Chapter 41: Madness at White Hart Lane

"What's with the arrogance!"

A reporter muttered at his back.

Just then, Richard Hearst, a reporter for the *North London Evening News*, shouted, "You’ve already been seen through!"

Li Mo finally turned his head and spotted the smug-looking man.

"Don't pay him any mind. Let's go," Arteta said, pulling Li Mo along. "He's a notorious Tottenham fan; he’s known for doing whatever it takes to stir things up."

On the other side, Sagna draped an arm around Li Mo’s shoulder to explain. Li Mo had certainly heard of this man, as the smear campaign against him in the papers over the last few days had been led by this die-hard Spurs reporter.

"There are actually people comparing you to Gareth Bale? You aren't even worth one of Bale's fingers!" Richard Hearst continued to shout loudly. He was certain that Li Mo, who was about to enter the tunnel, must have heard him, as Li Mo had visibly paused for a moment.

"Damn guy, he has no professional ethics at all!" Vermaelen said, fuming.

Li Mo glanced back at the smug reporter. He certainly didn't have the time to engage; he was busy warming up and preparing for the match.

Richard Hearst looked delighted. He believed his words had struck a heavy blow to Li Mo’s morale, causing him enough internal distress to affect his performance on the pitch. As he imagined himself having provided a brilliant "assist" for Tottenham, his face bunched up, and the light reflected off his polished, balding head.

A few reporters frowned, feeling a sense of shame at Hearst’s behavior, though most remained indifferent. Others, leaning toward Arsenal, looked concerned. With the team in poor form and the media environment so toxic, Wenger had explicitly stated his trust in Li Mo. Would this put too much pressure on the seventeen-year-old? Would it crush him?

During the warm-ups, Li Mo seemed distracted. He kept glancing toward the Tottenham side, which only deepened Assistant Coach Bould’s worries. In fact, Bould had felt it might be better to bench Li Mo under such scrutiny, but Wenger had overruled everyone and decided to start him. Now, under this pressure, Bould truly feared Li Mo wouldn't hold up.

Listen to the booing from the home crowd—it was all directed at Li Mo. To the Tottenham fans, Li Mo was Arsenal’s top scorer, yet he was so young. He looked... easy to bully. From the stands beside the pitch, a tide of insults washed over him.

The Arsenal players were concerned, looking toward Li Mo, only to find that his attention didn't seem to be on the stands at all. Had Li Mo not heard the jeers and insults? He certainly had, but he knew there was no point in trying to silence the Tottenham fans now—the only way to shut them up was to score.

Right now, Li Mo was preoccupied with the fact that his "Bonding System" hadn't triggered any new player skill modules in days. He needed to find a way to "grind for mobs." And who at Tottenham was more worth grinding than Gareth Bale?

That was why Li Mo kept his eyes on Tottenham’s star player, Gareth Bale, who was warming up on the other side. Just then, Bale caught the ball and unleashed a powerful, cutting-in strike that nearly tore through the net. Seeing this, Li Mo mimicked the move and fired a shot of his own.

"Gareth, look, that little guy on the other side is trying to compete with you," one of his teammates noted.

Bale had indeed noticed Li Mo. It was impossible not to. Despite Li Mo not scoring in the last three rounds, his five goals still placed him third on the scoring charts, behind only Van Persie and Suarez, and one ahead of Bale himself.

Li Mo’s shot also found the back of the net, catching Bale’s attention. He turned to his teammate, center-back Vertonghen, and said, "That guy seems to have a decent long shot, too."

"Probably a fluke," Vertonghen shrugged. He had watched game tapes of Li Mo and was certain that, based on his previous style of play, long-range shooting was definitely not Li Mo’s preferred choice.

"He’s a guerrilla player," added Dawson.

Bale didn't commit to an opinion. Over the last two seasons, Bale’s reputation had skyrocketed, especially after his performance against Maicon in the Champions League, which had cemented his status as a footballing superstar. His fame was nearly on par with the "New Pele," Neymar, who was currently playing in the Brazilian league. With his excellent performances in the Premier League, many critics argued that compared to the unproven Neymar, Bale was the next true global megastar. However, people mostly talked about Bale’s potential—until Li Mo appeared. Bale realized he was being challenged by someone younger. At seventeen, Bale hadn't been nearly as famous as Li Mo was now.

"Trying to challenge me?" Bale pulled his gaze away. "At least for this match, you won't be the winner!"

Li Mo had successfully piqued Bale’s competitive spirit.

"Damn system, why is there no reaction?" Li Mo muttered. In a normal script, shouldn't the two stars lock eyes, sparks fly, and some "Life-long Rival" bond activate? Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Back in the dressing room, Wenger emphasized the importance of the derby. The players changed into long-studded boots for the rainy conditions and headed out with high spirits. Although many players from both teams were familiar with each other—some even teammates on various national squads—everyone kept their eyes forward. In this environment, joking around would be a sign of disrespect to the fans. The players knew who signed their paychecks, and the accusation of "disrespecting the fans" was a serious one in top leagues like the Premier League.

The referee and his crew arrived in the tunnel, setting ground rules with both captains to keep emotions in check. Derbies were prone to spiraling out of control, risking a flurry of red and yellow cards.

Soon, the teams lined up and stepped onto the pitch.

*Roar!*

At White Hart Lane, the Tottenham fans welcomed their players with thunderous cheers and greeted the Arsenal players with the sharpest boos to intimidate them.

"Gareth!" the stadium DJ shouted.

"Bale!" the entire stadium roared back in unison, followed by deafening cheers. It was the loudest sound White Hart Lane had produced all night.

When it was the Arsenal players' turn, the DJ lacked any passion, reading their names in a routine, emotionless tone.

"Arsenal number 19, Li Mo."

As that name was called, the loudest booing of the night erupted. It was perhaps the most frantic moment at White Hart Lane all season.