Maria Sharapova had just walked out of the hotel when she was blinded by a wall of flashing lights.

Even a star like her, who had seen her fair share of big events, was caught off guard, demonstrating the sheer size of the press corps...

A dense throng of reporters crowded outside the hotel, brandishing cameras, video recorders, microphones, cell phones, and voice recorders. If it weren't for the hotel security guards struggling to hold them back, they would have swarmed her, engulfing her like a tidal wave.

"Maria! Maria... Are you and Hero really dating?"

"Maria, when did you two start seeing each other?"

"Are you vacationing in St. Petersburg to rendezvous with him?!"

"Maria, could you introduce your boyfriend to the American fans?" Even the American media had come to join the fun.

These reporters were certainly imaginative. Before Sharapova could react, they had already used their questions to develop the story themselves, even adding details that weren't there to begin with. If she didn't speak up, they might just "discover the truth" through their own questioning and write it into their reports...

So she raised her hand.

Seeing her respond, the reporters gradually quieted down, waiting for Sharapova to answer their questions.

She was a hot international tennis star, even though her world ranking was no longer number one. News about her had been constant. She had fought her way into the Australian Open final at the beginning of the year, making people think she was about to regain her form. But then she lost the final to Serena Williams with a score of 1:6 and 2:6, losing the Grand Slam title. Then, she announced that she would be withdrawing from all matches this season due to a chronic shoulder injury, surprising her fans and the media.

Later, it was said that she had returned to her homeland for a vacation to relax. But before she had been back for a few days, she was already embroiled in a scandal with some guy named "Hero"!

So even if Sharapova didn't win championships, she was still a focal point in the sports and tennis worlds, as evidenced by her ranking as the highest-paid female athlete for three consecutive years.

"I have absolutely no relationship with that so-called Hero!" Sharapova answered firmly, facing the cameras and microphones.

"Then how do you explain leaving Hero's apartment building early in the morning?" a St. Petersburg reporter asked.

This question was indeed fatal for Sharapova. She had managed to fool her agent, Eisenbud, by pretending to have a bad signal.

But how could she pretend to have a bad signal in front of the reporters?

"No comment!"

She could only use this diplomatic phrase to fend off the reporters.

But the reporters were clearly not satisfied with this answer, and they pushed forward again. "Maria! How did you and Hero meet?"

"How long have you known each other?"

"Don't you think the difference in your status is too great?"

These reporters were determined to believe that she had something going on with that damn Hero.

What made Sharapova even more indignant was... she had no idea how to explain it to the outside world.

She couldn't exactly tell the reporters that she had gone to a bar to drown her sorrows because she was feeling down, only to meet that damn bastard. They had a great conversation, she was too happy, drank too much, got dead drunk, and then she was somehow taken to that damn Hero's place...

After that day, she remembered what had happened. She naturally knew that Chen Hero was the one who had come over to chat with her, offering her comfort with his self-composed doggerel that made her laugh uncontrollably...

But the person in the bar and the person the next day looked so different, right?

Seeing the reporters' aggressive demeanor, Sharapova knew that she couldn't escape their siege today. She had originally wanted to go out for a walk... Now, she simply retreated into the hotel, letting the security guards block the reporters outside the door.

She looked at the frantic reporters and took a few steps back, as if it were dangerous to be close to them.

In the end, she simply turned around and ran back to the elevator, then rushed back to her room.

After slamming the door shut, Sharapova plopped down on the sofa, sulking.

That damn Hero! He's ruined my chance to go out! Bastard! Scoundrel! Annoying!

She cursed in her heart.

Actually, it had little to do with Chen Hero; it was mainly due to her personal fame. But Sharapova didn't care about that at the moment; it was all Chen Hero's fault. Why did he have to come and chat with her? Approaching a single woman in a bar definitely meant he had ulterior motives!

Men like that, who flirted around everywhere... were all scoundrels!

Trapped in the hotel by the reporters, Sharapova had nothing to do, so she turned on the TV in her hotel room, hoping to find something to pass the time. After a while, the reporters would naturally disperse when they couldn't get an interview. Then she could disguise herself and go out again... Now she had found another reason to resent Chen Hero: because of him, she had lost her sunglasses. She was originally going out to buy a pair of sunglasses...

The TV screen flickered, and sound came on first. A huge commotion filled the room. Sharapova was no stranger to this kind of sound—it was common in large stadiums. Although the audience was generally quiet during tennis matches, they would make similar noises when there were exciting moments.

The sound came first, then the picture gradually appeared.

Sharapova saw a soccer game!

"... St. Petersburg Zenit's Hero has the ball!"

The commentator's voice synchronized, and the camera zoomed in on a close-up. The person in the center of the screen was the same man she had argued with face-to-face in her bedroom, turning red in the face!

Sharapova, who had intended to change the channel, hesitated and didn't press the button.

St. Petersburg Zenit had played five rounds of the league and hadn't lost a single game. They were currently in second place with four wins and one draw, second only to Moscow Spartak, who also had five wins and one draw. Spartak was only in first place due to a slight advantage in goal difference.

