Chapter 1 Liverpool's Free Kick

"Liverpool has earned a free kick thirty-five meters from the goal. As expected, Chen Hero will take it..."

As the commentator spoke, Chen Hero positioned the ball.

After setting the ball down, he didn't immediately kick it, but waited for the referee's whistle.

The wall was being built painstakingly—every time a wall was formed, it was a good opportunity to delay the game.

But Chen Hero never rushed them.

He seemed particularly graceful in this regard.

Actually, he had absolute confidence in his free-kick skills.

He even hoped that the opponent would take ninety minutes to set up the wall, until the last second of injury time. Then, he would kick the ball into the goal, the game would end, and Liverpool would win 1-0.

Unfortunately, the rules didn't allow it...

So he could only think about it in his head.

Although he couldn't wait ninety minutes, Chen Hero didn't mind waiting an extra minute or two.

He particularly enjoyed the feeling of destroying a wall in one second after the opposing team had spent several minutes painstakingly setting it up.

He liked free kicks as a way to score, perhaps because of this psychological factor...

Just like this time.

It took the Manchester City players two minutes to set up the wall, with several reworks because the wall wasn't far enough back, and they protested that Liverpool players were squeezing into the wall, interfering with them... In short, they were all trivial matters that had to be complained about to the referee, who had to come up and maintain order.

Chen Hero didn't rush them, and there wasn't a hint of impatience on his face.

He just stood in front of the ball, quietly watching the Manchester City players' earnest performance.

Too bad... their acting skills were poor. They should be sent to the La Masia Film Academy for two years of full-time study before coming out.

He啧啧 commented in his heart.

Finally, Manchester City honestly lined up the wall, and a Liverpool player still squeezed into it.

But for Chen Hero, this was purely for show, because his football could never pass through the wall. At this distance, he would definitely shoot a falling leaf ball (a free kick that has an unpredictable trajectory). His opponents were well aware of this, so the Manchester City players were actually protesting to delay the game. They weren't really worried that Chen Hero would kick the ball past their teammate's position...

The wall was set up, the referee stepped back, and then the whistle blew.

The whistle blew, but Chen Hero didn't immediately run up to kick the ball.

Instead, he turned his head to look at the home team's coaching bench.

Boas was still standing on the sidelines, nervously staring at the field.

Chen Hero knew that the coach was watching him.

He was also sure that this distance would allow Boas to see the expression on his face clearly.

So he grinned at Boas, revealing his two rows of white teeth. This kind of bared-teeth smile was not good-looking at all, and only made people feel uncomfortable.

You want to play tricks, don't you?

Today, I'll show you that in the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or scheme has no room to survive!

I'll break all the traps you've painstakingly set up today!

※※※

Boas was standing on the sidelines, indeed looking at Chen Hero.

Because the throbbing in his temples had made him uneasy.

He saw Chen Hero turn his head and grin at him.

Although Chen Hero's smile was ugly, he could still tell that it was a smile, and being as clever as he was, he could also tell that the smile was definitely not a friendly gesture.

Was it mockery?

Or a threat?

Or both?

※※※

Just as Boas was trying to figure it out, Chen Hero had already turned his face back and started his run-up.

In two or three steps, he was in front of the ball, and then he swung his right leg and solidly kicked the ball!

If there was a touch-point statistics system like in a game, it would be clear that Chen Hero's kick hit exactly where he wanted it to.

The ball soared into the air, directly over the wall that the Manchester City players had spent a minute or two setting up, like a jet fighter streaking over their heads.

The moment Chen Hero kicked the ball, Joe Hart's entire body tensed up. He was like an arrow on a bowstring, ready to shoot out at any moment.

Looking at the height of the ball after it took off, he knew it was a falling leaf ball!

Here it comes!

When he couldn't see the ball in his line of sight, when the ball was blocked by the wall, he pushed off the ground with his right leg, and his whole body shot out, lunging towards the upper corner.

It was difficult to save a falling leaf ball. Joe Hart could only stay on the goal line, as close to the goal as possible, so that when he jumped, he might be able to stop the falling ball.

In short, he wouldn't give the falling leaf ball any room to fall.

If the ball had to fall after passing his fingertips, the ball would fly directly over the crossbar. But if the ball fell before him, his hand could be there to intercept it.

