Chapter 22: Competition Rating SSS, Legendary Treasure Chest Secured!

"Fuck you! You sons of bitches!"
"XXXXXXX!!!"
"XXXXXXX!!!"
Veltins-Arena!
As the players and coaches from both teams clashed, the long-frustrated fans in the stands were not idle either. A barrage of colorful insults and flying debris turned the entire stadium into absolute chaos. It took nearly ten minutes for the security personnel to intervene firmly and bring the commotion to an end.

With the fans in the stands settled, the referee finally began his summary. Thomas Rincon was shown a red card for his malicious tackle, while Lin Hao, who had stepped in to defend his teammate, was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card. As for the others, most had only been involved in pushing and shoving, so the referee did not even bother with bookings. However, while the referee showed mercy to the players, he did not hesitate when it came to Felix Magath and Armin Veh; two red cards were brandished, sending both managers to the stands.

With this sweeping judgment concluded, the match resumed. Already suppressed and now down a man in midfield, the final ten minutes became a carnival for Schalke 04.

In the 83rd minute, Lin Hao dropped deep to receive the ball. Facing Mladen Petric, who was hounding him, Lin Hao executed a simple left-feint and right-cut, slicing through Hamburg's defense from the center. Exhausted from his relentless pressing in the first half and being run ragged like a dog by Lin Hao in the second, Petric could only watch helplessly as Lin Hao strode past him.

Lin Hao surged forward with lightning speed. Ze Roberto and Jonathan Pitroipa scrambled to track back, but they could not stop Lin Hao’s effortless cross at the crucial moment.

Raul! The brightest superstar at the Veltins-Arena netted his third goal of the match in front of over 40,000 Schalke 04 fans!

"Beautiful!"
"Lin Hao’s breakthrough through the middle, and that exquisite final pass!"
"Raul, following up at the edge of the box, outmuscles Mathijsen and curls it in with his left foot!"
"Raul has scored his third goal of the match, marking the fifth hat-trick of his career right here at the Veltins-Arena!"

A hat-trick in his league debut for his new club. Even for a legend like Raul, the emotion was too much; as the final whistle blew, he stripped off his jersey and kissed his wedding ring along the byline. 4-2!

In the stands, watching Raul and that damn No. 23 link up for another lethal blow, an aging Armin Veh finally slumped in defeat. He knew it was over; his Hamburg side would be leaving the Veltins-Arena with nothing.

"Lin!" On the pitch, Raul, having recovered from his excitement, made sure to give his young teammate a hug first. Lin Hao had provided two assists for his three goals. Raul truly felt like the happiest man on the pitch, already fantasizing about whether he might repeat this in the Champions League.

With the hat-trick complete and little time left, Schalke's makeshift manager, Seppo Eichkorn, sensibly began his substitutions. Jefferson Farfan replaced the star of the night, Raul.

"Clap, clap, clap!" As Raul left the pitch, over 40,000 Schalke 04 fans rose to their feet to applaud their new king. Down by two goals and a man short, even the resilient Hamburg could only accept the inevitable. After the final few minutes ticked away, the referee blew the final whistle.

"CCTV!"
"With the referee’s whistle, the match is over!"
"4-2! Schalke 04 has successfully defeated the aggressive Hamburg side at home!"
"Raul scored three, and our own Lin Hao contributed one goal and two assists!"
"For an 18-year-old, this league debut is nothing short of perfect!"
"Of course, Hao Junmin, who played the full match, also performed excellently!"
"That concludes our live coverage. After the commercials, we will announce today's winning numbers!"

He Wei removed his headset in the commentary booth, finishing his shift. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Lin Hao was pulled by Raul toward the South Stand, where the home supporters were gathered, to thank the fans.

"Lin! Clap, clap, clap!"
"Lin! Clap, clap, clap!"
"Lin! Clap, clap, clap!"

Fans are the most wonderful people. Although many Schalke 04 supporters hadn't known much about the team's new No. 23 before this match, that didn't stop them from expressing their love with the highest level of acclaim. It wasn't just chanting; by the end, several female fans in the front row were even tossing their personal belongings onto the pitch toward Lin Hao.

In the locker room, Magath excitedly praised every player, ultimately announcing that the team would have two days off. The news brought immediate cheers from the exhausted squad. Everyone knew how grueling Magath’s training sessions were; two days of rest under "Old Ma" was a rare opportunity.

As the players discussed their plans for the break, Lin Hao snuck off to the restroom. Just as Magath made the announcement, the system notification he had been waiting for finally chimed.

"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for completing the main quest: League Debut."
"Completion Rating: SSS."
"Reward: Legendary Skill Chest!"

As expected! With one goal and two assists, the reward was the highest-tier Legendary Skill Chest. Without hesitation, Lin Hao opened it after it appeared in his inventory. A brilliant golden light flashed!

"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the legendary skill: Perfect Partner!"
[PS: 1. Football is not a one-man sport; even the strongest stars need the support of their teammates!]
[2. The host can designate one teammate as their 'Perfect Partner' during a match. Upon activation, chemistry between the host and the partner increases by 60%, and the success rate of mutual assists increases by 5%!]
[3. Skill duration: 24 hours. Cooldown: 24 hours.]