《Would You Mind If I Play?》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The summer holidays were quickly coming to an end. So many things happened over the holidays that before Zhang Jun could even begin to wrap his head around them, two months had already passed. The only thing he knew for sure was just how fast time went by¡­ ¡­ In the middle of the day, the sun hung high in the sky as it gloriously radiated light and heat onto the ground below. It was high noon and there were not many people out on the streets under the crazy hot weather. However, Zhang Jun was an exception. He stood there quietly, basking in the rays of the sun as if he was unfazed by the blazing heat. His mind, still deep in thought about his ending summer holidays until¡­ ¡°That¡¯s a dollar twenty for the paper. Are you going to buy it or what?¡± a grumpy voice asked. The old lady at the newsstand had just about had it with him staring blankly at her goods for sale. Zhang Jun immediately snapped out of his daydream. Embarrassed, he quickly paid for the paper and left. As soon as he got home, he found Yang Pan already there, waiting for him. The two boys had been best friends since they were still crawling about and talking gibberish. They could and would talk about anything, if not everything with each other. But the one thing that the two boys talked about more than anything else, the one subject that got their hearts pumping and their blood boiling with excitement was soccer. It was their mutual love for the game that made these two boys the best of friends for many years; like two peas in a pod. They could talk about it all day, every day and never tire of it. That would usually be the case every time they met up, but not this particular day. Yang Pan was doing most of the talking this time. Meanwhile, his usually chatty best friend was being unusually silent, only responding or nodding when necessary. Yang Pan, of course, picked up on his best buddy¡¯s unusual behavior. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhang Jun took a moment to piece together his words to reply his friend. And after a brief moment of silence, he finally mustered enough courage and spoke as calm as he could, ¡°I¡¯m transferring out of Kai Ta High School.¡± ¡°Transferring? Why?!¡± Yang Pan exclaimed. He was clearly shocked! They had never been in separate classes, much less separate schools ever since they could ever remember! ¡°Bro, but we just won the nationals! There¡¯s a trophy with our names on display in school! And now, you¡¯re just going to leave?!¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want this as much as you do, but this isn¡¯t my decision to make. Mom says the new school is closer to home. It¡¯ll be easier for the family that way.¡± ¡°Then, what about the team, bro? What about our promise?¡± Zhang Jun had a flashback of that epic night, which was the highlight of his summer¡ªthat night on Qingdao Island, when they became national champions of the country¡¯s National Middle School Soccer Championship. Zhang Jun remembered that night and how he triumphantly proposed to his fellow comrades. ¡°Today, national middle school champions; tomorrow, national high school champions!¡± ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s become national high school champions!¡± the whole team roared in response. He remembered vividly how the stadium lights reflected off the sweat on their faces; their victorious screams; the excited cheers from the crowd in the stands, and the voices of triumph as well as joy, which filled the entire stadium as they celebrated their win that night. The whole scene replayed itself so clearly in his mind, as if it had just happened seconds ago. Barely a month had passed since then. To think that things would turn out like this¡­ Zhang Jun could still hear his own words echoing in his ears as disappointment welled within him for not being able to hold on to his promise. Right then, he could only shake his head and sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The two boys sat there in silence for a while and let reality sink in. After a long pause, Yang Pan broke the silence. ¡°So¡­ which school?¡± ¡°Shu Guang High.¡± ¡°Well, since it¡¯s already decided, I¡¯ll be dropping by and visiting you a lot.¡± Yang Pan stood up and began to leave. Zhang Jun then walked him to the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll come get you for soccer tomorrow. Just make sure you¡¯re good to go, okay!¡± Yang Pan said before he walked away. ¡­ The new school grounds had flower beds and trees all over the place like a park. If somebody had brought in animals, a few recreational facilities, or maybe even a fun ride or two, the school could have easily turned into an amusement park. It could even start selling tickets for entry! It was where Zhang Jun was about to spend the next three years of his school life. The school¡¯s sports center however, barely met the standard requirements of the public high school¡¯s sporting facilities guideline. It only had three rows of seats for spectators on one side of the field and a small podium on the other. There was no roofing or canopy to keep the sun and rain out either. Zhang Jun took one glance at the whole field and let out a sad sigh. ¡°Time to seriously hit the books! I¡¯ll need good grades to get into college!¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s classroom was the eastern-most room on the second floor of the school¡¯s main teaching building. That day, being the first day of school, a large number of parents formed a crowd outside the classrooms. His parents however, were not among them. His mom had a business to run and could not find the time to drop by. His father was nowhere to be seen as well. The man had been out of proper work for a while, but thanks to his mom¡¯s well-to-do business, the family did not have any problems feeding themselves. They were also not on the country¡¯s list of struggling households. By the time Zhang Jun made his way into the classroom, there were other classmates already seated and chatting away. Zhang Jun simply picked an empty seat and dropped his backpack into it. As soon as he sat down, a young man walked into the classroom. He seemed to be in his late twenties, about 28 or 29 years old. The man walked up to the front desk and tapped the table a few times, getting the attention of the whole class and making them pipe down. ¡°Hello, there. I am your homeroom teacher,¡± the man said. He stood in front of the class with a proper, upright posture like that of a confident athlete. ¡°My name is Liang Ke, and you may address me as Mr. Liang. I will also be in charge of gym class.¡± He then continued, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we start with introductions? Let¡¯s start with you there, in the first row, and continue on from there.¡± One by one, the students stood up and introduced themselves. When it was Zhang Jun¡¯s turn, he got up and said, ¡°My name is Zhang Jun, I just transferred from Kai Ta and I love soccer.¡± After the first class was over, Mr. Liang went outside to greet the parents and answer their questions. But every now and then, in between the talking, he would glance at Zhang Jun, who was sitting inside the class. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The end of ¡°grueling military training¡± officially marked the beginning of high school life for the students. A new beginning, new teachers, new classmates, new books, and three years worth of time. It was the kind of fresh start that Zhang Jun was looking forward to. The garden-like environment that Shu Guang High was designed in made every student somewhat more open to mingle and meet new people¡­ With Zhang Jun having a friendly personality himself, he was very quick in making new friends. ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± a fatty called out. ¡°Ah Biao?!¡± Zhang Jun replied. Ah Biao was Zhang Jun¡¯s classmate. His real name was Liu Qi and he played the piano in his spare time. But, whenever Zhang Jun tried picturing his 186-cm, 108-kg friend playing the piano, he could not help but laugh. Some time ago, Zhang Jun gave his new friend the nickname, Richard Clyderbiao after the famous pianist. However soon enough, it was shortened to just Ah Biao. Liu Qi was annoyed by Zhang Jun¡¯s teasing and tried to tackle him. But, Zhang Jun merely shrugged his shoulders and sidestepped Liu Qi¡¯s tackle. The poor fatty charged into nothing. ¡°What¡¯s up with the excitement?¡± Zhang Jun asked. ¡°I heard there¡¯s going to be a transfer student coming in today!¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? I¡¯m sitting next to the only empty seat in class. So, if the transfer is a gorgeous babe, then she¡¯ll be sitting right next to me. Isn¡¯t that awesome? Ha! We can chat all day in class, and I can walk her home after school!¡± Liu Qi was getting carried away by his daydream. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s your plan, I think the cute girl is going to be creeped out by you instead!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Liu Qi tried to tackle Zhang Jun, and was once again easily avoided. ¡°Yo fatty, forget about it. You¡¯ll need a million years before you can even scratch my hair, much less tackle me.¡± ¡°Why do you think we don¡¯t have any good looking girls in our school?¡± Liu Qi gave up trying and leaned against the corridor rails as he looked down on the school grounds. ¡°I¡¯ve scanned every female student in every class since the day I came here, but all I got was a whole truckload of sadness and disappointment! Especially when it comes to our year!¡± Liu Qi continued in a very sad voice. ¡°Are you sure you checked all of them? Maybe you missed one?¡± Zhang Jun replied his depressed friend as he pointed at a girl who just exited the lecture building. Liu Qi merely took a glance and continued, ¡°Dude, you can find girls with a nice figure like her¡¯s everywhere. But the problem with them is, from behind, they make you want to become a bad boy. And even more when you look at them from the side. But, when you come to the front¡­¡± Just as he was just about to conclude his sentence, the girl turned around and Liu Qi kept his mouth shut. The girl was oblivious to the boys¡¯ conversation on the second floor and she soon turned, leaving the premises. ¡°I take it all back!¡± Liu Qi was excited. ¡°That one¡¯s definitely a babe! A real babe!¡± Zhang Jun was also stunned. The girl who was walking away from them looked like an angel under the radiant sunlight. It appeared as though she was glowing herself! The two boys just stared at the beautiful sight in front of them like dummies until the bell rang for class. ¡­ Liu Qi mysteriously disappeared during lunch only to reappear with a grin on his face. He slung his hand around Zhang Jun¡¯s shoulders and whispered, ¡°Bro, I¡¯m going all out and doing you a solid. Here, I got the girl¡¯s info for you. Her name is Su Fei. She¡¯s from the class right under ours. Is it just me or does her name sounds more like a foreigner¡¯s?¡± ¡°You¡¯re what? Doing me a solid?¡± ¡°Yea. I know you have¡­ You know, ¡®that¡¯! Right?¡± ¡°What? No! I¡¯m just¡ª¡± ¡°Bro, let me finish! I also got word that she¡¯s joining the Soccer Club as the manager! People are saying that all the other clubs are trying to get her to join them, but she¡¯s already made up her mind about joining the school¡¯s sh*ttiest club. Can you believe that? There¡¯s tons of other clubs that aren¡¯t very happy about this! I mean, think about it: Whatever club she¡¯s joining, every other guy will want in! Can you imagine the amount of membership fees?¡± ¡°The way you¡¯re saying it¡­ It sounds like it¡¯s the biggest thing in school right now. How is it possible that I haven¡¯t heard anything about this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re such a huge nerd! You¡¯re not even in any club, how would you get any news like that? Anyway, I had to get a buddy of mine to dig up the info on her.¡± ¡°Wait, hold up. Why did you say that you got her information for me? The way I see it, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s¡­ You know, that! Right?¡± ¡°Bro, be real. You really think I got a shot?¡± ¡°Yeah, why not? I mean, look at this body. Girls see it and they feel comfortable and safe! Isn¡¯t that what girls are going for these days? Curvy guys that won¡¯t run away and cheat on them? That¡¯s you, man! Hahaha!¡± Zhang Jun slapped Liu Qi¡¯s belly and laughed. ¡°Stop joking around! Look, I know that you¡¯re into her. Come on man, who do you think I am? I could feel it from the way you were looking at her this morning! So, I¡¯m doing you a solid here, okay? Now, don¡¯t you say no, bro!¡± Liu Qi pointed at Zhang Jun just as he was about to open his mouth to reply. Zhang Jun just looked at his classmate and sighed as he decided to end the conversation there. After recess, Zhang Jun noticed that his friend was grooming himself. Liu Qi had his hair all styled up with mousse; he adjusted his broad pants and his shirt nicely, and even got his shoes shined like a mirror. He was all set to look like the best ¡°Richard Clyderbiao¡± of all time. The whole class had already heard him talking about a beautiful, female transfer student joining their class. And based on the effort Liu Qi was putting in, everyone was hyped about seeing just how gorgeous their new classmate was going to be. So, as soon as the bell rang for class, everybody, especially the guys got back to their seats. They were all feeling nervous and the whole classroom was filled with an air of anticipation. When Mr. Liang finally walked into class, Liu Qi was already about to explode from all the excitement. He kept switching his gaze between the teacher and the classroom entrance, trying to get a glimpse of the gorgeous lady who was about to be sitting next to him. ¡°Class, we have a transfer student who will be joining us today.¡± Hearing their homeroom teacher making the announcement got the whole class on the edge of their seats. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in and introduce yourself to the class?¡± Mr. Liang waved towards the door, and then¡­ a male student carrying a backpack entered the classroom. ¡°Hi! My name is Yang Pan. I just transferred here from Kai Ta High. I love soccer. Nice to meet you and I hope that we can all be friends,¡± the transfer said. The class went dead silent. At one point, they just could not hold it in anymore and everybody broke into laughter all at once. Everybody turned their heads to look at Liu Qi, who was sitting way back in the classroom. He was blushing deeply from the sheer embarrassment. With nothing to hide the awkwardness he felt, he sank his head into his table. Zhang Jun however, was not laughing. He was staring at Yang Pan in shock. Yang Pan scanned the room and saw him from across the class. He stared back with a smirk. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit next to Liu Qi?¡± Mr. Liang pointed at the empty seat next to Liu Qi, which was supposedly meant for the ¡°gorgeous female transfer student¡±. The whole class broke into laughter once again. Yang Pan made his way to his new seat and sat down. Liu Qi raised his head up from his table and extended his hand. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Liu Qi. I play the piano and basketball. I think we¡¯re gonna be great friends!¡± ¡°Why did you transfer here? I thought you were doing great in Kai Ta?¡± Zhang Jun, who was not seated far away asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been in the same elementary school and middle school, you think I¡¯m gonna let high school separate us? No way, bro! That¡¯s why I transferred. When I applied, I also asked the school administration which class you were in, and they told me that you¡¯re in the third. So, here I am.¡± ¡°What about Liu Peng and Yuan Gang? Are they okay with you leaving?¡± Zhang Jun continued asking. ¡°Of course not! They¡¯ve been looking for me the past two or three days, reminding me about the promise that we once swore. I just told them, since Zhang Jun that a**hat ran off, the squad is now incomplete. So, what difference would it make if I stay or leave?¡± Zhang Jun felt a pang of guilt when he heard that. He seriously felt that his departure from Kai Ta High cost the group of four best friends their dream. ¡°Well, even if they aren¡¯t happy about it, there¡¯s nothing they can do. I had already filed for my transfer when I told them,¡± Yang Pan continued. ¡°Kai Ta¡¯s coach wanted to make me stay, but I asked him: Why didn¡¯t you try to make Zhang Jun stay when he was leaving back then?¡± ¡°Then? What did he say?¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t give me an answer. ¡°Besides, this place is closer to home. I heard the soccer team here is nothing but trash. But, not for long now that I¡¯m here!¡± Yang Pan said, full of confidence. Zhang Jun just listened to his best friend and did not say a word. ¡°Have you really quit soccer?¡± Yang Pan finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mind playing once in a while for fun. But joining the school team, going for practice, and attending tournaments¡­ That¡¯s not for me¡­¡± Hearing his best friend¡¯s reply, Yang Pan could only let out a deep sigh. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When evening came, the school grounds turned very quiet. Since Shu Guang High was not a boarding school, most of the students and teachers had gone home by then. The remaining ones were either students staying for their after school activities or staff members still working behind the scenes. The lack of human activity made the school feel more like a park instead of an actual school. It was so peaceful and serene that even the buildings seemed to be enjoying themselves, taking a break from all the buzz and clamor of the day. Suddenly, a pained cry echoed through the air and a student came limping out from the male washroom near the school garden. He appeared to have been roughed up and was slightly injured. However, that did not stop him from desperately trying to get away from the toilet as quickly as possible. As soon as the boy limped to his escape, another student came out from the booth. His uniform was undone, revealing a t-shirt with odd, flashy designs. He also had a lit cigarette in his mouth. ¡°This place really is more trees than school. Even the air in the toilet smells fresh!¡± the student said as he stretched himself. But before he could finish his stretch, a few strong male teachers leaped out from the bushes nearby and charged at him like a rugby team! The student was taken by surprise, but everything happened so fast that before he could even react to the ambush, he was already tackled and pinned down to the ground. ¡°You punk! Just a few days into the new school year and you¡¯re already fighting!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re smoking!¡± ¡°Hold him down tighter! Don¡¯t let him break loose!¡± ¡­ Later, in the office of Shu Guang High¡¯s Student Affairs Department. ¡°Ren Yu De!¡± The angry shout came from a man in his forties, who was glaring angrily at the student. The veins on his neck and face were popping up, making him look like he was about to explode. Wen Jiu Chen was the Department Head of Shu Guang High¡¯s Student Affairs Department, and it was his job to deal with problematic students like this one. It took a handful of teachers to drag Ren Yu De into his office for fighting and smoking on school grounds. ¡°What have you got to say for yourself? Just how many days has it been since the start of the new school year, huh? And you¡¯re already fighting and smoking in school! Your homeroom teacher tells me that you don¡¯t even pay attention in class. You¡¯re rude to all of your teachers, and look at you! You don¡¯t even dress yourself properly for school. Tell me, just which part of you looks like a student?¡± Wen Jiu Chen said angrily. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because your dad and I go way back, these crimes alone are enough to warrant your expulsion many times over! Are you even listening to me?!¡± Ren Yu De just let out a light, ¡°Mmhmm¡± as if he was not taking things seriously at all. That made Wen Jiu Chen¡¯s face turn crimson with anger. Oh, why do I even bother? He could have just made this easy for himself by writing up a report and expelling this delinquent! But the educator in him kept telling him that the boy was not always like this. He was just in desperate need of a guiding hand to point him in the right direction. Thinking about how this kid was his old friend¡¯s son also made him feel much more generous into giving the boy a second chance. ¡°Listen, if a student fails more than three subjects in his finals, the school requires them to be held back for another year. Now, this is the law and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. However, in the pursuit of a more liberal education system, we have decided to make one exception to this rule: If a student demonstrates outstanding performance in any club activity, then he will not be subjected to repeating his school year. And if a student can achieve a top four rank in any activity that¡¯s on a state or national level, bonus points will even be awarded for his final exam. So there! Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t give you any chances! It¡¯s now up to you what you want to do about it!¡± A gleam of hope flashed across Ren Yu De¡¯s eyes, telling Wen Jiu Chen that he was not about to give up on his future just yet. The boy secretly thanked his father¡¯s friend for not giving up on him and giving him a chance. Seeing that the boy understood him, Wen Jiu Cheng dismissed him from his office, and as Ren Yu De walked away, he looked at him from his office window, wondering if he had made the right decision. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Sure, of course. Who would doubt you, the Head of the Student Affairs Department?¡± Liang Ke replied as though he had been standing behind him all along. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about him, I¡¯m talking about the soccer team. Do you think they can make it to the final four?¡± Liang Ke was slightly taken aback by his superior¡¯s question, but quickly responded, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Then, I¡¯ll give you the benefit of doubt.¡± ¡°¡­Have a little more faith will you?¡± ¡­ Yang Pan had already joined the school team, and he would not be in the last two periods of class every day. He was training with the other team members on the school field at this point. The classroom also got noisier during this time as their homeroom teacher, Liang Ke, who was also the school¡¯s soccer coach would be out of the class, supervising the team¡¯s training instead of the student¡¯s revision. Zhang Jun was doing his revision when suddenly, a note was slipped onto his desk. It was a note from Liu Qi. ¡°Stop pretending to be a good student! Come over and hang out for a bit. I¡¯m lonely,¡± the note said. What the hell? Why should I go over there? Can¡¯t you come over here instead? And what¡¯s with the note? Why can¡¯t you just get your lazy a** over here and hang out with me instead? But eventually, he decided to humor his friend and replied with a note as well. ¡°No, I¡¯m busy studying!¡± A moment later, another note found its way to his desk. ¡°Wanna go watch the soccer team practice? Yang Pan said he¡¯s gonna reveal his secret weapon during training today.¡± Zhang Jun of course, knew what his best friend¡¯s ¡°secret weapon¡± was. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it a thousand times! Now, stop bugging me unless you¡¯re gonna help me with Math!¡± And after that, another note came back with a reply on it, ¡°Fine! Go do your Math. And btw, f*ck you!¡± Zhang Jun crumpled the note, threw it back at his friend and continued with his Math. ¡­ Meanwhile, on the field. Yang Pan¡¯s kick left everyone speechless. Even the goalkeeper just stood where he was while he stared at the goal post. It was still vibrating from the shot. ¡°A long range kick from 30 m away¡­ Such kicking power¡­ Is he even a freshman?¡± Liang Ke asked himself. Everybody on the field was quiet for a good while. Watching Yang Pan, a bold plan started taking shape in Liang Ke¡¯s mind. ¡­ The next day, Liang Ke told them that class was canceled and that he needed them to do him a favor. So there Zhang Jun was, on the field, wondering why all his female classmates were screaming one person¡¯s name, ¡°Yang Pan! Yang Pan!¡± He had absolutely no idea what this was all about. But since the other boys were all not included in this task, he went and found himself a soccer ball and played with it on his own. ¡°Zhang Jun! Look at my spinning shot!¡± Liu Qi shouted as he quickly made a backspin jump shot. The ball hit the hoop and bounced off the basket. ¡°Sh*t! This hoop¡¯s crooked!¡± Zhang Jun paid him no heed. He simply kicked his ball, sending it high up into the air and perfectly into the basket without even hitting the rims. A perfect shot! Liu Qi was dumbfounded. ¡°No way! For real?¡± ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡­ ¡°Zhang Jun, someone¡¯s looking for you!¡± A classmate called out from the classroom¡¯s entrance. He seemed very excited for some reason. Zhang Jun went out to find Su Fei waiting for him. She looked radiant in her light colored uniform, like a blooming lotus out of the sea of students. Su Fei noticed him and smiled before handing him a letter. ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of the school team,¡± she said. Zhang Jun hesitated before taking the letter. ¡°They¡­ Ah, excuse me. We!¡± Su Fei covered her mouth in embarrassment for making that mistake, and the cuteness of her actions made Zhang Jun smile. ¡°We want you to join the soccer team. We really need you!¡± Her expression when she said it made Zhang Jun wonder just how many times she had practiced her lines. ¡°There¡¯s practice this evening. Please, come and join us,¡± she continued while looking at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes! See you later during practice!¡± She turned around, and was about to leave after completing her task when Zhang Jun called out to her, stopping her in her tracks. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Su Fei nodded. ¡°The school team is really terrible, so why did you sign up to become the manager? What are you getting out of this?¡± Su Fei was surprised by his question, but she still smiled back. ¡°Nothing really, I just love soccer!¡± ¡­ In the following gym class, Liang Ke split the boys into two teams for a soccer match. Zhang Jun and Yang Pan were assigned to different teams, and their performance greatly contrasted each other¡¯s. Yang Pan was full of energy. With his skills and speed, he was constantly attacking the other team¡¯s goalpost. Zhang Jun on the other hand, seemed to have a lot on his mind. His movements were sluggish and he kept messing up, especially during crucial moments of the game. Since Yang Pan was now an important member on the school team, his classmates kept passing the ball over to him. The ¡°King of Assists¡± of the National Middle School Soccer Championship had become their new ¡°Scoring General¡±. On the other side of the field, Zhang Jun, who kept messing up his plays did not look too good. His teammates eventually decided that he was all bark and no bite. They began to avoid passing the ball to him. During the start of the game, Zhang Jun played offense and he was always in the opponent¡¯s half of the field. But as the match progressed, he was gradually moved backwards until he eventually ended up in the backline. The ¡°Sharp Shooter¡± of the National Middle School Soccer Championship was now just a defender. Even though it was just a practice game, many of the members on Zhang Jun¡¯s team were clearly not happy about losing this much. When Yang Pan scored another goal and passed by Zhang Jun, the whole team started blaming him for not defending well. When it came to his team¡¯s turn to attack, they finally got the ball all the way into the penalty area. But then, the ball got intercepted and deflected by a defender. Zhang Jun then came sprinting out of nowhere, shouting, ¡°Mine!¡± as he intercepted the ball and aimed for the goal. His sudden change of confidence stunned everyone, especially Yang Pan who had not seen his best friend like that for a very long time. Zhang Jun took aim and kicked! The goalkeeper was about to dive in the direction where the ball was supposed to go. But then, he realized¡­ there was no ball coming! Zhang Jun missed the kick! Yang Pan was the first to react. He quickly intercepted the ball and carried it halfway through the field, kicking it forward. Zhang Jun¡¯s team watched helplessly as Yang Pan scored another goal. They were not sure if they should laugh or cry at this point. Zhang Jun¡¯s face turned red due to embarrassment as he awkwardly stood there in the middle of the field. He kept hearing Su Fei¡¯s voice saying, ¡°I just love soccer!¡± in his head. Almost 10 years of playing the game, and his love for the game seemed less than hers. He felt so ashamed for claiming that he loved soccer! The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, and he kicked the ground hard in anger. *Thonk* ¡°Argh!!!¡± Zhang Jun clutched his foot and fell, sitting on the ground. In anger, he looked at the spot where he had kicked and saw a brick popping out from the ground. ¡­ Meanwhile, in Class 5 of the first year students¡­ ¡°An Ke, I¡¯m going to hand in the student activity list after class. Have you decided on what club you¡¯re joining yet?¡± the class president asked a tall, male student sitting next to the windows. ¡°Pres, I¡¯ve already told you, I¡¯m not joining any clubs!¡± An Ke was annoyed. ¡°Why do you keep asking me? I¡¯m not the only student who¡¯s not joining any clubs in our class!¡± ¡°Well, I just think that with your body and height, it¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not on the basketball or soccer team.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks!¡± ¡°Okay. The soccer team¡¯s practicing this afternoon on the field. You going?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Why are you even telling me this?¡± ¡­ Liang Ke had once again asked the female students from his class to go cheer for the boys during their practice in the afternoon. So, by the time soccer practice began, their cheers could already be heard from afar. An Ke was making his way towards the field, continuously telling himself, ¡°I¡¯m here for the girls! Not the school team! Just the girls!¡± And when he made it to the crowd, he could already see everything in front clearly because of his 188-cm height. The school team was having a drill. They had to try to score a goal using any means necessary (except anything against the rules). ¡°Yang Pan!¡± Liang Ke shouted. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡± Yang Pan raised his hand in response to the coach and made his way to the ball. As he did that, the girls all started to scream, ¡°Yang Pan! Yang Pan!¡± An Ke felt his pride as a man being shattered. He had always considered himself a ladies¡¯ man and this was rather damaging to his pride. ¡°What¡¯s so great about him?¡± he said softly. His voice was soft, but still loud enough for the screaming girls to hear. They all turned around and faced him angrily. ¡°What¡¯s so great about you! You look stupid!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you pointed mouth chimpanzee! You look like a piece of sh*t!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you look at your own reflection in your own piss!¡± Poor An Ke. The girls did not stop throwing insults at him. Their constant barrage of mean words was enough to make a healthy bull foam in the mouth and die, or even make the goddess, Guan Yin want to murder them. Even the venerable Tang San Zhang from Journey to the West would have ended up kneeling in front of these girls and saying, ¡°My admiration for you is like that of a river: It is unstoppable and never ending; And not just any river, it is as powerful as the Yellow River! So please, please, please, please, please, I beg you all, please say no more!!!¡± An Ke had never been insulted this much by any girl before, let alone a whole group. He was usually the kind to smile and act in a gentlemanly manner when dealing with the ladies. But right now, he was boiling with so much anger, he was unable to maintain his usual charm. He made his way through the mob of girls onto the field and shouted, ¡°Yang Pan!¡± The whole field became silent. Yang Pan turned around. An Ke pointed his right finger at Yang Pan and shouted, ¡°I challenge you to a one-on-one! You attack, I¡¯ll defend! The loser has to listen to the winner¡¯s request! How about that? Are you man enough to accept my challenge?¡± The crowd turned to look at Yang Pan. Yang Pan simply smiled and said, ¡°Sounds fun!¡± His response drove the girls crazy again and they all screamed excitedly. An Ke quickly got changed. He put on a pair of gloves and got in front of the goal. ¡°You set the challenge, I set the rules. I¡¯ll keep attacking and you¡¯ll keep defending until either you save the ball by hugging it or I score. Any questions?¡± Yang Pan said. Amid the girls¡¯ cries of ¡°Hit him in the face!¡± and ¡°Show him how useless he is!¡±, An Ke who was still fuming did not think much about Yang Pan¡¯s conditions. ¡°Fine, whatever! Enough chat! Come on!¡± The two boys stared at each other. Despite being frustrated and annoyed, the moment An Ke got into position in front of the goal, he still showed the qualities of an excellent goalkeeper. He was extremely alert, yet very calm. He observed Yang Pan¡¯s every move with a keen eye, ready to react to any of his attacks. But Yang Pan did not shoot. Instead, he carried the ball further until he was about 30 m away from the goalpost. An Ke had no idea why he was doing that, but the crowd in the stand knew that Yang Pan was going for his signature long-ranged kick. Yang Pan distanced himself from the ball before sprinting towards it and kicking it with all his might. The ball shot through the air like a cannonball! An Ke saw the ball being kicked into the air and when the small black dot rapidly grew bigger, he became very shocked. He instinctively put both his hands out to block it. *Thud!* Everybody heard the loud sound of An Ke blocking the ball, but An Ke flew into the goal himself. Zhang Jun, who was watching from afar was dumbstruck! This was his first time witnessing Yang Pan¡¯s secret weapon being blocked! An Ke was still lying inside the goal and the ball he blocked had been deflected back to the field. Yang Pan sprinted towards the spot where the ball landed and kicked the ball hard, sending it towards the goal again. An Ke could only watch as the ball hit the netting. There was nothing he could do about it. Even though this was his second time seeing Yang Pan¡¯s kick, An Ke could still feel the immense pressure from trying to defend against it. An Ke was now very sure that Yang Pan was extremely gifted, and he would no doubt become the star of Shu Guang High¡¯s soccer team! Yang Pan then made his way to An Ke. ¡°I lost, so I¡¯ll do whatever you ask me to,¡± An Ke said dejectedly. ¡°Great! Welcome to the soccer team!¡± Yang Pan extended his hand. ¡°Huh?¡± An Ke was confused. ¡°Well, you said that you¡¯d do whatever I want. I want you to join the team. Everybody here can be a witness.¡± Yang Pan pointed to the crowd. ¡°¡­Why do I feel like I just got conned?¡± An Ke said as he looked at the crowd. ¡°You better not go back on your word!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re watching you!¡± The crowd shouted. ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t gonna keep my word? Fine, I¡¯ll join! What¡¯s the big deal?¡± An Ke got up angrily. Yang Pan finally laughed. He was quite wary about An Ke going back on his promise. An ke kept rubbing his left hand, which was still in pain from making that block. ¡°Injured already?¡± ¡°Man, you must be joking! That kick was weak! Go train some more!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go meet the rest of the team!¡± Yang Pan dragged An Ke over to the other team members. An Ke¡¯s height caused quite a commotion among the team members. Many of them kept asking him silly questions about how he grew so tall and if he had played basketball before. Liang Ke looked at them and thought to himself. Now all that¡¯s left is you, Zhang Jun! He then turned to look in the boy¡¯s direction, just to find that he had already left. ¡­ Zhang Jun took off his shoes. His foot was not as swollen as he thought it was after all. He then moved it around a little, and felt that it was not hurting him as much as it did before. ¡°Has it healed?¡± His father asked. Zhang Jun¡¯s dad, Zhang Wei Guo was a freelance photographer and he had not been getting proper work for a while now. Ever since Zhang Jun could remember, his dad had always been running around with a camera in his hand. Almost every photograph in their house was taken by his dad. ¡°Not so sure.¡± Zhang Jun did not want to stress about it too much. ¡°You¡¯ve been kicking balls for almost 10 years. You should be able to tell the difference between a ball and a brick,¡± his dad joked as he applied some ointment on the injured foot. He was also the other soccer addict in the family as well as the one responsible for Zhang Jun¡¯s soccer training. ¡°Zhang Jun, do you still want to play soccer?¡± his dad suddenly asked him in a serious tone. ¡°I do! If I wasn¡¯t playing, I wouldn¡¯t have injured myself like that,¡± Zhang Jun replied with a smile. ¡°I mean, seriously.¡± Zhang Jun became quiet. For the past few weeks, he had been quiet when it came to soccer. ¡°Do you love playing soccer?¡± his dad asked again. Zhang Jun nodded. ¡°Son, you¡¯ve never given your mom or me much to worry about ever since you were young. But, you tend to care too much about what people think.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t! I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not finished! I¡¯m your dad! How would I not know my own son?¡± his father continued. ¡°You keep caring too much about what other people think and you¡¯re just going to end up hurting yourself. So, go do what you want to do!¡± He patted Zhang Jun on the head and left. ¡­ Zhang Jun used his uninjured foot and played with his soccer ball. He missed the familiar feeling. He suddenly remembered a memory from a long time ago when he was just four years old. It was his first soccer practice. The coach was talking to a group of 10 or so kids who were about four to five years old, ¡°If you want to play well, then you have to treat the ball like your girlfriend!¡± The kids were too young to know what a ¡°girlfriend¡± was, but right now, Zhang Jun suddenly realized just how unfaithful he had been to his ¡°girlfriend¡±. ¡­ ¡°Team, we have a new member joining us today,¡± Liang Ke said. ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Zhang Jun greeted everyone. The team clapped and cheered. ¡°Welcome! Welcome!¡± And amid all of their greetings, Zhang Jun noticed Su Fei smiling broadly at him while standing next to Liang Ke. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Shu Guang High¡¯s soccer field. ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± *Bump!* ¡°Ouch!¡± Zhang Jun rubbed the part of his head where Yang Pan had kicked him. ¡°Dude! Are you trying to kill me? You know how strong your kicks are, what if I get a concussion, man?¡± ¡°Then reply me, b*tch! I called you three times. You didn¡¯t even hear me once, so I had to do that. What¡¯s up with you? You¡¯re not focused.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t Su Fei here?¡± Zhang Jun looked around and scanned the place in search of the team manager. ¡°Oooohhh! You punk¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s not what you think!¡± Zhang Jun shook both of his hands. ¡°Judging from your reaction just now, I think it¡¯s exactly what I think it is!¡± Yang Pan teased. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna quit messing around. Su Fei had some stuff to do at home, so she left school after the second period.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun had just gotten home from school, and he was about to get into the house when he heard loud noises coming from next door. That was odd, because the house next door had always been empty. Why were there noises coming from there? Could it be¡­ As Zhang Jun wondered about the chances of there being ghosts in the vacant house, the doors opened with a creak and gave him a big scare. ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± a voice rang out. ¡°W-wh-who¡¯s there?¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Zhang Jun? Why is your voice shaking? It¡¯s your dad!¡± Zhang Jun turned his head and saw that it really was his father. ¡°I thought you were a ghost! You scared me!¡± ¡°What?¡± His father was annoyed at being called a ghost. ¡°Our new neighbors just moved in, so we¡¯re having a small gathering. Drop your bags off and come greet them!¡± his dad said before going back into the neighbor¡¯s house. ¡­ ¡°Umm¡­¡± Zhang Jun could not find the words to describe the scene before him. There were lots of boxes of random household items all over the place; some unpacked and some still sealed. With a few people there for the gathering, it seemed a little too cramped and chaotic for him. What made him cringe the most was perhaps the amount of dust that covered every inch of the place like snow. If anything, the place was absolutely inhabitable! Zhang Jun stood at the entrance, undecided on whether to enter or leave when a familiar voice greeted him, ¡°Come on in and grab yourself a drink! We just moved in, so it¡¯s still very messy. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± He turned to see who it was greeting him and was surprised to find a familiar face. ¡°Zhang Jun?!¡± ¡°Su Fei?!¡± The two schoolmates shouted each other¡¯s names at the same time. ¡­ Su Fei hummed a tune as she walked in front, lightly skipping like a rabbit. Meanwhile, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan were both walking behind her as they stared at each other. ¡°How did she end up becoming your neighbor?¡± Yang Pan whispered, trying not to let Su Fei hear. ¡°How would I know?¡± Zhang Jun whispered back. Su Fei then suddenly turned around and pouted at the two. ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± they both replied. And as soon as she turned away, Yang Pan turned to his friend and sighed. ¡°You lucky bastard!¡± ¡­ The school grounds were lively even after classes had ended. Many students did not go home right away, and chose to have a few games of basketball before calling it a day. The soccer field however, was reserved just for the school team. Fortunately, all the students who preferred to play soccer were already on the team, so no one complained about their monopoly. Plus, not sharing the field with any of the other student bodies meant that they could train all they want everyday until the late evenings, and no one would mind. Liang Ke had targeted for the team to enter the top four in nationals. This news then spread and became well-known among the students. Shu Guang High had never made it past the first round in the preliminaries before, hence that target was very much like a big joke to everyone else. But Liang Ke thought otherwise: They had some really strong freshmen joining the team this time around and he firmly believed that getting into the top four was not a very distant dream like it used to be. Yang Pan, Zhang Jun and Ren Yu De; with these few people in the front, the team¡¯s offense was no small matter, and their new goalkeeper An Ke was really reliable when it came to defense. As long as he did his job well, Shu Guang High¡¯s soccer team would no longer be the one team everybody else picked on anymore! ¡°Zhang Jun! Wait up for me! Hey, whatever happened to bros before hoes man?¡± Yang Pan shouted as he ran. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? You¡¯re as slow as a snail!¡± Su Fei laughed, seeing the two boys arguing. They were on their way back home after training. ¡°Hey, Su Fei? There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you for a very long time,¡± Yang Pan suddenly said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly move here?¡± Zhang Jun eyed Yang Pan. The guy had been teasing him for being so lucky after they became neighbors. ¡°My old place was too far from school and there aren¡¯t any dorms in our high school, so traveling to and fro every day was a real problem. Besides, Luoyang District has been investing a lot into Jian Xi over the past few years. They even built a high-tech industrial park. And, lots of big companies are moving here as a result. My parents said that this place is going to become the heart of a big city soon, so they decided to buy a house here since they believe the value¡¯s gonna go up. Because of that, I chose Shu Guang High for my high school entrance exam. Shortly after, we all moved here.¡± ¡°Oooohhh!¡± ¡°Besides,¡± she continued as she smiled, ¡°I even have you guys escorting me to and from school now. I don¡¯t have to be afraid of meeting bad guys!¡± Yang Pan looked at Zhang Jun and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Su Fei. If a bad guy shows up, Zhang Jun will be the first to run!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhang Jun held his bag up with his hand. ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat this perv up, right now!¡± ¡°Help!¡± ¡°Stop running!¡± Su Fei watched as the two boys ran ahead and laughed. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhongzhou, Middle Street, building No. 425, High School Soccer magazine headquarters. The last few years had seen greater government support in promoting soccer for youths on a national level. It was so successful that it could be considered a revolution in itself, gaining more and more attention over the years. It received so much attention that new magazines catering only to youth soccer sprouted all over the country, and Luoyang¡¯s High School Soccer was one of them. Being the earliest of its kind in the region, High School Soccer spearheaded the charge and quickly became the most popular sports magazine in Henan. ¡°Little Chen, heading out again?¡± said the voice of a fat, elderly man. The young man, whose name had been called was just about to exit the office. He then turned around to answer his superior. ¡°Yes, chief. I just got back not too long ago, but I¡¯m heading out again to try and get more information. With the Nationals coming soon, we don¡¯t want to be missing out on anything now, do we?¡± Chen Huafeng answered. ¡°I really envy you, youngsters. Good job. So, where are you heading to today?¡± Chief Editor Liu Yang chuckled. ¡°Shu Guang High.¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± A person looked up over a pile of paperwork on his desk. He pushed his glasses up with a finger before continuing, ¡°There¡¯s nothing that you can possibly get from that school. They¡¯ve never made it to the second round of the qualifiers every year. That school is a journalist¡¯s dead-end!¡± The man speaking was Zhou Peng, the editor in charge of the magazine¡¯s new division in Luoyang. The chief nodded and said, ¡°Little Chen, you¡¯re new here, so maybe you don¡¯t know this. Shu Guang High is no more than a supporting actor in the world of high school soccer.¡± ¡°Chief, you¡¯re giving them too much credit! I say they¡¯re just extras!¡± said Sun Liang Liang from the artwork team. ¡°Wow, you guys can¡¯t be serious!¡± ¡°Nope! We¡¯re absolutely serious!¡± Zhou Peng said as he shook his head. ¡°Let me say this,¡± Sun Liang Liang spoke before hitting his hand on the table, ¡°if they make it into the second round of qualifiers this year, I¡¯ll buy everyone here lunch!¡± he said it loudly in a mocking manner, and everybody else in the office looked up from their desks. Chen Huafeng, who was rather offended by his actions, then replied, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll play this game with you! If Shu Guang High gets eliminated right after the first round of qualifiers, it¡¯ll be my treat instead!¡± And with that, he walked out of the office. ¡­ ¡°Today¡¯s training will involve trying to score while running,¡± Liang Ke told the team. ¡°Scoring?¡± An Ke had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Then¡­¡± he mumbled as he looked around in search of someone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yang Pan is in top shape today. He¡¯s not absent or late,¡± Zhang Jun said. He was standing just right next to him. An Ke felt annoyed for being easily read and decided to humiliate Zhang Jun later during training. He would make sure that he did not score at all. Zhang Jun once again poked at his pride by saying, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of Yang Pan¡¯s shooting aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wh-who¡¯s afraid of that? Me? You must be joking!¡± An Ke replied with a stutter. ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s nothing shameful in admitting that you¡¯re afraid of Yang Pan¡¯s scoring.¡± ¡°Just watch me block his shots later!¡± An Ke replied angrily. Zhang Jun did not mind An Ke¡¯s tone. He remembered how he blocked Yang Pan¡¯s first shot the other day. ¡°He may just be able to pull it off,¡± he said to himself. After a brief warm-up, An Ke put on his gloves and stood in front of the goal. The memory of Yang Pan¡¯s shot kept replaying in his head as he repeatedly checked his gloves to see if they fit. The first one up was a third-year senior, Wang Yue Hua. He was waiting for An Ke to finish fidgeting with his gloves and he grew tired of waiting. ¡°Are you ready yet?¡± ¡°Fine! Fine!¡± An Ke waved as he took up his goalkeeping stance. Liang Ke blew his whistle and Wang Yue Hua started carrying the ball. He gradually sped up as he was closing in on the goal. He changed directions and took a shot! An Ke read his movements completely and dived to the left, catching the ball with both hands before bringing it into a hug. ¡°Nice save!¡± Everyone applauded. For the next few rounds, shots that were aimed at the goal were all denied entry. A few even missed their marks and either hit the post or went off the field. Coach Liang Ke could only shake his head and secretly sob. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because An Ke is too good or the whole team¡¯s just that horrible! While this was going on, Chen Huafeng¡¯s eyes lit up as he saw everything from under a tree not too far away. ¡°This goalkeeper is really something! His technique and precision is not something an average high school goalkeeper can achieve. He seems to be relying on just instinct most of the time.¡± He took out the Shu Guang High Soccer Team Roster and marked the No.1 checkbox with a tick. ¡°Yang Pan!¡± Liang Ke called. Hearing that name, An Ke¡¯s heart started to beat faster and Zhang Jun wore an anticipating look on his face. ¡°Will he be able to block him this time?¡± Yang Pan had his usual habit of carrying the ball further away from the goal. Only this time, he stopped at 35 m away. Liang Ke blew his whistle and Yang Pan started carrying the ball. He stopped just after a few steps and flicked the ball upwards with the tip of his boot. He then kicked the ball when it was still up in the air! The ball flew high and far, however it curved as it came down towards the goal like a comet, leaving a visible trail as it shot through the air. An Ke jumped at the ball with all his strength, and with both hands stretched forward, he tried to intercept the ball. But, the ball completely missed his gloves and hit the side post before bouncing into the net. *Dong, dong, dong* The whole post was still shaking when An Ke sat himself up and looked at it. But, the one who had the biggest shock was Chen Huafeng. His mouth was wide open and it took him almost a few minutes or so to realize what had happened. ¡°Was this really shot by a high school student? That speed, power, or angle is hard even for a lot of professional players!¡± He was very glad he came to Shu Guang High that day. The team erupted in awe. ¡°Nice shot!¡± ¡°Beautiful!¡± ¡°What a beast!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± Zhang Jun stepped up to the ball and winked at An Ke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having to humiliate you again!¡± An Ke gave him the middle finger and said, ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± As soon as Liang Ke blew his whistle, Zhang Jun carried the ball from the edge of the penalty box towards the goal. However, he did not choose to shoot even though he was in range and An Ke instinctively knew that he planned to shoot the ball only when he was very sure that he could score. Just as Zhang Jun was closing in on An Ke, his left shoulder dipped a little, making it look as if he was going to shoot the ball to the left. An Ke reacted by diving to his left to block the shot, but he was surprised to see the ball flying into the goal from his right. Zhang Jun¡¯s amazing footwork had sent the ball to the right instead. He basically feinted a left using the movements of his body. Zhang Jun¡¯s shooting stunned Chen Huafeng as well. His ability to be so calm and composed even when he was in front of the keeper was absolutely terrifying! ¡°Ren Yu De!¡± Ren Yu De started from the corner of the penalty box and kept moving to the left. He did not close in towards the goal like everybody else did, but brought the ball all the way towards the left corner of the field. Everybody was puzzled by what was going on, including An Ke. ¡°Hold up! This is shooting practice, not crossing!¡± ¡°No, wait! He¡¯s going to shoot from a small angle!¡± Yang Pan exclaimed. Ren Yu De was doing exactly as Yang Pan said. He kicked the ball from a side angle that was really narrow, aiming for the far corner of the goal. An Ke tried his hardest to save it, but he could not even touch the ball. It entered the goal exactly at the corner of the post. ¡°That really was a tight angle!¡± Zhang Jun said. ¡°Hey! What kind of crazy stunt is this? You won¡¯t score if the angle isn¡¯t small enough?¡± The whole team became loud with excitement once again, but the happiest person present was perhaps Coach Liang Ke. This training session had proven that he was not wrong: These few players had what it took to become the top 10 players in the whole of Luoyang! Liang Ke¡¯s ideal team was finally taking form. Chen Huafeng left the school grounds with a huge scoop. The four players, whom he just saw left a very deep impression on him. His journalistic gut told him that these four were about to become very well known throughout the whole country soon. After the training, Liang Ke made an announcement about a friendly practice match. This news was a shocker for the team, especially the seniors. The team never made it past the first round of the qualifiers, thus no other schools were willing to have practice matches with them. They were considered too weak even for training. However, the coach managed to get the match through some connections: The team¡¯s No. 10, Wang Bo had gone to Xin¡¯an Yi High before he transferred to Shu Guang, and he had a good relationship with members of the soccer team there. So, Liang Ke had asked Wang Bo to ¡°sue¡± his contacts to make the match happen. ¡°This Saturday afternoon, we¡¯ll be going to Xin¡¯an Yi High for a warm-up, practice match before the qualifiers. Getting this match was not easy, so I hope that all of you can really get something out of it. Make sure you guys are at the school gates by one this Saturday!¡± The seniors on the team were very excited when they heard that they were getting a match. The freshmen did not understand why their seniors were so excited over a warm-up match. Mainly because, they had never been through the depressing years of not having any team willing to hold a match against them. The seniors only had training and more training after even more training instead of playing against other teams. ¡­ It was night time as Su Fei opened the main door of Zhang Jun¡¯s home. ¡°Hi aunty, is Zhang Jun in?¡± ¡°He¡¯s watching TV. There¡¯s a match on and he¡¯s been watching it since he got home, instead of doing his homework.¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s mother was busy in the kitchen. Even though she was busy with her business in the day, she still cooked for the family at night. She was really the best mom anyone could find! Zhang Jun had always held the belief that his dad¡¯s marriage to such a wonderful woman was due to good karma from his previous life. The noise from the TV filled the living room as Su Fei popped in. She found Zhang Jun lying comfortably on the sofa and watching TV. ¡°Ahem!¡± Su Fei faked a cough. Zhang Jun turned and was surprised to see her. ¡°Su Fei? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why? Am I not welcomed here?¡± She frowned. Zhang Jun quickly waved his hands and said, ¡°No, no, no!¡± He then quickly got up and offered her a seat. ¡°Have a seat!¡± Su Fei laughed at Zhang Jun¡¯s silliness. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s so funny?¡± Zhang Jun asked ¡°angrily¡±. Su Fei stopped laughing and pointed at the TV. ¡°Who¡¯s playing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Argentina versus Brazil.¡± The match was heating up. Both teams were powerhouses of South American soccer, and when the two rivals clashed, it was always an exciting match to watch. At one point of the game, the Brazilians scored themselves a corner kick and Zhang Jun finally got the chance to get himself a drink. The match had been too intense and he could not even blink, much less get some water. He would have missed a lot if he did so. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t the ball go out? Why aren¡¯t they throwing it in instead? Isn¡¯t that against the rules?¡± Su Fei suddenly exclaimed as she pointed at the screen. *Splurt!* Zhang Jun sprayed the water he just drank all over the coffee table. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Huh? Nothing, I¡¯m fine,¡± Zhang Jun said as he left the living room. ¡°Hey? You¡¯re not gonna watch it anymore?¡± A few moments later, Zhang Jun returned to the living room carrying a stack of books . He dropped them on the coffee table in front of a confused Su Fei. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I have decided!¡± Zhang Jun looked at her with a very serious expression. ¡°Decided what?¡± Zhang Jun pointed at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you about the basic rules of soccer. People are so going to laugh at us if they find out that our team manager doesn¡¯t even know the basics of the game!¡± ¡­(studying)¡­ ¡°Alright! That covers the basics. Here, take these with you.¡± Zhang Jun pointed at the stack of books on the coffee table. Su Fei picked one up and read through it as Zhang Jun continued, ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°Sure, shoot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have basic knowledge of the game, why did you choose to become the manager in the first place? It¡¯s just something I can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I told you, I love soccer!¡± Su Fei answered him without raising her head from the book. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you need to fully understand soccer in order to love it, right? And, I also just fell in love with it this summer.¡± ¡°Is it because of the World Cup?¡± ¡°Yes! The World Cup! Beckham, Batistuta, Ronaldo and Zidane.¡± ¡°Looks like you know a few famous soccer players!¡± ¡°Fangirling is a girl¡¯s natural talent!¡± Su Fei said as she brought her head up. ¡°Who¡¯s your favorite?¡± ¡°Mine? Well, basically those who play forward positions are my favorites, like Van Basten, Pele, Ronaldo¡­ But, my favorite forward of all time is Romario.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of names I¡¯ve never heard of.¡± ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s talk about something else. You won¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about anyways.¡± ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t you dare look down on me! I¡¯ll learn all these rules in a week!¡± Su Fei said angrily as she picked up all the books and left. Zhang Jun watched as she left. What a competitive girl! Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Today¡¯s practice session ends here. There¡¯s still a match tomorrow, so everyone get home early and rest!¡± Liang Ke said as he waved everyone off the field. Zhang Jun remembered that he had something to ask his captain, Su Li and he stayed behind to help pack things up. The entire time, Su Fei was running around trying to collect the balls that were scattered around the field. She had been knocking them around awkwardly¡ªwhile not one of them seemed to follow her will, it did not curb her enthusiasm. The bizarre sight prompted a jibe from Su Li. ¡°It¡¯s like a princess chasing little pigs!¡± Zhang Jun smiled at the appropriate simile. ¡°Captain, there¡¯s something I¡¯m not clear about,¡± he asked. ¡°Why were the seniors so excited when they heard about the match?¡± ¡°You¡¯re new, so you probably wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Su Li smiled. ¡°I asked about this too when I was new here. Well, in a nutshell, our team is the absolute bottom-feeder in the Luoyang high school soccer scene. Every year, there is little chance for us to have a match other than the qualifiers for the national competition. ¡°And, it¡¯s not like we do well in that either; we keep losing in the first round. So, that¡¯s pretty much why no other team would even want to play a practice match with us. Now that we actually have a proper one, everyone¡¯s excited.¡± Although his leader wore a grin as he spoke, his squad mate did not miss the bitterness in his words. Meanwhile, using both her hands and legs, Su Fei finally managed to chase down all the scattered ¡°little pigs¡± and gathered them into a bamboo basket. ¡°Count them. Did I leave any out?¡± The team manager asked Zhang Jun with a sense of accomplishment. Despite all that, her work fell to blind eyes. ¡­ Nighttime. ¡°Su Fei? Zhang Jun¡¯s gone downstairs. You can look for him there.¡± ¡°Thanks aunty!¡± Su Fei turned and left the Zhangs¡¯ apartment, thinking to herself. It¡¯s pitch dark out there right now, what¡¯s he doing? As soon as she left the apartment, she found someone beneath one of the streetlights; upon closer look, she saw that it was Zhang Jun¡ªhe was playing keepie-uppie. ¡°Didn¡¯t coach tell you to rest early for tomorrow¡¯s match?¡± Not stopping, her neighbor replied, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep if I¡¯m not warm!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, you¡¯ve been acting weird today! I worked so hard when I wrapped things up after practice, and you didn¡¯t even praise me!¡± Zhang dropped the ball and wiped off a pinch of sweat. ¡°That¡¯s it? Really?¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve never done warm-ups before sleeping!¡± ¡°Let me ask you this, Su Fei¡±¡ªZhang Jun replied, picking up the ball¡ª¡±what would you do if people kept looking down on you?¡± ¡°Screw that! Of course I¡¯d retaliate!¡± ¡°How would you do that? Argue with them?¡± ¡°No! Arguing is meaningless! I¡¯ll do it through action!¡± ¡°Right! That¡¯s right!¡± Zhang Jun exclaimed and applauded. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to learn from you!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Fei was stumped. ¡°Shu Guang High has been scorned at for a very long time, so much so that as a student at Shu Guang High I¡¯m too afraid show my face on the streets! I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ll hit a hat-trick during tomorrow¡¯s match!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ you¡¯re going to score three goals?¡± Su Fei asked gingerly. ¡°Correct!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± A chipper Su Fei leapt, high-fiving her friend in celebration. ¡°Whoa! I haven¡¯t done it yet; there¡¯s no need to be so excited, right?¡± ¡°My hard work these few days has paid off!¡± Su Fei squealed. ¡°A hat-trick equals to a player scoring three goals! I was right!¡± Zhang Jun stumbled. ¡­ The Xin¡¯an County in the northwest of Luoyang was an impoverished district in the country. Still, contrary to many who believed that this in itself was a noteworthy feature of the region, there were many more breathtaking sceneries there. One example was Mount Qing¡¯yao, a place where the vintage Chinese geographical text, ¡°Classic of Mountains and Seas¡± was once poetically narrated: ¡°Mount of Qing Yao, truly a favorable secret retreat fit for kings¡­¡± After a 40-minute journey, the Shu Guang bus stopped outside the Xin¡¯an Yi High School stadium. The facility was built leaning against a hill and bore the shape of a dustpan. Alongside it was a four-storey hostel building on the slope. Spectator stands were set up left and right beside the pitch, while a towering rostrum was set up on the right together with the locker rooms for both host and visiting teams. Beneath the slope was a basketball court. There were already spectators waiting at the stands and the host team was also training on the pitch. At the sight of their opponents¡¯ arrival, their coach approached to greet them. It did not take more than a few exchanges for Liang Ke to hate the guy, who laughed at them. ¡°Can¡¯t wait for the game, haha! The big game is coming up; it¡¯s good to pick up some confidence at least! Haha.¡± At the sight of his fake laugh, Liang retorted humorlessly, ¡°Us too!¡± After a few simple warm-ups, the team went into the locker rooms where Liang asked, ¡°Everyone, did you hear what their coach said?¡± ¡°Yes!!!¡± ¡°Any thoughts? Are you guys fine with being ridiculed all the time?¡± ¡°No!!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let them see that we are no longer the old us!¡± ¡°Yeah!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± Su Fei reminded the coach. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Liang Ke waved. ¡°Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, stay behind for a bit.¡± Both of them sat down again. After everyone else left, Liang Ke stuck his face right in front of theirs and growled. ¡°I only have one request, go crazy; there¡¯s no need to save face on my behalf!¡± Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At the sound of the referee¡¯s whistle, the Shu Guang team initiated the kick-off. The entire pitch rang in a thunderous ovation, albeit the cheers were exclusively reserved for the home team. Chen Huafeng picked a good spectating spot where he would be left alone and undisturbed as he watched the game. What performance will the team¡¯s quartet put on this time? There¡¯s so much to look forward to! The cheerleading team for Xin¡¯an Yi High School was also filled with eager anticipation; with a game between two sides of such mismatched abilities, how many goals would their team bag? In earnest fervor, they shouted wave after wave of sonorous cheer in support of their own team. However, they were left dumbstruck in an instant by Yang Pan. Xin¡¯an Yi High¡¯s goalkeeper was left sitting on the ground and staring at his still-quaking goalpost. The number on the scoreboard was clear¡ª0:1, the visitors were in the lead. In celebration, Yang ran purposefully in front of the opposition team¡¯s coach; With his arms spread and an expression of helpless glee on his face, he shrugged. Over at his corner, Chen was getting excited; Yang¡¯s shot¡ªa repeated act¡ªproved that it was not a fluke before. He retrieved a little notebook from his pocket, and eagerly noted it down on the page where he began a week¡¯s worth of data collection on Yang Pan as well as Zhang Jun. On Yang Pan, he had already wrote: ¡°In third grade, he won the National Middle School Soccer Championship as a representative of Kai Ta Middle School. He was also picked into the ¡°competing team¡±, and awarded the title of ¡°King of Assists¡± in said championship. ¡°A capable body with an 11-second record in 100-m sprints, a prodigy among junior high students. His lightning speed augments his crosses from the wings, and his powerful shooting leg were key to victories during his middle school years. Heavily contributed by making plenty of breakthroughs in stalemate matches with his long shots. Someone once calculated that one of his shots reached speeds of 180km/h, a rare feat even among professionals and a great armament to break the opposition¡¯s morale as well as boost his own team¡¯s confidence.¡± The last point was proven once more in today¡¯s game; the Xin¡¯an Yi team, clearly shaken after going behind, could neither rally nor form up in offense. Shu Guang on the other hand, were positively bursting in growing vigor with every passing moment. At the twenty-sixth minute, Yang sped down the right wing. Leaving a pursuing defender behind, he crossed the ball into the middle, where Zhang Jun leapt and headed it in to make the score 2:0. Fifty-fourth minute: Wang Bo catches Zhang¡¯s pass for an easy finish. 3:0! Sixty-second minute: Zhang Jun sweeps Yang¡¯s pass into the back of the net. 4:0! By then, every single supporter of Xin¡¯an Yi High School had been silenced. They were feeling utterly crushed. There were even supporters who left the stands early. On the coaches¡¯ seat, Xin¡¯an Yi¡¯s coach felt as if he was sitting on a carpet full of needles; 0:4! Nobody could have imagined this scenario before the game. After all the other team stank, and had never progressed beyond the first round in nationals each year! Who could accept such a score? He shuddered at the very thought as he imagined himself facing the principal¡¯s caustic face the next day. The host team¡¯s substitutes were also feeling as irked as he was. Rising from their seats from time to time,, they screamed and shouted at their teammates from the sidelines. They were feeling the pressure too¡ªas part of the school team that earned a result of such infamy, would they still have any face left to stay in this school? Under the roar of their teammates, Xin¡¯an Yi finally went on the attack and their No.10 dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area. Although the Shu Guang defense mobilized in an attempt to stop his advance, they were paused by An Ke, who screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t stop him! Let him shoot! Really, took them half a day to get here! My hands are getting cold.¡± The jibe struck No.10 hard; he shrieked in a bizarre manner before he fired from outside the box when An Ke moved. ¡°How could you¡±¡ªhe stopped the effort with one hand¡ª¡±shoot like this? What kind of joke is this?¡± He cleared the ball even before he finished his sentence. Indescribably appalled, the No.10 player felt incredible humiliation as a striker at the sight of his effort being stopped with just one hand. He even fired the ball with full strength! As the match counted down, the ball once more fell to Yang Pan in his familiar hunting grounds of the right wing. He feinted a charge, and the opposing team¡¯s defenders¡ªwho by now were scared silly by his speed¡ªran back immediately. Smiling with amusement, Yang back-passed to Zhang, who dribbled the ball and slipped into the box. Xin¡¯an Yi¡¯s team captain rushed in, his thoughts on only one thing. ¡°We can¡¯t concede another goal!¡± But Zhang Jun did not perform any dummy move and merely accelerated. He charged to the right. His marker turned and followed his movement¡­ only to find that Zhang was already a meter ahead of him in no time at all. ¡°He¡¯s so¡­ so fast!¡± Yang Pan was smiling at the back. ¡°You want to stop Zhang Jun with just your two-bit ability? His 5 to 15-m dashes are incomparable. You¡¯ve lost as soon as you let him into the box! In it, he¡¯s king!¡± Outrunning the last defender, Zhang went one-on-one with the keeper; he abruptly dropped his left shoulder and raised his right leg to shoot! The goalie quickly dived to the right, but An Ke, who saw everything clearly from far behind, could not help but scream, ¡°Moron! That¡¯s not it! You¡¯ve been tricked!¡± Naturally, the other keeper could not hear An Ke from the other end, and the ball flew into the net on his left¡ªan exact replay of the time An Ke himself was fooled by Zhang. ¡°Moron! Fool! Imbecile! Dimwit!¡± An Ke cursed and slammed his gloves on the ground, as if he was the one who just conceded the goal. The referee blew the whistle and pointed towards the center circle. 5:0! A hat-trick! Su Fei leaped out her chair at once in celebration! ¡°Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic!¡± Not quite finding another appropriate word other than ¡°fantastic¡± for her moment of ecstasy, she kept repeating herself. This prompted a weird glance from Liang Ke. In that moment, the heart of Xin¡¯an Yi High¡¯s coach dropped. Knowing that the principal was lurking in a corner somewhere and watching, he knew beyond any doubt that he would be sacked in the morning. Meanwhile, as soon as Xin¡¯an Yi got the ball to the center, the referee whistled to signal the end of the second half. The match was over! 5:0! An inconceivable landslide victory for Shu Guang! The team went into a fervent group hug in celebration, which was probably amusing to the eye of others; was this not only a practice match after all? Still, for them, the win meant a lot. What¡¯s the fun in soccer? Beautiful goals? Entertaining dribbles? Or impregnable defenses? In the end and at the crux, it is a desire to win. It is the same for a real match or just a friendly. Only those who are relentless for victory can enjoy soccer and enjoy the fun; for what enjoyment would there be for teams that never win? When was the last time the Shu Guang team won? Those who have won were probably unable to recall it by now, thus many of them most likely the sensation of winning. Now, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan allowed them to remember the sweet taste of triumph, reigniting a flame that had long been extinguished. Perhaps this was the reason Liang Ke set up this practice match! Su Fei was just as excited as the rest of the team. It was her first game as manager and they had already earned an incredible victory. Unable to contain her feelings, she scampered around and hugged anyone within reach. Zhang Jun gaped at the sight from a corner, and asked Yang Pan, who was beside him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone remind her that this is not very cool?¡± ¡°Not cool? Looks perfectly cool to me!¡± Yang Pan beamed, and immediately made a dash. ¡°Su Fei, me too! I¡¯m a huge contributor to the victory!¡± ¡°No way, you big pervert!¡± Liang Ke looked at the chaotic scene but made no move to stop it. He knew that the kids had been bottling up their feelings for far too long; it was time for them to let it out. ¡°No.11.¡± Zhang Jun stopped his ¡°intimacy¡± with Yang Pan and turned to find the opposing team¡¯s captain. An Ke came too. ¡°What? Not happy with the loss?¡± He challenged. But the other ignored An and merely told Zhang, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know your name, I have your shirt number in my memory now. I really want to play you once more, but it won¡¯t be in a practice match. It¡¯ll be in the wild west of the national qualifiers. Just remember, don¡¯t get eliminated early!¡± With those words, the captain turned and left without waiting for a reply from Zhang. ¡°What! So despicable! Who knows who will be eliminated then!¡± An Ke shouted, ¡°Oi! You guys take care of yourselves too!¡± Soon after, Liang Ke waved at his squad who were still chattering about the match that had just ended. ¡°Okay boys, let¡¯s hurry on home! Don¡¯t catch a cold, the big game is coming up!¡± ¡°Oh!!!¡± The procession of twenty-plus heads answered in unison, breaking the silence of the school during the weekend. Ren Yu De was the last to leave; after slowly packing things up, he even took a small break before treading home. It was an exhausting match for him; after running for almost eighty minutes, he almost pulled a muscle. It had been a year and a half since his first proper match; he did not expect it to be so strenuous. Seeing his teammates scoring one goal after another made him want to join in on the fun too; but when his chance came in the sixty-seventh minute, he could only watch as the ball rolled wide across the open goal post. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Wang Bo, who made the pass then, yelled at him. As a matter of fact, he knew exactly what he was doing. In that moment, his supporting leg suddenly gave out, and failing to hold his body upright, his outstretched left leg missed the ball by mere inches. To any onlooker it would have looked like a slip, but he knew that it was him being physically inadequate. After a year and a half of not playing a proper game, to play one under his current physical condition was forcing it. Even if he had skills above the rest, without fulfilling the typical visceral requirements, his skills and movements would slouch like it did today¡ªjust as the saying goes: the heart is willing, but the body is weak. Annoyed at those very thoughts, Ren¡¯s hand retrieved a pack of unopened cigarettes that he just bought that day from his shirt pocket. In habit he opened the seal, drew one out and slipped it into his mouth before taking out his lighter, preparing to ignite it. Then, he suddenly remembered something. In a hurry, he snuffed it off and stuffed the cigarette back into the pack. He held the box in front of him and squinted; it was such a familiar package! Today however, a line of words stood out, ¡°Smoking is hazardous to health¡±. He pretty much never noticed them, and then, the scene of him helplessly watching the ball roll past him replayed in his mind in slow motion¡ªit was so infuriating! He looked at the pack of cigarettes once more, and squeezed it before flinging it into the air with full force. It¡¯s time for a different lifestyle. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The National High School Soccer Championship was founded in 1985 in conjunction with the Youth Soccer Program¡¯s slogan, which read, ¡°The cultivation of soccer must start from toddlers!¡±. On the levels preceding it were the National Middle School Soccer Championship and the National Elementary School Soccer Championship. These competitions were held annually and, in consideration of the college entrance exams, took place during the winter holidays. Since the Chinese Professional Championship was established in 1994, there would be a live television broadcast of the high school tournament even as its standard and module continue to improve and expand¡ªit was a sign of the standard it had reached, where even professional teams began to send scouts to watch for prospective talents every year in those games. And that was how the Nationals essentially became a festive season for the high school soccer scene. With 64 participating teams getting eliminated at different stages and asserting themselves ahead of 35,000 high school teams, they represented the standard of each county¡ªthe winning team was the unquestionable champion of high school soccer! Every year, the regional qualifiers for the tournament would begin soon after freshmen were inducted into their respective schools. There were a total of 32 competitive regions including the respective counties, the federal territories and the special administrative region (Hong Kong). But among them, the Luoyang County was an exemption¡ªwhile it was a typical county ,it was singled out by the managing board as a singular competitive region. Their decision was due to a matter of results; of the 13 championships held so far, six of them were won by a single school within the region¡ªthe high school attached to Zhongyuan University of Science and Technology were an indisputable giant among the high school soccer teams, with six championship titles and three runner-ups placed under their belt. Indeed, their mere existence was of such influence that the Youth Soccer¡¯s board of directors were concerned about the entire scene of Henan Province being affected negatively. Therefore, they decided to assign Luoyang to its very own competitive region. After all, the National High School Soccer Championship was different from the World Cup; even the defending champions would still have to go through the qualifiers of every new season¡ªwith Zhongyuan High¡¯s stranglehold on the representative spot for their region every year, there was such despair that other schools began to lose interest in the national tournament. This was why everyone effectively celebrated when the panel announced their decision. And now, the Luoyang regional fixtures for the 14th National High School Championship had been distributed to each school, with kick-offs for the opening match planned for 3.00pm on the upcoming Saturday. Every person in anticipation who had been fighting hard for a year, waited for it eagerly. ¡­ The players circled Liang Ke as they tried to catch a glimpse of the schedule in his hand. ¡°Who will be our opponents in the first round?¡± Those who could not squeeze inside the circle shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t rush! Don¡¯t rush!¡± The ones within the circle replied. ¡°It¡¯s Zhong Xin Heavy Industries Technical High School!¡± Someone shouted, and the entire activity room instantly went quiet. ¡­ ¡°Zhong Xin Heavy Industries Technical High?¡± At the sight of the baffled Chen Huafeng, Sun Liang Liang laughed with malice. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? They won fifth-place last year and were only eliminated after a long, fearsome fight against Zhongyuan High, which lasted 100 minutes; they are not your run-of-the-mill team!¡± ¡°I know, so what?¡± ¡°They are the ones that the Shu Guang team you admire so much will face in the first round.¡± Sun¡¯s eyebrow lit up as he emphasized he emphasized ¡°you admire so much¡¯. ¡°You still think they have a chance?¡± Huafeng pouted and turned to leave, bumping into Chief Editor Liu Yang on his way out. ¡°What¡¯s the rush, Chen? Heading to Shu Guang again?¡± ¡°Yes! And I will now dash over for an interview because I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d have to queue up after the first round!¡± Chen raised his voice as he finished the last part. ¡°Such confidence?¡± ¡°Lord Editor, want to make a bet?¡± Chen smiled. ¡°Urgh, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not that young and foolish!¡± ¡­ ¡°Zhong Xin Technical High¡­.¡± Someone murmured, and the atmosphere of the activity room became stuffy almost immediately. It was Su Fei who then broke the silence, ¡°What¡¯s up with all of you? I don¡¯t get it! Didn¡¯t we just totally destroy Xin¡¯an Yi High last Saturday? We played so well, so why the long faces?¡± Her words woke everyone from their reverie. ¡°That¡¯s right! Almost forgot that match!¡± ¡°That game was¡­ tut, tut!¡± ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s long shot is too good! With that, who do we have to fear?!¡± ¡°We still have An Ke¡¯s goalkeeping at the back, and Zhang Jun scoring up front. Come to think of it, we are pretty strong!¡± ¡°Hehe! Losing so many times before, getting scared is almost a habit huh!¡± Liang Ke looked on contentedly as their expressions changed. He never knew with a few words, Su Fei could have so much impact. It really was not enough for the manager to only do the washing and documenting! As the squad filed out of the activity room, their faces and spirits were glaringly different. Their coach followed¡ªbut a young man, with a camera on his chest and a notebook on his hand, approached him as he was leaving. ¡°Are you Coach Liang Ke, in charge of the Shu Guang High School?¡± ¡°I am. And you are¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I am Chen Huafeng, a reporter for High School Soccer, ¡± the other answered while handing him his name card, which Liang Ke scrutinized. ¡°I¡¯m here to interview the Shu Guang High School soccer team.¡± ¡°You? Interview? Us?¡± Liang pointed at Chen, and then his squad. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°Hur, hur! Mr. Liang, you are such a comedian. I believe your school team has considerable ability, especially with the addition of those few first-year students¡­¡± Liang Ke¡¯s heart was moved; he now looked straight at the young man, who continued, ¡°¡­That is why I would like some firsthand data.¡± ¡°No problem. Just tell us what you¡¯d like to know. As long as it doesn¡¯t concern secret tactics, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know without holding back¡­¡± Liang Ke replied. Straightening his hair and clothes, he added, ¡°Do you want to take a picture first?¡± ¡­ On the pitch. ¡°Coach is being interviewed; he ordered everyone to run three laps around the pitch in the meantime,¡± Su Li relayed the message to the crowd after getting his directives. The team erupted in protests. ¡°What?! He¡¯s getting interviewed while we are running laps?¡± ¡°Unfair!¡± ¡°We protest! We protest!¡± ¡°I want to be interviewed too.¡± ¡°How is our school getting an interview with our standards? Is the coach being conned?¡± Even with the disgruntled chatter, they would still have to run, which they did unwillingly; and each time they ran past the reporter, the squad would yell their team catchphrases in unison to try to catch his attention. ¡°One last thing, would it be fine for me to take photos of some of the players?¡± Chen said as he pocketed his notebook and took out his camera. ¡°Sure thing! Who do you want?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, An Ke and Ren Yu De.¡± ¡°Zhang Jun! Yang Pan! An Ke! Ren Yu De! Come over here for a bit!¡± The quartet approached under the envious gazes of the rest of their teammates. ¡°So, here¡¯s how it is¡±¡ªChen began, holding out his camera¡ª¡±I need you guys to help me out as I take a series of photos of each one of you. I will also give you instructions in a bit on how to do it. Any questions?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll take a group photo first; everyone, huddle up. There¡¯s no need to be nervous. Relax a little, relax!¡± Su Fei grinned at Zhang Jun from a corner. ¡°Look at your bunched-up face, it¡¯s like someone owes you money. This ain¡¯t a photo session for the deceased!¡± Zhang Jun stared sharply at her. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± He shouted back and was stunned as he turned back. ¡°Wowza! What¡¯s that supposed to be?¡± An Ke was making weird faces at everyone. ¡°Here, here, this is the way! Everybody follow me!¡± ¡°An Ke! No weird stuff!¡± Liang Ke growled. The others laughed as the air around them became less tense. Chen Huafeng immediately leapt to the occasion and with a few shutter clicks, he captured their bright smiles on film. After that, he moved on and photographed them individually as they posed according to his instructions. ¡­ ¡°We¡¯re finally free!¡± An Ke exclaimed as he plonked himself on the ground. ¡°That was so exhausting! Even more exhausting than playing a match! He wanted me to first make a dive to the right, and then a dive to the left. Does he think that he¡¯s at a monkey show?¡± ¡°You said that yourself!¡± Yang Pan retorted. Realising his mistake, An Ke tried to switch topics awkwardly. ¡°Who knows if the photos are really getting published. But if they are, we¡¯ll be famous! We¡¯ll become celebrities! Flowers! Hot babes! Money! Bonus points in exams! People will ask for our autographs on the streets, and journalists will come for interviews in droves! Playing hooky for days will be perfectly fine, and if the class teacher asks, I¡¯ll just tell him like a boss, ¡®I went to the TV station for a program!''¡± ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s stay away from that guy.¡± Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhang Jun poured over his homework when he got stumped by a particularly difficult question. He decided to find Su Fei for help ¡ªor to be precise, get her to do it for him. ¡°Auntie, is Su Fei in?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in her room, and for whatever reason, she locked herself in there right after finishing dinner. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Thanks auntie!¡± Zhang Jun knocked on her door. ¡°Come in!¡± As he pushed the door open, Zhang was taken aback by the sight that greeted him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A huge sheet of white paper was sprawled across the floor and his neighbor was down on all fours; there were marker pens, a straight ruler and other stationery around them. ¡°I¡¯m going to enlarge the match schedule on this paper and stick it on the activity room¡¯s wall tomorrow,¡± Su Fei answered without raising her head. ¡°It¡¯s a more comfortable view that way! Every time our team advances, I will use a red pen to connect the two games.¡± ¡°You have such faith in us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure! If the team manager does not believe, what hope is there for a good showing from the squad?¡± Zhang Jun peeked at the clock hanging on the wall, it was almost eleven. ¡°Oh, is there anything I can help you with?¡± Su Fei asked, finally lifting her gaze to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a bit tired from studying, so I came here for a spin.¡± He looked around the room. ¡°Really? Nothing?¡± The girl asked, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Really!¡± Zhang Jun felt the chill from her stare. ¡°You do your thing, I¡¯m going back.¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, he sprinted off as though he was escaping for his life. He then picked up his pen and sat down once more in front of his study desk. ¡°Damn Math teacher! Setting such insane questions! Even textbooks can¡¯t help!¡± The next day, Zhang saw the scaled-up list pasted on the wall of the activity room as soon as he entered. His teammates were chattering and crowding around it for a better look. At the sight of Zhang Jun, An Ke waved at him. ¡°Look! Such a gigantic fixture list with such straight lines and sleek writing, how much time did it take to make ?¡± Remembering that Su Fei¡¯s room was still lit up when he finished the last Math question at midnight, he replied casually, ¡°Maybe four and a half hours!¡± ¡°Who did it, I wonder?¡± The keeper mumbled to himself. ¡°Alright! Everyone stop ogling! We won¡¯t be champions if y¡¯all keep looking at it!¡± Su Li¡¯s sonorous voice rang by the door. ¡°Hurry and change, then gather on the pitch! Don¡¯t make us wait for long!¡± ¡°Why are the third years so enthusiastic?¡± Ren Yu De asked as he changed into his jersey. ¡°The match is coming soon and it¡¯s a once-a-year-occasion; of course they¡¯re enthusiastic!¡± An Ke replied. ¡°And it¡¯s their last chance,¡± Yang Pan added. Zhang then remembered what his captain told him after training on the eve of the Xin¡¯an Yi High School practice match. He turned, and saw that on the big itinerary, the words ¡°Shu Guang High School¡± were marked in a conspicuous red. Su Fei was outside, grinning at them when the energetic squad left the activity room. When he walked past her, Zhang knelt down to untie his bootlaces before he made another knot. ¡°Don¡¯t your knees hurt?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t hurt!¡± She grinned. Yeah, right, Zhang thought. ¡­ Friday, the editorial department of High School Soccer. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting with everyone is to prepare for the National Preliminaries that kick off tomorrow,¡± Liu Yang said. ¡°It¡¯s already a custom for us. Everyone do your job, report the best you can on this year¡¯s tournament, write comprehensively and write it well! When the time comes and the games are over, it¡¯ll be my treat!¡± Cheers rang out among the employees. ¡°Chen, since you¡¯re so interested with Shu Guang High, you¡¯ll be in charge of their article.¡± Huafeng nodded. ¡°Zhou Peng, you¡¯ll attend the opening match tomorrow, dig up more valuable news!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Zhou answered. ¡°Hah! How could there be no news for Zhongyuan High!¡± Sun Liang Liang laughed. ¡°Every single one of their starting eleven are newsworthy! Rumor has it that there are a few first-years who are so incredible, they made the first team as soon as they joined! In the Zhongyuan Soccer Club that contains over 70 members no less; this is news!¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to Li Yongle, Zhang Yang and Zhang Linxi?¡± Huafeng asked. ¡°That¡¯s right! The only other player who has ever managed this in their first year was Zhao Defeng!¡± Liang Liang said, leaning back into his chair. ¡°As a first year, he led the team into the Grand Finals of the Nationals last year; and although they lost to Guang Ming High of Dalian, his ability was recognized nationally. Now that he¡¯s a second-year, who knows if Zhongyuan would grab the title under his captaincy? So exciting!¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the Zhongyuan fan,¡± Chen retorted. ¡°Hehe!¡± The other grinned. The streetlights lit up just as Huafeng left the building; the weekend night was an especially beautiful color under the neon glow. Tomorrow, tomorrow has finally come, a tomorrow he had so much hope and anticipation for: what performance would Shu Guang show him then? ¡­ Zhang Jun was flipping around his bed, unable to sleep. He did not even miss a wink on the eve of the Grand Finals of the Middle School Nationals, so what was it with today? Agitated, he went out to the balcony for some wind¡ªonly to find Su Fei on the balcony of her home too. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± his neigbor asked. ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± Jun shook his head. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Same.¡± Su grinned. In silence, both of them stared afar absent-mindedly. After a while, Zhang lifted his head and looked above at the starry sky. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see such a beautiful, starry sky in the city.¡± Su Fei looked at it too. ¡°Tomorrow will be a beautiful day!¡± Zhang turned to her. ¡°There won¡¯t be rain,¡± she added. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, play well tomorrow!¡± Su Fei turned to him, meeting his gaze with a smile. ¡­ Zhang Jun had no memory of what time he slept¡ªbut, it was a great dreamless slumber. It was lunchtime when he woke up. ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted Su Fei on the balcony. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± She smiled in reply. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Twenty minutes past eleven.¡± ¡°That late?!¡± Jun frowned. ¡°I must have slept around three.¡± ¡°Rested well? There¡¯s still a match in the afternoon.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± the player claimed, but let out a long yawn that drew tears. ¡°That¡¯s worrying.¡± ¡°Hmph! You should only be worried if I make a sudden dash for the toilet!¡± Zhang declared as he pointed at Su Fei. ¡°Right! Then let me ask you, can we win this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s eyes blazed. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The qualifiers were of a single-elimination format, and both schools would draw lots ahead of the match to decide at which school the game would be played. After a few rounds, the last four would then enter the semi-finals before playing either a third or fourth placing match, or the Grand Finals at Luoyang¡¯s Xigong Stadium. Each match would be broadcasted live on the city¡¯s television channel; considering Zhongyuan¡¯s presence in the Luoyang competitive district, to enter Xigong Stadium was a great honor for many of the high school soccer teams in the region. ¡­ Saturday, 2.45pm; the National High School Soccer Championship Regional Qualifiers¡ªLuoyang Division¡ªthe ¡°Chenguang Cup¡± The opening ceremony of the competition was held at Zhongyuan High¡¯s stadium, and by 3.00pm, every match in 32 high schools would kick off simultaneously at the sound of the chief referee¡¯s whistle. After they drew lots, it was decided that the Shu Guang¨CZhong Xin game would be played at Shu Guang¡¯s grounds. When Zhang Jun arrived in school at 1.30pm, he thought he was the earliest until he saw that almost everyone else had already arrived. ¡°Really! It¡¯s still so early, what¡¯s there to do here?¡± He exclaimed in slight disgruntlement. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here too?¡± Yang Pan said a little loudly as he approached him from behind with headsets on. ¡°She dragged me here.¡± Zhang pointed at Su Fei by his side. ¡°Roger! Roger!¡± His teammate nodded. Su Fei pointed at Yang and told her neighbor, ¡°Do you see that? Now that¡¯s chilling! Listening to music before the game.¡± Zhang pouted. ¡°It¡¯s just to hide his nerves.¡± Somehow, Yang heard him through his headsets. ¡°No! No! Soccer and music are my life! Here we go! Ale, ale, ale! Go, go, go! Ale, ale, ale!¡± His teammate flung his head around as he sang the lyrics to the French World Cup theme song, ¡°The Cup of Life¡± at top of his lungs. As he did so, Zhang backed away and tugged their team manager along. ¡°Be careful, he¡¯ll bite.¡± ¡­ Three luxurious coaches packed with people drove into Shu Guang High as the clock hands reached 2.25pm; their opponents had arrived. The sight immediately caught the attention of all the Shu Guang players, who had just been warming-up. ¡°Zhong ¨C Xin ¨C Heavy ¨C Machinery ¨C Technical,¡± An Ke read out the words inscribed at the side of the vehicles. ¡°Hell! Industrial schools are really loaded! One trip and it¡¯s three buses; what a parade!¡± The leading coach door opened slowly and the Zhong Xin team alighted; the other two buses were for their cheerleading team. Looking at the huge buses, Zhang recalled the time when he, as a second-year, debuted for Kai Tuo Middle School alongside Yang Pan, Yuan Gang and Liu Peng. Their school did not have a reserved bus for the students then, and they ended up having to travel on a delivery truck; during that occasion, the coach and their advisor were seated up front, while the whole team was left to squeeze into the truck¡¯s loading area. But in the present, most schools now had their own team bus; some of them were even as large and as luxurious as Zhong Xin¡¯s. It was just within a span of two years! In the blink of an eye. At the sight of Zhang, who was staring intently at the buses, Ren Yu De asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The other mumbled in response, ¡°Reform and Opening in China is such a wonderful thing!¡± ¡°Loony!¡± As soon as the Zhong Xin cheerleaders got off the bus, they immediately claimed a spot on the rostrum and sounded their drums. They raised huge flags and hung up a wide variety of their team¡¯s slogans. They were truly a cheerleading team that had been through the ¡°battlefield¡± and were capable of charging the atmosphere almost instantly. By comparison, Shu Guang¡¯s students were properly indifferent towards their school team¡¯s match; there were no war drums, no flags, no chanting of catchphrases, and not a single cheer. Watching the opposing team¡¯s cheerleaders seemingly switch the arena they were visiting into their home ground, even Shu Guang¡¯s headmaster, Qiu Zhengmin moaned, ¡°Just look at their vigor, how could we not lose?¡± In the locker room, the roar of the Zhong Xin cheerleading squad seeped through despite locked doors and sealed windows. Zhang Jun smiled bitterly to himself. ¡°Who are the home team again?¡± Ignoring the rowdiness outside, Liang Ke growled, ¡°I¡¯ll name the team lineups first. ¡°Keeper, No.1, An Ke. ¡°Center-backs, No.3, Li Xiaopeng. No.4, Li Jieguang. ¡°Left back, No.6, Xie Yu. Right back, No.5, Liu Hui. ¡°Defensive midfielder, No. 8, Su Li. ¡°Left Midfielder, No.20, Ren Yu De. Right Midfielder, No. 7, Yang Pan. ¡°Attacking Midfielder, No. 10, Wang Bo. ¡°Strikers, No. 9, Zhang Rui. No.11, Zhang Jun.¡± After listing the names of their starters, Liang Ke drew a breath before continuing, ¡°In this game, we are playing in a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond-shaped midfield. A player to watch out for is their No.10, Shui Huajun. His individual skill is excellent, and as an attacking midfielder, his desire for goals exceeds that of even strikers. In the quarter final match against Zhongyuan last year, he alone exerted heavy pressure upon their defenses. That¡¯s why you must never relax when marking him. ¡°But, he does have a little weakness¡ªhe is not much of a team player despite his role as an offensive midfielder, and he tends to go on solo excursions. So, just watch him, and Zhongxin would not be much of a threat. He¡¯s all yours, Su Li!¡± ¡°You can count on me, Coach!¡± ¡°Wang Bo, your task is to pass to the left as well as right flanks to unleash our agile and skilled wingers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°We must win this game! Our opponents may underestimate us, and this will be our chance. Just attack on the get-go and score one while they are still getting into the game!¡± To say the least, Liang Ke had become very confident about the team¡¯s attack since Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and Ren Yu De joined the squad. ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± Su Fei reminded him. ¡°Right! One last request, no matter what happens, all of you must stay on the offensive!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± It was Su Fei¡¯s first time witnessing each and every beaming lad on the squad looking like men. As the team stood up to leave the room, Yang Pan tugged at Wang Bo. ¡°You just have to pass to the flanks. No matter how far, how fast and how strong, I will get to the ball!¡± Watching Yang Pan¡¯s departing shadow, a pensive Wang Bo caught up to Su Li and whispered something into his ear. ¡°Is that¡­ okay?¡± Su Li asked in shock. Wang Bo, with a face of utter seriousness, answered, ¡°I trust him!¡± ¡­ Chen Huafeng arrived early on the Shu Guang grounds with camera in hand as he waited for the match to start. The game had attracted quite the number of reporters, but Huafeng knew that they all came for the Zhong Xin squad and their No.10, Shui Hua Jun. The stands erupted as the three match officials led the two teams into the field, although most of the noise were notably cheers for the Zhong Xin school. After the national anthem, the hosts shook hands with the visitors, although Zhang Jun allowed his hand to linger for a few moments when he grasped Hua Jun¡¯s hand; he wanted a good look at the player Liang Ke had described as a man, whose ¡°desire for goals exceeds that of even strikers.¡± And he was truly a sight to behold, with a well-built body and a height of almost 185cm. Looks like our captain will have his hands full! Su Fei sat beside Liang Ke and asked while she arranged her notebook, ¡°Coach, you just told them that we have to win. Are you really that confident?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°¡­ Then why did you¡­¡± ¡°I want them to have confidence. If we can¡¯t win this, we won¡¯t progress. The boys know this better than anyone else.¡± Then, as if remembering something out of the blue, the coach rushed to the technical area and screamed, ¡°Yang Pan! Yang Pan!¡± After the player ran to him, he instructed, ¡°Remember, without my permission in this game, no long shots.¡± Yang nodded. ¡­ The referee looked at his watch, it was almost 3.00pm. He signalled for the teams to take their positions and they waited for his whistle for the kick-off. Shu Guang would put the ball into play first; Yang Pan and Ren Yu De were already standing tightly by the center line. Even the stands were quiet as everyone waited. The referee looked at his watch once more. *Preet!* Kick-off! Zhang Jun hammered the ball to Zhang Rui and rushed forward into the opposition¡¯s half with nary a care. Collecting it, Rui passed it to Wang Bo outside the circle, who in turn delivered it to Su Li. That was when the captain raised his leg high, sending the ball long and far to the right. The Zhong Xin players as well as the spectators were left befuddled¡ªdid his nerves get to him already? Indeed, Su¡¯s powerful delivery had sent the ball straight to the baseline. But, as the ball almost went out of play, a shadow, as swift as the wind caught up to it¡ªit was Yang Pan! With his 10.52-sec/100-m speed, he got to the ball right when it almost went out of play and crossed it in front of the Zhong Xin area. Zhang Jun was already there at that exact moment, and he leapt for a header! Goal! Precise delivery! A beautiful goal! A partnership of extraordinary synergy! Almost as soon as he blew the opening whistle, the referee quickly blew another to signal the goal, 1:0! The game had just gone on for nine seconds, and Shu Guang was already leading 1:0 over Zhong Xin, the squad that placed fifth last year! In the lead-up to the goal, the Zhong Xin players barely moved while their cheerleaders were also left dumbstruck. But the scoreboard slowly flipped and it was clearly 1:0; Shu Guang was leading. Even the Shu Guang team and its supporters were left speechless¡ªonly Zhang Jun and Yang Pan celebrated the goal. When they finally came around, they exploded in delight, finally beating the Zhong Xin team in cheer. Behind the Zhong Xin goal, Chen Huafeng was so excited he wanted to call his chief editor before remembering that he did not bring a phone with him. Nonetheless, he managed to capture the moment the goal was scored. He always believed that the Shu Guang team could bring many surprises¡ªbut to the extent of a goal being scored just nine seconds after kick-off. This may have just been the fastest goal ever recorded in a national-level competition! Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The match resumed; Zhong Xin took possession of the ball and circled around Shu Guang patiently. This took affected Su Li as he tried to stay on Shui Huajun. The two of them were 177 cm and 185 cm tall respectively, meaning that the former was completely overshadowed in all departments, whether it was height, strength or technique. It was at this time that Huajun showed his intensity as ¡°the best attacking midfielder¡±, shooting continuously and threatening An Ke¡¯s goalpost. ¡°Our captain is having a hard time! Why would you let him guard No.10 alone?¡± Su Fei asked Liang Ke. The Shu Guang coach explained impassively, ¡°Firstly, our defenders wouldn¡¯t have time to help him; secondly, is Su Li under a total disadvantage? Well, he does lose out considerably in terms of height, strength and technique compared to his mark, but there is one thing about him that can deal with all of that¡ªhis will to fight! He won¡¯t lose to anyone when it comes that! Just think about it, would a flower grown in a greenhouse have the strength to survive like weeds?¡± But as soon as he said that, Shui Huajun managed to shake Su Li off. Caught out, the defensive midfielder was unable to stay on him. Shui Huajun took a shot¡ªaiming straight down a clear line¡ªand despite An Ke¡¯s best efforts, the ball went in. The score was 1 : 1, Zhong Xin had equalized the score on the twenty-eighth minute of the first-half! The goal breathed new life into the Zhong Xin cheerleading team. They now believed that Shu Guang¡¯s goal was just a fluke and that their own team was just beginning to bare their fangs. Shu Guang High would soon be crushed like an ant. And so, they chanted Shui Huajun¡¯s name sonorously. On the other end of the pitch, Shu Guang¡¯s back four players were clearly nervous. There was no change in strategy even with Shui Huajun exerting astonishing pressure upon them. It was solely thanks to An Ke¡¯s stopping efforts in front of the goalpost that they were not conceding more goals. Up front, Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, Ren Yu De and the rest of the forwards made fruitless runs, burning up energy pointlessly on every turn. Su Fei was also positively agitated. She kept darting glances towards Liang Ke to see if he would issue any instructions. But the coach remained motionless, his face impassive as if he was a stony statue. The referee¡¯s whistle came at long last to signal the end of the first period, with both teams completing the first half on a 1 : 1 score. ¡­ The Zhong Xin cheerleading team were singing at top of their lungs at the sight of their team¡¯s excellent performance during the break. However, in their dressing room, their coach was considerably irked by their performance. He hit one of the racks while his voice thundered. ¡°Conceding a goal against the other team in just nine seconds! What is our national ranking? And what is their national ranking? We¡¯ll become a universal joke when this gets out! And scoring only one goal after completely pinning them down! This is nothing but an embarrassment! Is every single one of you still asleep?!¡± With their heads lowered, the Zhong Xin players uttered a reply. ¡°Shui Huajun!¡± The player, whose name was called looked up at the coach. ¡°You¡¯re a third year student now. Could you accept losing to Zhongyuan last year? Could you accept never becoming the King of Luoyang?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡­ On the other hand, things were utterly cheery inside the Shu Guang locker room; it was an entirely different scene from Zhong Xin¡¯s. ¡°Team, good job!¡± Liang Ke smiled. ¡°Especially An Ke and Su Li. That combination between Zhang Jun and Yang Pan was also very beautiful. Pour more effort into the second half and you guys will definitely win this. One last thing, are you guys satisfied yet?¡± ¡°No!¡± every player answered aloud. ¡­ Before he walked onto the pitch, Shui Huajun thought of what his coach had just said. It was unpleasant but it was something spoken from the coach¡¯s heart. He was thankful for his guidance, of course. Without him, he would not be the Shui Huajun he was today. Initially, he played basketball instead of soccer. However, he was just average in the former simply because it demanded individuals of taller frames. That was when the coach found him and convinced him to join Zhong Xin¡¯s soccer team, where he found a place that he belonged in. While he did not make it as a newcomer in his first year, he managed to score a brace by himself in the quarter-finals against Zhongyuan during his second year. He almost dragged the kings into the mud¡ªearning a reputation thereafter and the title of ¡°the best attacking midfielder¡±. It was his final year this year, and there was no question that he had to keep winning until he met Zhongyuan again. He would crush them as sweet payback for what transpired the year before. He balled his fists. ¡°I will not lose!¡± ¡­ The second half began with the two teams switching their field of play. For Zhong Xin, their coach¡¯s scolding seemed to bear fruit and the team unleashed wave after wave of attacks, each rising above the one before. With the intention to win in his mind, Shui Huajun initiated several of those efforts on Shu Guang. His incessant hard work was finally rewarded in the fifty-seventh minute; a shot that deflected off the body of Li Xiaopeng went in. Sighing, An Ke could only watch. With that, the cheers for Zhong Xin from their supporters became even louder. Even their coach was finally able to take a seat; he had been howling at his team from the technical area for the entire 57 minutes since they conceded that first goal to Shu Guang. It was then that Liang Ke stood up and went to the side of the pitch. ¡°Yang Pan!¡± he called, making an ¡°okay¡± hand sign. Picking up his cue, Yang Pan nodded. The score was now 2 : 1. Zhong Xin was in the lead and the match resumed. Ren Yu De was on the ball and with his dazzling control, he scattered the Zhong Xin defenders who were onto him. Still, they were able to maintain their line and Ren Yu De did not care to attempt a headlong charge into their ranks. In that moment, Yang Pan went across the right flank into the center of the pitch and asked for the ball from his teammate. Yu De obliged, and with the side of his foot, he lobbed the ball. It soared towards the edge of the box. Watching the situation unfold, Yang sped hurriedly in that direction with his markers in tow. A seam formed amid the Zhong Xin defense as they moved. With his right leg raised, Yang Pan fired a volley! It blew past the Zhong Xin defense, and the goalkeeper¡ªseeing the ball heading his way like a missile¡ªstood rooted to the spot. His natural instincts kicked in and it left him petrified. In the absence of any resistance, the ball simply thumped a straight line into the back of the net! The pitch heated up once more! Plus, the goal came as such a huge relief for Yang Pan and his team after getting held back for almost an hour! And what a domineering goal! It left everyone from Zhong Xin stunned, be it their cheerleading team, their coach or their players; the knock from Yang Pan¡¯s shot was loud enough to be heard amid the rowdy stadium. An Ke shook his head and smirked. ¡°What a beast!¡± It was also then that the will and resolve of the Zhong Xin team began to crumble; Yang Pan¡¯s long-range efforts always did have such an effect. With 20 minutes left, all kinds of problems began to hit the visiting team. For instance, whenever their defenders saw Yang Pan getting to the ball, they would run to the flanks, as if dodging him. If the Zhong Xin team had it bad, things were going even worse for Shui Huajun. That No. 8, his marker whom he had played like a fiddle earlier, was becoming more of a problem with every passing minute. His own feet were getting heavier and his breathing more turbulent. Trying to shake off that No. 8 player seemed to take double the effort at this point. Whenever he did shake him off and looked set to leave him behind, Su Li would dart in front of Huajun once more¡ªthe Shu Guang captain¡¯s heavy breaths screeching in his mind. Hmph, 2 : 2! Still a tie! Why? Why is this No. 8 so irritating? Who is he? How could I lose to a nameless pawn?! The referee¡¯s whistle broke his scattered thoughts. He raised his head to see the referee reach into his chest pocket. It was a yellow card! The Zhong Xin ace was being cautioned. Nearby, Su Li was on the ground with his hands covering his face. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Shui Huajun asked himself. Wang Bo rushed towards him and roared, ¡°Bastard! Hitting out when you¡¯re losing out! If you want a fight I can go at it alone with you!¡± Xie Yu quickly held his teammate back by the waist. ¡°Ah Gui! Ah Gui! Cool down! We¡¯re still in a match!¡± That was when Su Li picked himself up. Holding his face with his left hand, he shut down Wang Bo. ¡°What¡¯s with all the noise? Keep playing!¡± Seeing that the injured player was able to stand up by himself and talk calmly, the referee assumed that Su Li was fine. Still, as a precaution, he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Li waved the referee off. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhong Xin¡¯s coach had watched as Shui Huajun knocked the opposing No. 8 down with his arm. He was worried, but not about the yellow card¡ªShui himself was beginning to act in a weird manner. Shui had never behaved like this before even when he was facing Zhongyuan the previous year. On that occasion, their No. 8 sparkled with excitement in his eyes, and his face was filled with elation. Today, it was a completely different story¡ªhis eyes looked confused and his face was flustered. He was not the Shui Huajun the coach knew and the coach could not make a substitution for him either¡ªhis place in the team was irreplaceable. Now, his only hope was that the yellow card could bring his old self back. On the ball again, Shui Huajun found Su Li closing in, his body pasted against his own as the No. 8 vied for the ball. To the forward, it felt like he was being surrounded by untold numbers of Su Li, a flawless flanking that would not let loose a single drip of water. Suddenly however, there was a gap in the encirclement and he saw a teammate. So, he quickly sent the ball over. The crowd cried in surprise¡ªin reality, Shui had passed the ball to Yang Pan! The first-year sped up across the field with the ball¡ªhis 10.52-sec/100-m dash was simply too quick! The Zhong Xin players were left behind completely, watching as he dashed behind them, unopposed. The Zhong Xin formation began to retreat, and it was as if with every step that Yang Pan took forward, they took one step back. Boos resounded from the stands at that sight; the players were simply running away! When he was 30 m out, Yang Pan suddenly fired the ball; the Zhong Xin keeper dived towards the ball but could not make contact. ¡°Go in!¡± An Ke howled from the back. *Clang!* The ball struck the post. ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± An Ke dropped into a squat, holding his head in frustration. But the ball was not out of bounds and the attack was not finished¡ªit went on a rebound after hitting the woodwork. Dashing out from a throng of players, Zhang Jan leaped forward for a diving header! It went in! 3 : 2! Shu Guang led again after a beautiful counter! There was now less than 10 minutes left. If Zhong Xin equalized the score again, they would enter into extra time. But, could they score? As time whiled away, the fourth official raised his board, signaling that there would be three minutes of added time. Every Shu Guang supporter stood up from their seats as the game went into injury time, keenly anticipating a historical moment. However, things were not looking good. Shui Huajun seemingly sobered up and resumed his fearsome shots, keeping the Shu Guang defense busy. ¡°Keep him out! All of you, keep him out!¡± An Ke yelled in encouragement of his teammates. Two minutes and fifty seconds went by. In one tenacious move, Shui Huajun freed himself from Su Li¡¯s marking and prepared to shoot at the edge of the box! However, a shadow rushed at him from the side, skidding in and catching both him and the ball. It was Zhang Jun! The referee blared his whistle and flashed a yellow card at Zhang Jun, but It was largely ignored by the striker. Instead, he called out to his teammates, ¡°Hold on! We will win this!¡± Hearing that, Shui Huajun mused, ¡°Are you joking? That¡¯s my line!¡± ¡­ Pointing to the spot where Shui was fouled, the referee gestured for a free-kick at a dangerous position. Everyone was understandably jittery¡ªif the free-kick converted, the game would go into extra time, but it would become a huge upset for Zhong Xin if it did not. Apprehensively, An Ke shouted instructions to the wall his teammates were forming, and every single Shu Guang player had returned to their own box for defense. Meanwhile, Zhong Xin poured their men forward¡ªeven their goalkeeper was up front. Shui Huajun stood in front of the ball. He stared at the wall and the goal, then at the flag with ¡°Zhong Xin for the win¡± written all over it. ¡°I will win this!¡± He took a deep breath, ran up and struck the ball! It curled intensely over the wall towards the upper left corner! ¡°I will win this!¡± ¡°Are-you-kidding?¡± A hand swept out and with a popping sound, the ball was knocked away. It was An Ke! The ball¡ªwith just a slight change of trajectory¡ªhit the bar before going out. *Beep! Beep! Beep!* The referee sounded the final whistle. ¡°Yeahhhh!¡± An Ke knelt on the ground, screaming long and hard at the sky. Every Shu Guang player on the bench rushed into pitch at once. The final score was 3 : 2! The game was over! Shu Guang High had beaten Zhong Xin Technical, advancing into the next round for the first time ever! There was crazy celebration filled with tears and laughter¡­ as well as certain ¡°age-restricted¡± scenes. ¡°We won! We won! We actually won!¡± Xie Yu was so happy that he became dazed and began to babble. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®actually¡¯?¡± An Ke retorted as he gave his head a good patting. The jubilant mood infected every single Shu Guang person and it took them a long time to even notice that Zhong Xin had already left in their huge buses. As dogmatic followers of the ¡°winner takes all¡± rule, the journalists, who did not even so much as peek at Shu Guang¡¯s stats before the game were suddenly rushing towards them. They were like ravenous canines being thrown a big juicy bone. ¡°Yang Pan, I¡¯m from The XX Evening Edition , I want to ask¡­¡± ¡°Su Li, I¡¯m from XX Focus , can I know¡­¡± ¡°Liang Ke, I¡¯m from The XX Early Edition , ¡­¡± ¡°An Ke, I¡¯m from XX Weekly , I would like to put forward a question¡­¡± There was also quite the crowd surrounding Zhang Jun. With his slim figure, Chen Huafeng slipped to the very front of the mob. ¡°Zhang Jun, I¡¯m Chen Huafeng from High School Soccer .¡± Zhang Jun smiled. ¡°Hehe. Yeah, I know you!¡± At those words, every journalist around them immediately fixed their eyes on the young reporter. ¡°I would like to know, what is your team¡¯s objective?¡± Chen Huafeng asked¡ªa question unlike the typically meaningless ones put forward by other reporters, such as ¡°How do you feel after winning?¡± or ¡°Are you happy, defeating a strong team?¡± ¡°To keep winning.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± Another interviewer interrupted. ¡°Yup!¡± Zhang Jun nodded. ¡°Any other thoughts?¡± Huafeng added. ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡± ¡­ ¡°An Ke, you could meet Zhongyuan High Shool if you keep winning. Do you have any strategies ready for that encounter?¡± An Ke stared at the journalists who asked the question. ¡°Zhongyuan High School?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The other nodded. ¡°What kind of school is that?¡± ¡­ As things carried on with the press, Su Fei finally quieted down. She watched the pitch quietly where the squad was getting shot with loads of questions while some Shu Guang students kept their celebrations going beside her. The match, which had just ended felt like a dream; whenever she closed her eyes, she could see those emotional scenes again. When Zhang Jun scored, she threw away the notebook in her hand¡ªshe had never been so happy or lost control in such a fashion! Her heart thumped alongside the other players, her breathing leveled with theirs while her eyes chased after their shadows. There was indeed magic in soccer that needed to be experienced to be believed. She set her gaze at the sky in the distance; the sunset was infinitely beautiful! Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation On Sunday, every magazine and newspaper worked overtime so that they could get more comprehensive, detailed and newsworthy stories over their competitors. Indeed, the battle for news began as soon as the last fixtures of the day ended. But with the entire industry collectively overlooking Shu Guang before, it was fated that they would not get a chew out of the biggest piece of news. Chen Huafeng himself was also fairly exhausted after working through the night. It would not have been as tiring for him otherwise. However, he did spend almost two hours trying to convince the chief so that he would allocate a 10-page editorial for Shu Guang. It was after a long while that High School Soccer eventually decided to publish Chen Huafeng¡¯s considerable amount of data on the Shu Guang players as a single-issue special. Since this would be circulated while the other papers diligently echoed each other in their reports of the Shu Guang-Zhong Xin match, High School Soccer ¡®s very own distinctive report would definitely stand out. With the booming popularity of the high school soccer scene in recent years, numerous corresponding magazines and papers popped up like mushrooms after the rain¡ªand High School Soccer really felt the severe pressure for survival. So, getting news that captured much attention became the very objective of the job. Huafeng submitted his article and photographs of the Shu Guang team to his editor. Since all that remained was for his colleague to put on the finishing touches, he could head home for some nice slumber. Even if he did work through the night, he felt bliss whenever he recalled the expression on Sun Liang Liang¡¯s face as he treated everyone to midnight snacks. ¡°Underestimating my observational skills? Hmph! That¡¯s what you get!¡± ¡­ The stands were silent. All eyes were on one man¡ªZhong Xin¡¯s No. 10, Shui Huajun. He was going to make a free-kick¡ªthe last kick on regular time. It was a matter of life and death. In one breath, Shui Huajun ran up and struck the ball! It curled intensely over the wall towards the upper left corner! ¡°I will win this!¡± ¡°Are you kid¨D¡± A hand reached out; it was An Ke, who had came diving in. Oh! He couldn¡¯t get it! It was so close! The ball went in! The ball went in! The relentless Zhong Xin team had equalized the score! An Ke dropped to the ground. Looking at the celebrating Zhong Xin players and his languishing teammates, he felt as if the sky was collapsing on him! ¡°Argh!¡± An Ke yelped. He opened his eyes but found that he was on the floor of his room, his blanket over him¨Dit was just a dream. ¡°Having such dreams even after winning the game! What misfortune!¡± The keeper grunted as he crawled up, the dream ridding him off any drowsiness. He looked at his watch; it was almost noon, but his house was quiet¨Dhis parents must have gone out for mahjong again. Seriously? And, it was still so early in the day! Nonetheless, he could not let a beautiful Sunday go to waste by doing nothing. With a little grooming, he left the house and wandered aimlessly across the streets before a familiar figure came into view. ¡°Ren Yu De!¡± He called out excitedly when he finally met someone familiar. The other turned to him. It was indeed Ren Yu De; he was in full casual mode, walking through the streets alone. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored! Couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Ren Yu De replied, looking around and surveying their surroundings. ¡°Me too. Alright, with the two of us partnering up, we may find two equally bored, hot babes around!¡± ¡°That¡¯s optimistic.¡± Still, Ren Yu De trotted alongside his teammate, with the goalie chattering non-stop all the way. He was preaching about the ¡°An Playbook.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, whenever you walk the streets you have to hit the commercial and boutique districts. Avoid marketplaces or little alleys. It¡¯ll just be a waste of time. But be picky and don¡¯t just enter any shop even if there are plenty of tails. Avoid trade centers and supermarkets; those places are too large and you¡¯ll hurt your feet without seeing more than a handful of babes. Go to boutiques, souvenir shops and specialty outlets. Why? There are usually a lot of beauties working there. Even those who enter are usually hot. Of course, we¡¯re not there to buy clothes; you have to pretend like you¡¯re looking at something while peeking for any pretty faces. Don¡¯t delay and make your escape to the next shop if there aren¡¯t any! If you find a girl you fancy, stick close by, listen to what she¡¯s saying and find an opportunity to chat with her. But don¡¯t rush it or you¡¯ll look like a stalker. That¡¯s disgusting and all your hard work will go to waste. You must also be well-groomed beforehand. That¡¯s what the saying, ¡°clothes maketh man¡± means. When you dress up nice, the girls will look at you more and everything will be easier! Yup, your getup today is not bad, but it¡¯ll be even better with shades. With that and the right pose, you¡¯re a lady-killer!¡± Just as he said that, An Ke glimpsed a girl up front¨Deven from the back, she looked drop-dead gorgeous. But with the hot girl population in their immediate surroundings being too few, he did not want to risk it and told his partner for the day, ¡°Target acquired! Direct front, 10 m!¡± Ren Yu De, who felf uplifted by An Ke¡¯s flattery earlier replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± With that, he took out a pair of sunglasses from his chest pocket and slowly made his approach. The smell of perfume wafted from the girl as he made his approach, almost overwhelming him. He did his best to calm down and asked softly, ¡°Lady, would you like to have some tea with¡­¡± He promptly stopped, stunned by the face he saw as the girl turned towards him. ¡°Ack, Su Fei?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Fei was not sure who the boy with shades was, so Ren Yu De quickly removed his glasses. ¡°Ren Yu De!¡± she exclaimed. Shortly after, two guys came over to them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhang Jun asked. ¡°Bumped into him.¡± Su Fei pointed at Ren Yu De. ¡°Oh, what a coincidence!¡± Yang Pan said with two ice cream cones in his hands. ¡°Another one¡¯s here,¡± Zhang Jun added. He was holding an ice cream cone in one hand and holding out the other at Yang Pan. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Give me some dough! For one more ice cream. Can¡¯t you see that we have another person joining us?¡± ¡°Why my money? Don¡¯t you have any?¡± ¡°All of them are huge banknotes. It¡¯s not easy to get change!¡± ¡°No need to fight, the two of you.¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°Ren Yu De said he¡¯s treating us to some tea!¡± ¡°Really?¡± The pair glanced at her. ¡°He did say it, I heard it. There¡¯s no mistake!¡± ¡°Fantastic! Ren Yu De is so generous!¡± Both Zhang Jun and Yang Pan held on to their teammate intimately. Looking at Su Fei¡¯s luscious smile, Ren Yu De finally understood the meaning of the saying, ¡°vile is the heart of a woman.¡± An Ke, who had been eavesdropping from a corner, stood up. ¡°Ah! What a coincidence! What? Ren Yu De is treating us to drinks! Wonderful! He is a rich heir! Come, come, I know where the best tea is!¡± Ren Yu De stared daggers at him but could not resist as he was being wrestled by the group into a huge tearoom with expensive decorations. Thus, the lamb fell into the wolves¡¯ trap. ¡­ The five of them took seats near the window, enjoying the street view while chatting over tea; with its fragrance drifting in the air, a warm and relaxing smell flooded them. It was a nice place for idle conversation. ¡°So, you guys can¡¯t sleep too!¡± An Ke asked the trio who were sitting on the opposite side. ¡°Who said so? I was dragged from my bed by this one!¡± Zhang Jun said between yawns as he pointed at Su Fei. ¡°What!?¡± An Ke and Ren Yu De stood from their chairs simultaneously. ¡°Su Fei dragged you from your bed? Why would she pull you out of bed? Why is she in your bedroom? What¡¯s the relationship between you two? You brat, were you even wearing pants when you were sleeping? What did you do to Su Fei?¡± The pair¡¯s synchronized questioning was like a Gatling gun, which punched numerous holes through Zhang Jun. Meanwhile, Su Fei merely hid a smile. Nonetheless, it was Yang Pan who answered, ¡°Please be seated you two, and hear me out.¡± ¡°So, here¡¯s how it goes; I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so important that it needs to be kept private. As you all know, I live near Zhang Jun since we were toddlers! But Su Fei¡¯s place is even closer to Zhang Jun¡¯s! How close, you ask? There¡¯s only a wall between them! Don¡¯t eyeball me like that, eyeball them. In a nutshell, they are¡­ neighbors! Don¡¯t go imagining wild things! Su Fei just moved here a month ago, right next to Zhang Jun¡¯s home.¡± Yang Pan clapped his hands together. ¡°Face-to-face!¡± An Ke and Ren Yu De yelled exaggeratedly,¡±Face-with-face?!¡± ¡°You two suck at English! That¡¯s face-and-face!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same!¡± ¡°Su Fei, how do we describe ¡®living opposite¡¯ in English?¡± Yang Pan turned to Su Fei. She smiled. ¡°Door-to-door!¡± ¡°Yes, door-to-door! Living next door! Understand?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no better!¡±¨DZhang Jun poked¨D¡±and you still have the gall to poke fun at others!¡± Yang Pan gave his friend a sideways glance. Then, he leaned in mysteriously towards An Ke and Ren Yu De. ¡°I¡¯ll let you guys in on a secret: Zhang Jun has a habit of sleeping naked!¡± The accused sprayed his tea on the floor. The pair who just joined them showed immediate interest. ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°I swear this on my 16 years as Zhang Jun¡¯s friend. Every word is true, nothing is false!¡± Yang Pan said, his hand held up in solemn declaration. Su Fei quickly interrupted them. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys tired after the game yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± everyone else replied, as spread themselves across the table. ¡°I¡¯m so excited!¡± She continued passionately, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep at all last night. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would remember the game. The sounds in the arena and how all of you looked like on the pitch, I remember all of it. It plays out like a recording, non-stop every time my eyes are closed. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever felt like this. It¡¯s great!¡± The four of them watched her cheerful expression without a word. Maybe they had felt the excitement so many times that they became apathetic or simply forgot the sensation entirely; they were speechless at the sight of Su Fei¡¯s excited expression. Today, Su Fei made them remember all those feelings. Zhang Jun stood up and told her in a serious manner, ¡°Rest assured, we will make you as happy as you were yesterday.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡± Yang Pan stood up to leave. ¡°We¡¯re going too, wait for us.¡± Ren Yu De and An Ke followed in his wake. After the others left, Su Fei asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Su Fei held out her baby finger. ¡°Pinky swear!¡± Taken slightly aback, Zhang Jun pulled out his finger too. ¡°Pinky swear.¡± ¡°Cross my heart and hope to die!¡±1 ¡­ Zhongyuan Technical High School. Two kilometers and four bus-stops away from Shu Guang High School. ¡°Li Yongle!¡± Zhang Yang called out. He held up a magazine as he trespassed into the first year¡¯s classroom, ignoring the stares. ¡°Bro, this isn¡¯t your classroom!¡± ¡°So what? All students are family!¡± Zhang Yang responded, flamboyantly pulling out a chair from his side and plonking himself on it. ¡°That¡¯s a skewed reasoning!¡± Li Yongle retorted exasperatedly. He was used to his friend¡¯s behavior since their time in middle school; Zhang Yang, otherwise known as Swanky Zhang, a name that fitted the bill. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhang gestured at a few guys on the magazine cover. ¡°Take a look!¡± Li Yongle was left dumbfounded for a few moments. ¡°Them again?¡± ¡°Yup. Zhang Jun, Yang Pan¡­ It¡¯s them again!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Zhang Lintao said as he came by with a comic in his hand. ¡°Zhang Jun and Yang Pan?¡± Picking up the High School Soccer magazine, he adjusted his glasses as he poured over it. ¡°It¡¯s the Shu Guang High School jersey. They went to that school? What a waste! If they came to our school, it would be¡­ tut!¡± He mumbled to himself, leaving the other two confounded. ¡°What are you eating there? Your mouth never stops moving!¡± Zhang Yang said, snatching the magazine away with a swipe. ¡°Me? I¡¯m not eating anything!¡± ¡°He¡¯s saying ¡®what are you talking about?''¡± Li Yongle translated. ¡°We don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s natural that you guys wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Zhang Lintao explained. ¡°The Shu Guang soccer team is like a grain of sand in the Luoyang zone. They¡¯re nothing special at all. They would join in on the qualifiers every year but never get past the first round.¡± ¡°That bad, huh!¡± Zhang Yang was at a loss. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s a waste for them to enter that school. Just think about it, with Zhang Jun and Yang Pan up front alongside our captain, they would make a divine combination. They¡¯ll raid fortresses and burn towns with us at the back staving off any attacks. It would be nigh impenetrable. If that happens, we won¡¯t only be the kings of Luoyang, the seventh national title would be as good as won!¡± Zhang Yang touched his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Exactly! Exactly! But, they still went to that school. Now, the two of them are dead and bellied2.¡± ¡°It¡¯s buried!¡± Zhang Lintao corrected him. ¡°Who cares! Since they are buried, won¡¯t they be belly up!¡± Li Yongle flipped the pages of the magazine as the two argued. The first page introduced the opening ceremony of the nationals; but starting from page two all the way to page ten, it was all about Shu Guang! There were long essays and intricate details written about the players as well as rich photographs. The feature photo for the first editorial pictured the entire Shu Guang team celebrating a victory. The report was titled: ¡°3 : 2, The Shocking Defeat of a Giant, a Dark Horse Born in Turning Tides!¡± ¡­ ¡°Listen to this! ¡®3 : 2, The Shocking Defeat of a Giant, a Dark Horse Born in Turning Tides!¡¯ What a great title!¡± An Ke held the new issue of High School Soccer and read it out loudly, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another one: ¡®Shu Guang Takes Its First Steps Towards the Dawn of a New Era!¡¯ Wow, there¡¯s even a picture of me!¡± But his voice was largely unheeded by everyone¨Dthey all held the same issue of the publication in their hands. They were fully engrossed, busy looking for photos and columns about themselves. Zhang Jun entered the activity room before promptly retreating. He thought he was in the wrong place and that he had ended up in the literature club. He looked up at the class label to check that he was indeed in the right place before going in again. The first thing he saw was a thick and straight red line sketched on the huge match schedule, which was on the wall. It pointed Shu Guang High School towards their next match. He remembered the scene yesterday where he made the pinky promise with Su Fei and looked at his own pinky¨Dhe had unknowingly taken up another responsibility and it was too late to walk away. He put down his schoolbag, picked up a clay pot near the wall and clubbed it with a wooden stick. ¡°Training time!!!¡± ¡­ TL Note: (1) A Chinese equivalent of the typical pinky swear.1 (2) Zhang Yang made a pronunciation mistake of the Chinese word for ¡°buried¡± in the original text. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Upon returning home after an intense training session, Zhang Jun found that his home was honored with the arrival of a guest. ¡°Zhang Jun, look who¡¯s here?¡± his dad greeted him. The visitor turned and Zhang Jun was momentarily speechless. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Hehe. We meet again.¡± Chen Huafeng smiled. ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m your father¡¯s student. I¡¯m here today for a visit,¡± the reporter explained. ¡°Although I knew my instructor had a son, it never crossed my mind that it¡¯d be you. What a coincidence!¡± ¡°Never crossed my mind either.¡± ¡°I met him a few years ago when I went drawing in the Taihang Mountains. I stayed in his place while I was there,¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s father said, patting Huafeng¡¯s back. ¡°He was still a third-year high school student back then; but now, he¡¯s working. How time flies!¡± ¡°Yeah! I was at that age then. When Mr. Zhang climbed Taihang for sketches, he stayed at my house; I learned a lot from him during his half-month stay with us. That¡¯s how I developed an interest in photography. The high school exams were after that, and then, I enrolled in Journalism at Fudan University.¡± ¡°I heard you went to Shanghai to work after graduation, so how did you end up in Luoyang?¡± Zhang Weiguo asked. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that place! Shanghai wasn¡¯t the place for me! I worked for a newspaper, but the Shanghai boss looked at me like I was some sort of thief. I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I resigned.¡± ¡°I understand, you can be quite eager.¡± ¡°So, I was on another job-hunt, but the employers would reject my applications whenever they heard that I was from Henan. Why do Henan people have such a bad reputation outside of the province? And who should us Henan people be hiring in return? Either way I really couldn¡¯t get myself hired, so I came back to Henan, relocating here in Luoyang.¡± Growing disinterested the conversation about ¡°adult problems¡±, Zhang Jun bid them well and went to his room. He retrieved a copy of High School Soccer from his bag and started reading; the vivid text and imagery seemed to bring him back to that game. Yang Pan¡¯s passes were simply exquisite; when Zhang Jun made his run, he could see the ball soaring towards him in an almost aesthetic curve. He leaped, aimed and arched his head firmly. Then, he heard the beautiful sound of the ball brushing up against the net as he scored! He did not even stop to confirm if the ball had really gone in, running instead towards Yang Pan with arms open wide. He always trusted Yang Pan and their tacit understanding when it came to soccer. Anytime he saw Yang Pan sprinting towards the ball, he would dash into the box¨Dbecause Yang Pan would definitely send the ball to him. Then, he just needed to leap and nod the ball softly towards the goal. Even if Shui Huajun managed to equalize and subsequently give Zhong Xin the lead, he did not feel flustered. As long as he was playing alongside Yang Pan, he knew that they were unstoppable; it had been that way ever since they were children; naturally and unsurprisingly, Yang Pan equalized the score quickly. The long shot was a clear reminder of the first time he fired one those shots during their first game in middle school; it scared everyone silly back then. He also remembered Yang Pan¡¯s reaction on that bygone day¨Dat the sight of the goalpost¡¯s poles being knocked over, there was no quieting him down for the rest of the day. To be fair, they were made of wood and had aged considerably. Nevertheless, it was still genuinely amusing to see it getting knocked down by a little student¡¯s shot from over 20 m away! Yang Pan even asked their gym teacher afterwards, ¡°Teach, does this count as a goal?¡± The teacher looked at Yang Pan as though he was gazing upon an extraterrestrial life form. He was not even able to conjure up a sentence. Zhang Jun had always prided himself as the most skilled player among his classmates, but from that day onwards, he began to feel a sincere admiration towards another player. And with that, he became buddies with Yang Pan. Yang Pan¡¯s scoring also did a number on Zhong Xin¡¯s morale¨Dhe was accomplished in such matters after all. In the National High School Soccer Championship this summer, Yang Pan shot once after nine seconds, but it was enough to put last year¡¯s fourth-placed team out of commission for the rest of the game. A single high school student took a shot from 30 m away and knocked both the keeper as well as the ball into the goal! Not to mention, the goalie was immediately given a substitution. In the next game, it was Yang Pan¡¯s long shot that guided their victory once more; this time, over Kai Ta High. Therefore, in every game that followed, whenever he raised his feet, any defender who was marking him would subconsciously move aside. That was when he got the nickname: ¡°Morale Killer.¡± Just before Shu Guang got their win against Zhong Xin, Yang Pan¡¯s shot rebounded from the woodwork. When the other team¡¯s defense thought that they were out of the woods, Zhang Jun plunged forward like a ghost and appeared where the ball dropped, diving and sending the ball into an empty net. It looked easy, but without his natural instincts, Zhang Jun would not have appeared in that precise location at the precise time, making the precise move; there were numerous past examples where, in similar situations, players would miss empty goals. It felt good to win, but he was not as ecstatic as his seniors. He did win a national title before after all, and even if it was on a middle school level, it still counted as having the experience. But Su Fei¡¯s words yesterday moved him¨DWas football played for one¡¯s self? Just to feel the delight of scoring? Just to feel the body letting loose as the player dashed around the pitch? If not, what else was there? Zhang Jun found an answer in Su Fei¡¯s excited face yesterday. Although he did not understand English, he finally understood the lyrics of ¡°Do You Mind If I Play?¡±¨Dthe elegant theme song of the French World Cup . Would you cheer for me if I win? Would you cry for me if I lose? Would you mind if I play? I can be more, but would it matter if there¡¯s no one to share with? What meaning was there in a one-man victory? No cheers when I score, no comfort when I lose; who am I even running so hard for? Zhang Jun played the song with his hi-fi system and closed his eyes to soak in the world within the music. In that dimension, he ran to his heart¡¯s content across green pastures, and his ears were filled with the chants of hundreds of thousands of people. Everyone was shouting his name¨Dthose voices seeped into his blood, heating it up and warming his body; what a wonderful sensation it was! He met those cries with open arms to embrace it all. ¡­ Su Fei decided to visit Zhang Jun and borrow a few books on football. But when she rang his doorbell, neither his parents nor Zhang Jun himself greeted her by the door¨Dit was the reporter instead. ¡°Is that Su Fei?¡± Zhang Weiguo asked. ¡°It¡¯s me, uncle.¡± Chen Huafeng was also taken aback. How did he bump into two acquaintances in one afternoon? ¡°He¡¯s at his room, go look for him.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks uncle.¡± Su Fei made a beeline for Zhang Jun¡¯s room while Huafeng pointed at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the manager of the Shu Guang High School soccer team?¡± ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s right!¡± Zhang Wei Guo chortled. ¡°Her family just moved here a month ago, next to us. Su Fei often comes by, looking for Zhang Jun. And she¡¯s such a good girl! Thoughtful, well-behaved and excellent in her studies. She¡¯ll be a good teacher for my clueless Zhang Jun.¡± Chen Huafeng looked pensively at Zhang Jun¡¯s door. ¡­ Once Su Fei entered, she was startled again as she found Zhang Jun standing in the middle of his room. It was filled with music and he stood with his arms spread wide open. But instead of disturbing him, she closed the door softly and found a spot to sit. The length of the track felt so short and Zhang Jun was left unsatisfied as he opened his eyes. He jumped at the sight of Su Fei, who held her chin as she watched him. ¡°Eh! Su Fei? When did you come inside?¡± She smiled. ¡°When you were dreaming.¡± ¡°Dreaming?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Your expression just now was so rich, you had to be dreaming. It was hilarious!¡± Her laughter was heavenly. Zhang Jun thought about what he had been feeling. ¡°Yup! It was a beautiful dream!¡± ¡­ Li Yongle was on his bed, flipping through the copy of High School Soccer he swiped off Zhang Yang. He had already gone through every article written about Shu Guang, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan. However, his thoughts were not on the article. The story went that Zhang Jun and Yang Pan had already shown their brilliance during their middle school years. In the summer of their third-year , they led Kai Ta Middle School to their first national title. Li Yongle recalled his own days in middle school. Under the influence of youth and his rebellious tendencies, he started playing truant, getting into fights and spending long hours at arcade. He looked at the attention his teachers and parents gave him as restraints. He met Zhang Yang later on, and with their similar thinking as well as personalities, they became best friends almost immediately. They were the typical teenage troublemakers and representatives of their school¡¯s failing students. This lifestyle of theirs stretched on late into their third middle school year. Yongle could not recall what got into him at the time, but one fateful day, he went with Zhang Yang to watch a soccer match in his school field. It was only a qualifying match for the National Middle School Soccer Championship between Shu Ren Middle School and Kai Ta Middle School, but it changed his life. It had been a one-sided game; the score was 5 : 0 when it ended. A classmate of his was playing the role of center back, and though he did not like the guy, the player did have skillsThe Opponent. But in the pitch, he made a clown of himself thanks to Kai Ta¡¯s No. 11. The defender was floored time after time and he was not even able to reach the other player¡¯s jersey to foul him; watching him pick his wretched self up, even Yongle began to feel sorry for the guy. And then there was that No. 7, whose long shot hit the woodwork but kept the goalpost quaking for a very long time. ¡°They¡¯re so good! Who are they?¡± Li Yongle could not stop himself from wondering. ¡°No. 11 is Kai Ta¡¯s Zhang Jun, No. 7 is Yang Pan,¡± a voice came from behind. Li Yongle turned to see a uniformed and bespectacled but frail-looking boy. He was also watching the game. He climbed over to sit beside him and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Zhang Lintao.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¨D¡± ¡°Li Yongle, I believe?¡± Li was a little shocked. ¡°How did you know who I am?¡± ¡°Li Yongle and Zhang Yang are the top hoodlums of Shu Ren Middle School. How could I not? I can remember names very well.¡± ¡°Then, do you know them too?¡± Li Yongle pointed at the pitch. ¡°I¡¯ve watched their game before so, I do,¡± Zhang Lintao began to chatter incessantly as soon as the topic shifted to soccer. ¡°Zhang Jun is their top striker and he has scored 11 goals in four games so far. Yang Pan is a very fast attacking midfielder; his long shots are unbelievable for a third-year middle school student. You saw it too just now, right?¡± Meanwhile, the Shu Ren cheerleaders were completely floored while Kai Ta¡¯s own cheerleading team, who traveled all the way to another school were doing their best. Li Yongle stared at the pitch thoughtfully. ¡­ After kicking down their last opponent, the 185-cm Li straightened his clothes and told Zhang Yang, who was beside him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep fighting like this.¡± Zhang Yang did not get him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to play soccer.¡± ¡°Soccer? You? No way!¡± Zhang Yang was finding the situation incredulous. ¡°Yes. I have a new opponent I want to defeat!¡± Li Yongle declared with clenched fists. ¡°Because of that game?¡± ¡°Yeah. When we enter high school, I¡¯ll join the soccer team. I only hope that I won¡¯t get in the same school as them.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ What a teenager, such a quick change of interest!¡± Zhang Yang sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not with me?¡± ¡°Me? Stop kidding!¡± Zhang Yang waved him off. ¡°I¡¯ve never even played!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°I trained before when I was younger but I didn¡¯t play much once I got into middle school. Believe me, your physical conditioning fits the bill. You¡¯re volatile, fast, strong and fearless; it¡¯s what soccer requires.¡± ¡°And I always thought these were only needed for brawls.¡± Zhang Yang kicked a Coke can into the drain in one move. ¡°Your kicking isn¡¯t bad either!¡± ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll play. But I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll learn it from now till September!¡± ¡°One summer is all I need.¡± ¡­ At the pitch of the high school attached to the Zhongyuan University of Science and Technology. ¡°Welcome to everyone who has registered to join our Zhongyuan soccer team. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to say about our team¡¯s history; you¡¯re here because you know. What I want to say is, our team has over 80 members¨Dso, if you want to get into the first team, you have to train seriously! My training is intense; there are many who can¡¯t stand it and leave every year; and I won¡¯t protest even if you do. But, as long as you work hard in training, it will never escape my attention,¡± Sun Laihong, the team¡¯s coach said seriously. ¡°Alright now, everyone please state your name and your preferred position.¡± ¡°Li Yongle, my preferred position is defensive midfielder!¡± Sun Lai Hong looked at his firm and strong 185-cm frame. It was a good build for playing football. ¡°Zhang Yang, I wish to play as a left back.¡± Li Yongle smiled as he considered the talent that was Zhang Yang. He noticed that his friend was left-handed and as such, decided to set him on that position. However, he did not expect him to become such a fine one in just a month. Although he had refused earlier, he proved that he was a faster learner than the rest. His ferocious tackles also proved to be a very useful armament. ¡°Zhang Lintao, my preferred position is goalkeeper.¡± Li Yongle turned to see the boy he met on the pitch that day; with his spectacles and frail appearance, Li was not expecting him to play as well. Lintao smiled at him. ¡­ Yongle returned to the present and kept reading. The last three pages were a report on Zhongyuan¡¯s own match, which also introduced three of their first-year recruits. ¡°Li Yongle: A young star with a bright future. Although he is 185 cm tall and weighs 80 kg, this defensive midfielder played with his wits instead of his physicality¨Da rare trait among high-schoolers. He appeared to have great control over match rhythm; it¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s just 15 with the performance he put on in his debut. He always picked out the right position as he moved about, tackling precisely and ferociously. On top of that, he handled the ball in a calm demeanor. These are all qualities that an excellent defensive midfielder has to possess. There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯ll become a star footballer with time. Zhang Yang: A player who allegedly never had any prior experience of playing football before high school. Yet, anyone who watched his debut would never consider him a newbie. On the pitch, he incessantly roared and completely dismantled opponents¡¯ offensive attempts with his beautifully timed challenges. As a left back, he is a one-man minefield that never permits opponents to take even half a step farther. Zhang Lintao: No previous data of this player existed. It was only known that he went to the same middle school alongside Zhang Yang and Li Yongle. No valuable data was gathered on his debut game because he had nothing to do for large periods; Zhang Yang and Luo Bin¡¯s defensive partnership stopped their opponents¡¯ offensive efforts 30 m out. His foundations looked solid when he received the ball on a few occasions. One way or another, he is not to be underestimated since he was able to make the first team as soon as he joined the Zhongyuan squad. There is much to look forward for his display in upcoming games.¡± Li Yongle closed the magazine. He could feel as if he was catching up to Zhang Jun; he could hear his footsteps just slightly ahead. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Almost overnight, the Shu Guang players became celebrities. It was not a typical student¡¯s life to be interviewed and featured in magazines. They were the focus of everybody¡¯s attention wherever they went in school, and there were some who even asked for their autographs. Being part a group who never held expectations of such bliss, it was natural to lose themselves a little¨Dweren¡¯t they just high-schoolers after all? ¡­ In the activity room, Liang Ke¡¯s expression was unusually sullen. ¡°No training today, let¡¯s have a meeting.¡± Everybody in the room had no idea what their coach was up to. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some problems recently with our team. Do you guys know what they are? Every player looked at each other, not quite understanding what their coach was referring to. ¡°We¡¯ve just won a game, but some of us are so over the moon, we¡¯ve even forgotten our surnames. Is there a need to be this happy? If you guys behave like this now, what will it be like when you actually win the national championship? Die of happiness? Someone laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not joking here! I¡¯m being serious right now!¡± The laughter quickly faded. ¡°All of you are still young; there is still a long journey ahead. Always remember, never be arrogant in victory or be discouraged by failure.¡± Liang Ke pointed at the fixture list behind him. ¡°Many of you don¡¯t know who made this. Allow me to enlighten you. It was Su Fei, who drew it, kneeling on the floor for four and a half hours in one night! She made me keep this a secret but looking at the bunch of you, I¡¯m not willing to let her efforts go to waste in the next match!¡± Zhang Jun slid a look at Su Fei who was seated beside the coach, and discovered that she, too, could feel embarrassed. ¡°What¡¯s this line Su Fei drew with a red marker? Have you guys thought about it? She wants us to keep winning and keep this line going. Are you willing to let the line stop here?¡± Their heads lowered, none of the players made a sound. After what felt like half a day, Liang Ke finally slowed down. ¡°I¡¯m not scolding all of you, just telling you what I felt needed to be said. It¡¯s fine, you can go home now. Think about what I¡¯ve just said. Dismissed!¡± ¡­ It did not feel good to be scolded. Sitting on the balcony, Zhang Jun gazed upon the dark blue sky of the night. There was a cracking noise as the door to the next door balcony opened; Su Fei came out for a change of scenery after getting tired of sitting in front of books. She stretched lazily before she noticed Zhang Jun on his own veranda. He did not even bother to look at her despite her sudden appearance. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. ¡°Counting stars.¡± Zhang Jun still did not turn to look at her. Su Fei looked at the sky. It was gloomy and devoid of any starlight. ¡°Still thinking about what coach said?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking, how long can that line be drawn?¡± She turned towards him. ¡°How long do you think?¡± ¡°I dunno. Maybe very, very long.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she smiled. Suddenly, Zhang Jun jumped up from his chair. Pointing at Su Fei with a face of complete seriousness, he declared, ¡°You¡¯ll see! The match this week, I will score three myself!¡± ¡°Another hat-trick?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s my birthday gift to you!¡± With that, he turned and went back inside his house. Dumbfounded, Su Fei remained where she was. She remembered that the upcoming Saturday¨Dthe 20th of October ¨Dwas her birthday. She lifted her eyes to the night sky once more. ¡°Fei Fei, come on inside. It¡¯s cold out there!¡± Her mother called from inside the house. ¡°Oh!¡± Su Fei turned and retreated into her house. ¡°What were you doing?¡± ¡°Counting stars.¡± ¡­ Shu Guang would play host again in their second match on Saturday, and this time, they would be playing against Nanyang High school, a team that ranked eleventh in last year¡¯s championships. Chen Huafeng had just entered the alleyway into the school and he was shocked at the sight. The tight lane was fully parked with all kinds of cars and motorcycles¨Dall vehicles from news outlets. ¡°So many reporters for just one match!¡± Inside the school, a large number of journalists were gathered by the pitch. They were in groups, discussing about the game that would be starting soon as well as Shu Guang, the dark horse. An Ke was deeply shocked when he saw the doubled amount of press through the window. ¡°Is this for real? It¡¯s so ridiculous!