When Lu Chuan returned to the Evergrande Football School with that heavy contract, he was met with unprecedented "enthusiasm."
Instructor Wang was waiting for him from afar downstairs in the dormitory building, and as soon as he saw Lu Chuan, his face immediately broke into a wide smile, and he quickly walked over to greet him.
He extended his hand a long way, gripping Lu Chuan's hand tightly, his face full of warmth.
"Xiao Lu, you're back? How was it, everything went smoothly?" His tone was completely different from the calm, businesslike manner of a few days ago, even carrying a hint of ingratiation.
"It went very smoothly, Instructor Wang." Lu Chuan felt somewhat conflicted; this 180-degree change made him feel a bit awkward.
He knew this wasn't because he had suddenly become outstanding, but because of the 200,000 Euro youth training compensation fee.
This money was also an income for the Evergrande Football School, and his entry into a European League would also serve as good publicity for future recruitment.
"Smoothly is good, smoothly is very good!" Instructor Wang rubbed his hands, his eyes squinting into a slit from smiling.
"I knew you were a promising child! All those things I said before were just to motivate you. See, didn't it produce results? The ones cultivated by our Football School are just different!"
Lu Chuan just nodded calmly, not saying much.
He understood how much of these words were sincere and how much were just formalities.
"It's good that you understand. You must perform well out there, don't forget that you were cultivated by our Football School." Instructor Wang patted his shoulder, his tone carrying a genuine expectation, as if he truly hoped Lu Chuan could make a name for himself.
The Football School even held a small farewell ceremony for Lu Chuan.
Chen Guokang, Cai Mingmin, and several other familiar teammates gathered around him, their eyes filled with both envy and poorly concealed doubt.
"Lu Chuan, how did you suddenly… connect with Leganés?"
"Good luck, they just happened to be short on players." Lu Chuan explained vaguely, secretly grateful for the system's help.
Although his teammates were skeptical, they still offered their blessings; after all, staying in Europe was an unattainable dream for them.
After bidding farewell to the Football School, Lu Chuan, with his simple luggage, officially reported to the Leganés B Team.
Head coach Chema Rico personally showed him around and then took him to the locker room to introduce him to his teammates. "This is our new member, Lu Chuan. He's from China."
The players all looked at him, mostly with curiosity and scrutiny.
Captain Javi Hernández, a tall Spanish defender, walked over and friendly patted his shoulder: "Welcome, mate." Midfield maestro Luis Pereya, and defensive leader Jorge Sáenz also nodded to him in greeting.
But Lu Chuan could feel that not everyone was so friendly. A few substitute players sitting in the corner had obvious wariness and hostility in their eyes, especially a substitute striker named Joaquín, whose gaze was undisguisedly fixed on him.
He knew that he, as a "paratrooper," had taken their spots.
In the player dormitory arranged by the club, Lu Chuan met his new roommate, a 19-year-old Spanish defender named Miguel.
Miguel was a typical Spanish lad, cheerful and chatty from the moment they met.
Although Lu Chuan's Spanish was fluent, he still struggled a bit with Miguel's rapid-fire speech and strong accent.
"Mate, you look really strong!" Miguel gestured at his own muscles, trying to communicate with simple words and exaggerated body language.
"Not bad." Lu Chuan smiled and began to make his bed.
Seeing him a bit at a loss, Miguel proactively helped him take clothes out of his suitcase and enthusiastically pointed to the wardrobe.
Although there was a need for adjustment in language and culture, Miguel's friendliness brought a touch of warmth to Lu Chuan.
The official training the next day made Lu Chuan truly feel the cruelty of professional football.
The intensity and precision of the B Team's training were much higher than he had imagined.
The coach demanded that the force, angle, and timing of every pass be perfectly accurate.
Although the system had enhanced his body, making him adept at dribbling and ball control, he still appeared somewhat unfamiliar in complex tactical runs and fast offensive-defensive transitions, occasionally running out of position or making a pass half a beat too late.
"Lu Chuan, your ball control is good, but your passing rhythm needs adjustment!" Chema Rico's voice rang out from the sidelines, "European football emphasizes passing timing more, not just technique!"
Lu Chuan nodded, trying to adjust his rhythm.
