"Why aren't you sitting in the upper tiers below? And aren't you still playing for Nottingham Forest? Why did you come here alone to sit? Are you trying to prevent others from... recognizing you..."
Beckham's voice trailed off, and he suddenly covered his mouth.
"Sorry, I just..."
Cao Baming looked speechless.
"Low profile, low profile, I just came to see what's happening on my own."
As a superstar, Beckham naturally understood the experience of being recognized by a large crowd of fans wherever he went. It might feel enjoyable at first, but over time, it became difficult.
Because no matter what he did, he couldn't be at ease.
Cao Baming looked at Beckham and already had some suspicions. The fact that he came specifically to watch Manchester United's match showed that he still had some interest.
Beckham looked into Cao Baming's eyes and remembered the invitation he had extended before.
"No way, you still want me to play for Manchester United?"
"Not at all, my mind has changed. I want you to be a coach here," Cao Baming said calmly.
"Coach???"
For a moment, even Beckham was too surprised to speak.
A few seconds later, Cao Baming burst out laughing.
"Just kidding! Don't take it seriously! I can't afford to pay you a salary to be a coach!"
Although he said it was a joke, Beckham still broke out in a cold sweat. After all, anything could be possible coming from the madman Cao Baming.
The two sat together and chatted about the ongoing match below.
At this moment, the match had reached the fifty-second minute. On the field, Manchester United maintained absolute dominance.
If one were to calculate possession now, it would likely be nine to one.
Before they knew it, the match reached the seventieth minute. The score remained unchanged, but it was evident that West Ham United had deployed ten men to defend within the penalty area, completely abandoning any offensive efforts!
In such a situation, it was difficult to break through the defense. Even with strong dribbling skills, it was hard to succeed easily in the densely packed space within the penalty area.
Fans might have thought that at this point, someone like Cao Baming could solve the problem. Finding an opportunity outside the box and unleashing a "nuclear explosion" shot, hoping that no unfortunate soul would deflect the ball. If they were smart, they would dodge!
At this moment, Manchester United had also gradually relaxed. They weren't pursuing a large margin of victory; they just wanted to play happily.
The players were even joking on the field, exchanging occasional words with smiles on their faces.
It was too easy, as if they were playing a game. This hardly looked like a real match!
Perhaps the only one on the entire team with a serious expression was Guardiola, but he wasn't concerned about the result of the match. He cared about whether Messi was tired, at risk of being fouled, and whether he was happy.
Cao Baming watched the game unfold and gradually realized that his previous prediction might have been wrong. How could he have only thought of a five-to-one score?
It was already the eightieth minute, and the score was only three to zero. It seemed unlikely.
Thinking back, he hadn't anticipated that the madman Guardiola would dare to play like this in the very first match...
Just then, a muffled thud suddenly echoed from the field!
Cao Baming quickly turned his gaze towards the goal. The football streaked across the field like a flying dagger, leaving a silver-white trajectory!
Cao Baming's brows furrowed. This wasn't right; this shot had potential!
Ultimately, it landed directly in the absolute corner of the goal, an area impossible to save!
Everyone on the field was stunned. What was this? What was happening?
The commentator took a couple of seconds to react, followed by the roar of the fans.
"An earth-shattering, super-invincible, cosmic nuclear-level cannonball shot! I didn't even see who took it!"
"...Luis Figo!! At this distance! At least fifty to sixty meters! A direct shot from midfield! This is absolutely insane!"
For a moment, even Cao Baming's face was etched with surprise.
This was a powerhouse shot, at least eighty percent of his own level!
The fans marveled, and the football field had transformed into a magical place. Luis Figo used magic to prove himself to the ball.
"Isn't this Cao Baming's exclusive skill? Someone else can actually shoot from over fifty meters away??"
"This is too outrageous! Simply incredible!!"
"Luis Figo! Awesome! The eternal god, forever the god!"
The players also applauded. Although there was some luck involved, everyone still recognized him, as he was a master and possessed such ability.
The goalkeeper was utterly defeated. Throughout the entire match, he had only touched the football once! Simply pathetic!
The match was only in the eighty-first minute, with the last ten minutes remaining. The fans reignited their hope.
"One more! One more! One more!..." the fans chanted loudly.
Cao Baming stroked his chin. Another one wouldn't be bad; maybe he could actually guess correctly.
Two minutes later, Neymar was fouled again, this time just inside the penalty area! Wouldn't the fifth goal come without delay?
No one expected it to come so quickly, and Cao Baming couldn't believe it.
Neymar took the penalty. He feinted to deceive the goalkeeper and then calmly slotted the ball in. He scored!
"Five-nil!! Beautiful! He's here, he's here! Neymar has completed his brace!"
"The damage is immense, the insult even greater! The goalkeeper's psychological trauma is probably irreparable!"
Five-nil came as expected, so would the opposing team score another? Cao Baming wondered.
He waited with such anticipation until the end of the match, but the opposing team wasn't strong enough and didn't get any more opportunities, not even touching the ball.
Ultimately, he underestimated his own team! Cao Baming thought, but it was more enjoyable than guessing correctly.
Who doesn't like underestimation? The result greatly exceeded expectations.
Soon, the match result was announced. Major news outlets, tabloids, and magazines vied for attention: Manchester United 5-1 West Ham United!
All fans eagerly anticipated the performance of this brand-new, top-spec Manchester United in the new season. Such a result could be considered a perfect report card!
But Cao Baming knew that if the team fielded its strongest lineup and system, the score would be much higher, even two to three times higher.
It was still a pity, but not entirely.
As a fan, seeing a replay of the golden era of the "Dream Team" and witnessing MSN running on the field again brought greater satisfaction than watching a match with a score of over ten to zero.