Max-level burst damage at the start, the British Empire arrives!

With three days left before the start of the World Cup and five days left before the start of the Group D matches, the England team flew from New Jersey to Manaus, Brazil.

Logically, with the World Cup just around the corner, everyone should arrive in the participating countries at least a week in advance to allow the players to fully adapt to the local climate and time difference, and ideally play a warm-up match.

As a country with a vast land area and abundant natural resources, Brazil possesses resources that other countries envy, but it also has intractable historical problems.

Slums, or shantytowns, are a major problem in Brazil's development.

The Brazilian government has been trying to redevelop these areas; they have renovated slums and built many new relief zones.

Embarrassingly, the more actively the slum redevelopment work is carried out, the more poor people move into the slums.

Despite the poor living conditions and numerous sanitation and safety issues in these slums, the residents still experience a strong sense of happiness.

This was somewhat difficult for Sun Ke to understand, but people from different living environments could not understand each other.

In the first half of this year, Brazil's crime rate rose by 44% compared to previous years, and there were frequent worker strikes demanding higher wages.

In Sun Ke's view, these things are easy to understand; the Brazilian government needs stability to host the World Cup.

To ensure safety during the World Cup, the government will naturally increase subsidies for slums and raise the average wage for workers.

This is when the government is most likely to compromise, so people choose to exert pressure at this time.

But to say that the government is not doing its job would be unfair.

The Brazilian government invests a significant amount in slums each year, including free education, free healthcare, and economic subsidies.

However, a little understanding of people's thoughts reveals that these measures can only alleviate the conflict, and are unlikely to eradicate the current situation.

Many people in the slums find it easier to get government subsidies than to engage in farming, so they simply choose to enjoy the welfare benefits rather than do heavy manual labor.

Sun Ke couldn't figure out how to change this situation either. Some things that can't be solved right now can only be left to time.

Only when more children go out and experience new worlds through learning and sports can this situation perhaps be improved.

However, the living environment has an unimaginable inertia; people can easily get trapped in it but find it difficult to get out.

Take Brazilian star Adriano for example. This guy once became a world-class center forward and was considered Ronaldo's successor.

However, because the money came too quickly and in too much way, this guy's professional career was surprisingly short, and he retired early.

After squandering his money, Adriano later returned to the slums where he had lived as a child.

Ronaldinho's story is even more heartbreaking. This football genius went bankrupt soon after retiring and had his passport confiscated.

This guy actually forged his passport in order to make quick money by participating in a charity match in Uruguay.

Anyone with a brain can see that, given his global influence, how could he possibly get away with a fake passport?

On the team bus, Sun Ke was lost in thought as he looked out at the street scene.

To be fair, as a world-renowned tourist destination, Manaus boasts unique natural scenery and historical architecture.

The sight of tropical rainforests intertwined with human civilization is not something you can see just anywhere.

The city is very clean and tidy, and the sky is always blue.

The Manaus prison, painted like a fairytale castle, the Portuguese-style pedestrian street, and the church in the bustling city.

The customs house, once modeled after the British one, eventually became a magnificent historical relic because Manaus became a free trade zone without tariffs.

Manaus Cathedral, under a blue sky and white clouds, has a strong visual impact in terms of color and lines.

Even the well-traveled English players were so shocked by the sight that they kept expressing their amazement with profanity.

Compared to the solemn and lifeless British cities, the colorful city of Manaus is like a fairy tale world.

However, the small huts crammed together halfway up the mountain constantly reminded everyone that it was not safe there.

Even though the houses in those slums have been painted neatly and brightly by the Brazilian government, they are still a symbol of disease, violence, and danger.

From the moment the England team disembarked from the plane, they were closely followed by a security team of nearly 100 people.

After entering the hotel, the England team staff communicated with the local government to inquire whether the England players could stroll around the shopping street square.

Since the England team assembled, they have been staying in the hotel except for training and matches, and even FA officials can feel the oppressive atmosphere within the team.

