Chapter Eleven: Is This the Europa League?

Manchester United?
Never heard of them!
I do know the English city of Manchester, and I’m familiar with Manchester City, often called Man City—a prestigious club, indeed.
But Manchester United? That’s new to me!

Wei Lai’s mind was in turmoil.

At that moment, the voice of Coach Yakult rang out again.
“We’ve spent a month together, and now it’s time for your final exam!”
“This is your graduation test. I need to tell you, this match is a UEFA Europa League group stage game. Our opponent is Athletic Bilbao from La Liga!”

Wei Lai felt like his head was about to explode.

Europa League!
A La Liga team!
Is this a match he was even capable of playing in?
This graduation exam was utterly insane!

“The goal for this exam: one successful tackle and one interception. Achieve that, and you’ll graduate!” Coach Yakult chuckled. “You wanted to know my real name? I can tell you now. I am Carlos Henrique Casemiro!”

Upon hearing Coach Yakult’s true name, Wei Lai felt an inexplicable change within his body.

His heartbeat became steadier and stronger!
His lungs seemed more powerful.
His muscles all felt reinforced.

“What is this...” Wei Lai stared at his body in astonishment.

Casemiro said, “I promised you a reward—one of my abilities: my cardio-pulmonary function!”
“A strong cardio-pulmonary system can make you a perpetual motion machine on the field. Of course, your body can’t handle it yet; continuous training is needed to develop it. But your cardio-pulmonary ceiling has just been raised to a new height. You’re using my body now, so don’t worry about stamina.”

With a smile in his voice, Casemiro urged, “Come on, my student! I believe you can graduate successfully!”

Lost in a daze, Wei Lai felt someone nudging him.
“Hey! Carlos, it’s time to get on the pitch!”

It was that broad-faced guy again. Wei Lai turned slightly and glanced at the name on the back of his jersey.
‘MAGUIRE’!

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart pounded violently. No matter how he tried to calm himself, he couldn’t settle his nerves.

The roaring cheers around him seemed to shake the ground itself, making his limbs tingle.

For a rookie who had never played an official professional match to be thrown straight into a top-tier league—what kind of brutal assessment was this!

At least the test requirements were relatively simple.

One tackle, one interception!

“Keep your composure and try to blend into the team!” Casemiro’s voice came again. “Here’s a tip: observe more, pass the ball immediately to the nearest teammate, don’t try to hold onto it!”

“Huh?”

Wei Lai was confused.

Before he could fully register, the match had already begun.

Bang!

Manchester United kicked off first, and the ball immediately landed at Wei Lai’s feet.

So heavy!

At the moment he tried to control it, Wei Lai felt the opponent’s pass was so powerful that he almost lost control.

“Pass quickly!”

“Hey!!—”

“Pass it!”

Bewildered, Wei Lai looked up. At that moment, a blue figure suddenly appeared, and with a slight touch, the ball was snatched away from under his feet.

“What are you doing?”

“Stop daydreaming!”

“Carlos! This is a match! Get into the zone!”

Everyone was retreating frantically, and Wei Lai turned and sprinted.

Bang!

The ball was headed away by that broad-faced Maguire.

That guy leapt up like a beast between two towering men.

“Damn, he’s fierce!”

Wei Lai muttered to himself.

“Counterattack!”

Manchester United quickly turned to offense.

Wei Lai sprinted after them.

“Calm down, my student! You’ve gone too far!”

Casemiro’s voice sounded again, tinged with urgency.

“Drop back a bit! Don’t panic. Recall the training—observe your surroundings!”

Wei Lai raised his head again.

Thud, thud, thud... thud~~~~~

The ball flew back into their half. Wei Lai turned and sprinted wildly.

He couldn’t truly integrate; all he could do was run blindly.

“Go! Hit him!”

Casemiro’s voice urged once more.

Wei Lai looked up at the opposing number 10, held his breath, and charged.

Swish!

The opponent dodged lightly, and Wei Lai stumbled, falling flat on the ground like a clown.

He wished he could bury his head in the earth—how humiliating!

Even though this was a simulated match, the shame was overwhelming.

He looked like a fool, flailing about.

