Chapter 67

"Mayor has arrived..." Finally, someone recognized him.

Mayor Zhang Xiaoxin actually came, wearing sports clothes and football boots, ready to play on the field!

If the Party Secretary of the city also came, how many people would be shocked?

Seeing the mayor arrive, everyone finally understood why all the leaders were present. It turned out the boss was the mayor, and this football match was his idea. Everyone's expressions became even more complicated.

Liu Hao must have a lot of influence to have stirred up the mayor.

Zhang Xiaoxin sat on a cement brick nearby, no different from an ordinary person.

In this environment, he had to act like a commoner, not as the mayor. This was just an ordinary match.

It was said that the loser would have to pay the field rental fee...

This was a seven-a-side match, costing 300 yuan per game.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoxin looked quite nervous, though it was hard to tell if it was real, as Liu Hao was about to take a free kick.

"Everyone says that Comrade Liu Hao has a magical free kick. Can he really score?" Zhang Xiaoxin turned to the city construction bureau chief and vice mayor Huang Weibang and asked.

Huang Weibang was also a football fan, at least he held the title of Yinzhou Football Association chairman.

Of course, he was familiar with Liu Hao's name. Who in the system didn't know that Liu Hao had once kicked away the championship of the Party Committee's office?

He was also curious if Liu Hao's skills were really as famous nationwide as people said.

"Don't score, don't score, don't score..." Although Zhang Xiaoxin was the mayor, he had a cute side. As Liu Hao took the free kick, he muttered softly.

However, how could Liu Hao make a mistake against this level of match and goalkeeper?

Whoosh! The ball flew like a precise missile, heading straight for the corner of the goal, clean and crisp!

Bang! The ball was rejected by the goalpost at the last moment, bouncing out of the penalty area with great force!

Wow... The audience was in an uproar, some surprised, some sighing, some mocking. It was the first time they had seen Liu Hao take a free kick, and they watched with different emotions.

No... Liu Hao also looked dejected, frowning, seemingly not feeling good.

"Yay!" Zhang Xiaoxin clenched his fist and celebrated. He was, of course, on the Party Committee's team.

The ball landed at the feet of the Party Committee's team's forward, a towering figure wearing number 87, about 1.83 meters tall, who had just received the ball.

After receiving the ball, his speed was simply maddening. Although he had a bit of a long touch, his large strides with the ball were so fast that no player from the Transportation Bureau could catch up.

From the way he handled the ball, it looked more like he was running track...

You got lucky, kid, Liu Hao thought with a hidden smile.

He recognized this guy, a former track and field athlete and now a driver for the Party Committee's office.

His technique was actually quite rough, but he was fast, had good endurance, and a strong shot. In amateur matches, such players were feared.

Players of this type were often like daredevils, challenging others in speed and physical confrontations, which was almost suicidal.

So when he sprinted to the penalty area of the Transportation Bureau and took a powerful shot, the goalkeeper, also a driver, immediately fell to the ground.

He was scared! The guy's shot was terrifying, and he had seen it before.

So the goalkeeper dived as soon as the shot was taken.

It was definitely not because the goalkeeper had predicted the direction of the ball.

A half-high ball, straight to the center of the goal!

What kind of international joke is this? If this ball hit me, I would be in pain for weeks. The goalkeeper pounded his chest on the goal line, seemingly upset about misjudging the direction, but his true thoughts were different.

These guys are really good at acting, Liu Hao thought with amusement.

If you can act, so can I. I'll keep taking free kicks that hit the post!

"This is all Liu Hao's fault. If his free kick had gone in, that guy wouldn't have gotten the ball!" Someone was already blaming Liu Hao from the sidelines.

"Bro, do you think taking a free kick is like shooting a basketball? Almost every shot goes in? Who knows where the ball will go, and there's no one defending," Yang Ershi, who had just walked over from the store to watch the game, heard someone say this and couldn't help but普及 some football knowledge, "If that were the case, wouldn't there be dozens of goals in a 90-minute match?"

What kind of person can watch a game... He had to show some disdain.

"Also, hitting the post is a low probability event!"

But, who are you? Do you really know a lot about football? He wanted to retort, but when he turned to see Yang Ershi's muscular build, he held back. This guy was even stronger than the forward from the Party Committee's office.

In this dilapidated stadium, there were no seats for the audience. Everyone had to stand on the side or sit on the small row of cement pillars, but the leaders had already taken the cement pillars, so those with lower ranks had to stand further back.

Of course, those sitting next to or near Zhang Xiaoxin must have been high-ranking officials.

"Old Huang, don't you want to play? Look at your build, as the chairman of the Football Association, you should exercise more. Let's play together in the second half?" Zhang Xiaoxin chatted with Huang Weibang again.

"Although they have Liu Hao, football is a team sport. One star player can hardly change the game. From the progress of the match, the Party Committee's office is still stronger than the Transportation Bureau," Zhang Xiaoxin continued to comment.

Partner... How can a goalkeeper and a forward partner? I can't kick the ball into my own goal, can I? Huang Weibang was a bit depressed.

But since the mayor had spoken, he had to agree: "I'm afraid my body is too fat to guard the goal and would harm the team. Maybe I should do the logistics work? With you leading the attack, victory is certain!"

