23: Chapter 23 I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush.

Yu Bai: "...!!!"

His consciousness was instantly submerged by that azure light screen and the four golden options flickering upon it.

Breathing, stalled.

His heart felt as if it were being fiercely gripped by an invisible giant hand, and then suddenly injected with a tube of boiling adrenaline, starting to pound crazily at a near-manic frequency!

It was lit!

It was completely lit!

Damn it!!!

As long as he completed his Premier League debut—no, even if it were for any of the Big Five Leagues—he could directly obtain a superstar-level skill?!

Just looking at the names of those four options made Yu Bai feel his blood running backward and his scalp tingling. His fingertips trembled slightly from extreme excitement and desire, and he almost couldn't control himself from jumping up from the bench!

Pelé's Bicycle Kick? Did it even need explaining?! The signature move of the King of Football, one of the greatest goal-scoring methods in football history, the ultimate combination of aesthetics and practicality! Imagine it, at White Hart Lane, with his back to the goal, performing an overhead kick... the image was too beautiful to even imagine!

Cruyff's Time Deception? Just hearing the name told you this was a top-tier "rhythm" master of trickery! Stealing the defensive player's sense of time to create his own absolute domain! This was practically a divine skill tailor-made for a Dribbling master and rhythm maestro like him!

Carloss Shooting Power... Oh my god! That was Roberto Carlos! The "Brazil Cannon" who could kick a football into an S-curve trajectory that defied the laws of physics, and could blast through a defensive wall and the goalkeeper into the net! If he combined this terrifying power with his already "Star" level Beckhams Curve... My god, that image... it was simply suffocatingly violent aesthetics!

Cristiano Ronaldo's Heading? This option was so simple and brutal it was outrageous! Choosing this, his currently pitiful 28-point Heading attribute would probably instantly skyrocket to over 80! Going directly from a Heading scrub to an aerial dominator! In the Premier League, a front-court player without Heading ability was incomplete!

I want them all.jpg

"Only children make choices!"

"Well, little me isn't an adult yet, so I can't have them all!"

Deep in his mind, Yu Bai let out a silent, near-wailing roar toward that azure space.

Every skill was like a forbidden fruit emitting an alluring glow, exuding distinct but equally deadly temptation.

This multiple-choice question was too painful, yet too joyful!

...

The cruelty of reality soon poured down.

In the 83rd minute, with a concise counterattack from Stoke City, Mame Diouf used his body to shrug off Toby Alderweireld, gained a one-on-one, and calmly pushed the ball into the far corner.

2:2!

White Hart Lane fell into dead silence, immediately erupting into even greater sighs of disappointment and angry boos.

The cooked duck had flown away.

In the end, young Tottenham threw away a good game at home, shaking hands to a 2:2 draw with Stoke City.

Although the match process was open and exciting, for Mauricio Pochettino and the Tottenham fans aiming for higher rankings, losing 0:1 away at Old Trafford in the first round, and being held to a draw after leading by two goals at home in the second round—securing only 1 point from the first two games—was undoubtedly a bucket of ice water that chilled one to the bone.

When Mauricio Pochettino shook hands with the opposing manager on the sidelines, his face was ashen, and his lips were pursed into a cold, straight line. Anyone could see he was extremely dissatisfied.

After the match ended, although Yu Bai hadn't played a single minute, he still followed his dejected teammates onto the pitch, walking toward the main stand to applaud and salute the fans who had come to support them today but were returning home disappointed.

Dele Alli, who had sat on the bench for 90 minutes just like him, walked over. This midfielder, who was also young and always had a hint of cunning and ambition in his eyes, draped his arm over Yu Bai's shoulder.

"How are you feeling, Yu?"

Dele Alli asked, his tone relaxed.

Yu Bai took a deep breath of the stadium air, mixed with the scent of grass, sweat, and a faint sense of disappointment. He looked at the massive, gradually emptying stadium, and the fire in his eyes was not extinguished by the draw; instead, it burned even more fiercely due to the stimulation of the four golden options in his mind.

"It's great!"

He didn't hide it, his voice slightly hoarse from excitement, "I can't wait to step onto this pitch and really run for once!"

Dele Alli laughed and patted his back hard: "You will. I've seen your highlights. It only took you one game from U18 to U21, and only two games from U21 to here. I believe it won't be long before we can fight side by side. A Premier League debut won't be too far away for you."

Yu Bai smiled at Dele Alli without speaking.

Not too far away?

Easier said than done.

Dele Alli, the genius signed by the club from Milton Keynes for 5 million pounds, was favored by countless people and seen as the future of Tottenham's midfield. Yet even he, in a game today that desperately needed a breakthrough, hadn't been able to get even a single minute of playing time.

And him, Yu Bai? A 17-year-old rookie with a thin build, a weakness in defense, and no experience in adult teams—why should he think his Premier League debut would be "not far away"?

Mauricio Pochettino's considerations were by no means as simple as "you have good Dribbling" or "you can score goals."

What Mauricio Pochettino wanted to see was his overall performance under high-intensity confrontation, whether he could meet the basic requirements of the Premier League when defending, his tactical execution, his mental fortitude, and whether he could truly integrate into this team that never stopped running and pressing.

He could dribble past people like grass in the U18 and U21 Leagues, but in team training, could he handle a top Premier League defender like Kyle Walker?

If he couldn't even pose an effective threat to his own teammates, why should the head coach believe he could handle those more experienced, physically tougher, and fiercer opponents on the real, unpredictable Premier League stage where muscles collided?

Yu Bai understood these truths clearly.

He knew he couldn't rush. The road had to be walked step by step, physical confrontation had to be adapted to bit by bit, and trust had to be earned through training match after match.

But—

Damn it, he was anxious!

Anxious enough to claw at his heart! Anxious enough to feel like his heart was being scratched by a hundred claws!

As long as he completed that damn, unreachable, yet tempting "Premier League debut," he could immediately, right now, on the spot, obtain a superstar-level skill! He could usher in another epic upgrade!

This feeling of clearly knowing the treasure was right before his eyes, yet separated by a wall that looked transparent but was actually incredibly solid, made him feel painfully crazy and excitedly trembling!

"I know you're anxious, but don't rush.jpg"

He really wanted to... really wanted to immediately, right now, choose that multiple-choice question that made him dizzy with happiness and extreme pain!

As for what he would choose then—

He didn't know, and it didn't matter!

What mattered was—

He had to become stronger!

...

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