Ring ring ring ring—hiss!
The piercing alarm sounded, and Jiang Wei, a sophomore, subconsciously pressed the snooze button on his phone to continue sleeping. The night was thick; who the hell sets an alarm in the middle of the night? Wait, that's not right!
Jiang Wei snapped his eyes open, forcing himself awake despite the throbbing pain in his brain and the soreness in his eyes.
3:40 AM.
Champions League.
There's an important Champions League knockout match today—Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund.
For a die‑hard fan, nothing is more important than the Champions League. Even though he had just returned to school after winter break, having sat in a hard seat for 12 hours from his hometown, arriving at the dormitory at 12:30 AM exhausted and with less than 2 hours of sleep, it still couldn't stop him from watching the Champions League.
Unfortunately, his roommates hadn't returned to school yet. He was the only one who got out of bed, went to the desk, and turned on the computer. He skillfully used a graduate student's internet card borrowed from an upperclassman to connect to the campus broadband network. He opened the live streaming page, clicked the match live stream link, and selected a free broadcast.
During the brief buffering time, Jiang Wei grabbed half a bottle of Coke from beside him. In a room temperature of less than 5 degrees Celsius, the ice‑cold Coke he gulped down made him feel much more awake. The buffering finished quickly. Before the image stabilized, the familiar orchestral melody rang out first.
"The Champi‑ons! The Champi‑ons!"
"Beating Bayern Munich."
"My Gunners have already collapsed!"
If you asked him what was more hype than anything else, Jiang Wei would point both hands at the Champions League screen in front of him. Every fan who stays up late to watch a match, especially those with a home team, can relate to that pre‑battle tension and excitement like a gathering storm.
What's more, today's match was a duel between his two favorite teams: one was Arsenal, the 'Gunners' he had loved since the Thierry Henry era, and the other was Borussia Dortmund, which he had come to love over the past two years because of Jin Hayes. Whether the palm or the back of the hand, whoever lost would hurt.
In that case…
"Sorry, Arsenal! Today I'm supporting Borussia Dortmund!"
....
On the screen, the camera followed the players from both sides as they walked out of the tunnel. Thunderous applause and whistles echoed throughout the Emirates Stadium. After a close‑up shot followed Cesc Fàbregas for a while, it focused on the key players on the field today. Jin Hayes's handsome face beamed with a confident, faint smile. Holding a young mascot's hand, he waved to the nearby away fans.
"It's clear that Jin Hayes is in good form today. Recently, Borussia Dortmund's overall team form has fluctuated, and Jin Hayes has been the most consistent performer in the squad.
In this important knockout match today, he might be the key figure who determines the course of the game. As a player once scouted by Arsène Wenger, I believe Professor Wenger knows him quite well too."
Before the match started, the commentator He Wei talked about the bond between Jin Hayes and Arsenal as the camera followed him.
"That's right. Jin Hayes is the attacking core of Borussia Dortmund on the field. Both sides will surely revolve their offense and defense around him. Both sides are skilled at fast counter‑attacks, so I expect the pace of today's match to be quite fast." Guest commentator Gong Lei gave a brief prediction and analysis of the tactical characteristics of both sides.
Accompanied by the Champions League anthem, the two teams were conducting the pre‑match ceremony. After the commemorative photos, the home players stood in place while the away team lined up to shake hands in turn.
Seeing old friends again after a year, players like Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott were a bit surprised, looking at Jin Hayes with very strange expressions. "How does this kid feel like he's gotten so much stronger? Do young people grow this fast?"
When it came to Fàbregas, he didn't stare at Jin Hayes. Instead, he shook hands indifferently, as if treating any other stranger. Seeing his expression, Jin Hayes almost couldn't help laughing.
Is he putting on an act? Fine, let's see how long you can keep that up.
"Jin, didn't you say you had a good relationship with Fàbregas? It feels like he doesn't even know you." Mats Hummels was very curious.
"Forget it, ignore that guy—Captain, try to win the coin toss later and get the kickoff. Let's give Arsenal a surprise." Jin Hayes turned to look at Captain Sebastian Kehl. Kehl spread his hands and smiled: "This thing is all down to luck. I'll do my best."
