A meal in such a restaurant either meant one had inexhaustible wealth or held prominent status and power.
This time, however, no one had to foot the bill. The top brass had already covered all expenses, as the cost for a few dozen people was insignificant to them.
Their financial resources were so vast that even if they tried to spend lavishly, it would be difficult to exhaust them.
At the appointed time, everyone arrived, and many were already busy with social networking.
Cao Baiming set off alone from his private villa and drove towards the restaurant. Upon reaching the area, he encountered several national teammates who had arrived in a group near the restaurant.
Seeing Cao Baiming's car, they quickly walked over.
It was hard not to notice this azure Lamborghini supercar speeding through the streets of Tangguo.
Cao Baiming slowed down gradually and rolled down his window.
"Where's the parking lot nearby?"
Wei Shihao pointed to the area ahead and then smiled.
"It seems you're one of us. That puts my mind at ease!"
"One of us??" Cao Baiming was completely bewildered.
The teammates quickly raised their hands and pointed towards the entrance of the restaurant in the distance, where several young men in black formal wear were gathered, chatting about something.
"Those guys have been here for a while, trying to curry favor with the higher-ups by striking up conversations. They probably spent all night preparing!"
"Oh? Are they our teammates?"
"Yes, you can barely recognize them with those expressions now. I hope they'll be alright. I've seen a few of those unlucky fellows get snubbed by others multiple times. Their skin is certainly thick!"
"...Alright."
Cao Baiming was somewhat speechless.
He had heard before that some high-ranking leaders, whom they might not have even met, would be attending this gathering. Who did they think they were, trying to recommend themselves and seek credit? Socializing? Ridiculous!
They were clearly trying to find a backdoor.
However, this wasn't new to Tangguo football. As long as they could please the leaders, their future paths would be incredibly smooth.
At this moment, Cao Baiming's gaze deepened, his mind racing with thoughts.
If his plan succeeded, all of this would be moot. These people, wanting to pave their way by sacrificing their dignity, by relying on connections or family background, could save their efforts.
Under his management, they would soon find themselves in deep trouble!
...
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Cao Baiming lost in thought, Wei Shihao asked with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing, I'm heading off now. Have fun, see you later!"
With that, Cao Baiming rolled up his window, accelerated from his spot, and drove towards the parking lot. The sudden burst of acceleration even startled his teammates.
"A good car really is something else! That speed, he vanished from sight in an instant..."
"Of course! He's driving a supercar, a Lamborghini at that. Do you think it's comparable to your old Audi!"
"It's great to be rich!"
"Indeed!!!"
On the road, Cao Baiming once again cast his gaze out the window.
He could see that some people holding cameras had gathered in the vicinity.
They must be the accompanying reporters. Since they were allowed in this area, they were likely all pre-arranged.
As for unrelated individuals, including the trailing junior reporters and enthusiastic fans, they had been stopped hundreds of meters away.
With reporters present, the plan had unexpectedly gained a favorable turn. Perhaps he could use these people...
After parking the car, Cao Baiming looked into the distance. Everyone was starting to enter. Those teammates who had arrived much earlier were eagerly helping two elderly men through the entrance.
Those two individuals appeared to hold very high positions, but Cao Baiming didn't recognize them.
In fact, he barely knew any of these people and didn't care. They wouldn't be playing football with him on the field, nor did they have the capability.
Glancing at his watch, the time was now 11:20 AM.
There were five minutes left until the scheduled 11:25 AM.
"Damn it, I'm still early! Sigh!"
With a sigh, he rolled up the car window, engaged the handbrake, and then got out of the car.
Many players had brought their families, as the notification had explicitly stated this point, and the boss surely wouldn't begrudge the extra expense.
However, this time, Cao Baiming was alone, having brought no one.
After stepping out of the car, he headed towards the restaurant.
At this moment, there was virtually no one left outside.
He had said twenty-five, but by twenty past, everyone was already inside. Fortunately, the entire restaurant had only one large private room, so there was no need to search.
Cao Baiming walked in with a debonair stride. As he entered, he reached into his pocket for his identification, but before he could pull it out, a waiter bowed deeply.
Of course, his image was plastered on the building opposite. There was no need to worry about being unrecognized!
Upon entering, an aristocratic aura immediately greeted him.
Cao Baiming was no country bumpkin; he had frequented more upscale restaurants in Britain. This was nothing special to him.
Therefore, he naturally didn't wander around the lobby in awe and amazement like many others.
Spotting the crowd in the distance, he walked directly towards them.
From afar, a clear voice suddenly rang out. A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties stood up.
"Look! Isn't that our great hero! Cao Baiming is here!!"
At once, people sitting at several large tables in the distance turned their attention towards him, focusing on Cao Baiming.
It seemed he was the last to arrive.
"Welcome, welcome!"
"Hero returns!"
"Tangguo's功臣 (gōngchén - meritorious official)!"
"Football genius!"
...
For a moment, Cao Baiming could only maintain a smile on his face. Then, under the arrangement of the middle-aged man, he was seated at one of the tables.
This table was mostly occupied by people he knew: national teammates and Head Coach Li Gang.
Everyone seemed somewhat reserved, perhaps due to the presence of the higher-ups?
Scanning the entire room, Cao Baiming quickly gathered the information he sought. Judging from their attire, demeanor, and seating arrangements, it was clear who held the highest status and who merely held minor official positions.
There was no need to listen to their conversations or research their backgrounds; everything could be deduced directly from numerous details.
At this point, he also noticed that some of his teammates were not sitting at this table but at others.
This indicated that their families likely had connections with certain leaders. This was all rather interesting!