108.

The right to fire! 

This was an absolute chance to take the shot! 

Gu Ran felt a surge of adrenaline explode through his body as he accelerated toward the ball. 

A Golden Fleece center-back positioned himself perfectly, lunging forward into a full split to intercept the pass. 

The ball bounced off his foot, spinning into the air. He had managed to block it but hadn't completely stopped the attack. 

At the same time, the goalkeeper rushed forward— 

With the deflection, there was almost no time or angle left for control, let alone a proper shot. 

The Southampton students in the stands were already bracing themselves for disappointment. 

But Gu Ran didn't give up. 

His instincts as a forward from his past life kicked in like a primal memory. His body moved on its own, pushing forward, accelerating even more— 

Using his momentum, he leaped sideways just as the ball was coming down, twisting his body mid-air— 

A clean volley strike! 

Had his body been tilted back just a bit more, it would have been a perfect overhead kick. 

The ball shot forward like a dagger, slicing past the goalkeeper's outstretched hands. 

The entire stadium held its breath. 

The keeper's hands were just a fraction too slow. 

The ball curved sharply and slammed into the back of the net. 

Goal. 

The referee's whistle confirmed it. 

The deafening roar of over a thousand Southampton students filled the air. 

Gu Ran could feel the entire pitch trembling beneath him as he lay on the ground. 

2-1. 

They had taken the lead. 

From trailing behind to equalizing, and now, overtaking the Golden Fleece. 

Gu Ran had just completed the perfect comeback for the Steelhorn Bucks. 

His teammates swarmed him, piling on top of him in celebration. 

Coach Carter had always warned them against this kind of celebration, but right now, no one cared. 

Maria's panicked voice rang from the sidelines. "Get off him! Don't crush him! You're suffocating him!" 

She looked like she was about to run onto the pitch. 

The entire stadium had gone insane. 

Even Coach Carter clenched his fists and punched the air over and over. 

The drums in the stands were being beaten so hard that some had already split open. 

The stadium structure swayed as students jumped and cheered, almost as if it would collapse from the sheer madness. 

This goal was nothing short of incredible. 

Not just the finish, but the entire execution from positioning, awareness, and movement—everything was perfect. 

For a fourth-tier team to be playing like this against a first-tier powerhouse, it was nothing short of shocking. 

And it was all because of Gu Ran. 

No one could believe that he had only joined Steelhorn Bucks two weeks ago. 

Buried under his teammates, Gu Ran was struggling to breathe, but his heart and mind were on fire. 

His adrenaline was at its peak. His dopamine was flooding his brain. 

It felt amazing. 

Not the part where he was being crushed—no, the rush from scoring a goal like that. 

In his past life, he had scored many goals in amateur leagues, but none had ever felt this exhilarating. 

This was his first goal after reincarnation. 

A spectacular volley. 

And it definitely wouldn't be his last. 

With this first goal, his right to take shots in matches would only increase. 

This was only the beginning. 

On the other side, the Golden Fleece players stood frozen, staring blankly as the Steelhorn Bucks continued their wild celebration. 

This goal was nearly unstoppable. 

They couldn't blame the defenders. They couldn't blame the keeper. 

The only person to blame was that Chinese kid on the other side—he was just too good. 

His speed, his strength, and worst of all, his insane instinct inside the box. 

He was supposed to be a defender. 

Why did he have the goal-scoring sense of a top-class striker? 

A defender having elite sprinting speed made sense. A defender being physically dominant was normal. 

But a defender with a striker's instinct, positioning, and finishing ability? That was beyond unfair. 

Golden Fleece immediately made their move. 

The substitution board went up. 

Jolly and Gavin were coming in. 

The team captain and ace striker. The towering 192cm defensive midfielder. 

Their best players. 

The Southampton students only cheered louder, bursting into a new chant. 

"There's a handsome, brilliant Oriental man named Gu Ran! Jolly got wrecked by him! Jolly got wrecked by him!" 

Jolly stormed onto the field, waving his teammates in. 

"It doesn't matter what happened before! I'm here now!" he shouted. 

"Wake up! We are the proud Golden Fleece!" 

"In our school's history, we have NEVER lost to a fourth-tier garbage team!" 

"Are you gonna let these filthy country hicks humiliate us?" 

"We're gonna rip them apart and shove their own stupid song down their throats!" 

"We're gonna remind them—who the real kings are!" 

"ROAR!" 

"LONG LIVE GOLDEN FLEECE!" 

Their morale shot through the roof. 

The game resumed. 

Golden Fleece immediately launched a long ball toward the right flank, aggressively pushing forward. 

Steelhorn Bucks quickly fell back into defense. 

The game instantly turned into a brutal war of physical clashes and tackles. 

With Jolly on the field, Golden Fleece was twice as aggressive. 

Gu Ran adjusted his position, dropping deeper into the midfield to help. 

Jolly saw the opening and sprinted forward. 

Gu Ran and Bun reacted instantly, closing in to trap him. 

But at the last second, Gavin stormed in from the side and used his elbow to shove Gu Ran off balance. 

Gu Ran staggered but quickly regained his footing. 

Jolly seized the opportunity to barrel through the defense and break into the penalty box. 

Gu Ran didn't hesitate—he chased him down at full speed. 

But Gavin clung to him, smirking. 

"Welcome to real football, kid," he sneered. 

Gu Ran ignored him. 

With one explosive sprint, he left Gavin behind by three meters. 

Golden Fleece's winger sent a cross into the box. 

Jolly was in position. 

But Gu Ran cut in front of him, blocking his movement. 

Jolly couldn't turn properly— 

Rusty charged in, heading the ball away. 

"YES!" 

Rusty roared and slammed his chest against Gu Ran's, celebrating the perfect defensive play. 

The crowd erupted again. 

The final ten minutes turned into a desperate struggle. 

Coach Carter adjusted their tactics, reinforcing the defense. 

Golden Fleece threw everything forward, but time was running out. 

Then—Gavin snapped. 

With a dirty, reckless slide tackle from behind, he targeted Gu Ran's ankles. 

Gu Ran had expected it. 

He instantly withdrew his leg, dodging the worst of the impact. 

But the slide still sent him crashing down. 

The referee's whistle blew. 

Red card. 

Gavin was sent off. 

The entire stadium exploded into cheers. 

And now, Steelhorn Bucks had a free kick. 

There were only seconds left on the clock. 

The Southampton students were already celebrating, singing louder than ever. 

Golden Fleece lined up their defensive wall, their faces filled with frustration. 

Bun stood over the ball, preparing for the free kick. 

It was about 25 meters from goal, just outside the penalty arc— 

A perfect range for a direct shot. 

Gu Ran walked up beside Bun, lowered his voice, and said, 

"Let me take this one."

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