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind anything outside the pitch,¡± Liang Ke said. ¡°Have you forgotten what I¡¯ve told you?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Every player answered loudly. ¡°Very good! In this game, we¡¯re up against Nanyang High School, which was ranked eleventh last year. They are a defensive team. Their usual formation is 532, with two center-backs and their captain, Liu Tie slightly in front; and in most of their matches, they would never cross the halfway line. Their attacking midfielder is average in ability, but their strike force, which combines a fast player and a tall player still brings a threat. Liu Yun, No. 9 is almost 190 cm tall and a powerful striker, good with headers. Li Peng, No. 10 is only 170 cm, but he is fast with good skills. He is known for making breakthroughs. Their goals come entirely from this duo, so we have to be extremely cautious around them and stop their counter-attacks. At the same time, we have to keep enough pressure on their defense. However, Yang Pan, you are not allowed to fire long shots¨Dnot a single one for the entire game.¡± Yang Pan nodded. An Ke was grumbling inside. ¡°Lunatic! They are using a water closet formation, and with no long shots, does he intend for us to slip through the middle?¡± ¡°Ren Yu De.¡± The player raised his head. ¡°In this game, don¡¯t limit yourself to the left flank. Do your best to confuse their defense, understand?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡­ The game began with the referee¡¯s whistle. Right after kick-off, Nanyang assumed their pure-defensive stance. They did not want to have a repeat of the situation in Shu Guang¡¯s last game where they scored a nine-second goal. Liu Tie recalled what his own coach told him before the match. ¡°Shu Guang was powerful in its attack and was capable of scoring three points even against the likes of Zhong Xin. Their new recruits have changed the team entirely¨Dthey are not to be underestimated! Liu Tie, your objective in this game is to mark Zhang Jun. Do not give him any chance to shoot inside the box. Tackle him if necessary.¡± When he looked up, Shu Guang¡¯s attacking group were already dashing forward with extreme vigor. Wang Bo passed the ball to Ren Yu De, who dribbled for two paces, but soon returned it helplessly at the sight of the opposing team¡¯s impenetrable back line. Liang Ke frowned at the sight from the coach¡¯s seat. Controlling the ball carefully, Wang Bo looked to pass the ball but he was unable to find anybody. Their two strikers were being marked heavily while both Ren Yu De and Yang Pan were also being forced to the flanks¨Dany delivery into the box would also be cleared out. With Yang Pan also being restricted from firing long shots, he could not figure out how to make a breakthrough. Just when Wang Bo wallowed in indecisiveness, Ding Ding, one of Nanyang¡¯s defensive midfielders, stole the ball in one agile move! Nanyang quickly went on the attack after taking possession, and Ding Ding lobbed the ball to the front. The 189-cm Liu Yun easily won the header with his towering frame over Su Li before delivering it to Li Pengfei. As the latter prepared to break through, the ball went out as someone slid in for a tackle. It was Yang Pan! The throw-in that followed was Nanyang¡¯s. Liu Tie passed the ball to their attacking midfielder Zhang Yiming, who crossed the ball into the Shu Guang box again. The tallest of the Shu Guang central defenders was 186 cm tall, but he lost out to Liu Yun by inches. Now, they were in serious trouble as the Nanyang striker leaped! A shadow rushed out and jumped; a pair of hands gathered the ball tightly. It was An Ke! ¡°High balls?¡± An Ke cleared the ball with one kick. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys underestimating me? What kind of joke is this?!¡± Wang Bo got to the ball again but remained stumped in the face of Nanyang¡¯s concentrated central defense. He could only pass the ball to Yang Pan, who dove into the flanks with his incredible speed and crossed it! Zhang Jun could not get to the ball as it was headed by a burly defender. The two teams maintained the stalemate in such a fashion. Against an alert Shu Guang, there was no way Nanyang could hit them on the break; it was the same story for Shu Guang against the focused Nanyang defense. They simply could not find a way to slip through in the middle and they also could not make a breakthrough from the flanks. The score stood frozen at 0 : 0. After they stayed on the offensive for more than half an hour, a chance finally came for Shu Guang in the thirty-eighth minute. Yang Pan slipped a low pass into the box and Zhang Jun dashed forward. Not good! Liu Tie thought urgently as he gave chase. Zhang Jun got to the ball and took a shot! But Liu Tie, risking a flying tackle, deflected the ball off the line with his foot, felling Zhang Jun inside the penalty area at the same time. The referee¡¯s whistle rang. Liu Tie looked nervously at the match official, but he was pointing to the direction of the pitch side flag; it was a corner kick. The Nanyang captain sighed in relief. Just one moment of carelessness and I almost let him have it! I really can¡¯t ease off! Liu Tie thought as he stared at Zhang Jun¡¯s back. Yang Pan crossed the corner into the area, but the ball was headed clear by a Nanyang center-back. The first-half ended and the score remained at 0 : 0! ¡°I thought you guys could do better!¡± Liang Ke said in the locker room. ¡°Ren Yu De, you had that chance straight from the kick-off. Why didn¡¯t you make a breakthrough into the box? Why a back-pass? Were you scared?¡± Ren Yu De did not make a sound. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re just good for some fancy dribbling! No more retreating in the second half; you have to play like Denilson and scatter the Nanyang defense! Show some confidence! Are you not confident enough? Zhang Jun, Zhang Rui, you two have got to make more runs inside the box and stretch their defense. Understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Right! There¡¯s still 40 minutes left. Prove to everyone that we are not fleeting stars!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ren Yu De was on the ground, thinking back to what Liang Ke said. ¡°Are you not confident enough?¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± He smiled. He looked back to when he had just enrolled into middle school. There was one occasion where he played soccer with strangers who were much larger than him. But when he got the ball, he plunged ahead towards the opposition¡¯s goalpost as he dribbled past five of their players¨Dhe even tripped their goalkeeper in the end just before he knocked the ball into an empty net. The high schoolers were speechless at the sight. They had never seen a brat who was that good. Looking at the Nanyang defense now, he smirked coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not confident enough? Liang Ke, you¡¯re pissing me off!¡± ¡°Ren Yu De!¡± Wang Bo called as he passed the ball to his teammate. Ren Yu De received it and immediately ran into a Nanyang defender. He lowered his back as he stared tightly at his opponent. Looking at his flawless stance, the defender did not extend his leg to make a challenge. It was then that Ren Yu De began to sway like a moving clock, with his legs running circles around the ball. Stepover! It was a skill once used brilliantly by Brazil¡¯s Denilson as he dribbled against the Netherlands team in the 1998 World Cup. It became an iconic scene in that tournament. Now, Ren Yu De was reliving that scene in a high school soccer match; his skillful trick conjured images of that unforgettable summer in France. His marker froze for a moment in indecision, and Ren took that opportunity to dash past him. Leaving him behind, he did not make for the corner instead, he changed directions and went inside Nanyang¡¯s box. The team¡¯s entire defense panicked. If they ignored him, he would shoot; if they closed in on him, they would be leaving other players unmarked¨Dthe two Shu Guang strikers were not useless, were they? There was little time left for them to even think and Ren Yu De was prepared to shoot. A center back made his choice and charged at him. But even with little space, Ren Yu De turned and left a second player behind! The Nanyang back line was now left in utter disarray, and Ren Yu De saw through the crowd that the Nanyang goal was left wide open; holding his markers off, he promptly slipped a pass in front. Knowing his cue, Zhang Jun ran up. But when he was preparing to shoot, Liu Tie intercepted the ball and knocked it out of bounds. One of the defenders headed clear the ensuing corner. The ball fell to Su Li¡¯s feet and he passed it to Zhang Jun again¨Dbut Liu Tie was so close to him, he could not turn, much less attempt a shot. Strikers who were unable to shoot were of not much use. ¡­ ¡°This won¡¯t do! Zhang Jun can¡¯t even turn; how can he score? I came to watch him score!¡± Chen Huafeng turned to see a few fans voicing out their opinions. ¡°How about this, the attacking midfielder can play some through passes that will set Zhang Jun free for runs; it would probably be more effective.¡± In his heart, Chen Hua Feng knew that these guys were right. Through balls were among the methods that could help shake off a man-to-man defense. ¡­ Yang Pan received the ball once again as Shu Guang maintained their encirclement on Nanyang. Zhang Jun ran towards the penalty area and Yang Pan decisively made a through pass! Zhang Jun sped ahead while he took occasional glimpses to check where the ball was going¨Donly to see the pass being cut off by Liu Tie. The ball went out of the baseline. Zhang Jun wiped the sweat off his face and was left staring at Liu Tie¡¯s back. Quite the tough guy, he thought. He lifted his head to check the time. ¡°Just 20 minutes left, not good! If I don¡¯t think of something, Su Fei¡¯s birthday present is going down the dumps!¡± Another delivery from Yang Pan was knocked out of bounds by a Nanyang defender¨Dbut that was when Zhang Jun had an epiphany. He ran to the corner area, tugged at Yang Pan and whispered into his ear. ¡°What? Can you get to it?¡± Yang Pan said with a face of disbelief. ¡°Just try it! If we don¡¯t score from this, the last minutes of this game are gonna be very tough.¡± ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s holding you back. But, you have to guarantee that you¡¯ll get me the ball.¡± ¡°Still not confident about my feet?¡± The referee approached them, gesturing for the corner to be taken. High-fiving Yang Pan, Zhang Jun ran back into the penalty area. Liu Tie saw the cheerful expression on Zhang Jun¡¯s face but did not know what he was up to. His only option was to stay on Zhang Jun at all costs; his teammates would handle other Shu Guang players. After five more minutes, their stamina would drop drastically and then, it would be all about Nanyang. The referee whistled as Yang Pan stood by the corner flag. However, his stance was entirely different. He ran to the ball and raised his foot¡­ Every Shu Guang player knew, it was his long shot stance! ¡°Has he gone mad?!¡± An Ke screamed at the top of his lungs. The ball darted out like a cannonball at an unbelievable speed. The Nanyang defense were appalled at the sight of such an incredible ball and subconsciously dodged it. Liu Tie saw it too, but what shocked him was Zhang Jun, who began his run when Yang Pan took the corner. As the ball arrived, he leaped with precise timing. He kicked the ball and volleyed! But, it was not a pass at all! With that speed and power, the ball was a shot one way or another! A loud noise rang, and every player on the pitch was left watching the ball as it lay quietly in Nanyang¡¯s net. Yang Pan was the first to break the silence as he cried out from the corner flag. Zhang Jun picked himself off the ground and ran towards him with arms wide open. 1 : 0! Shu Guang had finally broken the stalemate! But the crowd did not react much; not many could clearly see everything that just happened. It took about one second from the corner for the goal to be scored, and without a large screen in the stadium, there was no replay of the scene. Still, the scoreboard clearly stated 1 : 0, with Shu Guang ahead after breaking the impasse on the twenty-second minute of the second half. If Nanyang wanted to win this now, they could not just defend, they had to attack. But if they did, they would simply be playing into Shu Guang¡¯s hands; they specialized in games where teams pit their own attack against theirs. Liu Tie was agonized. His single mistake had led to an unsalvageable situation. The entire team¡¯s 62 minutes¡¯ worth of hard work went down the drain and the coach¡¯s arrangements before the game were also useless. Now, as captain, he had to make a choice, to attack or defend? The answer was obvious; they could lose the game if they attacked, but if they did not they would definitely lose. With only a wave from their captain¡¯s hand, the team shifted their formation from 532 to 352; two of their defenders on the flanks shifted to the midfield flanks, assuming an attack formation. Nanyang began their courageous attacks after the match resumed. It was rare to see them moving forward in purposeful aggression, but they were threatening whenever they did. Although their attacking midfielder was an average player, their two strikers¨Done was tall and the other, fast¨Dcould prove to be devastating when it came to long balls. Liu Tie delivered one and the 189-cm tall Liu Yun easily headed it away from Su Li! Li Pengfei got to it and sprinted towards the Shu Guang goal. He used his speed to dodge the challenge of Shu Guang¡¯s No. 4, Li Xiaopeng. Then, as he faced Li Jieguang, he shifted directions and dribbled past him too! But as soon as he arrived at the box, Pengfei was stunned to find that An Ke had dived in front of his feet. The sight made him leap instinctively and so, the ball was claimed by An Ke. ¡°Attack!¡± An Ke shouted as he cleared the ball forward with one kick. Wang Bo fought hard for the header and passed it to Ren Yu De, who once again used his dazzling technique to move into the Nanyang area. He took a shot but their keeper got to the ball with a diving save and a defender cleared the loose ball. Time quietly passed as both sides unleashed their intense onslaught. The score stayed at 1 : 0. During that period, Zhang Jun felt that his right ankle¨Dthe one he used for the volleyed strike¨Dwas beginning to hurt and affect his running. Maybe it was due to the forceful redirecting of Yang Pan¡¯s shot; it was not a laughing matter to do it with a ball traveling at 180 km/h after all. The ball was passed to Wang Bo from a Shu Guang throw-in, and upon seeing two Nanyang players closing in, he passed it to Zhang Jun hurriedly. The ball bounced a little over a pebble in front of the Shu Guang striker and suddenly, finding inspiration, Zhang Jun finally found a way to rid himself of the pesky No. 5. Sticking close to Liu Tie as the ball came, Zhang Jun used a hooking motion with the tip of his foot to lob the ball over both himself and the defender, right before he promptly turned. Having no line of sight, Liu Tie was unable to see what was happening. He turned when he saw Zhang Jun turn. The movement translated into inertia and he was held back from a quick recovery¨Dwhen he finally turned around, Zhang Jun already got the ball right to the front of the goal. At long last, Zhang Jun felt relief from the pressure of being marked for over 60 minutes. He entered the area with total freedom like a dragon in the sea and took a shot after felling another defender! The ball went in underneath the keeper! 2 : 0! Zhang Jun bagged a brace after 72 minutes! Shu Guang had doubled their advantage! The stands were a sight of celebration. But the scorer did nothing of the sort. He ran inside the net, retrieved the ball and ran back towards the center circle, leaving both squads confused. What team who was ahead would hope for their opposition to restart the game quickly? Only Su Fei, who was sitting beside Liang Ke understood. There was one more goal needed to complete her birthday present and there was eight minutes left. Still struggling to understand how the ball got behind him, Liu Tie began to lose concentration during the rest of the game. Zhang Jun was on the ball, but he did not approach to challenge. Instead, he made the vital mistake of getting into a face-to-face duel with the striker, who calmly feinted, shifted heading and accelerated! Liu Tie was now right behind him! Facing a fearsome center back charging at him, Zhang Jun passed the ball to Yang Pan on the flank while he continued his run towards the goal. Yang Pan understood the play and quickly delivered a return pass. One-two! Now facing the keeper alone, Zhang Jun feinted a shot to the left and the keeper obediently dived over in that direction. The only thng left was for Zhang Jun to pull to the right and prod the ball into the net towards an empty goal. 3:0! Hat-trick!!! Just three minutes before the match ended, Zhang Jun had contributed decisively for Shu Guang, allowing their entrance into the third-round, the quarter-finals. By that point, nobody really cared about the final minutes; the Shu Guang High School students were already cheering for the win on the stands. Their football team had always been trampled upon and now that their moment had finally come, how could they not be happy? It was an ocean of joy when the referee blew the final whistle. With resounding cheers, nutty celebrations and swarming reporters, it was the same scene as last week¨Din fact, it was much livelier and crazier today! This time, Su Fei chose to watch the raucous quietly at the side. Hat-trick hero, Zhang Jun became the center of attention, with layers upon layers of fans and journalists surrounding him. ¡°You¡¯ll see! The match this week, I will score three myself!¡± ¡°Another hat-trick?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s my birthday gift to you!¡± Their conversation a few days ago rang in her ears. ¡°Thank you! This is the best birthday present ever!¡± Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Three-Nil! Shu Guang High School Cements Its Place as the Dark Horse!¡± Li Yongle flung the latest copy of High School Soccer on his table. Zhongyuan, his own school had masterfully dismantled the Luoyang No.1 Senior High School team by 5:0 last Saturday; but somehow, Shu Guang was still able to claim this week¡¯s magazine cover and main story. Zhang Yang came looking for his company, but he was not interested. ¡°I want to take a look at Shu Guang this afternoon,¡± Yongle proclaimed. ¡°Wanna scout the rival?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°Oh, yeah! I¡¯m going too!¡± Zhang Yang agreed, raising both his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in class!¡± ¡°Zhang Lintao, are you coming too?¡± Li Yongle asked his classmate, who was sitting in front of him. ¡°Me? I want to study.¡± Two Math books were thrown at him. ¡­ ¡°So, this is Shu Guang High School? It¡¯s so difficult to find! The main gate is so inconspicuous, the school is built in the middle of an alley and there isn¡¯t even a single road sign pointing towards it!¡± Zhang Yang exclaimed, feeling grumpy after walking aimlessly for quite some time. ¡°Still, the school security is quite lax; outsiders can enter as they like.¡± The trio loitered around the Shu Guang school compound before arriving at the school¡¯s arena. The pitch was rather simple, but there was not a soul to be found there; their squad was probably not training just yet. ¡°The foundation of this school¡¯s soccer is so weak! There¡¯s nobody playing at all. It¡¯s little wonder that they never make it to the second round every year!¡± But just as Zhang Yang was giving his critique of the school, a beautiful figure appeared within his field of vision¨Dhis face told the others that he could not believe such a ¡°third-rate¡± school would have such a beautiful girl. ¡°What a babe!¡± Even Zhang Lintao and Li Yongle gasped softly. ¡°Su Fei! Su Fei!¡± A boy came chasing after her. ¡°Please, help me do my homework tonight!¡± The three of them stared blankly¨Dthe newcomer was Zhang Jun. Looking at his expression as he pleaded with the girl, no one would have linked him to the soccer player, Zhang Jun. ¡°No can do!¡± Su Fei did not even turn and continued walking. ¡°We can do it together, but I won¡¯t help you do it!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be like that!¡± Zhang Jun said as he kept up with her. ¡°I really have stuff to do tonight!¡± ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no need to guess. I know you¡¯re watching a match!¡± ¡°Watching soccer matches is a type of practice for me! And ultimately, it¡¯s for the good of the team! As the manager, shouldn¡¯t you share some of our burdens?¡± ¡°Then, what about I help you watch the game?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± The three spectators were speechless as they watched the bickering pair. They had only seen Zhang Jun¡¯s suaveness on the pitch, not his ¡°suaveness¡± off it. Despite the surprising turn of events, Li Yongle kept with his decision to go ahead and greet him, even if the timing was awkward. Logically speaking, when two individuals begin their destined rivalry in a story, shouldn¡¯t the setting be more formal and serious, backed by an atmosphere filled with bloodthirst? ¡°I¡¯m going to greet him.¡± Zhang Yang stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s still another game to go! There¡¯s no telling if they¡¯ll be our opponents! There¡¯s no rush!¡± Li Yongle glanced at him, but he kept going, saying, ¡°Your standard of soccer has risen considerably, but why can¡¯t your insight of the game rise at the same time?¡± ¡°What is that suppose to mean?¡± Zhang Yang asked his friend¡¯s departing shadow. ¡°He¡¯s saying, why are you considering Shu Guang as a team of weaklings when they¡¯ve already eliminated two powerful teams?¡± said Zhang Lintao, who was beside him. ¡°Plus, what¡¯s the difference of two games against one!¡± ¡°Shh! Did I ask you anything?¡± ¡­ Li Yongle got in front of the pair and interrupted their bickering with a cough. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Su Fei shifted into a polite demeanor as she noticed the huge boy in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Zhang Jun pointed at himself. ¡°Correct!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I know you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Li Yongle, the defensive midfielder for Zhongyuan High School¡¯s soccer team,¡± Li Yongle introduced himself. ¡°I know that meeting you now is rather out of the blue, but we did come here by playing truant and we still have to rush back for training. Shu Guang¡¯s next opponent is Bai Ma High School, don¡¯t lose!¡± After finishing what he had to say, Li Yongle left without waiting for a response. Yang Pan walked past the three visitors and he was slightly surprised at their presence. He turned around to watch the trio as they left. ¡°Li Yongle?¡± ¡°You know them?¡± Zhang Jun asked. ¡± High School Soccer wrote about them. The one in the middle is Zhang Yang, Zhongyuan¡¯s left back. The one on the right is their keeper, Zhang Lintao.¡± Yang Pan identified them as he pointed at each one of them. ¡°But, what are they here for?¡± ¡°Who will we face next if we beat Bai Ma?¡± ¡°If there are no surprises in store,¡± Su Fei answered, ¡°it would be the high school attached to Zhongyuan Technical University.¡± The three of them looked at each other. The high school attached to Zhongyuan Technical University¡­ ¡­ ¡°Coach, may I borrow the recording of Tong Xing¡¯s game to watch tonight?¡± Li Yongle asked his coach, Sun Laihong. ¡°Okay! And I¡¯m counting on you to keep their No. 10 in check!¡± Sun Laihong smiled as he handed the tape over. ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Zhang Lintao said, feeling mildly confused. ¡°This is the first time Li Yongle has borrowed a recording on his own¡¯s accord. Perhaps that No. 10 is making him nervous?¡± ¡°Idiot!¡±¨DZhang Yang laughed¨D¡±he¡¯s sending Zhang Jun a declaration of war!¡± ¡­ Su Fei saw the reporter as soon as she returned home. ¡°Fei Fei, there¡¯s a reporter who wants an interview with you!¡± Her mother was all smiles. ¡°An interview with me?¡± Su Fei said, feeling incredulous. ¡°Yes¡±¨Dthe reporter stood up¨D¡±I¡¯m Chen Huafeng, a reporter from High School Soccer .¡± ¡°But, the guy you want is next door.¡± Su Fei pointed towards the entrance behind her. ¡°I came especially for an interview with you.¡± Huafeng smiled. ¡­ Zhang Jun was stumped by a particularly difficult mathematical problem (he was clueless on the subject) and decided to look for Su Fei¡¯s help. He knocked and opened her door only to find Chen Huafeng sitting down with her. Seeing his arrival, Su Fei waved happily. ¡°Zhang Jun, come here!¡± ¡°What, I have¡­¡± Apparently, Zhang Jun did no want to tangle himself with journalists after they gave him quite the scare last Saturday. But, when Huafeng found that Zhang Jun was also there, his face was filled with joy. He stood up to invite him over. ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s here too? That¡¯s even better! Come, let¡¯s have a chat!¡± Too embarrassed to walk away, Zhang Jun sat beside his neighbor. ¡°Hehe, he totally wanted a special interview from me, but I really didn¡¯t know what to say.¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°Your timing is perfect!¡± ¡°Ah! So, I¡¯m here as a scapegoat?¡± ¡°Nope, you¡¯re simply more experienced when it comes to handling reporters!¡± ¡°Hey, is it that scary talking to journalists?¡± ¡°Very scary!¡± the pair answered Huafeng with the same expression on their faces. The writer smiled. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s drop the formalities and have a random chat.¡± He packed up his pen and notebook. ¡°A random chat?¡± Zhang Jun asked, casting a glance at Su Fei. ¡°Don¡¯t look at her like she¡¯s some kind of gentle lady¨Dit¡¯s just a cover. After that first match, she dragged me out of my bed early the next morning, saying that she wanted company for shopping. The horror!¡± Su Fei threw a pillow at him. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you! Don¡¯t say those things in front of the reporter!¡± ¡°You see?¡± Zhang Jun said as he blocked the projectile. ¡°I see,¡± Huafeng replied, grinning. ¡°But in lieu of my health and safety, maybe you should omit that!¡± ¡°Yup, yup.¡± ¡°Furthermore, if it goes public, her beautiful image will be ruined¨Dand she probably won¡¯t get to marry.¡± ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Su Fei pouted. ¡°You guys can talk about your daily life; anything interesting!¡± ¡°Let me think,¡± Zhang Jun said, counting off his fingers. ¡°Making records, washing jerseys¡­ Oh! There¡¯s that time she knelt on the floor for four and a half hours¨Dher knees were all swollen.¡± ¡°Oh? What was that for?¡± ¡°Creating our match schedule!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t every participating team already have one? Is there a need to make another?¡± ¡°The one they provided was very small. The one Su Fei made was large¡ªas big as a wall.¡± Zhang Jun spread his arms, creating an image of the size. ¡°That big?!¡± ¡°Yeah, she even marked our games with a red marker and connected each stage. She said that she wanted to see how long the line would go.¡± Su Fei remained quiet for some time. ¡°We don¡¯t want her hard work to go to waste or make her sad, so we¡¯ll keep winning match after match.¡± ¡­ Chen Huafeng left, feeling rewarded. He jotted down quite a number of mental notes about Su Fei and took a few shots of the Shu Guang manager. The girl proved to have no reservations in front of the camera; she was perfectly natural. She¡¯s almost like a born cover model , he thought to himself as he pressed the shutter. ¡­ ¡°Argh! It¡¯s 10!¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°My homework¡¯s not done! Su Fei, help!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so heartless! And, I spoke so highly of you in front of the reporter!¡± ¡°You call that speaking highly?¡± Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Luoyang weather was suitable for outdoor sports. While the southern regions were filled with autumn drizzles, the north was still enveloped in breeze, typical at the height of fall. It was under such ideal weather that Shu Guang High School would begin their third-round match as visitors to Bai Ma High School. As for Zhongyuan, they too, would be visitors as they met Tong Xin High School¨Da team that finished third last year. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Ren Yu De cried. ¡°If this game is won, we will meet Zhongyuan High, ¡¯tis be fraught with grim possibilities!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just throw this game,¡± Zhang Jun offered. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Su Fei gave him a sideways glance. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! I was just joking!¡± ¡­ At the sound of the whistle, sharp at 3.00pm, two teams intertwined by fate began their matches in separate places. Tong Xin used their home advantage to initiate courageous offensives from the get-go. It was their captain¨DNo.10, attacking midfielder, Lin Ling who afforded them such bravado. He was their core in the midfield. With his high success rate in short passes and general ball distribution, he earned the nickname ¡°Surgical Knife¡± in the Luoyang high school soccer scene. Along with Zhongyuan¡¯s Zhao Defeng and Dingding¡¯s Fan Cunjie, they were the three great attacking midfielders of Luoyang. Lin Ling had his unparalleled passing, Fan Cunjie had his exquisite dribbling, while Zhao Defeng was a holistic player. With his 166-cm stature, he would carry the ball smoothly and deliver it precisely. He also had another special skill the other two did not have¨Dhis 25 to 30-m free kicks with either foot, which put on a lethal showing in every game. Today, two of those attacking midfielders would battle. There was no ¡°next year¡± for Lin Ling, and after losing to Zhongyuan in the semi-finals last year, he desired vengeance. As for Zhao Defeng, he had a year¡¯s worth of experience after his baptism of fire. He had lost his first-year childishness and in return, he gained prudence. The captain¡¯s armband even afforded him a regal appearance¨Da person who could lead such a team of royals was truly extraordinary! Reporters and fans alike were sorry to see a clash between these two teams so early into the competition¨Dmore specifically, these two players. While Lin Ling was an outstanding player, the quality of Tong Xin¡¯s overall lineup could not match Zhongyuan¡¯s¨Dwhich was why Tong Xin often fell to their rivals. In last year¡¯s semi-final encounter, after Sun Laihong used the ¡°wolfpack¡± strategy to nullify Lin Ling completely, Tong Xin immediately turned into an average team. This year however, the Zhongyuan coach would not be using such a risky maneuver because he believed that Li Yongle alone could bring the pain to Tong Xin¡¯s star. Zhongyuan¡¯s defensive core was the burly third-year, Luo Bin. He was 186 cm tall and weighed 85 kg; he acted like the Great Wall in his team¡¯s back line. An explosive player who offered firm defending and precise zonal marking, he could overpower any striker who dared to go against him. He was also offensive-minded, whereby he would occasionally take the ball and run up front while his partner, Deng Rui would take his place in defense. Whenever a Tong Xin forward dodged Luo Bin, they would be met with Deng Rui. The latter was a second-year and he was as huge as his partner; he was 185 cm tall and weighed 90 kg. His skills were more practical and they were a form of insurance when Luo Bin played up front. However, he would err on occasion and his performances had yet to hit consistency. Still, he was a capable center back overall¨Da dedicated one too, who tended to take up what others considered as dirty or tiresome work. He would be found at the back, keeping guard along with the goalkeeper while the rest of the team pressed forward in offensive maneuvers; while others would describe him as honest, there was no hint of that in his physical appearance. His teammates called him ¡°the oaf.¡± His incipient beard already grew around his face since a tender age, and along with his 185-cm stature and hooked nose, he could easily be mistaken as a gangster. Deng Rui passed the ball to the right back, Liu Chao, another second-year student. He was 174 cm in height but brawny; other than his muscles, there was not much flesh on his body. A hardworking defender whose stamina was so good, he never appeared to tire on the pitch even as he ran back and forth on the flanks to attack as well as defend. There was also another reason he kept his place in the team¨Dhe was a master of singles. In one-on-one encounters, even Zhang Yuchao, the most experienced dribbler of their team would have a hard time shaking him off. Many opponents who desired to play that game against him in a match would simply embarrass themselves. Liu Chao passed the ball to Li Yongle, who took possession and looked around. He saw that his team¡¯s ¡°Scud,¡± Zhang Yuchao was already on the move, and he sent out a long pass ahead of him. Zhang Yuchao was Zhongyuan¡¯s first choice for left midfielder. A second-year student, he was 170 cm tall and weighed 60 kg. He was of a slender build, but he was swift and he possessed outstanding footwork. When he moved past another player, he did so with ¡°Shadowless Feet¡±¨Dshowing unbelievable speeds between each touch. Anytime a defender saw him on the ball and stretched a leg to block him, he would have already slipped the ball behind the other player. When others tried to stop him with bodily contact, his agility allowed him to dash ahead like a gale; his opponent would not even get a single touch of his jersey. He was the complete opposite of Zhongyuan¡¯s third-year right midfielder, Zhang Yulin; he was 180 cm tall and weighed 76 kg. As a technical player, speed was not his strong suit. His ball delivery from the flanks were unparalleled and he was dubbed the ¡°Clock Smith¡± because of his crosses from the right¨Ddenoting that his passes had the accuracy of a watch. As a goal-scoring midfielder, Zhang Yuchao was adept at scoring by dashing into the box through the flanks. However, Zhang Yulin was an excellent assistant in offensive efforts. With these two darting through the wings, Zhongyuan possessed the best wingers of Luoyang. Through his deft speed, Zhang Yuchao quickly shook off a defender who came for a block. He dashed into the area and sent a drive! The keeper made a diving save to keep it out while a defender cleared¨Dnonetheless, the ball fell to Zhao Defeng. As Zhang Yulin moved towards the baseline, Zhao Defeng quickly sent the ball to his feet. Yulin crossed! Third-year center forward, Li Qiang was 185 cm tall and weighed 80kg. He was a robust center forward with a powerful header, albeit a little rough on the edges in terms of his footwork. He leaped for the header but the ball went wide! What a waste! Beautiful delivery, beautiful effort, but luck simply did not hold out towards the end. Nevertheless, Tong Xing was still the second runner-up of the previous year. The team quickly recovered and went on the attack. Lin Ling sent the ball to the right and their right midfielder quickly scampered on to the ball. ¡°Put down the ball!¡± Zhang Yang, who appeared to have read one too many martial arts novels, ran up with a sonorous yell and slid in a tackle; the other guy flew off the pitch while the ball obediently stayed. Zhang Yang quickly passed it to Li Yongle, who had clearly become the linchpin of the Zhongyuan team, connecting both offensive and defensive lines. He then passed the ball to Zhao Defeng, whose diminutive but robust body appeared agile in comparison to the opponent¡¯s defensive midfielder. His dribbling moves had always been so simple, but astonishingly effective. Rapidly shaking off his rival, he propelled the ball to the striker, He Jialin. He Jialin was short for a striker; 173 cm tall, weighing at 63 kg. However, he was exceptional in his technique; he was the type of striker capable of making breakthroughs. He carried powerful instincts of getting to the ball in the last third of his matches and often scored by holding possession up front. Using his accomplished technique, he freed himself from a pursuing defender, broke into the penalty area and took a shot! Tong Xing¡¯s keeper plunged forward and kept it out, but Li Qiang got to the rebound and fired! The ball hit the woodwork before going out! Oh, what a pity! After missing two clear-cut chances one after the other, even Li Qiang himself was feeling upset, running both his hands through his hair. The match had just started, but Tong Xin was already feeling heavy pressure from the national first runner-up. Nevertheless, they had no thoughts of giving up on the attack. After all, they were adept at offense, not defense. Facing such a powerful foe, to give up on their strength and utilize their weakness would prove to be lethal¨Da complete defensive display would eventually be run down anyway. Naturally, they attacked as they usually did, with Lin Ling¡¯s impressive passes proving to everyone that he was indisputably one of the ¡°top three attacking midfielders¡± of Luoyang. Lin Ling was different from Zhao Defeng and Fan Cunjie. He was distinguished in that he had no wasteful movements; whenever he got past his marker and reached a shred of space, he would make a pass. This sort of player was a headache for many defenders; if an opponent attempted to breakthrough, they would use their body, technique or instinct to cut the ball away. Yet, Lin Ling was different. If he could dribble, he would. But if he believed that he could not make a breakthrough, he would not keep his attempts for too long. Instead, he would send the ball to a well-positioned teammate immediately. While Tong Xing strikers did not excel, Lin Ling¡¯s passes made things easy for them¨Dthey would only have to get the ball and shoot. This was the thing that allowed them to score a lot, lifting Tong Xing to the top three in Luoyang. If it had not been for Deng Rui and Luo Bin¡¯s solid defending, Lin Ling¡¯s passes would have dealt a lot more damage. ¡°Imaginative playmaking, penetrating passes and great depth perception. It¡¯s exactly like the video.¡± Li Yongle observed him for 10 minutes and decided to take action against Lin Ling. Once his rival got the ball, Li Yongle rushed in. But with a single prod of the ball as usual, Lin Ling dodged him easily, prompting cheers from the stands. Seeing a striker running in front of him, he immediately passed! However¡­ A foot reached out and stopped the ball! It was Li Yongle! Surprised, Lin Ling could not figure out immediately how Li Yongle was able to stop him after being shaken off. Dear Lin Ling! You can do this to most people, but he is Li Yongle! Sun Laihong thought. At 186 cm, his legs would be 115cm! Those long legs are incomparable to your average joe. You¡¯ll need to leave him behind by two paces if you usually leave others behind by one! Undoubtedly, Li Yongle could stretch and make a block with his lengthy legs even if he was lobbed over. It was an advantage on 1v1 situations; he could steal balls others assumed he would not be able to. Still on the floor, Li Yongle passed the ball to Zhang Yang, who yelled as he sped forward. Once he saw his opponents converging on him, he swiftly passed it to Zhao Defeng, who did not seem to be in a rush to attack. Using his technique, he ran circles around the other team¡¯s defensive midfielder as he waited for Li Yongle; after all, blindly advancing up the flanks could end up getting him into a dead end. Linking-up through the middle was always the better option. With his capability of producing considerable long-range efforts, Li Yongle was a blade that could be swung from Zhongyuan¡¯s back line. Zhao Defeng understood this and was trying to groom his offensive instincts at this point¨DYongle had been too conservative in the last few games. Li Yongle kept running forward. When he reached Zhao Defeng, his captain sent a back heel pass to his feet and he sped up to the edge of the field. ¡°Shoot!¡± Zhao Defeng shouted behind him. Following orders, Li Yongle fired off a long shot! The ball went out after being tipped away by the keeper. Zhao Defeng was in the corner and he sent it sharply towards the head of the leaping Li Qiang, who jumped higher than everyone else. This time, he did not miss the chance! A solid header! It was too close and there was nothing the goalie could do about it other than watch as the ball went across the line. It was in! Li Qiang had opened the scoring for Zhongyuan at the twelfth minute of the first half! And it was a chance created by Li Yongle¡¯s long shot. Tong Xin resumed the game, appearing unaffected despite conceding. They kept playing according to their own rhythm. Li Yongle closed in on Lin Ling who was holding possession, but the opposition¡¯s captain having learned his lesson, passed the ball straightaway to the right and ran ahead as his teammate returned it. One-two! ¡°How clever!¡± Zhou Peng, the High School Soccer reporter who was in charge of writing specials on Zhongyuan exclaimed. ¡°Never flustered in the face of trouble, never emotional on the pitch and always using his exquisite passes to unselfishly help teammates score. He always maintained the importance of the bigger picture. Three years worth of hard work has allowed him to mature even further; what a player. It¡¯s a pity that he has to face Zhao Defeng just as he¡¯s about to achieve success. As the saying goes, ¡®O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?¡¯ How cruel fate can be!¡± Lin Ling did not stop. He passed the ball to the right of the box, where Han Xiao was waiting. Up against the ferocity of Zhang Yang, he did not dawdle, crossing it into the box. With his height and strength, Deng Rui suppressed the other team¡¯s striker and headed the ball away. Li Yongle got to the ball. He sent a long pass towards Zhang Yulin, who sprinted forward. He then ran towards the edge of the field and crossed the ball at a 45 ? angle. Li Qiang was waiting and he leaped! But this time, a pair of hands reached out near his head and the Tong Xing keeper plucked the ball from the air. The two teams fought it out this way, back and forth with intense offensive as well as defensive tactics¨Dit was an utterly exciting scene. Their respective cheerleading teams were also doing their best as they chanted sonorous encouragements for their teams. ¡°What an exciting game,¡± Zhou Peng mumbled to himself. ¡°What¡¯s happening to Shu Guang now, I wonder.¡± ¡­ In the other arena. The Shu Guang players were staring blankly at the other team who were celebrating their goal. The scoreboard clearly stated 1: 0. The hosts were in the lead. ¡°What the hell?!¡± An Ke slammed his gloves on the floor. There had been a scramble in front of the goal and five pairs of feet suddenly appeared before him all at once¨Dthere was no telling which foot struck as the ball bizarrely went into the net. However, Liang Ke was not concerned about the goal scored against his team¨Dhe was worried about Zhang Jun. The striker had always been consistent; he was not at this moment. His runs were not as intense and his movements no longer agile. Just before the other team scored, Zhang Jun missed an open goal¨Dit was simply abnormal for something like this to happen to him. As a matter of fact, Zhang Jun¡¯s jersey was already drenched in sweat after 20 minutes and it was not even a hot day. The sweat came from him enduring a throbbing pain. It was caused by the injury from the forced volley during his last game. In the week that followed, Liang Ke had put the team through an even tougher training regiment in the face of games that were potentially more difficult. And without any time to recover, the injury deteriorated. Now, whenever he ran, the pain resonated from his right foot to his entire body. The match resumed, but with Zhang Jun behaving strangely, Shu Guang¡¯s attacks were disoriented. To make matters worse, Liang Ke was still prohibiting Yang Pan from making long shots¨Dthe coach insisted that those were to be reserved for the match against Zhongyuan. The ball reached Zhang Jun once more; he prepared to dribble, but was unable to do. He was then brought down by a defender. Worried, Liang Ke stood up from his seat and he only sat down again after Zhang Jun managed to pick himself up. The agonizing pain was more distinct than ever; the defender had hit his right ankle in the challenge for the ball. Not wanting his match to end by being subbed off, Zhang Jun gritted his teeth and got up again. Shortly after, Yang Pan¡¯s thunderous free kick bypassed the wall but hit the crossbar. What a pity! It was the thirty first minute and the score remained at 1: 0. The home team was in the led. Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Tong Xing cheerleading team were giving their all; their team appeared to have an advantage over Zhongyuan at the moment. With his experience, Lin Ling was wearing down the younger Li Yongle. He passed the ball right in front of the center back before Luo Bin cut the pass off by sternly holding off one of Tong Xing¡¯s strikers. ¡°Hey! Hey! Don¡¯t allow their attacks to keep us encircled!¡± He shouted and dashed forward forcefully with the ball into the midfield. Lin Ling did not utter a word as he chased Luo Bin down. He wanted to get the ball away from him because he knew what it meant when the full back was moving forward purposefully. Li Yongle followed too and slipped between the pair, splitting them apart. Aware of what he was trying to do, Lin sped up and shook him off. Two of Lin¡¯s teammates however, tried to get closer to stop the Zhongyuan advance¨Dmeaning that Zhao Defeng was left unmarked. Luo Bin passed the ball decisively, Zhao Defeng got the ball, turned, and sped up. Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulin immediately sprinted up the flanks, taking their markers with them. Thus, the Tong Xing box was clear. ¡°Li Qiang!¡± Zhao Defeng lobbed a pass; Li Qiang jumped powerfully for the header and diverted the ball to He Jialin, who swept out a shot when he got to it! The ball deflected off the keeper and went into the net. 2: 0! A rapid counter! It was just 10 seconds from Luo Bin¡¯s intercept to He Jialin¡¯s goal, although fast breaks had always been Zhongyuan¡¯s specialty. For the last two years, every opponent who met Zhongyuan had always opted for sheer defense due to Zhongyuan¡¯s fearsome reputation¨Dforcing them to perform encircling attacks for entire games. But in this game, with Tong Xing taking a resolute offensive approach with the confidence of having Lin Ling in the team, Zhongyuan had an opportunity to unleash its true power. Once Zhongyuan cut off the ball with its defense, the five-to-six players who were in their own half would dash to the other within moments and score with a single stroke; Like a viper¡¯s tongue, nimble and lethal. The routinely impassive Lin Ling could not help but frown at the scored goal. ¡°Damn it!¡± If not for Li Yongle¡¯s bodily block slowing him down, he would have been able to prevent the counter. The viper had lashed out its tongue and bit them viciously¨Dand it would very well prove to be lethal. He still remembered their semi-final encounter from last year vividly. Tong Xin led through a goal in the first-half thanks to his meticulous passing; when the game resumed after the interval, Zhongyuan had maintained their conservative pattern and they foolishly pressed on, thinking that they could enlarge the gulf between the scores. But after Luo Bin led the back line and weathered through their assault for 20 minutes, Zhao Defeng utilized two effective counter-attacks and assisted Li Qiang as the forward scored a brace. Thus, Zhongyuan won by a score of 2: 1. Would today be a rerun of last year¡¯s bout? This time, it was Li Yongle who clearly accelerated and ran towards Lin Ling just as another Tong Xing player made a pass to his captain; when the ball reached Lin Ling, the defender was so close to him that Lin Ling was not even able to turn. He was forced to send the ball back. This scenarios where he was not able to move freely when he got to the ball had been going on for quite some time. For a midfielder who played up front but could not even turn, what play was there to make? It was a sensation he did not feel last year even when he was surrounded by three Zhongyuan defenders. Indeed, this was the first time he felt such pressure¨Dand on top of that, from a single freshman. After a flustered pass, the referee rang his whistle to signal the end of the first period. ¡­ Zhang Jun finally got the chance to raise his feet for a shot. However, there was a clear lack of power behind the effort from his right leg¨Dit was more appropriate to call it a back pass than a shot. The keeper easily gathered the ball into his arms and the referee rang his whistle to signal the end of the first half. The score was 1: 0, Bai Ma High School was still in the lead. Sun Laihong received the news from Bai Ma; Shu Guang was behind an average Bai Ma team. He was shocked¨Dhe regarded Shu Guang as a future opponent since the first round of the nationals. The depth of their quartet of first-years was no joke. Their ability could be a real threat to Zhongyuan in the next two years. ¡­ ¡°Do you know?¡± Zhang Yang quietly said to Li Yongle, ¡°Shu Guang is losing.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Li Yongle replied, startled. ¡°When I walked by the coach just now, I heard him mumble, ¡®Why is Shu Guang losing?''¡± Li Yongle was quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t think anything will happen,¡± Zhang Yang added, calming his friend. ¡°They are the lead actors! If the lead actors die off, what is there to write about?!¡± Yongle considered this and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Totally. Why don¡¯t you think about how you¡¯re going to handle that No. 10 instead of worrying about others. I can see that you were pretty haggard in the first half.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry for me.¡± Li Yongle smiled. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to do anything in the second half.¡± ¡°That confident? I heard he¡¯s among the top three attacking midfielders in Luoyang!¡± ¡°And my target is to become the best defensive midfielder of the nation.¡± In the long friendship that he and Li Yongle shared, Zhang Yang had only seen that expression on Yongle¡¯s face twice. The first was when he declared his intention to beat Zhang Jun on the soccer field after that fight; this was the second time. Did he just raise his ambition from beating Zhang Jun to becoming the best defensive midfielder of the nation? Zhang Yang smiled as he remembered the scene that day¨Dthis teenage troublemaker used to get into fights and played truant every other day in middle school. Now, he was sweating profusely as he ran incessantly across greened grounds with the mindset of becoming the best defensive midfielder of the nation. ¡­ After that, the second half began. Li Yongle¡¯s movements were even more vicious and there were times that his challenges bordered on plain fouls. Lin Ling suffered in silence under his hands¨Dit was just 15 minutes worth of rest, but his aura had changed so much, he now resembled a lion; there was simply so much fight in him that he looked ready to blow. Lin Ling was dispossessed once more by Li Yongle with a sliding tackle. The ball fell to Liu Chao who carried it up next to the sidelines. When two opponents approached, he quickly passed it back to Li Yongle who ran up alongside him. With a one-two pass with Zhang Yulin, Li Yongle dashed forward with the ball. Even Zhao Defeng was struggling to understand; it was his first time seeing Li Yongle joining in on the attack under his own initiative. Li Yongle reached the edge of the area and passed the ball to his captain. Despite that, he kept running ahead. Not bothering to linger on why his teammate was brimming with fighting spirit, he sent the ball back to Yongle¨Da second one-two! Inside the box and despite a forest of legs in front of him, Yongle still managed to find an opening to the bottom left corner of the goal. He raised his leg to shoot! The ball flew towards his target, never leaving the ground. And with his vision blocked by those in front of him, it was too late for the Tong Xing keeper when he finally saw where the ball was going. He attempted a diving save, but the ball went into the net just one step ahead of him. ¡°Goal!¡± After scoring, the typically quiet Li Yongle exploded with a rare roar. 3: 0! Li Yongle had scored his first goal in his high school soccer career¨Da goal that most certainly sealed the win for his team. From making off with the ball and scoring by himself, he took the first steps towards his dream. While the game was essentially decided, Lin Ling was not about to give up. It was his final year and he would not let it end like this. He risked being injured as he made an aggressive break for it, away from Li Yongle¡¯s sliding tackle, lobbing the ball over Deng Rui. ¡°He¡¯s gonna pass!¡± Luo Bin shouted to stop Zhang Yang, who was running up for a block. But¡­ With a whirl of his feet, Lin Ling volleyed the ball inside the box! It was a shot! Lin Ling, who usually passed the ball unselfishly made a shot himself! ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Luo Bin was not able to finish his sentence as the ball flew to the upper right corner of the goal. Zhang Lintao dived to the side and pushed the ball out towards the baseline with a wonderful one-hand save. Corner kick. Luo Bin, who was still feeling the jitters, patted Lintao on the back. ¡°Many thanks!¡± The keeper merely beat the dust off his body and said matter-of-factly, ¡°There wouldn¡¯t even be a corner if he didn¡¯t shoot so suddenly.¡± Lin Ling stared in shock at the opposition¡¯s keeper. He thought that his effort was perfect¨Dit was a surprise shot, coupled with the angle, power and speed. Somehow it was still saved by the goalie who went on to say what essentially meant: if it had not been for the lack of preparation, the ball would have been caught without much fuss. He was obviously underestimating him! On the stands, Zhou Peng was alarmed. That¡¯s not good! Lin Ling has made a shot on the goal by himself! That semi-final a year ago, Lin Ling did not even make an attempt on the goal. He merely organized the team¡¯s offensive in total calmness. Shooting is not his specialty. If this keeps on, Tong Xing will crumble! Of course, Lin Ling would not have been able to hear his thoughts. He only had one thought, I¡¯m angry! Would all his three years not be a waste if he was being belittled by a first year? You think my shots are easy saves? Then I¡¯ll let you have a taste! He clenched his teeth and his face displayed visible anger. Li Yongle noticed and knew at once that Lin Ling would not be much of a threat anymore. When the other team¡¯s No. 10 tried to score earlier, he had managed to catch Zhang Lintao by surprise. He knew what his own goalkeeper was capable of after playing together with him for two months. There were 83 members in the Zhongyuan soccer team¨Dand after setting aside the five goalies¨Dthe remaining 78 outfield players had never scored from the outside box against him. Even their team¡¯s best shooter, Zhang Yuchao had his 25-m shots blocked. For a person who had such an iron grip on the goalkeeper¡¯s position to be in a team like Zhongyuan¡¯s, how could he concede against just anyone? ¡­ Zhang Jun was fouled and fell for the umpteenth time; it was perfectly reasonable that he would be given such ¡°great care¡± by the opponents after his performance in the last two games. Whenever he got possession, the opponents would use any means necessary to stop him from entering the box, including fouling him. On the last few occasions however, he would quickly pick himself up after falling¨Dbut this time, he was not able to stand. The referee whistled to summon the medical officers onto the pitch. After Zhang Jun was stretchered off the field, his boots as well as knee-high socks were removed and dumped aside. Liang Ke was appalled at the sight of Zhang Jun¡¯s purpling right ankle. ¡°How did this happen?¡± He pinched that region of the foot lightly and Zhang Jun gritted his teeth in terrible pain. Yang Pan looked at the swollen bone and searched his memory of the past week¨Dstopping at the first goal of the match against their opponents seven days ago. With a whirl of his foot he shot the ball precisely to Zhang Jun, who welcomed it with a volley that went in with a loud bang. That bang. He knew how powerful his own foot was and so did Zhang Jun¨Dit had knocked goalposts down and sent goalkeepers into the net along with the ball. It was no laughing matter to divert the shot head-on, but Zhang Jun did. How could his foot not be hurt? Then, there was the further intensive training they went through for the past week. Even Xie Yu, who had the best stamina within the team, was left gasping for air, much less Zhang Jun who was injured? With the current game, the opponent¡¯s rough style of play and the fouls on him, his injury would have surely¡­ When Zhang Jun suggested the idea to Yang Pan himself, he believed that it was an impossible feat. But the idiot still did it¨Ddid he really not think about the consequences? Was it only to break the stalemate? What other reason was there? And in that moment, Yang Pan raised his head to see Su Fei¡¯s concerned gaze and realized something. He sighed and returned to the pitch. Zhang Jun was not coming back into the game. As expected, the signboard was lifted pitch-side: Shu Guang, No.11, out; Liu Lei, No.16, in. A striker was subbed off for a defensive midfielder as Liang Ke made a change to the team formation. Liu Lei conveyed the coach¡¯s intentions as soon as he got into the field. ¡°Yang Pan, Ren Yu De! You two are moving up to the striker¡¯s position!¡± The pair compiled and Shu Guang went from a 442 formation to 433. It appeared that Liang Ke did not make the shift out of helplessness; the coach always reminded himself that Zhang Rui was already a third-year student and he was leaving soon. What would happen when he left? Furthermore, Ren Yu De¡¯s skills and Yang Pan¡¯s speed were a good fit for strikers; pushing them up front with twenty-five minutes left may just yield surprising results. After keeping Zhang Jun company for a while, Su Fei returned to her seat¨Dshe was not to be overly concerned of a single player as manager. That was why she had to stay on her task of keeping records despite her worries. She noted the incident down in her notebook: ¡°No.11, Zhang Jun, subbed off due to injury in the fifty-fifth minute.¡± Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Ling stumbled as he broke into the area and drove in an effort! Zhang Lintao did not extend his hands but merely caught the ball tightly in his arms. It was the fourth time Lin Ling tried for a goal, but Lintao did not concede even a single corner. At this point, when Li Yongle saw Lin Ling trying for a goal, he was so indifferent that he did not bother to interfere; a Lin Ling who had lost himself was just another ordinary player. This time, Lin Ling got a pass from a teammate; he broke into the area but did not shoot or pass. He kept running with the ball and Luo Bin moved in, forcing him towards the baseline. When he was almost forced out, Lin Ling made a shooting pose and the defender quickly extended a leg for a block. However, Lin Ling did not shoot and back-passed instead! A Tong Xing striker rushed forward, there was just a 5-meter distance towards the goal! The Zhongyuan defenders never thought that this would happen and could only watch as the player struck. And yet, Zhang Lintao once again came to the rescue with another gorgeous save by palming the ball away. Zhang Yang quickly followed up and cleared with a long ball. Zhao Defeng got to the ball and delivered a diagonal pass to Li Yongle, who was dashing up the field. Maintaining his run at breakneck speeds, he shook himself off a defender who tried to stop him and fired another ground shot from outside the area! Flustered, the keeper tipped the ball away and over the line. Corner. The Zhongyuan players, who seemed to have been largely kept inside their own half, moved into the opposition¡¯s box in the blink of an eye. Even Zhang Yang went to join in on the fun. Zhao Defeng took the corner and the ball curled in the air. In front, Li Qiang jumped just slightly ahead but missed! And so did Luo Bin in the center! But towards the end was Zhang Yang, who appeared and dropped down for a diving header! The ball went in from a very tight angle! 4: 0! Zhang Yang put the icing on the cake! The teammates enveloped him excitedly, celebrating his first goal. ¡°Brat! You¡¯re no sham!¡± Luo Bin laughed, patting his head. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m not going to forgive you if you ever say that you¡¯re a newcomer ever again! What a beautiful header!¡± ¡°Such a difficult shot!¡± ¡°Really couldn¡¯t tell!¡± ¡°Hidden talent!¡± But, there was no joy in Zhang Yang¡¯s face. He shrugged off his teammates and rushed at the Tong Xin goal, shouting, ¡°F*ck! Who pushed me from behind just now!¡± Everyone fainted! ¡°And I was just about to praise you,¡± Li Yongle said. ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine now.¡± It was then that Zhang Yang suddenly turned happy. ¡°Well, to be frank, the goal wasn¡¯t bad at all! I¡¯ve made my choice, it¡¯ll be called ¡®The Zhang Way of the Half Squat Dashing Header¡¯!¡± ¡°You really are a newbie¡­¡± ¡­ Yang Pan was holding back his rage, believing that the other team had hurt Zhang Jun.It was as if he forgot the ¡°raging corner¡± he took in last week¡¯s match. He made for a hard breakthrough between two defenders, dashed into the area and crossed the ball! Zhang Rui took a shot! The ball was pushed away by the keeper, but a defender¡¯s ensuing clearance fell to Wang Bo, who then passed it to Ren Yu De. While Yu De himself had few chances to put on a show in this game, he was much more active when he was moved up front to the striker¡¯s position. He was facing a three-man encirclement but with his dazzling control, he moved with ease; he turned, lowered himself and dashed away. With a prompt pull of the ball with his right foot, he tripped a midfielder, who came diving in. Ren Yu De was forced to the baseline and looked as if he had nowhere to go. But he lightly poked the ball and nutmegged his marker! Then, he made a spin with his body to bypass his marker¨Da flick turn! The keeper came diving out as Ren Yu De gently leaped. And the ball went over the goalie. When it dropped, it was already in Bai Ma¡¯s net. 1: 1! Shu Guang had equalized the scores at the sixty-seventh minute through a solo performance from Ren Yu De! But instead of celebrating the score, Ren Yu De picked up the ball and dashed towards the center circle. There were 13 minutes left¨Dhis team had to score another goal in order to progress to the next round. It was after they leveled their scores that the Shu Guang players displayed their true depth as dark horses; with the Bai Ma players surrounded, they attacked, pinning the home team within their own area in the time that remained. A long shot by Wang Bo was blocked by a defender with his own body. Su Li ran up and made another shot; the keeper palmed it away. Zhang Rui took possession but did not shoot, passing it to Yang Pan instead. Although Liang Ke banned him from long shots, he was not banned from shooting entirely and Yang Pan finally found the chance to blow off some steam. With a whirl of his foot, he summoned the strength he used for long shots and volleyed! Anyone could imagine the sensation of a ball that was fired at a speed of 180 km/h from 5 m away. Still, the keeper did not even have time to connect the dots and only saw a white light whirl past his ears. It went in! If that ball had hit his body, he would have spit blood. It was practically an attempt at murder, utterly terrifying. On the other side, An Ke was scared too. ¡°I¡¯m lucky I¡¯m not up against him¡­¡± 2: 1! Just five minutes after leveling the scores, Shu Guang made their comeback! ¡­ Li Yongle gracefully took possession off Lin Ling and passed to Zhang Yuchao on the flanks. It was the seventy-eighth minute, there were two minutes left before the game ended. Lin Ling was getting more frustrated by the minute¨Dusually, he would have passed the ball, but he decided to attempt a dribble past Li Yongle instead. He wanted payback from Li Yongle, who had been running him haggard since the start of the second half. Yet, one stretch of the taller boy¡¯s leg claimed the ball from him. The Tong Xing captain was now completely filled with distracting thoughts, not of winning but of scoring a single goal. It had been three years; would it still be a luxury to end it all with a goal? In those three years, his assists counted 29 times in total, but his goals amounted to just 2. The match was almost over. This was his last game in the high school soccer scene; after his three years of selfless sacrifice for his teammates, his goal tally was pitifully scarce. Now, he simply wanted to make amends for that lacking feeling, but that goalie¡­ Zhang Lintao made a leaping dive and grasped the ball firmly. To him, Lin Ling simply did not know the motto for a goalkeeper: ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace to concede goals!¡±¨Dthe reason why he would not permit Lin Ling to do as he wished. The referee glanced at his watch and injury time was trickling away. Last chance! Lin Ling raised his leg and fired a shot! He even smiled at his perfect shot as the ball headed towards a blind angle; it should have went in. But a hand appeared, and with a tipping save, the ball went over the crossbar. *Beep! Beep! Beep!* Lin Ling collapsed in front of the goal. He gave that keeper a death glare while the Zhongyuan players erupted into winning cheers around him. 4: 0, Zhongyuan Technical had earned a resounding victory over Tong Xin High School, entering the final eight. For Lin Ling, his days as a high school soccer player had ended¨Dhe would never wear Tong Xing¡¯s purple jersey again. The autumn breeze blew into the field; an appropriate farewell for the captain. His expression recovered as he picked himself up. He went up to Li Yongle and removed his jersey, handing it to his worthy opponent. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has been able to make me lose my cool. This No. 10 shirt is for you.¡± Li Yongle also removed his No. 14 shirt and exchanged it with the captain. ¡°Any plans for the future?¡± ¡°To get into university and keep playing. And keep playing until I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck!¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t have me encounter you again! Haha!¡± The pair laughed out loud. ¡­ After Zhang Rui¡¯s attempt went across the line, the referee rang the whistle to signal full-time. 2: 1, Shu Guang had flipped the scores on their visit and defeated Bai Ma, breaking into the final eight. But Liang Ke was not too happy¨DZhang Jun¡¯s injury cast a shadow over their victory and there was no telling if he could play in the next game. Seriously ! Why would there be an injury out of the blue? Could they still win if they played without Zhang Jun in the deadly match next Saturday? In that moment, the typically cheery Liang Ke was like the setting sun, slowly sinking into darkness. Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As soon as she caught sight of a figure limping and trudging slowly ahead, Su Fei rushed towards it. ¡°Where¡¯s Yang Pan?¡± ¡°That bastard! Hoes before bros! Some girl wrote him a letter asking him out, so he bailed¡­ Ah? Su Fei?¡± Zhang Jun turned to her, slightly taken aback. ¡°Isn¡¯t the team training after school today?¡± ¡°Coach told everyone to get some rest for the day.¡± ¡°And I was wondering how Yang Pan would have time to go for a date!¡± ¡°Is your leg hurting a lot?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhang Jun continued limping and trudging forward. All of a sudden, Su Fei grabbed Zhang Jun¡¯s arm and slung it over her shoulder, while her other hand held his waist. ¡°Argh! What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move! It¡¯ll hurt even more if you move!¡± As if on cue, another agonizing pang throbbed in his right foot and Zhang Jun could only accept Su Fei¡¯s ¡°authority¡± obediently. ¡°How embarrassing!¡± Zhang Jun snorted. ¡°Being carried by a girl.¡± ¡°Thanks for your birthday present,¡± Su Fei said quietly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡­ On the northern side of the school, Mudan Square. ¡°That¡¯s weird, it¡¯s supposed to be here!¡± Yang Pan looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. ¡°It¡¯s almost been an hour. Why is the girl Su Fei told me about not here yet? ¡­ Li Yongle slammed the magazine down. With a gloomy face, he said to the other two, ¡°How can this be?! How can he get injured? And at such a pivotal moment!¡± ¡°It says that he was given great ¡®care¡¯ by the opponent.¡± Zhang Yang pointed at the magazine. ¡°He¡¯s a national champion who¡¯s won the title of ¡®best player¡¯. Do you think a striker like him is gonna fall so easily?¡± Li Yongle frowned. ¡°Well, could it be a faked injury?¡± Zhang Yang offered. ¡°Is there a need to fake it?¡± Zhang Lintao countered. Zhang Yang thought about it and shook his head. ¡°Seems like there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Whatever the case may be, it¡¯s still unknown if he¡¯s gonna play in the next match. You guys, I¡¯ve waited for him for half a year and I¡¯ve finally come to this day. But, he¡¯s going to miss the game due to an injury. What¡¯s this? It¡¯s like when a bride enters her bridal chamber to find that the bridegroom isn¡¯t there!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be an appropriate analogy,¡± Zhang Lintao replied. Li Yongle blushed. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t imitate others at using rhetorics if you¡¯re bad at the language!¡± Zhang Yang added. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± ¡­ Due to Zhang Jun¡¯s injury, Liang Ke started to train the team in a 4-3-3 formation; Ren Yu De and Yang Pan were shifted forward to play as strikers and two defensive players were set up on the midfield. After all, they could not just sit and wait for Zhongyuan to bring the game to them in Zhang Jun¡¯s absence. After the strategy of having three forwards paid off in dividends previously, it made Liang Ke more determined in his decision to adjust the team composition. ¡°Yang Pan! Don¡¯t just keep delivering crosses from the flanks. Shoot as much as you can whenever you get the ball! Doesn¡¯t matter from where!¡± Liang Ke shouted. ¡°Oh.¡± A long shot hit the bar forcefully. ¡°Hey! Hey! This is training, there¡¯s no need to be that extreme, right?¡± an alarmed and frightened An Ke told Yang Pan. He felt spooked whenever he recalled the shot his teammate made in the last game, and thought that there was no chance the other keeper would have kept to his task of guarding posts¨Dhe would probably shudder the next time he saw another person whirling his feet to shoot. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m cultivating my hatred of goals and goalkeepers!¡± ¡°You mean the other team¡¯s goal and goalkeeper?¡± ¡°No! Both!¡± An Ke gulped. He could see the killing intent in Yang Pan¡¯s eyes; he was not playing around. Silently, he prayed for Zhongyuan¡¯s keeper. ¡­ The luxurious locker room of Zhongyuan High School¡¯s soccer team. ¡°There are four days left until we play against Shu Guang High School,¡± Sun Laihong said as he turned on the television and tape recorder. ¡°They are good. I hope that everyone keeps this in mind and not underestimate them solely because of their older results¨Drecords only prove what transpired in the past, not the future. For today¡¯s training, we¡¯ll study their video.¡± The television displayed the match between Bai Ma and Shu Guang. ¡°I specifically requested for someone to record this. It can help provide a full understanding on what sort of team Shu Guang is.¡± As soon as the match began, Shu Guang immediately started on the front foot and initiated an attack. Wang Bo sent the ball to Yang Pan, who did not make any feints against the defender marking him. In front of the other guy, he merely used his incredible speed to move two paces past him and make a cross. *Pause* ¡°You can all see here exactly how fast Yang Pan is. Rumor has it that his 100-m dash record is never more than 11 seconds¨Dand that¡¯s a number estimated during his middle school years; I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s even quicker now. To have such speed as an ambusher on the flanks is horrifying.¡± Sun Laihong kept rewinding the scene as evidence. ¡°I myself believe that nobody is fast enough to catch up to him. Zhang Yang, you will definitely face him in the next game. Do not give him space to sprint and be careful with your tackles.¡± ¡°Then, I should just drop him!¡± Zhang Yang answered. ¡°Idiot! Do you want to leave the pitch early! His powerful drive should not to be trifled with either. It¡¯s reported to hit speeds of 180 km/h, although I haven¡¯t seen it other than through journalistic accounts. But, it¡¯s better to believe such things than to doubt its existence. Best be cautious. Zhang Lintao, do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°There are ways to stop his shots, but they can¡¯t be used frequently. I¡¯m confident that I can keep nine of his shots out, but when it comes to the tenth¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think of us defenders as being so incompetent!¡± Luo Bin snapped at the top-choice keeper. ¡°How could we give him 10 chances to shoot in one game!¡± ¡°Whatever the case may be, Yang Pan has only fired two long shots over the last few games. It seems that they intend to use it against us. In short, be aware.¡± Sun Laihong kept the tape rolling. The scene was the moment where Shu Guang conceded a goal. ¡°The flaw of this team is as obvious as their strength; they are bad at defending. While they did not concede against the team that had a defensive play in the second match, they conceded in each of the other two games. It wasn¡¯t because their goalkeeper was incompetent¨DAn Ke is an outstanding goalie¨Dit¡¯s simply because their back line isn¡¯t very good. Even a team as average as Bai Ma High School could score against them, which clearly illustrates the problem. Our strikers and midfielders need to create as much confusion as possible among their back line to create scoring opportunities.¡± The next scene showed Ren Yu De. He was running into the box and getting past four defenders, who were guarding him before equalizing the score. ¡°Defenders, you also need to pay some attention to this guy. He¡¯s only played football for a year in middle school, but he was cut off the team for getting into a fight. However, his technique is considerably good. In their encounter against Nanyang, he alone managed to mince that prided defense of theirs. Still, his physical strength is sub-par. Liu Chao, I¡¯ll leave him to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Coach!¡± In that moment, the screen replayed the exact moment when Yang Pan scored. Even through the television, the ball traveled in a flash as it thumped into the net just next to the keeper¡¯s face. The pitch boiled. The entire locker room went quiet, save for the sounds of the TV set. After what felt like half a day, Zhang Lintao finally spoke, ¡°I hate to admit it¡­ But, if he was allowed to shoot at that distance, I would definitely not be able to stop it¡­ It¡¯s too fast¡­¡± When he spoke, Li Yongle noticed that something had changed in Zhang Lintao¡¯s voice¨Dthe keeper had always been very confident. Even Luo Bin, who just argued with Zhang Lintao added with a rather low voice, ¡°If he does that in the next match to¡­ No way! There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be allowed into the penalty area!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity then. He could very well play as a striker in the next game. Zhang Jun¡¯s unexpected injury has moved him to the striker¡¯s position,¡± Zhao Defeng said, looking at the screen. ¡°The status of Zhang Jun¡¯s injury isn¡¯t clear. There¡¯s no telling if he¡¯ll be playing against us. However, there¡¯s no doubt that he is a threat. His acceleration in 5 to 15 m is even faster than Yang Pan¡¯s; and in the small range of the penalty area, that speed can leave anyone behind. That¡¯s why he must never be allowed inside the box, much less be allowed to turn! If he plays this Saturday, you¡¯ll be watching him, Li Yongle.¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°So, only those four first year students in Shu Guang require some attention,¡± Zhang Yuchao said as he leaned back in his chair with both hands cupping the back of his head. ¡°The others aren¡¯t even worth mentioning!¡± ¡°No,¡± Sun Laihong replied. ¡°Their No. 10, Wang Bo is another capable player. He can execute his coach¡¯s orders to the letter, and there are times when his runs into the box are threatening.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s their captain, Su Li, No. 8,¡± Zhao Defeng added. ¡°He¡¯s a very stubborn fellow and he managed to crumble Shui Huajun¡¯s will in the first round. His skills are a bit rough, he isn¡¯t tall and he¡¯s average in the strength department. However, he possesses nerves of steel¨Da fitting choice for a captain!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear our captain singing praises of another!¡± Li Qiang laughed. ¡°How lucky are our ears!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling it as it is,¡± Zhao Defeng answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can even last 80 minutes against his style of defending¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Even our captain is losing confidence!¡± Li Qiang teased. ¡°I¡¯m just telling it as it is.¡± ¡°Ah! Your personality really makes people speechless¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much to worry about,¡± Zhang Yuchao offered. ¡°As long as we can decide the game in the first half, we can play around with them in the second!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Sun Laihong interrupted the bickering. ¡°Whatever the case may be, we will play our soccer. No opposition will find a way to stop our advances. Tell me loudly, what is Zhongyuan¡¯s soccer?¡± ¡°Victory!¡± everyone answered in unison. ¡°Very good! Dismissed!¡± ¡­ ¡°I have a question.¡± Zhang Jun looked at Su Fei, who was holding him up. ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Why is Yang Pan running off as soon as training ends every day? He doesn¡¯t even stop when he¡¯s called.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I heard that his luck with the females has finally come and he¡¯s been busy going on dates.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it. Still, Yang Pan is dense when it comes to girls. Why would a girl suddenly take a liking towards him?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s after seeing his performance on the soccer pitch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That kid¡¯s absolutely cool. Although, really, having you carry me home every day, that guy is totally putting hoes before bros! I¡¯ll never forgive him!¡± ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s nothing.¡± Some distance away. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Someone sneezed loudly. ¡­ The players were having shooting drills on the training ground. Li Yongle¡¯s shot inside the penalty area clung to the ground and rolled wide off the posts. Sun Laihong asked Zhao Defeng, who was beside him, ¡°Do you notice anything?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Li Yongle¡¯s shooting?¡± ¡°Correct, Li Yongle!¡± The coach waved. The player ran up to the pair. ¡°Can you tell us why you prefer ground shots?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more difficult to be saved by the keeper.¡± ¡°I see. Come here.¡± Sun Laihong held the ball and carried it to the edge of the penalty box. ¡°Watch carefully.¡± He then shouted at Zhang Lintao, ¡°Stay on your guard! Don¡¯t let up!¡± Zhang Lintao responded by getting into his standard preparation pose. Sun Laihong then started dribbling and right on the line of the penalty area, he raised his foot to shoot. There was nothing special about the shot as the ball left the ground slightly. Zhang Lintao dived elegantly, confident that he could stop it. But¡­ The ball suddenly dropped in front of Zhang Lintao¡¯s hand, bounced once, and went into the net. ¡°This is¡­¡± Li Yongle was slightly shocked. ¡°A swerve shot,¡± Zhao Defeng explained next to him. ¡°Using either the outer soles or the top of your leg to hit the upper center of the ball. It makes the ball curve without stopping as it flies forward to create a dropping force. If the timing and power is right, the ball will bounce once in front of the keeper and he won¡¯t be able to time when the ball is coming precisely, making an error in the process. Basically, these shots can cause a lot of headaches for goalies. In the professional soccer scene, Brazil¡¯s Rivaldo was representative of professional players adept at swerve shots.¡± Zhang Lintao stared speechlessly at the ball inside the net. He had judged the precise point where the ball would fall, its direction and timing, but he never thought that the ball would suddenly drop, bounce and throw him off. What a devious shooting technique! Sun Laihong turned to Li Yongle. ¡°Just slightly above the level of your ground shot technique, the swerve shot is one of the best methods to fool the keeper. Follow what Zhao Defeng told you, keep training and repeat until you get the idea of where to hit in order to curl the ball. Figure out the timing, the power needed and the direction it should be heading.¡± ¡­ Looking at Li Yongle who was training alone against the wall, a puzzled Zhao Defeng asked his coach, ¡°Coach, I don¡¯t quite understand. Why are you teaching him this in such a rush?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just hope to see him create such a shot in the match this Saturday.¡± ¡°Saturday? That¡¯s just three days!¡± The captain was visibly stunned. It was almost impossible to master a shot of such immense difficulty. Sun Lai Hong smiled. ¡°Just wait and see!¡± Chapter 21 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhang Jun pushed away the textbooks in front of him in one swoop. He did not have the heart to keep going in the face of those mathematical formulas; it was intoxicating¨Deverything seemed to swirl and his eyelids became heavier the more he looked at them. His gaze then rose to the soccer ball on the wall. It had not been three days since he last played, but the ball seemed to have gathered decades worth of dust within that period. He ambled over, took it off its perch and played a few kick-ups with his left leg¨Dit felt alright. Then, looking at his now less-swollen right ankle, he decided to test how far it had recovered. But as soon he touched the ball, an agonizing pain struck, overwhelming his foot. Zhang Jun gritted his teeth as he suffered through the pain; the ball bounced a few times before it landed near the door, where a hand picked it up. ¡°Su Fei?¡± The team manager held the ball in her arms as she entered. ¡°Didn¡¯t the coach say you¡¯re not supposed to touch a ball without his permission?¡± ¡°My leg¡¯s feeling an itch to touch it. Isn¡¯t it okay to scratch it a little? Coach won¡¯t see it anyway.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the injury?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost recovered!¡± Zhang Jun smiled. ¡°Anything you want from me?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He glared at his neighbor. ¡°¡®It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a bit tired from studying, so I came here for a spin.''¡± Zhang Jun smiled. Su Fei turned to the scattered books and papers atop his desk. ¡°Can¡¯t finish your homework?¡± He nodded. She sat down beside him, took up a pen and some scrap paper, then pointed at the questions on the book. ¡°This is not the way. You need to set up z + 1 = y, and then return y into the original formula¡­¡± Zhang Jun stared at Su Fei as she explained question after question; although he managed to keep up at first, his attention soon wandered away entirely. In his mind, he was wondering why, in just two months of knowing each other, he had such a cozy relationship with Su Fei? Whenever they were together, there was a feeling of rapport. Why was that? Was it possibly God¡¯s arrangement for such a coincidence that she would move into the house next door? But what did he feel about her? And what did she feel about him? Ah! It¡¯s all so incomprehensible! Boy-girl relationships were so complicated and a much bigger headache than 10 Math problems. ¡°Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun!¡± His neighbor noticed that his attention had fled. ¡°What¡¯s in your head?¡± ¡°Me? Oh! Just some mental arithmetic.¡± ¡°Did you get the answer, then?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡­ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you seeing your girl today?¡± Zhang Jun asked Yang Pan, who was beside him. ¡°¡®Cos, I miss you!¡± His friend beamed. ¡°Go away! I¡¯m not gay!¡± ¡°Neither am I!¡± ¡°Two more days.¡± Su Fei sighed. ¡°What¡¯s in two more days?¡± ¡°The match. With his injury, it¡¯s still not certain if Zhang Jun can play. Our opponents were runner-ups of the nationals last year! And Yang Pan, look at your silly, smiling face all day. Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± ¡°Worried? What use is there to worry? I don¡¯t believe that we¡¯ll lose for certain; we may not be as good without Zhang Jun here, but there¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll lose.¡± ¡°Only you believe that¨Deven the coach has been smiling a lot less these few days; he usually smiles a lot.¡± ¡°As a coach, he has to be stoic anyway. If others can guess what he¡¯s thinking, how can he be a coach?¡± ¡°Does that mean you know? ¡°I¡¯m just guessing.¡± ¡°Tut¡­¡± ¡°I think Shu Guang¡¯s not so bad! Ren Yu De¡¯s technique, An Ke¡¯s diving saves and our seniors are always so diligent, so hardworking. It¡¯s been proven in the last few games.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But, I¡¯m still feeling anxious.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Zhang Jun suddenly felt a chill from the autumn wind. ¡°Hey! You guys¡­ I¡¯m not dead yet¡­¡± ¡­ The trio parted ways by the stairs to Zhang Jun¡¯s home. Su Fei and Zhang Jun went up together while Yang Pan still had to walk three blocks to his home. ¡°How will you feel if you can¡¯t play?¡± Su Fei asked Zhang, who had been quiet for a while. ¡°It¡¯d be a pity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah. The opponents are good and I want to play against them. What¡¯s wrong with that? I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I won¡¯t fall into despair.¡± Su Fei turned towards him. ¡°Want to come by my house, there¡¯s good food!¡± she smiled. ¡°Good food?¡± Zhang Jun remembered the occasion in which he visited her home last week. She cooked him some noodles when he got hungry. There was no way to link her beautiful expression to the taste of the noodles; it was as if the food was cooked by a demon. It was simply inconceivable. A good daughter in front of her parents, a brilliant student in the eyes of their teacher, a charming girl to her classmates yet, her cooking skills were simply horrible. He shook his head frantically. ¡°No thanks, my mom¡¯s prepared something for me.¡± But taking out his keys and opening his door, he found that the dining table was not filled with warm dishes. Instead, a single note lay on top of it and it read: ¡± Zhang Jun, I¡¯m heading to Guangzhou for a delivery and won¡¯t be back for a week. I¡¯ve discussed it with Su Fei¡¯s parents; go eat with them for the time being. Mom¡± ¡°Really?! Dad just left for two days and now Mom¡¯s gone too. Fine, I¡¯ll just eat at Su Fei¡¯s. Auntie¡¯s dishes are fine!¡± Knocking on her door, the scene that greeted him was Su Fei, who held another note in her hand. ¡°Mom and Dad just went off to Grandma¡¯s,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re only coming back tomorrow.¡± Zhang Jun had a bad feeling about this. ¡°My mother¡¯s off to Guangzhou for a delivery and she won¡¯t be back for a week. She told me to eat here¡­ Umm, did your parents cook something before leaving?¡± he asked, poking his head into the dining room. ¡°Not yet, looks like they went off almost as soon as they came home. The vegetables they bought are still on the kitchen floor.¡± ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go somewhere cheap¡­ Uh, what are you doing?¡± Zhang Jun said, noticing that Su Fei was putting on an apron. ¡°Cooking! Finally, a chance to show my chops!¡± Like a rabbit, she hopped into the kitchen. ¡°My god¡­¡± ¡­ Yang Pan saw the pair on their way to school the next morning. Zhang Jun had a forlorn expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± ¡°Nope, I was decimated!¡± Leaning on Yang, Zhang whispered a summary of ¡°the portrait of hell¡± into his ear. Yang Pan turned pale. ¡°That horrible?¡± ¡°You wanna try?¡± Quickly holding his hands, Yang Pan expressed his heartfelt sympathy. ¡°I pity you!¡± Su Fei asked awkwardly, ¡°Is my cooking that bad?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Jun replied. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t tried it firsthand, I believe in my friend,¡± Yang Pan added. Su Fei became quiet. ¡°Ahem!¡± Zhang Jun coughed. ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to be sad, Su Fei. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re useless at everything just because your dishes are horrible!¡± ¡°Then, what am I good at?¡± Su Fei raised her head. ¡°Dieting,¡± her neighbor answered seriously. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡­ When they arrived in school, they saw Liu Qi, who was being mobbed. ¡°Bro?!¡± Zhang Jun shouted. Parting the mob, Liu made a dash for them. ¡°With your injury, you can¡¯t dodge now!¡± Prodding Su Fei who was beside him, Zhang retorted, ¡°Who wants to dodge anyway?¡± ¡°Liu Qi!¡± she exclaimed. Despite his plumpness, Liu Qi managed to perform an inconceivable emergency brake and he stopped right in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s up, Su Fei?¡± He smiled. ¡°What a swift change of expression!¡± ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Liu Qi glared at Zhang, who stuck out his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s with the mob?¡± Su Fei asked. Gesturing at the notice board behind him, Liu answered, ¡°I¡¯m recruiting cheerleaders for the Shu Guang High School soccer team now!¡± The trio looked in unison; there was indeed a recruitment poster on the board. Glancing at the crowd, Su Fei challenged him. ¡°That¡¯s so ostentatious. Do you have the school¡¯s approval?¡± Liu nudged her and pointed his finger away from her. ¡°That¡¯s a meaningless question.¡± They then noticed that Liang Ke was also there, handing out registration forms to the crowd. ¡°This¨D¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be surprised about; it was our principal¡¯s suggestion in the first place,¡± Liu explained. ¡°He said that with the team being so impressive, a cheerleading team should be formed to show support and boost the team¡¯s morale. How else would I dare to do it? Just look at the noise. It¡¯s a revolution!¡± Upon the sight, Su Fei threw her bag at her neighbor and dashed over. ¡°I¡¯m helping!¡± Her appearance doubled the crowd size in no time. ¡°Darn it!¡± Zhang Jun pouted. ¡°What is this? Harlotry?¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s effective.¡± ¡°That said, aren¡¯t you a fan of basketball?¡± Zhang asked Liu Qi. ¡°Why are you in the soccer cheerleading business now?¡± ¡°The basketball team didn¡¯t want me. They complained that I had dead feet.¡± There was a deformity in Liu Qi¡¯s right leg, which caused him to limp. The cause was unknown to Zhang. He would not ask about something so private anyway. ¡°And, the principal did name me captain of the cheerleading team!¡± Liu then added proudly. ¡°You?¡± ¡°You better believe it!¡± the plump boy said as he assumed a bodybuilding pose. ¡°I have good build, great strength and a wide vocal range that can compete with the sopranos!¡± He was in the mood for a song, but Zhang Jun quickly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t! You¡¯ll scare away the crowd attracted by Su Fei¡¯s hard work!¡± ¡­ When school ended in the afternoon, Liu Qi almost had a hundred applications with him. Aside from his classes, he spent the entire afternoon talking to the applicants. Seeing him pull his weight upstairs and downstairs, left and right, Yang Pan mumbled, ¡°Getting into character already, huh.¡± He then remembered Liu¡¯s right foot. ¡°He likes basketball, not soccer! Really, he¡¯s so happy with just becoming captain of a cheerleading team.¡± ¡°Such words! You¡¯re feeling touched, right?¡± ¡°Me? Why would I be¨D¡± Stopping Zhang Jun¡¯s retort, Yang Pan went into a monologue, ¡°To be frank, we¡¯ve been playing our last few games only for ourselves¨Djust to prove that we weren¡¯t wrong in transferring to this school. Now, we even have cheerleaders. So from now on, this is not just about ourselves. With so many people watching, we are going to get an earful if we play badly!¡± Leaning against a railing, Yang Pan gazed upon the school grounds where Liu Qi was weaving in and out with that ¡°fit¡± body of his. ¡°To think that the basketball team would let go of such talent¡­ What a waste!¡± Chapter 22 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Friday, the day before the match. Almost every single player on the soccer team was feeling restless at varying extents. Some of them were visibly agitated, unable to pay attention in class or sit still. However, two of them were exceptions. ¡°For this question¡­ um, Yang Pan, please answer,¡± the history teacher called from his podium. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yang Pan!¡± the elderly man raised his voice. ¡°Zzz¡­¡± his only reply was a louder snore. If it wasn¡¯t for the game tomorrow, I would not have let this go! Sleeping in my class! The teacher thought begrudgingly. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°let¡¯s switch. Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°Zzz¡­¡± There was maybe three seconds of utter silence in the class, and then¡­. ¡°Zhang Jun! Yang Pan! Get up, both of you! Do you hear me?! Napping in the morning! Go stand outside the class!¡± ¡°Wow! Our teacher finally exploded!¡± ¡­ Noon, after school. ¡°Really?! Others are either excited or anxious. Only the two of you could actually nap in class!¡± Su Fei grumbled at the pair, who still looked drowsy. ¡°Aren¡¯t there better classes to sleep in? Both of you picked the old man¡¯s class on purpose. I guess the two of you have lived for far too long! I could hear him shouting from all the way downstairs.¡± Yang Pan released a drawn-out yawn in reply. ¡°What has a national champion not face? It can¡¯t be helped that we¡¯re sleepy in the morning since we played until the late hours the night before.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, why were you staying over at Zhang Jun place¡¯s last night? ¡°He told his mom he was scared to be alone at home, so I went over to provide company.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Su Fei asked, feeling astonished. ¡°How old are you again, Zhang Jun? Still scared of sleeping alone?¡± ¡°Scared, my foot!¡± Zhang Jun growled, ¡°We were watching horror movies in the middle of the night, okay. I¡¯m so done with this guy!¡± The trio were still chattering when several familiar figures approached them: it was Li Yongle and his group. They stopped right in front of the trio. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Zhang Jun exclaimed. ¡°Came here to spy on the enemy again?¡± Yang Pan followed-up. Li shook his head. ¡°No! We¡¯ve already watched replays of your games three times.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! All I see now whenever I close my eyes are scenes of you guys running around and I can¡¯t get it out of my head!¡± Zhang Yang joined in. ¡°Tut¡­ Who would want that!¡± Yang Pan stuck his tongue out in retort. Ignoring the pair¡¯s banter, Li asked Zhang Jun, ¡°How¡¯s the injury?¡± ¡°Jogging isn¡¯t a problem now.¡± ¡°Well now! I hope that I¡¯ll see you on the field then.¡± And with those words, the Zhongyuan player turned and left. Zhang Yang and Zhang Lintao followed. ¡°Huh! This again! He doesn¡¯t even care what others have to say and leave¡¯s as soon he¡¯s finished! Jogging isn¡¯t a problem doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m fit for a match! That imbecile!¡± ¡°Have you met him before?¡± Yang Pan asked. ¡°Why does he keep insisting on defeating you?¡± ¡°Who the hell knows! I¡¯ve never even met the guy.¡± ¡°¡®There¡¯s no storm without waves. You must have provoked him before this; you simply don¡¯t remember. Maybe you stole his girl or ate at his family¡¯s restaurant without paying¡­.¡± ¡°His family has a restaurant?¡± ¡°Just saying¡± ¡°You are such a trivial person¡­¡± ¡­ Liang Ke did not have any special arrangements for the last training session for the game; instead, he told everyone to sit in a circle on the field. ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s injury is still not 100% healed. I won¡¯t risk you on the field,¡± the coach told him. He nodded. ¡°In tomorrow¡¯s game, Su Li will partner with Liu Lei; you two have to stop Zhongyuan¡¯s captain, Zhao Defeng. Don¡¯t underestimate him when you see his 166 cm stature. Diminutive people have always flourished on attacking midfield positions. Yang Pan, you can fire as many long shots as you like this game!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Yang answered with a fearsome flash in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s all for tactics.¡± Liang Ke pointed at the cheerleading team. ¡°As all of you can see, we even have cheerleaders now. Nobody cared about us before and the only ones who watched us were the other teams¡¯ cheerleaders. There¡¯s no guessing how everyone here feels about that. Maybe there are those who think that it¡¯s fine however we play, right? But from tomorrow onwards, everyone will have to do their best! Don¡¯t break the hearts of our supporters!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± everyone answered. ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s been four years since I came to this school,¡± Liang Ke sighed as he gazed at the setting sun, which loomed between buildings. He looked as if he had more to say, but he merely waved the squad members behind him away. ¡°Dismissed!¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the first time coach was so emotional!¡± Su Fei said; the scene where Liang Ke lingered under the setting sun remained in her mind. ¡°Do you guys know what he was thinking when he sighed?¡± ¡°Who knows! Maybe the stuff that¡¯s happened throughout his four years here,¡± Yang Pan answered noncommittally. ¡°I actually think that fate is very unfair,¡± Zhang Jun suddenly said profoundly. ¡°Why?¡± the other two asked. ¡°Liang Ke is a good coach, he is very capable ¨C but Shu Guang just hasn¡¯t been the place for him to unleash his talents. If he had gone to Zhongyuan or any other school, he would have flourished. I think his sigh was him moaning about his misfortune in the last four years.¡± Looking at the sunset, Zhang Jun sighed as well. ¡°Does that mean, this year, fate is going to be unfair too?¡± Yang Pan asked him. ¡°How should I know. It all depends on tomorrow¡¯s game. If we win, fate is fair; if we don¡¯t, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t make one game sound so significant!¡± ¡°Come what may, tomorrow depends on you!¡± Zhang Jun patted Yang Pan on the back as Yang smiled. ¡°It won¡¯t run away as long as I¡¯m here!¡± ¡­ The next day¡­ Chapter 23 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The game was a quarter-final match like any other, but there were well over 20 reporters attending; the sight of their heavy camera racks pitch side could stop the heart of any person who was not familiar with the ways of the world; and the press were here simply because the match was between the indisputable king, Zhongyuan Technical High and the dark horse of the year, Shu Guang High. The latter had turned into a team that drew much expectation and everyone who came to watch the game carried a sliver of hope for them. On the stands of Shu Guang¡¯s soccer field, their cheerleading team appeared in full regalia, waving flags and a wide assortment of their team¡¯s slogan. They chanted cheers for their team unceasingly. While most of the journalists present treated it as an ordinary sight, only Chen Huafeng told his photographer to take over ten photos of the scene in a flurry of shutter noises¨Dhe knew what this meant to the Shu Guang team who had been long treated as utterly unremarkable. Perhaps years from now, those photographs would become nostalgic vintages. Looking at Liu Qi who was strenuously swinging a flag on the stands, Zhang Jun felt something indescribable. It had only been two months; why was he feeling so sentimental? An Ke¡¯s voice shook him out of his reverie, ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Their sight was soon stuffed with the luxury coaches of the Zhongyuan team. ¡°One, two, three, four, five! Wowza!¡± An Ke shrieked. ¡°They¡¯re here for our lives! Zhong Xin was already extravagant enough, but even they only had three. This time it¡¯s five!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be shocked about,¡± Yang Pan said as he listened to music. ¡°Soccer is played by 11 people. There¡¯s no use even if there¡¯s more.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Ren Yu De uttered through chews of bubble gum, his face an expression of zero nervousness. ¡°Each team can only field 11 players, everything depends on them. As the home team, I don¡¯t think our loss is predetermined.¡± ¡°Really? Rationally speaking, it should be the older ones who are unfazed by anything, instead it¡¯s the younger one who are feeling fearless. What a mess of the natural order!¡± Xie Yu poked in next to them as he stared at the first-years who were idly chatting away. ¡°Nervous?¡± Su Li asked. ¡°I would be lying if I wasn¡¯t!¡± Li Jieguang answered for Xie. ¡°Our opponents are giants of the national high school soccer scene! Many teams would feel their knees cave in just from hearing their name!¡± ¡°Does that mean your knees have caved?¡± Li Xiaopeng teased. ¡°Ridiculous! Why would they? And in front of the first-years? It¡¯d be humiliating!¡± Liang Ke watched his team happily. Li Jieguang was right that many would lose their will to fight just from hearing that very name: ¡°Zhongyuan¡±¨Dbut he did not see it happen to his team today. It would have been natural for them to feel nervous; this was their first time playing on such a stage and bearing the expectations of so many people. While others believed that such pressures could overburden them and prevent them from playing normally, the smiles among the squad let him know that this was not a problem for them. ¡­ At the Zhongyuan team¡¯s arrival, the reporters went wild and swarmed towards the buses, throwing endless questions for the players who had just alighted. Li Yongle, who exploded into stardom by stopping Lin Ling completely in their last match was given ¡°special attention¡±. ¡°Li Yongle, after your successful defense against Lin Ling in the last match, are you confident you can stop the Shu Guang attack in this game?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should be the one answering this question.¡± ¡°Li Yongle, after scoring your first goal in the last game, will you score another in this round?¡± ¡°It depends,¡± Li Yongle responded while he tried to squeeze himself out of the mob. ¡°Li Yongle, it¡¯s said that the opponent¡¯s top striker, Zhang Jun will not be playing; you have always been the one stopping your opponents¡¯ arrows, what changes will there be in your task this time?¡± Li stopped promptly and turned. The person who asked the question was Zhou Peng, who often went to his school for interviews. ¡°Is that true? Zhang Jun isn¡¯t playing?¡± The reporter nodded. ¡°Liang Ke, the opposing team¡¯s coach has said so. So, what will be your task?¡± With a somber face Li finally answered, ¡°To win this game!¡± And with those words, he ignored the badgering from the reporters and fought his way into the locker room. Zhao Defeng patted him on his bagpack. ¡°How is it? Feeling like a star now?¡± Instead of getting a retort, he got Li Yongle¡¯s darkened and silent expression. Li¡¯s face at that time would have put the fear of God in anyone. The players were placing their belongings into the lockers before changing into their jerseys. Sitting down beside Li, Zhang Yang asked, ¡°Zhang Jun can¡¯t play?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Never mind! You still have two more years, what¡¯s there to be afraid about? He won¡¯t run away!¡± ¡°I know, but now that I realize I still have to wait for two years, I¡¯m pissed!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already waited for half a year; there¡¯s nothing in waiting for one more year.¡± Zhang Yang soothed him. ¡°Stop letting your mind wander, and focus on the game.¡± Li nodded. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t you be more worried than me! Your opponent this game is Yang Pan!¡± ¡°¡­Argh!¡± his teammate yelped. ¡°I forgot¡­¡±. ¡­ In the host team¡¯s locker room. ¡°There is nothing for me to say; Zhongyuan is a very powerful team. All of you, look at this match schedule and remember how our last few games have been won. Do whatever you can in this game to achieve victory!¡± The locker room was silent. As he stared at the fixture list, Zhang Jun remembered the night he saw Su Fei bent over on all fours to draw the huge graph. He was not going to play this time; he did as Liang Ke told. But then, his mind went even further to recall the day he first came to this school, the day he joined the soccer team and the days that led up to the present with every single detail attached, Su Fei¡¯s smile and her line, ¡°I like soccer¡±, the hat-trick in the warm-up match as well as Liu Qi and the huge flag with ¡°victory¡± written over it. It had just been two months, but it felt like it had been a very long time. ¡­ The away team¡¯s locker room. ¡°I will say this again, Shu Guang is not a weak team. Any form of underestimating will put us at a disadvantage. Play the game as if it¡¯s the final. Li Yongle, since Zhang Jun will not be playing, you can focus more on offense and register more attempts at the goal!¡± Li nodded slowly. Sun Laihong¡¯s eyes swept across the players, before saying, ¡°Our objective is the entire nationals. Pay all dues and achieve your dreams!¡± ¡­ The whole arena thundered with cheers when the two teams stepped outside the preparation rooms and into the field. This was the first time that the Shu Guang team heard cheers intended for them; starting from today, they were no longer the Shu Guang of old. Li Yongle watched Zhang Jun, who sat expressionlessly on the bench; there was no telling what he was thinking. Li himself was not calm. When I asked you about it yesterday, you said you had no problems with jogging¨Dbut today you¡¯re on the bench like all¡¯s right in the world. What the hell? Zhang Jun watched Li Yongle, who stood expressionlessly in the field; there was no telling what he was thinking and Zhang Jun was not calm. He very much desired to play, to sprint, to shoot, to enjoy those cheers. But the doctor said that the damn injury needed at least 10 days for a full recovery. Ten days¡­ Zhongyuan got the initiative but allowed Shu Guang to take the kick-off. Both teams stood in formation and waited for the referee¡¯s whistle to signal the start of the match. Without any photographing duties left, Chen Huafeng could finally climb the stands and watch the game. Zhou Peng sat down beside him. ¡°How was the interview?¡± ¡°Only managed one question. When I told him Zhang Jun wasn¡¯t playing, his face became terrifying.¡± ¡°That means the rumors are true, Li Yongle wants to play against Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°Yup, I¡¯ve checked. They never met on the middle school level, so there¡¯s really no telling where all that tension is coming from.¡± ¡°Still, a selling point of the game vanishes with Zhang Jun¡¯s absence. Such a shame¡­¡± The entire stadium went quiet as everyone waited. The referee looked at his watch once more¨Dit was 3.00pm sharp. ¡°Beep!¡± And the match began! Chapter 24 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As soon as he received the ball, Yang Pan realized that Zhongyuan had not attacked them fromthe get-go. Instead, they were playing rather conservatively. ¡°Playing like this from the start¡­ Looks like Zhongyuan holds the other team in high regard.¡± Zhou Peng analyzed. His years of following the team had made him quite the specialist on them. ¡°Of course! Shu Guang¡¯s offense isn¡¯t built from dust! It¡¯s intimidating even without Zhang Jun,¡± Chen Huafeng, Shu Guang¡¯s very own specialist replied. Yang Pan carried the ball two paces however, no one came up to stop him. He was 35 m away from the goal, but Zhang Yang had express orders from his coach not to close in on Yang Pan as long as he did not get too close. Meanwhile, Li Yongle still needed time to absorb the fact that Zhang Jun was not playing, causing his defending to become a little sloppy. ¡­ When Yang Pan first started playing, his first coach had already discovered his ability for shooting goals; To groom that talent, he always told Yang Pan, who was a toddler then, ¡°Whenyou think you can shoot, don¡¯t hesitate!¡± ¡°Can it be done? It¡¯s so far!¡± ¡°What does your heart tell you?¡± the coach would ask him. ¡°It says that it can be done¡­¡± ¡°Then, shoot!¡± In the present, Yang Pan aimed for the goal and he could see a clear line towards it. ¡°Then, shoot!¡± Yang Pan growled; he raised his foot and kicked. Like a missile, the ball sped in the direction of the Zhongyuan goal, carrying with it a huge wave of pressure. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Zhang Lintao muttered. But the ball hit the woodwork and went out. Although he had seen Yang Pan¡¯s shooting back in middle school, this was the first time he experienced it firsthand behind the goal line; he could feel such immense force behind the ball that it almost left him rooted. The Zhongyuan cheerleading team were also dumbstruck at the sight of the attempt. Zhou Peng went numb too; he had only heard about Yang Pan¡¯s shooting skills from Chen Huafeng, but had never witnessed it. As such, he decided to stick to his rule of ¡°no comment until seen.¡± However, when he did see it, he was speechless. It was his notion that highschoolers did not shoot like that¨Dnot even professionals were guaranteed to be able to do it. Yet, Yang Pan did so near the start of the game and even almost scored. It took him quite some time to utter, ¡°Such a forceful shot¡­ 35 m and the post is still shaking¡­¡± Indeed, that attempt left several Zhongyuan players confounded¨Donly one of them managed to maintain his typical cool. ¡°Stop daydreaming!¡± Zhao Defeng clapped. ¡°It¡¯s time for our counter-attack!¡± Sun Laihong nodded contentedly. When Zhao first entered the team, his game was already mature beyond his years; although he was offered the captain¡¯s armband in his second year by Sun himself, the player had refused. ¡°I¡¯m just a second year student, it¡¯s not ideal for me to be a captain. Luo Bin is a third-year now and a core player in our defense¨Dhe¡¯s a better fit.¡± But the coach¡¯s pick was not to appease the pride of the players, who were about to graduate. He wanted Zhao as captain for the good of the team, for the squad to have a firm foundation and solid playstyle¨Dhe would not have changed the captaincy otherwise. After all, the armband was not just worn as a decoration; to wear it meant taking on heavy responsibilities. Laihong believed in his own judgment that Zhao Defeng would become an excellent captain, and it was being proven right now. Zhang Lintao cleared the ball forward. Su Li headed it but the bale fell to Li Yongle, who broke forward. When Liu Lei lunged at him, Li simply passed the ball to Zhang Yuchao on the left. Due to their formation, Shu Guang had less men guarding the flanks, thus becoming more vulnerable. As such, it was Yuchao¡¯s time to shine; he made a dash into Shu Guang¡¯s area. Liu Hui closed in, but Yuchao used his ¡°Shadowless Feet¡± to quickly slip the ball between his legs and accelerated past the dazed defender. Nutmeg! But instead of crossing the ball after slipping past Liu Hui, the Zhongyuan player picked a diagonal route to dash into the box and shoot! An Ke punched the ball away with both of his fists while Li Jieguang held Li Qiang off and cleared. Possession went to Li Yongle once more, although this time, his attempted delivery to Zhao Defeng was intercepted by Su Li. In a single move, he sent out a long ball, which found Wang Bo, who headed it to Ren Yu De. The latter began his dribble from his right foot, but in front of him were both the ball and Zhongyuan¡¯s 1v1 specialist, Liu Chao, waiting tightly for him. Yu De leaned forward but his marker stayed motionless; even when he performed a Denilson-style stepover, his opponent still did not extend his leg to challenge for the ball, opting to remain between the Shu Guang forward and his goalpost. Knowing that he was facing a skilled opponent, Ren Yu De changed his approach and went for a hard breakthrough. But as soon as Ren Yu De made his move and the ball inched away from his control, Liu Chao saw his chance and knocked the ball out of the touch-line. Wang Bo delivered the ensuing throw-in to Ren, but even as Ren tried to shield the ball with his entire body, he felt the immense pressure the Zhongyuan wing back exerted from behind. ¡°Damn! Such a small body, but so much power!¡± Noticing that he would soon be surrounded, he promptly made a backheel pass and turned. Catching Liu Chao by surprise with his change of direction in such limited space, Ren Yu De was free! Cross! ¡°Do you think we defenders are fools?¡± Luo Bin yelled as he jumped and headed the ball clear. But before he landed, he was met by a horrifying sight: Yang Pan appeared behind the ball, legs raised and ready to shoot! Zhang Yang dashed into the fray with a sliding tackle! But the challenge was ignored by Yang, who volleyed from outside the box! Arriving late, only the tip of Zhang Yang¡¯s boot came in contact with the ball. Almost at the same time as Yang let the ball fly, Zhang Lintao made the correct decision and dived towards the ball. ¡°He can¡¯t stop Yang Pan¡¯s shot from that spot!¡± Zhang Jun shook his head. But with a loud bang on the posts, the ball fell to the right side of the box! Liu Chao quickly cleared it far away. Zhang Jun almost leaped from his seat. Yang Pan almost never missed fromthe half-circle spot during practice. How was Lintao able to keep it out? Regardless, the Zhongyuan keeper stood up, gritting his teeth. He wanted everyone to know that Yang Pan¡¯s shots were pointless against him¨Dalthough in truth, the pain in both his hands was excruciating. While his fists were able to stop the ball, they were devoid of the fleshy cushion that open palms had. This in turn caused more damage. ¡°Tarnation¨DI boasted that I could keep nine of these out at the start. But now, I¡¯d be lucky if I could do five! What formidable knuckleballs!¡± Yang Pan was taken aback too; He thought that it would go in for sure only to see it being saved by Zhang Lintao. But Zhang Jun¡¯s best friend was not shaken. He merely shook his head a little. In the blink of an eye, Zhongyuan switched to the offensive and arrived in front of Shu Guang¡¯sbox. With his back to Su Li, Zhao Defeng passed the ball to Li Yongle, who refrained from an effort and slipped it to Zhang Yulin instead. He crossed it to Li Qiang, who leaped agilely with his 185-cm frame, dominating his aerial duel against Li Xiaopeng. But just as he was ready to head the ball in, An Ke rushed out from his line and gathered the ball. While the two teams fought fearsomely, Shu Guang continued to have a slight advantage; and with Yang Pan¡¯s speed and shots, Zhongyuan¡¯s defense was afraid of pressing too high. Yang¡¯s crazy efforts also proved to be a recompense for Liang Ke¡¯s previous orders to suppress his long shots in the last few games. Punching away Yang Pan¡¯s fourth knuckleball, Zhang Lintao¡¯s hands were beginning to tremble. And it was just the twenty-third minute of the first-half! Noting his shifting expression, Yang Pan smirked at the keeper,and Lintao, feeling his entire back soaking wet, understood what it meant. ¡°Keep stopping me if you can!¡± Zhang Lintao was not the only one who felt Yang Pan¡¯s power, even Zhang Yang felt it. The punk! Never coming close! Only firing long shots! But even as he thought that, Zhang Yang knew that if Yang Pan made a dash towards him, he would not be able to keep up with Yang Pan¡¯s speed. ¡°It¡¯s as if he immobilized the entire Zhongyuang defense by himself. Yang Pan¡­ is he really a high school student?¡± Zhou Peng moaned. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± Chen Huafeng replied. ¡°Whether it be speed, strength, physicality, technique or awareness, he¡¯s almost perfect. I think there wouldn¡¯t be issues for him even if he went pro right now. He just might need to get used to some of the norms within the professional scene.¡± When Yang Pan picked up the ball once more, Zhang Yang made a beeline for him even when his opponent was 30 m out. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you any chance to shoot!¡± he cried. ¡°You can try.¡± Yang Pan smiled and shifted his weight¨Dit looked like he was accelerating. Must be a dummy, Zhang Yang thought; but Yang Pan really moved! With one hit of the ball, he began to accelerate! By the time Zhang Yang turned, Yang was already three meters ahead of him and still speeding up! Is he really clocked at 11 seconds per 100 m? Lies! Zhang Yang thought after being left staring at his mark from the back. And 30 m was all Yang Pan needed to show off his capabilities. With a slip of the tips of his boots, he left Deng Rui for dead. Deng Rui was not even able to grasp Yang Pan¡¯s sleeves with his outstretched hand. Cross! In a leap, Zhang Rui finally got to head the ball ahead of Luo Bin! But Zhang Lintao could easilyhandle the level of his attempt and collected the ball tidily. The keeper flung the ball out for an offensive move. Li Yongle kicked it to Zhang Yulin, who held it for two paces before sending it to Zhao Defeng. Not giving time for Shu Guang¡¯s defensive midfield duo to get near him, he made a through pass that slipped through their entire defense! Knowing that it was his chance, He Jialin broke through the crowd for the ball but he was just a little too slow and An Ke¡¯s timely dash resolved the crisis. ¡°A heart-stopping game.¡± Zhou Peng breathed. ¡°Offenses and defenses shifting every moment! There¡¯s no time at all to observe any outfield happenings!¡± Chen Hua Feng agreed with him. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The two sides were still leveled at 0: 0, although from a technical point of view, Zhongyuan was at a disadvantage. Attempts: Shu Guang 6, Zhongyuan 1; Attempts on target: Shu Guang 6, Zhongyuan 1; Fouls: Shu Guang 3, Zhongyuan 5; Offsides, Corners: Both 0. But for the occasions of venturing 30 m out from the opponent¡¯s goal, Shu Guang had done soon eight occasions, while Zhongyuan only managed three. Anyone who only looked at the numbers would probably think that Zhongyuan were being bullied. Still, even with the disadvantage they were facing in the pitch, Sun Laihong did not seem inclined to give any instructions and he merely leaned against a pillar under the shade of the technical area. The game went into the thirty-second minute when Yang Pan shifted from his habit of shooting outside the box to dashing in to Zhongyuan¡¯s area! Luo Bin quickly dropped his mark on Zhang Rui and surrounded the intruder with Deng Rui and Zhang Yang. ¡°Buffoon! Zhang Yang! Sliding tackle!¡± Luo Bin screamed, although Zhang Yang was already doing that. Yang Pan lifted his leg and took a shot! Zhang Lintao dove¡­ but the ball was already at the back of the net. Yang Pan got up and ran to the corner flag, punching the air and roaring, ¡°Goal!¡± 1 : 0! Shu Guang led against Zhongyuan in the thirty-second minute! How many teams were there in Luoyang who could boast of leading against the Zhongyuan team in a match? Still, Shu Guang had done it! There were delirious celebrations behind Zhou Peng and on the pitch. ¡°Zhang Lintao¡¯s record of not conceding for 279 minutes¡­ is now history.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. Such a shot at such a distance¨Dhis reaction itself is already remarkable,¡± Chen Huafeng added. ¡°I know, such fearsome shots¡­¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun saw the goal but he did not hop and jump around to celebrate like his teammates. He clenched his fist and smiled for the first time since the game started. Su Fei on the other hand, was much more excited. She gave everyone high-fives before she noticed that Zhang Jun¡¯s reaction was not as enthusiastic as the others. ¡°You look unhappy,¡± Su Fei stated, sitting down. ¡°Nonsense! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m smiling?¡± ¡°Then, why are you sitting alone and not moving?¡± ¡°I knew what would happen as soon as Yang Pan raised his feet, so of course I¡¯m not going to react like the others.¡± ¡°Hmph! So you¡¯re still upset over not playing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhang Jun went quiet. He had no way of responding and simply moved his gaze towards the scoreboard next to the field. 1 : 0, Shu Guang was in the lead. Chapter 25 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation 1 : 0, Shu Guang was in the lead, but Sun Laihong did not react much to the score. ¡°Li Yongle, more shots!¡± he simply shouted from the technical area, finally saying something since the game began. Li Yongle thought about the shooting technique he had been trying recently, but he had not mastered it yet. That was when he got a pat on his back. It was Zhao Defeng. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just shoot.¡± He smiled. ¡°Games can¡¯t be won without shots.¡± Zhongyuan restarted the game, with Zhao Defeng taking control of the ball up front; but he did not pass it in a hurry. Li Yongle ran forward and as their eyes connected, Defeng made backheel pass and sent the ball just ahead of his partner. Li Yongle then took a shot from outside the box! The ball hugged the ground as it roll towards the goal and An Ke dropped to the ground to collect it. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Yongle muttered, shaking his head. Defeng found him in a perfect position once again and while Li¡¯s second shot did lift above the ground, it did not dip, so An Ke gathered it without much fuss again. When Li Yongle tried for the third time and shot the ball straight into An Ke¡¯s arms, even Sun Laihong was left shaking his head. ¡°Was three days too much of a rush?¡± he mused. The referee soon blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half. Shu Guang led as they headed into the break! Zhongyuan¡¯s cheerleading team fell silent for the second time after Yang Pan scored. Not only was their team unable to take the advantage in the first half, they had never been overwhelmed in such a manner by any team in Luoyang. ¡°Well, regardless of whoever wins, no one would think of Shu Guang as a weak team again after this game,¡± Zhou Peng said, looking at the scoreboard which read 1 : 0. ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡­ The host team¡¯s locker room. ¡°How¡¯s everyone feeling now?¡± Liang Ke asked. ¡°Cool!¡± Yang Pan said as he wiped away pinches of sweat. ¡°Overwhelmed,¡± Su Li added. ¡°My heart never calmed down after I heard our own cheerleaders¡¯ voices as soon we stepped on the pitch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t even recall how long it¡¯s been since there was such a feeling,¡± Wang Bo said as he leaned on a chair with a towel on his face. Liang Ke beamed. ¡°Then keep playing the way you guys did in the second half.¡± ¡­ The guest team¡¯s locker room. ¡°So? How¡¯s everybody feeling?¡± Sun Lai Hong looked at the players, all of whom were breathing hard. ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s good,¡± Zhao Defeng answered. ¡°Tough to handle.¡± The others were quiet. ¡°Hey, hey! This is not the atmosphere a Zhongyuan locker room is supposed to have!¡± the coach said, clapping his hands. ¡°How about this, Li Yongle and Zhang Yang, mark Yang Pan together and prevent him from having any chance to shoot. The defense line could also pull back a little, denying him any space to make runs. Liu Chao, how are things at your end?¡± ¡°No problem!¡± the Zhongyuan player gave a huge thumbs up. ¡°Li Yongle, keep shooting in the second half, understood?¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°Alright! Our objective is to be crowned champions of the nationals! Assert your dominance in this game! Defeat them!¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun did not join the team meeting in the locker room; he was playing keepie uppie alone beside the pitch. He did not feel any pain even when he used both legs, so he thought that maybe he could ask Liang Ke to let him play in the second half. That was when Li Yongle passed him by in the blink of an eye. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He wanted to utter a greeting. The other stopped. ¡°Are you coming on in the second half? ¡°Me? I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not running away are you? You¡¯re running away from me!¡± Li pointed accusingly at him. ¡°Running? Hey! That challenge or whatever it is came from your own imagination! You leave every single time you finish what you have to say, not even waiting for my response!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Don¡¯t regret it if you don¡¯t play in the second half!¡± At that, Li Yongle turned and left. ¡°Hey¡­ What am I gonna regret¡­¡± In a huff Zhang Jun sat down, but he felt in the depths of this heart that Li Yongle was right¨Dhe could really come to regret it if he did not play in this match. ¡­ The second half began. Zhongyuan maintained their defensive style, retreating even further back than they did in the first half. ¡°Zhongyuan is going to score.¡± Chen Huafeng heard a voice beside him. He turned to find a boy seated beside him, wearing a baseball cap and mumbling to himself; he thought the youth looked rather familiar, but could not conjure up a name right then. ¡°Lin Ling!¡± Zhou Peng called out. The boy turned reflexively towards him. ¡°It is you!¡± Zhou said, looking quite please. ¡°Tut!¡±¨DLin Ling tipped his cap upwards¨D¡±I¡¯ve been found out!¡± ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s because you¡¯re a star!¡± Zhou smiled. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, they are the stars.¡± Lin gestured towards the two teams on the pitch. ¡°Aren¡¯t third-years supposed to be busy right now?¡± Chen Huafeng pointed out. ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be supplementary classes this afternoon, but I¡¯m playing hooky.¡± ¡°Just to watch this game?¡± ¡°I was feeling a little out of practice too. This time last year, I was in the same position as them. Although I ended up in the stands today.¡± ¡°Still not going to concede defeat?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ve already conceded completely.¡± Lin Ling pressed his cap down and turned away; but Huafeng managed to get a glimpse of his expression. How should could one describe it? Perhaps, it was a pinch of desolation. A clear ringing reclaimed Huafeng¡¯s attention to the match. Twenty-seven meters out, Yang Pan had managed to hit the woodwork with another shot; everyone could see that the goalpost was still swaying from its power. ¡°Such a powerful shot!¡± Lin uttered, feeling stunned. ¡°Have you just arrived? They¡¯ve already scored one.¡± Chen pointed at the scoreboard. ¡°They¡¯re leading?¡± Lin Ling was taken aback even further. ¡°I¡¯m not one to boast, but only Dingding and our Tong Xing team were the only ones in Luoyang who ever led against Zhongyuan!¡± ¡°He scored from nine meters out,¡± Chen Huafeng told him while he pointed at Yang Pan. Lin Ling remembered the goalpost, which did not stop quaking. ¡°Nine meters out? With this sort of power?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°No wonder Zhang Lintao couldn¡¯t keep it out. I bet there won¡¯t be many who can do it in the high school scene either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Huafeng exclaimed. ¡°And it was almost as if he alone suppressed the entire Zhongyuan defense in the first half. Now their whole team is pressed even farther back; looks like they¡¯re very much afraid of Yang Pan¡¯s speed and shooting.¡± ¡°No! No!¡± Lin Ling waved it off. ¡°Zhongyuan are retreating too far behind, it¡¯s a sign that they¡¯re preparing for a counter. They do it like snakes, holding back for the right moment before biting fiercely to deal a decisive blow against the enemy.¡± What Lin said resounded. Perhaps, it was the two years experience of getting bit. ¡°Although the media dubbed them ¡®kings¡¯, they¡¯re often nicknamed, ¡®vile serpents¡¯ by every team who¡¯s played against them,¡± Zhou Peng added. ¡°It wasn¡¯t nice, so it never really caught on. However, it does appropriately describe their specialty: tough defense and decisive counter-attacks. And they do look positively serpentine when they go on counters.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that Shu Guang is in danger?¡± The referee¡¯s whistle rang as soon as Huafeng said that. Su Li had just brought Li Yongle down and Zhongyuan won a free kick on the left flank, just outside Shu Guang¡¯s box. ¡°There¡¯s their chance,¡± Lin Ling said. ¡­ He was feeling good today. Zhao Defeng had not been helping with the runs out of habit. He lifted his foot and with a twisting motion, the ball swerved beautifully through the air and bypassed the Shu Guang wall as it flew unimpeded to the near corner! When An Ke saw that the ball skirted around his team, it was already too late when he attempted to dive towards it. It went in the net! 1 : 1! In the fifty-ninth minute, Zhongyuan equalized with a direct free kick from their captain, Zhao Defeng! Their entire team exploded¨Dthey had been feeling dispirited for some time; now, they could finally vent. In the raucous stadium, Lin Ling could only gasp softly. ¡°Beautiful!¡± He had already seen many of Zhao Defeng¡¯s free kicks, but he would repeat himself each time he did. Like Beckham¡¯s free kicks, it was a waste of words to keep elaborating upon the exquisite curving lines and should just be enjoyed. ¡­ Shu Guang restarted the game, but Yang Pan was gradually feeling severe pressure as a pair of Zhongyuan defensive players focused their attention on him. Zhang Yang would viciously deliver sliding tackles while Li Yongle marked him closely as if he were Yang Pan¡¯s shadow; It was a flawless partnership that was too much to handle! As soon as he managed to pull an ankle break on Zhang Yang, Li Yongle would be there beside him; and when he accelerated to leave Li Yongle behind, Zhang Yang would then catch up to him. ¡°The Chain!¡± he realized with a start. ¡­ ¡°The Chain?¡± Su Fei stared at Zhang Jun. ¡°The Chain is an early Italian defensive tactical model. Whenever an attacker comes forward, two defenders will form a layered defense against him. If the first defender loses him, the second defender will step in and when the other loses out too, the first one will block him once more. It¡¯s a defense that denies the other team¡¯s player any space. Still, there have been cases of forwards who could push deep even in the face of such opposition, although they usually lose the ball after three rotations.¡± ¡°So overwhelming!¡± ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s the heart of our team¡¯s attack now. If he¡¯s contained, our offense is contained; that¡¯s the problem.¡± Zhang Jun bit his lip. ¡°There¡¯s still Ren Yu De!¡± ¡°Ren Yu De is being held by their right back, it¡¯s too hard for him to make a move¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°They never joined their school team before high school?¡± Lin Ling asked. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zhou Peng replied. ¡°The pair were infamous hoodlums back in Shuren Middle school.¡± ¡°But how can the duo execute such a brilliant Chain?! And with such synergy in their partnership!¡± The highschooler was simply puzzled. ¡°Will anyone believe that two newcomers could master this tactic in a normal after-school training session within two months? ¡°Maybe¡­ They¡¯re simply exceptional¡­¡± In the field, Yang Pan saw that he was being forced into the baseline, but he was still unable to shake the pair off; they followed him closely in ideal layering positions, preventing him from making any sudden breakthroughs. He made a sudden stop and turned, but collided with Zhang Yuchao, who had been closing in, losing the ball in the process. ¡°Yang Pan is being squeezed into a dead zone,¡± Zhou Peng noted. ¡­ Once again, Yang Pan was dispossessed by Li Yongle. ¡°Two against one, you guys are indecent!¡± ¡°We¡¯re your enemy! Who cares about decency as long as we can stop you!¡± Zhang Yang shot back. Li Yongle brought the ball forward, running past Wang Bo in the midfield and dropping Liu Lei with a dummy as he rushed into the area. He took a shot! The ball left the ground. ¡°Another useless effort¡­¡± An Ke dived to his side, thinking that he could get to it easily; but the ball dropped heavily in front of him! It bounced one time before slipping under An Ke¡¯s hand! A chip! 2 : 1! Zhongyuan had flipped the score! Sun Laihong, who did not have much to say throughout, leaped from his chair. Three days, and he did it! Zhao Defeng smiled behind Li Yongle as he dashed around in wild celebration. ¡°Maybe he is a genius after all¡­¡± Zhang Yang shrugged at Yang Pan who was beside him. ¡°Sorry! We¡¯re leading!¡± he teased and ran to Li Yongle, screaming at the top of his lungs, ¡°Hah! You brat! I love you!¡± ¡°1 : 2 . With 13 minutes remaining, there¡¯s still time,¡± Liang Ke muttered to himself. ¡°What? To win?¡± Su Fei asked next to him. ¡°No, to equalize.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the Zhongyuan team so excited. They¡¯ve always been so aloof,¡± Zhou Peng noted as he watched the visitors running around madly, celebrating their score. ¡°Shu Guang really did make them feel the pressure,¡± his colleague offered. ¡°What a great team, to be able to push Zhongyuan to such heights! I really want to play against them.¡± Lin Ling smiled. ¡°The experience would really be something!¡± ¡°Yang Pan is limited by Zhang Yang and Li Yongle while Ren Yu De is held back by Liu Chao. Wang Bo also looks like he lacks ideas against the Zhongyuan defense. Zhang Rui? Haven¡¯t seen him for some time,¡± Zhou Peng said to no one in particular. ¡°How will Shu Guang react?¡± ¡­ Yang Pan was facing the two-men defense again and he was breathing hard despite his usual fitness. How many times have they done this dance? He could not recall¨Dwhat a troublesome pair indeed! ¡°Screw it!¡± Yang Pan sped up forcefully, trying to shake them off. Zhang Yang slid in but missed, but Li Yongle¡¯s follow-up sent Yang Pan out of the baseline along with the ball. The referee whistled, signaling no foul, just an out-of-bounds ball for Shu Guang. Watching as Yang Pan slowly pushed himself up, Zhang Jun snorted loudly and stood up, startling Su Fei. He went up to Liang Ke. ¡°Coach, let me play!¡± Liang Ke looked at him briefly before he turned back to the game. ¡°Just 10 minutes!¡± Liang Ke looked at him again. ¡°What did the doctor say about your injury?¡± ¡°Ten-days rest¡­ But still! My leg doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! I just did some keepie uppies and it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! I can play! Doctors are never right anyway!¡± It was the first time Su Fei saw her neighbor, who always seemed like loafer behaving so emotionally. But it was also the first time she saw the cheerful Liang Ke being emotional too. ¡°Quiet!¡± the coach roared. Clearly startled, Zhang Jun went quiet immediately. ¡°Who do you think you are? Maradona?! That you can change the entire game just by playing?¡± ¡°But, the match¡­¡± Sighing, Liang Ke asked, ¡°Zhang Jun, how old are you this year?¡± ¡°Sixteen.¡± ¡°Yes, 16, Zhang Jun. There¡¯s still a long journey ahead of you. How much does the outcome of one game matter compared to that? You¡¯re going to be a professional soccer player and China¡¯s future in soccer will be under your feet. What¡¯s gonna happen if I let you play this game and your injury deteriorates? I don¡¯t want to regret this my entire life and so do you. Go back to your seat.¡± And with a wave of his hand, he ignored Zhang Jun completely. In silence, the player understood what Liang Ke said and it was right; if he did aggravate his injury by playing, he could kiss the game goodbye. Nonetheless, did he really have to watch as his team lost? Did he have to see himself sitting under the shade of the technical area¡¯s canopy, watching as his teammates poured their heart out on the field? Su Fei could hear him. Even if his voice was soft, she heard him in the middle of the rowdy stadium. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this!¡± Chapter 26 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ten minutes was one sixth of an hour, and six hundred seconds. But, how long was that? Students would moan that 10 minutes worth of recess time was too short. Many would moan that 10 minutes worth of advertisements was too long. But, how long was 10 minutes? ¡­ ¡°Ten minutes left. Zhongyuan High has pretty much secured the victory then,¡± Zhou Peng said. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chen Huafeng smiled. ¡°It¡¯s precisely the charm of soccer that you can¡¯t predict what would happen right up until the last second!¡± ¡°My conjecture is merely the result of objective analysis,¡± Zhou Peng replied. ¡°Yang Pan, the core of Shu Guang¡¯s attack is being heavily marked by Li Yongle and Zhang Yang¨Dhe hasn¡¯t made a move for minutes. Ren Yu De wants to break past Liu Chao but it¡¯s impossible; he¡¯s just stumbling around now. He rarely runs and a player who can¡¯t run, can¡¯t do anything on the pitch. ¡°In short, Shu Guang¡¯s prided attack is now contained. They virtually have no chances for a comeback and may even be dealt a further blow. Shu Guang is a great team, but Zhongyuan is better!¡± Chen Huafeng sighed. He did not want to admit it, but Zhou Peng was right. Wang Bo wanted to pass to Zhang Rui, but Luo Bin saw it and got to the ball first¨DWang Bo did not have any strength to get it back. When they played against Zhong Xin¨Dthe fifth-placed team last year, Chen Huafeng thought that they were formidable. Against Nanyang, he thought that their back line was imposing, almost impregnable. But what about Zhongyuan? Against every other team, he always kept the same will to fight, but right now, he felt that he was facing a bunch of mighty monsters! It was as if he could forever only watch and chase them from afar. An Ke did his best to tip the ball away¨Dit flew to the corner. Even if he was the goalkeeper, his breathing had become irregular. Every attack from the other team seemed to test him physiologically and psychologically. No conceding! he thought as he kept shielding the goalpost behind him in that manner. ¡°The chance to equalize will be lost if another goal is conceded.¡± ¡­ ¡°Goalkeeper? What does a goalkeeper do?¡± A little An Ke looked up at the bigger boy, who was much larger than he was. ¡°A goalkeeper protects the goalpost behind him!¡± he patted An Ke¡¯s little head. ¡­ ¡°An Ke, why do you want to become a goalie? That body of yours could score a lot of goals as a striker!¡± The elementary physical education teacher looked at the boy in front of him, not quite understanding. The other kids were all competing to play as a striker¨Dfor the goals and the glory. This boy alone requested to become a keeper on his own initiative. ¡°Because I want to protect the goalpost!¡± ¡­ Zhongyuan Technical took the corner and Luo Bin headed the ball in! However, An Ke got to the ball handily. Nine minutes left. The Shu Guang goalkeeper hurled the ball out in attack mode. Not wanting to stay too long at the back, Su Li got to it and lobbed a long ball to the front, although Li Yongle was there to cut the offensive short once more. Getting the ball from Li, Zhang Yulin made a straight pass to Li Qiang, who then sent a back-pass to Zhao Defeng. The captain delivered it to Zhang Yuchao afterwards. Their passes flowed like water down a stream; Shu Guang could not even touch them. Zhang Yuchao sent the ball low into the penalty area. Shu Guang followed and a scramble ensued. Braving the clear danger, An Ke dashed into the forest of legs and gathered the ball into his arms. Su Li was shielding the ball with his body, but in no time at all, Zhao Defeng and Zhang Yulin closed in on him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys getting things wrong! The leading team is actually doing the encircling?¡± Su Li was in a pitiful state under the duo¡¯s pressure. And in a moment of carelessness, Zhao Defeng got the ball! ¡°Crap!¡± Li Yongle ran with the ball and fired a drive! The ball flew towards the bottom right corner. An Ke did not tarry and dived towards it. But¡­ In the middle of the crowd, there was Li Qiang. Stretching out one of his lengthy legs, he tapped the ball. It changed trajectory towards the other direction! ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± An Ke watched helplessly as the ball flew to an entirely different path, a feeling of despair gradually surfacing within him. Zhongyuan¡¯s cheerleaders exploded with thunderous applause, yelling the team¡¯s motto at the top of their lungs, ¡°Victory! Victory! Victory!¡± The scoreboard changed to 3: 1, Zhongyuan was in the lead. Seven minutes left. In spite of that, even with most in his cheerleading squad going silent, Liu Qi kept on waving his flag and chanting, ¡°Go, Go! Shu Guang! Shu Guang! Go, go!¡± It was as if his voice alone could fight against the cheers for Zhongyuan. 3: 1. The huge red numbers were like fresh blood, alarmingly ghastly. Zhang Jun did not want to look at it anymore; soccer could be decidedly cruel on occasion. Ren Yu De had not touched the ball for quite some time. He did not ask for it or helped to defend it, merely resorting to strolling back and forth up front. Nonetheless, he was not lazing around instead, he saving his strength. His strategy notwithstanding, the number of times he dribbled past an opponent in today¡¯s game could be counted with just one hand; it was a far cry from how he felt in the past, when he used to drop casualties. ¡­ ¡°That brat isn¡¯t training with the school team?¡± ¡°I heard he got cut from the school team.¡± ¡°Why? His technique isn¡¯t bad all!¡± ¡°I heard there was a fight in the squad¡­¡± At the sight of Ren Yu De¡¯s glance, the one speaking shut his mouth. ¡­ ¡°Look at that bastard! A first-year student, yet so cocky! Running circles around us third-years, especially with that arrogant smile of his! I want to sock him every time I see that look!¡± a brawny boy said hatefully. When Ren Yu De made him stumble with his technique again, the other guy promptly kicked him down. ¡°What are you doing? ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Whoa! Fight!¡± *Beep! Beep!* ¡°You two! Stop!¡± ¡°Separate them!¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s best if you leave the team,¡± The physical education teacher told Ren Yu De. ¡°You have no way of bonding with the team right now¡­¡± Without waiting for the teacher to finish, Ren Yu De turned and left. He did not want to hear another word from that thing, who was pretending to be an educator. Leaving the teacher¡¯s office, he ¡°coincidentally¡± saw the huge boy who fought him latching on the team captain¡¯s shoulders. The pair were joking around, a picture of affection. ¡­ Su Li did his best to send a pass to Wang Bo. Li Yongle was in an offensive position and had not returned, granting Wang Bo freedom. He drove the ball to Ren Yu De¡¯s feet. Having denied a touch for so long, Ren Yu De dashed forward as soon as he received it¨Dbut his steps were troubled and his pace was without force. Still, Liu Chao was careful not to make any reckless moves and approached him cautiously. Five minutes left. The ball went out. Had his stamina reached its limit as expected? Even his pull turn looked frazzled; one prod and the ball went out of the baseline instead. Liu Chao was also surprised. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s done.¡± ¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t they sub off No. 20?¡± Lin Ling did not get it. ¡°Can¡¯t they see that¡¯s he¡¯s finished?¡± ¡°Maybe the coach believes that a substitute won¡¯t do any good,¡± Chen Huafeng offered. ¡°Having stamina is not enough; Liu Chao¡¯s physicality isn¡¯t average, it would be meaningless not to have the required dribbling skills to break past him.¡± ¡­ Zhang Lintao sent the ball flying into the midfield, where Zhao Defeng was pincered by Su Li and Liu Lie. Although things were at its absolute worst for his team, Su Li stubbornly and diligently stayed in contention against Zhao Defeng to lighten the pressure on An Ke. Then, Li Xiaopeng took off with Zhao Defeng¡¯s attempted pass, sending it long and far ahead. Li Yongle headed it off but it fell to Su Li, whom nobody expected to be there. Stopping the ball at once, the captain dashed across the middle line. He had been contained by Zhao Defeng throughout the game, but he was actually leading the attack on his own at this point! Was Shu Guang really behind? How did such vigor remain in them? Su Li gave the ball to Yang Pan, after which Li Yongle and Zhang Yang closed in once more. Without waiting for them, Yang Pan sent it to the unmarked Wang Bo. Wang Bo suddenly took a shot! But Luo Bin stopped it with a bodily block. Just as Li Yongle got to the ball, it was snatched off by Su Li, leaving the Zhongyuan player quite stunned. He was in the middle line just now, when did he get to the flanks?! Zhang Jun knew. His captain did not want to leave his high school soccer life in such a fashion and he was not going down without a fight. Yang Pan received the ball and crossed it into the box. Under Deng Rui¡¯s bodily interference, Zhang Rui headed the ball wide. The ball rolled out of bounds. The fourth official raised the noticeboard to signal two minutes of added time. Three minutes left. A determined Su Li continued to mark Zhao Defeng, even as his own steps became cluttered. The Zhongyuan captain did not get it. There were just three minutes left until the match ended and Shu Guang was two points behind. Why is he still so persistent? Does he believe that his team can score two goals in three minutes? What a joke! That would be an utter humiliation for Zhongyuan! He shook Su Li off and sent out a through pass! He Jialin received the ball and fired; An Ke caught it. Two minutes left. Zhang Yulin attempted to get past a defender who was watching him on the flanks. He feinted a move to the left; as the marker followed and shifted his weight, he made a break to the right. Despite that, when he wanted to cross, a foot stopped the ball in front of him. ¡°You think¡­ this¡­ is all it takes¡­ to shake me off? You¡¯re underestimating me, I¨D¡± Xie Yu panted. Taking the chance as the other guy was mouthing off, Zhang Yulin crossed the ball! Li Jieguang could only head the ball off the baseline under pressure from Li Qiang. Corner. One minute left. Zhao Defeng delivered the ball to the front of the goalpost and Li Qiang was there once again; he pressed Li Jieguang down and prepared for a header! However, there was still one more player above him; An Ke charged out and plucked the ball out of the air in Li Qiang¡¯s face. An Ke sent the ball across the field with a drop kick as soon as his feet touched ground. Zhongyuan¡¯s cheerleaders were already applauding their victory at this point. Wang Bo passed it to Ren Yu De once more. ¡°Him again!¡± Lin Ling cried from the stands. Ren Yu De dribbled slowly. He had no intention to pass, but merely took the ball with him towards the baseline, bit by bit. He was waiting. Liu Chao groaned and closed in on him, not understanding what use there was in passing the ball to Yu De. Suddenly, the ball left Ren Yu De¡¯s control! ¡°This is a great chance!¡± Liu Chao had been waiting for this. He reached out with his foot and then¡­ Ren Yu De prodded the ball, which had so clearly left him with his back heel and it slipped between Liu Chao¡¯s feet. He proceeded to run, bypassing the dazed Liu Chao. ¡°This is bad!¡± Liu Chao responded. He quickly turned around to try and get the ball, his body incessantly colliding with Ren Yu De¡¯s. As he almost fell, Ren Yu De flicked the ball with the front of his foot, sending it to the front of the goalpost! A black figure scampered in and volleyed! This time, Zhang Lintao did not react¨Deven after the ball went in. The ball went in! Yang Pan picked himself up, ran into the net to pick up the ball and ran to the center circle. Players of both teams simply stood awkwardly around him. ¡°There¡¯s no use, Yang Pan¡­ The match is over¡­¡± Even the flag that Liu Qi had been waving for over 80 minutes drooped. Just as He Jialin kicked the ball to restart the match, the referee blew the full-time whistle. The match was over¡­ Chapter 27 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Zhongyuan High players were celebrating their triumph in fanatic fervor. It felt as if they had just escaped the clutches of death following a lap around the depths of hell; the team had never rejoiced over a win in such a manner. Shu Guang¡¯s team on the other hand, was a sloppy mess of tears and sobs, especially the third-years. They would be taking off their red-and-white jersey, which they had worn for three years after the game. And like every other third-year student, they would be striving hard for their future. Even the ever-optimistic Yang Pan was crying. When the referee blew the final whistle, he saw his best friend dabbing at his eyes. Ren Yu De did not cry; he was too exhausted to even shed tears. He simply lay down on the ground, gasping long and hard, staring straight at the azure sky. An Ke did not either. He sat down for a long time, leaning against the post and staring blankly at the whooping Zhongyuan players. He could not tell if Su Fei was crying; she kept her back towards him. And then there were those reporters. Why were there still so many of them after a defeat? They always loved asking those bizarre questions of theirs¨Dwhat other feelings could one have after losing? ¡­ Zhang Jun could not sleep. The scenes of the day were still deeply ingrained in his head, not to be forgotten easily. All along, he did not weep but, not because he wasn¡¯t sad, or able to keep the match out of his mind¨Dthe latter especially was not his intention. It was just a simple matter of not having any tears to shed when it all came down. Perhaps there were no tears for one who fell into the depths of despair. There was simply no way to materialize his feelings and express the desolation he felt inside. He could not recall how he got home after the match, how he went over to Su Fei¡¯s for dinner and how he lied down on bed afterwards. Everything felt like a dream¡­ ¡­ ¡°Fei Fei! Not sleeping yet? You¡¯ve been up all day!¡± Su Fei¡¯s mother called across her house. ¡°I¡¯m getting some air.¡± Su Fei was leaning against the balcony¡¯s railing and watching the quiet night sky. It was midnight and all was silent¨Da great time to think. The night breeze was cold, but Su Fei did not mind. Why? After so much effort, with everyone pouring their blood, sweat and tears, why did they still lose? Yang Pan¡¯s drive was so powerful that the post never stopped shaking. Ren Yu De¡¯s footwork was so good that even four markers could not get him. And there was An Ke, who stopped Yang Pan¡¯s shot once before. And then there was¡­ there was the captain¡¯s stubborn defending¨Dso how could they lose? She also saw that the ever cheerful Liu Qi was not his usual jovial self either. The cheerleading team captain had continuously shouted for the entire 80 minutes of the game and broke his voice in the process. She heard what Zhang Jun said as he held himself in anguish. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this!¡± Why? Why did they still lose? Two trails of crystalline liquid rolled down her cheeks, shining brightly under the moon. ¡­ From elementary school up until high school, there was no remembering how many soccer games he played. It was not the first time he had lost, so why did this irreconcilable feeling surfaced for the first time today? He did not believe himself to be such a fragile person. But why did the tears flow when the referee blew the final whistle? ¡­ In a semi-final match between Kai Ta and Hua Ying in the National Middle School Soccer Championship; injury time. ¡°Everything depends on you!¡± Zhang Jun patted Yang Pan on the shoulder. Zhang Jun won a free kick 25 m out. Yang Pan took a shot and it hit home. Kai Ta won 3: 2 and knocked out the Guangzhou team, stealing their place into the finals. ¡­ ¡°Come what may, tomorrow depends on you!¡± Zhang Jun said as he patted Yang Pan¡¯s shoulder. He had never let him down before whenever his best friend told him that. But this time¡­ ¡°Zhang Jun, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡­ He went through hell and high water just to break into the penalty box. Yet, just when he was ready for an effort, Liu Chao came diving in first and knocked the ball off the line. Pulling every trick out of the book did not even move the opponent. He had to force his way through and Liu Chao was there to cut him off again. ¡­ *Beep! Beep! Beep!* Ren Yu De jolted up from his bed; it was just a dream. Glimpsing at the clock under the moonlight, he saw that the hands were pointing at 1.00am. However, he could not return to his sleep. He remembered when the final whistle was blown, he simply lay down on the ground, gasping long and hard, staring straight at the azure sky. Afterwards, the blue sky turned into dark night. Then, he was in his bed and jolted awake by that dream. But was it just a dream? Why did the sensation of falling feel so vivid? And¡­ that feeling of abject failure¡­ Clenching his blanket, Ren Yu De buried his head under it. The match¡­ They lost! ¡­ Thrice. He received the ball thrice from the net. And he just had to childishly brag and say things like, ¡°I want to protect the post.¡± Ultimately, nothing was protected; his teammates¡¯ hard work, the chants from the cheerleaders and Su Fei¡¯s smile. He was a goalie who failed in his duty. His middle school did not care much about soccer. He played for a year and quickly left the team, which had no future, believing that his circumstances were torturous. It was not to say that Shu Guang¡¯s own soccer did not suck. Quite simply, they had passion; that much was clear on the faces of his teammates. All of it could be traced to a deeply entrenched love for the game. He kept blurting silly things like ¡°a life of freedom for me¡± and ¡°I love soccer, but I love babes more¡± to conceal his true feelings. When he stood in front of the post with a pair of keeper gloves after two years and ¡°dueled¡± with Yang Pan, he had resolved to do one thing: Return to the soccer pitch and stand in front of the post once more. ¡­ Soccer can bring happiness, but also pain. He was not some newcomer¨Dhe understood that. But why was it, when the time came, he could not come to terms with that fact? Putting on his headsets, he turned up the volume of his Walkman. However, the music did not bring relief to his troubled mind, it tangled it even more instead. He flipped around his bed to find that his pillow and sheets were flooded with sweat. For them, this season was over. And for some of them, their three-year-long season was over¡­ ¡­ The school felt abnormally quiet on Monday. Each week, there was chatter whenever the national flag was raised in the weekly assembly¨Dthis caused headaches for the discipline teacher, Wen Jiu. Nevertheless, that was not the case this week. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers and there was a noticeable decrease in laughter. The game on Saturday had somehow affected the entire school; and so, for the first time, Shu Guang mourned over soccer. The afternoon training went on as usual. Liang Ke was already setting his sights on the coming year. There was just one thing: the atmosphere on the pitch was stuffy and nobody said anything. Even An Ke, the team¡¯s joker was mum. All he did was carry out their basic practice alongside the substitute keeper in dead silence. Liang Ke wanted to remind the kids and raise their spirits, but he could not say a thing when he recalled the match on Saturday. That night, he downed six cans of beer by himself, getting drunk like a fish. ¡­ ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Su Li¡¯s sonorous voice rang. ¡°We third-years are having our last training session. Does every single one of you want to send us off like this?¡± Everyone looked at their captain. ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m not a monkey!¡± The captain who was about to retire joked; he wanted his noisy team back, but the attempt went awry. Everyone turned back to what they were doing instead. That was when Wang Bo stepped in. ¡°Ahem! Ahem! We, the third-years have but one wish and it is for the team to send us off happily. Send us off happily, not tearfully. So, everyone, please don¡¯t make those crybaby faces.¡± Wang Bo¡¯s words got a few laughs and the air lifted a few notches. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re still the one who has a way with words,¡± Su Li told Wang Bo quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, captain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be captain soon. You don¡¯t have to call me that anymore.¡± After their training ended, Liang Ke gathered everyone around. ¡°Everybody knows. After today, the third-years will no longer be Shu Guang players. Su Li!¡± Su Li handed the captain¡¯s armband as well as his clean and tidily folded jersey to Su Fei. He hesitated as he passed her the shirt, taking some time before he placed it in her hands. ¡°Wang Bo!¡± ¡°Liu Lei!¡± ¡°Li Xiaopeng!¡± ¡°Liu Hui!¡± ¡°Zhang Rui!¡± ¡°Shang Jin!