Among the spectators, many AC Milan fans were present. Though disappointed and dejected, they did not lose their respect and courtesy. They also congratulated and admired Arsenal's performance. They were also proud of the AC Milan team they had supported! They knew AC Milan was a great team, and today was just an accident, not representative of the future!
And in the air, on the ground, in front of television screens, online, in every corner of the world, in countless countries and cities, in countless homes and rooms, in countless hearts and eyes, in countless voices and smiles, in countless dreams and hopes... a single name echoed: Arsenal!
This was not just any ordinary match; it was the UEFA Champions League final, and lifting the trophy on such a stage was an absolute honor.
As the players retreated, stadium staff began to emerge and enter the field, tidying up the remnants of the award ceremony. At this moment, some players were reluctant to leave but were already being ushered away by the staff.
Their reluctance was not just for this pitch, but also for the players they had competed with today, and for the sport of football itself.
Some of them had been playing football for over a decade, and the players on the field were precisely those who had accompanied them from childhood to the present. At this moment, as the stadium lights dimmed, it felt like a sudden return to years past, to that youthful era, watching the black and white images on television and becoming uncontrollably excited.
Cao Baming walked straight to the locker room. Although cameras never left his profile, he never looked back.
At this moment, the system's voice rang out. This time, it was not a season-end task, nor a simple achievement.
Because Cao Baming knew that this Champions League final would be a turning point in his life, a victory in the Champions League, and a milestone event in his greatest victory of this season!
The system's voice came.
"Ding! The 22-23 season has concluded! Congratulations to the host for winning the Premier League title!"
"Congratulations to the host for winning the UEFA Champions League!"
"Congratulations to the host for completing the season goal, breaking personal season goal records, and breaking personal season goal count records..."
"A total of 31 football records were created this season, with 24 related to offense and 7 related to defense..."
"Congratulations to the host for becoming the most acclaimed player of the season and the most popular star!"
"Congratulations to the host........."
At this moment, Cao Baming listened to the string of information flowing into his ears, his face calm, but his heart churning like a stormy sea!
The system's voice lasted for a full three minutes, recounting all the achievements of the season. Even so, some things were still left unsaid.
Cao Baming himself was surprised, even shocked, because some of the achievements were completely unexpected, even to him. When exactly had he broken 31 football records this year!
The system's voice had not yet stopped, and at this moment, Cao Baming's only thought was about the rewards. Why, after speaking for so long, had he not heard about the rewards yet?
However, if one followed this line of thought, the achievements accumulated this season should warrant a great harvest, not just any great harvest, but an unprecedented one!!!
Sitting in the locker room, Cao Baming did not drink water or change clothes for a long time. Looking at his teammates, who were busy one by one, Cao Baming seemed oblivious to his surroundings, with only emptiness in his vision.
This was because his attention had been completely occupied by the system. At this moment, it was as if he could clearly see the string of records and achievements he had created throughout the season, and the rewards the system was about to bestow.
Total career goals, 266!!! It was 266!!
Although this number was still a long way from 1000, reaching such a point was already beyond expectations. For a normal person, let alone within two years, even given a lifetime, achieving this would be extremely difficult.
And for Cao Baming, this achievement was not made in amateur or small-scale matches, but on the fields of the top five leagues, the most competitive and professional football arenas, on the top stages like the Premier League, the Champions League, and World Cup knockout matches.
After a long wait, the system's voice finally arrived. This time, it was no longer continuing to play the achievements previously obtained, but had begun to settle the season rewards brought about by these achievements.
At this moment, Cao Baming could no longer hide his inner excitement, his eyes began to gleam. These rewards were dozens, even hundreds of times more substantial than the small season tasks before, how could one possibly bear it?
Cao Baming's eyes flickered as he listened carefully.
The total reward points amounted to over 70 million points. This quantity of points was only 30 million points short of unlocking the next level of system skills, and 30 million points was like a piece of cake for Cao Baming at this moment.
Because after this season's settlement, another more significant system task reward was that from the next match, or rather, with the start of the new season's tasks, all reward point values would directly increase tenfold.
This meant that a task that previously awarded only 100,000 points would, after the season update, if completed and rewarded successfully, award 1 million points instead of 100,000 points.
Moreover, from this moment on, even the smallest matters, even insignificant trifles, could earn points. These points might not be enough to directly upgrade system skills, but accumulating them would undoubtedly be something to look forward to.
Soon, Cao Baming heard another piece of shocking news. This reward was no longer about points, but directly improved his football ability from a fundamental level.