Time ticked by, second by second.

The pace was frantic, possession changing hands repeatedly.

Whenever Li Kang touched the ball, a faint hiss would rise from the BayArena, followed by a tidal wave of cheers.

Unconsciously, most of the Bayer fans were reminiscing about the years when the North Rhine Hero fought for the club...

Champions League semi-finals.

The Bundesliga salad bowl.

German Cup champions.

The two hundred million transfer fee, paid in installments.

All of it, left behind by the current Arsenal number 10.

Liking someone is a habit.

Hating someone requires self-discipline.

It was difficult for Leverkusen fans to continue whipping themselves into a frenzy of hatred for the "two hundred million traitor."

...

Nineteenth minute of the match.

Li Kang sent a super-long through ball from near the center circle.

The football skimmed the turf like a sharp blade, piercing Leverkusen's midfield defense in an instant.

Morata accelerated again.

David Luiz sprinted forward once more, intercepting the ball in his own half, thirty meters from goal!

"So close again."

"That iconic mop of hair, it's so reassuring to see it in a Leverkusen jersey."

"David Luiz is currently the most expensive center-back in European football. His transfer fee from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain remains unbeaten."

"Unless something unexpected happens, Van Dijk will break that record next season."

...

In football, you often hear about "dreaming of playing for Barca," "dreaming of playing for Real," "dreaming of playing for United," "dreaming of playing for Ajax"...

But David Luiz's family revealed that the mop-haired defender actually had a "dream of playing for Arsenal."

At the time, the media saw it as a joke: how could a Brazilian center-back who had played for several big clubs and commanded a high price tag join the Gunners? Could they even afford him?

Until later, he even went on strike to force a move to Arsenal...

...

Morata stopped and turned to give Li Kang a thumbs-up.

Li Kang adjusted his shin guards.

After several attempts to attack.

He had dissected Leverkusen's defensive formation changes from a God's-eye view:

The reason David Luiz was so daring with his aggressive positioning was because other defenders were covering for him.

He didn't need to be in a set position to face attacks.

Instead, he was allowed to fully utilize his aggression.

The Brazilian mop-top was no longer the backdrop for Germany's 7-1 thrashing; all his individual flaws were concealed by Leverkusen's defensive structure.

...

David Luiz passed the ball back to Çalhanoğlu.

The fans in the nearby stands shouted again:

"Pirlo!!!"

Old man Toppmöller and Dino on the sidelines were excited, jabbing the air with their fingers.

Pass it forward!

Balotelli is in position!

...

Çalhanoğlu couldn't help but tremble.

Leverkusen, your core has returned!

Leaning back.

A swing of his right foot.

Bang!

The football soared into the air.

Like a cruise missile, it hurtled towards Arsenal's backfield.

The BayArena erupted in cheers!

"Beautiful!"

"With no one interfering, Çalhanoğlu's long passes are among the best in Europe!"

"Flat and fast trajectory!"

"Creating an attack directly!"

"Taking advantage of Arsenal's defense not being in position yet...Maguire!"

...

Thirty meters from Arsenal's goal.

Maguire ignored Balotelli rushing past him.

Instead, he leaped high into the air.

Bang!

That huge forehead forcibly cut off Leverkusen's attack from the back!

The football bounced to Xhaka's feet.

Old man Toppmöller and Dino on the sidelines were even more excited, waving their arms frantically, making "rowing" gestures, signaling the entire team to retreat.

...

Xhaka's vision was excellent.

He observed that during Leverkusen's retreat: the three attacking midfielders weren't maintaining their spacing; instead, they were pressing directly towards Li Kang. At the same time, Çalhanoğlu and Bender had retreated to the defensive line.

Can't pass directly to Li.

Need to transition, then gradually unleash the advantage of Arsenal's multiple attacking points, thereby assisting Li...

Amidst his thoughts.

A large, dark, mohawk-wearing figure blocked the Arsenal midfielder's view!

Smack!

The ball was stolen.

Stolen in their own half.

"Paul Merson once said: Xhaka will become Arsenal's Xavi after a few years of development..."

"Wow!"

