Chapter 82

"Twenty years..." Li Tian'er, who was already ten years old, counted on his fingers, muttering to himself, his brows furrowed, and his expression somewhat melancholy.

"Too long, right? That's why playing soccer requires a determined heart." Liu Hao patted his little head and said with a smile.

"Uh-huh, it is indeed too long. A player's career is at most twenty years. Uncle Hao, your talent was a bit lacking; otherwise, you should have dominated the world ten years ago, and now you're about to retire..." Li Tian'er nodded thoughtfully, as if he had suddenly understood many things.

Pfft! Kids say what they want, kids say what they want... Don't be so discouraging!

"I, your uncle, am indifferent to fame and fortune. Otherwise, why would Messi and Ronaldo still dominate the football world? I just can't bear to see Chinese football decline, so I have to take this drastic measure to save Chinese football!" Liu Hao said this to the ten-year-old boy without changing his expression.

Why does this sound so familiar? Although Li Tian'er was young, he was almost as tall as Liu Hao, thanks to his father Li Xiaopeng's genes, making him naturally suited for soccer.

Didn't Dad say the same thing to me back then? But Dad retired and didn't save Chinese football, did he?

"Uncle, you're old. Saving Chinese football is left to us!"

Wow, what ambition... Brother Li Xiaopeng must have let his son play a lot of soccer. Although fathers often say they don't care about their children's future, deep down, they want their children to be their successors. Li Xiaopeng might have the same idea; otherwise, why would his son be so passionate about soccer?

Isn't Liu Bao also passionate about soccer? What kind of father, what kind of son!

"Alright, then come to the training ground whenever you have time, and I'll teach you free kicks gradually."

"Uncle, you have to hurry! I can't wait. If it's too late, I won't have the chance!" Li Tian'er's face was a mix of excitement and urgency as he pleaded.

This kid, serving the country doesn't have to be so urgent, does it? It's rare, "Tian'er, you're still too young to play professional soccer. Didn't I say that practicing free kicks is a long and painful process?"

"I know, I'm still young. I'll spend ten years to reach your level, but can you teach me a couple of tricks now so I can show off at school?"

What the heck! After all this, he just wants to learn a few moves to show off at school? When did soccer become so popular again?

"Is soccer very popular at your school now?" Liu Hao was surprised, but this seems like a good thing? Kids usually like to show off money and wealth, but this kid likes to show off his soccer skills, which is still commendable...

"Ah, there are few people who play soccer at school. But that day, a few boys in our class were playing five-a-side soccer on the basketball court. Then a group of basketball players came and said we were occupying their court, telling us to get lost. We, of course, didn't agree and argued with them. They then said some really nasty things, like 'Chinese football is so bad, why even play?' I got angry and said Uncle Hao can kick a soccer ball like a basketball, with a higher success rate than their shots..." Li Tian'er recounted the events of that day, getting more and more agitated.

"Does your school not have a soccer field?" Liu Hao listened with interest. Playing soccer on a basketball court in his youth was quite normal, as there were no soccer fields back then. It seems Li Tian'er's school also doesn't have a soccer field, or they wouldn't have to fight for the basketball court.

"The school's soccer field is not open to the public; it's only used during PE classes or sports meets." Li Tian'er looked helpless.

What the heck! Liu Hao almost swore. This is ridiculous. In the grand city of Qingdao, known for its football, the soccer fields can't even be used. Are they just for show and to claim achievements?

"Poor kid..." Liu Hao sighed sincerely, thinking that although he didn't have a soccer field back then, there weren't many basketball players, so he could still play soccer on the basketball court. He didn't realize he was actually happier than they are now?

Actually, before 2002, Chinese football was much more popular than basketball. At that time, Chinese football was thriving, with the alien Ronaldo's No. 9 jersey hanging all over the streets, and China even qualified for the 2002 World Cup. Basketball couldn't compare.

After that? In 2002, Yao Ming was drafted as the first pick by the Houston Rockets of the NBA, and then basketball became more popular than football. In the end, whether in middle school or university, the basketball courts were always full, while the soccer fields were empty...

"What happened next?" Liu Hao seemed to be still interested and continued to pay attention.

"Then the class beauty said I was boasting. She said if I could, if I could..." Li Tian'er's face turned red, and he didn't have the courage to continue.

Ha! Liu Hao smiled knowingly, "If you could kick the soccer ball into the basketball hoop, she would be your girlfriend, right?"

It's always the women's fault...

"..." Li Tian'er bit his lower lip, nodding in shame, acknowledging it.

Kids these days mature so early! At such a young age, they can't recover from a single word from a girl. Liu Bao will probably be the same in a few years...

Li Tian'er is a clear example. How come the Li family's kids are all so talented? Li Tianyi is like this, and so is Li Tian'er. Talking about serving the country, it's clearly just to impress girls.

"Tian'er, this is not easy. For your little girlfriend, you have to work hard. Why don't you switch to basketball? You can learn to shoot in three to five days, but soccer is different. If you really practice for ten years, your little girlfriend will have already married someone else."

"That's why I'm in a hurry! Uncle, quickly give me a shortcut..."

...Just take some drugs! Liu Hao was exasperated. Where are such good things that you learn and master immediately? It's too naive. But you can't just take my drugs, can you? If there were no side effects, it would be fine, but if you have some biochemical mutation or genetic mutation after taking the drugs, Brother Li Xiaopeng would kill me.

"The shortcut is... kick a thousand free kicks every day. By the time you kick a thousand, you'll probably have made some progress." Liu Hao said seriously, thinking that out of a thousand, you might score ten or so. The probability is one percent. These kids, if they don't suffer, they won't succeed. Just having slogans won't do. Since Li Xiaopeng asked him to teach his son, he must be serious. If Li Tian'er can't even kick a thousand free kicks, what's the point of practicing?

"Brother Hao, a thousand free kicks... How about I practice with Tian'er? Can you give me some pointers too?" Song Bo appeared behind Liu Hao at some point.

Liu Hao turned around, startled. Luckily, Song Bo didn't slide tackle him from behind, or he would have been done for.

"Brother Song? What kind of joke is this? You've already mastered your master's skills, enough to dominate the world. Back then, even Zidane and Ronaldinho couldn't match him. I truly admire him!"

"Brother Hao, I sincerely want to learn soccer skills from you. Although I'm a bit older now, it's never too late to learn, right?" Song Bo looked sincere, with no hint of insincerity.

Really? Even Liu Hao was unsure. This guy is too deep, and it's hard to believe. The guy who openly disabled Castillo, how good can his heart be?

(Brothers, I'm really sorry. I know my update speed is slow... I'll try to update more tomorrow. I've been on the road during the day for two weeks and only get home at night.)

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