Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 15: Another Genius Has Emerged

The next day dawned bright and clear, with a gentle breeze caressing the air.

On the athletic field of Jinguancheng No. 17 High School, a fierce soccer match was underway. The two opposing teams wore the white jerseys of the Huaxia national team and the deep blue of Italy’s squad, respectively—a warm-up game between Class Ten and Class Six, with Xu He belonging to the former.

This would be the last preparatory match before the official league began.

Regrettably, Xu He hadn’t made the starting lineup. He sat on the bench at the edge of the field, awaiting his chance. Yes—just yesterday, Mu Yang had announced the starters, and Xu He’s name was not among them. The final name called from Mu Yang’s lips had been—Jin Yubin!

Xu He had felt deeply disappointed at that moment. He had genuinely believed he would secure the last spot in the starting eleven. After all, there was only one true striker among them, and if they played a 4-4-2 formation, he would surely have a chance.

But it was Jin Yubin who started.

Thus, Xu He could only sit dejectedly on the bench, waiting for an opportunity.

Now, five minutes had already passed since the match began. Both teams played cautiously, still probing and testing each other, neither daring to commit rashly, since they were unfamiliar with their opponents. As a result, the match felt somewhat subdued.

But the atmosphere along the sidelines was anything but dull.

Xia Xinyi and a group of girls cheered in unison, rallying for Lin Xuefeng on the field. Yes, all these girls had come just to see Lin Xuefeng. Every time he touched the ball, shrill cries and excited screams erupted from the sidelines, with some of the more enthusiastic girls even breaking into impromptu dances and songs.

The spectacle left countless boys watching in a haze of envy—envy directed squarely at Lin Xuefeng.

Xu He, however, paid the girls no mind, nor did he focus on the game itself. Instead, his attention was fixed on a small boy standing at the edge of the pitch.

This boy was—peculiar.

He was exceptionally slender and short, standing perhaps no taller than one meter thirty, looking very much like an elementary school student. But it wasn’t his size that caught Xu He’s eye—it was the white No. 47 Huaxia national team jersey he wore.

Xu He frowned. Their school’s entry rules were strict; outsiders could hardly sneak in. In other words, this boy must be a student at their school.

Now, seeing the boy in a jersey identical to his own, Xu He wondered—could he be a member of Class Ten’s squad? But he had never seen this boy during training.

Wait—a moment of recollection.

Thinking back, Xu He realized this boy did often appear at their training sessions, but always on his own, quietly watching and imitating their drills from the sidelines.

He hadn’t expected the boy to turn up for the match, clad in the team’s jersey. Could he truly be one of them?

Still frowning, Xu He turned to Deng Ning, who sat beside him on the substitutes’ bench. “Hey, Tsubasa, is that kid over there on our team?”

Deng Ning’s idol was always Tsubasa Ozora, so everyone on the team had nicknamed him Tsubasa.

Deng Ning looked over and shook his head slightly.

“That kid’s name is Lu Yiming—he’s in our class. When we first formed the team, he was the first to sign up, all eager and excited. But then we realized he didn’t know a thing about soccer—not even that you can’t use your hands. Imagine, someone like that wanting to join the team, isn’t it just ridiculous?”

Xu He was honestly taken aback.

First, he was surprised that Lu Yiming really was a middle schooler, not an elementary school student, and from Class Ten at that.

Second, he was shocked to learn that Lu Yiming was a complete novice when it came to soccer.

Yet, the boy looked as if he loved the game deeply. Even now, he watched the match intently, practicing footwork with his own ball, honing his skills. Could someone like that truly be clueless? It didn’t seem likely. After all, his solo ball play by the sidelines appeared quite competent.

A strange kid, indeed.

Suddenly, Deng Ning said, “Xu, forget about him—watch the game! We’re in trouble!”

Xu He started at his words—in trouble?

He immediately looked to the pitch, his eyes widening in alarm.

Class Ten’s defensive formation was collapsing; the left flank was in tatters. The No. 10 from Class Six had already broken through, reaching the edge of the box on the left, with all defenders left trailing behind. He was now one-on-one with Class Ten’s goalkeeper, Wang Xu.

A clear breakaway—this was dangerous!

Xu He’s mind raced. How had this player gotten into their box so suddenly?

There was no time to ponder further. The “Italian” No. 10 in the box swung his leg, ready to shoot.

Xu He and all of Class Ten’s supporters held their breath—this was a critical moment. Wang Xu had closed off the near post, but from such close range, the threat was still grave.

