After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

As the final whistle blew, the Rhine-Neckar Arena was engulfed in a cacophony of ecstasy, exhaustion, and disbelief.

1-1. On paper, it's a draw, but for Hoffenheim, it's an epic draw that will go down in the club's history!

Because the opponent was just too strong, ridiculously strong.

The players collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily, but their faces were filled with an almost exhausting excitement.

The substitutes and coaching staff had already rushed onto the field, embracing, shouting, and patting the heroes on the field.

Surrounded by his teammates, Yan Yuan's face was still covered in sweat. Although he was tired, his smile was bright.

This match was extremely taxing.

From his aggressive defensive efforts at the start of the game to his stunning comeback that disrupted Ronaldo's one-on-one chance, and finally that invaluable equalizer, he almost exhausted all his energy.

As the crowd dispersed slightly, Yan Yuan's gaze pierced through the noisy throng and precisely locked onto the number 7 figure, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was about to walk towards the players' tunnel.

Cristiano Ronaldo's face was expressionless; he simply adjusted his wristband as usual, his eyes revealing a hint of regret for not winning and respect for his opponent's tenacious resistance.

Yan Yuan took a deep breath and strode towards Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two had a brief exchange during their pre-match warm-up and agreed to exchange jerseys after the game.

Now is the time to fulfill our promise.

"Sir!" Yan Yuan called out in English, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness and excitement typical of young people.

Cristiano Ronaldo stopped and turned around when he heard the voice. When he saw Yan Yuan, his tense expression relaxed slightly, and he even smiled encouragingly.

"By the way, young man, we agreed to exchange jerseys." Cristiano Ronaldo extended his hand, his hand dry and strong.

"Congratulations, you played brilliantly." Ronaldo looked at the young man in front of him, who was a little shorter than him but had caused him a lot of trouble in 90 minutes, and spoke sincerely.

As a top player, he knows all too well what it means to score crucial goals and demonstrate such well-rounded abilities in such high-stakes situations.

"Your goal was very calm, and that follow-up move... really impressed me." He was referring to Yan Yuan's epic defensive run that disrupted his attack.

Yan Yuan's heart was pounding. Facing his idol, whom he had admired on television since childhood, up close and hearing him praise him in person, was an indescribable feeling.

He gripped Ronaldo's hand tightly and shook it vigorously:

"Thank you! Your runs and shooting threat... were truly everywhere, and we had to stay on edge the entire game."

Yan Yuan's words were full of sincere admiration, without the slightest hint of flattery.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo did not score in this match, his top-notch positioning, shooting desire, and immense pressure on the defense throughout the game made Yan Yuan personally experience the pressure of being a world-class superstar.

Cristiano Ronaldo smiled, clearly appreciating this sincere recognition.

He decisively took off his Real Madrid number 7 jersey, which was soaked with sweat and stained with a few bits of grass.

Yan Yuan immediately took off his size 17.

"Keep it up, kid. See you at the Bernabéu next time." Cristiano Ronaldo took Yan Yuan's jersey, draped it over his shoulder, patted Yan Yuan's bare, sweaty, yet muscular shoulder, his eyes filled with expectation.

"Thank you, sir, see you at the Bernabéu!" Yan Yuan nodded solemnly, carefully draping Ronaldo's jersey, still warm from his body and exuding the aura of a superstar, over his arm.

After the exchange was completed, the two shook hands again and nodded to each other.

Cristiano Ronaldo turned and strode towards the players' tunnel, his back straight and tall. Yan Yuan stood there, watching the legendary number 7 disappear into the tunnel entrance.

[Player Ronaldo's interaction level +30%]

When Yan Yuan returned to the locker room carrying Ronaldo's jersey, it naturally caused a small commotion and some commotion from his teammates.

Gnabry shouted exaggeratedly:

"My God! Wow! Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey! This is a genuine collector's item!"

The exhausted team members all smiled.

Yan Yuan smiled sheepishly and carefully put away the precious battle robe.

However, the ripples from this draw went far beyond the locker room celebrations and the collection of a jersey.

While Hoffenheim players celebrated under the Sinsheim night sky, far away in the British Isles, a storm was brewing over the Premier League's power rankings.

The day after the match, the headlines of major British sports media outlets were almost entirely dominated by the same type of news:

No Premier League teams among the Champions League semi-finalists! Has the Premier League's competitiveness hit rock bottom?

Two powerhouses eliminated! Liverpool crash out of Champions League qualifiers, Manchester City fall in the quarterfinals, their opponents being this Bundesliga dark horse!

