Januzaj was visibly stunned.
He patted Ye Chen on the shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
Ye Chen forced a faint smile.
"I'm fine.
Let's finish the game first."
Truthfully, he felt like crying.
But he knew he couldn't.
In this world, no one believes in tears.
Only by proving himself strong could he survive under such hostile circumstances.
It had to be saidâChina's football association truly excelled at being infuriating.
Although Ye Chen didn't know why Manchester United had abruptly terminated his contract, he was certain it was related to them.
But this wasn't his lossâit was Manchester United's.
After all, with the system he possessed, his future as a football king was guaranteed.
He had never doubted this.
"Hey, you look like an abandoned dog!"
As Ye Chen passed a Black player on the pitch, the opponent suddenly sneered.
"He's not a dog; he's a monkey..."
"A goal and an assist? So what? United doesn't want you!"
"Hey, why not come to Liverpool? We'll buy you some dog food!"
The insults grew nastier and nastier.
Ye Chen didn't respond.
His eyes, however, burned with a fiery determination.
It was bad enough that Manchester United terminated his contract.
But these Liverpool players were even more revolting.
"Ye, are you okay?" Dalot came over, concern written all over his face.
Kiriliano chimed in, "What's going on? You played so well todayâwhy would they terminate your contract?"
Ye Chen shook his head.
"Don't ask me. I have no idea either."
The entire team stared at him, but Ye Chen clapped his hands forcefully.
"Snap out of it! The game's not over yet!"
The players finally snapped back to focus and threw themselves into the match.
Januzaj patted Ye Chen on the back.
"Let's go!"
"Forget cheering. Just pass me the ball when you get it!"
If he couldn't stay, then he would give everything to finish this match and show United exactly what they were losing.
He wanted everyone to know: leaving Manchester United wasn't his lossâit was theirs.
The game resumed.
The ball was passed to Sterling.
This time, instead of going solo, Sterling worked with his teammates.
Their patient passing game paid off, as Sterling eventually found a chance to shoot.
But after playing a full match, Sterling's stamina was depleted, and his shot lacked power.
Goalkeeper Liam collected the ball easily.
Wasting no time, he noticed Ye Chen gesturing upfield and booted the ball forward.
It was worth noting that Liam's chance to start this game was thanks to Ye Chen.
If not for Ye Chen scoring three goals against Jonathan's team, Solskjaer wouldn't have given Liam from the B team a chance.
Although Liam's kick was slightly off target, it fortunately landed within Januzaj's reach.
Januzaj controlled the ball, but Liverpool's players quickly regrouped on defense. At this moment, only two Liverpool U18 defenders, Regan and Sama, stood between Januzaj, Ye Chen, and the goal.
By now, most players were visibly fatigued, including Januzaj.
As Januzaj slowed down with the ball, the defenders closed in.
Ye Chen raised his hand and shouted, "Adnan, pass it to me!"
Januzaj didn't hesitate. To him, the formula was simple: pass to Ye Chen = assist.
Ye Chen received the ball, his pace seemingly slowing. Regan stepped up to challenge, while Sama kept an eye on Januzaj.
Seeing Ye Chen's drop in speed, Regan let out a breath of relief.
But in the blink of an eye, Ye Chen accelerated.
With the outside of his foot, he flicked the ball to his left, feinting a left-side breakthrough.
Regan shifted his weight to the left, only for Ye Chen to tap the ball to the right with his toe.
As Regan scrambled to recover, his balance faltered, and he tumbled to the ground with a loud thud.
The crowd collectively gasped.
"My God, what did I just witness?!" commentator Carragher exclaimed, his voice high-pitched with disbelief.
"That's a divine dribble! Ye just left Liverpool U18's captain Regan in the dirt!"
But Ye Chen wasn't done yet.
With Regan down, Sama felt a chill run through him.
Forgetting about Januzaj, he charged straight at Ye Chen.
Ye Chen, now free of Regan, nudged the ball forward and sprinted after it.
A split second later, he wound up for a shot.
Boom!
The ball soared through the air.
Ye Chen had already noticed the goalkeeper's positioning when Regan rushed him.
With that, he made a bold decision.
Back in the commentary box, Carragher sounded as if his throat had been grabbed.
"He's... he's going for a shot from midfield! My God, does he think he's Beckham? Wait... oh no, Werling's too far forward! His footwork is messy... This is bad... My God, what's happening?!"
Newcomer commentator Scholes was at a loss for words.
What had he just seen?
From midfield, Ye Chen had used a breathtaking dribble to floor Regan and then unleashed a thunderous long shot.
The ball, like a guided missile, arced perfectly into the net.
"My God, what kind of genius has Manchester United let slip through their fingers?!" Scholes exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes.
On the field, Ye Chen's gamble had paid off.
Using the system's "long-shot guaranteed goal" card, he had taken the chance, even though the system didn't specify the card's maximum range. He simply felt like shooting.
Just like Beckham back in the day.
The ball soared across half the pitch, flying toward the goal.
Liverpool's goalkeeper, Werling, was caught off guard.
Despite his desperate sprint back, the ball outran him.
As he leapt high to punch the ball away, it dipped into the net just before he could reach it.
The stadium fell silent for a moment, stunned.
Then, a deafening roar of cheers erupted, shaking Old Trafford's roof.
As his teammates celebrated, the cameras focused on Ye Chen.
He didn't sprint around in wild celebration.
Instead, he spread his arms, his expression calm, as he gazed toward the director's box where David Gill sat.
Gill's face turned ashen. Moments later, he rose and left his seat, his thoughts known only to himself.
It was all the fault of China's football association.
If they hadn't pressured him with their email, he wouldn't have made such a foolish decision.
This player, dismissed as having "mediocre talent" by the Chinese FA?
He was a genius on par with Beckham!