22: Chapter 22: Watching the Premier League from the bench, the system suddenly issues a mission: Choose one of four superstar skills.

August 16th, 3:00 PM, White Hart Lane.

The sunlight poured unhindered onto this North London football cathedral, gilding the white and blue flags fluttering in the stands with a dazzling golden edge.

The air was dry and hot, with a sensory temperature nearing 26 degrees, mixed with the unique scent of freshly sun-baked grass, the sweet, cloying smell of popcorn, and the restless, hormone-charged agitation unique to a gathering of tens of thousands.

Yu Bai sat at the end of the home team bench.

He wore a clean Tottenham training kit, the zipper of his jacket pulled up to his chest. His hair was indeed a bit long, swaying gently with the hot breeze blowing through the stadium. But this could not hide the stunning, bright eyes on his overly handsome face—like two obsidians cast into charcoal fire, burning as they reflected the vast, seething green battlefield before him.

The first time.

The first time, not through a television screen or from a spectator's perspective.

The first time, sitting here. Barely ten meters from the touchline, he could clearly hear the dull thud of the ball being kicked, smell the grass clippings and sweat brought up by the running players, and feel the subconscious tensing and relaxing of everyone on the bench with every transition from offense to defense.

Mauricio Pochettino kept his promise and brought him into the match-day squad, though only as a substitute who wouldn't be playing. The reason was sound: a lack of first-team experience, a need to observe, learn, and feel the true rhythm of the Premier League up close.

The Tottenham starting lineup echoed through the stadium via the PA system: Hugo Lloris / Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies / Eric Dier, Ryan Mason / Mousa Dembélé, Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela / Harry Kane.

Substitutes: Nabil Bentaleb, Danny Rose, Michel Vorm, Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli, Tom Carroll, Harry Winks.

"Yu Bai is really in the first team! Although he didn't make the match squad, he's sitting on the bench!"

"The camera scanned over! This side profile... I'm literally drooling!"

"Sitting in the middle of a bunch of big shots, like a pretty puppy that wandered into a wolf pack!"

"Don't know, so I'm asking, is this the legendary 'nepotism experience card'? (Dog head)"

"To the one above, he scored a Hat-trick against Manchester City in the U21s, I accept this nepotism!"

Yu Bai's gaze was firmly locked on the field. Especially the figure wearing the number 2 jersey, flying up and down the right flank—Kyle Walker.

Yesterday's brutal collision on the training ground and that word "Welcome," at this moment, echoed thunderously in Yu Bai's ears again as Kyle Walker made a high-speed recovery run, cleanly blocking the Stoke City left winger's cross out over the byline.

The match was sparking with intensity from the very beginning.

Mauricio Pochettino's "Youth Storm" was blowing even more fiercely and systematically in his second season.

High Pressing was like a precision animal trap, starting to bite viciously in the opponent's half;

The formation flowed like mercury during attacks, moving quickly through the midfield, pursuing extreme vertical strikes;

And supporting all this was the seemingly inexhaustible Stamina of the eleven players on the pitch, and iron-clad tactical discipline.

"Mauricio Pochettino's tactics, FM players are ecstatic!"

"All-out crazy running style, playing with youthful invincibility!"

"Stoke City: I came to play football, not to participate in a triathlon!"

"Tottenham's playing style, the injury reporter is on standby..."

In the 31st minute, Eric Dier headed in a corner kick! 1:0!

In the 39th minute, Nacer Chadli poked it in during a scramble in the penalty area! 2:0!

In the first half, Tottenham completely dominated the match, returning to the locker room with a two-goal lead.

Yu Bai followed the team into the player tunnel and stepped into the home locker room.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the youth team; the smell of sweat was stronger, the panting was heavier, but there was more of a calm after intense focus.

Mauricio Pochettino stood in front of the tactics board, speaking quickly with forceful gestures, using English with a heavy Argentine accent to quickly review the first half, emphasizing the pressing intensity to maintain in the second half and the opponent's counter-attacking points to watch out for.

There were no excessive passionate shouts, only cool, extremely calm tactical instructions.

Yu Bai stood in the corner, holding his breath, like a dry sponge, crazily absorbing it all.

However, the situation changed in the second half.

Perhaps it was the two-goal lead that made the young Tottenham players slightly lax, or perhaps Stoke City, this "City of the Sky" with a tough style, finally adapted to the rhythm and began to exert their physical advantages.

The visiting team gradually regained midfield control, frequently using simple and direct long passes and physical confrontations to impact Tottenham's backline.

The balance of the match began to tilt.

"It's coming, it's coming! Classic Tottenham plot: don't know how to play after taking the lead!"

"Stoke City's physicality is truly robust..."

"Harry Kane is being marked out of the game, Mousa Dembélé is a bit selfish, Erik Lamela is invisible..."

"Mauricio Pochettino's expression is starting to look bad..."

In the 78th minute, a simple cross from the wing by Stoke City caused chaos in the Tottenham penalty area, and Jan Vertonghen committed a foul during a confrontation.

Penalty!

Marko Arnautović scored! 2:1!

A huge sigh and sporadic boos erupted from the stands.

Mauricio Pochettino immediately walked to the sideline, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He made consecutive substitutions: withdrawing the somewhat exhausted Harry Kane and the goal-scoring contributor Nacer Chadli, bringing on Nabil Bentaleb and... Harry Winks.

Seeing that familiar "youth academy signature" who had entered the first-team Vision earlier than himself standing on the sideline, taking off his bib, Yu Bai felt his back molars ache suddenly, and a flame mixed with unwillingness, anxiety, and a strong desire to compete burned from his stomach straight up to his throat!

"Harry Winks? He is not better than me! He just came earlier than me!"

Just as this evil fire was burning through Yu Bai's internal organs, almost about to break through the top of his head—

"Ding!"

A crisp, almost ear-piercing prompt sound, without warning, exploded in the deepest part of his mind!

[At 32 years old, your fighting spirit is like boiling magma. Detecting your most primitive and fervent desire for the Premier League stage, triggering the highest-level growth mission — "Fight, Youth!"]

[Fight, Youth!: Complete your professional debut in the top five European Leagues (Premier League / La Liga / Serie A / Bundesliga / Ligue 1)!]

[Mission Reward: (Pelé's Bicycle Kick, Cruyff's Time Deception, Carloss Shooting Power, Cristiano Ronaldo's Heading) Choose one of four superstar-level skills!]