2: World Cup Final

The streets of Hartlepool looked a bit desolate in the early morning mist. Lin Feng tightened his collar and hurried towards the old pawn shop in the city center.

He pushed open the creaking wooden door. Behind the counter, Old John, wearing reading glasses, looked up and scrutinized the young East Asian man and the inconspicuous wristwatch in his hand.

"Mortgage or sell?" Old John asked in a hoarse voice.

Lin Feng placed the Rolex on the felt-covered counter and said calmly, "Sell. Name your price."

Old John picked up a magnifying glass and meticulously inspected the dial, strap, and movement serial number, occasionally prodding it with a small tool.

His movements were slow. Lin Feng didn't rush him, just waited quietly.

He knew that any anxiety at this moment was meaningless and might even lead to a lower offer.

"Oyster Perpetual Datejust, gold and steel. The condition is pretty good, but there are some scratches from daily wear." Old John put down the magnifying glass and pondered for a moment, "Nine thousand five hundred pounds. That's the highest I can offer."

This price was slightly lower than Lin Feng's expectation, but still within an acceptable range. What he lacked most now was time.

"Deal," Lin Feng agreed decisively.

Old John seemed a little surprised by his straightforwardness and then began to process the transaction.

Counting cash, issuing receipts—the whole process was smooth and efficient.

Lin Feng took the stack of somewhat worn banknotes, carefully counted them, and after confirming they were correct, turned and left the pawn shop.

Nine thousand five hundred pounds—that was his entire gamble.

Lin Feng didn't return directly to the club, but first found a financial service point that supported cash deposits.

He exchanged the nine thousand five hundred pounds into electronic currency usable for online transactions and deposited it into a popular online payment account at the time. Afterwards, he turned into an internet cafe on a street corner.

In the summer of 2006, smartphones were not yet widespread, and internet cafes were still the main places for young people to access information and entertainment.

Lin Feng found a corner seat, skillfully opened the browser, and began searching various betting companies for odds on the World Cup final.

His goal was very clear—France versus Italy, and the red card incident that was about to shock the world.

On the screen, odds from well-known betting companies like William Hill, Ladbrokes, and Bet365 were constantly refreshing.

He focused on the odds for special events,

such as "a certain player to be sent off with a red card,"

"the match to go into a penalty shootout,"

"a specific player to score," and so on. These odds were often astonishingly high, but also implied an extremely low probability of occurrence.

Lin Feng's fingertips tapped lightly on the mouse, but his mind was communicating with the mysterious system.

"System, query the odds for Zidane being sent off with a red card in the 2006 World Cup final, and the betting strategy with the highest overall return."

【Beep... Retrieving historical database...】

【Target event: Zinedine Zidane, July 9, 2006 World Cup final, red card dismissal.】

【Comprehensive analysis in progress...】

Streams of ghostly blue data flashed rapidly through Lin Feng's consciousness, finally settling on a clear prompt box:

【Special Event Betting Suggestion: Zidane red card dismissal. Odds range: 1 to 50 to 1 to 150. Risk assessment: Eliminated (Foreknowledge Card effect coverage). Suggested betting strategy: Diversified betting, focus on core events, supplemented by related high-odds options.】

"Risk eliminated..." Lin Feng murmured to himself, a subtle curve forming on his lips. The effect of this [Foreknowledge Card] was far more dominant than he had imagined.

He did not place all his bets with one company. Lin Feng registered accounts on the websites of three reputable betting companies with relatively high odds.

He divided the nine thousand five hundred pounds into several portions, with the largest sum, about six thousand pounds, unhesitatingly placed on the "Zidane red card dismissal" option.

The remaining funds, based on some vague details provided by the [Foreknowledge Card], such as the final score possibly being 1:1 (within regular time) and the match going into extra time, were spread in small amounts across several other options with equally high odds.

After doing all this, Lin Feng let out a long sigh of relief.

The gamble was set; all that remained was to wait for the results.

During the days leading up to the World Cup final, Lin Feng began to meticulously study the [Football Manager System] in his mind.

He first clicked on the [Player Radar] module. The interface was simple, with only a scan button and a line displaying energy value. The current system energy value was very low, a mere 10 points.

"Does scanning player potential consume energy?" Lin Feng asked mentally.

【Yes, Host. Scanning a single player's potential consumes 1 energy point. Energy can be replenished by completing system tasks, achieving club accomplishments, or using special items.】

Lin Feng called up the Hartlepool United first-team player list and tried scanning a few players who seemed somewhat appealing.

