Chapter 1 — 93:20 Last-Gasp Winner: Manchester City Begins Its Reign
"Shit!"
"Crap!"
"Roberto Mancini, you're an idiot!"
"Oh my God! The Three Stooges run amok in Bollywood! Balotelli, Tévez, and now Mancini — what a show."
"Even tying a dog to the coach's bench would know that subbing on my eighty-year-old grandmother would be better than that Chinese kid!"
"Oh my God, there are so many people on the bench — why him?"
These fans have short memories; three minutes earlier they had been cheering for Roberto Mancini.
The 2011–2012 season was the most exciting Premier League season in a decade, bar none.
From the first round, the two Manchester clubs went into harvest mode, wildly swinging their scythes.
After 20 rounds the big six had been slimmed down to the big two; the top two led third-placed Arsenal by 19 points. The Warring States era had become a two-horse race — for the first time in 44 years the term "Manchester's two giants" existed in the Premier League.
After a season-long, neck-and-neck battle, before the last round the two teams were level on 86 points, with Manchester City holding an eight-goal superior goal difference over Manchester United.
Theoretically City's chances of winning were a bit higher, and Manchester City fans had independently donned brand-new shirts to welcome this historic milestone.
Both teams' first-half performances went according to Manchester City fans' script; both Manchester clubs went into the second half leading 1–0.
The songs from the Etihad could be heard ten miles away.
But…
The second half suddenly turned stormy. Manchester City not only failed to break down the defense despite long spells of pressure, they conceded twice and fell behind Queens Park Rangers 1–2, entering five minutes of stoppage time.
On the other side, Manchester United beat Sunderland 1–0 to reach 89 points and overtake City, watching from the sidelines. United fans couldn't wait to start celebrating their twentieth title.
The pressure instantly shifted onto Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini began making miraculous substitutions: Mario Balotelli on for the slow-running Carlos Tévez.
This was a "godsend" tactical masterstroke.
At 91:30, Balotelli repaid his manager's trust by scoring a goal called "rekindling hope," doggedly restoring parity.
But then,
with three and a half minutes left in the match, Mancini could see that a draw wouldn't be enough and, all-in, brought on another forward.
This substitution ignited "public fury"!
There were already Edin Džeko, Sergio Agüero, and Mario Balotelli on the pitch — bringing on another forward wasn't the problem.
Fans accepted Mancini's tactics, but they disliked the player being brought on.
The forward who sparked the outrage was Xia Qi, an English-registered academy product from the club's own youth system — a tomorrow's star of the U18s and U21s.
Fans thought tomorrow's star was a star for tomorrow, not today.
Otherwise, why hadn't Xia Qi been given a single minute after promotion to the first team?
Wasn't the £25 million Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench a more trustworthy option?
This was,
despairingly,
a "hawk's misstep."
Instantly!!!!
Emotions on the roller coaster were amplified; Mancini had gone from hero to goat.
Insults!
Thrown objects!
Tearful faces covered!
Early exits!
In short, outrage and indignation…
On Sky Sports' live broadcast, Manchester United legend Gary Neville and his partner joked:
"Thanks to that overhyped coach, great Manchester United will make history — 20 titles."
"Mancini's gone mad! How can you put on a rookie at such a critical moment?"
"Find someone to take the fall?"
"Heh, quite possible."
"Let's feel sorry for that poor kid for three seconds!"
Neville felt even more relaxed and gleeful after Mancini's apparently hopeless substitution.
Mancini wasn't giving up, of course!
He knew Xia Qi's abilities; he just hadn't dared to risk letting him debut earlier this season because City had been neck and neck with Manchester United in the standings.
Now Queens Park Rangers were fighting with real fire — determined to be Manchester United's accomplices.
Fans believed the more famous Emmanuel Adebayor, but Mancini knew Adebayor's form had dropped sharply and he wasn't a savior; better to gamble on Xia Qi — a young player with more hunger.
…
Fifty thousand boos hit him like a wave. Xia Qi finally understood why the strong must have huge hearts.
He felt his legs couldn't hold him up — what players call "soft legs."
Fans were already disappointed with the substitution, and now seeing Xia Qi's legs tremble, their anger shot straight for his skull.
The booing grew louder and fiercer,
the rain of thrown items intensified from a drizzle to a downpour.
If there'd been a pig's head on the pitch, it would have been as if time reversed and Figo had returned to the Camp Nou.
But Mancini and the players remained calm; they didn't think the trembling-legged Xia Qi was a humiliating, morale-sapping choice.
That was because they knew the Xia Qi on the pitch and the Xia Qi off it were completely different people.
Xia Qi painfully dragged his leg onto the field, and after four or five seconds the timid expression vanished without a trace.
At that moment his aura was transformed; he became a cool, domineering CEO.
Four or five seconds earlier:
"Ding-dong"
"Host, please choose 'Training' or 'Match' mode."
"Match."
"Please select your position on the pitch: A Forward, B…"
"A."
"Detected that your team is in a predicament. Matching host with the [King of Adversity] attribute."
"The greater the pressure, the stronger the host! You step up in key moments — it's you or nobody."
"Choose 'Autonomous Mode' or 'One-Click Auto' mode."
"Friendly tip: During auto mode, the system will automatically perform all required actions for the host."
"One-Click Auto!"
This was necessary!
A handicraft of the clumsy-handed!
Otherwise Messi, Ronaldo, and Carr would be turned into MeRoLu [Lukaku], and if it got worse, they'd be MeDeRo [no more play].
