Chapter 4

After the training ended, Cai Jin indeed came as promised, picking him up in his Audi.

Cai Jin asked Liu Hao how it felt to train with the professional team, and Liu Hao replied, "Not much different, just passing the ball, doing some stretching, moving around, and resting. Playing professional football is quite enjoyable..."

However, he didn't know that shortly after he left with Cai Jin, Li Tie resumed training with the team.

Today, Li Tie felt a bit dizzy. To avoid making a fool of Liu Hao during the training, he temporarily made some amateurish training arrangements, which resulted in nothing being accomplished all morning.

So he ended the training early. After Liu Hao left, he called the players back for more training. This time, it was for real. He felt uneasy if he didn't torment his players for half a day, and now he could finally have some fun. Fifty laps of running were a must.

"Uncle Liu isn't here, and we're not happy!" Ling Zhenbang, who was leading the team, said with a bitter face.

"Captain, we need to find a way to keep Uncle Liu at the training ground, or this hard life will never end," Huang Rongzheng, who was a bit shorter and looked a bit like American star Vin Diesel, suggested with a mischievous smile.

They had noticed that Li Tie had his own motives. To please Liu Hao, he even changed the training methods, but he didn't change the methods for the other players. This meant that Li Tie would first play with Liu Hao and then play with the players...

Of course, Liu Hao didn't know any of this. Now he was drinking at a Sichuan restaurant in Beining City with Cai Jin.

After the meal, he rushed back to Yinzhou City.

He had to lead another inspection of eight driving schools in Yinzhou City the next day.

But he didn't dare to go home...

Last night, he told his wife he was on a business trip and wouldn't be back until Sunday evening. If he went home tonight, what would he say tomorrow? After some thought, he decided to stay at a hotel.

The next morning, when he appeared at the driving school training ground again, he indeed scared everyone, and the coaches' anger towards him was so intense that it could be described as hatred.

However, none of this bothered him because his mind was already on the football field.

In the afternoon, he would have his first training match.

I wonder if I'll get a chance to play? On the high-speed train, his mind was preoccupied with this question.

If I do, how long will I be on the field?

If there's a corner kick or a free kick, I must seize the opportunity to score.

Liu Hao's round face was blooming with strange and brilliant flowers, ready to burst into full bloom.

...

At the same time, in the meeting room of the Chao Da Club's Jiangnan training ground, Li Tie was convening a team meeting.

"Today's match, although just a friendly, will test our ability to challenge the China League Two. If we can't beat Aichao Industrial, we have no chance of winning the China League Two playoff and advancing to the league."

Li Tie, when serious, was indeed as tough as iron. He paused and added, "The club president will be here. Think about it, if he sees us unable to win a friendly, what do you think our future will be?"

Aichao Industrial, the opponent for Chao Da's friendly match, was just a mid-table team in the China League Three. Normally, the Chao Da players wouldn't take them seriously, especially in a friendly. However, with the club president present, it was a different story, especially if it affected their future.

As the meeting ended, Liu Hao arrived at the club and met Li Tie face to face.

Oh no, Li Tie thought, how could I forget about Liu Hao...

What should I do? His face was uncertain. Liu Hao was a first-team player, and if it were a normal situation, it would be fine to leave him out of the squad for technical reasons, but his position was special. If he played, the president would definitely notice...

"Coach Li, good! You've worked hard!" Liu Hao said sincerely, using a respectful title.

"Little Fat, wait a moment," Li Tie called him over. "I've put you in the match squad. I'll adjust the tactics based on the game, so you might get a chance to play."

After a brief moment of thought, Li Tie made his initial decision: to include Liu Hao in the squad and then decide later...

In fact, he planned to offend neither party. Including Liu Hao in the squad would at least satisfy the prince, and sitting on the bench without playing would not offend the president.

Liu Hao was indeed excited when he heard the news.

They say in the Year of the Horse, everything starts 'immediately.' It seems he was about to succeed soon.

"Thank you, Coach Li, thank you, thank you so much!" Liu Hao bowed three times, unable to express his gratitude and excitement.

"This is the result of your hard work. Go and prepare," Li Tie patted his shoulder calmly and walked away.

Liu Hao, at that moment, didn't care about the meaning of "the result of your hard work." He was dancing on the spot, though his movements were more like a spinning top than a dance...

Although it was just a friendly match, not a formal professional game, Liu Hao still dressed neatly and was the first to arrive at the training ground.

The field was empty, with only a few people working hard on the concrete stands in the distance.

Based on Liu Hao's experience, these people were likely using the quiet place for gambling.

His teammates and opponents hadn't arrived yet, so he decided to play with the ball alone.

What else could he do? An old man who couldn't juggle the ball more than five times could only practice his free kicks.

