32: Chapter 32 17 years and 18 days old! His debut performance, breaking team records, ignites the entire internet!

"Substitution! Tottenham makes another substitution! Number 19 Mousa Dembélé is coming off... and replacing him is..."

In the commentary box, Commentator Zhan Jun's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredulous surprise and professional precision:

"Number 52! Yu Bai!"

"Dear viewers! A historic moment! Born on August 3, 1998, the young Chinese talent Yu Bai, at only 17 years and 18 days old, is coming on as a substitute to make his Premier League debut on August 22, 2015!"

"He has become the latest Chinese player to step onto the Premier League stage, following in the footsteps of Sun Jihai, Li Tie, Zheng Zhi, and others! Moreover, he is currently the youngest Chinese player to ever reach the Premier League!"

His partner, Commentator Zhang Lu, known for his tactical analysis and his always-smiling voice, immediately chimed in: "Hehe, incredible, truly incredible. For Mauricio Pochettino to dare to send him on while trailing away from home shows extraordinary trust. Let's see what this kid can bring to the table."

Commentator Zhan Jun quickly pulled up the data, speaking at a rapid pace with the excitement of sharing knowledge: "Let me add a statistic for everyone! At 17 years and 18 days old, Yu Bai has broken the record for the youngest Premier League appearance in Tottenham's history, previously held by the legendary Tottenham right-back and Irish international Stephen Carr!"

"Carr made his debut on September 26, 1993, at 17 years and 27 days old. This record, which stood from 1993 until today—a full 22 years—has been broken by our young Chinese talent, Yu Bai!"

"However, the youngest in the Premier League remains Matthew Briggs at 16 years and 68 days!"

Commentator Zhang Lu chuckled in admiration, "17 years and 18 days, a Premier League debut, and in this kind of situation. Hehe, the future is limitless, truly limitless. Now we just have to see what he can do in these next twenty-something minutes."

...

Huanledou Live Stream.

Streamer, who had just been analyzing how classic Leicester City's goal was and how terrible the Tottenham defense had been, sprang up from his chair the moment the substitution board lit up with "52," as if he had been electrocuted.

"Wait! Substitution! Mousa Dembélé off... and coming on is... Number 52? Holy sh*t! Number 52! Yu Bai! It's Yu Bai! Yu Bai is on! Brothers! Yu Bai is on!!!"

He roared into the microphone, spittle flying, his face flushed red with excitement.

"A Premier League debut! 17 years old! Away game against Leicester City! Trailing 0-1! And Mauricio Pochettino sends him on! What kind of script is this? Huh?! What kind of god-tier script is this?! This isn't garbage time! This is a call to duty in a crisis! This is saving the team from peril!"

He pounded the table, his voice hoarse but filled with energy:

"Yu Bai! Go for it! Let those Premier League veterans see what a Chinese genius is! What a Dribbling magician is! Dribble past them! Score! Assist! Blow up King Power Stadium for me!"

"The streamer has lost it, but in a good way!"

"I'm tearing up, brothers, I'm really tearing up!"

"Go Yu Bai! Take down the Foxes!"

"The pressure... if it were me, my legs would have turned to jelly."

"Streamer, stop howling and watch the game!"

...

Almost at the same time Yu Bai stepped onto the pitch, the sports section of the Chinese internet was completely detonated by an atomic bomb named "Yu Bai."

The Dongqiudi homepage featured a bold, blood-red pinned headline: "Historic Moment! 17 Years and 18 Days! Yu Bai Comes Off the Bench to Make His Premier League Debut, Breaking the Record for the Youngest Appearance in Tottenham History!"

On the Hupu Walking Street forum, a hot post refreshed at the speed of light: "[Hotline] Premier League Round 3, Leicester City vs Tottenham, Yu Bai Comes Off the Bench!"

Sina Sports breaking news: "Record Broken! Young Chinese talent Yu Bai makes his Premier League debut, setting the record for the youngest appearance in Tottenham history at 17 years and 18 days!"

Tencent Sports special: "From being abandoned to a Premier League debut, the Yu Bai miracle! Tonight, he is the pride of all of China!"

Comments refreshed at a rate of hundreds per second:

"I'm crying, really, I just started crying seeing Yu Bai run onto the pitch!"

"Tottenham's youngest record! And in an away game! What a starting point!"

"Stay steady, Yu Bai! Don't get injured! Play well!"

"Leicester City's defense... Yu Bai needs to be careful!"

"No matter how he plays, just getting on the pitch is a victory!"

"Mauricio Pochettino really dares to use him! Respect!"

Meanwhile, Weibo saw nuclear-level traffic. The topic that had been firmly in the number one trending spot, #Wang Feng Bird's Nest Peak Concert# — a grand performance marking another milestone in Wang Feng's career — was being overtaken and crushed by another topic at rocket speed.

#Yu Bai Premier League Debut# Exploding!

#Yu Bai 17 Years and 18 Days# Exploding!

