Unconventional Center

Chapter 5: The Beast in the Box

At that moment, everyone realized that Chu Yang was a different player now. Even though he still had a low profile, no one dared to ignore his presence. This type of player is probably the one most despised by opponents—and at the same time, the one they fear the most. He’d barely made an appearance throughout the entire match, but when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the ball was already in the back of the net. This is what they call an opportunist—they seem to be favored by the heavens. Without outstanding physical abilities or technical skills, the ball somehow always finds its way to their feet. All they have to do is make a run, take a shot, and celebrate. Chu Yang, of course, knew exactly what was going on. One could only say that talent can indeed be quite frustrating at times—but thankfully, he’d soon be among those blessed by the heavens as well. The “Fox of the Box”—the name truly lives up to its reputation. The match quickly reached the 85th minute. Although the breakaway had been called off, Deportivo La Coruña’s momentum surged, and they seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. Sevilla’s head coach immediately sensed trouble. In soccer, momentum—like luck—is both unpredictable and deadly. “Get back! Everyone, get the hell back on defense!” Regardless of whether the players on the field could hear him, the coach was getting quite worked up himself. Happer wasn’t exactly calm either, muttering over and over, “Pass it, pass it, pass it quickly.” As if in response to Happer’s mutterings, the ball flew off the foot of Deportivo La Coruña’s number seven and headed toward the penalty area. “Cross from the wing! Beautiful! Perfect placement!” “Rodríguez heads it! He connects cleanly, right on target! It’s going in… Oh, no! Damn the Crossbar!” Just as the home commentator had said, the ball was headed by Deportivo La Coruña’s captain, Roguerigues, only to be denied by the Crossbar, dashing the hopes of the Deportivo La Coruña fans. The ball bounced out, and chaos instantly erupted in the penalty area. Without even looking, Chu Yang instinctively sprinted to the left. Harte, who had been keeping a close eye on Chu Yang, hurried to follow him. Using his teammates as a screen, he reached out and grabbed him, but as Chu Yang exerted force, Harte’s attempt to hold him back proved futile. Chu Yang felt as though he had boundless energy coursing through his body; he knew it was the effect of his title. Beast, Strength +3, Shooting +3. This brought his Strength to 12. While such a stat might put him at a disadvantage in the Premier League or Serie A—or against those tough, dark-skinned players from Africa—it was more than enough to handle Harte, who had already been playing for over eighty minutes. Not to mention that the title came with an aura called “Crush Like Dry Twigs,” which was essentially a strength buff that sent his impact power skyrocketing. The Superstar System doesn’t break down attributes into specific categories; Strength represents muscle power, explosiveness, impact, and resilience, among other things. This increase in Strength, combined with the aura’s effect, instantly transformed Chu Yang into a miniature “Beast,” allowing him to force his way through the defense in the penalty area and, guided by the elusive talent “Fox of the Box,” dart to the ball’s landing spot. He swung his leg and took the shot. The Sevilla players watched helplessly as the ball slipped under the goalkeeper’s arm and flew into the net. 2–2. The Riazor Stadium erupted instantly. “Goal! Deportivo La Coruña has equalized! The goal was scored by No. 11, Chu from China!” “Chu! “Damn! What do I do—I’ve fallen for him?” “Oh, poor Harte. He looked like a puppet in front of players from China—his eyes were so helpless.” The atmosphere at the stadium was electric, and back home, it was no different. That’s just how fans in China are—they spout sarcastic remarks and claim, “If you’re not watching, you’re an idiot,” but when game time rolls around, those who should be watching TV dutifully turn it on, and those who should be online obediently log into the live stream. “Am I seeing things? Is that Chu Yang?” “You’re seeing things. That’s not Chu Yang—he’s possessed.” “Holy crap, No. 11 Chu is about to blow everyone away.” “Sigh, he’s breaking out too late. Pacaros is set to return from injury, and with the winter transfer window approaching, Laco will likely sign another forward. Chu Yang won’t have many chances.” “Weren’t there rumors a while back that Burmont was planning to join Laco? If that’s true, and with Pacaros on the team too, it’ll be really tough for Chu Yang to make a name for himself. He might as well go back to China.” “Go back to play in the Chinese Super League? He’d be better off going to the Eredivisie or the English Championship or something.” “Chu Yang’s follow-up shot—the score is now 2–2. With injury time included, there should be about seven or eight minutes left in the game, so it’s still anyone’s game,” Duan Xiang said, regaining his composure after a burst of passionate cheering. “Coach Xu, what are your thoughts on that goal?” Xu Songming wiped his glasses and said, “That goal looked like a simple tap-in, but there’s actually a lot more to it than meets the eye. Look at Chu Yang’s run—it was a very clear path, as if he knew exactly where the ball was going to end up.” “Is that what they call anticipation?” “Yes, but it’s not just anticipation,” Xu Songming replied. “I think it also involves instinct—the instinct of a top-tier striker. Chu Yang is evolving.” Duan Xiang and Xu Songming—who had co-commentated on countless matches together and worked in perfect sync—quickly chimed in, “Exactly. We all know Chu Yang’s strengths are his speed, shooting ability, and dribbling, but those traits no longer give him an edge in La Liga. He has no choice but to take a different path.” “It looks like he’s found the right direction now, and judging by that goal just now, Chu Yang seems to have gained more strength as well. All of this suggests he’s undergoing some changes we aren’t aware of.” As the two of them chatted animatedly, the other fans naturally joined in the discussion. “He’s getting way too excited over just two goals. There’s more to it than meets the eye—I bet even Chu Yang himself doesn’t know the secret behind his goals.” “Coach Xu does have a point. That goal wasn’t just luck—his movement and dribbling were both very precise. Let’s hope Chu Yangneng keep playing like this.” “Chu Yang definitely has potential, but La Liga is still a bit too much for him right now. He should spend a few years honing his skills in the second division first. After all, he’s only twenty—there are plenty of opportunities ahead. What the National Team really needs is a striker who can turn Yang Shao’s passes into assists, and right now, Chu Yang seems to be the most promising candidate.” “The National Team is lacking in everything—it’s not just Chu Yang.” “Speaking of Yang Shao, it looks like Florence won again. Maybe they’ll actually pull off a championship this year.” “There’s still a good chance…” Happer waved his hand dismissively, but as he watched that figure on the field, his feelings grew a bit complicated. He actually had high hopes for Chu Yang—after all, no head coach could possibly dislike a hardworking player. But hard work and natural talent are two different things. He’d given Chu Yang every opportunity he could, but there was nothing he could do about the fact that Chu Yang’s breakthrough had come too late. Of course, Chu Yang had no idea what the head coach was thinking. He simply ran calmly to the goal and carried the ball out. He was a little excited, but having lived two lifetimes and experienced life and death, he certainly possessed the mental fortitude to handle it. The game wasn’t over yet—anything could still happen, couldn’t it?