Chapter 101: Victory

Ten more minutes had passed, and the offense from Dalian Orient grew increasingly fierce. They were willing to leave huge gaps in their own half, abandoning their usual steady counterattack strategy in favor of a frantic assault. They knew Long Bisheng’s pace wasn’t fast; even if he held onto the ball, there would be ample time for them to retreat and reorganize. “We have the stamina advantage—let’s see who breaks first with this relentless back-and-forth!”

“Long Bisheng! Dai Guangming! You two switch positions! Long, fall back to defend. Dai, push all the way up front!” Ding Yu shouted from the sidelines.

“Jiang Qi! Fall back! Mark their number ten!” Chi Shangbing immediately called out as well.

After shouting, the two exchanged a glance, suddenly transported back six years to a match where both sides deployed cunning tactics at the sidelines, locked in an intense battle of wits.

“That old fox’s mind isn’t dull yet,” Ding Yu muttered as he turned to walk back. Every adjustment he made was met with an instant counter by Chi Shangbing, just like in that earlier match. Each of his new moves was quietly neutralized by Chi, which was incredibly frustrating.

It wasn’t a matter of skill; rather, Chi had enough leverage now. With a one-man advantage, he could effortlessly handle whatever changes Ding Yu threw at him. This was beyond mere ability.

All Ding Yu could hope for was that his team would cling to their lead through these grueling moments—either hold the advantage until the final whistle or score a second goal to seal the victory before the opponents equalized. If the other side leveled the score, the already drained players would have no chance to regain the lead.

He still had two substitutions left, but who could he swap? Long Bisheng, Hu Gandang, and Li Jie were his fittest players and untouchable. Dai Guangming had to stay; without him up front, their counterattack would lose all punch. Zhang Yi was balanced in attack and defense, and with him and Shan Xiaowu supporting Hu Gandang, the spine of Yunjia Tianyu remained firm. The defense had held strong so far and couldn’t be disturbed. He could only rely on the current players to finish the match.

On the field, the Yunjia Tianyu players were battling with sheer willpower. For teenagers, their stamina wasn’t as robust as adults’. The youth league matches lasted only eighty minutes, and for these professionally trained young athletes, finishing the full game was manageable. But these starters had played every minute of the previous four matches, nearly exhausting their reserves. Plus, they had been a man down from the start. With only about ten minutes left, aside from a few exceptional endurance freaks, the others were barely hanging on.

On the sidelines, the cheerleaders shouted hoarsely. They had been cheering for Yunjia Tianyu since before the match began. Under the blistering sun, sweat drenched them, yet they kept shouting, as if the louder they yelled, the more spirit the players on the field would muster.

“Ladies, hold on a moment!” Suddenly, Zhou Wei stood up among the girls, waving her hands. “Shouting like this won’t do. We need to be more coordinated! Come, let’s all sing our team anthem together. Follow me!”

“How many times have we sweated through storms, pain filling our memories…”

Zhou Wei led the singing, and soon all the girls joined in. Though the song wasn’t exactly suited for female voices, in their hoarse cries it resonated deeper, stirring more hearts.

“Because we always believe, only struggle brings victory!” Even the Yunjia Tianyu substitutes joined in. Though few in number, in that moment they became the center of attention.

Ding Yu smiled and sang along, casting an approving glance at Zhou Wei, who conducted the chorus with vigorous arm waves among the girls.

This kid was quick-witted. Ding Yu didn’t believe spirit alone could overcome everything. Though people could sometimes summon extraordinary effort in dire moments, such bursts were miracles, not constants. For all Yunjia Tianyu players, this anthem was their spiritual anchor, embodying the club’s founding principles: courage, passion, struggle, and fervor.

This was Yunjia Tianyu’s unique edge in the league, the corporate culture that owner Pei Wei had cultivated over eight years. Other clubs, though older, lacked such identity. Many were beginning to notice this, but they were only just starting—still far behind Yunjia Tianyu.