¡± Every team member went up when their name was called and passed their jerseys to Su Fei. No. 8, No. 10, No. 18, No. 5, No. 3, No. 9 and No. 22; these were the shirt numbers that would have new owners when September arrived. Liang Ke had been through this scene for five years, including this one. However, this year, he felt a sense of loss for the third-year veterans. There were signs of hope after they weathered through two years of hardship together yet, they still missed the dawn of a new era by a fraction despite those signs. Anyone could tell from Zhang Jun¡¯s expression that he was crucifying himself inside. Su Li walked over and lightly patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. The defeat wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°But, captain¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me captain anymore.¡± Su Li smiled and pointed at his empty arm. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help you guys and could only watch from the sidelines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s got nothing to do with you. If I was coach, I wouldn¡¯t have let you play either. The price of your future is simply too steep to be played around with. And there¡¯s no reason for you to grief at all; you still have two more years. Look at us third-years. Aren¡¯t we just fine now?¡± Zhang Jun looked around. Wang Bo and the rest of the third-years were laughing around with the other team members. ¡°Brat! When you guys crash into the Xigong Stadium next year and the year after, we¡¯ll be there to cheer you on!¡± Wang Bo held Ren Yu De warmly around his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t give us such a depressing look! We may be leaving the team, but we¡¯re still in the same school! It¡¯s not a long goodbye, really!¡± Zhang Rui smiled. ¡°True! True! With the looks on your faces, others will think that we¡¯re at a wake service!¡± ¡°Su Fei, you¡¯re always smiling. Why the frowny face today? Be careful or you¡¯ll get wrinkles!¡± ¡­ ¡°You see! Isn¡¯t everyone doing just fine! Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, we still have to thank you guys!¡± ¡°Thank us?¡± Zhang Jun did not get it. ¡°Yeah! When our batch joined the team, we simply wanted a place where we could formally play soccer for three years. We knew our abilities better than everyone, which was why we never thought of making it to the last eight teams, much less the last four. ¡°But you guys came along and gave us hope. Thanks to you guys, we had a goal for the first time.¡± Su Li scratched his head, embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯ll be second-year students next year, so don¡¯t let Su Fei¡¯s red line stop at this stage.¡± ¡°Captain¡­¡± ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to call me captain anymore.¡± Wang Bo came to Su Li¡¯s side. Looking at Zhang Jun¡¯s demeanor, he said, ¡°The psychological empowerment project works after all!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t stay depressed. Shu Guang¡¯s fate will be at his feet in the coming year!¡± ¡°And you claim that you don¡¯t have a way with words, captain¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me captain.¡± ¡°Sorry, I forgot again, whoops! It really takes some getting used to.¡± ¡­ A week later, Zhongyuan Technical High made easy work of Dongfang High School. Li Yongle scored another goal¨Da penalty, which made him a darling of the media and the fans. Another week after, Zhongyuan defeated their arch-rivals, Dingding High in the final match, entering the National Championship proper for the fourteenth consecutive time. They were the focus of Luoyang¡¯s media once more. However, even though Li Yongle made five attempts in that match, he could not recreate that deflected shot he made against Shu Guang. Chapter 28 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The team stopped their training at the sign of first snow in Luoyang. Everyone made their final dash to prepare for the semester¡¯s finals and welcome a joyous spring. ¡°Really can¡¯t get used to getting home so early.¡± Yang Pan looked up at the night sky, which was dyed crimson by the city lights. ¡°This is early? The sky¡¯s already dark!¡± Zhang Jun retorted. ¡°The team isn¡¯t training anymore and it¡¯s just half past five. Zhang Jun, let¡¯s play some PS?¡± his best friend suggested. ¡°No way! Our exams are coming,¡± Su Fei protested at once. Zhang Jun glanced helplessly at Yang Pan. ¡°Fine! Fine! Study well and improve every day!¡± His best friend pouted. ¡°It¡¯s going to snow again tomorrow.¡± Zhang Jun sighed at the sky. ¡°This year is weird though. It¡¯s already January but there hasn¡¯t been a single snowstorm, just a few snowflakes floating around,¡± Yang Pan countered. ¡°The traffic police have it easy but it won¡¯t feel like the snowy season.¡± ¡°I hope that it snows hard tomorrow.¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°That way we could make snowmen and have snowball fights! Heh!¡± ¡°And you just mentioned the finals.¡± ¡°Work hard, play hard! And it¡¯s been a long time since my last snowball fight!¡± ¡°Ah! Double standards! Not fair!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± ¡­ Heavy snowfall hit Luoyang the next day; and so, the traffic police met their formidable enemy. But in schools, the 10-minute break between classes became golden hour. There were raucous groups everywhere who had snow ball fights, built snowmen and played soccer on ice. In this season of chilliness, schools were the warmest place. ¡­ The frantic as well as busy moods dissipated after three and a half days of examinations. In turn, a scene of ¡°carnage¡± was left behind¨Da whole layer of paper slips scattered across the floor. Different students had different attitudes towards the exams; there were the calm ones and the busy bees. There were two types of people who would be relaxed; the first was usually studious. For them, exams were simply an extension of their routine tests as they progressed towards their final goal of the high school examination. In that journey, they would face any other exams on the way under their usual calm. The other calm type were the failures. Their scores would not change regardless of what they scribbled on their test papers. Their parents and teachers were already jaded; the exam hall was just a place they walked past. Nevertheless, a majority of students fell within the category of busy bees. Their results tended not to be bad, but they did have a softer state of mind and therefore, were easily flustered¨Dit showed in their results. They would be even more flustered if their parents held high expectations. It was not even the day of the holiday ceremony yet but the students were already yelling, ¡°It¡¯s the holidays!¡± and beginning to enjoy their pre-winter break. Not one of them thought of distasteful things like report cards and parents; springtime was painfully short ¨C it had to be cherished in its entirety! With Su Fei¡¯s help, Zhang Jun managed to pass the finals. Yang Pan¡¯s results had always been excellent and this time was no different. An Ke and Ren Yu De had their own special tricks up their sleeves. Nonetheless, they were also headed for a joyous New Year. Regardless of what else transpired in the semester, it ended on a good note. ¡­ Zhang Jun¡¯s family were not locals, but after staying there for nine years, they were almost Luoyang natives. Still, they were spared the pain of visiting local friends and relatives along with the need to prepare more ang pow money. Su Fei¡¯s family went to her grandmother¡¯s home in Chengdong while Yang Pan and his mother traveled to Xinxiang to meet his father. Zhang Jun¡¯s daily life became a mess. He would sleep late in the mornings, switch on the TV for China¡¯s special traditional programs, indulge in gluttony and sleep in the dead of night. Many days passed in this manner until one day, he looked into the mirror and found the reflection of a life form that closely resembled a bovine. He knew then that it was time to stop pigging out and start exercising. The weather was good with the sun shining warmly. Zhang Jun decided to play soccer, but even before he reached the pitch in his neighborhood, a loud noise could be heard¨Dsomeone else was already playing. ¡°When did you get back?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± ¡°This morning? Bastard! Not one call when you got back!¡± It was then Zhang Jun noticed that Yang Pan was playing unusually. There was not much noise and the ball did not deflect much off the wall. ¡°Been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you play with this ball.¡± ¡°Since our second year in middle school.¡± Yang Pan drove it towards a wall 30 m away. ¡°So, you can¡¯t let it go, even more than yours truly.¡± ¡°Rubbish! Go pick it up for me!¡± Yang Pan pointed a finger at him. ¡°Look at you, eating so much that you¡¯re like a pig¡¯s relative now! What¡¯s going to happen if you don¡¯t exercise?¡± ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Zhang Jun said despite the fact that he was already running over to get the ball. He picked up the soccer ball, which was filled with grains of sand inside and flung it firmly at Yang Pan. Yang Pan caught it with a volley and the ball hit the wall like a cannonball, ringing heavily. ¡°Such a nostalgic sound¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Auntie, Uncle, Happy Chinese New Year!¡± ¡°Su Fei¡¯s such a good girl! Here you go! Here¡¯s an ang pow for you!¡± ¡°Thanks, Auntie and Uncle!¡± ¡­ ¡°How much did you get?¡± Zhang Jun asked his neighbor, whose face was of pure bliss. Su Fei pulled out two fingers. ¡°Two hundred?¡± ¡°Two hundred, each.¡± She smiled. ¡°And they gave just a hundred a piece to their own son¡­.¡± ¡°Hey! The match is starting, are you guys watching?¡± Yang Pan increased the TV volume. Su Fei sat beside Zhang Jun. ¡°Seriously! That kid¡¯s doing well in the National Championships, but he still has the gall to call us and have us watch him. It¡¯s a provocation ¨Dplain as day!¡± Zhang Jun complained. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re scouting out the enemy,¡± Su Fei offered. ¡°We have to play them this year anyway.¡± A commentator¡¯s voice sounded from the TV, ¡°China Central Television, Beijing TV Station. Good afternoon, dear viewers. We¡¯re now at the Beijing Olympic Stadium, bringing to you live¨Dthe Grand Finals of the 14th National High School Soccer Championship.¡± ¡°The teams are rivals of yesteryear: Zhongyuan Technical High School, Luoyang¡¯s giant and Guang Ming High School, hailing from the ¡®Town of Soccer¡¯, Dalian.¡± ¡°How grand!¡± Su Fei could not help but gasp at the sight of the crowded stands in the stadium and the overwhelming cries of the crowd. ¡°It is the National Championship after all¡­¡± Zhang Jun remembered the finals of the nationals back in middle school; the venue was a random middle school. The stands could only accommodate up to a thousand, there was no live broadcast and photographers as well as writers were pitifully scarce. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no point even in becoming that sort of champion¡­¡± ¡°Many believe this to be a grudge match for Zhongyuan, but the highlight of the match is Zhongyuan¡¯s defensive midfielder, Li Yongle. He¡¯s a first-year student who managed to seal a spot in a team as formidable as Zhongyuan; Sharp interceptions, inexhaustible stamina, powerful physicality, ferocious challenges, precise long balls and excellent goal-scoring. ¡°In this year¡¯s championship, he has fully proven his depth. Remember his face, people. In a few years time, he¡¯ll be an international star!¡± At those words, the screen showed a photo of Yongle¡¯s face. ¡°Looking good!¡± Yang Pan remembered the middle school championships too. The difference was as stark as the difference between heaven and hell. The match started at the referee¡¯s whistle. There was not much worth mentioning about the game itself; anyone could see that Zhongyuan held complete advantage with Zhao Defeng¡¯s organization, Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulin¡¯s dashes up the wings, their absolutely invincible defense as well as the extremely lively Li Yongle. In contrast, Guang Ming, who had lost their key players could only defend. They had triumphed in the nationals last year. ¡°The nationals seems to have empowered everyone.¡± Yang Pan pointed out. Even Zhang Yang was not as brutish as before¨Dhe appeared to have matured. Zhang Lintao¡¯s goalkeeping also became much steadier. As for Li Yongle¡­ He made a long shot 34 minutes into the first-half, blowing a hole in Guang Ming¡¯s goal; it was that curved shot of his. And so Zhongyuan was in the lead as they went into break. ¡°His first shot and¡­ looks like he¡¯s really mastering it.¡± ¡°Is An Ke watching the game? I wonder.¡± ¡­ An Ke was ¡°on the hunt¡± in town at the time. ¡°Miss, would you like to have a cup of tea with me?¡± ¡°Hey missy, want to go ice-skating?¡± ¡°Hey, girl¡­¡± ¡­ Second half. In the fifty-fifth minute, Li Qiang took it home, 2: 0. In the seventy-eighth minute, Zhao Defeng received an exquisite pass from Li Yongle and fired home from a tight corner, sealing the game with a score of 3: 0. It was the final score as Zhongyuan completed their victory over Dalian¡¯s Guang Ming High. At long last, the Luoyang team repaid them for their defeat last year and earned their seventh crown in the process. As soon as the match was over, all the reporters who had been waiting pitch-side crowded into the field. Li Yongle, who scored one goal and assisted one naturally got most of the attention¨Dhe was completely surrounded by journalists. ¡°Tsk! There¡¯s nothing to watch in the victory scenes of others!¡± Yang Pan threw the remote control at Zhang Jun and stood up to leave. ¡°Li Yongle, how do you feel after becoming a national champion straight off your first year?¡± The reporter¡¯s question was as plain as plain could be nonetheless, Li Yongle¡¯s response lit it up. ¡°A little regretful,¡± he answered. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I have a person I wish to defeat, but I couldn¡¯t meet him this year.¡± Yang Pan stopped at his tracks and turned to glance at Zhang Jun. Suddenly pointing at the camera, Li Yongle proclaimed, ¡°Just you wait! Next time, we¡¯ll decide the victor between us once and for all on the field!¡± Su Fei followed the direction of his finger and turned to glance at Zhang Jun. ¡°Hey! What are you guys looking at me for?¡± Chapter 29 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Whether they liked it or not, the new semester arrived on schedule; students who had not seen each other for a long time gave one another warm greetings. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten fat!¡± ¡°It was extremely fun!¡± ¡°I earned 800$ of ang pow money!¡± ¡°I envy you so much!¡± Dialogues such as these filled the school grounds. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized that going to school isn¡¯t that annoying,¡± Zhang Jun said as he gazed around. He had come by the school once during the winter break, but the place was so eerily silent¨Dthe scenery was appropriate for a horror film. ¡°So nice to have so many friends and play soccer every day!¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°All you know is play!¡± Su Fei rolled her eyes at her neighbor. Suddenly, Liu Qi appeared out of nowhere with a face of sunny brilliance. ¡°Bro!¡± He made a lunge at Zhang Jun. ¡°My foot¡¯s recovered, you can¡¯t catch me now!¡± Liu Qi grabbed thin air as Zhang Jun dodged him agilely. But Liu Qi turned and prepared for another attempt. ¡°Liu Qi!¡± Su Fei called. Liu Qi froze in his tracks. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± ¡°We have a new classmate!¡± ¡°So? Why are you being happy?¡± Su Fei did not understand. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. If the new classmate¡¯s a girl and a beautiful one to boot¡­¡± ¡°Now there isn¡¯t an empty seat next to you,¡± Zhang Jun told Liu Qi. He was speechless. ¡­ Zhang Jun had rushed to school in a jog. He unfortunately napped until 1.45pm and he was left with five minutes before the school bell rang. He was going to be late if he did not hurry¨Dit would be an undesirable record to be late on the day school started after the long holidays. Without paying attention to where he was going, he ran into another person and both of them plummeted to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Dui bu qi! Sorry! Sorry!¡± The other person blurted out a humorous combination of Mandarin and English. Zhang Jun rose and slapped the dust off his body. ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Luckily, I play soccer¨DI¡¯m used to falling.¡± The other guy¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°You play soccer? No wonder your movements were so beautiful even as you stumbled!¡± ¡°Are you praising me or¡­ Argh! This is bad! I¡¯m going to be late!¡± Zhang Jun was ready to speed off again, but he was stopped. ¡°Friend, can you tell me how to get to Shu Guang High School?¡± Zhang Jun did not look back. ¡°Follow me!¡± he responded. However, he was already five meters ahead by then. ¡°You¡¯re so fast!¡± A gasp sounded from behind and his schoolmate followed tightly. ¡­ The bell rang just as Zhang Jun plonked himself on his chair, gasping for air. ¡°Phew¨Dthat was close!¡± Liang Ke entered the classroom and was welcomed by the noise of different things being packed up hurriedly. He furrowed his brow. These kids¡­ ¡°We¡¯re welcoming a new boy to our class today,¡± he began. And already, a considerable number of became gloomy when the class teacher used ¡°boy¡± instead of ¡°new student¡±. ¡°Do come in and greet the others.¡± The boy walked in and this time, the girls¡¯ gazes glinted. Tanned skin, wide crystalline eyes, a clear face and jet-black hair that carried hints of curls as well as a sunny smile; he was your standard-issue pretty boy. Zhang Jun¡¯s eyes lit up too¨Dplease do not misunderstand¨Dit was because he had seen the boy before. ¡°Hello everyone! I¡¯m Li Ni. It¡¯s a pleasure to be in this class.¡± It¡¯s him! Zhang Jun finally came to a realization¨Dhe was the guy he had ran into earlier. ¡°Li Ni¡± was a bizarre name, though. ¡°Li Ni¡¯s roots are in China, but he was born in Brazil,¡± Liang Ke explained. The class immediately erupted in quiet commotion. ¡°My dad says that I¡¯ll be a laughing stock if people found out that I¡¯m Chinese but haven¡¯t been to China. That¡¯s why he sent me here for my high school education. Hehe, nonetheless, Chinese fried rice is delicious!¡± The guy was funny. Li Ni smiled and there was no telling how many girls were going to lose sleep that night. Still, they were just being delusional¨Dthe new boy was merely greeting Zhang Jun. ¡­ In a single afternoon, news of a foreign hunk joining Year 1, Class 3 had spread throughout the entire school. There was an incessant flow of people coming over for a glimpse. However, they merely stared from afar and never made an approach because¡­ ¡°Why do I have to be your bodyguard?¡± Liu Qi complained indignantly. ¡°They¡¯re being too kind!¡± Li Ni smiled amid the awkwardness. ¡°You are so popular,¡± Liu Qi replied as he eyed a bunch of girls who stood a distance away. ¡°I never wanted this, I¡¯m not some celebrity.¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be help. They just aren¡¯t that sensible! Hmph! When our school soccer team made it into the final eight last year, I was quite the sight when I captained the cheerleading team¡­¡± ¡°Shu Guang has a soccer team?¡± ¡°Yeah! They participate in the regional preliminaries for the National Championships every year. Last year, they even had quite the battle against Zhongyuan High, the eventual champions¡­¡± ¡°Quick!¡± Li Ni grabbed Liu Qi by his sleeve and spoke hurriedly, ¡°tell me how to join the school team!¡± *Cough!* ¡°Look for¡­ our class teacher¡­ Old Liang¡­¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun noticed an extra head during the afternoon training session. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your new classmate?¡± Su Fei pointed at Li Ni, who was playing keepie uppie alone. ¡°Why is he playing too?¡± ¡°Stupid! He¡¯s from Brazil!¡± Yang Pan retorted. An expression that said ¡°I knew it¡± appeared across his face. ¡°How many Brazilians wouldn¡¯t know how to play soccer?¡± Zhang Jun also put forward his critique, ¡°Great technique, immaculate control, sharp movements¡­ As expected of a Brazilian.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really unexpected. Never thought that the coach¡¯s black hand had already reached out of Asia and is groping around the world¨D¡± An Ke was hit on the head before he could finish. ¡°Gather round!¡± Liang Ke bellowed. The team dutifully formed two rows in front of him. ¡°Let me introduce our new member, Li Ni.¡± ¡°Hello everybody!¡± Li Ni smiled. ¡°I believe everyone has already learned much about him, so I won¡¯t elaborate,¡± Liang Ke said, ¡°impressed¡± at how fast news traveled among his pupils. ¡°He¡¯ll be your teammate in the future. Wang Bo has left, so you¡¯ll be taking his place as attacking midfielder. Su Fei, jersey.¡± Su Fei handed Li Ni the No. 10 shirt. ¡°Whoa! Pele¡¯s number!¡± Li Ni gasped and ceremoniously received his new clothes with both hands. ¡°There¡¯s something else. We¡¯ll be having an internal match this Thursday afternoon to welcome Li Ni.¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s just a game amongst ourselves, why are you so excited?¡± Su Fei asked Yang Pan, who was dancing around. ¡°I want to show off in front of the Brazilian!¡± ¡°Do you have a grudge against him?¡± ¡°Nope. Can¡¯t I show off a little? My difficult training in the winter break wasn¡¯t just for show!¡± Yang Pan answered. He had been practicing his long shots in the neighborhood field, kicking the sand-filled ball against the wall from 30 m away. He did this almost every day during the winter break. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it too,¡± Zhang Jun added. ¡°I want to see what the Brazilian has to show us.¡± ¡°You two, he¡¯s just arrived and you¡¯re already gonna bully him!¡± ¡°Hey! Think about it! There¡¯s no telling who¡¯s gonna be the bully! Do you think that Brazilian¡¯s some kind of minnow?¡± Chapter 30 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Every Thursday at noon, Shu Guang High School would only have two sessions of cultural classes; the rest of the remaining hours were left for free time and another two hours were for self-studying. But since Shu Guang High School was well known for its relaxed environment, those last two sessions of classes were equivalent to free time as well. On this particular Thursday afternoon, the seats in the soccer stadium were occupied by many spectators after their two classes. The soccer team¡¯s results last year were superb and there was a lot of popularity among the boys in school. Additionally, a handsome guy named Li Ni just joined the team, so it was not a surprise that he would be attract quite a few young girls as his fans. Life in school had actually been really boring but now, the soccer team¡¯s practice sessions became a past time for many students in school every Thursday. The spectators in the stadium always watched the soccer match as they exchanged their thoughts with the those who sat next to them. ¡°This is a good match!¡± ¡°That shoot for the goal was awesome!¡± It did not matter if the person was someone you knew or not. As long as you were sitting in the stadium, everyone would treat you like old friends who have known you for a long time. Everyone would cheer gleefully with each beautiful goal that was shot whereas they would give a huge sigh when the ball missed the goal. Additionally, they would also crack jokes and laugh with one another on the open field. Hence, the burdens of everyone¡¯s studies were quickly swept away, adding many happy memories to their high school life. Due to the internal match among the team, it attracted many people this afternoon. During the game, players were divided into two teams; the white and red team. The read team donned brightly colored shirts while the white team wore white to represent their team. Zhang Jun looked at Yang Pan, who was wearing the red team¡¯s uniform. He was in the opposite direction, getting ready to launch the ball. An Ke and him were on the same team, but Ren Yu De and Li Ni were his only teammates from the same year. Liang Ke was the referee and he proceeded to announce the rules, ¡°The time given for the match will be 20 minutes for each half with 5 minutes of break time. We¡¯ll be playing a match consisting of only nine players since the venue is small. There aren¡¯t any differences in the rules of the game. Once everyone has understood this, the match shall begin!¡± *Beep!* Yang Pan¡¯s new partner passed the ball to him. He did not take the lead, using his right leg to kick instead to aim for a direct hit! Zhang Jun¡¯s first reaction was to dodge to the side. He could not possibly hit the ball, which was so near to him. The soccer ball broke through the air as it whizzed towards the goal. Everyone, including the white team players was dumbfounded. All they could do was gaze at the soccer ball while it rushed towards the goal. As soon as the whistle sounded to start the game, another whistle was immediately heard when they scored a goal. This boy has improved his long range kick yet again, just after the winter holidays ended! Liang Ke thought to himself. Li Ni was still at his seat, looking far ahead at the goal. Although the team consists of 9 players in this match, they still managed to score a goal from the middle of the field. It¡¯s unbelievably amazing! Dad, I didn¡¯t know China had such great soccer players! He beamed with a smile. ¡­ The white team kicked off and the match resumed. Zhang Jun passed the ball to Li Ni. Without stopping, Li Ni continued to pass it directly to Ren Yu De. He was like a ferocious tiger, charging into the others head on. That dazzling dribble Li Ni presented resembled that of Brazil¡¯s master of dribbles, Denilson. ¡°Another expert!¡± After getting through two players, Ren Yu De passed the ball back to Li Ni, who was running towards him. At the same time, Li Jieguang of the red team was forced to make his appearance. Although Li Ni did not see Li Jieguang, he made a swift, sharp kick followed by a spin, allowing the ball to fly above Li Jieguang¡¯s head. Li Ni then proceeded to receive the falling ball and continued to advance. Liang Ke took notice of Li Ni¡¯s actions and he was reminded of Shu Guang¡¯s battle against Nanyang last year. Shu Guang was devastated as he watched Nanyang¡¯s captain, Liu Yang foil a trick devised to get rid of him. Nonetheless, Li Ni¡¯s current skills in spiking the ball were just ordinary. The level of skill he possessed was simple in his eyes. Perhaps, Li Ni¡¯s specialty came from combining highly difficult movements along with his own set of skills to suit his playstyle in any environment. Just from how he kicked the ball, you may think that those were complicated moves, but to him, they were all natural reflexes. Every little movement he made was seriously amazing. Lee Ni continued taking the lead as the ball obediently stuck below his feet. Thus, the defenders had no chance to snatch the ball away. He made his way to the penalty area, catching every defender¡¯s attention until he suddenly passed the ball. Zhang Jun, who was left unnoticed received the ball and scored. This left An Ke muttering painfully in a low voice. An Ke was played by Zhang Jun yet again. He jumped and pointed straight at the defenders. ¡°Hey! You guys are useless! How did you not see Zhang Jun coming? Don¡¯t bother about that Brazilian guy. If he wants to score a goal, I¡¯ll deal with him!¡± he scolded. An Ke¡¯s loud, angry voice could always be heard during the match. ¡°Another person got through again!¡± ¡°How dumb, don¡¯t charge in!¡± ¡°Get back, it¡¯s too close!¡± ¡­ When Zhang Jun scored the second goal, the players¡¯ movements became more obvious and their rhythms sped up. It definitely became a confrontation of knives and guns. ¡°Oh no! How did things end up like this? This is just a team practice session!¡± Liang Ke could not help but laugh as he looked at the tired, hardworking players. In the meantime, it had been long since Yang Pan scored a goal. The white team¡¯s attacks were too intense. He recovered the defense on one side and quickly became a bystander at the back. Li Ni¡¯s control of the ball was too good. In addition, there was Ren Yu De¡¯s dribbling and also Zhang Jun¡¯s shooting. If it had not been for An Ke¡¯s exertion of stability, it would be even scarier than the nationals now. He had to admit it: Li Ni had been immersed in Samba soccer since he was young, but his level was actually not that strong. He could control both the ball and his rhythm on the field, hence it was hard to break his movements. Intermission. ¡°This won¡¯t work! Think about it, our opponents are way stronger than us. We¡¯ll drown in shame if we lose!¡± An Ke continued angrily. ¡°Yang Pan, you only had one shot in the first half, is that enough? You need to score more in the next match!¡± ¡°I know that already, you¡¯re nagging too much!¡± Yang Pan exclaimed as he impatiently waved his hand. The first half of the match was too devastating for them! The five-minute break time ended. Both teams returned to the field. ¡°Li Ni! You¡¯ll exchange with XX. Go to the red team.¡± Liang Ke¡¯s sudden instruction shocked everyone. But Lee Ni went without a word. After the white team failed to attack, the red team allowed Li Ni to take control of the ball. He passed a long shot and Yang Pan sped up, getting away from his guard. He then proceeded to launch a beautiful direct kick into the goal! The ball went in! The scores were now even with the white team. After that, the rest of the remaining time reflected the red team¡¯s first half of the match. The white team was forced to be on defensive mode, where Zhang Jun had to be a defender too. Li Ni led the entire red team while Yang Pan became more active compared to the last match. Zhang Jun finally understood Liang Ke¡¯s good intentions. Greeting Li Ni was only an excuse. In truth, Liang Ke wanted to use this method to get Li Ni involved in the team. After Wang Bo left, Li Ni needed to become the team¡¯s main force. For him to improve, he needed to first understand the team, which was a problem with him being the new kid. To solve this, they needed to combat their damage effectiveness and improve the team¡¯s attack power. Using this method of playing in the first half, Liang Ke could ensure that the players realized what the situation was like with or without Li Ni. Li Ni could then be considered as a replacement for Wang Bo. And so, the result of the match was as expected. The game ended in a draw, but no one seemed to care about the score. The team gathered around Li Ni and praised his spectacular skills. Even Yang Pan put his hands around Li Ni¡¯s shoulder and praised him because he made a few great passes to him. Zhang Jun approached Li Ni, wanting to greet him. He wanted to say something but he hesitated because he felt weird calling his name, ¡°Li Ni¡±. Was it a must to pronounce such an awkward name? No! Zhang Jun gave it a little more thought before he asked Li Ni, ¡°Did your father give you your name?¡± ¡°Yeah, my father¡¯s surname is Li.¡± ¡°But your name doesn¡¯t sound very pleasant.¡± Zhang Jun shook his head. ¡°Oh, so you actually feel that it doesn¡¯t sound pleasant? I had a feeling about it earlier. But I can¡¯t come up with a good name at all!¡± Li Ni expressed his worries about his name too. ¡°I did think of one, but I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like it?¡± ¡°Come on, say it! We want to hear it!¡± The person next to Zhang Jun felt the same as him. ¡°Kaka. How¡¯s that?¡± Li Ni stared at him and thought for a bit as he murmured, ¡°Kaka, Kaka, Kaka¡­ This name isn¡¯t bad at all! I like it! Hehe, from now on, I will be called Kaka!¡± he announced it to everyone. ¡°Oh my god! You really are a genius!¡± Li Ni instantly embraced Zhang Jun and kissed him. ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re overreacting! ¡°Is this how foreigners express their gratitude?¡± Zhang Jun had a hard time breaking away from Li Ni¡¯s hugs and crazy kisses. He felt embarrassed. ¡°Oh god! My first kiss¡­¡± But there was no time to be distressed as he suddenly felt a murderous aura. When he turned back, the girls on the sidelines were glaring at him, full of hatred. Zhang Jun gulped as his body was drenched in cold sweat. Chapter 31 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In Luoyang, spring was accompanied by sand and after that, it was accompanied by more sand. Summer was then accompanied by abnormal weather and it was bound to be accompanied by abnormal weather when it ended as well. And so, another semester came to an end. ¡°I remember the winter holidays just ended two semesters ago. Now, it¡¯s already the summer holidays, time sure flies!¡± Su Fei looked at the blazing, hot sun in the sky. ¡°Yes it does! Except for the first week of the semester, the remaining time was just described within three paragraphs. The author sure is lazy!¡± said Zhang Jun. ¡°I think the author¡¯s already running out of ideas.¡± ¡°Maybe he has nothing good to write anymore?¡± ¡°Hmph! Life may be dull but it can be colorful too. The author must not have properly observed what life is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The writing is so bland and the dialogues are superficial!¡± (Author: Whatever you guys say then¡­) In short, time moved as quickly as water and another semester came to an end¡­ Despite the annoying mosquitoes and scorching hot sun, summer was truly the most wonderful season of the year; short skirts, camisoles, swimming suits, thighs and also floral panties¡­ Floral panties? ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Su Fei asked Zhang Jun, who was lying on the ground. ¡°Floral¡­ Argh, no! The sunlight today isn¡¯t bad at all!¡± Zhang Jun could not avert his gaze away from Su Fei¡¯s short skirt. His eyes then slowly moved down between her legs and the view was surely incredible! ¡°Oh? Is it?¡± Su Fei lifted her head towards the sky. Immediately, Zhang Jun stood up. He was afraid that Su Fei would stomp him to death if she found out what he just did. ¡°What are you doing? Wearing something so¡­¡± Zhang Jun wondered if he should call it ¡°exposing¡± or ¡°transparent¡±. He did not expect Su Fei to grab onto his shoulder instead. ¡°You said we¡¯d be going out to play today!¡± She continued to cling on to Zhang Jun as if it was a natural thing to do. This made them both look like a couple. Zhang Jun began to panic and he tried to struggle away. But seeing how Su Fei was not going to let go of him easily, he surrendered. ¡­ Luoyang was an ancient capital city from the thirteenth dynasty. A few thousand years ago, there were thick loess everywhere that could crush people to death. Hence, there was a chance that a grave would be dug up around certain places where houses were presently built. The modern ¡°Luoyang Shovel¡±, which was commonly used in present archaeological work was originally invented by a burglar thief in Luoyang. Who would have thought that this invention would be used as a special tool in archaeology? Ugh! It just showed how things were always changing and being unpredictable¡­ Although it was an ancient capital city, civilized monuments were indispensable. The Longmen Grottoes were part of the World Heritage site; the White Horse Temple was one of the earliest Buddhist temples in China, where the millennium incense was endless. There was also a world for Shaolin martial arts (the Shaolin Temple was in the Zhengzhou Territory, but it was closer to reach from Luoyang.) There were also other monuments such as the Tomb Museum, Qian Tang Chi Zhai and Xuanzang¡¯s hometown. These were all part of the ¡°Luoyang X Day Tour¡± arranged by travel agencies. However, many locals rarely visited these places in Luoyang. They would bring their relatives from other places to show off their ancestral cultural heritage instead. Young couples were even less likely to visit places like the ancient Tomb Museum. A friend from Shanghai who went on a tour to Luoyang once said, ¡°Is this the city? It obviously looks like a village!¡± Whether people were from Shanghai or not, those who have seen the big world would have different things to say about Luoyang based on their observation. The tallest building in Luoyang was the City Agricultural Bank, which stood at a height of 13 m. When you lifted your head to look at the blue sky, you would not be able to see any tall buildings blocking your view. Village or city; you could often meet acquaintances or friends in Luoyang. Everyone would not feel as if they were strangers with one another so, this may also be considered a small benefit. Many youngsters always came to this place, even Zhang Jun and Su Fei did. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so tired!¡± Zhang Jun sat on a nearby bench. He was panting heavily with his tongue out like a dog (Beware! Violation of rules! Please do not imitate this behavior, children!). Su Fei stood beside him. ¡°We¡¯ve only gone to a few places yet you¡¯re already complaining that you¡¯re tired! I¡¯m confused. Are you really a soccer player?!¡± ¡°No matter how fit a soccer player is, they¡¯d be exhausted from shopping with a girl too!¡± Zhang Jun snapped back. He thought that members of the Chinese Soccer Association should be ordered to follow their wives or girlfriends on a half-day shopping spree at the very least. That would definitely improve their physical fitness. By the time it was over, hehe! Who would those puny Japanese players be? Who would Korea be? Even the hardworking team of Germany would be foaming at its mouth. What is the real meaning of running to death? Davis would also be ashamed. Real guys with good fitness would be those in the company of a girl who loves shopping! Zhang Jun was proud of his idea. He finally understood why they were many who wanted to be philosophers. He never thought it would bring people such joy to think about problems and solving them (Another reminder: You must not imitate him, children!). ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Su Fei was skipping around while Zhang Jun was dreadfully trying to catch up with his worn out legs. ¡°Where are we going? This is one hell of a day!¡± Suddenly, Zhang Jun stopped when he arrived at a certain place. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Su Fen turned around to ask Zhang Jun. He was staring blankly at a school entrance. ¡°Su Fei, I want to take a look inside. Is that okay?¡± Su Fei nodded. ¡°Hey, you two! What are you doing here?¡± The security guard shouted as he rushed towards them. Su Fei returned a smile. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve come to see our old school!¡± ¡°Oh, go ahead then!¡± Zhang Jun headed towards the soccer field, which was two meters wide. There were only a few patches of grass with two miserable goal posts. ¡°It still looks the same even after 6 years has passed!¡± Zhang Jun laughed. ¡°This is where I first participated in a real soccer competition,¡± he said as he pointed at the empty soccer field. ¡°It was my first time representing my school to participate in the city¡¯s ¡®Meng Ya Cup¡¯ when I was back in Year 5. Yang Pan and I were forwards while our opponent was Bo Li Chang Elementary School.¡± Zhang Jun imagined himself back on that very day, which took place six years ago. ¡­ ¡°Goal!¡± Zhang Jun and Yang Pan exchanged hugs. It was his first time participating, yet he managed to score his first goal with assistance from Yang Pan. Yang Pan¡¯s speed stood out among the elementary school students; he could easily throw anyone off the field. If it had not been for Zhang Jun¡¯s ability to keep up with his speed, he would not have been able to handle it when Yang Pan passed the ball to him. Although he could not clearly remember what the score was, he could still recall that his teammates went out to celebrate their victory together after the match ended. The sun had already begun setting beyond the sky¡¯s horizon as the sunlight shone through the thick cloud of dust and onto everyone¡¯s smiling faces. The sunshine was interspersed with soot and everything was red in color. That was Zhang Jun¡¯s unforgettable dusk. ¡­ Zhang Jun opened his eyes, only to find that Su Fei had her eyes closed too. The sun was setting and the sunlight plated a golden rim around her pretty face. She looked so beautiful! Zhang Jun had a sudden impulse and brought his face closer to her. There was no doubt that evening was the best time of the day¡­ ¡­ It gave Zhang Jun a fright when Su Fei suddenly opened her eyes. He quickly returned to his original position. ¡°Ahem, what were you trying to do just now? You closed your eyes without a word.¡± Zhang Jun was afraid that Su Fei¡¯s would be suspicious of his reaction, so he immediately dodged the question. ¡°I was thinking back to the days in elementary schoo. There was a day when I went to watch a soccer match between two competing teams. It was noon and the sun could be seen on the west side. Under the bright sunlight, the soccer field looked like an oil painting with the all the dust flying around; it was beautiful!¡± Su Fei took a deep breath. Zhang Jun then stared at Su Fei. Su Fei gave him a smile. ¡°We should head back!¡± After all was said and done, she held Zhang Jun¡¯s hand and ran towards the school¡¯s entrance. ¡°See you again, sir!¡± As they passed by the guard house, Su Fei waved at the guard who was sitting near the gate. The guard then shook his head as he watched their silhouettes fade into the distance. ¡°Strange¡­ That little girl seem familiar, I wonder where I¡¯ve met her before¡­¡± Despite the annoying mosquitoes and scorching hot sun, summer was truly the most wonderful season of the year; short skirts, camisoles, swimming suits, thighs and also sunsets that looked like oil paintings¡­ Chapter 32 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Su Fei, have you finished your homework from the summer holidays?¡± Zhang Jun knocked on Su Fei¡¯s door with his homework. Su Fei handed over two of her books to Zhang Jun. ¡°Seriously! What is Liang Ke doing? There¡¯s only two weeks left until school reopens yet he still requests for the soccer team to train in advance!¡± Zhang Jun ranted as he quickly copied down his homework. ¡°Your coach just wants the soccer team to have better results this year.¡± ¡°Hmph! Then why didn¡¯t he start like half a month earlier? The recruitment for new members hasn¡¯t even begun!¡± ¡°Idiot! You really need to be disciplined! The school doesn¡¯t open until another a week! Where would we be training then?¡± Su Fei knocked Zhang Jun¡¯s head with a pencil. ¡°Oh, I forgot. Okay, you¡¯re really a genius. You managed to solve this difficult question!¡± It was a must for Zhang Jun to give Su Fei some praises after he copied her homework. ¡°Hmph!¡± It seemed to help. ¡­ Kaka was not seen throughout the summer holidays and he had became darker upon his return. An Ke admired him and asked, ¡°Is the sunshine in Rio de Janeiro great?¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t, but the sun in Luoyang is really deadly!¡± Kaka laughed. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I was working in Luoyang during the summer holidays, delivering water to people. The sun was scorching hot!¡± Kaka held on to a pergola as he looked up at the sun. ¡°Today¡¯s highest temperature is 39 ?C.¡± Ren Yu De approached them from the side, dressed as if he had just returned from Hawaii. He wore a floral shirt and matching pants as well as a pair of sunglasses. ¡°There¡¯s air conditioning at home, yet you came here to suffer.¡± ¡°Thirty-nine? No wonder it feels like we¡¯re inside an oven,¡± Yang Pan replied with his headphones on. ¡°But in Brazil, children are always barefooted when they play soccer,¡± Kaka said. ¡°They¡¯re already used to it!¡± Yang Pan waved disapprovingly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about how high Brazil¡¯s soccer level is. This is how they trained!¡± An Ke rubbed his chin as he was deep in thought. Suddenly, a ball flew in his direction and he caught it instinctively. While An Ke was still on the ground, he heard a sweet voice. ¡°Brilliant!¡± ¡°Su Fei?¡± Su Fei clapped her hands and smiled. ¡°Although you¡¯re only a goalkeeper, your reaction sure is fast!¡± An Ke had a feeling that he was being played, but the one who played him was a beauty. He inadvertently vented, but all he could do was pat the dust off his body. ¡°Please take pity on me, Ah Di¨D¡± Ren Yu De pouted. ¡°Spread the goods, a piece only cost 35 $. Are they from Guanlin Wholesale?¡± ¡°What? You¨D¡± ¡°Alright, everyone please change your clothes quickly!¡± Liang Ke¡¯s loud voice immediately crushed An Ke¡¯s surging impulse. ¡­ Zhang Jun looked at the lockers that were located in the lounge area. On his left stood the locker that originally belonged to his captain, Su Li. But now, the locker still remained the same even though the owner had left. It had been a long time since the captain was last seen. He only came to school occasionally in the last semester. Rumor has it that he was tutoring at home. It had been more than a month since the college entrance examination ended and there was no certainty on what the seniors were doing at that point. He gave the locker a few pats. Back then, if they took too long to change their clothes, they would definitely hear their captain shouting at the door. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up first-years! Don¡¯t let us wait too long!¡± Zhang Jun turned his head, but Su Li was nowhere to be seen. The afternoon sunlight seeped through the door and he felt his captain¡¯s presence even though his face was not visibly there. That laid-back smile of his, his loud shouting, his face that would light up just for a warm-up match and how he collapsed and cried in Wang Bo¡¯s embrace during the final battle; these memories seemed like they just happened yesterday, but it had already been a year. The afternoon sun was still quietly seeping in from the outside, yet that certain, well-built figure was not there anymore¡­ ¡­ Liang Ke faced his team and said, ¡°As everyone knows, since Su Li left the soccer team, we¡¯ve never had a permanent captain. So today, I suggest that we decide on a permanent captain.¡± Liang Ke took the armband that Su Li left behind and raised it up. ¡°Yang Pan!¡± he called. ¡°Huh?¡± Yang Pan was shocked but he did not respond. ¡°Get over here!¡± Liang Ke hurried Yang Pan. As Yang Pan walked towards the front, Liang Ke placed the blue captain¡¯s armband on his arm. ¡°From now on and until graduation, you shall be the captain of the Shu Guang soccer team.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Yang Pan was still stunned, yet the sound of clapping could already be heard; it was from Zhang Jun. Followed by An Ke, Ren Yu De, Xie Yu, Kaka, after which the entire team joined in to commemorate their new captain. ¡°Zhang Jun will be the second captain and the third will be Xie Yu. Are there any objections?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡­ When Zhang Jun knocked Yang Pan¡¯s door open, he found Yang Pan staring at the captain¡¯s godly armband. ¡°What are you up to? Is it gonna be edible after you look at it?¡± Zhang Jun teased the new captain. ¡°I was thinking¡­ This thing looks like it shouldn¡¯t be on my arm¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything during that match¡­¡± ¡°Crap! I¡¯m the one who didn¡¯t do anything! You were running desperately for 80 minutes on the field!¡± ¡°We still lost even though I ran for 80 minutes¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about that match?¡± ¡°Are you satisfied? We lost just like that¡­ Are you satisfied?¡± Yang Pan lifted his head to look at Zhang Jun. Looking back at Yang Pan, Zhang Jun became speechless too. ¡­ In that noisy stadium, he sat on the bench, watching his teammates as they desperately struggled to win. However, they still lost in the end. He held on to his head and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not satisfied!¡± How long had it been? It had already been a year. At first, he thought he could forget about it. He never expected it to be buried deep in his heart. When the captain patted him on the shoulder, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that we lost.¡± He trusted his captain¡¯s words and believed in his captain¡¯s assuring words. After that, he continued to be happy and forget that incident. Why would he believe in his captain¡¯s words? Also, why would he desperately want to forget that match? Since he was young, he was never someone who would have the courage to take on any responsibility. He did not play soccer to be a star; he just liked playing soccer and playing with friends where they could all sweat together. His reason for liking football was simple. It was not until he met Su Fei that it evolved into hanging out with her at the teahouse. It was like being part of a great big family. He then found his real reason to play soccer and that was to see Su Fei¡¯s smile. But deep down inside, Zhang Jun was still a weak person. That was why he listened to his captain¡¯s encouraging words when he felt guilty about losing the game. It was like a drowning person desperately grabbing onto a tree branch. And so, he believed these words, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that we lost¡± to desperately forget that heartbreaking afternoon and pretend as if it never happened. But were things supposed to be that way? Was it okay to pretend that it did not happen before? When Yang Pang kicked a soccer ball with an unusually heavy foot from the sand to a wall in the distance, would the ball really hit that wall? Was the loud noise it produced only an echo? After the match had ended, Wang Bo collapsed into his captain embrace and cried bitterly. A man with tears would usually not cry like a total mess, but truthfully speaking, would that man be satisfied in his heart after that? Would he ever wish for such an aftermath in the final battle? Why did Su Fei always look back at him when the match ended? Did Zhang Jun not understand why? Turns out that he was a downright idiot¡­ Yang Pan did not wait for Zhang Jun¡¯s reply but he saw tears rolling down Zhang Jun¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you okay?¡± Zhang Jun wiped his tears away and said, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine.¡± He still thought he was being a strong person despite the fact that he just cried. Even if he felt a little better after crying, those tears were one year too late¡­ Chapter 33 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As another year of summer holidays ended, our main character and his friends saw many strange faces in school; meanwhile, Liu Qi farted out his usual boring activity of ¡°observing new beauties¡±. The senior¡¯s ¡°Hall of Honor¡± was posted on the bulletin board at the school entrance and people come and went again. Zhang Jun and his friends were now in their sophomore year. There were Art and Science classes in sophomore year while the three classes in which Zhang Jun were placed in were dismissed as liberal arts classes. Most of his classmates during the first year had been split into seven other classes. Of course, being a dunce in Science, Zhang Jun chose to be left at the third class, which was his new liberal arts class. But as he took a look around himself, he wondered why Su Fei ended up in the liberal arts class too when she was a Science genius. The liberal arts education in Shu Guang High School was not really good since the Art students were completely annihilated in last year¡¯s college entrance exams. How would her chances be of getting into the exam, being in the third class? Also, why were Yang Pan, Kaka, An Ke and Ren Yu De in the same class too? Was it not a little too coincidental? Why were they all from the soccer team? Zhang Jun was pretty confident that the head teacher of the third class, Liang Ke would not care much. An Ke bluntly said, ¡°Why did I end up in the third class? I¡¯m better in Science than the liberal arts! Argh, our coach must have performed some black magic! My God! The dark Chinese Education¨D¡± Before he could finish talking, his brain began to shut down. As Liang Ke walked onto the podium, he faced everyone with a smile and said, ¡°Welcome to the third class everyone. I hope we can happily get through the next two years together. After this, everyone¡¯s task is to take the college entrance examination. So, don¡¯t be lazy because your responsibility is to study!¡± At least four people gave him a cheer in their hearts. ¡­ No matter what it was, they were already in their second year. After a year had passed, what would the new year bring everyone? Liang Ke gleefully watched as the new batch of first-year recruits trained on the field. There were a few new members in the team this year; last year¡¯s miracle and their glorious defeat at the hands of Zhongyuan had greatly elevated Shu Guang¡¯s popularity. What made him even more excited was the fact that some of the newly recruited members possessed great potential. They could definitely fill in the missing spots of the previous seniors. Lin Xiaofang was their new defensive midfielder at a height of 187 cm. His heading was not bad and he joined the school team in his first year. The only thing he lacked was the experience of participating in a match. Liang Ke¡¯s main focus was to train him in the skills and experiences of the world¡¯s outstanding defenders. He also gave him a few video clips of the world¡¯s best defensive midfielders for him to observe. Fortunately, many schools volunteered to play warm-up matches this year and he hoped that he could train him more before the preliminary matches started. Chen Bo was the new right-sided defender with a height of only 167 cm. He joined his school team in his first year as well. He had a good build as well as speedy movements, which were fierce and tenacious. He was the type who would risk his own life to play soccer. There were times where he could be impatient and that was when he would have poor judgment of timing, making his soccer skills a little rough on the edges. There was also an issue of experience; he needed to improve step by step in matches. However, Liang Ke was unsure if he could wait. Wang Ning was 183 cm tall and was originally the new front attacker. But then, Liang Ke realized that he was better at snatching the ball, and awareness in defense was better than passing the ball. In addition, his physical fitness was good so he was more suitable at the back. During practice sessions, he would arrange him to be at the back and the results were similar. If these players were properly trained, Shu Guang would definitely be able to make it into the finals this year. Liang Ke was not boasting. Last year, Shu Guang was defeated due to its defense, which was a mess and that left him heartbroken. This year, all the new recruits had potential to be defenders. On the basis of consolidating the defense, he would leave the full play of offensive power and tacit understanding to the front four year-two students. This would really make the other schools in Luoyang suffer. ¡­ The training session came to an end. Zhang Jun had already packed up his things earlier, so he waited at the school entrance for Su Fei and Yang Pan. He was bored until he saw a guy juggling balls nearby. But truth to be told, his juggling skills were awful. It had been half a day but he could only manage to juggle three before he dropped them. At this moment, one of the balls dropped and rolled towards Zhang Jun¡¯s feet. Zhang Jun suddenly became interested as he picked the ball up with his left foot.The ball obediently jumped and Zhang Jun kicked it, causing the ball to fly up high. When it fell, Zhang Jun caught the ball and glided it with his thighs, after which he began to juggle it with his legs. The ball obediently bounced up and down between his legs. He kicked the ball up with his left leg and spun around with the ball on his right. After that, he kicked the falling ball with his left heel, causing it to fly up from behind. Zhang Jun did not even have to look before he used his right shoulder to balance the ball. It rolled to his front, where he secured the falling ball with his left foot before gently kicking it. The soccer ball passed through the group of people and finally flew by the guy¡¯s legs. At first, Zhang Jun thought that the person would catch the ball, instead he was too stunned by Zhang Jun¡¯s performance. He did not move at all. The ball then hit someone and after that, everyone heard the sound of a bicycle crashing. ¡°Who¡¯s the bastard that¨D¡± An Ke was already prepared to scold whoever it was responsible for his dirt-covered face. That was until he realized that a very familiar-looking soccer ball lay in front of him. He jumped and saw an even familiar face as he turned around. ¡°Sis?¡± Zhang Jun was also confused. ¡°Sis? Who¡¯s sister and who is it?¡± There were clearly only two guys in front of him. How could he call one of them his little sister? That person began to speak, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ve been waiting for you here. I was bored, so I decided to practice juggling.¡± It was indeed a girl¡¯s voice. ¡°But the one who kicked the ball wasn¡¯t me, it was him!¡± She pointed at Zhang Jun, who was foolishly standing around. An ke looked at Zhang Jun but when he saw Su Fei standing behind him, he expression quickly changed into a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s introduce each other. This is my cousin sister, He Wen.¡± Yang Pan and Zhang Jun reacted majorly. Yang Pan pointed at He Wen in shock and said, ¡°He? She? She¡¯s a girl?¡± In Yang Pan¡¯s sight, she had short hair, was flat-chested and only had a little slide in her hips. He could not believe the person in front of him was a girl. ¡°What are you looking at? Pervert!¡± He Wen glared at the dazed Yang Pan. ¡°P-Pervert? Hey! What parts of your body would I be looking at?¡± Yang Pan rebelled. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± An Ke put a stop to the fight between the two of them. ¡°You have to respect those who are older than you!¡± He Wen immediately kept quiet the moment he showed his authority as an older brother. ¡°Hehe, so cute!¡± Su Fei laughed. ¡°An Ke, I never thought you¡¯d have such a cute little sister!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I still can¡¯t believe¡­¡± Zhang Jun swallowed his words. He actually wanted to add, ¡°Even a person like you can have a little sister.¡± Nonetheless, he still wanted to leave An Ke with a bit of dignity. ¡°Haha! Is that so?¡± An Ke picked his bike up and pulled He Wen to sit behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll be off now!¡± They left in a cloud of dust as he did not dare stay any longer. Who knew if He Wen turned out to be as ugly as him? If he allowed Yang Pan and Zhang Jun to see more, would he still have face to meet them? ¡­ Looking at the two in the distance, Su Fei shouted, ¡°You guys are so cute!¡± Yang Pan sulked and replied, ¡°There isn¡¯t even one bit of cuteness, hmph!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she called you a pervert, isn¡¯t it? Hehe!¡± Su Fei laughed. ¡°But her eyesight¡¯s pretty accurate though. Isn¡¯t that right, pervert?¡± Zhang Jun patted Yang Pan on the shoulder. ¡°You still have the face to call me that? You dirty-minded guy!¡± Zhang Jun blocked his ears. Yang Pan surrounded him as he screamed, ¡°Dirty! Dirty! Dirty!¡± ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s enough, stop arguing,¡± said Su Fei. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys find it interesting? When An Ke was dealing with his little sister, someone like him could act really serious too! He¡¯s really like an older brother.¡± ¡°I suspect that he¡¯s spoiled his little sister.¡± Yang Pang would never forget about ¡°pervert¡±. ¡°But, for the first time, I saw An Ke¡¯s eyes naturally flowing with gentleness when he looked at his sister,¡± Zhang Jun gave it a thought. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him with that kind of expression before¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you so many times not to find me in school. You didn¡¯t listen and look what happened. Do you want others to misunderstand you?¡± An Ke spoke to He Wen while he cycled. ¡°Hmph! Who asked them to be so narrow-minded? Just because I was kicking a ball, does that make me a boy?¡± Although He Wen was bickering with him, her tone was different compared to the one she used when she argued with Yang Pan. An Ke sighed deeply. He was always calm and at ease when he was faced with any girls. The one behind him would especially render him helpless. ¡°Did you contact the school?¡± An Ke changed the topic. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Zhongyuan.¡± An Ke almost rode his bicycle to the sidewalk. ¡°Why do you want to go to that school?¡± ¡°Hihi! I don¡¯t want you to worry about me!¡± He Wen made a silly face. ¡°Any other school would have been fine. But Zhongyuan¡­¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s because you lost to them last year, am I right?¡± An Ke was speechless. ¡°No problem! I¡¯ll help you to investigate when I¡¯m there!¡± He Wen did a little dance at the back. ¡°I am a spy!¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Hihi! I¡¯ve decided to join Zhongyuan and become the soccer team¡¯s manager!¡± An Ke almost rode his bicycle towards the wheel of a car. ¡°Hey! Be careful!¡± ¡­ ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Zhongyuan¡¯s third manager, He Wen.¡± Sun Lai Hong pointed at He Wen, who was beside him and introduced her to every one of the members. He Wen, who was dressed in Zhongyuan¡¯s uniform gave them a sweet smile and said, ¡°Hello everyone!¡± There was a huge round of applause. ¡°Wow! She¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°Hehe! Finally, we have a cute manager!¡± ¡°Yes! Our team¡¯s manager and records are obviously matching! Look at Shu Guang¡¯s manager!¡± ¡°This is great! We can finally lift our heads up!¡± As the team members had their own little discussion, He Wen continued to keep her doll-like smile. Chapter 34 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation An Ke sat in front of the TV as he changed between channels. He felt like television channels nowadays were pretty boring and it sickened him to his stomach. The door swung opened and the person tossed her bag before she fell onto the sofa. An Ke aimlessly switched channels as he asked, ¡°How was it, my spy? It¡¯s your first day of becoming a manager.¡± He Wen replied, sounding irritated, ¡°About 10 of them had dirty uniforms¡­ and also smelly socks¡­¡± An Ke laughed. ¡°The tiring part was that I had to keep smiling!¡± He Wen gently massaged her face. ¡°It¡¯s so tiring!¡± ¡°Aunty called just now.¡± ¡°Ah? Mom? What did she say?¡± He Wen turned around to look at An Ke. ¡°She allowed me to take good care of you!¡± An Ke robotically clicked the remote control. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, the condition in Zhengzhou¡¯s much better! Why did you come to Luoyang instead of going to a high school there?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± He Wen pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t like Zhengzhou, Luoyang¡¯s my hometown.¡± ¡°I see that you really don¡¯t want to be under your mom¡¯s care huh? You¡¯re such a wild girl!¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯re the one who taught me how to be wild! Honestly, you¡¯re the real culprit! Hmph! If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve been a beautiful and graceful young lady, adored by the people! My spring! My image! My future¡­¡± To have such a sister, An Ke was beginning to have a headache. He threw the remote control aside as he continued to lie on the sofa. He Wen grabbed the remote control and said, ¡°Cartoons! Cartoons!¡± The sound from the television immediately changed from ¡°Coca Cola, enjoy the passion at every moment!¡± to ¡°The word ¡®genius¡¯ is more suitable compared to him¡­¡± ¡°Zhongyuan¡­¡± An Ke suddenly muttered these words. ¡°Oh!¡± He Wen shouted. ¡°I remember something. I didn¡¯t see that goalkeeper you were talking about today. I asked the others and they said that he went for a special training session.¡± An Ke sat upright and said, ¡°What special training?¡± He Wen shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen it before. I asked the others but they said they didn¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Special training huh¡­¡± An Ke murmured. ¡­ Liang Ke hummed a small tune as he walked towards the field. He felt emotional over the attitude of the person he was talking to earlier. ¡°I¡¯m just the coach of Guang Hua High School¡¯s soccer team. It doesn¡¯t mean much to you, but I really hope that we could have a friendly match with your school¡¯s team this Saturday.¡± In the past years, Lian Ke was the one who said that to others. It was the complete opposite this year; he could get use to this kind treatment. This year, many schools took the initiative to ask Shu Guang to play a match with them. But Liang Ke did not faint from happiness; he knew that from now on until the preliminaries, time was limited to play a valuable game. Hence it was not important if the team won or lost a game, the main point was to train them. Guang Hua¡¯s attack was not really good, so he did not observe them. Tie Yi High School¡¯s offensive ability on the other hand,was not weak, so it could be used to train their own defense. Liang Ke had no doubts in Shu Guang¡¯s ability to attack. However, their defenses were worrying. Therefore, he decided not to be afraid of defeats anymore. After losing a match, he made sure to fix up their defenses before the preliminaries started. Of course, these were only warm-up matches and Liang Ke would not organize them in his own school. But whatever the goal was, being defeated was not a good thing; it was even worse losing in your own school. They would not know where to show their faces anymore. During these few days of training, Liang Ke suggested that the front and back members split into two teams, having small matches against each other. One side would nurture the front four second-years with their tacit understanding and the other could train the defenders¡¯ in their defense awareness. Liang Ke worked hard for this soccer team. To make sure attackers synced, he arranged for Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, Kaka, Ren Yu De and An Ke to be sat together in class. Although many teachers complained about how noisy those five were in class, Liang Ke endured for the soccer team to have better results. Liang Ke¡¯s main point of his tactical thinking depended on the small teamwork between these four. He wanted to bring out the full potential of their personal skills. These four players had different specialties; their personal abilities were prominent but by improving upon them, their attack lineup would be enough to frighten any opponent. Zhang Jun was a full-range shooter; he was like the Terminator, who could deliver a fatal blow to his opponent at any time. Yang Pan was an almost perfect soccer player and he was the team¡¯s anchor. Ren Yu De¡¯s personal skills were not as inferior as that Brazilian player¡¯s; his technique was enough to disrupt an opponent¡¯s entire defense. When a team¡¯s defense was chaotic, passing or shooting the ball by him would be fatal. Kaka¡¯s passes were outstanding along with his dribbles too; his shots and free kicks were his main point to score goals. As a midfielder, he inherited the characteristics of Brazilian players. His unexpected passing often threatened the defenders but this also confused front attackers into not being able to get his passes. Fortunately, Shu Guang¡¯s front attackers had never been your typical logical thinkers. Along with Kaka, they seemed to be a naturally golden combination. Shu Guang¡¯s defense could not be as casual as its offense. In their usual training, Liang Ke would always request the maintenance of the defense¡¯s overall formation as well as the coordination and cooperation between the defenders. Shu Guang¡¯s defenders were not as independent as Zhongyuan¡¯s, that¡¯s why the team¡¯s formation was particularly important. In a small area, the superiority in their number of people could be used to gain a defensive advantage. But at the same time, the overall formation could not be disrupted. Otherwise, an opponent could form a threat by passing the ball. If Shu Guang¡¯s offense was similar to the style of South American teams, Liang Ke decided to train his team in a European defensive style. Rigorous tactical discipline and a tenacious defensive spirit were going to be the two magic weapons that would ensure the strength of their defense. What would become of the defense line after four warm-up matches? ¡­ ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s warm-up match is against Tie Yi High School. I¡¯ve heard that their offense isn¡¯t weak at all,¡± Su Fei said. ¡°So, tomorrow¡¯s protagonist won¡¯t be us, it¡¯s going to be An Ke.¡± Zhang Jun kicked a small pebble. ¡°Hehe, are you not satisfied?¡± Su Fei laughed. ¡°Hmph! Since the game last year, we haven¡¯t played a formal game!¡± Yang Pan made a gesture of shooting a long shot. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Who allowed Liang Ke to train the defenders?¡± ¡°Oh! We¡¯ll only be spectators tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s consider it as a vacation then¡­¡± ¡­ In Luoyang, excluding Zhongyuan Technical High and Dingding High that held the title of ¡°unblemished kings¡±, Shu Guang was definitely the most popular soccer team. Kaka had already attracted quite a few female fans from other schools and the team¡¯s performance also won many people¡¯s empathy and good will. Therefore, even if it was just a warm-up match, it would still attract quite a few to spectate the match. Chen Huafeng was also among them, his appearance never changing. He still wore a vest with the words ¡°High School Soccer¡±on it and he had a camera hanging across his chest as well as a notebook in his hands. For the female fans who wanted a glimpse of Kaka¡¯s smile and the others who wanted to see Yang Pan scoring the goals, they were destined to be disappointed that day. Liang Ke placed Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, Ren Yu De and Kaka on the substitute bench while the front attackers of the team were all substitutes. Liang Ke¡¯s actions not only provoked the audience to boo from the sidelines, but it also angered the team members of Tie Yi High School. ¡°Crap! They¡¯re looking down on us! They should send one of their substitutes to us!¡± ¡°Damn it! Is it because this isn¡¯t a match against Zhongyuan? How arrogant!¡± ¡°Damn him!¡± ¡°Let them look at Tie Yi High at the end of this match!¡± The game started and Tie Yi High School¡¯s team was already on the attack. It caused Shu Guang to be pressured during the first half of the match. As he watched his own team panic, Liang Ke¡¯s lips curled into a smile. This was the effect he wanted. ¡­ During the first 21 minutes, Chen Bo, who was the right-side defender kept making mistakes; he was getting crossed and passed by his opponents. The 187-cm defensive midfielder, Lin Xiaofang blocked the ball out. The ball did not fly too far but with one kick from the opponent¡¯s attacker, it landed at Li Jieguang¡¯s feet. An Ke could not do anything about the situation. He signaled helplessly at Liang Ke, who was in the distance and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay!¡± However, Shu Guang¡¯s defense was too unbearable. Even if An Ke managed to excel again, it was still a match where they were battling against a herd of tigers and wolves. Thirty minutes had passed and Tie Yi High once again used Shu Guang¡¯s defensive mistake to score another goal. They score was 2:0. ¡­ No matter how unfavorable the scene was, Liang Ke would not send those four to attack. Besides, they were also happy to sit leisurely there. Yang Pan had his eyes shut as he immersed himself into a world of music; he was not concerned about what was happening on the field. In the meantime, Zhang Jun, Kaka and Ren Yu De were fooling around. They were making a lot of noise and their laughter could continuously be heard. Looking at how they were acting, they really did look like they were on a vacation. However, the team on the field was not there for a vacation. Tie Yi High School had taken over the second half of the game, breaking through Shu Guang¡¯s offense and defense. 3: 0. 4: 0. Finally, the referee sounded the whistle to signal the end of the game and the game to a close. Chen Huafeng was shocked to see the unexpected results and the other Shu Guang¡¯s member who were just minding their own business. ¡°What the heck are they doing?¡± He rushed in front of Shu Guang¡¯s bus and stopped Liang Ke, who was about to leave. ¡°Teacher Liang Ke, I think¨D¡± The moment Liang Ke saw him, he laughed and said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to ask. But I can¡¯t tell you, sorry.¡± Once he was done, he moved away from the distracted Chen Huafeng and boarded the bus. The doors closed and the team left. Cheng Huafeng was left foolishly standing on the spot. ¡°Why was he laughing? They were terribly defeated yet he could still laugh about it?¡± Liang Ke clapped his hands happily and said, ¡°Excellent! You all did well today! Chen Bo, your mistakes are getting lesser. The only thing is, you have to pay extra attention to your timing.¡± Chen Bo nodded. ¡°Lin Xiaofang, your card awareness and early defense have been strengthened. When you¡¯re in a predicament, don¡¯t be blind. You have to think about where the ball¡¯s gonna end up. If it¡¯s possible, give your teammates in the front a chance to attack and not give it to the opponent. As a defender, you should lessen your opponent¡¯s chances to attack and increase your team¡¯s chances to attack.¡± Lin Xiaofang nodded too. ¡°In conclusion, everyone¡¯s performance was good. I hope to see all of you improving in the next match!¡± ¡­ Character Profile 1. Name: Zhang Jun Birthday: 30th October 1982 Blood Type: AB Horoscope: Scorpio Height: 177 cm Weight: 69 kg Hobbies: Playing computer games and reading comics Favorite Color(s): Black, white and blue Favorite Food: Egg products and grandma¡¯s home cooking Favorite Music: Zhou Hua Jian¡¯s ¡°Friends¡± and ¡°Let Me Be Happy, Let Me Be Worried¡± Favorite Movie(s): None Favorite Book(s): Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Smiling, and Proud Wanderer Favorite Soccer Star(s): Romario, Bailey, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo Favorite Soccer Team(s): Real Madrid and Brazil The Thing He Wants Most: To have a good time with his friends Ideal Type: Unknown Chapter 35 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was Monday and many in school got the news that Shu Guang¡¯s team was defeated by Tie Yi High, not to mention the big difference in their score. Even Liu Qi particularly ran to the third class to get an explanation from Zhang Jun. ¡°Yes! Yes! You¡¯re not wrong! We lost, 0: 4. I wasn¡¯t in the match!¡± Zhang Jun replied without waiting for Liu Qi to say a word. ¡°How did you know I was going to ask about this?¡± Li Qi asked shockingly. ¡°Damn it! Ever since I arrived at school in the morning, about 10 people have approached me and they all asked the same question. I¡¯ve already decided to write the answer on a paper. If anyone comes to ask, I¡¯ll just show it to them!¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense! Why did you guys lose?¡± ¡°Sorry, no comments!¡± Zhang Jun gave a diplomatic gesture. Liu Qi thought of asking him more, but the first bell for class rang. For the first time, Zhang Jun felt like the class bell was music to his ears. How cute. ¡­ An Ke sat beside him and winked at him. ¡°We lost that Saturday because we weren¡¯t together. I¡¯ve got some news and I assume that it¡¯s going to be pretty shattering.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°During their warm-up match last Saturday, Zhongyuan lost too. They lost to an unknown soccer team¡± Zhang Jun raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°Which school was it?¡± ¡°I think its called Yingcai High School.¡± ¡°What was the score?¡± ¡°2: 0. Those two goals were shot by one person. Also, they got passed Li Yongle¡¯s kicks.¡± Zhang Jun felt his heart tightened and asked, ¡°How did you find out about this?¡± ¡°My cousin sister¡¯s the new manager for Zhongyuan. She¡¯s the one who told me.¡± During the remaining time of the class, Zhang Jun was not paying any attention to what the teacher was saying in class. He was not listening to any of the words because his thoughts were entirely on the match between Zhongyuan and Yingcai High School. He could not imagine how they got pass Li Yongle¡¯s kick. Although he did not admit it on the surface, he considered Li his only worthy opponent. Now that he actually heard news that his opponent was defeated, he was in deep shock. ¡­ School ended at noon. Zhang Jun had been very silent and Su Fei asked Yang Pan about it, ¡°What happened to Zhang Jun? He¡¯s been like this since the previous two classes.¡± ¡°The Zhongyuan team lost and Li Yong Le was defeated. This guy here, he keeps saying that it doesn¡¯t matter but honestly, he¡¯s always been concerned about the match between him and Li Yongle.¡± ¡°The Zhongyuan team lost?¡± Su Fei¡¯s reaction was as expected. ¡°How could that happen?¡± ¡°How is it not possible? Soccer¡¯s just like that; anything can happen. Oh, speak of the devil and he shall appear!¡± Yang Pan looked at three people who were walking ahead as he said that. Li Yongle stopped in front of Zhang Jun. ¡°Why did you lose?¡± Both Li Yongle and Zhang Jun pointed at each other and spoke at the same time. The two boys stared at each other, but in the end, Zhang Jun defeated him. He slapped his head and said, ¡°Tch! Our coach arranged for me, Yang Pan, Kaka and also Ren Yu De to not play in the match. Can you imagine how that match went?¡± ¡°Hmph! And here I thought you were injured and couldn¡¯t play in the match. So your coach was the one who arranged this. You gave me a fright!¡± ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry because of this?¡± ¡°Of course, what else could it be? You think that I have no problems training at all?! I don¡¯t care about your team¡¯s results as long as you¡¯re not injured again.¡± ¡°Hey, soccer¡¯s supposed to be a team of 11 players¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re my only opponent!¡± Zhang Jun looked at him helplessly and replied, ¡°Why did you lose to a school that no one¡¯s even heard of then?¡± ¡°We were being lax at that time. Let that kid take all the credit; I didn¡¯t place him in my sight at all.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s worth mentioning that for someone who¡¯s come back from the National Championship, your tone of speech sure is different!¡± Zhang Jun laughed. ¡°Truth be told, even if it¡¯s the National Championship, I think there¡¯s no one as good as you.¡± ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Li Yongle looked at Zhang Jun and said, ¡°Today, no matter what happens, I want you in the finals too! Until then, don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± After all was said and done, Li Yongle turned and walked away with Zhang Yang as well as Zhang Lintao. ¡°Lunch breaks are precious. Players should pay attention to their physical condition.¡± ¡°Is that what you say after being defeated?¡± Zhang Jun pointed at Li Yongle and the two people beside him. ¡°I think his mind is full of thoughts about you in the finals. You didn¡¯t even play during Saturday¡¯s match,¡± said Su Fei. Yang Pan did not say anything. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Zhang Jun returned to his normal state and asked Yang Pan who was in an abnormal state now. ¡°Nothing. My training schedule needs to change.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The gloves that Zhang Lintao were holding¡­ They¡¯re giving me a bad feeling.¡± ¡°Hey! Since when did you become a superstitious person?¡± Zhang Jun laughed and patted Yang Pan on the shoulder. ¡°From today onwards, the number of shots will be changed from 50 times a day to 100 times a day!¡± ¡°¡­To be honest, sometimes I feel like you¡¯re not human¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Look at the stage over there. Don¡¯t you think that person¡¯s acting pretty suspicious?¡± Su Fei pulled Yang Pan to her side. Yang Pan looked up at the stage and a person was visibly there. He was wearing a windbreaker despite the sunny day and his collar was raised while his baseball cap was pulled down. He also wore a pair of sunglasses and a mask. After he realized that someone was looking at him, he hurriedly ran down the stage. Yang Pan laughed as he said, ¡°He¡¯s only a low-level spy, don¡¯t bother about him. While he was talking, they heard a voice. ¡°Oh! Is this Shu Guang¡¯s soccer field? Look at this yellow piece of land! There¡¯s a cracked platform here too! Tsk, tsk!¡± Su Fei looked to see where the sound was coming from; a guy with a short body frame could be seen gesticulating around the field. There was a bigger and taller guy standing right beside him; it was pretty hilarious looking at these two standing together. The short one was creating a lot of noise. ¡°No wonder this lousy team lost to Tie Yi High School! Just one look at this environment and you¡¯ll know why!¡± He walked inside the field and said to everyone, ¡°Hey! Who¡¯s Zhang Jun!¡± No one bothered to respond. ¡°Who¡¯s Zhang Jun?¡± Still no one bothered to respond. ¡°Are you all deaf? Fine!¡± When his voice was on the low, he rushed in a single dash and grabbed the ball from Xie Yu. Then, with extremely agile movements, Lin Xiaofang, who was next to Xie Yu was pushed towards the goal. ¡°Dammit!¡± An angered Chen Bo grunted. He rushed to the scene and slammed the person in a foul manner. It was not going to be fun for him to get bumped by Chen Bo in such a close distance. However, incredibly enough, that person flashed away from Chen Bo in an instant. Chen Bo could not stop the car, and fell into the group, stunned. After that person escaped from Chen Bo, he delivered a massive shot and the ball flew pass the unresponsive An Ke into the goal. ¡°Tsk, Tsk!¡± The person looked at the members of Shu Guang who were beside him and shook his head. ¡°With such a lousy level, you deserved your defeat against Zhongyuan High! Hmph! Yingcai¨D¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun dashed pass one person after another as he ran quickly towards the field. ¡°Damn that Math teacher! I was only reading comics in class and he asked me to stay back for detention! It delayed my training!¡± He accelerated, rushing into the field like a gust of wind. When he finally entered the field, he heard the sound of a soccer ball crashing into the goalpost. ¡­ Yang Pan clenched his fist as he rushed towards the dwarf and said, ¡°Kid! I dare you to repeat what you just said!¡± He stepped on the soccer ball that was beneath his feet and the short one turned to look at the shaken goal post, then back at Yang Pan. The big guy who had only been a spectator from the side, walked into the field. He was still looking at the quaking goalpost. ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s No. 7, Yang Pan. Your long shots can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h, not to mention, you can hit the goal. Looks like those stories from the journalists aren¡¯t just for show. However, do you think that you can win the game just by scoring goals? He looked up at Yang Pan. ¡°Interesting!¡± Yang Pan indicated An Ke to step aside and the others stood aside as well. The giant then proceeded to stand in front of the goalpost. ¡°Not going to use gloves?¡± Yang Pan asked him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there isn¡¯t a suitable pair of gloves for me?¡± This is the moment where Yang Pan noticed his opponent¡¯s huge hands¨Dthey were like fans. The opponent got his posture ready; it was a very formal posture, not one that showed contempt or nervousness. His huge body stood in front of the goal and he naturally exuded pressure. Excellent goalkeepers could keep their composure and not be angry, thus exuding an invisible force that could make opponents misfire. Normally, Yang Pan would never miss his shot however, he had to admit that the person right in front of him was an excellent goalkeeper. Yang Pan was about 30 m away from the goal. He took a deep breath, moved the ball forward and launched it with full force! It was like a cannon ball, rushing towards the goal¡­ no, it was rushing towards the goalkeeper. The meaning of Yang Pan¡¯s shot was pretty obvious. It was meant to be directed at people. If you did not hide, it would hit you as you waited! If you did hide, you would lose for sure. Seeing how the ball would hit his face, the goalkeeper was still motionless. Su Fei could not help but scream. With a muffled sound, the person actually used his hands to catch Yang Pan¡¯s shot! In fact, he did not fall at all. He was still standing in front of the goalpost! ¡°Haha! You see that? This is Yingcai High¡¯s powerful goalkeeper!¡± The short one¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of a 180-km/h shot?! Your most powerful person here can¡¯t even score a goal with him as the goalkeeper! So don¡¯t talk about anything else!¡± He laughed arrogantly. ¡°Is that so?¡± Another voice rang. ¡°I think as long as Yang Pan moved forward by another five meters, that silly big man will be rolling with the ball into the net.¡± The short guy heard what he had to say and went to see his companion. He discovered that he was clenching his teeth and the heel of his right foot was stepping on the goal line. In front of his feet, there was slip marks of about one meter. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me? Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Zhang Jun?¡± The dwarf stood in front of him and shot him a fierce glare. Zhang Jun glared back at him. ¡°You listen!¡± the short one pointed at Zhang Jun and said, ¡°I defeated Li Yongle; Li Yongle is my opponent, not you!¡± Shortly after, the giant approached him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The short one looked at him and spoke to Zhang Jun once again, ¡°You better start praying from now on that you won¡¯t bump into us during the preliminaries. Otherwise, you¡¯ll all die an ugly death!¡± ¡­ ¡°What is up with that idiot?¡± Zhang Jun asked Su Fei. ¡°He was looking for you but you weren¡¯t here. He said stuff like ¡®You guys deserved to be defeated by Zhongyuan¡¯. Yang Pan then gave them a little taste of his power,¡± Su Fen said, clearly irritated. ¡°He really said that?¡± ¡°Yes! It pissed us off!¡± Zhang Jun clenched his fist. ¡°Then he better start praying from today that his team won¡¯t bump into us during the qualifiers. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make him take a good look at us!¡± Zhang Jun was furious this time, it even scared Su Fei. ¡­ ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Both of my hands are swollen. You think I wanna look like a clown in public?¡± ¡°Is it¡­¡± ¡°If he did make another shot from five meters away, I¡¯m sure that I would have been lying inside the goalpost. What a powerful shot¡­¡± ¡­ Character Profile 2. Name: Yang Pan Birthday: 1st September 1983 Blood Type: AB Horoscope: Virgo Height: 175 cm Weight: 62.5 kg Hobbies: Music and reading x-rated books Favorite Color(s): White and red Favorite Food: No particular favorites, as long he can eat it Favorite Song(s): Zhou Hua Jian¡¯s ¡°Let Me Be Happy, Let Me Be Worried¡± Favorite Movie(s): None Favorite Book(s): X-rated ones Favorite Soccer Star(s): Robert Baggio Favorite Soccer Team(s): Bayern Munich and Italy The Thing He Wants Most: To be photographed with Zhou Hua Jian Ideal Type: In the future, he will ride together with Zhang Jun in the top European League Chapter 36 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation 0: 3 against Jiudu High School. 0: 1 against Anguo High School. Liang Ke stubbornly kept the losing streak going regardless of what others thought of it; the only thing that appeared to bear any weight upon him was that the goals against Shu Guang were decreasing. The number of errors from Chen Bo and Li Xiaofang were also dropping¨Dmore importantly, they stopped repeating the same mistakes. Wang Ning was also becoming more relevant to the team; his partnership with the third-year Li Hao on the defensive midfield was gradually maturing. Additionally, in the third warm-up match, they conceded just one goal after the entire team had been pinned down and bombarded for the entire game. For any team¡¯s defense, it was the greatest reward. Their opponents for the last warm-up game had already made contact; once again, they were the ones who asked for the match. It really was different when your team had a reputation. Yingcai High School, who managed to defeat Zhongyuan in another practice match some time ago, were an ideal opponent. They had a new first-year recruit who was a capable striker. In the game against Zhongyuan, he alone managed to trick Li Yongle twice and scored past Zhang Lintao. What was his name again? Right! Ma Ni, a rather bizarre name. ¡­ ¡°What?¡± An Ke cried out. ¡°Our opponents for the next warm-up game is Yingcai,¡± Liang Ke repeated. For the coach, it was nothing too surprising. But An Ke was getting worked up instead of surprised, and he was not alone. ¡°Coach, do you still intend to train the defense in this game?¡± Yang Pan asked. Bafflingly, Liang Ke nodded. ¡°Let us play, Coach!¡± Zhang Jun, who was usually unemotional was also becoming agitated. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Coach, just let us play!¡± It was Ren Yu De this time. ¡°Hey! You guys¡­ What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡­ ¡°Seriously! In the end, Old Liang isn¡¯t promising us any game time,¡± Zhang Jun said, kicking off a pebble. ¡°That¡¯s natural. Coach has already made his arrangements and you guys didn¡¯t really tell him the truth,¡± Su Fei answered. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he was absent for a meeting in the city that day,¡± Yang Pan added. ¡°If he knew that we had some conflict with Yingcai, wouldn¡¯t he eat us up? Who would dare to tell him that?¡± ¡°I want to teach that rat a lesson right now!¡± Zhang Jun seethed. ¡°Yo! Since when did you become so aggressive?¡± Su Fei asked, slightly startled. Zhang Jun had always given her and many others the impression of being aloof. Yang Pan remembered the tears his friend shed on that day and realized what transpired in his mind. ¡°There are people who simply become another person once they discover who they really are.¡± He beamed. Su Fei did not understand the meaning behind his smile. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yang Pan did not answer and merely kept smiling. Watching his old friend from behind, he felt that Zhang Jun was gradually changing. It was unusual that Zhang Jun¡¯s soccer was beyond his years and there were also certain undesirable facets of his life. But, why did he always feel that his buddy was much younger than his real age? Whenever people who started playing soccer were asked questions about their aspirations, most would answer that they wanted to become stars and inspire China, going beyond the Asian Continent. Only Zhang Jun alone would answer that he wanted ¡°to make a lot of friends and play soccer with them every day.¡± Goodness! What kind of dream was that? Most success was achieved solely with the desire for it. Yet, Zhang Jun continued playing despite holding such peculiar ideals. He had been so happy and satisfied after making so many friends that by all indications, he would keep doing it his way. Well! Was he being innocent or childish? There were times when Yang Pan sensed that Zhang Jun played according to his mood on that day, without any sort of drive. The wealth and glory that attracted almost everyone did not seem to have any hold on him. If he was happy, he would play like crazy; if he wasn¡¯t, he would play despondently. It was fortunate that he was easily angered and naturally optimistic, allowing him to perform consistently on the pitch. Nevertheless, he was already 17 and not supposed to be keeping this up; what he had to be doing was shoulder more responsibilities¨Dwhether he liked it or not. Soccer, especially soccer for grown-ups was not a game that one could excel solely through temperament. It was wishful thinking to stay that way, with sparkles in his eyes and an overwhelming spirit; with that, he would be unbeatable. ¡­ Saturday afternoon. Shu Guang¡¯s bus arrived at the game¡¯s location¨Din Yingcai High. Although he had been slouching away because he would not be playing, Zhang Jun was on alert once he saw a familiar face. ¡°Haha! We meet again!¡± The dwarf smiled wickedly at him. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re not playing today either, what a waste! Tut, tut! I wanted to embarrass you, but it looks like I won¡¯t have the chance. You bunch of wimps!¡± Yang Pan held Ren Yu De back, who looked like he wanted to teach the rat a lesson. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene!¡± The little one turned and went off just as Zhang Jun called out to him. ¡°I never play against nameless pawns, what¡¯s your name?¡± The other turned back. ¡°Ma Ni. Remember it.¡± ¡°What? Ants1?¡± An Ke held his stomach and laughed in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Damn! So there is such a name! Wahahaha! Your parents are really perceptive!¡± Although An Ke was obviously acting, the others laughed alongside him. All except Zhang Jun. ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll make you eat your words!¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the chance!¡± ¡°Just try!¡± It was not the first time Su Fei had seen Zhang Jun displaying that expression of his. She first saw it when there were 10 minutes left in that quarter-final match against Zhongyuan; the other occasion was the day Ma Ni caused a ruckus. But he should never be making such a face filled with blood lust; after all, he was supposed to be the lazy, occasionally humorous but usually clueless Zhang Jun. ¡­ Before the start of the game. ¡°How could this be, Coach!¡± An Ke¡¯s high-pitched voice could be heard from afar. ¡°I¡¯m the coach. What I say goes,¡± Liang Ke replied. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say, you¡¯re not playing in this game; Cheng Xin is.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I noticed your behavior just now,¡± the coach added coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want any sort of confrontation in the game.¡± An Ke knew that he would not win the argument, so he sat down in a huff without a word. Zhang Jun caught Yang Pan¡¯s glance. Together, the pair took out a pair of shades from their pockets; they did not expect Ren Yu De and Kaka to do the same. ¡°Ouch! The sunlight is really blazing hot!¡± Smiling bitterly inside, Zhang Jun knew that without An Ke, there was no doubt that the match was going to be a massacre. And it appeared that everyone was thinking the same thing. ¡­ As expected, Yingcai assumed absolute advantage over the game. Ma Ni was indeed a formidable striker; although just 163 cm tall, he was extremely agile. Even the combined partnership of Wang Ning and Li Hao was unable to hold him back; it was his turning accelerations that helped him evade their blocks on every turn. In the first-half, he scored a brace alone and another in the second half. ¡°He may be nasty, but he¡¯s not easy to handle,¡± Yang Pan mumbled to himself. ¡°So, you¡¯re not napping?¡± Zhang Jun asked. ¡°Do you think I could actually nap in the middle of this noise?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a daunting figure. But if we do meet them, I¡¯ll let them see!¡± Zhang Jun bristled. ¡°There¡¯s no telling if we¡¯ll meet them!¡± ¡°No! I must be allowed to play him!¡± Zhang Jun growled quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll send him to hell with my own hands!¡± ¡°Wow! Such a scary line! I¡¯m getting the chills!¡± ¡°Still. There¡¯s another shrewd one who hasn¡¯t shown his true abilities.¡± Zhang Jun returned to his normal self. ¡°Honestly, it was my first time seeing a goalkeeper block your shots directly with his hands. He didn¡¯t even stumble, although you did push him back about a meter. What a monster.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention him in my presence.¡± Yang Pan leaned his head upon his chair. ¡°Heh!¡± Zhang Jun smiled. ¡°Could it be that you took a blow to your self-esteem?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡­ The match ended with a severe 0: 5 defeat for Shu Guang. Chen Huafeng, who had been going to the last three practice matches was already used to it. He could see Liang Ke¡¯s intent behind this; it was to shape up the Shu Guang defense¨Dwhich he did in the last few games. But in this game, the opponent¡¯s diminutive striker was absolutely formidable. The Shu Guang defense was next to useless against him¨Din turn, this would deal a blow to the players¡¯ confidence. Should it not be all about raising the players¡¯ morale and self-belief before the real thing? What morale was there with defeat after defeat? And in the four precious practice games, Shu Guang¡¯s main strike force never played for a single minute¨Ddid they not need to shape up as well? The big day was around the corner and without any game time under their belt, was there a guarantee in their form? Liang Ke, what are you thinking? ¡­ Ma Ni bumped into Zhang Jun, who was prepared to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, 5: 0; a rout for you!¡± There was that shady smile of his again. ¡°You must have been crying? Why else were you wearing shades?¡± ¡°Keep barking while you can!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°This ant is really arrogant!¡± An Ke puffed. ¡°A hateful ant, you mean!¡± Ren Yu De corrected. ¡°Luckily, I changed my name. Otherwise, I¡¯d be embarrassed, sharing a name with that guy.¡± The one who said this was actually Kaka. Yang Pan could not tell what Zhang Jun was thinking. His friend fell silent after they got on the team bus. Just an ant, yet everyone¡¯s feelings were so damaged. What more awaited them in the preliminaries? Translator¡¯s Note: 1¡±Ma Ni¡± and ¡°Ma Yi¡± sound similar in Mandarin. The latter means ants. Chapter 37 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation During their training, He Wen kept glancing left and right in hopes that she would catch a glimpse of the mysterious goalkeeper¨Dhowever, it was all in vain. She had no choice but to ask Li Yongle, and although her promptness could be a cause for understanding, it was still better than being seen as a spy. ¡°Why is Zhang Lintao absent from today¡¯s training too? Haven¡¯t seen him for days.¡± ¡°He went off for individual training again.¡± ¡°Individual training? With just a few days left before the preliminaries? How will he guarantee his form without training with his teammates?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Li Yongle smiled at her. ¡°He has his own training methods to keep his form.¡± ¡°Oh? What kind of training is that?¡± ¡°A training specially designed to handle Shu Guang¡¯s Yang Pan.¡± Li Yongle gazed into the distance as he remembered the unbelievably powerful shots that Yang Pan kept firing in that game last year. It even horrified the typically calm, Zhang Lintao. Yang Pan may be fearsome, but he had to overcome Zhang Lintao and Zhang Yang first. This year, Li Yongle decided that he would focus on determining the victor between himself and Zhang Jun once and for all; he was unwilling to wait another year. No more waiting, come what may. ¡­ One punch, two punches, three punches, four punches¡­ how many times did he hit the sandbag in front of him? He could not remember clearly. He only knew how to unleash his full strength on the punching bag until he wore himself out. On the first day, he kept it up for 25 minutes until his strikes waned, half an hour on the second, 37 minutes on the third and 41 minutes on the fourth¡­ Today, he kept it up for 72 minutes, but still had strength to keep going. There were stripes of blood on the sandbag where his bruised fists made contact, proof of his diligence. ¡­ *Thud!* Yang Pan¡¯s shot hit the woodwork, but the Shu Guang player did not react. What was he feeling? It was neither shock nor embarrassment, but fear! It was actually fear! For the first time, he felt fear! ¡­ It was undeniable that Yang Pan was dangerous. He was unable to keep all of his shots out entirely in that game. If it had not been for Zhang Yang and Li Yongle¡¯s Chain defense on Yang Pan, he did not know if he could have kept it up. But it was not the same this year. He was now confident that he could block every shot from Yang Pan. It did not matter how powerful the opponent was, he no longer felt fear. He was the only one who could guard Zhongyuan¡¯s post! *Thud!* Another heavy punch landed on the punching bag¨Dshaking it obviously. ¡­ ¡°Alright, today¡¯s trainingis over. Everybody, go home.¡± The players began to head for the locker rooms with a wave from Liang Ke. However, Zhang Jun stopped Yang Pan and An Ke. ¡°What? I¡¯m so tired!¡± An Ke was clearly reluctant. ¡°Let me ask you guys this,¡± Zhang Jun asked seriously, ¡°Yang Pan has his terrifying shooting skills while Li Yongle has his deflected shot. They¡¯re so good. Does that mean I¡¯m weak for a main character?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your head going with this?¡± Yang Pan laughed. ¡°No! No! This matters to my status as the main character!¡± Zhang Jun waved furiously while he prodded the ball with his feet. ¡°Please, An Ke, do you mind guarding the goalpost for a bit?¡± It was such a rare occasion of politeness from Zhang Jun that An Ke felt a little chagrined. He took out his gloves and got between the posts once more. The pitch was empty; only the trio remained after the others had left. Starting out with a tap, Zhang Jun entered the box with the ball from the left. Yang Pan did not know what his friend was attempting and resigned himself to watching from a corner. On the other hand, seeing Zhang Jun rushing at him towards goal, An Ke called out, ¡°One on one! There¡¯s no need to have special training for this!¡± He had already rushed out and dived towards the striker. But Zhang Jun suddenly took a shot in the middle of his run! An Ke made the right call and dived towards the shot! ¡­ ¡°Ren Yu De, have you seen Zhang Jun and the others?¡± Su Fei had not seen Zhang Jun and Yang Pan since she packed things up¨Dshe did not see them anywhere when she tried to look for them. ¡°They¡¯re with An Ke on the pitch.¡± Ren Yu De pointed towards the grounds. ¡°No idea what they¡¯re doing. Go take a look. Su Fei then headed over. ¡­ An Ke and Yang Pan were looking at the ball that stood quietly in the goal. Both of them were startled. ¡°This¡­¡± How did it go in? That was unbelievable! Whenever he was tricked by Zhang Jun in the past, An Ke would chatter off the rest of the day with innumerable excuses as to why he was beaten. This time however, he was left speechless. Everything happened so fast¨Dhe only saw the ball vanishing in front of him in a flash¡­ and then, it went in! Meanwhile, as a spectator Yang Pan saw how the goal was scored. But, he thought, is such a scoring method achievable? Indeed, it was an inconceivable goal! And was it truly something that an absentminded person thought of? ¡°How was that? It¡¯s my ultimate skill! I cooked it up after thinking long and hard! Not bad, right?¡± Zhang Jun asked the stunned pair happily. ¡°It¡¯s my secret weapon and I won¡¯t let others see it easily.¡± Yang Pan was speechless as he gazed upon his friend¡¯s innocent grin. ¡°Hey! The three of you! What are you guys doing? The others already left!¡± Su Fei¡¯s call from afar reminded them of the time; it was late¨Dthe skies were already dark. Zhang Jun ran back to the locker room happily. An Ke followed and quietly asked Yang Pan, ¡°That ball just now¡­ did you see it clearly?¡± Yang Pan patted him on the back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t, it was too dark.¡± Looking up, An Ke watched the gloomy skies. ¡°Right! It was too dark just now¡­¡± ¡­ Li Yongle was standing by the roadside with his bag, waiting for the traffic light to turn red. There were rows of hawker stalls beside him, and when the streetlights illuminated, it would be their golden hour. As he waited, someone¡¯s laughter traveled to his ears. It was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, as though the laugh penetrated space and time to travel in his direction. It had been more than a year since he heard it. That giggling was like a store-sign¨Dhearing the sound itself was like seeing the person. He quickly turned; the laughter was coming from one of the stalls. Naturally, he saw the familiar figure who had slightly curly hair and a slim figure. Truly, hearing the sound of his laughter was like seeing the person itself. ¡°Ah Yuan!¡± Li Yongle called out. The other person turned. A ferocious face¨Dcoupled with a pair of cunning eyes and a knife wound extending from the bridge of his nose to the corner of his mouth¨Dmade it obvious that he was not the kindly type. Ah Yuan squinted at the tall boy and jumped up as he cried, ¡°It¡¯s you, brat! F*ck! I couldn¡¯t even recognize you! Come! Sit, sit! Let¡¯s eat something!¡± He dragged Li Yongle¨Dwho did not refuse¨Dto his side. ¡°Boss, another pair of chopsticks!¡± ¡°Let me do the introductions. This here is Flame Kid, an old friend!¡± Ah Yuan said to his followers who were seated around him. ¡°This kid was head and shoulders above all of you during his brawling days! A strong body and a stinging punch! F*ck! But, now¡­¡±¨Dhe stared at Yongle¡¯s short hair and tracksuit¨D¡±he¡¯s an athlete.¡± The Yongle that Ah Yuan came to know in the old days was a classic hell-raiser; his hair was long and it was dyed a fiery red. Street fights were all in a day¡¯s work for him and when he fought, he was like a raging inferno¨Dhis enemies would fall after a few simple touches. It was then that Ah Yuan dubbed him the ¡°Flame Kid¡±. Those followers of Ah Yuan did not care about his real age, instead they nodded together at Yongle. ¡°Brother Flame!¡± Yongle smiled and asked Ah Yuan, ¡°You¡¯re still in the business?¡± ¡°Yeah. Although business is bad,¡± Ah Yuan said, downing a mouthful of beer. ¡°It¡¯s the street life after all! You on the other hand, quite the look now. Still playing soccer?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Which school?¡± ¡°Zhongyuan High School.¡± ¡°Zhongyuan? That school was the national champion!¡± one of the younger followers exclaimed before he was immediately silenced with a glare from Ah Yuan. ¡°That¡¯s good! Soccer, becoming a star¡­ Heh!¡± Ah Yuan shook the beer in his glass. ¡°You¡¯re not doing those things anymore, now?¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°Fighting can get you cut from the school team.¡± ¡°That¡¯s such a waste, you¡¯re such a seasoned fighter¡­ I still remember that time you took down five people on your own. Your face was like that of a leopard¡¯s, filled with blood lust¡­ Heh! Won¡¯t see that anymore¡­¡± Ah Yuan¡¯s slightly blood shot eyes were beginning to blur. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± Li Yongle stood up. Ah Yuan looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s getting late and my parents will be anxious.¡± ¡°Hehe! Even caring about home now. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, go on quickly!¡± Ah Yuan waved him off. Yongle turned and left the table. ¡°Wait!¡± Ah Yuan stopped him. Li Yongle turned back again and saw Ah Yuan squinting again as he sized him up. ¡°To be frank, this suits you¡­¡± The student smiled at him. Shortly after, he turned and left. The followers from behind called out to him, ¡°Brother Flame, travel safe!¡± Looking at the scenery as well as the people and cars traveling back and forth, Li Yongle¡¯s steps slowed. He never imagined that he would meet a friend of his bygone era. It had been more than a year and he was no longer the little thug he was in middle school. But Ah Yuan was still Ah Yuan. That face, those eyes, that knife wound; nothing had changed. ¡­ ¡°You beat down these guys?¡± The man asked the red-headed boy in amazement. Meanwhile, he gently kicked the guys who were lying down on ground. The boy wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth in quiet admission. The man looked at the others on the floor once more. ¡°So vicious¡­ Did they offend you?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of them.¡± ¡°Haha! What a wonderful reason! These few did just beat up my bros. I was looking for them to get some medical fees. That¡¯s moot now though, too bad. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Li Yongle.¡± ¡°Yongle? Ha! Happy forever1! Such a good name! You can call me Ah Yuan.¡± ¡­ ¡°Hey! Flame Kid, you gotta watch yourself when you fight! It won¡¯t do if your handsome mug is ruined,¡± Ah Yuan said as he watched Li Yongle. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that! You won¡¯t get good tail if your face is ruined. You¡¯re not thinking about becoming a monk, are you? Haha!¡± ¡­ ¡°Want one?¡± Ah Yuan gestured a pack of cigarettes in his face. Li Yongle shook his head. ¡°What? Not smoking on the streets? You¡¯d look unstoppable!¡± Li Yongle still shook his head. ¡°Tch! Fine! Zhang Yang.¡± Ah Yuan threw the box to Zhang Yang on the other side. ¡­ ¡°You two are really going to play soccer?¡± Ah Yuan looked at Zhang Yang and Yongle in shock. ¡°Flame Kid¡¯s played before a long time ago, but Zhang Yang, you prat, what are you joining him for?¡± Zhang Yang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m his friend after all!¡± ¡°Friend, friend¡­¡± Ah Yuan mumbled. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, I understand. Nothing else? I¡¯m going.¡± He turned and left. ¡°Goodbye, the two of you!¡± He waved without turning his head around. ¡­ And that was how the ruffian shadow of Ah Yuan vanished from Li Yongle¡¯s sight. And they never met again until now. Why was that? The Jianxi District was only so large and everyone lived quite close to one another. Why did they not bump into each other in over a year? Ah Yuan must have misunderstood them the day Yongle and Zhang Yang looked for him, breaking the news that they were going to play soccer. That fool must have thought that they were trying to sever ties. In the end, the pair just wanted to go to high school. How could two youngsters with aspirations in soccer cordially interact with people who had gangster affiliations? Indeed, anyone would have probably thought that their intention was to kiss their past goodbye and start a new life. It was not typical for a person in the environment that he lived in, but Ah Yuan was sentimental. He really did cherish his relationship with Yongle and Zhang Yang. Did he recall the past when they bumped into each other? Or were those blurred and bloodshot eyes simply the works of alcohol? Like running water, those days were never coming back. He had his life now and an ambition along with it. Ah Yuan? He had his life too¨Dhis aspiration was to survive in this town. Looking at the people passing by¨Dsome of whom were rushing about while others were expressionless or calm¨Dthey had their own lives too, their own stories and their own aspirations whether it was a slice of bread, a cup of water or just a place to sleep in. Translator¡¯s Note: 1Yongle (ÓÀÀÖ) means eternal happiness in Mandarin. Chapter 38 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation High School Soccer Magazine Editorial Department. ¡°The match schedules are out. It¡¯s time for everyone to get busy,¡± Liu Yang said as the company held their annual mobilization meeting. ¡°This year, three schools hold the best prospects, Zhongyuan is unquestionably one of them; and then there¡¯s Luoyang¡¯s ¡®Uncrowned King¡¯¨DDingding High School, who¡¯s fully capable of entering the national tournament proper. A mention should also be made for last year¡¯s dark horse¨DShu Guang High School, although they¡¯ve gained even more strength this year and can¡¯t really be thought of as a dark horse anymore. I want our news reports to focus on these three schools.¡± Meanwhile, Chen Huafeng was staring blankly at the fixture list. ¡°Xiao Chen, have you been following Shu Guang all along? Penny for your thoughts?¡± Not looking up, Huafeng replied, ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s first opponent is Kai Ta High School. Kai Ta is Yang Pan and Zhang Jun¡¯s alma mater¡­¡± The others looked at each other, not quite understanding what he was saying. ¡­ Zhang Jun stared blankly at the huge match schedule, which was pasted on the club¡¯s activity room wall. It was surprising that Shu Guang¡¯s first match was against Kai Ta. How did that happen? Su Fei hit her head with a notebook. ¡°It¡¯s time for training!¡± ¡­ Looking at Zhang Jun who kept making mistakes, Liang Kei asked Su Fei next to him, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s up with him?¡± Su Fei shook her head. ¡°He was just staring at the match schedule.¡± ¡°Match schedule? So that¡¯s what it is¡­¡± ¡­ Anyone who was looking at him from behind would have thought that Zhang Jun was being studious. But he knew that his mind was not on his studies. The language text book in front of him was on page 98 an hour ago and it was still there an hour after. He went to his bookshelf to retrieve a photo album filled with pictures of his early middle school years. In the first page was a picture of him, Yang Pan, Yuan Gang and Liu Peng. They were third-years then; the four of them were smiling brightly in the picture. ¡°Yuan Gang, Liu Peng¡­¡± He uttered the names of his buddies softly. They had not contacted each other since they went their separate ways. Perhaps, those two were angry? Why would there not be a single call otherwise? He left them without bothering to say goodbye; and just the night before, they even declared, ¡°Let¡¯s become national high school champions!¡± only to have him pretty much scatter the next day. Compared to him, Yang Pan would not have such difficult feelings¨Dto him, his best friend was only Zhang Jun; Yuan Gang and Liu Peng were just ordinary acquaintances. Perhaps, he would just feel the same as usual without any fuss on Saturday¡¯s game? But Zhang Jun knew that he himself could not do it. Yuan Gang and Liu Peng were also his best friends. Would any one of them have imagined that they would face off against one another even after they were at the pinnacle of their game? Maybe this was fate? The hour needle pointed at 12, but Zhang Jun was still staring at the photos of his middle school years¨Dthose snapshots trickled with drips of memories from his past days. ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s already October, but it¡¯s still so hot! How unusual!¡± A burly boy moaned about the weather as he tugged at the neck of his jersey. ¡°It¡¯s El Nino, don¡¯t you know?¡± Another lad of a rather small frame answered next to him. ¡°Will it be the same on Saturday?¡± ¡°What, worried about the game?¡± His companion smiled. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Monkey, don¡¯t you know him? The dude must be worried over trivial stuff like our friendship!¡± ¡°Heh! Why would he mind about such trivial things? We were great friends with him, but we¡¯re opponents now¨Dthere are no friends between teams that are playing against each other. Doesn¡¯t he understand that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s light on the brain department¨Dit¡¯s like he¡¯s lacking a few parts there.¡± ¡°Liu Peng, now is not the time for you to worry about others. There¡¯s still another headache you have to face in the match day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Yang Pan?¡± Liu Peng asked. ¡°Who else is there besides him? He was quite the scene-stealer last year, even grabbing the spotlight from Zhang Jun himself. We know his long-range efforts better than anyone. It won¡¯t bode well if we let him go crazy in the game.¡± ¡°Relax! I guarantee that I¡¯ll stick to him like glue; I won¡¯t afford him even half a pace of movement.¡± Yuan Gang smiled. Liu Peng¡¯s man-marking defense scared him despite his own nickname, ¡°Monkey¡±. It was a label given because of his apelike agility. In the National Championships during their third year, Liu Peng was able to handle the team¡¯s defense alone, striking down defenses everywhere alongside Yang Pan and Zhang Jun. He made many key players on the other team look emphatically ordinary. ¡°But who¡¯s going to take care of Zhang Jun?¡± Liu Peng asked. ¡°Do you think a striker who blindly worries for the enemy squad is going to be of much help in a game?¡± ¡°Hey! This isn¡¯t what a friend should be saying!¡± ¡°I have no choice. There are times when tricks are needed for victory. It¡¯d be considerably regretful for Zhang Jun but it¡¯s necessary. You should know how bad it¡¯ll be if he lets loose?¡± As Yuan Gang removed his jacket, a deep blue jersey was revealed and a light-yellow captain armband shone under the sun, prickling the eyes. ¡°Time to train, Liu Peng.¡± Liu Peng sighed internally. Yuan Gang was captain now; he was responsible for the entire team and he could not allow personal feelings to interfere. For victory and their dreams¨Deven if they felt regretful, they would still have to face their long lost best friend . Still, he hoped that everything went according to Yuan Gang¡¯s plans. He did not want to go up against Zhang Jun¨Dnot that he didn¡¯t want to play against a friend, but because he had zero confidence in his own chances against his old friend. He was able to nullify Yang Pan back in their little matches within the team; it was Zhang Jun¨Dthe No.11 who always looked lethargic and callous that Liu Peng could only watch as he kept running ahead of him. ¡­ Shu Guang High School locker room. ¡°Yang Pan, Kai Ta was your alma mater and more than half of their players were your teammates back in middle school. Tell us what kind of team they are.¡± Liang Ke passed a red pen to Yang Pan. Without a word of protest, Yang Pan began drawing on the whiteboard. ¡°They are a team that¡¯s balanced in their attack and defense. Back then, there was Zhang Jun and myself up front while Yuan Gang took the role of playmaker¨Dmany goals were the fruit of his strategies. He¡¯s quite short at 166 cm, but he¡¯s agile like a monkey. He¡¯s very skilled at dribbling through crowds, attracting the defense and then, passing the ball suddenly to the forwards. That¡¯s why we should never put too many heads on him; there should be only two, one to harass and another to assist if necessary.¡± Yang Pan¡¯s calm analysis did not carry an ounce of sentiment as if he were a professional; but to Zhang Jun¡¯s ears, every word he spoke of the past carried the weight of either happiness or pain. In the National Middle School Championships, the offensive trident he formed alongside Yang Pan and Yuan Gang was unstoppable. There was Yuan Gang who dictated and organized plays; Yang Pan with his speed and passes, not to mention, his own diligence, which translated their efforts into goals; they were the first to fall into an embrace every time the ball went into the net. Liu Peng, on the other hand, was the linchpin of their defense. His 188 cm frame and burly body were a threat to any striker, plus he was surprisingly mobile. He was also explosive and could guard against players who were trying to turn or break into certain zones¨Da genuine specialist in marking. Even his header was a method to score from corners. ¡°Liu Peng is an experienced defender. When facing strikers, he can predict their movements that and cut them off first,¡± Yang Pan continued. ¡°This means that his rate of successful interceptions is very high. Along with Zhang Jun and Yuan Gang, he formed the center line during the early days of the team; but now that Zhang Jun and I have left Kai Ta¡¯s team, depth has been affected.¡± ¡°Although there are other commendable players in each position, a gap still exists between them and Yuan Gang as well as Liu Peng. In the end, as long as we fend off Yuan Gang and do our best to avoid Liu Peng when attacking, we have a huge chance to win.¡± ¡°Brilliant analysis!¡± Liang Ke applauded. Brilliant analysis¡­ Ultimately, because they were teammates and classmates for three years, they could probably even tell each other¡¯s movements with their eyes closed! ¡°Everyone, give your best to win tomorrow¡¯s game. No errors in the first round! Understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Coach!¡± Liang Ke flashed a glance at Zhang Jun. He was the only one who did not answer, and with his blank eyes, there was no telling what he was thinking. ¡­ On the noisy pitch where players of both teams were warming up, Zhang Jun¡¯s ball rolled into Kai Ta¡¯s half. ¡°Please help¡­¡± he said as he met a very familiar face. Yuan Gang picked the ball up and approached him. ¡°Hello, Zhang Jun. Didn¡¯t expect to see you here after a year of losing touch. What a coincidence!¡± But there was no joy over the reunion in the eyes of Kai Ta¡¯s captain. There were only sparks of irrepressible anger. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back!¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun woke up; it was the first time he had ever dreamed of Yuan Gang. It was weird. Why was there such an unfamiliar expression on such a familiar face? Especially when he said, ¡°I won¡¯t hold back!¡± It was already late; he had no memory of when he fell asleep the night before. His head was filled with thoughts about his old friends and he finally fell back into dreamland somewhere along the way. After getting out of bed and washing up, he went to get some air on the balcony, only to find Su Fei there too. The enlarged match schedule had to be her work again? Dis she do it in one night? Her knees were probably hurting very much? But why did they have to be against Kai Ta¨Dthat Kai Ta where he and Yang Pan used to study? Su Fei, noticing his appearance, smiled. ¡°No ¡®good morning¡¯ today?¡± Zhang Jun pointed at the sun hanging overhead. ¡°It¡¯s noon, what¡¯s there to ¡®good morning¡¯ about?¡± ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re not muddled by sleep today!¡± What was happening? He was about three meters away from Su Fei, but why did her smile and her voice feel so far away? Was he still sleepy? Zhang Jun shook his head and looked at the sky above. It was extraordinarily blue today¨Da good day to exercise outside. ¡­ Yuan Guang looked at the azure sky and mumbled to himself, ¡°Great weather. Bright sky, less clouds, no draft and an optimum temperature¡­ A nice day for soccer¡­¡± Chapter 39 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was the first round of the Luoyang Regional Qualifiers for the 15th edition of the National High School Soccer Championship. The match between Shu Guang and Kai Ta would be played at the latter¡¯s soccer field. Nothing had changed; whether it was the main gates, classrooms, laboratories, mini store, car park or the toilet facing the running track¨Deverything stayed the same. There was a humorous recollection that Zhang Jun had of the toilet. In his third year at Kai Ta, he signed up for the 100-m dash in the autumn track and field event. He was confident that his sprinting was peerless save for Yang Pan in school and by luck, Yang Pan was not competing in the same category¨Dhis greatest obstacle was therefore, gone. At the sound of the umpire¡¯s gunshot, he dashed ahead and already lost the others by the five-meter mark. Leading far up front against the others with his explosive speed, he crossed the line ahead of them under the loud cheers of the other students¨Dbut everyone was stunned when he did not stop even after he had crossed the line with both hands raised; maintaining his speed, he made a beeline for that toilet by the tracks. Everyone stared at him blankly before breaking into thunderous laughter after five seconds. Yang Pan poked fun at his friend afterwards, saying, ¡°I was finding it weird that you could run so fast the other day. So, it was the pee talking! Your goal in the first place was the men¡¯s room, not the finish line, huh?¡± He completely disregarded Zhang Jun¡¯s explanation that since he was wearing nailed boots, he was not able to stop, extending the length of the run instead. In addition, he could not have ran into the ladies¡¯ room hence, his dash into the boy¡¯s toilet. But Yang Pan¡¯s version of the story still spread throughout the school and everyone learned afterwards that Zhang Jun¡¯s gold medal was won by his full bladder. But gossip changed as it traveled and as the news floated further, it turned into ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s speed on the pitch comes from the power of a full bladder¡±. Zhang Jun could not decide whether to laugh or cry. ¡­ The pre-match arrangements were simple but effective. Liang Ke had arranged for Wang Ning and Li Hao to mark Yuan Gang together. While he chose not to avoid Liu Peng, he told his four forwards to take turns in making runs at him. ¡°Even if he¡¯s made of iron, we¡¯ll wear him down!¡± Liang Ke screamed with a clenched fist in an impression of Hitler¨Dboth of them were adherents of the offensive doctrine. Just before they stepped onto the pitch, the coach stopped Zhang Jun. ¡°Zhang Jun. Remember, a match is a match.¡± ¡­ Liu Qi and his expanded troop of Shu Guang cheerleaders appeared by the stands on the Kai Ta pitch. They were looking more the part as they raised the atmosphere and shouted roars of support for their school¡¯s team. The number of journalists from High School Soccer who were sent to the scene had been increased to three thanks to the special attention from Chief Editor Liu. Two of them were writers and the other was a photojournalist. Chen Huafeng, being one of the writers, took the other writer¨Dan intern they all called Xiao Zhang¨Dup the viewing platform. ¡°You have to realize that watching Shu Guang matches is a form of enjoyment, especially when they attack,¡± Huafeng reminded his junior. ¡°When the time comes, you¡¯ll have to watch carefully. I¡¯m hoping that you can write a breathtaking account of the game for me!¡± ¡°But the chief editor wanted you to¨D¡± ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s a great opportunity for some practice y¡¯know! You have to take it! There aren¡¯t many like me who¡¯d slip such a chance to their juniors!¡± Trying to look the part of a senior, Chen Huafeng patted his colleague on the back. The intern had recently graduated from Zhengzhou University under a specialized course for journalism. However, his efforts were lost on the younger man. ¡°Ah! You wanted to watch the match, didn¡¯t you? Hmph! And you¡¯re quite the newcomer yourself!¡± Chen Huafeng smiled. ¡°Hehe, but you¡¯ve only been here for a month, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m your senior!¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun had just stepped out of the locker room when he bumped into Yuan Gang. ¡°Monkey?¡± ¡°Call me Yuan Gang.¡± ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Not bad! You on the other hand, are quite on the roll, eh? Becoming a star player, getting interviews and being photographed for magazines. You¡¯ve forgotten all your old friends. Over a year, not one call, not one letter. Having a blissful time making friends in Shu Guang, is that it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for explanation. Nothing more needs to be said.¡± Zhang Jun felt like he had seen that expression on Yuan Gang¡¯s face before. Oh, right, it was in that dream. ¡°Forget about what you promised! We¡¯ll meet on the pitch and Zhang Jun, don¡¯t get cold feet!¡± At those words, Yuan Gang turned and left, leaving a quiet Zhang Jun behind. ¡­ ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± Liu Peng asked when Yuan Gang approached him. ¡°You do know that Zhang Jun neither called nor wrote because he was afraid of us getting angry at him for not saying goodbye.¡± ¡°Of course I know. But it¡¯s all necessary for victory.¡± Yuan Gang slipped the captain¡¯s armband around his triceps. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Liu Peng. The game is starting.¡± ¡­ The referee blew on his whistle and the game started. Kai Ta was on the attack. Yuan Gang carried the ball forward while two of his team¡¯s strikers ran ahead to divert the attention of the Shu Guang defense. Wang Ning and Li Hao closed in on Yuan Gang, with Wang going near for a challenge as Li Hao waited for an opening beside them. Still, despite Wang¡¯s best efforts to steal the ball, Yuan Gang looked quite relaxed as he held the ball firmly at his feet. A winger came by to help, Yuan Gang slipped the ball to him beautifully and he crossed the ball into the box with a single stroke! Lin Xiaofang headed the ball clear thanks to his advantage in height and the ball fell back to Yuan Gang. Even though he had just freed himself from Wang Ning and Li Hao, he dared not tarry¨Dthose two stubborn fellows were closing in on him once more¨Dand he fired a long shot. An Ke dived to the side and pressed the ball down to the ground. With a long-range effort right after the opening minute, it was apparent that Kai Ta¡¯s desire for victory was intense. The game would not be a walk in the park for Shu Guang. But Shu Guang¡¯s attack were also seeking release after almost a year of not letting loose. Kaka showed beautiful control as he chested down An Ke¡¯s long ball and turned to dodge an incoming defensive midfielder; those slick moves drew shrill screams from girls on the stands. He then made a brilliant pass to Ren Yu De, who knocked the ball ahead with the inner soles of his feet. As he rushed forward after detecting an opportunity, Kai Ta¡¯s No. 4, Li Ding, a defender on the flanks made his approach. He knew of Ren Yu De¡¯s formidability; the Shu Guang player¡¯s elaborate skills were rated among the top five¨Dwith a little space, he could fend off anyone. That was why Li Ding did not wait and he carefully made his defensive approach, keeping sure that he did not make even a tiny bit of error. Facing such an attentive opponent, Ren Yu De¨Dunable to find an opening¨Dreturned the ball to Kaka. ¡­ ¡°Who will be the focus in this game? Yang Pan, Kaka or Yuan Gang?¡± Xiao Zhang asked excitedly as he watched the game. ¡°Nope. It¡¯ll be Zhang Jun,¡± Chen Huafeng replied. ¡°Zhang Jun? That striker? Doesn¡¯t look like an outstanding character!¡± ¡°The key to this game lies in Zhang Jun ability; he will decide whether Shu Guang wins or loses.¡± ¡°No way? Yang Pan¡¯s long shot is an invincible weapon! And he¡¯s the captain too¨Dthe spiritual backbone of the team!¡± Huafeng sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s the difference between an intern and an experienced reporter. You¡¯re right that Yang Pan¡¯s long shots are formidable and that he¡¯s the captain. But when it comes to leadership, I believe Zhang Jun is the man.¡± ¡°Him? That trivial main character?¡± ¡°From a technical point of view, yes, Yang Pan¡¯s shooting is powerful, but in the preliminaries last year, Zhang Jun scored five goals and he was the top scorer of his team; furthermore, he missed out on the last game due to an injury.¡± ¡°Yang Pan scored four too!¡± Xiao Zhang argued, not letting up. ¡°And the coach also told him to suppress his shots.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In that game against Zhongyuan, Yang Pan scored two alone and suppressed their defenses by himself¨Dbut why did he still lose? It doesn¡¯t matter how impenetrable a team¡¯s defense is, how great their synergy is or how much skill they have in passing the ball around¨Dif they have no one to send the ball into the other team¡¯s net, how can they win? All their hard work will go down the drain. The presence of a good striker is vital to any team. You may refer to Kempes, from the Argentinian squad in the 1978 World Cup. Yang Pan and Ren Yu De were never pure strikers¨Donly Zhang Jun, a classical striker, is a complete and excellent shooting specialist. His high rate of scoring and stability in his movement were the linchpin for Shu Guang¡¯s meteoric rise last year.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re right, why would you say that he¡¯s the spiritual leader of the team? To my knowledge, it¡¯s the captains who inspire their team¡¯s morale.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct once more, but Shu Guang¡¯s circumstances are special. Yang Pan is a player of professional caliber and Zhongyuan is of a formidable caliber too¨Dthey are at the pinnacle of the national standard. If I wrote an article about them now, I would be able to predict where they¡¯d be in the future. But for Zhang Jun, I could never tell what heights he would reach or how influential he would become. His growth has been stunning and his future indefinite. ¡°And then there¡¯s his aloof demeanor, which makes him appear fine against anything; but if you believe for once that it¡¯s his true colors, you¡¯re in for trouble. It¡¯s as if there are different Zhang Juns, you know? Once he¡¯s on the pitch he¡¯d emit an aura that gains the trust of his teammates and they¡¯d pass the ball to him. Zhang Jun is the ultimate point for soccer. It does not matter how, he will score. Stalemates are always broken because of that inconspicuous No. 11. Think about the game between Shu Guang and Nanyang and how he scored his hat-trick. You¡¯ll understand. A player who never lets his teammates down and brings hope as well as triumph, is such a person not the spiritual leader of his team?¡± Still, Xiao Zhang was not convinced. It was true that finding Zhang Jun¡¯s good points was not easy; Chen Huafeng himself only got to that conclusion after one whole year of following Shu Guang closely. Then, he suddenly remembered that bet he made last year with Sun Liang Liang¨Dwhenever he chose who to wager on someone, he never lost. At that thought, Huafeng smiled. ¡°What about this, let¡¯s make a bet. I think that Zhang Jun will be the key to this game, you think not. We¡¯ll do a wager that whoever loses will treat the winner to dinner. How about that?¡± Being an exuberant young man, Xiao Zhang did not even think it through before he agreed to the bet. ¡°Fine! No pulling out!¡± ¡°Absolutely! Absolutely!¡± Chen Huafeng smiled and nodded. ¡­ The stands exploded in cheers as the ball went to Yang Pan¡¯s feet. ¡°Long shot! Long shot! Long shot!¡± Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleading team chanted in one voice. Yang Pan looked up to see a clear route towards the goal. He went forward two paces, preparing to shoot, but someone slid in and knocked the ball away. ¡°Liu Peng!¡± Yang Pan called out, startled. The other player smiled at him. ¡°Long time no see, let¡¯s have a greeting!¡± ¡°You¡¯re marking me? What about Zhang Jun? Don¡¯t you know how good he is?¡± A surprising turn of events; Yang Pan was shocked, not at the sight of his old friend but because Liu Peng was not marking Zhang Jun. After all, Liu Peng should know better than anyone of Zhang Jun¡¯s influence as former teammates. ¡°I know and I do so better than anyone. That would forever be¡­¡± Liu Peng¡¯s face darkened, but soon he lifted his voice and shot back at Yang Pan, ¡°Instead of worrying about others, why don¡¯t you think about how you¡¯re going to get past me first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re that confident about stopping me?¡± Yang Pan smiled. ¡°Come on!¡± Liu Peng point at his own chest. ¡­ Yang Pan was on the ball again but this time, Liu Peng did not get near him¨Dhe stayed around four meters away instead. At such a distance, whether Yang Pan wanted to shoot or dash through, he would not be shaking off Liu Peng¡¯s zonal defense. Facing his former teammate who offered no openings, Yang Pan sighed and passed the ball. He knew very well just how dominating the 188-cm youth in front of him could be. A strong body, agile pacing, stunning explosiveness and an excellent foresight earned him the nickname of ¡°Iron Curtain¡± in middle school. He had even experienced the bitter taste of his boot and it was best if he did not make for a hard break if he did not have absolute certainty. ¡°What? Afraid of me?¡± Liu Peng smiled. ¡°Hmph!¡± Yang Pan pouted. ¡°There¡¯s still 75 minutes, aren¡¯t you afraid of turning into a clown?¡± ¡­ It was six minutes after the game started when Zhang Jun first got to the ball. There was little wonder since he was being moody and running a lot less than usual. Kaka was also failing to find the right timing to pass the ball to him. But then opportunity came. Kaka dodged Kai Ta¡¯s defensive midfielder, Yu Wenjun¡¯s attempt to steal the ball and sent a precise pass to Zhang Jun¡¯s feet. Getting the ball, the striker suddenly found that the one marking him was not a center back but¡­ ¡°Yuan Gang!¡± Yang Pan exclaimed. The Kai Ta captain was an attacking midfielder, so why was he appearing in his own half and keeping Zhang Jun in check? Zhang Jun was in shock too. ¡°Monkey?¡± ¡°Remember what I said? Don¡¯t get cold feet!¡± Yuan Gang stared at him as he huffed out every word. Chapter 40 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Remember what I said? Don¡¯t get cold feet!¡± Yuan Gang stated expressionlessly at Zhang Jun as he huffed out every word. At the sight of the familiar face, Zhang Jun felt as if the noises around the grounds were fading and that he was returning to his middle school years. ¡­ ¡°The school soccer team?¡± Zhang Jun said, staring at the recruitment notice on the board. The word ¡°soccer¡± was enough to grab his attention. ¡°Should we go, Yang Pan?¡± Yang Pan yawned. ¡°Whatever. If you go, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Wonderful! We¡¯ll make a lot of great friends, right? Just like the two of us.¡± ¡°Fool¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m a new member, Zhang Jun from Year 1, Class 1. I¡¯m a striker. I hope to get along with everyone in the team and become great friends!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yang Pan. I¡¯m in the same class as Zhang Jun and my position is either a right midfielder or winger.¡± Two more members joined two days later. Attacking midfielder, Yuan Gang and center back, Liu Peng. When Zhang Jun first saw Yuan Gang¡¯s face, he thought he was looking at a monkey that has escaped from the zoo. When he finally came to this realization, he rolled with laughter, clutching at his stomach. Yuan Gang stood alone and stared blankly at him, not understanding what was so funny. ¡°Hey! What are you laughing at?¡± It took some effort for Zhang Jun to stop laughing and he apologized as he wiped the tears off his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, Monkey¡­¡± Taken by surprise, every other team member roared in laughter. Zhang Jun¡¯s accidental utterance of ¡°monkey¡± was a perfectly apt description of Yuan Gang¡¯s facial features¨Dhis lips jutted out and his high cheekbones as well as his long, untidy hair did make him look like an ape. As he watched the others burst out in laughter, Zhang Jun began to laugh again. ¡­ The jeers woke Zhang Jun up and he found that he had lost the ball. He stood rooted in front of the opposing team¡¯s area while Kai Ta somehow advanced into Shu Guang half. ¡°This is the key character?¡± Xiao Zhang laughed, glaring at Chen Huafeng. ¡°He did nothing when he got the ball and it was stolen from him almost immediately. He didn¡¯t even react.¡± Chen Huafeng smiled in return. ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡± He knew what was happening from his first glance at the striker. There was no mistaking that Zhang Jun was a pillar for Shu Guang and the team would be in danger if anything happened to him. Now all Huafeng could do was pray that Zhang Jun could wake up as soon as possible. After all, a friend was a friend, and a match was a match. ¡­ An Ke did all he could to block Yuan Gang¡¯s drive while Lin Xiaofang cleared the danger with a long ball. Kaka stole the ball in front of Yu Wenjun and went on a counter. Liu Peng stopped it with a sliding tackle and Kai Ta¡¯s left midfielder, Zhong Zhiqiang got to the ball before delivering it to Yuan Gang. The captain eluded Wang Ning with much agility. He executed an ankle break on Li Hao and passed! Kai Ta¡¯s striker, Zhang Yi carried the ball forward and took a shot! An Ke hugged the ball tightly. Yuan Gang shook his head, disappointed that the ball did not go in. Even if Zhang Jun was nullified, against an offensive formation consisting of a monster like Yang Pan, that skilled Brazilian hunk and Ren Yu De¡¯s fancy dribbles, it would have been better to start of strong and score a goal as insurance. ¡­ Zhang Jun finally got to the ball. Although he behaved abnormally earlier, Kaka still trusted him enough to pass the ball to him. Once again, Yuan Gang was there. Yuan Gang was showing off his dribbling skills against Zhang Jun, and not one to be outdone, the striker showed off his own footwork in return. Looking at the pair of them, Yang Pan joined in too. ¡°Make way! Make way! Look at my dribbling! Feast your eyes upon this world class act¡± He brought in a new first-year recruit to be his target. ¡°You have to be serious, no letting up!¡± The other boy nodded with utmost earnesty. However, Zhang Jun had a sudden bad feeling as he looked at Yang Pan, who was stretching his legs and twisting his waist. Yang Pan carried the ball slowly. But as he made his approach, he suddenly prodded the ball to the left and accelerated towards the other direction before running back to the ball. The poor ¡°live target¡± was left rooted where he stood. ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Yang Pan shouted. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Yuan Gang and Liu Peng took shots at Yang Pan as one. Zhang Jun looked at the trio of buddies over at the corner, laughing. Yuan Gang then proceeded to take the ball off Zhang Jun quietly. He was probably soaking in his memories of the past again. Memories were such a wonderful thing¡­ The boos were louder this time. Everyone simply could not understand what was going on. Zhang Jun did have some degree of popularity in Kai Ta¡ªhe was an alumnus after all. Many had come to watch, expecting an exciting performance; no one expected such an unappetizing performance just 10 minutes into the game. ¡­ The National Middle School Soccer Championship. ¡°Qingdao! Qingdao!¡± Yang Pan whooped cheerfully. ¡°The sun! The beach! The sea! The bikinis! The babes! I¡¯m coming!¡± ¡°The last two are his main objectives,¡± Yuan Gang pointed out to his two friends as Yang Pan spread his arms like he was soaring. ¡­ The opening game in the Nationals was between Kai Ta and Yucai Middle School of Jinan, Shandong. They were visiting another team in the first round and anyone could guess the amount of pressure that was piling upon the debuting team. It was pitch black in the hostel room, where the four of them were staying in, but a pair of eyes glittered amid the darkness. ¡°Anyone not asleep yet?¡± Liu Peng asked softly. ¡°Talk to me.¡± Two hands were raised immediately. ¡°You guys are nervous too?¡± Liu Peng kept his voice down. ¡°A little.¡± It was Yuan Gang. ¡°I wasn¡¯t at first. Now I am, thanks to you. Damn it, Liu Peng. Going to the toilet every other minute, I¡¯m having a nervous bladder too!¡± Zhang Jun got up from bed and felt his way to the toilet. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t wet your bed!¡± Liu Peng chortled quietly. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Zhang Jun shot back from inside the toilet. ¡°I really envy this Yang Pan brat.¡± Yuan Gang looked at the bunk beneath them, where the person in question was in sweet slumber. ¡°He can really sleep.¡± Zhang Jun heard Yuan Gang as he left the toilet and went to Yang Pan¡¯s bed for a look. ¡°He¡¯s always been like that even as a kid. I¡¯ve never seen him nervous before.¡± Reaching out, he switched off his friend¡¯s Walkman before returning to his own bed. ¡°Can we win tomorrow?¡± Liu Peng pondered. ¡°They¡¯re the home team!¡± Zhang Jun merely smiled. ¡°Won¡¯t that be even better? Destroying them in front of all their supporters! It¡¯ll be interesting!¡± As he predicted, the debuting Kai Ta team demolished their opponents in the match the next day, right in front of hundreds of home supporters who came to cheer for their team. The score was 5: 0. Zhang Jun was a hat-trick hero while Yang Pan and Yuan Gang each scored a piece. With a beautiful start, Kai Ta gained the wind in their strides and broke their way into the grand finals! ¡­ The linesman raised his flag while the referee blew his whistle. Offside! Kaka had just made an exquisite through pass; but because Zhang Jun remained rooted where he was, it became an offside. The linesman made the right call. This time, the jeers came even from the Shu Guang cheerleaders. ¡°What on earth?! That guy¡¯s been standing there like a fool from the very start! Is he dreaming?¡± Liu Qi glared viciously at the ones who were jeering; they were first-year freshmen and had never seen Zhang Jun play. Though, they heard much about Yang Pan¡¯s exploits. Still, the cheerleading captain glanced worriedly at Zhang Jun on the field; even he failed to understand. Zhang Jun, what¡¯s happening to you? Pointing at Zhang Jun, Xiao Zhang told his senior, ¡°The game has gone on for 15 minutes and the main character is still sleepwalking.¡± Chen Huafeng had gotten tired of dealing with him and chose to watch the game quietly instead. ¡°One could shrug it off to coincidence if it was once or twice, but three times must be¡­¡± Liang Ke mumbled. ¡°Ah, Zhang Jun¡­¡± Su Fei did not understand what her coach was saying. ¡°Coach, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°Su Fei, can¡¯t you see it?¡± ¡°I know that Zhang Jun is behaving abnormally. I just don¡¯t know the reason, he wasn¡¯t injured lately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Kai Ta is Zhang Jun and Yang Pan¡¯s alma mater. They made many great friends there through the years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Zhang Jun¡¯s misfiring?¡± Liang Ke sighed. ¡°Zhang Jun values friendship more than anyone else. If he holds his friendship with Yang Pan so dearly, it¡¯s natural that he would cherish his other friends at Kai Ta. Argh! Is he being kind, or an idiot¡­¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t Shu Guang¡¯s coach subbing him off?¡± Xiao Zhang was still chattering away. ¡°It¡¯s a complete waste of human resource!¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Finally unable to stand the huge fly beside him, Chen Huafeng yelled. ¡°You¡¯re a colossal idiot! Kai Ta is Zhang Jun¡¯s alma mater; his best friends are still there; he is troubled because he¡¯s been thinking about their old days together!¡± ¡°Then why not sub him off since he¡¯s troubled?¡± Thinking that he had a point, the intern persisted. ¡°What quality do you think makes an outstanding youth soccer coach?¡± Huafeng did not give an answer, instead he shot back with another question. ¡°Quality? Strategic arrangements, good training regimes and ambition. Oh, right! And results!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re a huge idiot! Those are qualities for a professional coach. For an oustanding youth soccer coach, the most important quality is love.¡± ¡°Love? Ha! It¡¯s not like they¡¯re nurses¡­¡± ¡°What would you understand, recently graduated nerd? Youth soccer is a part of youth development and naturally, a part of education. Coaches who do not care about the little players¡¯ physical as well as spiritual growth, and only value results do not have the right to take the coach¡¯s seat! Those who don¡¯t care about the children¡¯s bodies and futures, only their own victories or results, their own profit as well as ambition; those who, for their own good, fix games, bribe referees and fake players¡¯ ages, what do you think their actions will do to the kids¡¯ minds? Those people are scum! Thrash!¡± Xiao Zhang froze. It was the first time he had seen Chen Huafeng acting so emotional. ¡°If Zhang Jun was subbed off just because he wasn¡¯t performing, what would it do to his mind? Have you though about it? It would probably be alright if the team ends up wining. But if they lose, he¡¯ll be labelled ¡®guilty¡¯ and he won¡¯t be able to raise his head again as he wallows in regret and self-pity. Would he keep playing? Would he have the courage? A player with an infinitely bright future would then be lost! It¡¯s cruel for him to play against his old friends, but he has to face it! And, he must overcome it so that he can make huge strides forward, or else..¡± Huafeng sighed and did not continue. Whether he was scared or convinced, Xiao Zhang was quiet. Either way, the world was cleaner without a fly. Chen Huafeng leaned on a bar in the stands, not far beneath him was the coach¡¯s seat. He saw Liang Ke¡¯s side profile clearly¡ªthe face that was expressionless whenever there was a match. He really was an excellent youth soccer coach! It mattered not that Shu Guang¡¯s results were horrible during the last few years, the players were always playing soccer happily. Was it not good enough to have some happy memories playing soccer in high school? The kids were truly fortunate to be able to play under his tutelage. While it was inconceivable that Zhang Jun had made three errors, every single teammate¡ªas if in quiet agreement¡ªkept sending their passes to the striker. Yuan Gang closed in on him yet again. This time, the jeers came even before Zhang Jun made any errors. As if on cue with the heckling, Yuan Gang snatched the ball easily. That was when Yang Pan finally understood why Yuan Gang was marking the striker¡ªtheir former teammate had Zhang Jun wallowing in sentiment as he relived his memories of the past. People like Zhang Jun were easily tricked and when he was distracted, the ball was easy picking. ¡°This guy!¡± Yang Pan took his chance to confront the other team¡¯s captain, who was coming his way as the ball went out. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? Using Zhang Jun¡¯s feelings against him!¡± Yuan Gang smiled. ¡°Only the weak gets used by other. And I didn¡¯t even use him or anything. He¡¯s just being a moron. I haven¡¯t violated any rules, or have you forgotten too? Soccer is a sport where winners are kings!¡± Yang Pan was forced to admit that Yuan Gang was right, but he was not about to simply let it slide. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do as you wish!¡± ¡°You should save that for Liu Peng.¡± Passing him by, Yuan Gang waved him off without looking back. That much was true; 20 minutes had passed and Yang Pan was still being marked to death by the giant, making only one shot. Even that was a forced shot, which went nowhere near the opposing team¡¯s goal. This meant that his most urgent task at hand was to find a way to shake off Liu Peng¡¯s almost affectionate marking. But, facing a guy who could always predict his moves, did Yang Pan have the confidence to lose him? Chapter 41 - Let’s Play a Game Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation *Beep! Beep! Beep!* The benched substitutes of Kai Ta High and the coaches rushed into the stadium to celebrate their first national championship. The hero of the game, Zhang Jun, who scored two goals in a single game was raised by his teammates and thrown into the air. 3: 1! Kai Ta¡¯s first participation brought them to victory and it made people surprised but convinced that they won the National Middle School Soccer Championship. Everyone was in tears, sweat and laughter. ¡­ ¡°Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! We are the champs! Ole! Ole¡­¡± Their cheers were loud and everyone enjoyed the moment to their hearts¡¯ content. ¡°For victory! For the championship! Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Truth be told, middle school students were not allowed to drink alcohol. However, because they won the national championship, everyone was very excited. The coaches and teachers agreed that everyone would celebrate by drinking, but it was only limited to that evening. A few of them were already knocked out after drinking and thus, could not even sing during the karaoke session. Zhang Jun was drunk. He looked at three of his friends and shouted, ¡°We have to play in high¡­ In high school we will be together¡­ together! Together playing¡­ soccer! We have to play in the¡­. High School Soccer National Championship! Ha!¡± ¡°C-Crazy!¡± Yuan Gang slurred. ¡°National¡­ Championship! Is that¡­ is that just for simple games? Huh?¡± ¡°Hehehe!¡± Yang Pan and Liu Peng were laughing foolishly in a corner. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t care! Come! We¡­ we shall sing!¡± Zhang Jun picked up the microphones. He gave one to Yuan Gang and kept another for himself. ¡°¡­Friends will walk together! There won¡¯t be a single word again in those days! A lifetime! A lifetime! A cup of wine!¡± ¡°¡­Friends will never go through it alone! A friend will understand! There¡¯s hurt! There¡¯s pain! We still have to walk! There¡¯s me¡­¡± With no music playing, there were only four teenagers screaming their lungs out. Their voices rang through the speakers, traveling out of the house and into the far away night sky. ¡­ This time, there were not only screams, there was a lot of admonishment from the female viewers as well. The audience was extremely dissatisfied with Zhang Jun¡¯s behavior. When Zhang Jun received the ball and finally got the first move at the start of the game, he raised his leg and passed the ball to Liu Peng who was beside him instead! Liu Peng only had a glimpse before he launched the ball with a big kick to the front, where Yuan Gang was waiting. The moment Yuan Gang received the ball, he rushed towards Shu Guang¡¯s goalpost. Shu Guang in the meantime had only four defenders within a range of 30 m. It was the best time to attack Shu Guang¡¯s team, which was already feeling pressured. If Liang Ke had not been allowed to move forward and assist the defenders before the game, it was possible that there might have been only two middle defenders. However, Zhang Jun just passed the ball directly to Liu Peng, who was on the other side! This caused Shu Guang the inability to defend in time. Wang Ning and Li Hao were desperately chasing Yuan Gang, who was having the ball. Just as they caught up to him, he suddenly made a passing kick! Zhang Jun who was in front along with the defenders charged forward, caught the ball and went into the penalty area! As soon as An Ke received the ball, he rushed out of the goal without any hesitation. He had the time to launch an attack and he would not make any mistakes. Zhang Jun saw how An Ke rushed to his front and saved the ball from the bottom line; it was from a corner kick. At this moment, Zhang Jun was still foolishly standing near Kai Ta¡¯s penalty area. Besides him, all the other players had returned to their restricted area to help with the defense. The match had been going on for 34 minutes. They could still maintain a draw as the defense line had been playing well. They could not leave any openings for a goal now. They would just have to let them lead at the end of the first half, but they received a big blow to their morale. No matter what it was, they could not lose the ball until the end of the first half. An Ke pulled his gloves up by habit. He was ready to serve the corner kick. Yuan Gang took the ball from that corner kick. Zhang Yi stole the ball by leaping in front of Lin Xiaofang and the soccer ball flew to the far corner of the goal. An Ke then flew to hit the ball out. But, it did not fall. Liu Peng rushed towards the ball. Li Jieguang was desperately trying to pull him away, but at 188 cm and 85 kg, Liu Peng was like a huge mountain to him. An Ke¡¯s second reaction was fast; he jumped from the ground and bolted towards the ball. Two people speedily dashed about 100 m to the goal. A muffled sound rang and those two bumped into each other. What about the ball? Everyone was on the line. And in the next moment, the ball lay quietly in the goal. At that point, no one knew if it hit the goalkeeper or if it was kicked. Everyone turned their attention to the referee. The referee did not raise a flag to indicate a foul followed by an immediate whistle. Instead, he pointed at the middle area. Goal! Liu Peng took his feet away from An Ke, yelling as he ran to Yuan Gang from the corner flag. There was a group of ecstatic teammates behind them. ¡°Dammit! Blast it to hell!¡± An Ke was hitting the ground. At that time, he saw Liu Peng¡¯s thigh and soccer ball appear in front of him. Liu Peng¡¯s knee averted his eyes away, his reflexes cracked his head and his sight was deviated from the ball. Then, when the two bumped into each other, the ball went in. Shu Guang¡¯s team was in a daze. They thought it would be impossible to lose the ball yet, they lost it. Zhang Jun was also standing there like a fool. The only indication that he was not a scarecrow was that he turned his attention to the scoreboard. 1: 0. Thirty five minutes into the first half and they were already leading the way. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, An Ke.¡± Yang Pan pulled An Ke up from the ground.¡±I¡¯ll be back!¡± he said with murderous intent. His eyes were looking at Kai Ta¡¯s goalpost in the distance. Yang Pan was never this serious and he wanted to do his best to deal with that one person. He made a left kick and a right kick, he turned, backed away, swayed, changed directions, accelerated, stopped, turned again and then, accelerated. Liu Peng followed him too by turning, accelerating, stopping, turning again and then, accelerating. However, he did not allow Yang Pan to leave his defensive area. Yang Pan became more and more exhausted while his space for movement was getting smaller because of Liu Peng. If this went on, he would bring the ball out of the game. Feigning moves would not work anymore at this point. Yang Pan suddenly sped up and dashed in a straight line towards the goal. Liu Peng sped up too; he wanted to stop Yang Pan in advance. But Yang Pan stopped all of a sudden. While Liu Peng¡¯s center of gravity had not fully adjusted, he snatched the ball and took a shot. It was a 28-m, long-ranged shot! The ball roared past Liu Peng¡¯s ear like a shot of bright light and it drew a small arc in the air before flying straight to the goal. The goalkeeper struggled to pounce on the ball but he could not hit it. A loud sound rang throughout the stadium as the ball slammed against the goal¡¯s right post and flew out of the bottom line. At the same time, the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first half. The atmosphere in the lounge was heavy. Everyone was silent without a word, but it was not because of the score, it was for another reason. Liang Ke did not arrange the formation for the next half of the match like before. He just quietly looked at his team instead. Su Fei did not say a word either. Yang Pan approached Zhang Jun.¡±Come with me.¡± It did not matter if Zhang Jun agreed or not, he pulled Zhang Jun out of the door and headed to the toilet. As soon as Zhang Jun entered, Yang Pan went in too and he locked the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter¨D¡± Before Zhang Jun could finish his sentence, Yang Pan pushed him towards the wall. Zhang Jun¡¯s back was slammed against the wall and he looked back at Yang Pan in shock. