It is common for many teams or clubs to release misleading information before important matches, such as a key player being injured and unable to attend training, or someone having a family emergency.
However, on the day of the match, those who were reportedly injured or in trouble often appear on the starting lineup and play as if they were never hurt, more energetic than anyone else.
These are tactics to confuse opponents, making their coaching staff complacent, or to disrupt their targeted research and strategic planning.
But this time, the Tang National team announced it officially, and based on the evidence provided, fans had no choice but to believe it, regardless of their reluctance.
Many people quietly made wishes for Cao Baiming to recover quickly, no matter how unrealistic these wishes were.
And the World Cup final will be held in three days!
To be precise, there are only two and a half days left!
At this very moment, Cao Baiming, lying in his hospital bed, was leisurely reading a magazine, enjoying his time.
On the table were the meals sent by Wu Xue and a homemade drink specially brought by a female nurse. Only one light was on in the room, directly above Cao Baiming.
The doctor said he would have another check-up in a day and a half, as the recovery progress in the first few days was crucial and decisive.
It would not only directly indicate the extent of the treatment's effectiveness but also that these initial days are the fastest for recovery, aligning with their treatment principles.
Cao Baiming, however, took the initiative to request an earlier check-up.
In his opinion, if it couldn't be done tonight, it should be done by tomorrow morning at the latest.
The doctors had no objections; it was merely a matter of advancing the appointment by half a day to a full day, which was perfectly acceptable to them.
Even now, Cao Baiming had not told anyone on the team about his intention to play in the final. He wanted to wait for the results of this check-up. At that time, with the right timing, location, and people, they would likely find it difficult to refuse.
Currently, Cao Baiming himself could already feel a significant improvement in his calf and foot recovery, and only two days had passed.
When he first arrived at the hospital, he had to use a wheelchair to move around. Although he could walk without assistance, it was extremely difficult, and more importantly, he had to endure intermittent, severe pain.
Now, the pain had subsided considerably; he could barely feel it unless he exerted himself. If he were to discard the machines, wheelchair, and crutches right now, he could run a few steps or even jump without much issue.
He could feel this himself, but he didn't want to shock the other doctors in the hospital by running and jumping so soon after only two days of injury.
That evening, Cao Baiming chatted leisurely in the company of his friends and had a video call with his clubmate Messi.
Messi was also feeling sympathetic and, seeing Cao Baiming's condition, felt even more pity. He proactively called to inquire about his well-being.
Currently, Messi had not yet returned to the club for training and was still on a special vacation.
He heard that many Arsenal players had returned for team training a few times and had even played a friendly match against a team from the English League One.
By now, most players' World Cup journeys had concluded.
...
The next day, the follow-up examination proceeded as scheduled. Cao Baiming found himself in the familiar corridor for the second time in a short period.
The effectiveness of the treatment needed to be assessed, and it would also guide the subsequent treatment goals and plans.
As he was about to enter the familiar room he had experienced once before, Cao Baiming already had an answer in his heart.
He recalled the system's assessment before he went to sleep the previous night.
"Current physical recovery status: sixty-five point nine percent..."
He expected that they would be astonished by this data after their examination.
On this day, many people came to visit. After exchanging greetings, Cao Baiming began the examination process.
Led by the doctors, Cao Baiming was taken from one room to another, and after another forty minutes, he emerged from the other end of the corridor.
After the follow-up examination, Cao Baiming was allowed to return to his previous ward for further instrument-assisted rehabilitation, and his relatives and friends were permitted to stay for a short time.
However, not too many people could enter the room simultaneously, for the simple reason that the room's total area could not accommodate so many people.
Even with just two or three people, the room was already quite crowded. Yet, there were far more people who had come to visit him, completely blocking the hospital corridor.
The expert team, the most elite group in the hospital, was responsible for analyzing the results of Cao Baiming's second examination.
Some results required time for machine computation, while others needed photo printing and processing.
After a long wait, the experts finally received Cao Baiming's first set of data.
At this time, Cao Baiming was still lying there leisurely; the hospital bed was indeed comfortable.
Concurrently, however, in the room where the expert team was located, an eerie atmosphere was gradually permeating.
As the data analysis results were printed and delivered, the most respected expert, the captain of their entire team, quickly changed his expression after casually flipping through a few pages.
He looked as if he had seen a ghost, his stubble trembling uncontrollably.
Those nearby, seeing the expression on his face, looked at him in confusion and felt a sense of unease.
"What's wrong? The results are out, what's the situation?"
"Is it very serious???"
Seeing their team captain's expression, they guessed that the results must be bad. But how bad could they be to astonish a seasoned fifty-nine-year-old expert to this extent!
His expression was not just surprise, but sheer terror!
Could it be that their method was wrong and had worsened his injury? This seemed to be the only explanation for the old expert's current demeanor, and it was indeed a terrifying thought.
The old expert was highly focused, seemingly unable to hear the conversations around him, and continued to read.