Volume 1: Our Own League 170: The Script Must Have Been Pre-Written

During the with-ball drills, Xu He performed exceptionally well, which deeply surprised Ke Dongnan and the other two.

Although they had consistently acted arrogant, looking down on the ordinary high school students of the Jinguancheng 17th High School varsity team, and considering themselves superior, they felt somewhat solemn after witnessing Xu He's performance.

They could not deny Xu He's talent and strength.

Even though Xu He's dribbling was quite amateurish, still filled with many small habits frequently seen in amateur players, and his ball-carrying did not look smooth enough, his dribbling speed was very fast, and his changes of direction around the weaving poles were extremely agile and formidable.

If he was already this impressive now, to what level would he elevate after receiving professional training? What height would he reach?

Ke Dongnan and his two companions began to take Xu He and the others seriously.

Of course, they were not afraid of them either; they believed that the current Xu He was still a long, long way behind, and they were still able to look down upon him.

They possessed the capital to be arrogant.

However, they also sensed immense pressure.

Originally, they had assumed that coming here would allow them to effortlessly claim the status of top dogs, never expecting to encounter such a massive shock. If they did not train hard and strive diligently in the future, who was to say they wouldn't be surpassed by Xu He sooner or later?

They might even be surpassed by all of them collectively.

Upon observation, Xu He was not the only one who performed well during the with-ball drills.

In fact, there were quite a few people who handled the ball better than Xu He, especially the guy wearing the number 10 training jersey they had noticed. His combination of man and ball was simply too perfect, outperforming even their former teammates in the youth team.

Fu Yingjun furrowed his brows tightly, acutely feeling the pressure.

The unfamiliar middleman standing by the sideline also brightened his eyes at this sight. The performances of Xu He and the number 10, Yang Hao, truly shocked him to the core. How could the talents of these two fellows be so extraordinary? Especially that number 10; he seemed to see the shadows of Messi and Kaka in him, and his mastery of ball control was mind-blowingly flawless.

Who could have imagined that an ordinary middle school was hiding so many fine prospects?

He suddenly felt that this trip had been abundantly worthwhile.

At the same time, he also felt a tinge of regret—regret that he had arrived a bit too late.

Naturally, Xu Dongsheng was also quite excited. They already knew that the school possessed many promising talents, but after witnessing today's training session, he grew even more thrilled. He believed that as long as these youngsters trained hard, the future of Jinguancheng 17th High School would undoubtedly be unimaginably brilliant.

During the with-ball drills, the standout performers were naturally Yang Hao, Xu He, Lin Xuefeng, Zhu Ge, Qi Dan, and Chen Wei. The most dazzling among them was undoubtedly Yang Hao, who caused everyone to drop their jaws in astonishment.

Of course, Xu He and the others also observed the performances of the three players hailing from professional club youth academies.

To be honest, they had no choice but to admire them.

The movements of these three seemed as though they had been carved from the exact same mold, bearing a striking resemblance to one another. Yet, each possessed his own distinctive dribbling style, coupled with crisp, decisive, and standard-compliant execution. More importantly, their overall performance in the dribbling drills was remarkably solid.

In particular, the midfielder Shan Xionying and the dark-skinned Fu Yingjun possessed exceptionally fine ball-touch. When they dribbled, the football seemed glued to their feet, making them formidable indeed.

The players of the Jinguancheng 17th High School varsity team all keenly felt the prowess of these fellows.

As expected, these people possessed the capital for pride.

They were indeed stronger than the vast majority of the local players.

Even so, the local players still felt quite provoked, casting unfriendly expressions toward the trio. They hoped to showcase their own strength and let these three fellows witness the true capability of ordinary students.

They turned to Xu He and the others, shouting encouragement, "Hang in there, Xu He and guys! Show these three what ordinary high school students are truly made of!"

The ensuing training match was going to be the absolute crucial test!

United by a common hatred for the enemy and holding their breath in anticipation, the varsity players of Jinguancheng 17th High School geared up to give these three a sharp reality check right in the scrimmage, making them understand whose territory this truly was.

Yangtong Mingxiong and the others naturally took all of this in, yet they did not intervene.

Such competition was a healthy development for the team.

By this point, the preliminary drills had essentially concluded, leading into the heavy highlight of the day: the intra-squad scrimmage.

Yangtong Mingxiong strode over immediately, and Xu Dongsheng promptly signaled everyone to gather.

Xu He and his teammates rose to their feet, quickly falling into their respective positions from earlier, completing the assembly in no time.

Approaching the group, Yangtong Mingxiong nodded with satisfaction and said, "Your training attitude today has been exceptionally good. Everyone was proactive and hardworking, which brings me great relief—you've all done very well. Of course, I hope you maintain this momentum moving forward. Only by keeping up this level of effort and diligence can we stand a chance at reaching the national tournament, understand?"

Xu He and the others shouted in unison at the top of their lungs, "Understood!"

Nodding in deep approval, Yangtong Mingxiong continued, "Next up, we will hold an intra-squad training match. I want you to unleash your full strength so that the coaching staff can observe, familiarize ourselves with your traits and capabilities, and select the starting players for our school varsity team based on your performances in this match."

Choosing the starting lineup from this very match?

The players of Jinguancheng 17th High School felt their breath hitch, each and every one of them stirred with excitement and agitation. The allure of a starting spot was immensely powerful, prompting them to resolve to perform their absolute best and leave nothing in reserve.

Xu He clenched his fists tightly, silently pumping himself up.

At that moment, Xu He could not help glancing at the three fellows from the Jinguancheng Phoenix Birds Club youth academy, recognizing them as formidable competitors.

He observed clearly that the three of them still looked completely relaxed, devoid of a single ounce of tension.

