I came, I saw, I conquered!
While this sentence is overbearing, it's also a huge insult to the person and place where it's said.
The contempt is so strong that, if translated into Chinese, it basically means: "You're stupid and rich, so come here quickly!"
Most Chinese people wouldn't say something so rude—unless it's on purpose.
But Europe and the U.S., especially the U.S., love this kind of boldness. They even see it as a sign of confidence.
Although their economy once led the world, most of them have a superficial understanding of self-confidence due to a lack of cultural depth.
So, Kai's bold behavior instantly electrified the audience.
"Oh my God! Unbelievable! This is a miracle!"
"I feel the domineering aura of Kai! He just said Julius Caesar's famous words. Right now, it's like seeing Caesar himself on the pitch!"
"Kai's long-range shot actually went in! One-nil! Less than a minute after kickoff, Sporting Lisbon scores a lightning goal!"
"Kai intercepted Andoua's pass with a sliding tackle, then scored from distance while surrounded!"
"Andoua's pass was way too risky. Once intercepted, the consequences were catastrophic!"
"Qatar Sports' goalkeeper was careless. He didn't get back in position in time and missed the best chance to save it."
"Kai raised his hands to the sky like he'd conquered the stadium!"
"Oh! Chris ran over and celebrated with Kai! Rare! Chris usually only celebrates his own goals. Looks like he and Kai really get along."
"Chris' movement helped Kai pull away at least two defenders."
"Two months ago, Kai performed poorly and got subbed off in panic."
"People even said he wasn't cut out for football, that signing him was a total lose-lose for Sporting Lisbon."
"But now… who would have thought this kid could score a goal?"
"Twenty-two seconds! Kai's lightning goal sets the record for the fastest goal in the Portuguese U15 League!"
"No matter what happens next, this will be a shining moment in his career!"
The stadium commentator, though only an intern used to youth games, did a great job hyping the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Andoua's face was stormy, almost dripping with fury.
Because of Kai's "reckless" play, he became the sinner.
If you don't understand football, you shouldn't play.
If you can't pass someone, just pass the ball.
What the hell was this blind long shot from Kai?
That's what the Qatar Sports players were thinking. They felt unbelievably unlucky.
Only Trigla, watching from the stands, sensed something strange.
He always suspected that Kai's goal from the start was… intentional.
Kai's body isn't massive, but his control is perfect. If he really wanted to beat Andoua, he could have faked a few dribbles or shoulder-shimmied.
He's a master of feints.
But no. He simply dribbled at full speed.
This isn't Kai's style.
Unless… he was waiting for the exact timing to shoot.
Trigla shook his head, thinking he might be overanalyzing. Are the two or three meters Kai advanced after the tackle really that important?
From the pitch perspective, it's negligible. It even put Kai closer to Andoua, seemingly riskier.
"Luck! This kid relies purely on luck! He doesn't know how to play football at all! Anyone who knows football wouldn't make such a mindless choice!" Several gang members ranted to Trigla.
It was Andoua's brother's group, angrily analyzing the play. His friends nodded along, but seemed distracted.
Trigla noticed the tickets in their hands.
They had bet on the game.
This group of gambling idiots.
After Trigla became a coach, he hated people betting on football. A coach can't gamble; his license would be revoked if discovered.
At first, Trigla didn't understand, but he gradually realized the rule's meaning for a "football-savvy" player like Kai:
If everyone bet according to Kai's performance, he'd lose everything.
People who don't know football can make small profits betting, but the knowledgeable often lose. The most skilled players always lose—and their wives punish them by making them sleep on the couch. Right, Paul?
Back to the game.
In the next ten minutes, everyone assumed Kai's goal had been a fluke.
He was almost invisible on the field.
That's the effect after Maxa ordered Kai as the midfield core.
It's not that others weren't cooperating—it's that Kai doesn't hog the ball.
When he receives the ball, he often just taps it once. Nothing flashy. But defenders stay far away, giving him space.
No conflicts, nothing dramatic to watch.
Unlike Ronaldo:
The moment he touches the ball, he can whip it down the wing, dribble past opponents, or do some wild bicycle kick. He's constantly attacked from all sides, fighting on the ground, drawing free kicks or yellow cards.
Fans cheer endlessly.
But Trigla was extremely satisfied with Kai.
In his eyes, Kai's play could be summed up in one word: elegant.
Kai always runs into gaps, naturally avoiding pressure.
A midfield master doesn't need flashy long passes if his positioning creates gaps. Short passes can advance the team—why sacrifice the near for the far?
This kind of silent orchestration is hard for many fans to understand. Even midfielders who excel at long passes are masters of short-pass organization.
Short passes weave a net; long passes are shining swords.
Kai had spent ten minutes weaving the net.
How would he wield the sword next? Or would he even show it?
Thirteenth minute.
Kai has the ball. The team is past midfield, firmly in Sporting Lisbon's hands.
Kai dribbled two steps. Andoua rushed forward, aiming to use his size advantage to steal the ball.
Suddenly, Kai lifted his foot.
Shot?
Andoua instinctively ducked.
Kai moved the ball sideways, shifting from center to right, pointing at the right winger—baiting Andoua.
Andoua rushed to cut off the passing lane.
Boom!
Kai passed the ball—not right, but left!
Swinging his leg from right to left, he sent the ball behind Andoua.
If Andoua hadn't rushed right so quickly, he could have stopped it without stretching.
This perfectly shows the difference in passing styles between Andoua and Kai.
Andoua played safe, trying to avoid Kai. Rigid, routine, predictable.
Kai takes risks but manipulates Andoua into losing his interception opportunity.
The "safe" option is actually risky; the seemingly "risky" option has a higher chance of success.
Both could succeed or fail.
The difference? The mental endurance of the passer.
"Chris! Chris is here!"
"Chris got the ball! He cut inside even before Kai passed!"
"Chris devoured the Qatar Sports center-back. The defender only had time to tug his jersey before Chris shook him off!"
"Single shot! Single shot! Goal!"
"Kai's brilliant pass split the Qatar Sports midfield, and Chris broke through the back line to score alone!"
"It's a match made in heaven!"
"I'd call it the CD connection!"
"Two-nil! Sporting Lisbon wipes out its early troubles! Thirteen minutes in, and they're already two goals up!"
"Chris reads Kai perfectly. Their tacit understanding surpasses that with any other teammate."
"I heard Chris lives with Kai. That explains their chemistry."
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