On the training ground, a group scrimmage was underway.

Eighth minute.

Morata squandered a one-on-one opportunity and was immediately subbed off.

The head coach was relentlessly nagging him.

"If I pinch my nose, it means I'm reminding you to pay attention to getting in position for a follow-up shot!"

"Boss, what did it mean when you were frantically jabbing your left fist with your right index finger just now?"

"Like this?"

"Yeah, I really didn't understand that gesture you made during the scrimmage."

"Push forward. I mean for you to push forward, to move into the space between the two center backs. If I poke between my pinky and ring finger, it means for you to push forward from the half-space. Got it?"

"Got it?"

"This gesture I'm making now is a reminder for you to remember what I just said."

Tuchel raised his hands, shielding the back of his ears, making a bunny impression with a serious expression.

Morata nodded earnestly.

Every Klopp-esque coach has their own "alternative sign language" system.

"Alright, you go practice shooting on your own! My psychological endurance is much worse than Wenger's or Del Bosque's."

*Whistle!*

Dino blew the whistle to end the group training session.

He immediately signaled the coaching staff to start setting up obstacles: Tuchel had instructed in the morning meeting to increase the players' training time and intensity.

"Wait!"

Tuchel waved his hand, loudly stopping him: "We can't increase the players' training time and intensity at this time."

Dino: "..."

The assistant coach was starting to regret things.

This Tuchel was even worse than old man Topp when it came to remembering things.

"Boss, then we'll practice set pieces..."

"No, my teams never practice set pieces or sliding tackles!"

"The essence of defending set pieces? That's reducing fouls!"

Tuchel's eyes were filled with confidence.

Dino: "..."

Half an hour later.

The new Chelsea manager's voice startled a few magpies in the treetops.

"Beautiful! Everyone practice set pieces, focusing on Li and Willian's positions!"

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

The entire Chelsea team boarded a plane to the International Champions Cup - China region.

Li Kang's seat was next to Tuchel.

The latter pulled out a small tactical board.

"Li, make sure you take advantage of the warm-up games to integrate."

"Come on, let's hurry up, we need to take AC Milan seriously."

Li Kang listened attentively.

He felt that Tuchel seemed to be suppressing something. Every time he made a detailed adjustment with a declarative sentence, he would reluctantly add, "What do you think?"

It was a complete contrast to his assertive communication style in the emails back then.

Right.

This guy was suppressing his controlling tendencies.

"Li, what do you think?"

Li Kang smiled and nodded seriously.

Tuchel breathed a sigh of relief: "Then let's experiment with these plans first."

"Thank you!"

"F**k you!"

Azpilicueta rubbed his forehead, looking at Kanté, who was grinning foolishly. He was helpless.

"Your 'thank you' sounds like 'f**k you'!"

"How come you still haven't corrected it after a whole season?"

"Just use your native language to express thanks, don't speak English!"

At the same time.

The club's official website released a promotional video with Chinese elements.

The International Champions Cup also promptly released a poster for AC Milan vs. Chelsea: red and black versus blue.

July 25th.

Tianhe Sports Center.

A sea of people, every seat filled.

"Ctv5! Ctv5! Good evening, viewers."

"Welcome to the first round of the 2017 International Champions Cup China region!"

"AC Milan versus Chelsea!"

"A gathering of superstars, a visual feast!"

"When all the spectators receive the lineup before the match, they will definitely feel that their ticket was worth every penny!"

Pre-match press conference.

Tuchel briefly answered a few questions and added, "Chelsea's signings are not over yet, we are trying to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge."

"Midfield signings? We already have Li!"

On the other side.

Milan coach Montella, handsome and stylish, was emphasizing, "Milan is on the road to revival!"

Players' tunnel.

Most of the players on both sides were unfamiliar with each other.

AC Milan had spent heavily in this summer transfer window, bringing in several powerful players.

Bonucci excitedly hugged Morata.

The two had a good relationship when they played together at Juventus.

"I bet you won't be able to score a goal with your feet in this game."

"No, no, I'm not underestimating you."

"Our Donnarumma is a genius, he will give you a huge surprise."

Bonucci teased Morata.

Çalhanoğlu simply shook hands with Li Kang.

His attitude was indifferent.

His expression was serious.

The midfielder core, wearing the red and black number 10 jersey, sighed silently in his heart: 'Friendship fades when you become evenly matched opponents.'

Li Kang smiled, not minding.

He had been to many places these past few days.

He had eaten morning tea, strolled through the Memorial Hall, visited the TV Tower, toured the zoo, and watched the big circus.

The referee team led the players from both sides out of the tunnel.

The four stands erupted in a tsunami of cheers.

"Li Kang!!!"

"Hazard!!!"

"Terry!!!"

"Terry transferred, you fake fan!"

As Li Kang stepped onto the green field, the system prompt sounded quietly.

[Ding! Mission triggered: Red and Black Soul.]

[Mission Description: Enjoy the game, Milan is no longer the behemoth that dominated Europe!]

[Mission Reward: Milan Legend · Golden Treasure Chest.]

"Now, let's introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"AC Milan is fielding a 4-3-3 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Donnarumma!"

"Defenders: Rodriguez, Bonucci, Musacchio, Conti."

"Midfielders: Çalhanoğlu, Locatelli, Kessié."

"Forwards: Borini, Cutrone, Suso."

Livestream chat.

-

[It's been a long time since I watched Serie A, how did the Milan male model team become...]

-

[Milan's lineup has changed from a group of rich, handsome guys to little black beans a few years ago.]

-

[To be honest, Milan's lineup is not bad, the entire spine has top-notch stars.]

-

[Milan's 18-year-old Donnarumma is very strong, a real Serie A genius goalkeeper!]

"Chelsea's formation is 3-4-3!"

"Goalkeeper: Courtois."

"Defenders: Azpilicueta, Cahill, Rüdiger."

"Midfielders: Moses, Kanté, Li Kang, Marcos Alonso."

"Forwards: Hazard, Morata, Willian."

-

[Endgame lineup.]

-

[Aren't they playing with their eyes closed? This lineup has too many offensive options! There are no weaknesses on the defensive end either!]

-

[Hallucinations, in fact, this lineup is not much different from last season, except for the addition of Li Mingdeng.]

-

[Will Tuchel still use Fabregas in the new season? There are still a lot of elite soldiers and strong generals on the bench.]

-

[Chelsea is still buying people, will they break Paris Saint-Germain's "Four Hundred Million Reckless Spending"?]

*Beep!*

With the referee's whistle.

The game officially began.

(End of this chapter)