Shameful! Premier League team suffers a double defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim, exposing deep-seated problems in the league?

Beneath the cold title lies an even colder reality:

The Champions League semi-finalists are Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Roma, and Hoffenheim.

The English Premier League, once considered the world's best league, has not had a single team make the cut!

What made things even more embarrassing for the English was that Liverpool were eliminated by Hoffenheim in the Champions League qualifiers at the beginning of the season.

Manchester City, aiming for the title, also fell to Hoffenheim, stopping in the quarterfinals.

A team from a small town in Germany with a population of less than 4,000 has become the "gravedigger" of the two Premier League giants!

This fact hit English football like a heavy blow to its pride.

On radio and television football commentary programs, experts argued heatedly; on fan forums, voices of doubt, anger, and defense clashed.

"Hoffenheim managed to beat two of our top clubs in a row? Doesn't that say something?"

"Is our league's strength just a facade? Why do we falter in European competitions?"

"Invested so much money, only to be taught a lesson by a mid-table Bundesliga team?"

Amidst the outcry against the league's overall competitiveness and performance in European competitions, one name has been repeatedly mentioned and given special significance: Yan Yuan.

The Times' column featured a striking headline: [Yan Yuan, the pride of Premier League youth academy, urgently needs a call-up to the England national team]

The article states: "While we lament the Premier League's failure in European competitions, we overlook the fact that this rising star in Germany is a product of our own English youth academy!"

He was nurtured by Birmingham's youth academy, yet now he shines in the Bundesliga and Champions League, becoming a key figure in challenging Premier League teams! Isn't this an irony of our youth training system and a loss to the national team?

The article also stated:

"What is Southgate waiting for? Does a talented attacker who has already scored 17 goals in the Champions League this season, is the top scorer in both categories, and has breached Real Madrid's goal need to prove anything in the U21 level?"

The door to the national team should be opened to him immediately and without hesitation! Skip all youth team selection procedures and let Yan go directly into the England senior national team!

This demonstrates respect for talent and is also a pressing need to bolster the Three Lions' attacking firepower!

For a time, the "recruitment of Yan Yuan" became a hot topic among English fans and media.

His English citizenship and Chinese background make this topic highly topical and leave much to the imagination.

People seem to have spotted a superstar player who could potentially carry the Three Lions for the next decade.

If the discussions within England still carried a hint of "family reunion" and seeking a solution, then Yan Yuan's explosive popularity worldwide was entirely a direct result of this epic draw.

Yan Yuan became famous after the match against Real Madrid.

This time, he became a real sensation, and a global one at that.

Because he scored a equalizer against a football club with the most fans in the world.

Overnight, the name "Yan Yuan" soared to the top of the trending lists on multiple social media platforms around the world.

A highlight reel of Yan Yuan's performance at Rhein-Neckar, showcasing his best moments, spread like wildfire:

[Yan Yuan started from midfield, tracked back at incredible speed, and thwarted Ronaldo's attack at the last possible moment on the goal line.]

He dribbled past Casemiro and Marcelo, delivering a precise cross that nearly assisted Uth's goal.

[The entire process of him using a nimble backheel flick to get past Varane, making a run to tear apart the defense, receiving the ball, and then unleashing a powerful shot past Ramos to score.]

Of course, there was also the shy yet excited smile on his face when he exchanged jerseys with Cristiano Ronaldo after the match.

Besides these, there are also his Bundesliga and Champions League highlights from this season; there's just so much of his personal highlight reel...

This compilation has been given various sensational titles:

"A new king is born?", "18-year-old genius conquers Real Madrid!", "The engine of the Hoffenheim miracle!" were accompanied by rousing music and were wildly shared on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

His superb skills, his composure under pressure, and his handsome Eastern face that remained striking even after intense competition instantly captivated countless fans around the world, especially female fans.

"OMG! Yan is so handsome! I used to think Sun was the most handsome Asian man, but now that I see him, Sun is way too much of a match for Yan!"

"Sweetheart, make sure you get plenty of rest, eat well, and take care of yourself. Mommy will always support you." (Mommy fan)

"Honey, do your best in the next game at the Bernabéu! Mommy will be there to watch." (Mommy fan)

"My dear prince, the way you play soccer makes my heart stop! Look at me!" (Girlfriend fan)

"I went to watch the game live, and Yan looked even cooler there!"

"I swear, of all the Asian basketball stars I know, none can compare to his looks."

At the same time, Yan Yuan's personal social media accounts were completely compromised.

My private message inbox was like a dam breached by a flood, with countless new messages pouring in, and my phone kept beeping almost nonstop.

