Chapter 48: The Cold-Blooded Assassin

"Get out of my way!"

As Quan Jingyuan's right hand tugged at Dai Zhiwei, Dai had already managed to reach the ball with his foot. The forceful pull from Quan Jingyuan threw Dai off balance, but he gritted his teeth, powered through with his right shoulder, and thrust himself forward! Quan felt an immense force surge through the arm gripping Dai’s shoulder; his own body, already unstable from impatience, was suddenly sent tumbling forward. In panic, he released his hold, but it was too late—the loss of his single point of support caused him to crash to the ground in a most undignified manner.

Such a wild move! Such dominance!

The stadium fell silent.

Standing in front of the goal, Al Ahli’s goalkeeper Mahmoud stared wide-eyed. He knew better than anyone Quan Jingyuan's strength and speed—once, Quan had been the reliable shield before Mahmoud. Yet now, he had been tossed aside like a dead dog by Dai Zhiwei.

Dai Zhiwei’s “Tiger Strike” wasn’t just a thunderous long shot—it embodied a sweeping, unstoppable force!

Center-back Hamis barely managed to bring Dai down outside the penalty area with both hands and feet; otherwise, Dai would have broken into the box with only the keeper to beat. No team dared let Dai face their goalkeeper one-on-one. For Dai Zhiwei, a clear shot meant a goal.

He had earned an excellent free kick for Evergrande, and he delivered a message to Al Ahli: this was the will of a warrior!

Our Chinese football may be weak—unable even to defeat India, a true football desert, at home. But among our men’s footballers, there are still men of blood and courage! At least, Dai Zhiwei is one.

With his fierce display, Dai won a superbly positioned free kick for Evergrande. Both Huang Bowen and Goulart stood over the ball. The whistle blew. Goulart ran toward the ball but merely swept past it; Huang Bowen, no longer hesitating, curved a beautiful cross toward Al Ahli’s penalty area.

There, Dai Zhiwei was waiting!

Near post? It seemed so—yes, it appeared to be the near post. At least, Huang Bowen’s ball drew the eyes of all Al Ahli defenders to that spot, and Dai seemed intent on fighting for it, straining forward as if to seize the point.

But just as the ball was about to arrive, Dai, who had been leaning toward the near post, suddenly twisted and leapt at great speed toward the far post!

At that moment, the ball seemed to curve in midair, spinning toward the far post—and the timing matched Dai’s movement perfectly!

“Let’s watch this ball… Opportunity!”

In the commentary booth, He Wei, witnessing such exquisite teamwork, clenched his fists and cried out involuntarily. Compared to a simple one-two pass, this was more marvelous, requiring even greater tacit understanding—akin to a no-look alley-oop in basketball!

Now Dai Zhiwei was like a bomber loaded with explosives, making his final dive, pouring fury upon enemy territory—a living, breathing warplane.

Swish!

As the ball flew into the net, Mahmoud—reduced to a spectator throughout—was left speechless with shock. Even the goalkeeper, whose attention had been drawn to the near post, could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed in.

1:0!

After scoring, Dai Zhiwei leaped high, his arms spread wide in the air, roaring with joy! In that instant, he seemed to cover the entire blue sky.

At the 19th minute, Dai broke the deadlock for Evergrande, scoring his 13th goal of the Champions League season—his coronation as this year’s top scorer was assured.

Trailing by one, Dubai’s Al Ahli had no choice but to abandon their dense defense and come out attacking.

“Attack… Attack!” The Al Ahli coach’s voice rang out from the sidelines again and again, causing a few furrowed brows, but his team promptly responded.

Evergrande lost the ball in midfield in a manner so casual it surprised Dai Zhiwei—two Al Ahli defenders boxed in Goulart, who, unable to advance, chose not to pass to a teammate but instead shot, even though the angle was blocked. He glanced at the goal and fired.

Clearly, the pressure of a first-ever Champions League final unsettled Goulart, making him eager to score.

