After signing with AC Milan, I will be the king of football!

Leo Franco dives to the ground, stretching out both hands for a rapid side-parry. He blocks the ball with both hands, but the descending ball strikes his gloves and bounces into the goal.

Boom—

As Huang Kaiwen holds up three fingers, the visiting supporters’ stand erupts with the Meringues going wild.

Their voices resonate in harmony with those of the Real Madrid fans who failed to get tickets and support the team from outside or at home.

”Huang Kaiwen!!!”

”Goal! Huang Kaiwen has scored a hat-trick.”

”In the 33rd minute of the match, Huang Kaiwen at the Vicente Calderon Stadium, with a free-kick from more than 37 meters out, knocks on Atletico Madrid’s door once again.”

”Although Franco guessed the right direction, and he even got both hands on the ball, he still couldn’t prevent it from going into the net. This shot was powerful and heavy, with almost no spin at all. It started to drop as it entered the penalty area; that was a textbook knuckleball!”

...

”I knew we still had to rely on Kevin. What’s wrong with Kevin-reliance syndrome?”

Embracing Galbiati, Capello shouts excitedly.

There’s nothing wrong with it, they’re just jealous of you!”

Galbiati yells, ”Today, Kevin is the god of the pitch!”

”Right!”

Capello, hugging his assistant coach, shouts, ”They are just jealous of me, today’s Kevin is too outstanding!”

At that moment,

Capello suddenly releases his arms and paces the sidelines, muttering to himself, ”Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows the Heaven, Heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows what is natural... Everything has its own rules. Adapt to the development of things, and you will receive the best results.”

Galbiati looks at Capello, completely baffled.

He doesn’t understand Chinese, but looking at Capello’s expression, he feels that it must be impressive.

Indeed, every successful head coach needs some unique skills!

In the forums, there’s collective mournful wailing.

”Damn it, I told you, Torres’s goal was just a consolation, Huang Kaiwen is still going to show off!”

”Apart from other aspects, Huang Kaiwen’s free-kick is really cool!”

”I see through it now. All this media speculation of decline, it’s all about creating an environment that makes it easier for Huang Kaiwen to show off. Do you think it’s possible that those journalists are funded by Huang Kaiwen, following his instructions to disparage him in the papers?”

”You have an interesting thought there. You might want to get that head checked when you have time.”

”Hasn’t anyone noticed Capello? He was making hand seals at the beginning of the match, and now he’s started again. Is he trying to imitate ’Naruto’ with Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet?”

”God damn Water Dragon Bullet, Capello isn’t making 44 hand seals! That’s the Nine Syllable Mantra from Taoism!”

”Right, Capello went to China before; he must have learned it then.”

”Fuck, every coach that deals with this show-off Huang Kaiwen has to be a bit mad. To stay sane, it’s best not to coach Huang Kaiwen.”

”The other day during an AC Milan match, Ancelotti was fiddling with machinery on the sidelines. A perfectly good soccer coach has turned into an inventor!”

Huang Kaiwen is surrounded by his teammates as he walks back to the midfield.

Torres can’t help but ask Huang Kaiwen, ”Why are you so fast today?”

”Want to know?”

Huang Kaiwen asks with a wink.

”Yes!”

Torres eagerly nods.

”I’m not telling you.” Huang Kaiwen says with a tilted head, ”If you want to know the secret of my success, you must become my teammate. Do you want to come to Real Madrid or AC Milan?”

Torres does not reply,

but he sighs in relief.

It seems his performance is still highly regarded by Huang Kaiwen.

Seeing Torres standing there with a silly grin, Huang Kaiwen continues to tempt him, ”If you become my teammate, you won’t have to take Sergio’s elbows anymore. If someone fouls you, there will be someone to stand up for you.”

Torres: ...

Not gonna lie, he’s a little tempted.

Every time Huang Kaiwen falls, so many Real Madrid players rush to start a fight, and Torres feels a little moved.

”The game restarts!”

Aguero reminds him.

Torres quickly shakes his head and passes the ball with a lateral kick.

Aguero passes back and Atletico Madrid slowly organizes play from the backfield.

Jurado on the left side receives the ball, fakes out Guti with his right foot, and under pressure from Salgado makes a quick lateral pass to Torres.

Finding the central path too crowded, Torres taps the ball to the left with the outside of his foot and charges diagonally toward the left flank, with Ramos trailing behind. Torres accelerates once again.

Nearing the touchline, Torres drags the ball to the base with his left foot, shaking off Ramos and immediately twists to deliver a cross with his left foot.

The cross is close to the goal, and Casillas leaps at the goalline, pushing the ball out of the penalty area with both hands.

Pepe, with the ball, looks up to observe and sees Huang Kaiwen with only Balera nearby. He winds up his right foot for a long pass.

Bam—

The ball flies toward the left flank, Pepe’s long pass stretching far, close to the Atletico Madrid penalty area.

But Huang Kaiwen suddenly darts past the unfortunate Balera.

Again leaving poor Balera behind.

Setaridis, running toward the ball’s trajectory from the left side, turns his head and gets a shock—Huang Kaiwen is closer to the drop point than he had expected!

Setaridis hastens his pace and leaps up, heading the ball to the left side.

Antonio Lopez receives the ball and goes for a long clearance.

”Wow, that speed from Huang Kaiwen!”

”Indeed, Huang Kaiwen’s speed is astonishing. Setaridis was standing near the left touchline, and Huang Kaiwen started from before the halfway line. The two almost reached the drop point together – if it had been any closer, it would have been a different story this time.”

Huang Kaiwen slowly walks back.

After consecutive sprints, he is somewhat fatigued and needs to rest and catch his breath for a moment.

In the forward line, Torres and Aguero keep coordinating. Aguero cuts in from Pepe’s side into the penalty area; Pepe hesitates because of his yellow card, giving Aguero the chance to drive the ball quickly to the right side of the six-yard box and shoot. Casillas dives and deflects the ball with his foot out for a corner.