The crowd in the stands gave Cao Baming a round of applause as he exited the field. In this match, he had not only been instrumental in scoring goals but also a versatile organizer. Moreover, this was his last game before heading to the World Cup.
It was likely he wouldn't be seen on an English Premier League pitch again for another two months!
On the edge of the field, Messi and Henry were already sitting on the bench, awaiting his return. They knew the three of them were destined to share the bench together eventually.
Cao Baming wasn't in a hurry to pack his things. Instead, he planned to stay on the bench and watch the rest of the match.
He was quite curious about the new tactical system the coach had been emphasizing in the days prior. He wondered if the team could maintain their winning streak without him. While he wasn't overly concerned about it, success was always preferable.
After all, league achievements wouldn't be calculated based on his presence or absence. Even if he wasn't there, any loss in this match would still be attributed to him.
The players who had just come onto the field were full of energy. Facing opponents whose stamina had clearly waned after playing for tens of minutes, the newcomers immediately became the most active players on the field.
Conversely, on the Wolves' side, as soon as they saw Cao Baming also leaving the field, and all three of their geniuses were being rotated, it was a gift from heaven. How could he possibly miss such an opportunity?
He quickly began to consider how to change their tactics. At the same time, he beckoned the players on the field to strengthen their attack. It was time to go for broke!
The players were full of passion, and their running on the field became much more vigorous!
After Cao Baming left the field, the entire team's system became more structured. After all, he was the only one who could truly play as a free agent across the entire field. The current formation had shifted to a traditional 4-3-3 possession-based tactic.
Five minutes later, Arsenal scored their first goal. This goal came from a young striker who had just been substituted on, named Perry!
Looking at Arteta again, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
As expected, he must have believed his tactics had paid off.
However, after a few more minutes, the situation became strange. Ultimately, despite their efforts to control the score, they were clearly struggling compared to before.
By the 80th minute, they finally conceded a goal. This goal couldn't be attributed to a mistake in the defense; in fact, it wasn't anyone's individual error. The opponent's attack had simply penetrated their lines.
Such situations were the most frustrating! 138 Reading Network
The final score was 6:1. Arteta's brow remained furrowed. Despite the victory, he still had some lingering concerns.
After the match, Cao Baming went back to pack his belongings. This was his last game, as had been agreed upon.
The senior management even personally escorted him to the dressing room door to handle his departure procedures.
A private jet dispatched from Tang Country had already landed at the airport near the stadium. Several people inside were specifically there to escort Cao Baming back home.
For the national team of Tang Country, money was not something they lacked. However, they wouldn't use too much of it for team construction; face-saving measures were absolutely essential. Outside the stadium, many young men in suits were still waiting.
They were the representatives sent from Tang Country, their purpose being to escort this star player back home.
A double row of vehicles had formed outside the entrance. These were all top-of-the-line luxury cars, uniformly black Rolls-Royces. Even for the mere two-kilometer journey from the stadium to the airport, they intended to make a grand impression.
After waving goodbye to the other players, Cao Baming walked to the entrance.
Many fans spotted him and surged forward frantically. At this point, his personal bodyguards and security began to do their jobs.
However, even so, in the narrow passageway, physical contact with the fans was unavoidable. Many unwelcome hands reached out towards Cao Baming's body.
Some female fans even seemed desperate to press themselves against Cao Baming.
For them, this might have been the closest they would ever get to a star player in their lifetime!
As he approached the goalpost, Cao Baming immediately recognized an old acquaintance. It was Xu Long, whom he had met before at an event organized by the Football Association in Tang Country.
Xu Long worked there, holding a position of some responsibility and status, which was fitting for his age.
Upon seeing the entire line of Rolls-Royces behind them, Cao Baming nearly froze on the spot.
It wasn't that he found it expensive or unbelievable, but rather he felt it was completely unnecessary.
Just to pick someone up, did they really need so many cars? He truly couldn't understand what they were trying to achieve...
Cao Baming didn't like this kind of behavior at all; in fact, he found it somewhat detestable!
After finding Xu Long, he didn't beat around the bush and directly expressed his thoughts.
"Tell the other cars to go ahead. You stay and have a meal with me!"
Cao Baming's words stunned Xu Long, leaving him speechless for a moment, unable to figure out how to respond.
"It's fine, you can go for your meal. We can wait for you. There's no need for them to leave first, right?"
"Don't you understand what I mean?"
Cao Baming's gaze shifted slightly. While not fierce, it startled the young man, Xu Long, quite a bit.
"I understand, I understand. I'll have them leave now!"
With that, the convoy behind them turned back. They had made the trip without accomplishing anything, but they hadn't been intended to do anything specific.
After the convoy departed, Cao Baming took Xu Long to a nearby restaurant. The pricing of this restaurant was basically set for ordinary people.
Many fans who came to watch the game liked to eat here.
Xu Long, realizing something was amiss, quickly stopped him.
"Let's go to a nicer place to eat. There's no need to dine here. I can handle the bill!"
Young Xu Long thought his words would impress Cao Baming, but his assumption was far too naive.
Cao Baming sighed helplessly. This person probably hadn't been in this line of work for very long, so he decided to forgive him.
"I'm not worried about the money; I've never lacked that. I just want to fill my stomach quickly."
"If you've already eaten, you don't have to come. I can eat by myself. You can even leave first! I'll take a taxi."
"No, no, no, I haven't eaten. Let's go together!"
...