"I believe in you, Captain."
As for Arsenal, the former captain William Gallas only held the position for 15 months. Due to a mistake in an interview where he exposed many private details of the Arsenal dressing room, he was stripped of the captaincy by Wenger for a suspected breach of discipline. The current captain is Fàbregas, who was appointed in a time of crisis. At only 21 years old, he is one of the youngest captains in Arsenal's history.
While the two sides were exchanging pennants and tossing the coin, the starting lineups were displayed on the live broadcast.
Arsenal (4‑2‑3‑1):
Goalkeeper: Manuel Almunia;
Defenders: Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Kolo Touré, Gaël Clichy;
Midfielders: Alexandre Song, Abou Diaby, Cesc Fàbregas, Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri;
Forward: Robin van Persie;
Substitutes: Wojciech Szczęsny, Mikaël Silvestre, Tomáš Rosický, Emmanuel Eboue, Aaron Ramsey, Nicklas Bendtner, Emmanuel Adebayor.
Borussia Dortmund (4‑3‑3):
Goalkeeper: Roman Weidenfeller;
Defenders: Dedê, Felipe Santana, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer;
Midfielders: Sebastian Kehl, Nuri Şahin, Jin Hayes;
Forwards: Mario Götze, Alexander Frei, Jakub Błaszczykowski;
Substitutes: Marc Ziegler (GK), Robert Kovač, Antonio Rukavina, İlkay Gündoğan, Florian Kringe, Tamás Hajnal, Bajram Sadrijaj.
"On Arsenal's side, Denílson is out with an injury, Aaron Ramsey has just returned from injury, Tomáš Rosický has a minor injury, and the young Jack Wilshere is also out for 6 months—"
"Relatively speaking, Arsenal's main lineup is fairly complete. Borussia Dortmund's injuries, however, are concentrated in key positions. Starting centre‑back Neven Subotić, starting left‑winger Marco Reus, and starting right‑back Patrick Owomoyela all have various degrees of injuries."
"Injuries have a greater impact on Borussia Dortmund, which might be an opportunity for Arsenal."
"Professor Wenger and Jürgen Klopp are both managers with distinct characteristics. Today, they might bring a tactical battle, creating a more exciting football feast for the fans."
....
In front of their TVs, countless Chinese fans who had crawled out of bed in the middle of the night were already impatient. This was the first time a Chinese player had participated in such an important Champions League knockout match as a starter. Europe's top competition used to be a stage dominated by foreign players. Now, finally, a Chinese player was standing at the centre of the stage, becoming one of the protagonists on the field.
On the "Chen Tao Baidu Forum," the match thread had already reached hundreds of replies, and everyone was inside, unable to wait any longer.
"Hurry up, I've already finished my beer."
"Open another can! Lord Jin must win today!"
"The best outcome would be for Arsenal to score a goal, and then Borussia Dortmund to win the match."
"Nana, get out of here. A team that goes soft in tough battles."
"Manchester United fans, shut up!"
"Don't argue. Everyone is here to support Lord Jin. Let's unite against the outsiders!"
Except for a few Premier League fans supporting Arsenal, most domestic fans were supporting Borussia Dortmund. To be precise, they were supporting the team Jin Hayes was on. Just as when Yao Ming went to the NBA, the Houston Rockets became the home team for many fans—if Yao had transferred to the Lakers, everyone would have migrated with him.
"Is there a Rockets game today too?"
"Yes, Yao Ming and McGrady are starting today. Playing the Bulls, they should get a 12-game winning streak."
"Holy crap, today is going to be awesome!"
The NBA had Yao Ming, and the Champions League had Jin Hayes. Two Chinese players were shining brightly in their respective fields. Coincidentally, the Champions League match would finish around 6:00 AM, and the NBA games started at 8:00 AM. Jiang Wei looked at the schedule, and his bloodshot eyes turned fierce.
"Sleep my ass! No more sleep! Let's get hyped!"
Pop! He cracked open a can and gulped down a mouthful of Heineken beer.
"Satisfying!"
....
Unfortunately, Captain Sebastian Kehl didn't win the coin toss. The home team, Arsenal, kicked off first.