"Let's see... Hero is starting again, which is no surprise—he is now Zenit's most important scorer. In the five rounds of the league, he has already scored six goals and is currently ranked first in the Russian Premier League top scorer list! Before the season started, he said that his goal this season was to become the top scorer, which caused a lot of doubts and ridicule! But now... such voices are getting fewer and fewer, and we can hardly hear them anymore!" Vasily Shirgaevski, a local St. Petersburg TV commentator, introduced the focus of the game.

Due to Chen Hero's consecutive goals, he had even stolen Arshavin's spotlight. Everyone was now watching Chen Hero, wondering how long he could maintain his record of scoring in every league game.

St. Petersburg was ranked second in the league, and their opponent, Vladivostok Luch-Energiya, was ranked ninth. Judging from the league rankings alone, this should have been a game with a huge difference in strength.

But in reality, it wasn't like that. St. Petersburg Zenit was having a difficult time in this game.

Because they had just gone through a long journey...

Everyone had spent more than ten hours in the air and had to deal with jet lag to face this opponent.

Luch-Energiya had fully witnessed Chen Hero's power and the strength of Zenit's tactical system. Their coach, Sergei Pavlov, didn't underestimate Chen Hero this time. They took him very seriously.

So Luch-Energiya deployed a defensive formation in this game. At their home stadium, they thought that getting one point would be good enough...

It wasn't that Luch-Energiya lacked ambition; it was just that Zenit was in such good form right now.

Chen Hero had scored six goals in five games, and Arshavin had provided four assists. In addition, Domingues, who had just transferred to the team, had also scored three goals and provided two assists. Coupled with Tymoshchuk's sweeping and protection in the midfield, Zenit's attacking lineup could easily deal with the opponent's defense.

Zenit had quickly become a favorite to win the championship in the new season.

The media were saying that Advocaat's team had finally seen the returns on the large amount of money invested in the winter.

As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. Zenit was in such good form, which naturally made their opponents more cautious and careful.

Last season, some teams were foolish enough to attack Zenit head-on, but everyone had learned their lesson not long after this season started—if you don't have the ability, then just honestly defend and counterattack!

"The game has been going on for more than sixty minutes... The score is still 0:0, and no one has scored. If it were last season, a draw would have been a good result for Zenit playing away from home. But for Zenit, who is ambitious and plans to compete for the league championship this season, it is far from enough!"

Shirgaevski seemed a little anxious.

"Hero—! He headed it high! What a pity! In order to stop him, Luch-Energiya used every means possible, and several times they almost fouled... But it has to be said that this method is very effective. Hero has not scored a goal so far. Is his record of scoring in five consecutive league games this season going to end here? But speaking of which... Perhaps the rumors with Sharapova these days have more or less affected his performance?" Shirgaevski laughed when he mentioned gossip.

Hearing an unknown commentator talking about her and that damn Hero, Sharapova rolled her eyes and was about to change the channel.

But at that moment, she suddenly heard the noise in the TV increase, and even the commentator Shirgaevski suddenly changed his joking tone and shouted loudly, "Arshavin crosses directly! Hero—!"

The name made her hand pause again, and she saw the soccer ball flying up on the screen, passing over the heads of Luch-Energiya's defenders from outside the penalty area and flying straight towards Luch-Energiya's six-yard box.

When the camera turned, she saw several figures rising into the air in the penalty area at the same time. They were going to compete for the header!

Two defenders wearing Luch-Energiya jerseys sandwiched Chen Hero, trying to head the ball out like before. Even if neither of them headed it, they would fully interfere with Chen Hero and prevent him from heading the ball as well.

Sharapova couldn't help but be attracted to the scene in front of her. She wasn't a hardcore soccer fan, but she could understand the basics...

In her eyes, one of the three people was the tallest, and that person was Chen Hero!

Chen Hero was high in the air, but he was also facing a predicament—he was blocked behind the first defender, making it difficult to head the ball with someone in the way.

Moreover... the defender in front of him was leaning backwards, almost resting on him. It looked like that, but in reality, Chen Hero was bearing even more weight—that person had put all his weight on him. He was basically fighting for the header while supporting a person weighing dozens of kilograms!

In addition, he could feel that the Luch-Energiya defender behind him was pulling his jersey! Trying to drag him from the clouds into the mud!

In order to deal with him, these two Luch-Energiya center backs had racked their brains and used every means possible...

But no one can stop me!

I want to score!

I want to score!

"That's a clear foul!" Shirgaevski shouted. From an outsider's point of view, it was clear because the other party had pulled Chen Hero's back jersey into a triangle...

If that bastard falls down now, the referee will probably call a penalty kick... Sharapova thought to herself as she watched.

Sharapova was still clear about what a penalty kick was.

But Chen Hero didn't do that. The bastard in the screen held his head high, with a stubborn look on his face. He gritted his teeth, his eyes wide open, and veins popped out on his forehead and neck, resisting two people... heading towards the soccer ball!

At that moment, Sharapova suddenly couldn't help but shudder, feeling the hairs all over her body stand on end.

She suddenly became excited!

In the penalty area, in front of the goal, a group of people were crowded together.

In the air, Chen Hero had completed the action of heading the ball. He finally couldn't hold on and was dragged down from the air by force!

And the soccer ball... had flown towards the goal!

This header was so close that as long as it was within the frame of the goal, and not too centered, the goalkeeper would have almost no reaction...

"Hero!" Shirgaevski shouted loudly.

The hotel room was instantly filled with this passionate roar...