Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 37: Zhang Zhen's Exclusive Secret

With a beaming smile, Zhang Zhen fixed his gaze on Xu He for quite some time before finally saying, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to give you some pointers.”

The moment Xu He saw that smile, he knew things wouldn’t be so simple.

“So what would it take?” Xu He asked.

Zhang Zhen immediately extended his right hand, palm open. “If you want me to teach you, there’s got to be something in it for me, right?”

Xu He stared at him in surprise. “You want something in return?”

Zhang Zhen’s eyebrows shot up. “Of course! Who in their right mind would betray—ah, I mean, who’d teach you for nothing unless there’s something to gain?”

Xu He looked at him pitifully. “Aren’t we friends?”

Zhang Zhen replied with principle, “Of course, we’re friends.”

Xu He’s face lit up.

“But you still have to give me something,” Zhang Zhen continued.

Xu He’s smile instantly collapsed. “You really mean it?”

“Absolutely!” Zhang Zhen said sternly. “Didn’t you have to pay tuition when you went to private school? Or pay school fees for your classes?”

“Private school?” Xu He repeated blankly.

Zhang Zhen waved a hand with a sheepish smile. “Don’t mind those details.”

Xu He thought Zhang Zhen’s argument wasn’t entirely unreasonable. “So how much do you want? I’m telling you, I don’t have much.”

Zhang Zhen rolled his eyes. “Who said I wanted your money?”

Xu He’s eyes lit up like a hundred-watt bulb. “You really don’t want money? Then what do you want?”

“I heard a new Iron Man collectible just came out…” Zhang Zhen said.

Xu He recoiled in terror, staring at Zhang Zhen as if he’d seen a ghost.

Those things cost a fortune!

“That’s still asking for money!” Xu He glared.

Seeing Xu He’s miserly expression, Zhang Zhen burst into hearty laughter. “You are such a penny-pincher!”

“Hey, that’s enough!” Xu He shot back indignantly.

Zhang Zhen chuckled. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. I don’t care about those collectibles.”

Xu He was taken aback, then asked tentatively, “So you really don’t want the Iron Man figure? Then what do you want?”

Just now, Xu He had steeled himself. If Zhang Zhen would teach him his shooting technique, he’d scrape together all his pocket money, even borrow a bit from Li Jie, just to get Zhang Zhen that collectible as a sort of—well, tuition fee.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Zhen was only teasing him.

Was he really just toying with him?

Xu He probed.

Zhang Zhen shot him an exasperated look. “Keep your collectible. All I want is your math review notes.”

To go from an Iron Man collectible to math notes—a steep drop indeed.

Xu He was dazed again.

Then realization dawned. So Zhang Zhen really had been teasing him all along.

Xu He glared at Zhang Zhen. “Wow, I never thought you, with your honest face, would stoop to this. You’ve betrayed the cause…”

Zhang Zhen snickered. “Enough. Are you giving me your math notes or not?”

This time, Xu He stiffened his spine. “That depends on whether what you teach me is worth it.”

Zhang Zhen nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll teach you first.”

Xu He immediately leaned in, all ears.

Sitting diagonally behind them was an elderly man with a head of silver hair, watching the bargaining between these two lively youths with great interest, a kindly smile on his face.

“What amusing little fellows!” he thought.

At that moment, Xu He was so focused on Zhang Zhen that he was oblivious to what was happening behind him—and didn’t hear that remark.

Zhang Zhen became serious. “Actually, improving your shooting technique is very simple…”

Xu He frowned, puzzled. Simple? Why didn’t he know that?

“So what’s the method?” Xu He asked.

Zhang Zhen replied with the utmost solemnity, “The way to improve your shooting is—practice more!”

What the heck!

Xu He had expected some profound secret, was ready to treat it as gospel—only to be told the solution was just to practice more?

You’ve got to be kidding!

Who doesn’t know to practice more? Did he really need Zhang Zhen to tell him that?

Behind them, the kindly silver-haired elder couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

How amusing.

Seeing Xu He about to lose his temper, Zhang Zhen quickly added, “Wait, don’t get angry. Practicing more is indeed the only way to improve…”

But as Xu He’s rage mounted, Zhang Zhen hurried on, “But just practicing blindly is useless. You have to find the right way to practice.”

Xu He’s anger began to subside, though his fists remained clenched and he stared hard at Zhang Zhen, as if warning him not to spout any more nonsense—unless he wanted a taste of fists as big as sandbags.

