["Seven days later. Old Trafford. It had been raining all day, and the Manchester sky was as grey as a water-soaked, old rag. The standing water on the pitch reflected the cold white light under the floodlights; the stadium's drainage system was running at maximum power, but the turf remained slippery enough to make someone fall. In the player tunnel, Ye Feng stood in the queue, hands behind his back, his fingertips icy cold. He was wearing that No. 24 jersey. The red fabric clung to his body, with the Manchester United crest on his chest and the English League Cup badge on his shoulder. On the other side of the tunnel, the Blackburn Rovers players were already lined up. Lucas Neill, the Australian center-back, was not particularly outstanding in height at 1.85 meters, but his shoulders were as wide as a door panel. Andy Todd stood next to him, an old-school England defender with an old scar on the bridge of his nose—a souvenir left by dozens of aerial duels. Carlos Queiroz stood beside the bench, clutching a folder in his hand. Over the past seven days, he had recorded all of Ye Feng's training data. In physical combat training, from initially only being able to shield the ball for six seconds, by the seventh day, he could hold off two reserve team defenders for a full ten seconds. In shuttle sprints, from being left three steps behind by Cristiano Ronaldo, to being able to cross the finish line at the same time as him. His weight had increased slightly, all muscle. But Carlos Queiroz knew that training was one thing, and the real Premier League pitch was another. The referee blew the whistle for entry. Ye Feng followed behind Cristiano Ronaldo. The moment he stepped out of the player tunnel, the roar of Old Trafford hit him like a wall. Manchester United starting lineup. Goalkeeper: Tim Howard (No. 14). Defenders: Gary Neville (No. 2), Rio Ferdinand (No. 5), Mikaël Silvestre (No. 27), John OShea (No. 22). Midfielders: Cristiano Ronaldo (No. 7), Roy Keane (No. 16), Paul Scholes (No. 18), Ye Feng (No. 24). Forwards: Ruud van Nistelrooy (No. 10), Ole Gunnar Solskjær (No. 20). This was Ferguson's customary 4-4-2 formation. Seventy-six thousand people, red scarves waving in the rain, singing pouring down from the stands on all sides. Ye Feng looked up. Rain hit his face and dripped down his chin. His gaze swept over the blurred faces in the stands; there were white people, black people, and Asian people. In the northeast corner of the stands, he even saw a few national flags of the Dragon Kingdom; the red flag surface was soaked in the rain, but it was still held high. In the broadcast of the Dragon Kingdom TV station, the camera cut to Ye Feng repeatedly. The voice of Commentator Duan Xuan came from the television, filled with irrepressible excitement: \"Dear viewers, what you are watching now is the live broadcast of the first leg of the English League Cup semi-final.\" \"Manchester United at home against Blackburn Rovers.\" \"Both teams have entered the pitch and are conducting the pre-match ceremony. We see it, the No. 24 jersey, Ye Feng! Ye Feng from the Dragon Kingdom has appeared in Manchester United's starting lineup today!\" \"This is the first time a Dragon Kingdom player has started in the semi-final of a top-tier European tournament!\" \"This is a historic moment!\" In front of television sets all over the Dragon Kingdom, countless fans stared at the screens. Some put down their instant noodles, some straightened up from the sofa, and some paused their game in internet cafes. They saw the Dragon Kingdom teenager in the red jersey standing on the pitch of Old Trafford; his physique appeared slender among the Premier League players, but he stood very straight, like a nail driven into the ground. \"How long will he play?\" \"Don't know, Ferguson rarely lets young players play the full match.\" \"Just being able to get on the pitch is a victory.