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! That hurt!¡± ¡°You still know what pain¡¯s like? I thought you¡¯ve become a vegetable!¡± Yang Pan glared at Zhang Jun. ¡°I¡¯m trying to wake you up! I should be the one asking you this! What¡¯s the matter with you? Where were you during the first half? When we wanted to pass the ball to you, where were you?!¡± Yang Pan grabbed onto Zhang Jun¡¯s collar and shouted, ¡°Damn you! Memories are beautiful, aren¡¯t they? Why don¡¯t you go back to the past then? Why did you come to Shu Guang? This is all because of you and now you still want to hide away on your own! You¡¯re a coward! What do you think of our teammates now? Yuan Gang and Liu Peng are your friends. Then what about Ren Yu De, Kaka and also An Ke? Who are they to you now? Su Fei, what about Su Fei? Didn¡¯t you make an oath with her? Have you forgotten about it already? What is this? Do you really think it¡¯s only about friendship? You¡¯re such a big idiot! Yang Pan pushed him against the wall again with full force and left Zhang Jun, who was still in a daze. Yang Pan then turned and walked away. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Kaka asked the returning Yang Pan. ¡°I went to pee,¡± Yang Pan said blatantly. ¡°Were you holding on to your pee throughout the first half of the match?¡± Yang Pan did not answer Kaka. He just turned his head towards Zhang Jun, who just came in. Zhang Jun sat on the chair in a stupor. He suddenly had the desire to talk to someone. At that very moment, he saw Su Fei and hurriedly went up to her.¡±Su¨D¡± As soon as Zhang Jun was about to speak, Su Fei turned around, giving Zhang Jun her back and immediately sending Zhang Jun¡¯s words back to him. If sleep walking could be used to describe how Zhang Jun was during the first half of the match, then Zhang Jun¡¯s soul would be gone by the time the second half started. He only stood still in the first half; he did not run or take the initiative to get the ball. Everyone beside him was running up and down yet, he did not see anything. Others regarded him as nothing. Still, the ball was passed below his feet. However, it was intercepted by Yuan Gang again and again. ¡°Why are you passing the ball to Zhang Jun? There¡¯s no use to that and you¡¯re wasting a good chance to strike!¡± Xiao Zhang complained. ¡°If you had given it to Yang Pan, you¡¯ve would have scored earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s trust,¡± Chen Huafeng said. ¡°His teammates still trust him, no matter what his behavior¡¯s like. They believe that Zhang Jun can take a stand for himself. Shu Guang, they¡¯re a really terrific soccer team¡­¡±he said to himself. Oh yes, when faced with such a situation, would the other team¡¯s members find a way to solve it? Or, would they be hesitant to pass the ball to him, risking whatever chances they had? In Shu Guang¡¯s despairing situation, they still passed the ball to Zhang Jun. This trust they had for each other was not a small matter. Su Fei felt some regret after Zhang Jun approached her to say something. But seeing his terrible performance in the first half, she could not help but ignore him. Now, looking at how soulless Zhang Jun was, she feared that her actions had hurt him. Though, she could not do anything about it at that moment. Despite snarling at Zhang Jun during intermission for nearly a minute, Yang Pan still passed the ball to Zhang Jun. Even though he was obviously angry and hot-headed, why¡­ Was it a habit? After receiving the ball, it was a habit to pass it to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun took the ball from the side and unexpectedly, he took the lead! Liu Peng was at the side, feeling anxious. He hurriedly tackled the ball and it went out. Zhang Jun also fell down in the process. Liu Peng nervously looked at the referee, but luckily, the ball was still in play. Phew! That was close! He almost felt guilty for his mistakes. He wouldn¡¯t be nervous about it, right? He shook his head and stood up with a wry smile. On the other hand, Zhang Jun felt a strange yet familiar feeling. When he fell, he suddenly recalled many things. Su Fei¡¯s smile and the words ¡°I like soccer!¡±; the promise he made with Su Fei to make sure she would always be happy; performing a hat-trick for Su Fei¡¯s birthday; Liu Qi and his cheerleading team; holding on to his team in the noisy stadium saying,¡±I¡¯m not satisfied!¡±; his captain, who was a crying mess; and also his tears, which were delayed for a year¡­ So many things had happened, how could he forget them all? He almost made a blunder! Fortunately¡­ Zhang Jun lifted his head to look at the time. The second half only had 30 minutes left. There was still a chance, there was always a chance. After lifting his head, he saw Liu Peng standing in front of him, holding the ball. Liu Peng approached him and threw the ball to him.¡±Let¡¯s play a game, Zhang Jun.¡± It was just like before¨Dsomeone was happy to rush towards Zhang Jun with the ball. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game, Zhang Jun!¡± And Zhang Jun smiled. Chapter 42 - Rhythm Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Let¡¯s play the game, Zhang Jun.¡± Liu Peng handed the ball over to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun finally cracked a smile. After the ball was thrown out, Yang Pan received it. He turned and quickly passed the ball to Zhang Jun in the middle. The crowd booed again. Everyone thought Zhang Jun would ¡°pass¡± the ball again to Liu Peng or Yuan Gang. Yuan Gang was forced up the field. However unexpectedly, while Yuan Gang had not caught up to Zhang Jun, he suddenly accelerated! Zhang Jun dismissed the worried Yuan Gang. All of a sudden, the booing sounds stopped as if their heads were chopped off. ¡­ Chen Huafeng shouted excitedly, ¡°Xiao Zhang, make sure your eyes are open! The game has just begun!¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun took the lead as Liu Peng followed him. Zhang Jun¡¯s right leg was like a bow as he hooked the ball up and passed it to Yang Pan. Yang Pan rushed towards the ball and sped up! He dismissed the front defenders who came up against him. Then he made a pass! Zhang Jun was already in front of the goalpost with Liu Peng still following him. They both jumped at the same time. The 177-cm Zhang Jun was in front of 188-cm Liu Peng and the ball was blocked away from the penalty zone by Liu Peng. Nonetheless, Shu Guang¡¯s attack was not over yet. Kaka unloaded the ball lightly. When everyone thought that he was going to pass again, he made an unexpected move. The ball then drew an arc in the air and flew towards the goal. The goalkeeper paid no heed to the ball, which went out of the crossbar. Corner kick. Su Fei noticed Zhang Jun¡¯s changes and the feeling of guilt she felt earlier finally dissipated. She could not help cheering loudly. Liang Ke was not as excited as Su Fei, but his face broke into a smile. He said to himself, ¡°Zhang Jun is back¡­¡± ¡­ After the corner kick, Kaka rushed forward and aimed for the goal! The goalkeeper blocked the ball out, Liu Peng performed a big kick and Yuan Gang received the ball. He turned then turned and passed it to Zhang Yi. However, An Ke got the ball in time. As Zhang Jun had ¡°revived¡±, Shu Guang took advantage of the situation; they were optimistic. Shu Guang¡¯s four main attackers still had to face Liu Peng. He was the huge mountain that no one could bypass. Even if they could get the ball from him, no matter what the case, the ball still had to go to the front and Liu Peng would always cut the ball off at the most critical time. Kaka proceeded to pass the ball to Yang Pan. Facing Liu Peng, Yang Pan did not have any good ideas and passed the ball back to Kaka. Liu Peng was still on the right at this point. He would not have time to get to the left lane so, they now had a chance! Kaka speedily passed the ball to the left where Ren Yu De was. Ren Yu De displayed a dazzling array of his skills, which led to the person defending against him, Li Ding, into confusion. He did not hesitate to enter the penalty area and attempt a shoot! With a small curve, the ball bypassed the goalkeeper¡¯s hand but, it was blocked by a someone¡¯s foot on the goal line. Liu Peng kicked the ball out with his big foot as he laughed and yelled at Ren Yu De, ¡°Just because Zhang Jun is back, don¡¯t think that you can get through my goal.¡± What a confident laugh! Yang Pan took the ball and aimed towards the goal. But once again, the ball was shoved out of the sideline. This time, it was Yuan Gang who shoved it out. ¡°Liu Peng has gone to guard the goal. That leaves me here to greet you.¡± Yuan Gang laughed at Yang Pan. ¡°Have you given up attacking?¡± ¡°I think the score of 1: 0 is already a satisfying ending.¡± ¡°Do you think you guys can still endure ?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s test it out then.¡± ¡­ ¡°This is¡­¡± Xiao Zhang was surprised as he watched the match. ¡°Everyone¡¯s defending,¡± Chen Huafeng said. ¡°Looks like Kai Ta is determined to defend their score. But, can they persist until the end? Facing Shu Guang¡¯s desperate offense¡­¡± ¡­ Shu Guang was beginning to exert a large amount of strength to attack. The four of them kept opening fire while Liu Peng was the only one in charge of dealing with his opponent¡¯s firepower. He had saved Kai Ta¡¯s goal from danger many times. Anyone who saw this would think that Shu Guang had the full advantage, but was that really the case? ¡°A healthy and fit body, rich in experience, calm and collected when giving commands¡­ No wonder they have such middle defenders with rare talents!¡± Unfortunately, he was referring to Kai Ta, not Shu Guang. Liang Ke still had the heart to praise the middle defenders of the opposing team. ¡­ ¡°Is he a monster?¡± Ren Yu De wiped his sweat away. ¡°He even managed to even block the ball?¡± Earlier, he made a shot with full force and even though the goalkeeper pounced on it, the ball still flew towards the goal. In the end, it was Liu Peng who shoved the ball out of the bottom line. Zhang Jun patted him on the shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not a god, he isn¡¯t flawless. After the next breakthrough, pass the ball to me.¡± Kaka¡¯s team attacked and handed the ball over to Ren Yu De. Ren Yu De did his thing; overran Li Ding and made a breakthrough into the restricted area. The opponent¡¯s defender quickly went to recover their defense while the goalkeeper hurriedly moved to block his corner shot. They were all afraid of Ren Yu De¡¯s many attempts in his corner kicks to score a goal. But, Ren Yu De did not make the shot. Instead, he passed! The ball flew mid-air and Zhang Jun ran towards the direction of the ball. Liu Peng also followed in quick succession. Zhang Jun leaped and seemed like he was about to make a shot for the goal. Liu Peng extended his long legs to steal his shot. However, Zhang Jun who was up in the air did not make any attempts to score the goal. Instead, he used his right heel to kick and the ball flew behind him! A certain figure dashed towards the ball¨Dit was Kaka! This time, Kai Ta¡¯s defensive team did not react to it and Kaka was left unnoticed! Kaka comfortably moved his legs and took a massive shot! The ball burst into an exploding speed and sped into the goal. Liu Peng was in disbelief as he watched the ball flashed into the goal. Zhang Jun walked towards him and whispered in his ears, ¡°You believed a little too much in me. You believed I was going to score a goal. An excellent front attacker wouldn¡¯t rely on himself to score. He should be able to give chances to his teammates.¡± Kaka hugged Zhang Jun as he chattered endlessly. He rained kisses on him too. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Quite a few in the crowd exclaimed their shock. It was not easy getting out of Kaka¡¯s hug. He even rubbed his face against Zhang Jun¡¯s too. Zhang Jun imagined that he would not be able to walk alone in the streets anymore. Kaka¡¯s female fans would definitely chop him to death. This guy here¡­ This was not Brazil, people would surely misunderstand them. 1: 1! In the seventeenth minute of the second half, Shu Guang¡¯s team managed to equalize the score with the front players¡¯ tacit cooperation. ¡­ Xiao Zhang was still in shock. ¡°That ball just now¡­ Where did Kaka come from? And from Zhang Jun¡¯s angle, there was no way to see it coming at all!¡± ¡°This is tacit understanding; it¡¯s in their heart and soul.¡± While Chen Huafeng appeared to be talking to Xiao Zhang, at the same time, he also seemed like he was talking to himself. ¡°No wonder Liang Ke didn¡¯t want the four to play in the warm-up matches. In truth, he trusted his team and he trusted their tacit understanding. Having such a good team and a coach who trusts them deeply, Shu Guang¡¯s future possibilities are endless!¡± ¡­ After the score was even, Kai Ta ran out of ideas to defend anymore. They would not win if they stuck to offense. The opponents had An Ke so, their chances of winning were slim. Thus, the competition returned to how it was 17 minutes ago. Both teams were mutually exchanging places and the match was becoming intense. But An Ke and Shu Guang¡¯s back defense line remained stable. As Liu Peng was someone who knew how to defend but not attack, they had to keep the score at 1: 1. ¡­ ¡°Is the No. 5 from the opponent¡¯s team that powerful? Even the person with the best skills such as Ren Yu De has no way to counter him.¡± Su Fei frowned. ¡°Su Fei, have you heard of the phrase, ¡®no rhythm¡¯?¡± Liang Ke replied. ¡­ ¡°No rhythm?¡± Xiao Zhang was in doubt as he looked at Chen Huafeng. He did not understand what it had to with the question he just asked. ¡°Correct. Everyone¡¯s familiar with the word ¡®rhythm¡¯ and it¡¯s mostly used in music. But rhythm isn¡¯t just for music, there are many other things that have their own frequency and rhythm. They¡¯re either obvious or too weak to notice. ¡°There¡¯s rhythm whenever someone¡¯s walking. Many people can judge whether the person¡¯s familiar or not from his or her walking¨Dthat¡¯s the use of rhythm. It¡¯s the same for soccer players. For example, if I can¡¯t see the player¡¯s appearance or number, how would I know if it¡¯s Beckham or Giggs? ¡°We can find out based on their movements. But, it¡¯s also because their own rhythm has been accommodated into their movements. Each person¡¯s rhythm is different and it¡¯s the same for their movements too. The young players who are playing on the field have their own rhythms too or else, how would Liu Peng steal his opponent¡¯s attacks? This is because he¡¯s able to see his opponent¡¯s rhythm. As long as you clearly observe them, you can naturally grasp onto your opponent¡¯s every movement. So if he steals the ball at the right moment, the ball will be his.¡± ¡°Wow, so powerful! Doesn¡¯t that make him invincible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. There¡¯s someone who can render Liu Peng useless when he faces him,¡± Chen Huafeng replied. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°Him?¡± Disbelief was written all over Xiao Zhang¡¯s face. ¡°No rhythm, don¡¯t you understand?¡± Chen Huafeng looked at him. ¡°Is it tho¨D¡± ¡°To those who can grasp another person¡¯s rhythm, there¡¯s nothing more troublesome than someone who has good skills but no rhythm. There is no fixed rhythm for Zhang Jun when he plays; the way he plays is very mysterious. Logically speaking, a person who doesn¡¯t have rhythm can¡¯t properly play soccer because he may not have the intelligence for soccer. However, Zhang Jun has a special talent¨Dhe can play soccer outstandingly without any rhythm. For others players, as long as Liu Peng sees them taking the lead and running with the ball, he¡¯ll be able to catch their rhythm. But no matter how Zhang Jun moves, Liu Peng can¡¯t predict what he¡¯s going to do next. Just like what happened just now, Liu Peng thought Zhang Jun was going to take a shot instead, Zhang Jun passed the ball. Actually, in the soccer industry, they aren¡¯t able to create many professional players without rhythm. There¡¯s so little of them that there couldn¡¯t be any less. Because, in the professional soccer training system, the ones who have no rhythm are usually eliminated whenever they recruit new people or discover new ones.¡± ¡°So, even the professional soccer players¡­¡± Xiao Zhang suddenly remembered the bet he made with Chen Huafeng before the match. He was full of regret now. The person in front of him already knew the outcome of the match, yet he still foolishly made a bet with him!¡± Chen Huafeng did not notice Xiao Zhang¡¯s change of expression. He was still talking to himself. ¡°Even professional players are unable to do the same. Zhang Jun, everyone¡¯s really excited to see how you¡¯ll fare in the future¡­¡± Yang Pan took the ball and got rid of Yuan Gang. Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleaders were beginning to shout, ¡°Long shot! Long shot! Long shot!¡± Xiao Zhang could not help but scream as well, ¡°Score a goal! Use your long shot!¡± This resulted in him being knocked on the head by Chen Huafeng. ¡°A reporter must be objective and fair. How else will you write a good analysis in your articles?¡± Chen Huafeng displayed his place as a senior again. At last, Yang Pan did not shoot the goal. Rather, he passed the ball to someone who had a higher chance of scoring a goal, and that was Zhang Jun. After Zhang Jun received the ball, he started to take the lead. The big mountain, Liu Peng was in front of him. Zhang Jun slowly took control of the ball, and Liu Peng trailed after him. Zhang Jun did not move and this made Liu Peng afraid to extend his legs. He really could not see what Zhang Jun was going to do next, so he stayed put. Seeing that they had to retreat from the restricted area, Liu Peng decided to take a risk. He tried to stop him, but Zhang Jun made the first move. He made a turn with his left foot then went back to his original position. It followed then by another turn with his right foot. ¡°A fake?¡± As soon as he dropped his right foot, the ball suddenly moved to his left and he charged forward! Liu Peng was an excellent middle defender; he quickly took one step and followed Zhang Jun. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy keeping up with Zhang Jun¡¯s speed!¡± Liang Ke praised. Zhang Jun raised his left foot, attempting to score a goal! ¡°This has to be a fake move! You think you can trick me¡­ You¡¯re not going to score!¡± Liu Peng stopped his movement and waited, ready to steal the ball. However¡­ This time, it was not a fake move. Zhang Jun was near the penalty spot and he dashed to score a goal! He was pretty sly; the ball went into the goalpost as soon as the goalkeeper could not defend! Goal! 2: 1! Shu Guang was now in the lead! ¡°That was too good! Goal!¡± Chen Huafeng screamed and jumped. ¡°What a beautiful goal! Clean and tidy!¡± Xiao Zhang who was next to him was not that excited. He muttered, ¡°Only the strong can decide, the weak could only follow.¡± Zhang Jun was not very excited after he scored a goal. He only waved his fist gently. After he defrauded his best friend to score a goal, he did not want to celebrate it. He was afraid of hurting his best friend¡¯s feelings. Although it was only a game, he still thought about his friend¡¯s feelings despite the goal. On the other hand, Su Fei was overwhelmed with joy. She leaped out of her chair and screamed, expressing the joy that was in her heart. It was what she had hoped to see from Zhang Jun. Once he stepped onto the field, no one could stop him. Yang Pan gestured towards Yuan Gang and mocked him. However, Yuan Gang ignored him, his face was expressionless. Twenty minutes remained and the score was 2: 1. Shu Guang was now in the lead. ¡­ AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE: P.S.: I¡¯ve recently read a lot of book reviews from my friends and they all say that these two chapters are very depressing. Many feel that Zhang Jun, the main protagonist of the story is weak and doesn¡¯t stand out very much. I would like to explain this. In my opinion, it¡¯s not that Zhang Jun doesn¡¯t have character or that his character stands out a lot. He¡¯s only mediocre. During the match with Kai Ta, he expressed that friendship is extremely valued, but it also attracted a few resentments. Honestly speaking, when I wrote these two chapters, I never expected such a huge reaction. Hehe, they were all against how weak Zhang Jun was. That¡¯s not true at all. Actually, I think that Zhang Jun¡¯s behavior defined his heavy emotions and of course, there were some exaggerations. But, art comes from life and it¡¯s higher than that, hehe! Exaggerations can amplify his contradictions. The main protagonist isn¡¯t perfect. From the many reviews, you can see that not many like him. Some felt like he didn¡¯t have character while others felt like he wasn¡¯t as outstanding as Yang Pan and the rest on the field. Some even felt like he was too weak. They aren¡¯t completely wrong, but why can¡¯t they see his character development from another perspective? Hehe! Zhang Jun¡¯s character and his struggles to reach his goal will gradually build up during these times. He still has college and the professional league is still waiting for him. There will be more severe challenges waiting for him too. This period of growth in high school will give him a lot of help. He¡¯s starting to grow now (Hehe, a few main characters from the Japanese comics are the same too). That¡¯s why, he has a lot of deficiencies and he behaves unsatisfactorily in some situations. He will also be confused, jealous and make mistakes. There will be some scenes where people will find unacceptable but this is a true portrayal of his growth. So, I hope that you and I will witness his growth and play the role of his mentor for his growth. Wouldn¡¯t that be a better approach? Who¡¯s perfect from the beginning? Don¡¯t people always grow step by step? Therefore, I sincerely hope that everyone can put forward good opinions and suggestions for his growth. When we see him all grown up, we will all be very happy too! Chapter 43 - Get the National Championships Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was not the first time that Liu Peng fell to the ground like this. His sweat made the dust on his body turn into mud. ¡°Do you still wanna go?¡± Zhang Jun looked at Liu Peng and said, ¡°You¡¯re experiencing extreme fatigue.¡± ¡°Stop! I¡­ can¡­ still stand¡­ It¡¯s not a problem!¡± Liu Peng was panting heavily as he stood up. ¡°Why bother? Why do you still want to keep me out? Aren¡¯t we opponents? Since you¡¯re persistent, I¡¯ll let you get up.¡± ¡°No! I mustn¡¯t give up!¡± That was the scene from the first day they entered the team. He was exhausted and he could not succeed in guarding against Zhang Jun. He could only fall to the ground and watch Zhang Jun¡¯s back again and again. Later, on the second and third day, he never made a one-on-one match with Zhang Jun. Even after the national championships, he successfully froze the core characters of many teams and was named the best defensive player of the season yet, he still did not have the confidence to compete against Zhang Jun. Perhaps, it was the fear of failure time and time again or maybe, he did not want to see Zhang Jun¡¯s back again. In short, until the end when they were separated, he did not propose to single out Zhang Jun. He did not expect that in a huge turn of events, his old teammates would have to face him this time and become his opponents today. Although the results were predictable, he could not escape his fate! This time, he could only look at Zhang Jun¡¯s back as Zhang Jun gently waved his fist. Is it because you don¡¯t want me to be sad that you¡¯re not celebrating? He really was a guy who cared for his people, but this was unnecessary! He was already used to it. He was used to looking at No. 11¡¯s back; looking at him running, looking at him making the shot, looking at him cheering after he scored a goal¡­ It was a very familiar back for three years¡­ It was almost the end of the match. Kai Ta had no hope of winning, but Shu Guang had not given up their attacks. They were all like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves; looking for a chance to score even more. Yuan Gang was still trying his best to even the score, but it was difficult for him alone. Many times, among the other defenders, he was helpless as a lone hero. When he made a pass, his teammates had no strength to catch up to him to receive the ball; when he wanted to shoot, An Ke was always firmly in place, leaving him no chance to score a goal. Why did he want to become the team¡¯s captain? Even Liu Peng was more suitable for the position. Zhang Jun did not even need to say anything. When he said ¡°walk¡±, they would follow. Yang Pan would also catch up to Zhang Jun and walk. During middle school, the four of them made their school proud in the national championships. Now, it was only up to him and Liu Peng. The four had now become two. Was Kai Ta still the same Kai Ta from before? They said they would ¡°play together in the national championships?¡± Even playing soccer together, such a simple desire would be hard to accomplish. Why did we have to separate from each other? Why couldn¡¯t we happily play soccer together like the good ol ¡® days? Dammit! This time, Yuan Gang¡¯s inexplicable mistakes made it easier for Shu Guang to wrestle the ball. Wang Ning intercepted the ball from the middle area and immediately made a forward pass. After Kaka received the ball, he turned and led two steps in front as he passed the ball to Zhang Jun, who was before him. Suddenly, a figure rushed from behind. ¡°Yuan Gang?¡± Yang Pan was astonished at how quickly Yuan Gang returned to the restricted area from the middle of the field. Liu Peng was ¡°taking care¡± of Yang Pan and he had no way of getting through in time. The other defenders were also fooled by Yuan Gang¡¯s inexplicable loss of the ball in the front. They did not react for a few moments. Their eyes widened as they witnessed Yuan Gang getting closer and closer to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun dashed towards the penalty area but he not going to make it. Yuan Gang had to shovel the ball. But, he was afraid of being fouled and sent off, as that would hurt Zhang Jun¡­ Yuan Gang then made a tackle from behind. Loud screams were clearly heard from the crowd. It was your typical action for wounding someone. At the same time, Zhang Jun lifted his leg to shoot. He kicked the ball with full force! The ball hit the crossbars and bounced into the goal! 3: 1! Zhang Jun only stumbled slightly but did not fall. He gently waved his fist around because he never had the intention to celebrate. His face did not express any excitement either. He only did it for his teammates, for Su Fei and for the promise he swore to keep. He needed to win the match. Truth to be told, he was also reluctant meet his former friends with such cruelty. Therefore, after he scored his two goals, his heart did not feel any excitement nor happiness, he felt a little upset instead. I¡¯m sorry Monkey Yuan and Liu Peng, I¡¯m sorry! There were only six minutes until the end of the game. As Zhang Jun had secured their victory, the rest of the time left was nothing but a waste. Yuan Gang however, did not give up until the very end. His teammates, on the other hand, had already given up. They just made soft shots and they had no energy to run anymore. Liu Peng had also given up defending and he went to join the front in attacking, but it was all useless. Followed by Yuan Gang¡¯s screams and a weak shot, the game ended. Zhang Jun wanted to find Yuan Gang and Liu Peng to have a good chat after the game ended, but he underestimated the soccer fans and the reporters¡¯ enthusiasm. They were the first to rushed into the field and they surrounded Zhang Jun, preventing him from escaping. ¡°Zhang Jun, I¡¯m from XX magazine, I would like to ask¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, I¡¯m from XX newspaper¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, can you sign¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± A loud scream blocked the noise around him. Zhang Jun turned his head to look. It was Liu Peng. ¡°Remember what you said?¡± Liu Peng took off his team uniform, rolled it up into a ball and threw it at Zhang Jun. ¡°Make sure you get to the national championships! Bring Monkey Yuan and me along too!¡± A No. 5 soccer shirt, which was filled with sweat and mud was thrown up in the air as the sun shone through it. Zhang Jun extended his arm and caught the shirt. He then smiled at Liu Peng. ¡°Say hello to Monkey Yuan for me!¡± Zhang Jun was surrounded by reporters as well as fans and they followed him as he left the field. Although he did not want to leave early, he could not help himself. With one assist and two goals in the second half, his successful resurrection made him the most dazzling star of the game. He just could not face his current situation. ¡°He asked me to send his greetings to you,¡± Liu Peng said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to greet my Lao Mu?¡± Yuan Gang said out of nowhere. Liu Peng rolled his eyes at him. ¡°To greet you. It has nothing to do with any of your female relatives or friends from your home!¡± The two of them looked at Zhang Jun, who was leaving in the opposite direction. It was noon. Zhang Jun then said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Monkey Yuan.¡± ¡°No need to apologize, we still have one more year.¡± ¡°We still have one more year? I hope we don¡¯t bump into him the next time¡­¡± ¡°Are you scared, Liu Peng? Looks like your heart¡¯s too soft. Look at me, I bravely made a comeback!¡± ¡°You still have the face to say it¡¯s me?! You¡¯re the one who shoveled from the back but didn¡¯t shovel anything!¡± ¡°Tsk! So, you saw through it? I thought my performance was successful!¡± ¡°Want to give Zhang Jun a call tonight? Honestly, it¡¯s been a year since we last contacted him.¡± ¡°A year, huh¡­ So fast¡­¡± Finally getting rid of the annoying reporters and fanatical fans who grabbed onto his shirt, he got into the car. He could now calm down by himself. Zhang Jun rested his head against the seat, placed a towel on his face and shut his eyes. Su Fei thought of having a talk with Zhang Jun but she was pulled away by Yang Pan. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb him.¡± He smiled and waved. Before he scored the second goal, he could clearly feel Yuan Gang¡¯s foot shoveling behind him as he raised his leg to shoot. At that moment, he did not dash or avoid it. He had some expectation that Yuan Gang would block his feet yet, there was nothing. There was no physical contact, no struggle, no loss of heart or body. Then, almost instinctively, he kicked the ball out and it entered the goal. 3: 1. Everyone next to him was cheering, but he did not feel any happiness. That was the first that he felt like this. Was it worth the joy to defeat your own good friends? Zhang Jun did not know, but he understood something: if he was faced with the same situation next time, he would certainly not hesitate to shoot the ball into the goal and he would give it his all to win. But after scoring and obtaining victory, he would not celebrate or feel happy about it. If it came to this, he would have to do it but he was afraid that his heart would not agree. He took off his towel and opened his eyes. When he saw Su Fei¡¯s concerned expression, Zhang Jun felt relieved. ¡°Yang Pan, did you listen to what Liu Peng said?¡± He gave the front seat a hit. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He asked you not to forget what he said.¡± ¡°What he said?¡± ¡°Go get the national championships!¡± Yang Pan turned his head and looked at Zhang Jun. ¡°I finally have a clear goal now.¡± Zhang Jun smiled. ¡°To get to the national championships.¡± Yang Pan stared at him and laughed. ¡°I never forgot about it either!¡± That night, the four drunken youths jabbered on about getting to the national championships. Don¡¯t waste your time! ¡­ Zhang Jun. On the other side. ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re acting like I¡¯m bullying you!¡± ¡°But, you are bullying me! You knew what the outcome was going to be yet, you still made a bet with me!¡± ¡°Hehe! Loser! You¡¯ll have to treat dinner tonight! My mood is good today, so let¡¯s eat a little more.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Chapter 44 - The Shadow Under the Sunlight Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If you just heard the sounds of reading and laughter from the inside, you would think that it was just an ordinary school. But the tall walls and gates that were guarded by security guards as well as the deserted streets near the school, all gave off an unusual feeling. Some people called it a place of management while others called it a work-study school. Actually, it had a very nice name¨DYang Guang High school. ¡­ The place used to be a small warehouse, which stored sports equipment. Now, there was a tattered notice on it¡¯s doorway and the handwriting on it was barely intelligible: Yang Guang High School Soccer Team. It was filled with darkness inside, so the lights were turned on for most of the day. It was a room filled with a heavy musty odor. ¡°Hey! Our next match is against Shu Guang High school.¡± ¡°I heard those brats were the dark horses last year.¡± ¡°Pah! Watch how I clean them off when I meet them!¡± ¡°Hey, but I heard their manager¡¯s really pretty! Fine and tender meat¨D¡± Before the person got a chance to finish his sentence, a stool flew towards him from the door. He fell to the ground before he was able to dodge the broken stool. A figure approached them and the players who were standing or sitting all stood upright. They then shouted in unison, ¡°Coach!¡± The man who was addressed as coach said gloomily, ¡°I told you before that you¡¯re not allowed to discuss anything unrelated to soccer in the activity room. Who was the bastard who farted?¡± The person who fell earlier crawled his way up and stuttered as he replied, ¡°It-it was me, C-Coach.¡± ¡°That¡¯s 20 around the field.¡± The honest person accepted his punishment. The coach then took the stool and sat on it. He glanced at all his players without any expression before he said, ¡°The next match is against Shu Guang. I suppose I don¡¯t need to introduce any of them for you to know what kind of opponents they are? But I¡¯d like to ask, are you guys confident that you¡¯ll win?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± twenty of them shouted back, causing the dust to fall from the ceiling. The coach nodded. ¡°This week, you¡¯ll have to accept a training regime much stricter than before. Y¡¯all better put some heart into getting ready. Tu Yong.¡± A pale and tall boy who wore a pair of glasses stood up. ¡°Bring them out for training. Run 10 rounds first.¡± ¡­ ¡°Our opponent for the next match is Yang Guang High School,¡± Liang Ke said. There were whispers all around. ¡°Yang Guang High School¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°Have you heard of this name?¡± ¡°No, but the name sure sounds nice.¡± Liang Ke coughed and everyone in the room immediately quieted down. ¡°The name Yang Guang High School is unfamiliar to everyone¡­ But, I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s heard of the work-study school,¡± Liang Ke said slowly. This time, everyone jumped like they were in a frying pan. ¡°The work-study school? Coach, are you joking?¡± ¡°Oh God! How could it be them?!¡± ¡°Wow! This is terrible!¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun did not understand why everyone was so worked up. ¡°What¡¯s a work-study school?¡± Ren Yu De explained to him, ¡°There are tons of misbehaving teenagers in our society. Whenever they join together and become a force to be reckoned with, the policemen always get a headache. Now, if any of these teenagers are caught by the police, they¡¯ll be sent to the work-study school to study. The school has the worst people from the same age group, hence the school¡¯s also very strict in it¡¯s management. Their militarized style of management and violence are key features over there.¡± As Zhang Jun listened, he asked Ren Yu De, ¡°How do you know about this so well?¡± Ren Yu De did not answer Zhang Jun¡¯s question, he just turned his head away to the side. Liang Ke raised his voice again to cut off the players¡¯ discussion. ¡°Everyone should be able to know the characteristics of this school¡¯s soccer team just from listening to its name. They all have a strong style¨D they are rough in their movements and cause frequent fouls. They would take any opportunity to vent when they¡¯re playing soccer.¡± Liang Ke¡¯s speech made a few of them turn pale in the face and green in the lips. Liang Ke knew how his speech would affect them, but telling them about it now was better than letting them find out on the field, where they would be flustered and weak in the knees. ¡°Opponents who have played against them were all injured and sent to the hospital. They were seriously injured and even hospitalized. Two years ago, the preliminary match between Yang Guang High School and Wai Yuan Fu High School took place in Yang Guang¡¯s stadium. The spectators of Yang Guang High cursed at the opponents since the start of the game; any small or rough movements they made caused the atmosphere to become tense. After that, due to a foul, both of the teams fought and Yang Guang High was banned from sports for a year. They were not allowed to participate in any form of competition and their names were gradually forgotten. But this year, their ban has been lifted. They won their first game with their consistent rough playing and fouls.¡± Everyone seemed to have a lot on their minds after training. They had made many errors earlier and Liang Ke could only laugh bitterly at this. It was up to them to overcome this psychological problem, no one else could do it for them. Their ability to overcome it would determine how far Shu Guang could go and also how far these kids could walk in their future. They had to rise above the occasion; this was the only way for them to grow. Looking at how unnerved Zhang Jun was, Yang Pan could not endure his nervousness any longer. For Zhang Jun¡¯s good, he decided that it was better to remind him. ¡°Yang Guang players are notoriously brutal when they play. Looking at your current state, aren¡¯t you afraid of being attacked by our opponents?¡± Zhang Jun replied, ¡°How can there be no fouls in soccer?¡± ¡°Their fouls are unusual; they¡¯re rough and they even hurt people!¡± Zhang Jun turned his head and said in a serious tone, ¡°I think you¡¯re just complicating things. They may be bad, but as long as they¡¯re playing soccer, they can¡¯t be that bad. People choose to play soccer because they love it. How can someone who loves soccer hurt other soccer players?¡± Yang Pan was speechless. Was Zhang Jun being immature or just plain dumb? If everyone thought the way he did, the world would have no more frightening wars or violence, not even fake soccer. There would be less hooligans and violence on the soccer field. And all because of the simplicity of a happy person! Su Fei was also less talkative than usual. She was probably worried too after listening to Old Liang¡¯s speech. Hey! Everyone in the world understood the situation except for that idiot. Not to mention, others were also worried for him¡­ ¡­ ¡°Little bastard! Run faster! You run like a snail, what ball are you actually kicking? ¡°Who told you to stop? Continue! There¡¯s still eight rounds left! You¡¯re not allowed to stop until you¡¯ve finish running! ¡°You¡¯ve got to be rougher with your actions! Kicking the ball so gently! Are you all girls?! Put a little more force into it! Bring out all of your energy! ¡°Get up! Don¡¯t lie on the ground like a dog! Go back to your nest if you want to sleep!¡± The coach had been yelling at his players continuously. Earlier on, he planted his foot on a player¡¯s butt and he swiftly kicked another who fell on the ground. Only one person could endure it as he barked like a crazy dog, and that was the tall, gentle-looking boy, Tu Yong. He was positioned as the midfielder, the captain of this problematic team. No one really knew about Tu Yong¡¯s past because he was a quiet person. But, there were many who heard about his glorious years before entering Yang Guang High School¨Dhe was a silent master of fights. At one time, he was handcuffed and did not want to live. The crazy energy he possessed was actually enough to scare many. Later on in a fight, he attacked a total of four people on his own. Those four did not run away and just squatted on the ground. He staggered around and did not walk far before he fainted. After he woke up in the hospital, his mother as well as the police were right beside him. He was then sent to that school where he became a senior high school student. His expressionless face made him famous in school; many did not know what he was thinking, especially when he just glared at them. Tu Yong¡¯s specialty was being a midfielder. Therefore, he naturally became the captain when he entered the school¡¯s soccer team. There were people who opposed it, but after finding out that those who opposed him were mysteriously sent to the hospital, no one dared to offer any other suggestions again. But no matter what kind of person he was, he could lead his soccer team to victory and that was enough for him. During the first match of the qualifiers this year, it was Tu Yong who secured two goals and brought the team to the next round. ¡­ ¡°Zhang Jun, the telephone. Li Yongle is calling,¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s mom called from the living room. Zhang Jun replied his mother and went to get the phone. The guy rarely called, why was he calling now? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhang Jun was too lazy for small talk. He picked up the phone and went straight to the topic. He was at an important point of his comic. ¡°I saw the match schedule. Your opponent¡¯s gonna be Yang Guang High School, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking even though you know about it?¡± ¡°That school¡¯s known for it¡¯s violence, will you be okay?¡± ¡°Why is everyone asking me the same thing? I¡¯ll be okay!¡± Zhang Jun was full of laughter. ¡°You better be more careful. If you can¡¯t snatch the ball, then don¡¯t snatch it. If you can hide, just go into hiding¨D¡± ¡°Windbag, you¡¯re not even my mom. Why are you fussing?¡± Zhang Jun cut Li Yongle off. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll get hurt,¡± Li Yongle replied without any trace of anger. ¡°I assure you that I won¡¯t be injured that easily. My goal this year is to get to the national championships!¡± Li Yong Le seemed to be in a daze. He remained silent for a while then, he suddenly laughed. ¡°Hey! Why are you laughing? Is my goal that funny to you?¡± He immediately stopped laughing. ¡°No! If that¡¯s the case, I can rest assured. Alright, I have things to do so I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± After he hung up, Zhang Jun was still thinking about what Li Yongle meant by his last words. Rest assured? Why would he be assured? What is there to be assured of? He had no idea what he was thinking! ¡­ First-year Tu Yong wore a No. 10 jersey along with the captain¡¯s armband. This was enough to prove his strength. During the third match of the National Championship Regional Preliminaries, their opponent was Wai Yuan Fu High, which was not a team of weaklings. The audience¡¯s curses and the team¡¯s savage behavior was Yang Guang¡¯s soccer style. This match was no exception. They inflicted tremendous pressure on Wai Yuan Fu High, both mentally and physically. Their movements were distorted and they were impatient. The game quickly evolved into a scene where dirty curses were thrown and players were pushed. After Tu Yong managed to get pass a defender, he got kicked down by his opponent. The situation in the field immediately became chaotic as the referee and school police desperately tried to keep the situation in control. As soon as Tu Yong crawled up from the ground, he silently approached the person who kicked him earlier and in front of everyone, he flipped his opponent with a kick without any expression! And this caused an even bigger uproar from the crowd! The audience outside the stadium had been suppressing their anger and they all screamed as they rushed into the stadium; the two teams then began to fight. The scene became even more chaotic, the referee and school police could not control the situation any longer. Eventually, the 110 things came to an end and the situation was handled. However, both Wai Yuan Fu High and Yang Guang were suspended for a year. The incident did not have much impact on society after the school¡¯s deliberate concealment, but the Yang Guang soccer team was almost disbanded due to this. It was not until a year before that a coach came to accept this soccer team. No one knew his name. During the introduction, he said with a sulky face, ¡°You all will only address me by coach and you don¡¯t need to know anything else.¡± Those who thought that the team would be a place of enjoyment, or a place where they could be free from the school¡¯s arbitrary violence found His absolute authority and devilish training methods unacceptable. Almost everyone there resisted him at first. However, after he used violence to pick on some of the most vicious people, they started to give in. Because they realized that they could not beat him. In this school, violence was everything. Those who could fight stayed on top. When everyone opposed the coach, Tu Yong was the only one who did not. Others thought that he was just weird, but he was the only one who knew why the new coach said this: ¡°Soccer is an unscrupulous fight for victory, if the rules allow it.¡± It suited his appetite. Because, before he entered the team, he always thought the same. In order to achieve his goals, he felt like he could do anything he wanted. How else did he become the big boss of a group of delinquents? ¡°Unscrupulous pursuit to victory.¡± Dad, you¡¯re the one who threw me and mum away, you¡¯re the person who acted irresponsible and walked away. Back then, when you taught me how to play soccer, was it because you wanted me to understand this? In the silent darkness of the night, Tu Yong expressed sadness on his face. Chapter 45 - Sinister Enemy Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The game was going to be carried out in Yang Guang High School. After a few team members of Shu Guang High heard the news, their fear increased. A game against a violent soccer team was already frightening enough. On top of that, they had to go to their base camp. Basically, it was like entering a den of tigers and wolves! ¡­ Ah Yuan was quite surprised to see Li Yongle. He never thought he would see him again so soon. ¡°Please do me a favor.¡± Li Yongle was always straight to the point, no beating around the bush. This was the reason why Ah Yuan liked him¨Dhe was frank! ¡°Say the word.¡± ¡°Saturday afternoon at 3.00 pm, Yang Guang High School: Shu Guang and Yang Guang¡¯s match. I need you to help me keep a look out for someone.¡± ¡°That work-study school? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yang Guang High¡¯s captain is nicknamed ¡®Butcher¡¯. He¡¯s famous for being a dangerous person and I¡¯m worried. I know you have some people in that school.¡± Ah Yuan thought about it for a bit. ¡°Alright. But only for this match. It has nothing to do with you though, why are you so concerned?¡± Li Yongle laughed as he shook his head. ¡°No, I am largely connected to this game. I¡¯m worried about a particular person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s No. 11, Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it! You¡¯re afraid of him getting hurt, right?¡± Li Yongle laughed. ¡°That guy, he¡¯s three bricks short of a load.¡± ¡­ ¡°Ah-choo!¡± ¡°Are you having a cold?¡± Su Fei asked, looking concerned. Zhang Jun rubbed his nose. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s a good day today, why would I have a cold?¡± Next to them, Yang Pan replied, ¡°A certain someone probably called him three bricks short of load.¡± Zhang Jun turned around to glare at Yang Pan. ¡°But, I seriously am worried,¡± Su Fei said. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s game is definitely not going to be the same as the usual.¡± ¡°Su Fei, why are you worried?¡± Yang Pan interrupted, ¡°Only a person who¡¯s three bricks short of load wouldn¡¯t be worried.¡± ¡°Yang Pan, you¡­¡± The two of them noisily quarreled with one another and Su Fei laughed as she watched the fight between the two of them. However, inside, she was upset today. She hoped that her worries would not become a reality. ¡­ When their car drove through Yang Guang High School¡¯s gate, many of them could not help but exclaim. The clean campus, the uniformity, the trees and flowers that decorated the place all made it look like a garden. It was far beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. Before the gates were opened, they imagined the place to be pitch black, but what they found instead was a blissful place full of flowers and chirping birds. ¡°Wow! Is this the work-study school? It looks like a garden!¡± An Ke was the first to exclaim. Everyone also followed soon after. Only Ren Yu De had no trace of emotion; he silently looked out the window. But when they saw the soccer field, it was a different kind of surprise. ¡°Wow! How is this a soccer field!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so tattered!¡± ¡°Can we really play soccer in such a place? I feel like we¡¯re going to lose a leg.¡± ¡°Violent opponents, a dangerous audience and a terrible stadium¡­¡± Yang Pan could not help but frown as the field was in a terrible state. There were pebbles and potholes everywhere; anyone could easily fall. In addition of the opponent¡¯s brutal style of playing, everyone¡¯s mental preparedness to win the game was also seriously a concern. Zhang Jun would especially become a target after he displayed a wonderful performance in the previous match. It was really bad for Shu Guang to be in this place! He turned his head to Zhang Jun on the side and saw him looking around without any concern. He looked as if was interested in the school. Our unresponsive friend, we sure hope that he won¡¯t be badly injured in this match! ¡­ Liang Ke tried to get the players to relax, but some of them were still really nervous. Most of them were checking if their leg protectors were not crooked or falling off. In fact, if it was not for Yang Guang¡¯s rough playing, the game itself would have been much cause for suspense. The only outstanding player was Yang Guang¡¯s team captain, No. 10 midfielder, Tu Yong. He had comprehensive techniques, outstanding awareness and excellence in both offensive as well as defensive play. It was also hard to say if his teammates were all third-rated players. Hopefully, he would not cause any trouble to the fragile Shu Guang. The trouble that Liang Ke was concerned about was not Tu Yong¡¯s technique, it was his other aspects. Tu Yong¡¯s soccer techniques were really good but he was equally good with his little tricks and fouls. He was extremely crafty and he would create fouls whenever he kicked the ball from the edge so that the referee could not see it. They absolutely could not let him do that! ¡­ The stands were Yang Guang¡¯s most characteristic feature. After the fighting case that took place two years ago, the school installed a huge wire fence around the stands of the soccer field. The wire fence separated the stands and the field. This was to prevent unscrupulous viewers from throwing things at the field or curb their ¡°sudden impulses¡± to rush into the field and cause serious problems. The scene was somewhat like the insides of the South American League. It appeared that Yang Guang¡¯s violence in soccer was not just a mere rumor. Despite the barbed wire fence, Yang Pan could still feel the unpleasant stares and attitude of the audience towards them. Their swearing and reproach filled everyone¡¯s ears. What¡¯s more, they also made a banner that said, ¡°Welcome to hell!¡±. All these things added more pressure to Shu Guang¡¯s team players, even Yang Pan felt uneasy. ¡­ Ah Yuan and a few of his brothers were very much in the crowd; they were sitting behind the stands. He could not help but laugh when he saw how the situation. Yang Guang High School was considered a work-study school, hence the management was very strict. Their brutal practice made the students obedient before the large-scale of school police. But this attitude of obedience was the result of students forcibly suppressing their violent impulses. They needed a place to vent plus, a long period of holding in stress was not good for the body, Therefore, soccer was granted for this important task. They did not really know soccer but soccer was their best tool to vent, so it really seemed like Shu Guang would be faced with evil. ¡­ The referees called out the two captains. When Yang Pan shook hands with the other captain, his opponent had changes in his expression, but Yang Pan felt a cold sensation hitting him, especially from those eyes. They were so dark that they appeared to have no light in them; it was like a corner where the sunlight would never reach. As long as he stared at you, it was enough to turn you into ice. Yang Pan immediately avoided his eyes. ¡°Heads or tails?¡± ¡°Heads!¡± ¡°Tails.¡± A coin was thrown in the air; it tumbled and fell. Shu Guang gained the first serve while Yang Guang had the right to snatch. Yang Pan was lucky. From the very beginning, he was always the one to start off with offense and he had control of the ball under his two feet. Perhaps, he could also have the upper hand in this game. But, he inadvertently saw the expressionless captain once again and he started to shiver in cold sweat. ¡­ Zhang Jun looked at the very unfriendly and frowning audience on the stands. He then saw Yang Pan approaching, and an idea formed in his heart. ¡°Yang Pan, do you think the audience is full of hatred?¡± Yang Pan looked at Yang Guang¡¯s soccer fans behind the wire fence; they were bearing their fangs and claws. He nodded. ¡°I think, if we don¡¯t extinguish their prestige, this game will be a difficult one.¡± Yang Pan looked at him. ¡°When they come up, give them something nice to watch!¡± Zhang Jun whispered ¡°something like that¡± into Yang Pan¡¯s ear. The referee then signaled both teams to standby and prepare for the kickoff. ¡­ Zhang Jun and Yang Pan stood in front of the ball as they waited for the referee¡¯s signal. 3.00pm, getting ready to kick off. *Beep* Zhang Jun lightly bumped the ball to Yang Guang¡¯s midfield area, Yang Pan dashed forward and lifted his right leg! That gesture¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a Midfielder¡¯s shot!¡± Chen Huafeng could not help but scream. He was not wrong. Yang Pan kicked the soccer ball with his right leg and the ball drew a small arc in the air before it rushed to the goal! Even Liang Ke was shocked by Yang Pan¡¯s move. He felt that Yang Pan should have used the chance in their hands to control the ball at the start, then organize his attacks and maintain his pressure, so that their opponents would not dare to counterattack. Yang Guang¡¯s goalkeeper looked at the little black dot that slowly transformed into a soccer ball, his instincts telling him to catch it. The soccer ball itself was constantly spinning and causing friction in the air; it roared as it flew pass the goalkeeper¡¯s hand and flew¡­ outside the goalpost. It was out of play! Yang Pan grabbed his head, feeling annoyed. The distance between the ball and the goal was also the width of a goalpost. His strength, angle, speed and his unexpected behavior were all great. It was a pity it did not enter. Yang Guang¡¯ coach laughed. ¡°This will be an interesting game¡­¡± ¡­ Yang Guang¡¯s team made the opening kick from the goal. The goalkeeper gave the ball a big kick towards the midfield. Tu Yong jumped and he used his chest to stop the ball. Then, he took the lead as Wang Ning rushed to defend. Tu Yong maneuvered the ball to his left and used the right side of his body to stay close to Wang Ning. However, the 183-cm Wang Ning unexpectedly got in front of the 180-cm Tu Yong; it was not easy. Tu Yong was only able to use his body to keep himself near Wang Ning. He could not move at all, let alone extend his leg to snatch the ball. Li Hao came to help too. He was a very fit soccer player with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 99 kg. His sudden aid made it even more difficult for Tu Yong. Tu Yong then stopped, made a turn and skillfully passed the two of them. However, when he rushed out of Wang and Li¡¯s siege, he was surprised by Kaka. Kaka slammed him into a corner and took the ball under his foot. Under the sudden shock, Tu Yong gave chase. Tu Yong used the rules of reasonable collision to constantly hit Kaka, who was taking lead of the ball. But with Kaka¡¯s height of 186 cm, would it be easy for him to lose his balance? Yang Guang¡¯s two team players ran towards them and surrounded Kaka. However, at this moment, Kaka suddenly staggered and fell to the ground. The ball then naturally fell below Tu Yong¡¯s foot. Viewed in any angle, Kaka¡¯s fall was very suspicious. Yet, the referee and his line of sight were coincidentally blocked by the two Yang Guang players who surrounded Kaka. So, he did not see what had just happened. The referee was afraid to sound the whistle as there was no clear evidence, especially in this game where Yang Guang High School were participating in. Any slight error could cause dissatisfaction among the audience outside the field. The referee really did not want to repeat the scenario from two years ago. And so, the game continued. ¡°That ball was clearly a foul!¡± Yang Pan screamed as the referee looked in his direction. Zhang Jun quickly held Yang Pan back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yang Pan did not appreciate it and asked Zhang Jun, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how No. 10 was using his hands to push Kaka down just now?¡± Zhang Jun did not answer. Kaka had already stood up by then as he touched some of the places where his neck was hurting¨Dthe parts where Tu yong used his hands to attack earlier. Kaka waved his hand at Yang Pan. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t compromise the game because of this little thing.¡± ¡°Little thing? He attacked you! That¡¯s a serious foul!¡± Zhang Jun pulled back the emotional Yang Pan. ¡°The referee didn¡¯t see anything and iy was only a trick. There¡¯s no use in saying anything.¡± ¡°But¨D¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just play the game!¡± Zhang Jun laughed. He patted Yang Pan on the shoulder before he walked away. ¡­ ¡°The seemingly unintentional running from their position was to actually block the referee¡¯s sight. That trick did not cause any harm; it made the opponent lose his balance but, he won¡¯t be injured when he leaves the field¡­ Yang Guang sure knows how to drill the referee and the rules. From blatant fouls to covert tricks, does that make them smarter or more dangerous?¡± Chen Huafeng was talking to himself. Next to him was his intern, Xiao Zhang, who was watching and recording the game in a serious manner. After placing the bet from a week ago, Xiao Zhang and Chen Huafeng have been going out and reporting the games together. He did not want to lose again; he was surprise to find how Chen Huafeng had a huge appetite despite being skinny. It scared him and he no longer dared to attack his ¡°predecessor¡±. ¡­ Kaka¡¯s injury was not a serious issue and he no longer had any problems. As such, Liang Ke could rest assured. Yang Guang was famous for it¡¯s roughness, but he never expected them to be sinister as well. It was a simple trick of calling his teammates over to guard; now, it turned out in such away that even the referee could not point it out. It seemed that this was no ordinary challenge. ¡­ Yang Guang went for the offensive. An Ke was constantly yelling as he commanded the defenders to defend. The defense line was well organized with his commands. Basically, they were not giving Yang Guang a chance to break the penalty zone so that Yang Guang could shoot from the outside. As for shooting from the outside, besides Yang Pan¡¯s ¡°Avian Shooting¡± and Li Yongle¡¯s ¡°Swerved Shot¡±, An Ke was not afraid of anyone else. Therefore, An Ke did not receive any shots from Yang Guang that were made within the range of the goal post, except for the ones who came at him like planes. An Ke nodded his head in satisfaction; An Ke¡¯s stability was Shu Guang¡¯s key to stability. His rich experience could direct the young defenders to make fewer mistakes and complete their own task of defense. His screams also made the defenders more calm and confident in their defense. Perhaps, a day would come where there would not be any more familiar screams and they would not be able to raise their own spirits! ¡°Xiao Fang! Don¡¯t take it too easy!¡± ¡°Xie Tao! Stay put, don¡¯t let the other party come in!¡± ¡°Chen Bo! Don¡¯t bother with the ball. Let it continue being passed!¡± His screams did not stop since the start of the game and An Ke¡¯s fighting spirit infected everyone. ¡­ Kaka took control of the ball and as soon as he saw someone coming up to him, he cleverly passed it to Ren Yu De. Ren Yu De took the lead but the opponents made him stumble and of course, the referee did not see it again from his blind spot. Yang Pan thought of discussing the issue with the referee, but he was held back by Zhang Jun. Time was running out by the second. Yang Guang¡¯s offensive moves were innocent enough towards the defenders of Shu Guang and An Ke. However, the attackers of Shu Guang were not able to be effective due to Yang Guang¡¯s little tricks. Kaka was infringed three times, Ren Yu De twice and Yang Pan once. Zhang Jun received the most ¡°care¡±¨Dfive times. Four of them were given by Tu Yong. Zhang Jun¡¯s palms were worn out and burning with pain. But in his eyes, withdrawing was not an option. ¡°Make sure you get to the national championships! Bring Monkey Yuan and me along too!¡± It felt like Liu Peng just said it yesterday. There were many people who put their expectations on him, could he retreat? He retreated many times in the past and he ran way too many times. Now, he could not allow himself to run away again, absolutely not! After Zhang Jun received the ball from Yang Pan, who made the pass when he fell, Zhang Jun took the lead and rushed towards Yang Guang¡¯s goal. Beside him, Tu Yong forced himself up again. Chapter 46 - Goal Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°In soccer, everything within the bounds of the rules is permitted in the name of victory.¡± That was the first thing the newly appointed coach told the team. His heart leaped when he first heard it; it was as if those words were intended for him. Winners will be kings; losers will be beggars. To survive in this society and flourish above others, you have to chase success incessantly and ruthlessly, or remain at the feet of others. It was the truth he learned after years of hardship. ¡­ Tu Yong waited for the perfect moment before knocking Zhang Jun on the thigh with his knees. When his opponent tumbled to the floor, he raised both hands immediately, claiming innocence. Luckily, the referee¡¯s attention was once again ¡°coincidentally¡± diverted at the key moment, and the game continued. Zhang Jun quickly picked himself off the ground one more time. But to top it off, it was at a speed that surprised Tu Yong. That was the sixth time he fell¨Ddid it not hurt? Why did he not lie on the ground a bit more? It would have reduced the hurt on his body, so why? Yang Pan wanted to ¡°hold a discussion¡± with the referee again¨Dbut was stopped short when he saw Zhang Jun gesturing a ¡°don¡¯t do it¡± signal at him. ¡­ The first half ended with Yang Guang¡¯s impotent offensives and the Shu Guang players dropping on the floor throughout the game. Ah Yuan yawned and stretched. ¡°It¡¯ such a boring match! That No. 11 is going to be destroyed by the other team¡¯s No. 10 eventually. The ¡®Butcher¡¯1 lives up to his name!¡± ¡­ The visitors¡¯ locker room. Yang Pan kicked a paper box off the ground as soon as he entered. ¡°F*ck! That bastard did that intentionally! How shameless! F*ck! And the referee can¡¯t do anything!¡± Everybody else looked at him in silence. ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± Zhang Jun said after some time. ¡°They¡¯re definitely smart. They can even utilize the referee and the rules to their advantage¡­ Ouch!¡± Su Fei was disinfecting a wound on his leg, which he got courtesy of Tu Yong. ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s right,¡± Kaka added. ¡°The referee¡¯s line of sight tends to be blocked during key moments. And some of those fouls exploit loopholes in the rules. I believe that their coach is not a simple man, but it wouldn¡¯t matter even if you raise hell.¡± ¡°But, do you see the bruises on everybody else?!¡± Yang Pan shot back loudly. ¡°Zhang Jun, Ren Yu De and you¨Dwhich one of us isn¡¯t scarred all over? If they keep up their dirty tricks when they attack in the second half, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time till they score against us!¡± The home team¡¯s locker room was an entirely different picture as the argument continued in the visitor¡¯s room. The coach¨Dwhose face had always been somber¨Dwas smiling. ¡°Guys, not bad!¡± Everyone in the room knew exactly how hard it was to get a ¡°not bad¡± from the tyrannical coach! ¡°You must keep in mind who you are. In this school, you can do everything to let loose and there won¡¯t be punishment. This alone makes you the envy of those outsiders. I don¡¯t care how many opponents you send to the hospital or what sort of reputation you get as long as you win; on top of that, certain things can¡¯t be made too obvious. This match will be difficult¨Dbut you have to win it if you want to keep your special rights. Tu Yong.¡± Tu Yong glanced up. ¡°You¡¯ll continue marking that No. 11 in the second half. He¡¯s a dangerous character and must be stopped.¡± With his face devoid of any expression, Tu Yong nodded. ¡­ Yang Pan¡¯s face was all doom and gloom when he left the locker room. He was holding back his anger, and had no way to rent. Just the sight of those thugs on the other team got him riled up for no reason. Su Fei frowned tightly as she sat down beside Liang Ke. ¡°You¡¯re worried about Zhang Jun?¡± The coach¡¯s sudden question startled her. ¡°Nope, N-Nope¡­¡± Liang Ke stared at the blushing manager and smiled enigmatically. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You just have to believe in Zhang Jun, trust him in every moment.¡± ¡­ Yang Guang restarted the game. During the break, Liang Ke had tried talking to the match officials about their actions, but the second half showed that his attempts were futile. As Yang Pan predicted, the other team laced their offensive with so much dirty moves, which increased exponentially in number with every passing minute. Shu Guang¡¯s defense panicked¨Donly Chen Bo alone held the line as if he was in an epic last stand, while An Ke became the focus of the pitch as he diligently made save after save to keep their clean sheet intact. Still, it was obvious that if this continued, Shu Guang would concede; just as their defenders were taking physical damage, the pressure within the other players was also gradually growing. Liang Ke stood up. With the match officials being useless, he had to do something. Entering the technical area, he shouted audibly into the pitch, ¡°Yang Pan! Don¡¯t retreat too far back to defend! You can¡¯t attack them from there! Kaka! Run back for the ball, don¡¯t cut yourself off the midfield! ¡°Ren Yu De! Don¡¯t look down when you dribble! Look for your teammates and pass the ball! Zhang Jun! Stay up front! Tracing back is not allowed!¡± It was a rare sight for Liang Ke, who was often considered an educator who taught straight from the books. Perhaps he never had to do much all along since his players themselves held deft technique and knowledge of the game. During each occasion of daily training and talent scouting, he just needed to pour a little effort and the work would be done; but now, Shu Guang¡¯s attack formed up at his roar. The quartet up front did what they did best and dazzled with their immaculate partnership through both individual as well as collective technique. Nevertheless, the ball had to be delivered to Zhang Jun, their best shooter. Knowing this, Tu Yong stuck to him and closed in whenever he got to the ball. With one underhanded move, the attack would then be cut short. Kaka tore himself away from his marker and passed! Zhang Jun got to the ball and quickly sent a drive as Tu Yong closed in. Although Tu Yong managed to get a touch and send if off course, the Yang Guang keeper broke out in cold sweat as the shot shaved past the posts before it went out. He knew that it would have been goal it had not been for Tu Yong; the angle and power were perfect¨Das expected of Luoyang¡¯s best striker. The keeper barely had time to gather himself when Zhang Jun received the ball from Ren Yu De. In one move, he burstsforward into the area¨Dand like a shadow, Tu Yong latched onto him, knocking him down as he approached the box. *Beep!* The referee finally blew his whistle. He also flashed a yellow card at Tu Yong after awarding Shu Guang a free kick. ¡°Yellow card? Why is it a yellow card?¡± Su Fei cried angrily. ¡°It was clearly a move to injure, a red is reasonable!¡± ¡°No, Su Fei.¡± Liang Ke shook his head. ¡°He wasn¡¯t tackling from behind, but from the side. There¡¯s little difference, but it is treated very differently by the rules. And the referee saw it clearly, so his judgment was sound. It¡¯s plain to see that they¡¯re very experienced in exploiting loopholes.¡± Once more, Zhang Jun recovered from the fall in no time at all, raising Tu Yong¡¯s eyebrow¨Da rare look from the defender. Kaka was on the free kick. He ran up and struck firmly with the outside of his left leg, curving the ball past the wall towards to the left post. The goalkeeper could not react to the fast, curving yet perfectly angled free kick. While others would have used swerve shots in such close distances, Kaka opted for a powerful effort. Nothing less was expected from the Brazilian; the ball was perfect in direction, speed and power. The ball looked set to go in, but it bounced off the posts and off the line. Too bad! The scene was reminiscent of the 1982 World Cup match between Brazil and Argentina. That banana kick from Brazil¡¯s No. 11, Eder was also from a free kick. It was exactly the same, down to the part of the left foot used and bypassing of the wall. The ball had hit the woodwork too and Zico scored on the rebound. That curved shot became an iconic moment in World Cup history. Maybe Kaka learned from his example. ¡­ Zhang Jun fell to the ground and rolled five times. It looked exaggerated but it was a valid move for self-protection. This time, he was kicked in the heel from behind by Tu Yong and tumbled after losing balance in his run. Yang Pan could not stand it anymore at this point. He ran up and snarled as he grabbed Tu Yong¡¯s shirt. ¡°You f*cker, you did that on purpose! This is not soccer!¡± The pitch immediately boiled up at his move and the Yang Guang players swarmed angrily at him, looking ready for a fight. On the stands, the spectators were shouting angrily in support of Yang Guang; even Ah Yuan and his followers stood up. In that moment, Zhang Jun stood and held Yang Pan from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t go crazy! I¡¯m fine.¡± The referee dashed in and sternly separated the two, before booking Yang Pan without a word. Yang Pan looked at the card incredulously and argued furiously with the official. But Zhang Jun held him back, his embrace immobilizing him¨Dit was the first time he felt how strong his dear friend truly was. ¡°Yang Pan! Calm down! Do you want to get sent off?¡± Zhang Jun shouted for everyone else to hear. ¡°You¡¯re the captain, you can¡¯t commit such irresponsible actions!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If the opponent fouls you, the best payback is to score against them. Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Zhang Jun could then feel his friend¡¯s body relaxing a bit; he released his grip and patted his captain on the shoulder. ¡°Score. Scoring is the best solution. I¡¯ll score one for you.¡± Tu Yong stared at the seemingly unharmed Zhang Jun in shock. Why? How can he keep rising up? He¡¯s bruised all over yet, he still wants to score? Zhang Jun walked towards him and smiled. ¡°Elbowing, kneeing, tackling, kicking, pushing, I¡¯ve tasted it all. No more tricks? Then it¡¯s my turn!¡± He turned to Kaka. ¡°Pass the ball to me. I¡¯ll have the flies outside shut up!¡± Kaka was surprised by Zhang Jun. It was the first time he saw that fearsome look on his teammate. ¡­ Yang Guang made the throw-in. Tu Yong took possession but looked distracted. Nobody was closing in on him. Yang Pan slid in viciously and caught the ball¨DTu Yong remained standing out of habit, so the referee did not blow his whistle and signaled for them to play on. Standing up, Yang Pan passed to Zhang Jun. The striker got the ball and turned. He dodged an outstretched foot from a defender and charged into the box. Then, another stop as he evaded an incoming elbow. Immediately after, he took a shot! It was a lob rather than a strong effort¨Dhowever, it slipped past the keeper¡¯s fingertips and flew into the far corner. It went in! After being fouled throughout the game, many would have sent overpowered drives to blow off their anger and frustration if they got a chance. But, what a calm forward Zhang Jun was to score such a technical goal! Zhang Jun had not even started celebrating before he got mobbed by his wildly cheering teammates. Tu Yong stared blankly at the ball inside the net. ¡­ ¡°Ah Yong! This is a soccer ball, it¡¯s really fun! Want to play? It was such a long time ago. The sky was blurry, the scenery was blurry, even the person¡¯s face. Only the voice was so clear. ¡°Da¡­ ddy¡­¡± Little Tu Yong stumbled towards the man. He kicked the ball over, knocking the toddler down and little Tu Yong started crying from the pain. ¡°Look at you, your son is still so small. What are you doing teaching him soccer? What if he hurts himself?¡± A woman¡¯s voice complained. ¡°Hehe!¡± The man laughed, embarrassed. ¡°Soccer must be learned at a meager age!¡± As the couple argued, little Tu Yong stopped crying and picked the ball up to play with it. The man was rejoicing. ¡°My dear wife! Our kid¡¯s got it! He¡¯s going to be a star!¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± The woman moaned, but there was a smile on her face. ¡­ ¡°Ah Yong! Soccer!¡± Little Tu Yong swayed towards the ball; despite a kick at full strength, the ball only rolled two meters away. ¡­ ¡°Ah Yong, let¡¯s play soccer?¡± ¡°No! I want to eat!¡± Little Tu Yong pouted, shaking his head. ¡°Daddy will dribble, you¡¯ll steal it. If you can get the ball, I¡¯ll treat you to black bean noodles!¡± Little Tu Yong¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± ¡­ ¡°I win!¡± Little Tu Yong jumped excitedly. It took some time but, he finally got the ball away from his daddy¡¯s feet. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s late, the stall will close soon. We won¡¯t make it, let¡¯s go home for mommy¡¯s dried noodles instead!¡± Little Tu Yong¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Daddy lied!¡± ¡°Hehe! No, daddy didn¡¯t! If you want to eat black bean noodles, you have to act fast and take the ball before the stall closes!¡± ¡­ Everything else was a blur, but that voice was so distinct. He had been playing soccer wholeheartedly with his dad just for a bowl of black bean noodles. And he did so with much happiness too. How naive he had been¡­ Daddy! Why did you leave without a word? And so irresponsibly? Why did you leave mommy and me? TL Notes: 1¡±Butcher¡± (Tu Fu) is a pun nickname based on Tu Yong¡¯s name. Chapter 47 - The Past Is Not the Future Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Tu Yong rushed home excitedly from school to find his mother sitting lethargically by the table. There was a newspaper beside her. Feeling that something was off, he snatched the paper up. ¡± BUS FLIPS INTO RAVINE ¨C NO SURVIVORS Report: Yesterday afternoon, a coach heading from Song County to Luoyang skidded off a turn on the mountain road, which was damp with rain and slid over the adjacent cliff. There were no survivors¡­¡± Tu Yong could feel his brain just going toast, and the paper slid off his hand. Daddy was the coach driver¡­ Tomorrow was his birthday and before leaving, his father had promised him a birthday gift¨Dwas this it? The next day, the company¡¯s director came with a few meaningless words of consolation and dropped off a few dimes of pension before leaving. His mother quietly served the man throughout the process. Those directors¨Dafter all his dad had done¨Dnever gave him beneficial housing or raised his wages. Now he was gone. Even then, all they did was pass off a few cheap condolences as if it was a mere formality; they were not even heartfelt. What use was there? A family without a father loses its main income. While his mother was strong, her unit benefits decreased year after year until she became part of the first batch of workers who got laid off. From then on, the family had to rely on the monthly social support of 200 $. In addition to that, there were his mother¡¯s wages from various odd jobs. While she quietly assumed the burden of their difficult life, Tu Yong¡¯s change broke her heart. After his father passed away, he spoke a lot less and turned a cold shoulder to everyone. Why are they looking at me with those eyes? Because I lost my dad? F*ck! Isn¡¯t it just the same as playing hooky¨Dbeing late to school, fighting, smoking and drinking? What makes you think you have the right to mind what I do?! All of you. You think there¡¯s safety in numbers? F*ck! I¡¯ll do you all in! ¡°Argh! The kid doesn¡¯t want to live! You¡¯ll get killed by him! Run!¡± ¡­ He stared at the people in front of him, his own face dripping wet from someone¡¯s blood. He clenched the metal pipe in his fists. ¡°You¡¯re brother Tu Yong? We¡¯ll follow you from now on, Big Brother!¡± And from that day, he became the leader of a faction of street thugs. With his savagery and ruthlessness, he quickly earned the nickname ¡°The Butcher¡±. Left without a choice against her stubborn child, his mother was forced to send him to Yang Guang High¨Da reform school. Still, she would visit him every month and give him money for monthly expenses. He would take it without a single word of concern for her. Did he never notice how rapidly her white hair was growing, how hunched her back was now and how her facial features had aged? And she was not even 40! What had he been doing all these years? ¡­ The match continued; the ball was sent to Tu Yong¡¯s feet. Yang Pan went up for a steal but was caught unawares¨Dbecause with one wild spike, the motionless Tu Yong prodded the ball away from the sprinting Yang Pan and ran off at full speed! Many of the others did not expect it either. The Butcher had been keeping his eye on Zhang Jun as long as the game had been going per his coach¡¯s orders, never lifting a finger to help his team¡¯s attack. But now he was helping them and his offensive prowess was not to be underestimated. His dribbling, breakthrough and passing showed that he had what it takes to be an excellent midfielder. It was a pity that his teammates were not up to his level and would only waste his exquisite passes. Despite knowing that the brat had a whole catalogue of dirty tricks, Wang Ning bravely met him. However, there were no cheap moves or loophole exploitations¨Dnot even a nasty foul. Tu Yong was intent on displaying his exquisite skills to one and all. Against Wang Ning¡¯s bodily defense, he shielded the ball with his back and swayed a bit to the left. Sensing from their conjoined frames that Wang Ning shifted his weight to the left as well, he immediately turned towards the right and with a prod, he got past a second marker! Wang Ning was left rooted where he stood in disbelief; he was prepared to face some trick and never expected to be shaken off so neatly. Grabbing the opportunity that the startled Shu Guang defense offered, Tu Yong burst into the penalty area. If his teammates could not do it, he would! Having no time to recall the other defenders, An Ke rushed towards Tu Yong alone. ¡°Want to score? Get past me first¡­¡± Even before he could finish his boast, Tu Yong silenced him with a lob¨Dthe ball flew just over An Ke¡¯s head and towards the open goal in a beautiful curve. As cheers sounded, a shadow dashed over and volleyed the ball back towards the midfield just before the ball dropped. It was Lin Xiaofang! When he saw Tu Yong dash into the area and An Ke leaving his line to keep him out, he did not run towards the attacker. Instead, he picked the right move and ran to his own goal to become the last line of defense. So, he was there to clear the danger at the right place at the right time. Tu Yong began to mark Zhang Jun again. There were some hand movements amid the defending and attempts to dribble, but it was normal contact this time around. Zhang Jun had not encountered such intense defending for a long time; the sweat and the hard breathing excited him. Turn, pull, spike, feint¨Dnonetheless, Tu Yong stuck to him one way or the other. Zhang Jun did not even have to look; his body could sense the ever-present pressure from his opponent. ¡°Looks like Zhang Jun has no way to make a breakthrough,¡± Xiao Zhang said, saying something for the first time since the game started. ¡°Nope¡±¨DChen Huafeng shook his head¨D¡±he¡¯s just finished warming up!¡± As if on cue, Zhang Jun sped up. The ball that he was kicking between his feet quickened and suddenly, it vanished! While he kept Tu Yong confused, Zhang Jun lowered himself, picked up his pace and dashed away. His prodding of the ball with both feet formed an optical illusion and using the chance, he slipped the ball between his marker¡¯s legs. Tu Yong was left behind! Ridding himself off his pesky opponent, Zhang Jun ran forward. However, the field¡¯s condition was poor and did not comply with regulations, so the ball kept bouncing all the way. He would have lost the ball if he did not have enough experience. Nevertheless, the penalty area was small and any small mistake on his part would see him lose possession. The intelligent Zhang Jun however, passed the ball out of the box after attracting a few defenders towards him. Yang Pan ran on to it and fired a drive! The ball whistled towards the goal. The Yang Guang keeper did not even move as the ball thumped into goal right beside his face. It went in! 2: 0! After scoring, Yang Pan ran to the stands. Pointing his index figure at the crowd, he moved it between his lips to silence them. ¡°Shut up!¡± They had indeed quieted down but, it was from awe at the sight of Yang Pan¡¯s powerful shot, not from obeying his words. The 180-km/h shot was but a flash. Not only did Yang Pan¡¯s effort subdue the crowd, it shattered Yang Guang¡¯s will. A match was nothing like a brawl, it did not permit barbaric acts. Exploiting loopholes and dirty tricks would be punished heavily if you were not cautious. Yang Pan¡¯s ¡°Murderous Drive¡± was different. If you were struck by it up close, it would mean serious injury. It would be a futile block too¨Dthe referee would not book Yang Pan for shooting after all. That was why the Yang Guang players, like many other reasonable players who went up against Yang Pan before them, having to choose between life and victory, picked the former. It did not take much for them to tell that Yang Pan was also steaming with rage¨Dthose who played with fire would get burned. However, there was one exception among them. Yang Pan collected the ball on the right, and was preparing to run when the ball was knocked out of bounds. It was Tu Yong, and the tackle was so clean that Yang Pan himself was left speechless. Unexpectedly, Tu Yong also managed to intercept the ensuing throw-in. Yang Pan was caught out, ready to turn and give chase but, he saw another figure darting off in pursuit. It was Zhang Jun! The striker latched himself onto Tu Yong. Although Tu Yong was shorter, Zhang Jun lowered himself, which did not do any favors for his opponent. After some effort, he turned and got in front of Tu Yong, stopping his advance. Thus, their duel intensified. Knowing well that he would be encircled soon if he kept tangling with Zhang Jun, Tu Yong chose to force his way through. And fortunately, the Shu Guang forward seemingly stumbled in that exact moment to the right, leaving his left side open. He broke ahead without a moment¡¯s hesitation, only to have the ball blocked by an outstretched foot. Tu Yong glanced at Zhang Jun, bewildered and not quite believing that he was being stopped. Passing the ball off to Wang Ning, Zhang Jun smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m a striker. I know best when it comes to an attacker¡¯s mindset. Hehe! Sorry, you were tricked!¡± Staying where he was in a drunken stupor and watching Zhang Jun run off, Tu Yong forgot to run back and defend. ¡­ Kaka held the ball steadily as surveyed the movements around the pitch. He was looking for the best way to make a pass. An ordinary pass was simply about getting the ball to your teammate without considering the fact if they could receive it or if the delivery would turn the game in their favor. Such play was borderline irresponsible, and Kaka would never do it. In the midst of a dribble, Kaka flicked the ball with the end of his boot¨Dthe ball sped past a defender and fell to Ren Yu De¡¯s feet. With one prod, he was in the box! Another Yang Guang player had a go at him. He faked a sway to the right and poked the ball to the left, slipping away as he let a shot fly! The Yang Guang goalie dived firmly; the ball hit the woodwork before rebounding out the front. Smelling its prey like a hound on the hunt, Zhang Jun made for the ball. But Tu Yong was beside him and he pinned Zhang Jun down, having no intention of letting him off. However, just as the ball arrived, Zhang Jun used his explosiveness to blow past his marker in one move and dove for a header! Tu Yong reacted quickly as well and stretched his left leg in the same direction! But if he came into contact with the ball, there was a possibility he would hit Zhang Jun too! Zhang Jun realized the danger but showed no intention of pulling back. ¡­ ¡°Ah Yong! This is a soccer ball, it¡¯s really fun! Want to play?¡± Such a nostalgic voice. ¡­ Under a collective exclamation of surprise, the ball darted into the Yang Guang goal. Instead of celebrating, Yang Pan went to check if Zhang Jun was hurt first. When he saw that his best friend had straightened himself and ran towards him in celebration, he breathed a sigh of relief. If Tu Yong had firmly pounced on the ball, Zhang Jun would have been bleeding all over and never got up so quickly. But why did the Yang Guang player not do so? It was not his style from what they had all seen since the game began. Nevertheless, Yang Pan had no time to pick on such trivial matters because, Zhang Jun leapt on to top of him. ¡­ ¡°So, even the Butcher has a day where his knife is blunt?¡± Ah Yuan laughed on the stands. 3: 0! Shu Guang led! ¡­ Zhang Jun¡¯s second goal acted like a death warrant to Yang Guang; the players looked utterly dejected while their coach sat expressionlessly on the coach¡¯s seat without a word. When the referee blew the final whistle, other than Su Fei¡¯s attention-grabbing scream, there was no enthusiastic celebration from the Shu Guang players. They kept their calm despite having weathered through a difficult battle. Whether it was them maturing or being jaded about winning, they were taking into account the few hundred ruffians behind the steel curtain. It would have meant cutting their own lives short if they had wildly cheered over their triumph. In 1958, when Brazil beat the World Cup hosts, Sweden on their own turf to become the World Champions, they had to pull out a Swedish flag to shield their envoy from physical assaults. Shu Guang was not Brazil and had even less right to brandish a Yang Guang uniform to ¡°exorcise the evil spirits¡±. Hence, even if they were feeling happy, they had to do their best to show ¡°we aren¡¯t that cool with beating you either, sorry that we won so inconsiderately¡±. After the game, many of his teammates evaded Yang Guang players like the plague in fear of retaliation however, Zhang Jun alone sought Tu Yong out. ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± Zhang Jun stripped himself off his jersey and handed it to his opponent. Looking at the surprised Tu Yong, Zhang Jun felt a little impatient¨Dhis teammates were waiting for him. ¡°Exchanging jerseys, you know? Take it off! What are you waiting for?¡± Tu Yong still did not react, so Zhang Jun simply took to robbing him off his shirt. Still staring blankly at his departing opponent, a gale made Tu Yong sneeze and he finally reacted. ¡°Is this the way to exchange jerseys?¡± He smiled. A smile he gave after what felt like a lifetime. ¡°Wow! Brother Yong is actually smiling!¡± Chapter 48 - A Brand New Zhang Jun Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was a fine Sunday. Many Luoyang citizens, not willing to let the day go to waste crowded the streets¨D especially the couples. They were either holding each other intimately or ignoring the oncoming stares as they bit into their partner¡¯s ear. A long time ago, a person once said that love belonged to the night and lovers, like vampires, were afraid of light. But now, it was an entirely different picture¨Dthose same lovers were publicly displaying affection as far as the eyes could see in broad daylight. As people quietly admired the scenes and the infinite power of love, they forgot about the torturous sun, hurtful ultraviolet rays, vehicle emissions, noisy street and so forth. It was a private but immersive world. However, there were exceptions. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand why girls love to go out!¡± Zhang Jun wept. He had been dragged away from his soft bed by Su Fei, his plans to sleep until lunch hour foiled. ¡°Hey! There are scars and bruises all over my feet. Won¡¯t walking around like this aggravate it?¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Su Fei smiled in response. ¡°Those are just scratches, so stop being dramatic!¡± Zhang Jun sighed. Her smile was well-known in the team; it was charmingly pure on occasion and chillingly devilish during others. He was really envying his teammates right now. They may not have the company of a beautiful girl, but at least they would enjoy long, peaceful naps. Looking at Su Fei, who was leaping around and humming a tune, Zhang Jun was curious. ¡°Why are you so happy today?¡± Su Fei replied while she played hopscotch on the tiles of the street. ¡°Because I found a brand new Zhang Jun!¡± Zhang Jun froze. ¡°A brand new me?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Not turning behind, Su Fei continued her leaping motion. ¡°It¡¯s been a year since our first high school year, but I¡¯ve just discovered a whole new you¡­ How do I say this¡­ Before, you would surprise people on occasion, but also appear useless and annoying.¡± She suddenly stopped and smiled at her the still-stunned neighbor. ¡°But, I saw an entirely different you yesterday!¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Zhang Jun asked, finally reacting after some time and staring at her closely. ¡°Because you chose to take responsibility all by yourself!¡± Su Fei turned her attention back to the tiles and focused on her prancing. Amid the busy crowds under the brilliant sun, there Su Fei was in front of him; leaping around, her hair glinted a beautiful gold as it rose and fell; that beautiful back and unforgettable, tuning smile. Zhang Jun thought that he was in dreamland again as everything else apart from Su Fei blurred. However, before he could bask more in the sensation, a voice rang, breaking the mood. ¡°Haha! Beauty and the beast!¡± He sighed inwardly. ¡°Still not changing your bad habits even after becoming a national champion, Zhang Yang?¡± It was Zhang Lintao this time. ¡°Hmph! Would I still be Zhang Yang if I changed?¡± Since they were both here, that meant¡­ And there Li Yongle was, smiling but not saying anything. ¡°You three are always together.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s for sure. We¡¯re the three merry bachelors.¡± Li Yongle smiled. Zhang Jun and Su Fei dared not say a thing out of a sudden sneaky pang of guilt. ¡°Although we¡¯re single now, you won¡¯t stop our right to pursue beauty!¡± Zhang Yang declared righteously. ¡°We are the legendary ¡®wife-hunting trio¡¯!¡± Li Yongle quickly waved it off and retreated, creating a line between him and his old friend. ¡°I never said that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡± Zhang Lintao added, ignoring Zhang Yang¡¯s death glare. After the jokes were over, Li Yongle went straight to the point. ¡°I heard about your game yesterday.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°From a friend.¡± Li Yongle recalled the night before when he met Ah Yuan, who patted him on the back after summarizing the match for him. The hoodlum said, ¡°Flame Kid, I¡¯ve never doubted your eyes. Even during your day of street fighting, you always picked the best opponent, and it¡¯s the same for you now in soccer.¡± Knowing that Ah Yuan was never one to be praiseful towards people he was not acquainted with, Yongle smiled. ¡°So? What do you think? It¡¯s towards the end of both games that we¡¯ve barely managed to¨D¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our final now!¡± Li Yongle stopped him with a smile, and Zhang Jun was left speechless. Typically, such a scene or atmosphere was fitting for the meeting between two frenemies. They would share meaningful smiles, meaningful conversation filled with arbitrary lines that would make the blood boil. However, there was never a lack of mood-killing individuals on this planet. ¡°Aren¡¯t those the Shu Guang cowards?¡± A stomach-churning voice immediately tarnished the chivalrous atmosphere. Quite the number of acquaintances they were bumping into today! Zhang Jun did not need to turn to see who it was; both him and Su Fei did not reply to the obvious jab either, merely responding with a dirty look. Still, Ma Ni was never a keen observer of human facial expressions. ¡°Really! You guys actually made it to the final 16; that¡¯s some bullsh*t luck right there. Kai Ta and Yang Guang are quite the thrash teams¡­¡± Catching the smaller boy unaware, Zhang Jun grabbed his collar in a single move and spoke in his face chillingly, ¡°Keep barking, while you still can! Our match will come after the next round, I hope you guys don¡¯t get knocked out first! I won¡¯t give you a chance to cry when the time comes!¡± Releasing his grip after that, Zhang Jun left without so much as a glimpse behind. Su Fei glared at Ma Ni once before following in Zhang Jun¡¯s wake. Li Yongle could not tell what happened between them merely from the scene earlier. Still, the other guy did drop himself before scoring in their friendly match¨Dtwice. Therefore, Li Yongle did not have a good feeling about the guy either and started turning to leave. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Li Yongle? Hehe, I¡¯m the striker from Yingcai High, Ma Ni!¡± Ma Ni extended his hand to Yongle. But Yongle looked everywhere else, and only looked down at the offered hand after checking out literally everywhere else. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± he cried in surprise. ¡°And here I was wondering who it was! No wonder I didn¡¯t see anyone after looking everywhere!¡± ¡­ Everyone was putting in extra effort during Monday¡¯s training. There were a few reasons for this. The grueling battles against Kai Ta and Yang Guang were over, and after the average Guan Lin High School in their next game, they would finally play against Yingcai. Most of them were raring to teach that ¡°B*tch-reared Ant¡±¨Dthe new nickname An Ke awarded Ma Ni. Naturally, Liang Ke was unaware of the feud; he looked well and truly happy at the sight of his confident as well as motivated players. According to the match arrangements, Shu Guang would only meet Zhongyuan in the finals; Yingcai awaited them in the final eight round. There was also a high chance they would encounter Luoyang¡¯s ¡°Uncrowned Kings¡±¨DDingding High School in the final four. Yingcai were very much the dark horses of the year, scoring four in each of their two games and conceding none! The only other team who had similar results was Zhongyuan; even the likes of Dingding and Shu Guang had conceded a goal each. That was how these numbers became victims of the analysts, prompting headlines such as ¡°How Did Ying Cai High, Who Have Been Anonymous for So Long Rise to the Top in Such a Short time?¡±, ¡®Is This the Era of Dark Horses?¡± and ¡°Shu Guang Last Year, Yingcai This Year¡±. Analysis notwithstanding, anyone would understand the reason behind Yingcai¡¯s rise when they saw their match. Their goalkeeper, the 197-cm Sima Hongxin had a pair of huge hands, which could shield a gale¨Dhis hands allowed nothing to escape. They also had the diminutive striker, Ma Ni who was active up front; he had scored all eight of his team¡¯s goals and held the position of top scorer for the time being. With the addition of the pair this year, Yingcai was essentially carried to the top, prompting an unprecedented ascension in their ability. However, because the duo was so outstanding, the only trust they had was reserved for themselves. Their teammates were surplus in their eyes¨Dthe others were only there to make up the numbers as per regulation. In both their games, Shima Hongxin stood guard alone while Ma Ni made attacks all on his own; all the others had to do was pass them the ball and look on. Nevertheless, they still managed to secure their record of eight goals for and 0 goals against on their way to the final sixteen¨Dproving just how impressive they were. On the other hand, Dingding were an established giant in Luoyang. They never lacked talent, albeit never getting the chance to show off because of Zhongyuan¡¯s very presence. Thus, they could not reach the nationals proper. It was the source of their melancholy, one of the the Zhuge Liang¨CZhou Yu fashion. The year before, they welcomed the greatest soccer talent in their history¨DFan Cunjie, whose dribbling and passes were artistic as well as a joy to watch. His weakness however, lay in his constant pursuit of perfection¨Dwhich allowed Zhao Defeng to dominate against him. Furthermore, the other team members were not able to push themselves any further; it was a helpless thing for any team in a sport where winners were kings. Hence, acknowledging that he could not change a thing, Fan Cunjie insisted on his own beautiful brand of playing. Even with the endless praise critics showered on the star, such as ¡°How good is Fan¡¯s technique¡±, ¡°The elegance in Fan Cunjie¡¯s soccer style¡±, ¡°Watching Fan Cunjie play is an enjoyment¡± and ¡°He¡¯s the indisputable king of techniques in the high school scene¡±, Dingding could only watch their arch-rival Zhongyuan enjoy the limelight in the nationals every year, moan. It was as the old saying, ¡°O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?¡± That being said, Shu Guang¡¯s own meteoric rise did not grant them the right to say things like, ¡°Dingding High School? The ¡®Uncrowned King¡¯ that never actually entered the Nationals?¡±. The same applied to any other team in Luoyang for that matter; those who underestimated Dingding always paid for it dearly. Even if they did not have such a leader like Fan Cunjie, the depth of their squad was always near the top of Luoyang¨Deven Zhongyuan paled a little in comparison to their forward and defensive lineups. Furthermore, the team always played calmly and offered little openings, making them a very difficult opponent save for the steadier Zhongyuan. In Liang Ke¡¯s mind, they were the harder test before their rematch against Zhongyuan. Whether his boys could beat such an established squad would depend on how much they had grown. Their own feet decided their future. ¡­ Zhang Jun threw aside the current issue of High School Soccer. He did not want to read it as soon as he saw the ¡°Ant¡± on the cover. There was no doubt that the contents would be introducing ¡°The Biggest Dark Horse of the Year¡±. It had been a trend, which started since the last few issues, complete with long passages that talked endlessly about the team and its players¨Despecially that gigantic keeper and that Ant. The sight of the latter¡¯s disgusting smile made Zhang Jun feel like the Ant was getting one over him without doing anything. Out of the blue, he remembered the player wearing Yang Guang¡¯s No. 10 jersey, whose name he never did learn in the end. While his dirty tricks were disgusting, he did put up quite the performance towards the end¨Dand Zhang Jun knew from that alone, he was not a bad person. At the very least, he truly loved soccer. What could he be up to now? ¡­ Yang Guang High School. ¡°Wow! Brother Yong is actually studying!¡± There was a chorus of gasps. ¡­ Zhang Jun would go on to miss the Shu Guang¨CYang Guang match report. It read: ¡°¡­Shu Guang defeated Yang Guang comprehensively with a 3: 0 score line. The match star was once again Shu Guang¡¯s No. 11, Zhang Jun. After coming back to life in the last game, he scored two goals while he assisted in one to eliminate Kai Ta. ¡°And although the opposition proved sly and full of dirty tricks in the next round, he was there again to break the stalemate. When his teammates were beginning to feel frustration and weakness against Yang Guang¡¯s game of fouls, he came to the fore again with two goals and an assist to help them progress. ¡°After missing out due to an injury and watching as his team lost to Zhongyuan Technical, as well losing himself during the Kai Ta match, he has gradually matured¨Dit was observable in each game he played. ¡°This Zhang Jun would prove to be unstoppable¡­¡± The essay was paired with a photograph that captured Zhang Jun¡¯s second goal from an angle behind the Yang Guang post. It perfectly captured the determined expression and stunning will he had on his face, evidence for readers that validated every word of the article. ¡­ Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion, someone punched the redwood desk in front of him viciously. ¡°Shu Guang thrash! Underestimating me! I¡¯ll have them pay for their faux pas!¡± Chapter 49 - Su Fei’s World Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The streetlamps had begun to light up when training ended. Everyone rushed home immediately¨Deven An Ke. This was not the case before, but since his cousin sister had moved in with him, he quickly changed his behavior for the better. How else would he be able to discipline that stubborn kid? As for her presence, it was no secret among his team. An Ke knew exactly who talked, but they merely put on an innocent face, giving him an itch in his teeth. ¡­ Ren Yu De was alone when he ¡°coincidentally¡± bumped into some ¡°acquaintances¡±. ¡°Yo! Isn¡¯t it Yu De?¡± A few guys who had been squatting around the side of the road approached him. Yu De did not want to respond and tried to distance himself but, the gang stood in his way. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Not even staying for a chat with your old friends?¡± Forced to remain where he was, Ren Yu De did not say a thing. He had no intention to ¡°chat¡±. ¡°Tsk, tsk! Branded sports gear, branded trainers, branded gym bag. Looking good there, kid! Shu Guang¡¯s quite the soccer team!¡± The other guy reached out intending to pat his shoulder, but his hand was slapped away by Yu De. ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold! We were friends for two years after all! How could you treat friends like this?¡± he laughed humorlessly. Ren Yu De¡¯s face was gloomy, but he quickly recovered. The nickname of the guy before him was ¡°Cleftie¡±, because all of his upper teeth jutted out from his lips and covered much of his face. Back in his middle school years, the two of them knew each other after getting into fights, although they never really grew close. To meet him today was unexpected. ¡°Hehe! Yu De! I know you¡¯ve mended your ways but, I¡¯ve got a little something I need your help with. I thought long and hard about it, and you¡¯re the only one who can do it.¡± Bucky smiled, baring his buck teeth and curling his lips upwards¨Dit was a repulsive appearance. Nonetheless, Ren Yu De remained silent and Cleftie continued talking, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. We¡¯ll make a bet in your next match against Guan Lin High School and win some pocket money. Haha! There¡¯s plenty of things like this happening all around anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter much if we do it.¡± Ren Yu De¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll need you to cooperate. You only need to make a couple of mistakes in the game and score in your own goal. When the time comes, we¡¯ll be rich! Haha! We¡¯re betting on your defeat! Everyone knows about the other team¡¯s ability. They¡¯ll never beat you under normal circumstances. When the other idiots put all their money on you, we just have to wait for collection! ¡°There¡¯s a portion for you too! But, naturally¡±¨DCleftie changed his tone sharply¨D¡±if you don¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll bruise ourselves all over and tell the cops: the Shu Guang soccer team beat us up! And then, all of you would be disqualified. Haha!¡± He laughed wantonly. ¡°Cooperation or disqualification, what¡¯s your choice?¡± Knowing that he had no other way, Ren Yu De sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Cleftie smiled again. ¡°Smart choice! But you better not play tricks on us! I¡¯ve recorded our conversation, and if you pull a smart one, I¡¯m sending the tape to the Tournament Committee. ¡®Shu Guang player suspected of betting¡¯, haha! Such an eye-catching headline! Hahahaha!¡± A chilling stare flashed across Ren Yu De¡¯s eyes briefly before he laughed too. ¡°I would never dare! Let¡¯s have a pleasant partnership!¡± ¡­ High School Soccer Editorial Department. ¡°Looks like the tournament has settled down.¡± Liu Yang sighed. ¡°The strong teams are progressing and have no immediate threats in the next round¨Dshock results are unlikely.¡± ¡°Yingcai has also proven its place as the dark horse and is a very capable team. It would be natural that they win the next game too¨DZhong Xin, their next opponent, has not been the same since Shui Huajun¡¯s departure. Anything else? Let me hear what you two have to say.¡± The chief editor glanced at the two best reporters under his disposal, Chen Huafeng and Zhou Peng. The pair then looked at each other¨Dso that was the reason why they were summoned. Zhou Peng started first. ¡°I believe the matches have plenty of points; any games involving Zhongyuan, Shu Guang and Dingding would have plenty to write about. And then there¡¯s the new kids on the block, Yingcai High School along with their star duo, Ma Ni and Sima Hongxin. Why not feature them in the next issue?¡± Liu Yang shook his head. ¡°Every other media has written tons upon tons of articles about them. Some even brought up their elementary school stories. Those can be included as supplementary materials¨Dbut, they are definitely neither highlights nor cover page material!¡± ¡°Then, how about this?¡±¨DZhou Peng pressed on¨D¡±There has been a long-standing argument among readers about who holds the reins in Shu Guang; Zhang Jun or Yang Pan. How about a special-analysis issue? It would sell.¡± ¡°What is there to compare?¡± His chief editor glared at him. ¡°Zhang Jun is the main character and the indisputable linchpin of the team. No matter how Yang Pan improves, he¡¯ll still be in the service of his friend. This year, Yang Pan himself scored one but, assisted a whole lot more¨Dmeaning that he was aware of this fact. So, what more can we say when the person involved has realized what¡¯s what?¡± After being shot down twice, Zhou Peng kept quiet. So, Liu Peng turned his attention to Chen Huafeng, who had not said anything yet. ¡°Any suggestions, Little Chen?¡± ¡°Do you remember the interview I had last year with Su Fei, the Shu Guang manager?¡± Liu Yang¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Chen Huafeng nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s have a feature for Su Fei when the other outlets fuss over the games and the players. Let¡¯s view soccer and Shu Guang¡¯s growth from the eyes of their manager. Moved by the idea, Liu Yang slapped his palms on the desk in front of him. ¡°Good! Let¡¯s do that! The title will be ;Su Fei¡¯s World¡¯. Tell me if you need anyone¡¯s help¨DI¡¯ll send them over!¡± And so, this was how the Shu Guang players began to ¡°suffer¡±. Each of the members told stories of being stopped by reporters from High School Soccer, who asked them questions about Su Fei. ¡°Su Fei! Today¡¯s been quite interesting!¡± Zhang Jun laughed as he made a beeline for her house. ¡°I met a man¨Dquite the shady character. He kept insisting that he was a reporter and would not stop asking me about you; anything I say, he would write it down in his notebook. Haha! Next time you go out, remember to be careful of those middle-aged perverts¨D¡± He was stopped short when he saw Chen Huafeng, who was sitting opposite Su Fei and smiling at him. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m a middle-aged pervert too?¡± he asked. Awkwardly, Zhang Jun reflexively retorted, ¡°Uh¡­ No, nope. Of course you¡¯re not a middle-aged pervert. You¡¯re a teenage pervert.¡± The teenage pervert was visibly stunned. ¡°You¡­ Is that the way to talk to your elders?¡± ¡°Why then would you keep running to Su Fei¡¯s house?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been here twice¡­¡± ¡°Do you plan on coming every day?¡± Su Fei knocked Zhang Jun on the head. ¡°Stop talking rubbish! He¡¯s here for an interview.¡± Zhang Jun rubbed the spot where he was hit. ¡°He said that the last time¡­¡± Zhang Jun moaned, but in a more subdued voice. Ha! So, Zhang Jun has a ¡®wife¡¯ who takes care of his manners! Chen Huafeng grinned maliciously inside, knowing that if he said that, the night¡¯s interview would go to the dumps. Still, he could not help feeling happy with himself. Hmph! I¡¯ll let you run your mouth! I¡¯ve got you now! It was the usual interview session; Zhang Jun, having gone through quite a number of those, remained quiet in a corner. Su Fei on the other hand, was the picture of enthusiasm. She was not as nervous as she had been when they did this for the first-time; she quickly answered every question according to her knowledge and chattered incessantly. This, Zhang Jun thought, is the kind of idiot that reporters love! And when the topic came to Su Fei¡¯s life before high school, she quickly and honestly said that she did not understand soccer before that. ¡°Yeah! Yeah! I had to labor hard to teach her the soccer knowledge she has now!¡± Zhang Jun cut in. ¡°Oh? You did not understood soccer?¡± Chen Huafeng¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°But, why would you choose to become Shu Guang¡¯s new manager in the first place?¡± Su Fei flashed her trademark smile. ¡°Because, I like soccer!¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s heart was moved. That was what she told him a year ago too. And because of that, he had been working as hard as he did up till the present. As for the reporter, in a rare moment of confusion, Chen Huafeng asked a rather meaningless question. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Fei thought about it. ¡°Liking is liking, there doesn¡¯t need to be a reason!¡± ¡­ Chen Huafeng hurried back to the office after bidding goodbye to the both of them; he needed to sort out the materials he collected from the interview, but Su Fei¡¯s words lingered on in his mind. ¡°I like soccer!¡± ¡°Liking is liking, there doesn¡¯t need to be a reason!¡± Liking is liking. So, that¡¯s how it is. A simple mindset, but how awe-inspiring it was! Maybe the Shu Guang players held the same attitude as her? Because of their love for the game, they were never distracted and would pay attention to every detail. That was how they could play so well and create miracles on every turn. The journalist then stared blankly at the materials his helpers had collected. Teammate #1: ¡°Su Fei¡¯s very beautiful!¡± Rubbish! Teammate #2: ¡°Su Fei¡¯s very energetic!¡± Thrash! Teammate #3: ¡°Su Fei loves to work; she unites the team, respects teachers and elders, studies diligently and contributes her own strength to improve society¡­¡± Chen Huafeng crumpled the entire sheet and threw it into the garbage bin. Next. ¡°Su Fei¡¯s three sizes are xx, xx and xx. Favorite underwear color is¡­¡± Clearly, Chen Huafeng had found An Ke¡¯s reply. Grunting, he crumpled the entire sheet as well and threw it into the garbage bin. However, he suddenly jumped up. He retrieved the paper, straightened it out and folded it before slipping it into his own pocket. Next. ¡°How do I say this? Hmmm. When we hear her shouts from the sidelines, we feel a drive when we play, hehe! Although this is how I personally feel¡­¡± The interviewee was Kaka. Yang Pan: ¡°She¡¯s always the first to celebrate our goals. She¡¯d also scream and celebrate every win crazily without a care in the world. That¡¯s when you forget her usual quiet personality.¡± Lin Xiaofang, first-year student: ¡°She¡¯s a nice person, very caring towards the new members. Although she has to worry about all sorts of things for the team and do it alone on top of that, she never complains.¡± Ren Yu De: ¡°She¡¯s nice.¡± And then, he reached Zhang Jun¡¯s response. The version where he fooled around with Huafeng¡¯s assistant had already joined the few others at the bottom of the waste basket; this was from his own interview at Su Fei¡¯s place. ¡°She looks quiet on the outside but, she can be quite tempestuous on the inside. Then there¡¯s quite the count of those who fell for her wiles; Forcing others to go out with her on rest days, and when there¡¯s a break, she¡¯d drag you to study¡­¡± Quiet for a moment, Zhang Jun then finished with, ¡°But, I¡¯m thankful for her.¡± The line that seemed to come out of nowhere left Chen Huafeng pondering. ¡°¡­Truthfully, if you look at it in certain way, the Shu Guang of today would not have existed if not for Su Fei,¡± Liang Ke had said in his own interview. That statement shocked Chen Huafeng. How could a manager have so big an impact? But looking at all the critics in her charge, the reporter slowly discovered the answer. Su Fei was a run-of-the-mill manager, but she dearly loved the sport and her job. She dedicated herself to the team and helped the players wholeheartedly¨Dand that spirit truly inspired the players. Everyone liked her thus, they would not want to see her sad, just like how Zhang Jun himself once put it. ¡°We don¡¯t want her to be sad, so we¡¯ll keep winning match after match.¡± Su Fei¡¯s presence was among the chief factors in the team¡¯s meteoric rise¨Dapart from the excellent players and coach, as well as the players¡¯ love for the game! Such a lucky girl to have so many teammates who liked her. Such a lucky team to have so fine a manager! That expression of thankfulness from Zhang Jun may not just be his own either¨Dit could have very well been a conveyance of gratitude from the entire team. Without Su Fei, there would not be the Shu Guang of today. Therefore, they were all thankful for all that she had done. And thus, the featured article for the next issue took shape in Chen Huafeng¡¯s mind. Chapter 50 - Zero Suspense Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was a match with zero suspense. On one side were last year¡¯s dark horse, whose ability was ranked among the top three in town right now. On the other side was Guan Lin, an average team that never made it past the final 16 each year. Whether it was timing, geographical advantage or personnel, there was not one aspect that pointed to a Shu Guang defeat. Even their own opponents did not believe that they would ultimately win. As a result, the third round of Luoyang qualifiers for the National Championships¨Dthe final 16 game where Shu Guang hosted Guan Lin¨Dbecame a match with zero suspense. ¡­ ¡°Autumn freshness, no clouds for miles, optimum temperature and breeze¡­¡± Liang Ke mumbled, looking up at the sky. Not far away from him, the players were warming up. They looked very relax and were fooling around; Zhang Jun, who saw an opening to prank Yang Pan was being chased all over the pitch. It was then that everyone else realized how fast Zhang Jun was¨Dhe was not losing out to Yang Pan! Each time Yang Pan almost got his hands on him, he would arch, burst forth and pull away. Laughter filled the arena. Even the Shu Guang students who came to watch the game were infected by the relaxed players. All they talked about was how many goals Yang Pan and Zhang Jun would score, what an exciting performance Kaka would put on, Ren Yu De¡¯s beautiful dribbling and so forth. The attending reporters were no different. All they talked about were ¡°Zhang Jun this¡±, ¡°Yang Pan that¡±, ¡°Kaka what¡±¡­ Since it was universally acknowledged that their opponents were nothing out of the ordinary, even individuals with an IQ rate of 35 could guess the result. The only issue was: how many goals would Shu Guang bag with their formidable attack. Three? Or, five? Either way, nobody even cared about the other team. They had no stars, famous results and not even a single handsome player or pretty manager. It was as if they were born to be one of those film extras who did not even have a single line. But what everyone failed to notice amid the relaxed atmosphere was the quiet and gloomy Ren Yu De. Even Liang Ke was being lax in the pre-match meeting. He merely took care of the usual formalities and added, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say. Just do as you wish on the pitch!¡± In the other team meeting, the only thing the Guan Lin coach told his players was, ¡°Give your best, don¡¯t leave any regrets.¡± ¡­ The referee¡¯s whistle rang and the match began right on schedule. Shu Guang attacked on the get-go. Kaka turned beautifully in the middle; his moves were as graceful as a ballet dancer, drawing squeals from the ¡°Kaka Defense Squad¡±. The journalists joined in the commotion too with incessant flashes from their cameras. After dribbling past another player, Kaka curved the ball to the right with the outer sole of his right foot. Yang Pan received it and feinted a run¨Dthe Guan Lin defender who came up to him reacted by quickly running back. Smiling, the Shu Guang captain began a burst through the middle and passed to Zhang Jun, who was approaching. Two defenders closed in as Zhang Jun cut inside the box diagonally. Without stopping after receiving the pass from Yang Pan, he made a backheel pass to Ren Yu De. Ren Yu De was unmarked! The angle was small but it was a point that he was used to scoring from, and he prepared to shoot! Every other player and fan held their hands high as they stood, waiting to celebrate their first goal. Under the unadulterated shouts of ¡°Shu Guang, score! Shu Guang, score¡­¡± from their cheerleaders, Ren Yu De¡¯s effort slipped pass a defender¡¯s outstretched leg and the hands of the keeper, albeit flying over the crossbar and out of the line. Like a sitcom, the cheers instantly turned into loud sighs. The photographers who had been at it most of the day only got the pictures of a missed shot. Ren Yu De looked clearly frustrated after his miss and turned back in silence with his head hung low. Zhang Jun ran over to cheer him up. ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s just the first effort. There will still be plenty of chances.¡± Yu De looked up to find his teammate smiling at him before returning to his position. ¡°Such beautiful teamwork! Too bad it didn¡¯t go in!¡± Chen Huafeng mumbled to himself. ¡°Those four are melding together more and more. Kaka¡¯s passes, Yang Pan¡¯s speed, Ren Yu De¡¯s skill and Zhang Jun¡¯s deadly finishing. I dare say they¡¯ll have little competition even in the Nationals!¡± Xiao Zhang learned over the last few games that it was a habit of Huafeng¡¯s. He initially thought that his senior was speaking to him and responded in return¨Dwhich usually soured things after that. He then learned to ignore the monologues¨Das long as Chen Huafeng did not say his name, he would keep quiet. In one of the corners of the stands, there was another person who was ¡°awed¡±. ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s attack really lives up to its name! Hehe! Looks like Yu De is on form today!¡± ¡­ Barely composing themselves, Guan Lin¡¯s kick from the goal fell into the midfield¨Dbut in 10 seconds, Shu Guang took possession of the ball once more. Wang Ning cleanly cut the ball off by edging the dribbling player away¨Dhe had vastly improved after two games and increased his rate of successful tackles as well as precise long balls. Chen Bo and Lin Xiaofang were also noticeably better; the latter¡¯s goal-line clearance in the last game proved that they played with their heads. This brought much relief to Liang Ke, for speed and technique mattered less than brains, and athletes who played using their minds would have a great future ahead. Chen Bo¡¯s unlimited stamina and fearsome, precise tackles; Lin Xiaofang¡¯s powerful body and his improved awareness in defense along with the experienced third-years, Li Jieguang and Xie Yu, the defense alleviated Liang Ke¡¯s worries as they raised a shield in front of An Ke. Conceding just one goal from two games proved it. Wang Ning sent a long pass in attack. Yang Pan received and lobbed it to the left. Ren Yu De chested the ball, played a few feints but did not burst into the box, back passing instead to the left-back, Xie Yu who had come up to assist with the offense. Liang Ke furrowed his brows. It was a great chance for a breakthrough; Yang Pan¡¯s quick pass had scattered the Guan Lin defense. If Ren Yu De had made his run, it would have been a great chance for him to score. It was the least appropriate time for him to be passing selflessly. The coach was also finding his behavior bizarre¨Dusually, Ren Yu De would charge headlong even if there were five opponents onto him, and this time he passed the ball out, away from the penalty area. It would have been decisive whether he made a pass or a shot but, he was simply unexpectedly selfless today! Xie Yu passed the ball to Li Hao, who in turn gave it to the oncoming Chen Bo. Now that the usually static Shu Guang defense had moved pass the halfway line, there was truly no doubt how one-sided the competition was. Every Guan Lin player had retreated into their own half. Against the famed Shu Guang offensive, there was no other way for Guan Lin other than to assume a thoroughly defensive formation¨Da formation that allowed Nanyang to weather through Shu Guang¡¯s assault for 62 minutes last year. However, they had forgot that the situation involved the Shu Guang of last year. This year, Shu Guang had Kaka¨Da player with outstanding technique, exquisite passes and first-class playmaking awareness in the midfield. The Brazilian dribbled, turned, changed heading and accelerated. He then passed the ball to Zhang Jun amid the crowd. The striker turned and took a shot! Guan Lin¡¯s keeper knocked the ball away desperately. Not tarrying, a defender quickly cleared it with a long ball. Liang Ke¡¯s eyebrows arched and he began to tense. Ren Yu De was not being his normal self. He missed a shot he was so adept at in the opening minutes and just ahead of a clear penalty box, he opted to pass and not burst forward. And then there was that ridiculous pass just now. Many of Shu Guang¡¯s offensives stopped when it reached him. The score was still 0: 0 at this point; Shu Guang had yet to open the scoring after 30 minutes. Guan Lin, growing in confidence, even managed a few counter-attacks. Spectators on the stands were becoming quiet. Although the match was intense, they were apathetic due to the lack of goals. For them, however beautifully it was played, games without goals were meaningless. Guan Lin was on the counter again in the thirty-seventh minute; their No. 20 dodged Xie Yu¡¯s blunder of a tackle! Shu Guang immediately retreated¨Deven Yang Pan, Ren Yu De and Kaka were all now keeping guard at the 30-m area from their own goal. Only Zhang Jun stayed up front. No. 7 crossed low! An Ke moved out and prepared to intercept the non-threatening cross. However, Ren Yu De made a high-speed sliding block and got to the ball in front of the keeper. But, it did not fly off the baseline, heading towards his own goal instead. Own goal! Despite all the color draining from his face, An Ke still changed directions and dived towards the ball, barely keeping it off the line¨Dhe almost collided with the posts himself. Everyone, other than those affiliated with Guan Lin and that certain person watching from the stands breathed a long sigh. To dominate but not score and conceding to one¡¯s own goal first would have dealt a heavy blow to Shu Guang. And the almost-own goal did cause them trouble. The ensuing corner saw obvious confusion within the Shu Guang box. There had not been such scenes of utter chaos in recent matches¨Dit was reminiscent of their defense last year. The ball was scrambled around different feet, while An Ke could do nothing else but stay vigilant. If he dived out now, it would be fatal. Shortly after, someone cleared the ball to the front, finally shaving off the danger. ¡­ An Ke looked serious now. That tackle from Ren Yu De did not look like a block and more like a shot! He was stunned at that very thought; it took a while for him to gather himself. Why was Ren Yu De doing this? The coach then thought of the boy¡¯s past¨Dhis days as an infamous ruffian before high school. His family was a well-to-do one, but he hated their norms. As a result, he entertained his rebellious tendencies conspicuously, breaking rules and keeping company with street thugs. The number of school regulations he broke was sufficient to have him expelled a hundred times over, but his family would use money as recompense for his transgressions in every turn. This enraged him further and prompted worse behavior. One day, finally reaching the limits of his patience, his father decided to send him to a reform school. However, he could not stand the sight of Yu De¡¯s mother crying upon the day of registration as she wept at the thought of not seeing her son every day. This changed his mind at the very last minute, and that was how Ren Yu De kept himself away from Yang Guang. Later on, the presence of Wen Jiucheng, the chairing teacher of Shu Guang¡¯s Morals Committee and his father¡¯s former comrade led to Ren Yu De¡¯s enrollment into Shu Guang. Everybody knew the rest; his love for soccer brought him back to the light. That was his past. Although it was dark, his repentance had granted him a brighter future. So why? Liang Ke knew that he had certain ¡°friends¡± of shady backgrounds, and it could possibly be¡­ Match-fixing! The Shu Guang coach himself was startled by those words. High school soccer had been all the rage in recent years¨Dmeaning that, while it attracted quite the number of fans it also drew in some flies. The coach himself had already learned of some high schoolers who were involved in fixing games, but never expected himself to be troubled by it. That said, why would Ren Yu De agree to it? He had already secured himself a place in the first-team through his performance, not to mention winning accolades from critics and the trust of his teammates. He had a bunch of genuine friends and was in real need of money¡­ So, why? What could make him sacrifice everything? Gambling with his friends, his happiness and his future¨Dwould the payoff be worth it? The referee blew his whistle twice, signaling the end of the first half. Both sides fought to a 0:0 draw, a result many did not expect. Chapter 51 - Blue Skies Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The referee blew his whistle twice, signaling the end of the first half and breaking Liang Ke¡¯s train of thought. The coach got up from his seat and made his way towards the field¡¯s exit. He watched and waited as both teams passed him by, getting off the pitch and into their locker rooms. He was waiting for Ren Yu De. Ren Yu De was the last person to get off the field. He seemed to be troubled by something and walked slower than the others, as if wanting to be left alone. And as he got closer to him, Liang Ke briefly revised his message to the boy. ¡°Ren Yu De.¡± Ren Yu De looked up at his coach in his dejected state. Just as the coach was about to continue, he was taken aback by the look in the boy¡¯s eyes. His eyes were clean and pure. Although there were still bits of it in his gaze, his eyes were not as muddled with emotions as the first time they met. Liang Ke knew that the boy in front of him was an introvert, soft spoken and often mistaken for being unfriendly. But he also had the chance of seeing how he laughed when he was around Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, An Ke and Kaka. How could a player who laughed like that with his teammates, betray their trust, or his dreams? Liang Ke thought. Ren Yu De looked at his coach, still waiting for him to say something. But, Liang Ke only patted him on the shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s still the second half! Go on!¡± Ren Yu De was surprised by his coach¡¯s words. He stood there and took everything in before heading into the lockers. The atmosphere in the locker room was not somber as Liang Ke thought it would be. Even though they did not score any goals, everyone was talking in a very relaxed manner and even joking around. This surprised the coach. Since when was his team this relaxed during a match? As a coach, he knew that this was a result of the team¡¯s confidence. Where did the Shu Guang team from the start of the last school year go? Where were those kids who had no idea what they were playing for, and were sh*tting bricks when they heard that they were up against a top five team? Coach Liang Ke then realized for the first time, that he could no longer underestimate just how fast these boys could grow. Zhang Jun made his way over to Ren Yu De. He noticed that Ren Yu De had been very quiet since returning to the locker room, and thought that he was blaming himself for the ¡°unfortunate misplay¡± earlier. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think about it too much. That was just a small mistake! You don¡¯t have to beat yourself up about it.¡± Kaka also joined them. ¡°Yeah! Besides, An Ke is doing nothing most of the time anyway. So, that was a good warm up for him. Didn¡¯t you see how beautiful his dive was to make that save?¡± ¡°Shut up, Kaka! I hate it when people think that I¡¯m no good.¡± An Ke jumped. ¡°If I can¡¯t even make a good save like that shot just now, you guys are gonna have a bad time in the second half! Heh heh!¡± he boasted. And while he was still laughing and feeling proud of himself, a bottle of water flew across the room and hit him square on the face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I tried telling you to catch it, but you weren¡¯t listening,¡± Yang Pan said, without even the slightest bit of regret in his tone or his manner of speaking. Seeing the bottle mark imprinted on An Ke¡¯s face, Su Fei could not hold herself back and broke into laughter. And as her loud laugh echoed in the locker room, An Ke finally snapped. ¡°Yang Pan! You a**hole! I¡¯m gonna eat you alive!¡± An Ke sounded like a mad dog. ¡°Oy! Kaka! What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°And you! Zhang Jun! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t get you just because you¡¯re hiding behind Su Fei!¡± ¡°Lin Xiaofang! Chen Bo! You two juniors dare laugh at your senior? Let me teach you guys some respect!¡± Liang Ke leaned against the door and smiled as he watched his team. He had no intention of stopping them. And as he turned to look at Ren Yu De, the coach saw his expression changing. It was like a sky with heavy clouds slowly clearing up. Finally, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone on him; he was finally smiling. With that change, Ren Yu De joined in on the fun too. ¡°Argh! Ren Yu De! That was a cheap shot!¡± ¡°Oy! Oy! Don¡¯t hit innocent people!¡± Liang Ke said as he dodged a bottle that went flying towards him. But as soon as he stood back up, someone¡¯s smelly sock flew and landed right on his face. Liang Ke removed the sock with his fingers and revealed an annoyed face. As he was about to step in and stop the brawl, someone emptied a bottle of water on his shirt, extinguishing what was left of his patience. ¡°You punks! You dare mess with me? You must be tired of living!¡± ¡°What the hell? Who¡¯s pulling my hair? Fight like a man you a**hole!¡± ¡°F*ck! Who¡¯s kicking below the waist! That¡¯s a foul! Red card! Red card!¡± ¡­ And so, the team spent their 15-minute break time in utter chaos. No strategy meeting, no motivational speeches or cheering whatsoever. All 11 players walked onto the pitch covered in various bruises and injuries! The Guan Lin team stared in shock at their freshly injured opponents and they all wondered just what had happened to them. Just as they were thinking if the coach was responsible for all this, they all froze like they just saw Medusa: Liang Ke was seen drenched from head to toe. His hair was dripping wet and sticking to his forehead while his neat white shirt was sullied and unruly. He looked as if he just came out of a war zone¨Da far cry from his usual appearance! Liang Ke awkwardly sat down on his seat next to Su Fei. She was covering her mouth with her hands, trying hard not to laugh. But as soon as she saw the silly reactions from the opposing team, she could not help but laugh out loud. Liang Ke finally understood the destructive part of Su Fei¡¯s laughter when everyone who heard it, turned to look at them and started noticing his messy state. Liang Ke was embarrassed, but he could only glare at Su Fei intensely, hinting at her to shut up. Despite that, his current get up was so undignified that when he glared at her, it only made her laugh harder. Meanwhile on the pitch, the Shu Guang boys looked like they were about to start a fight. They were all gritting their teeth and glaring fiercely at their opponents, as if they were the ones who punched, kicked, or poured water all over them in the locker room earlier. The whole team exuded an enormous, fearsome aura towards the Guan Lin team, ready to tear apart as soon as the referee blew the whistle! This change in Shu Guang High was not lost on someone watching from the stands and it sent shivers down his spine. He felt as if the Shu Guang team became a totally different team right after half-time. Sh*t¡­ But before he could even continue his thought, the sound of the referee¡¯s whistle resounded throughout the stadium. The second half began! At the sound of the whistle, Shu Guang High charged into their opponent¡¯s half of the field. Yang Pan performed a sliding tackle with such ferocity that it scared the his opponent into giving up the ball. He then passed it to an angry looking Kaka! Kaka was pissed because someone had kicked him in the back during the half-time brawl, giving him a dirty footprint just right under the number 10 on his jersey. He charged with the ball towards the defenders as he bared his fangs. The defenders were caught off-guard by how angry he looked and froze in their tracks, allowing him to slip past them easily. He then passed the ball over to Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun carried the ball towards the goal and feinted a shot at the goal. The other team sent out one, two, three defenders to defend against him. They were all aware of how dangerous it was to let him close to the penalty area. But just when they thought he would try to go through them and score, Zhang Jun passed the ball! With a misleading kick using his heel, Zhang Jun sent the ball between the legs of one defender over to Ren Yu De! The opposing team had sent out most of their defenders against Zhang Jun, and now, the closest defender to Ren Yu De was three meters away. He was practically unguarded! Ren Yu De did not hesitate and reactively kicked the ball with his right leg, sending it towards the goal! Everyone got on the edge of their seats and the reporters began frantically clicking away with their cameras, sending flashes all over the field! Liang Ke stood up in response, his hands raised in celebration! He knew that Ren Yu De would not let him down! ¡°Go, go Shu Guang! Go, go Shu Guang!¡± Liu Qi and the Shu Guang High cheerleaders shouted! Everybody watched as the ball flew past a defender¡¯s foot, over the keeper¡¯s hand, across the goal line, and into the net! ¡°Goaaaaalll!!!¡± Cheers erupted across the whole stadium like a crashing tsunami. Everybody was calling out one name, ¡°Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De!¡± Ren Yu De stood exactly where he was with his head held up high, savoring the moment. He had never felt anything like it before. So many people calling out his name at the same time! It felt so surreal, as if such glory could only be found in dreams¡­ He turned around and saw his teammates running towards him. Zhang Jun who assisted, leaped onto him. Friends. Ren Yu De fell on his back with his arms wide open as his teammates piled up on him like a rugby team. Barely five minutes into the second half, Shu Guang High¡¯s No. 9, Ren Yu De scored a beautiful shot from a very tight angle, breaking the stalemate and giving Shu Guang High a one point lead on Guan Lin High. What a beautiful goal! However, somewhere on the stands, someone was cursing and swearing in a very animated manner. Nonetheless, the loud cheering from the crowd absolutely drowned out his voice, leaving him to throw his tantrum without anyone else noticing. To everyone else there, it was a beautiful goal, which sent Shu Guang High into the lead. But to Ren Yu De, it meant something else. He had placed his past into this kick and now, he only saw blue skies ahead. Chapter 52 - Limitless Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the next issue of High School Soccer, Chen Huafeng who covered the match wrote: ¡°A very wonderful match to watch! The game started off slow at first, but as soon as the second half began, Shu Guang High steamrolled through the game with great cooperation on the front lines. Such levels of teamwork have never been seen before in the history of this cup! Shu Guang¡¯s prided offensive lineup displayed seamless teamwork in the match, showing the world what the strongest offensive team in Luoyang is capable of when they go all out. Their scoring of five goals in the match is a huge declaration to everyone that there is no defense too hard for them!¡± ¡­ After allowing their opponents to score the first goal, Guan Lin High did not attack Shu Guang aggressively as many thought they would. Instead, they played defensively, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Their strategy was to play it slow and steady so that they could wear down their opponents for a counter. However, that did not stop Shu Guang from stepping up and maintaining their tempo. Additionally, Guan Lin¡¯s defense did not become too much to handle for Shu Guang High. With their newfound synergy on the front lines, all of Guan Lin High¡¯s defensive efforts seemed like they were just for show. Kaka challenged and stole the ball in the center of the field, carrying it forward without any hesitation. As he did that, the three other forwards came running to the front. They were attacking again! Seeing his teammates making their move, Kaka sped up as a defender stepped in to challenge him for the ball. Kaka raised his right foot behind him, implying that he was about to kick the ball far away. A defender then quickly got into a slide to try to stop him. Kaka swung his foot forward, but did not kick the ball. Instead, he stopped the ball with his right foot, and with his left, he hooked the ball up to the right as he leaped over the sliding defender! What a beautiful feint! The crowd went wild, shouting, screaming and clapping at Kaka¡¯s brilliant move! As soon as his feet got back on the ground, Kaka flicked the ball with his right foot. It sent it high up, over another oncoming defender and over to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun was facing away from the goal at that point. When the ball came down towards him, he reactively kicked it away, passing it over to Yang Pan before turning around and sprinting towards the penalty box. The other Guan Lin High defenders all closed in on Yang Pan, trying to pressure him into making a mistake and giving up the ball. However, Yang Pan did not panic. As soon as the ball came into his possession, he kicked it hard, sending it flying to the far right. The ball flew towards the corner of the pitch where there were no defenders. Only one player was there to receive the ball: Ren Yu De! The goalkeeper quickly moved to the side of the goal. After letting him score the first time, he knew that Ren Yu De was good at scoring from tight angles. So, he moved in close to the side to make sure that he could not get a proper shot. Ren Yu De raised his left leg high up behind him. He was making his shot! The keeper readied himself to receive the ball, but¡­ the ball did not come towards him. Instead, Ren Yu De kicked the ball further out to his right. He was not planning to score, he was passing the ball to Zhang Jun! The ball flew to the front of the goal and Zhang Jun, who was running towards it managed to intercept it. As a defender sprinted towards him from behind, Zhang Jun suddenly stopped. He threw the defender off and instantly widened the distance between them. He was open! Zhang Jun drew his foot towards his back and his body became a locked crossbow. Right whenthe landed in front of him, he fired! His leg swung forward and connected squarely with the ball, sending it flying straight towards the undefended goal. A volley! The ball flew in a straight line, hitting the goal line before bouncing into the net behind a clueless goalkeeper. He turned around just in time to see the ball pass him by and go into the net. 2:0! And that was just 17 minutes into the second half! A brilliant display of teamwork from the four stars of Shu Guang High, which ended with Zhang Jun¡¯s volley sealing the deal. Zhang Jun was thrilled after scoring. He ran towards his team with his right hand raised, celebrating the goal. His teammates all cheered and ran along with him. Chen Huafeng watched the whole thing happen from the stands. He watched as Zhang Jun ran over to this teammates with his hand raised and how his teammates ran along behind him. That scene felt to him like Zhang Jun was the head of a vanguard, leading the charge and waving a flag with his raised hand. The people who were following him were his comrades who trusted him just as much as he trusted them. These boys were all brothers in arms, teammates on the pitch, and friends in life¡­ ¡­ Six minutes later, Zhang Jun headed the ball and like a leaping fish breaking the surface of the water, he scored his second goal. He did his victory run again with his right hand raised while his teammates ran along behind him. Another 10 minutes later, Zhang Jun received a pass from Kaka. He evaded the goalkeeper who came forward to try to stop him and sent the ball flying into the wide open goal. A hat-trick! Once again, he did his victory run with his right hand raised while his teammates followed suit. The same victory run, happening three times within the span of 16 minutes! Chen Huafeng smiled. ¡°So, that¡¯s where trust comes from!¡± Zhang Jun scoring a hat-trick in such a short period of time sent the Shu Guang High cheerleaders into a frenzy. They shouted, ¡°Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun!¡± non-stop. They cheered every time Zhang Jun took possession of the ball and every time Zhang Jun shot or passed. The freshmen cheerleaders who still had their doubts about Zhang Jun¡¯s skills from the first match, were now cheering for him passionately. That day, they finally witnessed what a scoring champion was: One who made a breakthrough when the team was in a deadlock, one who did not back down even after his team was in the lead, one who stepped up to the task and and carried the team, one who¡¯s charisma drove the crowds crazy, one who would always bring hope and assurance to the team, never leaving anyone behind; one who kept on scoring, keeping the dream alive¡­ Su Fei was amazed as she watched how enthusiastic the spectators had become. As she heard ¡°Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun!¡± being shouted from all sides of the stadium, she wondered, since when did Zhang Jun become so popular? Since when did he gain so many followers, so many fans? And since when did he stop being a simple kid with no desire to do better; a kid who was not interesting even in the least and one who was never going to become a main character? Was it because he scored a few goals? No! Su Fei did not believe that to be the reason. Looking back at his performance in the game, his persistence in his attacks and his calming, reassuring smile; these were the things that won the people¡¯s hearts. These were the things that made the naysayers all turn around and place their hopes as well as dreams on him too. That¡¯s right, she was looking at a new Zhang Jun right now. After going through so much, he had grown up. Su Fei suddenly felt tears building up in her eyes. If all the disappointments and heartaches they went through were needed to turn him into the person he was today, then all the blood, sweat and tears they sacrificed was worth it. All that suffering they went through to get to this point was worth it. ¡°Zhang Jun, I started loving soccer because of you. And now, because of soccer, I now realize just how much I love you¡­¡± The match ended with Yang Pan¡¯s signature powerful long-ranged shot, giving Shu Guang High their fifth goal. It also gave an explosive ending to a wonderful match. 5:0! Shu Guang High eliminated Guan Lin High with an impressive score in the final eight round. And as soon as the referee blew the final whistle¨Dbringing the match to an end¨Dthe reporters present at the match instantly surrounded the winners like a pack of starving wolves, locking on their prey. Every member of the team, from the coach to the players were all bombarded by the press without mercy. ¡°Coach Liang Ke, your team¡¯s front line showed us some really scary offensive power not to mention, excellent teamwork in today¡¯s match. Can you tell us how you trained them?¡± This was no doubt the biggest question playing in many people¡¯s minds. Many interested parties were eager to find out how they got to such a great level of teamwork. At this point, a lot of people were already familiar with how strong Shu Guang¡¯s four star players were on their own, but seeing them all play with such fluid synergy in today¡¯s match was something new to them. What kind of training did they go through to be able to make plays like that? Liang Ke simply looked at all the eager eyes staring back at him, and smiled. ¡°Well, I let them fool around during training.¡± ¡°Fool around?¡± The members of the press were all taken aback by his response. What kind of coach would allow his players to ¡°fool around¡± during training? Training was supposed to prepare the players for the matches. It was meant for drilling them with all the tactical as well as technical skills required over and over again until they were good at them, instead of having fun! But Liang Ke was not joking! The truth was, the team trained five days a week. But in the first three days of training, Coach Liang Ke would not make Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, Ren Yu De and Kaka do any drills. He would throw them a ball and say, ¡°Go play on your own!¡± And then he would divert all his attention into training the others, especially the newcomers like Lin Xiaofang, Chen Bo and Wang Ning. The whole team would only get together for training on the other two days. When Kaka first joined the team, Liang Ke already noticed that the boy had a natural talent for improvising on the go. Not only that, he could also be very creative in handling the ball, a result of growing up while playing soccer on the beaches of Brazil. He utilized a lot of improvisation in his gameplay, which were not bound by any rules or consistency whatsoever. This made him extremely unpredictable. Liang Ke knew that if he tried drilling the boy with rigid tactics and standard techniques, Kaka would only be able to play at only about 30 % of his full potential. So, he decided that the best way to bring out the best in Kaka was not in limiting him, but in letting him go wild. But that meant that whoever teamed up with Kaka had to be able to read his plays, get into position and prepare for his random passes from out of nowhere. That¡¯s something regular textbook training could never teach! Hence, Liang Ke figured that the best way for them to achieve this was not through training but rather, letting the boys play and have fun by themselves. That way, they could get used to each other¡¯s styles better and something good may just come out of it. Despite all the risks involved, Liang Ke was glad he made that decision. Today¡¯s result was a testament to just how effective the ¡°training¡± had been, with all five goals being nothing short of satisfying . The four players kept passing the ball around as they moved in and out of enemyterritory, cutting through the defense with such fluidity and tempo. It made it seem like they were all linked together telepathically. ¡°Coach, Zhang Jun gave your team a hat-trick today; is there anything you can tell us about him?¡± Chen Huafeng finally got the chance to ask his question. He had prepared it in advance. ¡°He¡¯s a very outstanding forward and his ability to score is way above average. And seeing howhe performed over the last three matches, there certainly has been a great deal of improvement in his attitude on the pitch.¡± ¡°Then, how would you describe his future?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Liang Ke gave the question some thought, before looking up to the clear blue sky and saying, ¡°Limitless¡­¡± ¡°Limitless!¡± Liang Ke¡¯s reply was more than enough for Chan Huafeng. This was the opinion of a man who personally witnessed Zhang Jun¡¯s growth. Limitless. ¡­ Sunday, in a quiet alley somewhere¡­ ¡°You sh*tty brat! Have you forgotten what you promised me? You said you would throw the match! Make a wrong pass! But what did I get? 5:0! A huge win for Shu Guang High! You son of a b*tch!¡± Cleftie was shouting angrily at Ren Yu De, who had his back up against the wall. ¡°You¡¯re too loud. You¡¯re gonna attract people here,¡± Ren Yu De replied as he dug his ear. ¡°So what? You lied to us! Shu Guang should have lost that game!¡± ¡°You called me out here for this sh*t? What¡¯s the big deal? How much did you lose? I¡¯ll get you the money,¡± Ren Yu De said nonchalantly. ¡°F*ck you! You think this is about the money? You just poked the hornet¡¯s nest! You¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Alright already! Let¡¯s stop wasting time. So all of you at once or one-on-one?¡± Ren Yu De asked the six other guys ganging up on him as he started to take his jacket off. Cleftie was surprised. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you scared of what the committee would do to your team if you get caught fighting?¡± ¡°Hah! Look around, there¡¯s no one else. No witnesses!¡± said Ren Yu De with an evil grin. But as soon as he finished his sentence, another group of people entered the alley. ¡°Well, now there are!¡± Cleftie laughed. However, as soon as he turned to look at the group of people, he froze. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± a fierce looking Ah Yuan asked as he sized up the group surrounding Shu Guang High¡¯s No. 9. Ren Yu De also turned and looked at the group, after which he found Li Yongle as well as Zhang Yang standing next to Ah Yuan. ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± Li Yongle nodded in comprehension. He finally figured out why Ren Yu De performed so badly in the first half of the match. ¡°Didn¡¯t you wonder if the cassette really exists?¡± Ren Yu De nodded. ¡°And judging from your last match, you figured that the recording doesn¡¯t exist?¡± Zhang Yang asked. He was staring at Cleftie¡¯s posse while popping his knuckles. Ren Yu De nodded again. ¡°Oy! Oy! What do you think you¡¯re doing? If you get caught fighting here, you¡¯re gonna get your team disqualified!¡± Cleftie shouted. Hearing that, Li Yongle put his hands into his pockets and said, ¡°But, we¡¯re not the ones fighting. Right, Ah Yuan?¡± Ah Yuan along with his other eight lackeys were all glaring at Cleftie and his gang. ¡°You bastards think you can just do anything you want on my turf?¡± Cleftie and his crew turned pale. They had despair written all over their faces. ¡°Ah Yuan, please don¡¯t hold back.¡± Li Yongle waved, then left the alley with Zhang Yang and Ren Yu De. ¡°How did you guys get here?¡± Ren Yu De asked Li Yongle as soon as they exited the alley. ¡°Oh, we were just passing by.¡± ¡°Passing by?¡± ¡°Yup. We just heard someone¡¯s annoying loud voice from afar, so we came by just to check it out,¡± Zhang Yang replied. Ren Yu De laughed. He may have been calm and composed in front of Cleftie in that alley, but the truth is, he was very worried about getting the team disqualified. Now that Ah Yuan showed up with his crew, the whole situation turned out much better than he could ask for. Buteven if they did not show up, he was not going back out if they wanted a fight. At most, he thought, he could just quit the team, claim full responsibility for working with a soccer betting syndicate and withdraw from school. This was nothing new to him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them giving Shu Guang High any trouble. I left my camera with Ah Yuan,¡± Li Yongle said. ¡°Camera?¡± ¡°Look at this fine weather, we were just going to hang out with Ah Yuan and his gang and go take some pictures. I even got a new film! Argh¡­ That¡¯s just giving those a**holes too much!¡± LiYongle replied, tilting his head to the side as if he was annoyed. Ren Yu De caught his drift and the thought of those punks being photographed after getting beaten up made him laugh. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m doing this for myself. I can¡¯t have you guys dropping out of the competition just yet! I¡¯ll be the one to defeat you guys! Nobody can stop me from getting my revenge!¡± Li Yongle spoke through his teeth. Ren Yu De was shocked! But Zhang Yang just laughed and said, ¡°Here we go again! He¡¯s always like that, don¡¯t mind him.¡± ¡­ Later on, in a certain luxurious mansion¡­ ¡°Young Master, they have failed.¡± ¡°A bunch of useless dimwits! They wasted so much of my money! Fine! Prepare the car, I¡¯m going to see my godfather!¡± ¡°But, Young Master! Isn¡¯t that a little too inappropriate?¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I ask my godfather for a little favor?¡± ¡°No, of course you can, but¡­ If Master finds out¡­¡± ¡°Well then, who¡¯s going to tell him? You idiot! Now, go!¡± The butler had no choice but to follow his orders. As soon as he closed the doors upon leavingthe room, Ma Ni uttered under his breath, ¡°Zhang Jun! I¡¯ll definitely make you kneel and beg for mercy¡­¡± Chapter 53 - Covergirl Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The two core players of Yingcai High¡¯s soccer team were regarded by the rest of the team as very odd individuals. Sima Hongxin, the ke,eper was huge and did not say much. He was unlike the keepers from other teams, who tended to shout a lot on the pitch. He would just stop all of his opponent¡¯s balls from entering the goal in silence without ever bragging about it; a silent but effective goalkeeper. Ma Ni on the other hand, was the opposite. He could not keep his mouth shut for more than half an hour! And, it would have been fine if that was only the case, but Ma Ni was toxic. He was always belittling others, and being boastful. In spite of that, no one dared to confront him for his rudeness, mainly because out of fear for his family. It was one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the region. The silence of those around him only served to inflate Ma Ni¡¯s ego, deluding him into thinking that he really was ¡°charismatic¡±. With that kind of attitude, it was no wonder that Ma Ni had no friends. But, the one person he had that was closest to a friend, was Sima Hongxin. Even so, their relationship was not exactly that close. They were only friends when they were on the field. Off the field, Sima Hongxin wanted nothing to do with him, especially when it involved things like blackmailing and match-fixing. While he was somewhat aware and worried about Ma Ni¡¯s shady dealings, he was not the kind to pry into other people¡¯s personal lives. Hence, he chose not to get involved in Ma Ni¡¯s matters, even if he knew that the problem could possibly grow into a bigger one in the future. Yingcai High¡¯s team started strong in the tournament with two 4: 0 victories, sending them into the top 16 bracket. And, in their final eight matchup, Ma Ni scored two goals against Zhong Xin, giving them a 2: 0 victory and securing them a place among the top eight teams. The whole team was now in a celebratory mood as though the players had all forgotten about the discord among themselves. Winning had always been enough to make people forget just how dissatisfied, unhappy, and insecure they were. Ma Ni¡¯s impressive record over the last three matches had also silenced those who always said that he became a core player due to family connections, not skill. Three matches, three wins, ten goals and no misses¡ªa really impressive record! Even the reigning champs, Zhongyuan High only managed to get eight goals at this stage! With the highest cumulative goals in the game, the Yingcai High team continued to set their target higher and higher, like the Nasdaq Composite index! They started the season wanting to get into the final 16, then they aimed for the final 4 in their second match. Now, after their third, they wanted to beat Zhongyuan in the finals like they did in their warm-up match, and go on the road to nationals! However, while they were high on their undefeated streak and dreaming of making it to the nationals, the Yingcai High players seemed to have completely forgotten about an upcoming hurdle in their quest for glory. Their next opponent was none other than the Shu Guang High soccer team. It was at its peak with Zhang Jun at his best. ¡­ Zhang Jun could not believe his luck. He had already been to a few newsstands, but he still could not get the latest issue of High School Soccer. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re sold out!¡± That was the reply he kept on getting from all the vendors. ¡°This is ridiculous. They¡¯ve never sold out this fast before! Not even that time when Zhongyuan High became champs!