Before the match, Lu Chuan opened the faded notebook in his room and, with a fountain pen, wrote a line on a blank page:
"Score in 12 consecutive League matches, starting today." He paused the pen tip on the paper, and ink slowly seeped out, forming a small dot.
This goal was so crazy that even he found it unbelievable, but the volley that secured the win against Betis in the Copa del Rey gave him unprecedented confidence.
"12 matches, 12 goals." He closed the notebook, his eyes gleaming with an almost obsessive light.
Before the match began, Extremadura's coach, Manuel Mosquera, smirked during an interview: "Rayo Vallecano has a hot Chinese forward; we have prepared 'special attention' for him."
This "attention" was delivered in the very first minute of the game.
Extremadura set up a 3-5-2 defensive formation, with three center-backs positioned closely, and defensive midfielder Nono acting like a radar, constantly tracking Lu Chuan's position.
The moment Lu Chuan touched the ball, two or three players immediately swarmed him, like a pack of hungry wolves hunting an antelope.
"Damn it, are these guys crazy?" Álvaro García watched this scene from the wing, unable to stop himself from cursing.
In the 8th minute, Lu Chuan received the ball near the center circle, and Extremadura's center-back Borja Granero and defensive midfielder Nono simultaneously closed in to tackle.
Lu Chuan tried to use his skill to break free, but Granero directly elbowed him in the ribs, while Nono pulled his jersey from behind.
"Beep!" The referee's whistle blew, but he only signaled a foul, without issuing a card.
"No card for that?" Captain Trejo waved his arms at the referee, his face full of disbelief.
Boos erupted from the South Stand of Vallecas Stadium, as fans were extremely dissatisfied with the referee's lenient officiating.
Nono, a 33-year-old veteran, was rich in playing experience, constantly employing various small fouls.
He always elbowed Lu Chuan in the lower back when he turned, "accidentally" stepped on Lu Chuan's ankle during a scramble, and pulled his jersey from angles unseen by the referee.
In the 15th minute, Lu Chuan received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, with Nono pressing him from the side. Lu Chuan used the outside of his right foot to change direction, but Nono couldn't keep up and directly collided with Lu Chuan's chest with his shoulder.
"You yellow monkey, go back to your Asia!" Nono whispered menacingly in Lu Chuan's ear, his voice low.
Nono's taunts abruptly stopped because he saw the chinese kid's eyes change; it was the look a predator gives to its prey, sending an inexplicable chill down his spine.
"Try cursing again." Lu Chuan's voice was calm, but that calmness was more terrifying than a roar.
"What? Want to fight?" Nono pushed Lu Chuan's chest, his provocative smile growing even more brazen.
In the 32nd minute, an opportunity arose. Lu Chuan received the ball in midfield, and Nono habitually pressed him from behind.
This time, Lu Chuan did not choose to technically evade, but suddenly stopped the ball and turned. Nono couldn't stop his momentum and swept his foot across Lu Chuan's shin.
Lu Chuan fell to the ground, but he did not roll around; instead, he quickly got up and rushed towards Nono.
"Enough!" Lu Chuan's voice echoed across the stadium. He stood head-to-head with Nono, veins bulging on his forehead.
"You little bastard, what can you do to me?" Nono refused to back down, pushing forcefully against Lu Chuan's forehead.
"You useless person, what else can you do besides foul?" Lu Chuan's eyes burned with anger.
"I was playing football when you were still in diapers!" Nono spat, almost splashing Lu Chuan's face.
The confrontation between the two instantly ignited the entire stadium. Players from both sides rushed in, and pushing and cursing blended into chaos.
The referee hurried over and separated the two. He pulled out yellow cards from his pocket and showed them to Lu Chuan and Nono respectively.
"Calm down, Lu!" Captain Trejo rushed over immediately, tightly embracing Lu Chuan's waist and dragging him away from the scene.
"Don't fall into their trap! They just want to provoke you. Play with your head, not your temper!"
Lu Chuan took a deep breath, trying to quell the anger in his heart. He looked towards Paco Jémez on the sidelines; the coach was watching him with calm eyes.
Paco understood Lu Chuan's situation. He made a gesture from the sidelines, signaling Lu Chuan to make more off-ball runs. Captain Trejo saw Paco's gesture and immediately shouted to Lu Chuan: "Lu! Run! Draw them away!"
As the first half neared its end, the score remained 0-0. Lu Chuan had been fouled 7 times, yet hadn't managed a single decent shot.
He felt like a beast trapped in a cage, full of unexpressed power, frustration, and irritation.
"Damn it!" Lu Chuan furiously kicked the turf after being fouled again.
During halftime, Lu Chuan proactively sought out Paco. The other players in the locker room were resting, only the two of them conversed in low voices in a corner.
"Coach, they're only marking me." Lu Chuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes flashing with unwillingness.
"In the second half, let me be the ultimate decoy. I'll pull their defense to one side, and then we'll attack the other side with full force."
Paco looked at him deeply; the young man's tactical understanding impressed him greatly.
"Alright, I'll give you fifteen minutes." Paco nodded, his tone conveying trust. "Use your running to tear open their defensive wall for me!"
As the second half began, Lu Chuan's running routes changed significantly.
He no longer focused on getting the ball, but instead constantly made off-ball runs, like a moving magnet, attracting Extremadura's defensive attention.
In the 58th minute, the opportunity came.
Lu Chuan suddenly burst forward, making a long-distance sprint along the edge of the penalty area towards the right byline.
His speed was incredible, like a red lightning bolt streaking across the grass.
Extremadura's three center-backs and defensive midfielder Nono almost instinctively followed him. The entire defensive line's center of gravity shifted instantly, creating a huge gap on the left wing.
"Now!" Trejo received the ball in the center, seeing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A precise overhead long pass, the ball soared over Extremadura's defense, accurately finding Álvaro García, who was completely unmarked on the left.
Álvaro was through on goal. Goalkeeper Casto rushed out, but Álvaro didn't choose to shoot directly.
He calmly glanced towards the center and then passed the ball across!
At this moment, a figure in a red and white striped jersey flashed like lightning from the right wing back to the center.
Lu Chuan, with an incredible change of direction, shook off all the still-confused defenders and appeared at the most dangerous position right on time.
Facing an open goal, Lu Chuan didn't hesitate for a second. His right foot fiercely struck the ball, and it flew into the net!
"Goal!" The commentator's voice echoed throughout the stadium, and Vallecas Stadium instantly erupted in thunderous cheers.
1-0!
After scoring, Lu Chuan didn't celebrate. He walked directly towards the still-stunned Nono, stopping less than a meter away from him.
Lu Chuan slowly turned and pointed to his name and number on the back of his jersey.
"Did you see it clearly?" Lu Chuan's voice was soft, but to Nono, it sounded as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Nono's face flushed crimson, his fists clenched, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He looked up at the scoreboard; this was the first one.
Lu Chuan looked up at the stands, where the fans were celebrating wildly.
There were still 11 matches, and 11 goals waiting for him.