In the locker room after the match, champagne and beer sprayed everywhere, music blared at maximum volume, and the Rayo Vallecano players celebrated AS if they had won the World Cup.
Lu Chuan was repeatedly lifted by his teammates, becoming the undisputed hero.
"Lu Chuan! Lu Chuan!" Álvaro García, his face red, rushed towards Lu Chuan, holding a beer bottle.
"You crazy man! That volley almost killed me!"
"I almost fell off the stands!" Isi Palazón laughed, taking off his sweat-soaked jersey while mimicking a shot.
"I felt the power of that shot even sitting on the sidelines!"
Captain Trejo put his arm around Lu Chuan's shoulder, tears of relief in his eyes. "Kid, do you know? In all my years of playing football, I've never seen such a last-minute winner. You've made all of Vallecas crazy for you!"
Santi Comesaña took a bottle of champagne from his locker and shook it vigorously. "Brothers, a toast to our Chinese killer!"
"Pop!" The champagne cork flew towards the ceiling, and white foam sprayed over everyone.
Paco Jémez leaned against the door, a rare smile on his face.
He didn't stop the players' revelry, but in the midst of the noise, he shouted to Lu Chuan: "Well done! Kid!… Double training tomorrow!"
The next day, the entire Spanish sports media went wild. Marca's front-page headline read: "Chinese Dragon! Vallecas's Miracle Night!"; AS called him "The Man Who Shot Through La Liga's Wall."
His name and a picture of that volley dominated the headlines of all sports news.
Lu Chuan's phone had been ringing non-stop since early morning.
All sorts of interview invitations, business collaborations, and fan congratulatory messages poured in like snowflakes.
He turned off his phone and walked to the training ground, only to find it already surrounded by an impenetrable wall of reporters.
"Lu Chuan! Are you satisfied with your performance last night?"
"Was that volley a spur-of-the-moment decision or something you had prepared for?"
"Do you think you already have the ability to play in La Liga?"
Lu Chuan lowered his head and quickly walked through the crowd, not answering any questions. He knew this was just the beginning.
Within the team, Lu Chuan's status underwent a subtle change.
Younger players looked at him with adoration, while competitors like Álvaro García had completely transformed into comrades-in-arms.
"Lu, your movement to drop back and receive the ball yesterday was so clever." During training, Álvaro proactively approached Lu Chuan. "Can we try to link up? I'll cross from the left, and you look for an opportunity in the box."
The young Andrés Martín was even more direct: "Brother Lu, can you teach me how to do a volley? I dreamt about that shot all last night."
Even the usually serious Mario Suárez walked over and patted Lu Chuan's shoulder: "Kid, keep it up. You have the potential to become a true star."
Lu Chuan felt an unprecedented sense of recognition; his teammates' eyes were no longer filled with doubt, but with admiration and anticipation.
Back in his apartment, Lu Chuan closed the door, finally finding a moment of quiet. He silently thought: "System."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the challenge mission: The Knock on La Liga's Door!"
"Reward: 800LP, [Big Heart] skill shard x1"
"Match Rating: 9.9 (Man of the Match)"
"LP gained: 200 (Match Victory) + 200 (MOTM) + 100 (penalty kick) + 200 (Worldie Winner) = 700LP!"
"Current LP Balance: 800+800 + 700 = 2300LP"
Looking at the numbers on the system panel, a sense of accomplishment welled up in Lu Chuan's heart.
2300LP, this was the largest amount he had ever possessed. More importantly, the [Big Heart] skill shard brought him one step closer to that coveted skill.
He took out his phone from his pocket and clicked on the text message again. The sender was "Ester."
He vaguely remembered the name; in his previous life, he was obsessed with football and knew little about the entertainment industry. A congratulation from a stranger girl didn't seem important to him at this moment.
With a hint of curiosity and caution, Lu Chuan typed "Ester Spain Actress" into the search engine.
The first result that popped up was Ester Expósito's Wikipedia page, accompanied by a stunning face—blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate features like a sculpture.
Lu Chuan's finger paused on the screen. He had seen this face before.
Ester's face on the screen overlapped with the girl who had been surrounded at a street corner in Barcelona a few months ago.
The sunlight on Las Ramblas, the dazzling flashbulbs of the paparazzi, and her soft "thank you" instantly became clear.
