Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 40: The First Center Back of Jin'guan City No. 17 High School

Xu He was feeling deeply dejected, so much so that he barely had any interest left in the upcoming match.

But Zhu Ge spoke up, “Let’s pay close attention. Who knows, this might be the last match of our league.”

Those words chilled Xu He and his companions even more. Was this really the curtain call?

None of them could accept it. Yet, they all knew Zhu Ge was speaking the truth—there was a real possibility that this would be their final league game, so everyone watched intently, with utmost seriousness.

The silver-haired elder in the audience paused for a moment, lost in thought.

The match was between the Class 17 United Football Team from A4 and the Class 16 Football Team from A1.

Xu He had a vivid memory of both these teams.

As for Class 17, Xu He wasn’t too clear on their overall strength, but he remembered those three show-offs on their squad very well.

Indeed, those three were too eccentric, too eager to stand out.

Today was no exception.

The goalkeeper from Class 17 wore a baseball cap and had a purple ribbon tied around his arm, fluttering in the breeze—one wondered if it might block his vision.

Ordinarily, goalkeepers shouldn’t indulge in such flashy antics, but this young man did as he pleased.

He was unique in their school, making him unforgettable.

Xu He didn’t recall much about his skills, but he remembered every time this goalkeeper would roar and pull off some flashy move—he was a born attention-seeker.

It would be rare enough to have one such character in a team, but astonishingly, Class 17 had three.

The other two looked very much alike; rumor had it they were twins. One wore a headscarf, the other a headband, and each time they made a good pass or completed a defensive play, they’d use exaggerated gestures to draw the crowd’s attention.

Their love for the spotlight was no less intense than their goalkeeper’s.

Within minutes of the match starting, the three had already put on a full display of their antics, making even the silver-haired elder in the stands chuckle.

These lads were truly imaginative and unique.

The old man saw no harm in it and offered his opinion, “Youth should dare to express itself—this is wonderful, wonderful. At least they’re not intimidated by the stage. Excellent, excellent! Hahaha!”

He ended up laughing aloud.

Xu He, however, was exasperated, thinking these three were a bit too much.

Zhu Ge frowned slightly, clearly not a fan of their antics, but he still remarked, “Those two full-backs do have some skill. At least the one on the left with the headband delivers very precise crosses.”

Indeed, just moments before, that player had executed a high-quality cross from the flank.

The ball landed right on the forehead of their striker, and it had soared past the defensive core, Captain No. 5 of Class 16.

Sadly, the striker was timid about heading the ball, so just as he was about to connect, he pulled his head back slightly. Though the ball still struck his forehead, it merely changed direction a bit and grazed the far post before flying out of bounds.

Ah!

Xu He slapped his thigh in regret.

What a golden opportunity! If it had been him, the ball would surely have found the net.

A pity indeed.

Xu He gave a thumbs-up to the headband-wearing full-back on the flank—a well-delivered pass. After all, Class 16’s Captain No. 5 was a formidable defender; in the previous match, he had completely neutralized Yang Hao from Class 6, so his defensive prowess was not to be underestimated.

Zhu Ge commented, “Class 16’s captain, Zhuo Jun, is a very strong defender. Watch his positioning, his pressing, and his anticipation of the ball’s landing—they’re all impressive. His defensive ability ranks in the top three at our school, maybe even first.”

Xu He was astonished, his eyes fixed on Zhuo Jun, who wore a red Portugal national team jersey on the pitch.

He hadn’t expected Zhu Ge to rate him so highly.

Even the silver-haired elder took another look at Zhuo Jun.

Some might still have doubts about Zhu Ge’s assessment, but Zhang Zhen’s comment soon dispelled them.

Zhang Zhen said, “The captain’s right. I’ve played against him before. Under his defense, I had only three shots on goal all match—two were blocked outright, and the last one was sent skyward under his interference.”

Hearing this, Xu He’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

He knew better than anyone how lethal Zhang Zhen’s shooting was, and Zhang Zhen’s positioning on the field always enabled him to find scoring opportunities.

Zhang Zhen was a natural-born striker.

Yet, even someone as good as Zhang Zhen struggled under Zhuo Jun’s defense and was rendered nearly ineffective; that said enough about the center-back’s prowess.

Xu He began to take Zhuo Jun seriously, his gaze never leaving him.

He wanted to see just how impressive Zhuo Jun really was.

For the rest of the match, Xu He’s eyes remained trained on Zhuo Jun, studying him closely.

