Volume One: Our Own League 092: The Final of the First-Year Football League Arrives

It was Friday, with clear skies and a gentle breeze.

The weather was superb that day, the temperature mild, the air stirred by a soft wind—truly ideal for a match.

From the moment he woke that morning, Xu He had been filled with anticipation for the afternoon game.

In fact, he had hardly slept at all the night before.

He was so eager for this match that he wished it would begin at once.

Even in bed last night, he had found himself imagining the game again and again: himself scoring a hat trick, mowing down all opposition in his path, then winning Coach Song Yu’s admiration and joining the national youth squad to compete in the Asian Youth Championship and the World Youth Championship...

Just thinking about it made his blood race.

That day, Xu He was distracted in class, his mind fixed on the afternoon match.

Of course, the others were no better.

After all, today they were to play before Song Yu, the legendary coach of the national youth team. Such an opportunity was rare; it made them yearn for the moment, while also worrying whether they themselves might perform poorly.

Everyone’s thoughts were tangled, all of them waiting for the match to arrive.

After finally enduring the morning, their minds grew even more restless in the afternoon lessons, and they could scarcely keep themselves from charging out of the classroom to play.

By then, they had already noticed the school leadership organizing the students to set up the field. It was clear the school attached great importance to this final; it would be an exceedingly important match in their lives.

Just thinking of that made their hearts swell with excitement and expectation.

Li Jie came over to Xu He and asked, “Old Xu, are you nervous?”

Xu He did not look at him, only said, “Of course I’m nervous. That’s Song Yu. But I’m also excited—very excited.”

Yes, Xu He could not hide his excitement now; everyone could see it.

Li Jie nodded slightly and said nothing.

Xu He asked, “What about you? Are you nervous?”

Li Jie laughed and said, “Of course I’m nervous. But I’m also extremely excited. For us, this chance may be the only one we’ll ever get in our lives. How could I not be excited?”

Yes, perhaps this really would be their one and only chance!

No!

Xu He would absolutely not allow that to happen. He was a man who would one day lead the Chinese men’s team into the World Cup—how could his whole life amount to just this one chance?

His future would surely hold a far grander stage.

Thinking of this, the tension in Xu He’s heart faded, leaving only expectation. He looked forward to the match itself, and even more to the possibility of performing brilliantly and showing Song Yu his true ability.

Xu He clenched his fists and silently cheered himself on.

Right now, they were all waiting for the match to begin, and for Coach Song Yu to arrive. They could hardly wait to stand before him and display their skills.

Time passed quickly, and before long it was the afternoon extracurricular period.

Xu He and the others were exhilarated; they rushed off to change, then dashed onto the field and joined up with their teammates.

They had waited so long for this game, and now that it was finally about to begin, their excitement only grew. Some were so worked up they shouted aloud.

When Xu He arrived at the pitch, he saw that the grandstand had been carefully arranged, with many more seats added, each marked with a nameplate. One of them bore Coach Song Yu’s name.

At the sight of that, Xu He was thrilled.

Indeed, Coach Song Yu would personally attend this match.

Xu He’s excitement surged, and he immediately turned and ran toward his teammates, wanting to stand with them and wait for the game to start.

Of course, he also noticed that the stands were already packed with people, almost every seat filled. Were these students there of their own accord, or had the school arranged them?

Since Coach Song Yu was coming today, it would not be strange at all for the school to organize some spectators.

The crowd in the stands was fervent. Though the match had not yet begun, they were already shouting and cheering. Xu He blinked in surprise, wondering which team these people were fans of.

And of course, there was still one beautiful sight in the stands: the girls.

Xia Xinyi led her classmates and close friends, seated in the bleachers with posters of Lin Xuefeng and various slogans cheering him on. They had come to support Lin Xuefeng, each one brimming with excitement, even chanting his name in unison.

Hearing those cries made Xu He feel a little jealous.

When would he ever have such little fan girls of his own?

That support group would surely catch Song Yu’s attention. By then, Lin Xuefeng ought to leave a deep impression on the coach.

What a pity that Lin Xuefeng was absent today; it was truly such a shame.

And those girls, too—did they not know Lin Xuefeng could not be here today? Who exactly were they here to cheer for?

Unprofessional. Truly, not professional at all.

“Lin Xuefeng, go for it! Lin Xuefeng, we’ll support you forever! Lin Xuefeng, fly bravely, and the honey will always follow!” A neat chorus suddenly rang out from the stands, the sound intoxicating in its intensity.

Envy—naked, blatant envy.

