readytorunbook Chapter 527: Friendly Football Match Before the Founding of the People's Republic of China
Chapter 527: Friendly Football Match Before the Founding of the People's Republic of China
There were still two days before the official founding ceremony, but Zhang Chi invited the guests to go to the suburbs together.
The sun is shining brightly, shining on the concrete stands of the brand new Yangon Unity Stadium, the first large stadium in Southeast Asia.
Although the scale of this newly completed stadium is far from comparable to the behemoths of later generations, it can be regarded as a magnificent miracle in this era and in the newly established Nanyang.
The oval-shaped stands, with a smooth contour and seating for 32,000 people, are supported by a massive steel structure that frames the flat, lush green lawn in the center.
Although it pales in comparison to the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which the Nazis built before the war for the 36 Olympics and can accommodate 11 people, this huge building is still a "wonder" for the vast majority of people in Southeast Asia.
Today, the stadium was packed.
The Chinese, Pegu people, Siamese people, Malays and some ethnic minorities in traditional costumes from Nanyang had excitement and pride on their faces, waving the small new Nanyang flag that was hastily made.
The massive sound waves reverberated through the stadium's bowl like a tidal wave.
In the VIP box with the best view, Zhang Chi, as the host, is entertaining his distinguished guests.
General George Marshall of the White Eagle, Victor Ivanov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Bear, the beautiful Persian Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, and representatives of princes and nobles from the five northeastern states of Sindhu.
Of course, there are also local military and political leaders in Nanyang.
"It's amazing, Your Excellency Zhangchi." A thickly bearded royal representative from Assam looked around in amazement and praised in the heavily accented Angsa language, "I've never seen such a magnificent building in my state. It's like the legendary Colosseum in Rome!"
Several other Sindhu princes also nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with shock.
They were used to John's small club stadiums, and the huge thing in front of them that could accommodate tens of thousands of people was indeed beyond their imagination.
Persian Princess Ashraf Pahlavi wore a well-tailored champagne-colored western-style suit today, which made her look both noble and capable.
Unlike others, she did not marvel at the scale. Instead, she stretched out her slender fingers in lace gloves and gently tapped on the solid concrete and steel fence in front of the box.
She tilted her head slightly and spoke to Zhang Chi beside her in the Ansa language, which was unusually clear and fluent but with a Persian accent:
"Sir, the strength and mix of this concrete are excellent. After solidification, there are almost no large bubbles or cracks on the surface. And these H-shaped steel beams supporting the ceiling..." She looked up at the massive steel structure, a shrewd glint in her beautiful eyes. "The rolling process is quite mature, and the welds are smooth and strong. It seems that the production capacity and quality of your country's steel and cement mills far exceed outside expectations."
Zhang Chi was stunned. This beautiful princess who offered herself to him was really not just a pretty face. It seemed that his brother sent her here not only because of her beauty, but also because of her ability.
General Marshall, who was standing on the other side, brightened his eyes when he heard this.
He leaned against the railing seemingly casually, his eyes scanning the huge field below and the dense stands around it.
As a soldier who had experienced the large-scale infrastructure construction arranged by General Luo, he knew better than the sighing princes of Sindhu the huge amount of building materials and engineering capabilities required to build such a stadium.
Princess Ashraf's words accurately pointed out the key - steel and cement.
This is the skeleton and flesh of industry, and it is also the core indicator of war potential.
The fact that Nanyang could be so "luxurious" as to use it for a non-military stadium, and the industrial strength and mobilization capabilities hidden behind it, made Marshall even more nervous.
He had a polite smile on his face, but alarm bells were ringing in his heart. He had to re-evaluate the war potential of Southeast Asia.
Ivanov of the Russian Bear had no expression on his face, but used his gray-blue eyes to scan every detail of the stadium like a precision instrument, especially the connection methods of the steel structures and the design of the roof.
The assistant beside him was quickly writing something down in a small notebook.
Zhang Chi took in everyone's reactions and understood everything.
This was exactly what he meant. The stage of storing food and building high walls was over. Now it was time to show these guests the power of Nanyang.
He smiled faintly and didn't directly respond to Sophia's probing. Instead, he pointed at the two teams of players entering the field below and said, "Your Highness, you have good eyesight. But they are the protagonists today."
"Please look, everyone. The team on the left side of the field wearing red jerseys represents the employee team of our Nanyang 'Nanhua Home Appliance Group.' The team on the right, wearing blue jerseys, represents the 'Italian Workers Team,' made up of Italian experts and skilled workers from the Nanhua Group. I hope they can give everyone a wonderful game."
With the referee's whistle, the game officially begins!
The atmosphere in the box also became lively.
Influenced by the John people, the princes of Sindhu and the Persian princesses were obviously more familiar with football. They watched with great interest and exclaimed or sighed from time to time at the wonderful passes or saves.
The Persian princess watched with interest as the Nanyang workers' players displayed amazing discipline and running ability - this was also a reflection of their military qualities.
General Marshall seemed a little absent-minded.
In White Eagle, rugby and baseball are more popular, while football is relatively niche.
He maintained a polite smile, his eyes fixed on the court, but his thoughts had already drifted away, thinking about how to deal with the rapidly rising and uncertain power of Nanyang, and how to deal with the Russian representative in the box afterwards.
The Russian Ivanov was watching the game quite seriously, and occasionally whispered a few words to his assistant, as if he was evaluating the technical and tactical levels of both sides.
Football is a popular sport in Russia, and he is obviously an expert on it.
The match was incredibly intense. The Yidai workers' team displayed refined technique and smooth coordination, showcasing their deep footballing heritage. Meanwhile, the Nanhua Home Appliances team played with a tough style, aggressively tackling the ball and running relentlessly, relying on quick counterattacks and set pieces to create threats.
In the 25th minute of the first half, the Italian team scored with a clever combination of moves in front of the penalty area, and their engineer striker calmly pushed the ball into the goal, making it 1:0! The cheers of the Italian experts rang out in the box.
But the Nanyang team remained steadfast. Just 10 minutes later, a quick cross from the wing was met by the Nanhua team's center forward, who outmaneuvered the opposing defender and fired a powerful header, equalizing the score at 1-1!
The entire stadium was boiling in an instant, a large number of brand new national flags were waving wildly in the stands, the shouts of tens of thousands of people were deafening, and the princes of Sindhu also applauded.
Before the end of the first half, Nanyang team won a free kick in the frontcourt.
A short but skilled midfielder stepped in front of the ball.
He took a deep breath, took a run-up, and kicked the ball. The ball drew a beautiful arc, bypassed the wall, and went straight into the corner of the goal.
2:1! Nanhua Home Appliances takes the lead!
The on-site commentator roared excitedly: "Under the watchful eyes of our great Lord Zhang Chi, player number 7, Fu Xingjian, scored a beautiful goal! At this moment, he is not fighting alone..."