Applause thundered in the stands of Las Palmas' Estadio Gran Canaria.
The home fans waved their yellow and blue scarves, celebrating a 3-1 lead in the first half.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the away stands, the more than three hundred traveling Rayo Vallecano fans were eerily silent.
In the locker room, the air was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Paco's voice came through Juan's earpiece, tired and hoarse.
"Switch back to 4-2-3-1, tell them to fight for their dignity."
Juan relayed the coach's words, but the players' eyes had already lost their sparkle.
Savić wiped sweat from his forehead with a towel, Comesaña sat in the corner with his head down, no one dared to meet a teammate's gaze.
Lu Chuan stood up and walked to the tactics board.
He picked up a marker and drew the new formation on the board. His movements were slow and light, yet carried an undeniable resolve.
"gentlemen."
His voice wasn't loud, but it made everyone look up.
"I know you're all tired, and you all want to give up. Three goals down, it looks hopeless."
Lu Chuan turned to face his teammates, his gaze sweeping over every dejected face.
"But I want to tell you something."
He pointed to the team badge on his chest, the red and white lightning bolt symbol.
"What does this badge represent? It represents the poorest community in southern Madrid, it represents the children of the working class.
They don't have the glamour of Real Madrid, nor the glory of Atlético Madrid, but what do they have?"
Lu Chuan's voice began to tremble, emotions building.
"They have dignity! They will never kneel!"
Trejo slowly stood up and walked over to Lu Chuan.
He was followed by Savić, then Comesaña, one by one, until everyone formed a circle.
"For the dignity of Vallecas."
Lu Chuan extended his right hand, placing it in the center.
"For dignity."
Trejo's hand stacked on top.
"For dignity."
The others joined in turn, their voices growing louder.
As the second half began, Rayo Vallecano had indeed transformed into a different team.
They no longer pursued victory, no longer cared about the score, but simply fought for their pride.
Every tackle was exceptionally fierce, every pass carried an unwillingness to yield.
Lu Chuan, in particular, led by example. In the 49th minute, he saw Viera with the ball in the attacking third and immediately rushed towards him.
It wasn't a skillful press, but an almost savage physical confrontation.
"Thump!"
The sound of the two colliding was clearly audible. Viera fell to the ground, and Lu Chuan staggered two steps, but he quickly regained his balance and controlled the ball.
The referee's whistle blew, and a yellow card flashed in front of Lu Chuan. He took the card without protest, simply retreating to his position.
"The captain is fighting with all he has!" Juan waved his arms excitedly from the sidelines. "Tell them to fight alongside the captain!"
Lu Chuan's fighting spirit infected the entire team. Savić was exceptionally fierce in defense,
Comesaña's running covered the entire midfield, and even the goalkeeper Dimitrievski was loudly directing the backline.
In the 62nd minute, an opportunity arose.
Trejo dribbled down the right flank, facing two defenders.
He chose not to pass, but to force his way through, and just as he was about to lose his balance, he laid the ball off to the onrushing Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan controlled the ball, then looked up. Las Palmas' defense had a gap, but the angle was tight, and the shooting space wasn't large.
Under normal circumstances, he would have chosen to pass. But at this moment, he had only one thought—to score!
A gentle flick with the inside of his right foot, and the ball obediently rolled under his control.
Lu Chuan took a step to the left, faking a shot, deceiving the rushing defensive midfielder Castro.
Then, he suddenly changed direction, striking fiercely with the outside of his right foot!
The ball traced a low, flat arc, skimming the turf as it flew towards the bottom right corner of the goal.
Goalkeeper Valles guessed the right direction, but his save was still a half-beat too slow.
The net trembled, 3-2!
"It's in! It's in! Lu Chuan pulls one back for Rayo Vallecano!" The commentator's voice was filled with passion,
"This is his second goal of the match, and his 19th consecutive League game with a goal!
Even under such difficult circumstances, this young Chinese player still hasn't given up!"
Lu Chuan didn't celebrate. He quickly ran to the goal, cradled the ball, and then sprinted to the center circle.