This was the only way Joe Hart could stop the ball from going in...

But there was a crucial factor in this, and that was... his speed had to be faster than the ball's speed. He had to get to the designated spot ahead of time.

The England goalkeeper knew this very well, so he even jumped a little early. If he saw the ball fly over the wall again and then jumped, it would definitely be too late.

But this time, he was still half a beat late...

The ball Chen Hero shot was even faster than he had expected!

Almost in the blink of an eye, the ball flew over, and its speed had probably exceeded 120 kilometers per hour!

His body was still rising when the ball reached its highest point, and then... it plunged down!

Even someone who didn't understand football could see this obvious change in trajectory.

It was as if the ball had hit an invisible ceiling and bounced down.

Joe Hart was still in the air at this time, his eyes fixed on the ball, so he saw all the changes in the ball.

But even if he saw it, so what? He was in the air and couldn't use any force, and he couldn't increase his speed or change direction. He could only fly upwards according to inertia, while trying to raise his hand as high as possible and extend his defensive area as much as possible.

This was the limit of what he could do.

Next, it had to be left to God to judge.

To judge whether this ball would go in or not!

Two results, two destinies, this was actually the judgment of fate.

※※※

In Joe Hart's eyes, his hand was about to touch the ball. The ball was right in front of his fingertips. As long as he reached a little higher, he could touch it, and then he could change the ball's trajectory...

Victory was in sight!

But it was fleeting!

The ball passed in front of his fingertips. He didn't touch the ball, not even the skin of the ball!

Although his hand was raised high enough, it was still not higher than the ball...

Next, it depended on whether the crossbar would help Manchester City...

As long as the crossbar could block the ball, then Manchester City could escape this disaster.

Wishes are beautiful, but reality is often cruel.

After the ball passed Joe Hart's hand, it grazed the goalpost and flew into the goal...

Yes, the ball went in!

※※※

When Boas saw this scene from the sidelines, his eyes and mouth grew wider at some point. He stared blankly as this happened.

He couldn't believe it. He thought he was seeing things. He blinked hard.

But no matter how many times he blinked, he could only see the ball bouncing around in the goal.

Not outside the net, but really in the goal!

The... the ball actually went in?

He looked down at his watch—the game had only started nineteen minutes ago!

Damn it!

Damn it!

Damn it!

Boas couldn't have been more angry at this moment.

Because he could feel that his carefully prepared plan was beginning to falter in the face of Chen Hero's goal. Cracks were appearing and spreading.

It was as if something was about to collapse...

At this moment, his mind suddenly became clear, and a flash of inspiration passed through his mind!

He finally understood what Chen Hero's smile meant.

So he had seen through his intentions long ago... Was he mocking him for wasting his efforts?

Damn it!

※※※

No one paid attention to Boas's anger and懊恼.

Everyone was ignited by Chen Hero's free kick, whether they supported Liverpool or Manchester City.

Liverpool fans cheered loudly, while Manchester City fans booed and cursed angrily.

In the storm of sounds, Chen Hero stood at the spot where he took the free kick, unmoving. He raised his right hand, this time not clenching it into a fist, but spreading his five fingers, holding up a palm.

He was telling everyone that Liverpool, and this great master, was determined to win the fifth championship of the season!

The Manchester City players who formed the wall turned their heads, one by one staring blankly at the goal...

They dawdled for a long time, but they didn't stop the ball from flying into the goal. On the contrary, their painstaking efforts to delay the game ultimately cost them a few minutes to catch up with Liverpool... Harming others only to harm themselves in the end, what was the point?

※※※

When the ball shot out by Chen Hero beautifully bypassed goalkeeper Joe Hart's fingertips and fell directly into the goal, Martin O'Neill, who had been sitting calmly on the coaching bench pretending to be calm, shot out of his seat like an arrow and rushed to the sidelines to wave his fist vigorously at the stands, shouting and venting the emotions that had been building up in his heart.

The media's ridicule of him, and the worry after learning about Boas's plan, were all vented at this moment.

He wasn't worried about anything now.

Chen Hero was fine! Then the victory was guaranteed, and the championship too...

Wait until I win the championship, and see how you laugh at me!

Laugh! Laugh louder!

The louder you laugh, the harder this slap will hit!

At this moment, Martin O'Neill was so excited that he was almost deranged...