Chapter 48
The audience was stunned. With only twelve seconds left on the clock and defeat looming, Jiang Yihao's miraculous strike produced a perfect crescent moon curve, turning the tide in an instant—RQ won!
Jiang Yihao peeled off his jersey in excitement and sprinted wildly across the field! The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
"We won! RQ won!"
The whole world cheered along. Amid the roaring crowd, the commentator exclaimed emotionally, "This must be a miracle! It was Zhang Hao, running tirelessly on the pitch, who delivered a stunning crescent moon curve at the very last moment! This goal could make it into the goal of the week—no, the goal of the season!"
Ruan Ning covered her mouth, tears on the verge of falling. The anxiety that had gripped her all night finally released in this moment. The villagers watching with her had already stood up, chanting in unison, "RQ is awesome! RQ is awesome!"
The cousin who had been watching coldly just moments ago cheered the loudest, jumping onto a stool to lead the crowd in the chant: "Zhang Hao is awesome! RQ is awesome!"
Among them, the cousin and the other girls responded with the most enthusiasm, hugging each other and shouting.
"We won! We won! The handsome guy won!"
"I'm buying a ticket to the city next week to watch him live!"
Ruan Ning smiled with tears in her eyes, turning around to wipe them away.
On the screen, after RQ's victory, teammates ran from all directions to crowd around Jiang Yihao, hugging and jumping, shouting with excitement.
Lao Fang, the team doctor, and other RQ staff also rushed over from the sidelines, surrounding the hero of the match. His teammates lifted him high, tossing him up and down, while the entire stadium boiled over, chanting his name in unison.
The camera spun around Jiang Yihao in a 360-degree close-up. At that moment, he was the most dazzling star in the world, with the whole globe prostrating at his feet.
Jiang Yihao was thrown into the air by the crowd, the bright stars of the night sky twinkling as if congratulating and waving at him.
His mind was still a blur, doubting whether he had truly executed a crescent moon curve. When he snapped back to reality, he heard a whistle, followed by a thunderous celebration—RQ had won!
He was overjoyed!
He had done it!
He had won his professional debut match!
Jiang Yihao's face flushed red with excitement, veins bulging on his forehead, and he roared at the sky with his mouth wide open. The thunderous cheers of RQ fans surrounded him, but he heard nothing, only instinctively screaming until his voice grew hoarse.
The whole stadium chanted his name in unison.
"Zhang Hao!"
"Zhang Hao!"
He had no regrets!
After the match, the media surged in like a tide, surrounding him in an impenetrable throng. A crowd of people carrying cameras and holding microphones pressed in around Jiang Yihao, following him closely, refusing to give up a single step beside him.
Reporters could tell that this handsome young man was not only good-looking but also immensely skilled, and at just eighteen, his future seemed boundless—perhaps he would one day become a football superstar. They were determined to secure his first interview.
With every step Jiang Yihao took, a question was thrown at him, keeping him on his toes.
He walked straight ahead, while the media walked backward, extending microphones toward him, unwilling to waste a single moment of questioning. Jiang Yihao, a bit helpless, kindly reminded them, "Watch your step." As he said this, a reporter bumped into a door behind him and got quite a fright.
Lao Fang, watching Jiang Yihao basking in the glow of victory, gave an approving look and followed at a distance.
Per routine, after the match, the team would leave only after granting the media an interview period. In the press room, the flashlights turned the space blindingly white, cameras clicking continuously at Jiang Yihao, making it hard for him to keep his eyes open.
Having just won the match and being interviewed by so many people for the first time, he felt quite pleased with himself.
Jiang Yihao stood in front of a backdrop covered with sponsor logos, squinting and frowning, but still smiling as he answered the reporters' various odd questions.
"May I ask, Zhang Hao, how do you feel?"
Jiang Yihao thought, is that even a question?
"It just feels awesome."
"Anything else?"
Jiang Yihao scratched his head. "Feels super awesome."
"Hahaha." The reporters burst into laughter.
They realized this young man was a bit naive and straightforward, but not exactly giving them the answers they wanted.
In order to file their stories, they tried to steer him toward the standard answers: "Well, as we all saw today, you performed brilliantly, securing the opening victory for RQ and delivering an epic crescent moon curve. As a rookie, you must be satisfied with your performance."
Jiang Yihao spoke his mind: "It was just 1-0, barely saving face, not a big win. Next match I'll work even harder, not just pull through at the last second."
"Hahaha." The reporters broke into another round of cheerful laughter, thinking this guy was quite entertaining.
They wanted to continue asking questions, but Jiang Yihao stopped and looked into the distance.
A young man in his twenties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a suit, appeared in the distance, frantically waving his arms at Jiang Yihao through the crowd.
Jiang Yihao instantly dropped his smile and turned serious, pushing through the crowd. "Sorry, I have to leave for a moment. Please make way."
People turned around in surprise—how could someone who was being interviewed just walk away like that?
The newcomer was Jiang Yihao's personal assistant. When the assistant saw Jiang Yihao, he didn't even bother to catch his breath and blurted out anxiously, "Young Master, we've found Miss Ruan!"