coach at Arsenal or another club.
But Belgium had used a certain player as bait.
Lance.
To Henry, the young East Asian prodigy was a priceless treasure.
He could hardly wait to pass on everything he had learned throughout his career.
In Henry's own words:
"This young man is the most complete forward I've ever seen."
Coming from Henry, that was the highest possible praise.
He had never spoken so highly of even Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Coincidentally, Henry was seated beside Lance on the bus.
The two spent the journey discussing the mindset of elite forwards, technical details, movement patterns, and countless other nuances of the game.
"Lance, do you feel confident about beating Italy?"
"Not completely."
Lance answered honestly.
"I don't think the team's chemistry is quite there yet."
"But?"
Henry raised an eyebrow.
"But I can see a path to victory."
"That's enough for me."
Henry nodded.
"I believe in you."
Italy's 2016 European Championship squad was no joke.
After advancing from the group stage, they defeated a powerful Spain side 2-0 and reached the quarterfinals.
Only a penalty shootout loss to Germany prevented them from reaching the semifinals.
Despite Serie A's decline at the time, Italy remained one of the toughest teams in international football.
Their resilience alone was not to be underestimated.
More importantly, they would go on to win the next European Championship in 2020.
If Belgium continued playing as they had before, defeating Italy would be extremely difficult.
The trip to Lyon would take another two hours.
Before long, Henry and most of the Belgian players had fallen asleep.
Taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere, Lance focused his consciousness and entered the system.
Player: Lance
Age: 17
Physical Attributes: 184 cm / 80 kg
Template 1: Nagi Seishiro-S (Fusion: 100%)
Template 2: Bachira Meguru-S (Fusion: 100%)
Template 3: Hyuga Kojiro-S (Fusion: 100%)
Template 4: Isagi Yoichi-S (Fusion: 52%)
Overall Rating: A
Rage: 0%
Wish Gold Coins: 0
Wish Silver Coins: 962
After the Champions League Final, his synchronization with Isagi Yoichi had finally surpassed the 50% mark.
However, he still had not unlocked the template's second skill.
His original plan had been to continue refining and integrating the abilities he already possessed.
After all, power only became truly useful when it formed a complete system.
As the saying goes:
He who chases two rabbits catches neither.
No matter how many powerful skills he acquired, if they remained disconnected, they would simply be external cheats rather than true combat strength.
Even activating a template at full speed required a brief instant.
But in matches of the highest level—the Champions League Final, the European Championship Final, or the World Cup Final—
A hesitation of just 0.1 seconds could be the difference between success and failure.
Relying solely on cheats would never allow him to unleash their full potential.
Only through constant refinement and fusion could those abilities truly become his own.
"Fine."
"I'll keep it as an emergency option for now."
"Let's see what Isagi's second skill actually is."
Template: Isagi Yoichi-S (Fusion: 52%)
Skill: Spatial Perception
Skill: Locked
Rage: 0%
Unlock!
Direct Strike Shot
Effect: After creating an opportunity through Spatial Perception, a first-time shot without controlling the ball has a chance to bypass defensive interceptions.
"If you trap the ball in front of goal, you give your opponent time to react. The advantage gained through anticipation disappears. Looking back on every goal I've scored, I finally understand—each one was a Direct Strike Shot!"
The moment the skill unlocked, a flood of understanding poured into Lance's mind.
His entire perspective shifted.
"That's it..."
"Exactly."
"Any touch or adjustment inside the penalty area can waste the only shooting window available."
Previously, Lance had relied heavily on Nagi Seishiro's Perfect Ball Control.
He would often trap the ball, beat one or two defenders, and then shoot.
The method was undeniably effective.
But the stronger the opponent, the easier it became for them to establish a second defensive barrier.
In the Champions League Final against Real Madrid, Lance had attempted several controlled touches inside the box during the first half.
Each time, defenders like Ramos and Pepe disrupted him before he could finish.
Those missed opportunities ultimately contributed to Real Madrid's commanding 4-0 lead.
If he had possessed Direct Strike Shot back then, a first-time finish might have converted those chances immediately.
Of course, that didn't mean Nagi's abilities were inferior.
Quite the opposite.
Now Lance possessed both options.
He could either fire instantly without taking a touch or control the ball first and use his technique to create space.
The combination made him even more unpredictable.
And his next opponent happened to be the perfect test subject.
Italy.
A nation renowned for defense.
The birthplace of Catenaccio.
In that case...
There was no better opportunity to test the true power of his newly unlocked skill.