***: Guys, that's all for today. It's the weekend, and I have some things to take care of. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!
Chapter 440 Fake!
Chapter 440 Fake!
After winning the brewing competition, the overall score became 2-0. This was, of course, a situation Gao Jianfei hadn't anticipated. He had originally planned to give up on the brewing project, but unexpectedly, a flash of inspiration struck him, allowing him to piece together Zuo Shi's essence and learn the 'Clear Stream and Flowing Spring' technique, directly defeating Feng Haoyu!
A 2-0 scoreline was a dream start for Gao Jianfei!
After passing through the emergency exit, return to the lounge.
Liu Liping was quietly waiting for Gao Jianfei. She had just watched the entire brewing competition on the television in the lounge.
"Hehe, Miss Liping, drive back to the villa," Gao Jianfei said with a smile.
“Yes, Mr. Gao,” Liu Liping nodded. Her usually cold expression now betrayed a palpable, intense curiosity.
However, she held back for the time being and did not ask Gao Jianfei any questions. The two left the stadium one after the other.
In the car, Liu Liping finally blurted out, "Mr. Gao, why did those judges cry after drinking the wine you just brewed? I think that's a bit too exaggerated, isn't it? Also, when Feng Haoyu was arguing that you cheated, the atmosphere was full of tension. Why did Feng Haoyu suddenly quiet down and even close his eyes, as if he were contemplating something? And those judges also went crazy..."
"Haha, Miss Liping, I can't explain what happened at the wine tasting in just a few words. How about this, I'll send you a bottle of 'Clear Stream Spring' tomorrow, and you can try it yourself!" Gao Jianfei laughed easily.
“Great!” Liu Liping’s eyes lit up.
After returning to the mountain villa, Gao Jianfei locked himself in his room, entered the Ghost Den, and began brewing 'Clear Stream Spring'.
After dinner, the liquor fermented for several hours and was then taken out of the cellar. The next day, Gao Jianfei divided the brewed 'Qingxi Liuquan' into several bottles using mineral water bottles. After giving one bottle to Liu Liping, he called Liu Feng to come over.
Gao Jianfei designated several people and asked Liu Feng to help deliver the wine. For example, Yamaguchi Harukoku, Zhou Chu, Feilong, Tang Bao, and others would each receive a bottle of 'Clear Stream Spring'.
As Liu Feng was leaving, Gao Jianfei suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "Young Master Feng, I need your help with something."
"Oh? Jianfei, there's no need for formalities between us. Just let me know if there's anything you need me to do!" Liu Feng said readily.
“Here’s the thing. Tomorrow is my football match against Feng Haoyu, and I’ll be cooperating with the German national team. Tonight… now, you immediately go and bring the entire German team to the resort for the night. Tomorrow morning, have them come to the stadium with me,” Gao Jianfei said directly.
Liu Feng's eyes flashed, as if he understood something... "Jian Fei, you want to protect the German team players?"
Gao Jianfei shrugged helplessly. "Perhaps I'm being cynical. But I have a feeling that after Feng Haoyu lost two games in a row, he might take action in the third... Uh, anyway, regardless of the outcome, the German team players are my friends, whom I invited. If they are threatened or harmed, my conscience won't allow it. Alright, anyway, Young Master Feng, please bring them over first!"
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away!" Liu Feng didn't waste any more words, gave the instructions, and left.
…… …… ……
In the hotel where the wind and rain were blowing.
Next door to the room locked up by the wind and rain, lived all the players from Real Madrid, as well as Messi, Pique, and Puyol, who had been transferred from Barcelona. And, of course, Aguero and Tevez, who had been transferred from the Premier League. It was a veritable gathering of stars.
These superstar athletes were chatting and laughing in their room. The suite was spacious and had recreational facilities such as a pool table and indoor golf. Some were playing games, others were playing cards, showing absolutely no sign of tension.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Feng Haoyu's room was somewhat tense.
Feng Haoyu, at this moment, looked like a child who had done something wrong, with his head down and a blank expression.
A group of disciples from the Holy Land surrounded Feng Haoyu, all looking at him with condemnation.
The first to speak up was the senior 'Senior Brother Gou'... "Hmph! Haoyu, your performance in yesterday's match was terrible! To put it bluntly, you were like... a clown! Not only did you lose, but after the results were announced, you kept pestering us! You acted like a scoundrel! It was truly laughable! Considering your confident promises to us before the match, I think... you... Alright, I won't say any more harsh words. Now, the situation in the match is very unfavorable! Two losses in a row! What are you planning to do next?"
"Senior Brother Gou, fellow senior brothers..." Feng Haoyu raised his head and stammered, "I...I...I underestimated Gao Jianfei...But please rest assured, fellow senior brothers, tomorrow's match is a football match! Football is a team sport, and I've invited the world's best players to cooperate with me, while Gao Jianfei has only hired the German national team. He can't beat me! My teammates include Messi, Ronaldo, and Kaka! This is an invincible lineup! Mourinho is the world's best coach, and he will also be directing the game! And my skills are no less than Messi's, therefore, Gao Jianfei has no chance! Absolutely no chance! Please believe me! Tomorrow's football match, I will decisively defeat Gao Jianfei!"
