Gao Bo was ready to change the rhythm of the game in the 30th minute.
Nottingham Forest's head coach, Billy Davis, was thinking along the same lines. To him, Luton's offensive threat seemed minimal. He viewed their defensive discipline with some admiration, but that was the extent of it. In his eyes, it was normal for Luton to stay compact when facing Nottingham Forest.
Gao Bo, however, had a different plan. He equipped all three cards available to him for this match.
In addition to the blue card that increased interception ability by 13%, he also used the two white cards he had earned in the first round:
Card: White, increases heading ability by 2%. Assigned to a player before the match.
Card: White, increases passing ability by 3%. Assigned to a player before the match.
Although the two white cards seemed minor in impact, Gao Bo believed in maximizing every advantage, no matter how small. He assigned the heading ability card to Jeffrey, leveraging his aerial strength for both offense and defense. The passing ability card was given to Kevin Keane, who already had the best crossing ability on the team.
While Gao Bo was quietly making these adjustments from the bench, he noticed the Nottingham Forest assistant coach giving instructions. Moments later, Billy Davis walked to the sideline and motioned for his players to push forward.
Gao Bo couldn't help but smile. The opponent had taken the bait.
He stepped to the sideline and made a gesture. The Luton players on the pitch immediately understood the signal.
As Nottingham Forest began pressing higher, they suddenly found the rhythm of the game had shifted.
Earlier, Luton's defense was tight but not overly aggressive. Now, they were much faster and more assertive.
Nottingham Forest's midfielder, Radosław Majewski, received the ball but was quickly closed down by Kante and Drinkwater from opposite sides. Majewski was so focused on Drinkwater that he didn't see Kante coming.
The result was predictable: Kante and Drinkwater combined to dispossess him.
Kante quickly passed the ball to Drinkwater, who deftly turned and sent it out wide to Kevin Keane. Keane, pushing forward with the ball, spotted Vardy making a blazing run upfield.
Billy Davis, watching from the sideline, felt a jolt of alarm.
Fast!
Not only was Vardy quick, but Luton's counterattack was blistering.
With just three passes, the ball traveled from Luton's half to Nottingham Forest's penalty area.
Vardy received the ball on the right side of the penalty box, leaving Nottingham Forest's defenders trailing behind.
Center-back Chris Gunter raised his arm, signaling for offside, effectively abandoning his defensive duties. However, the assistant referee kept his flag down, and the referee didn't blow the whistle.
Cheers erupted from Worth Stadium.
"Vardy is one-on-one with the keeper!!"
At the Luton training ground, Maxxis leapt from his chair, clutching the radio in excitement.
Nottingham Forest's goalkeeper, Lee Camp, a veteran with Premier League experience, charged forward. Known for his quick reflexes, he spread his arms wide, aiming to cut off Vardy's angle.
But Vardy remained calm.
As Camp lunged, Vardy controlled the ball effortlessly, sidestepped him, and slotted the ball into the open net with his left foot.
Goal!
The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
John Aston, ecstatic, roared in Gao Bo's ear, "Beautiful!! Absolutely beautiful!! This kid is a natural-born striker!!"
Gao Bo endured his assistant's excitement, saliva and all, thinking to himself, If only you knew he'll someday win the Premier League Golden Boot!
For Vardy, a League Two game was child's play.
The stadium roared with chants of Vardy's name as he celebrated. In his first official match for Luton, Vardy had scored a hat-trick. Now, against a Championship team, he had opened the scoring once again.
Nobody was calling him an "amateur" anymore. If anything, the term had become a badge of honor.
Outside the stadium, Luton fans in their orange jerseys celebrated as if they were inside. The cheers from the stadium echoed into the streets, where fans danced and chanted, "Luton! Luton!!"
Maxxis, listening to the radio, stood up and shouted in celebration. When he sat down, the commentator's excited voice came through:
"Jamie Vardy!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!! He's done it again!! Two-nil!!!"
Back on the pitch, Worth Stadium was in pandemonium.
Luton's second goal had come quickly after the first.
Vardy had sent the ball into the net for the second time, and commentator Wright Kinson could barely keep up. The roaring crowd caused the camera to shake violently.
It was only when the broadcast showed Gao Bo leaping off the bench to celebrate that the commentator was sure:
"Goal! It's unbelievable!! Just 29 minutes ago, this looked like a game destined for penalties, but in two minutes, Luton has scored twice!! Vardy, the gem discovered by Luton's Chinese manager, has become the hero of the city! What kind of magic does Gao Bo possess to unearth a talent like Vardy from the amateur leagues?"
Gao Bo, of course, wouldn't reveal his secret—his knowledge of the future.
Clenching his fists in triumph, Gao Bo shouted, "See, John!! Our tactics worked! Nottingham Forest can't break through us. They're stuck with meaningless possession. We don't need possession—we need goals!!"
Luton had shown that even against a Championship team, they could come out on top.