His eyes remained firm, as if this was just the beginning.
The Rayo Vallecano fans in the stands finally erupted. They stood up, waved flags, and loudly sang their team anthem.
Their voices pierced through the noise of the Estadio Gran Canaria, conveying a belief of never giving up.
But football is sometimes cruel.
In the 68th minute, Rayo Vallecano won a free-kick opportunity in the attacking third. Lu Chuan stood in front of the ball, about 23 meters from the goal.
This was an excellent position, and a stage for him to showcase his skill.
He took a deep breath, recalling the [Free Kick Specialist (Trial Card)] in the system.
That skill seemed to integrate into his blood, giving him an unprecedentedly clear understanding of the ball's trajectory.
Run-up, three steps, perfect rhythm.
The moment his right foot connected with the ball, Lu Chuan felt a wonderful sensation.
The ball seemed to become an extension of his body, every rotation under his control.
This was a knuckleball.
The ball flew high, soaring over the heads of the wall, then suddenly dipped.
Goalkeeper Valles misjudged it, thinking the ball would continue to rise, but instead, it rapidly dropped, nestling into the top left corner of the goal!
4-2! Lu Chuan scored a brace!
"Unbelievable! That's a perfect knuckleball!" The commentator's voice was already hoarse,
"Lu Chuan, with his individual ability, has forcefully kept a glimmer of hope alive for his team! His record of scoring in 19 consecutive League games continues!"
The Rayo Vallecano players on the field celebrated wildly, rushing towards Lu Chuan and surrounding him tightly.
Trejo excitedly patted his back, and Savić even shed tears.
"There's still hope! We still have hope!" Comesaña shouted to the sky.
But Las Palmas was not intimidated.
They were still two goals ahead, after all, and there wasn't much time left in the game. Head coach Pepe Mel shouted instructions from the sidelines, urging his players to hold their ground.
In the 75th minute, Viera got the ball in midfield. The former Beijing Guoan foreign player displayed his shrewdness and experience.
He didn't rush to attack, but instead controlled the ball to run down the clock.
But the Rayo Vallecano players wouldn't allow it. They pressed frantically, trying to regain possession.
Lu Chuan, in particular, was at the forefront, not letting any opportunity pass.
Viera made a mistake under pressure. His pass was too strong, going directly to Trejo.
Trejo didn't hesitate, immediately launching a counterattack. He passed the ball to Isi Palazón on the right, who dribbled forward.
Seeing the opportunity, the Rayo Vallecano players all rushed towards the attacking third.
But Las Palmas' defense returned quickly, forming a compact defense in front of the penalty area.
Isi's cross was headed away by a defender, and the ball fell to Viera's feet.
The Argentine didn't waste this opportunity. He quickly organized a counterattack, sending a long pass to Pedri in the attacking third.
Pedri controlled the ball, turned, all in one smooth motion.
His technique was simply too good; he could still calmly handle the ball under pressure from two defenders.
With a brilliant through ball, Pedri sent the ball to Viera's feet.
The latter was now one-on-one, and facing the onrushing Dimitrievski, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
5-2!
Viera completed his brace, completely killing the game.
The Rayo Vallecano players collapsed to the ground, despair written on every face.
Lu Chuan leaned on his knees, gasping for breath. Sweat mixed with tears, dripping onto the grass.
"The game is over." Juan's voice came through the earpiece, filled with helplessness and pain.
But the game wasn't truly over yet. In the 83rd minute, Pedri provided another assist, and Las Palmas scored their fifth goal.
The 6-2 scoreline turned this defeat into a massacre.
The Las Palmas fans in the stands celebrated wildly, their songs echoing through the stadium.
But the Rayo Vallecano fan section was eerily quiet, many with their heads bowed, unable to watch anymore.
The game entered injury time.
Lu Chuan was still running, still tackling. He knew the score was irreversible, but he couldn't stop. As captain, he had to fight until the very last second.
In the 92nd minute, an inconsequential throw-in.