"Balotelli successfully steals the ball!"

"He sneaked up behind Xhaka and poked the ball away, completing the steal!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Terrifying individual ability!"

"Terrifying explosiveness! Immediately sprinting after turning around!"

"Just like stealing the ball from Ramos in the European Cup final!"

...

Balotelli was expressionless.

He dribbled the ball forward at an increasing speed.

Black skin.

Perfect body lines.

Like a beast, wreaking havoc in the Gunners' half!

Maguire didn't panic; he wasn't afraid of this type of heavy forward in a frontal defense.

But Balotelli wasn't a purely heavy forward.

He was too well-rounded.

Like Pogba in a striker's form.

No.

Pogba was Balotelli in a midfielder's form.

...

In close quarters.

The sane side of Balotelli used a "bicycle kick" feint!

His feet moved quickly back and forth over the ball.

No sustained feint.

Suddenly accelerating.

He shook off Maguire!

"Wonderful!"

"Unique sense of rhythm!"

"Perfect muscle coordination!"

"Terrifying control of his center of gravity!"

"He got rid of the Arsenal center-back with just one lap!"

"Balotelli!"

"One-on-one!"

"Good opportunity!"

...

The BayArena was completely boiling!

Leverkusen fans were thrilled.

Balotelli was simply a gift from God, the successor to the North Rhine Hero!

Old man Toppmöller and Dino leaned forward excitedly, staring intently at Arsenal's penalty area.

So close.

The Factory was about to breach the invincible Gunners!

In the eyes of everyone in the stadium.

Balotelli reached the penalty area.

Suddenly.

He slowed down.

"Huh?"

"Why is he slowing down?"

"Is he going for a rabona...or a backheel..."

"Understandable, after all, he's facing a goalkeeper of Čech's caliber."

Čech was on high alert.

The two had faced each other many times.

Champions League, Premier League, World Cup qualifiers...

Every time they met, the tank-helmeted goalkeeper would experience a harrowing psychological battle with the striker.

One-on-one.

Not just a technical contest.

But also a psychological game.

...

Unfortunately.

Čech really didn't know what Balotelli was thinking.

Smack!

Balotelli suddenly turned around!

A flick of his heel.

The football skimmed along the turf...and slid out of bounds.

Čech was dumbfounded.

...

The BayArena was silent.

After two seconds of silence.

A massive chorus of boos, like an avalanche, surged down from all sides of the stands.

Completely submerging the Italian dark horse.

Balotelli remained expressionless.

"Too bad!"

"What was he doing?"

"Was he contemplating life again?"

"Oh no!"

"He wasted an excellent opportunity!"

"Incomprehensible!"

"But Balotelli created that attacking opportunity himself!"

...

In the live broadcast room.

The chat exploded.

-[How could he miss that? On purpose!]

-[Too stupid! What was Leverkusen's big, dumb striker thinking? He could have just taken a wild shot.]

-[Balotelli is contemplating life; mere mortals like us can't understand.]

-[His brain short-circuited, right? How many times has that happened? I've seen highlight reels of him doing that eight or nine times.]

-[So close, my 0-3 almost got ruined.]

...

VIP box.

Voller, who was drinking water, suddenly spat it all over Kiesling's face.

Two generations of excellent German strikers completely failed to understand Balotelli's actions.

"Sorry, wipe your face."

"If that kid Balotelli had stayed at La Masia, Cruyff's health might have been even worse!"

...

By the pitch.

Old man Toppmöller's face turned red with anger, and he angrily kicked the coach's bench.

"That damn Dr. Haken, didn't he say Balotelli's psychological state was excellent?"

"Why would he still do something like that?"

Dino quickly patted the Leverkusen coach's chest: "Boss, don't be angry, just treat what happened as a normal missed shot... Damn it! What is Balotelli doing?"

On the other side.

Wenger and Bould breathed a sigh of relief.

Balotelli was once Puma's top star.

Back then, Puma had stated: "If Arsenal sign Balotelli, we are willing to bear a portion of the transfer fee and salary, hoping that our brand ambassador can join the club sponsored by the company as soon as possible."

