In September 2024, an official announcement from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) shed some light on the anti-corruption efforts in Chinese football, particularly on the "Hao Wei Line." The notice explicitly stated that Guo Tianyu had sought improper benefits, engaged in improper transactions, manipulated football matches, and obtained illegal gains. Consequently, he was handed a lifetime ban from participating in any football-related activities. However, this punishment was predicated on Guo still being a Chinese football player. What was peculiar was that after Shandong removed him from their roster in August, Chiangrai United of the Thai League (T1) announced on August 8 that Guo had joined the team as a free agent. After joining Chiangrai United, Guo Tianyu made consecutive appearances for the team and even secured a starting position at one point. However, his performance significantly declined, with ten games yielding no goals or assists. On August 25, during the third round of the T1 League, Guo made his debut. On October 4, Chiangrai United hosted Nan Bunnok Warriors, with Guo starting for the team. It is worth noting that the CFA had already issued its ban on Guo at this time. The awkward part was that Guo completely disregarded the ban; since he was in Thailand, the CFA could not enforce it, and FIFA essentially turned a blind eye, making the ban seem like a joke. On January 15, 2025, in the 17th round of the T1 League, Chiangrai United lost away to Buriram United, with Guo coming off the bench. This marked his return to the field after…