The night wind at Riazor Stadium carried the salty scent of the ocean.
Lu Chuan stood at the edge of the penalty area, the ball resting quietly at his feet.
Everything around him grew silent, with only the sound of his heartbeat echoing in his ears.
Avde's foul just moments ago was still vivid in his memory.
The veteran from Deportivo La Coruña chose a tactical foul at the last moment, preferring to concede a free kick in an excellent position rather than allow Lu Chuan a shooting opportunity inside the penalty area.
"This position is too dangerous," Dani Jiménez paced back and forth in front of the goal line, his eyes fixed on Lu Chuan's every move.
The wall was already set, five Deportivo La Coruña players standing tightly together, attempting to block one side of the goal.
Michele Soma stood at the far right of the wall, his expression grave, his hands covering his front.
Lu Chuan retreated a few steps, then began his run-up. First step, second step, third step… each step was taken with unusual firmness.
The moment the ball left his foot, the entire Riazor Stadium seemed to freeze.
The ball traced a perfect arc, soaring over the wall and heading straight for the top right corner of the goal.
Jiménez desperately dove to the right, his body fully extended in mid-air, his fingertips straining towards the ball's trajectory.
But the arc was too perfect, the angle too precise.
The ball grazed the underside of the crossbar and nestled into the net, making a crisp swishing sound.
"Goal!"
Lu Chuan didn't celebrate wildly; he simply stood still, then slowly raised his right hand, pointing to the sky.
Immediately after, he turned to face his teammates, opening his arms to embrace every figure rushing towards him.
"Eleventh game!" Trejo hugged Lu Chuan tightly, his voice slightly trembling, "You did it again!"
Comesaña sprinted from the backfield, his face filled with excitement. "That free kick was a work of art!"
Álvaro García jumped onto Lu Chuan's back, shouting loudly. "Riazor has witnessed a new legend!"
Players from the bench also rushed over, surrounding Lu Chuan.
Paco, usually known for his strictness, now simply raised his arms, his excitement undeniable.
This goal was not just a continuation of Lu Chuan's personal record, but also a conquest of this legendary stadium.
The former "Super Depor" had created countless miracles here, and tonight, a young man from China was writing his own legend here.
Deportivo La Coruña's defense completely collapsed; the players looked at each other, their eyes filled with undisguised frustration and bewilderment.
The match restarted, and Deportivo La Coruña was forced to push forward with all their might.
Vázquez shouted instructions from the sidelines, demanding that his players seek an equalizer at all costs.
But the young Rayo Vallecano now displayed a formidable counter-attacking ability.
In the 80th minute, Gaku Shibasaki's long pass was intercepted by Comesaña in midfield, and Rayo Vallecano immediately launched a quick counter-attack.
Lu Chuan received the pass in the attacking third, facing the retreating Avde.
This time, he didn't choose to dribble past him, but instead passed the ball horizontally to the better-positioned Álvaro García.
García took a shot directly after receiving the ball, which flew straight into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Although Jiménez made a save attempt, the angle was too precise, and he could only watch helplessly AS the ball entered the net.
2-0!
After scoring, García didn't celebrate alone; he immediately ran to Lu Chuan. "You created this opportunity!"
Lu Chuan smiled and patted his teammate's shoulder. "We are a team."
The commentator Juan Carlos shouted excitedly from the sidelines:
"Rayo Vallecano has completely controlled the match! They have overwhelmed Deportivo La Coruña's defense with youthful vigor!"
AS the match entered the final ten minutes, Deportivo La Coruña had completely lost their fighting spirit.
Their passes started to go astray, and their defense became loose.
In the 88th minute, Paco made a substitution, bringing on veteran Ullóa for Lu Chuan.
AS Lu Chuan walked off the pitch, the entire Riazor Stadium erupted in applause.
This applause came from Rayo Vallecano's bench, from the coaching staff, and even from some Deportivo La Coruña players.
They were applauding a magnificent performance, paying tribute to the birth of a new record.
Lu Chuan walked to the sidelines and high-fived Ullóa to complete the substitution.
The veteran patted his back: "Kid, you've left an indelible mark here."
Paco hugged Lu Chuan tightly: "Do you know? That free kick you just took reminded me of Beckham."
"This is just the beginning," Lu Chuan met Paco's gaze, showing no extra emotion, but the stadium lights reflected in his pupils, shining astonishingly bright.