The Professor didn't even think about it and refused decisively.

...

Čech took the football thrown to him by a ball boy.

He turned around and saw Balotelli and Maguire "butting heads."

A black and a white, burly man were head-to-head, their mouths trading pleasantries with each other.

Before their teammates could separate them.

Balotelli pushed Maguire, who then fell to the ground.

Beep!

The referee immediately pulled out a yellow card.

"The ruling was decisive, effectively preventing further escalation of the situation."

"Judging from the replay, the two of them had a heated exchange!"

"Balotelli's actions were unnecessary."

"Maguire is fine, he'll get up after patting his butt."

...

Xhaka was about to give Balotelli a "verbal warning."

Cazorla patted him on the shoulder, pointing to the front: Pay attention to Li's next adjustment.

Leverkusen assistant coach Dino also noticed.

A familiar gesture.

It couldn't help but give him a moment of dazedness: as if he had returned to the days of fighting alongside Li.

He quickly dropped his water bottle: "Boss, Li is about to disrupt our left-wing defensive structure..."

Old man Toppmöller was stunned for a moment, and said helplessly, "If he can solve the David Luiz problem, he will always be one step ahead of us."

...

The game continued.

Čech ignored Maguire, who was standing on the diagonal.

He passed the goal kick directly to the retreating Li Kang.

Leverkusen's forwards immediately started pressing.

"The pressing is fierce!"

"But the spacing between the defenders is maintained very well."

"Does Balotelli want to try his luck again?"

"Beautiful positioning, cutting off the passing link, providing Brandt with an excellent opportunity to steal the ball...so detailed!"

Under normal circumstances, Balotelli's football IQ wasn't low.

He didn't intend to go head-to-head with Li Kang.

Instead, he used his tall and burly body to block Li Kang's path forward.

Brandt rushed in from the side.

Golden short hair, fluttering in the wind.

A chubby face, flushed with excitement.

He no longer had to adjust his skills based on his monthly development, as he did two years ago.

Compared to Havertz, the "mature" Brandt of this season was the superstar that European giants dreamed of!

...

The moment the two came close, there was no fierce physical battle.

Li Kang hooked the ball with his left foot, shaking off Balotelli.

A simple escape move.

Surprisingly, he also widened the distance between himself and Brandt.

Before the latter could even make a tackle.

Li Kang accelerated, breaking through their double-team in an instant!

"Too gentle!"

"A typical David Silva-style breakthrough."

"When faced with a small-scale localized pressing, he chose the easiest way to solve the problem!"

"He didn't pass the ball to Cazorla after breaking free!"

"He's continuing to dribble the ball forward himself!"

"The BayArena is chanting his name again!"

...

At the same time.

Arsenal's overall formation quickly moved forward.

The players, carrying an unstoppable momentum, charged madly towards Leverkusen's half.

J Rodríguez was calm.

He didn't participate in the interception; instead, he retreated to the defensive midfielder position, directing Çalhanoğlu and Bender to widen the defensive width.

As long as they maintained the defensive structure, it wouldn't be easy for Li to break through Leverkusen's goal...just like in the Champions League semi-final second leg, Li couldn't possibly do it alone...

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a dazzling display of passing!

...

The football had just crossed the center circle.

Li Kang passed the ball to Cazorla.

Arsenal ushered in a true acceleration.

Formations that came together and broke apart.

Scaling.

Thrusts.

Almost all the attacking players had to constantly adjust their positions around Li Kang's movements!

And the ball?

It was playing out a "dazzling display" on the green field.

"Passing and movement initiated from the center circle?"

"Incredible."

"I don't think Wenger ever imagined that Arsenal's signature technique would be elevated to such a terrifying attacking radius!"

"The main attacking direction is Leverkusen's left wing!"

...

J Rodríguez was dumbfounded.

His wet jersey clung to his back.

A chilling sensation.

What European team could withstand this level of independent offense? Juventus? Atletico Madrid?

If the Champions League semi-final back then...

No, Li's real purpose is to disrupt our defensive structure...

...

By the pitch.