¡± Zhang Jun complained as he ran towards the next closest newsstand he knew. But by the time he finished searching all the newsstands within a mile from his home, he returned empty-handed and disappointed. Every newsstand he went to repeated the very same thing to him: High School Socce r was completely sold out! But his disappointment quickly disappeared, because as soon as he got home, he found Su Fei sitting next to his bed with her eyes glued to the latest issue ofHigh School Soccer . She was absolutely absorbed in the magazine, and even giggling occasionally from reading it. Zhang Jun quickly walked up to her to check out the cover, only to find that it did not feature him with his recent hat-trick; or Li Yongle, who was quoted as the best player in his recent match; or the despicable Ma Ni. Instead, the cover of the magazine featured¡­ a picture of Su Fei smiling radiantly! Zhang Jun instantly understood why the issue sold out so fast. Sh*t! Since when did High School Soccer become Playboy? h e thought to himself. Looking at the cover again, he could not deny that Su Fei looked really photogenic. Wearing only a simple round-neck tee with no makeup, and nothing else except for that beautiful smile on her face, she was as good a covergirl as any other female celebrity. But the longer Zhang Jun stared at her picture, the more his face contorted. He realised that by now, Su Fei¡¯s photo was also in the hands of many unknown men. He was not claiming her for himself, or claiming that she was exclusive with him. But, the idea that there were many strange guys out there like An Ke, who would touch and grope parts of a celebrity¡¯s photo on a magazine could be doing the same thing to her¡¯s right now, sent shivers down his spine. Imagining the lewd acts these a**holes could be doing to Su Fei¡¯s picture right now was driving him crazy! Just as he was about to completely lose it, Su Fei suddenly looked up from the magazine and saw him standing next to her, grabbing his hair with his hands. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked in an anxious voice. She was shocked and unaware of the things going on in Zhang Jun¡¯s head. Zhang Jun came back to reality and looked at her. When he did, his eyes met the eyes of a concerned-looking Su Fei. He felt his soul being drawn into those clear, innocent, puppy eyes of hers. Zhang Jun found himself getting lost simply by staring into her eyes. His heartbeat hastened and he quickly shook his head to snap himself out of it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Fei asked again. Her voice was soothing to his ears, with a gentleness he could not describe. ¡°Not-Nothing.¡± Zhang Jun tried to keep himself together. This was the first time his heart beat unusually fast while he was alone with her. What¡¯s wrong with me? he wondered. Is it because of that cover? ¡± ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, why are you pulling your hair and shaking your head like that?¡± ¡°mm, that¡¯s because¡­ I have an itch! I think I may have some dandruff!¡± Zhang Jun quickly came up with a ¡°brilliant¡± excuse and tried to change the subject. He wanted to prevent her from diving too deep into her question. ¡°How did you manage to get one? I¡¯ve been running around every newsstand but I couldn¡¯t even find one,¡± he said as he pointed at the magazine in her hand. ¡°Oh, this? Uncle Chen sent it by mail. He says it¡¯s thanks for letting him interview me twice,¡± Su Fei said. The Uncle Chen she mentioned was none other than Chen Huafeng. But, unlike Zhang Jun who would get too friendly with seniors or elders, and call them by their names, she preferred to show respect and good manners by addressing them with their titles. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is! Then, the cover¡¯s definitely his idea!¡± Zhang Jun retorted. ¡°Hehe! Isn¡¯t it nice?¡± Su Fei held the magazine in front of her chest, copying her pose on the cover and smiling at Zhang Jun. ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhang Jun snorted before smiling and said, ¡°Yes, yes, it looks great! Miss, can I have your autograph?¡± From somewhere in his room, he pulled out a marker and a notepad. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Su Fei asked him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like me doing this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! It¡¯s up to you if you want to get interviewed or become a covergirl. What does it have to do with me?¡± Zhang Jun said as he flipped through the magazine, not looking up to see her. Hearing his answer, Su Fei picked up her bag and said, ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± Zhang Jun finally looked up at her. ¡°So soon? Don¡¯t you want to hang out a little longer?¡± ¡°Nah, I came here straight after school. Mom should be worried sick by now. You can have it,¡± she said while pointing at the magazine. ¡°You¡­ came here just to give me this?¡± ¡°Yup! I figured that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get one yourself,¡± Su Fei teased as she left. ¡­ ¡°Fei Fei is that you? Did you just get home?¡± Su Fei¡¯s mother popped her head out of the kitchen when she heard the front door open. She was busy in the kitchen when Su Fei returned home. ¡°Yeah. I was at Zhang Jun¡¯s place. Just wanted to give him a magazine,¡± she replied as she headed into her room. Setting her bag down on top of her desk, she proceeded to throw herself onto her bed. As she lay there and stared at the ceiling, she took a small trinket out from her pocket and admired it. It was a bracelet that she had handcrafted out of string. It was all red, except for the words where she used white string to make them stand out: ¡°Zhang Jun¡±. Su Fei continued admiring her craftsmanship for a while. It had taken her two days to make and she did it secretly over her 18 classes in school. She did not really know how to go about it when she first started and ended up ruining it a few times. But luckily, she was clever enough with her hands and quickly became adept at making the bracelet. Su Fei was really satisfied with her work. She put it on her wrist to see how it looked like when being worn. However, her wrist was simply too thin to make the bracelet look decent, so she thought about tying it to her ankle instead. But, she suddenly lost interest in trying it out and ended up staring at it blankly in her hand. ¡­ ¡°Let me see your arm.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s arm is bigger!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hehe! Your arm is a lot bigger than mine!¡± ¡°Nonsense! If it¡¯s thinner than yours, won¡¯t that be a problem?¡± ¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like me doing this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! It¡¯s up to you if you want to get interviewed or become a covergirl, what does it have to do with me?¡± Tears rolled down her face and onto the bed. Zhang Jun was still in his room; his eyes glued to the latest issue of High School Soccer . This issue¡¯s featured piece was without a doubt, an interview with Su Fei, with the title aptly coined by the editor-in-chief, Liu Yang: ¡°Su Fei¡¯s World.¡± Chapter 54 - The Worries of Youth Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The next day in school, Su Fei¡¯s covergirl news had spread throughout the whole student body. It was in fact, faster than that time the soccer team got on the cover. This was because of three simple reasons: firstly, Su Fei was a girl; secondly, she was a really beautiful girl; and thirdly, she was well known among the students. There was no student in the school who did not know her. The seniors knew her as the sophomore who did well in exams, had great looks, and was a cheerful, active junior. They had always thought of her as the flower of Shu Guang High. All the sophomores acknowledges her as the most beautiful girl in their year, and the one who ended the school¡¯s ¡°curse¡± of getting less and less good looking girls as the years went by. The juniors revered her as the physical embodiment of intelligence and beauty, envisioning her as either their dream girl or sister. As for the teachers, they simply liked her for excelling in her studies, and being an upright as well as outstanding student. Su Fei was respectful towards the teachers and she got along well with other students. Not to mention, she was deeply involved in most of the school¡¯s activities as well as events, and she was passionate about sports. She was an ideal role model, in which every student wanted to become. After the news spread, a huge number of people from school came looking for her just to get her autograph. Being the kind and sweet girl she was, Su Fei could not find it in herself to reject them. Thus, she ended up giving her autograph to anyone who came asking for it, dilligently fulfilling each and every request. After a full day of repetitively signing her own name, she almost developed a natural reflex of signing as soon as she was presented with a pen and a piece of paper. Once school was over, Liang Ke called her into his office. When she knocked on the door and stepped into the room, she could see that he had his strict and serious face on. Su Fei instantly knew that coach must have summoned her to talk about her sudden increase in popularity. She remembered her first year when the school team won their first match, and how the players were acting all high and mighty. The coach gave them a stern and long lecture for that. As she closed the door behind her, Su Fei was really nervous about what he might say to her. And, just as she had predicted, he went on ranting about humility as well as the importance of being humble. ¡°You young people shouldn¡¯t be so proud of yourselves after gaining a little fame.¡± ¡°You still have a long way to go, so don¡¯t forget to keep your feet on the ground, and focus on the road ahead.¡± ¡°Fame is just like smoke in the wind. When you wake up the next day, it¡¯ll be another day.¡± Su Fei could only listen and nod, replying him with ¡°Yes sir!¡±, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re right!¡±, and ¡°I¡¯ll remember that!¡±, while secretly thinking, I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way! I didn¡¯t want to be signing autographs all day either! I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help it! I can¡¯t just look at their smiling faces and tell them no! I¡¯m sorry coach, but I don¡¯t mind tiring myself so that others can be happy. Even if it means signing autographs until my wrist and fingers are all numb¡­ ¡°Anyways, good job! And, keep up the good work! Getting your photo on the front page is a really big reward for all the hard work you¡¯ve been putting in. You really did us all proud. But, don¡¯t become full of yourself after this, you hear me? You¡¯re still the same Su Fei we all know.¡± Liang Ke finally concluded his lecture. As soon as he finished, he placed a marker on a piece of paper on his desk and pushed it towards her. ¡°Uhh¡­ Sir? What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°Oh. That? Umm¡­ Can I have your autograph? Haha¡­¡± Liang Ke replied with an awkward laugh. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, on the training field, Kaka was holding up a copy of High School Soccer when Zhang Jun passed him by. He was not reading the magazine, just staring at the front page. Zhang Jun stopped walking and turned around. ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that for almost half an hour!¡± Kaka looked up at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful! Su Fei¡¯s so pretty¡ª¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you go and ask her out!¡± Zhang Jun snapped before Kaka could finish. Kaka just continued to stare at Su Fei¡¯s picture and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a Chinese saying that goes, ¡®Don¡¯t be touching a friend¡¯s wife¡¯? Hoho! I do not want to become that kind of villain.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kaka then turned to face him. ¡°Stop pretending, you little bastard! You¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you? Seeing every guy getting handsy and checking out your girl on the cover of a magazine!¡± ¡°Me? Jealous? Where did you get that idea from?¡± ¡°My god! You people here are always in denial! Where I come from, we¡¯re always honest with our feelings. If we love someone, we shout it out and tell the whole world about it. What¡¯s wrong about loving someone? Why do you need to hide it?¡± Kaka stood up and put the magazine away. He then walked up to Zhang Jun and patted him on the shoulders. ¡°My friend, you really need to do something about your feelings. You do know that there are a lot of guys in school that like her too, right?¡± he said, before picking up a ball with his feet and making his way to the field. Zhang Jun stood there in silence as he watched Kaka from behind. Kaka¡¯s words had left him with something to think about. Do I like Su Fei? Do I not like her? Is it really that obvious? After hanging out with her so many times, Zhang Jun could no longer feel anything special towards her. Any other guy would have been extremely excited if they could spend some time alone with a beautiful girl like Su Fei. Even walking side by side would have been exciting. But, after the numerous times of being dragged out of bed early in the morning just to go hang out, Zhang Jun could feel nothing but irritation at the idea. From a certain perspective, it would seem that he had no idea just how lucky he was. Having spent so much time together, their usual interactions became nothing more than an ordinary, everyday event to him. The both of them were so comfortable around each other. They understood one another so well that their feelings for each other had probably been covered by the mundane of their everyday life. Every intimate gesture and favor they did for each other had gone under the radar, disguised as something that was either natural or something expected of them. But despite all of that, Zhang Jun noticed that there was probably more to what he felt for Su Fei than seeing her as a friend. He remembered his intense urge to kiss Su Fei that one evening when the sunset was so beautiful, it looked like a beautiful oil painting. He wondered why his heart and brain would feel and think funny every time she wrapped her arms around his? Also, he would not know what to do whenever that happened. Any other person would have returned it in kind and showed more intimacy instead, right? ¡°You do know that there are a lot of guys in school that like her too, right?¡± Kaka¡¯s voice resounded in his head. What was he trying to say? Does that mean, a lot of other guys like Su Fei, but they never asked her out, because they assumed that we were an item? Wait, does everybody think that we¡¯re really that good as a couple? Is this something that everybody agreed to in secret? If I don¡¯t like her, why was I so worked up when I saw her on the cover? Why did I tell her that being interviewed was her prerogative, and it wasn¡¯t my place to say anything about it even though I didn¡¯t think that at all? ¡± And let¡¯s say, I do like her, which part of me compares to her? She¡¯s so beautiful, not plain-looking like me. She¡¯s so good in her studies, while my grades are just average. And she¡¯s so kind to everyone, while I just want to pull pranks on anybody I can all day. She cares about everyone around her, unlike me. I won¡¯t even look twice at my own female fans if they aren¡¯t good looking¡­ Wait, doesn¡¯t she care about everyone? That¡¯s right! She¡¯s probably just being nice to me, like she¡¯s nice to everyone else! It¡¯s just that I get more of it, because I just happen to live next door¡­ ¡± After that day, the whole team noticed a huge change in Zhang Jun and Su Fei. They only exchanged greetings when they passed by each other in school, instead of their usual banter. And if they happened to see each other from afar, they would choose a longer path to avoid each other. They even stopped walking home from school together! So, word that Zhang Jun and Su Fei had ¡°broken up¡± spread like wildfire from the soccer team to the rest of the school. The news caught everybody off guard, and caused huge waves among the student community. It was as if somebody had dropped a huge stone into the calm and peaceful waters of their schooling lives. ¡­ Shu Guang High was one of those schools that had a mailroom with individual mailboxes set up for each class. Each class had their own designated mailbox, where mail, both of official or personal can be dropped by anyone in school. It would then be delivered to the intended recipient in class. Su Fei held the important position of being the official class courier, so every day, she would retrieve the letters from the mailroom, and deliver them personally to the students herself. This was a responsibility that she herself really enjoyed. She loved seeing her classmates smile, and hearing them say, ¡°Thank you¡± when receiving their mail, especially if it was a love letter. It was one of the few things she always liked doing. Lately, it was especially so since she had been smiling a lot less. It was during the morning of a small break between the second and third class of the day. As usual, there were many other students in the mailroom, who were there to retrieve the class mail at this time. The mailroom was always lively at this hour of the day. Su Fei arrived to collect the mail for Year 2 Class 3 just like she always did. Her class mailbox was one of the higher ones, so it took her a little more effort to open and retrieve the mail. She opened it to retrieve the contents as always, but unlike before, a huge pile of mail burst out from the box as soon as she opened it. The letters then fell all over the place. The staggering amount of mail that came bursting out of the class mailbox caused quite a scene and attracted everybody else¡¯s attention. But as soon as the other students in the mailroom saw that it was Su Fei, most of them understood what was going on. They just smiled and went back to their business. Su Fei raised her eyebrows, a little shocked from the unusual sight. But, she quickly started picking up the mail one by one and she dusted them before placing them neatly in a stack. Another fellow student who was nearby also bent down and picked up the letters that fell close to him. When he handed them over to her, she said, ¡°Thank you!¡± and smiled at him, captivating the good samaritan where he stood. The boy just continued to stand there as though he had been petrified with magic. His ability to think was replaced with the sole image of Su Fei¡¯s beautiful smile and the melodious, ¡°Thank you!¡± that she said to him. He would also later spend his next two classes in a daze. Su Fei had a cute voice, and a cuter smile. It was so cute, that even an emotionally retarded idiot like Zhang Jun would also swoon when she smiled at him. While it was impossible to put a price on a priceless smile like hers, she was extremely generous in giving them away. She was a cheerful person after all. In this ¡°smile economy¡±, where there was increasing demand and dwindling supply, Su Fei had not been smiling as much recently, so the smile she just gave the boy was a lot more valuable than it already was. Su Fei cradled the big pile of letters in her small arms and headed back to class. From the mailroom, she had to go through the newspaper stand, cut across the small courtyard before the main lecture building, go up the stairs on the east to the second floor, and take a short walk west from there to get back to class. It was the same route she always took, yet today the journey back to class seemed longer than usual. Many other students were staring at her as she walked by, making her feel uncomfortable. Being the smart girl that she was, she knew exactly why they were all staring at her like that. The huge stack of letters she carried consisted of only four letters addressed to her classmates; the rest were hers. They were all love confessions and date invites from the boys in school; some with their names on it, while others were anonymous. Su Fei was not a shy girl, unlike some girls who would turn bright red when they talked to a boy; or lower their heads as if they were guilty of a crime; or put on a soft voice like an ant, who had been starving for a month¡­ No, she was not the kind to get embarrassed easily. If she was, then she would not have signed on to become manager of the school soccer team. The members were all boys! But, getting so many love letters at one go was a first for her, so she became a little flustered. Regardless of how confident, tough, cheerful, or impartial a young girl was, if romance suddenly came and hit them in the face, they would become nervous all the same. After she finally reached her class, the other students expressed their amazement in unison when they saw the letters. Su Fei did her best to remain calm and she handed the four letters that were not hers to their recipients, before returning to her seat. She stared at the pile of letters before her and wondered what to do with them. The other students did not approach her and left her alone. It would have been rude to crowd around her while she was going through something like this. While the rest of the class decided to give her some personal space to deal with the letters, there was one idiot however, who did not read the mood. He walked over to her desk. That idiot was none other than An Ke, who gathered himself before getting in front of Su Fei. ¡°Yo, Su Fei, I was thinking,¡± he said in a timid voice as he stared away blankly, trying to act all cool, ¡°can we¡­ this Sunday¡­ maybe¡­¡± he continued as he turned to look at her. But, as soon as An Ke was about to complete his sentence, he stopped himself from continuing. This was not because the team manager had told him to stop, but rather it was what he saw unfolding in front of him that made him decide to abort his mission: there were tears welling up in Su Fei¡¯s eyes! An Ke was shocked! Making a girl cry in school, especially one that was well known and loved by the everyone was akin to signing off the agreement papers to euthanize his high school life. This would definitely throw the whole school up in arms. They would come at him with their torches and pitchforks! The whole of Shu Guang would brand him the biggest scumbag of the school and his remaining days there would bring him nothing but spit from the girls, fists from the boys, and contempt from his teammates¡­ ¡°Su Fei, it¡¯s my fault! I shouldn¡¯t be talking about dating at a time like this! Please just stop crying! I¡¯m begging you!¡± An Ke immediately started apologizing. Su Fei suddenly looked up and asked, ¡°Hmm? Oh, An Ke! Can I help you?¡± An Ke was rooted the spot for three seconds, and in that time, his brain was running on overdrive. It was decoding the whole scenario in front of him like a highly advanced super calculator, which was solving an extremely complex mathematical problem. Even though it was more like one of those faulty ones with manufacturing defects that always showed ¡°7¡± even when you pressed ¡°1¡±, and it would tell you that 11=9. But, An Ke eventually figured out that Su Fei was in fact, bothered by something else and she did not hear a word he said. Banzai! An Ke secretly celebrated the fact that his career as a high school student was safe, but he also felt a pang of disappointment as he realized that he had been completely ignored by Su Fei. He felt like he was nothing but a passing wind to her¡­ After all the three-second internal monologue in An Ke¡¯s head, he laughed in a forced and awkward manner, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, everything¡¯s cool! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Su Fei asked while looking him straight in the eye. An Ke, the scumbag was very confident in his abilities of holding his own in a staring contest with any girl. However, when it came to Su Fei, he simply could not resist the look of her innocent and pure eyes. They seemed to stare into his very soul, uncovering his every sinful desire. He could not react in any other way besides being flustered whenever she did that to him. ¡°No! Everything¡¯s fine!¡± he said as he pointed to the mountain of letters on her desk. ¡°Are you thinking about what to do with those?¡± He quickly changed the subject¡ªa skill that he and Zhang Jun had in common. Su Fei nodded as she furrowed her eyebrows in dejection. That damsel-in-distress look of hers was really heartbreaking for any guy to look at. ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± An Ke exclaimed as he suddenly produced a big rubbish bag from out of nowhere. He then started to sweep Mount Letterest into the bag. ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not nice¡­¡± Su Fei was in shock. ¡°Come on, what¡¯s so bad about it? An Ke snapped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that all these horny rabbits seriously used a dumba** way to try to get to you. They ended up giving you so much trouble. Just let me take out the trash! That¡¯ll be the end of it!¡± he continued as he continued sweeping all of the letters on Su Fei¡¯s desk into the rubbish bag without mercy. Even the one anonymous letter he had wrote himself; that one especially. Su Fei opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to say something, but she was just at a loss for words. She ended up not stopping him from collecting the last of the letters into his bag. After her desk was once again clean and tidy as it had always been, An Ke hoisted the bag over his shoulders and carried it out of the classroom like Santa Claus. An Ke took the bag full of letters out to the school¡¯s rubbish dump. Just as he got there, he saw the groundskeeper burning fallen leaves that he had swept off the school grounds. So, with a heave and a ho, he tossed the entire bag of letters into the fire. The plastic bag instantly melted, revealing the enormous pile of letters it was hiding inside. The flames quickly danced and licked the pieces of paper. The fire swallowed them whole and reduced them to ashes, sending all that was written into oblivion, never to be seen again. An Ke squatted down nearby and stared at the dancing flames with a dumb expression on his face. He could still vividly recall Su Fei¡¯s sad face and how the light reflected the sadness of the tears welling up in her eyes. This was his first time seeing the cheerful team manager looking so dejected. He thought that both her and Zhang Jun must have had a huge disagreement, and if he played his cards right, he might just finally get to date the most beautiful girl in school. What he did not expect was learning that he did not mean that much to her as he thought. What a tool! A delusional tool that really believed that he was THE player, the alpha that all the ladies wanted. But as it turned out, he was the biggest tool of all! After making sure that the letters were all destroyed, An Ke got up and headed back to class. As he turned around, he saw Zhang Jun and Yang Pan just getting out from the pantry with two big bottles of water. They were on water duty today. ¡°Hmm? Hey Annie, why are you fooling around watching leaves burn? But, it¡¯s really refreshing to see you going somewhere with no girls for a change! Hahaha!¡± Zhang Jun laughed. An Ke looked at him straight in the eye and marched over to him. He then took the bottle of water away from his hand and handed it to Yang Pan, who was just next to him. ¡°Hey? What was that for?¡± ¡°Well,¡± An Ke said in an intimidating tone, ¡°what do you think it¡¯s for?¡± he continued as he grabbed Zhang Jun by the collar with both hands. His 188-cm frame towered over Zhang Jun¡¯s 179-cm body. It looked like an eagle grabbing a chick. ¡°Oy! Let go of me! What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± Zhang Jun struggled. ¡°Yang Pan! Help me!¡± Yang Pan merely carried the two big bottles of water under his arms and continued walking. As he passed An Ke, he turned and said to him in a low voice, ¡°Teach him a good lesson for me too, okay?¡± Yang Pan then continued to walk back to class, turning a deaf ear to Zhang Jun¡¯s screams. Once Yang Pan left, An Ke started bellowing at Zhang Jun in his deepest voice, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the nerve to ask me what this is about! I should be the one asking you that! Su Fei¡¯s such a wonderful girl, yet you still don¡¯t want her? Tell me a**hole, what more do you f*cking want?¡± Zhang Jun was taken aback by the words spouted by the person who was half a head taller than him. He did not say anything to reply An Ke¡¯s question. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me? That¡¯s because there¡¯s absolutely nothing beyond that! Su Fei is so nice to you. It¡¯s so obvious that everybody else can see how much she likes you! Can¡¯t you figure it out already? You a**hole, what the f*ck are you thinking? Is she not good enough for you? Oh! So you win a few matches, scored a few goals, pulled off a hat-trick, and now you¡¯re getting cocky, eh? Is that so? F*ck you! Who the f*ck do you think you are? Let me tell you, Zhang Jun! The next time I see you making Su Fei cry, I¡¯ll put you in the hospital even if it means getting myself expelled!¡± After he finished saying what he wanted to say, An Ke angrily released Zhang Jun¡¯s collar, leaving behind a dumbfounded Zhang Jun behind. Zhang Jun stood there motionless for a while, still trying to wrap his head around what An Ke had said to him. Su Fei cried? Why did she cry? What¡¯s going on? What did I do wrong? Confused thoughts ran through Zhang Jun¡¯s head. You think that I find Su Fei not good enough for me? No, An Ke! That¡¯s not it at all! I¡¯m the one not good enough for Su Fei! ¡± Back in Year 2 Class 3, Su Fei was definitely not being herself; her mind was not in class. She was so out of it that she did not even hear the Math teacher calling her name three times. Only when the teacher came over and knocked on her table, did she return to her senses. Looking at her favorite student, the Math teacher did not know what to say. She just put on a dry smile and told her to pay attention in class, before asking her to sit down. Unfortunately for her, Su Fei once again zoned out not too long after sitting back down. The Math teacher decided to give up on asking her to solve Math problems that day. ¡°Now, let¡¯s look at this problem. Hmm¡­ Zhang Jun, why don¡¯t you try to solve it .¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Math teacher sighed. ¡°Fine. Can we have another student solve this for the class? Anyone?¡± Su Fei continued to stare outside the window. All of the green leaves on the sycamore tree had turned into a depressing shade of yellow and brown. And with every billow of the autumn wind, they would detach and dance around with the help of the breeze, before finally falling down to the ground. People used to say that all fallen leaves, returned to the plant¡¯s roots. But, just how many of them actually did? That day, a lot of them had already been burned, along with a nice, big heap of letters¡­ She knew that An Ke liked her; Kaka too, as well as many other guys in school. Nonetheless, they never asked her out, simply because of Zhang Jun. And she too, never considered dating any other guy, because of Zhang Jun. But now, she was wondering if it was worth it? Just because she was so deeply in love with someone who did not even know how she felt, she had to let go of so many other guys. Was it worth it? It had already been one year since they first met each other, but he had not even made his move. There were no romantic gestures, no sweeping her off her feet. Every day, it was only training, matches, and a seemingly endless pile of dirty laundry. They rarely even had a proper date! When they did go out¡ªjust the two of them¡ªthey would run into opponents, enemies and other friends¡­ One year, and not one movie date, no strolling through the park, no enjoying a cup of coffee at a cafe, and not even one sweet, corny, or romantic line. Was it worth it? It had been more than a year already! How much longer did she have to be on this one way street? As she continued to watch the leaves fall right outside the classroom window, she realized that autumn had arrived once again. Su Fei sighed, wondering if her first love was about to wither away, just like the leaves that flew away with the wind. While she did that, another person at the back of the class also looked out the window and sighed. Chapter 55 - Operation Cupid Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The awkwardness between them continued for another three days. And in those three days, Zhang Jun started to find that something had gone missing from his everyday routine. It made him very uncomfortable. He would usually leave for school at 7:15 am every morning and have his breakfast on the way, because that was the time when Su Fei would be waiting for him outside his house. But, for the past three days, whenever he opened the front door, there was nobody there to greet him, except for an empty stairwell. The only other person he could see was the occasional milkman doing his rounds. The milkman would often do a double take at him, because he was standing in front of the door, staring stupidly into space with a piece of toast in mouth. When school ended at noon, he did not see Su Fei as he took his own sweet time packing his things before leaving class. She was not outside her class with her arms behind her back, waiting for him as she usually did. Only a disgruntled Yang Pan stood there, repeating the same thing as he did every day, ¡°Hurry up, snail!¡± The emptiness made Zhang Jun feel so down he could not even bring himself to argue with his best friend like he usually did. All the effort he could muster was just enough for him to put on his backpack and say, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Even on their usual route home, when the boys became too focused in a discussion, Zhang Jun would suddenly turn around out of habit and ask, ¡°Am I right, Su Fei?¡± But, when he realized that the person he was talking to was not there and his question had floated off into silence, he felt his heart sinking where he stood. That¡¯s right, she¡¯s not here, Zhang Jun reminded himself. As he looked up, he was greeted by a perplexed-looking Yang Pan and he felt a little awkward from that. That was when Yang Pan knew it was time he stepped in, so he called An Ke, Kaka, and Ren Yu De for a meeting. ¡°Sh*t!! If this goes on, Zhang Jun is finished! That little piece of sh*t is so out of himself! We have to do something.¡± After hearing Yang Pan out, An Ke only shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s what you called me here for, I¡¯m out. I don¡¯t give a f*ck if he lives or dies,¡± he said as he turned around to leave. Kaka pulled him back to stop him from leaving, and said, ¡°Hey man, come on! We¡¯re all bros right? How can we just turn our backs on a bro?¡± ¡°Bah! Just let him go,¡± Ren Yu De suddenly said. ¡°I bet he¡¯s already thinking about how to come in between them and get to Su Fei himself.¡± An Ke heard him and instantly sat back down. ¡°Oy! Just what kind of person do you think I, the great An Ke am? Fine! I¡¯ll stay! Let¡¯s see what else you have to say about me!¡± he said in a flustered manner. Ren Yu De did not retort, instead he just smirked to himself. Now that the whole gang was there, the ¡°Zhang Jun and Su Fei Relationship Crisis Summit¡± officially began. ¡°If we look at the bigger picture, even if we don¡¯t care about their love life, we also have to think about what¡¯s best for the team! If this goes on, Zhang Jun is only going to become an empty shell of himself on the pitch!¡± Yang Pan said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we need that little piece of sh*t to win,¡± An Ke retorted. ¡°Are you forgetting about our big match against Zhongyuan?¡± Yang Pan asked him seriously. An Ke then remembered that Yang Pan was the captain of the team, and decided to shut up. ¡°As I was saying, their problem is not something that will only affect their personal lives, but the future of the whole team as well. Think about it, if Su Fei and Zhang Jun break up, the whole school is going to go crazy! The number of love letters alone will be enough to drown Su Fei! Haven¡¯t you guys seen that over the past few days?¡± The three people nodded in agreement. ¡°So, in order to get them together, I¡¯ve created a plan. Code name: ¡°Operation Cupid¡±. But before we proceed, I need to warn you guys first. If any of your personal feelings get in the way and jeopardize this operation, hehe¡­¡± Yang Pan gave the three of them an evil grin before continuing, ¡°Try running 10 km every day for a month!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Operation Cupid was a very well thought out and brilliant plan. At least, its creator Yang Pan thought so. Unfortunately, even before it was set in motion, the plan that Yang Pan took a lot of time and effort to devise, became useless, thanks to Zhang Jun. When a serious-looking Zhang Jun suddenly sat down in front of Yang Pan in class and said to him, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking it through for the past three days, and I¡¯ve come to realize that I really, really like her. More than anyone else!¡± Yang Pan knew that the many pages of his detailed plan were going straight to the trash. He had come up with his plan over their two classes that morning. He was somewhat shocked and glad that his best friend had suddenly figured out his feelings for Su Fei, but also disappointed and frustrated at the same time for all that wasted time as well as brainpower. ¡°That¡¯s great! So you finally figured it out!¡± Yang Pan replied while smiling. ¡°Now, go and tell her!¡± But, Zhang Jun only shook his head and pulled a long face. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t bring myself to tell her all that face-to-face.¡± ¡°Bro, don¡¯t be such a wimp. All you have to do is walk up to her and tell her that you like her. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to rob a bank!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just it, bro! I can¡¯t bring myself to say that to her face! Look, we¡¯ve been hanging out for so long and I¡¯m so used to being casual around her. It¡¯s really awkward for me to suddenly keep up a serious and straight face while I talk to her. Especially if it¡¯s something important like this. I just can¡¯t do it!¡± Yang Pan sighed. He never expected Zhang Jun, who was usually very quick-witted to become so useless during an important situation like this. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan? How are you gonna show her how you feel about her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need your help bro! My plan is to¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°What?! That little sh*t wants to score another hat-trick in our next match?¡± An Ke exclaimed loudly. Kaka and Ren Yu De, who were sitting next to him turned and gave him a shut-the-f*ck- up look. The both of them did not expect the news as well, but they certainly did not expect their friend to shamelessly announce it to the world like that. ¡°Okay, okay! We all know you have a loud voice! Don¡¯t go shouting to remind us!¡± Yang Pan said as he covered his ears. ¡°So, he plans to use this hat-trick to show Su Fei how he feels?¡± Kaka asked. Yang Pan nodded. ¡°But, Yingcai¡¯s keeper isn¡¯t your average keeper. He¡¯s really good! In the many matches since the start of the season, he¡¯s blocked every shot from his opponents. He never lets any ball pass,¡± Kaka continued. He had doubts if Zhang Jun knew who he was up against. ¡°That¡¯s what I told him. But, he said that if the opponents are stronger, that just makes his hat-trick even more meaningful,¡± Yang Pan explained. ¡°He¡¯s crazy!¡± An Ke retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. This hat-trick idea is his own way of expressing himself. How is Su Fei going to understand why it¡¯s so special?¡± Ren Yu De asked. ¡°That¡¯s where we come in! Operation Cupid has changed,¡± Yang Pan answered. ¡°Alright, we have two new objectives now. Our first objective is to find a way to let Su Fei know that Zhang Jun¡¯s hat-trick was meant for her. We are not allowed to tell her directly, so we have to create a situation where she¡¯ll ¡®accidentally¡¯ find out herself. And, if she comes and ask us about it, we¡¯re just going to say that we don¡¯t know. That¡¯s so Zhang Jun can keep some of his pride. ¡°The second objective is much more straightforward, but harder to pull off: Help Zhang Jun score that hat-trick, regardless of how strong that Yingcai keeper is!¡± ¡­ Su Fei had just finished packing up and she was rushing to the field. It was the last day of training before the team¡¯s next match. Tomorrow, Shu Guang High was going to face off with the current season¡¯s dark horse, Yingcai High on its own turf. However, the Shu Guang players did not really care if their opponents were dark, or white, or even horses. All they cared about was teaching them a lesson for the last time. As she was just about to enter the locker room, Su Fei heard someone¡¯s loud voice coming from inside. ¡°What?! That little sh*t wants to score another hat-trick in our next match?¡± An Ke exclaimed loudly. Kaka and Ren Yu De, who were sitting next to him turned and gave him a shut-the-f*ck up look. The both of them did not expect the news as well, but they certainly did not expect their friend to shamelessly announce it to the world like that. ¡°Okay, okay! We all know you have a loud voice! Don¡¯t go shouting to remind us!¡± came Yang Pan¡¯s voice. ¡°So, he plans to use this hat-trick to show Su Fei how he feels?¡± Kaka asked. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what he said,¡± Yang Pan replied. ¡°But, Yingcai¡¯s keeper isn¡¯t your average keeper. He¡¯s really good! In the many matches since the start of the season, he¡¯s blocked every shot from his opponents. He never lets any ball pass,¡± Kaka continued. ¡°That¡¯s what I told him. But, he said if the opponents are stronger, that just makes his hat-trick even more meaningful! He¡¯s such an idiot!¡± Yang Pan explained. ¡°Hey, that last bit wasn¡¯t included in the script!¡± Kaka whispered. ¡°Improv!¡± Yang Pan whispered back. ¡°He¡¯s crazy!¡± An Ke was reading out his lines from a piece of paper as dramatically as he could. ¡°But, he¡¯s scored so many hat-tricks before. How is he going to show Su Fei that this one is different from the others?¡± Ren Yu De finally had a line. ¡°That¡¯s what he¡¯s worried about. Sigh, how can a witty guy like him become such a dumbass at a time like this? It¡¯s just three words! ¡®I like you!¡¯ How hard is it to say?¡± Yang Pan continued with his lines, but made sure that he sounded loud and clear when he was at the ¡°I like you¡± part of the script. And just outside the locker room door, Su Fei¡¯s hand trembled when she heard it. ¡°Easy for you to say! You¡¯re not the one professing your feelings. You can say it as many times as you like, and it still doesn¡¯t matter!¡± An Ke rebutted. ¡°So, that means Zhang Jun can only do what he knows he can do, and that is to score, and keep on scoring. Whether or not Su Fei can figure out what he¡¯s trying to tell her with that is beyond him. God, please help my brother!¡± Kaka drew a cross on his chest and prayed. ¡°Poor guy!¡± Ren Yu De sighed. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s no point talking about it all day! Let¡¯s just pass the ball to him whenever there¡¯s an opening in tomorrow¡¯s match. Now, let¡¯s start training. We¡¯ve been changing clothes in here since forever!¡± Yang Pan included that last part in his sentence to let the girl standing outside the locker room door know that there were guys still changing inside. It would be a really bad idea to walk in on them right now. But the truth is, they needed time to get rid of the scripts they were holding. When the people in the locker room sounded like they were finally making their way towards the door, Su Fei quickly ducked into a corner to hide herself. Even though the corner she picked was too obvious to miss, the guys pretended that they did not see her there and carried on with their training. After hearing them leave, Su Fei stood up from her hiding spot. ¡­ Since everybody likes the same girl, I should also get myself to the starting line just to be fair. And since we haven¡¯t talked at all over the past three days, I think it¡¯s fair to say that we¡¯ve gone back to square one. So, I¡¯ll be starting with the same conditions as everybody else. That way, nobody can complain that I¡¯m at an advantage! Only this time, I will get her. Definitely! I¡¯m not letting her go to anyone else! And I¡¯m sure I will win her heart, because I love her more than anybody else! Zhang Jun caught himself daydreaming in his room again. He smiled wryly as he shook his head to clear it of random thoughts. He then continued to focus on the Math problem in front of him. ¡°Hmm, hmm, this¡­ Hmm¡­ Mhmm¡­ This question¡­ Ugh¡­¡± After grunting at the question for a very long time, he finally admitted defeat. And just like every single time he had a problem with his homework, he reactively stood up, brought his homework and a pen with him, got out the front door, and headed straight to Su Fei¡¯s house. But just as he was about to knock on her front door, he realized what was wrong with the picture. They had been avoiding each other for the past few days. Suddenly showing up in front of her house and asking for help on his homework was going to be about the most awkward thing possible for the both of them. ¡°Am I doing this out of habit?¡± Zhang Jun asked himself as he smiled and shook his head. But just as he turned around and was about to head back, the door opened with a creak. Light poured out from behind Zhang Jun as he turned around again, just to find Su Fei standing there looking at him. ¡°Umm¡­ This is¡­ That¡¯s because¡­ I think¡­ Umm¡­ I was actually thinking¡­¡± Zhang Jun quickly became very flustered and his speech seemed to have failed when he saw her looking at him in a calm manner. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m good. I should go¡­¡± ¡°Which question?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Which question are you having a problem with?¡± Zhang Jun hesitated for a moment before handing over his homework and said, ¡°Question No.7, the third part¡­¡± ¡°Come in, I¡¯ll explain it to you.¡± After saying that, Su Fei turned around and headed into her own room. Zhang Jun watched her back and turned to look at his front door. But eventually, he stepped inside Su Fei¡¯s home. ¡°Oh, Zhang Jun! I haven¡¯t seen you dropping by for some time. What have you been busy with?¡± Su Fei¡¯s mother was still as friendly as always. ¡°Huh? Oh! Haha! No-Nothing! Hi, Aunty!¡± Zhang Jun stuttered at first, but after exchanging greetings, he went into Su Fei¡¯s room. The familiar sight and smell of the girl¡¯s room greeted him. He had not been there in a while. Zhang Jun took a deep breath, sucking in as much of that sweet smelling aroma that he missed so much. Su Fei was already seated at her desk and waiting for him. He sat down at his usual spot next to her, but left an obvious gap between them on purpose. Even though he was very sure about his feelings for her, he still thought that it was better to keep some distance between them for now; until the next match was over at least. After all, he was still uncertain of Su Fei¡¯s feelings for him at the moment. Su Fei naturally noticed this. While she patiently explained the Math problem to him in detail without any noticeable emotion on her face, she was saying, ¡°Stupid!¡± over and over again in her heart. ¡­ Lying in his bed after returning from her place, Zhang Jun was reminiscing about the scene in Su Fei¡¯s room. Although they only discussed homework and nothing more, Zhang Jun was still more than happy about it. This was their first time talking so much after avoiding each other for so many days. He finally saw a glimmer of hope and heard the ice on their frozen relationship breaking! Now, he was much more confident that she would understand the meaning behind his hat-trick in the next match. With a heart full of hope for a beautiful tomorrow, Zhang Jun dozed off on his bed. The happiness of many would be riding on the match tomorrow. ¡­ ¡°Godfather, please! I know that my request isn¡¯t an easy one, but I¡¯ve never asked you for anything big like this before. I promise, this will be the first and last time I ask you to do something like this! Please, help me!¡± ¡°But this¡­ What you are asking me to do is very risky!¡± ¡°I know that, but you are the only person I know with enough influence to pull this off. As long as we do it secretly and leave no trail for the reporters, nobody will be able to link you to the referee if they can¡¯t find any evidence!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please, Godfather. Just help me this one time! Just this time!¡± The man on the phone was silent in thought for a while, but he finally made his decision. ¡°Fine! But only this once! There will be no more next time!¡± ¡°Yes sir! Thanks! Godfather, you¡¯re the best!¡± The man then let out a sigh. ¡°You troublesome punk¡­¡± Chapter 56 - The Crow Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation 7: 15 am, Saturday morning. Yang Pan leaped out of bed and dressed up before going for his daily morning jog. It was a routine that he carried out resolutely no matter rain, sleet or snow. He did rest on Sundays though¨Dit was when he would recover after each match. However, the sky outside was dark and cloudy; it looked set to be a rainy day. Despite that, Yang Pan did not think much of it. He glanced at the sky once and continued withhis homework. After a few warm-ups, he started his jog. *Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª* He had not moved two steps when an ugly cry rang from above. He looked up to see a crow flying past. A crow? Yang Pan rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was not fully awake; and the bird was not there anymore. Are crows not supposed to appear only at spooky places such as graveyards and wastelands? Why would there be such an unlucky omen in a modest ,modern residential area? He kept running. That familiar yet horrible screech rang again after a few more paces. He stopped and promptly looked up again. This time, he saw it clearly, it was indeed a crow! ¡­ ¡°Why are you up so early? Isn¡¯t there a game this afternoon?¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s father settled down at the dining table when he found his son sitting opposite him. Zhang Jun took a sip from the cup of milk he poured and dabbed his lips. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep. What use is there in staying in bed?¡± He left the kitchen at that. Isn¡¯t that what I usually say? Mr. Zhang thought blankly as he stared at his son¡¯s back. Walking out to the balcony, Zhang Jun took a deep breath. The air was really better in the mornings! Still, the sky was a bit gloomy and it looked like therewould be rain. Nonetheless, he was not concerned; whether it rained or not, soccer could not be stopped. Despite that, it was fine to enjoy the rare morning view. Usually, he would rush to finish his breakfast and dash off to school¨Dthere was usually no time for him to enjoy any view at all. A few elderly people were practicing martial arts downstairs. It was indeed a good time to train; the air was fresh; the birds were singing¡­ *Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª* The birds are singing? Zhang Jun lifted his head, and there was a crow¡­ ¡­ There was no way he could keep running. Yang Pan had seen no less than 10 crows along his run. When the eleventh flew over him, YangPan did not even look up. ¡°Damn! This is so bloody infuriating!¡± He spat furiously on the path before turning back. ¡­ ¡°This kid! Why are you only washing your eyes?¡± his mother chided. Zhang Jun had dashed into the bathroom from the balcony, grabbing a towel to rub his eyes¨Drepeatedly and violently. His mother who just entered was naturally shocked. *Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª Caw ¡ª* A crow flew overhead and cawed. ¡­ It was already pouring when noon arrived. There were brief stops in between where the rain alternated between drizzles and downpours. Nevertheless, the ground was not soaked¨Dthe match stayed on schedule since the tournament committee did not give any notice that stated otherwise. Their bus was speeding on the way to Yingcai. Su Fei stared blankly at the darkened sky and the irregular rain outside the window; even the glass was drenched. She was worried; the rain looked like it could get worse. They were playing as the away team in such an environment against a team of such caliber. Kaka was right, that huge goalkeeper from Yingcai was not an average player¨Dhe had stoppedevery attempt on his team¡¯s goal during his last three games. Yang Pan¡¯s powerful drive may just give him some trouble, but Zhang Jun¡­ Flustered, she shook her head when she found herself doubting Zhang Jun. She pressured herself to think: Zhang Jun can do it! Zhang Jun can do it! Zhang Jun can do it¡­ ¡°Su Fei.¡± Startled, she turned to find Liang Ke. ¡°You look like you have something on your mind. What is it?¡± the coach asked. She turned to look outside. ¡°The sky¡­¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re worried about the weather.¡± Liang Ke smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Soccer isa sport that can¡¯t be stopped by rain, sleet or snow. The rain will have certain effects, but the key lies in our 11 players. There¡¯s nothing that can stop them if they desire victory.¡± ¡­ The shower stopped just as the players began their warm-ups. Su Fei looked up. It was a noticeably brighter sky, maybe it really had stopped? During their warm-ups, both teams on the field did not say a word to each other. Somewhat high in the midst of its dream run, Yingcai did not even see Shu Guang as a threat. The other team, soured by its dealings with the Ant was not in the mood for good tidings either. For the coaches, it was an entirely different story. They had a practice game before and there was a sensation of destiny at work. It manifested in a way that they would meet again in the upcoming match. ¡°Hehe! Please go easy on us!¡± they exchanged pleasantries. It was truly a ¡°pleasantry¡± for Liang Ke. The possibility of Shu Guang losing never crossed his mind¨Dthey had been in tip-top form lately. Yingcai may be the dark horse of the year, but its only strength lay in just 2 of its players: Sima Hongxin and Ma Ni; soccer on the other hand, was an 11-man game. It was a ¡°pleasantry¡± for the other coach too. Since Ma Ni joined the team, he became coach only in name; although many disliked the striker¡¯s attitude, he was pragmatic when it came to soccer. After all, it was not sheer luck that they gained complete victory over their last three games. Whenever Zhang Jun caught a glimpse of Ma Ni¡¯s cocky face, he could not wait to run up to him and wring his neck. But, he knew that the best place to seek his revenge was on the field. The best way to do that was to score and give them a slap on the face in victory. In fact, he had been waiting for this day with his teeth bared. Even a heavy downpour would not put out the fire in him. Perhaps under the influence of their team, the Yingcai students did not have a good impression of Shu Guang either. Jeers, boos and shouts of ¡°Go home!¡± never ceased since Shu Guang stepped onto the pitch for their pre-game warm-up. Yang Pan, captain of the Shu Guang team reacted by slamming a powerful shot at the wall where most of the Yingcai students sat. The loud bang stunned them for a few moments before the jeers and boos returned with a vengeance. Not one of them remained seated as they expressed their outrage at Yang Pan¡¯s obvious provocation. Chen Huafeng smiled bitterly, shaking his head. ¡°Ah! Things are already heating up before the game! What is going to happen when it kicks off?¡± ¡­ The visitor¡¯s locker room. ¡°Our opponent¡¯s spearhead is the striker, No.10, Ma Ni. He has already scored 10 goals since this competition began and he¡¯s the scorer of every single goal for his team. It¡¯s a rare feat, but it shows how valuable he is to Yingcai. Wang Ning, Li Hao, you two will work together to stop him. Defense should stay on high alert too. It¡¯s better to foul him than let him get inside the box.¡± ¡°Watch out especially for his ¡¯90 Degrees¡¯ move that all the papers are talking about. According to statistics, he used this move to dribble past his markers before scoring 6 out of his 10 goals. It was also twice successful against Zhongyuan¡¯s Li Yongle in their practice match. That is why I demand that the back line puts in five times the effort. Keep it tight! Liang Ke nodded as his defenders loudly responded as one. ¡°Attackers, note that Sima Hongxin is an excellent keeper. He has the best goalkeeping record in Luoyang right now. I¡¯ll leave it to the four of you to decide how you¡¯ll score past him, hehe!¡± The coach smiled slyly before turning serious again. ¡°Put up the performance you showed in the last game and let everyone witness the greatest offensive lineup in Luoyang!¡± There was not much else that needed to be said. Every player looked like they were out for blood, and the raging fire was obvious in their eyes. He translated it as a grand desire to win the match and step into Xigong Stadium, where they would gain a whole new world. ¡­ The home team¡¯s locker room. Ma Ni took over the reins and scribbled on the blackboard, while the real coach merely stood in a corner like an observer. ¡°Shu Guang is only strong in appearance! Their attacking group is formidable, but their defense is their vital weakness! Their coach has poured his heart out, trying to mend this aspect. However, the time he¡¯s had isn¡¯t enough, so his results are limited. No. 3, Lin Xiaofang and No. 5, Chen Bo have limited experience. It looks like they¡¯ve improved and stabilized in the last few games, but that¡¯s just because they haven¡¯t met any strong opponents. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll kick them into shape! Stick to the usual strategy. When I get the ball, you run according to the planned routes¡ªgrab the attention of their defense and give me space.¡± Admittedly, Liang Ke would have nodded in agreement too if he had heard Ma Ni¡¯s analysis. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to worry about their attack. The forwards tend to do as they like and they¡¯re only scary if the team is focused. But, once they scatter, they won¡¯t be a danger. As long as I deal with the defense within the first 30 minutes, their offense will not even matter.¡± It was to observe how egotistical Ma Ni was by his use of ¡°I¡± instead of ¡°we¡±. He did not even put his own team¡¯s capabilities into consideration. In his eyes, the other players were just good for crowding the other team when defending, and grabbing the attention of the other team¡¯s defense. Essentially, they were just objects to be thrown at the opposition to stop its offense. ¡­ Both teams stood on the field, waiting for the match to start. Su Fei frowned at the jeers from the Yingcai supporters. The only other occasion they received this sort of welcome was at Yang Guang. She looked up at the dreary skies again; her worries quickly began to grow as if a gigantic rock was pressing down on her heart. This time however, she was not worried if Zhang Jun could score three goals¡ªshe was much more concerned about Shu Guang¡¯s ability to win the match. A clear whistle sounded amid her worries. The quarter-final match between Yingcai High and Shu Guang High in the Luoyang regional qualifiers for the National High School Soccer Championship kicked off. Chapter 57 - 90 Degrees Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Yingcai players, having made it their objective to enter the Nationals were as pumped as their supporters. They attacked aggressively as soon as the match began. Ma Ni was indeed their linchpin¡ªevery single pass was directed to him. Although they disliked the guy, they needed his strength to win and secure that gallant ambition of theirs. To enter the Nationals was unquestionably a great honor, and it was the unquenchable desire of every individual. For their coach, becoming Luoyang¡¯s first trainer to lead a non-Zhongyuan team into the Nationals would do plenty of favors for his reputation, social status and bank account. That was why he did not mind Ma Ni¡¯s ¡°coup¡±. As for the players on team, the Nationals meant fame and bonus points in their exams¡ªin a nutshell, a bright future and a colorful life. Even the director and principal of the school would gain numerous accolades in return. For the students, it was not just a source of pride. Traditionally, every school would have an accompanying cheerleading team once they entered the Nationals. The last few days had seen a sudden burst of new recruits for the school cheerleading team. All of them had the same thought¡ªthey wanted to steal a little limelight and catch a bit of camera time by showing their faces on TV. It was a bizarre school with a bizarre team and a bizarre relationship that they shared. There was no sense of partnership between the players; all of them were merely using each other to achieve their own ends. Still, Yingcai was able to rely entirely on this relationship, cutting down their foes and advancing to the final eight. The team turned into the dark horse of the year in the process. It seemed that trust was not the only way to create miracles. Utilitarianism clearly worked too. Now under the drive of fame, money and a brighter future, Yingcai relentlesly assaulted Shu Guang¡¯s goalpost. Having never encountered such a zealous offensive right from the start, the Shu Guang players were momentarily caught. For 10 minutes, all they could do was hold them off. Like the practice match they played against each other, the partnership between Wang Ning and Li Hao could not keep up with Ma Ni¡ªthe striker was as agile as a rat. His method of relying on his teammates to divert Shu Guang¡¯s attention and give him free space was indeed viable. He was a capable forward individually, although his positioning and specialties made him appear more like a False 9; tracking back, getting the ball, and dribbling by himself to make a breakthrough. This meant that he was a different striker compared to Zhang Jun, who was more of a traditional striker. If he chose to run backwards for the ball, his chances of making a break for the penalty area would in turn decrease. However, was this not the case because Ma Ni did not have an excellent midfield supporter like Kaka? That was the reason why he had to do everything by himself. Ma Ni took possession once again. Even though Wang Ning and Li Hao could not help but get nervous at the sight, they inched forward carefully in a pincer move. But before they could combine against him, Ma Ni suddenly hastened his pace and slipped away from the space between. Shocked, they quickly turned to give chase, instead they crashed into each other. They could only watch as Ma Ni left them for dead! Li Jieguang approached for the follow-up. Ma Ni stayed on his course; he had no intention to dodge. Li Jieguang stretched his foot out! Despite running at breakneck speed, Ma Ni kicked the ball to his right, and using his left foot as a support, he forcefully turned his entire body towards the ball. He bypassed Jieguang¡¯s challenge beautifully, returned to the ball and continued his run! It was his 90 Degrees move! The stands cheered and jeered at once. Li Jieguang was left looking at a blur while Ma Ni had already dodged to his left. He simply could not react against such movement and speed. However, Shu Guang had no time to marvel. Ma Ni had reached the box! Lin Xiaofang flew in with a sliding tackle¡ªhe had no other choice even if there was the risk of a fou. Ma Ni¡¯s prompt breakthrough had caught Shu Guang High unawares. Furthermore, despite being the closest to him, he was still two meters away. If he had not slid in, he would not have been able to reach Ma Ni. Nevertheless, Ma Ni was one step ahead and he let one fly! A fearsome low strike! Although An Ke managed to keep guard of the angles, the shot was sudden and tricky. Unhinged, he could only knock it off the line. Corner. ¡°What 90 Degrees?¡± Su Fei asked, finally having some time to breathe following the intense turn of events. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a quick turn?¡± Su Fei¡¯s argument was reasonable. Ma Ni¡¯s turn looked ordinary, albeit the fact that it was executed with sound precision and timing. However, Liang Ke was not sharing her sentiments. He had a lingering feeling that the move was not so simple. In the pitch, Li Jieguang, just like Su Fei believed that the 90 Degrees move was simply a quick turn; even Yang Pan was reminding his shell-shocked teammates of the same thing. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the 90 Degrees or whatever they call it,¡± their skipper said. ¡°It¡¯s just a normal quick turn. Next time, Wang Ning, Li Hao, don¡¯t swarm him. Instead, form two layers. One to force him to switch directions, the other to look for the perfect timing and cut the ball away.¡± Zhang Jun watched quietly as Yang Pan gave his orders. But, was it really as straightforward as his friend had put it? He turned to see a sly smile on Ma Ni¡¯s face and felt a sense of foreboding. Unexpectedly, Ma Ni ran towards the corner flag. He was a striker, should he not have been waiting inside the area? What was he going to do there? The corner was taken. Instead of a cross in front of the goal, it was a pass to Ma Ni! A set-piece! Shu Guang¡¯s back line was in chaos once more. They could not run out to intercept him¡ªif they did, they would be leaving the box empty. Staying inside was not an option either. They could not keep allowing him to dribble around the edge of the box, could they? Before they made up their mind, Ma Ni moved! He started to close in from the right, but he did not dash into the area, merely doing the opposite and dribbling diagonally towards the center. Wang Ning and Li Hao moved out. The duo remembered Yang Pan¡¯s words clearly¡ªone was to act as bait, while the other was to wait for a chance. Wang Ning made a diving tackle! Still running, Ma Ni turned and went pass him on his right. That was Li Hao¡¯s chance; he quietly stretched a leg out to stop the ball, but it vanished! Ma Ni was already behind him in a blur! It was that 90 Degrees again! This was the real version! Ma Ni was already waiting for Li Hao when Wang Ning slid in. And when Li Hao stretched his leg out, he made another quick turn and dodged to his left. Continuous fast stops, change of directions, acceleration and repetition¡ªthis was his prided technique, a move dubbed 90 Degrees by the press. Each turning route had the shape of a right angle. It looked ordinary, but incessantly pulling one quick turn after another could produce devastating effects. The skill was also demanding towards its user. He or she would need agile steps, explosiveness, impeccable timing, powerful control and most importantly, a pair of knees that could keep up with the huge pressure the constant turning brought. There was really no telling how the diminutive Ma Ni was able to do this. Su Fei was speechless this time. Even Yang Pan was startled. He never though that this would be Ma Ni¡¯s true 90 Degrees move. He had been tricked! Lin Xiaofang kept the pressure on, but Ma Ni simply responded with another 90 Degrees. It was such an astonishing skill that Li Jieguang was also left behind in a single stroke. An Ke dashed out and dived towards him! Without a moment of hesitation, Ma Ni turned and bypassed the keeper before firing at the empty goal with ease! It went in! Five consecutive quick turns! It was the most difficult dribbling technique¡ªSuper 90 Degrees! The pitch boiled over! 1: 0! Yingcai led in the twelfth minute of the first-half; Ma Ni¡¯s sensational scoring technique drew first blood! The Shu Guang players stared stupidly at the Yingcai procession who danced and celebrated. Nobody seemed to take notice that rain was beginning to pour once more. Chapter 58 - The 30th Minute Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The match restarted at the sound of the referee¡¯s whistle; Zhang Jun kicked the ball to Yang Pan. In fear that the other team would secure possession and get Ma Ni to put on an encore of his ¡°90 Degrees Show¡±, Shu Guang carefully held on to the ball. It took them quite a while to notice that, without their star, the other players were not of the same caliber as them. That fact alone emboldened them. Wang Ning sent a through pass to Kaka. It looked like the Brazilian was about to receive the ball when he crossed his legs and allowed the ball to roll past him, before turning and chasing after it. A Yingcai defender who had latched himself on Kaka was left rooted to the spot. He did not even react, not quite understanding what had just happened. Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and Ren Yu De helped out by catching the attention of the other defenders, while Kaka calmly dribbled and took a shot from the right! The ball curved noticeably in the direction of the upper left post; it was a dead zone, and typically, the most difficult angle for a goalkeeper to guard. Yang Pan even raised both his hands, prepared to celebrate his team¡¯s equalizer. However, Sima Hongxin rose and caught the attempt tightly. He dropped and rolled once before rising again. He looked utterly unfettered as if he was perfectly comfortable in making that save. Annoyed, Yang Pan lowered his hands. ¡°Such a shot. Even Zhongyuan¡¯s keeper, Zhang Lintao would have only been able to knock it out of bounds,¡± Chen Huafeng mumbled in his seat. ¡®Sima Hongxin is truly a ¡®monster¡¯ of a keeper. Super 90 Degrees and Monster Keeper¡­ Shu Guang has truly met a difficult opponent¡­¡± It should have been an exciting match, but due to the poor weather, the on-site reporters did not even amount to half of the usual number. There were barely 10 photojournalists standing beside the pitch. It was a pathetic appearance for such a vital clash! Nonetheless, Kaka¡¯s denied attempt did not deter Shu Guang¡¯s passion for attacking. Wang Ning managed to cut a pass, which was going the other way in the midfield. He quickly sent it to playmaker-in-chief, Kaka. Kaka slipped it to Ren Yu De, who shifted his foot slightly and tipped it away between his marker¡¯s feet, moving the ball into the penalty area. Yingcai¡¯s defense was in tatters. It was Yu De¡¯s favorite situation¡ªhe always found a route to pass even in the middle of chaotic scenes, and it was no different this time. Zhang Jun appeared in his line of sight and he sent an exquisite, yet concealed lob! The ball leaped over the heads of the defenders towards the goal! Zhang Jun rose for a powerful header! Sima Hongxin¡¯s hands were there once more. He moved sideways and stopped the ball, clearing it with a quick drop-kick to the midfield. Wang Ning headed it back towards the other direction. Ma Ni, who had a notable disadvantage in aerial duels, did not get a word in. Kaka accepted the ball and backheeled it to Ren Yu De before turning and running forward. At the sight of his teammate shaking off a pursuing defender, Ren Yu De sent the ball in front of Kaka. One-two! The Chinese boy from Brazil then passed it to Zhang Jun, who in turn delivered it to the oncoming Yang Pan. The skipper crossed, Kaka leaped and headed! Sima Hongxin was there again. He caught it firmly, without a hint of a rebound. Shu Guang looked confused after being foiled thrice in their attempts for a goal. Yingcai grabbed their chance and countered. Ma Ni tracked back to the midfield for the ball. It was as if he had vanished as Shu Guang attacked wildly for those seven minutes, never appearing in anyone¡¯s sight. But now that he had possession of the ball yet again, Shu Guang was feeling nervous once more. He began his high-speed dribbling breakthrough! Despite knowing that there was a high chance they would be bypassed, Wang Ning and Li Hao approached him. As expected, Ma Ni used his 90 Degrees move and left the duo behind. Now facing off against Lin Xiaofang, he did not use the same trick¡ªa little upper-body movement sufficed. Ma Ni got into the box and took a shot! Fully prepared this time, An Ke pressed the incoming ball underneath his body tightly. Although Yingcai were leading at the moment, Shu Guang held a slight advantage over the game. There were still 15 minutes left before the first period ended, and the score was simply not enough for Ma Ni. He had promised his godfather to use a particular move only in extreme circumstances. However, looking at the game right now, Shu Guang could quickly rally for a comeback if the gap between them was not widened. It did not matter how good Sima Hongxin was. He was still one man against an entire soccer team! Ma Ni gave the referee a look, while the other noticed it and nodded. Yingcai was holding the ball at the back. Kaka went up to them, but once he took over possession, the referee sounded his whistle; it was a foul! The match official gestured for a free kick even before Kaka could make sense of what had just happened. ¡°Huh? What¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± Kaka was left befuddled over what foul he had made. He did not have any time to argue; everyone else was running back to defend because the free kick was quickly taken and the ball was now at Ma Ni¡¯s feet. It was then that Zhang Jun noticed something; Ma Ni was not using the Super 90 Degrees move, which he did prior to scoring earlier. Clearly, he could not use the move more than twice that frequently. Still, it had left his team¡¯s defense shaken. Even Yang Pan and Kaka often found themselves returning to the edge of the box to defend. Yingcai was on the counter again and An Ke yelled for the back line to press forward to make an offside trap. His instructions were sound. The defenders had trained for this and they moved forward decisively to force Ma Ni into an offside position. When a midfielder made a long pass to Ma Ni, both Li Jieguang and Lin Xiaofang raised their hands at the same time to signal that the striker was offside. Ma Ni, unmarked, looked up at the linesman. The official was keeping his flag down and the referee did not blow his whistle; it meant he could play on! Shu Guang was shocked. Ma Ni was five meters offside! The flag stayed down and the whistle was not blown! Were the officials blind? It took a while before An Ke recovered from the shock; he quickly charged out to stop the attack, but it was over in an instant. Ma Ni easily fooled him with another 90 Degrees. He slipped past the keeper and scored into another open goal! Finally, the referee blew his whistle, but he was pointing at the center circle. The was goal counted! 2: 0! Yingcai had doubled their lead in the thirtieth minute! An Ke leaped off the ground and ran straight at the linesman, looking so ferocious that he was probably prepared to eat the man. Yang Pan saw it. Cursing inside, he quickly sped off in the same direction. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you raise the flag?! It was an obvious offside! You blind¡ª¡± ¡°An Ke!¡± Yang Pan roared loudly from behind, silencing the goalie moments before swiftly holding him back by his navel. The referee ran over too as he reached into his chest pocket. An Ke was shown a yellow card when he got in front of him! Yang Pan breathed a sigh of relief; it was not a red. Luckily, he had stopped An Ke just before any heated words were uttered. Or else, his teammate would have been sent off without further discussion. Although he was relieved, he never relaxed his hands. The captain firmly dragged the 188-cm An Ke back into the pitch. ¡°Why are you being so impulsive? Do you want to get sent off?¡± Yang Pan scolded him as the captain. ¡°Obey the referee! Whatever the referee says goes!¡± ¡°Do we have to follow him even if he¡¯s corrupted?¡± An Ke was still clearly angry, but his voice was a lot softer. He did not want to be sent off either; that much was clear. ¡°You¡­¡± Yang Pan was left speechless. Zhang Jun looked up at the sky. He did not notice when the rain had become so heavy; the raindrops hurt him as it swept across his face, while the stands were now a sea of umbrellas. He washed his face in the shower before moving back into the crowd, patting Yang Pan and briefly hugging An Ke. ¡°Stop arguing. It¡¯s never nice to argue against each other¡ªwe¡¯ll become a laughing stock to them. If they score two, we¡¯ll score three; if they score three, we¡¯ll score four!¡± That last part was not uttered loudly, but every other Shu Guang player heard the intensity within those words. ¡°Assume your positions, don¡¯t let Old Liang wait for too long!¡± At that, Zhang Jun led the way to the center circle. He walked slowly, but steadily. The others glanced at the technical area. That was when they finally noticed that Liang Ke, who was still seated just a while ago, standing pitch-side with his arms folded across his chest. The coach did not say a word and merely stood there, allowing himself to be bombarded by the rain. And so, the players dispersed and went back to their posts. ¡°An Ke!¡± An Ke turned, but was stopped by Yang Pan. ¡°Guard well! You¡¯re the only one who can keep Shu Guang¡¯s goal safe! If you dare get yourself another yellow card before the Nationals, I will skin you!¡± the captain hissed viciously. An Ke flipped him off viciously in return. ¡°You just have to think about how you¡¯re going to score. This box is my domain!¡± Yang Pan smiled. Su Fei stared worriedly at Liang Ke, who was still standing under the rain. His smart-looking suit was now so drenched and wrinkled, it no longer looked like clothing. He had stood up without a word after the offside goal, walking to the side of the pitch and standing there like a statue. Afraid that he would catch a cold, the team manager finally decided to hold up an umbrella for him. But just as she got beside him, he said, ¡°Go back, Su Fei. Go back and keep the match record.¡± She sighed. Closing the umbrella, she returned to her seat. She picked up her notebook and jotted everything down meticulously. ¡± Thirtieth minute, Yingcai leads by a score of 2: 0. An Ke was shown a yellow card.¡± Chapter 59 - Black Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation There are different types of rain. Although it was considered a drizzle at that point, the drops were rather rapid. The weather report from the day before predicted that there could be a little up to a mid-sized downpour and it looked like it would not stop before the end of the game. For once, Chen Huafeng had forgotten to bring an umbrella; it was not until Xiao Zhang opened one for him that he realized his clothes were already soaked. Still, his thoughts were not on the match, but on that referee. Kaka¡¯s beautiful tackle had been called a shoving foul; the ball had been out of bounds, but he gestured play on. When Kaka fell to a tackle and the ball was still with Yang Pan, he ignored the offensive advantage, whistling for the game to stop instead. And then there was the offside, which he totally ignored. He allowed Ma Ni to score freely, adding to Yingcai¡¯s advantage. This referee! Chen Huafeng was seething. ¡°Wearing black clothes¡­ he really is blacker than all others¡­¡± The stands did not jeer or roar in disapproval against the goal. They only cheered. Bribed referees only appeared black and revolting to those who lost. For those who gained from it, such referees were proper heroes of justice. Not only would they validate their offside goals and nullify the opposition¡¯s scoring, they would also turn slips in the opposition¡¯s box into penalties and the other team¡¯s falls into dives. For them, such referees were the iron face of integrity. They were fair and square in their ways¡ªa role model for all other match officials. And on that day, the referee was the ¡°cutest guy¡± in the eyes of the students from Yingcai High. The rain steadily grew, but it did not stop the waves of Shu Guang¡¯s offense. Keeping their rage in check, they converted that frustration into action, wildly retaliating against the injustice. It did not matter how much of a ¡°monster¡± Sima Hongxin was, he too could feel the pressure from them. Yang Pan took a shot from the right, just outside the box! The ball, despite being heavier after soaking in rain darted off like a cannonball towards Yingcai¡¯s goal. For the first time, Sima Hongxin could not catch it; he used both hands to knock the ball off the baseline. It was clear that he dreaded those extraordinarily powerful drives as well. Kaka took the corner as Zhang Jun leaped up behind a defender and headed the ball! Sima Hongxin got a glove on it, but once again failed to catch it. It seemed like he was still feeling the power from Yang Pan¡¯s shot earlier! Nonetheless, his reflexes were not dulled in spite of the pain. An ordinary keeper in his place would have probably conceded! Flustered, the defenders cleared the ball away from the chaotic box. Kaka passed a through ball! And out of nowhere, Zhang Jun moved amidst the defending crowd and dribbled into the area! Sima Hongxin was taken aback. He did not expect such speed from Zhang Jun, who appeared to have taken only two steps before breaking inside the penalty area; to top it all off, it was on a muddy pitch. In a panic Sima dashed out, but his single moment of hesitation turned into a fatal mistake. Zhang Jun suddenly slid and stumbled from the slippery ground, while Hongxin dived in. Just as the striker was about to fall, he prodded the ball once and it lobbed over his hand as well as his head towards the empty goal! The stands erupted in shock! It bounced off the woodwork amid the panicked cries! The returning defenders quickly kicked it far out once it rebounded into the penalty area. The stands breathed a sigh of relief before exclaiming in stunned gasps once again! It was Yang Pan! He appeared right where the ball was after the clearance! With a whirl of his muscular right foot, he volleyed! The ball whistled straight towards goal! Sima Hongxin quickly picked up his mud-stained body. With his hands outstretched, he dived to keep it out. However, he was one step behind this time, and the ball scraped past his fingertips into the open goal! The Shu Guang bench burst into cheers, but their celebration was cut short when the referee whistled loudly. The linesman raised his flag up high before holding it level in front of his chest. Offside! ¡°Offside?¡± Xiao Zhang cried. ¡°How is that an offside?¡± The referee cleared all his doubts by awarding Yingcai with a free kick at the spot where Zhang Jun fell in the box. It was an offside on the striker! ¡°Zhang Jun was offside? How¡¯s that possible! He may have been on an offside position when Yang Pan made his shot, but he did nothing! How could that be an offside?¡± Xiao Zhang was even more troubled. ¡°It is an offside.¡± Chen Huafeng seethed. ¡°The referee saw that Zhang Jun was on an offside position. Furthermore, when Yang Pan made his effort, Zhang Jun was interfering with Sima Hongxin¡¯s line of sight, which counts as disturbing the keeper.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not even funny! How could Zhang Jun avoid blocking Sima Hongxin?! That referee¡¯s doing this on purpose!¡± The complaints continued on the stands, while the faces of the Shu Guang players remained unreadable. Even An Ke, who had blown up in rage just a while ago only kicked the post once. Yang Pan stared at the referee blankly before turning back. Zhang Jun treaded back too, coldly and silently. Since the judges and robbers were a team, saying anything was meaningless. However, that did not mean that they would take things quietly. This time, they had one over them. Zhang Jun was offside regardless of whether he interfered before the goal or not. Next time, he would simply score a goal that everyone would be speechless against, be it judge or robber. He would see what those sons of b*tches had to say then. The free kick was taken; the half-time whistle sounded although the Yingcai player who took it had carelessly kicked it out of bounds. It¡¯s 2: 0 going into the break. The home team, Yingcai scored two goals to lead against Shu Guang within the first thirty minutes. The same air of rage was not present in the locker room like that time they played against Yang Guang. Everyone was quiet. The silence was deafening; there was almost no sound apart from the players¡¯ heavy breathing. Fifteen minutes passed in that manner. It was when they prepared to step into the field once more that Liang Ke said, ¡°Stick to the plan. Play the way we usually play in the second half.¡± He was the first to leave the room after those words. Zhang Jun had been fidgeting behind the team for a while. After the others left, he put on a brave face and asked Su Fei, ¡°Su Fei, umm¡­ do you have a headband? My hair¡¯s long now; it sticks in my eyes when it gets wet. It feels uncomfortable.¡± Su Fei smiled and reached behind to untie her ponytail. She then handed the broad, black headband she was using over to him. ¡°Will this do?¡± Drying his hair and forehead with a towel, Zhang Jun pulled his hair back and carefully wrapped it from the tip. His longer strands of hair were now pressed to the back, hence they would not drop easily and get in the way of his sight. Su Fei giggled at his new hairstyle. Her golden laughter instantly freed Zhang Jun from his gloomy mood and he laughed himself silly too. Suddenly, the manager drew out three fingers and waved it at him. Zhang Jun stared blankly, not quite understanding what it meant. ¡°Three.¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°Remember what you said, don¡¯t go back on your word!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± Yang Pan returned after noticing his absence. ¡°What could that tardy brat be up to¡­¡± He entered to see a forbidden scene; a boy and a girl alone in a room¡­. The captain quickly coughed and added, ¡°Hurry, you¡¯re the only one left.¡± He then turned and left the room. Zhang Jun smiled at Su Fei uncomfortably, before following his friend. ¡°Wait.¡± She stopped him. He turned. ¡°Give me your left hand.¡± He did so obediently. Su Fei took out the bracelet and wrapped it around his hand. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Remember your words, three.¡± She smiled again. ¡°Go, the match is starting.¡± Every one of Zhang Jun¡¯s teammates were surprised by his new hairdo; the more observant ones could also see the appearance of a red bracelet on his left wrist. Still, they did not ask a thing; the match was starting, but all of them noticed that Zhang Jun¡¯s eyes were sparkling with a desire to win. His face was no longer cold as the driven snow and there was an elusive smile on his face. Everyone pretty much knew what was going based on the change and they all smiled together, clearing the unpleasantness of the first half. Liang Ke was standing silently at the technical area again, allowing the rain to lash at him freely. He was paying his ¡°respects¡± to the referee in this manner. Su Fei was the last to sit. Looking at Zhang Jun on the field, she suddenly remembered the Yang Guang match. It was during this period of the game that the coach told her, ¡°You must trust Zhang Jun and believe in him no matter when.¡± How could she forget about that with her good memory? How could she not remember such an important thing? She almost doubted the one person she shouldn¡¯t before the game. Just a little bit more and she would have never been able to forgive herself. The coach was right. She had to believe in Zhang Jun, because he was the most trustworthy person. She would believe in him for life. *Beep!* The second half then began as the rain intensified. Chapter 60 - Ultimate Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As pedestrians and people who had been preparing for a nice day out cursed the bloody weather, the same applied to the two teams on the Yingcai soccer field. The wet ground meant that Ma Ni could not freely use his 90 Degrees move. There was an occasion when he attempted it, and while he did prod the ball away, without a stable supporting foot, he slipped and fell, losing the ball in the process. However, during the few times that he slipped, there had been Shu Guang players around him. The referee would then quickly follow-up with a whistle for a Shu Guang foul. Already fed up with his shenanigans, the Shu Guang team did not bother to argue¡ªas long as there were no penalties or bookings, they would let him do as he wished. In the second half, Yang Pan was a changed man. He would swing his leg to shoot once he got the ball, no matter where he was! His first drive knocked against the goalpost. It left the post quaking for some time and sprayed mud across the faces of Yingcai defenders who stood nearby. After that, no one stood guard to block his shots whenever he prepared to shoot¡ªtheir lives hung in the balance. Every shot that whistled past them also seemed to strike deep into the Yingcai players¡¯ morale, and Sima Hongxin¡¯s as well. The keeper breathed heavily under the rain, unable to recall how many times he was beseiged by Yang Pan. Each time he saw the ball flying towards him, he would instinctively dive towards it. He kept it out regardless of whether he was using his hands, feet or body. He initially stood firmly, but soon, he was struggling to pick himself off the muddy ground. Still, he would return to his stance in front of the goalpost every single time. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± Zhang Jun turned around. It had been Sima Hongxin who said that. ¡°It¡¯s useless. He¡¯s already tried so many times. He¡¯s never going to score! As long as I¡¯m here, you people won¡¯t score!¡± Zhang Jun smiled. Eleven minutes into the second half. Shu Guang stole the ball in the midfield and went on a fast break. Kaka passed to Yang Pan, who sprinted up alone. The rain did not impede his speed, and the Yingcai defense kept retreating farther behind due to his ferocious dribble. Once he got to the semi-circled edge of the box, Yang Pan took a shot! The motion of his foot pulled his whole body into the air, and the ball thundered across the field! This time, it was a direct shot! Sima Hongxin leaped with his hand stretched towards it. ¡°Bang!* The ball hit him and bounced out, but the keeper fell inside the goal! Zhang Jun dashed at the rebound. At the shocked gasps of the Yingcai fans, who finally realized what was going on, he spread his body and bent like a bow preparing to unleash an arrow! He volleyed! This time, every Yingcai player¡ªincluding Ma Ni and Sima Hongxin, who was still laying inside the net¡ªcould only watch as the ball flew in and hit the back of the net forcefully. It went in! This time, Yang Pan was not offside, Zhang Jun was not offside and there was not a single foul play on Shu Guang¡¯s part. Reluctantly, the referee awarded the goal. Kaka rushed in and slammed the ball back into the goal viciously. 1: 2! Zhang Jun stepped in front of Sima Hongxin. ¡°He never intended to score from the start, he was creating a chance for me.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°We were waiting for the moment you¡¯d be knocked behind your post!¡± In no time at all, Zhang Jun was mobbed by his ecstatic teammates. As usual, Su Fei screamed and jumped up excitedly, cheering at the top of her lungs alongside the substitutes in the rain. Even the quiet Liang Ke showed a hint of a smile. Along with the other Yingcai players, Ma Ni could feel the distinct danger that lay ahead with the recent turn of events. Even the Yingcai fans on the stands were gradually losing decibels¡ª they had felt the lopsided nature of the competition. There were even occasions where the team needed the referee¡¯s blatant help to not concede more goals. Furthermore, Yingcai was being pressed down into its own half. It also meant that Ma Ni¡¯s pre-match analysis had been proven. ¡°¡­they¡¯re only scary if the team is focused. But once they scatter, they won¡¯t be a danger.¡± The first part of it, at the very least; The Shu Guang team was not only focused, it was extremely focused. As for the second part, Ma Ni would most likely be unable to see it for himself in this game. The rain was decreasing in volume once more. However, the surface of the pitch was as muddy as ever, especially on Yingcai¡¯s half. Both teams had been playing there so intensely that the landscape was devastated. Shu Guang had to decrease their dribbles accordingly and play more passes¡ªit was too easy to lose the ball in such conditions. They began to play elevated balls, crossing each time they made a breakthrough, or lobbing at 45¡ã angles into the box. Zhang Jun was a specialist in aerial duels, a holistic player and an accomplished header of the ball. Kaka would slip behind the lines to get a header as well; his 186-cm height was a significant advantage. There was such a cluster of attacks in front of Yingcai¡¯s goal that it felt like a battlefield filled with bullets and shells darting around. Their defenders were left helpless in these aerial duels¡ªthey could never get to the ball even if they jumped. The most they could do was act as running interference. Nonetheless, Sima Hongxin was still there. Zhang Jun¡¯s goal clearly did not have much of an effect on the keeper. He kept himself busy, a silent guardian between the two vertical posts; it would not do to just crumble from a single goal. Still, with the incessant passes to the flanks, and crosses, the Yingcai defense was growing weary. All of a sudden, Kaka lobbed an overhead pass! Zhang Jun moved promptly behind the defenders! Understanding the threat of his sudden burst of speed, Sima Hongxin dared not tarry and charged out! Zhang Jun managed to squeeze out a shot! Sima Hongxin jumped to block! The ball was slapped away by the keeper, but both players collided! Su Fei¡¯s chest tightened and she only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhang Jun jumping up quickly and helping Sima Hongxin to his feet. The referee ran over to give Zhang Jun a verbal warning for charging at the goalkeeper, but there was nobody left who cared about the clown anymore. ¡°Sima Hongxin, measuring at 197 cm tall and weighing at 96 kg,¡± Chen Huafeng had reverted to his self-mumbling mode again. ¡°He¡¯s adept at diving to keep out low shots despite that body of his. He seems to have a way in handling technical strikers like Zhang Jun. Well, we¡¯ll have to see what Zhang Jun can do to break past the monster¡¯s fingers¡­¡± Hongxin was indeed a problem for Zhang Jun. There were 20 minutes left, but he still needed to score twice. The gigantic keeper in front of him was still calm and composed despite conceding a goal. He was functioning normally. Without a single opening to offer, how could he put the ball behind him? Zhang Jun then remembered the ball he slyly slipped past An Ke about a month ago. He had no inkling if it would work now, because he had not used it in a proper match¡ªthere was no telling if he could make it work on the first time. However, he looked down and saw the bracelet Su Fei had wrapped around his wrist. She must have made it herself , he thought. It also looked like it would have taken quite some time to make one. He lifted his head and assured himself, ¡°I can do this! This trick will definitely work! Definitely!¡± Be that as it may, it appeared that he did not have a chance to unleash it since Shu Guang was still playing an aerial game. He could only become a bomber himself most of the time. Time flowed with the rain. Five minutes passed, but the stalemate was yet to be broken. Wang Ning intercepted the ball in the midfield and passed! He was then stunned to find that it was not Kaka who got to the ball, instead it was Zhang Jun! Everyone else was shocked as well; they had no idea what he was up to. Zhang Jun turned and dribbled the ball, moving it alone towards the Yingcai area. Out of nowhere, a defender came up with a sliding tackle at the edge of the penalty area! Zhang Jun did not even look before he prodded the ball to the left with his left foot. Using his right as a support and springboard, he burst in the direction of the ball and broke through! Another defender quickly came in to support, but Zhang Jun repeated the same move and dribbled away from him too! It was the 90 Degrees move! The crowd was in an uproar! Only Sima Hongxin remained unmoved as he waited calmly in front of the goal. Zhang Jun¡¯s two quick turns had set him on a course towards the goalpost; he dribbled on. The ball never left his feet, but Sima Hongxin did not come forward rashly either. If it had not been for Zhang Jun¡¯s hair blocking his field of vision in that vital moment of the first half, the goal would have counted and the score would have been 2: 2. Zhang Jun was in the middle of the box when he abruptly shot with his right foot in the middle of his run! While the move was swift, Sima Hongxin still dived towards the ball on his left with agility. However, there was no ball! It vanished! Sima Hongxin kept his eyes wide opened. He was sure that he never took his eyes off the ball, but he was also sure that the ball was not coming towards him! He then saw Zhang Jun leaping into the air, before noticing the ball flying out from behind the striker and into the goal! It went in! There were no other sounds around the stadium other than the sound of rain and the referee blowing his whistle to signal the goal. The spectators, who had barely recovered from Zhang Jun¡¯s version of 90 Degrees were quickly rendered speechless once more by that insane goal. Everything played out like a slow-motion video in the rain. Sima Hongxin, looked back as he dropped to the muddy ground, splashing himself in the face. Zhang Jun landed clumsily, but he did not fall. He turned to glance at the ball in the net, and then the referee before sprinting off in celebration after ascertaining that it was a goal. At the same time, everyone else including both sets of players were still dumbfounded. There were no celebrations, no jeers and no screams from Su Fei. ¡°Goal¡ª¡± Yang Pan was the first to react; his holler was deafening in the silent pitch. ¡°Goal¡ª¡± An Ke joined in too; it was the shot against him a month ago¡ªthe one he failed to comprehend; the shot that Zhang Jun had declared was his ultimate move. And then, the entire Shu Guang team and their bench exploded. 2: 2! In the twenty-sixth minute of the second half, Zhang Jun bagged a brace with an astonishing shot, which shattered the shield that was Sima Hongxin, thus levelling the scores for Shu Guang! Chen Huafeng was as dumbfounded as everyone else. He did not even notice that he had dropped his umbrella. ¡°Xiao Zhang! Xiao Zhang! Did you see that? Did you see how the goal was scored?¡± Xiao Zhang nodded. ¡°I saw it. But to be frank, I really couldn¡¯t believe it!¡± The rain slowly calmed the excited Chen Huafeng as he picked up his umbrella. ¡°I¡¯m asking you because I wasn¡¯t sure! I can¡¯t believe that you saw the same thing too. He is genuinely terrifying if that goal wasn¡¯t a fluke or an accidental move!¡± ¡°And then there was that 90 Degrees move! He just saw it in the first half, right? But, how? How was he able to use it himself in such a short amount of time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his learning ability. It¡¯s a supernatural learning ability! That¡¯s why he¡¯s so scary! Didn¡¯t you see how perfectly he fused Ma Ni¡¯s 90 Degrees together with his own shot? This kid! If he does go to Europe in the future, what a sensation he¡¯ll be in the global soccer scene¡­¡± Ma Ni looked at the scoreboard unhappily; it was his worst fear¡ªthose Shu Guang bastards really turned the game around. Now that they had their rhythm, the remaining game¡­ He glanced at Sima Hongxin, his two-year acquaintance. It was the first time he saw him in such a ragged state; his entire face was covered in mud and his face was completely drenched. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he felt jitters from the goal just now. He could never have scored like that, or to be precise, he could not have even pictured a goal like that! And there was also the 90 Degrees move, which he had trained so long and hard for. It was copied and combined with that shot so perfectly after only being seen once by Zhang Jun¡­ No. 11, Zhang Jun! Was he really going to lose just like that? Was his soccer going to lose out like this? Ma Ni was still hovering around absentmindedly when Yingcai restarted the game. 2: 2, the teams were levelled with 14 minutes left. Chapter 61 - Embrace Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ma Ni was still running and attempting his 90 Degrees move. But, if it was not done at the right angle, he would end up knocking the ball too far off; if it was not that, it would be slipping and splashing into the mud himself. However hateful he was before, he was nothing less than a pathetic worm at the moment. Four minutes passed and the scores stayed at 2: 2. Still, anyone watching, who had basic knowledge of soccer would know that Shu Guang had complete advantage over the game at this point. A comeback was just a matter of time. There were Yingcai students, who were already leaving their seats. The miracle they were banking on was beginning to crumble. Although their disadvantage still looked slight at the moment, their crumbling would soon gain momentum and become a full-fledged avalanche. When that happened, the success they built from utilitarianism would be completely destroyed and buried. It had always been a matter of time. As time flowed with the rain, another two minutes passed. Sima Hongxin was deeply troubled. He could no longer catch the ball during his saves and his breaths were short as well as rapid; his body suddenly felt like it weighed a ton and his movements were all over the place. The keeper was not so ragged after conceding the first goal; he was probably still troubled by how the second one went in. How could such a huge ball suddenly vanish and appear behind Zhang Jun, then at the back of the net? There were just so many questions. The entire Yingcai team were on the defense, hoping that they could extend the game into extra time and penalties. Only Ma Ni was left up front. In that moment, their team felt like a dying man, grasping for straws in his very last breath. It would have been more merciful to shoot them in the chest than watch them suffer. But the story did not seem to have a desire to be dictated, and soccer proved its charm once again. There was no telling what the ultimate results would be, up until the last second. The referee blew his whistle and sprinted madly towards Shu Guang¡¯s penalty area; his fingers were pointed at the penalty spot, where Ma Ni lay! Penalty! In truth, Ma Ni himself had fallen to the ground. While he was dribbling, he slipped outside the box and fell into the box. It was as if the referee wanted to prove he was still alive to everyone. Penalty! An irrevocable penalty had been given! There was a brief moment of silence before the stands ripped out in waves of cheers. The Yingcai players, who had been hopelessly stuck in quicksand seemed to have caught on to a branch¡ªtheir eyes filled with hope. Lin Xiaofang, whom Ma Ni had brought down together with him tried to assert his innocence to the referee. ¡°There¡¯s no way that was a penalty! He fell outside the area and I never touched him! He dragged me down when he slipped!¡± His teammates were helping him argue his case too, in hopes that the bribed official would somehow revoke his decision. Nevertheless. he never uttered a word and stood on the spot as he gestured for the Shu Guang players to leave. If they refused, he would bring out his butcher knife. ¡°Back off!¡± An Ke stood there and shouted angrily, ¡°Back off! Let him take it!¡± The Shu Guang goalie stood between the two posts and readied himself. His teammates backed off at his words, and retreated outside the area. Ma Ni stepped on the penalty spot and placed the ball on it. The pitch became quiet all of a sudden; only the rain could be heard. An Ke lowered his hips, but he did not look at Ma Ni¡¯s ankle or the ball. Instead, he stared ferociously into Ma Ni¡¯s eyes until the referee blew his whistle. *Beep!* Ma Ni ran up to the ball! And An Ke began to move! A shot was taken! With a splash of the muddy water, the ball flew towards the bottom left corner! An Ke dived to the exact place at the same time! He managed to get his glove to it! An Ke¡¯s single-handed save swept the ball to the left, saving in the process! But it was not over. Yingcai still had a chance to fire in the rebound! Lin Xiaofang was already dashing into the area as soon as Ma Ni raised his foot. The ball fell to him and he quickly turned, clearing it far out into midfield. It was a dangerous moment, but he never forgot that he had to create chances for his attackers even as he defended. Because, Zhang Jun was still up front. An Ke rose from the ground and howled. Far ahead, Zhang Jun handled the long ball beautifully. He turned and accelerated in a single stroke! The match was going to end in seven minutes. Zhang Jun relied on his speed and stunning explosiveness as he thundered forward with the ball, keeping his body balanced throughout. Half of the Yingcai players were still on the other half of the pitch. There were just two center backs and one goalkeeper in front of him now. He would bring them nothing less than absolute hell and desolation! He lowered his shoulders to the left and circled the ball with his right foot. One of the defenders thought Zhang Jun was going to the right, and he followed. But Zhang Jun was merely whirling his foot around the ball, not touching it. He quickly nudged it to the left and accelerated, leaving his marker, who was still trying to make sense of things behind. He got past one of them! He would give Ma Ni a slap in the face in victory! There was no way the second defender would run away; he had to face the attacker head on. He growled to embolden himself and he proceeded to slide in with a tackle. Running at full speed, Zhang Jun stopped and moved his right foot to the front. He prodded the ball past his oncoming opponent with his left foot. He had hidden the ball between his legs and the Yingcai defender missed it just by mere inches. Zhang Jun then jumped over the defender! Kaka was stunned. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my move¡­¡± Zhang Jun landed and chased the ball; one step and he was in the box! He was about to score a hat-trick to seal his life¡¯s happiness! Sima Hongxin left his line! And Su Fei rose from her seat. Zhang Jun did not shoot, instead he shifted directions towards the near corner. Sima Hongxin kept up with him although the shot-stopper refrained from reaching out as long as the ball was at his feet. Seconds before Sima Hongxin cut him off all angles, Zhang Jun swayed and stumbled towards the baseline! Sima Hongxin dived out without a shred of hesitation! In the blur of an eye, Zhang Jun, who should have lost his focus suddenly picked the ball up with his right foot. The ball flew over Hongxin towards the empty net! Panicking, the keeper tried to block it, but he only managed to catch the air! He turned promptly to see the ball deflect off the far post on the way in! It was in! It was in! Without looking at the referee or confirming that the goal was indeed awarded, Zhang Jun leaped up from the ground and sprinted towards the technical area. There was no telling where he got such legs. Even Yang Pan could not catch to him using a shortcut. The striker blew past his skipper like a wind. With his arms wide opened, he prepared to dive towards Liang Ke for a flying embrace. There were incessant camera flashes from the cameramen who persisted and stayed beside the pitch; they finally got an angle they wanted: ¡°Ace Striker and Coach Embrace in Victory!¡± It was then that a single inexplicable move by Su Fei foiled everything. What she did changed everything from that point forward. Many who remembered this moment years later in nostalgic recollection would dub it ¡°a match made in heaven¡±. Still, nobody knew what was going in even as was unfolding before their eyes. In one incomprehensible move, Su Fei stepped in front of Liang Ke, stunning both the coach and the incoming Zhang Jun, who were prepared for an enthusiastic bear hug. Liang Ke was clueless about what to do. Zhang Jun was already in the air and it was too late to pull back. Then, it happened. Under the wild, flashing cameras of the photojournalists, Zhang Jun and Su Fei held each other firmly. Fortunately, Liang Ke was behind her and to hold her up, otherwise the pair would have dropped on the dirt. The embrace was precise, emotional and of perfection. Those who did not know the truth would simply assume that they were madly in love and hugging under broad light. They were just a couple without a care for the stares surrounding them. Everyone was speechless. Even Yang Pan, the one who knew Zhang Jun¡¯s very train of thought was speechless. He knew that despite his friend¡¯s occasional impudent speech, he would not have been able to do such an ¡°uncouthed¡± move even if his friend had taken out a blood loan. Zhang Jun¡¯s face was covered by his drooping hair while Su Fei had her head in Zhang Jun¡¯s chest. However, this was all involuntary. Nobody could tell the expression on their faces. The flashes continued in an orderly manner, recording everything on film. Su Fei could hear his deep breaths and feel his rushed, powerful heartbeats. She could not tell if it was warm sweat or raindrops that were dripping down her own neck. She believed that he was sensing the same things too, although she could not quite understand why she stepped out in the first place. Her body was in his arms¡ªthat heartbeat, breath and bodily warmth felt so close. So, that was how wonderful it felt to have a girl in your arms. It was an accident, but Zhang Jun was now reluctant to let go, holding her even more tightly as time passed. That was until someone coughed. He awkwardly released her in an instant, already missing the warmth. After they parted, Zhang Jun finally saw his team¡¯s weirded-out expressions. Not quite knowing what to say, he kept repeating, ¡°It was an acccident! An accident! An accident¡­¡± Liang Ke suddenly spread his arms and hugged him affectionately. ¡°Good kid! Here, let¡¯s celebrate that gorgeous goal!¡± Yang Pan reacted too, diving at his friend when Zhang Jun finally freed himself from the coach¡¯s energetic hold. ¡°Come here! Let¡¯s hug it out too!¡± And then to the goal scorer¡¯s bewilderment, almost every other Shu Guang player seemed to be rushing at him for a hug. In reality, they were thinking that his body had to be carrying Su Fei¡¯s warmth and smell. It led them to believe that they would be embracing with the ¡°Su Fei¡± that remained on his body. Were they not allowed to lick the bowl since they could not get a taste of the broth? As such, the Zhang Jun ¡°bowl¡± was licked as much as humanly possible. Chen Huafeng was smiling on the stands too. ¡°Nice one, kid! So direct!¡± In the remaining six minutes, Shu Guang would keep the ball firmly at their feet whenever they secured possession. They did not grant Yingcai a chance to flip the scores, or the referee an opening to blow the whistle for a foul. And in those six minutes, the Yingcai crowd shuffled off the pitch in a disorderly manner. Others stayed behind and turned against the ¡°spineless¡± Yingcai players, treating their own team the same way they treated Shu Guang before the game. Provoked, the players changed their focus from the game itself to accusing one another while they were still on the pitch. Ma Ni stood alone, lost like a raft without a direction. The black horse miracle borne of utilitarianism crumbled in the face of Zhang Jun¡¯s hat-trick. Their fame did not matter anymore; the whole team looked like a bunch of pitiful clowns at that point. As the referee begrudgingly sounded the final whistle, Shu Guang exploded like a volcano in fanatical celebration. Every boy shouted without restraint to release their gloom, which had been caused by the bribed referee. They celebratef their triumph against the Ant! Amid the cheers, Ma Ni knelt down sullenly. The rain was getting heavy, but the game was over. It was all over. Chapter 62 - Whats Right; Whats Wrong Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Su Fei? Zhang Jun¡¯s still sleeping. Why don¡¯t you go wake him up.¡± Mrs. Zhang had clearly gotten used to Su Fei giving her son his morning call. She quickly returned to making breakfast after telling her that. Su Fei pushed the door to his room lightly and as expected, Zhang Jun was still in dreamland. However, she did not go about her usual Sunday routine of dragging the sleepy boy out of bed. Instead, she moved a chair next to his bed and silently watched as he slept soundly. He flipped over, revealing his hand. The bracelet she tied on his wrist herself was still there. Afraid that he would catch a cold, she reached out to adjust the blanket, slipping his hand underneath it. The sound of raindrops, the breathing, the heartbeat and the warmth; Su Fei could not forget the sensation she experienced the day before. She had felt him squeezing her tightly in his arms. If they had done it by accident at the start, it was on purpose after that. It was embarrassing, but the memory was nothing less than utter sweetness. Suddenly, the look of his sleeping face sprung an idea in her mind. Blushing, she stretched her back towards him as her face inched closer and closer to his; her eyes were already closed and her crimson lips parted slightly, sailing towards his own. The room was silent save for the soft ticking of a little desk clock. Su Fei could feel his breath on her cheeks; it itched and carried his body heat¡­ Just a little closer¡­ ¡°Su Fei¡­¡± Stunned, she quickly straightened herself and opened her eyes. She turned towards the door like a child who had been caught doing something she was not supposed to. But, there was no one. ¡°Good ball¡­¡± She smiled. So, it was the fool in front of her who was mumbling in his dream. The smile then turned into a sigh. Su Fei was a little let down that the kiss she mustered her courage for had been cut short. Damn it, Zhang Jun, what were you dreaming of? Could it not have waited after the kiss? In that moment, she caught herself being so shockingly unrestrained¡ªdoing such a thing like kissing a guy. Su Fei plonked herself down on the chair once again, smiling and resuming her silent watch over Zhang Jun. She wondered what nice dream he was having that his lips curled up into what resembled a grin. The sun shone through the window, spreading its rays across the room. The room was a picturesque scene of a young man sleeping soundly and a young lady holding vigil. The desk clock did not stop. *Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!* ¡­ It was another busy day at the High School Soccer magazine¡¯s Editorial Department. ¡°Little Chen, I can¡¯t publish your article,¡± Liu Yang said, holding out the thick draft in front of Chen Huafeng¡¯s desk. Chen Huafeng took the sheets from his chief editor; it was his report of the corrupted referee, who officiated the match between Shu Guang and Yingcai. ¡°Isn¡¯t it well-written? Why can¡¯t it be published?¡± ¡°Your writing is fine; the words hold truth and the analysis is deep. But, I can¡¯t publish it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll face severe pressure if this gets out,¡± Liu Yang smiled bitterly. ¡°The national high school soccer scene has always held a healthy image in the public¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s the fruit of 15 years¡¯ worth of hard work and dedication. You know that. It¡¯s now considered a symbol of youth development. So, what¡¯s going to happen if you publish this report? Have you thought about it? All the years of effort and diligence from those youth workers will go down the drain in an instant!¡± ¡°But it was there, a bribed referee,¡± Huafeng countered the argument emotionally and loudly, drawing stares from his colleagues. ¡°I saw him! This story should be told courageously and accurately for the reputation of high school soccer! Let everyone know and care, so that they¡¯ll vanquish this cancer once and for all! Sweeping everything under the rug will only hurt its development!¡± Liu Yang did not follow up in anger. He merely asked, ¡°Little Chen, how old are you?¡± ¡°Huh? Twenty-seven.¡± ¡°Twenty-seven. It¡¯s been three years after your own graduation. I know that you call yourself a senior in front of Xiao Zhang. But ultimately, you¡¯re still a hot-blooded youth! The kind of person who isn¡¯t used to seeing the darker side of society, saying whatever that crosses his mind.¡± ¡°Since when? I am¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me. I was young once too. I¡¯ve been in your shoes, so I know. You¡¯re right, but things aren¡¯t that simple. Know that the truth isn¡¯t distinctly just between ¡®right¡¯ and ¡®wrong¡¯. Lots and lots of wrongs are done with the best intentions. Besides, this case of yours is a very, very rare one in the 15 years of the Nationals. And let me tell you a little tidbit, the perpetrators have received their just desserts, so there¡¯s no need to publish this article.¡± After he finished, Liu Yang gave Huafeng a meaningful look before he turned to leave. Huafeng pondered his boss¡¯ words: ¡°¡­the truth isn¡¯t distinctly just between ¡®right¡¯ and ¡®wrong¡¯. Lots and lots of wrongs are done with the best intentions.¡± Was he the idiot who was doing the wrong thing? The journalist looked at the sheets of paper in his hand. It was a piece of work that he completed in a single breath the previous night¡ªhe thought that it was rather well written too. There were very few mistakes. But, he never thought that he would make such a huge mistake in the end! Smiling bitterly, the journalist slowly tore his night¡¯s work into pieces and threw them into the rubbish bin. ¡­ A bright Sunday followed the rainy Saturday; great weather always followed a rainy day. The azure sky was a gigantic, sapphire overhead attachment. It radiated with the warm rays of the sun. That beautiful weather continued into Monday. The morning air was clearer than usual as the streets of the city came to life at the first light of dawn. In a single day, news that Zhang Jun and Su Fei embraced each other in public became a secret that everyone knew. Zhang Jun¡¯s hat-trick and that affectionate moment made a number of people who believed that they had a shot sighed as they vanquished the very thought. They could not help but admit that the two were made for each other. Indeed, every single boy and girl in school was very excited over the hug. Girls and the romantics chattered spiritedly about the scene: the pouring rain, the stares of the crowd, the elation of the pitch, Zhang Jun madly sprinting into Su Fei¡¯s waiting arms and the both of them enveloping each other in deep embrace! How passionate that scene was, just think about it! In their minds, even Zhang Jun¡¯s muddy jersey that dirtied Su Fei¡¯s clothes was an immediate classic. The boys on the other hand, discussed wildly about the sensation of having Su Fei in their arms¡ªusing age-restricted terms, of course. While every other person in school was talking about them, the pair weaved together around the school grounds, oblivious to all the gawking. Yang Pan was genuinely impressed with the nerves they were showing; both of them had so much aplomb and tact despite the public scrutiny they were facing. A few others disagreed. An Ke snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t look at those two. They¡¯re pretending to be all serious in front of everyone. They¡¯re pretty much running through every possible filthy thought in their minds! Hmph! An illicit couple!¡± Ren Yu De grunted coldly behind him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you wanted to be part of an ¡®illicit couple¡¯ with Su Fei?¡± An Ke was rendered speechless. He did have that thought. Kaka looked on as Su Fei and Zhang Jun walked everywhere around school; from the classroom to the security guard post, from the field to the mini garden and from the notice board to the boiler room. He sighed. ¡°And so, the prince and the princess lived happily ever after¡­¡± It was a sunny morning in early winter. The prince and princess of our the tale were finally together, happily linking hands on the gorgeous school grounds while innumerable sighs sounded behind their backs¡­ When school ended during at noon, Zhang Jun saw that the usually crowded main gate was unusually sparse. More specifically, the students were keeping their distance from a single spot, where one person stood. He was athletic and silent with a sharp gaze. Even if he was simply standing there, the others who around him still felt an enormous pressure emanating from him. ¡°Sima Hongxin?¡± Zhang Jun called out, slightly startled. Indeed, it was the 197-cm giant goalkeeper from Yingcai! ¡°Why are you here? Huh? Yingcai¡¯s not exactly close from here! And we just got off school¡­ Don¡¯t you have classes? Or, did you leave early? Ah, is there anything I can help you with? You seem like you¡¯ve waited for quite some time.¡± Zhang Jun, who was now obviously basking in a happier life had become talkative. ¡°I¡¯m here to say farewell,¡± the other answered. In comparison, Sima Hongxin seemed to weigh his words carefully. ¡°Huh? Farewell? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been scouted by the second string of Henan Jianye. I promised them that I would report to the team after my match against you.¡± ¡°Henan Jianye?¡± Yang Pan was shocked at hearing that. ¡°They¡¯re a B. League team!¡± Hongxin nodded. ¡°Not bad!¡± Zhang Jun laughed as he patted his former opponent¡¯s shoulder¡ªalthough, having the 179-cm Zhang Jun reaching up to the 197-cm keeper¡¯s shoulder was visually pretty ridiculous. ¡°Great one, Kiddo! Do your best! After all, you did block Yang Pan¡¯s powerful drive in our game!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Yang Pan muttered. ¡°I was passing, not shooting!¡± ¡°Hah! A 180-km/h pass?¡± Zhang Jun smiled as he greeted his friend handily. Ignoring their ¡°intimate contact¡±, Sima Hongxin continued. ¡°There¡¯s another piece of news, though I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s going to be good for you two. Ma Ni¡¯s legs are crippled.¡± The duo stopped fooling around and turned to look at Sima Hongxin seriously. ¡°The 90 Degrees move can¡¯t be employed frequently, but he used it at least 10 times in the game. Despite his knees not being able to withstand anymore pressure, he wasn¡¯t willing to stop. Furthermore, the pitch was soaked due to the rain; he had to put in twice the effort.¡± Sima Hongxin recounted everything calmly like he was narrating a stranger¡¯s story. ¡°After the game, his father quickly rushed him to the hospital. However, his knees were beyond saving. He won¡¯t have trouble walking, but he won¡¯t be playing soccer ever again.¡± There was silence. ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Su Fei mumbled. It was a curious thing. She hated Ma Ni before, but she was felt pity for him upon hearing that he would not be able to play anymore. ¡°The 90 Degrees move demands a lot from your legs,¡± Yang Pan said softly. ¡°He forced himself to keep going because he desired victory against Zhang Jun. This is the result of that.¡± ¡°That means, he knew from the start that after this game, he would not ever¡­¡± This time, nobody answered her. ¡°But, your tone¡­ Aren¡¯t you guys friends?¡± Yang Pan asked Hongxin. ¡°I don¡¯t have friends.¡± Sima Hongxin finally smiled, albeit a troublingly bitter one. The trio did not say a word on their way home after Sima Hongxin left. It was only until they reached the floor below Su Fei and Zhang Jun¡¯s homes that Yang Pan finally broke the silence. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t have friends¡­¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a lie. His smile was very bitter.¡± Zhang Jun nodded. ¡°A quiet personality, a fearsome appearance and a huge body¡ªanybody shorter than him would indirectly give him a wide berth. His behavior isn¡¯t that likable even in professional teams¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he your enemy?¡± Su Fei asked curiously. ¡°It looks like you understand, and even feel for him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my enemy¡­¡± Zhang Jun shook his head. He remembered when Sima Hongxin dived towards his lobbed shot. The giant goalkeeper was in the air with his hands outstretched to protect the goalpost. His right ankle was directed straight at Zhang Jun¡¯s eyes. The striker lost his footing after a shot and it appeared that he was not going to be able to dodge his ankle. But Sima Hongxin quickly shifted his foot so that his thigh would glide past his chest¡ªsparing his eyes in the process. That was when he knew, just from that one move, that Sima Hongxin was not an enemy. Zhang Jun looked up at the sky. ¡°He¡¯s a very fine opponent¡­¡± The three of them never mentioned his name ever again. It was as if he had never appeared in their lives. Hat-trick hero, Zhang Jun made the cover of High School Soccer once again. Chen Huafeng had also named the move he used to score his second goal: ¡°Rising Dragon¡±. The name would spread across Europe and the world many years later. Even Chen Huafeng never expected that. It was virtually a second word for the Chinese soccer scene: World of the Rising Dragon¡­ Chapter 63 - Pillars of the Nine Dragons Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The laughter significantly increased in Shu Guang High as its team prepared to enter Xigong Stadium for the first time. It was such a proud moment to enter that field as one of the final four teams in the Luoyang competitive zone, despite Zhongyuan¡¯s stranglehold over the representative spot. However, the last two years had seen Zhongyuan, Dingding and Tongxing seeding themselves in three out of the four spots. This made the fourth spot both desirable and unenviable at once¡ªto enter Xigong as the fourth team meant being butchered by one of the other three. The year before last, Zhongyuan trampled over Fanglin High School with a score of 7: 1, setting the record for the highest score in a game at that stage. Nevertheless, this did not scare or discourage Shu Guang. Its players were fearless and they had the grand ambition of advancing to the Nationals; they would never hesitate against any enemy until they reached their goal. Their semi-final opponent was a powerful one¡ªthe ¡°Uncrowned Kings¡± of Luoyang, Dingding High School. An old but famous academy, Dingding High School was located north of the intersection between Dingding Road and Zhongzhou Road, the latter being Luoyang¡¯s main arterial road. Every year, the rate of their graduates getting into National Key Universities were only second to Luoyang¡¯s No.1 senior high school. One kilometer to the east of the school was the Pillar of Nine Dragons¡ªa landmark of Luoyang. A symbol of China¡¯s Bronze Age stood on top of the freestanding rock column where nine mythical beasts soared. It was a Simuwu ding in a 1:1 scale. The pillar in itself was a display of Luoyang¡¯s grand history, which spanned 13 dynasties. The dragon was a representation of China and royalty, while the Simuwu ding was an emblem of power during China¡¯s Bronze Age. Zhang Jun himself loved to visit the place despite it being quite far away from his house; he would go there for a spin whenever he entered the old city. He always held a special feeling about the pillar as a student of the Arts. History¡¯s vicissitude, authority and majesty were all embodied in this single pillar. ¡°Fan Cunjie! You¡¯ve been staring at the column for 10 minutes! We¡¯re going to be late again if you don¡¯t move!¡± Bin Fei said with one hand on his bike handle and the other waving in front of Cunjie¡¯s eyes. Fan Cunjie then recovered. He took one more look at the pillar, which stood proudly below the sun before mounting his own bicycle and dashing to school with Bin Fei. ¡°I really don¡¯t get it. Recently, you¡¯ve been coming here often to ¡®admire¡¯ that pillar. It¡¯s been here for years. What¡¯s there to see?¡± Bin Fei, his best friend and first-choice striker of the Dingding soccer team asked. ¡°I¡¯m not looking at the pillar.¡± Fan Cunjie smiled. ¡°I¡¯m looking at the nine dragons.¡± ¡°The nine dragons?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, there¡¯s just three minutes left.¡± Fan Cunjie gathered himself and accelerated in front of Bin Fei. ¡­ Wednesday, four days left before the semi-final. Fan Cunjie gracefully dribbled past a defender with a Pull Turn, and the stands exploded. ¡°It¡¯s like a walk in the park!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the Prince of Soccer!¡± ¡°Too good! It was like ballet!¡± ¡°One more!¡± However, Fan Cunjie did not smile in reply to the praises as usual; instead, he was frowning slightly. He did not entertain the requests for ¡°one more¡± either, and quickly passed the ball up front to Bin Fei. Liu Wei, Dingding¡¯s coach observed each little change silently and he kept a mental note. When the training match got to half-time, he called his key player over. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been frequenting the Pillar of Nine Dragons,¡± he said candidly. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Fan Cunjie glanced at his teammates who were fooling around, and then at the raucous fans. He then answere, ¡°Coach, I don¡¯t want everyone to think that I¡¯m an empty vessel.¡± Liu Wei watched him quietly, pressing him to continue. ¡°I know that the fans here enjoy watching my moves. The pundits call me the ¡®Master of Tricks¡¯, but I don¡¯t desire such hollow fame. I want to win gold for once and enter the Nationals. Coach, I¡¯m already in my third year, but I¡¯ve never had the chance to play in the Nationals! Zhongyuan¡¯s Zhao Defeng is in the same year as me, and he¡¯s already won the gold and silver at the Nationals! While I have nothing!¡± It was the first time Liu Wei saw his student being so emotional¡ªhe had always been a such a polite student! Noticing that he was being loud, Fan Cunjie quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry, Coach. I¡­ lost myself!¡± Liu Wei waved it off. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. You¡¯ve haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± He sighed. Fan Cunjie had always been a gentleman and he was courteous to everyone, always quickly apologizing whenever he made a mistake. Perhaps this was the very thing that stopped him from overtaking Zhao Defeng in soccer; he did not have the charisma, or the thirst for triumph. The soccer of today was not just a simple game played for happiness! Perhaps, it was this realization that led to Fan Cunjie¡¯s recent outings to the Pillar of the Nine Dragons. It had already been three years since the new kid on the block became a star player, who received numerous praise and attention. Nevertheless, how could he be fine with graduating without any trophies after everything he went through! Maybe, there would be a breakthrough this year now that he had the appetite for victory. Bin Fei, Xia Bo, Shi Yan, Cao Po, Yao Wang and Fan Cunjie¡ªthese players had been Dingding¡¯s backbone for three years; all of them were third-years now. Once they leave the following year, the team¡¯s ability would drop down a notch¡ªthis year was the last chance for the ¡°Golden Generation¡±. As such, Xigong Stadium could not become their final stage come Saturday afternoon. They had to defeat their opponents even if they were the unstoppable Shu Guang team. Zhongyuan awaited them in the final; it would be their last dance; the one that would end their three-year affair! Dingding¡¯s journey to becoming a giant in Luoyang and its ability to compete with Zhongyuan toe-to-toe did not rely solely on Fan Cunjie. Talent was evenly spread across all three zones. Bin Fei, the striker was 180 cm tall. His shooting skills were outstanding and he could make sudden runs in the box; he was a real headache for defenders. Shi Yan was a physically fit 175-cm wide midfielder. Good with both feet, he could play on either the left of right flanks. This allowed him to shift from right to left and vice versa, confusing and scattering the opponent¡¯s defense. Cao Po, a deep-lying playmaker was fast and very confident in one-on-one situations. His only flaw came in the form of headers, a waste considering his 185-cm height. This contrasted against Yao Wang, the 190-cm center back who was good with headers and aerial duels. Having him at the back compensated for Cao Po¡¯s weakness. The keeper, Xia Bo was 183 cm and was good against low balls. He had sound judgement regarding the point and directions where balls would drop. Although they had a strong desire to perform, they would still occasionally make unusual mistakes and shocking actions. There were two cases that stood out. The first was in their final 16 match just the year before. They were levelled against the other team when they attacked and crossed into the box. The other team¡¯s 187-cm tall center forward had leaped for a header. While any other goalie would have gathered the ball with their hands, Xia Bo did not¡ªopting instead to compete for the header. For Xia Bo to pit his own 183-cm frame against the opposing player¡¯s 187-cm frame in an aerial duel, the result went as expected. Pinning his challenger down, the center forward headed into an empty goal! Fortunately, Dingding managed to score three goals afterwards to spare themselves the embarrassment from an awkward elimination. The other was in a warm-up match. Their opponents¡¯ school was so crude that there were no seats; the spectators had to stand beside the pitch to watch. Towards the end of the game, Dingding had a corner. Itching to have a goal to his name, Xiao Bo ran forward, hoping to score a playful goal. But the ball went straight to an opponent¡¯s feet, and their goal was empty! Xia Bo quickly ran back, but once again, he was unlike most people. A typical keeper would have ran straight for his own posts. Xia Bo on the other hand, ran to the flanks and dashed beside the line! He wanted to race against the ball! Still, he clearly missed the fact that there were spectators standing right beside the line. It is not known to this day who had been the one to forgo the ¡°viewer¡¯s code of ethics¡± and stretch his leg out from the crowd. Busy watching the ball while sprinting back, Xia Bo practically flew when the leg caught him. He gave a lovely kiss to dear mother earth. By the time he looked up, the ball lay quietly in his net. The kind of person Xia Bo was could be ascertained from these two incidents. He was truly Dingding¡¯s living treasure. The excitement from advancing into Xigong Stadium persisted in Shu Guang. But on Tuesday, Liang Ke sternly told his players, ¡°The difficult test is only about to start. The main thing is to ready your minds and do your best to prepare.¡± Nevertheless, whether they were fans or players, everyone was hoping that Saturday would come faster. That red line had reached the semi-finals after over a month. How time flew¡­ Thursday morning was like any other morning. The sun rose from the east, the traffic of students and workers appeared by seven, and the golden hour for breakfast stalls closely followed. Zhang Jun felt weird. He and Su Fei did not see Yang Pan on their way to school and even after they had arrived. There had been no hint of him the entire morning¡ªhis desk was empty. Liang Ke asked if he knew why Yang Pan was absent, but he shook his head. He was curious too. The weather that day was nice; the sun was radiant. Su Fei mentioned that her left eyelid kept twitching, but Zhang Jun did not see a single crow. When he got home at noontime, his father told him that Yang Pan¡¯s grandmother had passed away the night before. Chapter 64 - Grandmother Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhang Jun always thought of Yang Pan¡¯s granny as his own. Since his own paternal grandmother had shuffled off the mortal coil before he was born, he got his own understanding and meaning of ¡°granny¡± from Yang Pan¡¯s grandmother. She was a compassionate and gentle elderly woman who always smiled; a warm and kind woman who always gave him half of their tasty stuff; and she was an elderly woman who supported Yang Pan and himself as they ¡°crazily chased a leather ball around¡± since they were toddlers. When Yang Pan was in elementary school, his parents were working in Xinxiang. His paternal grandparents would therefore travel all the way in the opposite direction to take care of Yang Pan. His parents, afraid of their child getting hurt did not support him playing soccer. But, the elderly pair from the village would staunchly support their grandchild to the point that they got into an argument with their own son. His grandmother believed that to play outside was the right thing for an active and energetic child; it would have been counterproductive to keep him so tightly under wraps. It never mattered that she did not understand what on earth soccer was or know the reason why there were so many people addicted to it. She would always have her grandson play it. When Zhang Jun got to know Yang Pan, he would carry his own ball and look for his friend every day. And she would be there to see them off with a grin. When they returned with sweaty bodies and dirty faces, there was a warm shower at the ready. As they fooled around in the bathroom, she would wash and dry their dirty clothes and prepare two mugs of cool water on the table. After they finished their showers and excitedly chattered about all kinds of interesting things they encountered during their game, she would sit with them, listening attentively. Every time he left Yang Pan¡¯s house after playing, his own pocket would have extra treats. A few pieces of candy, biscuits, or maybe an apple. Yang Pan¡¯s grandma would also passionately attempt to have Zhang Jun stay for dinner. In the beginning, he would remember his own mother¡¯s instructions to not simply eat at other¡¯s, and stubbornly refused. However, her ears would often ¡°malfunction¡± at an oddly perfect time. So, when he got older, Zhang Jun would go there to have an extra meal. His reason that ¡°Granny¡¯s food was too good!¡± left his mother speechless. In those moments, Zhang Jun never thought about what his own grandmother was like. The way he looked at it, Yang Pan only had a grandmother, not parents¡ªalthough the way he thought may have been disrespectful to Yang Pan¡¯s parents. When he knocked on Yang Pan¡¯s door for their usual soccer session one day, an unfamiliar middle-aged man answered the door. He thought he was at the wrong place until Yang Pan showed his face behind the man. That was when Zhang Jun knew that the ¡°rumored¡± Uncle and Aunty had returned while Granny was gone. In the present, he remembered the moment when they were talking excitedly about soccer stars and she suddenly poked in. ¡°Basil? (1) I know basil. It¡¯s edible!¡± Both him and Yang Pan froze. Shortly after, they burst into unstoppable laughter; Granny had thought ¡°Brazil¡± was ¡°basil¡±. Zhang Jun recalled how he and Yang Pan joked about how ignorant his grandmother was, not knowing that the word ¡°ignorant¡± should never be used on an aged person¡ªespecially when it came to things like soccer. Remembering it today, his nose suddenly felt stuffy and his eyes brimmed with something warm. Su Fei heard a few things about what happened here and there, but she did not ask Zhang Jun why he looked so sad; not that he intended to tell her in the first place. He feared that if he mentioned it, the memories would drown him like a violent tide and the tears he had been holding back would flow out uncontrollably. ¡°Again! Again!¡± Zhang Jun shouted at An Ke, but the keeper was still lying on the ground. The other players looked at Zhang Jun in fear and doubt. They were unsure if An Ke had somehow offended him and was being punished with penalty practice. It had already been an hour; An Ke was exhausted, but Zhang Jun was still calling out to him. ¡°Again! Again!¡± They also did not know about what happened to Yang Pan. But, knowing would not have helped them understand Zhang Jun¡¯s sadness anyway. Liang Ke only stated that Yang Pan had ¡°applied for leave to return to his hometown¡± before having the team train. He did not give them any time to ask questions. Meanwhile, Zhang Jun was still shouting at An Ke. ¡°Get up! Get up! How many balls has it been?! Keep it up!¡± Poor An Ke did not even have the strength to retort. Liang Ke came over, took An Ke¡¯s gloves off and wore it himself before standing between the posts. ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± the coach said. With mud splattered all over him, An Ke wiped the sweat off his brow. ¡°Su Fei, I feel bad for troubling you. Those brats ran faster than rabbits once they heard the word ¡®dismiss¡¯!¡± He held up a spent Zhang Jun. ¡°This kid¡¯s really got some spirit! I¡¯m so tired. You hold him and be careful on your way back.¡± Su Fei nodded and took over with her small frame. Their usual journey home from school took just five minutes, but today, Su Fei took half an hour just to reach the main gates of their courtyard. Zhang Jun¡¯s entire weight was pressing down on her lithe body, and she was soaked despite it being an evening in early winter. Still, she carried him quietly. ¡°Su Fei, you can let go now.¡± Zhang Jun finally broke the silence. She was taken aback, but complied. He sat down on a stone bench, leaving half of it empty and Su Fei sat down too. It was already dark, but there were no stars or moon in the sky; the lights from Mudan Square had lit the sky a bright crimson and the noise from the main street could be heard in the park. People passing by were rushing home in swift steps, so nobody noticed the pair of kids sitting quietly on the bench next to the path. Zhang Jun had lived there for 10 years. He never left since moving there from Beijing in ¡¯89. It was also the same year he met Yang Pan, his best friend. There was a kindergarten in the park and it came equipped with a rectangular ¡°pool¡±. It was called a ¡°pool¡± because its shape and design resembled one. Its half-meter tall concrete frame had now been filled evenly with real mud on its floor. When they were still small, Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and a few of their little friends used to grab their ball and jump into the ¡°pool¡± to play soccer to their heart¡¯s content. It was their very own pitch; there were no adults who would scold them for breaking someone¡¯s window again, or big kids who would claim it as their territory. The only drawback would be the need for them to climb out whenever the ball was knocked out of the little arena. They kept playing in that little box for three years despite kicking up dust and dirt every single game. This went on until they reached year four in elementary school. The ¡°pool¡± could not hold their exponentially growing bodies anymore, hence they stopped playing there altogether. Now, the pool was dry, but there were no children who would jump in and play soccer excitedly. The garden also held a kindergarten and a playground of its own; when they were in elementary school, he and Yang Pan still enjoyed playing with the kindergarten¡¯s see-saws, rotating wheels, slides and trampolines. When they were not playing soccer, they would climb over the gates and sneak into the playground. They played crazily with those ¡°scrap metals¡±, which the kindergarten kids hated. If they played too late into the night, Granny would come out looking for them, drawn to the kindergarten by their laughter. She would quietly wait outside the gates until the two living treasures had enough and climbed out the gates themselves. While the two lively brats ran ahead, she would totter right behind them. The sky would be completely dark, and the streetlights would light up behind their happy steps one after the other. Yang Pan would theatrically declare himself the ¡°deity of light¡± as the lights lit up wherever he stepped. Zhang Jun did not buy it, and Yang Pan would rush into the pitch-black stairway and cry out. It would be the exact time that the entire stairway lit up from the first floor to the fourth. ¡°Look! I am the deity of light!¡± Yang Pan¡¯s giddy shouts would echo throughout the stairway. Zhang Jun wondered how he could remember the past so clearly, even Granny¡¯s smile was so vivid. He saw a pair of raucous kids passing in front of his eyes, their laughter sprinkling their entire journey. And then there was an elderly person wobbling in their wake. It was a face filled with a kind smile, just like Granny¡¯s¡­ A wind blew and Zhang Jun realized that it was late. He stood up to find Su Fei holding both her arms, shuddering slightly. ¡°Cold?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Su Fei answered; her clothes, which were wet with sweat felt colder than usual after the wind blew at it. Zhang Jun took off his jacket, dusted it and handed it over to her. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s a little dirty, but¡­¡± But it¡¯s really warm, she thought as she draped it over herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m in a bad mood, and you¡¯re forced to sit here with me for the day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll keep you company no matter how long it takes.¡± Looking at her smiling face, Zhang Jun suddenly realized that he had been ignoring her the entire day. His mind had been filled with the past, about Granny. He did not even notice that Su Fei quietly stayed beside him without a feeling of irritation or a word of complaint. Touched, Zhang Jun suddenly thought of holding her to stave the cold off even if stronger winds should come. However, he could not do it in front of familiar faces in their backyard. All he did was reach out to adjust her collar. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± The wind that night was abnormally strong and the temperature was low. There was only warmth at home in such a cold winter night. Chapter 65 - Friday Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yang Pan was still absent from classes on Friday. Zhang Jun knew that he was in Xinxiang for his grandmother¡¯s funeral. Liang Ke knew that too. He had the starting lineups for Saturday to consider. Yang Pan was the team captain, a definite starter. It was still not known if he would be back in time and the reserves were a cut below him. Not that there would be anyone in Luoyang¡¯s high school soccer scene who could replace him either. It was going to be a tough one come tomorrow; how were they going to take down Dingding without a proper team? Liang Ke thought of changing his formation and adding a defender by shifting into a 5-3-2 arrangement. The coach just felt helpless; there was no backup forward player who could fit into the partnership of their front four. There was also another problem. He told the team that Yang Pan had taken leave to return to his hometown, but what if he could not get back in time? This was growing in likelihood with every passing moment. How would it affect the team if they¡ªstill not in the know¡ªfound that their captain was absent when the time came? It looked like they had to be informed beforehand, so that they could better prepare mentally against the other team despite having a missing captain. Meanwhile, Zhang Jun had returned to normal¡ªsomething for Liang Ke to be happy about; they had a 45 % chance of winning at the very least, with him playing as usual. He knew that it was thanks to Su Fei. She was really something else. The night before, Luoyang¡¯s temperature dropped. The sky was dark as well as gloomy and there were huge gusts of wind, making the weather on the following day unpredictable. Liang Ke looked to the sky and not a single ray of sunlight was in sight. He hoped that there would be a huge downpour the next day and that it would stretch on for days. When it ends and the ground finally dries, Yang Pan would have already returned. If that happened, they would have a 65% probability of winning the match. Those scenarios came from his own delusion. Noting that he was being childish, Liang Ke shook his head and threw those thoughts away. The real cruncher was tomorrow! The afternoon¡¯s routine was the pre-match relaxation; everyone gathered and chattered in eager anticipation of next day¡¯s game. What did Xigong Stadium mean to high school soccer teams? The final four of Luoyang, tens of thousands of spectators, live TV broadcasts, live commentary, interviews¡­ Every player who managed to reach that stage would become famous overnight. Their dazzling faces would be seen by hot babes, and when that happened, their happiness was guaranteed to be unstoppable. Zhang Jun stared blankly at the fixture list as the others chatted noisily. After they saw how poor An Ke ended up yesterday, nobody dared to talk to him¡ªthey feared that he would drag another victim to practice penalties or 1v1s. It was then that ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s Special Training¡± ranked third behind ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s long shot¡± and ¡°Su Fei¡¯s smile¡± in the soccer team¡¯s list of demonic things. The rankings remained within the club many years later even after the trio had graduated, and like their achievements, they were unsurpassable. The locker room fell silent when Liang Ke appeared at the door. ¡°There¡¯s something that¡¯s been kept from all of you and it will be made clear today.¡± Liang Ke had decided to be forthright, continuing only after he saw that everybody was listening. ¡°Yang Pan may not be able to play in tomorrow¡¯s game. If that happens, Zhang Jun will be captain.¡± At those words, everyone glanced at Zhang Jun, who was sitting in a corner. He said nothing and his face was expressionless. ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s grandmother passed away on Wednesday night; he¡¯s returned to his hometown for the wake. That¡¯s why it¡¯s very likely he can¡¯t make it tomorrow.¡± The news was met with light gasps, and only that. Each member was in a stunned silence. This in turn caught Liang Ke off guard. He expected at least 10 different exclamations that amounted to ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±. The team now understood why Zhang Jun was being weird the day before; any noise they made would have been disrespectful to the dead. Still, their minds were not as placid as they appeared. Zhang Jun remained quiet and vacant. Liang Ke paused, knowing that they needed time to digest this piece of information before he continued. ¡°I won¡¯t talk much about the other team. I believe all of you know them by now. We still have to strive for victory even in the absence of Yang Pan. We will use the win to convey our feelings. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be playing in a 5-3-2 formation. Yang Yong, you¡¯re up as a center back.¡± Yang Yong was a second-year student who often trained hard, but he was still a level below Lin Xiaofang and Li Jiegang. But to Liang Ke, he was a good substitute, and his diligence was now being rewarded. On any other day, his teammates would have been joking around. They would say things like ¡°Congratulations! Congratulations! Angpow please!¡± and other similar stuff. That day, they were not in the mood. Many only saw that Shu Guang¡¯s respectable results were thanks to their 11 players on the pitch. In reality however, the reserves, who trained diligently everyday contributed too. They did not complain or give in because they did not have fangirls screaming at their every move, or because of the ignominy of being named ¡°Player 1¡±, ¡°Player 2¡± by the papers. To be able to keep it going for so long showed how much they loved soccer and their team. They were Shu Guang¡¯s unsung heroes. Yang Yong did not express much surprise over the news although it had been everything he trained and dreamed for. It was not the time to be excited or happy, so he merely nodded somberly as he clenched his fists. ¡­ Dingding Highschool. ¡°Shu Guang will be playing in a 4-3-3 formation. It¡¯s their usual style and the one that they¡¯re best at. Their attack has been acknowledged as Luoyang¡¯s finest. So, for tomorrow, Cao Po and Yao Wang need to pay extra attention. Shi Yan, you will also have to track back to be able to defend more.¡± ¡°Also, stay vigilant against Yang Pan and Zhang Jun. They are their key personnel and they won the National Middle School Soccer Championship categories for ¡®best player¡¯ and ¡®best striker¡¯ respectively. This is true especially for Yang Pan, who is very fast and proficient in long shots as well as crosses from the flanks. Cao Po, only you are capable of matching him in speed. He¡¯s all yours, so try to stay mostly on the left flank. Cao Po nodded. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Zhang Jun,¡± Liu Wei continued, ¡°is a complete striker. He possesses outstanding technique and agile positioning. Yao Wang, be alert during the match¡ªhe¡¯s exactly the type that¡¯ll give you headaches.¡± ¡°Hehe! Relax, Coach. Bin Fei¡ª¡¯the Opportunist¡¯¡ªand I have been training one-on-one situations for three years. I now have enough experience and ability to suppress that Zhang Jun.¡± Yao Wang smiled and he was knocked on the back of his head by Bin Fei. ¡°Die, stupid Yao! And, don¡¯t call me ¡®the Opportunist¡¯!¡± ¡°Then, what should I call you?¡± Yao Wang asked, rubbing his head. ¡°Firewood Gatherer, stupid Yao! How many times have I told you and you still can¡¯t remember!¡± Xiao Bo imitated Bin Fei, prompting laughter all around. Bin Fei wanted to teach him a lesson too, but there were a number of heads between them and he was not within his reach; he had to let it go. Liu Wei smiled as he shook his head. The Dingding team was always like this. In contrast, Fan Cunjie was not smiling. He was having some bizarre qualms about tomorrow¡¯s game. When talking about Zhang Jun¡¯s hat-trick in the last game, High School Soccerwas specific on the first and third goal. The second¡ªthe one that even had a name like Rising Dragon¡ªwas merely labelled ¡°unbelievable¡±. He was really nervous about it, especially given the mystery¡ªsomething humans always feared and became apprehensive over. How was the goal unbeliveable? Cunjie did not understand. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll play the way we always do against any other opponent. I believe if everyone plays to their usual standard, we can win this. Remember, our target is not Shu Guang; it¡¯s Zhongyuan!¡± Liu Wei was showing a rare emotional moment. He believed that he was not a bad coach himself, but he had been brought down by Zhongyuan¡¯s Sun Laihong at every turn. There was a part of him that did not sit right with seeing his counterpart leading Zhongyuan into the Nationals, securing great results and becoming the ¡°golden coach¡±. This campaign was also the last song for Dingding¡¯s Golden Generation; was it not his last chance to prove himself too? If they still could not escape failure at this point, he found that he would not be staying even if the school tried to keep him. He had been in Dingding for 10 years¡ªit was far too long for a coach. Maybe it was time for a change of scene. And after the third-years leave next year, there would be a painful period of major upheaval. Dingding would pay for their over-reliance on Fan Cunjie¡¯s batch of players as well as the lack of capable and experienced reserve players. If there was no control over tomorrow, the best thing to do was give your best and seize the day. The winds, which had been blowing for two days stopped on Friday night; the gales cleared the clouds to make way for a starry night. Anyone who looked above could see the sparkling stars and the moon clearly. The weather report predicted that the following day would be a clear and beautiful day. Chapter 66 - Xi Gong Stadium Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mr. Zhang had gotten used to seeing Zhang Jun at the dining room table and almost finishing his breakfast on Saturdays. Leaving his cup on the table, the boy prepared to leave. ¡°Going out for¡­?¡± Mr. Zhang asked, turning his head. ¡± A morning run.¡± Then, the door closed. ¡°Morning run?¡± Mr. Zhang mused, holding up his piece of toast. ¡°Since when did he start going on any morning runs?¡± Taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, Zhang Jun flexed his muscles and began his first ever morning jog. In truth, it was closer to a morning walk; there was little difference between what he did and a stroll. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll never run after breakfast again! I can¡¯t even utilize my strength!¡± Zhang Jun complained, ¡°running¡± while holding on to his stomach. Reaching Yang Pan¡¯s place, he hesitated before he eventually decided to go up and take a look. Yang Pan¡¯s house was on the third floor. He climbed up and rang the doorbell, but nobody answered after a long while. He sighed and went back down the stairs and continued his ¡°run¡±. Still in her pajamas, Su Fei walked out to the balcony to breathe in the crisp breeze of dawn. She was halfway through a cozy stretch when she stopped. With her hands still held high, she was surprised to find Zhang Jun running home from afar. Bizarrely, when he reached the floor below he kept running. He only stopped when he got to the next block. He looked up at the building beside him, and then he looked behind, finally turning back after slapping himself on the head. Hands still up, Su Fei could not decide whether to laugh or cry. Still, she knew that the old Zhang Jun was back. After lunch and some rest, Su Fei and Zhang Jun headed to school. There, they would gather with the rest of the team before taking the bus to Xigong Stadium. On the other hand, the cheerleading team and the other students would get to the stadium on their own¡ªthey would gather by the entrance before entering as a single group to their specially allocated seats. Since every match in Xigong Stadium was open to the public, the stadium would prepare separate booths for different fans. A huge amount of complementary tickets were set aside for schools that made it to the final four. This was so that the students, teachers and parents could watch. It was also one of the methods to raise its popularity. Both Zhang Jun and Su Fei¡¯s parents received those complementary tickets. Zhang Jun¡¯s mom was not able to make it due to work, but she promised him that if he made it into the finals, she would throw away any task at hand and cheer him on then. Meanwhile, his dad was present. He would be running around capturing important moments with his camera for his photography work. Su Fei¡¯s parents had the free time to attend the match, but they were just really there to support their daughter. Indeed, every player was given two or three extra tickets so that parents or guardians would come. It was the semi-final after all. There was the glamor, especially considering it was a live broadcast and it would be a shame if they were not there. Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleading team also poured blood and gold into the game. They made gigantic flags, slogan banners and one huge drum for their war cries; the school even rented out a truck to help them transport the stuff. With the cheerleading squad¡¯s preparation complete, the players¡¯ performance was the only thing left. Whether they would be able to keep their supporters delighted by winning until the end was up to them. Still, Zhang Jun did not catch a glimpse of Yang Pan. He sighed. It looked like the captain was not going to make it that day. So, the interim captain turned his focus to the match ahead. Filled with anticipation and jitters, the rest of the team talked about the afternoon¡¯s game. However, they appeared to have a lid on their emotions; their voices were not loud either. Yang Pan may not have been there, but Zhang Jun¡ªhis best friend¡ªwas. This got them to suppress their excitement as much as they could. Yang Yong was feeling extremely jumpy. He did not say a thing and checked his equipment repeatedly; the jersey was right, the shin guards were ready and the match pass was not forgotten¡­ Zhang Jun went over to him and lightly clapped him on the shoulder. Despite the both of them being second-year students, Zhang had been a starter for two years, giving him an air of seniority when he stood alongside Yang Yong. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about! Just bring the same mindset you have when you train.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the semi-final!¡± ¡°Semi-final? Hmph! I entered the Nationals in middle school and still made gold! There wasn¡¯t more than one spectator too! But Yang Pan and I¡­¡± Zhang Jun had wanted to raise Yang Yong¡¯s spirits, but once he mentioned Yang Pan, he thought of the boy, who was attending his grandmother¡¯s wake service. He immediately lost interest. So, he simply patted Yang Yong on the shoulder again before turning to leave, leaving the other quite confused. Liang Ke looked at his watch. The time was near and he gestured for the players to get on the bus. He was the last to get on, and before he did, he kept glancing at the gates. He hoped that he would catch a glimpse of Yang Pan¡¯s shadow, but he was left disappointed. So, he got on to tell the driver, ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go.¡± A multi-purpose sports center, Xigong Stadium was not far north of Luoyang¡¯s busiest city center. It was a huge ¡°sinkhole¡± beside Jiudou Road and road leading to the stadium itself. A statue of a pair of men fighting for a ball stood outside, while the stadium had been refurbished in conjunction with the National Peony Festival. The concrete stands were now furnished with plastic seats, along with brand new grass carpets and plastic running tracks. The colorful seats, red race tracks, green carpets of grass as well as the huge silver screen gave it an ambience of a state-of-the-art arena. Almost every high school soccer player dreamed of setting foot there! According to the match schedules, the match between Dingding and Shu Guang would be played at 3.00pm on Saturday, while Zhongyuan would play Tongxing at the same hour the next day. After that, the third-fourth placing match would be held on the following Saturday, a day before the most anticipated final match. The winning team would go the 15th National High School Soccer Championship and receive tickets to Shanghai, where the game was going to be held this time. A huge crowd had already gathered outside the arena before two. Apart from the cheerleading team and student supporters from both sides, there were also fans of the sport from all walks of life; it was clear that the Luoyang community paid attention to high school soccer. There were two trucks outside Door No. 3 of the stadium. One of them had a logo of the Luoyang TV Channel while the other was of the Henan TV Channel. They were both responsible for the live TV broadcast to their respective regions. The technicians were rushing to set up their antenna and various equipment were moved into the stadium from Door No. 3 . Meanwhile, a sea of heads waited outside the main gates, which had yet to open. Grabbing the opportunity, hawkers and vendors weaved in and out of the throng, selling simple yet practical items such as trumpets, whistles, little colored flags and all sorts of air batons. The Dingding cheerleaders were putting on a show even before the arrival of both teams. They were waving their ¡°victory¡± flag around, drumming loudly as well as shouting their team slogans. They truly fired up the atmosphere. Plus, they were semi-final veterans who were clearly used to this. Compared to them, the Shu Guang cheerleaders looked almost embarrassing in their Xigong debut. They had their equipment with them, but they were tidily placed by the side. Every member was lost in their curiosity towards their surroundings¡ªapparently, they had forgotten about their task. The entrances for the team buses were already surrounded with reporters, who were armed with cameras as well as video and voice recorders; they were basically just waiting for the arrival of both schools. 1.55pm. Two buses marked with the words ¡°Luoyang Dingding High School¡± drove through the main gates amidst thunderous applause. Their cheerleaders began to raise their voice. ¡°Dingding! To Victory!¡± ¡°Go, Go! Dingding, go!¡± ¡°Champions! Champions! To the Nationals!¡± The journalists mobbed the team¡¯s coach as soon as they stopped. The door opened and two reserved members leaped out, parting the host of news correspondents to make way for the first team. Fan Cunjie, captain of the Dingding soccer team, and the player dubbed the ¡°Master Trickster¡± was first to alight. He smiled with aplomb into the camera lenses that flashed incessantly in his face, and started to squeeze his way out. ¡°Fan Cunjie, this year¡¯s your final year, what¡¯s your target?¡± ¡°To enter the Nationals.¡± Three years; he had been repeating the same line in the same place thrice, but he only ever managed to get to the finals. So, what about this year? ¡°Shu Guang is a formidable team. How will your team beat them?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll play according to our rhythm.¡± ¡°Will Dingding be the same next year?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not clear on this matter, but I believe in my junior team. However, the most important thing at hand is to win today¡¯s game, and then the finals to enter the National Championship! It was the same answer for three years. ¡°Every year, Dingding talks about entering the Nationals, but the team has been unsuccessful thus far. Will they insist the same for this year too?¡± Fan Cunjie stopped and turned in the direction of the voice. It had been a young reporter. ¡°Of course. Dingding will not give up easily, especially this year! We, the players are confident that we can beat anyone!¡± But, the other simply pressed on. ¡°Does your side have what it takes to stop the Shu Guang offensive lineup?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Chen Huafeng, High School Soccer reporter.¡± ¡°Oh, the writer who publishes exclusives on Shu Guang.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll see. Teams that score don¡¯t always win!¡± At that, Fan Cunjie ignored every other question and forced his way away from the crowd. Xia Bo was quickly encircled by the media too. As the goalkeeper who would soon face ¡°Luoyang¡¯s finest offense¡±, he was naturally the center of attention. ¡°Xia Bo, about Shu Guang¡¯s offensive lineup¡ª¡± He was cut short by the goalie. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the lineup. I¡¯ll catch all their shots!¡± ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s drive is extremely powerful. Can you stop that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. I¡¯ve heard that he often hits the posts.¡± Everyone else laughed. ¡°What about Zhang Jun? He¡¯s scored consecutive hat-tricks in the last two games¡­¡± ¡°He won¡¯t even score one against me!¡± Xiao Bo replied confidently. His occasional eccentricities notwithstanding, the shot-stepper had done enough to back his own self-belief. He was generally acknowledged as Luoyang¡¯s No.1 before Zhang Lintao made his appearance. Although he was not tall, his ability to jump above most was helped by his lightning reflexes and courageous charges. Naturally, he was very reliable in big games¡ªapart from the occasional mistakes. Five minutes after the Dingding team was interviewed, Shu Guang¡¯s bus arrived too. Some of the journalists moved on to them, although most of them still stayed with Dingding¡ªthe more established team of the two. Ultimately, Shu Guang was merely making its debut in Xigong Stadium. It was not unusual that the focus would naturally be placed upon Dingding, the frequent guest. Liang Ke got off first after the door opened. Su Fei followed, instantly shifting the limelight to Shu Guang with her mere appearance; lenses flashed at her like stars in a night sky and the geezers gasped audibly¡ªmany had seen her on magazine covers, but those photos did not do her beauty justice. Needless to say, there was also every reason to suspect that some of the photographers were capturing images of the manager for personal use. An Ke, who jumped off the bus after her was so overwhelmed by the flashes, he almost fell. When he finally came around and realized that the cameras were not aimed at him, he cursed quietly. ¡°Bunch of old perverts!¡± He then made his way past the crowd towards the players¡¯ entrance. Kaka alighted to the shrill screams of fangirls. They may have lost out on the reporters¡¯ attention, but the number of fangirls Shu Guang had would definitely make the Dingding players sweat their brows. Ren Yu De, Wang Ning, Li Hao, Li Jieguang, Lin Xiaofang, Chen Bo, Xie Yu, and the substitutes alighted before Zhang Jun. The bus door closed after he got down and it drove off to the parking bay. There was no Yang Pan! Chen Huafeng was shocked at that discovery. Believing that he had made a mistake, he attempted a recount. But, he was left sighing in the face of the unyielding mob that swarmed his favorite team. As the last to leave the car, Zhang Jun was paid apparent special attention. However, he answered every question put to him with ¡°We will definitely win¡±, before leaving them behind and quickly stepping into the stadium. Chen Huafeng had a feeling the striker was not his usual self that day. Perhaps it was the nerves; it was his first game in Xigong after all. ¡°What the heck? They¡¯ve only won a few games, but they¡¯re even cockier than Dingding!¡± Another member of the press spat beside him. The main gates finally opened and the fans flashed their tickets to enter. Their appearance raised the temperature of the arena, lighting up the early winter afternoon. Chapter 67 - Debut Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After changing, players would have 20 minutes to warm-up. It was a chance for both teams to show off in front of everyone. A banner that read, ¡°The 15th National High School Championship: Luoyang Regional Qualifiers ¨C Chenguang High School Soccer Tournament¡± stood above the stands, swaying with the wind. There was an incessant assortment of sounds from the seats, climaxing as the two teams stepped out for their warm-up. Xie Yu gingerly stepped on the grass carpet, afraid of ruining it. ¡°Wow! So soft! It¡¯s just like a mattress!¡± ¡°Tut, tut! Such glistening greenness! It¡¯s so easy on the eyes!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have to be afraid of hurting ourselves from flying tackles when we play on this surface, right? No wonder there are so many exciting angles in professional matches! It won¡¯t hurt even if a player falls!¡± ¡°Look! You can lift it up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it! Put it back! You can¡¯t pay for it even if you sell yourself!¡± Like peasants who were stepping into the city for the very first time, the Shu Guang players got face-down on the ground and examined the grass closely¡ªprompting laughter from the stands. The Shu Guang students felt like taking off their uniforms and hiding them; their players were such a complete embarrassment in front of the tens of thousands of fans. Zhang Jun did not research the carpet grass and jogged alone around the pitch. It was the first time he had ever faced such a crowd; there were just a few hundred heads watching during the grand final back when he was a third-year middle school student. There was no live broadcast either. Even as a national champion, he needed to get used to it. Surely Yang Pan would have been sub-zero calm if he was here? That brat could sleep peacefully even if it was the eve of the National¡¯s grand final. Noting that he was thinking of his best friend again, the interim captain shook his head; he was captain now! He stopped and glanced over at his teammates. They were still kneeling on the floor and ¡°studying¡± it intently. He then he kicked a ball at them. ¡°Stand up, all of you! Warm-up!¡± Like startled birds, they scattered, taking the ball along with them to the pitch while flashing some high-level moves. Liang Ke looked at them, unable to decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. However, he was content; the players were not feeling too nervous over their first game in such a formal place. Liu Wei noticed that the Shu Guang captain¡ªwho clocked in at 10.52 seconds in hundred-meter dashes and could shoot 180 km/h balls¡ªwas not on the pitch. Surprised, he looked at their coach, who was busy laughing and joking around with the beautiful manager without a shred of nervousness in his debut. What cards would that fellow play without Yang Pan? Liu Wei could not tell. Chen Huafeng finally confirmed for himself that Yang Pan was not with the team! Learning that, a bigger question begged. If this was such an important match, why was the captain¡ªwho was also a key player¡ªabsent? Did Liang Ke have a winning strategy without Yang Pan? The 20 minutes for warm-ups quickly slipped by. Both teams left the court and entered their locker room; they had 30 minutes to prepare before kick-off. Liang Ke repeated his analysis of Dingding, albeit a watered-down version of it. Naturally, he touched on the key points, stating that Dingding was balanced across the lines and that the team played in a stable manner. Plus, Fan Cunjie was their linchpin. Finishing his ¡°moot¡± points, the coach swept a glance over all of his players; it appeared that Yang Pan¡¯s absence did not deal such a huge blow on them. ¡°Dingding plays steadily; they will be our greatest challenge yet. Still, it¡¯s better to stick to our own style rather than wait for them to offer an opening or make a mistake. Shu Guang plays its own brand of soccer.¡± The coach looked at his watch¡ªthere was not much time left. ¡°The rest is up to you,¡± he said. Then, he walked out the door. The stands were fired up with cheers while flags as well as banners of various kinds and sizes soared in the wind. TV technicians were busy with their setup procedures 17 minutes ahead of showtime. How many kings-in-waiting were born in that stadium; did they number more than the fallen champions? Liang Ke leaned against the entrance to the players¡¯ passage. The afternoon sun shone upon him as he looked out at the noisy world; he could only squint. Five years ago, when he graduated and got placed in Shu Guang High School, the principal had asked if he was interested in coaching their soccer team. They never had any good results and the squad itself was doom and gloom. The former coaches of mining and factory teams would bail as soon as they realized that there was no reward to be had. As such, the absence of any leadership left the team in complete tatters. Still, Liang Ke agreed almost immediately¡ªexpecting his own passion and love for soccer to reinvigorate the team. Four years went by without any change to their results, and the team was still all doom and gloom. He was unable to bring life and spirit to the players eitherhi. Instead, his efforts had drained him off his passion and enthusiasm. Therefore, he often questioned himself: was it worth it? Four years of his time spent in static there: was it worth it? Was his choice the right one in the first place? After getting knocked out in the first-round of every qualifier¡¯s match, he would console the players with the line, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret as long as you do your best.¡± But, was there really nothing? Was there truly nothing to be disappointed about as long as they gave it their all? It was fortunate that Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and their band came when they did. They brought fresh blood, liveliness and spirit to the sullen team. And now, they were in Xigong Stadium. They were in no hurry to return to their former state since they had gotten to this stage. Awaiting them was a whole new world; a larger soccer pitch, more cheering supporters and greater glory. Liang Ke clenched his fist. ¡­ ¡°Cao Po, you¡¯ll be marking Kaka since Yang Pan is absent.¡± Liu Wei quickly adjusted tactics to the sudden disappearance of Shu Guang¡¯s captain. ¡°That Brazilian is not your average player; he is difficult to tangle with and must not be allowed to make plays.¡± ¡°Yao Wang, Ya Dong, you two will do a double team up against Zhang Jun. A substitute striker will probably not combine well with the other three front-liners without Yang Pan. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve most likely switched to a formation with two forwards. That will allow our own defenders to be more relaxed.¡± The coach scribbled on the board. ¡°Zhang Jun is a formidable striker. The two of you have to stick to him and deny him any chance in making an effort. Xia Bo, I heard what you told the reporters. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you¡ªthis match is simply too important. Unless it¡¯s unavoidable, I would rather you see less of the ball.¡± Xia Bo nodded, opening his arms. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m willing to do nothing the whole game for the team. Heh! Yao Wang and Ya Dong will mark Zhang Jun, and Cao Po will be on the Brazilian. Tang Liang and Su Rui, the three of us will be playing chase then?¡± The locker room exploded into laughter. Liu Wei shook his head, smiling sardonically. But, Fan Cunjie did not join in the festivities like he always had. ¡°Do you want me to buy each of you a bottle of soda too?¡± he spat coldly. ¡°This is the semi-final, not a warm-up match; a spot in the final is at stake. Xiao Bo, don¡¯t even think of putting up a ¡®performance¡¯.¡± The captain was not being loud, but like a pail of cold water doused on burning iron, the laughs quickly died down. All of them knew that their captain had not been himself for the past week¡ªhe was like a woman going through menopause, temperamental and quick to blow up. That said, he was still their captain¡ªtheir boss. Xia Bo held his tongue back and straightened his face. Liu Wei looked on, not knowing if he should be nodding approvingly with a smile, or sighing while shaking his head. Fan Cunjie always had a good handle of himself against any opponent at any stage. However, he looked really jittery that day. He seemed more driven to win. Did it bode well for Dingding? ¡­ The loudspeakers of the stadium sounded and the live commentary began. ¡°Good afternoon, everyone! Today we¡¯re bringing you the first semi-final match of the Chenguang Cup¡ªthe Luoyang Regional Qualifiers for the 15th National High School Soccer Championship. On one side we have the ¡®Uncrowned Kings¡¯ among the Luoyang high schools, Dingding! While Shu Guang High School, who has been on the rise for the last two years is on the other. I¡¯m Wang Qiang, bringing you the live commentary for this game alongside our special guest Mr. Zhou, a specialist on high school soccer who will also be our pundit for the day.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, everyone!¡± ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s our fourth year doing commentary on this tournament together.¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your take on these two teams?¡± ¡°Well, Dingding has been at this stage often. There¡¯s no doubt that the team is very capable. That said, Fan Cunjie, Bin Fei, Xia Bo, Yao Wang, Shi Yan and Cao Po are all third-years now. It¡¯s their last chance to enter the Nationals and that is why they¡¯ll be giving their all. This would be horrifying for any opponent.¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯s Shu Guang¡­¡± ¡°Oh. Shu Guang¡¯s improvement in the last two years is something else. They were great going forward, but they lack a lot in experience compared to Dingding. In such a vital game, this could prove to be key.¡± ¡°Mr. Zhou, does this mean you believe that Dingding will have a better chance of winning?¡± ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s right! Furthermore, I¡¯d like to see Zhao Defeng and Fan Cunjie clashing once again¡ªit is their final year after all.¡± Liu Qi looked up at the huge speakers and said what every Shu Guang member was thinking. ¡°This critic is so despicable!¡± Zhang Jun sat quietly on a chair. Normally, he would have been messing around with An Ke, Kaka, Ren Yu De and Yang Pan. Su Fei approached him, grabbed his hand and dug her nails deeper and deeper into his flesh. Though clearly holding back his voice, he reacted. ¡°Su Fei! What are you doing? It hurts!¡± She replied with a sugary smile. ¡°I thought you were dreaming, so I came to check. So, you weren¡¯t napping after all!¡± ¡°Dreaming?¡± Zhang Jun looked at her. ¡°Will you be needing a hairband today? I brought a thin one.¡± She opened her hand to show it lying quietly in her palm. Zhang Jun pulled his front hair down and it reached the bridge of his nose. Without noticing, it had already grown that long. ¡°Don¡¯t need one. Do you have a rubber band?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She reached behind her head and loosed her braided ponytail. Her hair dropped like a cascading waterfall and a rubber band appeared in her hand. ¡°Help me make a braid?¡± He asked, looking straight into her eyes. ¡­ ¡°Right, that¡¯s all I can say. Just remember that your target isn¡¯t just little Luoyang¡ªit¡¯s the Nationals, the target every single one of you set your eyes on when you joined the team!¡± Slightly emotional, Liu Wei raised his voice. How many years had Dingding been shouting their objective of ¡°entering the nationals¡± but never bringing it to fruition. This time, their team had the experience and skill as well as dedicated supporters; it would be their best shot¡ªfailure was unacceptable. The silence in the locker room was deafening; everyone had the words ¡°entering the nationals¡± weigh heavy on their mind. Su Fei marveled upon her own handiwork and smiled in satisfaction. The players surrounding them were also praiseful. ¡°Tut, tut! Never knew that a guy could look good in braids!¡± ¡°Heh! Quite the spirited Look!¡± Xie Yu said, tugging at his own short, curly hair. Realizing that it was not long enough to be tied, he sighed begrudgingly. An Ke leaped out. ¡°Su Fei! Help me fix my hair too!¡± He drew his hair to its full length, which was just enough to make a ¡°mini tail¡±. Su Fei smiled, spreading her arms. ¡°There aren¡¯t any rubber bands left.¡± There was more than one sigh. An Ke was the most disappointed, but Su Fei¡¯s hair, which dropped to her shoulders was proof that there really was no rubber bands left. ¡°I have one,¡± Ren Yu De said over in a corner. ¡°Really?¡± An Ke replied with extra delight. ¡°Where? Give it here!¡± An Ke pulled at his shorts and it indeed had a rubber band. ¡°Here. Although, it¡¯s not exactly practical to take it out.¡± An Ke stared blankly, and then, he chased after Ren Yu De wildly. ¡°Ren Yu De! Stop right there!¡± Everyone broke into laughter. Su Fei even felt tears coming out. That was when she realized that Zhang Jun was not joining in their chorus. He was just staring at her vacantly without a word. She blushed. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zhang Jun smiled and shook his head in reply. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted to look.¡± Even more embarrassed, the manager quickly changed topics. ¡°You look nice with braids, very spirited!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll never trim my hair ever again and keep it for you to braid.¡± She stretched a hand out. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Pay up! Pay up!¡± Su Fei huffed. ¡°My work needs to be rewarded!¡± She looked indescribably adorable and Zhang Jun was at a loss for words. The then door opened and Liang Ke entered. ¡°It¡¯s time! Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 68 - The Match Begins Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After spouting gibberish for half a day, the voices behind the loudspeakers finally returned to the topic at hand. ¡°Led by three match officials, the two teams are entering the pitch!¡± Wang Qiang began the introductions amidst majestic music. ¡°Dark blue jerseys, black shorts and black stockings¡ªit¡¯s the team everyone¡¯s familiar with; the ¡®Uncrowned Kings¡¯ Dingding High School! Leading the way is their captain who dons the No.10 shirt, Fan Cunjie! The ¡®Master of Tricks¡¯ is now a third-year, and this will be the last year we can expect to enjoy his elegant moves on the pitch.¡± ¡°Behind him is their goalkeeper, No.1, Xia Bo. Another third-year student, who¡¯s always full of ¡®surprises¡¯. Who knows if we¡¯ll get to see one today?¡± ¡°No.3, Yao Wang. The 190-cm gigantic has been the center back and Dingding¡¯s shield for three whole years. Today we will see if he can lead his team to resist the Shu Guang onslaught.¡± ¡°No.5, Su Rui is another Dingding center back. A 185-cm second-year who is experienced.¡± ¡°No.6, Ya Dong, left back, second-year.¡± ¡°No.4, Tang Liang, right back, second-year.¡± ¡°No.8, Cao Po is the defensive midfielder. Outstanding in defense, strong overall and explosive. He¡¯s the perfect partner for Yao Wang; few can score past them.¡± ¡°No.7, Lu Hui is the left midfielder. He has the fastest record for 100-m dashes in Dingding and he¡¯s said to rival Shu Guang¡¯s Yang Pan in speed. We just might see who¡¯s faster in this game.¡± ¡°No.11, Shi Yan: the right midfielder. Favors either foot, he is physically fit, skillful and also Dingding¡¯s ¡®marathoner¡¯. He¡¯s Dingding¡¯s key in attacking from the flanks.¡± ¡°No.18, Shi Lei is the striker; a selfless one too, often making fantastic passes. He¡¯s a second-year.¡± ¡°No.9, Bin Fei: the striker. A great shooter with depth positioning, he drifts around the box and delivers a lethal strike at any given moment¡ªa genuine pain for defenders. He¡¯s another third-year.¡± Every name announced by Wang Qiang was met by a chorus of hurrahs, an indication of just how popular Dingding was. In contrast, Shu Guang was a lot less glamorous; the most the players had were shrill cries from some of their fangirls. Their introduction was mostly greeted by silence. ¡°Wearing completely white uniforms with twin red stripes, it¡¯s the rising force for the last two years, Shu Guang! Leading their team is the captain, Yang¡ª¡± It was then that Wang Qiang noticed the player with the captain¡¯s armband was wearing the No.11 shirt, and he quickly corrected himself. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Zhang Jun; No.11, Zhang Jun, that¡¯s right!¡± There was a little commotion at the stands. Everyone knew that Shu Guang¡¯s captain was the player who clocked in at 10.52 seconds for 100-m dashes and shot the ball at speeds up to 180 km/h¡ªYang Pan. ¡°Uh, Zhang Jun, No.11 is Shu Guang¡¯s striker. Holistic, explosive, and an assassin in the box. He scored two consecutive hat-tricks in his last two games, ranking just second behind Yingcai¡¯s Ma Ni by two goals on the rankings of top scorers. There¡¯s every hope that he¡¯ll eventually top the board since Yingcai is already out. And, there¡¯s that ¡®Rising Dragon¡¯¡ªthe fantastic goal he hit in last game. Who knows if he can repeat the same feat today?¡± ¡°Behind him is Shu Guang¡¯s goalkeeper, No.1, An Ke. He¡¯s 188 cm tall, but moves quick; a splendid stopper of low balls. He is one of the four great goalies of Luoyang, alongside Zhongyuan¡¯s Zhang Lintao, Dingding¡¯s Xia Bo and Yingcai¡¯s Sima Hongxin.¡± ¡°No.4, Li Jieguang is a seasoned third-year center back.¡± ¡°No.5, Lin Xiaofang managed to secure a place as center back as soon as he joined the team. He has proven himself in previous games.¡± ¡°No.6, Xie Yu is a third-year left back; a physical player.¡± ¡°No.3, Chen Bo. Like Lin Xiaofang, he is another first-year who has won the right back post. Chen Bo is strong and tenacious.¡± ¡°No.8, Wang Ning is a defensive midfielder; another outstanding first-year player.¡± ¡°No.17, Li Hao, a third-year. He as well as Wang Ning do the dirtiest and tiring work quietly, but they¡¯re indispensable to the team.¡± ¡°No.10, Kaka is a student from Brazil. His full name is Calder Isaacson Santos Li Ni. A true heir of Brazilian Samba Soccer, he¡¯s very skilled and he has been an etremely creative playmaker in the midfield.¡± ¡°No.9, Ren Yu De is a striker. He has outstanding skills, and a dribble universally acknowledged to be second only to Fan Cunjie himself. He often entertains on the field.¡± ¡°And next up is¡­¡± Wang Qiang thought that it was finally Yang Pan¡¯s turn, but he was dumbstruck. He took a brief moment to recover to his usual calm. ¡°It¡¯s No.5, a new face¡ªhe¡¯s never shown up in Shu Guang¡¯s games before, center back, Yang Yong!¡± There were quite a number of surprised exclamations coming from the stands; many were clearly shocked that a legendary character such as Yang Pan would not be starting. There were some jeers in the mix too¡ªmany clearly thought that Shu Guang was arrogant and thought that Dingding was beneath it. Liu Wei breathed a brief sigh of relief¡ªYang Pan¡¯s absence had greatly decreased the threat against his team; it was a good thing. It was wise to capture this advantage in the first-half and pour forward to grab the lead. That way, they would have control over the game¡¯s rhythm, preventing any ruse from Shu Guang. Was it also a providence, hinting that Dingding could realize the dream they have had for years now? Zhang Jun glanced down at his red captain armband; he had been peeking at it regularly since leaving the locker room. Although he had yet to decide what it felt like to be captain for the first time, the red band danced like red flames across his eyes every time he moved. It reminded him of the responsibility he had. The referee gestured for both team captains to pick their halves. Zhang Jun smiled as he shook hands with Fan Cunjie, but his counterpart merely frowned and nodded. Quickly putting on a straight face, Zhang Jun thought that he should be more serious in times like this. Or else, he would be losing his dignity as captain. ¡°Heads or tails?¡± ¡°Tails!¡± ¡°Heads.¡± A coin was hurled into the air, rolling as it fell. It was then decided that Dingding would initiate the kick-off while Shu Guang picked their court. In high school competitions, most teams loved to huddle in a circle and holler. It was not known if it raised their fighting spirit or if it was just for show. Nevertheless, the two teams playing that day followed the ritual Shu Guang¡¯s cluster surprised even their own supporters¡ªtheir team had never done this before. Liang Ke was amazed as well¡ªhe never gave such instructions; it was all based on their own inititiave. ¡°Dingding! To victory and the Nationals!¡± A roar soon rang out from Dingding¡¯s circle, while there was nary a sound from Shu Guang. ¡°To be frank, we¡¯re not used to this,¡± Zhang Jun told his teammates as he leaned forward. ¡°But, there are a few things I¡¯d like to say. Everybody¡¯s here for the very first time, but I don¡¯t think it matters because there¡¯s still greater places that await us! ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s grandmother has passed on and he¡¯s at her wake now. What we can do is wait for him with the finals in our hands, not with frowny faces of failure. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Everyone, to your positions and let¡¯s win his!¡± At those words, he straightened himself and went to stand by the center circle. His dumbfounded teammates quickly dispersed moments later to assume their positions. ¡°Really! Is there a need to say such things?¡± An Ke mumbled to himself as he walked towards the post. ¡°Rubbish! Won¡¯t we become the butt of that retard¡¯s joke if we¡¯re defeated without him? We will never lose!¡± Kaka heard that and smiled despite himself. An Ke was right¡ªShu Guang could not lose under any circumstances. There was still soccer to play and fun to be had. They needed to take this match for that. ¡°Win! We must win!¡± The Brazilian gripped his fists tightly. The whistle for kick-off rang and the match started. But, the crowd had yet to wrap their head around the quiet Shu Guang huddle, which dispersed just as quietly. ¡°Bin Fei gives it to Shi Lei, who makes a back-pass to Fan Cunjie! At long last, the first semi-final match of the Luoyang Regional Qualifiers for the 15th National High School Soccer Championship commences!¡± The unusually hushed stands instantly roared in applause and lifted the atmosphere; the match had begun. The photojournalists who stood pitch-side flashed their lenses together on cue. The match had begun. Fan Cunjie dribbled towards Shu Guang¡¯s court; behind him were his teammates, who followed him forward ar full throttle. The match had begun. Chapter 69 - Lead Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Bin Fei passed the ball to Shi Lei and rushed ahead while the latter passed it behind to Fan Cunjie. Receiving the ball, the captain carried the ball forward without any hesitation. The semi-final had begun. Kaka was up against him. Both of them struggled for the ball in the midfield. Even so, Fan Cunjie clearly did not want to dawdle. One stretch from Kaka, and the captain held on to the ball with his right foot. He turned, with his back facing his challenger and pulled the ball with his left foot. He then turned again and scraped past Kaka. ¡°Beautiful turn! It¡¯s Fan Cunjie¡¯s most brilliant trick!¡± ¡°Hehe! Exactly! He¡¯s the dancer on the green field. You¡¯d marvel at that move every time!¡± The commentating pair were generously showering the star with every word of praise. At the stands, the turn saw the crowd hit their first climax; Dingding¡¯s cheerleaders shouted their captain¡¯s name relentlessly. Under the ear-splitting clamors, Fan Cunjie kept going. Wang Ning and Li Hao closed in, one behind the other. Contrary to what the others had hoped for, Fan Cunjie did not use another turning move or gorgeous trick to bypass them. He merely thrusted the ball with his outer sole to Shi Yan up front. Dingding¡¯s cheerleading squad switched to chanting the latter¡¯s name. Facing Xie Yu, he moved the ball between his feet. Suddenly poking it ahead with his right, Xie Yu quickly slid towards it, but he could only touch its shadow. Shi Yan made an easy breakthrough! ¡°He truly is ¡®surgical knife¡¯ Shi Yan! Just a few simple pokes and he¡¯s behind the defense!¡± Mr. Zhou complemented. ¡°Looks like Shu Guang is getting nervous¡­¡± ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s natural to be nervous when you¡¯re playing in such a scene for the first time. Not to mention, having to face such a giant like Dingding. They can be proud of themselves already if they don¡¯t concede within the first 20 minutes.¡± ¡°But Shu Guang isn¡¯t exactly weak¡­¡± ¡°Games in the final four round usually see the match standard raised by a whole new level. Even if you¡¯re impressive before, doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll still be impressive now.¡± Shi Yan had already run deep into Shu Guang¡¯s box amidst the pair¡¯s chatter. Bin Fei himself had been sprinting outwards to distract the Shu Guang back line, allowing his teammate to cut in deep. There was just a little bit of space, but he took a shot! An Ke caught the ball and held it tightly. ¡°A shot! Ah! Such a shame! Shu Guang¡¯s An Ke held it so tightly; there¡¯s no chance for Bin Fei to drive in the rebound.¡± An Ke hugged the ball firmly as though he feared that it would fly off on its own. It was dangerous. Just as Shi Yan fired his effort, Bin Fei had already turned and scampered towards the goalpost. If his own save had been a little loose, ¡°The Opportunist¡± would have seized the chance; his heart had been gripped at the sight of Dingding¡¯s No.9 darting towards him. The dagger of the ¡°Uncrowned Kings¡± flashed chillingly under the sun, sniffing for chances. It was ready to slice his neck at any given time. Although the play was not too threatening, Liang Ke had seen that No.9¡ä s attack. An Ke would be in trouble if they could not keep him down during the rest of the game. That being said, Shu Guang¡¯s current defensive prowess would allow Shi Lei to roam freely if they tried to nullify Bin Fei. The pair were distinct threats. If they could not stop those two, Shu Guang would have to rely on its attacks, and that would depend on Zhang Jun¡¯s group. Regardless of when, Liang Ke would always trust his players. When Zhang Jun misfired against Kai Ta and the team fell behind, he sat on the coach¡¯s seat quietly without a fuss. Because, he believed in the 11 boys running on the pitch. Against Yang Guang¡¯s incessant cheap tricks and fouls, he merely gestured and reminded them to attack. Because, he believed in the 11 boys who struggled. Up against Guan Lin, Ren Yu De behaved oddly and almost scored in their own goal. He did not scold his player or blow him off in the locker room. Because, he believed in the 11 boys who sweated. In the match against Yingcai, the storm raged and the ground turned into mud. There was Ma Ni¡¯s 90 Degrees, Sima Hongxin, the ¡°monster¡± goalkeeper as well as a fraud of a referee. He stood in silence in the rain in the face of such a hostile match, because he believed in the 11 boys who were unstoppable no matter rain, sleet, or snow. Today, their captain was missing¡ªgreatly reducing their strength. The team they were up against was the formidable ¡°Uncrowned Kings¡±, Dingding. Even though the supporters on the stands were largely backing their opponents, he still believed in his own team. Come what may, he would always be Shu Guang¡¯s most loyal supporter. Dingding had largely kept Shu Guang in their own half after 10 minutes; the team that prided themselves in their offensive capabilities did not even register a single attempt on the goal. Bored up front, Zhang Jun really wanted to turn back and help defend at the sight of his own goal constantly being threatened. However, he did not, for Liang Ke had repeatedly told him not to. His only task was to shoot, bag goals and score. An Ke stopped another effort from Bin Fei. The goalie was now the busiest person on the pitch. Every long-range clearance that Shu Guang made would be quickly sent back. Dingding¡¯s three lines maintained hard pressure on Shu Guang, and even Kaka was now forced to pour all his strength into defending. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see Dingding attacking so intensely from the get go.¡± ¡°Yeah, Dingding can win this match if they want too. Looks like Shu Guang is in trouble.¡± ¡°Dingding¡¯s back! Fan Cunjie passed the ball to the flanks, it¡¯s Shi Yan again! A cross to the middle!¡± Bin Fei then leaped above the other players around him. The bounce from his 180-cm frame was outstanding; headers were one of his chief methods to score after all. ¡°A header!¡± There was a powerful header in the near area! An Ke could only watch as the ball flew behind him towards the empty goal! ¡°Looks like Dingding¡¯s going to open the scoring!¡± In that exact moment, a shadow dashed in and cleared the ball off the line! ¡°That was close! Shu Guang dodges a bullet!¡± ¡°Even Kaka has retreated to the front of the posts. There¡¯s no telling if Shu Guang will have the same luck next time,¡± Zhou Jian Sheng said. Liu Qi turned to the loudspeaker and said what every Shu Guang fan had in their minds. ¡°This commentator is so despicable!¡± As Shu Guang kept getting knocked around, many forgot about their strongest weapon. Cao Po missed his header, but Kaka controlled the ball and passed it with agility! Facing Zhang Jun for the first time, Yao Wang was a little flustered. He was acting like he was not fully prepared. Without a pause, Zhang Jun squeezed a shot out from a tight angle! Xia Bo dived. He pushed the ball off the crossbar and out of bounds, drawing cold sweat from the Dingding supporters. ¡°Al-almost! A Shu Guang lead was so close. As expected of Zhang Jun, his first attempt was already such a menace.¡± ¡°Dingding¡¯s back line seems to be loose. Yao Wang wouldn¡¯t usually let the other team¡¯s striker shoot so comfortably.¡± ¡°Still, Mr. Zhou, Shu Guang¡¯s offensive prowess is the best in Luoyang!¡± ¡°With regard to that, it¡¯s just a conclusion made from their games before this one. Shu Guang¡¯s previous opponents weren¡¯t competent. Now, they face a genuine match against a real team.¡± Zhang Jun sighed; it was a shame that it did no go in. Kaka sent the corner into the box. Zhang Jun had no advantage over Yao Wang in headers, and it was easily cleared by the defender.¡±Heh! Brat, now we¡¯re even!¡± Yao Wang called out to him after his feet touched the ground. Pincered by Wang Ning and Li Hao, Fan Cunjie did not make any exquisite dribbles to break through. Instead, he made a precise pass. Shi Yan crossed, a bit farther back this time. Shi Lei stole it in front of Li Jieguang and headed towards Bin Fei, who whirled his feet, preparing to shoot¡ªonly to find that An Ke had already dived in front of him and gathered the ball into his arms. ¡°Kaka! Zhang Jun! Ren Yu De! What are you doing! Don¡¯t let them encircle us! Attack!¡± An Ke yelled as he drop-kicked the ball far up front. Kaka vied for the ball against Cao Po. He pressed his opponent down forcefully and headed the ball to Ren Yu De. With his back to the goal, Ren Yu De moved; but instead of turning to face his opponent¡¯s post, he dragged the ball towards the flank. Tang Liang closed their distance, slightly fearful about facing a player whose skill was just second to his captain¡¯s. Ren Yu De feinted once and sent the ball to Kaka once more¡ªhis selfless passing had increased a lot since his first year of high school. Cao Po instantly went towards him. Kaka was essentially Shu Guang¡¯s mind; they had to cut the connection between the mind and body to sever the source of their prided attack. However, was Kaka such a shrimp? The Brazilian returned the ball to Ren Yu De before bypassing Cao Po and dashing towards the box. Tang Liang did not dare to stretch his leg out recklessly. Ren Yu De used that opportunity to do a backheel pass to Xie Yu, who had been running up behind him. After that, he ran ahead too. Caught between chasing after Ren Yu De or closing down on Xie Yu, Tang Liang hesitated¡ªthis gave Xie Yu enough time to make a lob into the box. The ball curved outwardly towards the goalpost¡ªa pain for keepers since they could easily make a mistake if they chose to charge out. As such, Xia Bo decided to stay put, leaving it to Yao Wang¡¯s aerial affinity. Yao Wang cried out before jumping in front of the ball to clear it away. But, he was one step slower. Dashing towards him, Kaka leaped and hung in the air for a few moments as he headed the ball towards the goal in Yao Wang¡¯s face! Xia Bo never thought that the 190-cm giant could lose at headers, but despite being unprepared, the keeper reflexively knocked the ball off to the far corner with his knee. He turned to find a horrifying scene. Zhang Jun was darting towards it! With his right foot outstretched, he prepared to fire in the rebound! Yao Wang had just gotten his feet on the ground, while Cao Po was left far behind by Kaka. The closest to Zhang Jun was Ya Dong! He tried to pull the opposing captain¡¯s jersey only to find that the temporary captain was not budging. Such an ordinary body, yet such immense strength! Kicking out, Zhang Jun stabbed the ball into the empty net with a toe jab! It went in! Silence filled the place. No one would have thought that after being encircled and bombarded by Dingding for so long, the one to score first would be Shu Guang. Additionally, it was just their third attempt. Even the long, rambling voices behind the loudspeakers were silenced. Perhaps they could not think of what to say in the face of such a comeback. After scoring, Zhang Jun huddled with Kaka before quickly being encircled by their jovial teammates. Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleaders also joined in the merrymaking; they had imagined many scenarios, but never one in which their team led so early. Fan Cunjie glanced blankly at the gigantic LCD screen, which replayed the goal. When Kaka headed, Zhang Jun was already moving towards the far corner. And when Xia Bo knocked it towards him, all he needed to do was stretch his foot out for the ball to go in. Everything looked so simple, but the No.11¡¯s instincts in front of the goal sent chills into Fan Cunjie¡¯s heart. If Bin Fei¡¯s positional awareness was a result of extensive training and experience from matches, Zhang Jun¡¯s instinct in front of the goal was pure intuition. An intuition like that of a tiger on the hunt; a terrifying one. Shu Guang led with a score of 1: 0, 17 minutes into the first-half. Chapter 70 - Trap Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liu Wei¡¯s troops appeared to be scattered by the early goal. But the coach himself did not appear flustered or irritated. He walked pitch side and made a hand gesture at Fan Cunjie. His captain nodded and turned to Yao Wang, making a face. Yao Wang nodded quietly too. Both teams quickly assumed their respective positions as they waited to restart the game. Although they had an early lead, Shu Guang knew that it was not exactly good. Most of the time, teams would rather be leading just a few minutes before the match ended; that would have been better to equalize or rally against after getting an early lead. Naturally, this would not be a problem for teams who could control the flow of the game. This in turn begged the question, amongst the two playing right now, who was the stronger squad that could freely control how the match ran? After a brief moment of ecstasy, Shu Guang quickly calmed down. Zhang Jun, the goalscorer glanced at the red armband on his left arm, drew a deep breath and stilled his heart as he waited for the whistle to signal for the restart. *Beep!* Dingding¡¯s attack was fiercer and their formation more compact¡ªeven the back line was pressed up to the halfway line. The entire squad was viciously dropping more pressure on Shu Guang without a break. Chen Huafeng was curious at Dingding¡¯s boldness. It was the right response to pour forward when you were behind, but how could the defense move so high up too? It was a stance that abandoned all protection, and Dingding was using such a death-defying move after just 20 minutes. The spectators were also chattering away on this matter. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for Dingding to play like this?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s basically a move to be used in the final 15 minutes. It¡¯s usually only effectively in a last stand. Now this¡­¡± ¡°Now this, what?¡± Viewer A asked. ¡°Fool! Can¡¯t you see?¡± Viewer B scolded. ¡°Dingding is playing like this against Shu Guang, who has the best forwards in Luoyang. If they keep attacking but can¡¯t score, what do you think¡¯s gonna happen?¡± ¡°Oh! Dingding¡¯s gonna concede more goals.¡± Viewer A finally understood, but was quickly confused once more. ¡°Then, why would they insist on such a playstyle? Aren¡¯t they afraid of conceding?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ahem! We¡¯re not the coaches, why are we being so worried! Let¡¯s just watch the game!¡± The live broadcast studio. ¡°When did Liu Wei become so bold?¡± Zhou Jiansheng asked, slightly surprised. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know soon¡­¡± Fan Cunjie whirled each foot over the ball once. Seeing that Wang Ning was befuddled, he quickly made a pass to Lu Hui on the left. However, before Lu Hui could get to it, the delivery was cut off mercilessly by Chen Bo, who delivered a long ball to Kaka. The Brazilian made a through pass for the first time and Zhang Jun moved with it! There was only Xia Bo left in front of him. Dingding was wide open! *Beep!* The linesman raised his flag and whistled. ¡°Offside!¡± Wang Qiang shouted. Zhang Jun waved, feeling a little annoyed, but he was not dissatisfied with the decision. There was a need to be cautious with Dingding moving so far up¡ªit was easy to get an offside. Kaka shrugged. He thought that he was being careless since he did not have the time to check if Zhang Jun was offside when he was busy making the pass. Dingding, clearly intent on equalizing, did not slow down their assault. But, Shu Guang did not abandon their attack either after a single offside¡ªZhang Jun and Ren Yu De were staying active up front, prepared to receive the ball at any time and spread salt over Dingding¡¯s wound. Kaka took the ball off Cao Po. He looked up and saw that Zhang Jun had plenty of space and was not offside. He quickly made a through pass. Zhang Jun moved! But as if following Zhang Jun¡¯s shadow, the whistle sounded. ¡°Offside!¡± Zhang Jun stared doubtfully at the referee, not quite understanding how he had exceeded the line. Nonetheless, the replay on the big screen clearly showed that Zhang Jun had moved half his body past the final line¡ªthe linesman had sharp eyes. The officials in the semi-finals were not a bunch of nobodies! After seeing that, Zhang Jun realized he had nothing to say. He still could not understand. He definitely saw the defender on the flank standing in front of him. How could he be offside as soon as he turned and touched Kaka¡¯s pass? Could the defender have already been running to the front when he was turning? Kaka was lost too. The other team had four defenders, but when he passed he only saw three. He could not keep his eye on their smallest guard, who seemed to be standing behind the tallest. If he passed without seeing where their last man was, Zhang Jun would very likely be offside. If he did not pass, their fearsome defensive midfielder would challenge for the ball without hesitation¡ªholding possession meant losing it. To be frank, their No. 8 was a difficult opponent. He could occasionally get the better of him, but not all the time. In that moment, the ball was passed, but Zhang Jun fell into their offside trap once more. ¡­ ¡°Offside!¡± ¡­ *Beep!* ¡°Offside!¡± ¡­ *Beep!* ¡­ Zhang Jun stopped running. He simply could not grasp where the other team¡¯s final man was. Occasionally, he would see Yao Wang staying behind, and think that he was the last guy. But, he would be wrong. Other times, he thought that it was Ya Dong, but he would be proved wrong again. In the end, he simply gave up and Kaka could not get the ball to him. Kaka was hesitating too. Zhang Jun was completely trapped in their offside trickery. If he passed the ball to Ren Yu De, they would be too far from the goal. Plus, Yu De was not used to dribbling over long ranges. He would be easily stopped. They would have been better off with Yang Pan. With his speed and technique, even the length of half the pitch would be easy work for him. Whenever Kaka passed the ball to no man¡¯s land, Yang Pan would quickly sprint towards it, leaving any defender behind and breaking their offside trap. Was he at his wit¡¯s end without Yang Pan? Dingding¡¯s free kick at the back was sent to Cao Po, who got it to Fan Cunjie before Kaka could close in. Their cheerleaders quickly blew up in thunderous applause. When their captain had the ball, enemies would quiver whereas they would have much to look forward to. Indeed, Cunjie dribbled calmly despite facing another chain defense from Wang Ning and Li Hao. Although there were four legs against his own two, he was completely calm, never worrying about losing possession. Such mastery while on the ball; the scene was an answer to why he received so much favor and accolades even when his team did not always have the best results! The captain looked around as he moved the ball. The minute he saw the Shu Guang defense relax a little, he firmly passed it to Shi Lei and ran into the box. When he had been holding the ball, the team¡¯s rhythm had been slow like they were on a stroll. But as soon as a decisive pass was made to the front, Dingding suddenly stopped entirely. Such natural movements were befitting of a powerhouse! Shu Guang was not used to this and their defender began to get left behind. When Shi Lei took the ball, Lin Xiaofang and Yang Yong rushed at him¡ªthe latter left a huge space behind him! Bin Fei did not run towards the goalpost, but towards the flanks, pulling Li Jieguang with him and widening the space left unwatched. Fan Cunjie ran into the empty spot and Shi Lei sent the ball sharply to his feet. One pull with his left foot and the captain was inside the box. An Ke charged out! And Fan Cunjie swung his foot! He then slowed down out of the blue, and instead of firing a strong shot, he lobbed! The ball flew over An Ke and into the empty net! Chen Bo dashed and slid, however he did not manage to get to it, ending up inside the net together with the ball. ¡°It¡¯s in! Twenty-eight minutes into the first-half, Fan Cunjie has equalized the score for Dingding!¡± ¡°Such a clever ball! He looked like he was going to cannon it, but it was a technical shot!¡± The loudspeakers had been quiet like a rock after Shu Guang led; the noise returned now that the teams were even. Like Dingding, Shu Guang was just as noisy. Leaping up, An Ke raged at Yang Yong immediately. ¡°What were you doing? There¡¯s just one striker. Lin Xiaofang alone was enough! What were you doing running up? F*ck! Leaving such a huge hole! Do you want to die?!¡± It was usually the keepers who would first unleash their fury whenever a team conceded, and An Ke was not just a little angry. Knowing that it was his mistake, Yang Yong stood quietly and allowed An Ke to blow up right in front of him, staying there even after their teammates got An Ke to back off. Li Jieguang patted his fellow defender on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. An Ke has always been that tempestuous.¡± Yang Yong glanced at him and nodded. Nevertheless, Li Jieguang knew that Yang Yong did not really hear him¡ªhis eyes were not focused. Zhang Jun knew that he had to do something as captain at the sight of the mini chaos. He went over and told An Ke, ¡°What are you crying for? Isn¡¯t that just one goal? What is there to be surprised about? We¡¯ll just score another. Watch your post and direct the defense. Stop complaining.¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re teammates. There¡¯s no need to be so angry with our own!¡± Kaka smiled as he attempted to cool down the situation. ¡°Yang Yong, don¡¯t worry too much. A mistake is fine! Everyone makes mistakes. The key is to play well after that, and don¡¯t let it ruin the entire game for you!¡± When Liang Ke saw An Ke jumping up and pointing out raucously, he stood up, intending to walk to the pitch and calm him down. However, he quickly sat down again and quietly watched the pitch. Su Fei, already used to this frequent eccentric behavior of his, was not surprised. The referee gestured for Shu Guang to restart the game soon. ¡°Bring your training face up!¡± Zhang Jun patted Yang Yong and ran to the center circle. He ran, not strolled¡ªto let everyone know that the goal earlier did not affect Shu Guang. Everything was going on as usual. They just needed to to start from zero once more. But, were they really unaffected? Was it only just about starting from zero once more? He was not exactly clear about that himself. Twenty-eight minutes into the first-half, Fan Cunjie exploited a mistake in the Shu Guang defense to equalize. They were now at 1: 1. That was how it looked like on the surface. Chapter 71 - Battle of the Caged Beasts Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation *Beep!* Zhang Jun glanced helplessly at the linesman who held his flag up. It was the sixth time he had been caught offside. Yao Wang was ever-aware of every move he made¡ªall he needed to do was raise his hand at the right moment, and Zhang Jun would be caught offside. So, Dingding kept unravelling themselves with openings that lured Shu Guang¡¯s forwards into offside positions at every turn¡ªthe loopy space constantly foiled Kaka¡¯s passes to Zhang Jun. Kaka started to dribble by himself after more of his plays were foiled. However, was Cao Po just some display bauble? He rushed at the Brazilian, ignoring his feints and slithering in for the ball. After a stumble, Kaka lost possession. Yao Wang cleared the ball far upfield; Bin Fei headed it back to Fan Cunjie before the captain lobbed it to the left. Lu Hui sped up to shake Chen Bo off. He got to the ball and crossed it! Lin Xiaofang headed it off the line just in front of Shi Lei, clearing another dangerous moment in front of Shu Guang¡¯s goalpost. ¡°Beautiful attack! Dingding¡¯s passes are virtually soaring clouds and flowing springs! All Shu Guang can do is hold them back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. The Dingding team has played together for three years¡ªtheir synergized maneuvers can be completed in the blink of an eye. They were also calm after being behind now that they¡¯ve equalized, they keep drawing Shu Guang into their offside traps. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they take the lead.¡± ¡°Mr. Zhou, you seem confident about this!¡± ¡°I believe in Dingding. Not every team earns titles like the ¡®Uncrowned Kings¡¯ and ¡®Golden Generation.''¡± Dingding had a corner. Bin Fei, known for his sharp headers, darted everywhere inside the box to look for the right spot; the best opening. The hulking Yao Wang simply stood in front of the post, emanating a huge pressure on the Shu Guang defense. Fan Cunjie treaded the carpet grass in the corner spot before carefully placing the ball on the ground. He then took a few steps back. The two teams were a tangled mess in the penalty area; it was a chaotic scene. Cunjie exhaled. He ran up and with a whirl of his foot, he struck the ball firmly below its center with his inner sole. It rose and curved inwards towards the goalpost. An Ke pranced out unyieldingly and prepared to quickly catch hold of it. But his eyes blurred as a gigantic shadow vaulted ahead of him. It was Yao Wang! The keeper¡¯s heart skipped a beat¡ªwith that height of his, Yao Wang would score if he reached the ball! Unfortunately, he could only watch as Yao Wang swung his head. There was no way to stop him! ¡°Yao Wang is in the air! A header! Ah, he didn¡¯t get it in! It¡¯s a miss!¡± An Ke was not prepared for the miss. Initially ready to catch the ball, he promptly shifted to punch it away with both fists. The ball flew away from the box and Kaka went off in pursuit. However, he saw Shi Yan doing the same thing. Dingding¡¯s No.11 reached it first! He raised his left foot! Nonetheless, Kaka pressed on with a sliding tackle! He had to stop the shot even it meant fouling him! However, Shi Yan struck it first and the ball whistled over Kaka¡¯s head! ¡°Shi Yan shoots!¡± His effort punched through the crowd towards the goal! An Ke had just dropped to the ground to see the ball coming at him again. He then dived towards it reflexively. He got to it! But, he could not hold it, and the ball bounced away! In a cold flash, Bin Fei unleashed his blade! His effort hit the back of the net with a bang! ¡°He scores! Bin Fei has rallied the team with a goal, 36 minutes into the first half! Shu Guang is dealt a heavy blow!¡± ¡°He truly is Bin Fei, outstanding in seizing chances! Dealing a lethal strike to Shu Guang in a chaotic box! Firing in the rebound at the right time and securing the lead for Dingding!¡± Bin Fei was the face of excitement after his goal. He quickly dashed to hug Shi Yan, who created the chance in the build-up, before getting into a group hug with the rest of the team. An Ke sat, silently watching the celebrating Dingding players. He lost his grip when he was absolutely not supposed toÒ»that striker had been waiting all along. He never expected it to be so deadly the moment he could not hold on to the ball¡­ Zhang Jun stared at the ball in the net, at a lost for words. Should he have consoled his team? Should he have lied with lines like, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll level the scores.¡±? He was knee-deep into the opponent¡¯s offside trap himself; it would not fly. Maybe, ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry.¡±Ò»although what use was there for such words? Ren Yu De swept off a pinch of sweat and told Kaka quietly, ¡°Pass me the ball when the time comes.¡± Kaka looked at him with a startled expression. ¡°I¡¯m the most suitable when it comes to beating their offside trap.¡± Ren Yu De smiled. Kaka could clearly feel that Ren Yu De was getting worn down. The difficult battles they faced along the way had been shaving off a lot of his meager strength. Plus, Dingding¡¯s offside stratagem in the first half had rendered him almost incapable of running back. Despite that, he nodded to his teammate. Thirty-six minutes into the first half, Dingding flipped the scores and led the game with a score of 2:1 over Shu Guang. Liang Ke stayed at the coach¡¯s seat, looking steady as a rock. Nobody knew what he was thinkingÒ»not playing his best lineup from the start had cost his team to fall behind, and he had yet to let Yang Pan on the pitch. With Shu Guang¡¯s default captain still missing, everyone began to raise different conjectures. A number of reporters had already thought of their bottom page headline for Monday, wrapping the title ¡°Strife Between Captain and Coach Costs Shu Guang the Semi-Final!¡± with a bolded, bright crimson font. How prominent would the title be! And, how shocking would the news be! In fact, most of them had already surmised that a Shu Guang defeat was a foregone conclusion; even though there were still four minutes left in the first half and they were only a goal down. ¡°We¡¯re finally here!¡± Zhang Yang breathed as he plonked himself down on his seat. ¡°It would be a pity if we miss this game!¡± ¡°That face! Who was the one who napped until three?¡± Zhang Lintao rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Who was that? F*ck! Come out, I¡¯ll chop you up! Disturbing me watching the game!¡± Zhang Yang roared and seethed as though someone had murdered his father. Speechless, Zhang Lintao tilted his head away, before exclaiming, ¡°Huh? Li Yongle! Look!¡± He pointed towards the scores on the huge screen. Li Yongle saw it; the huge ¡°2: 1¡± was extremely conspicuous, with ¡°2¡± being written below Dingding and ¡°1¡± below Shu Guang. ¡°Eh? Shu Guang¡¯s behind?¡± Zhang Yang noticed it too. ¡°Kids, you just arrived?¡± A middle-aged man next to them asked. ¡°Dingding has turned the game around. Shu Guang scored first, but Dingding scored twice in 10 minutes after that.¡± ¡°Two goals in 10 minutes¡­¡± Zhang Lintao mumbled. Zhang Yang slid a peek at the silent Li Yongle; but of course, his friend was lost in his thoughts. The man continued, ¡°The commentator also kept saying that Dingding has pretty much won the game. And for whatever reason, Yang Pan isn¡¯t here¡­¡± ¡°Yang Pan isn¡¯t here? He¡¯s not playing?¡± Zhang Lintao asked. In Zhongyuan, Li Yongle was especially attentive about Zhang Jun, while he himself was fixated upon Yang Pan. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no explanation given. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t in the starting lineup or the bench. Dingding will definitely win if things stay like thisÒ»¡± ¡°No!¡± Li Yongle cut him off curtly. ¡°Shu Guang won¡¯t lose! They still have Zhang Jun!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun? No way! He¡¯s been ensnared by Dingding¡¯s offside trap that was designed with him in mind!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun is a beast that cannot be caged. The final victory definitely belongs to Shu Guang!¡± ¡°Uh, which school are you guys from?¡± ¡°Dear sir, we¡¯re from Zhongyuan Technical,¡± Zhang Yang answered very politely. Knowing that Zhang Jun would be offside once more, Kaka passed the ball to Ren Yu De on the other end. The striker then carried the ball. Even though he had not seen much of the ball since the start, he had been burning up all his strength from futile runs back and forth. This time, he did not pass, instead he kept running forward with the ball! Su Rui followed him, so did Tang Liang and Shi Yan. Dingding was approaching Ren Yu De, attempting to encircle their quarry. Ren Yu De put his right leg in front of the ball and Su Rui reacted with a jitter. He was a player billed as the next best dribbler behind his captain after all! Tang Liang closed in. There was not a moment to lose! Ren Yu De feinted a kick with his right, his foot stepping over the ball. Su Rui expected it and did not move. Yu De pulled back, but when he tried to pull the ball back, he slipped in a little toe nudge. The ball then rolled up front! Chance!, Su Rui thought, believing that his patience finally paid off with an opening. He stretched out his leg to challenge for the ball. However in a flash, Ren Yu De moved, turned, pulled away and shook him off! It was a mimic of Fan Cunjie¡¯s Turn-and-Pull! ¡°Beautiful!¡± Wang Qiang could not hold back his praise. ¡°Well¡­ as expected of the second best to Fan Cunjie. His technique is definitely outstanding!¡± After Su Rui, Ren Yu De now faced Tiang Liang. Knowing that his opponent had just accelerated and was not dashing at him, all Tang Liang needed to do was hold his position. After that, he would use his body and force him to slow down in order to guard him effectively. Hence, he did not run at him. He waited as Ren Yu De turned and cut him off in the process. To his delight, Ren Yu De did slow down. However, he suddenly turned his back to his marker. As Tang Liang was caught in a moment of confusion, the attacker did a reverse nutmed with his right heel and the ball rolled off between his legs! Turning once more, Ren Yu De ran to his left! ¡°Ex-Exciting! A three-pronged turn and a stealthy backheel to shake off Tang Liang! Ren Yu De! Truly the second best when it comes to technique! His feet are as agile and impressive as an elf!¡± At long last, the commentator poured a rare praise on Shu Guang. Nevertheless, Ren Yu De did not leave the entire Dingding defense behind. Shi Yan was catching up from the back, closing the distance. Yao Wang, Cao Po and Ya Dong were also sprinting back into their own box simultaneously. Ultimately catching up to him, Shi Yan competed intensely for the ball against Ren Yu De. The Dingding player held every advantage with his stronger composition. He held Yu De off from the inside, stopping him from advancing into the box while herding him towards the baseline. Ren Yu De faked many whirls over the ball with his left foot, but none of it fooled Shi Yan. Then, just a few feet off the line, he feinted a cross. His leg almost touched the ground again when he hurled the ball. The sudden change in rhythm made him fall in the process! Shi Yan never expected the sudden move and he was unable to block it. Still, he was confident that such a prompt move would not have much quality. Yao Wang would probably make easy work of it. Spent, Ren Yu De crashed out of the pitch. Although he did not even manage to look at the conditions within the box before he crossed, he had faith that Zhang Jun would be where he needed to be. And he was, appearing where the ball was headed. Running ahead of Yao Wang, he dived towards the ball decisively. Xia Bo charged out too. ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s making an effort! It¡¯s a diving header!¡± Chapter 72 - Half-Time Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ren Yu De recklessly crossed the ball up front. Not willing to let him down, Zhang Jun grabbed the perfect spot and dived for a header! It was an impressive move! ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s making an effort! A diving header!¡± Zhang Jun nodded the ball firmly and it flew towards the bottom of the post. A dead angle! Dingding¡¯s cheerleaders gasped loudly. Their Shu Guang counterparts were already applauding at this point. ¡°It¡¯s going in!¡± Wang Qiang could not stop himself from yelling out. ¡°Not so fast!¡± Unbelievably, Xia Bo swooped down at the effort and single-handedly slapped it away from the goalpost as it bounced! The ball went out! There was no goal! ¡°Beautiful! Xia Bo¡¯s diving save can be compared to that ¡®Save of the Century¡¯ by the English goalkeeper, Gordon Banks!¡± Zhou Jiansheng cried. Xia Bo held on to one of the steel posts with his other hand to stop himself from crashing into it. Floored, Zhang Jun thumped the carpet grass, feeling irritated. The last and best chance they had in the first half was miraculously saved with a slap from the opponent¡¯s keeper. The half-time whistle was blown at the same time and Shu Guang stayed behind Dingding with a 1:2 score after the first half. The big screen showed a replay of Zhang Jun¡¯s diving header. A camera, which was held up with a mechanical arm had been set up behind the net. It recorded the game from an angle behind the posts and it caught his shot clearly. That header of his had struck the top of the ball, jouncing it just in front of the line. And Xia Bo palmed the rebound off the line. Liu Wei quietly exhaled in relief. If Zhang Jun had nodded the ball just a little lower, the ball would have bounced on the line instead of just slightly in front of it. If that had happened, not even the gods could have stopped it. It was too closeÒ»Dingding barely dodged a bullet. His decision to play offside traps on Zhang Jun was correctÒ»just one glancing chance and he almost scored again. If they had allowed him to roam behind in the first half, his team would have most likely been the one lagging behind instead. ¡°Such a brilliant first half!¡± ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t wait to see their performance in the second half.¡± ¡°Zhang Lintao. If it had been you guarding, could you have kept that ball out?¡± Li Yongle asked. Shutting his eyes for a while to consider, Zhang Lintao shook his head. ¡°Not even professionals could have kept that out.¡± ¡°Ah? Does that mean that Dingding¡¯s goalie is better than a professional already?¡± Zhang Yang interjected. ¡°Nope. To me, it was as if the keeper had divine intervention in that exact moment.¡± ¡°Divine intervention, divine intervention¡­¡± Li Yongle repeated the word. ¡°Hehe! Don¡¯t bunch your face up like that. Relax, I guarantee that Zhang Jun won¡¯t have such a chance when we play against them!¡± Zhang Yang patted Lintao on his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s a genius, and I¡¯ll be the one that vanquishes that genius! Bahahaha!¡± Ignoring the slightly neurotic fool, Zhang Lintao turned to Li Yongle. ¡°To be frank, I¡¯m also worried about that Rising Dragon. High School Soccer merely described it as ¡®unbelievable¡¯. Sima Hongxin¡¯s a great goalkeeper too. He was fearless against Yang Pan¡¯s powerful drives, but he was beaten by that move and he looked like a different man afterwards. I really want to witness that ¡®unbelievable Rising Dragon¡¯!¡± Li Yongle nodded, smiling meaningfully. ¡°Me too. He¡¯s learnt another formidable trick! It¡¯ll be even more worthwhile when we meet!¡± ¡­ Shu Guang locker room. Ren Yu De was carried in with a stretcher. Just one look and Liang Ke was already thinking about his replacement in the second half. Quite a few players complained noisily in the room, disappointed that such a gorgeous effort from Zhang Jun did not go in. Li Jieguang asked An Ke if that had been him, could he have stopped it. An Ke waved it off indifferently. ¡°A mere trifle!¡± Clearly not buying it, Li Jieguang glared at him and muttered under his breath, ¡°What a fart!¡± Naturally, he made sure that An Ke could not hear it, or the keeper¡¯s ensuing rampage would ruin their precious half-time break with another chaotic melee. It may have even raised ¡°An Ke¡¯s Rampage¡± to fourth place in Shu Guang¡¯s Demonic Rankings. In their half-time talk, Liang Ke only discussed a few concerns regarding their defense in the next half, skipping any mention of the annoyances Zhang Jun and the forwards faced. He maintained his belief that Shu Guang¡¯s offensive should be intelligent; they should not be wrapped and tangled by procedures or tactics so that the students could express themselves freely. That was why he unleashed the forwards instead of telling them what to do. And as a matter of fact, it worked. Shu Guang having the best attacking prowess was proof. Therefore, he would insist that they stayed that way in the current match despite their impressive opponents. Because, he believed in his players, that they would be able to solve the problem themselves. ¡­ Dingding locker room. Xia Bo was surrounded by his teammates. ¡°That was great! How did you make that save just now?¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°I¡¯m speechless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If that had been me, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to dive for it¡ªI¡¯d hit the post!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the difference between a starter and a reserve!¡± Unexpectedly, Xia Bo was not laughing. He did not accept the praises unabashedly, and say things like, ¡°A mere trifle!¡±, ¡°Not even worth mentioning!¡± or ¡°Small problem¡±. Instead, with a serious look, he said, ¡°Actually, I only knew that I should try to save it at the time, but I never thought that I actually could¡­¡± Everyone was left dumbfounded for a few moments before they laughed out loud. ¡°Damn! Xia Bo has changed today. Since when did he become humble?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s possessed?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say such unlucky things!¡± Liu Wei clapped his hands once, and the room fell silent in an instant. ¡°The first half was pretty much a success. We have the lead and we¡¯ve stopped their assault. So, there will be no change to our tactics in the second half. But, keep an eye on Yu De just the same. Don¡¯t relax against him just because he looks tired. I believe everyone managed to see his performance just now? Never underestimate him while you stay on Zhang Jun.¡± This prompted a little commotion amongst the team members. They witnessed how Ren Yu De shook two of their guys off before crossing the ball with utmost precision despite being pressured by Shi Yan. Shi Yan could still see it clearly: how Ren Yu De played a stepover and moved one step forward. Stepover and move. Stepover and move. Stepover and move. When he played another stepover and Shi Yan thought he would move ahead as usual, the cross came, blindsiding him. ¡°I won¡¯t let him off even if he can¡¯t stand!¡± Shi Yan muttered quietly. Fan Cunjie had taken notice of that No.9 too; his tricks were on par with his own although they were not of the same mold. His own dribbles would signal an attack and they were used to quickly shake his markers off. On the other hand, Ren Yu De was an adept trickster who would start off with a string of feints to trap an opponent. He would then patiently wait for the right timing to get away. That was the case with Su Rui, who was deceived by Yu De¡¯s ¡°pulling mistake¡± and lost his chance. Still, his fatal weakness was his physical endurance¡ªit was most likely that he would not be much of a danger on the pitch in the second half. Zhang Jun removed his captain armband and examined it carefully in his hand. Yang Pan did that once before too. Back then, he said that he was unfit to wear it, but he had proved to be a fine captain. For Zhang Jun, wearing it had always seemed so cool; he never thought that it was a responsibility and such an immense one at that. They were behind and Ren Yu De was fatigued¡ªhe would probably not last the entire second half. On top of that, Zhang Jun was bogged down by offside traps himself and was at his wit¡¯s end. What a poor excuse for a captain! Liang Ke looked at his watch; time was almost up. ¡°Yuan Shuai, take Ren Yu De¡¯s place in the second half.¡± But just as he uttered those words, Ren Yu De who was covering his face with a towel and lying on the bench, sat up in one breath. ¡°I can still play,¡± he told his coach with determination. He was still breathing heavily at this point. Liang Ke looked at him and then at his watch. This went on for a few cycles before the coach nodded. ¡°Alright. But, I¡¯ll sub you off the moment you can¡¯t keep up.¡± ¡°You have that much faith in Zhang Jun?¡± Zhang Yang asked Li Yongle. ¡°His opponent¡¯s Dingding. They¡¯re unlike the others before! Their offside strategy in the first half have been very successful too¡­¡± ¡°Zhang Jun¡¯s diving header has reassured me,¡± Li Yongle answered. ¡°He will surprise us in the second half. We just have to wait and see¡­¡± At the stands, two Shu Guang students were arguing. ¡°Yang Pan is guaranteed to return after the half-time break. Maybe he¡¯s in the locker room changing right now!¡± ¡°Rubbish! Yang Pan can¡¯t get back in time! It¡¯s better to cheer for the 11 players than expect his return to save the day!¡± ¡°Hmph! Shu Guang can¡¯t beat Dingding without Yang Pan! When the time comes, Yang Pan will soar down from the skies and score with a single shot¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve watched too many martial arts movies, idiot!¡± ¡°Hey! What are you saying¡­¡± ¡°Both of you shut up!¡± Liu Qi could not stand the squabble and he broke it up with a roar. ¡°Save your breath for the second half!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Liang Ke clapped his hands and shouted, bringing his team as well as himself into attention. The squad shuffled out of the door and walked onto the pitch. Zhang Jun rose and caught Su Fei¡¯s stare. The pair did not say a word to each other during the break; their glance however, meant everything. He reattached the captain¡¯s armband, took a deep breath and went out the door. At the end of the hallway, where thunderous applause filled the area, the sunlit field was his battlefield. Chapter 73 - Onside Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°The second half kicks off at the referee¡¯s whistle!¡± ¡°There¡¯s so much to look forward to!¡± Zhang Jun rolled the ball to Ren Yu De, who dashed into Dingding¡¯s half instead of passing it to Kaka in the rear. Many were shocked by his action. Isn¡¯t he supposed to be worn down? Why is he so aggressive as soon as he¡¯s back?¡±Bin Fei thought. He felt suspicious as he was left dumbstruck by Ren Yu De. ¡°The halftime break allows a little recovery, but is there a need for Ren Yu De to push forward immediately after?¡± Mr. Zhou was also doubting Ren Yu De¡¯s endeavor. Liang Ke however, disagreed. He knew what his player was thinking: since his pathetic amount of stamina was not going to last, instead of wasting it on futile runs back and forth, he could better utilize it by dribbling ahead and creating chances for his teammates. It would help his team to avoid Dingding¡¯s offside trap too. Ren Yu De was like a candle nearing the end of its life; he would shine with every last bit of his strength, leaving no regrets behind when falling down in utter exhaustion. Since when did a troubled teenager who fought, got drunk and smoked every day become willing to sacrifice himself for others? Liang Ke really hoped that his parents could bear witness to this very moment at the stands¡ªhow radiant the rebellious child that they almost sent to reform school was. Fan Cunjie was hesitant. He was considering the option of chasing for the ball; there was no doubt that with Ren Yu De¡¯s current condition, he would soon be dispossessed. As such, it was wiser to stay up front rather than track back to challenge for the ball¡ªhe would wait for Cao Po to get the ball to him, and then go for the counter. So, with one last glance at Ren Yu De¡¯s stumbling shadow, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. He had faith in Cao Po¡¯s ability, which he came to know after three years of partnership. As expected, Cao Po closed in with his intimidating mannerisms, showing that he was not going to be merciful towards a player who was barely holding his legs up. There seemed to be no escape for Ren Yu De, but it was in that moment that Zhang Jun ran up and ingeniously latched on to Cao Po. This way, he kept him off his teammate. Such a trick did not even cross Cao Po¡¯s mind and he lost his chance to win possession of the ball. Hence, Ren Yu De slipped past Zhang Jun like a basketball screen and pushed forward. Shi Yan was up. Ren Yu De had gotten one over him just before the break and he wanted revenge! Seeing the path of Ren Yu De¡¯s progress, Shi Yan dived in for a fierce tackle! Under stunned gasps, Ren Yu De made an emergency brake! This resulted in Shi Yan striking empty air! At the next second, Ren Yu De quickly accelerated again, leaving Shi Yan completely behind! ¡°A quick stop and turn! How does he have so much strength left?¡± Liu Wei could not keep himself from crying out. It was true that each of those movements was a huge challenge for a fatigued person; in fact, it was virtually a heart-attack for Ren Yu De¡¯s scattered breathing. However, he pulled himself together and dribbled so perfectly¡ªhow many physically fit players could have copied the exquisite timing of his instant stop? ¡°Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De!¡± Liu Qi began to chant his name, and that section of the stands quickly followed suit. ¡°Ren Yu De has gotten past three players! Su Rui is now approaching. Will he stop Yu De¡¯s advance?¡± It seemed that his last move against Shi Yan had taken away the last vestiges of his strength. Ren Yu De was now positively faltering and his movements were all over the place. It¡¯s probably the end for this guy, Su Rui thought, and he prepared to close in. Ren Yu De began to sway around without a heading, looking ready to drop to the ground at a moment¡¯s notice. Relieved, Su Rui daringly went up for the block and as soon as he stuck his foot out, the unsteady Ren Yu De knocked the ball to the right and burst off to the left! ¡°He¡¯s off! Ren Yu De has gotten past another one!¡± Su Rui could not believe he had lost in a single duel! He stood still for moments, forgetting to give chase. Ren Yu De did not dawdle, passing the ball to Zhang Jun. He had just received the ball, but Cao Po was already in pursuit behind him, while Yao Wang was waiting just in front. Without pulling any tricks, Zhang Jun sprinted onwards with the ball! The burly Yao Wang could not catch up and fell behind within seconds. Cao Po kept running with all of his might, following him tightly and preventing him from having a comfortable shot. Forced into an angle that continued to get more skewed, Zhang Jun paused. Seizing the brief second that Cao Po was still turning, he passed! ¡°It¡¯s Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De is going to shoot! Yao Wang is up to block! It¡¯s a shot!¡± Xia Bo dived and palmed the ball away. It bounced off to Ya Dong, who kicked it out of bounds. After his shot, Ren Yu De was slightly shoved by Yao Wang. He rolled onto the ground and Zhang Jun pulled him up. The ensuing Shu Guang corner was fruitless. While Yao Wang¡¯s agility was not on par with Zhang Jun or Ren Yu De¡¯s, he had absolute confidence in the air. He headed the ball away from the box. Fan Cunjie received the ball, but played cautiously. It was clear to him now that any recklessness would result in him becoming fodder for Shu Guang. He swiftly moved past the midfield, and Dingding swapped their defensive play for an attack. Kaka ran back as fast he could, but Fan Cunjie side-footed it to Shi Yan just as he almost caught up. Enraged after being fooled by Ren Yu De, Shi Yan was prepared to unleash his anger on the Shu Guang defense. Xie Yu was clearly unable to keep up, and he was swung around in circles. Shi Yan crossed and Bin Fei leaped! However, An Ke was one step ahead and plucked the ball out of the air. As soon as he touched the ground, he drop-kicked it far to the front. Kaka ascertained where Ren Yu De was and headed the ball to his teammate; the striker was still the better option to beat the offside trap despite being on his last legs. That was apparent after he thoroughly dismantled the Dingding defense in two runs. Ren Yu De chested the ball to the ground, turned and prepared to charge. A clear whistle sounded. ¡°Offside!¡± The linesman waved his flag. Re Yu De checked his surroundings and he was indeed off the line. For him to also get trapped, Dingding clearly wanted to nullify any chance of Shu Guang going on the attack. Kaka cursed. Both their strikers were now neutralized. Zhang Jun ran up to him and told him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kaka. Pass the ball in front of me next time. I¡¯ll have them bite their own tail.¡± The Brazilian stared at him, mildly surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve found a way to break their offside trap?¡± The interim captain nodded. ¡°Yeah, I have something in mind. Remember, your pass has to be firm, and reach my front behind their backs!¡± Yao Wang struck his free kick powerfully from the depths of Dingding¡¯s own half. Fan Cunjie got to it and moved past Li Hao comfortably. But, his pass was bizarrely intercepted. Yang Yong had surprisingly appeared on the halfway line. The center-half quickly gave it to Kaka, who chested it down. Yao Wang raised his hand, signaling to the defenders that the ball was coming at them. The last few times he did that resulted in them moving forward together¡ªmuch to the annoyance of Shu Guang. This time, things were different. Zhang Jun did not drift away from the empty space between Su Rui and Yao Wang. He looked for the latter and stuck close to him, running back and forth in front of him. Yao Wang had no idea what Zhang Jun was up to. Running here and there, perhaps it was some sort of warm-up? Zhang Jun ran a few paces towards Dingding¡¯s goal and turned back as though he was running laps. As he ran towards Yao Wang again, Kaka passed. It was a long ball, stabbed from the left to an empty spot behind Dingding¡¯s defense line. ¡°That¡¯s a meaningless ball, there¡¯s no one to get it¡­ Wait! Zhang Jun! It¡¯s Zhang Jun! My goodness! He¡¯s so fast!¡± Zhang Jun accelerated past the still confused Yao Wang, dashing like the wind towards Kaka¡¯s pass! It was a low curving ball, and it blew past the defense towards the box. Yao Wang was not Dingding¡¯s last man and there was no way Zhang Jun was offside. Xia Bo hesitated, nevertheless he still dashed out. Even Liang Ke had never seen such speed from Zhang Jun; he was probably as fast as Yang Pan at this very moment. He was moving at an astonishing velocity, like a cheetah chasing its prey! Cao Po also sprinted back, not towards Zhang Jun, but to his own goalpost. He tried to cover the empty space Xia Bo had left behind. Ya Dong was in pursuit of the striker even though he had actually been closer to the ball. He was just two steps away when he alarmingly found that Zhang Jun was already in front of him. Xia Bo got to Zhang Jun as the ball rolled over the box. The keeper dived to catch it. He also saw Zhang Jun¡¯s swaying feet, which seemed prepared to move the ball away at any moment. Out of ideas, Xia Bo simply slid in at the ball out of habit. Zhang Jun whirled his left foot around the ball, indicating that he was about to hook it towards the left. Xia Bo responded and held his hands out in that direction. However, the ball was gone! An entire stadium cried out in amazement as the ball rolled to the right between Zhang Jun and Xia Bo¡ªboth of them did not have the ball! However, Xia Bo had slipped out of the box at that point. Meanwhile, Zhang Jun jumped over him to the left, before rounding himself to the right to stay on the ball! Cao Po finally reached the box and he was moving backwards towards the goalpost. Under a tight angle, Zhang Jun retrieved the ball, turned, and thumped it! Having ran slightly too far, Cao Po desperately attempted a block with his left foot but he failed to get to it! The ball flew over his leg to the far post! It bounced off the bar and nested itself in the net! After a second of astonishment, the speakers roared, ¡°It¡¯s in! The ball went in!¡± Chapter 74 - The Late Starter Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Under surprised gasps, the ball darted between Xia Bo and Zhang Jun. Both of them did have a hold on it. Xia Bo then slipped outside the box, while Zhang Jun jumped to the left and rounded to the right in pursuit of the rolling ball. He got to it at a tight angle and turned to shoot! It flew over Cao Po¡¯s foot before deflecting off the post and flying into the net! The loudspeakers exploded after a second of stunned silence. ¡°It¡¯s in! The ball went in!¡± Li Yongle immediately rose from his seat and raised his hands triumphantly in front of the middle-aged man beside him. Liu Qi waved a huge flag energetically; the Shu Guang cheerleading team heated up! Ren Yu De, Wang Ning as well as a bunch of teammates whooped and ran to join Zhang Jun in celebration by the corner flag. Kaka remained where he was. ¡°Pele?¡± He sighed. Zhang Jun¡¯s goal had made him recall memories of Brazil¡¯s golden days. In the 1970 World Cup game between Brazil and Uruguay, Pele had used a similar move albeit missing his target towards the end. The World Cup legend was so disappointed that he pouted and rolled on the ground right after. However, Zhang Jun made his mark! Kaka¡¯s vision became hazy because Zhang Jun¡¯s back seemed to be overlapping with Pele¡¯s. And he found himself being unable to differentiate the two for a while. That was when Zhang Jun ran towards him, snapping Kaka out of his trance with a hug. ¡°Hehe! Great pass! I really didn¡¯t know how to get past the keeper, so I simply feinted. But he fell for it!¡± It appeared that the captain was unaware that he had imitated the Samba legend¡¯s move perfectly¡ªsave for the outcome, naturally. They had been teammates for some time now, but Kaka finally realized how formidable the ever-smiling boy truly was. Awed gasps sounded from the stands as the silver screen replayed the goal. So, soccer could be played like that. Without a touch on the ball and just relying on feet movements, Xia Bo was shaken off. On top of that, the ball was thumped in from a miniscule angle. It was as if the gods wrote the script. Liu Wei stared at the display and groaned inside. There was no complaining against that; Zhang Jun had beaten the offside trap designed exclusively for him. He virtually did it all by himself before scoring such an exquisite goal. Li Yongle sat and turned to Zhang Lintao. Knowing what he was going to ask, the Zhongyuan keeper shook his head. ¡°I would have been fooled just the same. Although I would foul him by pulling him down.¡± ¡°Hey, hey! That¡¯s going to be a red card!¡± Zhang Yang called out. Closing his eyes to consider, Zhang Lintao continued, ¡°I would do that in such a moment. That kind of play would make any keeper lose their cool. ¡®I can¡¯t let him score. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡¯ That would be my train of thought in such a scenario.¡± The referee whistled for the restart even though the crowd had yet to calm down from Zhang Jun¡¯s sensational goal. Still, the most the goal had done for Shu Guang was level the scores; it did not deal a huge blow on Dingding¡¯s morale. That was clear on the restart¡ªthey attacked, intending to take the lead again. This time however, they had to be prudent. At this point, they had to heed Zhang Jun on the counter along with Ren Yu De¡¯s penetrating dribbles. Even if the latter was running on fumes, he was still an unnerving sight for the Dingding defense. As such, their defense was unable to support their forwards going upfield, significantly weakening their offense. Still, Shu Guang¡¯s attack was not very threatening as well since both Zhang Jun and Ren Yu De were now completely under ¡°intensive care¡± by the other team. The match entered a period of a stalemate for another five minutes. Ren Yu De was almost at his limit. He was left gasping for air even when he was essentially standing still, completely unable to participate in the team¡¯s attack. It was Liang Ke¡¯s cue to sub him off; there was still a match next week. ¡°Yuan Shuai, start warming-up,¡± he called out. Yuan Shuai stood up and prepared to take his jacket off when a voiced stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± Fan Cunjie dribbled the ball away from Wang Ning and passed it just ahead of the menacing Li Hao. The ball reached Bin Fei¡¯s feet and the striker stopped with his back facing Shu Guang¡¯s goal. Li Jieguang was pressuring him too much; he could not turn and he was forced to return the ball to Fan Cunjie, who was coming up. Dingding¡¯s captain raised his foot and thumped it from outside the box. Not risking it, An Ke dived towards it. But it went off the bar, not before causing a few hearts to skip a beat. The referee whistled to signal a substitution. Everyone looked at the fourth official who stood by the technical area. He first raised a board with the number ¡°9¡±, and then another with the number ¡°7¡±. A commotion formed from the stands near the technical area. The spectators there had seen the player, who was wearing a white jersey and standing beside the fourth official. It was Shu Guang¡¯s captain¡ªthe one who clocked in at 10.52 seconds in 100-m dashes and fired 180 km/h shots¡ªYang Pan! The commentator excitedly announced, ¡°Shu Guang substitution: No.9, Ren Yu De is off and No.7, Yang Pan is on!¡± At his words, the Shu Guang cheerleaders blew up in a thunderous applause, drowning out the jeers from their Dingding counterparts. Liu Wei tensed a little. Zhang Jun alone was troublesome enough, and now there was Yang Pan; the tiger that was Shu Guang was finally baring its fangs and claws. In his corner, Chen Huafeng still found it hard to wrap his head around why Yang Pan was only subbed in at this point of the game. Nonetheless, he breathed a sigh of relief. Switching the weary Ren Yu De for the sprightly Yang Pan, Shu Guang¡¯s firepower would be increased. ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s finally up!¡± Zhang Yang chirped excitedly. ¡°Been looking forward to this!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you just here to see him shoot both keeper and ball into the net?¡± Li Yongle grunted. Zhang Lintao ignored his friends¡¯ banter. He straightened himself in his seat, glaring at the No.7 player who was preparing to enter the pitch. ¡°Yang Pan¡­¡± he murmured quietly. According to Liang Ke¡¯s instructions, Yang Pan would be taking over Ren Yu De¡¯s position as striker. Additionally, he would be switching flanks with Zhang Jun¡ªhe would play on the right while Zhang Jun would move to the left. That being said, Ren Yu De was a little too slow in getting off the pitch. Kaka quickly went over to help him. ¡°Thanks,¡± Yang Pan took over and whispered in his teammate¡¯s ear. Wearily, Ren Yu De raised his head and smiled. ¡°The rest is up to you¡­¡± Yang Pan nodded. He turned and handed him to Liang Ke, before dashing into the pitch. ¡°It¡¯s great to have you back!¡± Kaka did not add much else and gave him a high-five. Yang Pan smiled at Zhang Jun, but the temporary captain could see that it was forced. He walked over, took off his captain armband and gave it to him. ¡°This¡­¡± Yang Pan was befuddled. ¡°Wear it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re captain now, and Liang Ke didn¡¯t mention a change.¡± ¡°Wear it and bag a goal. For Granny.¡± Yang Pan shuddered, but accepted the fiery-red armband. It was the first time he felt it burn in his hand. Zhang Jun patted his friend on the shoulder and went off without another word. The referee sounded his whistle that told Shu Guang to take their goal kick and restart the game. Yang Pan¡¯s appearance quickly showed its effect. An Ke struck the ball far up to the right. Yang Pan stopped it with his chest and passed it behind to Wang Ning while he turned and ran ahead. Wang Ning did not dawdle¡ªYang Pan¡¯s speed would force him offside if he did. He quickly sent a long ball to the front and the ball dropped behind Dingding¡¯s defense. Yang Pan sped up. To see Yang Pan¡¯s speed and acceleration was a treat for the spectators; his explosiveness could leave any opponent a pace behind as soon as he started running. Zhang Jun on the other hand, was the type to gradually speed up; he would be five meters behind in the beginning, but 10 paces later, he would be five meters in front. If he was allowed to sprint freely for 30 m without any interruption during the start, he would be unstoppable. Dingding¡¯s left back Ya Dong could confirm this. He chased after Wang Ning¡¯s pass as soon as he saw it, and Yang Pan was eight to nine meters behind him. Soon, everyone saw that the two were pulling together and they were neck-and-neck on their way to the box. The defender tried to pull him back, but Yang Pan squeezed away. The ball dropped. Yang pan stopped it with his foot and dashed ahead, leaving Ya Dong far back in his wake. He quickly crossed! The ball was at hip height, thus rendering Yao Wang¡¯s aerial guard meaningless. Zhang Jun was an expert in handling fast balls. He shoved and got himself in front of Yao Wang, screening him and firing a volley on the turn! Xia Bo angled himself and punched the ball out with both fists. Kaka tried to reach the rebound, but it was hooked away by the immovable Cao Po. Su Rui then stole it in front of Wang Ning to clear it away. Ya Dong wiped a pinch of sweat off as he glanced at Fan Cunjie and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t, he¡¯s too fast! I¡¯m¡­ completely defenseless against him!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun and Yang Pan. These Shu Guang forwards may be the fastest in the country¡­¡± Chen Huafeng mumbled. ¡°Dingding substitution: No.6, Ya Dong is off and No.13, Dong Yiluo is in.¡± ¡°Switching midfielders¡­ What does Liu Wei intend to do?¡± The reporter was puzzled. Once he was on the field, Dong Yiluo gestured with his hand. Dingding¡¯s No.7, Lu Hui, their left midfielder tracked back and occupied the left back position, while Yiluo took his place! Liang Ke stared at Liu Wei, who stood pitch-side. Lu Hui had a record of 11.03 seconds on 100-m dashes; he was Dingding¡¯s fastest player. ¡°Stopping speed with speed?¡± Yang Pan was not aware of Lu Hui¡¯s ability, or that his 100-m dashes were comparable to his own. Every opponent was the same to him at the moment. whoever it was, he would leave them behind! Shu Guang had a throw-in. Chen Bo hurled the ball to Wang Ning, who cautiously held on to it, shielding it away from Dong Yiluo. Yang Pan came up, and Wang Ning quickly passed it to him. The captain turned and started to move! Not far away, Lu Hui sped up. ¡°Both are level on the get-go!¡± After just two paces, Yang Pan knew that his adversary was not your run-of-the-mill player. He could tie him in terms of speed. When he accelerated, so did Lu Hui¡ªstaying perpetually within sight. ¡°Lu Hui is really keeping up with Yang Pan! He¡¯s really something!¡± Yang Pan noticed that he was not shaking him off yet too. ¡°Heh! Kid¡­¡± In the middle of his sprint, he stopped out of the blue and hooked the ball backwards. ¡°Do you think soccer¡¯s all about speed?¡± Lu Hui could not stop himself in time and ran several paces ahead. In the meantime, Yang Pan entered the box. ¡°Be careful of his shot!¡± Yao Wang yelled to remind his teammates as he sprinted to curb Yang Pan¡¯s angle. With a whirl of Yang Pan¡¯s right foot, Yao Wang jumped in a move of conditional reflex. But it was a feint; Yang Pan did not shoot, passing it to the right for Kaka to take it. Taking the ball, Kaka imitated his captain and feinted an effort with his right foot as well. Cao Po, who had been marking him slid in to attempt a block. With a flick, Kaka slipped away from Cao Po¡¯s tackle and immediately unleashed a shot! The ball curved towards the far corner! Xia Bo cried out and dived sideways, palming it off track. Zhang Jun wanted to fire in the rebound, but Su Rui reacted quickly by getting to it first and clearing if far off. Fan Cunjie ran to where the ball landed. He turned it wonderfully behind him and carried it forward. Li Hao came up to him with his burly body, but the Dingding captain suddenly paused in his run; losing his foothold, Li Hao fell. Wang Ning then reached out. Fan Cunjie looked for the right timing and played a turn-and-pull, running past him too. ¡°A solo dribble past two defenders! Fan Cunjie is bringing the ball into the Shu Guang box!¡± Chapter 75 - Fan Cunjie Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Running towards to Su Rui¡¯s long ball, Fan Cunjie suddenly stopped to shake off the intimidating Li Hao. He then got away from Li Hao using a turn-and-pull. Slipping away from two players in one go, he charged into the Shu Guang box alone! ¡°It appears that Fan Cunjie is finally showing his chops. Perhaps he¡¯s not too happy that his team¡¯s been pressed back by Shu Guang for some time? Shu Guang¡¯s defense better be careful!¡± Without pausing for a breath, Yang Yong made his own approach. It was his mistake that gave Fan Cunjie an opening in the lead up to Dingding¡¯s first goal, so he wanted to make amends. Still, there was an immense gulf between the two. Yang Yong saw the ball shifting around Fan Cunjie¡¯s feet, but it disappeared even before he had time to reach out with his foot. ¡°A nutmeg! Another dribble!¡± Kaka did his best to chase down the opposing captain, but he was simply one step behind. The enemy was now at the gates. Dingding had reached the penalty area, but Li Jieguang and Lin Xiaofang were hesitating. Should they challenge Fan Cunjie, or stay on the strikers they were marking? Seeing that Fan Cunjie was not going to pass soon, Li Jieguang advanced. And in just two steps, he saw Cunjie¡¯s foot arch. Shortly after, the ball rolled to Bin Fei behind him! Startled, he turned back, but Bin Fei had already returned the pass! ¡°A one-two pass!¡± Both striker and captain teamed up to enter Shu Guang¡¯s penalty area. An Ke stayed vigilant at the sight of Fan Cunjie¡¯s very own charge. ¡°Fan Cunjie shoots!¡± Just before the attempt, An Ke saw a twitch on Fan Cunjie right foot. Initially prepared to make a save on the right, he quickly dived sideways to the left. His left fingertips touched the ball, sending it scraping off the posts and out of bounds. ¡°That was close! An Ke¡¯s stunning save keeps it out!¡± Letting out a breath in relief, An Ke got up. He jumped when he saw Fan Cunjie¡¯s stare. He was staring daggers at the keeper, or more precisely, at the goal behind him. He looked prepared to hunt it down and gobble it. And when he turned his eyes to An Ke, the goalie could not help but shudder. Luckily, Fan Cunjie soon stopped glaring and ran to the corner flag. The corner was taken and An Ke correctly judged where the ball would come from this time. Vaulting up, he caught it and held it fast in his arms, not allowing the ¡°Opportunist¡± or the tall defender a whiff. An Ke immediately drop-kicked the ball far away, and it fell sharply towards Yang Pan. Facing it, Yang Pan held the clumsy Lu Hui back with his body, stopping him from shifting ahead to defend. With a fluid move, he stopped the ball at his feet; the rest was going to be an easy job. Feeling where Lu Hui was, he poked the ball behind, slowing down his opponent¡¯s reaction. He then turned and gave chase to the ball. It was not a pretty skill, but a mere duel of speed. It was especially devastating when he was the one to use it. There were times he found it uncool too, but any marker would be left behind in just five steps. However, things were different that day. Lu Hui turned with him. It had already been five paces and Yang Pan still did not manage to shake him off. ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s speed is really as fast as people say! Although, Lu Hui isn¡¯t losing out. The two are neck-and-neck!¡± Knowing that just being quick was not enough, Yang Pan opted to use his other trick again. Under breakneck velocities, he promptly pulled back! The last time he did so, he rid himself of Lu Hui. But this time¡­ Lu Hui stopped together with him! ¡°Yang Pan is not getting away from Lu Hui!¡± Yang Pan was startled. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot! You can¡¯t use the same trick on me twice!¡± Lu Hui said, stretching his leg out. After a brief moment of letting his guard down, Yang Pan was dispossessed. ¡°Yang Pan has lost possession!¡± The commentator made it sound like Yang Pan should not have done that; like it was doomsday. Lu Hui quickly kicked it upfield to Dong Yiluo; Yang Pan might have reclaimed the ball if Yiluo had delayed. However, in a team like Dingding, a substitute could be a regular in any other team. Dong Yiluo was one of those substitutes. Although he was a third-year student, he did not make the first team. Nonetheless, he was a mainstay amongst the reserves. When the occasion called for it, Liu Wei¡¯s first thought would be him. The player stopped the ball a meter up front, a good distance away. It was suitable for his next move¡ªif it was too far, an opponent could get to it. This alone showed that he had a good handle of the basics. Chen Bo ran up to Yiluo ¡°like a beast¡±, which was typical of him. The two tangled. ¡°Yiluo! Don¡¯t hold the ball for too long!¡± Fan Cunjie ran up to offer his support. Grabbing some space, Dong Yiluo passed it to his captain. Turning naturally and adjusting himself once he got the ball, Fan Cunjie moved towards the Shu Guang goalpost. Li Hao went out to fend him off. Not relishing the idea of going up against the burly defensive midfielder, Fan Cunjie dodged in an instant, facing Wang Ning instead. Fan Cunjie expected his adversary to make another charge at him so that he would dribble away in response. Wang Ning however, did not¡ªhe stayed three meters away where he could intercept any pass and stop him from breaking away. For the first time in this match, Cunjie found the person in front of him difficult to deal with. He had easily slipped past Wang Ning so many times before, but at this moment, he was forced to slow down. He kept feinting to stave him off. Wang Ning remained unmoved. Li Hao¡¯s heavy footsteps were ringing behind him, and Fan Cunjie knew that it was no time to dawdle. He peeked behind Wang Ning to look at the space behind; Dong Yiluo could run up to it, and with a pass, they would break through. Seemingly noticing the same thing, Wang Ning moved slightly in that direction. Even though it was not a huge movement, it did not escape Fan Cunjie. Right now! With one jerk, Fan Cunjie pulled his entire body off to the other direction! But he quickly stumbled and fell. He looked behind to see Wang Ning on the floor too; his outstretched right foot holding on to the ball. ¡°Fan Cunjie has been dispossessed!¡± The commentator made it sound like Fan Cunjie should not have done that; like it was doomsday. Sweeping the ball away to the oncoming Li Hao, Wang Ning told Fan Cunjie while he was still on the floor, ¡°Sorry! Hehe, to me, Ren Yu De¡¯s feints are far more deceptive!¡± It was not Fan Cunjie¡¯s first failure in dribbling. Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable one. Wang Ning¡¯s move towards the direction of his gaze was done to direct his run towards the other direction. His marker had counted on it, prepared a trap and waited while he walked headlong into it. He had been played like a fiddle and calmly told off at the end. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you don¡¯t cut it!¡± With his desire to win jumbled with the shock from that failure, Fan Cunjie finally exploded. Cao Po had just won the ball from Kaka when he heard Fan Cunjie shouting at him ahead. ¡°Quick! Pass the ball to me! Pass it to me!¡± Left dumbstruck, Cao Po did not immediately send it to him, so Fan Cunjie kept shouting, ¡°Why are you dilly-dallying? Hurry! They are running back to defend!¡± Finally realizing that the player urgently waving for the ball was indeed his captain, Cao Po quickly stabbed the ball to him. Liu Wei was truly shocked to see his captain screaming for the ball on the pitch. Something had changed within Fan Cunjie. However, there was no telling if the change would be a potion or poison for Dingding. Once he got the ball, Fan Cunjie pushed into Shu Guang¡¯s box alone. Li Hao shoved him with his body, only to shockingly find that the other boy held immense strength despite his average build. Every shove seemed to be a push up against a wall. The captain darted to the front, pushing Li Hao to the back as he accelerated. One more thrust with his upper body and Li Hao finally dropped. He was unable to withstand the pressure. ¡°The mighty Li Hao has been shoved down by Fan Cunjie! What brute strength!¡± Wang Ning did not rush in, keeping some distance away from Fan Cunjie. However, the other had no intention of slowing down, and kicked out with his right foot. Wang Ning, thinking that it was a pass, quickly raised his left foot to stop it. But his foot only fleeted over the ball without touching it. As Wang Ning tried to figure out what Fan Cunjie was up to, the captain retracted his foot and backheeled it! ¡°A back pass!¡± Fan Cunjie rounded Wang Ning and sped away. Shi Yan, who received the pass had witnessed the whole thing; he lobbed it over Wang Ning¡¯s head to get it to Fan Cunjie. Li Jieguang rushed out, sticking his leg out to get the ball. Fan Cunjie raised his own foot too; he lobbed the ball that just dropped and it flew over his marker¡¯s head! ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful skill! Making such difficult lobs in the middle of a run! He is the master!¡± After Li Jieguang, Fan Cunjie faced the oncoming Yang Yong. He lifted his right foot and pulled the ball to the left, skittering away. It was an utterly enjoyable, fluid movement. Reaching the penalty area, Wang Ning caught up and got in front of Cunjie. He was intent on stopping him from shooting. As expected, Fan Cunjie raised his foot, looking ready for a drive. Wang Ning lifted his own to cut down the angles he could shoot from. Rounding the ball with his right foot, Fan Cunjie did not kick it. Instead, he backheeled it to his left. Holding Wang Ning off with his hands, he squeezed out and slipped away! Right after that, Fan Cunjie immediately thumped the ball near the penalty spot! ¡°He shoots!¡± An Ke judged it correctly and dived to the upper right corner. Still, Fan Cunjie¡¯s drive was too powerful; even with both his palms out, the keeper could only shift the trajectory by a mere fraction. The ball struck the crossbar and bounced into the net! ¡°It¡¯s in¡ªit¡¯s a goal by Fan Cunjie; 20 minutes into the second half! What an exhilarating strike! Blowing down castle walls and striking down generals! Fan Cunjie¡¯s individual strength tips the scales!¡± Chapter 76 - Hornet’s Nest Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°It¡¯s in¡ªit¡¯s a goal by Fan Cunjie; 20 minutes into the second half! What an exhilarating strike! Blowing down castle walls and striking down generals! Fan Cunjie¡¯s individual strength tips the scales!¡± ¡°Shu Guang has fallen back once again! Fan Cunjie¡¯s hope of winning can¡¯t be ignored! This ball is a declaration of his adherence to three years of conviction: Winning is a must! Shu Guang¡¯s defenders can¡¯t stop him now!¡± Wang Ning looked up at the chattering loud speakers and spat, ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s that stinking dog saying! We¡¯ll show that old guy how we¡¯ll defend against him!¡± Zhang Jun thought of comforting An Ke who lost the ball, but his eyes scared him. An Ke wiped his sweat off and gritted his teeth. ¡°Heh! Interesting, I¡¯ll let you see who¡¯s the winner today!¡± Fan Cunjie¡¯s goal did not crush Shu Guang. Instead, it rekindled their morale. Dingding probably did not expect it. Anyway, Kaka¡¯s pass was stolen by Cao Po. Dingding took the ball and made a big attack. Fan Cunjie was taking lead of the ball once again. Li Hao wanted to follow up, but he was stopped by Wang Ning. ¡°He¡¯s mine!¡± Wang Ning was no longer keeping a distance of three meters from Fan Cunjie. He wanted to prevent him from passing or breaking through. As soon as he got up, he rushed to stick himself close to Fan Cunjie. Because of this, Fan Cunjie¡¯s hands and legs were tied up. Fan Cunjie could feel the immense vindictiveness coming off from Wang Ning¡¯s body. His little handsy tricks had obviously increased; he was desperate. In such close quarters, Fan Cunjie¡¯s prided skill could only be released at 20 %. Meanwhile, Wang Ning¡¯s brutal snatching also forced him to look out for himself from time to time. After all, there was still another game the following week. Fan Cunjie took the ball to the left as an attempt to escape Wang Ning¡¯s fierce and brusque snatch. He was not expecting Wang Ning to get a hold of him, preventing him from wiping his way through the game. At the same time, he quickly stole and kicked the ball way. As a result, Fan Cunjie was also shoved aside. Then, Chen Bo grabbed the ball in front of Dong Yiluo and made an opening. Su Fei watched every movement on the field anxiously. Now that their score was behind, Yang Pan and Zhang Jun were in control. Dingding had scored another goal and garnered enough momentum, making the situation very critical! The audience also contributed to Dingding¡¯s huge power. Their cheerleading team even set the crowd off the stands and cheered for the remaining time. ¡°Dingding has to win! Dingding has to win!¡± ¡°Get to the National Championships!¡± ¡°Champions! Champions!¡± Their screams were like dark clouds looming across the area. It made Shu Guang¡¯s supporters gloomy. Zhang Yang turned to look at the lively scene around the stands and listened to their deafening cries. He then said to Li Yongle, ¡°Not bad at all. Dingding¡¯s in the lead again!¡± Li Yongle snorted. ¡°Shu Guang will quickly equalize the score.¡± Zhang Yang whispered in his heart, You¡¯re just boasting! Have you gone insane from thoughts of competing against Zhang Jun? Zhang Lintao silently watched Shu Guang¡¯s No.7 running around the field. Yang Pan was taking the lead once again and he seemed to be on the hook with Lu Hui. As he was in the midst of running, Yang Pan pretended to stop and launch the ball. However, he continued to break through the field instead. Lu Hui was not fooled. He leaned his body towards him and when their bodies were tangled together, Yang Pan had to slow down. In the meantime, Dong Yiluo followed up too with the both of them now circulating around Yang Pan. Zhang Jun wanted to help Yang Pan, but he was cut by Yao Wang. Kaka was also being taken care of by Cao Po and he was unable to effectively support Yang Pan. Chen Bo ran from the back of the field towards the front and rushed to meet Yang Pan. However, Yang Pan¡¯s ball was already snatched before he could reach him. ¡°Mark them!¡± After Yang Pan¡¯s play on the upper side, it made Dingding¡¯s offside tactics lose their effect. Therefore, Liu Wei waved his hands and switched to the marksmen tactic. They were going to use Lu Hui¡¯s speed to contain Yang Pan, and Yao Wang¡¯s body as well as experience to take care of Zhang Jun. Whereas, they planned to counter Kaka with Cao Po¡¯s physical strength and explosive power. Shu Guang¡¯s attack combo in the front field would then be frozen. ¡°Man-to-man?¡± Zhang Jun wiped away his sweat and looked at Yao Wang next to him. There was a big height difference when the two stood together. ¡°Hehe! Our coach said that you guys need to be specially taken care of.¡± Yao Wang grinned. ¡°We¡¯ve never used this even against Zhongyuan.¡± ¡°Oh? What should I say? Should I be flattered and honored?¡± Fan Cunjie took control of the ball and Dingding¡¯s cheerleaders hurriedly cheered. ¡°Another one!¡± The cries came one after another as many were particularly interested in such goals, especially the long-range type. But Fan Cunjie was not planning on pleasing the audience, instead he chose to pass. He knew that Wang Ning, who was pushing his way over was not a weakling. His two prior confrontations told him that his opponent was not a leisurely player. He took the initiative to move up as he would have probably suffered again otherwise. Fan Cunjie was smart. He knew what was important. At present, the team¡¯s interests were above everything else and his personal sights were left thrown in the islands of Java. After Shi Lei received the ball, he did not turn around. Alternatively, he gave the ball to Dong Yiluo who charged up. Before Chen Bo caught up to him, Dong Yiluo immediately made a big pass to the goal. Bin Fei jumped into the crowd and reached the top of the line but he did not make a shot. He gave it to Shi Yan, who had entered into the penalty zone! Shi Yan snatched the ball in front of Xie Wei, then made a big shot right before the goal line. ¡°Shi Yan is making a big shot! Looks like Dingding is about score another goal again!¡± ¡°Sh*t!¡± An Ke shouted as he rushed out of the goalpost. The ball hit him on his outstretched left arm and bounced away. An Ke¡¯s second reaction was quicker. He jumped forward and caught the ball, which was up in the air and he pressed it under his body. At that, Bin Fei slowly retreated his foot away from An Ke. On the stands, Shu Guang¡¯s supporters breathed a sigh of relief. An Ke got up from the ground, but he did not kick the ball to attack. Instead, he stood in the middle of the penalty area and called out in his big, unique voice, ¡°Everyone, listen closely to me! From now until the end of the game, I, An Ke will not let Dingding score another point! Absolutely not!¡± The stands were silent at first, but shortly after there was a turbulent uproar. ¡°Damn! Is this kid mad?¡± ¡°You think you can defend your goal just by shouting?¡± ¡°You already lost three goals! Yet, you still have the face to boast!¡± ¡°Go home and eat sh*t!¡± ¡°Piece of sh*t!¡± ¡°Arrogant!¡± ¡°Moron!¡± Zhang Yang laughed. He squatted on the chair and constantly hit the chair¡¯s surface. ¡°Haha! I can¡¯t take it anymore! What a big moron! Goodness! I can¡¯t¡­ My tummy¡­¡± Even Li Yongle laughed. ¡°Seriously, he only had to defend the goal. Did he have to say those things?¡± ¡°No, I think he¡¯s very strong,¡± Zhang Lintao replied. ¡°Even if he has the strength, he still has to be aware of the audience¡¯s mood! There are more people supporting Dingding compared to the ones supporting Shu Guang!¡± Zhang Yang held on to his stomach; he could not say anything more. Zhang Lintao smiled. ¡°If you judge him by the standards of ordinary people, then An Ke wouldn¡¯t be An Ke. Mad, confident, brave and passionate; he really fits being a goalkeeper¡­¡± ¡°Not letting us score another¡­ Your goalkeeper¡¯s really arrogant¡­¡± Yao Wang pointed at Zhang Jun who was beside An Ke. ¡°Correct, but it¡¯s not ¡®arrogance¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®confidence¡¯.¡± ¡°But he lost three goals and Xia Bo Cai only lost two¡­¡± ¡°Your goalkeeper will quickly lose two more goals as well.¡± ¡°Lose another two? Why?¡± ¡°Because, the result of the game will be 4: 3 and Shu Guang will win!¡± Zhang Jun laughed at Yao Wang and ran off to the midfield. After An Ke broadcasted his declaration, he ignored the uproar and clamor as he kicked the ball to the front. Cao Po and Kaka were intertwined around the ball¡¯s whereabouts but unfortunately, Cao Po¡¯s efforts to get a hold of the ball were useless. Kaka jumped and returned it to Wang Ning. But when Wang Ning wanted to pass the ball again, he could not find anyone to pass it to. Kaka, Yang Pan and Zhang Jun were marked by their opponents. If he passed, the ball would return to his opponents. In desperation, he chose to backtrack. Lin Xiaofang received the ball, however he was unable to do anything either. All he could do was cross it by Li Jieguang. ¡°Stop leaving the back vulnerable!¡± An Ke shouted. ¡°Go forward and give the ball a big kick! Pass it to Yang Pan!¡± Li Jieguang then discovered that the one defending against Yang Pan was Dingding¡¯s No.7. He was shorter than Yang Pan. If it was a header, Yang Pan would probably have an advantage. So, without any more hesitation, he took a big step and ran straight towards Yang Pan. Su Rui saw Shu Guang¡¯s attempt and quickly ran to standby in the front as Lu Hui withdrew to the back. This was to prevent Yang Pan from surpassing Su Rui¡¯s breakthrough. Yang Pan¡¯s body was now blocked by Su Rui from the front. He arched his body slightly and opened up his hands to prevent Su Rui from positioning himself exactly in front of him. After Su Rui leaned towards Yang Pan¡¯s body, he found that he had lost his center of force. He did not have enough strength, and thus could not make a jump. He knew it was bad, but the ball was already there by then and there was not enough room for him to adjust. Yang Pan¡¯s waist froze as his eyes marked the incoming ball. When it passed over his head, he forcefully jerked away and turned! Su Rui staggered and Yang Pan got rid of him! Once Lu Hui saw Yang Pan rushing to the front, he did not dare to approach him, because he was bound to be overwhelmed by his speed. He carefully withdrew and kept a certain distance from the others to ensure that the ¡°speed king¡± would not ¡°rush¡±. However, as soon as Yang Pan passed by Su Rui, he made a sudden shot from a 25 m distance to the goal. ¡°It¡¯s coming! Yang Pan¡¯s long-range shot!¡± Even the commentator sounded full of expectation. The angle was somewhat right and the ball flew upwards. Xia Bo was not about to ignore it. He jumped up and used both of his palms to catch the ball. After a quick contact between the soccer ball and Xia Bo¡¯s hands, it produced a loud noise and flew out, away from the crossbar. Xia Bo on the other hand, flew into the goal. ¡°It¡¯s out! But, what an amazing shot! Even Xia Bo was shot into the goal! Yang Pan truly deserves to be called ¡®the king of long-range shots¡¯!¡± There were gasps and sighs from the stands, while some were just shocked from the shot. Although the media had already made Yang Pan¡¯s shots seem like a myth, it definitely surprised many who saw it for the first time. ¡°Sima Hongxin and Xia Bo; both goalkeepers were pushed into the goal by him. It looks like his strength has improved!¡± Whenever Zhang Lintao talked about Yang Pan, he could not maintain his calm composure. He had his fists up in the air. ¡°This is damaging our brain! Yang Pan¡¯s long-range shots, Zhang Jun¡¯s dragon-like fury and Ren Yu De¡¯s skill¡­ Our opponents are too powerful!¡± Zhang Yang held on to his head as he sighed and stretched out in his chair. Li Yongle went up to his side and kicked him in the back. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Hmph! It was a joke! Since I started fighting, I never knew how to write the word ¡®scared¡¯!¡± Zhang Yang sighed and the hair on his forehead rose. ¡°Dingding just stabbed a hornet¡¯s nest!¡± Chen Huafeng said to himself as he looked at Xia Bo, who was still lying inside the goal. Chapter 77 - For Granny Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Dingding has stabbed a hornet¡¯s nest!¡± Chen Huafeng said to himself as he looked at Xia Bo, who was still lying inside the goal. Xia Bo was surrounded by few of his teammates. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you okay?¡± Xia Bo strained himself to stand up and rubbed his hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll be good after I move about.¡± Su Rui recalled the scene, feeling fortunate that he was not a goalkeeper. ¡°What an incredible shot¡­¡± The referee squeezed himself in. ¡°Hey, are you okay? Do you need treatment?¡± Xia Bo quickly waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Just continue on with the game.¡± Kaka went for a corner kick, while Shu Guang¡¯s middle defender, Lin Xiaofang rushed to the goal. There were only 15 minutes remaining and they were lagging behind by one goal. Kaka did not bring the ball into the penalty area right away. Instead, he passed it to Yang Pan who was not very far away from him. ¡°Shu Guang performs a tactical corner kick!¡± Yang Pan took the ball and did not pass it as well. He took the lead in the middle lane, but soon he was surrounded by his opponents again. Lu Hui and Dong Yiluo both defended against him. Yang Pan then used his heel and gave the ball to Kaka, who was behind him. ¡°Kaka passes!¡± This time, Su Rui headed the ball out while Cao Po stopped it with his chest and charged forward. Shi Lei gave the ball to Shi Yan preemptively and Shi Yan, who was originally on the right, now ran to the left. It really was a matter of taking everything from the right to the left. Shi Yan wanted to shoot, but he was faced with Chen Bo. Nonetheless, he passed the ball back to Fan Cunjie on the right and ran to the bottom line. Fan Cunjie took the initiative to pass the ball to his right and it flew over Chen Bo¡¯s head to Shi Yan. Shi Yan unloaded the ball with his right foot, changing to his left shortly after and passing the ball! ¡°Bin Fei heads it to the goal!¡± An Ke moved sideways and caught the ball firmly in his hands. He tumbled when he landed on the ground to avoid any injuries. ¡°What a beautiful save!¡± ¡°A shot like that is definitely not enough! Are you guys joking? Is this Dingding¡¯s strength?¡± An Ke shouted and kicked the ball out. Naturally, it caused an uproar in the stands. As Bin Fei ran back, he looked at Shu Guang¡¯s goalkeeper who stood there with both hands on his hips. After Dingding got their power back again, Fan Cunjie advanced past Yang Yong and entered the penalty area. Bin Fei quickly started chasing after the ball, but An Ke was one step ahead of him. He raised both of his hands to catch the incoming ball. Bin Fei did not retreat in time and fell to the ground. Shi Lei immediately raised his hand to the referee for a penalty kick, but the referee shook his head and motioned for the game to be continued. However, the audience was not buying it and they booed him. Whenever An Ke got the ball, there would always be booing sounds coming from the stands. Chen Huafeng laughed. ¡°An Ke has become the public¡¯s enemy.¡± ¡°An Ke solved our worries, shouldn¡¯t we put up a better performance too?¡± Kaka called out to Zhang Jun and Yang Pan as the ball went out of bounds. Yang Pan nodded. Zhang Jun replied, ¡°I have a plan, we¡­¡± The trio got together and shortly after, they split up as they gave each other high-fives. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this plan then!¡± Kaka pulled Wang Ning to the side to discuss as well. It was Shu Guang¡¯s ball and Wang Ning passed to Kaka. Kaka controlled the ball when he was faced with Cao Po. At this moment, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan suddenly ran in Kaka¡¯s direction. Dingding¡¯s defenders did not know what else to do and they followed those two as well. However, Kaka did not pass the ball to Zhang Jun or Yang Pan, who were running towards him. Instead, he passed it to Wang Ning who was running from the back. ¡°Cao Po is very defensive. Kaka has no choice but to turn and pass the ball to Wang Ning.¡± However, Wang Ning did not continue with the pass. He headed the ball all of a sudden and it flew towards Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun stopped abruptly and turned around to face Yao Wang, who was defending against him. He did not seem to be aware of the ball falling towards Dingding¡¯s goal. Yao Wang froze for a moment, not knowing what Zhang Jun was about to do. Despite that, he followed and ran up to Zhang Jun when the ball fell to his side. ¡°Why is Zhang Jun acting like this? Is he going to give up that ball¡­¡± Yao Wang thought the same too. Although he was somewhat confused, he still ran towards the ball. ¡°Yao Wang, get the ball! With his height, this ball should be nothing¡­ This isn¡¯t right! Wait!¡± As Yao Wang witnessed Zhang Jun running beside him, the ball fell just right behind him. He was getting ready to extend his leg to stop the ball like before, but he found the soccer ball rising again and flying over his head to back! ¡°Zhang Jun! Zhang Jun kicks the ball with his heel! As he runs, he is still able to use his heel to move the ball forward! What an exquisite move!¡± Yao Wang never thought that Zhang Jun would have such a skill. He was frozen in place, and as a result, forgot to turn back and give chase. The moment Su Rui saw Yao Wang being passed, he immediately went to fill his place. Zhang Jun stopped the ball as Su Rui rushed in front of him. After the two were entangled, Zhang Jun started to wobble, but Su Rui remained unmoved as he followed him. Zhang Jun wrapped the ball with his left foot, then switched to his right as he sped up to cut into the penalty area! Su Rui knew how powerful Zhang Jun¡¯s explosiveness was and he did not dare neglect it. Nevertheless, as he waited for the right moment to give chase to Zhang Jun, he could not see the ball. He then heard Zhang Jun¡¯s suspicious voice. ¡°Hehe! You¡¯ve been tricked!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Yang Pan! He¡¯s so fast!¡± Yang Pan sprinted, waiting for this opportunity. His distance from Lu Hui was small, but it was enough. Zhang Jun used a series of fake actions to deceive Su Rui, who was following him. All the while, the ball remained in his possession. Yang Pan took this chance and rushed over with full force. ¡­ ¡°Why are you being so ignorant? Now that you¡¯re like this, you still want to go back and play the game?¡± his mother said in an unhappy tone. Yang Pan did not reply. He stood in front of his grandmother¡¯s catafalque without saying a word. ¡°Is a game really that important? Even more important than Granny?¡± ¡°Granny raised him with her own hands, how could he do something like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand kids these days!¡± His relatives were talking with each other, but Yang Pan stood silently as he looked at a portrait of his grandmother smiling. Granny was always smiling like this. She was never seen being unhappy. Even until now, she¡¯s still smiling at me¡­ His father approached him. ¡°You really want to go?¡± Yang Pan nodded. ¡°Go on then, but remember to rush back after the game finishes. Granny is still waiting for you.¡± Yang Pan looked at his father and knew that he was supporting him. Shortly after, he took another glance at his grandmother¡¯s portrait and bowed deeply. He then turned and walked out of the door, ignoring the discussion behind him. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± His mother extended her arm and called out to Yang Pan, but she was stopped by his father. ¡°Let him go. Mother supports him playing soccer the most.¡± ¡­ ¡°Yang Pan has taken a big shot¡ª¡± The commentator¡¯s voice dropped as the soccer ball turned into an orb of white light, rushing straight into Dingding¡¯s goal. Xia Bo attempted to make a save, but it was only after the ball went in. Lu Hui, who just caught up with Yang Pan suddenly felt a few drops of warm water hitting his face and arm. He did not have the time to think about it as he heard the commentator yell, ¡°The ball! It went in¡­¡± With that first insight, the reactions from the stands became very strong; more and more spectators began exclaiming. Fan Cunjie waved his left hand angrily. They only had 10 minutes left, but the score was now a tie. Had the first 70 minutes of hard work gone to waste? Yang Pan broke free from Chen Bo and ran to the corner. Then, he tripped and headed the ball to the north, in the direction of his hometown. After doing so, he bowed his head solemnly. Zhang Jun looked at Yang Pan making his way to the north. He had endured his tears for so long and in the end, he could not take it any longer. In his teary vision, he pretended to see himself and Yang Pan sprinting home as Granny followed behind them. There was laughter all the way and the lights from the roadside also joined in their happy chorus, lighting up one by one¡­ Granny, have a safe journey¡­ When Xia Bo stood up, his face was pale and scary looking. He laughed for the first time. ¡°Too fast, too fast¡­¡± Fan Cunjie looked at him. As the game progressed, even Xia Bo began to feel nervous. This showed how much pressure Shu Guang had been exerting on them. Moreover, the closer the game was to the end, the greater the pressure got. It seemed like it was going to crush his nerves and will. He shook his head and oulled himself together. It was not the time to think about such things. There were only 10 minutes left and they needed to score another goal! ¡°Can you keep a shot like that out?¡± Li Yongle turned to ask the Zhongyuan goalkeeper. Zhang Lintao was having his eyes closed. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, ¡°I can promise if it¡¯s from a range of 30 m. I might also have a chance to succeed if it¡¯s within 25 m. But with a shot from the penalty zone, I can only pray that God stands behind me.¡± ¡°You really are hilarious!¡± Zhang Yang pressed Zhang Lintao¡¯s head and laughed. ¡°God will be with you!¡± ¡°Hehe! You can rest assured that in next week¡¯s game, I will not let Yang Pan score a point!¡± Zhang Lintao laughed too. ¡°Dingding kicks the game off for the fourth time. The tenacious Shu Guang was left behind twice, but the team has also equalized the score twice. There are only nine minutes left until the game ends and both sides have returned to the starting point. The score is now 3: 3. The last few minutes will decide the victor!¡± ¡°Hey, I admire Shu Guang¡¯s performance and I have to admit that they are an excellent team!¡± Once again, Fan Cunjie took the ball into Shu Guang¡¯s side of the field. He had to keep running and not stop to vent. This way, he could avoid thinking about stupid questions like, ¡°Can we still win?¡± Kaka forced his way up. Fan Cunjie kicked the ball and Shi Yan received it, bypassing Kaka in the process. ¡°Hurry up! Pass it over here!¡± Without considering the time, Shi Yan quickly passed the ball. ¡°Two over one!¡± This time he was faced with Wang Ning. Li Hao did not have time to get into the mix and it now evolved into a single battle between Wang Ning and Fan Cunjie. The two of them were stuck together once again. Fan Cunjie¡¯s strength was not to be underestimated. After all, he managed to crush Li Hao, who was as strong as a bull. However, Fan Cunjie found that although Wang Ning looked pretty ordinary, he was no less stronger than Li Hao. What was even more surprising, the midfielder had many moves up his sleeves. If the referee did not pay any attention, there would be no foul. And this could potentially make him suffer. As Fan Cunjie braced for support, Shi Lei ran over. Fan Cunjie got a hold of Wang Ning with his hands and since he used his hands, it was fair for everyone to use their hands as well. He held on to Wang Ning and hurriedly gave the ball to Shi Lei. Shi Lei did not turn around, opting to pass to Dong Yiluo who was on the side lane. Dong Yiluo did not make a break through after he saw the opponent¡¯s ¡°ferocious¡± defenders. If he had rushed through them, there was a possibility that he would have fallen into their quicksand. So, he led the ball directly into the penalty zone. Bin Fei once again showcased his exceptional sense in the penalty zone. He snatched the first point with his height of 180 cm. ¡°Bin Fei is going to attempt a goal!¡± An Ke quickly moved to his position,but Bin Fei headed the ball and passed it to Shi Lei. ¡°An Ke was tricked! Shi Lei is going to take a shot now!¡± Su Fei could not help covering her eyes. ¡°Just kidding!¡± An Ke twisted his body and lunged sideways towards the ball! Bin Fei was already raising his hands, ready to cheer, but An Ke extended his long arms and threw the ball out of the bottom line. ¡°He threw it out! An Ke! That was some divine intervention from God!¡± ¡°If there is a God to intervene¡­¡± Li Yongle pointed at Shu Guang¡¯s goal and turned to look at Zhang Lintao. ¡°It¡¯s not divine intervention. Most goalkeepers would have already given up at this point, even if conceding a goal isn¡¯t really their responsibility. It was the defenders who didn¡¯t mark the person properly. But, he¡¯s different. His will to not lose allows him to prevent his goal from being breached.¡± ¡°Hey! You seem like you understand An Ke,¡± Zhang Yang replied. ¡°I¡¯m also a goalkeeper and there¡¯s always a similarity. If I had been the one facing that ball, I wouldn¡¯t have let it enter too.¡± Zhang Lintao laughed. ¡°Ah! After beating around the bush so many times, you were actually boasting about yourself!¡± ¡°Dingding takes a corner kick and An Ke grabs the ball in front of everyone again.¡± An Ke fulfilled his promise with much diligence. ¡°Until the game ends, I will not allow Dingding to score another point!¡± Zhang Jun wondered if he should finish what he said before the game, ¡°We must win!¡± He lifted his head as An Ke released the ball with a big kick. The soccer ball flew through the air and carried along with it the sunshine. There were only six minutes left until the game ended and both teams were tied with a score of 3: 3. Chapter 78 - Rising Dragon Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°There are only six minutes left and both teams are having a heated fight on the field! In the front, middle and the back, the two teams are fighting everywhere!¡± ¡°The enthusiasm of the audience is unprecedentedly high!¡± ¡°Dingding must win! Dingding must win!¡± ¡°Shu Guang, keep it up! Shu Guang, get the goal!¡± ¡­ As Yang Pan took the ball, the stands screamed in a frenzy. ¡°Another one!¡± Those who were neutral followed along too. They hoped to see the rumored big shot. It was not enjoyable enough to only see two that day. However, Yang Pan did not hear any of it. After he scored a goal, Lu Hui stepped up to defend while Dong Yiluo frequently withdrew from defending. He had to deal with these two, how could he allocate the skills to meet the demands of the audience? Yang Pan and Zhang Jun were the stars of the Shu Guang team, but the audience liked Yang Pan a little more. After all, with Yang Pan¡¯s wind-like speeds, his general destructiveness was equivalent to an avalanche. In addition, his position as the captain was also particularly striking to others. What about Zhang Jun? As a striker, he was mostly seen only when he reached the front of the goal. And when he took his shots, the ball would either enter or not. He did not have Ren Yu De¡¯s dazzling and exhilarating skills, Kaka¡¯s handsome face, or Yang Pan¡¯s aggressive shots. What did he have? Goals; he was constantly scoring goals. While the fans ignored him, he had risen to the top of the scorer¡¯s list, along with Ma Ni, who had already been eliminated. Fans could ignore his presence, but his opponents absolutely could not. Ignoring him would mean death. Therefore, Yao Wang remained close to Zhang Jun. If he could not keep up with Zhang Jun, he would delay him by pulling on him with his hands. Yang Pan passed the ball he obtained from Lu Hui and Dong Yiluo to Kaka. Cao Po rushed over as if he was affixed to the ball like a bone. Zhang Jun ran out, stretching Dingding¡¯s defensive line. Kaka took the opportunity to cut in as Cao Po followed him into the penalty area. In all honesty, if there was a small amount of fouls or mistakes made in that area, it would send their team to hell. Kaka felt a little pressure from behind and quickly took a shot at the goal! Xia Bo did not dare to be careless and he kept the ball firmly under his body. ¡°Are they marking the others? If that¡¯s the case, the striker should run forward, then it would be easier to handle the situation¡­¡± There was some truth in Chen Huafeng¡¯s words. The striker and front defender¡¯s interspersing runs at the front of the field were enough to disrupt the other team¡¯s defensive line. Kaka¡¯s shot earlier proved it. Xia Bo kicked the ball towards the front. Shi Yan headed it over to Cao Po, and Kaka immediately stuck to him. He was not going to allow Cao Po to make a pass. ¡°Hey, I really hate you! You¡¯re impossible to get rid of!¡± Cao Po said as he protected the ball. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be saying that!¡± Kaka replied as he ran around him. ¡°Cao Po!¡± Fan Cunjie went up to help. Cao Po flashed past Kaka¡¯s foot and passed the ball to him. But Fan Cunjie did not stop the ball. As a result, Wang Ning shoveled in and pushed the ball away. Yang Pan got the ball and passed it to the middle right away. Zhang Jun used his foot to stop the ball. After that, he increased his speed and ran past Yao Wang before he could react, rushing into the penalty area. Su Rui came to fill in the defense, but as Zhang Jun made an emergency stop to change his direction, he managed to get rid of Su Rui. At this point, he was parallel to the goal. ¡°This is¡­¡± Chen Huafeng could not help but shout. ¡°Xia Bo!¡± Due to Fan Cunjie¡¯s sudden lost of the ball, Dingding¡¯s defense was not responding. It had been broken because of Shu Guang¡¯s simple passes. So, it was only Zhang Jun against Xia Bo at this point! As Yao Wang looked back, he was shouted his goalkeeper¡¯s name to allow him to attack. When Xia Bo took his first step, Zhang Jun made his shot! Xia Bo flew in the direction of the ball, but he did not see it coming! ¡°¡­Rising Dragon!¡± ¡°The ball went in¡­ The ball went it¡­¡± Xia Bo turned to look at the goal in disbelief. The soccer ball was really inside the goal. ¡°This is too much! How did the ball go in?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an immediate replay of the goal. Let¡¯s look at it closely!¡± While the commentator commented about it, everyone turned their attention to the big screen. The big screen replayed Zhang Jun¡¯s shot in slow motion. Zhang Jun swayed Su Rui with an emergency stop and change of direction. ¡°That looks like Ma Ni¡¯s 90 Degrees¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like one, it is a 90 Degrees. But now, it seems like it¡¯s going to be recognized as Zhang Jun¡¯s 90 Degrees.¡± When Xia Bo attacked and stepped out of the goal, Zhang Jun suddenly shot the ball from his right foot. Xia Bo¡¯s reflexes were good; he quickly flew to the left, but he could not see the ball! ¡°That was probably the key!¡± Zhang Jun performed a mock shot with his right foot and when the ball reached the front, he immediately followed up with his left foot to catch the ball. He then pulled the heel of his right foot slightly, sending the ball up. The scene looked just like an ordinary heel pass to others. The series of movements was done very fast with a good amount of strength. When the soccer ball rose to Zhang Jun¡¯s waist, his right foot followed. He leaped up like a dragon and the heel of his right foot acted like a dragon¡¯s tail, which swayed the ball. It flew behind him into the corresponding direction of the goal. There was a slight flaw when Zhang Jun landed. The move was indeed very demanding of one¡¯s flexibility and coordination. It was already considered pretty good that he did not fall. With the replay on the big screen, the screams from the stands grew louder and louder until there were no other sounds that could be heard. ¡°Such-Such a goal! It¡¯s truly incredible! It really is a rising dragon! He¡¯s like a dragon in the air, swinging his tail!¡± ¡°This is a goal from God! I have nothing else to say. I can only marvel!¡± Faced with such a goal, the commentator seemingly could not find any suitable words to describe it. Li Yongle looked at the big screen with his mouth wide opened. The other two pretty much did the same too. Li Yongle was finally able to speak after some time. ¡°This¡­ This is my first time finding out that you can kick a ball like that!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned! I¡¯m not reading some comic, am I?¡± Zhang Yang rubbed his eyes. Zhang Lintao did not wait for a reply to his question. He shook his head and said, ¡°If it had been me, I would have been fooled too. This goal¡­ He may be the first to shoot it. If I have to defend against the Rising Dragon, the ball would surely go in. If I think about it and make the first move, the ball would still go in. No matter what, there are only two options. The answer is nonetheless hidden in his heart, unless I can see through it¡­¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no other way?¡± Zhang Yang asked. Zhang Lintao had a painful expression. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± That loss made Liu Wei speechless. Although it was likely that he would be left empty-handed again, the fact was, no one could have blocked such a ball, no one. Looking at some of his teammates such as Xia Bo and Su Rui, who had lost their spirit, Fan Cunjie¡¯s heart suddenly jumped and an ominous feeling surfaced. The tenacious players of Shu Guang ran past him and all of a sudden, he felt tired. He thought of just laying himself down on the grassy field, and sleeping until the sun rose again. Since he joined Dingding three years ago, they never obtained any honors. Things had been really mediocre for the past three years! Would it end the same way then? ¡°Zhang Jun uses a magical dragon to dominate the scoreboard! The score is now 4: 3 and there are only three minutes left until the end of the game. Dingding is in a desperate situation!¡± The referee sounded the whistle and Dingding released the ball from the middle. The game resumed once more. Perhaps the Rising Dragon was not big enough to be an eliminating factor. When Dingding made its move, its attacks were even stronger. Shu Guang was forced to play on the defensive throughout the last three minutes due to Dingding¡¯s strength. Even the top-ranking Zhang Jun had to return to the midfield to defend. ¡­ ¡°Fan Cunjie, want to join the soccer team?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Hehe! I told you! Having a partner to dominate the country together isn¡¯t going to be a mere dream anymore!¡± Bin Fei held Fan Cunjie¡¯s shoulder as he said these words in front of a poster. It was a poster of Dingding¡¯s soccer team recruiting new players and it had attracted a lot of attention. ¡­ ¡°Bin Fei suddenly shoots from the penalty zone! The ball flies over Lin Xiaofang¡¯s head towards the goal!¡± Because Lin Xiaofang was blocking his sight, An Ke¡¯s view was hindered. So, he used his foot to block the ball from the bottom line. ¡°So close! A corner kick!¡± ¡­ ¡°My name is Xia Bo. I¡¯m from Class 4.¡± ¡°What a beautiful save! Xia Bo, you can be Dingding¡¯s main goalkeeper!¡± Liu Wei patted Xia Bo on his slender shoulders. His thin body bore Dingding¡¯s entire defensive line and he continued to do so for three years. When he first entered the team, who would have thought that a small-sized goalkeeper like him would win the title of ¡°Best Goalkeeper¡± in his first year? ¡­ Fan Cunjie took a corner kick. Shu Guang¡¯s penalty area was almost overcrowded as it was filled with players from both teams. Even Dingding¡¯s goalkeeper, Xia Bo had rushed in. Fan Cunjie made an opening with the ball and the penalty area suddenly felt like a stone that fell into water. An Ke jumped ahead, wanting to snatch the soccer ball directly. However, someone jumped higher than he did! ¡°It¡¯s Xia Bo!¡± Xia Bo jumped, but unfortunately he was still in front of Li Jieguang. He could not reach the ball with his head. Realizing that the ball was going to fly away from his sight into An Ke¡¯s arms, he suddenly extended both of his arms and hit the ball. An Ke was shocked by Xia Bo¡¯s move. He was immobilized as he watched the soccer ball fly into the goal behind him. At the same time, the referee sounded his whistle. ¡°Dingding¡¯s No. 1, handball foul! Invalid goal!¡± As Xia Bo fell, the referee ran over to him and flashed him a yellow card. The handball was done on purpose. It was reasonable to say that the red card would not have been excessive either. However, the referee took into consideration the fact that this game was Xia Bo and Dingding¡¯s last chance. So, he was merciful towards him. Failure was failure, but he did not want Xia Bo to carry the stain of a red card in the match. After Xia Bo looked at the yellow card in the referee¡¯s hand, he silently turned and walked back. When he turned, Fan Cunjie noticed that he was wiping his face with his sleeve. However, no one knew if he was sweating or tearing up. ¡°Haha! He¡¯s such a moron! Using his hands to attack! Did he think that he was still guarding the goal? Using both hands to attack? Haha!¡± Zhang Yang laughed boisterously. But Zhang Lintao shot him a glare. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? If we fall behind, I would do the same as him too!¡± Zhang Yang did not laugh this time. ¡­ ¡°Fan Cunjie, I want to talk to you about something. Is tomorrow the semi-final?¡± his father placed the plates on the table as he talked to Fan Cunjie, who was currently watching the news. ¡°Yes.¡± Fan Cunjie nodded. He did not take his eyes off the television. ¡°If you still don¡¯t sail into the National Championship this year, you have to stop playing soccer. You have to focus on your studies since your college entrance examination is near.¡± Fan Cunjie turned and looked at his distressed father. ¡°Sure, sure, if you make it to the National Championship, it would be good news of course! You can then continue playing soccer, we won¡¯t stop you!¡± Fan Cunjie looked at his father silently. In order to help his own child to study, he had to be careful with his words. Fan Cunjie understood his parents. They paid so much for him to play soccer, but he never expressed a word of gratitude. Compared to other kids who had to drop soccer because of their parents, he was considered very lucky. They were not wrong in wanting him to focus on his studies, and enter his ideal college. It was only for his own good. ¡°Alright¡±¡ªhe nodded¡ª¡±if we don¡¯t succeed, I won¡¯t play soccer anymore and I¡¯ll concentrate on my studies.¡± ¡­ ¡°The referee is looking at his watch! Dingding is running out of time and the team is still one goal away! Fan Cunjie takes the lead and this may be Dingding¡¯s final attack!¡± ¡°He dribbles pass Li Hao! In the brink of such desperation, there is no trace of panic in his body and his actions are still steady! As expected of Fan Cunjie!¡± ¡°He takes a shot!¡± An Ke rushed out and tackled it. However, the strength of the ball was too great and it bounced, flying towards the goal! ¡°The ball is about to go in! Dingding is adamant on equalizing the score!¡± Chen Bo rushed over and forcefully swept the ball out! *Beep! Beep! Beep!* ¡°The game has come to an end! Shu Guang High School is the first to reach the final round, which will be held in one week¡¯s time!¡± ¡°Regretfully, Dingding High School has to say its goodbyes. The team played excellently in this game, but there can only be one victor. At the end of the day, Shu Guang High School played better. Sadly, Dingding¡¯s days to the National Championship have been delayed yet again.¡± Fan Cunjie stood on the line of Shu Guang¡¯s penalty area¡ªthe place where he launched his shot. His force was great and he had most likely used up all his strength. But it did not occur to him that the ball would be saved by An Ke and Chen Bo. He wondered why he did not collapse onto the grass when the referee blew the final whistle, or turn into a crying mess like Xia Bo. He would have to bid farewell to soccer forever and focus on his studies. Why could he not cry when he was being separated from his dearest partner? He wanted to win the game, but he was calm now that he had lost. He thought back to the time he lost to Zhongyuan High School in the semi-final. He cried, needing his coach to help him up and walk again. Without realizing, it had already been three years since he grew up. Maybe it was because he had become numb. Fan Cunjie began to help his teammates, who were lying on the ground crying. He got them on their feet and they lined up to thank their fans. For the past three years, their fans had been their most loyal supporters, regardless of the outcome of their matches. Liu Wei watched Fan Cunjie pulling the players up and patting them on their backs. He allowed them to line up before Dingding¡¯s cheerleading team to thank them. He was the one about to leave soccer, so was he not supposed to feel the saddest? Despite that, he could still stand as a responsible captain. He remembered the time when he first entered the team. He bowed politely as he said, ¡°I hope my coach will provide me with more guidance and care!¡± But, who was really the one to provide care for the past three years? Without Fan Cunjie, Dingding would have never had the influence they possessed in the present high school soccer world. Perhaps, he should have been the one who said this to Dingding¡¯s captain, the No.10 player. Li Yongle stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to hurry and train. It¡¯s our turn tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to watch?¡± Zhang Yang pointed at the celebrating field. The Shu Guang team was surrounded by reporters, who were constantly flashing their cameras. Li Yongle turned to watch Zhang Jun, who was being surrounded in the middle. He laughed. ¡°Wait till we win, then we¡¯ll really enjoy it.¡± He walked away after he was done with his speech. Zhang Yang turned back to the field, but he could not find Zhang Jun amid the lively scene. He shook his head and spun around to follow Li Yongle. ¡°That Rising Dragon¡­¡± Zhang Lintao said. ¡°There will be a way. There¡¯s no such thing as an invincible move in this world¡­¡± Li Yongle turned to watch the lively stadium. Chapter 79 - Fight Until the Finals Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As soon as Zhang Jun woke up, he looked at his clock, which was on the table. It was already 6.15 am. He snorted and turned. He wanted to get back to sleep, but it was strange how he could not fall asleep. He had a difficult game the day before, yet how was he able to wake up at such an early time the next day? He turned again, still failing to fall back to sleep. There was already sounds of people exercising downstairs. Zhang Jun stared at the ceiling for about five seconds before he finally sat up and changed his clothes. His parents were not awake yet since it was a Sunday. Zhang Jun put on his shoes at the door and went downstairs after he gently closed it. As he stood in the courtyard on the winter morning, Zhang Jun took a deep breath of cold air to jolt his fuzzy brain awake. After doing some slight warm-ups, he began his second day of jogging. The previous afternoon was a beautiful dream for the members of Shu Guang. They defeated the strong Dingding team and successfully entered the final round. Such an achievement was simply unimaginable to many Shu Guang players two years ago. In the span of just two years, they completely changed from dark horses to a strong team. When Fan Cunjie¡¯s shot was saved by Chen Bo and the referee blew the final whistle, Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleaders threw their prepared confetti around the court as the sounds of drums and cheering rang audibly. It was as if they had already won the championship. As soon as the game ended, Yang Pan left. He still had to rush back to his hometown since he already had an agreement with his father. The reporters felt regretful that they could not catch up with him. But truth to be told, the reporters only realized this after they swarmed and surrounded a Shu Guang player wearing the No. 7 jersey. As they took shots of him with their cameras, they soon found out that the person who was almost struck by their flashes was a substitute who never got on the field. However, it did not have a big effect on the reporters. The protagonist was Zhang Jun and he had the most number of reporters surrounding him. Countless microphones and flashes made Zhang Jun¡¯s legs weak. Fortunately, Liang Ke came up to help him solve the problem. ¡°Zhang Jun, lead the team to thank everyone! Hurry up!¡± After thanking their fans, he looked at Fan Cunjie who had just finished doing the same as well. He was in a dazed state as he stood alone in the middle of the field. He quickly took this chance to approach him before he got surrounded by reporters again. He took his jersey off and gave it to him. Fan Cunjie stared at him blankly, then took his jersey off and gave it to Zhang Jun too. ¡°Take care!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Both of them shook hands. Zhang Jun reminded the reporters that Fan Cunjie was also another protagonist. With three consecutive years of failure, he really was a ¡°tragic hero¡±. So, the reporters surrounded Fan Cunjie. As such, Zhang Jun had no one else to deal with for the time being. He looked up and saw Su Fei leaning against the awning of the coach¡¯s seat, smiling at him. Zhang Jun smiled back and walked over to her. ¡°This is for you.¡± Zhang Jun untied his braid and gave the rubber band to Su Fei. However, Su Fei did not extend her hand to receive it. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This was given to you, so you¡¯re not allowed to give it back!¡± Zhang Jun stopped and looked down at the rubber band around his right wrist. Whenever he did not tie his hair in a braid, he would wear it around his wrist instead. The sky gradually turned brighter. Zhang Jun looked at the color of the sky, thinking that he was supposed to be going home. At the entrance of the building, he bumped into Su Fei who was getting some milk. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He noticed that Su Fei was looking at him as though he was some kind of rare animal. He raised his eyebrows. Su Fei did not reply and continued to look at him. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Zhang Jun, aren¡¯t you exhausted?¡± ¡°Exhausted?¡± ¡°Today is Sunday. Shouldn¡¯t you still be lying on your bed at this time?¡± He finally understood. It was about his morning run. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so why would I still be lazing around on my bed?¡± Zhang Jun pouted. Su Fei reached her hand out. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Put your head closer.¡± Zhang Jun put his head closer. After that, Su Fei swiped her hair away from her forehead and brought her head closer to his. Their foreheads were now joined together. ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t have a fever¡­¡± ¡°Make sure you get to the National Championship, alright?¡± Su Fei said gently as she softly nuzzled against Zhang Jun¡¯s forehead. Her breath dripped on Zhang Jun¡¯s face and it left a tingling sensation. ¡°You absolutely can¡¯t lose in the final match. This is still the world¡¯s biggest competition. Please allow me to continue watching you guys play soccer, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A ray of sunlight unknowingly shot into the corridor. The sun had risen and a new day had begun. During the second semi-final match that afternoon, Tong Xing, who did not have Lin Ling lost 0: 4 to Zhongyua n High School. Li Yongle, who was wearing a No.10 jersey performed a hat-trick. While the media lamented the decline of another veteran team, they were also looking forward to the final match next Sunday. The cover of the latest issue of High School Soccer was the celebration of Li Yongle and Zhang Jun scoring their goals. The two of them were set from left to right on the cover. That in itself was enough to indicate that they were going to face off in the next match. Many people even termed the final match as ¡°Mars crashing into Earth¡±. The campus on Monday was very lively. Zhang Jun stopped at the school gate and looked up at the party banner that was hung across it. ¡°We warmly celebrate the Shu Guang soccer team¡¯s entrance to the final round of the National Championship Qualifiers!