Summers in Manaus are so hot that live fish can be dried into dried fish in just a few hours.

In such weather, the England team, exhausted from their journey, simply couldn't train properly.

Moreover, it is said that the security situation in Manaus is relatively good, after all, it is a tourist city, and the larger the city, the more slums there are.

Once the World Cup starts, with matches every three days, who will be in the mood to come out?

Half an hour later, the England players, dressed in beachwear, arrived at Opera Square, a landmark building in Manaus.

There were some small shops next to the square, and the tour guide led the England players to various local jewelry shops.

These English players were incredibly generous. When they saw something they couldn't see in England, they just grabbed it from the shelves and pulled it into the bags with their bare hands. They looked like robbers from a movie. Sun Ke was too ashamed to stand with these people.

What's even more ridiculous is that the children at the door had never seen anyone buy things like this before. They thought it was a robbery and shouted loudly, attracting a lot of attention and almost causing a misunderstanding.

What made Sun Ke somewhat desperate was that a small shop selling latex mattresses had become a paradise for English players.

These guys took off their shoes, rolled around on someone's mattress, and then bought more than a dozen mattresses in one go.

Many professional players haven't had a proper education; they're idiots in everything except football.

In addition, they were rich, so in Sun Ke's eyes they were just like the old men and women who prepared to rush to buy discounted eggs early in the morning and then smash the supermarket glass.

But when they arrived at the fruit stand and were faced with all sorts of tropical fruits they had never heard of before, the England players became cautious.

Hodgson loudly warned the players, "Don't fucking buy these! Some of these fruits might give you diarrhea until the end of the World Cup!"

Just as the England players were shopping in a fit of pique, Sun Ke suddenly spotted a group of players also dressed in beachwear; the Italian team had arrived.

The Italian players were surprised to find that many shops had been emptied, but when they saw the England team, they immediately understood what was going on.

The two teams gathered together, and more and more Brazilians gathered around them. Hodgson, seeing that the situation was not good, immediately told the players to get in the car and go back to the hotel.

The England team's tour ended abruptly in less than an hour, and the local guide, after some communication, took everyone to a nearby beach.

Everyone spent the afternoon playing on the beach, and only returned to the hotel satisfied after arriving at the restaurant.

On the bus, Lampard curiously asked Rooney about his relationship with the older woman, hoping to get confirmation from him.

In a good mood, Rooney shamelessly admitted: "I was young back then. Wherever I went, the old man would find out that same day. I was forced into it."

Hearing this, Sun Ke's eyes were opened; it turned out that this was true.

......

6 month 13 day.

Corinthians Stadium.

Brazilians are now witnessing the opening of the World Cup, a tournament they've been eagerly anticipating.

The England players watched the World Cup opening ceremony on a screen while sitting in a hotel conference room.

The first part of the opening ceremony was the welcoming ceremony.

The green glass ball in the center of the stadium displayed "Welcome to Brazil" in the words of the 32 national teams.

A group of tree-people appeared in the center of the field, showcasing the evolution of civilization.

The second chapter consists of several dances, symbolizing the birth of humankind and reflecting the struggle between slaves and slave owners.

This chapter tells the story of how the Brazilian people came together.

After the second chapter, American hip-hop superstar Jennifer Lopez appeared and performed the World Cup theme song with two Brazilian singers.

Both Brazilian singers were very outgoing, performing large-scale dance moves to the upbeat rhythm.

Jennifer Lopez seemed a little reserved at first, but quickly warmed up to the grand party.

Twenty minutes after the opening ceremony ended, the host team Brazil and Croatia appeared on the field.

Looking at the big screen, the Corinthians Stadium was absolutely packed with people.

In Sun Ke's view as a time traveler, Brazil's starting lineup was lackluster, even less impressive than Croatia's.

In the current Croatian national team, Mandzukic and Olic are the spiritual leaders, while Modric has become an indispensable force in the team.

Players like Radikic, Perisic, Brozovic, Kovacic, Vida, Corluka, and Lovren would likely be starters in most countries.