Feng Haoyu's speech had become somewhat neurotic. This was partly due to the immense pressure he himself felt, and partly due to the pressure exerted on him by the disciples of the Holy Land.
After hearing Feng Haoyu's assurance, the disciples of the Holy Land looked at each other.
Senior Brother Situ said, "We don't understand football matches, but according to what Junior Brother Haoyu said, there shouldn't be any problems with tomorrow's match. That's right, football is a team sport. Individual advantages are limited in such team sports. Even if Gao Jianfei's skills are better than Junior Brother Haoyu's, he will still lose if his teammates are not as good as Junior Brother Haoyu."
"No! He can't beat me!" Feng Haoyu yelled.
"Alright, listen to me!" Senior Brother Gou waved his hand. "In short, in tomorrow's football match, if we can win, we must win; if we can't win, we still have to win! Tonight, Junior Brother Xiaodao and Junior Brother Ma, go to the hotel where the German team is staying and give them a good warning. Don't hurt them. Give them some incentives first, and if they refuse, then... threaten them!"
"No need for this! Senior brothers, there's no need to throw the game! No!" Feng Haoyu was still somewhat arrogant and proud, and when he heard Senior Brother Gou say this, he couldn't help but exclaim.
"Junior Brother Haoyu, shut up!" Senior Brother Gou roared. "You need to understand that this match is no longer just about your honor or disgrace! It concerns the reputation of our entire Holy Land! You're not putting up with this, so what are you doing making such a racket? Junior Brother Xiaodao, Junior Brother Ma, sneak to the hotel where the German team is staying tonight! Convince them!"
"Yes, Senior Brother Gou!"
"Uh... Senior Brother Gou, I heard that in football matches, the referee can also influence the outcome of the game, and it's a very important part of the process," Senior Brother Situ said.
“Senior Brother Situ, since you’re already planning to bribe the German team players to fix the match, why bother going to the referee?” a disciple of the Holy Land interjected.
Senior Brother Gou said directly, "Alright, Junior Brother Situ is right. We should even find the referees! Listen, tell them that even if they're faking it, they need to make it look convincing so that no one notices the flaws, otherwise it will affect our reputation!"
"yes!"
…… …… ……
In fact, while the disciples of the Holy Land were discussing their sordid schemes, the German team's bus had already pulled into the resort. All the German team members had arrived at the resort.
"Great! Haha! This place is really nice! This resort is quite high-end!" As soon as he got out of the car, striker Gomez burst into hearty laughter.
All the German team members got off the bus with relaxed expressions and laughter, then rushed over to greet Gao Jianfei warmly.
"Let's drink later!" Gao Jianfei called out in German with a smile.
"Is it 'Clear Stream Spring'? Haha! Great!" German coach Joachim Löw patted Gao Jianfei on the shoulder.
"Yes! The wine is ready. We'll have dinner tonight, and we won't leave until we're drunk! Also, this kind of wine won't affect everyone's performance on the field tomorrow. I invited everyone over today mainly to get together, discuss tomorrow's tactics and formations. Anyway, we'll all be there together tomorrow!" Gao Jianfei said with a smile. He didn't reveal his real reason for worrying—that the German players might be threatened—so as not to affect their morale.
That evening, Gao Jianfei brought out the Qingxi Flowing Spring wine he had brewed the night before and treated the group of Germans to it, which brought tears to their eyes and made them extremely happy.
That evening, Liu Liping herself drank some Qingxi Liuquan wine with her dinner. She was completely captivated by the ambiance of Dongting Lake, and two tears streamed down her face. After basking in that serene atmosphere, she opened the window, gazed at the night sky, and her expression was incredibly complex…
…… …… ……
The hotel where we stayed during the heavy rain.
A group of disciples from the Holy Land, who were ordered by Senior Brother Gou to bribe the German players and referees, have returned.
"Brother Gou, we've found out which hotel the German team is staying at in Beijing. However, all the German players left the hotel this afternoon. I think they've already been picked up by Gao Jianfei."
"However, Senior Brother Gou, we've already bribed the head referee, assistant referees, and linesmen for tomorrow's match. They'll help Junior Brother Haoyu's team."
"Hmph!" Senior Brother Gou's eye twitched... "That Gao Jianfei is indeed a shrewd and cunning person. He hid the German team members in advance!" After a pause, he looked at Feng Haoyu... "Junior Brother Feng, you took the initiative to propose this Genius Challenge. You didn't figure out Gao Jianfei's true strength at all. You underestimated him too much, really."
"Senior Brother Gou, I know I was wrong..." Feng Haoyu clenched his fists. "However, I will definitely give it my all in tomorrow's competition and will not let you all down!"