As the No. 10 drew back his foot for a powerful shot, Wang Xu instantly dived, stretching his leg to block the near angle, making himself as large as possible. Meanwhile, center-back Zhao Qiang slid in desperately, trying to block the shot.

But the No. 10 executed a perfect feint—faking a shot, then deftly cutting past Wang Xu and evading Zhao Qiang’s sliding tackle. Facing an open goal, he easily tapped the ball in.

One-nil—Class Six took the lead.

The scorer was their captain, the No. 10.

Xu He felt a wave of blackness before his eyes—utterly frustrated. They were trailing. Worse yet, he hadn’t even seen clearly how the goal was conceded or how that No. 10 had managed to break through.

“Wow! Incredible, absolutely incredible!” Deng Ning exclaimed beside him.

At the same time, the entire Class Ten bench drew sharp breaths, as if witnessing something extraordinary.

What had just happened?

Xu He wanted to ask Deng Ning, but before he could speak, the excited Deng Ning blurted out, “Who is this No. 10? How is he so good? The ball seems stuck to his feet—no one can take it from him!”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Deng Ning continued, “He’s not human, that guy’s just not human!”

Xu He was stunned by such high praise.

The other substitutes began to chatter excitedly: “Did I see that right? Did he really break through our entire left side on his own? That’s insane—he destroyed our left defense!”

Xu He felt even more alarmed.

He destroyed our whole left flank? Impossible!

If it were the right side, maybe—but their left was guarded by his good friend Li Jie, whose strength Xu He knew well. Li Jie was formidable. There was no way this guy could have gotten past him single-handedly.

Xu He couldn’t believe it.

But one look at Li Jie’s disheveled state, and he had no choice.

His eyes widened as he stared at the opposing No. 10.

Now, this No. 10 was surrounded by jubilant teammates, receiving their adulation. He looked utterly ordinary—average build, average height, nothing remarkable at first glance. Yet he had torn apart their entire left side.

Xu He was dumbfounded. In the matches to come, he’d have to keep close watch on just how formidable this player really was.

Play resumed, and Class Ten immediately ramped up their offensive pressure, launching wave after wave against their opponents’ defense.

Clearly, Class Ten’s overall strength was superior.

They maintained excellent control, dictating the tempo and keeping the ball at their feet. Zhong Haokun anchored the defense from midfield, while Mu Yang and Zhu Ge orchestrated the attack, their control in the middle of the pitch was extraordinary.

They passed and advanced in layers, steadily pressing forward.

Class Six struggled to cope—their midfield and defense were in chaos, their goal in constant peril.

Xu He nodded slightly. This team, assembled from the best players across the classes, was indeed one of the strongest contenders in this year’s league.

With such dominance, Xu He felt their deficit was only temporary—they would soon equalize, perhaps even take the lead.

But in the next moment, reality struck—a harsh lesson, delivered by the opposing No. 10.

It had started as a promising attack for Class Ten: Zhu Ge and Mu Yang exchanged a series of passes before Zhu Ge sent a piercing through ball into open space in the box.

Lin Xuefeng, anticipating the move, sprinted in and struck the ball fiercely.

The girls on the sidelines screamed his name in delight.

But the opposing goalkeeper managed to parry it away, the ball landing at the feet of the No. 10 captain just outside the box.

Then, the No. 10 unleashed his brilliance, stunning everyone present.

He turned with the ball and charged at high speed into Class Ten’s half. His dribbling was swift and fluid, never losing control, always keeping the ball within perfect reach. He was able to shift direction instantly, even feinting with ease.

Against him, Class Ten’s defenders seemed like nothing more than stationary cones, bypassed with ridiculous ease.

Xu He felt chills run down his spine—this speed, this dribbling, this agility, this ability to twist and turn—too astounding.

Watching the No. 10’s movements, Xu He couldn’t help but think of a name—Messi.

His ability to dribble, to change direction at speed—it was just like Messi.

No wonder he had shredded their left defense—his skill was simply overwhelming.

In a flash, the No. 10 dribbled past four players, breaking straight into Class Ten’s penalty area.

Goalkeeper Wang Xu rushed out to confront him.

The No. 10 captain took a long touch, sidestepped Wang Xu cleanly, and once again slotted the ball into an empty net.

Two-nil.

As the No. 10 slid to celebrate, Mu Yang and Zhu Ge exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.

Xu He was utterly stunned. He murmured, “A genius! This guy is a genius!”