Unconventional Center

Chapter 18: Chu, Starting Lineup

The score was 2–2, but the momentum on both sides couldn’t have been more different. Ameyari looked as if they’d lost a close relative, while Valencia celebrated as if they’d already won the championship, with applause ringing out continuously. Mei Yun and Chu Yu, swept up by the atmosphere around them, also stood up, clapping and cheering, their eyes brimming with pride. “Hey, are you Chinese? Like Chu, from China?” The person sitting next to them, who had noticed them long ago, couldn’t help but ask. “Yes,” Chu Yu replied. “This is the players’ complimentary ticket section. Chu is the only Chinese player on the Valencia team. Did Chu give you these tickets? Do you know him?” A young Spanish girl suddenly realized something and shouted. “That’s right, you’re very smart,” Chu Yu said, winking at her. “Haha, of course! I’m not as smart as Chu, but I’m pretty sharp myself,” the young girl said proudly, lifting her chin. A middle-aged woman standing next to the girl asked curiously, “Pretty lady, are you Chu’s girlfriend? How else would he have invited you to watch the game?” Chu Yu’s eyes darted around, and she blurted out a lie: “No, he’s trying to win me over, but I haven’t said yes yet.” Mei Yun shot her mischievous daughter, Hu Nao, a reproachful glance and smacked her on the back of the head. “Oh! Why not? That’s unbelievable—Chu is so outstanding! Trust me, he’s the most exceptional man from China I’ve ever met.” Chu Yu sighed and said gloomily, “My mom would never agree to let me date a bench player.” “A bench player? No! Chu isn’t a bench player—uh, I mean, he’s definitely going to get a starting spot.” “That wretched Gresel—he ruined a beautiful relationship. Chu deserves to be a starter!” “Right! Chu deserves to be a starter!” “Chu, start!” The people sitting here were either players’ family members or die-hard fans, and their influence among the fan base was exceptionally high. What started as a small-scale grumble quickly gained traction among the others; in just two or three minutes, the entire stands were filled with a unified chorus. Chu Yu listened to the deafening chants all around her, stunned. It seemed things had gotten out of hand. “Mom, did I backfire and end up angering the head coach? Will Ayang beat me to a pulp?” She’d heard that head coaches, of all people, hated nothing more than others second-guessing their decisions, so Chu Yu was genuinely starting to panic. Given that she’d raised such mischievous children as Chu Yang and Chu Yu, how twisted could Mei Yun’s sense of humor really be? She shot a pitying glance at Chu Yu and said, “Don’t worry. Our Ayang is so sensible—at most, he’ll just beat you to a pulp.” With all the commotion, others naturally took notice. Perhaps because the chants echoed the fans’ true feelings, people in the other stands immediately joined in. Shortly after the restart, the entire stadium was practically filled with chants of “Chu, start!” Gresel, who was taking a sip of water, heard those words clearly but showed no obvious reaction. Instead, the other players on the bench all looked on with schadenfreude at Adrian, whose face had turned ashen—he was probably the Valencia player feeling the worst in the entire stadium. Chu Yang looked toward the section of the stands where the commotion was loudest. His instinct told him it was Chu Yu stirring things up, but upon reflection, he realized Chu Yu probably didn’t have that much influence. He concluded it must be his own skill that had stunned the fans, and he was instantly overcome with emotion. “The people of Valencia have good taste—that’s worth acknowledging, don’t you think, brother?” Chu Yang said smugly, glancing at Ibaka, who was guarding him. Ibaka turned his head away immediately, and when he turned back, Chu Yang was gone. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on? Is the crowd going wild? They’re chanting Chu’s name—they think he deserves a starting spot. Well, I agree.” “No, no, no,” Ugo objected, “Chu just arrived in Valencia. He hasn’t adapted to the team’s offensive system yet. He still needs some time to adjust and gel with the team. We can’t rush this process just because of his outstanding performance over the past ten or so minutes. That wouldn’t be good for either Chu or the team.” “Díaz, aren’t you a fan of Chu? That’s not the kind of attitude a fan should have.” “This is reasonable advice from a professional. Of course, my advice applies only to ordinary players—geniuses are an exception.” “Chu is a genius—no doubt about it.” The Amelia players also seemed to view Chu Yang as a prodigy, so they gave him special attention. Ibaka stayed glued to him, and the moment he touched the ball, others would rush in to help defend, making things very difficult for Chu Yang. However, while the defense on Chu Yang intensified, the pressure on the other players naturally eased. Coupled with the fact that they had already used up all their substitutions—and after a guard was sent off, they could only fill the gap with players from other positions—Ameyari was momentarily left completely unable to mount a counterattack. Valencia was on a roll, unleashing a flurry of difficult shots and skillful moves that drew cheers from the fans. Unfortunately, Amelia had already decided to defend the score at all costs; the penalty area was practically packed with players, so no matter how spectacular Valencia’s moves were, they were powerless to break through. “Those ugly men from England—they’re practically killing the game. This style of play is absolutely disgusting. Can’t they fight like men? It’s only a tie right now.” “My dear Milk, that’s not something a professional soccer commentator should say. After all, the goal of the game is to win. As long as it doesn’t violate the rules or professional ethics, every tactic has its merits.” “Well, this is the era of results-oriented soccer, and the Segunda División is a commercial league—I have no argument there. So, dear Díaz, how do you think Valencia should break out of this current slump?” “Breaking through a packed defense is a challenge every team faces. While there are a few methods, it ultimately comes down to the players’ skill and a little bit of luck—like free kicks, long-range shots, brilliant dribbling runs, or…” “Cesc! He stole the ball from Eduardo—when did he get there?” Eduardo had long since dropped back to help on defense, leaving only Nathan standing like a statue up front for Ameyari. Mo Ya could tell that Eduardo wasn’t too keen on participating in defense, and compared to the others, he tended to hold onto the ball too long and pass it slowly—so Mo Ya had been targeting him for a while. This tackle might have looked like luck, but it was actually the result of a premeditated plan. After winning the ball, Mo Ya immediately slipped a pass into the penalty area—he knew Chu Yang would definitely be there. Chu Yang had already started his run the moment Mo Ya intercepted the ball. By the time the ball reached his feet, he was at his top speed. Without pausing to adjust, he met Ibaka’s sliding tackle head-on and struck the ball hard with his right foot. No one in the stadium was sitting down anymore; players from both benches had rushed onto the field, and at the moment Chu Yang took his shot, everyone was so tense they felt like holding their breath. The ball flew past Ibaka’s feet, grazed the goalkeeper’s hand, struck the post, and then bounced into the net. 3–2. In the third minute of stoppage time, Chu Yang put the home team ahead, effectively sealing Ameyari’s fate. “Goal! It’s Chu Yang again! The incredible Chu Yang! He’s saved Valencia! The Chinese player kicked off his Segunda División career with a magnificent hat trick. I simply can’t describe his performance—he’s like a superhero in a movie, stepping up at the most critical moment and leading the team, step by step, to equalize and then take the lead. We have every reason to believe that Chu and Cesc will form Valencia’s most dazzling duo, leading the team to the pinnacle of success.”