Tweet!
The Swiss referee blew the whistle, and He Wei began his daily routine.
"Dear audience, welcome to the spotlight match of the Round of 16 in this season's UEFA Champions League! The first leg between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. The team in red and white jerseys with white shorts is Arsenal, playing at the Emirates Stadium, attacking from left to right.
The team in dark jerseys is the away team, Borussia Dortmund, attacking from right to left. Arsenal is currently ranked 4th in the Premier League, still some distance away from the title-contending first group of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool…
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund currently leads the Bundesliga standings by 5 points. The key figure in Borussia Dortmund's sudden rise over the last two seasons is the 16-year-old Chinese youngster in the shot, Jin Hayes—"
"Oh, this ball, beautiful!"
Before He Wei could finish introducing the teams, a transition had already occurred on the pitch. Arsenal kicked off first, and after a series of passes, they reached Borussia Dortmund's half.
Left-winger Samir Nasri's cross-field pass was too casual. Captain Kehl anticipated it and intercepted it before Cesc Fàbregas could get there. Fàbregas immediately pressed to interfere, and Kehl, without time to adjust, quickly chipped the ball toward the centre circle.
Abou Diaby and Jin Hayes both ran toward the landing spot.
It was a 50/50 ball, but Jin Hayes's long legs came into play as he hooked the ball away first. Taking advantage of Diaby stepping forward to challenge, Jin Hayes held him off with his back to withstand the collision.
Using the opponent's momentum, he flicked the ball to his right side, intending to turn and break through.
In his prime, as long as he wasn't injured, Diaby could be considered a top-tier European midfielder. The big man had excellent physical attributes and used his explosive power to step across and block Jin Hayes's turning path.
He knew Jin Hayes's little tricks all too well.
But after two years apart, Diaby still underestimated Jin Hayes's ability.
In the flash of the turn, Jin Hayes cut the ball from his left foot to his right, like a behind-the-back crossover in basketball. He switched to his right foot with extreme speed, dropped his shoulder, and accelerated to the right to break through. Diaby had just moved over and, under the influence of inertia, couldn't brake in time. He could only watch as Jin Hayes broke past him.
"Bloody Hell!!" Everything happened too suddenly. While the surrounding Arsenal players were dazed, Jin Hayes had already charged into Arsenal's half with the ball.
"Jin Hayes!! He threatens the Arsenal penalty area with a beautiful breakthrough right at the start! Borussia Dortmund's fast counter-attack!" He Wei's voice suddenly rose an octave. All the fans who had crawled out of bed in the middle of the night, originally drowsy, were now invigorated by Jin Hayes's opening dribble. Exclamations erupted from the stands of the Emirates Stadium.
Defensive midfielder Alexandre Song gritted his teeth and sprinted over, launching a sliding tackle from behind Jin Hayes. He remembered Wenger's instructions before the match: "Remember, if he's really hard to defend, then foul. Only a foul can stop him."
Whether it's the man or the ball, at least stop one.
However, Jin Hayes seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. As Song's sliding tackle arrived, he skillfully pinched the ball between his feet and flicked it over his head.
"Jin Hayes!! A Rainbow Flick!!"
He Wei's voice cracked once again. At this moment, all the fans couldn't help but shout in various languages. Aside from Neymar, who had not yet landed in Europe, Jin Hayes was probably the only one who frequently used the Rainbow Flick to successfully break through on a professional pitch.
Lightly leaping over Song, Jin Hayes had already broken through to the front of the penalty area. He was still observing whether to pass to Mario Götze on the left or Jakub Błaszczykowski on the right.
His mind suddenly went blank, and a familiar surge of energy flooded through him. Without any hesitation, before the ball could hit the ground and before the Arsenal defenders could pounce forward, Jin Hayes swung his right leg and struck the ball fiercely.
A volley.
The ball traced a beautiful arc and suddenly dipped like a falling leaf. Brushing past Manuel Almunia's desperate fingertips, it plunged into the net. At this moment, the time on the scoreboard had just reached 00:36.
A blitzkrieg goal 36 seconds into the match.