After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

That night after the lecture, Lin Jianwei returned to her small apartment in South Kensington.

The lights of London flowed gently outside the window.

But she was unusually restless.

The algorithm textbooks and unfinished code spread out on her desk seemed to have lost their appeal, and the scenes from the lecture hall that afternoon kept replaying in her mind.

Yan Yuan's image lingered in my mind.

It wasn't the figure running on the green field.

Rather, it was that young man in the academic halls, speaking eloquently and asking precise questions, his eyes focused and bright.

Yan Yuan's professional competence and deep thinking ability, which exceeded her expectations, were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in her heart that lingered for a long time.

For the first time, she felt quite curious about this junior.

This curiosity had nothing to do with Yan Yuan's fame, profession, or wealth.

Rather, it stemmed from a desire to explore "how exactly he did all this".

A person who can move effortlessly between professional football and Imperial College's computer science program.

Not only did they do two things at the same time, but they did both very well.

What exactly was Yan Yuan's growth trajectory?

Lin Jianwei really wanted to explore this question.

Driven by pure curiosity, Lin Jianwei opened her laptop.

Her search methods are characterized by the rigor of academic research.

She first checked Yan Yuan's student status in Imperial College's public database, and then opened several relatively authoritative sports news websites and Wikipedia pages.

She closed the lecture transcript, hesitated for a moment, and then typed "Yan Yuan footballer" into the browser search bar.

The search engine instantly displayed a massive amount of information.

Lin Jianwei opened the Wikipedia entry and browsed the reports from several authoritative sports media outlets.

Like a meticulous scholar, she began to sort through the "data" about Yan Yuan.

The first thing that catches the eye is Yan Yuan's handsome, slightly boyish face, and photos of him wearing different jerseys.

Paris Saint-Germain's blue, white, and red jerseys; Hoffenheim's blue and white jerseys; the England national team's white shirts; and Arsenal's red and white kits.

The text begins by mentioning that Yan Yuan was released by Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.

"He was terminated? He was only 17 years old at the time..." Lin Jianwei frowned slightly upon seeing this.

In China, 17 years old is the age when people are busy preparing for the college entrance examination and looking forward to the future.

For a young man with a dream of playing football, what kind of blow would it be to be eliminated by a club?

She felt a little sympathy for him.

Although Lin Jianwei doesn't understand football, he understands the feeling of having his dreams thwarted.

Continuing on, the most eye-catching entry is "2018 England National Team," which includes detailed career information for each player.

Yan Yuan's name was prominently listed, and his position was right winger.

She opened Yan Yuan's profile page, her gaze sweeping over the contents:

• Nationality: England

• Youth Training: Birmingham Youth Academy (2012-2015)

Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy (2015-2017)

• Career:

2017-2018: Hoffenheim (Bundesliga)

2018 to present: Arsenal (Premier League)

• National Team: England (starting from 2018 World Cup)

• Team honors and individual honors:

2017-18 Bundesliga Champions (Hoffenheim)

2017-18 German Cup Champions (Hoffenheim)

2017-18 UEFA Champions League semi-finalists (Hoffenheim)

2017-18 Bundesliga Golden Boot

2017-18 UEFA Champions League Golden Boot

2018 World Cup Golden Boot

2018 World Cup Best Young Player

……

"The Bundesliga?" Lin Jianwei was somewhat unfamiliar with the name of this league.

She casually searched for "2017-18 Bundesliga season".

The search results gave her a slight pause.

The headlines everywhere pointed to the same theme: "Hoffenheim's miracle!", "Hoffenheim overthrows the Bayern dynasty!", "A new Bundesliga king is born!"

Lin Jianwei's gaze lingered on "Hoffenheim defeats Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga title" for a long time.

She wasn't a football fan and wasn't familiar with the name "Bayern Munich" itself; she only knew that there was a city in Germany called Munich.

Out of a habit of being meticulous, Lin Jianwei casually searched for "FC Bayern Munich".

The search results made her gasp in shock.

Bayern Munich – the most successful Bundesliga team in history, a top team in European football, and a perennial contender for the Bundesliga title!

In May 2018, a small team called Hoffenheim, and a 17-year-old boy who had just been eliminated from the youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain, actually led the team to defeat such a behemoth and win the league championship in his first season.

The difficulty and value of this far exceeded her previous expectations!

The entry also includes a photo: a young Yan Yuan standing on the podium, holding a gleaming silver platter, smiling brightly, his eyes filled with the triumphant spirit of a young man who has achieved great success.

Looking at this photo, Lin Jianwei gained a concrete understanding of the field of football for the first time.

It turns out that competition in the world of football is so fierce, and victory is so precious.

She then realized how amazing the comeback and how valuable Yan Yuan's Bundesliga title was.

If we take an example from an area that Lin Jianwei understands, we can understand his Bundesliga title.

That would be like a startup team in the academic field challenging and succeeding against top labs at MIT or Stanford.

Lin Jianwei's understanding of Yan Yuan gained another layer of weight.

Continuing her search, she came across a report about "Hoffenheim's Champions League semi-final second leg".

