Volume One: Our Own League 089: Shall We Place a Big Bet?

At the toilet by the right-hand corner on the second floor of the junior division building at Seventeenth Middle School in Golden Official City, a cluster of uniformed boys were gathered, chirping away over something or other.

Zhu Ge came to the balcony, pulled up his collar to hide half his face, leaned forward, and said with deliberate coolness, “Can we talk?”

Zhuo Jun flinched. Fear flashed across his face.

He had been startled. There had been no one around him just a moment ago, so where had this guy suddenly come from?

Zhuo Jun shot him a hard glare and said, “Talk about what? I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

Zhu Ge shook his head slightly. “No, we have plenty to discuss.”

Zhuo Jun frowned and thought, “Is he here to settle accounts with me?”

He already knew that his attempt to poach Xu He had been exposed. At first, he had not taken it seriously, because such things were perfectly normal. But now that Zhu Ge had suddenly appeared before him, his heart began to hammer.

He turned to face Zhu Ge and, after a long moment, said, “Talk about what?”

Zhu Ge smiled faintly. “Anything. If we really can’t think of a topic, we can talk about poaching.”

Zhuo Jun closed his eyes and thought, “So he really is here for that.”

Then he opened them and stared at Zhu Ge. “To be honest, I do value Xu He. I also very much wanted to have him join my team. You know very well that what my team lacks right now is exactly a striker like him. Bringing him in would be enough to raise our team by two or three levels.”

Zhu Ge nodded slightly, showing agreement.

Zhuo Jun grew a little agitated. “A player like Xu He is a treasure to our Class Sixteen football team. But in your Class Ten team? He’s a substitute. Don’t you think that’s a waste? Don’t you think that’s unfair to Xu He?”

Zhu Ge frowned slightly. He had not expected Zhuo Jun to be so sharp, to turn the tables even at this point.

He fixed Zhuo Jun with a hard stare. He could tell that Zhuo Jun genuinely liked Xu He.

And unexpectedly, he found himself a little swayed by Zhuo Jun’s words.

As expected, people with good grades were different. Even their eloquence was exceptional. Their words were so persuasive that he had nearly fallen for it.

Zhu Ge said, “Competition is the engine of progress. You haven’t seen how hard Xu He has been working because of that competition. He’s been doing extra training almost every single day. That’s not something ordinary people can do. On that point, I really admire the boy.”

Zhuo Jun’s pupils tightened. He realized the person opposite him was not easy to deal with.

Of course, he also greatly admired Xu He himself. He even felt that Xu He had been born for football.

Zhuo Jun said, “Competition is important, yes, but match opportunities are even more important. What Xu He needs now is games. In matches, he can improve faster. He’ll become stronger in a short time, and that’s something you can’t give him.”

Zhu Ge stared at him closely, and Zhuo Jun met his gaze without fear.

After a while, Zhu Ge chuckled softly. “Your words are far sharper than mine.”

Zhuo Jun said, “That’s because I’m speaking the truth.”

Zhu Ge sighed, looked at him, and said, “You should know that next season our league will be expanded, and a large number of second-year students will join in. By then, how much pressure will we be under? We’re keeping Xu He in our team to strengthen our squad so that we can contend with those second-year seniors and fight for the championship!”

At that, Zhuo Jun’s brows lifted.

That was also what he was worried about. Next season would not be as simple as this one. They would be facing much stronger opponents. His attempt to poach Xu He was precisely to strengthen his side in preparation for the next season.

He looked at Zhu Ge but said nothing.

Zhu Ge continued, “Even if my team keeps its current lineup, which is considered the strongest in Seventeenth Middle School, we still may not get a good result next season. Our opponents are too strong. Do you think, at a time like this, I’d hand Xu He over to you?”

Zhuo Jun knew that was impossible, so he could only smile wryly.

Zhu Ge went on, “Even if I agreed to let Xu He join your team, could your team really withstand those second-year seniors? Hard, isn’t it?”

Zhuo Jun wanted to say no, it wasn’t hard. But the physical gap between them and the second-year seniors was indeed significant. After all, many of those older students were in the middle of a growth spurt; the moment they moved from first year to second year, they seemed to shoot up by nearly four inches all at once. That...

Zhuo Jun didn’t even dare continue thinking about it.

He looked at Zhu Ge and said, “What you’re saying makes a lot of sense.”

He had wanted to keep speaking, but Zhu Ge cut him off. “Then we should build an even stronger team and face those second-year seniors head-on.”

Zhuo Jun’s heart jolted as he suddenly understood Zhu Ge’s purpose in coming today.

This guy wasn’t here to call him to account. He was here to return the favor.

Damn it, this guy actually wanted to poach me?

Zhuo Jun’s eyes widened as he stared at Zhu Ge in disbelief. A thought flashed through his mind: “Holy crap, this guy’s ambition is enormous.”

Zhu Ge smiled faintly. “I suppose you’ve figured out why I came today?”

Zhuo Jun shot him a fierce glare and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zhu Ge laughed. “Hard to imagine that Zhuo Jun has a side like this. You’ve really opened my eyes today.”