With Dai Zhiwei’s rapid rise, Goulart and the other Brazilian imports were no longer the most crucial players at Evergrande, which affected their mentality at times.

Goulart’s shot soared high and wide—no suspense, it was out.

“Damn!” Goulart swore, but showed no regret, running back as the others shrugged it off. In their eyes, foreign players always had such privileges.

Even Dai, who had just found a good opportunity wasted, merely muttered—Goulart was usually a reliable partner, so he let him “go solo” this once. Cannavaro on the sidelines said nothing.

The ball belonged to Al Ahli once more.

“No worries, no worries! We’ll win it back!” Applause and encouragement came from Evergrande’s defense. Leading by a goal, Evergrande remained relaxed.

Al Ahli launched their attack.

Compared to Evergrande’s open, sweeping offense, Al Ahli’s was far more organized, with greater focus on teamwork and passing skills. After several simple passes, Al Ahli advanced into Evergrande’s half and pushed the ball out wide.

Hasan, breaking down the flank, sent the ball to Khalil, who was unmarked.

Feng Xiaoting, stationed at the edge of the box, quickly closed down Khalil, his speed and movement devoid of flaw. But a simple angled pass made scoring look easy.

With Lima creating space near the penalty spot, Khalil’s pass arrived just in time. Al Ahli’s fullback Haikal surged forward, received the pass, rounded Zeng Cheng, and slotted the ball home.

1:1!

Al Ahli equalized just ten minutes after Dai opened the scoring, putting both teams back on even terms.

The match continued, but the atmosphere turned heavy. Al Ahli, having drawn level, began to retreat and defend. Evergrande, wary of Al Ahli’s quick counterattacks, lacked solutions against their defense, resorting to frequent long shots and crosses.

Unfortunately, Elkeson was off form; Dai Zhiwei, who had just scored, was now surrounded by layers of Al Ahli defenders. Evergrande’s hopes of scoring again seemed distant.

The teams entered halftime tied 1:1—a favorable result for Evergrande, playing away, as it brought them an away goal. For Al Ahli, however, the score was less ideal.

So, as Al Ahli kicked off the second half, they pressed forward immediately, attempting a quick attack down Evergrande’s left flank.

Haikal, Al Ahli’s fullback, clearly sought to exploit Li Xuepeng’s side, receiving Hamadi’s pass near the edge of the box and making several feints to try and beat Li.

Li Xuepeng, though not particularly skilled, at least knew his limitations. He did not rush, holding his position tightly. Seeing Haikal attempt to cut inside, Li quickly closed him down, pressed hard, and forced an error, neutralizing Al Ahli’s first wave.

Li Xuepeng threw in from the sideline; Paulinho received and launched forward, racing into the opposing half.

Al Ahli’s players hurried back, with Hamadi quickly chasing the Brazilian midfielder.

Paulinho, after two strides, saw Hamadi approaching and, a step ahead, delivered a precise pass through the Al Ahli midfield, landing perfectly at Goulart’s feet as he cut inside.

The halftime break had calmed Goulart; his mindset was now back to normal.

Al Ahli was still unsettled, and Evergrande’s first attack was already threatening.

Having seen Li Xuepeng’s throw, Dai Zhiwei tracked Paulinho’s dribbling route and, like an arrow released, was the first to charge into the opposing half, leaving Al Ahli’s defenders trailing by more than ten meters.

Goulart, noticing Dai’s run, glanced toward Elkeson, but sent a direct pass to the speeding Dai.

Receiving Goulart’s pass at the edge of the box, Dai faced only two Al Ahli defenders. He wasted no time, pushed the ball forward, and charged down the middle.

“Stop him!”

“Intercept!”

“Take him down!”

As Dai Zhiwei stormed into the penalty area, terrified cries echoed through Prince Abdullah Stadium.

Everyone knew—the cold-blooded killer was here again!

Ps: The national team is truly a coach terminator; it’s highly likely that Lippi will not finish his term with dignity.