Chapter 32

After Rongguang scored the goal, Fabiano finally ran up and embraced him.

He knew that Rongguang wouldn't celebrate the goal.

Letting him stand there in a daze was not as good as going to celebrate with him.

After Rongguang was hugged by Fabiano, he asked, "Luiz, how should we celebrate after scoring a goal?"

Fabiano was taken aback for a moment, then patted Rongguang's head, "Do whatever you want."

After hearing this, Rongguang fell into deep thought...

***

Oswaldo Oliveira, upon seeing Rongguang score, was not as excited as he was during the previous match.

Because he was prepared for it.

After a week of training, he had watched Rongguang transform from a rookie into someone capable of handling intense training. Just as assistant coach Mauro said, "His progress is visible to the naked eye"!

So now, this goal seemed like a natural progression, a matter of course.

He just clapped, clapping for the goal and for Rongguang's efforts.

He had seen Rongguang's enthusiasm for training over the past week.

Although he said that being serious and hardworking was expected, he also knew that not many other professional players could match Rongguang's dedication...

If this young man could maintain this level of enthusiasm, it would be hard for him not to succeed!

Being a rookie is not a problem; every rookie will grow up eventually. The problem is not having the desire to fly.

Now, it seems that Rongguang is eager to soar.

Young man, having this ambition is right!

***

Jiba stared in shock at the celebrating São Paulo players, his hands still covering his head, maintaining this posture.

In a very short time, he was hit by a series of shocks.

First, Rongguang managed to score such a beautiful first goal, and then São Paulo's seemingly casual long clearance resulted in Guarani's loss...

Was it their good luck, or our bad luck?

A long clearance turned into an assist!

What the hell!

Faced with such a goal, Jiba didn't know what to say.

The Guarani substitutes felt just as devastated.

The situation was looking so promising, how could a random long clearance change everything?

This is a football match!

Why does a football match turn into a sprint?

***

Regardless of whether Guarani accepted this result, the fact was that São Paulo was leading by one goal.

For a team like São Paulo, which is capable of counter-attacking, leading means their opponents will have a tough time.

Guarani was in this situation.

If they wanted to level the score, they had to push forward aggressively. They could continue to press São Paulo in the front as they had been doing.

But São Paulo didn't care about their pressing. Once they got the ball, they would kick it forward.

This was São Paulo's counter-attack.

Since they were leading by one goal, they could afford to waste offensive opportunities.

Even if they didn't score again, they would still be leading by one goal.

Not to mention, they had a Chinese player who could run very fast, always threatening Guarani's goal.

The backfield was wide open, perfect for him to run wild.

In the following game, São Paulo took advantage of Guarani's desperation to score two more goals. The scorers were Luiz Fabiano and center-back Lugano. Fabiano's goal came from a counter-attack, while Lugano's was from a corner kick.

In the end, São Paulo won 3-0 away against Guarani.

They secured their second consecutive win.

From four consecutive losses to two consecutive wins, São Paulo experienced a roller-coaster ride.

And the hero of these two wins... was clearly Rongguang.

If his performance in the first match could be considered a fluke, due to Corinthians' lack of preparation or Rongguang's good luck, then his performance against Guarani refuted all doubts.

In terms of football experience, he was a rookie, but he was a fierce one. Any team that underestimated him would suffer the same fate as Guarani, being pecked hard by him!

Anyone who underestimates him will not have a good outcome...

In the media stands, Grayson's face was very grim.

Rongguang had slapped him in the face.

He had to find a way to respond.

Could he find a solution from this match?

He sat in his chair, lost in thought.

When Coelho left, he saw Grayson still sitting in his chair and shook his head.

Blinded by anger, he couldn't even make basic judgments?

***

After the match, Rongguang became the focus of the journalists.

In the mixed interview zone, Rongguang was surrounded by reporters, while other more famous stars passed by without being noticed.

"Two consecutive matches with goals, one goal and one assist, your career start has been very impressive. What are your thoughts?"

"From being a despised rookie to a savior who broke the deadlock twice, what drove this transformation?"

"Are you really a rookie who has only been playing football for over a month?"

"Your speed is very fast. Is it natural, or have you had specialized training?"

"What do you think about the debate over whether you are a genius?"

"Does such a high starting point in your career make you feel a lot of pressure?"

...

Various questions were thrown at Rongguang with microphones, and then everyone waited for his response.

With so many people asking questions at once, it would be a miracle if Rongguang understood them all...

Facing the expectant eyes of the reporters, Rongguang had something to say.