It seemed as though they felt this match posed zero pressure for them, convinced that they would utterly crush these ordinary students with a superior, cocky air.

Staring intently at the trio, Xu He tightened his grip on his fists even further.

Yangtong Mingxiong proceeded, "We will divide you into two teams, led respectively by Coach Xu Dongsheng and Coach Luo Dongqing. The drafting method will be a serpentine alternating selection—one pick at a time—to ensure absolute fairness for everyone!"

Acknowledging the instructions, Xu He and the others waited as Xu Dongsheng and Luo Dongqing prepared to draft their squads.

At that moment, everyone watched with bated breath, eager to see how the two coaches would make their choices. Who would be their very first pick?

Everyone longed to find out whom coaches Luo Dongqing and Xu Dongsheng deemed the most indispensable asset.

Furthermore, with three professional club youth academy players present, which team would manage to secure two of them?

All eyes were locked on the proceedings.

The draft commenced swiftly, with the two coaches deciding the drafting order via a game of rock-paper-scissors. Winning the first pick carried a distinct advantage, significantly increasing the likelihood of snapping up two youth academy talents.

Xu He and the others stared intently at Xu Dongsheng, who held the first overall pick.

Speculation rippled through the group regarding who Xu Dongsheng would select.

Naturally, everyone assumed he would pick one of the three professional academy players, as all three possessed immense strength and stood as powerful contenders for starting positions in their respective roles.

Though reluctant to admit it, even Xu He figured Xu Dongsheng would take one of those three.

Right at that instant, Xu Dongsheng declared aloud, "My first pick is—Xu Donglai!"

Xu He and his peers widened their eyes in sheer disbelief.

Nobody anticipated that Xu Dongsheng would award the first overall pick to Xu Donglai. In the context of an NBA draft, this would make Xu Donglai the number one overall pick.

Yet, upon second thought, Xu He found it entirely justifiable.

After all, Xu Donglai was unquestionably the team's strongest goalkeeper—and a remarkably formidable one at that, with very few players ever managing to breach his net. Xu Dongsheng selecting Xu Donglai first certainly carried sound reasoning.

Even so, many couldn't help wondering whether Xu Dongsheng shared some special connection with Xu Donglai, allowing him to claim the top spot.

The expressions of Ke Dongnan and the other two turned exceptionally grim; they had never imagined that the top pick would bypass all three of them.

From their perspective, they were the three most crucial figures and should have been chosen first without a doubt. They were the ideal candidates for the number one spot, yet they had been passed over entirely.

They suddenly felt profoundly offended.

Discontent brewed deep within their hearts, fueled by a surge of drive. Their knuckles turned white from clenching, and their faces drained of color, looking pale and ugly. Feeling as though they had suffered immense humiliation, they mentally fired themselves up, vowing to make Xu Dongsheng regret his oversight through their performance in the upcoming match.

You chose wrong, Coach Xu Dongsheng.

Luo Dongqing was also somewhat taken aback, not expecting Xu Dongsheng to draft a goalkeeper first.

Recovering quickly, Luo Dongqing stated, "Since Coach Xu has yielded the first move, I won't stand on ceremony. My pick is—Romero Okocha!"

He was well aware that Okocha was a stellar presence even within the youth academy of the Jinguancheng Phoenix Birds; securing him practically guaranteed victory in this match.

Fu Yingjun was drafted second overall, making him the runner-up.

Yet, he remained thoroughly unhappy, his eyes locked daggers onto Xu Donglai in blatant defiance.

Stiding right up to Xu Donglai, Fu Yingjun sneered, "I am going to turn the goal you're guarding into a sieve!"

Xu Donglai didn't even spare Fu Yingjun a glance, directly freezing him out with total indifference.

Naturally, this infuriated Fu Yingjun further, causing the veins in his eyes to bulge red as he glared at Xu Donglai.

Everyone then shifted their gaze back to Xu Dongsheng, anticipating his second pick. Surely it would be the tall center-back Ke Dongnan, right?

Xu He held the exact same thought, turning his eyes toward Ke Dongnan.

It appeared Ke Dongnan shared this assumption as well, as he had already prepared to step forward.

At that moment, Xu Dongsheng announced calmly, "With my second pick, I choose—Xu He!"

Both Xu He and Ke Dongnan were utterly stunned. Xu Dongsheng had bypassed not only Ke Dongnan but also Shan Xionying, opting for Xu He instead. Everyone was bewildered—why would the coach pass up the players hailing from professional club academies?

What was the reasoning behind this?

Xu He's eyes flashed with sudden realization, and he muttered inwardly, "Could this have been arranged by the coaching staff beforehand? Are these specific individuals meant to be placed together, pushing their catalyst qualities to the absolute extreme?"

Turning his head instantly toward Fu Yingjun and the others, Xu He thought to himself, "You guys might not necessarily be the catfish of this team after all!"

Luo Dongqing did not appear surprised by Xu Dongsheng's choice, casually stating, "My pick is Ke Dongnan."

Taking a deep breath, Ke Dongnan walked out with a darkened expression, making his way over toward his teammate Fu Yingjun.

Evidently, being passed over by Xu Dongsheng had deeply agitated him.

Clenching his fists tightly, he vowed to deliver a stellar performance today and let Xu Dongsheng realize his true worth.

Unbothered by Ke Dongnan's reaction, Xu Dongsheng continued, "My third pick is—Zhuo Jun!"

Shan Xionying's expression turned intensely dark. Though he had anticipated the possibility, experiencing it firsthand still ignited his anger, causing his fists to cllech tightly.

Nodding slightly, Luo Dongqing declared, "Shan Xionying!"

Shortly after, both sides rapidly called out names until the remaining players were entirely divided between the two squads, completing the team selections. The scrimmage was about to kick off instantly!