Harem Investment System: Getting Money And Women-Chapter 175: GOAL!

Vanessa groaned. "Ugh, fine. But if it gets too boring, I'm leaving."

Ethan just smirked, focusing back on the game.

The kickoff had begun, and the players moved across the field with precision, passing the ball and setting up plays.

This — this — was what he called unwinding.

Good food in his stomach, a drink in his hand, and just enough banter to keep things entertaining.

Unlike the famous clubs of Earth, this was a different league entirely — Ashford United versus Blackvale FC.

Ashford United, known for their aggressive offense and lightning-fast counterattacks, were up against Blackvale FC, a team infamous for their rock-solid defense and punishing physicality.

Ethan leaned forward on the couch, his eyes locked onto the screen.

He wasn't exactly a die-hard football fan, but he appreciated a good game, especially one with high stakes and skilled players.

The camera panned across the field, capturing the determined expressions of the athletes, their jerseys already damp with sweat despite the game just beginning.

Vanessa, on the other hand, was far from interested.

She slouched against the armrest, already looking like she regretted agreeing to watch this.

"Ugh," she groaned, "I knew this was going to be boring."

Ethan smirked. "It literally just started."

"And? I can already tell it's going to be ninety minutes of running in circles."

"That's called build-up," Ethan countered, sipping his drink. "You know, strategy, tactics, actual competition."

Vanessa rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Wake me up when someone actually does something."

On the screen, Ashford United took possession early, their midfielders moving the ball with crisp, precise passes.

The Blackvale players were pressing hard, closing down space and forcing their opponents to think fast.

A long pass cut through the defense, and Ashford's star forward, Felix Marek, sprinted down the wing, outpacing his marker.

The crowd's excitement built as he reached the edge of the box, but just as he was about to shoot, a Blackvale defender slid in with a perfectly timed tackle, sending the ball rolling harmlessly out of bounds.

Ethan let out an impressed whistle. "Damn, that was clean."

Vanessa yawned in response.

The game continued, shifting between intense midfield battles and calculated attempts on goal.

The players were relentless, and even though the score remained 0-0, every play felt like it could tip the scales.

Meanwhile, Vanessa was slipping further into her disinterest, her eyelids drooping.

At some point, she slid further into the couch, her head resting on the cushion, her breathing slowing.

Ethan smirked, shaking his head.

'Figures.'

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Then it happened.

A swift counterattack.

Ashford's midfielder intercepted a pass, immediately launching the ball forward.

Felix Marek was already making his run, slipping past the defenders with near-perfect timing.

The stadium's noise level spiked as he controlled the ball in stride, his footwork smooth as he maneuvered past the last man.

Ethan leaned forward, fully focused. "Come on, come on…"

Marek reached the penalty box.

The Blackvale goalkeeper rushed forward, trying to cut off the angle, but it was too late — Marek struck the ball with precision, sending it soaring past the keeper's outstretched hands.

The net rippled.

The stadium erupted.

The commentators' voices rose with excitement. "And it's in! Felix Marek breaks the deadlock with an incredible finish!"

The thunderous cheers blasted through the speakers, shaking Vanessa from her slumber.

She jolted awake, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What? What happened?"

Ethan chuckled, eyes still on the screen. "You missed a goal."

Vanessa groaned, rubbing her face. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Pretty good one too."

She sighed, slumping back against the couch. "Great. Just my luck."

Ethan smirked. "Told you it wasn't that boring."

Vanessa shot him a glare, but there wasn't much fire behind it.

Begrudgingly, she turned her attention back to the match, watching as the replays showed Marek's goal from multiple angles.

Even she had to admit — it was a solid play.

The match had reached the half time break. Ethan took some time to get drinks for himself and Vanessa, and soon it finished.

Blackvale FC, desperate to claw their way back into the game, had been pressing hard ever since conceding that first goal to Ashford United.

Their forwards were relentless, hammering away at Ashford's defense like a battering ram against a fortress wall.

Ethan sat forward, his eyes locked onto the screen, fingers tapping rhythmically against his knee.

Vanessa, despite her earlier complaints, had stopped slouching and was now sitting up, her focus entirely on the game.

"Okay," she muttered, watching the midfielders jostle for possession. "I'll admit, it's kinda heating up."

Ethan smirked but didn't take his eyes off the game. "Told you."

