February 28, 2021.
Spain.
Camp Nou.
FC Barcelona faced visiting newcomers Huesca.
Huesca had won the Segunda División last year and had just been promoted to the top flight.
So far, Huesca hadn't been doing well. They were at the bottom of La Liga.
Everyone had expected this to be a match without any suspense.
But, shockingly, it was already the 35th minute of the second half, with only ten minutes left.
Score: 0–2.
The home side, Barca, had somehow conceded two goals to La Liga's bottom team at Camp Nou.
Barca's forwards had all left their shooting boots at home today.
Griezmann, who had transferred from Atletico Madrid two years ago, had made no impact at all.
The young Spanish player Pedri, whom everyone had pinned their hopes on, was running around the pitch like a headless chicken.
Messi, Barca's leading man, was also completely off his game today.
As the soul of Barca, he was worn out after the transfer turmoil of last season.
Messi was no longer the Camp Nou magician.
All of Barca was in decline.
The fans in the stands had fallen silent.
Barca had already been knocked out of the Champions League.
They had given up on the Copa del Rey long ago, too.
That left only the league. Barca had now played 25 matches, winning 16, drawing five, and losing four, for 53 points and second place.
Real Madrid were in third place, with 16 wins, four draws, and four losses. They had a game in hand and 52 points.
At the top were Atletico Madrid, with 17 wins, four draws, and two losses. They had two games in hand and 55 points.
There were only a dozen or so matches left. If Barca didn't want to end the year empty-handed, every game from here on out would be crucial.
Yet in this match, one they had been determined to win, Barca looked on the verge of a complete collapse.
"Li, you've got one minute to warm up!"
Barca's head coach, the Dutchman Koeman, folded his arms across his chest and barked in a low, displeased voice.
Li Mingyu sprang up from the bench like a coiled spring and headed to the side of the pitch to warm up.
The broadcast camera quickly turned to Li Mingyu.
After all, Barca were two goals down, and everyone wanted to see how Koeman would respond.
The previous two times they had fallen behind, Koeman had made adjustments quickly, but neither had worked particularly well.
That meant his final substitution would be his last chance!
"Li... He seems to be a Spanish player of Chinese descent. According to his profile, he's a young prospect promoted from La Masia Youth Academy. I think Koeman's taking a risk here. Bringing on such an inexperienced youngster in this situation—what can he possibly do for the team?"
The Camp Nou commentator sounded rather dejected. For the past two years, Barca had been going through one crisis after another.
Two years ago, there had been a disaster no Barca fan wanted to remember.
In the Champions League, Barca had faced a red-hot Bayern Munich. The humiliating 8–2 defeat had ripped away the club's last shred of dignity.
The head coach had resigned, Messi had been caught up in a crisis of confidence, and the entire team had been thrown into turmoil.
Barca couldn't withstand any more upheaval.
If they couldn't beat the bottom team today, Koeman would probably be packing his bags and leaving, too.
With no cards left to play, Koeman had placed his last bet on a Chinese-descended youngster who was only 19.
Li Mingyu's heart pounded wildly. As a 19-year-old, making it into Barca's first team was the highest honor he could imagine.
He had never expected to be called up to the first team just yesterday and then get the chance to play today.
They said fortune favored the bold.
As Li Mingyu warmed up, he kept a close eye on everything happening on the pitch.
The Barca players looked like they'd lost their spirit. Messi made a careless pass, and the opposition intercepted it. They were about to launch a counterattack when Messi, without thinking twice, reached out and pulled the opponent down.
Camp Nou fell into a profound silence.
Messi's heart sank. He clutched his head and stared at the referee in despair.
He had already received a yellow card in the first half for pushing an opponent from behind.
And now...
Referee Novella didn't go easy on Messi just because of who he was. He pulled a yellow-sapphire War God card from his shirt pocket and showed it to him, then reached into his shorts pocket and took out a gleaming Ruby Promotion Card, sending Messi off to a faraway place.
That was the final blow. All of Barca's players lost the will to fight.
Usually, at a moment like this, the players would go protest to the referee.
This time, every Barca player just stood where he was, unwilling to move a muscle.
Messi removed his captain's armband with a helpless look and tossed it to Griezmann. Head down, he walked off the pitch.
Even Koeman stood motionless at the edge of the field, his face blank. Messi passed him like a walking corpse. They didn't meet each other's eyes or shake hands.
"Coach!"
Koeman turned his head mechanically, as if waking from a nightmare. It was Li Mingyu who had spoken.
Li Mingyu's burning gaze seemed to jolt Koeman. In a low voice, he said, "Li, once you're on the pitch, I don't care how you do it. Get that damn ball into their goal!"
Li Mingyu's expression turned serious. "Don't worry, Coach. I can do it!"
As Li Mingyu spoke, Messi, who was heading back to the locker room, glanced over his shoulder. Seeing Li Mingyu's back, he gave a rueful smile.
It was good to be young.
Born in 1987, Messi wasn't even 34 yet, but he already felt like a hero whose time had passed.
"Koeman has played his last card! As expected, he's brought on number 36, Li Mingyu, for midfielder number 21, De Jong. It's an all-or-nothing substitution!"
As number 21 De Jong came off, he gave Li Mingyu a brief hug, then returned to the bench with a blank expression.
Li Mingyu was incredibly excited. This was his first La Liga match, and his first official match at the senior level.
The instant Li Mingyu's right foot touched the grass,
[Stadium Check-in System bound successfully. Host, please check in.]
Li Mingyu's step faltered slightly. Seeing that the opposing team had already kicked off, he silently said, "Check in," then charged toward the ball like a tiger leaping down a mountain.
[Congratulations, Host. Successfully checked in at Camp Nou. You have obtained the passive talent Ronaldo's Absolute Speed.]
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