Raúl's intuition was correct.
After scoring early, Dortmund showed no mercy, their relentless high‑pressing making it impossible for Real Madrid to breathe. Real Madrid players were forced to retreat to their own half, and even Raúl had to drop deep to help connect plays—otherwise, the ball couldn't be passed out at all.
"Mario!"
"Pass! Pass!"
"I'm here!"
At the Bernabéu, the shouts echoing across the pitch could not be drowned out by the roar of over seventy thousand people. Dortmund, with increasingly fluid teamwork, was using coordinated pressure to suffocate Real Madrid's build‑up.
Whenever a player was drawn out of position, a teammate immediately filled the gap. Even Jürgen Klopp on the sidelines couldn't help but praise them: "This might be the most complete game they've ever played."
How could the mighty Real Madrid be unable to break through midfield? Raúl faced tight marking as soon as he received the ball, forcing him to pass back.
After Fernando Gago got the ball, Jin Hayes closed him down instantly. With Dortmund players swarming around, Gago could only pass back to Fabio Cannavaro.
Alexander Frei and Mario Götze pressed like mad dogs, blocking Cannavaro's options, so he could only pass further back to Iker Casillas.
Frei was already thirty years old, yet he was still running like a youngster.
Casillas, left with no choice, had to hoof the ball upfield.
At that moment, Jin Hayes's height proved advantageous. Next to him was Lassana Diarra, a full head shorter. Coupled with his Jump Enhancement, Jin Hayes seemed to leap from the ground, winning the header cleanly and nodding it to Nuri Şahin.
Now!
The moment Jin Hayes landed, he sprinted forward, while Götze, Jakub Błaszczykowski, and Frei all launched a collective charge. Şahin feinted past Raúl and threaded a through ball behind the defence.
He already trusted Jin Hayes unconditionally. As long as he gave him the ball, no matter how surrounded he was, Jin Hayes would always retrieve it. Many players in the world could do this, but Jin Hayes was the only one who never lost the ball—99% of the time.
"Hoo‑whee, hoo‑whee!"
Lassana Diarra was already exhausted; it had been less than thirty minutes, yet he felt more tired than if he had played ninety minutes. Constantly needing to stay by Jin Hayes's side, the back‑and‑forth shuttle runs drained his stamina.
Jin Hayes could clearly hear his heavy breathing, judging his opponent's position and running diagonally, using his body to shield the ball from the defender. This was the most basic skill for an attacking player on the ball.
Gago surged in from the side, and Pepe could no longer hold back. He came around from the other side to sandwich him. Three players formed a triangular trap, determined to stop the young playmaker at all costs.
Facing Gago's charge, Jin Hayes easily used a rabona feint and changed direction, shaking off Gago with perfect body control. Gago couldn't stop his momentum and collided with Lassana Diarra.
"Elegant!! He's practically a matador!"
Even the Madrid TV commentator couldn't help but applaud the opponent. The Real Madrid fans in the stadium were also stunned. The Bernabéu home crowd even applauded Jin Hayes of the away team, using that applause to mock their own team.
Look, this is art, this is artistic football. What rubbish are you playing?
"I just want to know, if the rumours are true and Florentino takes office—will he buy Jin Hayes?"
"First, let's watch this goal!"
The commentator was already fantasising about Jin Hayes wearing the white jersey. He was simply the midfielder Real Madrid had dreamed of.
Jin Hayes was already dribbling close to the box, just like the previous goal. Giving him the box meant an unsolvable situation; the only thing they could do was stop him outside the box.
Cannavaro positioned himself at the edge of the penalty area, lowering his centre of gravity to stay alert, while also keeping an eye on Frei and Götze's positions. As a world‑class centre‑back, he must be prepared to defend against two or even three players.
Cannavaro was still very difficult to deal with; although his physical condition had declined, his experience and awareness were at their peak. Jin Hayes might not be able to get past him in just two seconds, so he had to slow down slightly and try a one‑on‑one duel. Their first round of contention wasn't over yet.
With all his attention focused on Cannavaro, Jin Hayes naturally neglected to observe his surroundings.
"Jin!! Be careful!"
"Watch out!"
His teammates' warnings came a step too late.
The 'Warrior Monk' Pepe had somehow circled to his side and rear, a low slide tackle silently approaching. The speed of his slide across the turf was too fast; by the time Jin Hayes reacted, it was too late to dodge. He managed to jump slightly, but Pepe's trailing leg caught his standing foot, and Jin Hayes crashed to the ground.
"Noooo!!"
All the German fans panicked. Anyone else could be missing from the pitch, but not Jin Hayes. When the team's short‑passing system wasn't flowing smoothly, he was the only one who could break the deadlock. He was like a battering ram, charging in first to disrupt the defence, and then his teammates could simply push forward and secure victory.
"Jin Hayes is down! Dortmund are really unlucky today; first Marco Reus got injured, and now Jin Hayes isn't going to be injured too, is he?"
He Wei couldn't help but worry. It was hard enough to see a young talent dominating Europe; it would be too great a loss if he fell due to injury.
"Frank!"
"I know!"
Without waiting for Klopp to speak, team doctor Frank rushed onto the field with his colleagues immediately.
Anna must be very worried about him. Jin, please don't be seriously hurt.
"You motherfucker!!" An enraged Mats Hummels immediately rushed toward Pepe. After seeing the team doctor come to check, Hummels could no longer contain his fury. He confronted Pepe, his forehead almost touching the Portuguese defender's.
What kind of player was Pepe?
Of course, he wouldn't back down, glaring menacingly back at Hummels. Both sides were at a boiling point, on the verge of an explosion.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You're fucking dirty, ugly!"
"Idiot."
