ps, Today's four updates have been sent, please give me your monthly tickets~

Each stalk blooms in its own way. Now that we've discussed the team's matters, let's talk about the players.

Chen Hero scored his nineteenth Champions League goal in the match against Bayern Munich, surpassing Messi's previous record of eighteen.

Then, in the post-match interview, he directly challenged Messi.

The media's frenzy amplified this, and now the entire football world knows about it. Fans are treating it as a major event.

Even players, coaches, and officials are paying attention to the contest between the two unparalleled masters of modern football.

Chen Hero specifically named Messi as his opponent.

Although he had competed with Messi in many ways before, this was the first time he had directly declared Messi as his opponent, the one he wanted to defeat. It was like a virgin on her wedding day—unprecedented.

Previously, during his time in Naples, he had competed with Messi for the top scorer award, but at that time, he only said that his goal was to defend the title. He didn't directly say who he was competing with, although everyone knew his opponent was Messi. But Chen Hero never said it, nor did he directly admit it.

Later, at Liverpool, when playing in the Europa League, he was determined to break Messi's record of eighteen goals in a single season of European competition. However, only a few people knew about this, and the media and fans were naturally unaware.

This kind of named challenge really was a first.

In today's football world, Chen Hero is the first to dare to do this. It's not that Chen Hero is the only one who dares to challenge Messi. Before Chen Hero, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid had been competing with Messi for years, but he never publicly stated that it was either him or Messi. Instead, when reporters asked about the competition between him and Messi, he would evade the question, saying that both he and Messi were excellent, and there was no point in comparing them.

That's too hypocritical. He wanted to challenge Messi but didn't dare to admit it, simply because he was afraid that if he lost, he would lose face for having roared so loudly beforehand.

Chen Hero is the first to break this taboo.

Everyone knew that he and Messi disliked each other, but neither had made it explicit, so everyone couldn't gossip about them. If they turned around and accused the media of spreading rumors, they would be unable to defend themselves...

Now, Chen Hero has publicly announced his animosity towards Messi, so they can now hype it up to their heart's content.

There are many stories between Chen Hero and Messi, enough for them to hype for a long time. First, everyone can dig up old stories, reminding everyone of how Chen Hero stole a Champions League Golden Boot and a Champions League title from Messi after trailing by six goals.

Secondly, everyone can recount the competitions between Chen Hero and Messi.

Then, using these events, analyze in detail why Chen Hero and Messi have such a bad relationship.

Next, we'll talk about how Messi feels about Chen Hero.

The next step is to conduct interviews everywhere, asking others for their opinions on the competition between the two, interviewing the teammates, friends, and coaches of both sides, as well as some football legends, experts, and other players and coaches who have nothing to do with the two.

...

If they keep going like this, they could even create a special feature, which could be several issues long. Not to mention Chen Hero's vow to challenge Messi's total number of Champions League goals, which is a competition that could last for many years!

From now on, everyone can keep an eye on the total number of Champions League goals scored by these two. Every time they score a goal, they can bring this up.

It's a classic, ever-popular gimmick!

The media, with this in mind, fueled Chen Hero's words. In reality, catching up with Messi's total number of Champions League goals is still a long way off for everyone. At the very least, it will have to wait until next season. The two are currently twenty-seven goals apart. Even if Chen Hero can score nineteen goals every season, it will take two seasons.

Not to mention, won't Messi score goals?

How old is Messi? He's still in his prime, and playing for the powerhouse Barcelona, he can participate in the Champions League every year, so he naturally has plenty of opportunities to pad his goal tally.

Chen Hero can score goals, and Messi can score goals too, so who knows when Chen Hero will truly achieve his goal...

Some even think that Chen Hero will never achieve it, and is just creating hype and self-promotion.

If it's about defeating Messi in a single season, everyone believes it, as he's done it more than once or twice. But in terms of total goals, Chen Hero is far behind...

But no matter what, whether Chen Hero can surpass Messi has nothing to do with them. They just need to hype this up, grab eyeballs, and gain attention.

In today's world, it's the era of the eyeball economy. Even if someone plays the clown, as long as people like it, there will be a large group of people who are happy to do so. As long as they can get everyone's attention and become celebrities, some people would even cut off their own dicks to do it.

So, with the media's encouragement, this matter was hyped up and became known to the world.

It even became the focus of football this week. Although it only emerged mid-week, it quickly became the hottest event.

Everyone is discussing this matter, and the eyeballs have been earned.