The accompanying photo in the news article was a shocking image:

On the field, Yan Yuan's brow bone was covered in blood, staining half of his cheek red, but his eyes remained resolute and unyielding as the team doctor treated his wound.

The report described the brutal match: Hoffenheim challenged Real Madrid at the Bernabéu Stadium. Yan Yuan suffered a broken eyebrow bone after being elbowed by Ramos, requiring multiple stitches. He was later injured by Casemiro's tackle, but continued to play. In the end, the team narrowly lost and was eliminated.

Lin Jianwei looked at the photo, her brows furrowing involuntarily.

She wasn't a football fan, so she couldn't fully grasp the intensity and heartbreak of the game.

But the blood on that young face and the resolute look in his eyes did indeed make her feel a kind of willpower.

This overlaps with the image of Yan Yuan as the calm and collected student he saw that afternoon.

This creates a more complex picture.

"Three Golden Boot titles..."

She continued her search…

World Cup Golden Boot, Champions League Golden Boot, Bundesliga Golden Boot...

These honors, representing top strikers, gave her a more direct understanding of Yan Yuan's dominance in the field of football.

Next, I found "English supercars".

The nickname reminded her of Professor Liskov's words during the afternoon lecture: "I've watched your matches."

She casually clicked on Yan Yuan's latest highlight video.

In the video, Yan Yuan speeds down the right flank, repeatedly outpacing opposing defenders with his speed, either cutting inside for powerful shots or making elegant dribbles, his movements fluid and full of power.

The sense of speed and impact can be felt even through the screen.

This contrasts sharply with his composed and focused demeanor during lectures, yet they are strangely unified in the same person.

Finally, her gaze settled on the term "2018 Summer Transfer Window Top Seller".

As a graduate student specializing in financial computer science, Lin Jianwei has an exceptional sensitivity to numbers.

She clicked on the detailed records of the transfer market:

[Yan Yuan, the most expensive signing in the 2018 summer transfer window]

• Transfer fee: £1.58 million

• Transfer parties: Hoffenheim, Arsenal

• Note: This transfer fee is a record high for Arsenal and the highest transfer fee in the world during the 2018 summer transfer window.

£1.58 million!

This number made Lin Jianwei gasp.

She was well aware of the significance of this number in the financial market.

That's almost the price a top tech company would pay to acquire a mid-sized startup!

Arsenal paid such an exorbitant price to acquire Yan Yuan, who was only 18 years old at the time!

This transfer fee reflects the club's ultimate recognition of his talent and future value.

After learning about Yan Yuan's latest experience, Lin Jianwei closed the webpage, leaned back in her chair, and remained silent for a long time.

The light from the screen shone on her cool, aloof face.

His eyes, however, were no longer as calm and unwavering as usual.

Yan Yuan's image was already very three-dimensional and clear in her mind:

The boys who were eliminated from the youth training camp

[The key figure behind the small team's miracle]

A fighter who wouldn't back down even when blood was spilled on the field.

[The record-breaking £1.58 million transfer fee in football history]

[England's Supercars That Capture the City]

……

At the same time, Yan Yuan was also a serious student in the Computer Science Department of Imperial College London who raised profound questions during lectures.

Although Lin Jianwei still knows very little about football, he may still have a vague understanding of the offside rule.

But at this moment she clearly understood that the height Yan Yuan stood at, the achievements he made, and the efforts and pressure he endured far exceeded her imagination.

This time, driven by curiosity...

Lin Jianwei's impression of Yan Yuan has evolved from an initial vagueness and preconceived notions, to surprise and recognition after the lecture, and now to a clearer understanding imbued with respect and curiosity.

After learning about the path Yan Yuan had taken.

Lin Jianwei gradually began to understand why Professor Chris admired him so much, and why he was able to shine brightly in two completely different fields.

……

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was quite different at the Kearney training ground in north London.

The air here is thick with tension and focus, as if a great battle is about to begin.

The 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League group stage is about to begin.

Arsenal's first opponent is a powerhouse from Italy.

Juventus!

Arsenal will play the first leg at home!

The players were sweating profusely during today's training session.

The intensity of the group competition was higher than usual, with the sounds of bodies colliding echoing everywhere.

Professor Wenger stood on the sidelines, his expression serious, his sharp eyes scanning every detail.

After the on-field training session ended.

In the tactical analysis room, a huge projection screen repeatedly played clips of Juventus' recent matches.

Professor Wenger began his explanation.

"Lads, Juventus, the Serie A champions, their defense is as solid as the rocks of the Alps. Their midfield control is extremely strong, with Pjanic orchestrating the play, and Matuidi and Emre Can covering the gaps..."

We must take control of the midfield battle and prevent them from comfortably passing and organizing their attacks.

Switching the screen to the offensive end:

"Their core threat, without a doubt, is Cristiano Ronaldo. His off-the-ball movement, his ability to get into position, his shooting accuracy... are all world-class."

We must remain vigilant at all times, especially in the area between the two full-backs and the center-backs, which is his favorite zone to penetrate. Cancelo, Monreal, Pepe, you all need to pay special attention to coordinating your coverage and compressing his space.

