The next day, during the tactical review session, Assistant Coach Carlos Zaragoza played clips of the match against Girona for the entire team to watch.
When the video showed Lu Chuan's assist, he paused it.
"Look here, Lu Chuan's retreat attracted two opposing defenders, creating a huge space for Advíncula to surge forward."
Zaragoza pointed at the screen with a laser pointer, the image frozen at the moment of Lu Chuan's subtle outside-of-the-foot pass.
"Oh my god, that passing angle is incredibly tricky!" Substitute goalkeeper Alberto García's eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the mineral water bottle in his hand.
"Their right-back didn't react at all," Emiliano Velázquez slapped his thigh. "This kid's footwork is more precise than my coffee!"
Santi Comesaña sat in the back row, arms crossed, a slight smile playing on his lips: "New guy, is this how you played in Segunda División B?"
"Dude, don't pretend to be deep," Mario Suárez patted Santi's shoulder. "Admit it, you didn't see him making that pass either."
"I just thought his body movements were very natural, like he was dancing the tango."
Isi Palazón laughed as he mimicked Lu Chuan's feint, causing his teammates to burst into laughter.
Paco Jémez added, "But don't celebrate too early! You only had one decent ball treatment in the entire match! What were you doing the rest of the time? Strolling around?
Your defensive contribution was zero! In the segunda división, no one is allowed to be lazy on the field!"
Lu Chuan straightened his back. The coach's tone was stern, but the initial scrutiny in his eyes was gone.
After training, Captain Óscar Trejo called Lu Chuan over.
"Kid, are you free tonight? Come to my place, my wife made Argentine barbecue. And we can chat about the next match."
Trejo wiped the sweat from his forehead while waving to Lu Chuan, a casual closeness Lu Chuan had never experienced before.
"Captain, can I bring a bottle of wine?" Young Antonín Cortés leaned in. "My family has some good Rioja red wine."
"Kid, you're not even an adult yet, what wine are you drinking?" Trejo laughed, patting Cortés on the back of his head. "Just bring juice."
"Trejo, your wife's barbecue is truly exceptional," Luis Advíncula walked over, putting an arm around Trejo's shoulder.
"Last time I ate three kilograms of steak, I almost burst."
"Haha, then don't come tonight, leave more space for Lu Chuan." Trejo patted Advíncula's stomach.
"You, you're a bottomless pit."
"Captain, I want to go too!" Thiago Bebe raised his hand like a schoolboy. "I promise not to eat too much."
In Trejo's backyard, the aroma of barbecue filled the air.
Trejo flipped the meat on the grill while explaining to Lu Chuan on a small tactics board: "Paco's tactical core is high-pressing and quick transitions. He demands that wingers not only score goals but also run.
You see, Álvaro always starts because he can run tirelessly."
Trejo squatted in front of the grill, gesticulating on the tactics board by the flickering firelight: "Paco's tactics prioritize running, look here..."
His voice mingled with the sizzling sound of fat dripping.
Fat dripped onto the charcoal, making a sizzling sound.
Lu Chuan could smell the aroma of meat mixed with spices, and the warm, homey scent in the air.
"Look here," Trejo moved a small magnet on the tactics board, "When we lose possession, the winger must immediately retreat to this position."
His wife, María, poked her head out from the kitchen: "Óscar, don't just talk tactics, the meat is going to burn!"
"Coming!" Trejo quickly flipped the meat, juices bursting into small sparks on the charcoal. "Lu Chuan, remember, Paco values running distance the most."
Just then, left winger Álvaro García also walked in, carrying two bottles of beer. Trejo had called him.
"Hey, new guy, don't think one assist can steal my spot."
Álvaro sat down, placing the beers heavily on the table, foam bubbling from the bottle necks.
Though he spoke provocatively, he proactively opened a bottle of beer and handed it over, clinking the bottle neck against Lu Chuan's glass—a frank gesture of getting to know each other through a challenge.