\" Discussion threads on the internet began to refresh crazily. On the pitch, the pre-match ceremony ended. The players of both sides returned to their respective halves. Ye Feng stood on the left side of the center circle, his feet stepping on the turf. Seven days ago, he had vomited three times on the training ground, and his calf cramps were so bad that Carlos Queiroz had to help him stretch. But standing at Old Trafford at this moment, all fatigue had vanished, leaving only a clear sense of hunger. He began to observe. Blackburn Rovers' formation was also 4-4-2, a typical English style of play. The four midfielders stood in a line, and the two forwards roamed in Manchester United's half. Their defensive strategy was very clear: apply pressure from the midfield and not give Manchester United space to organize attacks smoothly. Lucas Neill greeted his teammates loudly, his voice as loud as a bell. Ye Feng's gaze fell on Lucas Neill. The Australian had a habit in his positioning; he liked to lean to the left, facing attacking players with his right shoulder. The referee blew the opening whistle. Blackburn Rovers kicked off first. Their style of play was direct to the point of being rough; the first attack was a 40-meter long pass, looking directly for the forward in the penalty area. Rio Ferdinand jumped high and headed the ball out of the penalty area. But Blackburn Rovers' midfield immediately grabbed the second drop point, a long-range shot going over the crossbar. The whole stadium gasped. \"Blackburn Rovers showed extremely strong aggression right from the start!\" Commentator Duan Xuan's voice came from the TV, \"Their tactics are very clear: use physical confrontation and long balls to suppress Manchester United's midfield. This is a huge test for Ye Feng; we all know that the intensity of physical confrontation in the Premier League cannot be compared to other Leagues.\" The match continued. Blackburn Rovers' pressing was indeed fierce, but Ye Feng had already figured out their routine within the first ten minutes. The Australian Lucas Neill, that center-back who liked to face attacking players with his right shoulder, would shift his center of gravity in advance every time he challenged for the ball. His left foot was the supporting foot, and his right foot was the tackling foot; there was an extremely short transition gap in between, about 0.3 seconds. Ye Feng was waiting for that gap. In the 17th minute, the opportunity came. Paul Scholes took the ball in the midfield, a flat and fast through ball passing through the double-teaming of two Blackburn Rovers midfielders, accurately delivering it to Ye Feng's feet. Ye Feng received the ball with his back to the goal, and Lucas Neill immediately stuck to him, that door-panel-like shoulder slamming into his back. At the very moment the impact was about to arrive, Ye Feng's right heel gave a light flick. The ball passed between Lucas Neill's legs, a Nutmeg! Following that, Ye Feng's body spun to the left like a spinning top, bypassing Lucas Neill from his right side. The Australian center-back's center of gravity was still pressed on his left leg and he had no time to adjust, so he could only watch helplessly as Ye Feng brushed past him like a gust of wind passing through a half-open door. \"Beautiful! Ye Feng's heel flick! A Nutmeg! So imaginative!\" Commentator Duan Xuan's voice was almost a roar. Just as Ye Feng turned around, Andy Todd came over to cover. The scar on the bridge of the nose of this old-school England defender was clearly visible in the rain; he lowered his center of gravity and rushed over at full speed, clearly intending to use his body to knock Ye Feng out of the sideline. Ye Feng did not dodge. He gently tapped the ball to the right with the outside of his right foot, and the ball slid past the outside of Andy Todd's left foot. Andy Todd stretched his leg to block, but Ye Feng's left inner foot immediately hooked the ball back—La Croqueta! The ball bounced between the two feet, and Ye Feng's body squeezed through the gap between Andy Todd and Lucas Neill. Old Trafford erupted in a huge gasp. The roar of seventy-six thousand people was like a bolt of lightning, splitting the gloom of the Manchester rainy night. Blackburn Rovers' third defensive player rushed up—it was midfielder Barry Ferguson. He flew in with a slide tackle, his studs reflecting a cold white light under the floodlights. Ye Feng lightly chipped the ball with his toe. The ball went over Barry Ferguson's tackling leg, and Ye Feng jumped up himself, leaping over Barry Ferguson's legs. The moment he landed, his right instep steadily caught the falling ball, and with almost no pause, he pushed forward directly. \"Rainbow Flick! Another Rainbow Flick! Ye Feng has dribbled past three people in a row!\" Commentator Duan Xuan stood up from the commentary booth, his headset crooked, \"He is still thirty meters away from the goal!\""]
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