Volume One: Our Own League 113: As expected, a champion is a champion indeed!

After returning home, Xu He made a point of asking his father about smoking.

Xu Tie fixed his gaze sharply on Xu He and asked sternly, “Have you been smoking?”

Xu He shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum. “No.”

“Really not?” Xu Tie insisted.

Xu He quickly replied, “Really not! Yesterday, a classmate did hand me a cigarette, and I was curious at first—I was about to take it and try. But then a teammate from our football team suddenly appeared and stopped me. He said once you touch it, you can’t quit, and it’s very harmful to your health. So, I didn’t smoke it.”

Xu Tie stared at Xu He for a long moment before nodding. He still trusted his son; his son wouldn’t lie.

“You should thank your teammate properly,” Xu Tie said. “He’s right. Smoking is very harmful, especially to the lungs. Don’t you love playing football? Don’t you want to lead the Chinese men’s football team to the World Cup? If so, you absolutely cannot touch that stuff.”

Xu He’s eyes tightened. Indeed, Zhong Haokun was right.

“Why is that?” Xu He asked.

Xu Tie explained, “Smoking is extremely harmful to athletes. It damages their lungs, numbs their nerves, affects their reflexes, and so on.”

Hearing this, Xu He’s eyes widened in fear. Fortunately, he hadn’t tried it.

Xu Tie continued, “Smoking shortens an athlete’s career and causes many aftereffects. In severe cases, it can even lead to lung cancer...”

Xu He couldn’t bear to listen any longer; his heart was filled with dread.

He whispered, “Thank goodness for Zhong Haokun!”

Xu Tie said, “Yes, you should thank your teammate properly. Without him, you might never fulfill your dream of leading the Chinese men’s football team to the World Cup.”

Xu He was truly grateful to Zhong Haokun; without him, Xu He would have been doomed.

The next day at school, Xu He made a point to thank Zhong Haokun. Zhong Haokun didn’t mind. But Xu He’s heart was full of gratitude. When Li Jie heard about this, he too felt thankful to Zhong Haokun. They wanted to invite him to a meal to express their thanks.

However, Zhong Haokun declined, saying he had something important to attend to and would leave early after school.

Since Zhong Haokun had important affairs, Xu He and Li Jie did not insist and promised to invite him another time.

Unable to invite Zhong Haokun, Xu He naturally planned to practice extra after school. He felt his skills were still lacking and that to secure a starting position, he needed to improve. With the school team tryouts approaching, he had to raise his level to be confident of making the team.

Extra practice was paramount.

But after school, when Xu He arrived at the playground, he was surprised to find a match underway.

Hadn’t the first-year football league already ended? Why another match?

Curious, Xu He saw Lin Xuefeng standing at the sidelines and immediately approached him.

“Lin Xuefeng, what kind of match is this? Didn’t our first-year league just finish?”

Lin Xuefeng looked toward the field and said, “It’s a friendly match. Apparently, Class Six’s football team was unhappy about losing to Class Sixteen’s team, and they want a rematch.”

Hearing this, Xu He glanced onto the field and indeed saw the teams from Class Six and Class Sixteen facing off.

He hadn’t expected Yang Hao and the others to be so unwilling to accept defeat.

Class Sixteen’s team was the league champion, which proved their strength. Yet Yang Hao’s team refused to yield and challenged them again.

Of course, Xu He hadn’t expected Class Sixteen’s team to agree to this either.

Xu He found the match intriguing. He wanted to see what kind of strength Class Six’s team would show. He also wanted to observe if Class Sixteen’s team could sustain their previous luck and win again.

To be honest, Xu He was still a bit dissatisfied with losing to Class Sixteen in the final.

Clearly, their Class Ten team had stronger skills and more attacking power, creating more chances. They should have scored and won. It was unfortunate they lost in the penalty shootout. He felt the championship should have belonged to Class Ten.

They hadn’t yet voiced their discontent, but Class Six’s team had already.

This was truly unexpected.

Xu He and Li Jie immediately sat beside Lin Xuefeng to watch the match.

Both teams’ rosters remained unchanged since the league had just ended. Everyone kept their core lineup intact.

Their tactical styles also remained consistent.

The match had been underway for five minutes, with Class Six controlling the game. They pressed hard, besieging Class Sixteen.

Class Sixteen, as usual, retreated into their half, defending staunchly.

Their strategy was clearly defense and counterattack.

Sometimes, they even abandoned counterattacks entirely, focusing purely on defense.

At this moment, Class Six’s attacks were fierce, led most aggressively by Yang Hao.

