Volume One: Our Own League 126: Measuring a Nobleman’s Heart by a Petty Man’s Measure

The school team selection was a matter of paramount importance to Xu He and his friends. Upon hearing the news, Xu He practically jumped for joy. He gripped Li Jie’s hand tightly and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Old Li, did you hear that? The school is holding tryouts for the soccer team, and it’s happening the day after tomorrow!"

Indeed, this coming Friday was the day after tomorrow. It had all come so fast—so sudden that it caught everyone off guard. However, Xu He had been anticipating this for so long that the suddenness only fueled his excitement. He was truly electrified, and Li Jie was no less enthusiastic.

Li Jie nodded repeatedly, saying, "It’s finally here! I honestly thought Principal Wang was just paying lip service before, but I never expected it to actually happen!"

It was quite unexpected. At that moment, the rest of the class turned to look at the two of them as if they were fools. It was just a school team selection; what was there to get so worked up about? They looked like two country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

Xu He ignored them and paid no mind to their judgmental stares. To those who didn't care for soccer or play the game, it was nothing worth mentioning, but to him and Li Jie, it meant everything. He couldn't be bothered to explain it to the others.

Xu He turned to Li Jie and asked, "How do we sign up? The principal didn't mention that in the announcement, did he?"

Li Jie frowned slightly, having realized the same thing. It was true; the principal hadn't specified the registration process. What were they to do? Li Jie shook his head, admitting, "I’m not sure."

Just then, the bell rang, and the two had to set the matter aside to prepare for class. The physics teacher, Zhang Jun, who was also their homeroom teacher, walked in. He stepped onto the podium, surveyed the class, and called out, "Class begins."

The class representative, Zhou Zheng, stood up and shouted, "Stand up!" Xu He stood with his classmates and they called out in unison, "Good morning, teacher," bowing toward Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun gestured for them to sit and replied, "Good morning, students." As he flipped through his textbook, he added, "Before we start, I have an announcement. You all heard the principal earlier, right?"

The class replied in chorus, "Yes!"

Zhang Jun nodded. "Good. That’s right, the school is forming a soccer team. This is in response to the call from the National Education Bureau and the General Administration of Sport. It’s a positive initiative. Participating in soccer is good for your physical development, and I hope you will all get involved."

Xu He curled his lip slightly. He didn't buy it for a second; previously, Zhang Jun had been quite resistant to their playing soccer.

Zhang Jun continued, "Principal Wang also mentioned that the tryouts will be held this Friday. If you are interested, please sign up with the sports representative, Li Jie."

Xu He’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Li Jie with delight. Now they finally knew how to register; the tryouts were really happening.

Zhang Jun looked at Li Jie and instructed, "Li Jie, take down the names and get the registration forms to me as soon as possible. Because the tryouts are this Friday, the schedule is tight. Handle this promptly, do you understand?"

An excited Li Jie nodded firmly. "Understood, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Jun nodded again and said, "Alright, that’s all for the announcement. Let’s begin the lesson. Please open your physics books to page..."

Xu He’s heart was racing, his mind consumed by thoughts of the signup. Of course, he knew Li Jie would put his name down without even asking. He wasn't worried about that; he was simply filled with anticipation for the tryouts.

Still, Xu He remained very attentive during the lesson. He knew how important his studies were; if his grades slipped, he wouldn't be able to play soccer, let alone join the school team or compete in the national tournament. Therefore, his studies came first. He was focused and efficient throughout the class, answering Mr. Zhang’s questions so well that the teacher was very satisfied—even going so far as to urge the other students to learn from Xu He’s example.

The class ended quickly, and as it was the last period of the day, school was dismissed. Xu He dashed over to Li Jie. "Old Li, I want to sign up for the school team tryouts!"

Li Jie nodded. "I knew that without you saying it. Look, didn't I already put your name down?"

Xu He checked the form and saw his name at the very top, followed by Li Jie’s. A smile spread across his face, and he gave Li Jie a hug. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Old Li."

Just then, Yang Xin walked over and said to Li Jie, "Representative Li, I want to sign up for the tryouts!" Yang Xin kept his gaze fixed on Li Jie, acting as if Xu He didn't even exist.

