(A/N- Almost forgot today's chap and went to sleep. Then mid sleep I remembered to upload the chap. So here is a fresh chapter.)
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The final whistle blew, and Rhein-Neckar Arena was engulfed in a cacophony of ecstasy, exhaustion, and disbelief.
1-1.
This score, a draw on paper, was an epic draw for Hoffenheim, one that would go down in the team's history! Because the opponent was simply too strong, unbelievably strong.
The players collapsed onto the turf, breathing heavily, their faces alight with an almost depleted excitement. Teammates and coaching staff from the bench had already rushed onto the field, embracing, shouting, and patting the heroes on the pitch. Oliver was surrounded by his teammates, his face still drenched in sweat, tired but with a brilliant smile. This match had been incredibly draining.
From his active defensive retreats at the start, to that chase-down that thwarted Cristiano Ronaldo's one-on-one, and finally, that priceless equalizer, it had almost completely exhausted his stamina. As the crowd slightly dispersed, Oliver's gaze cut through the noisy throng and precisely locked onto the number 7 figure, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was preparing to walk towards the player tunnel. Cristiano Ronaldo's face showed little emotion, only habitually adjusting the wristband on his wrist, a hint of regret for not winning and respect for his opponent's tenacious resistance in the depths of his eyes.
Oliver took a deep breath and quickly walked towards Cristiano Ronaldo. The two had a brief exchange during warm-ups before the match and agreed to exchange jerseys after the game. Now, it was time to fulfill that promise.
"Sir!" Oliver called out in English, his voice carrying the unique tension and excitement of a young man.
Cristiano Ronaldo stopped at the sound, turned around, and seeing it was Oliver, his tense expression softened slightly, and the corners of his mouth even turned up in an encouraging smile.
"That's right, kid, we agreed to swap jerseys," Cristiano Ronaldo extended his hand proactively; his hand was dry and strong.
"Congratulations, you played very well," Cristiano Ronaldo looked at the young man, slightly shorter than him, who had caused him immense trouble for 90 minutes, his tone sincere.
As a top star, he knew too well what it meant to score a crucial goal and display such comprehensive ability in such a big match.
"Your goal was very calm, and that chase-down… it truly impressed me," he was referring to Oliver's epic defensive retreat that disrupted his attack.
Oliver's heart pounded rapidly; facing his idol, whom he had looked up to on television since childhood, and hearing him praise him personally, the feeling was indescribable.
He gripped Cristiano Ronaldo's hand and shook it firmly: "Thank you! Your positioning and shooting threat… were truly omnipresent, we had to stay on edge the entire game."
Oliver's words were filled with genuine admiration, without a hint of flattery. Although Cristiano Ronaldo didn't score in this match, the top-level positioning, desire to shoot, and immense pressure he put on the defense throughout the game made Oliver keenly feel the pressure of a world-class superstar.
Cristiano Ronaldo smiled, clearly appreciating this genuine acknowledgment. He deftly took off his number 7 Real Madrid jersey, soaked with sweat and stained with a bit of grass. Oliver also immediately took off his number 17 jersey.
"Keep it up, kid, see you at the Bernabéu in the second leg," Cristiano Ronaldo took Oliver's jersey, draped it over his shoulder, and patted Oliver's bare, sweaty, yet well-defined shoulders, his gaze filled with expectation.
"Thank you, sir, see you at the Bernabéu!" Oliver nodded solemnly, carefully draping Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey, still warm and carrying the aura of a superstar, over his arm.
The exchange complete, the two shook hands again, nodding to each other in greeting.
Cristiano Ronaldo turned and strode towards the player tunnel, his back straight, while Oliver stood rooted, watching the legendary number 7 disappear into the tunnel entrance.
[Player Cristiano Ronaldo interaction +30%]
When Oliver returned to the locker room holding Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey, it naturally caused a small sensation and teasing from his teammates.
Gnabry exaggeratedly shouted: "Oh my god! Ollie! Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey! This is a real collector's item!"
The tired players all smiled. Oliver smiled sheepishly and carefully put away the precious jersey. However, the ripple effect of this draw extended far beyond the locker room celebration and the collection of a jersey. As the Hoffenheim players celebrated in the Sinsheim night, far away in the British Isles, a storm was brewing regarding the Premier League's standing.
The day after this match, the headlines of major British sports media were almost entirely dominated by the same type of news: "No Premier League teams in Champions League semifinals! Premier League competitiveness hits rock bottom?"
