Chapter 19

PS: Has everyone put My Chemical Romance's "Planetary (Go!)" on repeat?

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When the ball was headed out by Lugano and flew towards the center circle, Galvão Bueno was commentating on the match as usual.

"Corinthians has passed the ball directly from their backfield into São Paulo's penalty area... Lugano got to it before Guilherme and headed it out, the ball flying towards midfield! Van Petten is approaching the center circle. It looks like he will receive the ball and reorganize the attack. Poor São Paulo, they can't even get past midfield... Wait! Who is this? What's happening? Number 33—"

His voice suddenly rose an octave.

When Rongguang kicked the ball forward and sped past Van Petten, Galvão Bueno was taken aback. He stared at the scene, his mind almost blank.

Of course, as a professional commentator, even though his brain couldn't fully grasp what was happening, his mouth continued to spout words like a Gatling gun, but instead of bullets, it was saliva and passionate phrases.

"São Paulo's number 33! Van Petten didn't get the ball! Number 33 made an exaggerated move to split the ball and himself! He kicked the ball forward with a powerful kick! Despite Van Petten noticing his movement and taking countermeasures, he still looked like a wooden post in front of number 33! Number 33 sped past him from the side! It's like a car driving at top speed past a speed camera, showing off his speed and mocking Van Petten's clumsiness! But! To avoid Van Petten, number 33's kick was a bit too far. Can he catch up?!"

※※※

In front of Rongguang was a wide road.

On both sides of this road were Corinthians' defenders, converging towards the center like the guardrails on either side of the road, compressing his field of vision.

In the center of the scene was the ball in the air, descending like a beautiful sunset, radiating a warm, non-blinding light.

Run towards the sunset, young man...

At the end of this road is Corinthians' goal!

The target was clear, and Rongguang's eyes were firmly locked on it.

It was a goal, and also the gateway to a new world.

As long as he could blast the ball into the goal, everything would be different!

Behind this gate, bundles of money were flying around. His life and future, and the lives and futures of his family, would all change from this moment on!

At this moment, Rongguang completely ignored what the head coach, Oswaldo Oliveira, had said to him before he came on the field.

Pass the ball to Fabiano?

Sorry, I don't see him in front of me!

He continued to accelerate, faster and faster!

Racing towards the highway to a new world!

In front of him were the Corinthians players frantically retreating.

※※※

"God! His acceleration is so fast! He's actually racing against the ball! A human being racing against a flying ball! Is... is he a freak?!" Galvão Bueno exclaimed, not intentionally using exaggerated words to attract attention, but genuinely thinking this...

How could the Chinese kid, who was as fast as lightning and rapidly approaching the ball, not be a freak?

The São Paulo fans in the stands were all shocked.

Almost everyone had a stunned expression.

They were so scared that they forgot to cheer for São Paulo's attack.

The only thought in their minds was—

Where did this kid come from?!

Korei knew where this kid came from, but she was speechless at this moment. She stared at the figure sprinting with determination and resolve.

Beside her, her father, Chui Hao, was cheering for Rongguang.

"Go! Fellow countryman! Go!"

The São Paulo fans in their team colors were stunned, while the Corinthians fans were cheering for the São Paulo player... Something must be wrong with the world!

※※※

In front of Rongguang was a wide road.

In his heart, there was also a path.

At one end of this path was Rongguang's small village in the mountains. It was the dilapidated, leaky house; the grandparents who looked older than their age due to working in the fields regardless of the weather; the parents who left home when he was very young to work in the city for the family's livelihood; the sister who followed her parents to work and only saw them once a year; the brother who asked him the night before he left for Brazil, "Brother, what's it like to have money?"; and the gaze of longing for a better life in the city while herding sheep in the mountains...

At the other end of this path was the bright future Godo had planned for him. It was fame and fortune, making a lot of money, and a spacious, bright house with a swimming pool where he could bring his whole family. His grandparents wouldn't have to work in the fields from dawn to dusk, and his parents wouldn't have to work far from home, only seeing them once a year. His sister, who dropped out of school after two years of elementary school, could return to school, and his brother wouldn't ask what it's like to have money. He could study in peace, finish elementary school, middle school, and even go to university if he wanted. And as for himself? He wouldn't have to herd sheep in the mountains, and when he grew up, he wouldn't have to follow his parents to work, sitting by the roadside and watching the bustling city, feeling that all the beauty and prosperity had nothing to do with him...