Xu He was genuinely sour with jealousy. Why did Lin Xuefeng have so many admirers? Was it only because he was handsome? Xu He thought he was rather handsome too—so why did no one support him?

Xu He shook his head and said nothing.

In his heart, he felt sorry for Lin Xuefeng; missing such an important match today was truly unfortunate.

But soon Xu He widened his eyes.

For among the players gathered in Class Ten’s team, he saw Lin Xuefeng’s figure. He even rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing clearly, afraid he had mistaken someone else for him.

Yet after rubbing his eyes, he found that it was real.

Lin Xuefeng was back.

Xu He immediately ran over and stared at him. “Lin Xuefeng, you’re back? We’ve missed you to death!”

Lin Xuefeng seemed about to answer with a smile, but the stiff expression on his face made that smile look terrifying, almost like something out of a horror film.

Xu He frowned slightly. What was wrong with Lin Xuefeng?

He could feel that Lin Xuefeng’s mood was very bad, though he did not know why.

In a hoarse voice, Lin Xuefeng said to Xu He, “Thank you. I’ve missed you all too.”

Xu He could tell that the words were sincere, and he nodded firmly at him. Still, he could not help feeling sorry for him. Lin Xuefeng did not look well at all.

What had happened at home?

Since this was Lin Xuefeng’s private matter, Xu He did not feel it proper to ask. If Lin Xuefeng did not speak of it himself, Xu He would not pry.

He extended his right hand and said warmly, “Welcome back to the team, Lin Xuefeng.”

Lin Xuefeng reached out and shook Xu He’s hand. “Thank you.”

Lin Xuefeng’s return was unquestionably a good thing for Class Ten’s team. With him back, they could face Class Sixteen with their strongest lineup, greatly increasing their chances of victory and bringing the league title within reach.

Xu He’s confidence rose at once, and he grew even more eager for the match.

By then, he also understood why there were so many girls here. It seemed they were more informed than he was; they already knew Lin Xuefeng had returned.

The girls in the stands were still chanting Lin Xuefeng’s name, as though they had been holding it in for too long and were finally venting it all today, shouting with abandon.

The atmosphere was excellent, almost like a professional match.

At that moment, Zhu Ge walked straight up and said, “All right. Now that Lin Xuefeng is back, our lineup is complete. This is our strongest team. I hope everyone will show your very best today, bring out everything you have, and only then can we win and leave a deep impression on Coach Song Yu.”

Zhu Ge took the match very seriously and instructed the players with care.

Mu Yang was just as serious. He had not said a single word before the match, only prepared in silence with solemn focus, waiting for the game to begin.

Xu He could clearly feel that the atmosphere of this match was completely different from the ones before.

He drew a deep breath, trying hard to steady his emotions and breathing as he waited for kickoff.

Soon, both teams appeared on the field, waiting only for the match to begin.

Xu He spotted Zhuang Jun from Class Sixteen’s team. Zhuang Jun was very serious today. It was obvious he also knew Song Yu would be coming to watch, and they must have prepared as well. This would not be an easy match.

Seeing Zhuang Jun’s expression, Xu He felt that the game would be extremely difficult.

Class Sixteen was no weak opponent; if they were equally focused, then who would win and who would lose was far from certain.

Just then, a stir broke out in the stands.

Xu He and the others looked over, and there they saw Principal Wang of the school leading the renowned coach Song Yu onto the grandstand. The students immediately burst into applause, welcoming Song Yu warmly.

Song Yu frowned slightly. Wasn’t this display a little too grand?

He assumed that the spectators in the stands had all been organized under Wang’s strict orders, and being greeted with such flattery left him somewhat uncomfortable.

It felt too formulaic.

Still, Song Yu did not say anything. He followed Principal Wang onto the stage and took his seat. Then his gaze fell onto the pitch, where he saw the two teams: Class Ten’s squad in white jerseys of the Chinese men’s team, and the other side in the red jerseys of the Portuguese national team.

So these were the two teams competing today.

His interest stirred a little. He fixed his eyes on the field, quite eager now for the match to start, wanting to see just what these two sides were capable of to make Wang so ambitious.

Then came the series of tedious pre-match rituals. Principal Wang spoke from the stands, encouraging both teams to take the game seriously, to fight hard, and to perform themselves well. Song Yu was also invited up to speak, and since he had prepared nothing, he simply said, “Play well and take football seriously.”

Xu He and the others all froze, not expecting Song Yu to say such a thing.

But Xu He thought he had said it well.

In football, everything comes down to strength and attitude.

Xu He rolled up his sleeves metaphorically, eager for the match to begin at once.