Bang!

His head seemed to be struck. Wei Lai dazedly raised his head.

He saw the ball rolling smoothly to a teammate’s feet, and a system prompt sounded.

[Successfully intercepted once]

Wei Lai: “......”

“Cut down on useless running. Remember your defensive zone!”

“Yes! That’s right, hold your position!”

Casemiro’s voice kept ringing in his ears, repeatedly reminding him.

Yet Wei Lai still felt out of place.

The pace was too fast!

Sometimes before he could even react, the ball had already passed him and moved behind.

“Don’t fear physical contact. You’re using my body now. Remember! In this match, aside from our own Maguire, you can outmuscle anyone!”

Casemiro’s voice echoed continuously.

Alongside it came teammates’ complaints.

Though a simulated field, the emotions were vividly conveyed.

Wei Lai felt increasingly exhausted, his breathing chaotic, his mind foggy, utterly disoriented.

“Wei Lai!!—”

Casemiro suddenly yelled: “Is that all you’ve got? At this rate, you’ll never catch up with them!”

Wei Lai’s body jolted, his racing heart abruptly steadying.

He instantly calmed down.

“What should I do, coach?” Wei Lai’s voice was noticeably calmer.

“Good!” Casemiro seemed relieved. “Recall your previous training. Don’t be disturbed by their rhythm. Feel the game slowly.”

Wei Lai nodded vigorously.

He kept turning his head to observe. The ball moved fast, and the passes were sharp.

For him to play like this now was nothing short of a fantasy.

But for this match, he had only one goal.

One tackle.

How to tackle?

The previous training had made it clear.

“Press!”

Wei Lai began to continuously close in on the opponent with possession.

He leaned in with his body and used his hands to disrupt.

Pass it to the left!

Pass to the left!

Wei Lai silently repeated, pressing forward with his body.

Sure enough, the opponent passed the ball leftward.

The next moment, Wei Lai shifted sideways, balanced his weight on one side, ready to intercept.

This made the winger hesitant to make risky passes.

Keep pressing!

Seeing the opponent pass back to their defensive half, Wei Lai moved even closer to the number 10.

At the same time, he instructed his teammates to press forward.

Though they grumbled, this was a system space—they obeyed well.

“Going for a direct tackle is tough! No, impossible!”

Wei Lai knew his limits. Even with Casemiro’s body, his awareness couldn’t keep up with these players.

“I have to gamble!”

Wei Lai clenched his teeth, leaned forward slightly, leaving space behind him.

His eyes fixed firmly on the opponent.

The gap is yours!

Dare you pass?

Bang!

Sure enough, the player immediately chipped the ball, aiming behind Wei Lai.

Wei Lai’s eyes lit up. He spun and sprinted as the opposing number 10 moved forward.

Suddenly, he made a lateral step to block, seizing a favorable position.

No doubt, this body’s strength was real.

Wei Lai just pushed once, and the opponent faltered.

The ball fell, but number 10 didn’t give up, clinging tightly.

Wei Lai gritted his teeth.

Suppress! Suppress! Suppress!

Keep pressing!

Just as the ball was about to land, it hit the opponent’s foot. Wei Lai used his hip to push hard, forcing the opponent off balance again, who passed the ball back to the left defensive side without looking up.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha~~~~

Wei Lai gasped for air. Though it was just a few seconds of struggle, he felt his heart nearly burst out of his chest.

Watching the ball safely reach a teammate, he finally exhaled.

[Ding! Tackle completed! Exam passed!]
[Total time: 40 minutes. One interception, one tackle completed. Course graduation assessment passed!]

Wei Lai sat on the ground, panting heavily. Forty minutes had passed, and he’d only succeeded in stealing the ball—though he’d passed the test, there was little real match content.

Offense, defense coordination, controlling the game—he’d hardly participated in any of it.

The rapid pace, the relentless attack-defense shifts, every pass felt out of control, every glance up revealed an opponent—no time to observe.

This was no ordinary match!

Nor had he played a qualified game, but... at least he completed the exam.

Wei Lai sighed, looking around the environment, murmuring,
“So this is the Europa League?”