As the numbers on the scoreboard at Bernabéu Stadium changed from 3-2 to 3-3, Florentino Perez sat in the Real Madrid presidential box, staring expressionlessly at the pitch.
At that very moment, an ecstatic Wang Shuo was sprinting off the pitch in celebration.
After a brief moment of silence, the entire Bernabéu erupted in a frenzy of boos.
It was impossible to tell whether they were booing the Real Madrid players or Wang Shuo, who had just completed a hat-trick of his own.
But no one noticed Florentino in the stands, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned a pale white, betraying the turmoil raging within him.
Wang Shuo's performance was a resounding slap in the face to Real Madrid.
Especially to Florentino.
In the summer of 2009, he had swept up the top superstars from the Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1, building a team of unrivaled prestige.