The number of fans has increased exponentially.

Soon, a new nickname, created by female fans worldwide and quickly spread, emerged.

"Eastern Diamond".

This nickname perfectly blends his Chinese heritage, his dazzling performance on the court, and the unique charm of his handsome appearance.

"#EasternDiamond" quickly became a popular hashtag.

What followed was a storm of enthusiasm that caught the 18-year-old Yan Yuan completely off guard:

Countless bold and explicit love confessions via private messages:

"Yan, can I come to Germany to see you?"

"Be my boyfriend, sweetheart. I'm a PhD in sports medicine. With me, your body and your heart won't get hurt."

"Yan, I'll cheer for you at the Bernabéu next time."

What's even more embarrassing is that many enthusiastic, or rather, overly open, female fans directly sent him extremely revealing private photos in an attempt to get his attention. This made Yan Yuan afraid to open female fans' private messages casually anymore, especially those with pictures.

Some even send direct date invitations:

"Sweetheart, I'm in Munich right now. Can I treat you to dinner this weekend? (Selfie)"

Some even described their imagined date scenarios in detail...

In the locker room after training, Yan Yuan was browsing his private messages, deleting them as he went.

Deleting it won't help; there's just too much of this stuff to delete.

Gnabry quietly moved closer to Yan Yuan and, mimicking the tone of a female fan, said to him:

"Oh~ My dear Oriental Diamond~ Your radiance illuminates my night~ Can I ask you out on a date? (Then accompanied by an exaggerated flying kiss)"

"Hahahahahahahaha..."

Gnabry's goofy antics instantly sparked laughter in the locker room, even making the usually serious De Jong burst into laughter.

Yan Yuan shook his head with a helpless smile.

Gnabry patted Yan Yuan on the shoulder, his tone filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment:

"Hey, seriously, Yan, this is too much! So many girls call you sweetheart, and some even ask you out on dates? My god! When will I get female fans sending me these things? I don't ask for much, I just want a girlfriend with a good figure." He made a pitiful face.

Yan Yuan pursed his lips, but still retorted humorously:

"Don't rush, Sergi. Maybe your inbox will explode the next time you score at the Bernabéu, or after you successfully thwart Ronaldo's one-on-one chance."

But before that, I suggest you change to a cooler profile picture first?

Yan Yuan was referring to the funny training photo that Gnabry posted on his personal social media.

"Hahahaha, Yan is right!"

"Hey, Gnabry, I think your profile picture is only one thing; you should also get a new hairstyle."

This response drew another round of good-natured laughter from his teammates.

Besides these private messages, there were also many comments from Chinese fans that were full of warmth and "silly" humor:

"Yan Shen, Wang Tao asked me to ask you, are you selling that Ronaldo jersey?"

"Bro, can you take me on next season? I play defense, so I can help you step on the opponents' heels."

"Yan Baobao, do you want to sell your old jersey? Socks are fine too, the kind that still smell of sweat. I'll pay a high price." (Nantong is everywhere)

[Yan Yuan: Elderly man's cell phone on the subway.jpg]

"Yan Shen, how about Xia Chuang comes to Taishan? He can lead us to beat up Guoan (doge)."

"Bro, could you ask your club to lower the price of your jersey? It's a bit too expensive for a student like me. (crying face)"

Although these messages had a unique style, they still made Yan Yuan feel familiar and warm overall.

However, when a massive amount of information, especially overly enthusiastic and even inappropriate private messages and photos, flooded in, Yan Yuan felt an unprecedented sense of distress.

He was just an 18-year-old young man whose life consisted only of football, training, family, and friends.

He appreciates the support from fans, but never imagined he would become the global focus in this way.

The bold invitations and photos made him feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, and even somewhat overwhelmed.

The constant vibrations and notifications from his phone began to affect his rest and concentration.

One evening after training, Yan Yuan sat on the sofa in his apartment, looking at the private message icon on his phone that still showed "999+", with a slight frown.

He remained silent for a few minutes, then made a decision.

He opened his phone settings and, in the social media notification permissions, neatly and efficiently turned off all private messages, @mentions, and new follower notifications...

All the notification sounds and red dot markers that might have bothered him disappeared instantly.

The world became quiet instantly.

He put down his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

"call…"

The online world may be noisy, but at least this place is quiet.

Yan Yuan stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the training base.

The second leg at the Bernabéu, the sprint for the Bundesliga title, and that Arsenal dream buried deep in my heart...

These are the battlefields where he truly needs to devote all his energy.

Let the brilliance of the "Oriental Diamond" shine only on the green field for now.