To be honest, he truly believed what Zhu Ge and Zhang Zhen said.

Because in the ensuing play, Zhuo Jun’s performance was outstanding—even astonishing.

Xu He kept wondering: if I were the one facing Zhuo Jun, would I be able to score? Would I get many chances?

Clearly, he would not.

If you weren’t paying close attention, you might think Zhuo Jun wasn’t particularly extraordinary—even though his interceptions and tackles were somewhat frequent, they seemed ordinary, as if the opposing strikers were simply lacking in skill.

Yes, his defense gave the impression—not that he was strong, but that his opponents were weak.

It didn’t make his strength apparent.

But for someone like Xu He, observing closely and focusing solely on Zhuo Jun, he could spot what made Zhuo Jun exceptional.

Xu He watched, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Zhuo Jun seemed to have a natural sensitivity to positioning, always spotting dangerous spaces a step or two ahead of others, getting into place early or preparing for an interception. Each time, it looked effortless, as if he just happened to be there, but in truth, he’d calculated it all.

He always managed to get ahead and block crucial zones.

More importantly, he could command the entire defensive line, activating his teammates and drawing out their full potential to perform at their highest level.

Indeed, in this match, Zhuo Jun orchestrated the whole defense to smother Class 17’s attacking players. The attackers seemed trapped in quicksand—the more they struggled, the deeper they sank, unable to escape.

Honestly, Xu He thought that, had he not known beforehand, he might have fallen into the same trap.

Xu He exclaimed, “Amazing, truly amazing!”

But not everyone saw what he did—when Xu He said this, several players stared at him in confusion, unsure what he’d noticed.

However, Zhu Ge and Lin Xuefeng both glanced at Xu He, surprise in their eyes.

Zhu Ge even thought to himself, So Xu He’s talent really is remarkable.

Those who could spot such details needed to have some skill, especially since Zhuo Jun’s defensive ability was very high and discreet.

For Xu He to notice, that was impressive.

Though Zhuo Jun’s performance was exceptional, and he inspired his team’s defensive line to a superb showing, thoroughly stifling Class 17’s attack, their own offense was not threatening; some counterattacks fizzled out halfway.

Thus, Class 16 seemed like a purely defensive team.

Last time, against Class 6, they defended all match and only scored once thanks to a lucky counterattack.

Their attacking power was weak, with few forwards up front.

This meant the flamboyant goalkeeper from Class 17 had little to do, but he didn’t idle—he was busy stretching and exercising at the back, making the spectators laugh.

He truly resembled a circus clown.

But he didn’t mind; instead, he grew more exuberant, even chanting rhythmically: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight; two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…”

The crowd couldn’t help but laugh, even the silver-haired elder chuckled aloud.

Of course, this infuriated the players of Class 16. This goalkeeper was practically mocking them—they wanted nothing more than to storm forward and blast the ball into his net to vent their anger.

But the goalkeeper remained oblivious, doing as he pleased and becoming the brightest presence on the field.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Jun reminded his teammates not to let the opposing goalkeeper’s provocation affect them—play seriously, defend diligently. As long as they didn’t let themselves be led by the nose, they’d have a chance to win.

Xu He nodded in agreement. He truly acknowledged Zhu Ge’s assessment; Zhuo Jun might indeed be the best center-back at Chengguan No. 17 Middle School.

Next, Class 17 launched a frenzied attack.

Clearly, they intended to settle the outcome in the first half and secure victory.

Both full-backs pressed forward aggressively, and Xu He noticed their real strength. Their speed was quite good—not on his level, nor Lin Xuefeng’s, but still fast—and they had some ability to break through on the flanks and deliver decent crosses, making them potent attacking full-backs.

The two took turns pushing forward, wreaking havoc on Class 16’s defensive line.

Yet, whether high balls or low passes, Zhuo Jun intercepted them all. Class 17’s strikers were tightly restricted, barely able to receive the ball.

Their only two chances ended with the ball soaring skyward, thanks to Zhuo Jun’s interference.

Xu He gave a thumbs-up, muttering, “Amazing, truly amazing!”

Li Jie nodded in awe, “So impressive!”

By now, no one questioned Zhuo Jun’s reputation as the school’s best center-back.

Xu He reminded himself, “If I ever face him again, I must be cautious, very cautious.”

But then he remembered—the league was about to disappear. Where would he get another chance to play against Zhuo Jun? Xu He’s mood soured instantly.