The past few days of training have been relatively relaxed, with the intensity significantly reduced compared to before.
However, during these few days, the teammates never saw Henry again; he was like a ghost.
After one appearance, he vanished once more.
This time, for the away game, everyone took the team bus to the venue.
Cao Baming sat in the second-to-last row of the bus, by the window.
His eyes looked out the window at the flowing scenery. The nearly hour-long journey was incredibly boring; he even wished for a lightning strike to knock down a tree on the road.
Throughout the journey, Cao Baming's mind was constantly pondering.
If Henry had truly succeeded in summoning a divine being, whether that would be good or bad for him was impossible to say at the moment.
Arteta had been treating him like a treasure these past few days. Once Henry truly returned to the team, would he still pay attention to him, Cao Baming?
However, if he looked at it from another perspective, Henry was a forward, and he, Cao Baming, was a defender, so there wasn't much conflict or competition.
On the contrary, after a period of integration, playing alongside Henry would mean they could at least dominate the entire Premier League, and even march through the Champions League!
Just then, the bus slowly came to a halt.
Looking out the window, he could already see a corner of the stadium. Fans were crowded around the stadium entrance, appearing very enthusiastic.
The players disembarked one by one. Cao Baming was still walking at the back of the group, his thoughts not ceasing on the way.
"Hey, looking handsome today, Cao~"
As Cao Baming was getting off the bus, a gentle female voice came from his side.
He looked up and saw a woman with golden hair, slightly curled, her eyes smiling, exuding an intellectual charm.
Her figure and attire were simply breathtaking.
Cao Baming was momentarily stunned. Was this a fan?
Seeing the fan's enthusiasm, running all the way to the bus door, Cao Baming felt warm inside.
He responded with a smile, hugged the beautiful woman, and then continued to follow the team.
After a few steps, he thought again.
Something was wrong. Why would a fan be waiting at the bus door?
With her appearance, she didn't look like a typical fan...
He turned back to look again. The beautiful woman was talking to Arteta, while his teammates behind him were staring at him with the eyes of someone who had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong? I'm not wearing my clothes inside out, am I?" Cao Baming asked Martinelli behind him.
"Holy crap, do you know who that woman was?"
"Who?"
As it happened, Cao Baming himself was also wondering, so he asked.
"She's a high-ranking executive of the club! You just hugged her..."
"Oh, this..."
Cao Baming felt a surge of regret, wishing he could curse.
Who knew she was an executive! She was dressed so seductively and looked so beautiful; why hadn't he noticed her before?
"What should I do then?"
Cao Baming continued to ask, hoping the veteran players on the team could give him some advice.
"I don't know. Honestly, I've never seen anyone as bold as you. You can only pray she happens to be interested in you..."
As he spoke, Cao Baming's peripheral vision swept over the woman again. It seemed she wasn't taking it too seriously.
"Forget it, I won't think about it. Maybe she didn't pay too much attention!"
The players soon entered the stadium for the final pre-match training.
Not long after, news came from the team that Henry would be attending the match.
"Henry is coming to watch?"
"Then we have to play well!"
After all, no one wanted to embarrass themselves in front of their idol!
Especially Arteta, who had already discussed it with Henry these past few days; it was actually his arrangement.
Since the opponent this time was nothing special and lacked intensity, there shouldn't be any unexpected issues!
After a period of training, Cao Baming sat down on the sidelines and picked up his water bottle.
The match was still twenty minutes away from starting. The fans had already entered, and stadium staff were clearing the field.
Everyone returned to the training room together for the final tactical briefing.
Cao Baming had already anticipated that the match would likely not be a comeback scenario, so he would probably be warming the bench throughout.
He wouldn't get a chance to play.
It was a pity he wouldn't be able to perform in front of Henry.
Little did he know, Henry had been closely watching him in the previous two matches and had even rewatched replays specifically.
Today, he and Arteta had already discussed giving Cao Baming more playing time.
Henry's presence today was essentially to observe this mysterious defender from Tangguo.
Before the match even began, thunderous cheers erupted from outside the training room, mostly from the home fans.
They were already venting their excitement and passion before the match, engaging in various team-themed activities and rituals, creating a cacophony.
Time flew by, and it was soon time for the players to enter the field. Both teams almost simultaneously exited the training room and headed for the tunnel to begin their entry.
After a brief ceremony, the match began!
Cao Baming sat on the substitute bench, very close to the club executives. It was then that he finally noticed the woman with the golden hair.
Indeed, she was a high-ranking executive of the club, and her position and status seemed to be quite significant.
Looking around, Henry seemed to have chosen a seat in the back row.
From there, he could get a better view and a clearer experience of the game.
Experienced fans and scouts often chose such positions to observe matches more clearly.
Watching the players on the field battle for possession and control, Cao Baming could feel that their mindset had clearly improved.
He felt immensely proud because he had contributed!
A few minutes later, Martinelli cut inside from the right and took a shot. The ball flew rapidly across the penalty area towards the goal!
Goal! The score is one-nil!
This was only five minutes into the game!
Following this, Burnley intensified their defense.
The head coach shook his head helplessly. Ultimately, they had underestimated their opponents.
They thought Arsenal was finished, but it seemed they were back in form!
Fortunately, the goal was conceded early. The head coach proactively changed tactics, removing a forward and adding a defensive midfielder, switching to a 4-4-2 formation.
Their initial desire to push for more was instantly dashed.
After strengthening their defense, the game became more balanced.
Although Arsenal maintained pressure, they couldn't break through the defense.
The score remained one-nil until the fortieth minute, with no further expansion.
As halftime approached, head coach Arteta suddenly began shouting at the players on the field, gesturing.
From Cao Baming's perspective, he could clearly see Arteta making a circular motion.
His intention was to strengthen the offensive transitions between the left and right wings, and not to relentlessly attack one side.