Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 90: We Might Lose Lin Xuefeng

Even after returning to class, Zhu Ge still couldn’t understand why Zhuo Jun had refused him.

Could it be that the stakes he’d offered weren’t tempting enough?

But Zhu Ge had already laid out his best offer.

Just look at Mu Yang, Zhong Haokun, Lin Xuefeng, Li Jie, Yang Xin, Zhang Zhen, and Xu He—these were truly formidable figures at Jinguancheng Seventeenth Middle School. Whoever had these players might as well have the championship in their grasp.

Was Zhuo Jun really not tempted at all?

Zhu Ge shook his head. He simply couldn’t fathom what Zhuo Jun was thinking.

It was a pity.

He had no way to bring Zhuo Jun into Class Ten’s football team. That was truly a shame, and now he had to worry once again about the center-back position. For the new season, their team desperately needed a solid center-back.

They couldn’t just rely on Zhong Haokun holding the line in front of the defense.

Clearly, the strongest defender in the league right now was Zhuo Jun. Apart from him, it was hard to find another center-back of comparable ability. Liu Peng might do, but he was only good in the air.

If the center-back pairing could be Liu Peng and Zhuo Jun, that would’ve been perfect.

But that was only wishful thinking.

Zhu Ge thought to himself, “If we want to do well in the upcoming season, there’s a long road ahead.”

He gave up on the idea of poaching Zhuo Jun; that path was a dead end.

“Forget it, let’s not dwell on this. I should focus on the league final in two days,” Zhu Ge told himself.

Yes, in two days, it would be Friday.

That would be the day of the very first final for the seventh-grade football league at Jinguancheng Seventeenth Middle School: a showdown between Class Ten and Zhuo Jun’s Class Sixteen.

To be honest, Zhu Ge was still quite confident about this match.

Class Sixteen wasn’t a strong team. Their only option was to defend and counterattack, and even then, their counterattacks were limited—they posed little threat to Class Ten.

Meanwhile, Class Ten’s attacking prowess was overwhelming; they should be able to press the other team for most of the match. There shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Zhu Ge was already looking forward to Friday’s final.

This league championship was as good as theirs.

Of course, Zhu Ge still had one worry: Lin Xuefeng.

Rumor had it that Lin Xuefeng still hadn’t returned to school. No one knew what had happened at home. Zhu Ge genuinely feared that Lin Xuefeng might not make it back in time for the final, which would be a huge blow to the team.

Just look at the last semifinal—they struggled a lot more without Lin Xuefeng.

Zhu Ge knew very well that if Lin Xuefeng had played in that match, their victory would have come much more easily.

After class, Zhu Ge went straight to Lin Xuefeng’s classroom to ask his classmates.

Yet he didn’t get the answer he wanted.

Even Lin Xuefeng’s classmates didn’t know what had happened at his home, nor when he might return. This left Zhu Ge anxious, fearing Lin Xuefeng might not come back at all.

Next, Zhu Ge went to find Xu He and asked, “Xu He, do you know anything about Lin Xuefeng’s situation?”

Zhu Ge had noticed that Xu He and Lin Xuefeng interacted quite a bit, so he thought he’d ask.

Xu He was surprised.

In his opinion, Zhu Ge knew Lin Xuefeng better—why was Zhu Ge asking him?

After all, he’d joined the team after Lin Xuefeng, and they only got to know each other during an ordinary match. Their relationship wasn’t as close as Zhu Ge seemed to think.

With a head full of questions, Xu He replied, “I have no idea.”

Seeing Xu He’s expression, Zhu Ge realized that Xu He truly knew nothing.

Zhu Ge sighed inwardly and asked, “So you really don’t have any news about Lin Xuefeng?”

There was no need to think further—Xu He genuinely didn’t know. He immediately said, “I really don’t. I was hoping to ask you, actually. Is Lin Xuefeng going to play in the final?”

Yes, Xu He was eager to know.

It mattered a lot to him—if Lin Xuefeng didn’t return, Xu He would have a high chance of starting. But if Lin Xuefeng came back, he’d likely be back on the bench, waiting for an opportunity.

Of course, Xu He also hoped that Lin Xuefeng would return.

Lin Xuefeng was vital to Class Ten’s football team. With him, their flanking attacks were secure, and they had a reliable set-piece taker.

Xu He wanted to win the championship, so naturally, he hoped Lin Xuefeng would come back.

Xu He fixed his gaze on Zhu Ge, who said, “I don’t know either. I haven’t heard anything definite. Nobody knows what happened at his home.”

Xu He nodded slightly, showing he understood.