On this path, Rongguang pushed forward, running, and running without stopping.

He closed his mouth, breathing through his nose, feeling the air being sucked into his lungs, then turbocharged and released, propelling him forward!

Racing, not just on the field, but also on the path to success and recognition in life!

He was getting closer and closer to the ball!

The ball hit the ground, bounced, and shot forward.

※※※

When Kaká saw Rongguang kick the ball past Van Petten, he suddenly stood up from his seat. The force of his movement pulled at the strained muscles in the back of his thigh, but he didn't notice, only leaning forward to watch the field.

Kaká was not the only one who suddenly stood up.

Around him, almost no São Paulo players on the bench were still sitting. Those who had mocked, ridiculed, and disdained Rongguang were all standing, staring intently at the field.

Similarly, head coach Oswaldo Oliveira stood by the sideline, the closest to the field, and he too was stunned, watching Rongguang streak through the center circle like a bolt of lightning, straight into Corinthians' backfield!

Even though he had seen Rongguang's speed before, he was still shocked to see it in an official match!

At the same time, the scene from the youth team match, where Rongguang chased down the ball after everyone else had given up, flashed through his mind!

But he quickly realized another issue—he had told Rongguang to pass the ball to Fabiano, but... where the hell was Fabiano?!

In front of Rongguang, there were only Corinthians players, not a single one in São Paulo's team colors!

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Not only on the São Paulo side, but also in front of the Corinthians bench and substitutes, the same thing was happening.

Everyone stood up, straightened their backs, and leaned forward to look at their half of the field. They were a bit farther away, so their movements were more exaggerated, and many of them rushed to the sideline to avoid being blocked from view.

They watched in horror as Rongguang easily broke through the Brazilian international Van Petten and charged towards their penalty area.

Whether São Paulo or Corinthians, they all had one thing in common: everyone's eyes were fixed on Rongguang, staring intently without blinking, afraid that a single blink would lose sight of him, because this kid was... too damn fast!

※※※

Rongguang continued to sprint, with Corinthians' defenders rushing back to the center on both sides.

Almost every one of them was closer to the ball than Rongguang.

In theory, this should have been a very safe defense. Even if Van Petten was broken through, there were still others forming multiple lines of defense, making it impossible for Rongguang to break through easily.

But for some reason, seeing Rongguang break past Van Petten and witnessing his current momentum and speed, every Corinthians defender was nervous.

They felt they might not be able to stop this São Paulo number 33, who was already fully charged!

The Corinthians fans, who had been dominant with their songs and drums, fell silent when Rongguang broke through, stunned by him! They even forgot to boo to disrupt him.

The usually noisy Morumbi Stadium suddenly fell silent at this moment, everyone just watching Rongguang, their focus fixed on him. Even those who wanted to make a sound found their mouths dry, unable to utter a single word!

Behind the Corinthians goal, there was a giant flag, forty meters long and forty meters wide, the symbol of the Corinthians hardcore fan group "Eagles of Loyalty." During the match, it attracted enough attention and close-ups from the TV cameras.

During the match, it, along with the "Eagles'" songs and drums, became a spiritual totem inspiring Corinthians to dominate São Paulo.

But now, in the face of the white lightning streaking towards them, even such a dazzling flag had to pale in comparison!

※※※

The Corinthians defenders who were in front of Rongguang had already been left behind. They tried to set up obstacles in Rongguang's path but were all outpaced by his speed!

They tried everything, including reaching out to grab him, but no one succeeded; they didn't even get a chance to grab him!

There was no technique involved, just pure speed!

Absolute, pure speed!

Rongguang used his speed to forcefully break through the hastily organized lines of defense.

Until the last one!

The last one was Corinthians' center-back César, who was now the closest to the ball. He didn't need to think; he just needed to rush forward and kick the ball, clearing it out, whether to the sideline, the endline, or the front field.

He swung his right leg, preparing to clear the ball... but at that moment, a white lightning bolt streaked past his eyes!

Then the ball right in front of him... was gone!

He didn't even react; the ball was gone!

His right foot kicked out, but it missed!

He was lifted off the ground and fell to the ground!

"He caught up!!! " Galvão Bueno shouted hoarsely. "Unbelievable! Starting from behind the center circle, he actually got to the ball before all the Corinthians players! In front of number 33's light speed, César is as slow as a snail! His clearance is like slow motion!"