The ball was played out to the right wing, where Blackvale's winger, Tomas Veran, sprinted down the sideline, his pace leaving his marker behind.

The Ashford defenders scrambled to close him down, but Veran's footwork was clean, his touch immaculate.

Then came the cross.

A perfect, curling delivery that sliced through the air and dipped right into the penalty area. Blackvale's striker, Rowan Vance, was already in position.

He leaped higher than the defenders around him, twisting mid-air, his forehead connecting with the ball with precision.

The crowd held its breath.

The ball rocketed toward the goal — Ashford's keeper dove to his right, fingertips grazing the ball, but it wasn't enough.

The net bulged.

A fraction of a second passed before the entire stadium exploded in a deafening roar.

"AND IT'S IN! BLACKVALE EQUALIZES!" The commentator's voice boomed through the speakers. "ROWAN VANCE WITH A STUNNING HEADER — AND JUST LIKE THAT, IT'S ONE TO ONE!"

Ethan exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Damn, that was solid."

Vanessa blinked. "Whoa, okay, that was actually kind of sick."

The replay showed the goal from multiple angles — Vance soaring above the defenders, his timing flawless, the ball zipping past the keeper's outstretched hands before slamming into the net.

Ethan took a sip of his drink. "Game's wide open now."

The stadium was electric.

The tension hung thick in the air, a mix of anticipation, nervous energy, and the raw passion of thousands of fans who had been on the edge of their seats for the entire match.

It was the 90th minute.

Both teams had fought with everything they had, and yet, the scoreboard still showed 1-1.

The match had become a brutal contest of endurance, tactics, and sheer willpower.

Every play was met with thunderous reactions from the crowd, every pass a potential game-changer, every defensive clearance met with sighs of relief or groans of frustration.

Vanessa, despite her earlier complaints about football being "boring," was now leaning forward, her fingers gripping the edge of the couch. "This is intense," she muttered.

Ethan smirked but kept his eyes locked on the screen. "Told you."

On the pitch, the battle raged on.

Ashford United had tightened their defense, determined to hold off any last-minute surprises from Blackvale FC.

The players were exhausted, sweat dripping down their faces, jerseys stained with dirt from endless tackles and challenges. But nobody was giving up — not now, not this close to the final whistle.

And then, it happened.

A single mistake.

An Ashford defender miscalculated his movement for a clearance, his foot barely grazing the ball instead of sending it away.

The deflection sent it rolling past him — straight to Rowan Vance, Blackvale's star striker.

Ethan's breath caught.

"He's got it — "

Nobody could see it, but Ethan swore that Rowan Vance smiled in that moment, a glint in his eyes as if he had been waiting for this exact opportunity.

The defender closest to him reacted instantly, lunging forward in a desperate sliding tackle.

But Rowan was already a step ahead.

He flicked the ball up with his boot just before the defender's outstretched leg could reach it, sending it high enough to avoid the challenge.

Then, in one fluid motion, he jumped, catching the ball mid-air on his thigh. The world seemed to slow down.

One touch.

Two touches.

And then — boom!

With perfect timing, Vance swung his leg forward and struck the ball cleanly before gravity could even pull him back down. A thunderous volley.

The shot was a missile.

It cut through the air like a bullet, the sheer force behind it making the ball dip and curve, a nightmare for any goalkeeper.

The Ashford keeper dove — his hands stretched as far as they could reach — but it wasn't enough.

The ball struck the top corner of the net with a satisfying thwack.

For a split second, there was silence.

Then —

The stadium ERUPTED.

"GOOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!"

Ethan shot up from the couch. "NO WAY!"

Vanessa's jaw dropped. "Holy sh — "

The replay showed it again, from every possible angle. The ball leaving Rowan Vance's foot, the goalkeeper's desperate dive, and the net rippling as the ball struck its mark.

"A SENSATIONAL VOLLEY FROM ROWAN VANCE!" the commentator roared. "BLACKVALE TAKE THE LEAD IN THE DYING SECONDS OF THE MATCH — WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A MOMENT!"

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, still processing what he had just witnessed. "That has to be one of the best goals I've seen in a long time."

Vanessa, still stunned, shook her head. "Okay, okay, I get it now. This is why people go crazy over football."

The game resumed, but there were barely any seconds left. Ashford tried one final attack, but Blackvale's defense held firm. The referee glanced at his watch —

And blew the whistle.

Full-time.

Blackvale FC had won.