If the quest difficulty were higher, such as leading Manchester United to win the Premier League and Champions League titles, it would probably reward a platinum or even legendary-level chest.
But for him, the modules from a golden chest already required a lot of time to practice.
Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Master the existing modules first, then look for opportunities to obtain higher-level rewards.
Ling dismissed his overly ambitious thoughts, calmed himself down, and then opened the chest.
[Module drawing in progress...]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Henry's "Ball Protection" module!]
[Note: This module is experience-based and requires the host to study and practice through training...]
Henry?
Ball Protection?
What's the first impression when these two words are combined?
My ball protection is like Henry's.
Ling had certainly heard that phrase before, and as a winger himself, he had once analyzed Henry's ball protection skills.
It's just that this seemingly simple, practical basic technique has different styles in everyone's feet.
Ronaldinho is agile, Zidane is elegant, Henry is steady...
If Henry's "Ball Protection" module is experience-based,
Similarly, Matthews' "Shoulder Drop Dribble" module should be skill-enhancement type.
Do they correspond to mind and body respectively?
Before he could figure out the answer, the golden chest in mid-air suddenly shattered, turning into countless shimmering starlight that rushed eagerly into his brain.
Ling's head tilted, and he started snoring.
....
When he woke up, he found that dawn was breaking.
He quickly washed up, got dressed, and headed to the gym.
He couldn't be late.
Otherwise, if he got thrown in the trash, there'd be nowhere to complain.
On the way, Ling realized there was something new in his mind—it seemed to be the key points of Henry-style ball protection.
But it was only superficial theoretical knowledge.
To use it proficiently, he would need a lot of training to develop muscle memory and gain his own unique insights.
It seems another training subject needs to be added.
Ling subconsciously opened the system panel to check his recent progress, when he suddenly noticed an additional taskbar had appeared.
[Personal and Team Mission Panels Activated!]
[Personal Mission One: Score Five Goals!]
[Personal Mission Two: Provide Five Assists!]
[Mission Reward: Golden Treasure Chest ×2!]
[Team Mission One: Help Manchester United Win the Premier League!]
[Team Mission Two: Help Manchester United Win the Champions League!]
[...]
[Mission Reward: Player contribution will be evaluated to determine reward tier!]
Ling calmly browsed through the details and noticed there were only two personal missions for now, both rewarding Golden Treasure Chests.
However, there were dozens of team missions, covering all major and minor competitions like the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Community Shield, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and International Champions Cup.
Moreover, mission rewards would be graded based on his performance, fundamentally preventing him from coasting to a trophy.
The system truly left no loopholes.
But why was there such a huge disparity between the number of personal and team missions?
Were personal missions phased?
Would advanced missions like Premier League Golden Boot, European Golden Boy, FIFA Best Men's Player, and Ballon d'Or appear later after he completed the initial tasks?
Ling didn't overthink it.
He believed things would become clear in due time—cross the bridge when you come to it.
He glanced at his phone, thinking there was still time, and decided to pick up some seaweed jelly from the security guard.
He might as well bring some for Ibrahimovic too.
After all, the man had sacrificed his own time to train him, and Ling felt somewhat indebted.
But since he hadn't received his salary yet, he couldn't afford to buy gifts.
Truly, a hero is helpless without a penny.
...
7:50 AM.
As soon as Ling entered the gym, he spotted a familiar figure and greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, Zlatan."
Ibrahimovic curiously glanced at the box Jeremy Ling was carrying.
"Morning. Hurry up and change."
Training began promptly, with both assuming identical stances.
Ibrahimović occasionally glanced over, correcting Ling's form.
He had been practicing taekwondo since he was five and still maintained frequent training.
Back when he played for Malmö FF in Sweden, he earned his black belt and had no trouble teaching beginners.
Ling trained with intense focus, driven by strong motivation.
If he could someday execute spectacular moves in matches—scorpion kicks, bicycle kicks, mid-air volleys—it would be absolutely exhilarating.
And if a conflict ever arose, he wouldn't hesitate to transform into a "green pitch butcher" and teach the opposition a lesson.
After training concluded, Ibrahimovic patted Ling's shoulder approvingly and offered a few words of praise.
Wherever he went, he held himself to rigorous standards.
Now, he saw the same qualities in Ling.
They were like silent gladiators—not ones for grand speeches, just relentless fighters.
Before parting, Ibrahimovic readily accepted the seaweed jelly Ling handed him.
Real men don't dawdle.
Ling took a quick shower and then rushed straight to the head coach's office.
Even though it was a day off, Mourinho often worked overtime on tactics, so it was the perfect time to submit his match analysis assignment.
"Not bad. Your weak foot definitely needs work. I'll adjust your training plan when I have time."
After hearing Ling's report, Mourinho nodded, then suddenly noticed something and asked.
"What's that you brought in? For me? Just leave it here."
Ling immediately felt embarrassed and forced out a few dry laughs.
"Alright, I was just joking with you."
Mourinho waved his hand and then continued seriously, "If I haven't been playing you recently, it's all tactical adjustments. Don't take it too personally."
Based on his previous temperament, he would never explain things to players - they could either understand or keep their frustrations to themselves.
But as he grew older and went through several painful experiences, he began trying to change how he interacted with players.
"Coach, don't worry, I'm very patient."
"And I believe my time will come soon."
Ling stood straight by the window, with the scorching sunlight pouring down from the sky, casting a brilliant glow on the young man.
Mourinho slightly narrowed his eyes, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing more pronounced.
This kid's way of speaking was becoming more and more like Zlatan's - he wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
But he liked it.
...
After leaving some cold jelly noodles, Ling headed back to Barlow RC High School.
Finally having a day off, he still had to make up for missed classes.
He also needed to find time to get his driver's license.
After Manchester United's partnership with Chevrolet this season, every first-team player would be provided with a Camaro.
However, when Sir Alex was still in charge, he prohibited players under 23 from having such high-performance sports cars, worried about dangerous driving.
Fortunately, Mourinho didn't pay much attention to such matters.