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Carter was on his knees, sliding across the grass like a child, pumping his fists in pure, unfiltered joy.

"Gu! Gu! Gu! That was beautiful! Hahaha! Absolutely beautiful! This has to be the goal of the tournament! Thank you, God! Thank you for sending me Gu Ran!"

For the Bucks, this was a dream start.

In the away stands, Anne was trembling with excitement. She didn't understand football, but in just 17 seconds, she had been so overwhelmed by adrenaline that she was sweating. Her once elegant voice had turned into wild, uninhibited screams.

"Gu! That was amazing! Gu, you're so damn cool!"

Anne felt something awaken inside her. Watching football—watching Gu Ran play football—was exhilarating.

St. Paul's students were left in absolute shock.

17 seconds…

What the hell?!

Who is this Chinese kid? Why does he look like a goddamn Gareth Bale?

Weren't the Bucks supposed to be weak?

Wasn't this supposed to be an easy match to get into the quarter-finals?

Didn't they have Frank Lampard as their coach?

Aren't we supposed to be Little Chelsea?!

Someone had clearly messed up the script!

0-1.

What the f* just happened?!**

Even Triangle River's players were in disbelief.

They hadn't even touched the ball yet.

Their bodies weren't even warmed up.

And they were already losing?

This was a nightmare start.

Who the hell was this Chinese kid?

Which professional academy did he come from?!

On the sideline, Lampard stood frozen.

He had literally just turned around after taking the kickoff…

And his team was already down 0-1.

This kid… plays like Gareth Bale.

Deep breath. Stay calm.

It's just one goal.

A one-goal deficit wasn't the end of the world.

—Frank Lampard was a football legend. He had seen all kinds of matches. He wouldn't lose his composure over this.

Ding-ding-ding!

All around Gu Ran, negative emotion bubbles were popping out of Triangle River's players.

Goalkeeper Eddie dropped a blue skill bubble.

Captain Butler dropped another blue skill bubble.

Gu Ran ignored Eddie's bubble and focused on Butler's.

[Skill Acquired: Fair Shoulder Charge +1]

A pity—he had already maxed that skill at +3.

In the C-tier skills, +3 was the highest level possible.

Gu Ran ignored the bubble and sprinted toward Lampard.

Behind him, his teammates were roaring with joy, chasing after him.

Even though none of them had touched the ball, they knew their tactical positioning had created the space for Gu Ran's solo run.

Football was never a one-man game.

They wanted to celebrate together. They wanted to tackle him to the ground in pure happiness.

But… Gu Ran was too damn fast.

Even his own teammates couldn't catch up.

Gu Ran sprinted straight to Lampard, clenched his fist, and shouted:

"Lampard! Thanks for the assist!"

After all, technically, Lampard's kickoff was the assist that led to the goal.

Lampard's facial muscles twitched slightly.

This kid… is really something else.

But it was fine.

He was a professional.

He had seen all kinds of mind games.

It's just a bad start.

Just a 17-second goal.

Just… an own assist?

Whatever. No big deal.

Lampard forced a smile, masking his frustration with professionalism.

"Don't mention it. The game's just begun. Let's see who has the last laugh."

Gu Ran: "…"

He wasn't actually trying to mock Lampard—he just wanted to use this moment to farm skills from a football legend.

Where else would he get a chance like this?

When would he ever again meet a Chelsea icon in an amateur match?

Even if Lampard saw it as provocation, Gu Ran had to capitalize on this moment.

He wanted every last skill bubble Lampard could drop.

But… Lampard was staying composed.

It made sense.

Lampard had played in hundreds of high-level matches.

He wasn't the kind of player to lose his cool over some random high school kid.

But Gu Ran had underestimated his teammates.

While Gu Ran was thinking about how to farm Lampard's skills, his teammates caught up.

Led by Watergate, they lined up behind Gu Ran and exaggeratedly bowed like perfect gentlemen.

"Lampard! Thank you for your assist!"

The Bucks bench didn't stay quiet either.

Arm in arm, they began singing in sync:

"There's a handsome, talented Asian man named Gu Ran! Chelsea's Lampard was crushed by his hand!"

"There's a handsome, talented Asian man named Gu Ran! Chelsea's Lampard was crushed by his hand!"

"Chelsea's Lampard! Was crushed by his hand!"

…

This was just cruel.

Lampard's face twitched.

They even turned it into a damn chant?!

Enough was enough.

Lampard snapped.

Ding!

A bright blue skill bubble popped out beneath him.

Finally!

Gu Ran instantly focused his mind and read it.

[Skill Acquired: Power Shot – Piercing Arrow +1]

HOLY SHIT!

This was Lampard's signature skill!

With this, Gu Ran wouldn't just be an attacking fullback—he'd be a damn artillery unit.

Gu Ran immediately absorbed the skill.

A golden light flowed into his legs.

He could feel it.

His muscles shifted slightly.

His shot power… was different now.

He wanted to test it immediately.

But he knew better.

Power shots like these consumed a lot of mental energy.

At only +1 level, the accuracy wasn't high enough to waste it recklessly.

It had to be used at the perfect moment—when it could seal the match in one shot.

He still had four more skill picks left.

Time to farm some more.

The match restarted.

Lampard, now fully serious, roared commands at Triangle River's players.

"Press them! High intensity! Attack!"

Triangle River, still shaken, forced themselves to push forward.

In midfield, bodies collided over and over.

Triangle River's 433 formation had an advantage in midfield control.

Three central midfielders worked together, overwhelming the Bucks' two-man midfield.

Wave after wave of attacks broke through.

Gu Ran was forced to sprint across the pitch, shifting into midfield to help cover.

But physically, the Bucks were struggling.

By the 8th minute, Triangle River's captain Butler received a pass and charged straight through the center.

Watergate and Bread closed in.

Bang!

Butler body-checked Bread out of the way and sent a through pass into the penalty box.

Triangle River's striker turned to shoot—

BANG!

Plasterer rushed in and cleared it away!

The home crowd groaned.

Gu Ran sprinted in, got the loose ball, and sent a 50-meter diagonal long pass straight to Glider.

The stadium gasped.

That vision! That accuracy!

A single pass tore through all three of Triangle River's lines.

A flawless counterattack.

Glider controlled it, but his first touch was too heavy.

By the time he recovered, defenders were already on him.

They swarmed him.

Stuck. Nowhere to go.

He tried a weak shot.

Eddie, the keeper, caught it easily.

Gu Ran gritted his teeth.

Damn it.

That was a golden chance.

But the match was only beginning.

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