That was a few months ago, when he was still playing for the Leganés B Team and took a short vacation to Barcelona to relax.
The hustle and bustle of Las Ramblas, the afternoon sun filtering through the plane tree leaves onto the cobblestone streets.
At a street corner, he saw several paparazzi roughly surrounding a girl.
The camera flashes flickered blindingly, and the girl was forced back against a wall, her eyes full of fear and helplessness.
"Enough!" Lu Chuan didn't think much at the time, purely out of dislike for the scene, and stepped forward to separate the crowd with his body.
His height and muscular physique were enough to deter the scrawny paparazzi. "Get away from her!"
"Who are you? Meddling?" A paparazzi stepped back, annoyed.
"Who I am isn't important." Lu Chuan stood in front of the girl, his broad back shielding her from all the cameras. "What's important is that you leave now."
The paparazzi grumbled and dispersed, and the girl behind him softly said, "Thank you."
The girl he had protected was Ester Expósito.
Lu Chuan was shocked. He hadn't expected that the person he casually helped was one of Spain's hottest actresses.
According to Wikipedia, Ester was the lead actress in the hit Netflix series "Elite" and had over twenty million Instagram followers.
He was just a player who had just made a name for himself in the segunda división, while she was a big star with twenty million followers.
Lu Chuan couldn't understand how their life paths could have collided.
Lu Chuan's phone vibrated. It was Carlos's call.
"Lu, your performance was amazing! Now at least five brands want to sign with you." Carlos's excited voice came from the other end of the line. "And several La Liga club scouts have started asking about you."
Lu Chuan took a deep breath and told Carlos about Ester.
A long silence fell on the other end of the phone.
After a full ten seconds, Carlos finally spoke in an unprecedentedly serious tone: "Lu, listen, this is no small matter.
Ester Expósito is a top influencer in Spain, and getting involved with her will exponentially increase your exposure, but the risks are equally huge.
The media will pounce like sharks smelling blood, and if you don't handle it well, you'll be ruined."
"What do you mean?" Lu Chuan frowned.
"It means if your relationship is exposed, every paparazzi will dig into your past, every detail will be magnified.
Your private life will be completely exposed to the spotlight." Carlos's voice conveyed worry.
"Not to mention, how many of her fans will accept her being with a foreign player?"
Carlos's warning echoed in his ears. He had been reborn, wanting only to play football, not to get involved in any off-field drama, especially not a top-tier celebrity scandal that could ruin his career.
Ester's eyes, full of gratitude and shock amidst the chaos, still lingered in his mind.
That pure gratitude, without any ulterior motives, was just a normal girl's thanks for a stranger's help.
"I understand." Lu Chuan finally spoke. "I'll handle it carefully."
After long deliberation, Lu Chuan's rationality overcame his impulse. He decided to reply in the most polite, yet most distant way.
He deleted and revised for a long time, finally sending a message: "Hello, Ester. I remember. Glad you still remember me. Lu Chuan."
After sending the message, he threw his phone aside, ready to focus on preparing for the next match.
Tomorrow was the League match, against Extremadura, an important battle for him to demonstrate consistency.
His phone vibrated almost immediately. Ester's reply was surprisingly fast, and the content was equally direct: "Of course I remember my hero. You're in Madrid now, right? I'll be back in Madrid next week too. Perhaps, I can treat you to that meal I've owed you for a long time?"
Lu Chuan stared at the screen, his heart rate quickening. This reply exceeded his expectations.
He had thought a polite reply would make her back off, but instead, it seemed to have sparked greater interest.
Outside, Madrid's night fell. The distant lights illuminated the entire city, just like the flame burning in his heart.
Football was his world, his everything. Any factor that could affect this world had to be treated with caution.
Lu Chuan placed his phone on the coffee table and didn't reply immediately. He needed time to think, and he needed to discuss it with Carlos.
This seemingly simple dinner invitation hid too many complex possibilities.
But a voice in his heart told him that this girl was different.
Her eyes, her gratitude, were genuine.
In this world full of utilitarianism and calculation, sincerity was the most precious quality.
Lu Chuan closed his eyes. Tomorrow's match was more important.
Everything else could wait until after tomorrow.