From the perspective of a time traveler, the two teams can be considered evenly matched.

Less than a minute into the game, Brazil created a dangerous opportunity in front of Croatia's goal.

However, the Croatian players were not intimidated at all, and they frequently launched counterattacks by taking advantage of the gaps left by Alves' assist.

In the tenth minute, Croatia's veteran Olic dribbled the ball from midfield all the way to the front, and swept a low cross into the penalty area. Marcelo's clearance attempt inadvertently pushed the ball into his own net.

Stimulate!

Marcelo was the first player to score in this World Cup, while Croatia was the first team to score.

After the game restarted, the Brazilian players' joints felt like they were rusted, and their movements became distorted.

The pressure on the host country is immense.

The actions of both sides became increasingly aggressive, and a conflict broke out.

In the 30th minute, Neymar equalized the score with a long-range shot that wasn't particularly powerful but had a tricky angle.

Brazilian players have regained their right to breathe!

Brazil's first match looked incredibly difficult, but a penalty broke the deadlock.

In the 69th minute, Brazilian striker Fred used his body to lean against the center-back, Lovren made a subtle movement with his hand, and Fred suddenly fell to the ground after receiving the ball.

Without a second thought, the referee awarded a penalty.

Neymar converted the penalty, but quickly had to leave the field due to exhaustion.

Croatia then scored a goal, but was penalized for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Before the end of the match, Chinese Super League legend Oscar poked the ball into the penalty area with a toe shot, sealing the score at 3-1.

The Brazilian players were incredibly nervous for the opening match of the World Cup.

If the referee hadn't awarded a controversial penalty, the outcome would have been very uncertain.

In the second group stage match, Mexico defeated Cameroon 1-0. Song played very hard, but he could not salvage the defeat.

6 month 14 day.

Group B's group stage has begun, with the first match being a major battle between the previous World Cup champions and runners-up.

Alonso opened the scoring for Spain, but Van Persie equalized for the Netherlands with a spectacular header just before halftime.

In the second half, Spain gradually lost control of the game, with Robben, Van Persie, and De Vrij completely overwhelming them.

5 is better than 1!

The Netherlands team exposed Spain's true colors.

In another Group B match, Chile defeated Australia 3-1.

6 month 15 day.

Groups C and D started their matches simultaneously.

Colombia defeated Greece 3-0, with James Rodriguez delivering an outstanding performance.

Ivory Coast, trailing by one goal, rallied through Bernie and Hotbird to score two quick goals and win 2-1.

In Group D, the match between Uruguay and Costa Rica deviated from the historical trajectory.

Uruguay and Costa Rica played out a goal-fest, ending in a 3-3 draw. Suarez scored two goals in the final seven minutes to level the score after his team was down by two goals.

Amazon Arena.

England will face Italy in the group stage.

In the locker room.

Hodgson shouted, "Guys, you're all star players at the club!"

"But here, there's only one star player; everyone else has to play the role of a workhorse!"

"Many of you have personally pledged to give your all for the team, and you must uphold your promise with your actions!"

"If we can't win this match, we won't even have a chance to compete for the championship, and we'll likely be placed in the same half of the draw as Brazil and Germany!"

"You won't get many chances like this in a match, so don't squander a hard-won opportunity!"

"I demand that you fight tooth and nail for possession of the ball and create opportunities for Sun Ke!"

"Players who lack execution will not remain on the field; this is a code of conduct we must adhere to!"

"This is your chance to prove yourselves, go for it!"

With the head coach's unquestionable voice, the England team roared and marched into the players' tunnel together.

In the players' tunnel, Sun Ke looked at the captain's armband on his arm.

The first World Cup journey has begun without us even realizing it.

Nothing much to say, today we're going to blow up the Italian team with goals.

Not far away, the Italian players stood tall and looked ahead, their eyes filled with a resolute determination as if they were ready to die.

Hehe, no matter how stubborn you are, I'll still beat you to a pulp.