¡± ¡°Wow! That was fast!¡± An Ke stopped and watched the banner as it blew in the wind. ¡°Moron, we¡¯ll be late if we don¡¯t go in,¡± Ren Yu De dropped his words as he passed by An Ke. ¡°You¡­¡± An Ke chased after Ren Yu De. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s Yu De¡¯s first time being early,¡± Kaka¡¯s voice echoed from the back and Zhang Jun turned his head to face him. ¡°Hi!¡± Kaka waved to him. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s full of spirit, hehe!¡± Kaka smiled. ¡°Of course, we got into the final,¡± Zhang Jun replied as he smiled at the students who were walking past him. ¡°Where¡¯s Yang Pan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in his hometown. Today¡¯s apparently the day his grandmother¡¯s going to be cremated,¡± Zhang Jun lowered his voice. Kaka noticed Zhang Jun feeling down and he knew that he had roused his sadness. So, he quickly shifted topics. ¡°Where¡¯s Su Fei? Why don¡¯t I see her with you?¡± ¡°Su Fei? She¡¯s on duty this week, so she has to come to school early to clean up.¡± The moment he spoke of Su Fei, Zhang Jun¡¯s face lit up like the sun. ¡°Cleaning? Hehe! Aren¡¯t you two a thing already?¡± Kaka had a mischievous smile on his face as he nudged Zhang Jun. ¡°Get your mind out of the gutter.¡± ¡°Hehe! You asked me to get my mind out of the gutter¡­ Wow! Okay! Stop! I was only joking!¡± Kaka pulled Zhang Jun¡¯s leg with a smile. ¡°Seriously, can¡¯t a guy joke around?¡± Zhang Jun put his foot down and immediately waved his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t! I won¡¯t repeat myself!¡± As Zhang Jun stepped back, Kaka shifted his gaze to the banner. ¡°It¡¯s very stylish, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes it is.¡± Zhang Jun nodded. ¡°Celebrating the Shu Guang soccer team¡¯s entrance to the final round¡­ It feels pretty good!¡± Zhang Jun thought of Su Fei¡¯s words when their faces were stuck together that Sunday morning. ¡°Make sure you get to the National Championship, alright?¡± Zhang Jun looked at the banner again as it blew in the wind. ¡°After a week, the words on it will change.¡± ¡°Change? Change to what?¡± Zhang Jun smiled. ¡°We warmly celebrate the Shu Guang soccer team¡¯s entrance to the National Championship.¡± ¡­ Zhang Jun shot the ball into the goalpost and the crowd went wild. ¡°Good goal!¡± ¡°That was too beautiful!¡± ¡°How accurate! Kicking the ball where he pointed to!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they exaggerating a little? It¡¯s only a goalpost, why are they making so much noise?¡± An Ke said as he kicked the ball back to Zhang Jun. ¡°These people are too inexperienced! You shouldn¡¯t be fooled by their cheers!¡± He patted Zhang Jun on the shoulder. An Ke then caught Lin Xiaofang¡¯s shot in his arms. ¡°Excellent!¡± ¡°An Ke, you¡¯re so good!¡± ¡°What a nice save!¡± An Ke gave the ball to Chen Bo and everyone started to cheer at the entrance, ¡°Awesome! Again! Again!¡± After the sound of the whistle, he slammed Chen Bo¡¯s shot out of the bottom line. Zhang Jun rolled his eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be fooled by their cheers too¡­¡± Kaka laughed. ¡°Hehe! Don¡¯t blame him. Look at the side of the field; it¡¯s stacked with lots of people. Everyone¡¯s enthusiasm is unprecedentedly high. After all, we¡¯ve reached the finals.¡± ¡°Kaka!¡± Liang Ke called out. As though it was part of some special training, the girls instantly shrieked for Kaka while the boys cheered for An Ke. ¡°Tackle it, An Ke! Give us another block!¡± Kaka took the lead as he peered over at An Ke¡¯s position. The little guy seemed out of shape, plus he was standing too near to the front. Kaka had no intentions of inflating An Ke¡¯s ego for the third time. He kicked the soccer ball gently and it drew an arc as it approached the crossbar. It avoided An Ke¡¯s extended hand and fell into the goal. ¡°Beautiful!¡± ¡°What a graceful kick!¡± What frustrated An Ke even more was the boys who were previously supporting him unanimously became Kaka¡¯s loyal supporters. Kaka then elegantly raised his hands to the audience and the cheers from the crowd grew louder. An Ke jumped. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count! That doesn¡¯t count! I was careless with that ball just now! If you do it again, I¡¯ll make sure that ball of yours doesn¡¯t go in! ¡°Don¡¯t you dare laugh! If you don¡¯t believe me, come on and try it! ¡°Kaka, you were just lucky, so now you¡¯re thinking about running away! Come on, let¡¯s do it again!¡± An Ke eventually stomped away. Students, who were working hard in the main building could hear An Ke¡¯s growls from the stadium. Chen Huafeng leaned against the railings of the stands. Some of the spectators just could not help but watch Shu Guang¡¯s day-to-day training, which one could describe as ¡°chaotic¡±. ¡°Why are they so relaxed? The next game is already the final round!¡± ¡­ Li Yongle noticed that He Wen did not seem to be in good mood ever since Monday morning. The cute manager, who was always smiling had been in a state of worry for the past two days. ¡°He Wen, is something the matter?¡± Grabbing the chance to drink some water, Li Yongle also took the initiative to approah her. ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± ¡°He Wen! Get some clean towels here!¡± Sun Laihong called out and solved He Wen¡¯s problem. She quickly obliged and turned to fetch the required things. For a moment, Li Yongle saw her walking with a pile of socks. Sun Laihong was puzzled as he held the socks. ¡°This is¡­ I was thinking of giving them towels to wipe their sweat¡­¡± He Wen finally snapped out of it and immediately lowered her head to apologize. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll change them immediately!¡± Li Yongle watched as He Wen ran past him, carrying the socks. A moment later, she ran back with a pile of towels. After sending the towels, He Wen returned to continue washing her clothes. ¡°Are you really alright?¡± He Wen blushed. ¡°Are you having a dilemma on whether you should cheer for us or your brother, An Ke on Sunday?¡± He Wen¡¯s soap slipped and she looked up at Li Yongle. ¡°Huh? How do you know that An Ke¡¯s my brother?¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a secret!¡± Looking at He Wen¡¯s raised eyebrows, Li Yongle instantly changed his words. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s because of the author didn¡¯t think things through enough, so that¡¯s how I know An Ke¡¯s your brother.¡± (Author: sweat¡­) He Wen shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m worried about our soccer team. Shu Guang¡¯s very strong, I¡¯m worried that you guys may not win¡ª¡± Li Yongle cut her off. ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s very strong, but we¡¯re stronger! The final victory will surely belong to Zhongyuan High School!¡± Chapter 80 - An Accurate Long Pass Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yang Pan had finally returned. His eyes were still a little red, but he could already smile and face the greetings as well as comfort that other offered. Because it was the school¡¯s first time in the finals, he did not want to ruin the joyous and upbeat atmosphere. It was only when he was silent that Zhang Jun could see some erratic movements in his eyes. Zhang Jun knew that the impact of his grandmother¡¯s death was still in his heart. Zhang Jun thought of comforting him, but he did not know what to say. He felt distraught too, but Yang Pan¡¯s grandmother was not his own granny and one else knew about his relationship with his grandmother, so no one came to comfort him. All he could do was train like crazy and use his physical fatigue to ease the pain in his heart. Now, he had his morning jogs every single day. His father would eat breakfast at the table and one morning, he saw how Zhang Jun was covered in sweat as he barged though the door. As a result, he thought that he remembered the day wrongly. Was it the day of the match? His father¡¯s feelings were understandable. For a long time, Zhang Jun was not a person who would willingly work hard for something, including soccer. He would rush into one thing and use his interest as his driving force. When he was a child, he liked colorful stamps, so he began to search everywhere for used envelope stamps to build his collection. Later on, he liked to paint, so the walls and tables in the house were all easily accessible for painting. Then, he liked to sing, which left the neighbors suffering. There was also that time when he liked playing with slingshots. Those poor streetlights had no clue who it was¡­ However, these ¡°interests and hobbies¡± never lasted long. Otherwise, he would have been called ¡°Collector Zhang Jun¡±, ¡°Painter Zhang Jun¡±, ¡°Singer Zhang Jun¡± and ¡°Sniper Zhang Jun¡±. But¡­ he was now ¡°Soccer Player Zhang Jun¡±. He enjoyed soccer and fortunately this time, his interest did not burn out like it did for the others, hence he worked hard for it. Of course, it was because he always had a good partner, Yang Pan. Interest turned into passion and this made Zhang Jun like soccer even more. Nonetheless, that was still not enough to make him work hard by training every day. Yang Pan also liked soccer, but he insisted on training daily. Those were the two differences between them, but they did not interfere with how the other carried on with his interests. Yang Pan would not request Zhang Jun to jog five kilometers every day or do 200 sit-ups, not even 50 push-ups¡­ Zhang Jun would not laugh at Yang Pan for waking up at 6.00 am every morning to jog whether it was rain or shine. Unexpectedly, Zhang Jun was now taking the initiative to jog every morning! After each day of training, he would return home to do 200 sit-ups and 50 push-ups¡­ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s just that things are changing so fast! His father sighed. ¡­ ¡°Li Yongle, how¡¯s that curve ball?¡± Sun Laihong stopped Li Yongle from walking away. ¡°There¡¯s only been a 50/50 chance of success during training. So, it¡¯s difficult to say when it comes to the game,¡± Li Yongle replied. ¡°Alright. Anyway, it¡¯s only been a year. Your improvement¡¯s already rather fast,¡± Sun Laihong nodded his head and replied. ¡°Oh yes, tell me about your thoughts, what are your thoughts on a good midfielder?¡± ¡°A good midfielder?¡± Li Yongle did not understand, so he asked his coach what he actually meant. ¡°Yes, what are your thoughts on a good midfielder?¡± Li Yongle thought about it for a bit. ¡°This¡­ First of all, he¡¯s got to have plenty of physical energy, because a lot of stress is placed on the lower back. Then, of course his defense has to be good too. A midfielder provides a solid barrier to prevent the others from entering the penalty zone. He must also have a good sense of positioning, the ability to read the game, and a good execution of the captain¡¯s tactical intentions. Not to mention, he also has to possess a high spirit of teamwork so that he doesn¡¯t become a lone hero. He¡¯s supposed to be the team¡¯s offensive and defensive center. In addition, they have to know how to pass and perform headers¡­ Ah! Coach, you¡¯re asking me to practice more headers!¡± Sun Laihong shook his head. ¡°Honestly, your headers aren¡¯t that good, so you have to use your legs to stop balls from a high altitude, which is more dangerous. But, I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s all of this about?¡± Sun Laihong passed the ball, which was under his foot to Li Yongle. Then, he pointed at the goal. ¡°Kick the ball into the goal from here.¡± The both of them were positioned at least 60 or 70 m away from the goal. It was an empty gate but he could not guarantee that the ball would go in. Li Yongle looked at the goal, adjusted it, and kicked it with his right foot. The soccer ball flew into the air towards the goal, and finally fell into the empty gate. Sun Laihong nodded. ¡°Okay, not bad. You have a good grasp of direction and strength pressure.¡± Li Yongle was confused. He did not know what his coach was talking about. Sun Laihong continued, ¡°As a good midfielder, it is necessary to read the game to determine whether the team is attacking or defending, and what kind of ways it¡¯s attacking with. It is also important to know how the rules should be kept. If you¡¯re being pressured by your opponents, the ball is at your feet and He Jialin is alone in the front, what would you do?¡± Li Yongle thought and replied, ¡°A long pass!¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Sun Laihong waved his hands. ¡°A long pass as a counterattack! But wouldn¡¯t the pass be a waste if your accuracy isn¡¯t good?¡± ¡°Coach, I understand now. Do you want me to practice on long passes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. You¡¯re very talented when it comes to long passes. Like steel, your direction and strength are impeccable. However, it¡¯s better to increase your accuracy. It¡¯s not easy to score a goal from a long distance, let alone for someone with a height of 170 cm in the game! Heading is indeed your weak point. You may as well use your strength to trump the weakness and practice your long passes a lot. Strive to accurately train it until it¡¯s like a cruise missile that travels at a distance of 30 to 50 m. It¡¯s not just for the team, it¡¯s also for your own personal development.¡± Zhao Defeng, who came out of the lounge overheard the conversation between Sun Laihong and Li Yongle. After Li Yongle left, he went up to to Sun Laihong. ¡°Coach, don¡¯t you want his accuracy in his long passes to be like a ¡®tomahawk¡¯ in the finals? There are only four days left¡­¡± ¡°Hehe! Swerve shot, swerve shot¡­¡± Sun Laihong laughed. Zhao Defeng was speechless. Last year, Li Yongle managed to use a swerve shot to score a goal in just three days. This year, who was to say if he could deliver another surprise in four days? ¡­ The school¡¯s speaker was broken, so the morning classes naturally became impossible. This great news for the students, and the 20-minute class break meant that they could play with joy. Many of them rushed to the soccer field and basketball courts with the ball. Zhang Yang did not hand in his homework again and he was taken to the office by his Math teacher. Zhang Yang put Li Yongle as well as Zhang Lintao on blast for apparently not upholding their ¡°brotherly bond¡±, and the two of them scattered across campus. ¡­ ¡°Zhang Lintao, do you think my passes can be done wherever and whenever?¡± ¡°Of course, your passes are almost like Beckham¡¯s.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about long passes.¡± ¡°Long passes?¡± ¡°Thirty-to-fifty-meter long passes.¡± ¡°Fifty meters?¡± Zhang Lintao glanced at Li Yongle. ¡°Is it going to be a big kick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s possible or not.¡± ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve never seen it before! That¡¯s very difficult since a goalkeeper could stop the ball if it¡¯s an open big kick. You can¡¯t achieve 100 % accuracy. In fact, 65 % is already very good! For long passes, the goal is to exercise. But, the rate of accuracy would be even lower as a result, about 40%. Nonetheless, that¡¯s also considered excellent. Hey, why are you asking me about this?¡± Li Yongle laughed. ¡°Because, I could probably obtain 100 % accuracy in my long passes!¡± Zhang Lintao thought that he heard wrongly. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°One hundred percent.¡± ¡°Are you burning up? Even a professional soccer player can¡¯t do 100 %! Back to the topic, how have you trained for it? Just saying it doesn¡¯t prove it.¡± ¡°Good game!¡± There were cheers coming from the basketball court. An attacker performed a beautiful offense from the third quarter line and the basketball ¡°brushed¡± into the hollow basket. Li Yongle looked at the basketball post and he suddenly smiled. ¡°I have a plan!¡± Physical education class during the afternoon was normally for free activities. Zhang Lintao and Zhang Yang had a look of suspicion on their faces as they watched Li Yongle place 10 soccer balls in the midfield. He then stood behind the balls. There were two basketball courts that separated him from the soccer field runway. The people who were on the targeted basketball courts had been transferred to another place. The number one star of the school¡¯s soccer team had to practice and the students naturally supported him. Thus, Li Yongle began his special training. He walked up to the first ball and took two steps before kicking it towards the basket in the opposite basketball court. The targeted hoop was about 30 m away from him. The soccer ball flew into the sky and fell into the basketball hoop, but it was a pity that it did not hit the backboard or the basket. It fell out. Li Yongle looked at the basketball post and this time, he got the ball to the edge of the backboard. The third kick was a partial success again. And the forth kick was splotched too. In his series of 10 kicks, except for the second one, which slightly wiped the edge of the backboard, the other nine kicks were all failures. ¡°Training¡¯s not working?¡± Zhang Lintao asked him. Li Yongle shook his head. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, but I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡­ ¡°Good shot!¡± The basketball court was blasted with cheers as a few of them were watching. It was the three-point shooter from that morning and he just shot another ball from the three-point line. It was a very, very beautiful high throw and the basketball went into the net. ¡°Beautiful!¡± Li Yongle could not help but praise too. ¡°He¡¯s our school basketball team¡¯s three-point shooter, of course he¡¯s brilliant!¡± Zhang Lintao replied. ¡°You know him?¡± Zhang Yang asked. ¡°I¡¯m interested in basketball too. He¡¯s the main force of our school¡¯s basketball team, how wouldn¡¯t I know¡­¡± Before Zhang Lintao could finish his speech, he was pulled to the basketball court by Li Yongle. ¡°Go ahead, ask him. We need his help!¡± Zhang Yang immediately followed. ¡°Guys?¡± The shooter looked at Li Yongle, who was half a head taller than him. ¡°Hehe, here¡¯s the thing, we¡¯re interested in your three pointers and we¡¯d like to know how you train.¡± Zhang Lintao was full of smiles. ¡°How I train? I just repeatedly shoot the ball every day!¡± ¡°What are your tips and methods?¡± ¡°Tips?¡± The shooter laughed. ¡°The shooting practice is kind of a repetitive movement. Find the rhythm and sensation of shooting the ball in these repeated exercises. Record it with your body, arm and wrist, then use it naturally when it¡¯s time!¡± ¡°But, there¡¯s always a way to start practicing.¡± ¡°The way huh.¡± The shooter lifted the ball in front of him. ¡°You have to look straight at your target. For example, I¡¯m now staring at the front of the back basket and after this, I¡¯m going to make a clean shot.¡± Once he said that, he jumped and took a shot. The ball once again flew in a high arc and fell into the net. It was a clean shot! Li Yongle sighed. Someone threw the ball back to the shooter. ¡°Now I¡¯m marking the upper right corner of the backboard. From this point of view, I can make a shot. ¡°Of course, there are hand-held positions, wrist swings, finger movements, knee power and waist-to-belly coordination to consider as well. In short, it is the result of consistent coordination throughout the body!¡± ¡°So, do you understand?¡± Returning to the soccer field, Zhang Yang asked Li Yongle with confusion written all over his face. Li Yongle laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try!¡± He stared at the basketball post on the other side and launched a kick. The soccer ball then rebounded on the backboard. ¡°He wasn¡¯t not wrong!¡± He raised his fist excitedly. ¡°Wrong about what?¡± Zhang Yang did not understand. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± Zhang Lintao clapped. ¡°That shooter wasn¡¯t wrong. Before shooting the ball, you have to make sure what your target is. To make a clean shot, one has to stare at the back edge of the basket, so that one has a target. If you want to aim for the board, you have to stare at its position. After your eyes have locked on to the target, your body will be consistent from top to bottom, allowing the ball to be thrown at the middle of the target. If you hesitate when you attack, you won¡¯t know where the ball will be shot at and it¡¯ll definitely be a failure. The same applies to soccer. Be sure to know what your goal is.¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°Correct! A ball without a target will only be a blind kick.¡± After he was done speaking, he kicked the ball. It hit the backboard and bounced into the basket! ¡°The results¡­ aren¡¯t bad at all!¡± Chapter 81 - I’ll Give You a Lifetime of Meals Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Hey! I¡¯m Mitsui!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jin!¡± ¡°Jin Soichiro? He can¡¯t compare with our Mitsui!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just crap! Jin¡¯s the best!¡± ¡°That¡¯s sh*t!¡± Mitsui¡¯s the best! Just look at that match between him and Kainan. With that three-pointer shot, no one could defend against him!¡± ¡°Did you watch Slam Dunk properly? The website clearly states that Jin Soichiro from Kainan is the best!¡± The two fans of Slam Dunk were bickering on the basketball court. Looking at the situation, no one dared to interfere. As the two continued to argue, a soccer ball came whistling by and bounced off the backboard. The two of them were shocked and turned their heads to find where the soccer ball had come from. At this time, another soccer ball flew by and went into the net with a swishing sound! It was a clean shot! Then, more and more soccer balls came flying by. The two of them realized that it was too dangerous to argue there, so they instantly ran far away, making weird noises. On the soccer field. ¡°Not bad! Looks like you¡¯re already getting a hang of it. You¡¯ve got about 30 % of it down already!¡± Besides Sun Laihong, who was speaking and Li Yongle, who was kicking the ball, the rest of them at the basketball court had their mouths wide open. They could not comprehend what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s only the third day and your improvements are already really obvious! Keep working hard!¡± Sun Laihong patted Li Yongle on the shoulder and left. The rest of the team constantly praised and admired Li Yongle as they surrounded him. Zhao Defeng did not join them, but he was called out by Sun Laihong. ¡°How¡¯s that? Still have doubts?¡± he smiled and asked Zhao Defeng. ¡°Now you know why I assigned the number ¡¯10¡¯ to him instead of you?¡± Zhao Defeng watched the crowd as they embraced Li Yongle. ¡°I hate to admit it, but he really is a talented one¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Alright, today¡¯s training has come to an end!¡± Everyone scattered. ¡°Tsk! He¡¯s running even faster!¡± Zhang Jun watched his teammates as they appeared as blac dots in the distance. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys yell that you were tired when were training!¡± Yang Pan brought a big basket over as Su Fei wanted to put in the soccer balls she had collected. But instead of placing them inside the basket, she insisted on kicking the balls into it. Half a day had passed and she only managed to kick in one ball. Zhang Jun looked at the sky and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t finish, we¡¯ll have to stay here overnight!¡± Su Fei glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Help me!¡± Zhang Jun approached Su Fei. ¡°Watch closely!¡± Then, he picked the ball up with his foot, and with a kick, the ball flew obediently into the basket. As he continued to kick, barely a moment passed before all the balls were in the basket. There were none left. ¡°Not bad! You do have talent!¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°Hehe! Do you think that the story of Luoyang¡¯s number one front attacker¡¯s just a rumor?¡± Zhang Jun placed both of his hands on his hips and boasted. Su Fei made a silly face. ¡°Your tail¡¯s already tilted to the sky with just a few words of praise!¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, are you coming to watch the match tomorrow?¡± After Yang Pan returned the balls to the equipment room, he came back to ask him. ¡°Match? What match?¡± ¡°The third and fourth place play-off! Do you only care about matches that involve you?¡± Yang Pan replied moodily. ¡°No!¡± Zhang Jun shook his head. ¡°I only care about matches that I participate in!¡± Yang Pan decided not to get himself entangled further in that pointless conversation. ¡°In another sense, the game tomorrow afternoon game will be Fan Cunjie¡¯s farewell game! He made the Luoyang high school community feel grand for three years. Will his farewell game also be a grand one?¡± Yang Pan lifted his head and looked to the west, but he could only see a faint redness tainting the blue sky. ¡°Hmph! Just wait till it¡¯s our turn. We¡¯ll be even grander compared to him!¡± Yang Pan turned to Zhang Jun. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah! When else can we have such a distant, yet ambitious goal?¡± Yang Pan then faced Su Fei. ¡°Are you going tomorrow, Su Fei?¡± He already knew that it was a waste asking her. If Zhang Jun was not going, Su Fei would not be going either. Of course, Su Fei shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m giving Zhang Jun tuition tomorrow.¡± Su Fei smiled. ¡°T-Tuition?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Uncle and Auntie allowed me to give Zhang Jun tuition classes. We¡¯re already in our senior year, so our college entrance examination isn¡¯t far away.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Our college entrance examination¡¯s around the corner. I aspire to be a youth of Qing Hua University and Beijing University, so I¡¯m going to take my test there!¡± Zhang Jun placed his hands on his hips again and replied arrogantly. Yang Pan flung a bag at him and said, ¡± I think you have to attend the ¡°Home squatting¡± University instead to have ¡®your youth¡¯! Let¡¯s go already!¡± ¡­ ¡°Li Yongle, the sky¡¯s getting dark. You still don¡¯t want to leave?¡± Zhang Lintao went to the soccer field, carrying his bag to find Li Yongle still training. ¡°The lights from the school building are shining down at the soccer field, I can still see.¡± Li Yongle launched another kick and the soccer ball slammed into the basketball post and bounced away. ¡°Your accuracy is already good enough and you¡¯ve achieved 30 % of it! What more do you have to train for!¡± ¡°I¡¯m aiming for an accurate long pass while running!¡± Li Yongle dribbled the ball forward and kicked it all of a sudden. The soccer ball slammed into the edge of the backboard. Zhang Lintao saw Zhang Yang retrieving the balls from the basketball ball stand, so he put down his bag and found a place to sit. He quietly watched as Li Yongle kicked balls towards the basketball post, which was 30 m away. *Dong!* *Swish!* *Dong!* *Klang!* ¡­ Su Fei¡¯s parents came to the door again. The four middle-aged men and women had a lot of topics to chat about and they were very lively. Zhang Jun closed the door, but it did not stop the loud noise that was coming from the living room. He gathered his books and pencil, deciding to do his homework at Su Fei¡¯s house. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, is Su Fei at home?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s there. It¡¯s too noisy here, so you should go with her to complete your homework!¡± Su Fei¡¯s mother smiled. The woman¡¯s smile was similar to Su Fei¡¯s. Even her voice was the same. The first time he heard Auntie¡¯s voice, Zhang Jun thought it was Su Fei and it almost made him call her name. He could see Auntie¡¯s younger days from Su Fei and he could see how Su Fei would be like when she got older from Auntie. Despite the old appearance, the charm would still be there. Thanking Auntie, Zhang Jun went out the door and escaped the laughter of the four adults. He then knocked on Su Fei¡¯s door. Su Fei was wearing her pajamas when she opened the door. ¡°Whoa! Whoa!¡± Zhang Jun exclaimed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your pajamas are so pretty¡­.¡± Su Fei made a gesture of wanting to hit him and Zhang Jun instantly changed his words. ¡°The person is also pretty!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Fei turned away and her hair swept across Zhang Jun¡¯s face. A sweet aroma floated into Zhang Jun¡¯s nose and he could not help inhaling. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early, are you going to sleep soon?¡± Zhang Jun looked at the clock on the wall. It was only about nine. ¡°I¡¯m wearing this because it¡¯s comfortable, Stupid!¡± Zhang Jun stuck his tongue out. ¡°My house is too noisy, so I begged for a bit of quietness at your place.¡± ¡°Hihi! I was the one who rushed my parents to your house.¡± Su Fei sat on her bed as she hugged a soft and fluffy dog plushie. ¡°Ah! How sneaky!¡± Zhang Jun sat in front of Su Fei¡¯s table and copied Su Fei¡¯s homework. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t you come here to study?¡± ¡°Yes, study. I¡¯m working really hard on studying!¡± Zhang Jun continued to copy her homework while he replied. ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Fei faced away and ignored him. At that moment, only the sounds of writing and the passage of time could be heard in the room. ¡°You have to win the finals tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Jun did not even lift his head up. He just continued copying her homework. ¡°You mustn¡¯t lose!¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Zhang Jun did not stop writing. ¡°If you lose, I¡¯m breaking up with you!¡± Zhang Jun put his pencil down and turned to face a serious Su Fei. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, Su Fei?¡± Su Fei did not answer. She only stared at him. Zhang Jun did not speak either, instead he looked at Su Fei. It was his first time staring eye-to-eye with a girl and he was surprised that he did not feel embarrassed about it. In the past, the moment he made eye contact with the opposite gender, he would always quickly look away. He was fearful that others would suspect him of having impure motives. But this time, when he looked at Su Fei in front of him, there was no discomfort. Rather, there was a sweet feeling and it made him totally reluctant to turn his gaze away. Su Fei kept her gaze on Zhang Jun. The light cast a soft glow on her smooth forehead and cheeks, forming a halo around her. The hands of the clock moved with each second and it became the only sound in the silent room. What a beautiful picture! Until¡­ *Growl¡­* Su Fei shifted her gaze to the clock on the wall. Zhang Jun laughed in embarrassment. ¡°This¡­¡± Su Fei stood up. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll get you supper.¡± ¡°Oh, alright? Ah!¡± Zhang Jun extended his hand and thought of pulling Su Fei back. But, he only caught Su Fei¡¯s shadow. This is bad! It¡¯s going to be horrible! Zhang Jun sighed heavily in his heart, but it was not a good idea for him to disturb Su Fei¡¯s ¡°enthusiasm to cook¡±. There were sounds of pots and pans colliding in the kitchen. Zhang Jun had a wry smile and swallowed. He walked into the kitchen like a brave martyr. Suddenly, Su Fei¡¯s cry could be heard from the kitchen. Zhang Jun thought a ¡°cockroach¡± had appeared. He quickly rushed into the kitchen and saw Su Fei holding on to her left index finger. There was a little blood on her fingertip and the kitchen knife had been thrown to the side. Zhang Jun did not have to ask to know what happened. He approached Su Fei and grabbed her hand without hesitation. ¡°Let me see!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Su Fei smiled. She wanted to let go of Zhang Jun¡¯s hand. ¡°The water¡¯s still boiling in that pot¡­¡± But Zhang Jun turned off the gas. He brought Su Fei to her room to let her sit on the chair. ¡°Where¡¯s the plaster?¡± Su Fei was shocked by Zhang Jun¡¯s actions. She stared blankly at him for a while before she pointed at her table. ¡°The third drawer from the left¡­¡± Zhang Jun opened it and a box of unwrapped Band-Aid was lying quietly in the drawer. He took a strip out and gave it to Su Fei to apply. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to do it then don¡¯t. It¡¯s dangerous and you¡¯re bound to get hurt¡­¡± Zhang Jun suddenly looked at Su Fei¡¯s left middle finger, index finger and thumb that were injured by the knife. He remembered seeing a colorful book on her desk when he was looking for the band-aid. It appeared to be a book titled ¡°Home-Cooked Recipes¡±. His stomach growled again. This damn stomach! Zhang Jun scolded himself in his heart. Su Fei immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll boil the water. I know how to cook noodles.¡± But, she was held still by Zhang Jun. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Su Fei was surprised to see Zhang Jun starting the gas and boiling the water. He also had the green onions cleaned and arranged neatly on the cutting board. Then, with his four fingers closed together and slightly bent, he pressed down on the green onions with his thumb on the side. He used his right hand to chop it and as the knife moved forward, his left hand moved back. The kitchen knife looked like it would have cut into the joints of his four left fingers, but it did not cut his fingers. ¡°How are you so skilled¡ª¡± ¡°Back then when my parents weren¡¯t often at home, I would always cook for myself. After a long duration of time, I naturally became skilled,¡± In the time that Zhang Jun replied her, the green onions were already chopped. Then, he skillfully scooped them with the kitchen knife and divided them into two bowls. The bowls were already prepared with soy sauce, blended oil, sesame oil and MSG. ¡°Now I have no problems estimating the ingredients too. I¡¯ll make two bowls of noodles.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry¡­¡± ¡°Give my home-cooking a try!¡± Zhang Jun turned with a smile. ¡°Give me some cold water.¡± Zhang Jun then handed a bowl to Su Fei. She filled it with water and returned it to him. This suddenly made her feel something: it was a familiar scene! And snap, it finally came to her! During the weekends, her mother would be busy in the kitchen and her father would give her a hand. He had to ask her on what to do, but he was happy¡ªher father would never be strict with his wife. Looking at their happy faces, Su Fei would position herself on the sidelines. But then her father would always kick her out of the kitchen with the excuse of it being too ¡°chaotic¡±. Comparing the current scene and the other one, the difference was, this time there was no one around to chase Su Fei out of the kitchen on the excuse of it being ¡°chaotic¡±¡­ As she thought about it, her faced flushed. Fortunately, Zhang Jun had his back facing her, so he did not see it. Otherwise, she would not have known what to say. Would she say that she was thinking if the two of them were a couple? Would she that the were going to have a child together one day? Just kidding! There was no way she could say those kinds of things! But, was it too early to even think about these things? While Su Fei stared at Zhang Jun with loads of messy thoughts on her mind, Zhang Jun stood with both hands on his hips and exhaled. ¡°And it¡¯s done!¡± Looking at the steaming hot noodles, Su Fei could not resist picking up her chopsticks. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I last did this, I¡¯m not even sure how it¡¯s turned out. Give it a taste.¡± Su Fei picked up a few strands of noodles and put them under her nose to sniff. ¡°Smells good!¡± Then, she blew on them before she putting them in her mouth. ¡°Tasty!¡± Zhang Jun smiled and hungrily ate the noodles too. ¡°Can you teach me?¡± ¡°W#@t?¡± Zhang Jun¡¯s mouth was full of noodles that it was unclear what he said. ¡°Can you teach me how to cook?¡± Su Fei held her chin as she watched Zhang Jun gulped down his noodles. ¡°Is that really necessary? There are loads of other girls who don¡¯t know how to cook too, so it¡¯s not necessary!¡± In honesty, Zhang Jun was just lazy. ¡°No!¡± Su Fei shook her head. ¡°I have a reason why!¡± Zhang Jun drank the soup up and said, ¡°What¡¯s your reason? It¡¯s not going to be a big deal if I give you a lifetime of meals¡­¡± As the words came out, he saw the strange expression on Su Fei¡¯s face. He knew he either said something he should not have, or something that was too early to be said. Both Su Fei and Zhang Jun were stunned. At that moment, the door flew open. Uncle and Auntie had returned. When the two entered the house, they saw their daughter and Zhang Jun facing each other across the table, and there were two bowls of steaming hot noodles on it. Other than that, there was just silence¡­ Chapter 82 - The Ending Is Still the Beginning Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As Zhang Jun ate his breakfast, he could feel the insecurity in his father¡¯s eyes. His smiles were pretentious too. Even his strict and solemn mother was adorned with a mysterious smile. This was the same smile Uncle and Auntie had when they saw him at their house. Zhang Jun could not help but shiver. In the end, after he was done with breakfast, Zhang Jun was kicked to Su Fei¡¯s house. ¡°Off you go for your tuition! Your college entrance examination¡¯s coming soon!¡± His father could say those words with such righteousness even though ¡°soon¡± was actually still half a year away. When Zhang Jun arrived at Su Fei¡¯s house with his bag, Auntie instantly said to Uncle, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Accompany me shopping!¡± ¡°Oh? Are you two going out?¡± Zhang Jun asked as he noticed Uncle and Auntie wearing their shoes outside their house. ¡°Hehe! Yes, we adults need a break from parenting!¡± Uncle smiled as ¡°happiness¡± was written all over his face. Auntie gave him a punch, but her face was also filled with the same sense of ¡°happiness¡±. ¡°Father, Mother, enjoy yourselves!¡± Su Fei smiled. She sent her parents out of the door and closed it. After that, she turned around and smiled at Zhang Jun. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started!¡± It was 9.00 am and Yang Pan just ended his five-kilometer jog. He was covered in sweat as he arrived at the courtyard to have breakfast. ¡°Is tomorrow the finals?¡± The uncle who sold noodles smiled and gave him a bowl of chicken noodle soup. There was also a piece of freshly fried scallion cake. Yang Pan was his regular customer. He would always have breakfast at the uncle¡¯s place after he was finished with his morning jog. Yang Pan did not even need to say anything, he already knew what Yang Pan wanted. No matter rain or shine, Yang Pan would have his morning jog every day, and this food stall was the same as well. ¡°Mmm.¡± Yang Pan took a bite of the tasty scallion cake and the aroma instantly filled the place. The uncle¡¯s fried scallion cake had been around for eight years and its taste never changed. ¡°Looking at how the both of you are working so hard every day, will you be getting to the championship?¡± During this time, there were not many customers around having their breakfast, so the uncle could sit down and have a chat with Yang Pan. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Both of us?¡± Yang Pan lifted his head to look at the uncle, who was smiling. ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s right! That kid, Zhang Jun jogs every day too. But, he wakes up really early when the sky isn¡¯t even bright yet. When he gets back, he would greet me.¡± The uncle¡¯s breakfast stall had already been set up in front of the courtyard for eight years. They often went to him for breakfast when Zhang Jun and Yang Pan were still in elementary school, because his scallion cakes were the best in the neighborhood. After one or two visits, everyone was familiar with each other. Yang Pan looked thoughtfully in the direction of Zhang Jun¡¯s house. That uncle added, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him working so hard before, jogging every morning. He¡¯s different from you, in a sense that he does have a bit of laziness. But now, he¡¯s become very serious. That¡¯s why I said the championship won¡¯t escape you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s been jogging every day¡­¡± ¡°He wakes up early and it¡¯s different from your jogging time, so you two have never bumped into each other. He¡¯d be running back even before the sky becomes bright and the streets are still empty. He¡¯s even earlier than me! I¡¯ve never seen him working so hard before, tsk tsk!¡± The uncle rubbed his bearded chin as he replied. ¡­ ¡°Li Yongle, I knew that your physical fitness was good, but I never thought it would be this good!¡± Zhang Yang lay down on the basketball court and watched as soccer balls flew across his line of sight. They slammed into the basketball post, where some went in while some did not even hit the edge. He was already tired just from picking up the balls, but Li Yongle was still running around, launching his big kicks¡­ ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s already the finals! If you keep tossing around like that, will you still have the strength for tomorrow? There¡¯s only three hours between now and 7.00 am!¡± As Zhang Yang commented, Li Yongle trained. He had tossed his jacket aside earlier on and also taken off his trousers. On that early winter morning, he only wore a long-sleeved sweater and a pair of sports shorts. Yet, he was covered in sweat. Zhang Yang was helpless and all he could do was lay on the ground as he watched the soccer balls fly across the sky like birds. Beside him were all the soccer balls that Li Yongle had kicked over. Before long, he would have to kick them back. ¡­ Shu Guang High School¡¯s Teachers Apartment, Building 4, Unit 701. It was a very messy apartment with a messy living room, bedroom and dining area. Diligent women would not have been able to suppress their urge to clean as soon as they saw it. In front of a messy bed, there was an extremely untidy table, and on that table there were leftovers. It was uncertain how long the food has been there. On the right, there was a row of sofas and in front, there was a television. The television had been switched off and this was seemingly the most valuable item in the house. In addition, the owner¡¯s clothes were left on the sofa. The sunlight shone into the house and onto the owner¡¯s face too, but it did not disturb him from his dream. Who knew what he was dreaming of, maybe victory? Or, was it defeat? In front of the sofa, many video tapes were scattered across the floor and they had different colored labels. The only feature they had in common was the three words neatly written on them: Zhongyuan High School. ¡­ An Ke gently opened the door and exited like a thief. ¡°An Ke,¡± his mother¡¯s voice sounded from the back. An Ke sighed and turned. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Me? Hehe! I¡¯m going to go for training!¡± An Ke rubbed the back of his head and smiled. ¡°Training?¡± His mother slapped An Ke on the head. He was dressed in a shiny leather jacket, a pair of jeans and leather shoes, which could have doubled as mirrors. In addition, his hair had obviously been moussed. An Ke that he had no skills when it came to lying. He sighed again and closed the door, taking his shoes off and replacing them with slippers. ¡°Wash your bed sheets and quilt!¡± After his mother threw these words to him, she returned back into the house. An Ke looked at the tub and whined. A preschooler could have used it as a bathtub. It was filled with bed sheets and quilts. ¡°What are you whining about?¡± His mother carried another pile of clothes in and she threw them into the washing machine. ¡°This is a family tradition; you wash the ones that are difficult to wash and I¡¯ll wash the ones that are easy. Have you forgotten?¡± What kind of tradition is this? An Ke only dared to say it in his heart. He was afraid that if his mother heard him, she would throw all the clothes from the washing machine into the tub before him. When An Ke was younger, he was the ¡°flower of the motherland who loved labor¡±. He would often carry out work no matter if it was within his strength or not, and he was praised by his parents for his performance. On one occasion, he acted on a whim and began to wash all the sheets in the house. At that time, he was in his first grade of elementary school. It looked like he was being caught by the water. He did not know if he was washing the sheets or being washed by the sheets. But in the end, he managed to overcome the bed sheets, which looked like a python in his eyes. When his parents saw the hung bed sheets along with An Ke, who was standing next to them, dripping wet, they could not believe that An Ke was the one who washed them all. So, he was naturally praised by them. ¡°Our An Ke knows how to wash the bed sheets all by himself!¡± But, what An Ke enjoyed the most was being able to feast on delicious meals for two days. Since then, An Ke had a sweet tooth and requested that he would be in charge of the sheets! His parents agreed to this win-win situation, where ¡°their son would be trained and they would be saved¡±. An Ke did not expect to step on this ¡°pirate ship¡±, where he would be in charge of it for 10 years. After that, An Ke finally started to have a bigger ¡°understanding¡± of things. He wanted to quit, but his parents would always talk about dignity. Whenever An Ke wanted to give up, his resolve would be crushed. However, An Ke¡¯s ¡°endurance and suffering¡± were not meaningless during the past 10 years. Because of that, both of An Ke¡¯s hands had great power, so it was not a problem for him to grab a basketball for a slam dunk. When he was in middle school, he had to perform several grips, which also happened to be one of the factors for his success as a goalkeeper. The washing machine made a deep buzzing sound while An Ke squatted in front of the big ¡°tub¡± to scrub the bed sheets. ¡°An Ke, Wen Wen has been feeling unhappy these few days, did you bully her again?¡± His mother approached him and watched as he washed the bed sheets. ¡°You¡¯re joking! Me, bully her? As if I dare!¡± An Ke replied. ¡°Then, why is she so unhappy?¡± ¡°How would I know¡­ Oh? Mom, when did you notice her being like that?¡± An Ke turned his head to look at his mother. His mother thought for a bit. ¡°A week ago.¡± An Ke returned to washing his bed sheets. ¡°That idiot¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Ah! No, it¡¯s nothing! Oh, mom, are you and dad coming to watch the match tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s our son¡¯s finals, why wouldn¡¯t we go! Hmm, but our son is on this team and our daughter is on the other team, who should we support? It¡¯s hurting my head a little¡­¡± His mother frowned and muttered to herself. She did not hear An Ke sighing softly. ¡­ When Ren Yu De ran down the stairs, his father was just about to leave. ¡°Dad!¡± he hesitated before calling out. ¡°This¡­ Ah, goodbye!¡± His father stared at him blankly, then nodded. He turned around and left. As the president of Sanli Group, he was also the head leader of Luoyang, so he was always leaving hastily every day to get busy with work and socializing. This seemed to be the only way for any successful businessman. Watching the white BMW exiting the courtyard, Ren Yu De was lost as he sat on the sofa. He was not interested with the lively channels that were broadcasting on the television. When his father turned around, the words he wanted to say suddenly pulled back into his stomach. He could not even call out to him. He knew that his father was very busy and he would not get to see him a few times a week. He could not speak more than 20 sentences to him. His father had little concern for him. Perhaps, it was probably one of the main reasons why he chose to rebel. There was a time where he thought the house was just a place for him to sleep. There was no ¡°home¡± at all. His father was busy with work and socializing all the time. He said that the way to support the next generation was to practice the ¡°earn a lot of dollars¡± policy. His mother was busy too as she took care of his younger brother. She had no concern for him because he ¡°already seemed to understand things¡±. After reaching high school, Ren Yu De changed and his father knew. However, because of other reasons, the two of them never spoke more than 50 sentences a week. When he planned to call out to his father earlier, he wanted to chat about the final match, but the moment he saw his father turn around, he suddenly went blank. Was it because it had been so long since they last communicated, that even under the situation of being face-to-face with his father, he did not know how to speak anymore? ¡°Dad, tomorrow afternoon¡¯s the finals, come and watch!¡± Ren Yu De began to regret it as he lay down on the sofa. Why did he not say that earlier? Even if they won the finals tomorrow, he would still regret it¡­ ¡­ The Luoyang Post and Telecommunications Bureau had quite the ¡°special existence¡± in the bustling, modern city center. Kaka was sitting in the No. 8 telephone booth and he was making a call¡ªan international long distance one. ¡°Dad, did you know, when I first ran back to China, I didn¡¯t want to follow the route you set up for me. So, I can¡¯t return to Brazil.¡± The soundproofing effect between the telephones were good and any sound inside could not be heard outside. Hence, the person inside the booth would not be disturbed from the outside. ¡°I know that you¡¯re only doing it for my own good, but I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I already know how to think for myself and I know what I want for myself. I will continue to follow my own wish. No matter what happens, I won¡¯t regret it. ¡°I¡¯m only making this phone call to ask for your blessings and get some peace. But, you always say this kind of stuff to me all the time. You have a business to be busy with, so I¡¯m not requesting you to visit me in China again. It¡¯s all good here. I have a big group of friends and we play soccer together. There¡¯s nothing back there at all. Homesick? Hehe, Father, you told me that China¡¯s my home and now that I¡¯m home, what¡¯s more to miss? No matter what, I want to complete my high school here. Then, I¡¯ll decide if I want to return to Brazil or not. I know that I¡¯ll have to bear such responsibility in the future, but that will only happen later. I just want to live my life now¡ªa happy life where there¡¯s soccer and friends, so let¡¯s not talk about all this, alright? I love you, Father, Mother and Little Reich. If he¡¯s naughty, please discipline him properly, hehe. Think about how I was before. I pray every day that you¡¯ll all be blessed with peace. I¡¯m good here, so Father, please don¡¯t fret, I will surely return. I will return to your side, but now, I have even more important things to do. Alright, Father, the long distance is very expensive, so I have to go. Father, I love you all!¡± Kaka hung up and got out of the phone booth. Due to his youth and handsomeness, he could not help but attract a few stares. Kaka had apparently gotten used to it. He smiled to those who were walking past him and they smiled back. After he got out of the door, he squinted both of his eyes. Luoyang would have scorching sunlight in the winter and tomorrow¡¯s weather would be great for his match. He took his sunglasses out of his pocket and exited the crowd of people. That afternoon, the third and fourth place play-off was staged at the Xigong Stadium. As Yang Pan said, the focus of the game was the one and only Fan Cunjie of Dingding. For the past three years, Dingding had not received any honors, but soccer fans and experts loved their mastery of the midfield, plus it was Fan Cunjie¡¯s last game. The game attracted quite a lot of people. They all came to see this tragic hero. Fan Cun Jie was a well-deserved master and he had outstanding skills. He was very easy-going towards anyone, including the reporters and he never refused others¡¯ requests. He also strictly abided by the sport¡¯s ethics on the field. Not to mention, he had the utmost respect of his teammates, opponents and audience, because he was never given any recognition from the start to finish It won the sympathy of many people. Once he left, there would be no more ¡°Artistic Master¡± in Luoyang. After Lin Ling left the year before, Tongxing could no longer compare with Dingding and Zhongyuan High School. The third and fourth place play-off had no suspense. Halfway through the second half, Dingding had locked in a 3: 0 victory. Fan Cunjie assisted two goals and scored one. Every time he touched the ball, ran, passed, and took a shot, a roar of cheers came from the stands. The match ended with Dingding¡¯s victory with a score of 3: 0 against Tongxing. When the final whistle was blown, all the soccer fans in the audience, except Tongxing¡¯s cheerleaders shouted Fan Cunjie¡¯s name. They expressed their respect for the player who gave them three years of enjoyment and happiness without giving up. The screams also made Fan Cunjie, who initially planned to hide in the lounge, to stay on the field. He walked around the field to wave and say his goodbyes to his soccer fans, teammates and opponents. The were still some remaining tears from prior week, after he took off Dingding¡¯s jersey and the captain¡¯s armband. At that moment, he could not restrain himself anymore and his tears came flowing out. As he said his goodbyes, he realized that it was goodbye to everything in the past. Whether it was his grandness, a persistent dream or the bitterness of failure, everything would be blown away with his tears in the wind¡­ Watching Fan Cunjie embracing his opponents and his teammates on the field as well as waving goodbye to the audience, Zhou Jian Sheng sighed in the live room. ¡°An era is over¡­¡± However, the next day, a new era would begin¡­ Chapter 83 - Finals Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The year was 1999. It was a fiery time, full of blood and passion; youth and dreams; sweat and tears. It was uncertain how many still remembered it after many years later. These teenagers offered their own sweat to chase their dreams and after many more years, who knew how many of them would still talk about it happily. On this particular winter day, things were a little unusual¡­ When Zhang Jun and Su Fei left the house, Zhang Jun¡¯s parents were packing and getting ready to cheer their son on in Xigong Stadium. Zhang Jun¡¯s mother did not attend the semi-finals, so today she handed the store over to a buddy of hers and went to watch the game. The members of the Shu Guang soccer team had to arrive in school half an hour before the scheduled time, because the principal wanted to personally send them off. Even though he would be at the stadium to watch the game, this visit was like a special ceremony. Although there were some formalities involved, it was absolutely necessary. The principal said, ¡°For your dreams and the glory of the school, fight with your sweat and let your heart fly!¡± Due to the generosity of his words, everyone was pumped and they began to howl like hungry wolves as they rushed into the bus. Su Fei would usually be excited at a moment like this, but today, she sat next to Zhang Jun in an unnatural state of silence. Liang Ke followed his usual routine of being the last to get on the bus. He then waved his hand and said, ¡°Start the bus!¡± ¡°To the stadium!¡± ¡°Onwards!¡± Their shouts made the bus move and it began to drive to Xigong Stadium. Along the way, Su Fei remained silent unlike her excited teammates. When the bus started to move, she grabbed on to Zhang Jun¡¯s hand tightly and refused to let go throughout the entire trip. The bus headed off into Jiudu Road from Nanchang Road, then it drove off towards their destination. Once the bus turned into the west gate of Xigong Stadium, the noise from the venue was audible in the bus. The finals attracted not only fans from Luoyang but also teams from other regions to watch and collect information. Zhongyuan High school was the number one winner of this game and they naturally attracted attention. Many opponents in the National Championship came out to scout their enemy. Zhang Jun hopped off the bus and reporters surrounded the scene at the bus. Zhongyuan High School had arrived a few minutes earlier, hence the press already started their ¡°encirclement and suppression of doom¡±. ¡°Zhang Jun! Are you going to perform another hat-trick in this match?¡± a reporter shouted loudly across several people. ¡°Not possible.¡± Zhang Jun shook his head. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± The reporter was apparently not prepared for Zhang Jun¡¯s humble answer. ¡°Because our opponents are Zhongyuan High School today.¡± ¡°Zhang Jun, which is more important to you, the title of best shooter or the championship trophy?¡± another reporter asked a nonsensical question. Zhang Jun rolled his eyes, thinking that if he did not have any questions, he should have just gone away. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun! There have been rumors that Li Yongle decided to play soccer because he wanted to compete with you. Is this true? Zhang Jun looked up and Li Yongle had his gaze cast in his direction too. It was probably safe to assume that a reporter also asked him something along the lines of, ¡°Excuse me Li Yongle, there have been rumors that you decided to play soccer because you wanted to compete with Zhang Jun. Is this true?¡± Li Yongle glanced at Zhang Jun, then turned back and nodded at the reporter. Zhang Jun returned his gaze and replied, ¡°Correct.¡± The reporter who asked this question was very excited. It was as if he had been waiting half a day for a reply. He quickly threw out another question again, afraid that other reporters would steal his question. ¡°So, in today¡¯s final, do you think you you beat him?¡± ¡°That, we¡¯ll have to wait until the match ends to find out.¡± Zhang Jun had an expression of uncertainty as he shook his head. The reporter was also disappointed and he helplessly thought of another question to ask. ¡°Then, will you be using your Rising Dragon again today?¡± he emphasized the word ¡°again¡±. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until the match begins to find out.¡± ¡°Scary!¡± An Ke exclaimed as he placed his bag on a stool. ¡°I almost died! Is this really the finals?¡± Others did not say anything. They headed into the stadium and looked at the lively scene before them. Their enthusiasm from before was swept away and they tensed up. Then, they said the same thing as An Ke, ¡°Is this really the finals?¡± There were twice the number of reporters compared to the semi-finals and the stands were packed with more than 20,000 people. Their deafening cries practically blocked out their hearing. Before the match started, a cheerleading group consisting of 20 pretty, high school girls performed. It felt like they were watching the opening ceremony of A-League[1], and the organizers had asked Aaron Kwok to come out and sing ¡°Let¡¯s Move¡±. The players changed their clothes and listened to their coach¡¯s arrangements. ¡°Shu Guang will definitely still play in 4-3-3 formation. As long as they are well organized, they won¡¯t change. Yang Pan, Ren Yu De and Zhang Jun will still be the front attackers with Kaka covering their backs. This year, Shu Guang¡¯s attacks are unprecedentedly strong. We have to use the spirit of 120,000 for our defense. Our formation will be 4-5-1. The purpose of this game is very clear: we need to remain steady and stop Shu Guang¡¯s attack, so we have to constantly fight against it. He Jialin and Zhang Yuchao¡¯s speeds aren¡¯t weak; we need to play to the power of quick counter-attacks. Li Yongle, this game will test the effectiveness of the training you¡¯ve undergone for your long passes.¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t need to say anything more about defense; everyone should be able to understand. We had a match against them before and it was a close victory for us. Yang Pan¡¯s speed and long shots are worrying and this year, his improvements have been obvious. However, Zhang Yang and Lu Qing, I believe in both of your abilities, especially Lu Qing. You didn¡¯t participate in the match with us last year, but in terms of speed, you aren¡¯t losing out to Yang Pan. You¡¯ve assisted Zhang Yang in the position of lower back and Li Yongle has also reminded you of this. So, don¡¯t be anxious and worried. Let your worries go and be bold, do whatever your heart desires!¡± ¡°Also, Liu Chao, Ren Yu De is indeed an expert in dribbles. During the match with Dingding, he could single-handedly put Dingding¡¯s line of defense in danger. However, physical strength is one of the most important factors constraining him. You are deadly to him, so snare and burn his physical energy without any worries.¡± ¡°Oh yes, Li Yongle, I know the relationship you have with Zhang Jun, but this match is very important. I hope you will give priority to the overall situation of the team. Don¡¯t bother about Zhang Jun this time, Luo Bin and Deng Rui will handle him. You are in charge of Kaka. Li Yongle stared at his coach blankly, but after a while, he nodded. ¡°Kaka is a character you must absolutely not underestimate. I hope you¡¯ll dedicate all your abilities to deal with him just as you have with Zhang Jun. Don¡¯t let him attack the organization. Li Yongle nodded. Zhang Yang glanced at him, but he did not see any change of expression on Li Yongle¡¯s face. The trumpets sounded across all directions in the stadium; it was time to get working. ¡°Good afternoon to everyone in front of the television and the fans in the stands. Today¡¯s final match is between Zhongyuan High School and the new Shu Guang High School. The commentators for this match are yours truly, Wang Qiang and Mr. Zhou Jian Sheng.¡± ¡°Hello everyone!¡± ¡°According to the starting line-up we have, both coaches have come up with the strongest line-up. The list of appearances for Zhongyuan High School is as follows, No. 1, goalkeeper, Zhang Lintao; No. 6, left back, Zhang Yang; No. 15, right back, Hao Liu Zhao; the two central defenders are No. 2, Deng Rui and No. 21, Luo Bin; the center half back consist of two players as well, No. 17, Lu Qing and No. 10, Li Yongle; then there¡¯s the left midfielder, No. 7, Zhang Yuchao; right midfielder No. 8, Zhang Yulin; the captain at the front is No. 18, Zhao Defeng; and last but not least, forward, No. 11, He Jialin. Zhongyuan High School will be playing in a formation of 4-5-1.¡± ¡°In this match, Luo Bin is a senior student who is repeating his third year of high school, therefore he is also able to participate in this tournament. In comparison to last year, this lineup has one less forward, who has already graduated. This would be Li Qiang and he¡¯s been replaced with the back defender, No. 17, Lu Qing.¡± ¡°The following is the list of Shu Guang appearances; Shu Guang will be going with a 4-3-3 formation: goalkeeper, No.1, An Ke; left back No. 6, Xie Wei and right back, No. 3, Chen Bo; central defender No. 4, Li Jieguang and No. 5, Lin Xiaofang; back midfielder, No. 8, Wang Ning and No. 17, Li Hao; front midfielder, Kaka; forwards are No. 7, Captain Yang Pan, No. 20, Ren Yu De and No. 11, Zhang Jun. This lineup is also the best line-up for this year. Any predictions for today¡¯s game, Mr. Zhou?¡± ¡°Hmm, Zhongyuan High School has traditionally been the strongest team. They¡¯re the kings and they¡¯re called as such because of their defense. Zhongyuan High School¡¯s defense is a tradition and the team has always insisted that ¡®victory is based on solid defense¡¯. This year, Zhongyuan High School attached a high degree of importance to defense as well. Zhang Lintao is a simple and stable goalkeeper, who has been unobstructed thus far, while Luo Bin is an excellent middle defender. He has four years of experience in big tournaments, plus his three years of cooperation with Deng Rui has made their line of defense comparable to a concrete wall. Zhang Yang is a brave back defender and Liu Chao¡¯s one-on-one ability is super strong¡ªeven Fan Cunjie is jealous of him. In addition, there¡¯s Li Yongle, the talented genius who has attracted wide attention across the country. Offensive players often come back to defense and Zhongyuan High School¡¯s defense is the most difficult to break through in the country.¡± ¡°What about Shu Guang?¡± ¡°Shu Guang is a very characteristic team. If Zhongyuan High School is stable, then Shu Guang would be passionate. Their advocating offense and personal skills are excellent. Although there aren¡¯t any eye-catching attacks among the group of four people, attacks are still very important. Once can say that it¡¯s Shu Guang¡¯s foundation. The stability of this foundation can only be built upon and it doesn¡¯t need to be fancy. It is precisely when they are in a defensive situation that they¡¯ll go all out and perform their duties with due diligence. Zhang Jun as well as the others can confidently and boldly charge the offensive half of the field with their talents. As Shu Guang has never entered the Nationals, I can only say that they¡¯re the sharpest spear in Luoyang.¡± ¡°Hehe! So, this game will be a conflict between the sharpest spear and the strongest shield.¡± ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the exact way to describe it.¡± ¡°Then, who do you think will win, Mr. Zhou?¡± ¡°Well, there are many variables within Shu Guang to consider. Their weakness and advantages are obvious. Their offense relies on the tacit understanding between the players themselves and getting to play with them can be incredibly grand. If they did not get along in the first place, things would have ended being silly. However, when Shu Guang¡¯s offense is on fire, their defenses are under tremendous pressure. As I said before, Zhongyuan High School¡¯s defense is good, but that doesn¡¯t mean that their offense won¡¯t work. In fact, Zhongyuan High School¡¯s offense does not depend on individual ability, but it is the result of the team¡¯s effort. ¡°Despite the hard work that Shu Guang¡¯s back defender has displayed, there is still a gap in strength and it is difficult for Shu Guang to prevent multiple attacks at different levels. In contrast, Zhongyuan High School is a very stable team. Although there are no shortage of stars, most of these stars just provide tactical fan service instead of tactics that benefit a team. Therefore, that one player¡¯s dysfunctional play doesn¡¯t really affect the team as a whole. A soccer team like that can be very frightening. Of course, that aside, in this highly anticipated final, anything can happen. Both teams may have mistakes, but who has fewer mistakes; who is the better one to catch the other¡¯s mistakes; and who will win the game, these are all empirical. Therefore, I think the more comprehensive and experienced Zhongyuan High School will win the final victory. Although Shu Guang would not be able to accept this result, they are still too inexperienced.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you Mr. Zhou for your wonderful analysis. Let¡¯s wait for the appearance of players from both sides.¡± ¡°I believe the coach of the Zhongyuan High School team must have been watching our recordings of the game, and it¡¯s been the same for me. Everyone is familiar with each other and this match will be a comparison of their own strength.¡± Liang Ke faced the team as he said, ¡°In contrast to last year, our opponents have a new face, No. 17, Lu Qing. He is a fast-paced midfielder and it¡¯s a said that he was a winger in middle school. Their coach is ready to contain Yang Pan from the very beginning, so Yang Pan should pay more attention.¡± Yang Pan nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t let them get comfortable.¡± Liang Ke then turned to Zhang Jun. ¡°Zhang Jun, everyone knows about your relationship with Li Yongle now, and the media also sees the confrontation between the both of you as the biggest focus of this game. But, do you think you¡¯ll really be together in this game?¡± Zhang Jun thought about it for a while, then shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± Liang Ke nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s correct. If I were the opponent¡¯s coach, I would surely send Li Yongle to keep an eye on Kaka, because Kaka is the initiator of the offense. Watching him means cutting off the link between the midfielders at the front. So Kaka, you have a big fight ahead of you today.¡± Kaka smiled and raised his thumb. ¡°I have confidence in myself!¡± ¡°The opponent will likely use Luo Bin to defend against you. Luo Bin has four years of experience in matches and he has excellent physical fitness as well as explosiveness and speed. He is indeed the best person to defend against you, so be careful,¡± Liang Ke exhorted Zhang Jun. ¡°An Ke you¡¯re in charge of commands for the back line defenders.¡± ¡°No problem! I won¡¯t allow to be safe throughout the whole game, hehe!¡± No one knew if he meant it for his back defenders, or the opponent¡¯s front offenders when he said ¡°won¡¯t allow to be safe¡±. ¡°Ren Yu De.¡± After Ren Yu De heard his name, he looked up. ¡°Last year, you were pressured by him during the entire game and today, the opponent¡¯s coach will certainly have him defend against you. It¡¯s going to be a meeting of enemies! How about giving him a taste of your excellence?¡± Ren Yu De knew what Liang Ke meant by ¡°him¡±. Zhongyuan¡¯s right back, No. 15, also known as the ¡°one-on-one¡± expert that even Fan Cunjie of Dingding was jealous of for his three pointers. Last year¡¯s competition was one of his few successful breakthroughs. He could not afford to repeat the same mistake this year. In honesty, he had no confidence, but he still nodded. Liang Ke looked at his watch. ¡°The time is here, everyone to the field! Remember, your goal is to get to the championship!¡± ¡°Oh¡± ¡°The finals for 15th National High School Soccer Championship Qualifiers in Luoyang are about to begin soon. Our audience of 23,000 spectators are waiting in excitement for the referee to blow the whistle for the kick-off.¡± As though in response to the commentator¡¯s words, deafening cries sounded from the stands. ¡°Ah Gui! Ah Gui!¡± Wang Bo looked around to find the source of the voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you a couple of times already. Where were you looking at?¡± Su Li said. ¡°Dang it! You guys are seated there and dressed so inconspicuously, I couldn¡¯t find you all in the vast sea of people!¡± ¡°No one knows that you have small eyes,¡± Zhang Rui quipped. ¡°How do you know? Your eyes are small too! And you¡¯re a high school student, do you even know how Physics works?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an academic person, okay!¡± Zhang Rui said. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s quite right! Li Xiaopeng, why didn¡¯t you bring Wei Wei?¡± Wang Bo squeezed into Li Xiaopeng¡¯s side. ¡°Get out of here! You also address her by Wei Wei?¡± Li Xiaopeng laughed as he gave Wang Bo a punch. ¡°Hehe, Liu Hui, Liu Lei, Shang Jin, everyone¡¯s here! Good, good!¡± ¡°The old captain just has to say the word and I¡¯m here.¡± Shang Jin laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t I rush here from Zhengzhou?¡± Wang Bo stretched. ¡­ Su Li watched the field. They¡¯ve really come this far. How could we not come to see? This is an appointment not to be missed. Everyone kept quiet and watched the green soccer field silently. It seemed as though they were all reminiscing on their own soccer years. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Wang Bo suddenly asked. ¡°Regret? Regret what?¡± Su Li did not quite understand. ¡°Regret not studying for another year. Perhaps, you would¡¯ve been standing on the field today instead of sitting here as an audience.¡± Su Li laughed. ¡°What about you? Do you regret it?¡± Wang Bo shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are times when I regret it; like why was I a senior last year, not a freshman. But, there are times when I don¡¯t regret it. We would have had to leave earlier anyway and they were the ones who brought the team to this day; what does it have to do with us? Why are my eyes red?¡± Su Li leaned on to Wang Bo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I feel the same as you!¡± ¡°They¡¯re out!¡± The trumpets sounded excitedly. Both teams set foot on the green field under the leadership of three referees, and the stands suddenly burst into great cheers. After the national anthem was played, the captains of both teams took their sides and stood on the field according to their respective formation. Everyone came; parents, friends, fans, reporters¡­ It was the finals, the most anticipated finals, and everyone was there. All of a sudden, the stands quieted down and the banner blowing in the wind was the only thing that could be heard. Everyone was waiting, waiting for the referee to sound the whistle for the opening. Chapter 84 - A Misplaced Start Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Before the kick-off, Zhang Jun saw Li Yongle, who did not have a very pleasant expression on his face. He assumed that Liang Ke was right about Li Yongle having been coached to mark Kaka during the game. Li Yongle was not going to defend against him and he was unsure if it was good or bad news. He stood at the kick-off point and placed his foot on the soccer ball. He then looked beyond Zhongyuan¡¯s forward, midfielders and back defenders, all the way to their side of the goalpost. Since both sides felt that victory for their respective teams was the most important thing, they set aside their personal differences and strived for victory. Hence, the duel with Li Yongle was not to be his main focus of the game, but Zhongyuan¡¯s goal before him. Yang Pan was by his side and both of them had been partners since elementary school. As long as they had each other, their thoughts had always been the same, We must absolutely not lose! In the past, before the start of the kick-off, there was always some tension and excitement. But today, Su Fei felt calm. Despite saying ¡°if you lose, I¡¯m breaking up with you¡± the previous night, she was not worried about them losing. She sat quietly by the sidelines and it seemed like she was watching their daily training. Ren Yu De stood in the middle and peered over at the stands. Among the crowd of people, he could not seem to find what he was looking for. Then, he sighed gently. ¡°He won¡¯t come!¡± An Ke thought of greeting his sister before the match, but the moment he saw He Wen¡¯s bitter expression, he did not dare go near her. The members of Zhongyuan High School would think that he was the one that bullied their ¡°cute manager¡± and he would not be able to concentrate the game. If he had something to say, it was best to wait until the game was over. However, he was not sure if he would still have the mood to say it after the game, and if He Wen would be in the mood to listen. The stadium, which was filled with 23,000 people was so silent that even the blowing wind could be heard. In the quiet environment, the referee¡¯s whistle for the kick-off was clearly audible. Many years after, famous soccer reporter, Chen Huafeng would recall the kick-off for this game. ¡°In my opinion, the referee¡¯s whistle was so clear and long. It sounded as though it was transmitted to the heavens, and it echoed throughout the blue skies on that winter day.¡± *Beep!* Zhang Jun gently nudged the ball from the midline and passed it under Yang Pan¡¯s foot. The stadium, which was unusually quiet earlier, suddenly appeared as if it was detonated with a bang. Screams, cheers, horns, gongs and drums were all intertwined, creating a huge noise. Even the city government 800 m away could hear the loud noise from the stadium. Those who passed by the stadium outside heard the same sound too. ¡°The game has started!¡± Ah Yuan slouched, then sat up straight. ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± ¡°Big brother, I don¡¯t understand, weren¡¯t you watching?¡± his little brother replied next to him. ¡°Less talking, more watching the ball!¡± ¡°Yang Pan returns the ball to Kaka, but Kaka doesn¡¯t bring the ball forward. Instead, he passes the ball again to Wang Ning. Zhongyuan¡¯s forward, He Jialin pounces on Shu Guang like a ferocious tiger!¡± Wang Ning kicked the ball forward and looked for Zhang Jun, but it was snatched by Li Yongle right in front of Zhang Jun. Li Yongle used his chest to unload the ball and maneuvered it to the right side of Zhang Yulin¡¯s foot. The commentator instantly shouted with passion, ¡°The long-awaited round of confrontation between Li Yongle and Zhang Jun ended with Li Yongle¡¯s victory!¡± In response, Shu Guang¡¯s stand booed. Zhang Yulin managed to take the ball from a very awkward position. Xie Wei could not catch up this time, otherwise there would have been a big gap. Wang Ning and Li Hao were pinned by Zhao Defeng so they could not rush up in time. So, Zhang Yu Li looked for another person before he decided to take lead of the ball. His dribbles were not that good in comparison to Fan Cunjie and Ren Yu De, who was an expert in dribbling. However, his dribbles were good enough to deal with Xie Wei. Zhang Yulin got pass Xie Wei, and even though it was only a moment, it was enough for him to pass the ball! He Jialin¡¯s height was only 170 cm and he was not good at competing in the penalty zone. Also, Zhang Yulin¡¯s pass was around the height of his waist and it was an arc spinner. On top of that, Zhongyuan¡¯s goalkeeper could not easily attack. There was no doubt that Zhang Yulin was a ¡°watch maker¡±. His passes seemed to be casual, but they were very high in accuracy. He Jialin was as slippery as mud in the penalty zone. After taking on Li Qiang¡¯s position as a strong center, the responsibility of scoring a goal fell onto his shoulder. He was skilled, so he could get a hold of the ball at the front. He could also dribble the ball and make a breakthrough on his own. Not only that, he could control the ball whenever he was blocked during his dribbles as he waited for his teammates to catch up. He was really suitable as the ¡°1¡± in ¡°4-5-1¡±. He Jialin tried to snatch a point, but he was interrupted by Lin Xiaofang. The shot did not reach the center position and missed the goal. A few sighs of regrets sounded from the stands. ¡°It seems like Zhongyuan High School is taking a different approach today!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. During their matchup last year, Zhongyuan High School was defensive from the get-go. But this year, they are on the offensive mode, leaving some of us puzzled.¡± An Ke placed the ball on the small area of the penalty zone. The current striker was not the same as the previous year¡¯s Li Qiang. Li Qiang was a very aggressive striker. Even if there were three meters ahead of him, he would still shoot hard if he had the opportunity. However, Shu Guang¡¯s No. 11 seemed to pursue of angle and skill. An Ke was never afraid of a strong striker; he would just harden himself. Except, Yang Pan, that kid was of course not human. He had skills and An Ke had to properly adjust himself. Even if the game was in a good order for the No.11, it could still be a very difficult game for An Ke. ¡°An Ke has sent a big shot towards Kaka, but Li Yongle speedily catches up! Eh? Li Yongle is defending against Kaka. What about Zhang Jun?¡± As the commentator¡¯s voice dropped, Kaka snatched the ball from Li Yongle and headed it over to Zhang Jun. But, Luo Bin roared as he snatched the ball first and headed it outwards. ¡°Luo Bin? I don¡¯t quite understand this!¡± Li Yongle was five centimeters taller than Kaka, yet he was defeated by the header earlier. His header was really weak. Lu Qing received the ball from Luo Bin¡¯s header. Then, he wheeled and passed it to Zhao Defeng who returned. The moment Zhao Defeng got the ball, Zhongyuan¡¯s cheerleaders instantly cheered. The ball was at his feet and all his companions were also at ease. In contrast, his enemies became worried. Zhao Defeng, who was a senior in his third year was more mature and stable, but his knife was never rusty. He was a cold player. ¡°Zhao Defeng takes the ball and Wang Ning is catching up. However, Zhao Defeng has managed to pass him with just a few moves! The first grade midfielder, Wang Ning who has been performing well was just easily wiped away by Zhao Defeng! There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s the best front offense in this championship!¡± After Zhao Defeng got pass Wang Ning, Li Yongle, Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulin sprinted towards Shu Guang¡¯s side of the field. The speed of their change to offense was breathtaking. Zhao Defeng passed the ball to Zhang Yuchao, who was cutting through, but Zhang Yuchao immediately transferred it to the right side of the field. Zhang Yulin stopped the ball very nicely, then took the lead! He Jialin did not rest either. He ran towards the penalty zone before he was dragged out by Lin Xiaofang. Zhang Yulin refused to let go of this situation and made a pass! He Jialin ran outside, so the penalty area was now¡­ ¡°Zhao Defeng! Plug from the back, attack with a header!¡± An Ke was taken aback, but his instinct to counterattack was still good and he flung the ball out of the bottom line. ¡°I never thought that Zhao Defeng, who¡¯s only 165 cm tall could score a header into the penalty zone. Not to mention, that header was so strong!¡± ¡°Mhm, he sprinted and jumped, then there was a gliding process in the air. He took advantage of the mistakes made by Shu Guang¡¯s back defenders and headed the ball, so the strength he put in was great.¡± ¡°Zhao Defeng is particularly active today. He usually doesn¡¯t snatch a header from the inside.¡± ¡°Hehe! If he loses today, it¡¯ll become his swan song, so naturally, he would have to fight hard.¡± After the corner kick, Lin Xiaofang leaned against Luo Bin to push the ball out of the penalty zone. Zhang Yuchao received the ball in front of the penalty zone and took a shot! Li Jieguang used his body to block the ball out. Kaka received the ball and along the way, he rushed towards Zhongyuan¡¯s half of the field. ¡°Kaka turns! Beautiful! But Li Yongle instantly catches up and he¡¯s now intertwined with Kaka!¡± Kaka desperately guarded the ball, but he realized it was taking up too much energy. He had no other way but to dribble it forward again and return the pass to Wang Ning. Wang Ning kicked the oncoming ball towards Zhang Jun, but when Zhang Jun was just about to turn and run, the ball was headed back to Luo Bin. Li Yongle was against Kaka and the ball was then passed to Lu Qing. ¡°Looks like Li Yongle is marking Kaka, while Luo Bin is responsible for Zhang Jun.¡± ¡°Sun Laihong has made an accurate coaching decision. If Li Yongle had been used to mark Zhang Jun, he could only contain Zhang alone. There woud be no one would to defend against Kaka, whose passing makes it possible for the other two strikers to stay alive. Now that Kaka is marked by Li Yongle, they¡¯ve lost the effectiveness in organizing their attacks, and the three front strikers won¡¯t be able to play. Defending against Kaka alone is equivalent to keeping four people in check and deterring the entire team. Such coaching definitely deserves a gold medal.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, the game has been going on for five minutes, but Shu Guang hasn¡¯t made any threatening attacks as they¡¯re defending against Zhongyuan¡¯s offense. It seems like these two teams have exchanged roles.¡± Wang Ning saw Kaka being followed closely by Li Yongle, hence it would be a loss if he passed. He then shifted his target and passed the ball to Yang Pan. After Yang Pan received the ball, there was a lot of cheering from the stands. The superior speedster with tremendous strength always brought passion to the fans. Many of them always expected him to throw off the defense with speed and make his long-range shots. Even if he did not score, it was still enjoyable to watch the goalkeeper¡¯s reaction. Yang Pan took the ball and turned. He then kicked the ball and sped up! ¡°Yang Pan is dribbling the ball very quickly! At his speed, no one can rush up to stop him!¡± ¡°Lu Qing!¡± As Zhang Yang called out to his teammate, he retreated slightly. Lu Qing sped up too and he stuck himself on Yang Pan¡¯s side. ¡°Smart! Once he sticks himself close, Yang Pan¡¯s speed will decrease!¡± Sure enough, Yang Pan¡¯s speed decreased. While Lu Qing was near him, his hands were not idle. He constantly pulled on Yang Pan¡¯s clothes. Zhang Yang suddenly moved forward and extended his leg to break Yang Pan away from the ball. ¡°Yang Pan has lost the ball! Now he¡¯s being circled by the two of them!¡± Zhang Yang handed the ball over to Zhang Yuchao, who was in front of him. He found it unwise to be easily pressured by an assist. It was necessary to combine his and Lu Qing¡¯s power to suppress Yang Pan. He did not expect himself to have such great strength in his lower body; he was like an invincible wild horse. If he went up to assist, Lu Qing would be left to deal with Yang Pan on his own. However, relying on speed alone would not be able to stop Yang Pan. Yang Pan could not be careless as well. He had to tighten his nerves and muscles throughout the whole 90 minutes of the game. Zhang Yuchao took the ball and hurried along the edge. Li Hao rushed from the side, but he could not catch up to his speed. Chen Bo rushed forward and prepared to advance, but he did not expect Zhang Yuchao to kick the ball to the left. This was followed by Zhang Yuchao¡¯s left foot, which kicked the ball forward. He then accelerated! ¡°Zhang Yuchao crosses Chen Bo from a very small space! There is a vast space in front of him!¡± Zhongyuan¡¯s cheerleaders instantly cheered loudly. ¡°Back to defense! Back to defense! Li Jieguang, get into position!¡± An Ke moved near the corner as he commanded the back defenders loudly. ¡°Chen Bo, return to the penalty zone!¡± Liu Hui frowned from the stands. ¡°With Zhang Yuchao¡¯s speed and skills, it¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± He used to be the left as well as back defender before, and he had also faced Zhang Yuchao several times in the previous year. He knew that Zhang Yuchao¡¯s breakthroughs were like sharp daggers that could easily cut off his enemy¡¯s throat. ¡°Zhang Yuchao takes the ball into the penalty zone! He is speeding up to throw off Li Jieguang, who has gone in to defend! Here¡¯s his chance! This is Zhongyuan¡¯s best chance to score in today¡¯s match!¡± An Ke clenched his teeth and watched Zhang Yuchao¡¯s every movement closely. From his position, both shooting and passing were possible. An Ke recalled Zhang Yuchao¡¯s habits of breaking into the penalty zone: he rarely passed the ball and usually chose to shoot instead. An ke decided to bet on it and he began to adjust his focus. ¡°Zhang Yuchao suddenly shoots from the penalty zone! Beautiful! But An Ke has made the right choice. He takes the ball and throws it out! Corner kick!¡± ¡°Zhang Yuchao took a shot all of a sudden, but he chose to shoot from the upper corner with a huge amount of strength. That was a really beautiful shot, however An Ke¡¯s save was even more beautiful. The moment Zhang Yuchao kicked the ball, he began to launch himself into the air. It was as if he knew that Zhang Yuchao would shoot from that angle. He grabbed the ball and threw it out. A wonderful performance of offensive and defensive; this is definitely the finals!¡± The corner ball was out and it was headed by Li Jieguang from the sidelines. For the past two minutes, Zhongyuan¡¯s excellent defense team had been pressuring Shu Guang¡¯s offensive team into its own half. With Zhongyuan¡¯s one three-legged shot, two straight shots and corner ball, Shu Guang had no way of making any shots; no corner balls and no threatening passes. ¡°From the statistics of the first seven minutes of the matcg, both sides seemed to have exchanged their positions. The other side¡¯s offensive madness hasn¡¯t stop while the other has since retreated into defense. This is an interesting outcome!¡± ¡°Mhm, I don¡¯t know how the coaches from both sides arranged this. This is indeed quite unpredictable.¡± ¡°Have I put them in wrong positions?¡± Liang Ke said to himself. He was mentally prepared for this opening. Judging from the first few qualifiers that year, the Zhongyuan High School¡¯s defense had reached new heights; heights where other teams found difficult to reach, and they did not have a way to break through it. To get the team up to a higher level, they could only start offensively. Therefore, in the past few matches, Zhongyuan High School attached great importance to their offense, which led to great victory. It appeared that not only did they have to think about how to penetrate each other shields, they also had to be beware of daggers that may come stabbing at any time. Sun Laihong¡¯s hope was his idea would give them the opportunity to actively attack and snatch the chance to score. But, he never thought things would go so smoothly; Shu Guang did not fight back! He shook his head and turned to look at his expressionless opponent, thinking that in the face of such a situation, should he laugh or should he be worried? Chapter 85 - Battle Axe Long Pass Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Huafeng turned and looked at the time on the big screen. As the game entered the fifteenth minute, there was no sign of Shu Guang making a recovery. The team parried but there was no payback. Li Yongle¡¯s defense against Kaka was very successful. So far, Kaka still had no way to provide support for the strikers. He could only return a pass, pass and return the pass again. Wang Ning, who caught the ball poorly, was an engineer type of player. It was not a problem for him to execute destruction, but it was difficult for him to organize the offense itself. Moreover, if the ball was passed out, what could he do? Yang Pan was stopped by Zhang Yang and Lu Qing, while Zhang Jun did not seem like he had a way to shake Luo Bin off. Ren Yu De on the other hand, always seemed to have an issue when he was faced with Liu Chao. Wang Ning did not seem to have a better solution either. He could only pass the ball back to Lin Xiaofang. Lin Xiaofang was also facing the same problem, and thus could only pass it back to Chen Bo. So, Shu Guang retreated to the defense line, which never happened before in previous matches. There were quite a few boos coming from the Shu Guang fans. One of Chen Huafeng¡¯s fans appeared next to him and spat on the ground. ¡°Damn it! The Chinese national team would have been able to do it! Have the stupid kids of this generation learned anything yet? Chen Huafeng was speechless, but what he said was true. Now he could only look at what the coach, Liang Ke instructs them to do. In the past few games, many people thought that Shu Guang¡¯s coach was just a name for display and it was the players who made the decisions. He didn¡¯t know if he had heard such rumors. Chen Huafeng has been staring at Shu Guang¡¯s coach and was looking forward to see what happens next. Sure enough, Liang Ke stood up and walked to the sidelines. Yang Pan noticed his coach¡¯s move and set his sights on him. Liang Ke rushed to wave his hands and Yang Pan instantly nodded in respond. Liang Ke then turned back to the coach¡¯s seat. Everything was silent and they communicated with gestures and their eyes. Chen Huafeng didn¡¯t understand what was going on. In his position, he could only look at the back of Liang Ke but he couldn¡¯t see what was Liang Ke doing in front of his chest. However, Liang Ke couldn¡¯t sit any longer and that was a good sign. Chen Huafeng¡¯s doubts were only temporary. Soon, he would see what Liang Ke was going to do. Yang Pan turned and shouted loudly to Ren Yu De¡¯s name, then he waved his hand and Ren Yu Den quickly retreated. Yang Pan also withdrew and the two of them retreated to a position slightly behind the line. This is¡­ ¡°Shu Guang changed their formation! After going through the first fifteen minute of disappointment, Shu Guang¡¯s coach, Liang Ke couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. So, he stood up and motioned the change of the players! Yang Pan and Ren Yu De retreated to the front defender¡¯s position, leaving Zhang Jun as the front striker. Shu Guang changed their formation from 433 to 451! Mr Zhou, what do you think of Shu Guang¡¯s change of formation?¡± ¡°Well, this change can be very timely, clever and beautiful. The reason being so it¡¯s because on the surface, Zhang Jun is left as the only striker where there will be some isolation. In fact, after adding two attackers on the front defense line, Zhang Jun¡¯s support behind him is even powerful. Sun Laihong allowed Li Yongle to defend against Kaka to cut off the contact between Shu Guang¡¯s midfielder and striker. From the first fifteen minutes, he was very successful. However, Liang Ke saw it now, so the source of offense was suddenly increased from one to three. Hence, Zhongyuan is having some difficulties since the three of them have different skills. One tactic restricts to one individual but it does not necessarily restrict the other two. In the past, Shu Guang always had three on the midfield but now they have four on the front field, making them really strong. So, the lack of midfielders has been recovered. However, Zhongyuan is a powerful team, if there¡¯s no addition in strength on the midfield, Shu Guang would fall sooner or later, so now that two of them are added to the front line, the midfield has five people. It is enough for Zhongyuan to be short of the midfielder.¡± This change of formation showed it¡¯s power soon. Wang Ning passed the ball to Kaka again and Li Yongle was forced to come up. ¡°Kaka could only helplessly return the pass!¡± The stands booed again. Wang Ning received the ball but he didn¡¯t return the pass again, instead he instantly moved the ball to Yang Pan¡¯s right side of his feet! The booing stopped because the fans saw the number 7 who was as fast as the wind. As Yang Pan retreated, Lu Qing and him and also Zhang Yang¡¯s distance was pulled apart and this distance was just enough for him to rush up! Zhang Yang was almost thrown off in an instant. Although he was ready, he was still slower than Yang Pan¡¯s sprinting. Lu Qing desperately gave chase, due to his fast speed, the distance between him and Yang Pan shrunk. ¡°Yang Pan and Lu Qing are almost at the same speed! Lu Qing quickly caught up but Yang Pan didn¡¯t have the intention to pass! He¡¯s rushing to the bottom line!¡± With the two of them high speed movements, everything around them changed into a colorful line, the stands, spectators, the green field, the players and even the fans were all cheering loudly. Zhang Jun, who had been closely watched by Luo Bin, turned into a circle and suddenly bypassed Luo Bin and rushed to the penalty zone. Although Yang Pan wasn¡¯t likely to be interrupted by Lu Qing¡¯s speed, there wasn¡¯t a possibility that he would pass with full strength but Luo Bin didn¡¯t dare to be careless and followed him. ¡°Yang Pan has no intentions of slowing down! Does he think of breakthrough like this? If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s underestimating Zhongyuan¡¯s defense¡­ Ah! That isn¡¯t right! Behind his heel! In Yang Pan¡¯s high speed movement, he used his heel to hit the ball to Chen Bo who was behind him!¡± Chen Bo took the chance when Zhang Yuchao had yet to catch up in time, and moved the ball to the left for Kaka to receive the ball. Li Yongle scurried back and guarded him from turning around. But at this moment, Wang Ning came running to them, looking at the situation, he wanted Kaka to pass the ball to him. ¡°Wang Ning came forward!¡± Just as Wang Ning ran past Kaka, Li Yongle felt Kaka¡¯s center body has changed, as if he was going to pass the ball. He hesitated, he didn¡¯t know if he should defend against Wang Ning or Kaka. During this time, Kaka suddenly turned to the opposite direction and swept past Li Yongle! ¡°Kaka pretended to pass the ball but he turned away from Li Yongle! Li Yongle was tricked by him!¡± Yang Pan, who passed the ball, didn¡¯t continue running towards the penalty area and instead, he returned to meet Kaka. His move seemed to be sending a terrifying message to people: He was going for the long-ranged shoot. Sure enough, Zhang Yang, Lu Qing and the retrenched Zhang Yuchao surrounded towards Yang Pan. Even Deng Rui began to consciously rely on Yang Pan¡¯s shooting line- although his shot was terrible, but as a defender, shouldn¡¯t he stop each offense and reduce the pressure and burden for the goalkeeper? Just when everyone had their eyes and attention on Yang Pan, Zhang Jun quietly reverted back to Luo Bin¡¯s side. Luo Bin has been attracted to Yang Pan¡¯s move and he hasn¡¯t noticed that he lost control of his goal. Kaka didn¡¯t follow the script of everyone¡¯s heart but suddenly made a pass! ¡°Zhang Jun!¡± The commentator called out in shock. The soccer ball rolled over the grass and it happened to be on the right side of the goal. He took the chance of Luo Bin no responding yet and ferociously turned to shoot directly! ¡°A turn to shoot the goal!¡± Zhang Lintao who seemed to be pressured tackled forward but there was helplessly a distance, in addition of Zhang Jun¡¯s sudden shot, he couldn¡¯t tackle the ball. The soccer ball then swung from the outside of the post, which was dangerous! ¡°Too bad! That was a beautiful offense! Shu Guang¡¯s offense is finally taking place!¡± ¡°Honestly, Shu Guang¡¯s formation received an effect.¡± ¡°That was close! He might not have a chance again next time. Luo Bin, he¡¯s a dangerous person.¡± Zhang Lintao placed the ball on the line of the restricted area and said to Luo Bin who was about to kick the ball off. As a goalkeeper, Zhang Lintao could not be flattered of his skills and that was his only drawback. Luo Bin nodded. ¡°I was just careless, he wouldn¡¯t have a second chance again!¡± ¡°Hehe! How are you so confident?¡± ¡°You think that Li Yongle¡¯s the only one that has the ability to mark people?¡± Luo Bin ran three steps ahead and made a big kick towards the field and there was Zhang Yulin who¡¯s 180 cm tall at the front field¡ªan excellent header. After the opening, he turned to Zhang Lintao and said. ¡°I¡¯m the same.¡± His expression was serious and it was definitely not a joke. ¡°The game has been going on for twenty minutes. The score is still a tie 0: 0! During the last fifteenth minute, Shu Guang was in a dangerous situation and after their coach, Liang Ke timely adjusted them, Shu Guang gradually regained their lost initiative! Dear viewers, good afternoon! You are now watching the finals of the 15th National High School Soccer Championships of the Luoyang Qualifiers! Having the teams of Zhongyuan High School and Shu Guang High School!¡± Sun Laihong already saw the purpose of Liang Ke¡¯s change of formation but he sat still without moving. He believed that that the current situation on the field, the players can completely manage on their own. The team that has gone through two national tournaments doesn¡¯t need to be disorganized because of a change in their opponents. Moreover, because of the opponent¡¯s change in the game, they could also follow the adjustment but rather by the opponent leading away and finally losing their initiatives, excessive adjustments would be overwhelming. This was indeed the case, Zhang Jun has stepped up his ¡°care¡± after shooting the goal. He also found it hard to win by any chance. Shu Guang¡¯s offense was occasionally threatening too. The main reason was that the three strikers were indeed extraordinary, but those occasional threats were all resolved by Zhang Lintao, who was in good condition. The only thing that made Sun Laihong somewhat worried was that Yang Pan seemed to have been obsessed with assist and refused to explosive long-ranged shots, he didn¡¯t know what was he going tod do. If this thing was put into use when the physical strength of the last member is dropped, Zhang Lintao¡¯s situation would be very dangerous. Moreover, with other clipping onto defense, he could only pass but his passes are equal to his defensive forces attracting to him alone and the other¡¯s defensive pressure would be reduced. Seriously, their positions are reversed! Yang Pan transferred the ball to the left side of the court. Ren Yu De stopped the ball and from Ren Yu De¡¯s position, in between Zhongyuan¡¯s Liu Chao and Zhang Yulin, although he couldn¡¯t go against any of them, but at any moment, he could attack from the back of them. Ren Yu De began to dribble and it got the fans excited. During the match, both Fan Cunjie and him put up a good performance and both of them were looking forward for today. Liu Chao waved behind him, despite the fact that there was no one behind him¡ªthis was his habitual movement, it meant that ¡°You can rest assured that I can deal with this alone!¡±¡ªhe leaned back to Ren Yu De. Everyone was looking forward to a wonderful showdown between Ren Yu De the dribble expert and ¡°one-on-one expert¡± Liu Chao. However, when Ren Yu De saw Liu Chao rushing up, he passed the ball and this move surprised Liu Chao. To his knowledge of understanding Ren Yu De, no matter where, when and what the circumstances are, his ¡°hardcore¡± dribbles could make a break through, even when he¡¯s faced with him. But what¡¯s wrong with him today, why did he quickly pass the ball out? Some of the rushed passes from Ren Yu De were snatched by Li Yongle, he broke through Shu Guang¡¯s attempt. At the moment where Shu Guang was pressured, there was a huge gap between the back defense line and the goalkeeper. Li Yongle looked up and saw He Jialin at the front line and it was in parallel with the opposing mid defender, there wasn¡¯t any hesitation and he made a long pass! Sun Laihong saw Li Yongle¡¯s long pass and he subconsciously sat up straight in his seat and stared at the flying soccer ball. ¡°Zhongyuan counterattacks with a long pass!¡± The soccer ball drew an arc and it fell from a high point, the ball arrived and the people came too! He Jialin stretched his foot to beautifully unloaded Li Yongle¡¯s long pass and then he was faced An Ke, a single knife! ¡°An accurate long pass! The single knife He Jialin, this is the best chance for Zhongyuan High School!¡± An Ke attacked! As He Jialin dribbled the ball, he saw An Ke running out then he ferociously shoved the brakes and with a sharp kick, the ball flew into the empty goal. ¡°He Jialin made the shot! It seems like Zhongyuan is the first to take the lead!¡± An Ke felt some sadness as he turned to look at the ball flying straight into the goal, he believed that the other members of Shu Guang and the cheerleaders shared the same feelings as him too at this moment- they¡¯re going to lose a point! He Jialin was getting ready to celebrate his goal. But¡­ ¡°Dang!¡± The soccer ball slammed into the post and bounced out of the bottom line! ¡°Such a pity! Shu Guang got away this time!¡± ¡°Um, judging from the situation earlier, I think Li Yongle¡¯s accuracy and long pass played a very important role. In the high school world of soccer, there are only a few that can transmit an acurrate long-distanced pass. Not only that it¡¯s easy to make a big kick but it also adds an arc of spin to allow the ball to be more directional and purposeful.¡± ¡°So in this case, there¡¯s no doubt that Li Yongle is the best player in the previous national competition!¡± When Yang Pan saw Li Yongle¡¯s long pass to find He Jialin in front of him, he gave up on defensing because he knew that this kind of pass couldn¡¯t be caught up even if his own speed was within 10 or 15 seconds per 100 meters.¡± It was both a fast and accurate long pass¡­ ¡°Tomahawk missiles! This long pass reminds me of the infamous accurate attacks of the tomahawk missiles! It¡¯s quite suitable to call it a battle axe long pass!¡± Not bad, it really was a suitable name. He Jialin was frustrated but was then reassured by Li Yongle: ¡°There¡¯s still a chance, don¡¯t rush it!¡± ¡°Seriously, that long pass of yours was¡­ good that I¡¯m left speechless!¡± He Jialin raised his thumb up to Li Yongle. Zhao Defeng stood at the side and watched the both of them. ¡­. ¡°After Li Qiang left, I¡¯m planning to reserve his No. 10 to Li Yongle, does everyone have any objections?¡± After the training ended, he asked everyone. Li Yongle had his eyes wide open and he didn¡¯t dare to believe what he just heard: ¡°Coach, this¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he was replaced with his team mate loud screams: ¡°No objections!¡± Zhao Defeng was speechless because he felt a faint loss inside his heart as he thought that he would be the one who would be wearing the No. 10 jersey. As the soccer team¡¯s captain, offensive organizer and the soul of the team, how could there be any one that is more suitable than him? ¡­ And today, Zhao Defeng accepted defeated in his heart, that the No. 10 jersey, was more suitable for the guy in front of him, a lot more suitable. Chapter 86 - A Fire Infused Goal Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yang Pan retreated to get the ball then made a long pass to Zhang Jun. But unfortunately, Zhang Jun was helplessly defeated by Luo Bin¡¯s gigantic size so the ball was headed away by Luo Bin. ¡°Zhang Jun was closely guarded by Luo Bin. Speaking of which, Luo Bin¡¯s an excellent marksman mid defender.¡± ¡°Correct, in the second year of his senior year, he played a major role in the defense line. Whether if it is ability in air defense or marksman ability. His overall abilities are all excellent. During that year in Zhong Yuan High School, there were two mid defenders, one of them was behind the back while the marksman defender was him. Therefore, it¡¯s reasonable for Sun Lai Hong to use him to mark on Zhang Jun. From the current point of view, besides the turnings and shootings, it¡¯s going to be difficult for Zhang Jun to gain another chance. As the ¡®1¡¯ in ¡®451¡¯, once the opponent is frozen, their offense is likely to reach a dead end. The coach¡¯s task on Luo Bin has been done brilliantly.¡± ¡°However, it seems that everyone¡¯s long awaited ¡°Zhang Li showdown¡± will not be expected anymore.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way to it. This is the final and it also concerns who will get the right to participate in the national competition in Shanghai next February. None of the coaches dared to do anything against the tactical arrangements in order to fulfill the audience¡¯s wishes. Even the goal medal coach, Sun Lai Hong is no exception.¡± ¡°There are some regrets to it!¡± ¡°Indeed. The audiences always want to watch a passionate game with beautiful goals. However, coaches must first consider the benefits of their teams, if they can¡¯t score, it¡¯s no use if it¡¯s a beautiful kick or not. In fact, at the beginning of Zhong Yuan High School¡¯s selection on defensive-based tactics, they were somewhat obsessed with the admiration of the game but they continued to dominate throughout their country and became the current high school soccer deserved hegemony. At the French World Cup last year that I believe everyone has watched, the German team¡¯s coach said a very reasonable speech: We don¡¯t kick attractively but those who do are the ones who went home earlier than us.¡± ¡°His speech sure is reasonable, appearance and utilitarian can never be united!¡± When the two commentators discussed eloquently, it seemed that they forgot that in 1998, it was Germany that planted to plat the most offensive game and the game was full of passion. A newly born cattle was not afraid of the ferocious tiger of Croatia. And the Shu Guang of today, their experience is similar to Croatia! In the end, whoever gets to be the winner, it was still too early to conclude anything. After seeing the accuracy of Li Yong Le¡¯s long pass, the defenders of Shu Guang didn¡¯t dare to pressure them anymore. Also, Zhang Jun¡¯s sharp knife was put on a scabbard by Luo Bin so he couldn¡¯t reveal his edge. The game entered a stage of stalemate. ¡°The game is a bit boring, perhaps it¡¯s because of the finals. Both teams are playing cautiously in this period of time.¡± Kaka took the ball and Li Yong Le followed him as close as a shadow. He passed since there was no other better ways to break though the opponent¡¯s defense. He could only make a short-rage shot to try his luck. And the result was just as expected, under Li Yong Le¡¯s interruption, the soccer ball was hit like an airplane. The game was passed ten minutes in the absence of any threatening shots and passing errors. There¡¯s only ten minutes left until the end of the first half, the score was still even 0: 0. ¡°This is so boring! It¡¯s not as good as Ding Ding and Shu Guang¡¯s semi-final game!¡± Another dissatisfied fan cried out. ¡°It is the finals, both sides are making sure they won¡¯t lose a point, otherwise there wouldn¡¯t be anything to discuss about champions, would it?¡± ¡°As the saying goes, didn¡¯t we come here to watch a wonderful performance of the game?¡± ¡°How can this world have the best of both things!¡± Chen Hua Feng listened to the conversation between the two of them beside him and he agreed in his heart. The demands of fans and coaches were sometimes inevitably conflicted. If the coach changed his style at the request of the fans, it would be idiotic! Back in the top 10 games of 1997, the fans shouted, ¡°change Li Tie!¡± and the coach really did change Li Tie out from the game, hence the consequences were astonishing. However, Chen Hua Feng still felt some regrets. The finals have been really dull and wouldn¡¯t it shocking if it was over? Can the energetic spirit of Shu Guang avoid this very moment? He made a wry smile and shook his head. The first half of the match was about to end and time was moving into injury time. The dullness of this moment allowed the fans from the stands reduced their passionate cheers and their screams were lessening by a lot too. Wang Ning passed the ball to Li Hao¡¯s foot and Zhao De Fend didn¡¯t come up to snatch it, instead, he retreated. The entire team of Zhong Yuan was beginning to contract backwards. ¡°The entire team of Zhong Yuan is contracting their defense, perhaps the reason for it is the midfielder quickly approaching. They are thinking of maintaining this draw during the break time! However, will Shu Guang allow them to get what they want?¡± When Li Hao saw this, he quickly passed the ball to Yang Pan. Yang Pan retreated to get the ball but Lu Qing didn¡¯t come up to him. It wasn¡¯t only Lu Qing, all of Zhong Yuan¡¯s defense didn¡¯t seem to be as compact and effective as it was before. Not knowing why, Yang Pan thought of it as a good opportunity. When the midfielder was liberated, the dazzling attack power of Shu Guang could be revealed. However, some individuals didn¡¯t have the same idea. When Chen Hua Feng saw Sun Lai Hong stood up from the stands, an ominous premonition quietly rose from his heart. Liang Ke saw Sun Lai Hong rising from his seat. Looking at some of the defensively relaxed Zhong Yuan high school and the members of Shu Guang sharpening their hearts, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly stood up, then he rushed to the sidelines to shout out Yang Pan¡¯s name loudly. But he was missing one step ahead. ¡°Yang Pan dribbles the ball, Shu Guang takes the chance of Zhong Yuan¡¯s relaxed defensive to launch an attack!¡± Lu Qing used his speed to follow but there wasn¡¯t any hand movements and his body wasn¡¯t affixed either. Yang Pan, who was relieved by the pressure and dashed towards the bottom line. Besides Zhong Yuan constant contraction and re-contraction, there was no one to stop his breakthrough. At this time, it seemed like Yang Pan received their ecstatic encouragement, the two back defenders of Shu Guang unexpectedly pressured the middle line. Chen Bo rushed forward, thinking that Yang Pan would pass with his heel like the last time. But Yang Pan didn¡¯t plan to kick back the ball because he already reached the bottom line. A pass! Lu Qing was still slowed, he didn¡¯t stop Yang Pan¡¯s pass. ¡°Kaka appeared there! Ready to receive that pass!¡± However, Yang Pan¡¯s pass was headed by the gigantic sized Deng Rui! Kaka didn¡¯t receive the ball, when he turned around to see who got the ball, he realized Li Yong Le adjusting the ball then his feet¡­ ¡°It¡¯s coming! Li Yong Le¡¯s battle axe long pass!¡± ¡°D.. Disastrous!¡± Yang Pan was in shock, he knew that it was too late for him to recover. He was careless, he forgot that his opponent was too pressuring, will the poisonous snake of Zhong Yuan give up their chance? He could only pray for An Ke to be brave or cross the goalpost to help Shu Guang through this robbery. He Jia lin has been cruising around the frontcourt from the very beginning, awaiting for this opportunity. He pierced through the space between the mid defenders and rushed forward and the soccer ball forward from his head. An Ke roared and went to attack. At this moment, he refused to call any back defenders back. The earlier the attack, the better the chance is to break the ball away from He Jia Lin, who was in control of the ball and hoped to lose a score. The soccer ball fell into the restricted area, from this point of view, it seemed like He Jia Lin was getting closer. An Ke desperately jumped up and was ready to hit the ball out of mid-air. But He Jia Lin¡¯s foot work was faster than him and as he was running, he used an unconventional move to grab the ball between the two players! Then the ball crossed over An Ke¡¯s stretched hands and parachuted to the empty goal behind him. Everyone, including the players from both sides watched the soccer ball falling into the empty goal. This time, the goalpost didn¡¯t show any compassion and Shu Guang¡¯s goal was broken. ¡°In the 41st minute of the first half, Zhong Yuan used a classic long pass to counterattack. He Jia Lin made a shot to break An Ke¡¯s ten fingers off! 1: 0! Zhong Yuan is in the lead! Li Yong Le¡¯s accurate long pass made a wonderful goal!¡± When the ball crossed over An Ke¡¯s hands, the cheerleaders of Zhong Yuan began to celebrate in advance. Instead, He Jia Lin who scored the goal, because of the last experience, he waited until the ball went into the goal and the referee sounded. Only then he raised both his hands and ran towards the center and there, Li Yong Le opened his arms and embraced him. At the 41st minute of the game, Zhong Yuan finally took the lead with Shu Guang, the score was 1: 0. This goal completely wiped the dullness off the field and struck the tie that has been balanced for forty one minutes, the tie was broken¡­. As soon as Shu Guang kicked the ball off, the referee blew the whistle that ended the first half. Watching the players who continued to return to the lounge room, Chen Hua Feng said to himself: ¡°The venomous snake finally spat huh? I don¡¯t know how Shu Guang would be after getting bitten once. It makes us all looking forward to the second half match¡­¡± ¡°Dear viewers, the first half of the match has ended. The game will begin in 15 minutes, Zhong Yuan had a clear advantage. After five minutes, Shu Guang changed their formation and gradually regained their initiative. But for the next twenty minutes, both sides might be due to the psychological burden of the finals and played more cautiously and it became dull with fewer brilliant shots. When we all thought that we should end the gloomy first half of the match, we didn¡¯t expect a drastic change on the court. Zhong Yuan took advantage of Shu Guang¡¯s mistakes and attacked the city of Shu Guang with a very beautiful long-distance counterattack, leading the end of the first half!¡± ¡°Hehe! This is making us all look forward to the second half match!¡± ¡°Yes, twelve thousand points to look forward to it!¡± Wang Bo turned to Su Li who had a bitter expression on his face then he patted his shoulder: ¡°You¡¯re worried about them?¡± Su Li glanced at him: ¡°Nonsense! If I¡¯m not worried about them, who would I worried about?¡± ¡°Hehe! You¡¯re worried! Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s only one goal! There¡¯s still forty minutes more!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk! Look, look! It¡¯s only half of the match and you¡¯re already saying they can¡¯t win! When have you lost your confidence?¡± ¡°Confidence¡­¡± ¡°When Shu Guang came out, don¡¯t you trust them anymore?¡± ¡°Captain, what Ah Gui said was right, we can¡¯t do anything here but we can still trust them!¡± Li Xiao Peng said. ¡°Right! You¡¯re not wrong! Captain! Isn¡¯t trusting one another Shu Guang¡¯s specialty?¡± Others excitedly replied. ¡°Trust¡­¡± Su Li thought awhile, ¡°Exactly. Not only we¡¯re simply playing soccer together, we¡¯re still friends!¡± Liang Ke didn¡¯t blame Yang Pan for his misjudgment. Although it was his misunderstanding that pushed the team into the abyss. Liang Ke thought that once a mistake has already been committed, excessive reproaches would be ineffective and it would be better to think of ways to make up for it. This conceded goal made everyone a bit frustrated and all the efforts in the first 40 minutes have vanished. They all had their heads hung lowly and didn¡¯t speak a word. Liang Ke realized that this wasn¡¯t a good sign. In the past, when they were in a game with Guan Lin middle school, they were almost hit by the opponent¡¯s own goals when the first half was nearly over, the situation wasn¡¯t very dominant. But at the time of the intermission, there was laugher in everyone and some even started joking around because at that time, they were convinced that they could achieve the final victory. Is it because of how scary Zhong Yuan high school is at today¡¯s final? The current priority was to restore the fighting spirit and confidence in these children. As Liang Ke was ready to talk, Kaka stood up: ¡°Hey! Hey! Why aren¡¯t you guys talking? An Ke, aren¡¯t you usually the most talkative one?¡± An Ke murmured a sentence: ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯d be like to lose this kind of goal, let¡¯s see if you¡¯d still have the heart to¡­¡± Kaka smiled: ¡°It¡¯s only one goal right? There¡¯s nothing big to it!¡± An Ke huffed another sentence: ¡°There¡¯s nothing big to it? Didn¡¯t you all do anything during the first half?¡± ¡°Hehe! The second half will be different!¡± Kaka smiled. ¡°How do you know?¡± Not only An Ke but the rest of his teammates raised their heads to look at Kaka. ¡°Intuition, it¡¯s intuition! Intuition told me that we have to score in the second half!¡± Kaka pointed to his head. ¡°Cut-¡± Others waved and disdained. Su Fei didn¡¯t go into the lounge as usual, in the eyes of those who were familiar to her, what she did today was different from usual. She sat in the seat to collate the record of the first half. In the first half match of Zhong Yuan High school, six shots were taken, four shorts were shot straightly, two wide kicks and there were also three corner kicks. Shu Guang had four shots to the goal, only one was shot straightly and the rest were all missed corners. From a statistical point of view, Shu Guang wasn¡¯t dominant and from the field, it was the same. However, Su Fei arranged these records with a calm attitude, as calm as doing homework. Since when did she have such confidence in Zhang Jun? This is the final! They already lost a goal in the first half, Zhang Jun only shot one goal. Why, why did you believe that Shu Guang will win from the beginning? Su Fei finally wrote the last word and breathed a sigh, then she closed the book and place it on her lap. She looked up to the clear blue sky. In the middle of intermission, the audience was also resting their vocal chords and their voice was a lot softer to the point where nothing could be heard. Su Fei looked back at the exit of the players, there was only five minutes and she didn¡¯t know what happened to everyone else. When she watched them off, they were all emotionless. Sun Lai Hong clapped in satisfaction, allowing the lively lounge room to quiet down. Everyone was listening as they looked at their smiling coach. ¡°Very good! Very good! You were all fantastic! Although the other side tried to counterattack by changing their arrangement but you all suppressed them beautifully!¡± Sun Lai Hong praised the players without hesitation. Now that he has a goal In hand, he hasn¡¯t been confused yet to think that the overall situation was set. This is the final and anything could happen. It was necessary to further arouse the confidence of the players and improve them. Letting them firmly grasped the hope of winning in their own hands during the second half of the game. ¡°Liu Chao, since Ren Yu De has withdrawn, you don¡¯t need to mark him and change to the area. I see that he wasn¡¯t confident when he faced you as he remembered the failure last year. His physical ability is not very good for some reasons back in in junior high school. Even after two years of training, the effect isn¡¯t very obvious. His body is already letting off steam. It can be said that in the second half, his threats will diminish over time. In the finals of such high-intensity confrontation, he is also likely to be replaced at the last minute because of his fatigue, so don¡¯t waste your time on him. When you¡¯re defending, pay attention to assist others and be prepared to help.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Liu Chao didn¡¯t understand either on why Ren Yu De¡¯s renunciation was abnormal during the first half. After listening to his coach¡¯s explanation, he now understood. ¡°As for Yang Pan, no matter where he withdraws to, Lu Qing will stick to him so don¡¯t be afraid of mistakes, your speed will never lose to him. Besides, there are Zhang Yang and Deng Rui too so don¡¯t be afraid to do it!¡± Lu Qing found some confidence from the first half and competing against Yang Pan in several competitions. The person who is said to be god is no more than that. He would never successfully make a break through and that was his current idea. ¡°Also, Li Yong Le¡¯s long pass! Although I know that you have performed well during trainings, I didn¡¯t expect it to have such great power in the game for the first time. He Jia Lin¡¯s goal proved that our arrangements are correct. The second half insists on this sneak attack!¡± Before the match, Sun Lai Hong made plans for it by using his contraction tactics and active errors to attract the light pressure of Shu Guang, and then use the long pass of Li Yong Le and He Jia Lin¡¯s skilled ball control technique to attack. It was their first time to be successful and it was only because of an accident that it delayed the goal time to the 41st minute. However, Yang Pan was easily fooled that even Sun Lai Hong didn¡¯t expect it. Was he too persistent for victory? The insistence on this style of play in the second half actually meant that the midfielder of Zhong Yuan would be mainly responsible for defensive and enticing the enemy. This would inevitably weaken Zhao De Fen¡¯s organizational capabilities. However, Zhao De Feng was a person with general knowledge, just as being united in a team, he didn¡¯t compete with Li Yong Le for number 10 and for the team victory now, he would rather sacrifice himself. ¡°Remember this forever! Zhong Yuan¡¯s soccer is soccer that¡¯s never unbeaten!¡± Looking at the players with a slightly more active atmosphere, Liang Ke decided to play it more passionately. ¡°In fact, your performance in the first half was very good! What Kaka said right, there¡¯s only one gap in score and there¡¯s still forty minutes in time, we wouldn¡¯t know who the winner is for the finals. So as long as the final whistle hasn¡¯t blow, you have to do your best to win. It is still too early to talk about failure now! You must have this confidence: Our attack power is invincible! The second half is about to begin soon, use your strength and use your strength to overcome them with the strength of victory!¡± Liang Ke looked at the clock, just in time, it was time to play. He yanked open the door to the lounge and the tsunami-like cries of the stadium flooded in. Standing within this flood, Liang Ke pointed at the door and shouted: ¡°Shu Guang¡¯s soccer is soccer that will win! Go! Beat them with your faith!¡± PS: ¡°Do you care if I play soccer?¡± interview room (the new website of ¡®Do you care if I play soccer?¡¯ special edition) is in the magic sword, my reading directory page has opened it¡¯s connection and it¡¯s welcoming the friends of phantom sword to be guest, if you can¡¯t find it on other websites, you can find it in the catalogue of Magic Sword¡¯s work. There is a link to it. Etc: Special statement: ¡°New web forum¡± and ¡°new network¡± have no connections so don¡¯t misunderstand it! Chapter 87 - The Game Starts Now Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation He Wen felt some uncertainty in her heart, especially when she saw He Jialin hoisting the ball into the goal where her brother was guarding. She didn¡¯t know if she was going to cheer like those around her or sit down and feel sad for her brother. When she first chose to be the manager of Zhongyuan, how could she not think of the day where she would have difficult emotions? She said it was to collect information for her brother but she didn¡¯t collect much of it but on the contrary, she had feelings for this team. Regardless of the outcome of this game, she knew that she would be in the most pain. He Wen blocked her face with a notebook. She didn¡¯t want others to see her gloomy expressions. When everyone¡¯s emotions were aroused highly, they were seen and questioned. She was unwilling to answer any of them. It was only one shot in the first half and Zhang Jun was actually devastated. Luo Bin marked him to death, not to mention Li Yongle. He couldn¡¯t even cope with Luo Bin so how would he be able to compete with the number one midfielder in the whole country? His own performance wasn¡¯t good, Li Yongle added two long passes as assists and almost scored a goal, Kaka was also defended from him. Hey! So who¡¯s the protagonist in this? He looked at Yang Pan behind him and it seemed like he regretted for his past mistakes. In the past, he could never feel guilty of such a mistake, is it because it¡¯s the final? Finals¡­ Win¡­ Champion¡­ National competition¡­ Zhang Jun suddenly thought of what Su Fei said to to him, ¡°If you lose, I¡¯m breaking up with you!¡± He shivered. Su Fei didn¡¯t even return to the lounge during the intermission, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ He wanted to turn to look at Su Fei but he heard a clear whistle. ¡°The referee sounded the whistle, the second half is starting!¡± ¡°Both sides didn¡¯t make any personnel adjustments because the twenty two players on this team are the strongest. The remaining forty minutes is still a competition of strength! Shu Guang who is one score away is about to attack with full force and the leading Zhongyuan definitely won¡¯t be satisfied with just one goal. We can expect that the second half will be very exciting and intense!¡± ¡°The kickoff from Zhongyuan is the same as the first half, it¡¯s a fierce attack! Zhao Defeng dribbled the ball towards the field of Shu Guang!¡± ¡°But Shu Guang¡¯s Wang Ning is very active, he forced Zhao Defeng to give up the ball with amazing strength! And shoveled the ball beautifully!¡± After Wang Ning shoveled the ball and was still on the ground, he kicked it to the side of Li Hao. Li Hao transferred it to Yang Pan for the first time. Yang Pan then transferred it to Ren Yu De on the left. Ren Yu De beautifully stopped the ball. This time, Liu Chao didn¡¯t rush up so he started to dribble the ball to the front. Only because Liu Chao thought that he wouldn¡¯t chase in time, he let him think that he would have a chance then only he would go upfront to break him and let him know who the real owner of this place was. ¡°Liu Chao rushed up and Ren Yu De didn¡¯t plan to pass the ball. He seemed to have a firm decision!¡± ¡°Good! That¡¯s the way to do it!¡± Liu Chao said deep in his heart, he went full force to snatch the ball. But as he extended his foot¡­ It was only temptation and he didn¡¯t expect the ball would fall under his feet! Ren Yu De tripped and fell forward to the ground. The stands booed. Even Liu Chao was surprised himself. He didn¡¯t expect that he could break Ren Yu De¡¯s ball so easily. He turned to see if it was really that expert in dribbling Ren Yu De, but he heard Zhao Defeng screaming, ¡°What are you doing? Pass the ball over!¡± Liu Chao frantically passed to Zhao Defeng, Zhao Defeng dribbled the ball and Zhongyuan counter-attacked! There was a series of smooth passes until it was forwarded to He Jialin to make the shot. However, his shot was compressed firmly under An Ke¡¯s body, he didn¡¯t give him a chance to score. In fact, An Ke¡¯s state in the game was very good, but the first goal was the team¡¯s mistake, that kind of goal, he couldn¡¯t throw it out despite being a professional goalkeeper. ¡°Yang Pan took the ball! Lu Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to rush towards him!¡± Kaka ran over to support and Yang Pan passed the ball to him. Under the strict defense of Li Yongle, Kaka couldn¡¯t turn around but he immediately rushed the ball behind him and Yang Pan sped up towards the direction of the ball, two over one. Yang Pan was one step ahead from Lu Qing to receive the ball then he turned it to his right foot and shot in a straight line! Lu Qing was shocked but he couldn¡¯t care less and shoveled his leg to it! ¡°It¡¯s coming! Yang Pan¡¯s long shot!¡± Twenty-five meters away from the goal and soccer ball went whistling by. Zhang Lintao did not have much time to think and raised both of his hands to attack. After a muffled sound, the soccer ball was out of the bottom line and Zhang Lintao fell to the ground. ¡°What an amazing shot! However, Zhang Lintao¡¯s performance is even amazing, he strove to save Yang Pan¡¯s great shot! Li Bao¡¯s goal isn¡¯t loss!¡± Luo Bin pulled Zhang Lintao up from the ground, ¡°That¡¯s good! Their confidence can now be attacked!¡± Yang Pan looked at Zhang Lintao and remembered the ¡°special training of Zhang Lintao¡± that heard before the qualifier. His shot from twenty five meters was actually blocked by him and he looked unscathed. Although he didn¡¯t do his best because of Lu Qing¡¯s interference, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad! Is this the result of his special training? Kaka kicked the corner ball out and it drew an arc then flew towards the goal. Zhang Jun and Yang Pan kept running towards the restricted area to confuse Zhongyuan. Zhang Jun jumped up, don¡¯t underestimate him for being 179 cm as his jump was excellent, heading was one of his best strength. Luo Bin naturally didn¡¯t dare to be careless but it was impossible the head the ball now so he could only jump in to interfere. However, Zhang Jun didn¡¯t head for the ball and instead, he only made a shot at the front point! ¡°It¡¯s Lin Xiaofang!¡± Every time Lin Xiaofang is about to attack with a corner kick, he would always run in front of the opponent¡¯s goal and would be ready to snatch some points with his height of 187cm and his good header. However, he always had bad luck so he didn¡¯t have a chance to build his skills. This time, the opportunity has come! ¡°Lin Xiaofang is pressuring Deng Rui and jumped! He used a header to attack!¡± The speed of the ball was very fast and the distance was near that Zhang Lintao had no respond at all. He had his eyes wide open as he watched the ball entering the door from the right side! ¡°Goal!¡± Lin Xiaofang landed and was just about to celebrate. He heard the whistle of the referee, he looked at the referee and his gesture told him, ¡°Invalid goal!¡± The large screen replayed. Kaka passed the ball to the front of the goal. Zhang Jun¡¯s falsification at the front disturbed the defense of Zhongyuan, that¡¯s how Lin Xiaofang had the chance. However, when Lin Xiaofang jumped, he used his hands to push Deng Rui in front of him. Deng Rui tripped then Lin Xiaofang jumped and used a header to attack. Zhang Lintao had no actions as he watch the invalid ball flying inside the goal. ¡°Aha! Lin Xiaofang pushed Deng Rui who was defending when he jumped! The referee clearly noticed and there was no problem with the penalty. After watching the replay footage, the members of Shu Guang didn¡¯t have any objections to the penalty.¡± Zhang Lintao took a deep breath, he blocked Yang Pan¡¯s strong shot earlier. Although he had undergone special training, there was still a certain amount of numbness in it. Now he certainly missed Lin Xiaofang¡¯s shot again. Fortunately, Lin Xiaofang eagerly scored and actually pushed Deng Rui that was defending behind him. Thus it was a foul and the goal was invalid. He could rest his hands. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Yang Pan¡¯s power have improved a lot. The ball that was shot was interrupted by Lu Qing but it was still powerful nonetheless. For the remaining thirty-five minutes, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be careless for even one second. He looked at Yang Pan with his hands on his hops, thinking that the tiger will finally bare it¡¯s fangs. Yang Pan¡¯s cannon-like shot earlier finally made the stands settle down after a while. Almost veryone was happily discussing about Yang Pan and Zhang Lintao¡¯s defeat in the end. From the surface, it seemed like Zhang Lintao won, he managed to threw Yang Pan¡¯s strong shot out while he fell to the ground but he better than those who were hit into the goal, he¡¯s already better than them by a lot. However, the game hasn¡¯t end, it¡¯s still too early to say anything now. Until the last whistle blows, we¡¯ll see who it¡¯s the last one laughing. Zhang Jun saw a signal from Yang Pan¡¯s foot and Yang Pan was gradually walking out of the shadow of his past mistakes, he began to be a front offensive planner and have the responsibility to score. There was no way to score as Luo Bin was keeping an eye on him. He should try to create opportunities for himself instead. Soon, Shu Guang made a comeback. In order to avoid being interfered by Lu Qing at any moment, Yang Pan shot it from an appearance of 30 meters! Lu Qing rushed forward and the soccer ball was like a streak of white light flying across his side, he was shocked but he didn¡¯t hesitate to follow it. Zhang Lintao was well prepared. He was no longer passive in defense and waited for the ball to arrive. Instead, he rushed forward like a ferocious tiger and slammed the ball with both of his hands! After a loud ring, the soccer ball was back to the midfield. Zhang Lintao used the momentum to roll forward and stand up again. ¡°Zhang Lintao wonderfully saved one again! Yang Pan¡¯s shot was blocked by him! The soccer ball was slammed to the midfield. Zhao Defeng passed the ball back to Li Yongle who already caught up, Zhongyuan is about to counterattack!¡± ¡°Back to defense! Back to defense! An Ke shouted loudly, Shu Guang quickly dispersed as they knew how brilliant Li Yongle¡¯s long pass was. ¡°Li Yongle now takes the ball, will he use his accurate long pass again? Oh, he¡¯s taking the lead by himself at the front! Zhongyuan strongly counter attacked against Shu Guang in the restricted zone!¡± In this situation, the dark blue uniform of Zhongyuan looked like dark stormy clouds striking down. Yang Pan froze for a while then he gave chase to Li Yongle. The distance between him and Li Yongle was constantly shortened and the distance between Li Yongle and Shu Guang¡¯s restricted area was also being shortened. ¡°Already entering the twenty five meter zone, Li Yongle still has no intention of passing the ball. He seemed to be planning to play alone!¡± Yang Pan eventually was on the same level as Li Yongle, his speed was indeed fast. He took only five seconds to run for nearly forty five meters. But in this situation, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to think or cut off the ball again, there was no chance of entering either! Li Yongle slid the ball gently forward with his left foot and the soccer ball left from his control for a while. ¡°Right on time!¡± Yang Pan made up his mind and he didn¡¯t hesitate until he stepped forward and stretched his leg to shovel it! However, he didn¡¯t expect Li Yongle¡¯s leg to be very long, he should have been out of control for the ball but he suddenly stretched his right foot out and changed his direction. At this time, Yang Pan was unable to brake and he firmly lunged until he kicked Li Yongle¡¯s right heel. Li Yongle tumbled a few times until he stopped, it was frightening but it was natural for him to protect himself- Of course, except fake slammers. The referee sounded the whistle. Yang Pan was silent then he quickly pulled Li Yongle up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He said with a concern. Li Yongle certainly understood what Yang Pan meant, he froze a while then he looked at the referee who was rushing over to their side and he quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m okay, it¡¯s nothing!¡± He even patted Yang Pan¡¯s head in a very sweet action to prove that their relationship between them was good to the referee and there was no foul intention. Liang Ke stood up nervously and watched the referee took out something from his pocket. ¡°Yellow card! The referee showed a yellow card to Yang Pan. Maybe he thought that Yang Pan¡¯s foul wasn¡¯t intentional, he raised his hands and let him go. Yang Pan escaped and Shu Guang escaped from a disaster too.¡± ¡°Indeed, they¡¯re behind by one goal, if Yang Pan is sent off, it wouldn¡¯t be simple with a short of one person. In fact, the referee is an exalted player but it also guarantees that the excitement and intensity of the game will not be compromised.¡± Li Yongle looked at the yellow card and shook his head. At this time, if he had to ignore Yang Pan, Yang Pan would have assumingly left the field. Their team was one goal ahead of the game, if the opposing team is short by one captain, they would have victory at clear glance. The coach said it was the final and the team¡¯s interests were above anything else. Wasn¡¯t it a good time to completely fight them off? Why did he want to respond to Yang Pan so enthusiastically? One thing Li Yongle can be certain that he didn¡¯t regret his decision. He just didn¡¯t know why he did that. At that time, he naturally embraced Yang Pan and even patted his head, his closeness to him wasn¡¯t like an opponent but more like a teammate. Zhongyuan earned a free-kick from twenty three meters away from the goal. The crisis has not been lifted, this ball was indeed far away but to Zhao Defeng, it was completely in the range to shoot. So it made Shu Guang really nervous. ¡°In the match between the two teams last year, Shu Guang advanced a goal and was then hit by three goals from Zhongyuan. The first goal was a very exciting free kick scored by Zhao Defeng. Will we see his wonderful performance today?¡± An Ke loudly commanded the wall of defenders to lean towards the right and lean more closely to close the corner, then he stood at the far corner to deal with this. The members of Zhongyuan were not idle, they surrounded Shu Guang¡¯s members in the restricted area and interfered with Shu Guang¡¯s defense. Zhao Defeng stood in front of the ball and Luo Bin stood beside him to estimate the amount of people. Li Yongle didn¡¯t enter the restricted area but stood outside, he wasn¡¯t far from Zhao Defeng and Luo Bin. Zhang Jun looked at Li Yongle standing in front of his village, there wasn¡¯t any place for anyone to notice him. His heart was racing but he didn¡¯t know where would be wrong. At this moment, the referee sounded the whistle, indicating Zhongyuan could launch their free kick. Luo Bin was only seen meeting the ball but from the top of the ball, it was falsity! Shu Guang¡¯s defensive wall didn¡¯t move, they were all waiting at the back of the restricted area. An Ke had all his focus set on the back of Luo Bin, which was Zhao Defeng. Zhao Defeng moved at the moment Luo Bing crossed the ball, he only took one step forward to the ball and limped his left foot but he didn¡¯t directly shoot, but turned instead! The defensive wall reflexively leaped, only to realize that they were fooled. Everyone looked at the forgotten Li Yongle that was rolling the ball in front of his feet then he made a big shot with his right foot! ¡°Li Yongle is the real one!¡± As the soccer ball flew lowly into the penalty zone, An Ke saw it coming but he was helpless as he went to catch at the wrong direction. Both Zhao Defeng and Li Yongle shot in different directions. The ball flew to the place he was standing at then it bounced back in front of Lin Xiaofang¡¯s legs and jumped into the goal! Curved ball! Shu Guang was fooled! ¡°Goal! Goal- Zhongyuan takes the lead by 2: 0! Wonderful! A beautiful free kick! It seems like Zhongyuan can¡¯t be overtaken!¡± Looking at Li Yongle who was squashed by his teammates, Zhang Jun finally realized that there was nothing that went wrong- It was that dangerous figure that no one kept an eye on! The penalty was really fast, they¡¯re behind by 0: 2 and there¡¯s still thirty three minutes remaining for the game. How did Zhang Jun suddenly felt like weather in winter got hotter, as if the sun was roasting on the earth like summer and the things from far and near became imaginary. He wiped his sweat then he turned to look at the coach¡¯s seat. Even Liang Ke, who has always been sitting straight up had a slight hunch at this moment, is it because it¡¯s the final? This pressure, that the coach who has always been calm can¡¯t contain it? ¡°Get the national championship, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°If you lose, I¡¯m breaking up with you!¡± Just when his teammates were still dejected and overwhelmed and the players of Zhongyuan were still frantically celebrating their goal, Zhang Jun ran towards the goal and picked up the ball. Then he ran towards the middle. He solemnly placed the soccer ball on the kick-off point and stood there waiting for the kick-off, just like a fighting in waiting, waiting for the whistle to signal the kick-off. The game, from now on has begun¡­ Chapter 88 - Double Dragon Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°The game resumes again and Zhongyuan is now in the lead by 2: 0. This goal by Li Yongle can almost be said to have sealed their victory!¡± ¡°True, the two goals are now in the hands of the defensive Zhongyuan. The game¡¯s initiative naturally falls into their hands. Shu GUang won¡¯t have an easy time trying to score two goals in the remaining 30 minutes. Moreover, Sun Laihong¡¯s tactical arrangement against Shu Guang has been very successful. Zhang Jun has no chance under Luo Bin¡¯s defense and Kaka has been supressed by Li Yongle to the point where he can¡¯t pass the ball out properly. Ren Yu De seems to lack confidence when facing Liu Chao, while Yang Pan has only been forced to shoot from a distance. On top of that, Zhang Lintao¡¯s bravery today has gotten his long shots killed. Shu Guang may have no other way to score a goal.¡± Despite that, the game was not over yet, so it was still too early to say anything. Soon after, Zhang Jun suddenly became very active. He continued to run in the forward line; from left to right and front to back. He ran through a very large area, which made Luo Bin a little loss as he defended against him. There werea few times where he actually lost his positioning. Yang Pan then took the ball again. He was the captain and everyone often chose to pass the ball to him. Even though his misjudgment before the end of the first half led to a goal for the opposition, his teammates still trusted him as always. Perhaps it was the two goals in their grasp that made Lu Qing pretty lax. This time, it was real and not a trick to fool anyone into believing that Zhongyuan was in a relaxed mode. His slacking demeanor allowed Yang Pan to break through easily. As Yang Pan ran past him like the wind, he could not even stretch out his feet in time. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± Sun Laihong could not help but raise an eyebrow. Since the team scored two goals, he had been feeling more psychological pressure. It was even more so during this period of time when Shu Guang fought back wildly. The stones in his heart were becoming increasingly heavy as time passed. Lu Qing was broken through and Deng Rui went ahead to block. However, his movements were too slow for Yang Pan, who could travel 100m in 10 seconds. ¡°Yang Pan takes another shot in front of the penalty area!¡± Zhang Lintao leaped and attacked the ball with both of fists! ¡°It didn¡¯t go in!¡± But the crisis in Zhongyuan¡¯s penalty area had not been lifted. Zhang Jun rushed to the ball as Luo Bin lost his positioning due to Zhang Jun¡¯s constant running. Then, he kicked! Now it was Zhang Yang¡¯s turn! Zhang Yang used his body to block the ball out! And Deng Rui quickly kicked the ball off the side. When the ball was out, Zhang Lintao suddenly roared, ¡°Grr¡ª¡± ¡°Even Zhang Lintao is roaring. He¡¯s always been relatively calm on the pitch. That was a fierce one indeed. Shu Guang¡¯s frantic counter-attacks are making Zhonyuan a little bit more active, with Zhang Lintao displaying extraordinary strength to make sure that they don¡¯t lose any goals. His blocking of Yang Pan¡¯s big shot was for him and Zhongyuan; you can practically sense his ominous aura!¡± Actually, Yang Pan¡¯s shot earlier had a huge amount of strength in it and the distance was not far either. Although Zhang Lintao bravely tackled it out but the ball in his hands did not ease his pain. To lessen his pain, he let out a loud roar to relieve it. Before he roared, was his hands still in a tight fist? However, no matter what, because of Zhang Lintao¡¯s loud roar, it made the stands aroused and roared along, the game gradually became more intense with this enthusiasm. Li Yongle managed to see it, Luo Bin has become more and more strenuous and this kind of strenuous was difficult on one¡¯s physical strength. With Zhang Jun constant running, he became the arrow for Shu Guang and combined with Shu Guang¡¯s indefinitely front field play, there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with him running like this. However, Luo Bin was the core of the defense line in Zhongyuan. If he ran around like that, the entire line of defense would be out oforder. Therefore, Luo Bin was very hesitant for most of the time. If he followed, the back defense line would become chaotic; If he did not, the others would not be able to deal with Zhang Jun. Whether or not he was following this multiple choice, it would still be difficult. At this time, Li Yongle began to consciously withdraw a bit to help Luo Bin¡¯s concerns. But Sun Laihong saw it and waved at him to get to his original position and mark Kaka. Being helpless, he could only follow his coach¡¯s instructions. As a result, Luo Bin continued to be hesitant with his decision to follow or not to follow. Zhang Lintao was in a good state today that he managed to pounce on Yang Pan¡¯s big shot forthree times in a row. His own dragons might have unexpected advantages but they must have already seen it during the semi-finals and they would definitely think of ways to deal with the Dragon. And now he couldn¡¯t turn without being seen, let alone bringing the ball to the penalty zone, how would he bring out his dragons then, perhaps this might be their ways. Besides the Dragon, Zhang Jun could not think of other good ways to break through the goalkeeper¡¯s fingers. Once, just one chance would be enough for him. Zhang Jun thought of it that way. ¡°Shu Guang hasn¡¯t been offensive for quite a while and Zhongyuan seized the opportunity to get back! Li Yongle passed the ball to Zhao Defeng and Zhao Defeng dribbled the ball forward!Wang Ning and Li Hao are doing their best to stop him from advancing! Beautiful! After breaking through, Zhao Defeng quickly assigned the ball to Zhang Yulin from the side and Zhang Yulin slanted into the penalty zone by 45 ¡ã! But An Ke got the ball out. An Ke was in a l arge range of activities and he can be seen in the entire restricted area!¡± Zhongyuan went into offense and Shu Guang naturally had to defend. Between the entering and retreats, Zhongyuan¡¯s tight defense line had an insignificant space behind them. After An Ke received the ball, he immediately attacked with a big kick and the ball flew to Kaka, it seemed like they were bullying Li Yongle who was bad at heading. Sure enough, in the face of this kind of ball, Li Yongle was at loss and the ball was obtained by Kaka. In the space behind the defense line of Zhongyuan, Kaka had already looked ahead before catching the ball. He believed that as a striker, Zhang Jun would certainly saw it clearly too and waited to pass the ball to him. Kaka used his chest to stop the ball by his side, he suddenly turned and followed by a right leg,the ball was picked up. Although Li Yongle quickly stuck up, there was still no way of stopping Kaka from making a pass. In the hurry of the pass, the pass became a graceful arc behind Deng Rui and immediately fell into the space behind the defense line of Zhongyuan! There¡¯s no doubt that Kaka immersed himself in samba soccer. Zhang Jun instantly started moving when Kaka was passing the ball, he got passed all the back defenders and ran to the placement of the ball. When other teammates were raising their hands to the referee to indicate that Zhang Jun was offside, Li Yongle left Kaka and ran to the goal. The side referee did not raise the flag and the main referee also ignored it. Zhang Lintao and An Ke were two different types of goalkeepers, An Ke was good at attacking and has a wide range of control. Zhang Lintao was exactly the opposite, he was calm and stick to the goal and the restricted area. He rarely attacked the ball. This ball was no exception. When Kaka passed the ball past Deng Rui, he wanted to go out and get the ball but he saw it having an arc and was going outside. He took two steps and then withdrew again. Now, Zhang Jun and him were one-on-one in the penalty zone and still had no intentions of attacking. It was only when Zhang Jun stopped the ball and sealed the angle. Even the shot from the first striker Zhang Jun, he still had confidence to throw it out. Unless¡­ A name suddenly flashed in his mind and he could not help but shudder. ¡°Zhang Jun took the ball into the penalty zone and didn¡¯t get offside! He is now one-on-one with Zhang Lintao! This is the best opportunity for Shu Guang to score a point! But Zhang Jun didn¡¯t immediately shoot but instead took it forward and dribbled it towards Zhang Lintao! Looking at this stance, can it be¡­¡± Dragon! The name flashed in Zhang Lintao¡¯s mine and he saw Zhang Jun raising his left foot to shoot! Zhang Lintao¡¯s body slammed to the right but he immediately remembered the name, quickly stopped and he didn¡¯t see the ball, sure enough¡­ He immediately flew to the opposite direction with his own super-motor nerves, ready to take on the last of Zhang Jun¡¯s dragon tail! But when he pounced, he did not see the ball flying across. ¡°Ah! Beautiful! A heel pass!¡± The commentator loudly shouted. Heel pass? When Zhang Lintao completely pounced to the side, he finally saw the soccer ball leaving the goal and it appeared in a direction where a figure came by. ¡°Yang Pan!¡± Yang Pan¡¯s speed reached the limit without having to dribble the ball, he arrived earlier than anyone else! Then he took a step forward and raised his right leg, he swayed back and forth. His entire body fell to the left and Luo Bin who had follow him, saw his stance and gave up defending because it was too late. ¡°Yang Pan¡¯s vigorously took the shot!¡± The soccer ball flew to the far corner of the goal with a breathtaking strength! No seemed to be able to stop it. But as Li Yongle ran in front of the goal, there was still some distance, he was now the only hope of Zhongyuan. He threw himself forward and stretched out his long leg, thinking of blocking the ball out. The soccer ball hit the knee of his left leg and then it bounced up, slamming into the goal post and bounced into the goal! *Beep* The referee sounded the whistle. ¡°It¡¯s a goal- Shu Guang got back a point!¡± Yang Pan, who scored a goal, jumped up from the ground and rushed outside. As he ran, he tore off his coat and strode in front of twenty three thousand people. It¡¯s no wonder he was excited, that fatal mistake in the first half and the three shots that were all caught in the secondhalf, all these grievances were on his foot and all these embarrassment were vented during the run. ¡°Fabulous performance! Zhang Jun¡¯s Dragon actually evolved into such a shot! He changed his foot in the back of the Dragon, he could have used his left foot to pretend he had made the last shot, never thought that he would change to his right foot and sweep the picked up ball inthe opposite direction of the goal! Then Yang Pan rushed forward to meet the ball with a big kick! This kind of goal would be unstoppable! Although Li Yongle hit the ball, the ball still entered! The strength of the soccer ball was too huge that it became a rebound that the goal had some slight trembling! What a scary shot!¡± Watching the goal, Liang Ke jumped and rushed to the sidelines to cheer. At this time, he didn¡¯t have the shadow of a steady coach. The pressure on the final was too great, he needed to vent a bit. The substitutes were cheering too. Su Fei did not excitedly cheer like them but instead, she wrote down the score in a single stroke. In the seventeenth minute of the second half, Zhang Jun assisted and Yang Pan scored a goal, Shu Guang took back a point with 1: 2. The big screen replayed the goals that became history in this day. Whenever Yang Pan was seen scoring a goal, Shu Guang¡¯s supporters would always burst into cheers. Even the two commentators could not help but cheer. ¡°I have no words to express about this goal! Zhang Jun¡¯s personal skills and Yang Pan¡¯s great shot have been combined with tacit understanding of the two of them to produce such a powerful strength! Zhongyuan¡¯s most proud defense line has been hit with a blow!¡± ¡°Kaka who launched the attack also played an important role. Under the strict defense of Li Yongle, it is very commendable to have such high quality of passing, that¡¯s priceless!¡± ¡°Actually thinking it was the Dragon, who would have thought of the sudden changes, a single person¡¯s performance became a tacit understanding of two. I thought of the word: Double Dragon beads!¡± ¡°Very appropriate!¡± Soccer was such a wonderful thing. The effect of a goal must not be calculated as 1+1=2. Yang Pan¡¯s powerful shot not only provided a point for the team, it boosted the team¡¯s morale but on the opponent¡¯s team, it brought them a wounded teammate. Li Yongle¡¯s knee was hit by the shot and he could not stand for a while. In Shu Guang¡¯s jubilant moment, he was taken off by a medical staff on a stretcher. This scene was ignored by the frenzied scene of jubilation and frustration, excitement and helplessness. In the end of the celebration, when Zhongyuan set the ball in the middle to prepare for the kickoff and when they stood in their formation, Zhongyuan only then realized they were missing someone. ¡°Li Yongle is injured, it could be because of blocking Yang Pan¡¯s shot earlier.¡± ¡°That shot hit him on the left knee. Judging from Yang Pan¡¯s leg strength, it wouldn¡¯t have been light. So whether Li Yongle can continue playing in the game becomes a problem.¡± ¡°After getting back a point plus the absolute main force, Li Yongle is likely to be replaced due to injury. Zhongyuan¡¯s lost isn¡¯t only a difference in goals! It seems like Shu Guang will most likely seize this opportunity to continue their full-scale attack. As Zhongyuan has lost Li Yongle¡¯s long pass counter-attack ability, they can only defend to the death. Let¡¯s see if Shu Guang can even out the scores or if Zhongyuan will hold this difference in score! The battle between the sharpest spear and the strongest shield will soon be decided!¡± Chapter 89 - Are You Ready Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The game continued, because of Li Yongle receiving treatment on the next round, Zhongyuan had 10 people battling now. The other side of the court, the doctor was applying ice to Li Yongle¡¯s already slightly swollen left knee and sprayed painkillers. Sun Laihong was squatting on the side and watched the process of the treatment. ¡°The current treatment only relieves his pains, it¡¯s not treating his wounds and injuries so I suggest you to consider replacing him.¡± As the doctor was treating him, he explained to Sun Laihong. Sun Laihong did not answer, he only looked at Li Yongle¡¯s slightly swollen left knee. After a while, it seemed like he made his decision and stood up, he shouted to the substitute bench: ¡°Dong Jin! Do some warm ups!¡± Unexpectedly, Li Yongle, who had been lying down, suddenly sat up and jumped to the side of the doctor which frightened him. ¡°Coach!¡± Sun Laihong turned his head. ¡°I can still play, there¡¯s no need to replace me!¡± Sun Laihong looked at Li Yongle, his vision stopped at his knee that was still a little swollen. Li Yongle knew his coach¡¯s meaning, he slightly bent his left knee and endured the pain saying, ¡°There¡¯s no problem, I can still move as usual!¡± He winced at the moment he said ¡°move as usual¡±, but he did not escape Sun Laihong¡¯s eyes. Li Yongle looked at Sun Laihong and Sun Laihong looked at him too, both of them were staring at each other. After a while, Sun Laihong turned. ¡°Please bandage up his knee¡­¡± The doctor was shocked. ¡°What are you doing? His knee won¡¯t be able to let him continue!¡± At this time, there was a loud cheer from the stands. Since Kaka wasn¡¯t suppressed by Li Yongle any longer, he was very active. There was frequent passing of good shots and Zhang Lintao tackled a long ranged out earlier. ¡°Li Yongle is still under treatment at the scene. The situation of the injury is still unknown and the members of Zhongyuan seem to be somewhat absent-minded. Within this moment, Shu Guang¡¯s brilliance is great! As this shift continues, Zhongyuan¡¯s defense won¡¯t be able to sustain any longer! Does Sun Laihong have any instructions?¡± ¡°No, look at this, he already gave instructions. Zhongyuan¡¯s No. 15, Dong Jin is warming up. Looking at how it is, Li Yongle has most certainly been replaced.¡± Sun Laihong did not answer the doctor¡¯s question but turned his head to ask Li Yongle, ¡°Are you ready?¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°Doctor, please bandage up his knee and let him continue the game.¡± When the doctor saw that they both had no objections, it wasn¡¯t right to say anything and followed what he was told to do. He carefully wrapped the injured knee of Li Yongle then letting him stand up and tried some movements. In the beginning, Li Yongle only slightly bent his knee without any pain. Then he ran and leaped in a small area and there was no obvious pain. He exclaimed with joy, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay, I only treated you with gauze to ease the pain. Your injury is not okay yet, you have to remember that another collision and excessive movements will lead to increased pain. I advise you to think about it before you go on the field.¡± The doctor used a stern voice as he said. But obviously, Li Yongle didn¡¯t listen to half of his speech because he was already standing and waiting by the side to get on the field again. ¡°Dong Jin, back to your seat.