The final whistle blew, and the score was set at 2-0.
Rayo Vallecano achieved a complete victory over Deportivo La Coruña away from home, and Lu Chuan extended his consecutive goal-scoring record to 11 matches.
After the match, the system's prompt sounded in Lu Chuan's mind:
[Ding! A historic victory!]
[Match Rating: 9.5]
[LP gained: 200 (Victory) + 150 (Free Kick Winner) + 80 (Assist) = 430LP!]
[Current LP balance: 1420 + 430 = 1850LP]
Lu Chuan looked at the system panel, a sense of satisfaction welling up in his heart.
The 1850LP balance brought him one step closer to redeeming the [Penalty Box Finisher].
In the locker room, his teammates were still celebrating the victory. Trejo raised a bottle of champagne, shouting, "To our top scorer!"
"To Rayo Vallecano!" Everyone responded in unison.
Lu Chuan sat in the corner, quietly enjoying the joy.
He took out his phone and saw a message from Esther: "Saw your goal, it was amazing! Waiting for you to come back."
There was also a message from his parents: "Son, we are proud of you!"
More congratulatory messages poured in, from former teammates, from coaches at the Evergrande Football School, and even from some unknown fans.
Paco walked over to Lu Chuan and handed him a bottle of water. "Kid, do you know what tomorrow's newspapers will say?"
Lu Chuan shook his head.
"Marca's headline is already out: 'New King Arrives! Lu Chuan Conquers Riazor with a Worldie!'" Paco smiled, "AS is even more direct: 'The Elegy of Super Depor, the Overture to a New Legend in Vallecas.'"
Lu Chuan listened to these headlines, a mix of emotions in his heart.
He knew that behind these praises lay countless days and nights of effort and perseverance.
Just AS he was deep in thought, there was a knock on the locker room door.
A staff member poked his head in: "Lu Chuan, someone is looking for you."
Lu Chuan walked out of the locker room and saw Gaku Shibasaki waiting for him in the corridor. The Japanese international held his jersey, a sincere smile on his face.
"I'd like to swap jerseys with you," Gaku Shibasaki expressed earnestly in English, "Your performance tonight impressed me greatly."
Lu Chuan didn't hesitate to take off his jersey and exchange it with Gaku Shibasaki.
"Your movement and shooting remind me of someone – Shinji Okazaki," Gaku Shibasaki continued in English, "But your talent is even greater than his."
Lu Chuan nodded, expressing his gratitude to the senior player.
"Next match will be the moment to create new history for Asian players in Europe," Gaku Shibasaki patted Lu Chuan's shoulder, "Go for it!"
Lu Chuan looked down at the exchanged jersey; the tight feeling in his chest from the victory now eased slightly.
Back in the locker room, his teammates had already started packing their gear, ready to leave. Lu Chuan walked to his spot and carefully placed Gaku Shibasaki's jersey into his backpack.
"What did that Japanese guy talk to you about?" Trejo asked curiously.
"He wished me to make history in the next game," Lu Chuan replied simply.
"Next game…" Trejo mused, "If you score, that would be 12 consecutive games. That's an unprecedented record."
Lu Chuan didn't respond, simply organizing his gear quietly. He knew that the pressure for the next match would be even greater, and all eyes would be on him.
But he also knew that this was the price of becoming a legend.
AS he left Riazor Stadium, Lu Chuan looked back at the legendary building.
The stadium under the night lights appeared particularly solemn, AS if narrating countless legendary stories.
And tonight, he too had left his mark here.
The bus slowly drove away from Deportivo La Coruña, carrying the dreams of these young men towards Madrid.
The night scenery outside the window flashed by. Lu Chuan leaned back in his seat, replaying every detail of the match in his mind.
The feeling of that free kick was still vivid: the touch AS the ball left his foot, its trajectory through the air, the sound AS it nestled into the net… everything was so perfect.
"What are you thinking about?" Trejo noticed Lu Chuan's contemplation.
"I'm thinking about the next match," Lu Chuan answered honestly.
"Sporting Gijón?" Trejo frowned, "They're not an easy opponent."
Lu Chuan nodded. He knew that AS his fame grew, opponents' defenses would become more targeted. Every match would be a new challenge.
But this was exactly what he wanted. Only by proving himself against the strongest opponents could he truly become a legend.
The bus traveled through the night, carrying the young man's dreams towards a broader future.