Max's second shot, though it missed the goal, at least hit its target, striking the mineral water bottle. When tallied, it was still not enough.
Seeing the slight upturn of his lips, his smugness was quite unsettling, yet there was nothing they could do.
Next in line were Vieira and Nelson, but neither succeeded.
Vieira only managed to hit the mineral water bottle once in three attempts, and it didn't even go into the goal.
This was a rule they had set themselves, and if the tavern still couldn't beat him under these conditions, there would be no explanation.
At this moment, there was no turning back. All hope now rested on Saka, the last player yet to compete, but even he had lost his confidence.
The task was proving too difficult, and he had never experienced anything like it before.
It had to be said that this spontaneous idea had caused them a great deal of trouble.
Max could have made some sarcastic remarks, but he didn't. He calmly watched as they took turns challenging him, and none of them succeeded. He must have been in a fantastic mood.
As Saka walked towards the football, his heart began to pound. He was surprised by how nervous he felt during such a small activity.
If even he failed, they would be thoroughly embarrassed this time.
At this point, Arteta couldn't bear to watch anymore. It was his fault for choosing these five useless players, leading to such humiliation.
To lose face in front of a complete stranger was something he deeply regretted.
Taking a deep breath, Saka closed his eyes, recalling his past brilliant achievements and things that brought him confidence.
He remembered what his father had once told him, his first time touching a football, or his first game on a proper pitch.
Everyone firmly believed he would be a top player in the world, possessing a talent others only dreamed of.
Everything now depended on this one shot!
His gaze swept forward. He first selected one of the three mineral water bottles that had just been placed, then determined the exact spot to hit.
If he could strike the spot he intended and the power and trajectory were right, there should be no problem!
Thirty meters was a distance he was confident he could manage!
Gathering his confidence, Saka kicked the ball.
The result was that the first shot failed to send the mineral water bottle into the goal!
Although the football sent the bottle flying, it veered off the goal line, and the accuracy was not sufficient.
For the second shot, he had already come to terms with it. Since it was already like this, he felt less pressure.
Unexpectedly, a casual kick actually succeeded!
Watching the mineral water bottle fly into the goal, these men were as happy as children. Hope was not yet entirely extinguished!
Just as he was preparing for the third shot, Messi walked over.
Cao Baming was accompanying Messi.
Cao Baming ignored Saka and the ongoing competition, his gaze shifting directly to the strange man.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed like an ordinary person, but from what he had just shown, his football skills were truly exceptional, even formidable.
At that moment, Max's gaze also turned to Cao Baming, and their eyes met.
In that instant, Cao Baming felt a cold aura mixed within the man's gaze, as if it could inflict harm!
A feeling told him that this man's intentions were far from simple!
With these two joining the spectators, Saka became even more nervous and kicked the third ball!
The moment the ball left his foot, he felt it was a lost cause.
However, by sheer coincidence, it successfully struck the mineral water bottle. The fallen bottle rolled, and after a few seconds, it entered the goal on its own!
Max had no intention of arguing. He knew he had won.
He naturally knew who the two men standing beside him were. He wasn't foolish; his goal today was not to compete with these ragtag individuals, but with Cao Baming himself.
"You played well, very well, but you're still not as good as me. The gap in skill is quite obvious."
Max said this generously, with no hint of shame in his self-praise.
At this moment, Cao Baming stepped forward. Max's eyes lit up; he desperately wanted to defeat this person in front of everyone.
However, Messi moved first.
He knew that the team's honor had been compromised and the club's reputation was at stake. At this moment, it was necessary for him to step forward and salvage the situation.
Seeing Messi step forward, Arteta had no intention of stopping him.
He had created this mess, and Messi was helping to clean it up. Ah!
Max glanced at Messi, then his gaze returned to Cao Baming.
"Don't hide it anymore, you go ahead!"
Cao Baming knew he was being pointed at, and Max was even using his index finger.
Others might tolerate his attitude, but Cao Baming would not stand for it. The next second, his fists were ready. 138Reading.net
There was no need to be angry, he just genuinely wanted to make the guy suffer!
However, before Cao Baming could make a move, his teammates became impatient.
"What, you looking down on us? Still picking and choosing!"
Nelson stepped forward and yelled. Although he had performed the worst in the recent match, it didn't stop him from getting angry now.
Max still wore a dismissive expression.
"I'm not picking. It's just that the rest of you don't have the skill to compete with me. If I hadn't slipped earlier, how could I have missed such a simple shot?"
Cao Baming thought, "Did this guy just insult everyone?"
Messi was still standing there!
It was also a testament to Messi's good temper that he didn't bother with further explanations. With three consecutive kicks, three balls flew towards the goal almost simultaneously. A few seconds later, all the mineral water bottles were in the net.
Effortlessly, Messi completed the task, leaving Max stunned.
Arteta was overjoyed; he had finally seen this guy get his comeuppance!
It still required a master. In front of Messi, the previous competition seemed like child's play. It was supposed to be a simple matter, why the fuss?
Although Cao Baming hadn't made a move, he still felt happy about it.
Unexpectedly, the next second, Max turned and walked away directly!