Noticing Xu He’s clenched fists, Zhang Zhen forced a smile. “You need to pay attention to three things when practicing your shots!”

This sounded promising. Xu He listened intently.

Zhang Zhen was tempted to tease Xu He further, but one look at those fists made him abandon that dangerous idea.

He spoke seriously. “The first thing is foot placement.”

Seeing Xu He’s eager expression, Zhang Zhen held nothing back, sharing all his experience with shooting.

“Whether it’s a standing shot or a shot after a run-up, you must pay attention to your supporting foot’s position. To pull off a high-quality shot, where you place your foot is the foundation—absolutely crucial. From years of experience, the best spot for your supporting foot is on the same horizontal line as the ball’s center, with a small gap between them—enough for a comfortable swing. With your foot level with the ball, your body’s center of gravity leans slightly forward, allowing you to keep the ball down and avoid skying it.”

Zhang Zhen explained with care, demonstrating with his own feet and the ball as he spoke, making it easier for Xu He to understand. He even included examples from real games, showing just how dedicated he was.

Both Xu He and the silver-haired elder were entranced.

Zhang Zhen continued:

“The second point is which part of the foot strikes the ball. Finding the right spot is simple: press your ankle downward and straighten your foot. You’ll feel a bone protruding from the instep—use that part to strike the ball. Most of the time, especially for powerful long shots, this is the area you use. There’s also the instep push, the inside curve shot, the lob, the outside-foot shot, and so on.”

As he spoke, Zhang Zhen pointed out each contact spot to Xu He, even guiding Xu He’s foot with his hands to show precisely which part to use for each technique. It was a masterclass in detail.

Xu He nodded repeatedly, thoroughly impressed.

Before this, Xu He’s shooting was all instinct. He’d heard of outside-foot shots and inside-curve shots, but had never really understood the precise contact points—they were all guesswork. Now, with Zhang Zhen’s hands-on guidance, he felt he’d gained enormously.

Even the elderly gentleman behind them was astonished. Who would have thought there was so much nuance in just taking a shot? There’s truth to the old saying: “An outsider watches the excitement; an insider sees the craft.”

Xu He hung on every word, treating them as if they were the law, which made Zhang Zhen all the more enthusiastic.

He went on:

“The third point is the most important: the technique of generating power.

There are three main sources of power in a shot: the lower leg, the upper leg, and the waist, which drives both legs together. Everyone’s technique is slightly different, but I hope you’ll master all three. Each is equally important—not one is right and the others wrong. They’re all correct, each suited to different situations. If you can master all three, you’ll be able to produce high-quality shots in any scenario and become almost unbeatable.”

At this, Xu He stared at Zhang Zhen, his eyes intense. Surely Zhang Zhen, whose shooting was so extraordinary, had mastered all three techniques.

Zhang Zhen paid him no mind, standing up to demonstrate. He made Xu He put his hands on his thighs and waist to feel the difference in each kind of movement, so he could remember the physical sensation and practice correctly.

Zhang Zhen’s earnest instruction moved Xu He deeply.

He continued:

“One last thing: no matter which shooting technique you use, your kicking foot must be taut and straight, maintaining the correct form throughout. If your form collapses, you won’t get the result you want. The more power you use, the harder it is to keep the right form—and the more likely your shot will go astray.

Whether it’s the distance between your supporting foot and the ball, the angle of power, the contact point, the power technique, or maintaining your shooting form—all of it takes long, consistent practice to truly master.

So, if you want to improve your shooting, you must practice more.”

Xu He nodded nonstop, feeling he’d truly gained a wealth of knowledge.

Listening to all this, he was eager to get on the field and practice, to see how it all worked.

Xu He looked at Zhang Zhen with undisguised gratitude and said sincerely, “Thank you!”

Zhang Zhen waved him off. “No need for thanks—just don’t forget to give me your math notes!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget,” Xu He assured him.

He immediately took out his carefully prepared math review notes from his bag and handed them to Zhang Zhen. “If you study these, you’ll easily score over ninety on the next math test.”

Zhang Zhen glanced through them and grinned. “I’m not aiming for ninety—a passing mark would make me happy!”

Xu He frowned. “Passing? Do you have so little faith in me?”

Zhang Zhen apologized hastily. “No, no, it’s not your fault—it’s mine.”

Xu He waved him off. “No excuses. Ninety is a must!”

Seeing Xu He’s confidence, Zhang Zhen could only smile wryly. “Alright, ninety it is.”

From behind, the silver-haired elder chuckled again. Sitting with these two boys, he suddenly felt as if he’d become years younger.