In addition, within the "Avengers," Kai's "victims" were chatting.
Robben: "I told you long ago—he doesn't know how to dribble!"
Van Persie: "You could do that kind of stepover with your eyes closed. Did he learn it from that stiff-dribbling Ronaldo?"
Van der Vaart: "I actually lost to such a rough player… twice!"
Iniesta: "But his ball flicks are clearly better than mine!"
Torres: "Yeah, I saw him use a Marseille turn recently."
Cech: "I really hope he keeps doing that when he faces my shots in the future!"
Sneijder: "I thought he was like me—just didn't like flashy skills. Turns out… he simply doesn't know how to do them."
Lahm: "If a player like this can beat German youth teams, then German football is hopeless."
Zidane, last year's Ballon d'Or winner, smiled subtly and said:
"I haven't watched that clip too many times. Every player has moments like that—we shouldn't laugh at him. It could be a blow to his confidence… haha… but honestly, even if his stepover worked, it wouldn't look very elegant. I wouldn't recommend fans learn it."
Ronaldo, who had some old grudges with Kai, was more direct:
"Seriously, Kai—if you predict that Inter Milan will win the Champions League this year, I can teach you some dribbling skills. The pendulum move… or should I say, pendulum dribbling? Though if you use it, it'll probably turn into pendulum wrestling! Hahaha!"
Kai instantly became labeled as a "technically rough" player—
Even stealing the future title of Germany's Thomas Müller.
Compared to football media and North American outlets, if you want spicy news, you read The Sun.
"The Sun":
"Kai has used stepovers before, and he looked smooth and stylish. This slip must have been caused by weak legs. But his fitness has always been excellent, and his performance in extra time was even better. So what's the reason?"
"Why is Kai, who was once physically strong, suddenly losing weight day by day?"
"Therefore, we have every reason to suspect that Kai and Hathaway have already tasted the forbidden fruit! But they have not yet reached the legal age for cohabitation. If confirmed, they may be taken under supervision by the Juvenile Advisory Agency, with up to a week of 'education'!"
Ronaldo went crazy after reading this.
No way!
Kaizi actually became a man earlier than me, Cristiano Ronaldo?!
Unacceptable!
But he didn't dare ask Kai directly.
Because what if Kai nodded?
Wouldn't that mean Ronaldo lost forever?
Originally, only someone like Ronaldo would take unreliable gossip from The Sun seriously.
But their timing was perfect.
It was hard not to go viral.
The very next day after The Sun published that rumor, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this year's Oscar nominations.
The Princess Diaries, released at the end of last year, performed extremely well.
Its North American box office reached $209 million, ranking fifth that year—behind major films like The Matrix, The Mummy, and The Blair Witch Project.
With such results, The Princess Diaries earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
Director Garry Marshall was nominated for Best Director.
Julie Andrews, who played the Queen, received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
And Anne Hathaway—filming her first movie—became a campus goddess in North America thanks to her performance, earning a nomination for Best Actress.
Everyone knows Hollywood can create gods.
This year, Hathaway was the chosen one.
Any news about her generated massive traffic.
Even if people only cared about gossip, Hathaway's popularity easily surpassed Kai's.
So do you think The Sun's report wouldn't explode?
Hathaway's agent panicked and tried everything to refute the rumors.
This kind of negative news could seriously affect her chances at the Oscars.
Fortunately, Kai stepped forward first:
"It's normal to make mistakes on the pitch. It has nothing to do with my physical condition. The Sun's conclusions are purely speculative. I hope everyone remembers—it's just an entertainment tabloid, and accuracy isn't exactly their strength."
"Hathaway and I are good friends. We've both been busy with our careers and haven't seen each other for months. The situation is nothing like what The Sun described."
Kai's clarification was strong and effective.
After that, Hathaway found it easier to respond.
She said openly to the media:
"Thank you everyone for overestimating me—especially The Sun. Unfortunately, my relationship with Kai hasn't reached that stage."
"If he ever becomes my boyfriend, then within legal limits, I'll definitely take better care of his body."
"After all, he's a professional athlete. His body is the foundation of his career. A good partner should never damage the other person's career or health."
"As for our relationship, I suggest you follow our social media. If anything changes, I'll announce it to the world myself—not through The Sun."
Her response was bold.
Her agent had only wanted her to deny the rumors and distance herself from Kai—to focus fully on campaigning for the Oscars.
Instead…
She denied it—but somehow made it sound even more real.
Listen to that interview.
Was that really necessary?
If a woman spoke like that publicly, people would easily criticize her and label her negatively.
The agent could already imagine contract terminations coming in.
And that's exactly what happened.
Almost overnight, Hathaway lost nearly all her endorsement deals.
Her career hit its peak with the Oscar nomination—
And then instantly dropped to rock bottom.
Investors believed her image was completely ruined.
After all, she was supposed to be the campus goddess:
Youthful, cute, innocent, kind, beautiful, reserved.
That was the image she needed to maintain.
Not openly expressing love like that.
Major North American media outlets began criticizing her:
"Fallen Hathaway! Fame at a young age has clearly gone to her head!"
"She disrespects her fans and the rules of stardom—she is destined to be abandoned by the industry."
"No one will support Hathaway like this. At least, not me."
"Hathaway has been dropped by advertisers repeatedly—her commercial value is approaching zero."
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