Pepe's expression still held a hint of smugness. No matter what penalty he faced, at least he had taken out a key player. He had long been annoyed by that player; Pepe wished he could have taken him out completely. Such flashy playing styles were most infuriating to defensive players.
"Phew—is this a good thing?"
Raúl breathed a sigh of relief. Although it wasn't very honourable, and Pepe might even get a red card, if Jin Hayes were injured and taken off, perhaps they would have a chance to win against Dortmund.
"Sorry, for the sake of advancing from the group, we had no choice."
Real Madrid had to win.
The main referee blew his whistle and arrived, ignoring Hummels, and instead raised his hand to show Pepe a yellow card.
"Why isn't it a red card! Referee, he tackled from behind!"
"Don't be impulsive!"
Sebastian Kehl pulled Hummels back; he had just clashed with Pepe, and it was good that the referee hadn't given him a card either.
Pepe, who received the card, felt no shame, but instead looked smug and laughed happily. But the next second, Pepe's smile shifted to the Dortmund players.
...
"It's fine, let's go."
"Good, a false alarm."
The team doctors all turned back, carrying their medical bags, and even the stretcher was withdrawn. The players on the pitch couldn't believe it.
"Jin! You're actually fine!"
"That's great!"
"Are you okay?"
"Don't worry."
Jin Hayes stood up with a smile, his face showing no sign of pain whatsoever.
"Ah?!"
"What the hell?"
Pepe was completely dumbfounded. He had clearly stepped precisely on the young player's ankle just now. With the immense impact at that moment, Jin Hayes should have either suffered a fracture or at least a soft tissue contusion and swelling, making it impossible for him to continue today.
This guy actually endured the foul and stood up. Was his foot okay?
The audience was also very confused. How could Jin Hayes, who was subjected to a flying tackle, be perfectly fine?
The slow-motion replay showed Pepe's studs firmly imprinted on Jin Hayes's ankle. For an ordinary player, that would have been a serious injury. Little did they know, Jin Hayes was no ordinary player.
...
Facing a critical moment that could affect his career, Jin Hayes, lying on the ground, felt a surge of survival instinct. Instantly, a warm current coursed through his entire body. He felt that all the muscles in his body were incredibly solid—every piece of skin, every bone, all as strong as iron. Pepe's deliberate and fierce stomp only left a shallow mark on his shin guard and didn't even leave a mark on his skin.
"Holy crap?"
This was truly a bit abnormal. Jin Hayes had clearly felt pain in his ankle just now; how could he be fine? Frank and the team doctors conducted a thorough examination and palpation, and indeed found no abnormalities.
"Does it hurt?"
"I don't feel anything. It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Then you're fine. You scared me to death."
The medical team didn't need to do anything; Jin Hayes got up unharmed. The away stand erupted in enthusiastic applause, and even the Bernabéu stand joined in, leaving the Real Madrid players with mixed feelings.
...
In the stands, current Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón looked grim. Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez, seated nearby, had an amused expression.
"This kid is pretty strong. Aren't you going to consider buying him?"
"You..." Calderón was too exhausted to even complain.
Florentino had already made all the arrangements for his presidential campaign. Calderón's former partners had all closed their doors to him, and he already knew that his chances of winning this election were slim. Florentino was destined to be the future president of Real Madrid. This man even wanted to humiliate him in person—how hateful.
If you want to buy him, buy him yourself.
...
Pepe was stunned.
After he tackled Jin Hayes, the Asian player was back on the pitch, full of life, playing football. Facing this free‑kick, he even contested a header with him in the box. What did that mean?
The foul on Jin Hayes had occurred about forty metres upfield, slightly to the right, not ideal for a direct shot. Nuri Şahin stood over the ball, preparing to loft it into the box. Jin Hayes actually sought out Pepe and matched up with him.
Pepe looked at Jin Hayes as if he were looking at a monster, growing more and more solemn the more he thought about it. Jin Hayes, however, stared coldly at the defender in front of him, showing no weakness.
The ball was struck, carrying a strong spin as it dropped into the penalty area.
"Back post!!"
Jin Hayes and Pepe simultaneously moved to contest the landing spot. Pepe intended to use his strong physique to block him off. But then, a surge of immense power struck, almost causing Pepe to stumble.
"Damn it!!"
Pepe completely panicked, still trying to pull his jersey, frantically using his hands to commit a foul. Even if it meant conceding a penalty, he didn't care. But this guy just wouldn't move.
Facing the incoming ball, Jin Hayes leaped from a standing position, rising high above the defender. Pepe, interfering below him, might as well have been hitting a telephone pole.
In the despairing eyes of the Real Madrid players, Jin Hayes performed a powerful header, driving the ball downward toward the goal.
Iker Casillas dived, but he hadn't expected Jin Hayes to deliberately head the ball into the ground for a bounce. It was a certain goal. The ball struck the grass and bounced into the net.
"Goal!!! Jin Hayes with a towering header! Like a battering ram breaking through the gates, unstoppable!"
He Wei's voice boomed with excitement. The powerful header had completely shattered Real Madrid's hopes.
The youth storm led 2‑0.
"It seems this state is quite physically demanding; I can't use it too much." Jin Hayes thought to himself.
"Of course, it's really strong."
...
Leading by two goals, Jin Hayes sprinted toward the away stand, making a boxing celebration gesture towards the corner flag—two powerful punches knocking down Real Madrid.
However, during the celebration, Jin Hayes suddenly felt a bit dizzy. If he wasn't mistaken, he must have triggered a new enhancement under the physical talent category.
Just like Jump Enhancement, Heartfelt Pass, and Causality Shot Enhancement, it consumed a certain amount of stamina to gain a significant physical enhancement effect for a short period. In that moment, Jin Hayes had felt like a superhero.
"Why not name this enhancement— Man of Steel?"