Lin Hai Ting Tao

Chapter 216 Any Appearance Not Aiming for a Goal is a Negative Game (Bonus for 4750 Monthly Tickets)

The media weren't surprised, thinking this was perhaps to help Chen Hero contend for the league's top scorer award, as he only had the last two league rounds remaining. If he missed this round, who knew how many goals he could score in the final match, or if he could even score at all?

The surprise was that Advocaat left almost the entire main squad in St. Petersburg to conserve their energy for the UEFA Cup final. Yet, he specifically took Chen Hero to Vladivostok, thousands of miles away. Did he consider Chen Hero's personal honor more important than the team's collective honor?

Their doubts and surprise were somewhat alleviated when they discovered that Chen Hero wasn't in the starting lineup—it seemed Advocaat was just preparing for any eventuality, just in case.

Despite this, Yuri Petrov, the commentator for National Television Channel One, still couldn't understand: "If it's just in case, that means Chen Hero might play, or he might not. If he can't play, he can't continue scoring. If he can't continue scoring, it'll be difficult to compete for the league's top scorer in the remaining eleven league rounds. If he's not going to play, why bring him to Vladivostok? Doesn't traveling thirty hours back and forth consume energy? Doesn't a seven-hour time difference affect his condition? Why can the other main players rest at home in St. Petersburg, while Chen Hero has to travel with the team to an away game? Is his role in the team that important? Chen Hero is leaving soon, yet Advocaat still relies on him so much. It makes one worried about the future of Zenit St. Petersburg..."

His concerns were justified.

Zenit, fielding an all-substitute lineup, was at a disadvantage on the road. If not for the Energy FC's terrible strikers, they would have fallen behind already. Yuri Petrov thought Advocaat brought Chen Hero along probably to guard against the current "just in case."

The game had been going on for sixty-five minutes, and the score was still 0:0. Energy FC, fueled by the excited cheers of their home fans, bombarded Zenit's half of the field—bullying the reigning champion of the Russian Premier League and current leader, Zenit St. Petersburg, wasn't something that happened often.

Advocaat had originally planned to leave the last fifteen minutes for Chen Hero, as scheduled. But the score was still tied, and this tie filled Energy FC's players with fighting spirit. They ran actively, pressing Zenit's players all over the field. Overly excited, they often went too far with their tackles, and scenes of people falling over were common.

He hesitated again.

Putting Chen Hero on the field in this situation was just asking for injury, wasn't it?

※※※

Chen Hero had been waiting on the bench for assistant coach Potter to call him up to warm up, which would mean he was close to playing.

But he waited from the fifty-fifth minute to the sixty-fifth minute, a full ten minutes, and there was no movement from the coaching staff.

He was a little unsure—was the coach planning to break his promise?

Chen Hero decided to fight for his own opportunity to play. He suddenly got up and ran toward the warm-up area.

His sudden起身 startled the substitute teammates next to him. They all abandoned watching the field anxiously and turned their surprised gazes to this main player, the only one who had come to the away game with the team.

When they saw Chen Hero run off to warm up, they were even more surprised—had anyone heard assistant coach Potter call his name?

The answer was no.

Potter was also saying to Advocaat, "I didn't tell him to warm up."

Advocaat certainly knew Potter hadn't told him to warm up, because he hadn't done so himself. Potter naturally wouldn't overstep his bounds.

"Should I call him back?"

Potter prepared to get up, but Advocaat stopped him.

"Forget it, let him warm up if he wants to. I guess he's uncomfortable sitting on the bench."

Potter glanced at the back view of the man working hard to warm up and deeply agreed with the coach's assessment. From the fiftieth minute onward, this kid had been shifting his butt on the bench, constantly changing positions, and craning his neck to look at the coaching staff. All of this had been noticed by the assistant coach.

"Are we going to substitute him in?" he asked again.

Chen Hero shouldn't think that as long as he warms up, they would have to put him in, right?

Advocaat shook his head: "I don't know, we'll see…"

He hadn't decided yet.

※※※

Yuri Petrov saw Chen Hero run off to warm up and assumed it was the coach's arrangement. "It seems Advocaat is finally planning to let Chen Hero play! He's unwilling to be held to a draw on the road by a team like Energy FC. The only person he can rely on at this time is Chen Hero!"

Chen Hero warmed up frantically for seven or eight minutes and then ran back.

As Chen Hero walked step by step in front of Advocaat, the Dutchman, who was thinking about what to do, felt a darkness before his eyes. Then he looked up and saw Chen Hero staring at him with a serious face.

"I'm ready to play, sir!" Chen Hero said, catching his breath.

"But I haven't considered it yet…" Advocaat spread his hands, telling the truth.