If he got a chance to play, he wanted to showcase his free-kick skills. Warming up now would help, so he planned to practice a few corner kicks.

Just as he was about to try, a bus stopped by the field, and a group of young men, some in their teens, got off. All of them were wearing orange sports uniforms, clearly the opponents.

They looked relaxed and cheerful, as a friendly match was just for practice. It seemed Aichao Industrial was only here to warm up.

Being the first time facing such opponents, Liu Hao rolled back to the bench with the ball.

Of course, no one paid attention to a fat man, as he wasn't even an opponent.

Soon, the Chao Da players arrived, with Captain Ling Zhenbang leading the way, followed by a string of teammates, all looking fierce. Perhaps Li Tie's motivational speech at noon had a significant effect.

Li Tie, however, walked over to the Aichao Industrial side and shook hands with a similarly built man. Liu Hao squinted and was surprised to recognize him as Zhao Junzhe...

Damn! Liu Hao whispered. A celebrity's friend is always a celebrity.

Zhao Junzhe, who debuted with Li Tie, was a famous national player in his prime...

"Little Zhe Maria, this is just a friendly, but my players will play as if it's a real match. Be careful," Li Tie, a bit older, joked, calling Zhao Junzhe "Little Zhe Maria."

If Zhao Junzhe is "Little Zhe," what should Li Tie be called?

"Teppanyaki, what's the point of bullying my under-20 kids? Go bully a top-tier team," Zhao Junzhe laughed.

Teppanyaki, ha! Liu Hao heard it clearly from a distance. He never expected Li Tie and Zhao Junzhe to be such good friends.

Amid the laughter, a Cadillac and an Audi drove up.

The latter was naturally Cai Jin's car, and the former, judging by Cai Jin's eager demeanor, was his father, the club's true president, Cai Zhuo.

Cai Jin didn't even greet Liu Hao as they passed, showing that a son is always a son in front of his father.

Sigh, Liu Hao thought. Usually, Cai Jin was a little tyrant in front of him, but today was a rare exception.

He had heard that Cai Jin was afraid of his father, though he didn't know the specifics. Today was the first time he saw such a situation, and it seemed that even the rich don't always have it easy.

Thinking of his own relationship with his father, which was almost like friends, Liu Hao felt more comforted.

Since the president was here, the match began.

Although it was just a friendly, Liu Hao was amazed by the level of the Chao Da players. On the other hand, Aichao Industrial, led by Zhao Junzhe, seemed quite weak.

In the first ten minutes, Ling Zhenbang, the striker, scored twice, effectively ending the match's suspense. By halftime, the score was 5-0.

The score was indeed too high. Normally, it might be suspected as a fixed match, but the fierce competition on the field dispelled any doubts. They were really fighting hard!

By the 70th minute of the second half, the score was 7-1, and Cai Zhuo, the old man, left early.

With the president gone, Cai Jin became active, running to the bench.

Li Tie smiled knowingly, understanding his intention.

If the president had stayed, he would never have let Liu Hao play, but since he left early, he could do a favor...

So when Liu Hao heard he was going to play, his heart skipped a beat.

His heart was pounding so intensely...

At the 80th minute, Liu Hao finally stepped onto the green pitch.

To prepare for this match and to make a name for himself, he had drunk three small bottles of medicinal wine before coming to the field, a significant investment.

And the timing of his entry? It was perfect.

The opponent committed a foul in front of their penalty area, giving Chao Da a direct free kick.

Li Tie gestured to Ling Zhenbang on the field, indicating that he should give the opportunity to Liu Hao.

Giving Uncle Liu a chance was a must, so Ling Zhenbang, with a smile, placed the ball on the spot and stood aside, satisfied.

Liu Hao, who had been hoping for a free kick, nodded gratefully to Ling Zhenbang.

But a middle-aged man with a large face, standing three meters to the right of the Aichao goal, was unhappy. He frowned.

"The match was going well, why did Little Li put on a fat man? He clearly doesn't look like a professional player," the man said, puffing on a cigar and exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Liu Hao, unaware of the criticism, was focused on the ball.

He took a run-up...

Swung his leg...

Kicked the ball...

Under the clear sky, a rainbow soared.

Li Tie and Zhao Junzhe, standing close together, their eyes wide open.

In less than 0.5 seconds, it seemed the air exploded.

Bang!

The ball's speed was so fast that the human eye, which can react in 0.7 seconds, couldn't see it clearly.

In the next moment, an astonishing scene unfolded.

The ball didn't go into the goal but hit the face of the middle-aged man smoking the cigar.

"Ah! It hurts! Help me!..."

The ball rolled slowly down his left cheek, while the half-burned cigar remained on his face...

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