"Let's hope so. Now that we've even bribed the referees, if we still can't beat Gao Jianfei, we have nothing more to say."
Chapter 441 Football Match!
Chapter 441 Football Match!
The next afternoon, Gao Jianfei boarded the German team's bus and drove directly to the stadium. The group entered the locker room and began their tense preparations.
It's 2:00 PM. The football match starts at 2:30 PM. There's still half an hour left.
Head coach Joachim Löw began pre- and post-match preparations. This time, Germany would play a 4-2-3-1 formation. Goalkeeper: Neuer; left-back: captain Lahm; right-back: Boateng; center-backs: Hummels and Mertesacker; defensive midfielders: Schweinsteiger and Khedira; attacking midfielders: Reus, Gao Jianfei, and Thomas Müller; and the towering striker Gomez would lead the attack alone. Gao Jianfei, technically a central midfielder, however, after witnessing his unparalleled skills, Löw assigned him the position of… a free agent! He could roam freely in the midfield and attacking third, without needing to participate in defense!
Gao Jianfei even displaced Mesut Özil, the midfield maestro for the German national team!
"Alright, Gao, the match is about to begin. I hope you can perform like you did in that training match! All of us players will do our best to help you! Please don't doubt our fighting spirit. We are Germans, we are playing for the German national team, and we cherish our honor as if it were our life!" Löw patted Gao Jianfei on the shoulder encouragingly.
"We will definitely win! We will win!"
The German team members, together with Gao Jianfei, encouraged each other. Their fighting spirit was instantly ignited!
Staff members entered the locker room to allow Gao Jianfei and the players to prepare to enter the field.
"They're entering! Ladies!" Löw led the way, with the German players and Gao Jianfei following behind.
Today, the atmosphere in the stadium was noticeably more intense and exciting than the brewing competition and the carpentry competition!
It's important to understand that carpentry and winemaking are relatively niche industries internationally, not suitable for live broadcasting, and viewers wouldn't be very interested. But... football is different!
Football is the world's number one sport!
It's almost fair to say that no sport in the world can replace football's entertainment value and ability to ignite the passion of its audience.
So much so that when the players from both sides entered the field, the entire audience erupted in a roar that was wilder than ever before!
The cameras captured every detail of the match from various angles.
Sports journalists, renowned sports commentators, and guests from dozens of countries around the world are all in place, ready to provide comprehensive coverage of the match!
And the judging panel for this football match was dazzling... Maradona, Zidane, Bergkamp, Van Gaal, Wenger, Ferguson, Pelé...
This already includes all the famous figures in the world of football today! They are sitting in a VIP box, commenting on and broadcasting the match live.
The German team entered the field wearing their traditional white jerseys, while Gao Jianfei casually wore a jersey with the number '77'.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid wore blue jerseys and carried the number '10' on their backs.
Both teams entered the center circle, awaiting the kickoff. Of course, this type of match does not require the playing of a national anthem; however, before the kickoff, both teams' players, along with the entire audience, observed a moment of silence to commemorate the seven footballers who died in a car accident in Venezuela yesterday.
After a moment of silence, the list of players for both sides was introduced.
Every time a player is introduced, the entire stadium erupts in wild shouts and applause! Because every player on the field is a king in the world of football!
Without a doubt, this match was a football feast! It was a super match that you couldn't normally see even if you paid money! Its quality was no less than that of the European Championship final, the Champions League final, or even the World Cup final!
Real Madrid's star power is far greater than that of the German national team!
Their goalkeeper is the Spanish national team goalkeeper, Casillas; the defenders are Pique and Puyol, who are on loan from Barcelona... This should be the strongest center-back combination in the world.
The two full-backs are Ramos and Portuguese international Coentrao.
The defensive midfielder is Aron, a key player for the Spanish national team... It's a single defensive midfielder formation!
The other midfielders are terrifying... Feng Haoyu, Kaka, Messi, Ronaldo.
Benzema is leading the attack.
This is a 4-1-4-1 formation.
In fact, this was the first time Mourinho had used this formation. It's worth noting that in modern football, the single defensive midfielder tactic is practically obsolete!
Unless it's a match with a very large disparity in strength, neither side dares to field a single defensive midfielder. After all, the defensive burden on a single defensive midfielder is simply too heavy, making it impossible to stop the opponent's attacks.
Real Madrid's lone defensive midfielder is absurd... Aaron is a playmaker with excellent footwork, great vision, and wide-ranging play, but his defensive abilities are terrible! When using this type of defensive midfielder, you absolutely need to pair him with a purely defensive midfielder who has good stamina, is tenacious in tackling, and does the hard work. If you let Aaron play as a lone defensive midfielder against an evenly matched team, he will definitely get blown out!
Moreover, in front of Aaron, there was a line of Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka, and Feng Haoyu, all of whom were players who did not participate in defense!
In other words, Real Madrid practically abandoned their midfield defense.
Offense is the best form of defense!
This is pure contempt for the German team and Gao Jianfei.