"You're starting in the Copa del Rey, dare to make a bet with me?" Álvaro tore off the beer cap, the metallic clink sounding exceptionally crisp in the night sky.
"Bet what?" Lu Chuan took the grilled meat Trejo handed him. The warm aroma of meat rushed into his nostrils, instantly igniting a primal hunger.
Álvaro García grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the firelight: "Let's bet on goals. If you score, I'll cover all the extra training meals this month.
If you don't, you have to treat the whole team to drinks for a week."
"That's quite a wager." Lu Chuan took a bite of the grilled meat, the juices bursting in his mouth, carrying the smoky flavor of charcoal and the kick of spices.
"What, scared?" Álvaro raised an eyebrow, the beer gently swaying in his hand.
"The top scorer in Segunda División B, surely he can score against a Segunda División B team, right?"
Trejo laughed heartily from the side: "Good! I'll be the witness!"
The captain raised his own beer bottle and clinked it against Álvaro's, making a crisp glass-on-glass sound.
"Lu Chuan, do you accept?" Trejo turned to Lu Chuan, his eyes filled with encouragement and expectation.
Lu Chuan put down the grilled meat, extended his hand, and shook Álvaro's: "I accept."
Their hands clasped together, neither letting go first, the veins on their backs of their hands slightly bulging.
"Well done!" Trejo clapped his hands, cheering. "Now that's a man's bet!"
The surrounding teammates started to egg them on, some shouting "I bet Lu Chuan wins," and
some whistling. The lively atmosphere made Lu Chuan feel like he truly belonged among them.
Late at night, Lu Chuan returned to his apartment. Just as he finished showering, his agent Carlos's call came in.
"Excellent work! Your debut was very successful.
The Espanyol scout report gave you a high rating, they believe you have the potential to establish yourself in La Liga."
Carlos's voice came through the receiver, tinged with unconcealed excitement.
"News already?" Lu Chuan lay on the bed, his hair still dripping.
"Scouts are very efficient, especially for talented young players."
Carlos paused. "By the way, regarding the investment plan I mentioned to you before, I have an initial proposal."
Lu Chuan sat up, wiping his hair: "Tell me about it."
"Following your suggestion, I found a recently established online education platform called 'Aula Virtual.'
They are seeking angel round funding, focusing on AI interactive teaching, which aligns perfectly with your idea."
Lu Chuan's heart stirred. He knew that the outbreak of the pandemic a few months later would completely ignite the online education market. This was his first step in leveraging future information asymmetry to make money.
"Invest," Lu Chuan said without hesitation. "Use my signing bonus and first salary to invest 150,000 euros initially. Tell them I only want shares and will not participate in operations."
"150,000 euros?" Carlos's voice was a bit surprised. "Lu Chuan, that's most of your savings."
"I believe in this project." Lu Chuan's tone was firm. "Go ahead with my decision, arrange it as soon as possible."
Carlos was surprised by Lu Chuan's decisiveness, but he still responded professionally: "Okay, I'll have my legal team handle all the legal documents and equity agreements.
Lu, what you're doing is already beyond the scope of an ordinary player."
"This is just the beginning." Lu Chuan looked at the night view outside the window, his eyes deep. "Football is just my starting point, not my destination."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan opened the system panel, looking at his meager few hundred LP points, lost in thought.
[Current LP balance: 320]
The Copa del Rey match against Barakaldo, a team from Segunda División B, was a good opportunity to rack up stats and earn LP.
He muttered to himself: "Álvaro, I accept this bet. My goal is not just a single goal."
Outside the window, the Madrid night sky was dotted with stars, and the streets of Vallecas District were exceptionally quiet under the streetlights.
Lu Chuan closed his eyes, already mentally rehearsing the match three days later.
This Copa del Rey match would not only help him earn the complete recognition of his teammates but also lay the foundation for his upcoming business empire.
Only by proving himself on the football field could he gain influence in the business world