64

The referee blew his whistle, signaling toward the center circle—goal confirmed!

61st minute, the score changed—Pirates 2:1 Stags!

Within five minutes of making substitutions, the Stags had pulled one back in the most unexpected and devastating way!

"STAGS—"

The drummer on the bench pounded his snare drum like a madman, screaming, "Unstoppable! Unbreakable!"

This time, his voice and drumming echoed through every corner of the Pirates' stadium!

The Stags' bench exploded with joy!

Coach Carter leapt from his rickety chair, sprinting to the sideline with his fists raised high, roaring—

"You little bastards! Hahaha! That's it! Keep playing like this! Just like this!"

On the field, the Stags mobbed Pretty Boy and Shuimen, celebrating wildly.

That goal had come at the perfect time!

For most of the match, the Stags had been dominated, suffocated, and humiliated.

All their pent-up anger and frustration—released in one single moment!

But the most brilliant part of this goal wasn't even the finish. That was just the natural conclusion of a perfectly executed attack.

As Carter always said: "Three-on-two in the six-yard box? As long as the ball is there, hell, even if you dig my grandma up and put her in front of goal, she'd score!"

The true masterpiece was everything that led up to it.

A left-back cutting inside was rare.

But a left-back with blistering pace, the physical strength to body Albert, the ball control to pull off a clean drag-back turn, and the vision to deliver a 40-meter pinpoint cross?

Unheard of.

The Chinese kid, who was only a substitute, had completely changed the game.

In the first half, the Stags had been lifeless—a weak, wounded animal, waiting to be slaughtered.

But now?

They were a cybernetic war machine with a brand-new high-powered engine.

And that engine wore the number 3 jersey—Gu Ran.

Gu Ran had single-handedly revived the Stags.

And Carter's decision to hold him back as a secret weapon?

A stroke of genius.

Even Carter hadn't expected Gu Ran to make an impact this fast—just five minutes after coming on!

What a magnificent surprise!

Standing on the pitch, watching his teammates celebrate like mad, Gu Ran's body trembled.

His adrenaline and dopamine surged, rushing through his veins, hammering against his heart.

This feeling…

Only those who truly loved the game could understand it.

It was intoxicating. It was everything.

Damn, this was amazing.

But—

Gu Ran glanced around at his surroundings.

Within five meters, he could see three white bubbles—dropped by the Pirates' defenders he had left in the dust.

But Albert had retreated into the penalty area during the play, meaning his blue skill bubble was out of reach—just beyond the drop radius.

Tch.

I'll have to find another opportunity later.

Ignoring the useless white bubbles, Gu Ran turned to jog back to his defensive position.

But then—

"Hey! Gu! Come over here!"

Shuimen pushed through the celebrating players, waving him over.

They wanted him to join the celebration.

That goal had solidified his place in the team.

Gu Ran hesitated for a second, then smirked and shook his head.

Hell no. I'm not joining you bunch of idiots in this middle-school nonsense.

But then—

Shuimen whispered something to the others.

The next moment—

All of them sprinted toward the East Stand, where the Manchester fans were sitting.

Shuimen took the lead, cupping his hand to his ear—

Mimicking the exact taunt Gu Ran had used when he first stepped onto the pitch.

The other Stags followed suit, all making the same mocking gesture toward the Pirates' fans!

This was more than just celebration.

This was the team standing behind Gu Ran.

Gu Ran was a Stag.

Insulting Gu Ran was insulting all of them.

Who cared if they were playing against Manchester's prestigious academy?

Who cared if they were ranked in the top 50 nationwide?

Who cared if they were playing away, against 700 home fans?

If you want a fight—then we fight.

The Stags never backed down.

The Manchester fans completely lost their minds.

They hurled every insult in the book, throwing up every obscene gesture possible.

But—

They didn't dare step onto the field.

The National High School Championship was organized by the FA.

Even though it was an amateur competition, the regulations were the same as professional football.

If the home fans caused trouble, the Pirates would take full responsibility—meaning instant disqualification.

The Manchester students knew the consequences.

They could yell, taunt, and throw insults all they wanted—

But they couldn't afford to cross the line.

Still—

"Come on, Gu!"

"Get over here, man!"

"We need you for the celebration!"

Not just Shuimen—the entire team was calling him over.

Damn it.

These idiots…

These glorious, stupid idiots…

For some reason, Gu Ran's nose felt a little sore.

Before he even realized it, his legs were already moving toward his teammates.

The team split into two rows, forming a pathway for him to walk through.

Gu Ran smirked, slid forward smoothly, planted his feet—

And cupped his hands to his ears.

Listening.

Listening to the entire Manchester student section losing their minds.

The Manchester fans erupted.

Paper balls, plastic bottles, even a few food wrappers rained down onto the pitch.

And then—

A bra.

A girl from the stands had actually thrown a damn bra.

Rusty immediately repeated the "listening" taunt again.

And again.

The Stags laughed like maniacs as they watched the Manchester fans completely break down.

Gu Ran's eyes burned.

This was the first time he had ever celebrated like this.

And it felt damn good.

In his past life, playing in the street leagues, he had scored goals.

He had celebrated with teammates before.

But this?

This was different.

This wasn't just about scoring.

This was a fight.

This was war.

This was about slapping your opponent in the face—again and again—until they had no choice but to respect you.

No need to hold back. No need to be humble.

This was football.

This was what it meant to play with your blood boiling.

This was everything.

After exchanging high-fives, Gu Ran took a deep breath and calmed himself.

They were still behind.

2:1.

They still needed another goal.

"Let's go, Rusty!"

"Coming, coming—"

Rusty, still grinning, gave one last exaggerated "listening" taunt before jogging back to his position.

The match resumed.

Albert collected the ball in midfield, his expression calm.

"No rush."

He pushed forward slowly, controlling the tempo, then spoke coolly to his teammates.

"They got lucky with one goal. We're still ahead. Just focus, and we'll put them away."