On the pitch, Haaland was caught in a frantic desire to score, while Gao Shen, watching from the stands, was struggling with a complex and uneasy state of mind.
It was now December 2019.
Over the past few months, Gao Shen had been closely monitoring global developments, especially news from China.
The sudden catastrophe that had occurred in his previous life had caused massive disruption around the world, and it still haunted him.
In particular, European football had been hit hard. Because of the mask incident, stadiums were closed, leagues suspended, and almost every club faced financial crisis. Players were asked to take pay cuts just to keep their clubs alive.
It was devastating for everyone in professional football.
Gao Shen's business had been growing rapidly. His work at Leeds United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain was now recognized across the football world, and countless clubs were eager to work with him. Yet he couldn't expand quickly enough due to limited manpower.
He knew it was better to take things slow than to compromise on quality. Reputation mattered more than size.
However, if the leagues were suspended again, it would have a huge impact on his operations.
And on Leeds United as well.
Although Gao Shen had maintained strict control over Leeds United's wage structure, a suspended league and closed stadiums would cause enormous financial losses. If that happened, he would have no choice but to step in personally to help the club survive.
Yes, he had already taken in transfer fees and most of the commercial profits, but Leeds United's stability remained crucial.
The bigger issue, though, was his homeland.
Recently, Gao Shen had been calling his parents and in-laws every three days, and video chatting with them every five, just to check on their health and keep them informed of developments abroad.
His father had high blood pressure, and his mother suffered from diabetes. At their age, such conditions made them extremely vulnerable.
And this coming crisis, he feared, would be a long one with no quick resolution.
In short, Gao Shen was living in constant anxiety, leaving Su Qing puzzled and worried by his behavior.
Fortunately, December had arrived and no bad news had surfaced yet.
For Gao Shen, no news was the best news.
So tonight, inside the Amazon Stadium, he was more excited than usual.
He wanted to release all his worries and negative emotions.
He looked around at the magnificent stadium, the dazzling high-tech facilities, the passionate fans who cheered with everything they had, and the players chasing the ball across the pitch.
What a wonderful world this was.
The thought filled him with sudden courage.
He stood up, ran to the railing of the stands, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted with all his strength toward the field.
"Go Haaland!"
"Go Haaland!"
"Come on! Score that goal!"
His wild shouting made Ferguson, Wenger, Lucas, Borrell, and the others beside him stare in disbelief.
What was happening?
Was this really Gao Shen?
The man who always remained calm, even when the world around him seemed to collapse, was now shouting like a fan who had lost control.
The stadium noise was already deafening, but soon the fans nearby picked up his chant.
Following his rhythm and emotion, they began to cheer with him.
"Go Haaland!"
"Score, Haaland!"
The chant started faintly, but quickly grew stronger, spreading through the stands like wildfire until it engulfed the entire stadium.
Soon, everyone was shouting Haaland's name.
On the pitch, Haaland had just missed a chance. As he walked back in frustration, he heard the growing roar from the crowd.
Then the big screen switched to a close-up shot of the stands, focusing on Gao Shen.
The fans realized instantly who had started the chant.
It was Gao Shen himself, standing and shouting encouragement for Haaland.
The circular screen showed his image to everyone in the stadium, and the fans roared louder than ever.
"Look at the screen!" Enzo Fernández called out to Haaland, pointing upward.
Haaland looked up and saw Gao Shen clearly, despite the crowd.
Gao Shen was cheering for him.
At that moment, the young Norwegian felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him. His throat tightened, and for a second he almost cried. But instead, he raised his left hand high, pointed his index finger to the sky, and flashed his trademark Majin Buu smile.
The crowd exploded.
The entire stadium was now chanting his name.
Taking a deep breath, Haaland gathered all his strength.
"Ten minutes left! Get me the ball!" he shouted.
"I'm not leaving without a goal tonight!"
His teammates roared in agreement.
"Well said! We've got you!"
"Yes, Haaland! Let's go!"
"We all believe in you!"
...
"The game resumes."
"Leeds United are pushing forward with a powerful attacking rhythm."
"Alphonso Davies sprints down the left flank, receives a pass, drives to the byline…"
"He fakes, bursts past his man, and crosses into the box!"
"Haaland!"
"Oh no, the goalkeeper tipped it just wide! So close!"
"Haaland keeps waving his arms, rallying himself and his teammates."
"He hasn't given up."
"The entire Amazon Stadium is echoing with chants of his name."
...
"Now it's Leeds United attacking down the right."
"The ball goes to Enzo Fernández."
"Rodrygo lays it off for Haaland."
"Haaland dribbles diagonally toward the edge of the box."
"He shoots with his left foot!"
"Ah! Just wide again!"
"That was a high-quality effort, curling just past the post."
"Haaland is relentless, continuing to look for openings."
"That last move, cutting inside and unleashing a left-footed strike, was beautiful."
"But this is football."
"Haaland's luck just isn't with him tonight."
...
"Another attack from the right side."
"Enzo Fernández pushes it forward, Rodrygo chips it over the defense."
"Haaland breaks the offside trap, bursts into the box, controls the ball, and shoots!"
"The goalkeeper parries it away!"
"Bilgi shouts at Haaland, almost taunting him."
"At this point, Haaland needs to stay calm. He cannot lose focus."
"Dortmund are under heavy pressure, with Leeds United throwing everything forward to help their striker."
"Here comes the corner kick."
"Taken from the right side…"
"The cross flies into the middle."
"Akanji heads it clear, but it falls to a Leeds United player outside the box."
"Camavinga chips it back in."
"The box is packed with players, chaos everywhere."
"Rodrygo gets a loose ball and shoots!"
...
Rodrygo's shot from near the penalty spot was blocked. The ball struck Akanji's leg and bounced toward the left side of the box.
The penalty area was a mess, crowded near the center, but the left side was open.
No one expected the ball to bounce that way.
Before anyone could react, a tall figure in white sprinted in from nowhere.
Haaland.
He stretched out his long leg, caught the ball mid-air, and with perfect control turned sharply as it dropped.
No defenders were close enough to intervene.
Haaland took two quick steps forward, steadied himself, and swung his left foot as the ball fell.
The strike was pure power. The ball rocketed off his boot like a bullet.
Goalkeeper Bilgi had already shifted left, covering most of the angle, confident he had it covered.
But Haaland's shot wasn't just powerful—it was placed perfectly, slicing just past the keeper's body.
Bilgi dropped low, spreading his arms and legs, but the ball whistled just above his waist, an impossible height to block.
It wasn't calculation—it was instinct. Pure, perfect timing.
Bilgi could only watch as the net bulged.
Goal!
Haaland's roar echoed through the stadium as he dropped to his knees, fists clenched, shouting to the sky in pure release.
His teammates rushed in, surrounding him, lifting him off the ground in celebration.
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
Haaland had done it.
"In the 87th minute, Haaland scores a stunning goal to break Dortmund's defense!"
"To all the fans watching at home—remember this moment, this match, this young man."
"19-year-old Erling Haaland has scored his 12th goal in the Champions League group stage this season."
"He has officially broken the record once held by his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo!"
"Congratulations to Haaland!"
"And congratulations to Leeds United!"
(To be continued.)