¡± Sun Laihong raised his hands. ¡°Are you ready? ¡°Are you ready to give everything for victory? ¡°Are you ready to bear all the consequences of failure? ¡°Are you really ready?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready!¡± ¡°Zhongyuan didn¡¯t have a replacement and Li Yongle is back in the game. But looking at his bandaged left knee, it really makes us worry! Are his injuries really okay?¡± Looking at Li Yongle standing by the sidelines, Zhang Yang had some difficulties snatching the ball that was kicked out of the field. ¡°Li Yongle is jogging to the field, looking from his movements, it seems like the effect of his injury isn¡¯t that big!¡± ¡°Hopefully!¡± Li Yongle returned to the game and his teammates who were worried for him made a sigh of relief. And the stands burst out an even louder cheer and applause. When Li Yongle came out to the field, Sun Laihong announced his latest instructions loudly on the sidelines: ¡°Luo Bin! Go up, Kaka is now on you! Li Yongle, withdraw to the position of Luo Bin and freeze Zhang Jun!¡± Everyone was shocked at the sudden change, except for the Zhongyuan team itself. Luo Bin did not say anything and gave Li Yongle a high five. He turned away from the mid defender. ¡°He¡¯s all yours!¡± ¡°The coach Sun Laihong¡­ Li Yongle¡¯s is injured, but why is he allowing him to defend against Zhang Jun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I do know that the remaining twenty minutes of the match will be very exciting, I believe it!¡± ¡°Are¡­ your injuries okay?¡± Zhang Jun had his eyes wide opened as he looked at the thick bandage on Li Yongle¡¯s knee and asked. Li Yongle raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯re soft on this little issue, I will gladly make you regret for another year!¡± Li Yongle meant what he said, Zhang Jun took Yang Pan¡¯s pass and was just about to break through but he kicked the ball to the side and Li Yongle shoveled it. The ball was shoveled and the person fell too. The referee whistled and motioned Shu Guang a free kick. ¡°Li Yongle is full of strength! It seems like his injuries are redundant.¡± Zhang Jun got up and looked at Li Yongle¡¯s back thoughtfully. ¡°A direct free kick! Only 23 meters away from the goal, this is a good chance to score for Shu Guang! Will Kaka, the leader, take this opportunity? Yang Pan stood in front of the ball, in high school and middle school. Yang Pan was the only player to kick the free kick. His strong shots are extremely destructive! Kaka, who is currently good with angles and Yang Pan, who is good at strength are both standing in front of the ball. Even Zhang Lintao, the best goalkeeper of the last National Championship, feels a bit nervous! Who will take the penalty kick? ¡°Who will take the penalty kick?¡± Zhang Lintao asked the same question in his heart. From the standpoint of the two of them, anyone was possible. Zhang Lintao wiped his sweat, as a goalkeeper, in the afternoon of a winter game, he could still sweat so much as the competition was full of tense. The defensive wall has been set up and closed the corners, Zhang Lintao defended at the far corner. The referee whistled and Yang Pan started to run then with a familiar swing of his leg, this action was the prelude to his signature strong shoot. The defensive wall jumped habitually but they saw Yang Pan held his legs back in front of the ball and picked up his right leg to gently drop it to the side. When they lander, Kaka already rushed up, stomped his foot, raised his hand and kicked! The soccer ball crossed the defensive wall and fell near the corner! Looking at Yang Pan, Zhang Lintao also shuddered but he quickly realized Kaka was running behind him. He almost rushed by instinct behind the right side of the defensive wall to catch. Sure enough, the soccer ball quickly flew over the wall and flew to the lower right corner. Zhang Lintao used his fingertips to set the ball out of the goal! ¡°Beautiful free kick and a great save!¡± Zhang Lintao climbed up from the ground but he still had some lingering fears. He was only gambling in the game just now. In general, this kind of free kick will lead to players on choosing to kick at near corners. But above and below, Zhang Lintao is completely oblivious. He never thought his calm self on the field would be a gambler and also bet on it. Until this point of the game, could he not master himself? Zhang Lintao smiled wryly. ¡°The ball was handed over to Ren Yu De but Zhongyuan didn¡¯t immediately defend against him. He hasn¡¯t been playing well so far. It can be said that he was different from the Ren Yu De at the semi-finals. Zhongyuan paid no attention to him!¡± The distance between the two was shortening and Ren Yu De was still dribbling the ball. Liu Chao lowered his center of gravity, putting both of his hands slightly at his back and marked the ball closely from Ren Yu De¡¯s foot. Ren Yu De¡¯s right leg was dribbling the ball! From the soccer ball and crossed to his left leg. ¡°Ren Yu De¡¯s famous ¡®cycling¡¯!¡± However, Liu Chao did not move. When he saw Ren Yu De¡¯s situation, he only hardened himself. He raised his right foot again and when people thought he would continue his cycling, he had a shot on his foot and the soccer ball passed between Liu Chao¡¯s separated legs! ¡°Crotch ball!¡± Immediately after that, he accelerated and wanted to bypass Liu Chao. However, Liu Chao didn¡¯t lose his calm because of the crotch ball. He reversed himself and blocked Ren Yu De¡¯s positioning and cut the ball off. ¡°Experienced defense! Ren Yu De ran into a tough opponent!¡± Ren Yu De collided with Liu Chao but he was knocked down. When he got up from the ground, he suddenly heard a familiar child-like voice from the noisy scene: ¡°Brother! Come on! Don¡¯t be so weak!¡± He lifted his head up and looked at the stands. He was shocked that he could find the people he was looking for in the crowded stands. His own brother, mother and also¡­ the one sitting beside his mother, the one that who sits in front of the television as usual at home, his strict father¡­. ¡°Brother!¡± His brother waved a little colorful flag in his hands. His mother smiled and waved her hands too, ¡°Yu De! Play nicely! Don¡¯t bring shame to your family!¡± His father did not say anything, he only had a strict face on but looking at this face, Ren Yu De had some tears at the corner of his eyes. During the younger days where he played soccer, his mother said it was okay to train his body but his father didn¡¯t say anything, but there was neither objection nor support. When he saw Ren Yu De coming home full of sweat and only said one sentence: ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± He always thought his father didn¡¯t care about him playing soccer. But today, his beloved father came to see him playing soccer! Thinking about it, when he was young, that pair of expensive new shoes; and when he woke up, he found himself a glittering leather soccer ball on his bedside, a beautiful jersey¡­ yet he patronized and complained about his father not agreeing to talk with him. He didn¡¯t even think about who bought these precious babies in front of him. It¡¯s not like he never cared about him or does he not cared about him playing soccer, but it was from his heart that has always been shown only by action. He only didn¡¯t see it clearly¡­ He suddenly felt that the ice wall that has grown between him and his father for nine years had begun to melt away¡­ Even though Li Yongle was on the field, he was injured and could only fully defend Zhang Jun. He was no longer able to help offensively. Kaka clearly felt that Luo Bin¡¯s pressure was far worse than Li Yongle but he also began to be active again. At this moment, Zhongyuan could only defend and not attack. ¡°Shu Guang is back! After scoring a goal, they are very successful and constantly exert pressure on Zhongyuan¡¯s goal! Kaka got passed Luo Bin again and crossed over to shoot! Zhang Lintao hugged the ball in his arms!¡± Zhang Lintao got up from the ground. During this time, he was too busy. In exception of Ren Yu De in Shu Guang¡¯s offense, they were all at full power which got him into some trouble and became quite chaotic. He held the ball and looked at the situation in front of him, it was his first time being at loss. Just start the kickoff, the captain at the front, Zhao Defeng was not good at heading and the ball would fall at the opponent¡¯s leg. Just throw the ball then and watch the strikers of Shu Guang giving out pressure, if it was not done properly, it would be cut off and would be a direct threat to the goal. Zhang Lintao realized that he could no longer hesitate, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile to be sentenced for taking too long. He finally decided to be secured and threw the ball by hand. Because from comparison with several others, only Liu Chao on the side of Ren Yu De was not good, therefore his pressure would be the most minimal. Zhang Lintao chose to throw the ball to Liu Chao. ¡°Zhang Lintao throws the ball to Liu Chao! Liu Chao places the ball in front and rushes forward¡­ Ah! Ren Yu De!¡± Liu Chao wanted to take the ball that was thrown by Zhang Lintao and dribble it forward, making another plan, he relaxingly placed the ball forward and never thought that the soccer ball that was three or four meters away would be snatched from Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De took the ball, but Liu Chao was still an experienced back defender and quickly blocked his road, making him reached a dead end. ¡°Although Ren Yu De snatched the ball, but he was immediately forced into a dead end by Liu Chao! It seems like Liu Chao is taking advantage of this confrontation between the two of them!¡± Ren Yu De could really feel the pressure form this short sized defender, he pushed himself to the sideline with his body and kept harassing his feet. It was difficult to protect the ball from being cut off. But what can he do? Breaking the ball by himself was like hitting the other person by surprise and be caught off guard. If Liu Chao is trapped now, wouldn¡¯t this great opportunity be wasted? Scary! Where did Liu Chao get all his strength from? He was pressured by himself from the outside! ¡°Brother! Keep it going!¡± Ren Yu De gritted his teeth and jerked his body backwards and hit Liu Chao. Liu Chao did not think that almost no one in the game would give such a great strength and took a step back. It¡¯s only half a step and it was enough for Ren Yu De. It was this half a step, that Ren Yu De felt Liu Chao¡¯s body loosening, this was his chance! He twisted forward and Liu Chao thought he was going to force him front the front and he was busy moving his body, thinking of blocking Ren Yu De¡¯s route in advance. But Ren Yu De used his heel to gently kick the ball in the opposite direction and turned at the same time! ¡°Ren Yu De fooled Liu Chao, now he has to make a break through from the other side!¡± ¡°Great thinking!¡± Liu Chao was a person who¡¯s easily deceived. He gritted his teeth and his right leg suddenly jerked and his left leg was thrown off the ball by a reactionary force. However, Ren Yu De turned around but once again pulled the ball to the back with his left foot. At the same time, he turned again and turned back to the first time where he pretended to breakthrough in that direction! But this time, it wasn¡¯t pretending, it was the real thing. ¡°Wonderful! A series of fake turnings! Liu Chao is helpless and was broke through by Ren Yu De!¡± After Ren Yu De passed Liu Chao, he slammed his right foot to the restricted area. When Deng Rui saw Liu Chao being passed by, he quickly went to recover the defense. However, Ren Yu De also pretended to pass through the middle of the game, Deng Rui stretched his foot to stop. He took the ball back again with his left foot and turned around, he fooled Deng Rui too. ¡°Beautiful!¡± Liu Chao already rushed up, there¡¯s no doubt he¡¯s an excellent back defender and the speed of recovering the defense was really fast. Ren Yu De knew himself that he shouldn¡¯t be wasting time at the restricted area, whether to shoot or to pass. Looking down at Zhang Lintao who did not completely seal the near corner, it left a gap and this gap was enough for his kick. He felt like taking the shot! Liu Chao, of course, knew how bad his small angles were. When he saw his feet lifting up, he instinctively shoveled the ball and not caring about his own position, there was a high possibility of a foul. Unsurprisingly, Liu Chao¡¯s right foot shoveled Ren Yu De¡¯s left foot, the soccer ball was then slammed by the two of the them and knocked to the side, Ren Yu De¡¯s body slanted and fell down! *Beep¨C* ¡°Penalty! Penalty! The referee penalized the penalty! Ren Yu De is revived! In the confrontation with Liu Chao, he not only cheated twice but it¡¯s also because he was given a penalty for fouling! Liu Chao¡¯s defeat is devastating!¡± The referee quickly ran over and gestured the penalty, then waved mercilessly to disperse the players of Zhongyuan who were desperate to struggle. On the other side, Kaka pulled Ren Yu De up then he gave a passionate hug and a warm kiss. ¡°Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!¡± Being excited, he did not know what else to say. The other teammates of Shu Guang quickly swarmed around, as if celebrating another goal. They were totally confident and justified because the penalties was the captain, Yang Pan! Chapter 90 - As If God Was Helping Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After that wild moment, the audience became silent. It was as though the sound of breathing from both sides could be heard. The sunlight was dazzling. This was what Zhang Lintao felt as he could not see clearly Yang Pan¡¯s face; from the time No. 7 bent down to put the ball onto the penalty mark, and then straightened himself and stepped back. Throughout this process, Zhang Lintao could not see his opponent¡¯s face, the face that had almost given him a year of nightmares. Yang Pan carefully placed the ball on the white dot. He then got up and took four steps back, counting silently in his heart. After his fourth step, he stood still. He then lowered his head and saw the armband on the left arm of the red captain. He did not need to turn around to know the situation behind himself. He also did not need to look up to know what was going on at the stands of the stadium. There were still fourteen minutes before the game ended. The score was 1:2 against Shu Guang. Now, Shu Guang had earned a penalty kick. The kicker for the penalty was going to be Yang Pan, Shu Guang¡¯s captain, No.7, whose fastest shot speed reached one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. (Linhai Tingtao, the author, also believed that the ball speed of one hundred and eighty kilometers per hour was extremely ridiculous. So, Linhai Tingtao will make the corrections later, beginning from the start of the novel. However, for now, the modifications would start from here.) Everyone knew the power of Yang Pan¡¯s right leg. Zhang Lintao stood at the goal line and looked to the left and then the right at the distance. He then lowered his body and bent forward slightly, his hands ready at the sides. Yang Pan took a deep breath, and then another deep breath. Both of them, in fact, everyone, waited for the referee to blow the whistle. Sun Laihong nervously looked at the venue. He did not notice his collar was soaked through with his sweat. Liang Ke stood on the sidelines and looked at the Ke Da High School penalty area. He gripped the bottle of mineral water in his hands even tighter. *Phreet* Yang Pan finally took a deep breath. He leapt and started to run. On the third step, his left leg was placed onto the grass beside the ball like a pivot. His right leg then swung at the ball. *Bang* A clump of grass was also sliced off. The moment Yang Pan touched the ball, Zhang Lintao jumped out like a compressed spring. Punched away, yes, punched away. ¡°He punched the ball! Zhang Lintao made the correct call! He punched Yang Pan¡¯s shot away! Incredible! He stopped the ball, he saved the goal from Yang Pan¡¯s penalty kick! It is a miracle! Miracle! Really great!¡± The commentator unexpectedly became hoarse from shouting. The ball flew out of the end line. Shu Guang did not even have the opportunity to make follow up shots. Or rather, it should be said that right from the start they never thought they would need one. Zhang Lintao rolled on the ground and then jumped up. Punching his fist down energetically, he cheered, ¡°Wow!¡± He had worked hard for an entire year just for this moment. How could he not be excited now that he had blocked Yang Pan¡¯s shot from twelve yards away. His roar was like a flame igniting a storage of explosives. The supporters of the Ke Da High School at the stands broke out with a roar as though they had won the national championship. Luo Bin rushed forward and embraced Zhang Lintao¡¯s head as he roared at him. After that, Deng Rui, Zhang Yang, Liu Chao ¡­ more and more joined the shouting party. Even Sun Laihong who was at the sidelines jumped up and yelled loudly. He absolutely did not have any demeanor of a ¡®Gold Medal Instructor¡¯. Yang Pan kicked hard at the air. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder and looked back to see Zhang Jun. ¡°Sh*t! Even God is on their side!¡± Yang Pan said angrily. Right in front of him were the team members of Ke Da roaring loudly. ¡°No. I did not see it!¡± This was Zhang Jun¡¯s reply. As he said this, his eyes were fixed at Ke Da¡¯s goalpost. Liang Ke threw away the dumbbell-shaped water bottle he had in his hand and turned back to the coach¡¯s seat. Su Fei endured the disappointment in his heart and recorded the missed penalty in his book. Ah Yuan stood up and placed one leg on the back of the row of chairs in front of him. He shouted fiercely. ¡°It is so f*cking beautiful! F*ck! Beautiful!¡± Ke Da¡¯s screaming party only lasted for half a minute. It was because the referee reminded them that there was still a corner kick. The excitement was understandable but the celebration had to end. Kaka sent the corner kick to Lin Xiaofang again. However, Luo Bin shouted loudly and jumped. He had jumped higher than Lin Xiaofang and stretched to head the ball out of the penalty zone. Zhang Lintao¡¯s penalty save did not just end there! Zhao Defeng wrested control of the ball from beneath Wangning¡¯s feet after Luo Bin¡¯s header. He then turned and tapped it to He Jialin. He Jianlin stepped back a little but then suddenly passed an overhead shot. Zhang Yuchao sped in from the left! It was Ke Da¡¯s most proficient tactic, the high speed counter-attack. Zhang Yuchao tapped the ball forward. He accelerated to try and shake off Chen Bo. Lin Xiaofang did not have the time to come back after the corner kick. This meant that the only center back remaining was Li Jieguang. How was Li Jieguang alone going to prevent Zhang Yuchao from breaking through? It looked like he had to depend on An Ke. An Ke shouted loudly and attacked. However, just as An Ke strode three steps forward, Zhang Yuchao suddenly lifted his leg and kicked the ball up high. An Ke turned pale with shock and hurried back. After that, he jumped up and extended his hand. Striving very hard, he managed to just push the ball away from the crossbar of the goal. ¡°A close call! An Ke has quick responses! Otherwise, Shu Guang would suffer an even heavier blow after missing their penalty!¡± Zhao Defeng took the corner kick. As Li Yongle was injured and needed to mark Zhang Jun, he did not charge out but stayed behind to keep a close watch on Zhang Jun. ¡°The corner kick is off! Its the front post! This time, Lin Xiaofang did not let Luo Bin gain the advantage and headed the ball away first.¡± ¡°Lin Xiaofang is in his first year but was already playing center forward in the main force. He has truly progressed with amazing speed. In the final match with Ke Da, he has precise defense and dares to go onto the offensive. Next year, he would inevitably shoulder the heavy burden of Shu Guang¡¯s rear defense.¡± The ball headed out by Lin Xiaofang was received by Zhang Yulin who was waiting at the outer area. Just as he was about to lob it into the penalty area, he was intercepted by Xie Wei. Xie Wei quickly sent the ball to Wang Ning. Wang Ning then took the ball and ran quickly. When he first entered the team, he was a defending midfielder. On the field, his job is to intercept the balls, and intercept some more. After intercepting the ball, he would immediately pass it to his teammates. And now, after going through the experience of numerous games, he was brave enough to make a break with the ball. He even knew how to act according to the situation on the field to decide whether to steadily carry the ball or quickly pass the ball. Now, he was becoming even more qualified to be a defending midfielder. Wang Ning saw that no one was coming up to attack him. The other Ke Da fullbacks were giving more attention to the other four players in front. He then decided to dash straight to Ke Da¡¯s penalty area. After running about twenty four meters, he suddenly made a long range shot. Although Wang Ning had the right angle, it was very easy for Zhang Lintao to catch this even with his eyes closed. The ball flew high. Zhang Lintao positioned himself and leaned forward. His hands folded like a shovel and his legs was slightly apart. When the ball arrived, and smashed into his palms Zhang Lintao lifted his palms slightly and curled his arms to receive the ball firmly into his arms. However, the ball spun in his arms and bounced away. ¡°It bumped from his hands! Zhang Lintao has made a basic mistake!¡± Zhang Jun was agile like a hunting dog and dashed towards the ball. Li Yongle did not dare to be careless and tried very hard to cram outwards to make it difficult for Zhang Jun to reach the ball within a short time. His efforts were effective. Zhang Lintao¡¯s second reaction was quick. He lunged forward, grabbed the ball and then held it firmly with both hands under his body. ¡°The crisis is over! However, Zhang Lintao¡¯s mistake was indeed puzzling!¡± ¡°Actually, it is understandable. He probably thought that Wang Ning¡¯s shot from that distance would not pose any threat to him. So, he was imperceptibly relaxed. This led to a slight change in his movements, causing the ball to slip out of his hands.¡± ¡°One must really not relax for even a second against a team like Shu Guang!¡± ¡°Yes! Never underestimate the opponent .¡± Zhang Lintao, holding the ball, then got up from the ground. Li Yongle happened to stand in front of Zhang Jun, blocking his way. He gave Zhang Lintao a questioning look. Zhang Lintao shook his head with a smile. He then patted Li Yongle¡¯s chest and thanked him for the timely block that had saved him and the team. He then threw the ball to Luo Bin who was known for his steadiness. Luo Bin stopped the ball firmly and then looked for Zhang Yuchao. Ke Da attacked once again. They were powerful in such moments. When all of his teammates had their backs facing him, Zhang Lintao did not look to the front as usual to watch the battle at the frontline. Instead, he looked down at his left hand and gently flexed his left wrist. However, the rally cries at the stands became louder, causing him to raise his head. ¡°Wang Ning and Chen Bo has successfully won the ball from Zhang Yuchao in a pincer attack! Shu Guang immediately turned from defence to attack!¡± Wang Ning passed the ball to the swift Yang Pan. During a counterattack, the speed of the striker was very important. Yang Pan did not disappoint the hundreds of cheering squad members roaring off the field. He quickly took the ball to Ke Da¡¯s court. Lu Qing chased desperately from the back while Zhang Yang was coming in obliquely in front of him. Yang Pan easily skipped over Zhang Yang¡¯s intercepting tackle but Lu Qing had already caught up with him. When he finally got rid of Lu Qing, Zhang Yang appeared before him again. ¡°Chain¡­ defense!¡± Chen Huafeng called out. In their competition last year, Yang Pan was tightly chained by Li Yongle and Zhang Yang. Most of the time it would not be effective. But, what about this year? When Yang Pan realised this he laughed. ¡°Last year, I was alone. However, we have a very sharp knife this year!¡± He did not wait for Zhang Yang to pounce on him again and passed the ball across to Zhang Jun! ¡°Beautiful!¡± Chen Huafeng praised. ¡°As long as you pass the ball, you can break this chain!¡± However, Li Yongle, who had always marked Zhang Jun, was not to be tifled with. He immediately tagged tightly onto Zhang Jun, pushing the doctor¡¯s warning, that another collision may aggravate the injury, to the back of his mind. However, Zhang Jun did not carry the ball into the penalty area as the others had expected. Instead, he sent it rolling to his front right with the back of his foot. There was literally nobody, neither Ke Da¡¯s nor Shu Guang¡¯s people, in that area. So, nobody knew why he did it. However, Yang Pan immediately revealed the answer. He moved in at high speed and went past Zhang Yang. Zhang Jun¡¯s pointless pass had just reached his feet. He made a minor adjustment, and shot with all his might from the penalty box corner. The ball headed straight for the corner of the goal mouth. In the midst of the shocking cries and cheers, Zhang Lintao once again leapt into the air and knocked the ball away with his fists. ¡°God¡¯s help! Zhang Lintao had God¡¯s help again! Yang Pan has shot seven times in this game and he managed to block six times! This is an astonishing number! It was his outstanding performance that allowed Ke Da to maintain the one-point lead till now.¡± Zhang Lintao¡¯s hand was propped on the ground. When he tried to get up he, unexpectedly, had a sharp pain shooting into his left wrist. His hand turned soft and he almost collapsed on the ground. ¡®Could it be that the pre-season training was only able to improve my defensive ability but not the strength of my arm? Or perhaps Yang Pan¡¯s shots were really unstoppable?¡¯ ¡®Unstoppable shots? What a joke! There is no such thing in this world!¡¯ Zhang Lintao suddenly jumped up from the ground, and immediately waved his fist and roared. ¡°Ah! Zhang Lintao seems to be very spirited today! He is bursting with confidence from continuously blocking Yang Pan¡¯s shots! His loud roars seems to shatter Shu Guang¡¯s remaining hope.¡± ¡°There is not much time left for the rest of the game. There is only less than ten minutes left. Shu Guang¡¯s most destructive shots were, unexpectedly, all completely blocked. Zhang Jun is also being marked closely by Li Yongle. Looks like Shu Guang is in danger!¡± Chapter 91 - Suffocation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhang Jun looked at Li Yongle who was following him closely. He then attempted to persuade the other party to stop. ¡°Are you not going on the offense? Why are you following me?¡± Li Yongle flashed a smile and replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that. I know what I am doing. Stopping you from scoring a goal is more important than scoring 10 goals by myself.¡± Zhang Jun anticipated this response and shrugged helplessly. It would be better to figure out a way to break away instead of arguing endlessly. Although Li Yongle was injured, his injury did not seem to affect him at all based on his performance in the past few minutes. His tackles were fierce, just like before. Positioning was still precise, and his fitness did not seem to have dropped. Zhang Jun looked at the thick gauze on Li Yongle¡¯s knee. If his injury was really serious, then his willpower must be even more frightening then his skills. After Yang Pan shook off Lu Qing¡¯s tail, he passed the ball to Kaka before Zhang Yang could continue the chain. Luo Bin was a little bit too slow. Kaka flexed his foot and passed the ball to Zhang Jun. Li Yongle and Zhang Jun moved at the same time. However, his legs were longer, so he managed to kick the ball first. When the ball shot towards Deng Rui, he repositioned it for a long kick. Just as he raised his leg, he saw another leg flash by and took the ball from him. ¡°Ren Yu De appeared in front of Zhonyuan¡¯s defender like a ghost! He has intercepted Deng Rui¡¯s ball! Danger! Zhongyuan High School !¡± After Ren Yu De took possession of the ball he had a narrow angle of the goal. However, Zhang Lintao did not dare to be careless and quickly moved to cover that angle. Ren Yu De then took the shot! Zhang Lintao seemed to have a premonition and dashed to the front post but he made the wrong judgement. When Ren Yu De kicked the ball with his left foot, his foot slightly hooked the ball and sent it to the back post! But, Zhang Lintao indeed seemed to have God¡¯s help on that day. He had rushed to the front post but the toe of his left boot touched the ball. This corner seeking shot by Ren Yu De, that was not fast or powerful, was stopped just from that touch! Again, Li Yongle and Zhang Jun moved in at the same time again. However, Li Yongle still had the longer leg advantage as he slid on the ground to sweep the ball away from Zhang Jun¡¯s toe. ¡°A narrow escape! Zhang Jun still have that keen sense while Li Yongle is still very fierce and tries his utmost. It is as though he is not injured at all!¡± Zhang Lintao still had some lingering fear as he pulled Li Yongle up. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°No¡­ No problem¡­ You did well¡­ charging¡­¡± Li Yongle¡¯s face was twisted and his voice distorted. Zhang Lintao was shocked when he saw Li Yongle¡¯s face. He then asked, ¡°Are¡­ Are you alright?¡± Li Yongle struggled free of Zhang Lintao¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°No¡­ It is nothing¡­ important!¡± He then turned and walked away. Zhang Jun looked at Li Yongle and went over to him again. He asked, ¡°Is your injury really alright?¡± Li Yongle glanced back at Zhang Jun sullenly. ¡°What do you think? I will say it again. If you are still worried about small matters, I will make you regret throughout the year!¡± By that time his expression had recovered and he once again looked like a strong midfielder. At this moment, Zhongyuan was at a total disadvantage. This made their captain Zhao Defeng very worried. Although his team was famous for defense, he knew that defending for a long time would lead to losses. He also knew that offense was the best defense. Therefore, he was always looking for an opening during defense. Now that the score was 2:1, he wanted to add salt to Shu Guang¡¯s wounds. ¡°Kaka is once again controlling the ball and going on the offensive! Eighty percent of Shu Guang¡¯s offensives were initiated by him. He is truly a ¡®midfield engine¡¯! However, Luo Bin from Zhongyuan is not to be outdone. Even since becoming a midfielder and getting thrown off by Kaka numerous times, he is still tenaciously hounding Kaka!¡± Kaka heeled the ball, shaking off Luo Bin, causing him to stagger, and also attracting a burst of screaming from the girls in the stands. ¡°Detestable! Although Imay lose to you in skills, but in spirit¡­¡± Luo Bin¡¯s both hands were propped on the ground. He turned his body and swung his right leg towards the ball. ¡°You are not my match!¡± Kaka had not expected that Luo Bin who was off-balance could switch his legs to obstruct the ball. To his surprise, the ball was intercepted. ¡°Luo Bin defended tenaciously. He has finally succeeded in intercepting Kaka¡¯s ball!¡± ¡°Old Zhao!¡± Luo Bin shouted. While still lying on the ground he swept the ball straight to Zhao Defeng. Li Hao and Zhao Defeng rushed to the ball at the same time. At that moment, nobody could tell who would reach the ball first. Zhao Defeng suddenly stopped. He did not go straight for the ball but crossed in front of Li Hao. For a moment Li Hao could not move. When the ball arrived, Li Hao wanted to grab it but Zhao Defeng was in right front of him. Besides that, the obstruction was just right, making him feel powerless and uncomfortable. However, he did not have any time to adjust. Since his opponent had already taken the initiative, he would not let his opponent get the ball easily! However, Zhao Defeng did not stop the ball like what was expected. Instead, he allowed the ball to pass through his legs, then bent forward and ran past Li Hao! Li Hao did understand what happened until he heard the commentator¡¯s yell, ¡°He has broken through! Zhao Defeng has advanced with the ball.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Wang Ning rushed forward to intercept the ball. But, Zhao Defeng pushed the ball to the left with his right leg. Wang Ning thought that Zhao Defeng was going to breakthrough from the left. He started shifting his center of gravity to the right. However, after Zhao Defeng moved his right leg over, he immediately lightly tapped the ball to the right. As the ball went to the right, he also followed to breakthrough! ¡°He passed through another one! Clean and beautiful! Wang Ning did not even manage to get near!¡± Shu Guang¡¯s defenders became nervous. The opponent was just one person but he had already got through two players. They had been attacking vigorously earlier, meeting with resistance from Zhongyuan. At this moment Shu Guang¡¯s defence was a little lax. He Jialin continued to harass Shu Guang¡¯s defenders. Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulin were like two sharp knives attacking from the sides. After seventy minutes, Zhongyuan¡¯s men were still able to counterattack quickly, showing that they were extremely fit. He Jialin, Zhang Yuchao, Zhang Yulin and also Zhao Defeng who was carrying the ball. Only these four intruded into Shu Guang¡¯s half of the field but it was enough to set off a huge wave. Shu Guang¡¯s defenders were forced to withdraw in the face of their opponents advancing at full speed. They were unable to organize an effective defence for the time being. Both midfielders had already been passed and the central back could not blindly withdraw anymore. Li Jieguang rushed up to Zhao Defeng. Zhao Defeng simply dropped his shoulder to the left and lifted his right leg. Li Jieguang had thought that Zhao Defeng was about to pass the ball because Zhang Yulin was following on the right. As Li Jieguang moved to the left, Zhao Defeng¡¯s right leg pulled the ball to the left and slipped past Li Jieguang¡¯s right! ¡°The third one! Finally, Zhao Defeng is making headway! Shu Guang¡¯s goal is in danger!¡± ¡°Lin Xiaofang! Don¡¯t worry about him! Mark your man properly! Let him shoot! Chen Bo, Xie Wei! Guard the middle!¡± An Ke commanded the defenders loudly. At this moment, his tenor tone was like a tranquillizer. Hearing his voice, the others remembered that he was still there behind them and was absolutely dependable. When An Ke shouted out, Zhao Defeng had to reconsider passing the ball to He Jialin. Now, he was considering passing the ball to the wingers. However, the were three defenders in the penalty box, lowering his chances of passing the ball. But he could also shoot the goal himself. There was not much time for him to choose. He gritted his teeth and rushed into the space specially created for him. As soon as he entered the penalty area, he saw An Ke rush out. ¡°This idiot!¡± He chuckled and then took the shot. At the stands, the mixed sounds of cheering and cries of alarm erupted forth. ¡°What the hell!¡± An Ke was seemingly charged with an unknown extraordinary power. He suddenly jumped from the ground and flew up like a rocket. His hands stretched out and he, unexpectedly, plucked Zhao Defeng¡¯s shot from the air. ¡°A perfect save! An Ke¡¯s spectacular leap, with his 1.88 m height, made a jaw dropping save! Zhao Defeng is also shocked! He never thought his shot would be caught by An Ke in midair. However, his goal shoot was faultless. It is a pity there is no goal! It was a brilliant counterattack! Even the spectators are applauding enthusiastically!¡± An Ke did not waste time and quickly put the ball onto the field. For Shu Guang, time is life. Every second takes away a glimmer of hope. Luo Bin was not inferior to Kaka in headers and they both competed for the ball in the air. In the end, the midfielder Luo Bin struck the ball with his head and sent it flying. However, Shu Guang did not give up. Wang Ning rushed to the ball again. Zhang Yuchao tried to stop him but lost in the physical confrontation. Wang Ning successfully wrested the ball. Wang Ning did not pass the ball to Yang Pan but instead, he moved the ball to the left side of the field. Ren Yu De caught the ball on the instep and then turned around. He had stopped the ball and turned around so smoothly that there was a burst of cheers and applause. Liu Chao did not dare to be negligent. The moment he came near, he marked Ren Yu De carefully. Instead of kicking, he constantly used his body to cram Ren Yu De to the touchline, so that Ren Yu De¡¯s available space became smaller and smaller. However, Ren Yu De was like a person who could play better when forced into a corner. He leaned his back against Liu Chao and placed his right foot on the ball. At that moment, the ball was close to the sidelines. If he was not careful, the ball would cross the line and go out of bound. How would one say this? Only the skilful can be audacious . Just when everyone believed that Ren Yu De had been forced into a corner with no way out, while putting more strength into his back, he pulled his right foot backwards. He then hooked the ball up with his left foot. After that, his right foot flicked it over their heads, with the ball flying behind Luo Chao! After completing this tossing action, Ren Yu De immediately slackened his body and turned! ¡°Beautiful! I never imagined that you can get pass another player this way!¡± Liu Chao was thrown off by Ren Yu De¡¯s sudden body slackening action and this allowed Ren Yu De to escape! After that, Ren Yu De did not continue into the penalty zone and instead chose to pass the ball. This ball pass made Zhang Lintao feel very uncomfortable. He was afraid of rashly charging out to the outer periphery. He could only watch helplessly as the ball approached the goal area. Deng Rui was also feeling uncomfortable. He did not even dare to stretch his leg out and disrupt it, fearing a careless mistake. However, Li Yongle could not care about all that. If he did not stretch his leg out, the ball would definitely reach Zhang Jun who was right behind him. He could smell the scent of a wolf from the person he was marking, Zhang Jun. Li Yongle kicked his leg, mindful of the timing. His hooked his toes and manage to send the ball behind him and Zhang Jun as well. Zhongyuan once again got through another crisis! Lu Qing long kicked the ball that Li Yongle hooked in, sending it out of the way. The intense and acute competition did not allow him time to think about how to handle the incoming ball. When he saw the ball enter the penalty zone, there was only one thought in his mind. ¡°Send it out!¡± ¡°An intense attack and defense! Stupendous! Brilliant! The finals have become really exciting after the forty seventh minute! I believe the audience is not disappointed! This is probably the most exciting final in Luoyang ever since it was proclaimed a sports center!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. However, this amazing final is about to end. There is only five minutes left. If injury time is included, then it would be about seven minutes left. At that time, the referee will blow the final whistle. The competition for the winner is entering its final lap.¡± The winter noon was not particularly hot. However, those that were spectating the match, personally experiencing the atmosphere and watching the 22 players running nonstop on the field, would certainly feel that summer was coming¡­ Chapter 92 - Door God Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Good afternoon! You are now watching the finals of the National High School Soccer Championship at the sports venue in Luoyang. It is a match between Ke Da High School and Shu Guang High School. The game has been going on for seventy-four minutes. The current score is 2:1 with Ke Da in the lead. However, Shu Guang has graduallly taken the initiative. The result of the match still could not be predicted until the last second! As the match progresses, it has reached a hot climax.¡± Su Fei watched Zhang Jun sprinting around. He had been closely marked,. He could only run around nonstop to create opportunities for his teammates. Sweat flowed down her cheeks. The temperature that day was not high. She gripped the pen in her hand tightly. It was hard to keep calm when the atmosphere was almost suffocating with tension! What is Zhang Jun thinking right now? Once again, she looked at Zhang Jun. ¡°Kaka passed through! Zhang Jun is running! However, Li Yongle stretched his leg and has stolen the ball! The more he competes, the more courageous he becomes!¡± Sun Laihong naturally knew why Li Yongle was so daring even after getting injured. He had spent one and a half years thinking about having a decisive confrontation with Zhang Jun. Now, there was finally a chance. Although there was not much time left, he seemed to be enjoying this confrontation. That was why his knee injury and the doctor¡¯s words were forgotten during the confrontation. It looked like he was really prepared. He wanted to have a decisive fight with Zhang Jun for the rest of the match, regardless of victory or defeat. He only could not help the fact that Zhang Jun was influenced by the knowledge of his injury, making Zhang Jun less enthusiastic. This annoyed Li Yongle a little. He could only vent by making more aggressive moves and fight more intensely. Zhang Jun got up from the ground. Li Yongle¡¯s move earlier made him lose his balance and fall on his face. His head and face were covered in dirt. ¡°Damn!¡± Li Yongle looked at the opponent who was been pulled up by Zhang Yang. ¡°What is his body made of?¡± He glanced at the large screen. The score 2: 1 was really dazzling. However, the little time remaining was even more dazzling. At most, there was only seven minutes left. Li Yongle¡¯s been marking me so tightly and playing so aggressively. How am I supposed to score? He¡¯s injured, yet he¡¯s so capable. I wouldn¡¯t dare to think what it¡¯d be like if he was 100 % fit. Although Zhang Jun did not want to admit it, Li Yongle was probably more formidable than him¡­ Wthout any support from his teammates, Zhang Jun felt like he was just running around like a useless idiot. Although he could create openings for his teammates, but was the job of a center forward limited to just creating openings for his teammates? Zhang Jun looked up. The sun was dazzling and the blue sky looked pale¡­ Liang Ke loosened his collar. His heart felt heavier with every passing second. Ke Da was not only defending against his team¡¯s aggressive attacks but also had the opportunity and surplus energy for sneak attacks. This made him feel even more fearful of the champion, Ke Da. But Shu Guang can¡¯t lose. It was not that he was eager for the honor of participation at the national level. However, he understood what nation level participation would mean to these kids, who were once weak players that played only a few matches in a year, as well as to the team. He felt anxious but did not want to show it. If he could not to keep up, what about the others who had been running for nearly 80 minutes? ¡°Ren Yu De once again glanced at Liu Chao. At this moment, Liu Chao was at a disadvantage after his clash with Ren Yu De.¡± Ren Yu De shook Liu Chao away with his skillful footwork and entered the penalty area. However, Deng Rui stole the ball away using his body. Ren Yu De had lost the advantage in power against the 1.85 m tall Deng Rui. After the ball was sent away by Deng Rui¡¯s long kick, it fell by Lin Xiaofang¡¯s feet. There was nothing that could be done about it. The forward members of Ke Da were too short. Zhao Defeng was 1.66m tall. Zhang Yuchao was 1.70 m. He Jialin was 1.73 m. The tallest was Zhang Yulin at 1.80 m tall. Besides that, Deng Rui¡¯s kicks were not precise. So, the ball was once again passed to Shu Guang. Lin Xiaofang passed the ball to Chen Bo who took the ball and broke through from the side. However, he soon met Zhang Yuchao. Chen Bo knew he was less skilled compared to Zhang Yuchao and immediately passed the ball to Wang Ning. Zhao Defeng did not attack but cleverly moved his body to block the possible path Wang Ning might use to pass the ball. However, Wang Ning did not pass the ball as he expected. Instead, he carried the ball and broke through. It was because Wang Ning was so bold that his defenses was broken through, out of Zhao Defeng¡¯s expectation, Wang Ning continued to carry the ball. Lu Qing was wary of Yang Pan and did not dare to press onward. For a short while, he did not know what to do. However, Luo Bin rushed up. Since his long range shot could cause Zhang Lintao¡¯s hand to slip, he must not leave it unattended. At this time, he could only temporarily abandon Kaka to snatch the ball either before the goal attempt or before the ball was passed. However, Wang Ning was no fool. He charged in and quickly kicked the ball to Kaka, that very person Luo Bin just only abandoned! ¡°Sh*t!¡± Luo Bin did not expect him to be so quick-witted. He could not turn back against the inertia. Kaka was left unmarked! Zhang Jun sped outwards, in response, to support Kaka. Li Yongle would naturally follow. At this moment, Yang Pan also quickly approached from the side. Sure enough, Kaka passed the ball. He flexed his leg and passed the ball, but not towards Zhang Jun. Instead, he had passed the ball in an arc towards Yang Pan at the side of the field! Zhang Yang turned around to chase but it was in vain. Once Yang Pan started his dashing run, there were not many that could stop him. At the same time, Zhang Jun turned around and went into the penalty area. After Kaka passed the ball, he ran towards the goal mouth too. Before the ball landed Yang Pan kicked it towards the front of the goal. As Zhang Jun ran he also brought Li Yongle with him. The ball flew towards Kaka at the back post! As the ball approached, with the landing spot in mind, Kaka moved to firmly shield it from Deng Rui. When it arrived he took the shot! However, the ball flew just slightly above the crossbar. At the same time a loud sigh and also applause could be heard from the stands. An Ke looked up at the dazzling sun in the pale sky as he wiped his sweat. We¡¯re still lagging behind. Mum and Dad are also watching at the stands. Maybe we¡¯ll really lose this time¡­ I guess that¡¯s alright as well. This way, Lil¡¯ Sis won¡¯t need to feel sad any longer. Sister. An Ke smiled as he thought of his little sister. At first, just to show off, he demonstrated few tricks with the ball. As a result, she fell in love with soccer. She even cut her hair and sneaked out for some street soccer. She totally did not carry herself like a lady. It was like what she said: in the final analysis it was his fault. This would not have happened if she had not come into contact with soccer. If not for his introduction, today she would have been a cute and obedient girl. This was his failure as a brother. The voices at the stands suddenly roared. An Ke lifted his head and saw Zhao Defeng approaching again with the ball. He Jialin was reenergised again. Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulinalso advanced from the sides, bolstered with their stamina. ¡°Ke Da is still trying to increase their score. They are not missing any chance for a counterattack despite the little time left!¡± Zhao Defeng once again faced Wang Ning and repeated the same trick to deceive Wang Ning. As Wang Ning shifted his equilibirum in response, Zhao Defeng moved towards the opposite direction. ¡°The same move is useless against a great player!¡± Wang Ning shouted in his heart. Wang Ning stretched out his right leg but could not reach the ball. Instead, he tripped Zhao Defeng. ¡°Beep!¡± The referee immediately whistled. He quickly ran to the foul spot and stood there. He then pointed towards Shu Guang¡¯s goal. ¡°Ke Da has won a free kick at 26 m! Remembering that Ke Da has scored their second goal with a free kick during the second half of the game, the players from Shu Guang are becoming nervous. Although Li Yongle has not come forward because of his injury, the one standing in front of the ball is the free kick expert, Zhao Defeng! Both his left and right feet are able to shoot with great precision! The current spot is his most favored position. If they score again, it would be like annoncing Shu Guang¡¯s death penalty!¡± The human wall was quickly assembled. Shu Guang no longer had any time to dawdle. Zhao Defeng stood quietly in front of the ball and watched Shu Guang¡¯s human wall. He was accustomed to studying the opponent¡¯s wall. He would utilise any small gap to give his opponent a devastating blow. Everyone held their breath, fearing that any small movement would interfere with the ball¡¯s flight path. An Ke actually caught a glimpse of He Wen at Ke Da¡¯s substitute bench. She stood up and looked over nervously. He felt that it was ridiculous for himself to still be distracted by his sister in such a tense moment. If only I had never exposed her to soccer¡­ Zhao Defeng moved! He ran only one step up to the ball. His left foot stepped firmly beside the ball. He then swung his right foot backwards and raised the back of his body. He raised his left hand. His right leg swung forward with the toes pointing down. The inside of his right foot slammed ruthlessly against the lower right side of the ball. The ball flew high into the sky along with a splash of grass. At that moment, the entire spectators were silent. This might have been Zhao Defeng¡¯s best free kick. His strength, the angle, the bend and speed were all excellent. Sun Laihong even rushed to the sidelines and raised his arms, preparing to charge into the field to cheer for victory. If I had never exposed her to soccer¡­¡¯ ¡°Brother, soccer is really fun!¡± He Wen¡¯s childlike voice rang in his ears¡­ During the moment everyone around was cheering, He Wen saw an unforgettable moment in her life. An Ke shot out as though he was fired from a bow. His speed was shocking! The ball flew in a beautiful arc, easily bypassing Shu Guang¡¯s wall that had jumped up, and headed for the right side of Shu Guang¡¯s goalpost. Was the ball faster or was An Ke faster? The answer was soon revealed. An Ke¡¯s fingertips touched the ball, pushing it to the outer side of the goal post across the end line! As the cheers got louder, An Ke crashed into the goal post! At the same time, He Wen¡¯s heart tightened. She shouted, ¡°Elder Brother!¡± She did not care about the gazes of the other members. At that moment, she was just An Ke¡¯s sister and not the team manager for Ke Da. Shu Guang¡¯s team members did not cheer for their narrow escape. Instead, they all ran towards An Ke. ¡°It¡¯s a great save! An Ke saved the goal with unimaginable speed and determination! It was a save right on the goal line! But he also paid a heavy price, and crashed into the goalpost! It is not clear if he could still stand up! The medics are at the sidelines. Once the referee beckoned, they would be able to enter the field!¡± The referee ran over to take a look at An Ke¡¯s injury. However, An Ke did not go into shock from his injuries. At the instant he hit the goalpost, he heard He Wen¡¯s scream, ¡°Elder brother ¡­¡± Was it telepathy? In any case, he was still conscious at that moment and did not faint. The effects of his crash was unavoidable, and he was in a daze when he saw the referee separating the others away from him to take a look at his injuries. But he was conscious enough to be aware that even if he was injured, he could not afford to leave the game at that point in time. Thereupon, he quickly stood up and flashed a familiar grin at the concerned gazes. The first one that rushed up to hold him warmly was Kaka. He shouted, ¡°Great! It is great that you are alright!¡± After that, Xie Wei was the next to pat An Ke bottocks and shouted, ¡°Sh*t! How did you manage to do that earlier? It was classic! Even I gave up hope!¡± The other teammates also scrambled to be with An Ke to bask in the camaraderie. When the referee saw this scene, he knew what he was supposed to do. He whistled for the match to continue, starting with a corner kick from Ke Da. As Zhao Defeng walked towards the corner flag he turned to look at An Ke who was standing in front of the goal. He still could not understand how his perfect shot was blocked. Zhang Lintao was able to block Yang Pan¡¯s shots because he had studied Yang Pan for an entire year. He knew how Yang Pan shoot the ball, how he ran, where he preferred to shoot the ball from, the angles ¡­ As for his shot just now, even he himself did not know how it ended up so perfect, so how did An Ke stop it! An Ke had leapt into the air, and as he flew up Zhao Defeng seemed to have seen a God, a Door God¡­ Although Sun Laihong felt disappointed at least they were still leading. There was still a corner kick and the goalkeeper had also crashed into the goalpost. Even if he was strong, that was impossible to be inconsequential. Zhao Defeng sent a corner kick. Luo Binhou was in front, prepared to make a header shot. However, Lin Xiaofang jumped even higher. He swung his head and headed the ball out of the penalty zone. Zhang Yuchao received the ball from outside the penalty zone. He had one of the most powerful legs in the team. Without hesitation he immediately shot towards the goal. Chen Bo rushed over and chested the ball out of the penalty zone. He himself was knocked to the ground. Zhang Yang got the ball and was preparing to pass it to the penalty area but it was swept away by Li Hao. Wang Ning was at the side and saw the ball being swept over. He quickly rushed in to get the ball. Lu Qing also rushed over. However, Wang Ning managed to gain control of the ball by using his body to block Lu Qing. He then sent the ball to Kaka. Kaka carried the ball and the fight to Ke Da¡¯s half of the field. Ke Da¡¯s team members scrambled back to defend. Shu Guang¡¯s crisis has ended. An Ke shook his head. His injury earlier was not light. He was having occasional double and unstable vision. During the corner kick earlier, he did not actually do anything. His teammates did all the hard work. He looked up and saw Li Jieguang looking at him. Li Jieguang also noticed that he was looking and gave him a thumbs up. He then patted his chest and pointed to the defenders around him. An Ke understood that Li Jieguang meant that, with them around, they would not let the opponent shoot so easily and that he could rest easy. An Ke was touched. They all knew he was injured but they did not ask him to leave. Obviously, they still believed in him. As a player who treated the soccer field as a battleground, leaving the field would imply the end of his battle. This would be the cruelest thing that could happen. So, they allowed him to stay on the field and continue guarding the goal. That also made him believe that although the defenders were not as brilliant as the four strikers, they were also trying very hard and taking things seriously. They had never thought of giving up. When he looked up again, he saw Liang Ke at the side asking him with a gesture, ¡°Do you need to get treatment?¡± Liang Ke was not stupid enough to think that An Ke was in good health just by seeing him get up from the ground. However, An Ke shook his head firmly. I will not leave even if I¡¯m seriously injured. As long as the match isn¡¯t over, I¡¯ll remain here. Everyone¡¯s desperate. Everyone¡¯s placed their trust in me. How can I walk away irresponsibly? Yes, Shu Guang¡¯s goal can only be defended by me! An Ke grabbed his gloves tightly again. He then stood like a statue in the same place with Shu Guang¡¯s goal behind him. Chapter 93 - The Last Second Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zhang Jun saw Li Yongle panting and supporting his knee a few times. Sweat continued to drip down from his cheeks. He was like a person that could fall down at any time. However, as soon as Zhang Jun started running, Li Yongle would immediately stand straight and track him, eyes glinting. Although sweat constantly seeped out from his skin, his actions were not any slower. He had been tackled repeatedly and his teammates helped him repeatedly. ¡°If you become soft because of this small matter, I will gladly make you regret for another year!¡± ¡°Kaka chose Zhang Jun once again! It is the right choice as Li Yongle is now injured. If Zhang Jun dashes forward, he would be able to break through Ke Da¡¯s line of defense. Li Yongle is once again confronted with a test!¡± Zhang Jun leaned against Li Yongle and could clearly hear Li Yongle¡¯s heavy breathing. Zhang Jun stretched out his right leg to receive the ball but Li Yongle read his attempt. He parted his legs and increased his defensive area. Zhang Jun received the ball and turned around. At that moment, Li Yongle resolutely tackled him. Zhang Jun did not want to give up and reached for the ball but Li Yongle was quicker than he expected and took the ball first. Zhang Jun was unable to retract his foot in time and it hooked Li Yongle¡¯s left knee. Li Yongle cried out loud but immediately gritted his teeth and resisted the pain. Zhang Jun was shocked. He got up and pulled Li Yongle. ¡°You¡­ Are you alright?¡± Li Yongle pushed Zhang Jun away. ¡°The match is still going on right now!¡± He struggled to stand up, his left knee unsteady. His leaped a little and then limped away. Zhang Jun looked at Li Yongle¡¯s back as Li Yongle walked away unhappily. ¡°I repeat. If you are still worried about this small matter, I will make you regret for another year.¡± He recalled those words. Regret? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t just be for a year. Zhang Jun looked at the clock. The match would go into injury time in two minutes. He turned and looked at Shu Guang¡¯s bench and saw Su Fei looking at him. Their locked gaze said more than a thousand words. Su Fei quickly turned her face away and Zhang Jun averted his gaze. There¡¯s no other choice. I¡¯m sorry, Li Yongle! I don¡¯t want to regret it for the rest of my life! ¡°Time has crept by. The fourth official has already raised the sign for three-minutes of injury time. However, Shu Guang is still one goal behind. Would they be able to get it back? This is probably the concern of Shu Guang¡¯s supporters! Ke Da have all retreated to their half to defend. With their ability, it should not be a problem for them to hold on for three minutes.¡± ¡°That is hard to say!¡± ¡°Master Zhou?¡± ¡°No one would dare to guess the result of the match until the last second. It is perhaps this that has moved me the most in this match. Li Yongle is injured. An Ke injured himself to save the goal. Zhang Lintao has constantly blocked Yang Pan¡¯s shots. It would be unfair to guess who would win when the players have been competing so desperately on the field! At the very least, I believe that to be so. I think we should quietly watch the match until it ends, regardless of whether they have three minutes or three seconds left. After Kaka managed to pass through Luo Bin, he took a shot towards the goal from outside the penalty area. However, Zhang Lintao rushed out. Ren Yu De wanted to follow up but Liu Chao blocked his way and Deng Rui cleared the ball. The ball once again fell into Shu Guang¡¯s half of the court. Yang Pan¡¯s shot from outside the penalty area was once again parried away by Zhang Lintao. Zhang Jun struggled against Li Yongle in front of the goal but it was held by Zhang Lintao. Zhang Lintao released the ball to initiate an attack. Luo Bin took the ball with Lu Qing defending him at his side. Li Hao tried to block them but Luo Bin passed the ball to Lu Qing. He broke forward and Lu Qing passed the ball back to him. It was two against one. ¡°Their goalkeeper definitely cannot keep up anymore! Shoot towards the goal!¡± Zhang Yuchao cried out from the back. Luo Bin did a roulette to bypass Lin Xiaofang. Sure enough, he struck the ball hard towards An Ke. In An Ke¡¯s vision, there were three to four balls. His vision constantly shook. His situation did not improve even after shaking his head. Just when he was overwhelmed, a leg appeared in his vision and knocked the ball away. ¡°Li Jieguang blocked the ball for An Ke! The ball flew to the left hand side of the penalty area, a no-man¡¯s land. Xie Wei and He Jialin are both rushing to the ball. Who could get to the ball first?¡± Just as the two approached the ball, a figure quickly intercepted the ball. ¡°Ah! It is Chen Bo! The defender from the right flank has gone to the left!¡± Chen Bo stopped the ball before it reached the touchline but when he turned around, he saw Zhang Yulin approaching fiercely. In his haste, Chen Bo saw a familiar figure to his right and kicked the ball over. Wang Ning was the one to receive the ball. Zhao Defeng was also approaching. ¡°Ke Da has even started to press and intercept up the pitch. They are not even giving Shu Guang a single opportunity to fight back! The countdown to the end of the match has started! Ke Da¡¯s fans have also begun to celebrate prematurely! There are only thirty seconds left! Ke Da¡¯s substitutes are at the sidelines waiting for the referee to blow the whistle! Shu Guang¡¯s cheerleaders have chosen to stay silent!¡± ¡°Damn it! They intercept so fiercely!¡± Wang Ning used his hand to block Zhao Defeng. He was in an awkward position. The other person was small and his arm could not properly block him. The loud cheers from Ke Da¡¯s fans were like needles in his heart. I played so hard just to hear cheers for others? He was not satisfied. No matter what, he would never accept such a result. Never! Wang Ning shouted in his heart and gave a push. The force was enough for him to create some space between himself and Zhao Defeng. This allowed him to lift his leg and pass the ball. Kaka knew that Luo Bin would definitely prevent him from turning around. So, he took the initiative to meet the ball. He leapt up as the ball arrived and his feet swiveled around the ball. He swerved his body and managed to get past the defender. ¡°Brilliant! Soccer samba! Shu Guang has broken through Ke Da¡¯s full-pitch press! However, time is running out! The referee is already looking at his watch! Can Shu Guang score a goal?¡± As if answering him, Yang Pan and Ren Yu De who were midfielders suddenly moved forward to become strikers. At this moment, Shu Guang finally returned to a familiar 4-3-3 formation. Three strikers, three sharp knives. Shu Guang wanted to make a last struggle. Liang Ke bit his lower lip and stood up. He stared intently at the entire pitch. The three strikers would distract the defenders. So, Zhang Jun would definitely have an opportunity. Yang Pan¡¯s shots were completely seen through by Zhang Lintao. Ren Yu De¡¯s physical strength was also not enough for him to take the final shot. The last shot must be taken by Zhang Jun. As Li Yongle kept this in his mind, he saw Zhang Jun who was originally in the penalty area run out to receive Kaka¡¯s pass. He did not dare to slow down and followed suit. ¡°Li Yongle is sticking to Zhang Jun, containing Shu Guang¡¯s arrow! This match is coming to an end!¡± As soon as those words were said, the cheers from Ke Da¡¯s fans doubled in volume. At the same time, Kaka who was being chased by Luo Bin passed the ball straight ahead. Zhang Jun was still a little far away from the ball¡¯s arc. He sped up to get in front of the ball. Li Yongle following closely behind. The ball bounced on the ground and decreased in speed. Zhang Jun had reached it. The ball bounced ahead once more. Li Yongle did not know what Zhang Jun wanted to do and did not dare to act rashly. However, this time he heard Zhao Defeng shout loudly. ¡°Foul him! Foul him!¡± Zhao Defeng¡¯s idea was correct. If he was fouled, he would be given a free kick. Although the distance would be closer, the chances of Shu Guang scoring would be lower with Zhang Lintao¡¯s play. Even if they themselves were penalized for tackling from behind, this red card would not be carried forward to the National Championship. The tactical foul would be worth it. Just as Li Yongle was about to tackle, he was surprised to see Zhang Jun leaping towards the side of the ball. ¡°He jumped? What does he want to¡­¡± Whatever happened next was beyond the imagination of his and everyone else present. Zhang Jun had jumped sidewards onto the ball. He kicked the ball that just bounced up with his right foot and sent it behind him. The ball rolled past Li Yongle¡¯s left side. Zhang Jun continued to move forward and went pass Li Yongle¡¯s right side. A quick change of direction and a swerve later, he was past Li Yongle. ¡®The run-around? Like this?¡¯ Li Yongle was stunned by what had happened in front of him. When he turned his body around, he became paralyzed and fell to the ground. He then watched Zhang Jun catch up to the ball. Zhang Jun used his right foot to step on the ball, causing it to bounce up and avoid Deng Rui¡¯s flying tackle. Now, only Zhang Lintao was left in Zhang Jun¡¯s way. Zhang Lintao had already covered all the angles. Zhang Jun¡¯s final kick would not be an easy one. Liu Chao had already abandoned Ren Yu De and rushed over. The referee was watching on intently. Zhang Jun did not have much time left. Zhang Jun lifted his right leg. Liu Chao initiated a flying tackle three meters away from him. The referee held the whistle in his mouth. The ball bounced up. Zhang Jun¡¯s right leg was like a whip as he kicked the lower middle part of the ball. Zhang Lintao leapt towards the near post out of reflex but the ball flew past him from above. He unexpectedly managed to raise his left hand to stop the ball when he fell to the ground. In fact, he managed to touch the ball but another severe pain came from his left wrist. His wrist gave way and the ball rushed past. Liu Chao¡¯s foot also arrived but it was too late. He only managed to scrape the sole of Zhang Jun¡¯s boot. The ball crashed onto the underside of the crossbar and then bounced in. The referee¡¯s whistle could then be heard in the quiet stadium. Then came the loud uproar from Shu Guang¡¯s fans. The commentator tried to keep his voice from being overwhelmed despite the noisy environment. He shouted loudly and hoarsely. ¡°Goal! Goal! Zhang Jun scored an incredible goal! The score is now 2:2! Both sides are tied!¡± Zhang Jun climbed up from the ground. He stretched out his hands, ran towards the corner flag and roared as he stood there. Yang Pan was closest to him. He leapt onto Zhang Jun¡¯s back and roared with him, hands flailing furiously. Within a short moment, they were surrounded by overjoyed teammates. Liang Ke did not say anything. He punched the air in a hidden corner as though he would not be able to vent his nervousness if he did not do this. Su Fei did not jump and scream like everyone else. Instead, she buried her heads within her two hands tightly. Sun Laihong fiercely knelt on one knee and punched the ground. The victory that was in their hands is now gone. Ke Da was overwhelmed as they watched Shu Guang¡¯s team members celebrate. Zhang Yang then went over and pulled Li Yongle up. ¡°How are you? How is your knee?¡± Li Yongle shook his head and replied, ¡°I can still hold on for thirty minutes!¡± The captain, Zhao Defeng then comforted his teammates. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It is just a tie! There is still the overtime match! Raise your spirits and defeat them!¡± The large screen was replaying the goal as the commentator calmly analyzed it. ¡°The best part of this is how Zhang Jun escaped from Li Yongle. Li Yongle¡¯s defenses was very satisfactory such that Zhang Jun rarely broke through successfully. However, at that moment, he ran to the ball and jumped up. He used the back of his right foot to kick the bouncing ball back before passing around in the opposite direction to get past Li Yongle. It was an incredible run-around. His back kick was the critical moment. If there was even a little bit of carelessness, it would lead to a complete failure. Zhang Jun managed to do this in such a tense environment. He is truly skilled and bold!¡± ¡°This is truly a match where a victor cannot be decided until the last second! It is an awesome final match! The second half was truly fantastic!¡± The referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the of the second half just as Ke Da¡¯s goalkeeper released the ball. ¡°The second-half is over! The two sides are tied and we will now enter the thirty minutes of overtime match. The overtime match will be based on the golden goal rule. Whichever team scores the first goal, that team would be the winner and the match would be over. Now, both teams are not to enter the dressing room and will rest on the pitch. The match will continue after ten minutes!¡± Chen Huafeng looked at the dazzling sun. ¡®Even the audience is starting to sweat. Is it El Nino?¡¯ ¡®If the winter this year is warm, it must be because of this group of youths¡­¡¯ Chapter 94 - Not A Multiple Choice Question Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Fei and the other substitutes handed out bottles of water to the team members who had run around with all their strength on the pitch for eighty minutes. Zhang Jun received special treatment and was given two bottles of water. He accepted it even though he could not finish it. Liang Ke started the final discussion in the circle formed by the players. ¡°An Ke. How is your injury?¡± An Ke shook his head. Right now, his vision has returned to normal. It was only a question if it would become problematic again during the match. However, he still replied firmly, ¡°No problem!¡± Su Fei handed him a wet towel. ¡°Wipe your face.¡± An Ke felt flattered and took the towel. In his rush, he almost knocked down the bottle of water. He had always thought that he was like air to Su Fei and never expected this. He quickly put the wet towel on his face, covering it entirely. However, what he failed to notice was Su Fei giving a wet towel to every other team member on the pitch. ¡°Overtime will be a test of our physicality. So, the formation should go back to 4-5-1. Assigning people to the middle of the pitch can slow down our opponent¡¯s quick counterattacks, giving us more power and time. I know that you reverted to 4-3-3 in the last minutes but there are too few midfielders in this formation. Although there is high attacking power, it is only applicable for a moment. We should keep calm and look for opportunities patiently. The outcome could be decided in a single moment! Remember, we must be more patient than our opponents!¡± The doctor from the organizing committee removed Li Yongle¡¯s gauze and rebandaged him. The doctor resolutely tried to ask Li Yongle again as he pointed to the swollen knee, ¡°Are you sure you want to continue playing?¡± Li Yongle looked at his knee and nodded. ¡°I am sure.¡± The doctor sighed and replaced the gauze. He wrapped it up again. ¡°It will be slightly painful. Hold on.¡± Sun Laihong comforted Li Yongle from a side. ¡°Losing the ball at that last moment was not your fault. In fact, nobody could do anything. That kind of escape¡­¡± Li Yongle merely nodded silently. Zhang Lintao was sitting behind Deng Rui. He secretly rubbed his left wrist. Zhao Defeng drank a mouthful of water and poured the rest on his head. He then swept his hair to one side and sat down in silence. No matter how the coach told them not to mind it, that ball has left a huge impact in their hearts. Once they stopped, they could not help but remember the entire process of the goal being scored. Perhaps they would only be able to forget about it once they are back running on the pitch. The ten minutes break was really too short for the players who have been running around for eighty minutes straight. A lot of people did not have enough time to rest but the match was not over yet. The outcome has not yet been decided. They could not rest on their laurels. As a result, twenty-two players went back onto the pitch under the encouragement of their respective coaches. The spectators once again showed their passion after ten minutes of calm. Zhang Jun stood in the center circle and was ready for kick-off. Yang Pan stood beside him. They did not look at each other or quietly exchange words. Instead, both looked at the distant goal of their opponent, Ke Da. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. After a short ten-minute break, players from both sides are back on the pitch again. The first half of the overtime match is about to begin! This is the first an overtime match, and even penalties, have been required to determine the result of a final since Luoyang became an independent division. During this fierce match, the enthusiasm of everyone here has caused the temperature of the stadium to rise. Even though it is a winter afternoon, we can all taste summer.¡± ¡°Beep-¡± Zhang Jun kicked the ball ahead. Yang Pan then followed up and kicked the ball back to his half of the pitch. Kaka stopped the ball but did not return it. Instead, he took the ball straight into the opponent¡¯s half. He Jialin did not expect Kaka to be so daring and to go past him so easily. Zhao Defeng also gave up the idea of attacking and went to block Kaka. However, Kaka passed the ball to Wang Ning who was behind him. Wang Ning managed to easily receive the ball as no one was obstructing him, and further passed it to Yang Pan. Yang Pan stopped the ball. Lu Qing was already in a defensive stance in front of him. Instead struggling to get past him, he passed the ball back to Kaka who had already broken free from Zhao Defeng. After breaking free from Zhao Defeng, Luo Bin tracked him closely. In desperation, Kaka could only pass the ball back to Wang Ning. During overtime, everyone had already used up a lot of energy. It was unrealistic to expect players from both teams to charge full tilt at each other and switch between attack and defense in the blink of an eye. Therefore, many overtime matches consisted of Team A attacking Team B for the first half. If Team B manages to defend the goal for fifteen minutes, they would then attack Team A in the second half. If no goals are scored at the end of overtime, both teams would have to resort to the most cruel and inhumane way of deciding the outcome of a match, a penalty shootout. Based on the current point of view, it was inevitable for the match to be less exciting and fierce than the second half. Five minutes of overtime have passed. Both sides still struggled in the middle of the pitch. There had not been any threatening shots. Liang Ke hesitated when he saw Ren Yu De who was mostly walking instead of running. He was unsure whether Ren Yu De should be substituted due to fatigue. It was as though Shu Guang was one player short. However, when the ball was passed to him, he was always able to hold on to it. Shu Guang that did not need to retreat and defend instantly when they had just initiated an attack. Going at a slow pace could help to conserve energy. It was a dilemma. Liang Ke got a headache thinking about this. He took advantage of the time the ball went out of play to call Yang Pan over. He then softly said, ¡°Tell Ren Yu De to not try and breakthrough when he receives the ball. Just control the ball and wait for an opportunity to pass it back out.¡± Yang Pan nodded and poured water onto his own head. He threw the empty bottle onto the floor and wiped his face before returning to the pitch. However, he could not immediately convey the coach¡¯s intentions to Ren Yu De. He had to wait for the next dead ball. At this moment, Ren Yu De who was resting had suddenly rushed up to steal Zhang Yulin¡¯s ball. He took the ball and rushed to Ke Da¡¯s penalty area with an astonishing momentum. This time, he did not choose to go from the side but from the middle directly into the penalty box. There was a slight deviation in Liu Chao and Deng Rui¡¯s cooperation. Deng Rui was slow to tackle. As a result, Ren Yu De managed to slip through between them like a loach. Shu Guang¡¯s fans immediately shouted. It was as though their cries injected strength into Ren Yu De and helped him run on. Zhang Lintao became tense. He knew how formidable Ren Yu De¡¯s shots were at tight angles. However, he also knew how remarkable Zhang Jun was cutting in to a favorable position. Would they do a pass or shoot at the goal? Zhang Lintao would rather do a hundred multiple choice questions on politics than face this choice. However, Ren Yu De would not let Zhang Lintao search for an answer or calculate the probability of the ball being passed. Time was life. Each second was crucial. Ren Yu De chose to pass the ball. Ren Yu De tried to pass the ball but Zhang Lintao¡¯s actions were quicker. He leapt sideways and parried the ball away with the tips of his fingers. Zhang Jun watched the ball soar away from him regretfully. However, Ke Da¡¯s crisis was not over as Kaka was already rushing towards the ball. When Luo Bin interfered, he managed to cleverly hit a grounded shot. A grounded shot is lethal in a chaotic penalty box. Regardless of the attacking or defending team, anyone caught careless with their feet may score a goal. Zhang Lintao was on the ground when he saw Kaka take the shot. He took a deep breath and scrambled with both hands and feet towards the ball. However, before he could get to the ball, Zhang Yang turned around and cleared it away. The atmosphere turned tense for Ke Da¡¯s supporters. The ball that Zhang Yang cleared away went only as far as Yang Pan. The ¡°King of Power¡± lifted his muscular right leg 25 m away from the goal¡­ Zhang Lintao felt desperation rise in his heart. His hand could no longer stop Yang Pan¡¯s shot. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Yang Pan, shoot!¡± A tall figure suddenly appeared right in front of Yang Pan. The ball inevitably hit him. After a muffled noise, the figure fell down. ¡°Big Idiot!¡± Luo Bin glanced at Deng Rui that fell down to the ground. ¡°We are the best partners! The goalkeeper and the defender, haha!¡± This was what Deng Rui said when Zhang Lintao just joined the team. Zhang Lintao could still remember Deng Rui¡¯s silly demeanour then. ¡°The ball has bounced back to Yang Pan! Deng Rui¡¯s efforts could not stop him from shooting! Yang Pan shoots again¡­¡± Zhang Lintao suddenly sprang up from the ground and leaped towards the ball. With a muffled sound, Zhang Lintao managed to push away Yang Pan¡¯s shot with closed forearms. Amongst the four great goalkeepers of Luoyang, apart from An Ke being spared from a terrible fate by virtue of being Yang Pan¡¯s teammate, the rest had previously been defeated. Yang Pan had an amazing destructive power. The ball blocked by Zhang Lintao fell to the right side of the penalty area. Liu Chao hastily rushed to clear it with a powerful kick as Ren Yu De closed in like a phantom. Luo Bin first rushed to Deng Rui¡¯s side. He then bent forward and shouted at Deng Rui who was on the ground, ¡°Big Idiot! Are you dead?¡± Deng Rui gritted his teeth, frowned and replied with a muffled voice. ¡°No! I am not¡­¡± ¡°Then get up! The match is not over yet! Quick!¡± Luo Bin was the oldest player on the team but he did not flaunt his seniority. In fact, as partner defenders for three years, his friendship with Deng Rui was unusual. Although the nickname ¡°Big Idiot¡± was not a nice one, everyone in Ke Da knows that Deng Rui¡¯s best friend was Luo Bin. Sure enough, after Luo Bin roared at Deng Rui, Deng Rui put both of his hands to the ground and climbed up with a scowl. ¡°Hey. Are you alright?¡± The referee still fulfilled his duty. Luo Bin suddenly slammed his head at Deng Rui¡¯s forehead and growled. Deng Rui growled back at him. Luo Bin then turned to the stunned referee and said, ¡°Alright. He is fine now. The match can continue.¡± ¡°Ren Yu De¡¯s surprise attack had caused confusion within Ke Da¡¯s penalty box. With great courage, Deng Rui used his body to block Yang Pan¡¯s shot. After the bland opening performance, the first climax had finally arrived! Players from both teams have showed us their unyielding spirit!¡± If the players from both teams were initially showing some restraint, they were now putting two hundred percent into their offense. To quote a fan from outside the stadium, ¡°Shit! Both sides are out of control!¡± Now, Yang Pan suddenly felt that the coach¡¯s arrangement was a bit too conservative. Allowing Ren Yu De to control the ball but not break through was naturally to allow Ren Yu De to rest. However, what was the point of conserved strength now? Instead, it may waste a good opportunity of scoring and winning. Just like the offense earlier., if Ren Yu De had merely controlled the ball instead of passing it, that climax would never have happened. Would it be better to be conservative and enter a penalty shootout or would it be better to go on a fierce offensive to determine victory or defeat? This was not a multiple choice question as there was only one answer. Yang Pan went up to Ren Yu De who was panting heavily. ¡°How much strength do you have left?¡± Ren Yu De looked up at Yang Pan and replied, ¡°Enough to take penalties.¡± ¡°Do not worry about penalty kicks. Exert your best effort in these last few moments. We will defeat them with the first goal!¡± Yang Pan said as he turned to look at his opponents a distance away. ¡°We may also be defeated by a goal.¡± Yang Pan turned back. Ren Yu De smiled and said, ¡°If this was a multiple choice question¡­¡± Yang Pan shook his head and interrupted him. ¡°We do not have any other choice.¡± It would be all or nothing. It was definitely not a multiple choice question. Liang Ke found out soon enough that Yang Pan must have altered his instructions. This is because Ren Yu De continued to try and break through the opponent¡¯s defenses every time he got the ball. ¡°Shit! His remaining strength¡­¡± Liang Ke suddenly stood up but he immediately sat down again. This caused Su Fei who was beside him to be confused. Maybe Yang Pan is right and I am the one who¡¯s mistaken. What is the point of me being reserved at this moment? Maybe I am still afraid. When close to victory, the one that shrinks back will lose! The situation on the pitch reminded Liang Ke of a phrase. The great revolutionary Liu Bocheng once said, ¡°When confrontation is inevitable, victory favors the bold!¡± Chapter 95 - Unavoidable Confrontation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When confrontation is inevitable, victory favors the bold! Liang Ke clenched his fists. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. You are now watching the Luoyang final qualifying match for the 15th National High School Soccer Championship. The teams competing are Zhongyuan in blue, Shu Guang in white. Both sides competed against each other for eighty minutes and tied at 2:2! They have entered overtime according to the rules. Overtime is based on a golden ball system where the team that scores the first goal would win. Overtime has already been going on for ten minutes. In another five minutes, the first half of overtime would be over. It seems that the chances for the match to be decided over penalties is getting bigger and bigger! If this is the case, players from both teams would be physically and mentally tested! In professional soccer matches, deciding the winner with penalty kicks is considered ¡®cruel¡¯. Who would be the victim today?¡± Although Yang Pan allowed Ren Yu De to break through the opponent¡¯s defenses regardless of any concerns, his stamina would not be able to last much longer. Continuing on this way would mean giving up the second half. That was why they had to end the match in the next five minutes if they wanted to win it. There was no chance of winning if it went down to penalties. An Ke was a stubborn person and was straining himself. He had hit the goal post quite hard and it was better not to expect him to be able to save any penalties. When confrontation is inevitable, victory favors the bold! Yang Pan thought that it was strange that he was able to think of this sentence. However, it made sense. The match had been going on for ninety minutes. Their opponents were also in bad shape and this was the time to show their courage and determination. He raised his arm and adjusted the captain¡¯s armband. Come, let¡¯s see who the bold are in the last five minutes! Wang Ning relied on his body to shove Zhang Yuchao out of play. Shu Guang then quickly threw the ball back in. Yang Pan took the ball on the right with Lu Qing tracking closely behind him again. Yang Pan used his hand to block Lu Qing¡¯s body while protecting the ball. When everyone thought that he could only pass the ball in desperation, he unexpectedly kicked the ball forward and chased after it. Lu Qing was deservedly Zhongyuan¡¯s main player with such quick responses and agility. When Yang Pan kicked the ball to the front, he read Yang Pan¡¯s intentions and hurriedly gave chase. For a time, the two engaged in a battle of speed on the right flank of the pitch. ¡°The distance between both of them remains unchanged! Lu Qing is not any inferior to Yang Pan! They are equally-matched!¡± In general, the outcome of their battles were determined by Yang Pan, where he would give the ball a flick and quickly change directions to get past Lu Qing. However, this trick gradually lost its effectiveness as Lu Qing saw through it many times. However, this time, Yang Pan did not have any intentions of slowing down. He merely kept his head down and rushed on ahead. When confrontation is inevitable, victory favors the bold! Yang Pan murmured these words in his heart as he once again sped up and rushed forward. Lu Qing was shocked by Yang Pan¡¯s imposing momentum. Although he himself did not slow down, Yang Pan gradually surpassed him. When a person is determined to do something, nobody would be able to stop him. There was only one thought in Yang Pan¡¯s mind: to break through forcibly. As a result, he became alarmingly fast like the wind, like typhoon. The typhoon swept past Lu Qing and ravaged half of the left side of Zhongyuan¡¯s pitch from the halfway line to the goal line. Zhang Yuchao could be considered fast amongst those in Zhongyuan but all he could do was look at the typhoon from behind and feel helpless. Zhang Yang who was a defender on the left flank could only be a complete bystander in the storm. For the first time, Lu Qing who was known for his speed found that the gap between himself and this Number 7 was not just in position. He had been miserably defeated. Yang Pan spared no effort and crossed the ball from the goal line to the front of the goal. Li Yongle may be bad at heading the ball but that did not mean that he does not have a good head on him. This kind of high ball would not be a problem if he used his height advantage to obstruct Zhang Jun. The rest could be handed over to Zhang Lintao. Sure enough, Zhang Lintao leapt high with his hands stretched out, ready to hold onto the ball. However, Zhang Jun who was supposed to be held firmly by Li Yongle had at some point rushed over and jumped at the ball. Zhang Lintao was so shocked that he hurriedly parried the ball away with both hands. The ball flew about six meters out of the penalty area. The battlefield had now shifted to one between Kaka and Luo Bin. Luo Bin hoped to use his own physical strength to suppress Kaka but Kaka was 1.83 m tall. The two of them were equally matched. As a result, no one touched that ball. The ball bounced on the ground and continued to fly towards the middle of the pitch. Wang Ning and Zhao Defeng ran towards the ball at the same time. At the same time, the both of them stretched a leg to reach the ball in midair. As Zhao Defeng was closer to the ball, Wang Ning¡¯s longer legs couldn¡¯t serve as an advantage. Who would be able to get the ball? The answer was that they both reached it at the same time. Both their legs came into contact with the ball, causing it to fly to the left. Zhang Yuchao rushed up immediately. Li Hao also wanted to rush up but he was too heavy and needed more time to accelerate. In the end, the ball was taken by Zhang Yuchao. After several twists and turns, the ball once again fell to Zhongyuan. Charge! It was like a cavalry charge heading straight towards Shu Guang¡¯s goal, their spears dazzling under the winter sunlight. ¡°It is the quick counterattack that Zhongyuan is skilled in! Shu Guang is in danger!¡± Chen Bo did not dare to go up and greet it as he would be easily bypassed. He did not want the team to lose because of his recklessness. So, he changed his usual reckless attitude and merely tracked Zhang Yuchao. After entering into the area about 30 m from goal, Zhang Yuchao cut into the corner of the penalty box that he was accustomed to and took a shot at goal. An Ke felt terrible as he could see three Zhang Yuchao and four balls. As the ball approached, he did not know what to do and froze on the spot. Just as he was feeling overwhelmed, Li Jieguang once again played the role of goalkeeper and used his body to block Zhang Yuchao¡¯s shot. The assassin He Jialin then made his appearance and quickly retrieved the ball instantly followed by another shot at goal. This time, An Ke saw two balls. This time, he decided to make a gamble. He hesitated for a moment and then rushed towards the far post. However, his movement was clearly still affected by his eyesight. Although he went in the right direction, his estimate of distance fell short. He stretched out his hand and but was unable to reach the ball. Just as Zhongyuan¡¯s fans were about to cheer for the goal, Lin Xiaofang quickly leapt in. He dived and headed the ball away from goal. ¡°A narrow escape! Both shots by Zhongyuan¡¯s strikers were blocked by Shu Guang¡¯s tenacious defenders!¡± ¡°An Ke¡¯s performance is somewhat abnormal. It must be related to that save.¡± ¡°In that case, would Zhongyuan only needs to keep shooting from afar to defeat Shu Guang?¡± ¡°It is definitely possible. If the shots were aimed at the upper corners, the defenders would be helpless.¡± After Lin Xiaofang made his save, he jumped up and shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t let them near the goal! Don¡¯t give them the chance to shoot at all! There are still four minutes left! Hold on!¡± His appeared to be the leader of the defense. An Ke looked at Lin Xiaofang¡¯s figure from the back and felt annoyed at his own ability during this critical moment. He had dragged down the entire defense line. This would cause the offense and defense to be disjointed. The attackers would not be able to receive support from the defenders. As their attacking power weakened, the pressure placed on the defense would increase. This was a vicious cycle! As Zhongyuan pressed forward, Kaka and Yang Pan returned to defend. During this time, Zhongyuan had already realized that An Ke could not hold on anymore. So, they all took chances at long range shots. As expected, that move was effective. For a moment, Shu Guang¡¯s goal was in grave danger. Yang Pan had just tackled away Zhang Yuchao¡¯s ball, only for Zhao Defeng to steal it away. Wang Ning rushed forward. He stole the ball but cunningly passed it to Lu Qing. Lu Qing immediately passed the ball to Zhang Yulin on the right flank. Compared to the well-guarded left flank, the right was slightly weaker because Ren Yu De did not track back to defend. Zhang Yulin did not try and break through when he came up against Xie Wei. Instead, he passed the ball directly to the middle. As An Ke was incapable of hitting the ball out, it would all depend on the defenders. Lin Xiaofang did not disappoint Shu Guang¡¯s fans. He successfully obstructed He Jialin. After that, Kaka kicked the ball out of the penalty area. Because of a shortage of manpower, Kaka who had the advantage in heading had to also return to the penalty area as a defender. An Ke remained silent during this time. His ¡°roar¡± could no longer be heard on the pitch. On one hand, he had problems with his eyes. He could not see the situation on the pitch clearly nor could he give the right commands. On the other hand, he was not in the mood to make criticisms. ¡°Both teams are competing fiercely, with casualties on both sides. I am a little worried. Li Yongle is injured and An Ke¡¯s injuries are unclear. In the end, even if they qualified for the nationals, their main players would have already fallen. Isn¡¯t this too great a price?¡± ¡°I understand what you mean but I disagree. At this point in the match, do you think the players and coaches still care about the nationals?¡± ¡°What does Master Zhou mean?¡± ¡°Right now, Shu Guang and Zhongyuan are desperately competing for victory. Victory. This is the only word in their minds. They only want to defeat their opponent. They do not have the time to think about what happens after that. What you are saying is something to be thought of only after the final whistle. It is something they would only remember during celebrations.¡± ¡°They are only concerned about this match?¡± ¡°Yes. Though it sounds unreasonable, this is indeed a fact in their minds. This match is a decisive battle that is more important than the entry ticket to the national tournament!¡± Author¡¯s note: P.S. I want to explain to those saying that I¡¯m dragging things on for too long. It is not that I do not know what to write next but it is that there will not be a next thing to write. This is the last battle. After this, the story is finished. In the final battle, I would naturally need to come up with the best and most exciting things. A lot of things need to be resolved in this match. It may be unsatisfactory if it was short. The story is coming to an end, so thank you for your support! Chapter 96 - We Are the Champions Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Time continued to pass, second by second slipping through the twenty-two players on the pitch, flowing through the tense substitutes bench, then evaporated from the high temperature of the viewing box. ¡°It looks like the match would enter the second half of overtime! If there isn¡¯t a goal in the second half, the match would be decided through penalties!¡± Luo Bin pressed forward. He had quietly rushed forward when Shu Guang¡¯s defenders were preoccupied by Zhao Defeng. Zhao Defeng caught a glimpse of Luo Bin and immediately knew what he was supposed to do. There were three heavyweight gunners in Zhongyuan: Zhang Yuchao, Li Yongle and Luo Bin. As he was usually a center back, he rarely had a chance to shoot. However, his shooting skills were not to be trifled with. ¡°Zhao Defeng gave an accurate pass even though Wang Ning was interfering with him! Luo Bin was not marked and received the ball!¡± Unfortunately, Shu Guang had neglected him. Luo Bin had received the ball from Zhao Defeng at top corner of the penalty box. Miraculously, no one came forward to block him. He was also clever and adjusted his body slightly. He lifted his right leg at the edge of the penalty box and took a shot. ¡°Luo Bin¡¯s long shot¡­¡± In front of Luo Bin was a large and empty space leading towards the goal. His shot was so sudden that Shu Guang¡¯s defenders were unable to stop him. An Ke saw about four balls moving in front of him. He cursed in his heart and then closed his eyes. Since he could no longer trust his eyes, he put them aside and decided to trust his body and his own hands. An Ke closed his eyes and leapt towards the ball that was flying to his left. ¡°An Ke! This was brilliant! A sideways leap perfectly pushed Luo Bin¡¯s shot away from the goal line! How did he do it?¡± The commentator exclaimed. The commentator would naturally not have been able to guess that An Ke had closed his eyes and relied on the feeling of his body to complete the amazing leap. It sounded like something out of a comic book. ¡°A corner kick! Zhongyuan¡¯s offensive is not yet over!¡± Those at the penalty zone became livelier. Perhaps the first half would be over after the corner kick. As a result, Luo Bin and Deng Rui both rushed towards Shu Guang¡¯s penalty box. An Ke was unable to go out and catch the ball. These high balls depended on the aerial ability of each side. Amongst the tallest two in Zhongyuan, the one who was better at headers would definitely be the decider. An Ke looked at the chaotic penalty area. It was a mess because he saw countless people. He naturally understood the danger of the corner kick but he was unable to do anything. It would be a joke if he closed his eyes again to leap at a close-range header. He looked at the goal post behind him and suddenly had an idea. He walked over and then slammed his head against the post! Everyone who witnessed this scene was stunned. They did not know what An Ke was trying to do. Has he gone mad from that earlier knock? Is he addicted to knocks now? However, An Ke was someone who did not care about how others saw him. After hitting his head on the goalpost, he went back to the front of the goal and shouted, ¡°Good! Bring it on!¡± All of Shu Guang¡¯s players felt relieved. An Ke didn¡¯t go crazy. They heard the familiar roar and knew that the An Ke they know had returned. Right now, An Ke was indeed full of confidence. Mainly because, everything he saw was turning back to normal. There were no double images and his vision had stopped shaking. This was definitely only temporary but it was enough. It was enough for him to catch the corner kick. ¡°Zhongyuan¡¯s corner kick!¡± In Shu Guang¡¯s chaotic penalty box, Luo Bin, Deng Rui, Lin Xiaofang and Li Jieguang were tangled together. Kaka did not return to the penalty box this time. Instead, he stayed in the middle of the pitch alongside Yang Pan. They had the same thought. It was probably their last chance so it was all or nothing. The ball flew forward in an arc and slowly descended towards the goalmouth. ¡°Everyone, move aside!¡± An Ke shouted and jumped up with his hands stretched out. He then caught the ball firmly in his hands. Shu Guang¡¯s fans burst into cheers. ¡°An Ke caught Zhongyuan¡¯s corner kick! Is he really injured?¡± When An Ke landed on the ground, he remembered that he had to hurry or there would be no time left. The first half of the match was almost over. During his trance, he saw Kaka and instantly knew what to do. He quickly squeezed through the crowd in the penalty box and went right up to the edge. He then used all of his strength and flung the ball towards Kaka. After releasing the ball, he fell face forward from the momentum. Zhang Yuchao who was standing at the periphery was the first amongst the Zhongyuan players to understand the situation and quickly ran towards Kaka and the ball. Zhang Yuchao was quickly approaching when the ball arrived. However, Kaka did not give him any chance to get to the ball. He turned his back to Zhongyuan¡¯s goal and, without even so much as a backward glance, used the outer part of his right foot to kick the ball backwards as hard as he could, then swiveled around the stunned Zhang Yuchao and continued his forward run. Ren Yu De accelerated to intercept the ball before Liu Chao could disrupt. He stretched out his left leg and sent Kaka¡¯s ball back to the middle. However, he himself was paralyzed and fell onto the pitch. He was unable to stand up and was completely exhausted. Zhang Jun did a fake move and ditched Li Yongle who was marking him. He jumped up and sent the ball to Yang Pan on the right. After that, he landed and made a run towards goal. He sped up and left Li Yongle stumbling to keep up. Yang Pan leapt up. Without looking, he kicked the ball that was in midair with his left heel, sending it to Kaka who was running forward. Yang Pan then rushed towards the goal line too. Kaka saw that Yang Pan had given him the ball and knew what to do. He kicked the ball up again, sending it over and behind Zhang Yang. Until now, the ball had not yet landed. Yang Pan ran as fast as he could. He easily got past Zhang Yang and ran towards the landing spot of the ball. He knew clearly that this would be the last pass. Before the ball reached the ground, Yang Pan executed a mid-air volley and passed the ball towards the front of the goal. Luo Bin shouted loudly. ¡°Zhang Lintao!¡± Now that they were all forward and couldn¡¯t make it back in time to defend, all their hopes would be on the goalkeeper. ¡®God!¡¯ Su Fei and everyone else also stood up. ¡°Yang Pan has passed the ball!¡± Zhang Lintao jumped forward and opened his hands to catch the ball. However, before his eyes, a leg in white socks appeared. The boot slammed onto the ball. Zhang Lintao squinted out of reflex when a patch of grass flew at his face. ¡°A bicycle kick by Zhang Jun! God! The ball flew into Zhongyuan¡¯s goal without any resistance! They scored the goal! It¡¯s the golden ball! The golden ball!¡± Zhang Lintao and Zhang Jun landed at the same time. However, Zhang Lintao stayed on the ground and stared blankly at the ball that was still bouncing about in goal. Zhang Jun sprang up and ran to the center circle. At the same time, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match. ¡°What a unique goal! Shu Guang gave a series of passes through the air, culminating in an amazing bicycle kick by Zhang Jun! The golden ball. The first champions to be decided through the golden ball system! Shu Guang are the champions!¡± Zhang Jun rushed to the center circle and stopped. In fact, he was stopped by his overjoyed teammates. They surrounded him and the players at the periphery of the horde kept jumping onto the players inside. Although they blocked Zhang Jun off, they couldn¡¯t obstruct his hand from pointing high up to the sky. Liang Ke also led a group of substitutes onto the pitch. Their target was the arm pointing to the sky. Even Ren Yu De and An Ke was supported by others to join the manic celebration. Although they had no energy to jump and scream, they could still muster a laugh. They laughed to their hearts¡¯ content for the hard won victory and championship. Li Yongle watched on helplessly as Zhang Jun leapt up in front of him, turned, steadied his left leg on the ground as he landed then swung his right leg up mid-air. Zhang Lintao was helpless, and he too was helpless. His legs could no longer support him. It was a miracle that he could even stand. I lost¡­ He looked up and squinted at the sky. He wondered if the color of the sky would return to normal now that the match has ended. Suddenly, his knees buckled and he fell down to his left. However, he was immediately supported by Zhang Yang. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Zhang Yang put Li Yongle¡¯s right hand over his neck and propped his partner up. Zhao Defeng did not cry although his expression was grim. Luo Bin who was a senior also did not cry even though it was possible for him to have won his third national championship and fourth Luoyang championship. Deng Rui was silent and looked grim as well. Yang Pan¡¯s kick had shown its might. Only Lu Qing was sniveling and crying. He had failed during the first year of his participation. Liu Chao embraced his neck and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You still have two more years!¡± Standing by the touchline, Sun Laihong had a blank expression as he looked at the players under his leadership. He had not made any mistakes but he had still lost. The players had fought their hardest but they still lost. Zhongyuan¡¯s fifteen-year unbeaten record in the Henan district in official competitions was now history. They must now face a new beginning. The reporters intervened quickly and separated the Shu Guang players who were tangled in a bundle. Zhang Jun received the most attention. ¡°Zhang Jun. How do you feel about winning?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun. Do all of you normally practise goals like that last one?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun. How long have you been practising the bicycle kick?¡± ¡°Zhang Jun¡­¡± __ Countless flashes, numerous microphones and camera lenses made Shu Guang¡¯s players feel the atmosphere of what it meant to be champions. The reporters manic behavior did not last long as the organizing committee began to clear the venue for the award ceremony. A temporary podium was set up and a bright glittering trophy sat across from it: the champions¡¯ trophy. In the past few years, this had been placed at the exhibition hall at Zhongyuan High School. Today, it would have a new owner. The runner-up prize was like a cold appetizer before the main meal. Nobody applauded and nobody cared. Zhongyuan¡¯s players put on a forced smile and took their silver medals. In fact, the silver medals were still of great importance to them. It was their first silver medal from a regional competition. The runners-up quickly went off it was time for the champions to be in the spotlight. Shu Guang¡¯s players squeezed onto the podium nervously. They were all drunk with excitement and glee. The deputy mayor of Luoyang personally awarded the gold medals to the champions. Many of them took their gold medals and examined it. This was their first one! After that, the exciting moment arrived. Yang Pan received the shining championship trophy from the deputy mayor. When he held the trophy high above his head with both hands, coupled with the commentator¡¯s passionate shouts, the atmosphere of the entire venue peaked. ¡°Champions! Shu Guang High School!¡± Zhang Jun was beside Yang Pan. His eyes did not linger on the big trophy like his teammates. Instead, it looked past the crowd towards Shu Guang¡¯s bench. Su Fei was still sitting there and she looked over too. Their eyes made contact. Su Fei smiled at Zhang Jun but could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. A year and a half of hard work had finally paid off. The trophy was handed to Zhang Jun. In front of the audience and all the reporters, he held it high and then roared, ¡°We are the champions!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± When Zhang Jun finally escaped the pestering reporters, he saw Li Yongle being supported by Zhang Yang. They waited for him at the entrance to the tunnel. Zhang Yang looked sombre. After losing the match, he did not respond to Zhang Jun. Instead, it was Li Yongle who gave a smile, even though the smile was bitter. ¡°Er¡­ You guys actually played well¡­¡± The winner, Zhang Jun, did not know what to say. ¡°You do not need to be polite. A winner¡¯s line is always the same. A win is a win. A loss is a loss.¡± Li Yongle replied. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were injured¡­¡± ¡°No! The moment you got that ball and broke away from me, I already lost. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop you even if I was in good condition. You do not need to find an excuse to comfort me. I am not the kind of person to be so easily frustrated. We still have one year left.¡± ¡°Yes. One more year! Your knee¡­¡± Zhang Jun looked at the thick gauze on Li Yongle¡¯s left knee. ¡°I will have it examined. Do not worry. I will not hang up my boots until I defeat you.¡± Li Yongle laughed. ¡°You are my eternal adversary.¡± Zhang Jun laughed too. ¡°You are also my eternal friend.¡± Two hands were tightly clasped together. Author¡¯s note: The author has mentioned that there will be a sequel to this story, which he will write after he has rested. The sequel will be about Zhang Jun and his team in the Euro Cup and World Cup. The author also thanks the readers once again for their support. Chapter 97 - Aftermath Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Zhang Jun opened his eyes, he saw a white ceiling. He then turned his head to one side. He saw the window and noticed that the sky outside had not yet turn fully bright. He could only see a little bit of brightness at a corner in the east. Light ticking sounds continued from the small alarm clock on the table. Everything was the same as usual. Zhang Jun straightened his back and sat on the bed in a daze. We won the championship, the Luoyang championship. We defeated the kings of this championship, Ke Da. Could all this just be a dream? He then looked down and saw the gold medal on the pillow. He took the gold medal and examined it carefully. He touched the medal repeatedly and looked at both sides of it. He also put the cold gold medal on his face and closed his eyes in enjoyment. Champions! We are the champions! Awesome¡­ However, Zhang Jun¡¯s extreme complacency lasted for only a short period of time. He suddenly shouted and jumped from his bed before hurrying to wear his clothes. It was Monday and he still needed to go to school. Zhang Jun panted heavily as he rushed to school only to find that it was a false alarm. There bwas still ten minutes before the first bell. He exhaled and was about to walk through the school gates when he suddenly stopped and blooked up at the red banner hanging over the school gate. A banner celebrating the Shu Guang¡¯s football team for winning the qualifiers for the national tournament. He had talked about this to Kaka a week ago. Now, those words had become a reality. ¡°How about going on to win the national tournament?¡± ¡°If we lose, we¡¯re won¡¯t be friends anymore!¡± Zhang Jun lowered his head. He put both palms together and laughed. Zhang Jun sat down in his seat. The seat beside him was empty. This was An Ke¡¯s seat and he would be absent that day. Zhang Jun did not know how long it would be before he could hear An Ke¡¯s energetic voice again. The shorter the better. Yang Pan sat at his seat leisurely as he flipped through his English book. Ren Yu De and Kaka were chatting to each other in a relaxed manner. Su Fei was completing last week¡¯s Mathematics homework. The other students were also busy with their own tasks. It was a very normal Monday morning. Are we really champions? Did we really win? Zhang Jun was still skeptical. The bell then rang and everyone started to walk out. The flag-raising ceremony was about to begin. Zhang Jun walked with the crowd and saw Su Fei standing at the hallway, smiling at him. A year ago, in the same corridor, Su Fei had also smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s because I like soccer!¡± This was the sentence that had changed his high school life. She had the same smile in the sports center the previous day, just with two additional drops of tears. That noisy scene and that joy of victory was not a dream! We won! We truly are the champions! At the flag-raising ceremony, all of the soccer team members were invited up onto the stage. The team captain, Yang Pan made a statement to the teachers and other students present on behalf of the team. ¡°We will definitely strive for the best results at the National Championship! We will not bring shame to our school and Luoyang!¡± Prolonged shouts, cheers and applause came from the audience. During winter in 1999, Shu Guang won their first regional championship and became qualified to participate in the National Championship held in Shanghai during the next winter holidays. After being examined, An Ke was diagnosed with a mild concussion and needed to rest at home for 10 days. Li Yongle suffered a soft tissue bruise on his left knee and needed to use crutches until next spring. Fortunately, he could still play soccer after he recovering. The doctor did not lie to him when warning him that he might not be able play soccer anymore. A week later, all the awards for the current tournament were announced. Champions, the Shu Guang High School soccer team. Runner-up, the Ke Da High School soccer team. At third place, Dingding High School soccer team. The Golden Boot award was given to Zhang Jun. He was the top scorer with 15 goals and was the best shooter. The Golden Ball award was given to Li Yongle with his steady performance, and equally impressive offensive and defensive skills. He made a deep impression for obstructing Zhang Jun in the finals despite his injury. Zhang Jun won the Silver Ball for his continuous scoring in helping his team progress and Yang Pan won the Bronze Ball for his extraordinary plays. The best goalkeeper went to Zhang Lintao from Ke Da. He played steadily and only conceded afew goals. In the finals, Yang Pan¡¯s shots were repeatedly saved. One of the highlights was where he leapt at the ball and saved Yang Pan¡¯s penalty kick, then shouting and pumping his fist in the air. The best defender was Li Yongle from Ke Da. He once won the title of the best defensive midfielder in the National Championship. In matches, he managed to neutralize the opponent¡¯s core players repeatedly. His performance in the finals, successfully defending against Zhang Jun in the last dozen minutes despite carrying injuries, was one of his best. If he was not injured, the final outcome may have been different. His only weakness was being poor with headers, but small defects would do little to obscure his immense talent. His future was one worth looking forward to. It is worth mentioning that Liu Peng may have only played one match but his performance hadleft a deep impression on the expert judges and fans. He was the only one who could defend against Yang Pan one-on-one and his future was also bright. The best midfielder was awarded to Kaka from Shu Guang. Hailing from Brazil, he had slick skills and outstanding footwork. His passes were the source of Shu Guang¡¯s powerful offense. Without his passes, Shu Guang would fail to shine. This could easily be understood by observing the beginning of the finals. His understanding with Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and Ren Yu De was also an important factor that made their offensive combination rank first in Luoyang. He also had several wonderful performances with free kicks. However, Zhang Lintao and the goal posts stopped him from scoring. As an attacking midfielder, he also participated in Shu Guang¡¯s defense many times and even tracked back to his own penalty area. This was very rare for high school students. Zhang Jun was elected best striker with overwhelming superiority. He scored 15 goals which was far more than the rest. Many of his goals were also at critical moments and were scored spectacularly. His own Rising Dragon was technically exceptional and amazing. He was indispensable for Shu Guang. Without him, Shu Guang would be like a bladeless knife. Even the judges said, ¡°This is a decision with no other options.¡± The best team award was given to Shu Guang, the winners of the championship. The previous year, they did not even manage to enter the second round but now, the ugly duckling had become a swan. After two years of great effort and hard work, they have finally been elevated to the throne in Luoyang. They transformed from underdog to dark horse in just two years. It could be said that they deserved the honor of ¡°best team¡±. They had always emphasized attacking soccer in this championship. In a soccer world that has gradually shifted towards utilitarianism, doing this requires great courage and quality. Shu Guang had both the courage and the quality. On top of that, they continued to persevere regardless of the situation they faced. In the end, they succeeded. The fastest improvement award was also given to Shu Guang. The best newcomer award was given to Lin Xiaofang from Shu Guang. Being a first-year who became the team¡¯s main central defender, he constantly proved his worth in the championship. He also proved that the coach Liang Ke did not misjudge him. He made many close saves in front of the goal during the championship. More importantly, he had been learning and improving. This was the key to his selection as best newcomer. His presence brought a glimmer of hope to Shu Guang¡¯s fragile defense. The best coach was awarded to Liang Ke from Shu Guang. He was very good at training young and fresh players. The reason for this pick could clearly be seen by looking at the change in the rear line of defense and the changes on the tournament table. The best goal was the hardest to decide. This was because many of the goals scored in the matches that year were very exciting. This gave the judges a headache. In the end, the goal scored in the final from a series of midair passes was chosen as the best. This was because it showed Shu Guang¡¯s fighting spirit and their excellent teamwork. On top of that, it was the first golden ball and it allowed Shu Guang to win the championship. It was the goal that broke Ke Da¡¯s monopoly on the championship. The Double Dragon by Yang Pan in the finals was chosen as the second best goal. It was the perfect combination of Zhang Jun¡¯s Rising Dragon and Yang Pan¡¯s powerful shot. Zhang Jun¡¯s second goal scored against Yingcai was chosen as third best. The appearance of Rising Dragon was shocking. It was Zhang Jun¡¯s imagination and skill that showed others that soccer could be played this way. The last award was for best line-up. The best lineup was in the 4-4-2 formation. Goalkeeper: Zhang Lintao (Ke Da). Reason for selection: A tenacious goalkeeper that could protect the goal from Yang Pan¡¯s powerful shots several times. A strong shield for Ke Da, he had a comprehensive skill set. The only downside was that he was not as passionate as An Ke. Left back: Zhang Yang (Ke Da). Reason for selection: The fact that a new player could be a firm starting player in Ke Da says it all. His fierce tackles intimidated opponents and boosted morale. Right back: Liu Chao (Ke Da). Reason for selection. A defensive expert in one-on-one situations. Even Fan Cunjie would be somewhat afraid of him. Although he was at a disadvantage during the last phase of the finals against Ren Yu De, it did not affect his position as the top right back. Center back: Luo Bin (Ke Da). Reason for selection: He was very successful in marking Zhang Jun in the early stages of the final. Later, after transitioning into a defensive midfielder, he was still tenacious enough to put pressure on Kaka. He was a center back skilled in marking. Center back: Liu Peng (Kai Ta). Reason for selection: Kai Ta was not a strong team. However, his presence caused Shu Guang some distress. It was well deserved that he was recognized as the stabilizing force in Kai Ta. He was good at both marking a player and zonal defense. Even Yang Pan could not deal with him. Left midfielder: Ren Yu De (Shu Guang). Reason for selection: He was second only to the master of dribbling, Fan Cunjie. However, in hindsight, he has already replaced Fan Cunjie¡¯s position. His ability to always turn the tide in a match with dazzling individual skills thrilled soccer fans and gifted Shu Guang numerous scoring chances. Right midfielder: Yang Pan (Shu Guang). Reason for selection: His powerful shots were extremely threatening: the speed of 10 meters per second coming from an attacker on the flank was very deadly. The speed of him breaking through along with the threat he posed in the penalty box were definitely a nightmare to defenders. His cooperations with Zhang Jun were also hard to defend against. Defensive midfielder: Li Yongle (Ke Da). Reason for selection: A blazing fire on the pitch. His injury did not douse the flames. He successfully defended against Zhang Jun. He could not be blamed for losing that last ball. He was a key figure in offense and defense. Attacking midfielder: Kaka (Shu Guang). Reason for selection: He was a key figure in linking Shu Guang¡¯s offense. His passes were creative and lethal. He makes it look easy when he destroys the opponent¡¯s defensive line with an enchanting smile on his handsome face. Striker: Zhang Jun (Shu Guang). Reason for selection: He was a coach¡¯s ideal striker; ruthless to weak teams and the terminator of strong teams. His individual skills were comprehensive, being particularly outstanding with headers and his use of both feet. If he could mature even more, he would become invincible. Striker: Ma Ni (Yingcai). Reason for selection: Ranked second on the striker goal tally. His individual skills could not be overlooked. In a not particularly outstanding team that lacked support from the midfielders, his goals were particularly valuable and were mostly Maradona-esque. Chapter 98 - Happy New Year Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Training was cancelled that day. On top of that, school ended one class earlier. Everyone sitting in the classroom were absent-minded. The teachers were also very reasonable and did not drag the students off to their office just because they were absent-minded. The reason for all this was simple. That day was 31 December, 1999. The next day would be the 21st century. Another millennium would have passed. ¡°A millennium?¡± Zhang Jun looked at the smiling Su Fei. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I only know that the 20th century is ending and the 21st century is coming.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said you are stupid!¡± Yang Pan patted Zhang Jun¡¯s head. While packing her school bag, Su Fei explained to the youths who were ignorant of current issues, ¡°The year 2000 will be the beginning of the 21st century and the year 1999 will be the end of the 20th century. However, this is not the only thing. The year 1999 will also be the end of a millennium, the end of 10 centuries. A millennium has passed since year 1000. Think about how rare it is for the end of a century to coincide with the end of a millenium! It¡¯s good luck that we get to encounter it!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Zhang Jun nodded and replied, ¡°No wonder people are so excited these days. Isn¡¯t it just a new year? So there was this kind of meaning behind it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you watch television?¡± ¡°I do! Of course, I do! I watch Bundesliga, Series A, the Premier League, and soccer night!¡± Zhang Jun counted with his fingers as he replied. ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Fei turned her back on Zhang Jun. ¡°Today at six in the evening, there¡¯ll be a live broadcast of new millennium celebrations around the world. The live broadcast will last for 24 hours,¡± Yang Pan said. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why we¡¯re leaving school so early today. Everyone¡¯s going home to watch the television. But Su Fei, won¡¯t you be going to your grandmother¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be watching at my grandmother¡¯s house. How could I miss this chance of a lifetime?¡± Su Fei bounced up and down in front of him like a rabbit. ¡°Judging from what you¡¯re saying, I suppose you aren¡¯t going to watch it?¡± Yang Pan asked Zhang Jun. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be very interested in this.¡± ¡°Who said that? Why would I not watch it? At that moment, that program would probably be on every channel. What else would I be able to watch?¡± A family of three with the table full of food. The next day would be a new year. Zhang Jun threw the last piece of twice-cooked pork into his mouth. It would be his last piece in the 20th century. Zhang Jun thought of that as he emptied his bowl. This is my last meal in the 20th century. This is my last dish in the 20th century. This is my last bowl of soup in the 20th century. There was a lively program on television. Residents and tourists of Fiji were all singing as well as dancing to welcome the first dawn of the new century. Zhang Jun¡¯s eyes did not leave the television screen, but his attention was elsewhere. Su Fei had gone to her grandmother¡¯s house to celebrate the New Years. Otherwise, he would not have been so bored. It¡¯s been more than a year since I met her. Many things have happened over the past year! Life has been wonderful. If I hadn¡¯t come to Shu Guang, if I hadn¡¯t met her and heard her say that she liked soccer, if she hadn¡¯t been the manager of the team or if I didn¡¯t like soccer, I wonder what I¡¯d be like. What would I be doing if all of this didn¡¯t happen? Fortunately, the world doesn¡¯t have so many ifs. I like soccer, I met Su Fei and because of her words, I didn¡¯t give up on soccer. We struggled and became champions in the qualifiers for the nationals. The most important thing is that I love Su Fei¡­ ¡°Everyone. The most exciting moment has finally arrived! In 20 seconds, China is going to enter the 21st century. Let us do a countdown to the new century! Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven! Ten! Nine! Eight!¡­¡± Zhang Jun picked up the phone next to him and placed his hand on the keys. ¡°¡­Seven! Six!¡­¡± He started dialing. ¡°¡­Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Zero! The 21st century is here! The new millennium is here!¡± However, all Zhang Jun heard was the dialing tone of the phone. *Duuu duu.. Duuu duu¡­* The line was busy. After listening to the tone for a long time, he reluctantly put the phone down. ¡°Happy New Year! Happy new century!¡± The host in the television greeted. However, Su Fei¡¯s ears could only hear the dialing tone of the phone; the line was busy. After listening to it for a long time, she reluctantly put it down. Just as Zhang Jun put down the phone, it rang. He excitedly picked it up. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Happy New Year!¡± It was Yang Pan. Zhang Jun grinned. ¡°Happy New Year.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m hanging up now! I still need to call the others!¡± After that, the dial tone resumed. Zhang Jun put the phone down only for it to ring again. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Happy New Year, Zhang Jun!¡± Zhang Jun replied, ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t recognize my voice? You can¡¯t recognize people now that you¡¯re a champion?¡± ¡°Monkey!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ Haha.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. Happy New Year!¡± ¡°Wait, Liu Peng¡¯s with me. He wants to speak to you too.¡± ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Liu Peng¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Happy New Year, Liu Peng!¡± ¡°Hey, Zhang Jun, do you still remember that you need to win the National Championship during winter break?¡± ¡°I remember. How can I forget? I need to win on behalf of you and the monkey as well.¡± ¡°Make sure you do not break your promise! Alright. I won¡¯t say anymore. I am going to hang up now. The monkey still needs to call his female monkey¡­¡± ¡°Go to hell!¡± Yuan Gang¡¯s voice could be heard on the other side of the phone. ¡°Zhang Jun. Do not listen to him! What female monkey? You should be calling her sister-in-law!¡± ¡°Alright! Alright!¡± From the sounds of it, it seemed that Liu Peng was busy resisting Yuan Gang¡¯s fierce attacks. ¡°Truly a monkey. His claws are formidable! Alright. I won¡¯t say anymore. Zhang Jun. Even monkeys have female partners¡­ Oops! You better not waste time and work hard!¡± Zhang Jun hung up the phone and then leaned on the sofa, thinking that Yuan Gang was probably still quarreling with Liu Peng. Didn¡¯t I use to be with them? Even Yuan Gang has a girlfriend now. Time flies. Everyone¡¯s growing up. His father then received a call. Based on his speech, it should have been a call from Chen Huafeng, his disciple. His mother also made several calls to her business customers and wished them New Year¡¯s greetings. Twenty minutes passed by unwittingly. The phone at home finally turned quiet. Zhang Jun extended his hand towards the phone once again, wondering whether the line would be busy again this time. At this moment, the phone rang. He picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Happy New Year!¡± The caller this time was Li Yongle. Zhang Jun felt like throwing the phone away. ¡°Happy New Year,¡± he responded lazily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get through earlier. You busy?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°You better work hard next year! Go and win the National Championship. You better not return empty-handed!¡± ¡°Hey! The National Championship isn¡¯t something you can win by just saying it.¡± ¡°My opponent can¡¯t be that weak. Go and win the National Championship, then wait for me to recover and take it back from you!¡± He then hung up the phone. Everyone told him to win the National Championship, but it was not something that could be won just by talking about it. Seriously, it was easier said than done! Zhang Jun then leaned on the sofa and suddenly remembered what Su Fei said to his face, ¡°Go and win the National Competition, okay?¡± Wasn¡¯t she just casually talking about it? So, why am I giving up after hearing her words? Since she¡¯s said it, I have to really win it¡­ Zhang Jun¡¯s parents had already gone to bed. He pressed a button on the remote controller and then got ready to return to the bedroom. After that, he heard the phone ring. He froze for a while and waited for some time before he hurried to pick it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Happy New Year, Zhang Jun!¡± Zhang Jun took a deep breath. ¡°H-Happy New Year, Su Fei.¡± ¡°I called you earlier, but the line was busy.¡± ¡°I know.¡± There was a moment of silence. After a long time, Su Fei¡¯s voice could be heard again. ¡°Hello? Zhang Jun, are you still there?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯m still here.¡± ¡°What time is it now?¡± Zhang Jun looked up at the clock on the wall. ¡°It¡¯s 12.35 am.¡± He then heard Su Fei clear her throat. ¡°It¡¯s already a new year.¡± ¡°Yes, a new year has arrived.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a new millennium.¡± ¡°Yes, a new millennium.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any snow this winter.¡± ¡°Yeah, El Nino.¡± ¡°Zhang Jun¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Ah? This¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you. It¡¯s love. Zhang Jun, I love you.¡± Zhang Jun felt that he had received the best New Year¡¯s gift. He lowered his head and felt his heartbeat become faster as he tried to catch his breath. Every word from Su Fei hit him heavily in the chest. Su Fei did not know what was happening as she could not hear a response. ¡°Zhang Jun, Zhang Jun, are you listening?¡± Her worried voice brought Zhang Jun¡¯s soul back into his body. Zhang Jun was weeping embarrassingly. He wiped away the tears on his face. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m listening, Su Fei.¡± ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t sure. I thought I was dreaming. I was afraid that I would wake up when I spoke. I¡­¡± ¡°I love you.¡± Su Fei¡¯s voice was firm, tender and without hesitation. At 12.41 am on the 1st of January, 2000, Zhang Jun experienced the happiest day of his 17 years of life. His happiness was so sudden that his mind became confused. On that day, his eyes stayed open until dawn¡­ At 12.41 am on the 1st of January, 2000, Su Fei had finally confessed. She had the most beautiful dream in a long time that day, and she had a smile on her face¡­ Chapter 99 - Shu Guang Has Arrived Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The craze as well as hype for the new century and new millennium passed by quickly. There was no change in life. The world did not suddenly become high tech when the clock struck midnight and people still needed to squeeze into buses to go to work or school. Gas was still being used to cook and boil water, not solar energy. Computer networks had not reached a point where it could be implanted into the human brain yet. According to regulations, the soccer team¡¯s training was supposed to be put on hold. They could only concentrate on their training again after the final exams. After the Spring Festival, the team would hurry to Shanghai to participate in the 15th National High School Soccer Championship. It would last 14 days and there would be 64 schools competing for seven rounds to determine the year¡¯s champion. However, Zhang Jun could no longer focus on who would become the soccer champion as he wholeheartedly prepared for his final exams. With Su Fei¡¯s meticulous guidance for over a year, his current grades stabilized at the middle upper level. He did not feel anxious about the final exams like before. After three and a half days, the final exams finally ended. Naturally, there were those who were happy and those who were anxious. However, the players from the soccer team did not have time for that. On the second day after their examination, they gathered in school according to Liang Ke¡¯s request, and began their intensive training. Zhang Jun entered the soccer club room and noticed that the qualifier¡¯s match table on the wall had been replaced with the National Championship¡¯s match table. Shu Guang¡¯s first opponent would be Guang Ming High School from Dalian. The team was last year¡¯s runner-up. This news came out before the exams, but Liang Ke did not announce it because the opponent was extremely strong. He was afraid that this would affect the team¡¯s focus during their examination. Guang Ming had lost to Zhongyuan in the finals of the previous year. However, their strength was not to be underestimated. It would be wise to say that Shu Guang needed to look up its opponent as it was entering the nationals for the first time. As Zhongyuan failed to enter the National Championship, Guang Ming automatically became the number one seeded team. Their match with Shu Guang would be the first match, also known as the opening match. The team members were all discussing matters around the table. Zhang Jun was the only one not taking things seriously. He turned his head and asked Su Fei, ¡°How long did you take this time?¡± ¡°Four hours. Half an hour faster than before,¡± Su Fei said with a smile. ¡°Do your knees hurt?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Su Fei shook her head. ¡°Yeah, right!¡± Zhang Jun muttered to himself. ¡°Zhang Jun! Come over here and look at this!¡± An Ke called him over. ¡°Our first match is going to be against last year¡¯s runner-up! Looks like we¡¯ll be going home after the first match!¡± An Ke said worriedly. ¡°Yeah! An Ke, just cancel the booking for your room. After the match, you can just take the train home.¡± Ren Yu De also added ¡°worriedly¡±. Yang Pan butted in and sarcastically said, ¡°Ren Yu De¡¯s right. I talked to Old Liang and I believe we can refund your train ticket.¡± ¡°Hey! I was only joking. Why so serious?¡± ¡°Oh! You were just joking? Haha!¡± Kaka gave An Ke a strange look. Zhang Jun felt that if he did not say anything, An Ke may go berserk again. Then, Shu Guang would really be finished even before the battle started. ¡°Alright, alright. Honestly, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. So what if they were last year¡¯s runners-up? We already defeated last year¡¯s champions! Are we still afraid of the runners-up? There¡¯s nothing to worry about. We¡¯re aiming to be national champions!¡± Zhang Jun raised his arm, feeling that his pose would look cool. However, the entire room became quiet. Everyone just stared at Zhang Jun until he felt embarrassed. ¡°This¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that! Don¡¯t leave! Guys, don¡¯t leave! An Ke, Ren Yu De, Kaka, Yang Pan, where are you guys going? Hey¡­¡± ¡­ Spring Festival came and went. The only difference from the usual celebrations was that they did not eat and drink to their hearts¡¯ content. Liang Ke had warned them that those who gained weight upon returning would have to run 10,000 m every day. Regardless, Zhang Jun would have paid attention to his diet even if Liang Ke did not mention anything. If he wanted to win the National Championship, he needed to strictly control himself. However, it was cruel as he could only salivate in front of good food, and he had to face such a cruelty almost every single day. On the fifth day of the Spring Festival, the entire team gathered in school. They then took a school bus to the train station before taking a train to Shanghai. The team occupied half of a carriage. It was the first time they all traveled together like that. They played cards, chatted, listened to music and read books. The carriage was filled with laughter and their long journey was not a boring one. Su Fei was together with Zhang Jun the entire time. Even a fool could see that their relationship with each other was different after New Years Day. Everyone understood what was different between them. Thirty-six hours later, they finally reached Shanghai. ¡°Dear passengers, we are stopping at Shanghai. Welcome to the vibrant city of Shanghai. Thank you for taking this train. We wish you a happy journey! Goodbye!¡± ¡°Shanghai! We¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°Luoyang really can¡¯t compare to such a big city.¡± ¡­ The players who participated in the National Championship expressed their excitement for the first time. The organizing committee had arranged for all the participating teams to stay in two hotels and the hotels were very close to Shanghai Stadium. There would be a brief opening ceremony in the afternoon on the next day, followed by the opening match. Hence, Shu Guang would go to the stadium that afternoon to adapt to the place. Each team would be given half an hour. Guang Ming would be using it at 4.00 pm while Shu Guang would be using it at 4.30 pm. As Shu Guang defeated the previous year¡¯s champion to qualify for the National Championship, the media commented that their quality might be a mystery but they were not to be trifled with given that they defeated Zhongyuan. But they would be competing against Guang Ming, the previous year¡¯s runners-up in the first round. Shu Guang¡¯s lack of national-level experience might not bode well for them. They may end up returning home after the first round. Only Luoyangs ¡®High School Soccer¡¯ predicted that Shu Guang may create history. However, other media outlets ridiculed it as ¡®localism¡¯. They said that Shu Guang had already created history when they ended Zhongyuan¡¯s fifteen-year undefeated streak. There shouldn¡¯t be any delusions that the rookie in this championship could achieve any breakthroughs when faced with national-level strong teams. When the Shu Guang players stepped into the Shanghai Stadium, they could not help but study the turf. Guang Ming High School had just finished their training and were walking off the pitch. Most of them had expressions like they saw a group of country bumpkins. Even their coach who was being interviewed by reporters talked about the team¡¯s goal to win the championship, potential opponents in the semi-finals, and his regret at Zhongyuan¡¯s defeat, making it seem like it was a pity that they missed the chance to face a worthy adversary. Given all that was said, there was no mention about their first-round opponents that defeated Zhongyuan to qualify and were training behind them, Shu Guang. Shu Guang was like a traveler coming and going in a hurry. In the past fifteen years, there had been too many of such fleeting teams. A national-championship regular like Guang Ming had a thousand and one reasons to look down on Shu Guang. The opening ceremony and the opening match would be held one day earlier than the other matches. So, it would be a highly anticipated match. Liang Ke feared that the team would be too nervous before the match so he deliberately visited them in their rooms the evening before to talk to them and try to relieve the pressure. He pushed open the door to the first room and saw no one. He searched the second room. There was nobody there. The third room was also empty. He stood at the doorway and looked at the empty rooms, unable to comprehend the situation. He went into the fourth room and found Yang Pan reading in bed while wearing earphones. Yang Pan did not seem to care about Liang Ke¡¯s appearance. Liang Ke took a look and decided not to bother him. He then quietly closed the door and left. At that moment, he saw Zhang Jun coming out of the elevator wearing slippers and holding a can of Coke. ¡°Coach?¡± The two of them went down to find a quiet place to sit. They saw players from other teams coming and going. Some of the aces were still being interviewed by the reporters. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Liang Ke asked. ¡°Kaka is calling his family. He¡¯s feeling a little homesick.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Liang Ke nodded. ¡°This is the first Spring Festival he¡¯s spent away from home. It is easy to feel homesick when alone.¡± ¡°Ren Yu De was dragged away by An Ke to play billiards. They said they needed to compete for the best billiards player in the team. The others went to be spectators. Yang Pan is reading in his room.¡± ¡°Hmm. And the others?¡± ¡°The others? That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°What about Su Fei? She has always been with you the past few days.¡± Liang Ke looked at Zhang Jun meaningfully, causing Zhang Jun¡¯s face to turn red. ¡°Ah, she is in her room. She did not come out after eating dinner. I do not know what she is doing.¡± ¡°Su Fei is a nice girl. You are very lucky.¡± ¡°Coach!¡± ¡°Haha! Do not pretend to be a gentleman in front of me. I am only thirty. I am very clear about all your playboy tricks. Alright. I won¡¯t talk about this anymore. What about the preparation for tomorrow¡¯s match?¡± ¡°There is no problem!¡± ¡°Haha! That is good. You are the ace scorer in the team. You better not lose confidence!¡± ¡°Relax, Coach! My objective is to win the championship. I will not give up!¡± Zhang Jun raised his voice. Liang Ke looked at Zhang Jun. He then turned his head around and looked at the people coming and going from the hall. ¡°National Championship¡­¡± ¡°You guys are here!¡± Yang Pan walked over. ¡°I saw that the rooms were empty and came out looking. Coach.¡± Liang Ke nodded and pointed to the recreation room. ¡°Everyone is in there.¡± Yang Pan looked at where Liang Ke was pointing to and then laughed. ¡°If any of the reporters see them in the recreation room, we would surely see ourselves in the newspaper tomorrow. ¡®Shu Guang¡¯s players have given up and the entire team is partying around.¡¯ Haha.¡± It was at this moment that a reporter came over. They had guessed that they would not be able to find any more information and decided to dig into the opponents of the top seeded team. ¡°Hello. I am a reporter from the Shanghai Satellite Television Sports Channel.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Liang Ke replied with a sense of propriety. He did not show as much excitement as the other coaches when faced with a camera. ¡°Shu Guang defeated Zhongyuan and will participate in the National Championship for the first time. However, they would be facing the previous year¡¯s runners-up, Guang Ming, in the first round. As a coach, how do you feel about the battle tomorrow?¡± ¡°Our championship is the National Championship!¡± Liang Ke merely replied with this phrase. The reporter was taken aback. He saw that Liang Ke would not speak more on the topic so instead he turned his attention to Yang Pan who was sitting to a side. He recognized Yang Pan as Shu Guang¡¯s team captain. ¡°Classmate Yang Pan. How does it feel to participate in the National Championship for the first time?¡± ¡°Our objective is to become the national champion!¡± Yang Pan coolly replied. ¡°This is¡­¡± The reporter looked as though he saw a UFO. He then turned his attention to Zhang Jun. He did not know who Zhang Jun was but saw that Zhang Jun was wearing a sports jersey with the words ¡®Shu Guang¡¯ on it. ¡°This classmate¡­¡± Zhang Jun recalled the qualifying matches. Yuan Gang, Liu Peng, that team captain of Yang Guang whose name he does not know, Sima Hongxin, Ma Ni, Fan Cunjie, Ding Ding, and also the injured Li Yongle. He suddenly felt as though there were many people behind him. If he gave up, they would not forgive him. ¡°Luoyang does not lack good players. However, only one team is allowed to qualify. We represent those that were not able to come. They used to be our opponents but now they are backing us. Do you think we would lose so easily with so many people supporting us? So, our objective is¡­¡± ¡°Aha! There is a reporter interviewing us! How rare!¡± Just by listening to the voice, one could tell that An Ke had returned triumphantly. An Ke was in a good mood. Behind him was the resigned Ren Yu De and the other teammates. Seeing that the reporter was in the middle of an interview, the guy with thick skin rushed up and snatched the reporter¡¯s microphone. This action shocked the reporter. Although he wanted to get it back, it was already too late. An Ke stuck his face in front of the camera. ¡°Ahem! Everyone, listen to me! All participating teams better be careful! This is because, we, Shu Guang, have arrived!¡± His loud voice reverberated in the hall. Everyone turned to look at the one holding the microphone, standing tall in front of the camera with his teammates behind him. After lunch, the team sat in the hall and then waited for a while to go to the stadium by bus. The television was broadcasting a special on the national tournament. ¡°Look! I¡¯m coming up on the big screen!¡± An Ke smiled triumphantly at the screen. The broadcast was now showing Zhang Jun¡¯s interview. However, after Zhang Jun was done, the screen cut back to the studio. ¡°Thank you for watching. We will see you again in two hours!¡± The team burst into laughter. ¡°Eh? What happened? It¡¯s impossible! I clearly spoke to the camera!¡± Ren Yu De lightly said from the side. ¡°You think everyone else is an idiot like you and won¡¯t cut it out?¡± Just as An Ke was about to go berserk, Su Fei appeared with a string of protective amulets in her hand. Zhang Jun took his amulet. ¡®I see. She locked herself up in the room making these yesterday! How long did she take to make all this?¡¯ There was an amulet for each one of them. Even Liang Ke and the substitutes had one. Only Su Fei would be this considerate. The opening ceremony and the opening match of the 15th National High School Soccer Championship would be held at Shanghai Stadium, home ground to Shanghai Shenhua of the National Soccer Jia-A League. The opening ceremony was the same as always. The participating teams entered and their respective representatives went on stage to give a speech which showed their determination. The representative of the referees would also need to declare their determination. The teams then left the pitch to make way for a short segment of musical and dance performances. A big shot would then give a speech and declare the opening of the 15th National High School Soccer Championship. Fifteen minutes later, the players from Shu Guang and Guang Ming were back on the pitch, waiting for the start of the match while the other teams stayed to watch. Guang Ming was the favorite to be champions and it was natural to study their first match. Zhang Jun and Ren Yu De stood at the center circle. Yang Pan was on the right flank but close to the half-way line. Kaka, Wang Ning and Li Hao stood parallel to each other. This was not their coach¡¯s request. It was their own arrangement. He thought about what Zhang Jun said to him before the match. ¡°Since they all look down on us, let us use this goal to give them a wake up call and tell them that Shu Guang has arrived!¡± ¡°Good afternoon to the audience at home! CCTV and Shanghai Television presents the opening match of the 15th National High School Soccer Championship to you live! On one side is Guang Ming High School from Dalian, the runners-up of the championship last year and the top seeded team! On the other side is Shu Guang High School from Luoyang who are first-time qualifiers after defeating Zhongyuan High School! Now, the match is about to begin!¡± The stadium quietened. The referee put the whistle in his mouth and took a deep breath. *Beep* Zhang Jun kicked the ball to Ren Yu De then quickly made a run forward. Ren Yu De then kicked the ball backwards to Kaka. Kaka received the ball. He adjusted his body and then made a long pass. The ball flew towards the right side of the pitch. ¡°Ah! Shu Guang have already gone on the offensive with long passes. However, they seem to have been rash. No one would be able to receive that pass and it would fly pass the goal line. No! Shu Guang¡¯s No. 7 is really quick!¡± Yang Pan ran along the right flank really quickly. He reached the ball as it landed and crossed from the goal line towards the middle. At this time, Zhang Jun had dashed forward. He used his speed to dash past the defenders and rushed towards the front of the goal. He then leapt up high and did a bicycle kick. ¡°Goal! Goal! It has only been eight seconds since the start of the opening match! Shu Guang have already scored a goal! This is incredible! Even the players from Guang Ming are dumbfounded!¡± Everyone better watch out. Shu Guang has arrived! Chapter 100 (END) - Saying Goodbye Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Two springs passed. Zhang Jun was now a third-year senior facing his college entrance exam. Two months away from the exam, all third-year seniors retired from the team. It was time to say goodbye regardless of whether they were going to take the college entrance exam. After three consecutive English lessons, Zhang Jun felt dizzy and decided to go for a walk. The third-year teaching building was desolate and few people walked the corridors. He walked down the stairs to avoid bumping into his boisterous classmates. The corridor that was usually dirty was also cleaner than usual. Although he only wanted to go for a stroll, his feet took him to the soccer pitch. Zhang Jun shook his head and gave a wry smile. The force of habit was truly powerful. Zhang Jun looked for an inconspicuous corner to sit down and watch the team train. Lin Xiaofang had already taken over Yang Pan¡¯s captain armband. He was definitely capable. In the third-year qualifying match, he had won the best defender award. His progress was quick in the past two years. Now, if Liang Ke was too busy to come, Lin Xiaofang would take up the role of coach. He had an air of captaincy about him. Zhang Jun could not help but laugh when he recalled what Lin Xiaofang was like when he first joined the team. The team had also matured. They were no longer the ¡®lame team¡¯ which had to rely on a few outstanding members to win a match. Wang Ning¡¯s long shots, Lin Xiaofang¡¯s headers, Chen Bo¡¯s assists as well as the first year, Weng Ge. Even though Weng Ge was a substitute for his position during his third year, he would score every time he went on the pitch. Liang Ke¡¯s knack in guiding newcomers were not false praises: they would be able to continue Shu Guang¡¯s brilliance. When the new team matures, it was time for the old team to break up. Three days ago at the Luoyang airport. ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± Zhang Jun held Kaka¡¯s shoulder and shouted. ¡°Is not going not an option? Let us continue playing soccer together!¡± Kaka gave a silent but wry smile. Yang Pan pulled Zhang Jun away from Kaka. ¡°When you return to Brazil, do not forget to contact us.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget. You guys will forever be my friends! An Ke. I am truly sorry that I cannot see you off.¡± An Ke shook his head and smiled. He then hugged Kaka. ¡°Take care. Have a safe trip!¡± ¡°Ren Yu De, are you really not going to play soccer anymore?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. My body¡­¡± Ren Yu De pointed at his chest. ¡°My father wanted me to take over his class. I even gave up my college entrance exam¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t pass it anyway!¡± Ren Yu De shot An Ke a stare and continued. ¡°I want to mend things with my father as well.¡± ¡°Everybody has their own aspirations. However, I still find that it is a pity. If you bring your skills to Brazil, I am sure you would not lose to anyone.¡± Kaka merely shrugged. Kaka then turned to Su Fei and held out his hands. Su Fei went up to him graciously to hug him goodbye. An Ke looked away and clenched his teeth. ¡°Su Fei. If Zhang Jun bullies you, give me a call. Even if I have to swim, I will swim across the Pacific Ocean to avenge you!¡± Su Fei laughed. ¡°You must also put in more effort. You are so handsome and yet you still do not have a girlfriend!¡± Kaka smiled bitterly but did not speak. Finally, it was Zhang Jun¡¯s turn. Zhang Jun asked Kaka. ¡°Will we meet again?¡± Kaka then asked Zhang Jun. ¡°Will you still play soccer?¡± ¡°I will!¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s your answer¡± Kaka smiled. ¡°As long as you are still playing, and I¡¯m still playing, we will definitely meet again. So don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s goodbye for now, but not forever.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re still playing, and I¡¯m still playing, we will surely see each other again.¡± Zhang Jun smiled thinking that he found another reason not to give up. After Kaka received his graduation certificate, he returned to Brazil. His father had supposedly found him a soccer club in Sao Paulo for him to tryout. It should not be a problem for him to get into the team with his abilities. An Ke had also completed his arrangements to go to Germany with the help of his family. His flight to Beijing was on that morning but An Ke refused for any of them to send him off. He said he would be hostile towards anyone that sent him off. An Ke said this to them on the way back after sending Kaka off. Zhang Jun saw him turning his face away and wiping it after he said that. Ren Yu De never came back after receiving his graduation certificate. He wanted to take over his father¡¯s business and said that there would be very few opportunities for him to continue playing soccer. There was no choice as he need to learn how to do business. However, Ren Yu De never completely gave up soccer. ¡°I loved playing soccer since I learned how to run. It has been more than ten years. Do you think I would give it up so easily?¡± These were his words. Zhang Jun then remembered another person. Last Sunday, Su Fei had dragged Zhang Jun out for a stroll. Yang Pan tactlessly volunteered to be a third wheel. As a result, they met Li Yongle, Zhang Yang and Zhang Lintao on the streets. It was the umpteenth time that they have met on the streets. Zhang Jun sighed in his heart. ¡°Just can¡¯t seem to get rid of them!¡± The six of them then sat comfortably in a teahouse and chatted casually. ¡°You guys seem so laid back. Aren¡¯t you guys going to college?¡± Su Fei asked the three people opposite her. ¡°Nope.¡± Zhang Yang shook his head. ¡°I have already decided to enlist in the army in the second half of the year.¡± ¡°The army?¡± The three opposite him shouted in unison. ¡°Yup! Becoming a soldier has always been my aspiration since I was young. As the saying goes, ¡®Becoming a soldier would make you regret for three years but not becoming a soldier would make you regret for life!¡¯ I do not want to regret for the rest of my life. Don¡¯t you think I have the boldness of a soldier?¡± Zhang Yang held his head high. The three people opposite him curled their lips together. ¡°What about you?¡± Zhang Jun asked Li Yongle. ¡°I believe there are teams scouting you out?¡± Li Yongle nodded. ¡°Henan Jianye.¡± ¡°Good. If you go, you can keep Sima Hongxin company! Haha!¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t decided. I am still hesitating. What about you? What do you plan to do?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Zhang Jun looked at Su Fei. ¡°I took the entrance examination. With Su Fei tutoring me, hopefully it went well. On top of that, we could also apply for recommendation to a college. We could be admitted by recommendation after winning the National Championship.¡± ¡°Oh? What college are you going to?¡± ¡°I do not know yet. Anyway, the three of us want to stay together.¡± Zhang Jun pointed to Su Fei and Yang Pan. ¡°Good!¡± Li Yongle¡¯s eyes shined. ¡°I have decided!¡± ¡°Decided on what?¡± ¡°Taking the college entrance examination! On top of that, I am definitely not going to the same college as you! There should be soccer tournaments in college, right?¡± Li Yongle asked Zhang Lintao who was beside him. Zhang Lintao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great! I am going to play against you in college!¡± Li Yongle aggressively pointed towards Zhang Jun. ¡°Wow! Are you kidding me? You have lost in your second and third year. Have you not lost enough?¡± Zhang Jun added in his heart. ¡®I really just can¡¯t seem to get rid of them!¡¯ ¡°Have you forgotten what I said? I said that you are my eternal adversary!¡± ¡°And also my eternal friend!¡± Zhang Jun would also remember this when Li Yongle said that. ¡°Zhang Lintao. What about you? Your hand¡­¡± Zhang Lintao looked at his left wrist. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Either way, I cannot guard the goal anymore. Yang Pan¡¯s shots are still unstoppable! I insisted on blocking his shots and now look at my hand: can¡¯t even wrestle a chicken to save my life. But don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve found a decent way out.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The other five asked. ¡°Illustrating manga.¡± ¡°What a strange career!¡± The five replied in unison. ¡°I have always liked to draw ever since I was a child. I have been drawing until now and my level is pretty good. I¡¯ve recently met a few new friends who have the same aspirations. We want to illustrate manga together. Draw our stories and our soccer. When it is published, each person will get a copy. Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting?¡± This brief reminiscence reminded Zhang Jun of Ren Yu De¡¯s words. ¡°I loved playing soccer since I learned how to run. It has been more than ten years. Do you think I would give it up so easily?¡± He actually felt the impulse to cry. Soccer had already been deeply imprinted in their lives. They would not be able to remove it even if they spent a lifetime trying. Zhang Jun thought of his progress from elementary school to middle school, then to high school. That was indeed the case. No matter where, no matter when, no matter what happens, there would always be a group of friends by his side that would not allow him to give up. He would not give up now, whether it was soccer or something else. He looked at his former teammates on the training pitch. Zhang Jun felt that three years passed by really quickly. When he first joined the team, there were only twenty-two players. It was just enough for dividing into teams for a full training match. Now, there were about fifty players. Su Fei had also left while the team recruited two new managers. They both loved soccer and their job as managers. The responsibility of creating the large match table on the wall had also been passed down to them. ¡®Shu Guang High School¡¯ was still marked in red. The red line then extended towards championship. This had become Shu Guang¡¯s tradition. The tradition would continue on just as the red line extended. Zhang Jun felt someone appear beside him. He turned his head to find Su Fei looking at the pitch intently. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Just a little while ago.¡± Zhang Jun stood up. ¡°Let us go back and continue studying.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Fei held Zhang Jun¡¯s arm. They left the stands and stepped out of the sports ground. The lively noise continued behind them. The afternoon sun shined through the windows of Shu Guang¡¯s Exhibition Room. Fresh air flowed through through the open door into the room. As it was class hours, there were no visitors. On the wall on the east side of the room, there was a row of glass cabinets. Two glittering silver trophies were placed in the middle of the cabinet. Engraved on these trophies were ¡°Champions of the 15th National High School Championship¡± and ¡°Champions of the 16th National High School Championship¡± respectively. Two large photographs hung on the wall behind the trophies. These were photos of the team that won the trophy. Although a few of the people in the photos were different, their smiles were the same, as brilliant as the afternoon sun¡­