"Easy auto, one-click completes everything, frees your feet, brings the host a relaxed and happy pitch experience! Match experience starting."
After that, Xia Qi's entire demeanor took on CEO vibes,
an unspoken power filling him, muscles tense, thoughts clear, fighting spirit high.
In that moment his athletic state looked like an old hand on the pitch.
The only drawback: the person was a puppet — with the first-person view but no sense of participation.
On the pitch,
time was short for Manchester City. After Xia Qi came on, City launched an all-out attack.
First, Sergio Agüero powered past Queens Park Rangers' Barton and struck from the edge of the box — Anton Ferdinand quickly threw his body to block the shot and pushed the ball away.
Play continued.
David Silva slotted a through ball from the center circle, but QPR's Zamora intercepted it,
and the whole stadium gasped.
If QPR could drain a few seconds like that a couple times, time would run out.
Gary Neville closed his notes on the commentary desk and asked his co-presenter what he wanted for a late snack.
Just as Neville thought he'd be heading home cheerfully, on the pitch:
"Ding: Host detected in predicament, [King of Adversity] attribute activated."
"Precise target searching…"
Xia Qi didn't have time to think; his body pulled his mind like a Faraday race car sprinting to the finish.
"Ding: Zamora locked."
The voice in his head had barely echoed,
and Xia Qi had already surged up to Zamora. Zamora had the ball trapped between his feet and was about to turn and pass when Xia Qi's left leg poked through.
That poke —
tofu in brine, done perfectly!
Smooth as a Dove chocolate.
Xia Qi involuntarily hyped himself up:
High!
There's no hurdle I can't cross, only Xia Qi who can't!
It doesn't rhyme, huh?
Who cares?
The joy of auto-play is limited only by imagination.
The next second, chasing the ball,
ignoring the runs of Agüero and Edin Džeko through the middle, he drew the ball in and cut inside…
That one touch ruined Xia Qi's good mood.
The fans' insults rang in his ears: "You're kicking it blind!"
And they were right,
he'd fluffed it!
The pass went through,
Džeko one-on-one!
Xia Qi wanted to cry but had no tears.
He didn't want this either!
This AI, damn it! (AlphaGo: not me, it's Gou!)
QPR's center-backs — Clint Hill and Anton Ferdinand — closed in fast from left and right.
Though quick, the two's interception felt a bit casual; the gap between them could let an elephant run through.
They seriously underestimated him.
The system manipulated Xia Qi's body,
dribbling the ball and charging sharply between them.
Hill and Anton Ferdinand sneered with ill intent and slammed the doors shut,
seeing two burly men sandwiching toward him.
Xia Qi wanted to say, "Sorry to bother you."
But his body was braver than his words and stormed forward, ignoring everything…
Then,
thud thud,
it sounded painful just to hear it.
Xia Qi remembered a joke and wondered: where do acne patches grow that you don't worry about them?
The answer made him feel bitter because he watched the two big men fly out as if hit by a truck.
For every action there is an equal reaction,
the harder they fell, the more pain the version of him who'd regain bodily control would feel.
So the fans' cheers sounded like death knells…
"Fuck!"
"Fuck!"
"Fuck!"
This little brat turned out to be a little cannon!
What a visual impact!
The stands went crazy as if injected with adrenaline.
On the pitch, Xia Qi had pierced through the center-backs and was one-on-one with the keeper.
He looked at Paddy Kenny with expressive eyes,
but Kenny read the "fake" in his gaze.
So Kenny rushed out like lightning.
However,
in that split second,
Xia Qi rolled the ball to the right and dragged it across, a silky "Dove" smooth move — a flowing turn behind the keeper — and lightly nudged into the empty net.
The whole stadium screamed…
3–2!
93:20,
the winner!
Auto-play is just that simple.
Manchester City fans felt like they'd just hit the jackpot, their delighted cheers nearly lifting the roof off neighboring Manchester United's side.
This match was full of twists and even Xia Qi's goal had gone through three twists.
From the interception to the finish, fans' emotions were roller-coaster-like:
"Beautiful!"
"Great interception!"
"Well done, the Chinese kid!"
"Faster, faster!"
"Pass it!"
"Pass!"
"Fuck you!"
"Wow!"
"This kid's physically strong!"
"Small frame, big power."
"Wow! Nice!"
"Last-gasp!"
"Love you! Chinese kid!"
The ball went in and the cheers erupted,
but Xia Qi's face remained expressionless, calm, as if nothing had happened; only in his eyes could you find the normal joy of a scorer.
Many female fans watching the broadcast immediately fell for his CEO vibe, stars appearing in their eyes — remembering the jeers and anger a second earlier, they couldn't help feeling sorry and touched.
Mario Balotelli ran over from a distance and latched onto Xia Qi's back: "Is that your celebration? So cool."
Edin Džeko and Sergio Agüero vigorously ruffled Xia Qi's hair… these young people are hard to manage — they score and act like they were scored upon.
The referee's whistle sounded; his arm pointed to the center circle — the goal stood.
"Ding: Precision positioning complete, match continuing…"
This auto-play is incredible; the only drawback is the experience is terrible.
Xia Qi wanted to shout "siu" but couldn't even manage that!
One minute later, the referee blew the final whistle.
"Ding: This auto session ended, remember to give a five-star review."
Xia Qi immediately felt the power drain from his body like the tide receding — his legs went weak, his waist ached, his chest hurt… and why did his kidneys hurt?
He needed an explanation!
(END CHAPTER)
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