Zhu Ge patted Xu He on the shoulder. “Alright, get back to class. Don’t be late for training this afternoon!”

With that, Zhu Ge left.

Watching Zhu Ge walk away, Xu He sighed, feeling a twinge of worry about Friday’s final.

He didn’t know why he felt this way.

Class Sixteen’s team wasn’t that strong; their attack was weak and shouldn’t threaten Class Ten’s goal. So why was he uneasy?

Xu He couldn’t figure out why he felt this way.

How could Class Sixteen possibly be so dangerous?

Xu He shook his head and let out a wry laugh—he was probably overthinking.

Suddenly, Li Jie appeared behind Xu He and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Xu He turned, leaning against the balcony, gazing into the distance. “I’m thinking about Friday’s match against Class Sixteen.”

Li Jie nodded and asked, “What do you think? Do you believe Class Sixteen will give us a lot of trouble?”

Indeed, a true friend—Li Jie knew exactly what was on Xu He’s mind without even asking.

Xu He nodded slightly. “I don’t know why, but I have this feeling that Class Sixteen will be a tough opponent. We might even lose the match. Ha, do you think I’m crazy?”

Even as he spoke, Xu He found it hard to believe himself, chuckling as he wondered if he really was insane.

Li Jie glanced at Xu He and said, “Maybe your worries aren’t misplaced. Perhaps Class Sixteen really could beat us.”

Xu He turned to Li Jie, his eyes full of questions.

Li Jie continued calmly, “If Class Sixteen made it this far, they must have some strength. Think about their group stage results: two wins, one draw, undefeated. Not every team can achieve that…”

Xu He exclaimed, “You mean Class Sixteen isn’t as simple as they seem?”

In truth, Li Jie had also been pondering about Class Sixteen.

There was something mysterious about that team. You could say they were weak, yet they managed to beat their opponents, remaining unbeaten in both the group and knockout stages. But if you said they were strong, every match seemed to be a last-minute win or draw, scraping by on luck.

It was hard to see through them.

Was it luck or skill that brought Class Sixteen this far?

Could it really just be luck? If so, their luck was truly extraordinary, as if they were favored by the gods.

So Li Jie felt Class Sixteen wasn’t as simple as everyone believed.

Hearing this, Xu He nodded, his worry deepening—Li Jie was right. Class Sixteen was definitely not a simple team, far from it.

Friday’s final was sure to be a tough battle.

Xu He said, “Exactly. Every time I watch Class Sixteen, they seem mysterious, as though something is hidden. Maybe they’ve been holding back for the final, planning to catch us off guard.”

Li Jie nodded in agreement.

“But what I want to say,” Li Jie added, “is that our Class Ten team is strong—very strong. As long as we play to our potential, I’m confident that we’ll win and take the championship.”

Li Jie spoke with absolute confidence, clearly certain of victory.

Xu He glanced at Li Jie, surprised by his teammate’s conviction. Perhaps his own worries were unfounded.

Thinking of his teammates, Xu He was filled with confidence for the match as well.

“You’re right,” Xu He said. “As long as we show what we’re capable of, the victory is ours.”

He was filled with anticipation, hoping to make the starting lineup and contribute more to the team, to prove and improve himself.

Suddenly, Li Jie asked, “Will Lin Xuefeng be back on Friday?”

Xu He paused, then replied, “I really don’t know. Zhu Ge just asked about it too. Seems like there’s still no news.”

Li Jie sighed, “Looks like we’ll have to work even harder in this match.”

After talking with Li Jie, Xu He felt much better and more relaxed.

He focused hard during his studies, working efficiently and completing his assignments well. When the day’s studies were done, he and Li Jie headed straight to the field to join their teammates.

That day’s training was the same as usual, starting with off-the-ball drills.

By now, the players of Class Ten’s football team had no doubts about this routine—they’d grown used to it, following Mu Yang’s lead every time. If they didn’t do off-the-ball training now, it would feel strange.

Afterwards, their practice focused on attacking tactics.

Mu Yang had tailored a strategy for the final, and everyone understood that Class Sixteen would be defending deep and relying on the counterattack. To keep control, Class Ten had to attack and break through.

That afternoon, they practiced tactics for breaking down a packed defense.

Long shots would be a crucial weapon.

Mu Yang emphasized the need for more long-range efforts in the final, advising against getting bogged down in physical battles with Class Sixteen’s defenders, as such duels would offer few chances.

He also had them rehearse set pieces extensively, since set plays were an effective way to break through massed defenses.

Xu He and the others trained with great focus, all preparing for the approaching final.