Chapter 003 Five Hours Ago

Evening 19:15

However, if someone stands in front of him and observes his gaze, they would notice that he seems a bit distracted today, much like the nonchalant demeanor he typically displays.

Of course, Bai Haonan never considered comparing himself to those big names with millions in annual salary; some things are simply destined.

Bai Haonan was still wrapped in his training suit, and only after coming out did he begin to warm up on the track beside the court with other substitutes

A few minutes before the referee blew the whistle for halftime, Old Chen stood up and walked towards the locker room. Perhaps only those who were familiar with him would notice that he glanced at the VIP stand again, thinking he was looking at the leaders or sponsors.

Moreover, after coming off the bench, very few people can recall any stunning matches involving him. He has hardly scored any goals, nor has he made many memorable mistakes. He seems to be mediocre to ordinary, yet just a tad better than those players who were not selected for professional teams

This was perhaps the only time he could be relatively focused

He is indeed a bit helpless

Without exceptional skills, how can one earn hundreds of thousands in salary and competition bonuses each year

It has become a common occurrence for the Jiangzhou Blue Wind Team to fall behind, encouragement is needed

Now returning to the domestic top league, having hovered around the lower mid-table for two consecutive years, the local fans are actually quite happy. Sometimes, having fewer aspirations makes it easier to find satisfaction. As long as the team can avoid relegation each year and occasionally win a match to bring some joy, that is already quite good. They have never harbored any extravagant hopes for the championship.

He believes that his life is already good enough

Bai Haonan, who is on the main roster, still wears his sports pants and sweatshirt, but instead of sitting on the bench, he stands at an exit of the second-floor VIP area, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching the scene. The staff nearby are certainly familiar with him being here often, and they ask if he would like some watermelon or other fruits, which are leftovers from the leaders in the VIP area today. In the end, Bai Haonan took a banana but did not eat it; he simply held it horizontally under his nose to smell it. The staff nearby are certainly familiar with him being here often, and they ask if he would like some watermelon or other fruits, which are leftovers from the leaders in the VIP area today. In the end, Bai Haonan took a banana but did not eat it; he simply held it horizontally under his nose to smell it.

Because the call still could not be connected, and using someone else's phone would leave a trace, he carefully attempted twice before giving up, and then quietly deleted the records. However, it is said that the telecommunications bureau would still have a record.

What should be done

Old Chen's meditation ended a few minutes after the players finished sweating. As usual, Old Chen began to assign tasks with great specificity, typically matching player numbers against each other. He analyzed the characteristics of the opposing team for the day, whether they were in an excited state or not, and the best strategies to counter them, in a very detailed manner, down to the probabilities of choosing to break through or defend by leaning left or right.

Indeed, everything that Old Chen said was what he had reported to the coach in advance after returning to the locker room

The main players, drenched in sweat, are quite accustomed to this situation, loudly shouting, discussing complaints, or cursing the referee and the opponents. Meanwhile, two or three substitute players, aside from the backup goalkeeper, quietly approach Bai Haonan and ask, "Brother Nan, are you going in?"

The inexplicable Bai Haonan actually missed a one-way message because of a vile woman

Watching the matches of the Blue Wind team is indeed like riding a roller coaster for the fans, as most league teams that encounter the Blue Wind team engage in relentless waves of attacks. Teams ranked in the upper half of the league often find themselves in a half-time of offense and defense, constantly attacking around the Blue Wind team's penalty area. The Blue Wind team resembles a thick-skinned, tough-bodied individual, being subjected to relentless assaults, oh, I mean defending against them. Teams ranked in the upper half of the league often find themselves in a half-time of offense and defense, constantly attacking around the Blue Wind team's penalty area. The Blue Wind team resembles a thick-skinned, tough-bodied individual, being subjected to relentless assaults, oh, I mean defending against them.

Since it is primarily focused on the players they need to match up against, each person has very few and precise things to remember, allowing those listening to concentrate for a few seconds to nod in acknowledgment. During the remaining ten minutes of break time, Old Chen generally does not discuss the overall strategy; it is all about these detailed aspects. Once he finishes speaking, he claps his hands, indicating that it is almost time to go on the court.