Especially Cancelo and Pepe, I believe you should know your national team captains very well.

Cancelo and Pepe nodded.

The professor continued his explanation.

"In attack, we need to utilize our speed and impact. Juventus' defense is experienced, but relatively slow to turn."

Yan, Saka, Aubameyang, your off-the-ball movement and acceleration are key! We need to play fast, behind the defense, and make decisive passes from midfield. Rodri, Ramsey, Maddison, your ball movement needs to be precise…”

Wenger finished his explanation and suddenly looked at Yan Yuan.

"Strict," Wenger pointed to the simulated Juventus defensive positioning on the screen, "If we counter-attack and the ball quickly advances to the right flank, you receive the ball facing Chiellini's defense, while Bonucci moves towards you to provide cover, Saka makes a high-speed run down the left flank, and Pierre is also making a run into the box in the middle, how would you handle that?"

This is not the first time Wenger has given Yan Yuan the opportunity to give a presentation. Compared to Nagelsmann, Wenger has given Yan Yuan even more opportunities to showcase his abilities.

All of his teammates' eyes were focused on Yan Yuan.

Yan Yuan showed no stage fright. He walked to the tactics board, picked up the electronic pen, and focused his gaze.

"In this situation, Chiellini will definitely block my inside cut, forcing me to the byline, while waiting for Bonucci to come and close the gap," he said, drawing the running line on the screen.

"My first choice is to feint an inside cut." He drew a fake movement of dribbling towards the middle.

"Attract Chiellini's weight while observing Bonucci's position. If Bonucci is drawn in by my feint, or distracted by Pierre's run down the middle, and our defensive support is a beat too slow..." Yan Yuan's pen suddenly shifted to the flanks.

"I'll immediately accelerate down the flank and use my speed to overpower Chiellini."

"If Bonucci's defensive cover is timely enough, he can create a pincer attack with Chiellini..."

Yan Yuan quickly tapped the screen with his pen.

"At this point, Saka's left flank run is crucial. I would use the outside of my foot to chip a ball over the top, targeting the space behind the two players, and directly find Saka. With Saka's speed and positioning, as long as the pass is in place, it will be an excellent opportunity."

"If the opponent's defense is very tight, with no obvious gaps..." Yan Yuan's pen tip returned to his ribs.

"I would pass it back to Ramsey or Odegaard, who can then organize a second attack from the edge of the box or try a long-range shot! Both of them are capable of that."

Yan Yuan spoke clearly and logically, with a well-defined line of thought.

Every choice he makes is based on anticipating the opponent's defensive habits and observing his teammates' positions, demonstrating extremely high basketball IQ and battlefield reading ability.

Wenger nodded in satisfaction, his eyes full of approval:

"Excellent! This is the mindset of a top-tier striker! Always have a Plan B, even a Plan C! Observe! Anticipate! Execute!"

After the explanation, Yan Yuan generously shared his experience with his teammates on the training field.

In the subsequent group training sessions, Yan Yuan's role subtly changed.

He is not only a sharp weapon in the attack, but also often takes the initiative to pull aside his midfield and forward teammates such as Saka and Odegaard during training breaks to share his game reading and on-field insights.

"Bukayo," Yan Yuan called out to Saka after a practice run down the flank, "your cut inside just now was great, but look, if I run like this on the right wing," he mimicked a diagonal run off the ball, "and at the same time Odegaard drops back in the middle to receive the pass, it will draw the opposing center-back out of position. Wouldn't that give you more space to cut inside? And more passing options?"

Saka's eyes lit up: "Oh! Right! This creates more layers in the defensive line!"

"Martin," Yan Yuan turned to the Norwegian attacking midfielder again.

"When you receive the ball in the middle, the opposing defensive midfielder will definitely mark you closely. Don't be afraid of physical contact, protect the ball, but at the same time, your eyes should scan both sides like a radar."

"The moment Bukayo and I get going is often when you hold off the opposing defensive midfielder and draw cover! I believe that at that moment, you'll have more passing options, and your performance will be even better."

Odegaard nodded seriously: "Great suggestion, Yan. I will pay closer attention to your positioning and timing."

Yan Yuan's sharing was not preaching, but rather based on practical experience and full of detailed insights.

He has high basketball IQ and a broad perspective, so he can always pinpoint the key points.

Rodri and Ramsey, as experienced midfielders, highly appreciate Yan Yuan's tactical understanding and often incorporate Yan Yuan's discussions into training to optimize the details of their teamwork.

"Yan's point about counter-attacks is spot on," Rodri told Wenger after a tactical drill. "The gap between Juventus' midfield and defense is indeed a weakness we can exploit."

On the training field, the players ran, competed, and passed and cut, their jerseys soaked with sweat.

Every successful tackle, every precise through pass, every well-coordinated run and movement is building momentum for the upcoming Champions League battle.

Arsenal's preparations are proceeding in an orderly and meticulous manner, thanks to the strategic planning of Professor Wenger and the active participation of key players such as Yan Yuan.