"GOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!! Another one! It's Sandro again! An absolute screamer after beating three men!"
"Coming on in the sixty-fifth minute, he's grabbed two goals and an assist in just twenty-five minutes! A match-winning performance! Congratulations to AC Milan, and congratulations to Inzaghi! They've found their new Kaka!"
Sandro watched the ball hit the back of the net and instantly sprinted toward the touchline. Mid-sprint, he dropped to his knees and slid across the turf.
He clenched his fists as he slid, letting out a primal roar at the sky!
The entire Curva Nord had descended into absolute madness.
"Xiao GOAL!!!!!"
"Hahaha! I've decided! I'm officially his biggest fan from today on!"
"Keep it going! Score another! Destroy them!"
His teammates rushed over from behind, sliding to their knees beside him one after another to pull him into a massive pile-on.
"That was unbelievable, man! How did you do that?!"
"Haha, I knew that was going in!"
"Damn, what did you just do? You've practically made them cry..."
Inter Milan's young goalkeeper was already kneeling on his goal line, looking as if he truly was on the verge of tears.
They had defended stubbornly for sixty-five minutes without conceding once, only to let three slip past in the final twenty-five!
Sandro got up and waved toward the section where his parents were sitting.
The stands were packed. He couldn't actually spot them, but he felt as if he could sense their eyes on him, full of warmth.
This time, in this life... can I be your pride?
Inzaghi ran over like a madman and suddenly leaped toward Sandro.
Startled, Sandro quickly took a step back before opening his arms to catch the sprinting head coach.
Inzaghi squeezed Sandro tightly, then slapped his shoulder hard. As if that wasn't enough, he grabbed the boy's head with both hands and screamed with a ferocious expression, "You're a fucking genius! A super genius! The kind of genius that drives everyone crazy!"
Sandro gave a dry laugh, wriggling his head free from the coach's vice-like grip while silently dodging a barrage of flying spit.
I'm sorry, I'm not a genius. I'm just a guy with a cheat code...
The referee signaled for three minutes of stoppage time, but AC Milan's celebrations seemed endless, as if they wanted to burn through the entire three minutes just celebrating.
The Inter Milan players came over to protest several times, and the two sides nearly broke into a scuffle. It was only when the referee intervened that the match finally resumed.
"Time is running out for Inter Milan. Can they still pull off a miracle?"
"Played out to the left, a cross... but it's too slow."
"AC Milan have the ball. They control it in midfield, play it back, and now it's sent forward again... Sandro! Another long shot! So close, it sails just over the crossbar..."
Time ticked away second by second. Under the nervous gazes of the fans, the referee finally blew the whistle for full-time.
"Peep!"
"Peep!"
"Peeeeep!"
"Congratulations to AC Milan! From 2-0 down to a 3-2 victory, they have pulled off a thrilling, spectacular comeback! Congratulations to Inzaghi, who has now secured two wins in the three Milan Derbies of his coaching career! And congratulations to Sandro Xiao! Scoring two goals and providing a textbook assist in just twenty-five minutes, he's delivered a dreamlike performance straight out of a superhero movie!"
The players ran toward Inzaghi, but Inzaghi ran toward Sandro. Ultimately, the two of them were swallowed up by the rest of the squad in a massive, ecstatic celebration.
This wasn't an ordinary league fixture. This was a local derby, a duel between mortal enemies where both sides wanted nothing more than to beat each other's brains out. Add in the context of falling two goals behind only to score three in a row for a massive comeback, and it was impossible for them not to be excited—even frantic.
Although there were only a little over twenty thousand fans in attendance—not even filling half the seats at the San Siro—there was no shortage of people following the match.
Even those who were just channel-surfing and caught a passing glance were drawn in by the wildly fluctuating scoreline, their eyes glued to the pitch.
With viewers calling their friends and rallying others to tune in, a massive audience suddenly learned the name Sandro Xiao.
While there were a few decent prospects across both youth squads, neither side possessed the kind of peerless prodigy capable of commanding the nation's attention. Yet, coming off the bench to grab two goals and an assist to turn the tide, Sandro undoubtedly showed a glimmer of that exact potential.
After the celebrations ended, captain Calabria led the squad over to the stands to thank the fans for their support.
Chants of "Xiao!" and "Sandro!" echoed ceaselessly. Sandro scanned the stands for a long time before finally spotting his parents in the crowd.
Unlike the frenzied fans around them, they seemed to have already calmed down. They stood leaning against each other, simply watching him with proud smiles on their faces.
Sandro raised his right fist in a gentle salute.
At that same moment...
"Ding! Congratulations on scoring and winning the Milan Youth Derby. Trial mission complete. The System is now officially activated."
Sandro felt a massive wave of relief.
Calabria went to the touchline for post-match interviews, but nine out of ten questions from the reporters were about Sandro. In the end, he simply dragged Sandro over and shoved him in front of the cameras.
Even though he had lived two lifetimes, this was still Sandro's first time facing such a media spectacle. He felt a little stiff at first, but quickly regained his composure.
"Sandro, did you ever imagine you'd put on such a brilliant performance?"
"No. I wasn't even sure I'd get to play."
"Where did this sudden explosion of form come from? As far as I know, you played nineteen games for the U17s last season, but only scored five goals."
"I just went through a severe injury. The doctor told me I might never be able to walk like a normal person again, and that I'd have to bid farewell to football completely.
"To me, that agony was no less than death.
"But now, not only have I stood back up, I've returned to the pitch.
"The moment I stepped onto that grass, I told myself that I was already someone who had died once. I have nothing left to fear..."
This was the speech Sandro had brainstormed to bluff his way through the interview. Although his answer was basically a non-answer, this kind of fairy-tale narrative—where 'the pain didn't break me, but only made me stronger'—was undoubtedly what the media loved the most.
In an instant, the reporters mentally conjured up a deeply melodramatic underdog story, entirely satisfied with his answer.
"Then who is the person you want to see most right now?"
"Dr. Michel. I want to thank him for giving me a second life.
"And my mom and dad. I want to thank them for always supporting and encouraging me..."
"They must be incredibly proud of you."
"Yes, my mom is definitely proud of me, but I can't guarantee I'm my dad's pride and joy..."
The reporters instantly perked up. "Why is that?"
"Because he's an Inter Milan fan..."
"..."
Everyone was left completely speechless.
A Nerazzurri dad, a Rossoneri mom, and a son in the AC Milan youth academy. What kind of surreal household was this?
The reporter who asked the question could only offer an awkward smile. "Then it must be true love..."
After wrapping up the interview and returning to the dressing room, his teammates immediately welcomed him back with another round of rapturous applause.
Brother Bo was right. Once you grow strong, you'll find that everyone around you is a good person...