The media is thrilled, but Messi, one of the parties involved, is suffering.

Because he has to face this issue.

In just one day, Messi and his agent father have received ten calls, hoping to interview Messi and ask him what he thinks of Chen Hero's challenge...

"That bastard! Can't his big mouth be quiet for a few days?!" Messi's father, Jorge, cursed Chen Hero loudly in his son's house.

To deal with this matter, he specifically flew back to Barcelona from Argentina, because he also realized that this matter was not simple and could not be dealt with by silence as before.

Otherwise, he would be criticized as a coward.

Messi's image and reputation would be threatened, and may even lead to the prospects of some commercial contracts.

Jorge didn't want his son to suffer economic losses—in terms of competition, the father was very confident, feeling that his son was a unique genius, the best player in the world today.

Messi sat on the sofa, watching his father pacing back and forth in front of him, constantly cursing Chen Hero, and couldn't help but say, "Dad, stop, you're making me dizzy walking back and forth in front of me..."

Jorge had to stop, turned to look at Messi: "Okay, okay... How do we deal with that damn bastard?"

Messi smiled wryly: "It seems impossible to say 'I don't want to hear that person's name' to deal with this..."

"Of course, son!" Jorge suddenly approached Messi, waving his fist and said. "This time you absolutely can't avoid him anymore! Although I know you don't want to lower yourself to his level! But your repeated tolerance and generosity have been taken by that damn bitch as your weakness! If this continues, he will eventually ride on your head and shit! This time, you absolutely, absolutely, absolutely... can't tolerate him anymore!"

He stared at his son's eyes and said the last sentence very solemnly.

Chen Hero looked up at his father and did not speak immediately.

After Jorge finished speaking, he waited for a while, and when he didn't see his son make the response he wanted, he asked, "You're not afraid of that bastard, are you, son? You are the best player in the world today, would you be afraid of a lowly bug?"

Messi leaned back on the sofa and shook his head, "I'm not afraid of him, Dad. I just... it's not my style to declare war on someone so directly."

"Your style has to be understood by someone! That idiot doesn't understand. I know you care about your image, and you don't want to be hysterical like a shrew... In fact, I care more about your image than you do!"

What Jorge said was true. As Messi's agent, he did care more about Messi's image. If Messi's image was not good, the sponsorship contracts he held would be reduced, and the money his son earned would also be less. How could he not care about such a big thing related to money?

"But, but now is actually a great opportunity to defend your personal image and even enhance your prestige. If you accept the challenge, everyone will say you're brave and applaud you. This will enhance your personal image. Then you defeat that idiot, you use your actions to prove those who dare to doubt you..."

After this incident came out, there were many voices, some supporting Messi, and naturally some supporting Chen Hero. Many people felt that with Chen Hero's crazy state, catching up with Messi was really not an unreachable thing.

This kind of argument made Messi's father Jorge very unhappy.

His son was underestimated, so of course the father felt uncomfortable. In fact, he was probably the one who most urgently wanted to see his son defeat Chen Hero...

"You must use practical actions to prove to those who dare to doubt you... Tell them that you, Lionel Messi, are still the best player on this planet, no one is better than you! Even that damn Hero is no exception, he can only be defeated by your legs!" Jorge became more and more excited as he spoke, waving his fists and spitting upwards.

Faced with his passionate father, Messi was still relatively calm.

While his father was incessantly inciting him, he was thinking about how much chance of winning he would have if he really faced Chen Hero head-on...

He and Chen Hero were still twenty-seven goals apart. Logically speaking, this was a very safe gap, because he could continue to score goals.

But why... why did he feel a little uneasy when he wanted to make the decision to accept the challenge?

It always seemed like something was wrong. If he really accepted the challenge, perhaps he would open a door to an unknown world for himself. Behind the door, there was pitch blackness, and he didn't know what was waiting for him. This feeling of not being able to control his own destiny was very bad for Messi.

He didn't like this feeling at all.

But his father was so excited, it seemed that he really had full confidence in him. If he didn't agree, the first person he would hurt would probably be his father...

Messi respected and liked his father, and he didn't want to disappoint his father.

This was really difficult...

In the end, the arrogance in his heart decided the outcome—I am the great Lionel Messi, a three-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, the best player in the world today, why should I be afraid of Chen Hero?

That's not reasonable!

He raised his head again, interrupting his father who was still speaking eloquently.

"Okay, Dad, I accept this challenge. I'll compete with him and defeat him, completely defeat him!"