Xu He curled his lip and ignored Yang Xin as well. Though they were classmates and teammates on the same club team, their relationship was poor; they barely spoke. Even on the field, there was little communication, largely due to the competitive tension between them—or rather, because of Yang Xin’s attitude. At first, Xu He had tried to be friendly, but Yang Xin was always cold and aloof. Eventually, Xu He stopped bothering.

As Yang Xin signed up, Xu He turned to look out the window. Their classroom was on the fourth floor, and he could see the playground below. It was crowded with students who had participated in the freshman soccer league, all gathering after hearing the news about the tryouts. He even spotted some of his own teammates from Class 10 heading down.

Xu He urged, "Hurry up, Old Li, we need to get down there and meet up with the team."

Li Jie replied, "Alright."

Yang Xin was annoyed. He hadn't even finished signing up yet—what was Xu He rushing for? Was he afraid that if Yang Xin signed up, he’d lose his spot on the school team? Yang Xin felt irritated but kept his mouth shut; he wasn't about to talk to Xu He.

Behind Yang Xin, Tang Jike was even more annoyed. He glared at Xu He and snapped, "What’s the rush? Can't you see we're signing up? Are you trying to sabotage us so we can't register or try out?"

Xu He felt insulted. Was that what they thought of him? These guys were truly projecting their own petty motives onto him. Before Xu He could retort, Tang Jike continued, "Are you afraid that if we make the team, we'll take your spot? Is that why you're using these low-handed tactics to mess with us?"

Xu He was furious. What kind of nonsense was this guy spewing?

Li Jie, knowing his friend's temper, intervened, "Old Xu, don't lower yourself to his level. You head down first; I'll join you once I'm done here."

Seeing Li Jie’s gesture, Xu He calmed down. Without looking at Tang Jike, he said to Li Jie, "Fine, I’ll head down. Hurry up when you're finished; we need to discuss the tryouts."

With that, Xu He walked out of the classroom, ignoring both of them. Tang Jike didn't press the issue, perhaps because he didn't care enough to bother, and Xu He certainly didn't care about him either.

Xu He headed straight for the playground. Today was a major event for them—the school team tryouts. Almost everyone who had played in the freshman league was there, huddling with their groups to discuss the upcoming selection. The level of enthusiasm was palpable.

As Xu He walked onto the field, he was struck by the fiery atmosphere. He began searching for his team’s location to discuss the tryouts with them. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Li Liying standing there, hands behind her back, pretending to be nonchalant.

He smiled. "Alright, stop pretending. I knew it was you without even guessing!"

Li Liying retorted, "Boring, you absolute blockhead!"

Xu He shrugged, not bothering to argue. "Principal Wang really did announce the tryouts. Your intel was spot on!"

Li Liying rolled her eyes. "So, you never actually believed me before?"

Xu He waved his hand. "Of course I did! I always trust you. I was just anxious because I hadn't heard the official announcement from the principal yet."

Li Liying replied, "I don't care, you didn't believe me!"

Xu He gave a wry smile. "My mistake, okay? To make it up to you, I’ll treat you to a Wangzai drink later?"

Li Liying smirked, "That’s more like it."

Xu He chuckled and asked, "Since Principal Wang announced the tryouts so suddenly, does that mean they’ve already secured a head coach? Who is it? Is it the person Coach Song Yu recommended?"

This was what Xu He cared about most. Knowing who the coach would be was crucial—it determined his chances of making the team and the future playing style of the squad.

Li Liying knew he would ask. "I did some digging. Word is that Coach Song Yu recommended his junior, Zheng Xiao. He’s been a youth team coach for a club in Europe. He’s got quite a reputation, and Principal Wang is very impressed with him. I suspect he’ll be our head coach."

Xu He’s eyes lit up with excitement. A former youth coach from European soccer was coming to lead their team? That was huge! With a coach of that caliber, surely Jinguancheng No. 17 High School would be a lock for the national tournament.

Xu He couldn't wait to meet the new coach and was more determined than ever to pass the tryouts and earn his place on the school team.