Receiving a pass up front, Yang Hao immediately dribbled toward Class Sixteen’s penalty area.

His speed was considerable, but more impressive was his ball control and agility.

Despite Class Sixteen’s championship experience, their defenders couldn’t stop him.

Watching from the stands, Xu He exclaimed, “Yang Hao’s dribbling is incredible! It’s like the ball is glued to his feet.”

Indeed, the football seemed stuck to Yang Hao’s feet; no player from Class Sixteen could intercept him.

Yang Hao charged into the penalty box, facing Class Sixteen’s goalkeeper, Xu Donglai.

Xu He immediately fixed his gaze on Xu Donglai, curious if he was as formidable as in the final.

With a boom, Yang Hao struck the ball fiercely.

The ball shot out like lightning, incredibly fast.

Xu He’s eyes widened; the shot was dangerous, at an awkward angle that most keepers wouldn’t reach.

Then, with a smack, Xu He was taken aback.

Xu Donglai dived sideways and punched the ball out beyond the goal line.

Xu He’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Xu Donglai was still the same unyielding keeper from the final—difficult to beat.

Yang Hao’s shot was excellent—Xu He himself couldn’t have pulled off such a strike—but Xu Donglai still saved it.

Xu He had to admit, “Xu Donglai is truly amazing. He must be the number one goalkeeper at Jin’guan City No. 17 Middle School.”

Lin Xuefeng and Li Jie nodded silently, neither dissenting.

Yang Hao stared intently at Xu Donglai, his heart sinking.

In their last match against Class Sixteen, Xu Donglai had been low-key, but they still lost.

Now, with Xu Donglai fully revealed, could Class Six win?

It would be very difficult.

Yet Yang Hao didn’t lose hope. He waved to his teammates to press the attack.

Class Sixteen’s offense posed little threat. As long as they remained vigilant, they had nothing to fear.

Class Six could focus entirely on attacking, besieging Class Sixteen.

Yang Hao looked at Zhuo Jun and thought, “Today, the victory is ours!”

Yang Hao had prepared extensively for this match. He was here to reclaim what he had lost.

Three minutes later, Yang Hao made a comeback, breaking through three defenders near the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot toward the goal.

Unfortunately, Zhuo Jun blocked it away without Xu Donglai needing to make a save.

Yang Hao frowned, surprised by Zhuo Jun’s sharpness.

He knew this match wouldn’t be easy, but his confidence remained unshaken. He signaled to his teammates not to be discouraged and to keep attacking.

Five minutes later, Yang Hao again fired a fierce shot from just outside the penalty area.

The ball screamed toward the goal but was caught securely by Xu Donglai.

Then Class Sixteen launched a quick counterattack but lost the ball just past midfield. Their offensive ability was truly poor.

In the first half, Class Six dominated, attacking relentlessly.

Class Sixteen’s counters were rare and ineffective.

Class Six’s offense was highly threatening, with Yang Hao performing brilliantly and in excellent form—victory seemed within reach.

Yet, Class Sixteen’s defense withstood the onslaught, protecting their goal.

Xu He on the stands couldn’t help but admire, “Zhuo Jun is incredible—amazing!”

Soon, the second half began.

Li Jie suddenly asked, “Old Xu, who do you think will win this time?”

Lin Xuefeng also turned to Xu He, curious about his opinion.

Xu He gave a wry smile, thinking, “Why does it always come to this?”

He answered frankly, “I still favor Class Sixteen. Their strength is solid. Class Six is clearly underestimating them. It’s going to be tough for Class Six to win.”

Of course, Xu He didn’t say aloud that Class Sixteen would also struggle to win, given their weak offense.

In the second half, Yang Hao launched relentless attacks, besieging Class Sixteen’s goal and troubling Xu Donglai and Zhuo Jun.

Yang Hao alone had taken sixteen shots, most highly threatening.

If not for Xu Donglai, Yang Hao might have scored four or five goals.

But the goalkeeper was a wall; Yang Hao’s goal count remained zero.

Then, in the 76th minute, Class Sixteen earned a corner kick.

This corner decided the match.

Song Xiang delivered the ball into Class Six’s penalty area.

Zhuo Jun leapt high and headed the ball, breaking through Class Six’s defense and scoring.

One to zero—Class Sixteen had beaten Class Six again.

Li Jie and Lin Xuefeng immediately turned to Xu He, eyes full of shock and admiration.

Xu He smiled wryly; he hadn’t expected Class Sixteen’s luck to hold, but they truly won.

Indeed, champions are champions.