"I want to say... can you stop writing my name as 'Guangrong'? My name is Rongguang, not Guangrong!"

***

At the post-match press conference, Oswaldo no longer used the excuse of "young players need protection" to avoid questions about Rongguang.

Rongguang and his agent had already given interviews, so what was there to protect...

It seemed that Rongguang's agent was very eager for him to become famous...

But Oswaldo had reservations about this, not believing that early fame was good for Rongguang.

Of course, it was no longer within his control. Regardless of whether he wanted Rongguang to become famous, after substituting for Kaka and helping São Paulo win at home, Rongguang's fame was out of Oswaldo's hands. It didn't matter whether Oswaldo wanted it or not.

Grayson still couldn't accept Rongguang's consecutive goals. He didn't believe Rongguang had real talent, so he attributed it all to "luck."

So he stood up and asked Oswaldo, "Rong's goal seemed to have a lot of luck, as Lugano clearly made a long clearance, which ended up as an assist..."

When Oswaldo heard Grayson say this, he directly interrupted his question and said very bluntly, "I will tell you now, Lugano was not making a long clearance but a conscious assist. We practiced this tactic for a week, and I am very happy that Lugano and Rong could execute it in the match. But Rong's goal is absolutely not due to luck. He is the hardest-working player in training, and he scored because of his efforts. He is indeed a beginner, but he is the fastest-improving beginner I have ever seen!"

Grayson never expected Oswaldo to be so firm and protective of Rongguang...

With such a statement, what else could he say?

But his face looked even worse.

Because Oswaldo had not given him any face in front of so many people, making him feel embarrassed...

Fortunately, at this moment, another reporter stood up to defuse the situation, asking Oswaldo a question with a hidden trap: "With Kaka injured, the discovery of Rong means that São Paulo can temporarily forget about Kaka, right?"

This question was clearly meant to stir up a conflict between Rongguang and Kaka—this reporter probably didn't know the relationship between Rongguang and Kaka. If he knew that Rongguang had long considered Kaka a rival, he wouldn't have such a stupid idea...

Although Oswaldo Oliveira had not been coaching for long, he was adept at dealing with the media. Such a question couldn't trap him.

"Kaka's injury is something no one wants to see. I am very happy that Rong could help the team at this time. But as I said before, he is still a newcomer, a beginner. I don't think we should place too much hope on him, as it would put more pressure on him. I don't require Rong to achieve anything, just to perform at the level of his training."

This statement was measured and dignified.

It neither belittled Kaka nor overly praised Rongguang, and it also reduced the pressure on Rongguang.

The reporters couldn't find any fault with it.

***

From the night of the match to the next day, the media's reaction was swift. When Rongguang returned to São Paulo with the team on the bus, newspapers with his front-facing photo were already available at newsstands and bookstores.

"I think we should seriously remember this face and this name." This was the headline of the LANCE! newspaper.

"…After the match, Rong complained about the media's use of his name. We, by habit, put the given name first and the surname last. But Chinese people do it the other way around, with the surname first and the given name last. So our habitual way of addressing him is like a completely different name to him. Rong seriously corrected our mistake, which might seem like a trivial matter or a trivial request from a young man... but I don't see it that way. I believe that a name reflects our level of respect for a person. Appearance is the same... According to statistics, there are about 250,000 Chinese people in São Paulo, most of whom come from mainland China. We often see them in our daily lives, especially on Rua 25 de Marco, where we feel like we are in China. To us, Chinese people might all look the same. But now, please allow us to post his front-facing photo again. From now on, among these 250,000 Chinese, please remember this face, remember this name. He is absolutely unique! Rongguang, who is not yet 17, was still a complete novice when he joined São Paulo's youth team a little over a month ago. But now he has scored in two consecutive first-team matches, and his outstanding performance has helped São Paulo achieve two consecutive wins after four consecutive losses..."

At a regular newsstand, the owner was arranging the newly arrived newspapers, preparing to sell them.

When he saw the front-page photo of the LANCE! newspaper, he exclaimed, "Is it him?!"

Yes, it was the Asian who had stood by his newsstand for a while and then bought a copy of the LANCE! and left...

***

"Last night's match, although Rong only scored one goal, it was crucial, helping São Paulo break the deadlock. This young man, who was temporarily called up to the first team to help, has shocked the world with his outstanding performance in two matches. I think this will help him stay in the first team..."

The radio in the car was discussing Rongguang.

While driving and listening to the radio, Godo suddenly asked, "How is your signature practice going, Rong?"

"Still practicing, but I can't write it fast. What's up