Huang Weibang knew the real meaning behind the mayor's words.

We always support you, Mayor, but we'll just do the logistics work. You are the boss.

Zhang Xiaoxin was very satisfied with Huang Weibang's response and nodded: "Not necessarily. Sometimes you need to charge forward. Let's see how the game progresses at halftime. If things are going well, I think you can play for a while. You don't have to be a goalkeeper. You could be a second forward. I have full confidence in your skills."

Second forward, hmm... Huang Weibang nodded thoughtfully.

A football match can reveal so many principles. Zhang Xiaoxin's words were not really about asking him to play as a second forward but had a deeper meaning.

"Okay." Huang Weibang answered calmly, accepting Zhang Xiaoxin's suggestion.

To others, this might just be a normal conversation, but for them, it was a significant decision, even affecting the future development of Yinzhou City...

"Ah! Liu Hao has another free kick!" Huang Weibang exclaimed, another well-positioned free kick...

"Sometimes, football needs a bit of luck." Zhang Xiaoxin said calmly, more composed than Huang Weibang.

Liu Hao had no idea that the two big shots of Yinzhou City were discussing him on the sidelines.

Now, he only knew to continue to let the game flow. This score was not enough for him to score, so he needed to let it go at least one more time.

But he also had to maintain his star image, so he would have to hit the post again, as he had said.

Sometimes, the shock effect of two free kicks scoring and two free kicks hitting the post is the same.

So, when Liu Hao hit the post for the second time, and in the exact same spot as before, the audience finally screamed!

The ball hit the same spot twice, hitting the post. This was definitely not a coincidence but a display of skill, and his luck was extremely bad...

"Too bad! Otherwise, the score would have been tied!" Most of the civil servants were football novices, but after seeing Liu Hao's brilliant performance, they still expressed their regret.

"Ah!" This time, Liu Hao's reaction was even more painful, grabbing his buzz cut head, looking very frustrated... then he shook his head and sighed.

Isn't that what a star should do? Remembering how Cristiano Ronaldo always had exaggerated reactions and actions when hitting the post, he decided to act similarly.

But the ball went to the forward of the Party Committee's office again? Liu Hao had just turned around, and the ball was already at the feet of the driver forward.

Was this a shot... or an assist? Others might not know, but Yang Ershi could see it.

This guy must have done it on purpose!

Not only civil servants were present, but also other amateur players and spectators who had gathered from other venues.

Two such coincidences, is that possible? If not, how skilled is Liu Hao?

This guy was actually playing in amateur leagues without showing his true skills, pretending to be a pig eating a tiger?

The driver forward changed the score to 2-0, and the half-time whistle was blown immediately.

"Brothers, let's keep our spirits up. We still have the second half. We can definitely tie and even reverse the score. Liu Hao, don't lose heart. Show us your real skills!" The deputy director gathered everyone and encouraged them.

"We played too conservatively. We should be more decisive!" Seeing some journalists nearby, he deliberately raised his voice, "We can't be afraid just because the Party Committee's office is stronger than us. Show our courage!"

Sweat! Didn't they win the championship last year? Now with a star, how could they be weaker? Yang Ershi muttered. This isn't a military campaign. Courage is useless. It's clear we can't win, yet they are still making a fuss, which is quite disgusting...

"Comrade Liu Hao, can I have a brief interview with you?" Seeing Liu Hao come off the field to rest, the waiting journalists couldn't wait any longer.

Liu Xiaopang's real identity was a civil servant, so the journalist had to call him "comrade."

"I'm sorry, not now. We need to go to the locker room to discuss tactics..." Liu Hao politely declined the interview. What a joke, even if he had time, he couldn't steal the spotlight from the boss.

Just off the field, Liu Hao saw Mayor Zhang, who was clearly there for a show.

Even if the locker room was just a toilet, he had to go in, right?

But Huang Zongliang understood the situation and had already gone to interview Zhang Xiaoxin.

"Mayor Zhang, I didn't expect you to find time to play football amidst your busy schedule!" Huang Zongliang's round face showed surprise, the microphone pointed at Zhang Xiaoxin.

Other junior journalists could only stand by with their microphones, not daring to compete for the news with this provincial leader.

"Physical exercise, as civil servants, we need a strong body to serve the people. The sports development in Yinzhou City is quite good. Both enterprises and social groups have a great enthusiasm for football. As the mayor, I also have a deep love for football!"

After waiting for a long time, Zhang Xiaoxin wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

"To be honest, I came to the match as soon as I returned from an inspection in Lingshan. Although my skills are limited, and I'm just a substitute, my feet are really itchy."

"Our administrative team has produced a nationally famous star like Liu Hao, which makes me very happy. The administrative team needs young, energetic, ambitious, and inspiring talents! The country advocates widespread sports activities for civil servants to improve their physical and mental health and promote the implementation of the national fitness plan. Comrade Liu Hao has set a good example."

During the 15-minute halftime break, Zhang Xiaoxin kept giving speeches, using Liu Hao as a model hero.

Zhang Xiaoxin's purpose was clear... It seemed he saw the promotion of sports activities among civil servants as an important part of anti-corruption efforts, and Liu Hao provided him with such an opportunity.

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