#Yu Bai Breaks Tottenham Record# Hot!

"Wang Feng: I just want to know, who arranged for this Yu Bai?"

"The Headline Law: It may be late, but it always arrives. [Candle]"

"Don't cry, Teacher Wang Feng, we will remember your music (then clicks into the Leicester City vs Tottenham live stream)."

"Wang Feng: I suspect this Premier League is targeting me."

...

King Power Stadium, on the pitch.

Yu Bai's feet truly touched the turf of the Premier League pitch, the unique sensation of mixed grass clippings, soil, and the lingering warmth from intense running rising from the soles of his feet. The deafening roar of the crowd, the shouts of the home fans, the cheers of the away fans, mixed with sparse but clear Chinese shouts of "Go Yu Bai," surrounded him like a tidal wave.

Adrenaline was secreting wildly, his heart drumming against his ribcage, but a strange, cold clarity spread through the core of his brain.

He was on.

He was really on.

Premier League.

A debut.

And — mission complete, "Fight, Young Man!" reward, pick one of four Superstar Skills, claim it!

Almost the moment he stood firm, deep within his consciousness, a deep blue light screen unfurled, and four options shimmering with dazzling golden light, like four deadly, tempting fruits, hovered before his "eyes":

[Pelé's Bicycle Kick (Superstar)]

[Cruyff's Time Deception (Superstar)]

[Carloss Shooting Power (Superstar)]

[Cristiano Ronaldo's Heading (Superstar)]

No time to admire them carefully, Yu Bai's mind raced at lightning speed. Must choose immediately! The game won't wait for you!

Elimination!

Pelé's Bicycle Kick?

The ultimate aesthetic of the King of Football, a peerless weapon in the penalty area, with invincible visual impact.

But — not "practical" enough, at least for him right now.

A bicycle kick requires excellent ball feel, spatial awareness, and courage, and relies even more on specific Passing trajectories.

In the muscular jungle of the Premier League penalty area, in the limited twenty minutes, waiting for a perfect bicycle kick opportunity? The probability is too low.

What he needs is a skill that can immediately and directly increase his threat and efficiency.

Cruyff's Time Deception?

Master-level rhythm control, an illusion that steals time from defenders.

This is the ultimate cheat code tailor-made for his 91-point Dribbling!

Imagine, combined with his own rhythm changes, defenders would likely be dribbled past as cleanly as wooden stakes.

But — Yu Bai had absolute confidence in his Dribbling. 91 points is enough to "stir up trouble" in the Premier League.

In contrast, his other weaknesses, such as finishing ability, handling the ball in physical duels, or... Heading, seem more fatal.

A Superstar Skill, should he use it to add flowers to a brocade, or to send charcoal in snowy weather?

The scales of decision instantly tipped toward the last two items.

Carloss Shooting Power vs Cristiano Ronaldo's Heading.

Yu Bai's breathing quickened slightly. This was the ultimate choice that truly made his heart tighten and was difficult to decide.

Carloss Shooting Power... just thinking about the name, it felt like he could hear the roar of a ball blasting into the net with a trajectory and speed that defied the laws of physics!

That is the symbol of absolute power, the ultimate in violent aesthetics.

Choosing it, his long shots, Free kicks, and even long Passing could potentially undergo a qualitative change!

A thirty-meter cannon shot would be enough to make any goalkeeper shudder!

This could greatly enrich his scoring methods, expanding his threat area from the edge of the penalty area to the half-court!

And... would the increase in leg strength also bring about an improvement in his explosive power?

Even if it's just a little bit, for a player like him who relies on rhythm and acceleration, it would be a huge improvement!

This temptation is too great.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Heading... Yu Bai subconsciously touched his forehead.

The 28-point Heading attribute is one of the biggest weaknesses on his current panel, and also the biggest waste for a winger who is over 1.8 meters tall.

If he chooses this, it is foreseeable that his Heading ability will undergo a earth-shaking change!

Jumping, timing, attacking technique... directly soaring to a top-tier level!

What does this mean? It means that on the left flank, not only can he cross, but he can also cut into the penalty area to compete for headers! It means that during corners and Free kicks, he will become a brand new, deadly attacking point!

Heading is a sharp weapon for breaking through dense defenses, a guarantee for converting crosses into goals.

For a left winger/left attacking midfielder, possessing top-tier Heading has immeasurable strategic value.

A cannon of power, or a master of the air?

Choose Roberto Carlos, and he might become the next remote artillery piece that makes goalkeepers tremble.

Choose Cristiano Ronaldo, and he might transform into an omnipotent aerial killer inside the penalty area.

Which one to choose?

Which one to choose?!

Yu Bai felt his temples throbbing, blood rushing against his eardrums.

He moved toward the left flank while observing the positioning of his teammates and the opponent's defensive line out of the corner of his eye.

Superstar Skills, once chosen, cannot be changed.

This will directly affect his style for his entire career.

"Don't hesitate, Yu Bai!"

He thought to himself.

This is the one!