The fans' thunderous roars converged into rousing notes, playing a battle hymn in the hearts of every Crystal Palace player!
Kai stood at the front of the team bus.
One by one, the Crystal Palace players rose from their seats!
"Did you hear the fans' passionate hopes? Tonight at the Etihad, we cannot show fear! Against Manchester City, we have no retreat — but we will create a miracle!"
His voice echoed through the bus.
The players of Crystal Palace were filled with excitement, fists clenched tightly!
Yes!
So what if it's Manchester City?
This season's Crystal Palace isn't afraid of anyone!
No one could stop their advance!
The players looked toward their captain.
Every face burned with fighting spirit, eyes brimming with blazing fire!
This battle-fueled energy would surely ignite the grand Etihad Stadium tonight!
Three hours later.
Night had fallen on Manchester, but the atmosphere was ablaze!
A sky-blue sea filled every corner of the city!
A wave of Manchester City fans in blue jerseys surged toward the stadium!
They had once again won the draw for home-field advantage.
This round, they would host Crystal Palace, the visitors from afar!
For the City faithful, this was the moment to kill any suspense!
"A pitiful Championship team, they'll probably wet themselves just setting foot on our Premier League turf!"
"Kai hasn't lost a single match since joining Palace? Tonight will be the first defeat of his career!"
"The Golden Boy award is destined for our Balotelli. A genius from the Premier League is not on the same level as one from the Championship. Can't believe those Crystal Palace idiots can't see that!"
"The so-called 'Eagle'? We'll roast that old hen from London!"
The Manchester camp was loud and overwhelming!
Half an hour later.
The entire Crystal Palace squad landed in Manchester.
At the airport, they were greeted with flowers from traveling Palace supporters.
But they were also immediately swarmed by reporters.
"Facing City's star-studded midfield, will the so-called genius of Crystal Palace still shine?"
"Yaya Touré, Patrick Vieira, David Silva — with De Jong and Werner sitting on the bench! Will Palace's captain be drowned by City's midfield meat grinder?"
"Is the battle for the Golden Boy already over before it began?"
"Or maybe he was never a threat to Balotelli at all? Has this just been a delusion from the Palace camp from the very start?"
Faced with the cynical barrage of questions from the Manchester press...
Holloway and Millen were furious.
They wanted to rip the microphones out of the reporters' hands.
But Kai stepped forward and took the mic.
He looked directly into the cameras and said bluntly:
"Has the consortium behind Manchester City ever considered abandoning the Blue Moon and investing in Crystal Palace instead? Because in two hours, they'll realize that the billions they poured into this team have only bought them the shame of losing to a Championship side! Ending the season empty-handed — now that will truly break the heart of City's owners!"
With those words, the entire press area erupted!
The bold statement from Crystal Palace's young captain once again set the European football world on fire!
Manchester's media lost their minds.
How dare this mere 16-year-old rookie openly provoke their century-old club?
He even mocked the owners!
This was a declaration of war against Manchester City!
As Kai's fiery pre-match interview spread rapidly…
Super agents Mino Raiola and Jorge Mendes jumped into the fray.
They began attacking each other and each other's players through the press.
What was supposed to be an ordinary FA Cup knockout round…
Had turned into a battle of the century!
This wasn't just about two rising stars fighting for the Golden Boy Award…
It was also a showdown between the two most powerful agents in modern football!
Etihad Stadium!
Under the night sky, the stadium roared with deafening intensity!
In the locker room…
Kai once again delivered a motivational speech to his teammates.
Then, he led them into the dimly lit player tunnel.
The Crystal Palace players soon noticed…
On the opposite side of the tunnel, Manchester City players in sky-blue jerseys were already lined up.
Their eyes turned toward Palace's players!
And then it happened — Kai and Balotelli met face to face for the first time!
Two generational super talents of this era, eyes locked, neither speaking a word.
Both were ready to explode.
A battle without smoke had already begun in the tunnel!
At the front of the line...
Each team's captain stood tall with armbands and flags in hand.
Kai and City's captain Vincent Kompany were separated by just three meters.
Their eyes met, and sparks flew instantly.
"Welcome to the Etihad, kid," Kompany said, eyes as sharp as a wolf's, full of menace. "Hope you don't cry when our fans boo the hell out of you."
Kai laughed heartily.
He pointed to the eagle emblem on his flag:
"See this eagle? In a moment, we'll turn into razor-sharp talons and devour the Blue Moon from your anthem... and your bald head too!"
Kompany was stunned for a moment.
Then gave a cold laugh to hide his embarrassment, and turned away bitterly.
Kai also turned his gaze forward.
He stared toward the end of the tunnel.
There, waves of noise surged like a tsunami.
It was the terrifying aura of a Premier League home ground!
But in this very moment, all he felt was excitement!
Just then—
A robotic voice echoed in his mind!
Ding! Side Mission Activated: Conquer the Etihad, Claim the Golden Boy!
Mission Objective: Can you and your team survive the terror of the Premier League's mightiest home fortress? Stand tall after 90 minutes and write your legendary chapter! Lead your team to victory and advance to the next round of the FA Cup!
Rewards: +15 Custom Attribute Points! 1x Manchester City Star Player Chest!
Night fell!
Etihad Stadium!
The entire venue was engulfed in a blue ocean!
With nearly 60,000 fans packed inside, the stadium trembled with noise!
Roars from the crowd shook the night sky, rising to the heavens!
Both teams lined up on the pitch.
The referee glanced at the time.
With a sharp whistle, the match officially began!
A deafening roar erupted from the stands like a crashing wave!
A clash for the ages was underway!