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Chapter 18 — The Iron Man Awakens
📅 November 17th
📍 Germany
The whistle blew to start the second half.
The scoreboard still showed Oe II 2–0 Werder Bremen C.
But Su Long wasn't satisfied.
Not yet.
From kickoff, he led Oe II's attack single-handedly, pressing forward like a storm.
Every time he touched the ball, Werder Bremen's defenders hesitated — afraid to commit.
They knew: one false step, and he'd be gone.
Matthew Dansk, burned again and again in the first half, gritted his teeth and stepped up to defend.
This time, he backed off slightly — finally learning his lesson.
But Su Long had already adjusted his body, his foot tapping lightly over the ball.
Then came the strike.
Boom!
A cannonball of a shot tore through the air, brushing just over Dansk's head.
He didn't even have time to blink — only the whoosh of wind and the smell of leather flying past.
For a moment, the world froze.
Then came the sound of the net rippling.
3–0. Hat-trick.
Dansk turned slowly, heart sinking as he saw his goalkeeper kneeling on the turf, staring at the ball lodged in the net.
His chest felt hollow. The second half had only just begun, yet the game already felt lost.
Their captain, Kevin Wittek, clenched his fists and shouted,
"Matthew! Are we just going to let him humiliate us like this?!"
Matthew spat on the grass. "Damn it! We can't stop him!"
Kevin's jaw tightened. "Then we make him stop. One way or another."
---
Two minutes later, Su Long received the ball again.
The crowd rose.
He feinted past one defender — smooth, effortless — and moved to accelerate.
Then came the shout.
"Sue! Watch out!"
Before he could react —
Crash!
A vicious tackle from the side sent him flying.
His left ankle twisted violently as he hit the ground.
Pain exploded up his leg.
"Ahhh!"
Su Long clutched his ankle, rolling in agony. It felt as if his foot had been ripped apart.
The stadium went silent for a split second — then erupted in shouts.
"That's a foul!"
"Ref! Are you blind?!"
On the ground, Su Long's vision blurred from the pain.
He saw the culprit — Kevin Wittek — standing over him, smirking.
"You like playing rough, huh?" Kevin sneered. "Welcome to real football."
Then came the familiar chime inside Su Long's mind:
[Minor injury detected. Iron Man feature activated — damage reduced by 50%.]
A burning heat spread through his ankle — then a wave of cool relief.
The pain dulled.
He took a deep breath.
"...This system really is a cheat code."
Su Long pushed himself up slowly, ignoring the gasps from the bench.
"Su, are you okay?!"
"Should we sub you out?"
He shook his head firmly. "I'm fine."
The team doctor hurried over, examined his leg, then blinked in disbelief.
"You're… completely fine? It's just a scratch."
Su Long nodded, forcing a smile. "Told you."
As the doctor jogged off, Su Long muttered under his breath,
"Are you sure you're a doctor… not a vet?"
---
The referee restored order and flashed a yellow card at Kevin Wittek.
Kevin shrugged with mock innocence.
"Accident," he said, grinning.
Su Long met his eyes, cold as steel.
He didn't say a word.
But everyone nearby could feel it — the air around him had changed.
---
On the sideline, the blonde fan Nelly pressed her hands to her chest.
"Thank God he's okay…" she said breathlessly.
"Otherwise, I'd have marched onto that field myself!"
Her friend huffed beside her. "That No. 10's a thug! Why isn't he sent off?!"
Behind them, the Bayern Munich scout sighed quietly.
He'd seen it all before — ugly tackles, reckless challenges.
This was football's dark side.
Even in the top leagues, it happened.
Even at the World Cup.
But he was curious.
How would this young Dragon Country player respond?
---
Assistant coach Eller stood silently with his arms crossed.
He was angry — but he didn't make a substitution.
He wanted to see something.
He wanted to know if Su Long could handle this — the pain, the provocation, the fear.
"This," Eller muttered, "is your first real test in Germany, kid."
---
Play resumed.
Just one minute later, Su Long got his answer.
Werder Bremen had the ball.
Kevin Wittek dribbled confidently down the center, seeing Su Long step up to defend.
He smirked. "You wouldn't dare tackle me back, would you?"
Su Long's expression was unreadable. He took one step forward — then lunged.
Wham!
A perfect sliding tackle.
The ball flew cleanly off Wittek's feet, spinning toward Oe II's midfield.
Wittek screamed and crumpled to the ground.
"Ref! That's a foul! That's—!"
But the referee shook his head immediately.
"Clean tackle! Play on!"
The stadium roared.
Even Oe's substitutes were on their feet, fists raised.
Su Long stood over Wittek, expression calm.
"It was just an accident," he said softly — using the same words Kevin had spat earlier.
Wittek's face twisted in shock and anger — then pain.
He was carried off on a stretcher moments later, his injury looking serious.
---
Eller exhaled, finally signaling for a substitution.
"Su, off. That's enough."
As Su Long walked to the sideline, Eller glared for a moment — then smiled faintly.
"Is that how you play football back in the Dragon Country?"
Su Long spread his hands innocently. "People don't offend me, I don't offend them."
Eller chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Next time, maybe make it less obvious."
Su Long grinned.
---
In the stands, Nelly was red-faced, eyes sparkling.
"Did you see that? So fearless! So cold! I'm in love!"
Her friend groaned. "You're hopeless."
Beside them, the Bayern scout was scribbling furiously in his notebook.
> Name: Su Long
Nationality: China
Age: 17
Position: Point Steal Striker
Style: Intelligent, precise, resilient.
Personality: Fearless. Vindictive.
Strengths: Sharp technique, mental fortitude, exceptional adaptability.
Weaknesses: Physique may limit long-term durability.
Potential Rating: ★★★★☆
Comparison: Ronaldo Luís Nazário da Lima
Transfer Info: Oe II Club, 4-year contract — £10M release clause.
He underlined the last word twice.
Then muttered, "We can't let this one slip away."
---
The match ended 5–2, Oe II triumphant.
The man of the match — of course — was Su Long.
A hat-trick.
A lesson in toughness.
And a warning to every scout in the stands:
A new star had arrived.
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