"Two powerhouses eliminated! The Reds fell in the Champions League qualifiers, the Citizens crashes out in the quarterfinals, both thwarted by this Bundesliga dark horse!"
"Shameful! Premier League teams 'double-killed' by Hoffenheim, exposing deep-seated League problems?"
Beneath the cold headlines was an even colder reality check: The Champions League semifinalists were Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Roma, and Hoffenheim. The Premier League, once considered the world's top League, had no teams qualify! What was even more humiliating for the English was that Liverpool had been eliminated by Hoffenheim in the Champions League qualifiers at the beginning of the season. And Manchester City, aiming for the championship, also fell at Hoffenheim's feet, stopping at the quarterfinals.
A team from a small German town with a population of less than four thousand had become the "gravedigger" of the Premier League's two giants! This fact hit England's football pride like a heavy punch. In football commentary programs on radio and television, experts argued heatedly; on fan forums, voices of doubt, anger, and defense clamored.
"Hoffenheim can consecutively defeat two of our giants? Doesn't that prove the problem?"
"Is the intensity of our League fake? Why do we become weak in European competitions?"
"So much money invested, only to be taught a lesson by a Bundesliga mid-table budget team?"
Amidst this wave of condemnation regarding the League's overall competitiveness and European performance, one name was repeatedly mentioned and given special significance: Oliver. The Times' column article headline was striking:
[Oliver, the pride of Premier League youth academies, urgently needed by the England National Team]
The article wrote: "While we lament the Premier League's European failures, we overlook this rising supernova in Germany, who emerged from our very own English youth development!"
Birmingham's youth academy nurtured him, and now he is shining brightly in the Bundesliga and Champions League, becoming a key figure in thwarting Premier League teams! Is this not a satire of our youth development system, and even more, a loss for the National Team?"
The article also said:
"What is Southgate still waiting for? A talented attacker who has already scored 17 goals in the Champions League this season, a dual top scorer, and has breached Real Madrid's goal, does he still need to prove anything at the U21 level? The door to the National Team should be opened to him immediately, without hesitation! Skip all youth team call-up procedures and let Ollie directly enter the England senior National Team! This is a respect for talent, and even more, an urgent need to strengthen the Three Lions' attacking firepower!"
Suddenly, #CallUpOliver became a trending topic among England fans and media. His English nationality and Chinese heritage made this issue full of topicality and immense imaginative space. People seemed to see a superstar who might carry the Three Lions' banner for the next decade.
If the domestic discussion in England still carried a certain flavor of "kinship recognition" and seeking a remedy, then Oliver's personal global explosion was entirely the direct effect of this epic draw. After the match against Real Madrid, Oliver became famous. This time, he was truly famous, and on a global scale. Because he drew against a football club with the most fans in the world.
Overnight, the name "Oliver" surged to the top of trending topics on multiple social media platforms worldwide. Oliver's personal highlight reel, a compilation of his best moments from the Rhein-Neckar match, spread virally:
[Oliver starting from midfield, chasing back at incredible speed, and at the last possible moment, thwarting Cristiano Ronaldo's attack on the goal line]
[He dribbled past Casemiro and Marcelo, delivering a precise cross that almost assisted Uth's goal]
[The entire process of him cleverly back-heeling the ball to escape Varane, making a reverse run to break through the defense, receiving the ball, and then, while holding off Ramos, unleashing a powerful shot to score]
Of course, there was also his slightly shy and excited smile when he exchanged jerseys with Cristiano Ronaldo after the game. Besides these, there were also his Bundesliga and Champions League highlights from this season; his personal highlight reel content was simply too extensive… This highlight reel was titled with various shocking headlines:
"New King Born?", "18-year-old Genius Conquers Real Madrid!", "Engine of Hoffenheim's Miracle!" accompanied by stirring music, it was frantically shared on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.
His exquisite skills, big-match temperament, and that handsome East Asian face, still evident after intense exertion, instantly captivated countless fans worldwide, especially female fans.
At the same time, Oliver's personal social media accounts were completely overwhelmed. His private message inbox was like a dam broken by a flood, with countless new messages pouring in frantically, and his phone notification sound barely stopped. His follower count exploded exponentially. Soon, a new nickname, created and rapidly spread by his female fans worldwide, emerged:
"Diamond."
This nickname perfectly blended his brilliant performance on the field like a diamond, and the unique charm brought by his handsome appearance.
"#DiamondOllie" quickly became a trending hashtag.
What followed was a storm of enthusiasm that caught the 18-year-old Oliver off guard, countless bold and explicit private messages of affection:
"Ollie, can I come to Germany to find you?"