【Scan target: James Brown (Forward), Potential: D-, Evaluation: Unfit for significant use, recommend clearing out quickly.】

【Scan target: Michael Barron (Midfielder), Potential: D, Evaluation: Mediocre, no room for improvement.】

【Scan target: Ritchie Humphreys (Defender), Potential: D+, Evaluation: Usable, but limited potential.】

A series of dismal scan results made Lin Feng's brow furrow deeper. Most players' potential was below D-grade, indicating that the team's foundation was much worse than he had imagined. It seemed that relying solely on existing players to achieve promotion was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Just as Lin Feng was studying the system, there was a knock on the office door.

Old John walked in, his face more clouded with worry than before.

"Mr. Lin," he sighed, "the team's training situation is terrible. The players are unsettled and have no heart for training. I... I really don't know what to do."

Lin Feng looked up, his gaze calmly fixed on Old John: "Coach John, I understand your concerns. But please trust me, the financial issues will be resolved very soon.

What you need to do now is to prepare the team as planned.

Additionally, I need you to compile detailed information on all first-team players, including their technical characteristics, physical condition, and recent training performance reports—the more detailed, the better."

Old John nodded: "Alright, Mr. Lin, I will prepare it." He turned to leave, his heart filled with even more confusion and unease. Where did this young boss's composure come from?

After seeing Old John off, Lin Feng turned his attention to another module of the system—the [Future Tactics Library]. Upon opening it, a dazzling array of tactical names appeared: "4-3-3 Possession and Penetration," "Three-Center-Back System," "High-Pressing Counter-Attack"... Moreover, many tactics were labeled with things like "2024 Edition" or "Guardiola's Improvement," clearly indicating advanced tactical concepts from decades in the future.

However, most of these tactics were grayed out and locked, preventing access to detailed content.

Only a few basic tactical concepts, such as "High Pressing Introduction," "Fast Attack-Defense Transition Basics," and "Zonal Defense Principles," were lit up and available for viewing.

The system prompted that unlocking more advanced tactical content also required consuming system energy or achieving specific coaching accomplishments.

"It seems this system isn't omnipotent; it's impossible to achieve success overnight," Lin Feng mused.

Nevertheless, even these basic future tactical concepts were enough to give him a significant lead in his understanding of modern football compared to this era.

Days passed, and the heat and anticipation in the air grew stronger.

Finally, July 9, 2006, arrived—the day of the World Cup final in Germany. France versus Italy, a highly anticipated showdown, was about to unfold at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Lin Feng stayed in his humble apartment on the outskirts of Hartlepool.

The room was small, simply furnished, with an old television set as his only entertainment. He just wanted to quietly await fate's judgment alone.

On the coffee table in front of him, several betting slips printed from betting company websites were casually laid out, every number on them tugging at his nerves.

Although the [Foreknowledge Card] had given a clear outcome, Lin Feng's heart still couldn't be calm when truly immersed in this high-stakes gamble.

He took a deep breath, tried to compose himself, and turned on the television.

On the screen, both teams had entered the field, and the majestic national anthems echoed through the stadium.

With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

The first half was exceptionally tight. Just 7 minutes in, Malouda was tripped by Materazzi in the box, and France was awarded a penalty. Zidane opened the scoring with a chipped penalty kick.

But only ten minutes later, Italy equalized from a corner kick, with Materazzi heading it in. 1:1!

Lin Feng's heart pounded with every offensive and defensive transition.

Although he knew Zidane would be sent off and France would ultimately lose, personally experiencing this process of waiting for the verdict was still an indescribable torment.

Every shot, every foul, every attempt at goal made him incredibly nervous.

The second half began, and both sides' challenges became more intense, with the game becoming heated at times. But the score remained unchanged.

After 90 minutes of regular time, it was 1:1, and the match went into extra time.

Lin Feng's heart was in his throat. He knew the most crucial moment was about to arrive.

In the first half of extra time, neither team managed to score.

After a short break, the second half of extra time began. On the television screen, around the 109th minute of the match, a French attack was broken up.

The camera suddenly turned to near the center circle, where Zidane and Italy defender Materazzi were walking back side-by-side, seemingly conversing in low voices.

Suddenly, Zidane, without warning, turned around and delivered a fierce headbutt, striking Materazzi hard in the chest!

Materazzi fell to the ground, looking pained.

The main referee stopped the game, and the scene descended into chaos. The camera closely followed Zidane as he walked towards the touchline, and the main referee as he urgently communicated with the assistant referee... Lin Feng's breathing almost stopped at this moment.