This was a question that lingered in Bai Haonan's mind throughout the first half, until he caught sight of Coach Chen below, who kept turning his head back. Only then did he allow himself to focus more on the situation on the field

When all the team members returned to the locker room, what they saw as always was Old Chen, sitting like a monk, leaning against the only large bench in the locker room, eyes closed in deep thought. Bai Haonan sat in the corner of the locker room, in that corner which seemed to be forever unnoticed by others, changing into his jersey. The temperature today was not particularly cold, but there was a bit of wind, so he wore a training shirt over his short-sleeved jersey. He then meticulously arranged his soccer shoes, standard SG studs. Unlike the trendy hairstyles, Bai Haonan always chose the most ordinary style of shoes. They were not particularly cheap, but they were definitely not the ever-emerging fashionable new models. The standard Adidas black World Cup model, with a conservative style reminiscent of the 1980s, looked more like the shoes currently worn by referees. While others would change their shoes every few matches plus training, Bai Haonan would take several months to wear out just a few pairs. Including training, he had only three or four identical pairs of shoes that he slowly consumed, resulting in a remarkably low cost of operation.

Perhaps in other professional teams with slightly better performance, it would be unlikely for him to remain and secure a contract. However, it is said that Coach Lao Chen has nurtured him since childhood, which is why he, as Lao Chen's protégé, has stubbornly clung to the team to grab some time as a substitute. Consequently, many members of the Lan Feng team may not have a particularly strong impression of Bai Haonan, aside from his penchant for indulging in nightlife and his good social connections; there is little else known about him to outsiders.

Today, a team that has consistently ranked in the top five is engaged in increasingly intense offensive and defensive drills, resulting in a high frequency of silence, gasps, and applause

Today's match is still the same as before

This is the temperament positioning of the Jiangzhou Blue Wind Team, which is somewhat similar to the positioning that Bai Haonan has given himself

Thus, this team, which possesses a somewhat grassroots and down-to-earth character, is quite favored by local fans, as evidenced by the attendance of over ten thousand people even during the two years of relegation

Because at the thirty-two minute mark, under the relentless attack from the visiting team, a goal was finally scored by the new foreign player, causing a wave of disappointment to sweep through the crowd, but soon after, an even stronger cheer erupted.

Bai Haonan displayed a look of confusion: "Ah? Aren't we still waiting for Old Chen's instructions..."

Anyone who has reviewed the match appearances in domestic leagues over the past few years will find that, even after being relegated to the second-tier league, Bai Haonan, a professional player who has been in the industry for over twenty years since entering from a sports school, has never started as a main player since joining the professional league team under Coach Chen. Moreover, whenever he is substituted, it is always in the second half. Therefore, in the minds of the vast majority of professional players and coaches, he is regarded as a marginal player, a substitute whose physical condition is insufficient to sustain a full match.

Bai Haonan has quietly disappeared from the exit

At this moment, Bai Haonan appeared very cool, never looking up at the stands. While stretching the muscles on the back of his thighs, he squinted his eyes, focusing intently on the field, verifying whether the opposing players were feeling uncomfortable after his team's players made the corresponding adjustments.

In the arena of the three-foreign-player policy, each team tends to utilize their foreign player slots in the most effective areas, namely the midfield and forward positions, as scoring goals is the ultimate truth. However, the Blue Wind team cannot afford any well-known foreign players and has always sourced inexpensive, lesser-known defenders and midfielders from Eastern Europe or South America, striving to strengthen their defense. They aim to secure at least one goal in the front, ensuring that their defense remains relatively stable.

If one stands outside the stadium and listens to the sounds, one can discern the thrilling and fluctuating rhythm of the fans' emotions, suddenly quiet, then gasping in surprise, followed by tens of thousands exhaling in awe, and then applauding in delight. But before long, tens of thousands fall into a tense silence as they watch the opposing team take a shot on goal, then gasping again, followed by applause in appreciation

There are not that many winners in life; he is very satisfied with everything he has now

The local football fans in Jiangzhou are quite familiar with him, as the nearby stands are filled with shouts of "Old Nan" and "Brother Hao Nan". Due to his tall and handsome appearance, female fans occasionally shout "Old Nan, I love you!" which elicits bursts of laughter.

To speak frankly, Jiangzhou is classified as a directly governed municipality, but in reality, it is merely a second or third-tier city among provincial capital-level cities in the country. Blue Wind Real Estate is not even the largest real estate company in Jiangzhou. The investment in sponsoring and naming the team cannot be compared to that of cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, let alone those major teams backed by state-owned enterprises. Therefore, every year, meticulous budgeting is essential, relying solely on Coach Chen, a local, and the club's general manager, who manage the operations with great care. This is how they manage to survive amidst the tumultuous waves each year. They even faced relegation two years ago, but after dropping down, they returned within two years. This is significantly different from other relegated teams that may very well disband.