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Seeing this, Kaká clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug deep into the flesh of his palms... but he didn't care!

He stared intently at Rongguang, who had pushed the ball to the edge of the penalty area.

Rongguang overtook César and continued towards the penalty area, chasing the ball again.

Corinthians' goalkeeper Dida came out of his goal to challenge Rongguang.

Challenging Rongguang in a speed contest was a terrible choice.

But he couldn't stay in the goal—God knows what kind of shooting skills number 33 has!

If he stayed in the goal and let Rongguang have a one-on-one, Rongguang could easily shoot from the penalty line, and the angle would be too wide for him to cover!

Despite seeing Rongguang's speed, he had no choice but to come out.

At this moment, Oswaldo Oliveira on the sideline was not happy. He stared blankly at the Corinthians goal.

He remembered Rongguang's poor shooting in training...

If this shot ends up as a high shot, what's the point of all the previous brilliance?

Where's Fabiano? Damn it!

Fabiano was still chasing Rongguang from behind. For Rongguang to pass the ball to him, he would need eyes in the back of his head!

The other São Paulo first-team players, who knew Rongguang was a rookie, saw him running towards the ball to face Dida one-on-one, and their initially excited minds cooled down.

They realized this might not be a great opportunity for São Paulo...

Because the Chinese kid can't shoot!

At this moment, they thought, why are you running so slowly, Fabiano?

Actually, Fabiano wasn't slow, but compared to Rongguang, he was...

They watched Rongguang nervously, not knowing what he would do next. Clearly, he would get to the ball before Dida. He needed to stay calm and clear-headed, not make a mistake under pressure.

Otherwise, such a good opportunity would be wasted!

After such an exciting long sprint, to fail at the last moment, who would be willing? They would rather this opportunity never appeared in the first place!

※※※

Assistant coach Mauro watched Rongguang's back as he chased the ball, a bad thought suddenly forming in his mind—this kid isn't going to try to shoot directly, is he?

Rico stood in front of the bench, mouth agape, staring at Rongguang. He suddenly felt a bit envious—how great it would be if he were the one chasing the ball right now!

Korei's ears suddenly went quiet; her father was also silent, just as tense as she was, watching the field without making a sound.

In the stands, Godo clenched his fists, his teeth gritted, staring at Rongguang. Shoot?

But he hasn't learned how to shoot!

The youth team players, sitting in their seats, were all stunned by Rongguang's incredible sprint. They never thought Rongguang would create such an opportunity!

Cleber was panicking: "He can't shoot! He can't shoot! He doesn't know how to shoot at all!"

Lucas Sato suddenly stood up from his seat, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting: "Rong, shoot—!"

※※※

"In! In! Number 33 is in!! He successfully entered the penalty area! Like a man finally removing the last piece of clothing from a beautiful woman in bed! The critical moment has arrived! Number 33! Will you bring us a surprise or a disappointment? Come on, let's see the answer!"

Bueno shouted excitedly.

Seeing him enter the penalty area, the São Paulo fans in the stands, who had been stunned, suddenly came to their senses—this was the best opportunity São Paulo had since the start of the match!

Can he score?

Can he equalize the score?!

They cheered loudly for Rongguang.

"Shoot, number 33!"

"Score, you must score!"

"Give Corinthians a good beating! Tell them, this is São Paulo's home ground!"

The Morumbi Stadium seemed to come back to life, bursting with a huge roar.

They had no idea that Rongguang was a rookie who had only been playing football for a little over a month, and they didn't share the concerns of the first-team players and coaches.

※※※

Rongguang watched the ball rolling in front of him, slowing down due to the friction with the grass.

What should he do next?

He remembered the scene he had imagined many times on the rooftop.

Rongguang dribbles into the penalty area!

Rongguang faces the goalkeeper!

Rongguang shoots!

Rongguang... shoots!!

While running, Rongguang stepped on the outside of the ball with his left foot, swung his right foot, and spread his arms to maintain balance. His eyes were fixed on the ball, and his neck remained steady.

Dida was almost in front of Rongguang, but Rongguang ignored him and continued with his planned shot!

Seeing this, everyone's hearts leaped to their throats!

Would Rongguang's shot hit Dida's body?!

But they didn't have time to think much more. Rongguang's right foot swung down and kicked the ball hard!

"Shoot—!!!"

Bueno shouted hoarsely, drawing out the word!

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