"Be my boyfriend, sweetheart, I'm a sports medicine doctor, with me, neither your body nor your heart will be hurt."
"Ollie, next time I'll be cheering for you at the Bernabéu."
Even more embarrassing, many enthusiastic or overly open female fans directly sent highly explicit private photos, trying to attract his attention, which made Oliver afraid to casually open private messages from female fans, especially those sending pictures. There were also direct dating invitations:
"Sweetheart, I'm in Munich now, can I treat you to dinner this weekend? (Selfie)"
Some even described detailed fantasy dating scenarios… In the locker room after training, Oliver was browsing his private messages, deleting them as he went. Deleting was useless; he simply couldn't delete them all.
Gnabry quietly leaned close to Oliver and, mimicking a female fan's tone, said to him:
"Oh, My dear Diamond, Your light illuminates my night~ May I invite you on a date?" (followed by an exaggerated blown kiss gesture)
"Hahahahahahahahaha…"
Gnabry's comical antics instantly ignited laughter in the locker room, even the usually serious De Jong couldn't help but laugh. Oliver shook his head with a helpless smile.
Gnabry, patting Oliver's shoulder, his tone filled with "envy, jealousy, and hate":
"Hey, seriously, Ollie, this is too much! So many girls calling you sweetheart, and even dating invitations? My god! When will female fans send me these? I don't ask for much, I just want a girlfriend with a good figure." He made a pitiful expression.
Oliver pursed his lips but humorously retorted: "Don't worry, Serge, maybe next time you score at the Bernabéu, or successfully thwart Cristiano Ronaldo's one-on-one, your inbox will also explode. But before that, I suggest you change to a cooler profile picture?"
Oliver was referring to Gnabry's comical training photo on his personal social media.
"Hahahahaha, Ollie is right!"
"Hey, Gnabry, I think the profile picture is only one aspect, you should also change your hairstyle."
This retort drew another round of good-natured laughter from his teammates.
Besides these private messages, many messages from fans were full of familiarity and "silly" humor:
Ren: Ollie, Amos wants me to ask you, is Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey for sale? He will use it for self-care 🌚🌚
G0j0_fr0m_Temu: Brother, can you take me next season? I play defender, I can help you step on the opponent's heels.
ped0_Amos: Ollie baby, are the jerseys you've worn for sale? Socks are fine too, the sweaty kind, I'll buy them at a high price.
Joowish_David: Ollie, can you come to Paris in the summer window? Take us to beat PSG director. 🤣🤣
Broke_Ass_MF: Brother, can your club lower the price of your jersey? It's a bit expensive. 😭😭
While these messages had a peculiar style, they generally made Oliver feel familiar and warm. However, when the massive influx of information, especially the overly enthusiastic or even boundary-crossing private messages and photos, poured in like a tide, Oliver felt an unprecedented sense of bother. He was just an 18-year-old young man, whose life originally consisted only of football, training, family, and friends.
He enjoyed the support of fans, but he never imagined becoming a global focal point in this way. Those bold invitations and photos made him feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, and even a little overwhelmed. His phone's constant vibrations and notification sounds began to affect his rest and concentration.
One evening after a training session, Oliver sat on the sofa in his apartment, looking at the private message icon on his phone, still showing "999+", his brows slightly furrowed. He was silent for a few minutes, then made a decision. He tapped his phone settings, and in the social media notification permissions, he decisively turned off all private messages, @mentions, new follower notifications…
All possible distracting notification sounds and red dot markers instantly disappeared. The world instantly became quiet. He put down his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Whew…"
Although the online world was noisy, at least here it was still quiet. Oliver stood up and walked to the window, his gaze directed towards the training base. The second-leg decisive battle at the Bernabéu, the sprint for the Bundesliga title, and that Arsenal dream deeply buried in his heart…
These were the battlefields where he truly needed to pour all his energy.
As for the glow of the "Diamond," let it shine only on the green pitch for now.
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...
Lets make a deal,
Every 50 powerstone or 3 five star reviews= extra chapter 🤭🤭
Count resets every week.
*New* Extra bonus chapter per new members on P@te0n based on tier.
One per new member in $10 tier and one per two new member in $6.7 tier.
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Edit: BTW, you lot already have one bonus chapter by the reviews count. You can get another bonus by reaching the powerstone goal which can be done by Sunday. If done I'll release both bonus chap on Sunday. Otherwise you only get one. GIVE ME YOUR STONESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
ALSO, We are up-ing the goal from nest week since you lot accomplished this one <3