Zhuo Jun rolled his eyes and said nothing.

Zhu Ge immediately said, “Since you’ve already guessed it, I won’t beat around the bush. The reason I came today is that I want you to join our Class Ten football team as well. You know our Class Ten team’s biggest weakness is the center-back position. With you joining us, our team will have no weak point. When the new season arrives, we can still call ourselves the strongest team at Seventeenth Middle School.”

As he said this, Zhu Ge’s eyes were full of sharp light.

It was clear that this was not some spur-of-the-moment idea. It had been his long-held thought, and he was deeply optimistic about it, seeing an endless bright future ahead.

To be honest, Zhuo Jun wavered.

The Class Ten football team was indeed very strong, and their defense truly had problems. If he joined, their weak point would be solved at once. Their strength would certainly rise dramatically, and even when facing stronger opponents next season, they would not be afraid.

In the new season, they might even win the championship.

Tempting?

Very tempting.

But did he have to agree? Not necessarily.

Zhuo Jun thought for a moment, then said, “What you’re suggesting is indeed very tempting, but I have to say sorry—I won’t be joining your team. I’m still the captain of the Class Sixteen football team.”

Zhu Ge was shocked by this. He had clearly seen hesitation in Zhuo Jun’s eyes just now. What had happened?

He stared at Zhuo Jun with his mouth slightly open.

Zhuo Jun smiled. “I know you must have a lot of questions right now, but I still won’t tell you why. I can only say: sorry. I have no intention of joining your Class Ten football team. If you want to become my teammate, then join our Class Sixteen football team instead.”

Zhu Ge was stunned again. Damn it, this guy was even trying to poach in reverse?

Zhuo Jun’s maneuver really had Zhu Ge rattled. He had never expected Zhuo Jun to be so bold, so willing to think and act this way. Of course, he also understood very clearly that Zhuo Jun would not be joining his team.

That still made Zhu Ge quite uncomfortable.

He remained unwilling to give up. “Zhuo Jun, you know this well. If you come to our Class Ten football team, we can definitely dominate the league. By then, we’ll surely make the school team, and then we can go make a splash at the national tournament!”

As for the school team, Zhuo Jun naturally longed for that too.

He said, “Then let’s become teammates when we get to the school team. By then, I’ll cooperate with you properly. Because my goal is the national tournament too.”

Hearing this, Zhu Ge knew his poaching plan had failed.

To be honest, he truly wasn’t surprised at all. He just felt a little sorry. He really valued Zhuo Jun. Zhuo Jun was the missing piece that would have made their Class Ten football team complete. What a pity—Zhuo Jun had refused.

Zhu Ge still would not give up. “Really not even a chance?”

Zhuo Jun shook his head firmly. “You should give up on that idea. I won’t join your Class Ten football team.”

Zhu Ge stared at him intensely, and after a while said, “How about we make a bet?”

Zhuo Jun seemed interested. “What kind of bet?”

Zhu Ge fixed him with a hard stare. “Let’s bet on this season’s championship. If our Class Ten football team wins the league title this season, then you leave the Class Sixteen football team and join us. How about it?”

Zhuo Jun looked at him. “If our Class Sixteen football team wins the league title, then you, Zhu Ge, join our Class Sixteen football team?”

Zhu Ge immediately shook his head. “No.”

Zhuo Jun got angry at once, feeling that this guy was playing him for a fool. “Then what’s the point of betting at all?”

Zhu Ge grinned. “If your Class Sixteen football team wins the title, then not only will I, Zhu Ge, join your team, I’ll also bring along our Class Ten players Lin Xuefeng, Mu Yang, Zhong Haokun, Xu He, Yang Xin, Zhang Zhen, and Lu Jie to join your team as well.”

Zhuo Jun’s eyes went wide. He could not believe what he had just heard.

Crazy.

This guy was insane. He had completely lost his mind.

Very satisfied with Zhuo Jun’s reaction, Zhu Ge smirked and raised a brow at him, the challenge in his expression obvious. In a voice dripping with temptation, he asked, “So? Do you want to bet or not?”

He could tell Zhuo Jun was tempted, and very much so.

Zhu Ge firmly believed Zhuo Jun would not be able to resist such a lure. After all, the stake was enormous. He was practically all in. If Zhuo Jun won, he would reap a windfall.

Zhu Ge looked at him with confidence, as if saying, “You’ll definitely take the bet.”

He tempted him again. “Well? Are you betting or not?”

Zhuo Jun stared at him very seriously and asked with great caution, “Are you serious?”

Zhu Ge said solemnly, “Of course. Bet or not?”

A flash of sharp light appeared in Zhuo Jun’s eyes, and then he said in a ringing voice, “I do not bet!”

At first, Zhu Ge was delighted, then suddenly stunned. Had he heard wrong? This guy actually said he wouldn’t bet? Damn it, was he really not following the script at all?

Zhu Ge stared at Zhuo Jun in shock.

Zhuo Jun grinned. “I’m not going to gamble our team’s future. Sorry, your wager is very tempting, but I still have to refuse you.”