"Stop arguing, I'm sure the ball was propelled by friction with the toe, it's just that the direction of friction might have changed within that very short second, which is essentially Cao Baming's power. He can change direction in an extremely short amount of time, so short that it's hard for the naked eye to discern. But if you're going to talk about some unscientific theories like the shoe and ball not touching, please don't bring them up, you'll just sound like an idiot!"
...
The replay of the match had finished playing, but the discussion among the fans in the comments section was far from over. Simultaneously, the comments section was also ablaze with heated debate on the same topic.
Within just a minute, the number of discussions had already exceeded one million.
At the same time, some people chose to express their opinions on their social media accounts or public platforms, similar to how they would rush to analyze a magic trick after seeing it on a New Year's Eve gala years ago. Their enthusiasm was palpable.
Until a message was posted on an internet platform. The message was from an ordinary fan, but the readership soared within those couple of minutes.
The content was very brief, not even a single word of confirmation. The fan simply posted a screenshot of the live broadcast from the match on social media, instantly stunning everyone. 138Reading.com
This was no ordinary screenshot. It precisely captured the close-up shot of Cao Baming before he kicked the ball, as filmed by the camera. From this image, the distance between Tao Hua Yuan's shoe and the football was clearly visible.
There was a tangible gap of more than two millimeters!
Seeing such evidence, those who still believed the ball's trajectory was a visual error might have to shut up, and the arguments would instantly become meaningless.
Everyone unconsciously felt a cold sweat breaking out all over their bodies. It was terrifying, almost to the point of being called a supernatural phenomenon.
"I thought Cao Baming was amazing, but I never imagined he could be so good that he wouldn't even need to touch the ball!"
"Does common physics completely fail in front of him? Newton's coffin lid must be trembling!"
"It's not just Newton, but Galileo, Tesla, Einstein, Euclid, Riemann, and Planck's coffins are all trembling!"
"Guys, have you considered that maybe quantum mechanics can explain this!?"
"When in doubt, blame quantum mechanics?"
"Quantum mechanics is completely unnecessary! Middle school knowledge can solve this. It's just about the airflow – higher speed means lower pressure. If the shoe swooshes past the ball fast enough, the instantaneous pressure difference can directly propel the ball, even with a curve. This is perfectly explainable!"
"Don't think I didn't go to high school. Who doesn't know this stuff? But have you calculated what speed it would take?"
A rough calculation suggested that to achieve such an effect, the airflow speed between the shoe and the ball must exceed several times the speed of sound before the kick.
Although the force of the ball's flight wasn't great, its angle was so precise that Kepa in front of the goal had no time to react.
Everyone was pondering the reason behind this event, when they suddenly remembered that Cao Baming's signature core speed could also reach several times the speed of sound.
Thinking about it this way, physics might not have collapsed, but perhaps humanity's understanding of itself needed to be re-evaluated!
As everyone was still debating this issue with great controversy and shock, the match continued, and the fans of both sides returned to the stadium.
Before long, the regular time of the first half came to an end, 45 minutes.
The assistant referee indicated that the stoppage time for the first half was two minutes. With only two minutes left, there was no time for anything significant.
The Chelsea players felt helpless. None of them had expected the first half of the match to end in such a manner.
Losing to Nottingham Forest and Cao Baming was one thing, but to be directly trailing by two goals was unbearable!
What could they do if they couldn't bear it? Time was running out. In the last two minutes of added time, the players from both sides were only contesting possession in midfield. It was evident that both teams were concerned about these final two minutes, each wanting to achieve something in this period, yet neither succeeded!
The two minutes of added time passed quickly. The ball bounced back and forth in midfield, changing possession four or five times, but it never entered either penalty area.
The match time thus ended. The first half was completely over, and it was time for halftime. The Chelsea players had no choice but to accept the reality of going into the break with such a dismal scoreline, facing their coach's reprimand.
Alas, what else could they do? It was truly unavoidable!
Mount's mind was still haunted by Cao Baming's pass and the subsequent penalty kick, both of which he found somewhat unbelievable.
But when he mentioned it to his teammates as they walked off the field, no one believed him, some even scoffed.
After all, it wasn't uncommon for people to laugh at such stories. It would be the real novelty if someone actually believed him.
Mount was so frustrated. He had seen the facts with his own eyes, yet everyone around him seemed oblivious. He could only find Santos, who had also witnessed the scene from not too far away.
However, the fans had already engaged in heated discussions on the topic. During the halftime break, they gradually came to understand the situation.
"Cao Baming is from Candy, could he be using that kung fu football style!"
"Are you suggesting this is a kind of... Qigong?"
"Yes, yes, exactly like what's mentioned in traditional martial arts from Candy. I didn't expect you to know so much, I underestimated you!"
"Get outta here, stop spouting nonsense about Qigong. It's just simple physics. If Cao Baming can kick a football at 400 yards, he can naturally swing his leg even faster!"
Everyone in the room fell silent.
As Cao Baming's teammates, the Nottingham Forest players were celebrating intensely, and the atmosphere in the locker room was joyous.