Wenger was still sitting quietly on the coach's bench, smiling and clapping gently.

Bould couldn't help but want to celebrate early.

On the other side.

Old man Toppmöller was gesturing frantically, his expression flustered.

Dino stared intently at Arsenal number 10 on the green field.

His pen moved quickly across his notebook.

"Li alone...has elevated Arsenal's attacking system by two levels..."

"Spacing between runs, conversion of attacking points, passing routes..."

"The stability of the passing is terrifying!"

"It's like we're facing peak dream team Barcelona, but a faster version!"

...

Thirty meters from the goal.

After observing his teammates in position, David Luiz activated free mode.

That's right.

If you want to make good use of the Brazilian mop-top, either give him Thiago Silva and Cahill around him, or liberate his defensive zone!

Leverkusen chose the latter!

"Someone from the Factory must step up!"

"David...Çalhanoğlu!"

Çalhanoğlu's vision was excellent, and his ability to read the game had also made a leap forward during this period.

He ignored J Rodríguez's instructions and moved quickly laterally.

Watching as he approached Cazorla, who had just stopped the ball.

Leverkusen.

Your core, capable of both offense and defense, has returned.

Poke!

He didn't poke anything!

The Arsenal midfield maestro showed off a rabona!

The football passed through the Leverkusen core's legs.

"Wonderful!"

"Çalhanoğlu lost his balance and fell to the ground; so embarrassing!"

"Huh?"

"Why is Li Kang in the middle!"

"Morata touched the ball with one foot, passing it in time!"

"So in sync!"

....

From the God's-eye view.

Leverkusen's defensive forces were mostly concentrated on the left.

The shadow of the little lion, Julian Brandt, let out a childish roar!

The North Rhine evening breeze.

Blew the Arsenal number 10 jersey.

Li Kang ran towards the football.

Tilting his body.

Swinging his arm.

Raising his foot.

With immense power.

At this moment.

It felt as if the entire BayArena sighed softly.

Bang!

A deafening explosion that echoed through the night sky.

Took all the spectators back to the Champions League qualifier two years ago.

The place where the legend began!

...

The football was like thunder.

Howling!

Spinning!

Fierce and domineering!

Full of momentum!

Directly blasting through Leverkusen's goal!

Jonathan Tah covered his crotch with both hands.

Leno stood stunned in front of the goal.

The net behind him was twisted into an exaggerated shape by the violent spin.

0-1!!!

Time seemed to freeze for a long time.

Clap!

Clap clap clap!

A burst of warm applause gradually brought the dazed people back to consciousness...but they couldn't help but raise their hands and participate in the flood of cheers.

...

"Beautiful!"

"It's in!"

"An earth-shattering cannon shot!"

"Li Kang used his signature long shot to break through his old club's goal!"

"The deadlock on the field has been broken!"

"A pleasing display of passing and movement!"

"A sharp and domineering finish!"

"This Arsenal attacking system is approaching perfection!"

...

In the live broadcast room.

The chat was flying.

-[The place where the dream began!]

-[So cool!]

-[Feigned attack on the left, finished in the middle, unstoppable, god-like Gunner!]

-[Don't say that; it's Li Kang's ability to change the direction of the attack...too godlike.]

-[If Çalhanoğlu and David Luiz hadn't simultaneously reinforced the left wing, Arsenal might not have changed the direction of the attack; continuing to attack the left wing would also have been effective!]

-[We have to praise Morata's retreat and playmaking; a telepathic pass! Setting up Li Kang's Italian cannon.]

-[Why do I feel like Arsenal is treating this game as a tactical experiment? After all, it's been a long time since the main players played!]

-[Mertesacker: I really am the captain!]

-[Moved to tears! Li Kang didn't celebrate after breaking through his old club's goal!]

-[He doesn't really celebrate after breaking through any team's goal.]

....

By the pitch.

Wenger modestly clenched his fist in celebration.

Bould excitedly high-fived the players on the bench.

On the other side.

Old man Toppmöller had finally quieted down.

Dino stuffed his notebook back into his pocket, puzzled, "Boss, do you have sand in your eyes?"