Las Palmas defender Mauricio Lemos was preparing to throw the ball in. Lu Chuan habitually went forward to press, which was a very normal action.
But Lemos was clearly carried away by the big win.
Seeing Lu Chuan approach, he suddenly made an extremely dirty move.
The moment Lu Chuan was shielding the ball with his back, Lemos maliciously tackled him from behind. It wasn't a normal challenge, but a retaliatory, harmful action.
"Bang!"
Lu Chuan fell heavily to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his right ankle. He clutched his ankle in agony, rolling on the grass.
The Rayo Vallecano fans in the stands were furious. They cursed in unison, throwing objects onto the field.
Even more furious were the Rayo Vallecano players.
Trejo was the first to rush over, pushing Lemos away and glaring at him.
"You bastard! The game's over, and you're still doing this!"
Lemos didn't back down, pushing Trejo back.
"What's wrong? Don't like it?"
Other players quickly gathered. On Rayo Vallecano's side were Savić, Comesaña, Álvaro,
On Las Palmas' side were Pedri, Viera, Castro.
Both sides were on edge, the situation on the verge of exploding.
Lu Chuan endured the pain and stood up. He saw his teammates confronting the opponents to protect him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
This was the power of the [Aura of Leadership], making his teammates willing to fight for him.
"Enough!" Lu Chuan shouted, "Don't fight for me!"
But Trejo was already consumed by anger. As Rayo Vallecano's veteran captain, he could not tolerate anyone harming his teammates.
"No one can treat our captain like this!"
He pushed Lemos again, with more force.
Lemos staggered back, then angrily retaliated. The two began to scuffle, and other players joined the melee.
The referee blew his whistle frantically, trying to separate the players. But the situation was out of control, and he could only pull out a red card.
The first red card went to Lemos for instigating the fight.
The second red card went to Trejo.
"No!" Lu Chuan cried out in despair.
He tried to rush over to plead for Trejo, but his teammates held him back. Trejo saw the red card, a bitter smile flashing across his face. He knew he would miss the final League match.
"I'm sorry, Captain." Trejo said softly as he walked past Lu Chuan.
"No, I'm sorry." Lu Chuan's voice choked. "If I could have played better..."
"Don't think like that." Trejo patted his shoulder. "You've done very well. The rest is up to you."
The veteran captain slowly walked towards the player tunnel, his figure desolate and lonely. The Rayo Vallecano fans in the stands rose and applauded, paying tribute to the veteran who had given everything for the team.
The final whistle finally blew.
5-2, a crushing defeat.
Lu Chuan slumped onto the grass, staring at the glaring score on the scoreboard.
Sweat and tears mixed together, blurring his vision.
His teammates came over one by one, no one blaming him, just silently keeping him company. Savić sat beside him, equally silent. Comesaña squatted down, gently patting his back.
"Captain, we still have a chance." Álvaro García's voice was very soft. "Last round, we still have a chance."
Lu Chuan looked up at the scoreboard in the distance. It displayed the real-time League table: Elche had won this round, surpassing Rayo Vallecano by one point.
In the final round, Rayo Vallecano had to win, and also pray that Elche didn't win, to enter the playoffs.
Fate was no longer entirely in their own hands.
But in Lu Chuan's eyes, an unyielding flame still burned.
"Get up, gentlemen." He slowly stood up. "Go home, and prepare for the final battle."
The players stood up one after another, following their captain towards the player tunnel. Their figures, though tired, were still upright.
At the entrance to the tunnel, Lu Chuan looked back at the Estadio Gran Canaria.
The sun was setting, and the sea breeze was still blowing. This place had witnessed their failure, but also their indomitable spirit.
His 19th goal, the record of scoring in 19 consecutive League games, was still ongoing.
But more importantly, their dignity was not lost. Even in the most desperate moments, they were still fighting.
This was Rayo Vallecano, this was the pride of the working class in southern Madrid.
If you fall, you get back up.
If you lose, you start again.
As long as there's breath left, never give up.