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"Brother Liu, are you ready?"
"Of course. The car's already downstairs."
Old Liu carried the camera equipment with a gloomy expression.
Everyone else had clearly been ready for ages except the host and reporter, Ma Fanshu.
Yet she still had the nerve to ask him if he was ready instead.
If not for the fact that Ma Fanshu had connections at CCTV, plus the advantage of being pretty, Old Liu might have already snapped.
They were all from CCTV. Why did some people start acting like celebrities the moment they became a little famous?
Ever since Ma Fanshu began co-hosting Tianxia Football alongside Duan Xuan and gained popularity among football fans, she had subconsciously started treating herself a little like a star.
To be fair, she wasn't deliberately arrogant.
But she definitely carried herself with a bit of pride now.
After all, in a sense, Old Liu was the actual full-time employee while she was still technically an intern.
Forget it.
There was no point arguing with a young girl.
Meanwhile, Ma Fanshu herself was extremely nervous.
Today was the most important match day.
Lance would start in the Champions League Final for Atlético Madrid for the very first time.
And the opponent was mighty Real Madrid.
If this had been a month earlier, with Atlético Madrid's full lineup available, they absolutely would not have feared Real Madrid.
They had already crushed Real Madrid repeatedly throughout La Liga this season.
Atlético Madrid's iron defense combined with Lance's nearly unsolvable offensive power had elevated them into a class of their own.
Unfortunately, being too perfect seemed to invite the jealousy of fate itself.
It was as though heaven deliberately wanted to "rebalance the patch."
One version update after another nerfed Atlético Madrid.
Godín got injured.
Then Gabi.
Then Koke.
Atlético Madrid had fallen from a clear-cut T0 team to something closer to T1, while Real Madrid remained around T0.5 in overall strength.
Both their offense and defense had suffered major losses.
Koke and Gabi's support in midfield was crucial, while the weakening of the defensive structure was even more severe.
At the highest level of football, even tiny differences could completely change the outcome.
Ma Fanshu couldn't help worrying about Lance.
Whether Atlético Madrid won or lost technically had nothing to do with ordinary people back home.
But Lance was the only player from the motherland standing on the Champions League stage.
His victory or defeat affected the emotions of countless people.
Nearly a billion viewers around the world were paying attention to this match.
This was the pinnacle battle of world football in 2016.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the great demon king who had ruled football for a decade.
And Lance, the challenger attempting to establish a brand-new football order.
This match was also the climax of the documentary series Lance's Road to the Championship produced by Tianxia Football.
The production crew had already filmed a huge amount of footage throughout the Champions League campaign.
And tonight...
They would witness the birth of a new king.
Ma Fanshu didn't want any imperfections.
Seeing the time, the crew quickly prepared to head toward the Meazza Stadium for street interviews.
Ma Fanshu had carefully applied a full "natural makeup" look and deliberately chosen her outfit for today.
Stepping carefully in high heels, she hurried downstairs with the crew and boarded the business van headed for the stadium.
"Driver, is traffic really this bad?"
The Italian driver immediately launched into an animated rant.
One hand controlled the steering wheel while the other performed the classic Italian pinched-fingers gesture nonstop.
The translator sitting beside him looked awkward and chose not to fully translate the complaints.
Because honestly, none of it sounded very pleasant.
The driver had already waited downstairs at the hotel for a long time.
They had repeatedly warned the crew to leave early to avoid traffic around the stadium.
And now, just as expected, the entire area near the Meazza was completely jammed.
This was the Champions League Final.
Fans and tourists from all over Europe, and even the entire world, had flooded into Milan.
The number of visitors arriving in a single day exceeded even Milan Fashion Week.
After an exhausting struggle through traffic, the CCTV5 crew finally reached the square outside the Meazza Stadium and immediately began setting up equipment in an orderly rush.
Ma Fanshu adjusted her expression and posture.
Normally, she wasn't even a field reporter, and the station rarely allowed her to conduct live interviews outside the studio.
But she had repeatedly emphasized her "good relationship" with Lance.
That was how she secured this precious opportunity to travel to Italy.
Meanwhile, back in the CCTV5 studio.
The special program Champions Europe was already running live.
Host Zhang Bin, the bespectacled chubby presenter, was nearly out of discussion topics after chatting endlessly with the guests.
Shao Jiayi, Yang Kaito, Ma Ning, and several other football veterans sat on the sofa discussing the upcoming Champions League Final.
When it came to predicting the winner between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, nobody could confidently give an answer.
Lance was undeniably strong.
But Real Madrid's aura across European football was simply too overwhelming.
So overwhelming that many people subconsciously believed Real Madrid had a higher chance of winning.
As a former Bundesliga Frankfurt legend and ex-national team player, Yang Kaito firmly believed Lance could lead Atlético Madrid to the title.
Seeing the debate becoming increasingly heated, Zhang Bin quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, let's temporarily pause the discussion. Now let's connect to our on-site reporter and hear what the fans at the stadium think... Hello, Little Ma."
"Hello, viewers. Right now, I'm outside the Meazza Stadium in Italy.
"As you can see, the number of fans gathered here for the Champions League Final is absolutely enormous. The entire square is almost completely packed.
"There are supporters from Spain, Germany, and Italy, as well as many compatriots who traveled thousands of miles to cheer for Lance.
"The fans beside me flew here specifically from home to support him. Come, say hello to everyone."
Several fans immediately became incoherent with excitement in front of the camera.
"God Lance is definitely winning tonight! I'm predicting 2-1!"
"With injuries to key players like Koke and Godín, Atlético Madrid is still in danger. This might honestly be God Lance's toughest final yet. I predict a last-minute winner from God Lance. Atlético Madrid wins 1-0!"
The traveling supporters remained relatively cautious.
After all, no one could ignore the impact of losing multiple starters before such an important match.
By comparison, the Real Madrid fans interviewed afterward were wildly arrogant.
The group dressed in white jerseys had clearly consumed massive amounts of beer already and screamed excitedly in front of the cameras.
"3-0! We're getting revenge tonight!"
"I admit Lance is an incredible Madrid player, one of the best in the world. But Atlético Madrid's missing too many starters. Real Madrid will win the Champions League! 3-1!"
"4-0! Hala Madrid!!"
As the Real Madrid supporters became increasingly rowdy, nearby supporters from Germany and the motherland started glaring at them.
The atmosphere quickly became chaotic.
Ma Fanshu immediately cut the live feed and returned control to the studio.
At this moment, football fans across the internet were already nervous beyond belief.
Weibo.
Tieba.
Douban.
Dongqiudi.
Zhibo8.
Hupu.
Almost every football community online was more lively than New Year's Eve.
It was already past 2:30 in the morning.
Yet countless people across the country were still wide awake.
"You guys waiting for God Lance's match too?"
"How could anyone miss this final?"
"I'm so nervous. What do I do?!"
"I haven't slept at all."
"Can Atlético Madrid actually win?"
"Definitely!"
"Real Madrid is insanely strong though, and Cristiano Ronaldo's in great form too."
"No matter how strong the opponent is, remember one thing."
"God Lance cannot be predicted."
Indeed.
Whether fans underestimated him or overestimated him, Lance always found ways to deliver even greater surprises.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
And when the broadcast switched to He Wei and Xu Yang on commentary, everyone understood one thing.
The Champions League Final was about to begin.
Peak Real Madrid.
Versus an injury-ridden Atlético Madrid led by Lance.
The ultimate battle at the summit of European football was finally about to unfold.