Chen Hero's expression changed: "You can't go back on your word…"

Advocaat stood up, patted Chen Hero on the back, and gestured for him to turn around and look at the field with him. Then he pointed to the field and said to Chen Hero, "Look, Hero. Our situation is very critical right now…"

"So that's why I need to go up there and solve the problem."

"No, no, let me finish. Did you see that? Energy FC's tackles are all very aggressive. I'm worried you'll get injured if you go up there. You know, you're like… uh, like a panda, very precious. I flew you for more than ten hours, across seven time zones to Vladivostok, not to put you on the injury list…"

Chen Hero smiled after hearing the coach say this.

He pounded his chest hard: "Do you know what people call me, sir? I'm a Giant Bear. The people who should be worried about getting injured are clearly not me!"

※※※

Advocaat finally decided to substitute Chen Hero in, and the scene of him whispering with Chen Hero on the sidelines was interpreted by Petrov as him giving instructions on tactics after coming on the field.

"Sure enough, whether Zenit St. Petersburg can take away three points from the road and continue to maintain its lead in the league standings depends on Chen Hero! Advocaat is clearly explaining tactics…"

When Chen Hero came on the field, it was exactly the seventy-fifth minute of the whole game, giving him fifteen minutes.

Advocaat didn't expect Chen Hero to score after coming on the field and help the team win or anything… He just didn't want Chen Hero to have an excuse or a reason to say that he was a person who didn't keep his word—now it was good, I gave you fifteen minutes, don't say I didn't give you a chance! And don't say I cheated or anything…

But Chen Hero didn't think so. His only purpose in coming on the field was to score. Didn't the great leader *** say?

"Every appearance that doesn't have scoring as its ultimate goal is passive play!" - ***

Why come on the field if you're not going to score? You might as well sit on the bench with your legs crossed, eating melon seeds, and watching your teammates perform.

Since you're on the field, don't waste this opportunity you've worked so hard to get, even if it's only fifteen minutes!

※※※

When Chen Hero appeared on the field, boos rang out from the Energy FC fans in the stands.

Chen Hero heard their hysterical boos and grinned, revealing his white teeth.

Because he knew that these people were not hostile to him, but afraid of him.

His appearance made them feel fear.

In the first nine league rounds, he scored in every game, totaling seventeen goals. How could he allow his scoring streak to be stopped in the tenth round? I didn't fall against teams like CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow, so how could I fall against this relegation team!

He stood in the front field and just raised his arm—pass me the ball!

His teammates saw Chen Hero's gesture and breathed a sigh of relief. Relaxed smiles appeared on their faces, and there was even hope in their eyes.

Hero had arrived, and they were no longer the role of being passively beaten!

Only Petrov was a little worried: "Advocaat only gave Chen Hero fifteen minutes, will it be too little?"

Chen Hero quickly proved that his worries were completely unnecessary with practical actions.

※※※

"goooooooooooooooooooooL!!" Yuri Petrov's shout was louder than at any other time. While shouting this, he was shocked in his heart.

His shock was quickly expressed through his language.

"The, the goal is in! It's unbelievable, incredible! Chen! Hero! We may have heard this name so much that our ears have calluses! But we still have to listen, there's no way, who told him to always score goals?! Even if he's only given fifteen minutes, it's enough for him! Zenit St. Petersburg is leading 1:0 on the road! Energy FC besieged Zenit for almost the entire game, but since Chen Hero came on the field, the balance of victory has tilted towards the away team!"

Chen Hero, after scoring, once again made the celebration action of diving to land.

Energy FC's home stadium, Vladivostok Dynamo Stadium, was silent when Chen Hero made his celebration.

Faced with this guy who was especially good at scoring goals, Energy FC's fans were speechless.

Forget it, let him score if he wants to, let him celebrate if he wants to… Stop him? Whoever wants to stop him can stop him!

Anyway, don't look for us!

※※※

When he saw Chen Hero score, Advocaat didn't jump up from his seat excitedly and raise his arms to cheer—he always did this before.

At that time, assistant coach Potter next to him was as passionate as always, raising his arms and rushing out. And he just clapped his hands in his seat.

He only gave him fifteen minutes, originally wanting to shut him up, but who would have thought that he would achieve his eighteenth goal…

He really seizes every opportunity to pursue goals…

He's not even twenty years old, what level will he be able to reach in the future?

Looking at the figure celebrating with his teammates, Advocaat was a little lost in thought.

※※※

ps, *** said it well—"Every novel that doesn't take entertaining readers as its highest purpose is a flop!"

*** also said—"Every behavior that doesn't aim at casting monthly tickets is an act of hooliganism!"

*** also said—"All reward behaviors should be given the most sublime praise and thanks!"

*** even said—"《Forbidden Zone's Hero》 is a good book that the people love to see! Linhai Tingtao is a good comrade! Everyone should actively vote! We must support and encourage him more, because such good comrades are becoming fewer and fewer!"

*** The old man has said so, everyone, please do as you see fit.