Chi Shangbing shook his head, realizing his team was unlikely to break their opponents now. The morale fueled by that song was enough to carry Yunjia Tianyu through the remaining minutes.

But “unable to break” didn’t mean “unable to win.” He and his team still had chances. If they could snatch an equalizer, Dalian Orient’s chances of victory would still be far greater.

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Long Bisheng collided with Chen Yongjun, who was dribbling the ball. It was a deliberate foul. Although Long was big, his defensive skills were average, and he was slow. Chen had nearly bypassed him, so Long had no choice but to foul.

Such fouls were common in matches. After being knocked down, Chen sprang up and shouted at Long, “Asshole! Did you do that on purpose?”

“So what if I did? Did I hurt you?” Long paused, then realized Chen was just picking a fight and snapped back.

“What’s all the noise for?” Hu Gandang stepped between them. “It’s just a game… Chen Yongjun, it’s been a while—why are you still so petty? You call that a foul? Then why don’t you just quit playing?”

Chen’s eyes reddened. Luckily, Jiang Qi ran over and pulled him back. “Stop fighting! There’s not much time left—don’t waste it!”

Chen angrily shrugged off Jiang’s grip. Jiang turned to Hu Gandang. “Sorry, this was our fault… let’s get back to the game.”

“No problem,” Hu waved it off.

Though they said it was fine, the referee didn’t see it that way. Seeing the two captains defuse the conflict, he came over and issued yellow cards to both Chen and Long, then gave a few stern words to the captains.

Chen wanted to protest, but Pan Jun pulled him aside. Ding Yu shook his head from the sidelines. Chen’s anger was understandable—Dalian’s players were bound to be frustrated by now, especially Chen, eliminated by Yunjia Tianyu. But picking such a fight was reckless—time was too precious for Dalian Orient.

After this incident, the game resumed, but the physical clashes grew more intense. Football often works this way: a minor spark can ignite tempers, making players more aggressive. Clearly, Chen’s rash act had lit the fuse.

Chi Shangbing slammed his hands together in frustration, especially after watching players tumble repeatedly. The situation had spiraled out of control. Both teams were less focused on the game and more on clashing with each other.

The referee’s fouls alternated between Dalian and Yunjia Tianyu, with free kicks followed by more chaos. In such disorder, it was a miracle either team could organize an attack.

But Dalian Orient was losing—they had no time to waste.

Chi Shangbing made three substitutions in quick succession, removing Chen and two other hot-headed players to calm the field somewhat. Yet the match had already entered stoppage time.

This only made Dalian more desperate, and in those few added minutes, they failed to create any real chances against the now calmer Yunjia Tianyu side.

When Fan Pengfei’s long-range shot flew over the bar, the referee blew the final whistle.

Down a man from the start, Yunjia Tianyu’s 89-age-group team had relied on Long Bisheng’s golden goal to edge out the defending champions, Dalian Orient’s 89-age-group squad, 1-0.

“Congratulations, your team earned a well-deserved victory,” Chi Shangbing said with a wry smile as he approached Ding Yu and shook his hand. “We had chances to win this match ourselves, but…”

“It was luck, pure luck,” Ding Yu admitted, unusually humble—not for appearances, but out of respect for Chi Shangbing, the “old fox.” “You still had a chance to win in the dying moments.”

Chi caught his meaning. “Now I understand why Chen Yongjun got knocked out by you guys—impulsive, blindly arrogant, doesn’t use his head on the field. Looks like I’ll have to train him properly. Playing well isn’t enough; he has to learn how to be a decent person.”

“That’s why we recommended sending him to Dalian,” Ding Yu laughed. “You’re the best at mentoring young players mentally. Chen has talent, but to truly make something of himself, he needs to fix those flaws.”

ps: The book launches tomorrow, brothers—are your votes ready? Two chapters guaranteed every day, plus an extra one for every fifty votes! It’s been a long time since I wrote three or four chapters in a day—give me the chance!