He knew his 72 passing attribute still had room for improvement, and his tactical awareness and game rhythm indeed needed adaptation.
During a scrimmage, a substitute striker named Joaquín deliberately turned sideways while challenging for the ball, his elbow harshly hitting Lu Chuan's chest.
Lu Chuan, relying on his enhanced balance and physical qualities, steadied himself and didn't fall. He just gave the other party a cold glance, not reacting.
He knew this was a newcomer's "welcome ceremony," and he chose to endure it, refocusing his attention on training.
Chema Rico seemed to have noticed something. He called Lu Chuan aside and had him try playing different positions—striker, winger, and even attacking midfielder.
Lu Chuan's versatility impressed the coach. He found that this Chinese lad was not only fast and had a good long shot, but could also adapt to multiple positions, which undoubtedly increased his value to the team, but also made other players feel a greater threat.
In the evening, Lu Chuan lay on his dormitory bed, his mind sinking into his thoughts, entering the system's [training space].
The five-fold time acceleration allowed him to repeatedly simulate the day's training content, practice coordination with new teammates in a virtual environment, familiarize himself with the B Team's tactical system, and compensate for his shortcomings in tactical understanding.
He repeatedly rehearsed passing and running routes, simulating various offensive and defensive situations, with every mistake immediately corrected.
This rapid progress filled him with confidence for the challenges ahead.
The system prompted him that he had gained new legendary points, and he unhesitatingly chose to strengthen the basic skills of [Tactical Understanding] and [Teamwork] to prepare for the upcoming matches.
This week, Lu Chuan diligently worked to adapt to life in Spain.
From dormitory diet to daily routine, from everyday language communication to cultural integration, his roommate Miguel became his best helper.
Miguel would patiently correct his Spanish pronunciation and take him to taste local snacks, and their relationship gradually evolved from unfamiliar to close.
After a week of training, Chema Rico found Lu Chuan alone in the locker room.
"Your adaptability is very strong, faster than I expected." The coach's tone was affirming, his eyes full of approval, "Keep this up, and I'll include you in the squad for next week's friendly match."
Lu Chuan's heart suddenly leaped, so excited he could barely speak.
This was his first official match opportunity in his professional career. He nodded vigorously and solemnly said: "Thank you, Coach!"
However, the team atmosphere did not become entirely harmonious because of this.
Joaquín was severely criticized by Chema Rico in front of everyone for several consecutive poor training performances.
He vented his anger on Lu Chuan, muttering curses in Spanish in the locker room when no one was paying attention.
"Shut up, Joaquín!" Captain Javi Hernández frowned, his voice low but with a warning tone,
"If you're so capable, win it back on the field, instead of complaining here like a bitter woman."
Lu Chuan didn't choose to remain silent. He walked up to Joaquín and, in fluent Spanish, said word for word:
"If you think I don't deserve to be here, then defeat me fairly and squarely in training and matches. Talking behind my back is useless."
His directness and assertiveness instantly silenced the locker room.
Joaquín was stunned, not expecting this Chinese person's Spanish to be so good, and him to be so unyielding.
Even Alex cast an approving glance.
On Friday, an unexpected figure appeared on the training ground sidelines—the head coach of the Leganés first team.
His gaze frequently fell on the B Team's training ground, especially lingering for a few extra seconds when Lu Chuan had the ball, as if carefully observing something.
The B Team players immediately became energized, performing with extra effort.
Lu Chuan also felt unprecedented pressure and anticipation.
After training, Chema Rico gathered the players and announced the 18-man squad for Saturday's friendly match. Lu Chuan's name was prominently on the list.
At this moment, Lu Chuan's palms were sweating with excitement. This was his first official match opportunity in his professional career, and in addition to the excitement, he also felt immense pressure.
He recalled his experiences this past week. He had originally planned to join Espanyol and compete for Wu Lei's spot.
However, by some twist of fate, he ended up following the path of his classmate "Zhang OK," who eventually returned to China for development.
What was better for him than Zhang OK was that Zhang OK had joined Leganés as a youth team player back then, while he directly joined the B Team.
Although it was a fourth-tier League, if he performed well, he could potentially be promoted to the first team and play in La Liga.