On April 10, 2024, Manchester United was set to challenge Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
A month had passed, and Manchester United had played six matches. Gao Nuo, having fully recovered, started all of them without question. As injured players gradually returned, Manchester United's starting lineup was complete again, largely consistent with Erik ten Hag's initial squad planning for the season. Aside from De Gea occasionally being replaced by Nübel, the starting and rotation in other positions were very stable.
In four Premier League matches, Manchester United had 2 wins and 2 draws, maintaining a 5-point lead at the top of the table.
In the England FA Cup quarter-finals, they lost to Liverpool on penalties. Although regrettable, it did not affect the team's form.
In the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Manchester United narrowly defeated Leipzig 1-0, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 aggregate score.
On the top scorers list, Haaland's form had been inconsistent since his return, scoring only one hat-trick in four League rounds, but he still held first place with 24 goals.
Gao Nuo's Challenge Road was relatively smooth. Relying on the counter-attacking tactics of virtual Mourinho, he successfully passed 20 levels. However, starting from level 25, the increased difficulty began to strain Gao Nuo. The higher intensity of the matches provided him with rich experience but also left him mentally exhausted. Following the system's advice, he only attempted one challenge per day, using the remaining time for training.
Despite this, Gao Nuo's improvement was immense. Even before his attribute values increased, his performance on the field had already shown significant progress. He scored in all four League rounds, with two braces, adding 6 goals to his tally. This brought Gao Nuo to 23 goals, closely trailing Haaland, and his momentum to win the Golden Boot surprised the England media.
Gao Nuo, who was enjoying a smooth run, also had his troubles. Lina's fervent and direct pursuit led to Manchester United teammates, unaware of the full truth, constantly creating opportunities for Gao Nuo.
They would always take up positions before Gao Nuo, leaving Lina open for him.
Even after being rejected multiple times, Lina persistently pursued her happiness.
What Gao Nuo got in return, besides the torture of the fascia gun, was Wang Qing's displeasure with the scent of perfume on him. Only by delivering satisfactory 'public grain' (a euphemism for sexual activity) could Gao Nuo be allowed to sleep.
Even the oxen of a landlord wouldn't dare to plow the fields like this, but fortunately, Gao Nuo was young and strong, with incredible stamina.
At 3 AM China time, commentators Zhan Jun and Zhang appeared on screen punctually.
"Hello, audience friends, and welcome to the UEFA Champions League, Quarter-final First Leg, where Real Madrid hosts Manchester United at the famous Santiago Bernabéu Stadium."
"Ah, both teams have been performing very well recently. Manchester United eliminated Leipzig, and Real Madrid defeated Bayern. Ah, a clash between two giants should be very exciting."
"That's right, as Zhang said, clashes between giants always attract a lot of attention, and what's more, Manchester United has the recently outstanding Gao Nuo. I believe many fans will specifically come to cheer for Gao Nuo in tonight's match."
"Ah, Gao Nuo's performance this year has been phenomenal. This season, ah, he has made 32 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 28 goals. This statistic is worthy of a world-class striker."
"Yes, but from the data, we can see that Gao Nuo has only appeared 4 times in the Champions League, scoring one goal. It seems our China superstar has not yet adapted to the Champions League stage."
"Ah, I actually think this is not bad. Zhan Jun, look, Gao Nuo is ranked second in the Premier League top scorers list. Concentrating his energy on one competition can reduce his pressure, ah, and he might even win the Golden Boot in a record-breaking fashion."
"I hope, as you said, Gao Nuo can create new heights for China players. Let's return our attention to this match. The entrance ceremony has concluded, and the match is about to begin."
With the referee's whistle, Real Madrid kicked off first.
In the 37th minute of the match, Real Madrid got a corner kick opportunity. The corner taken by Toni Kroos was powerful, and De Gea's charge missed the ball. The ball sailed over the crowd and landed in front of Tchouaméni at the far post, who tapped it into an empty net.
Real Madrid led Manchester United 1-0.
In the 41st minute, Pau Torres headed a long ball from Real Madrid into the attacking third. Bruno Fernandes chested the ball down and then passed it forward. Gao Nuo held off Militão, stably controlled the ball, and seeing Neymar on the right signaling for the ball, he turned without hesitation and threaded a diagonal pass into the box. Neymar received the ball, first executing a 'roulette' to get past Alaba, and his subsequent shot deflected off Courtois's fingertips into the goal.
Manchester United equalized the score against Real Madrid, 1-1.
At the end of the first half, Gao Nuo, back in the locker room, was somewhat excited. His first encounter with Real Madrid made him feel the different pace of La Liga. The La Liga giants' approach was clearer, simpler, and more direct, always completing attacks with extremely high efficiency, while their defensive stability imposed many restrictions on Gao Nuo.
Gao Nuo, with his incredibly high willpower, became more and more excited as he played. After a good 15-minute rest, he eagerly returned to the field, ready to break through Real Madrid's goal at any moment.
In the first 30 minutes of the second half, both sides had chances.
Gao Nuo's header went over the crossbar, and Erik ten Hag on the sidelines lowered his raised hands;
The ageless Benzema's one-on-one shot went wide, missing a golden opportunity;
Rashford's tap-in in front of goal was miraculously saved by Courtois;
Substitute Ward-Prowse's free-kick hit the crossbar, giving the home fans a scare;
Vinicius's solo run bypassed Manchester United's defense, but his shot was held on the goal line by De Gea.
It wasn't until the 75th minute that Manchester United launched a fluid counter-attack. Rice, who won the ball, passed it to the left side of the attacking third. Rashford caught up with the ball and immediately sent a diagonal long pass, switching the play to the right wing. Neymar once again delivered a brilliant performance, executing a 'Marseille turn' to get past Antonio Rüdiger. Facing the goalkeeper, he deftly passed the ball to the center, where the sharp-witted Gao Nuo appeared in front of the ball and easily tapped it into the empty net.
Manchester United led Real Madrid 2-1 again.
The live stream's bullet comments instantly became lively:
"Another day of happy tap-ins!"
"Gao the poacher lives up to his name!"
"The Gao-Neymar combo is showing its might again!"
"A tap-in a day, and every tap-in is delicious!"
"For the best tap-in skills, look for Gao Nuo at Manchester United in the Premier League!"
Manchester United steadily withstood Real Madrid's attacks. In the 88th minute, Erik ten Hag made tactical substitutions, taking off Gao Nuo and Rice, wasting a minute of game time.
Unfortunately, Real Madrid equalized again in the 90th minute.
Varane outjumped Benzema in the box, getting to Real Madrid's free-kick delivery, but his header was off target. The ball was collected by Rodrygo at the far corner of the box, who chipped it to the center. Benzema didn't miss his chance this time, heading the ball into the net.
The match ended with Manchester United drawing Real Madrid away, which was considered a decent result. However, the meme-makers in the live stream didn't miss their opportunity.
"Erik ten Hag (Baldy), come out and explain what happened with that last substitution!"
"Don't say it, Erik ten Hag (Baldy) is even balder!"
"Erik ten Hag (Baldy) said, 'Why didn't I make one more substitution?'"
"Gao Nuo came off and they conceded a goal. I think this is a mysterious China power!"
"Suggest Erik ten Hag (Baldy) read the I Ching!"
Far away in Manchester, Erik ten Hag sneezed several times, touched his bald head, and looked at the match report with frustration.