Despite his surprise, the fact that Cao Baiming's shot didn't go in brought relief to the opposing players. After all, they couldn't possibly hope for their own goal to be breached so frequently.
Alright, Ming's eyes flickered. The power condensed within his body felt like it had only been utilized a tiny bit, and now the mission was only three-tenths complete, with only seven more goals left.
Three minutes later, Arsenal's defense encountered problems. Because Cao Baiming had been positioned at the forefront of the entire field, he had neglected the defense. Now, the defense was entirely under the control of his teammates.
This opposing team, though their overall strength was mediocre, had a very fast right winger when they pressed forward. Without anyone noticing, he easily completed an overtake and delivered a beautiful cross.
Unfortunately, the Chinese player was just a tiny bit short of following up, and White managed to clear the ball.
This was also the opposing team's best chance from the beginning of the first half until this moment. It was evident that the defense seemed to be letting up.
Seeing this situation, Cao Baiming didn't care at all how many goals they conceded; it had no impact on his mission completion.
He couldn't figure out if those guys were intentionally slacking or had simply let down their guard. At least, in Cao Baiming's opinion, the latter was more likely.
Unexpectedly, in the span of these few minutes, the opposition had gained some momentum. Although the overall possession rate was still about a 28 split, in the past two minutes, the opposition had been the dominant party in terms of possession.
Cao Baiming, positioned at the front, noticed that the ball was constantly being passed back and forth in the midfield and defense. Helpless, he decided to retreat and retrieve the ball himself.
If you want to slack off, then do so, but don't delay me from completing my mission!
Cao Baiming moved against the tide, speeding towards the backfield. A shadow flashed across the entire field, and amidst a confident pass from the opposing player, Cao Baiming accurately predicted the ball's trajectory.
If it were about physical confrontation, that guy would surely not be Cao Baiming's match if he had to intercept the ball. But there was no need for that, as the ball was already at Cao Baiming's feet before the opponent could even receive it.
After actively regaining possession, Cao Baiming charged forward again. This maneuver, however, left Arteta on the sidelines stunned.
He had initially thought his players were finally listening and acting according to his halftime instructions, but Cao Baiming had once again seized the rhythm.
However, his fear and tension didn't last long because after getting the ball, Cao Baiming accelerated to his maximum speed and charged towards the goal. Along the way, players fell and stumbled, but no one could successfully stop him or even slow him down.
In an instant, another sound echoed, and the football once again struck the goalpost!
This time it was the upright!
What the hell!?
At this moment, everyone was completely stunned. If the previous consecutive three hits on the goal frame could be attributed to luck, or even considered a coincidence, then this fourth time couldn't be explained by normal theory at all.
He had hit the woodwork four times! This was even more difficult than scoring four consecutive goals; the difficulty was unimaginable, not just a little bit.
Henry had already begun to suspect that Cao Baiming was doing this intentionally, and now he was absolutely certain.
The probability of someone hitting the goalpost four times in a row, from such a distance, was extremely low. However, for Cao Baiming, the probability of not scoring in four consecutive shots seemed even lower!
Seeing this, the opposing players were completely bewildered. They couldn't understand what was happening. It felt as if the stadium had fallen into a realm of metaphysics, and a supernatural event was unfolding around them.
Their worldviews were about to collapse at this moment, but if they couldn't bear it now, then complete destruction awaited them.
Cao Baiming's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He was pleased with the achievement of hitting the woodwork four times, and the timing was also quite precise. Calculating this way, completing the mission before the match ended was entirely achievable.
That was a mysterious top-tier talent skill card, and at this very moment, he couldn't wait to see its true form!
Returning to the center circle for the kickoff, Cao Baiming suddenly thought that if he kept scoring continuously, it might be too outlandish for these ordinary people.
With this thought, Cao Baiming changed his strategy. His next shot would be a direct shot.
This strategy was implemented within two minutes. The ball was quickly passed a few times cleanly into the penalty area, and this time, Cao Baiming was the one receiving it inside.
The spotlight of this match had been entirely stolen by him. Even Messi and Henry had retreated behind Cao Baiming, even providing him with cover on the flanks.
However, they couldn't be blamed. They didn't want to score, and they were indeed acting accordingly.
Following this, the ninth goal arrived!
After this goal, the mission could continue. At this point, more than half of the match had passed. When the clock reached 60 minutes, the opposing coach finally chose to make substitutions, using all their remaining substitution slots at once. They weren't aiming to win the match or salvage some dignity by leveling the score. They simply wanted their players to have an opportunity to play against their idols.
Even as opponents, playing on the same field together would likely be an unforgettable, beautiful memory for a lifetime.
...
When the match reached the 90th minute, the entire game was nearing its end. This was the end of regular time, but the referee still chose to award two minutes of stoppage time.
Cao Baiming's eyes flickered. He knew clearly that at this moment, he had only one last shot left to take.
The target of this shot was not the opponent's goal, but the goal frame, because he had already completed nine goals, and with one more, he would receive the mission reward.