Cao Baming leaned against the window, one hand resting on the glass, gazing at the distant scenery.
"Ding! Limited-time mission updated: Compete with Messi in a shooting challenge on the training ground and succeed! Mission reward: Choose any talent breakthrough to max level!"
A sudden voice broke the silence, emanating from his mind.
It was the system's voice!
A shooting challenge? Compete with Messi??
But wasn't this premise impossible? He still needed to reach the training ground, to even have the chance to compete with Messi. He was still waiting for his diagnosis results.
Could it be that the system already knew the higher-ups' decision?
As he began to ponder, debating whether to proactively investigate, footsteps sounded from outside the door.
As expected, it was the team doctor who had just conducted his physical examination. The expressions on their faces said it all; even before they got closer, Cao Baming knew the result.
It was true! The system was indeed powerful. It seemed the mission had been updated the moment these people made their decision!
However, why did it take so long last time, and less than an hour this time? That fact puzzled him.
The team doctor, dressed in white, emerged from the examination room and lightly knocked on the door. Seeing that Cao Baming had already noticed him, he walked straight in.
"You've recovered very well. Although we don't understand why you've recovered so quickly, after deliberation, we've decided you can return to the training ground."
"The training ground, you mean my rehabilitation training, or..."
"Team training, of course!"
The doctor pointed towards the small window, his voice tinged with excitement.
They all looked out the window at the pitch. Messi was still training with his teammates, focusing on possession and passing in midfield, a key emphasis for the head coach this season.
"That's great."
At this moment, he recalled the system's prompt.
Messi was right outside, and he could approach him anytime to propose the challenge. The mission was truly thrilling. While he knew his shooting technique was already honed to perfection, how did it compare to Messi's?
The reward was a direct breakthrough of a certain talent skill card to its max level. This was a significant reward, considering it would cost 1.5 million points if he were to achieve it through spending points.
That was no small sum, even from his current perspective.
Although the league goal rewards had been upgraded several times, they were still a tier below the Champions League and World Cup. Accumulating 1.5 million points under these conditions would still require a considerable amount of time.
At this moment, he was alone in the locker room; the team doctor had already left.
Looking out at the pitch, Cao Baming began to change into his jersey, eager and impatient to step onto the field.
The players were unaware, but the coaching staff had already been notified of the good news. Arteta himself had even come to the locker room to fetch him.
His excitement was beyond words. For Arteta, this was the best news of the day. Although it was still morning, it was unlikely that anything better would happen to overshadow this.
As Arteta knocked, Cao Baming had just finished changing into his jersey. Dressed in an Arsenal training kit, he looked valiant and spirited, instantly entering his prime.
His injuries seemed to have vanished overnight, such was the miracle.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he possessed magic, and it might even spread quickly throughout the club and the entire football world.
The two stepped forward together, casually closing the locker room door to prevent the cold air from sneaking in.
After passing through a dimly lit corridor, they arrived at the training ground. Finally, he didn't have to look through glass anymore.
In the distance, the players were still training diligently, and Cao Baming immediately spotted Messi.
Although Messi was his best friend at the club, the reason he subconsciously paid attention was the system's sudden mission.
The reward no longer mattered; he genuinely wanted to test himself. He couldn't wait any longer.
Arteta called out to the field, and everyone looked over, seeing Cao Baming's figure.
What an exciting day it was!
Cao Baming was wearing the team training attire, which must mean his individual rehabilitation training was over, and he could play with everyone!
Everyone on the training ground was anticipating his official return. Without Cao Baming, the training sessions had been somewhat dull.
But with him present, even the most repetitive daily routines could witness unexpected magical moments, instantly making it engaging and heightening anticipation.
Messi also looked over, and then, Arteta uttered the words everyone wanted to hear.
"Break time!!"
The players practically sprinted towards Cao Baming, like lovers reuniting after a long separation; each one of them was that enthusiastic.
An outsider might even assume there was a lot of bromance involved.
After a brief chat, Cao Baming found Messi.
The break time was sufficiently long, at least based on past experience. So, why not take advantage of the crowd now?
"How about we have a competition later? This monotonous training must be boring too, right!"
Messi's first reaction was a smile, then he asked,
"Is your injury healed?"
Cao Baming detected a hint of mockery in his words, clearly implying, "You just recovered from an injury, how could you possibly beat me?"
Messi indeed had that intention. Even honest people would occasionally put on a show.
Since that was the case, he gladly accepted the challenge!
Perhaps only Messi could still muster the courage to say such a thing to Cao Baming. Even Henry didn't believe he could compete with Cao Baming in shooting; this guy was a demon.
Many people gathered around, cheering excitedly and anticipating the match between the two.
Several others eagerly volunteered, Saka, Elneny, Vieira, Nelson…
They clearly didn't have absolute confidence in their own shooting abilities but were less concerned about their pride.
After all, losing to these two was nothing to be ashamed of, right? What was there to fear?
Everyone was having a lively time, joking with each other, and the atmosphere was instantly ignited. The team spirit felt exceptionally harmonious and warm, with occasional civilized remarks heard.
After a brief rest, Cao Baming met Messi's gaze, and then the two stood up and walked towards the goal.