Chapter 105: Pain

"It looks like this match is in the bag."

Although this final might not seem like much to neutral spectators—especially in the second half, where the ball seemed to spend more time flying through the air than on the ground—to the coaches of the Yunjia Tianyu youth teams watching from the sidelines, there was plenty here worth noting.

"I have to say, young Jian Ying really knows her stuff," Xia Liquan remarked with a sigh. "Did you notice? The Shanghai women's team’s defensive line isn't well-organized, and both of their fullbacks are slow to turn. Jian Ying clearly caught onto this and had that fast little girl—number nine—use her individual breakthrough skills to hammer that point. Both goals were scored that way. And once the opposition realized this in the second half and started pushing forward, she ordered her players to clear the ball long, keeping it in the opponent's half to disrupt their rhythm. Not bad, really not bad at all."

"That goes without saying, Old Xia," Ding Yu added with a laugh. "That girl has been at Yunjia Tianyu almost as long as we have. Being around the reserve and first teams all day, you’re bound to pick things up by osmosis. Plus, it took her only two years to earn her AFC coaching license; you don't get that if you're incompetent."

"She’s still a bit green," Rade concluded, "but she’s more than capable of leading a women's team. Let's just wait for the final whistle so we can head back to Yunjia for the victory celebration."

While the coaches were engrossed in their discussion, the other Yunjia Tianyu youth players were watching from a completely different perspective, shouting at the top of their lungs to cheer on their teammates, often chanting "Go Yunjia Tianyu!" or calling out the names of friends on the pitch.

When Long Bisheng saw Yunjia Tianyu launch a counterattack and pass the ball to the number nine, Ning Xi, he immediately roared from the sidelines: "Go Ning Xi!"

It was unclear if Ning Xi heard him—though she likely did. Despite the noisy atmosphere, Long Bisheng’s booming voice was enough to be heard clearly even from the other end of the field.

Ning Xi dribbled forward with excellent technique and agility. She was the forward Xia Liquan had praised earlier; possessing both skill and speed made her a lethal threat, especially in the less physically intense environment of women's soccer.

As an opposing defender rushed to challenge her, Ning Xi pulled off a beautiful step-over. The rapid back-and-forth movement dazzled the defender, and just as she rushed to poke the ball away, Ning Xi nudged it to the side, easily slipping past her. She then wound up her leg and unleashed a shot from outside the penalty area, the ball whistling just over the crossbar and out of play.

"That girl!" Jian Ying muttered, annoyed. "I’ve told her time and again not to do moves like that; it puts a huge strain on the knees. I used to rely on those tricks back in the day, and it’s the reason I had to retire early!"

Standing nearby, Rade overheard her and walked over, frowning. "You’re absolutely right. For a teenager, such violent joint torque is hard to handle. They are still growing. These movements can leave hidden damage in the joints. If she suffers a serious injury, her future career could be severely affected."

"Come on, Coach Rade, don't be such a harbinger of doom," Jian Ying said with a wry smile.

"It’s not about being a harbinger of doom. You really need to caution your player. The human body isn't a machine, and even machines suffer permanent damage from excessive wear and tear," the white-haired Rade said, his expression serious.

"I will talk to her," Jian Ying nodded. "Actually, I’ve mentioned it many times. She doesn't practice these moves during regular training. But today, she used them so fluently... I have no idea where she’s been practicing them."

Rade closed his eyes, recalling Ning Xi’s movements. He nodded. "Yes. She is very skilled at them, which clearly indicates long-term, uninterrupted practice. If you haven't seen her do it in training, she must be practicing in secret. Once we get back to Yunjia, you need to have her get a physical examination. It would be a disaster if there’s any underlying damage."

Jian Ying nodded slowly, a trace of worry on her face.

"Wow, Ning Xi is actually that good," the players around them exclaimed. "That rapid counter-joint dribbling... Zhou Guangming, could you do that?"

Zhou Guangming thought for a moment, then nodded hesitantly. "I could do it, but it puts a huge burden on the knees. I usually avoid moves like that. You should be able to do it too, right?"

"No way am I doing that," Zhou replied with a pout. "My body isn't as fit as yours, and I don't want to deal with chronic knee injuries after twenty. Isn't that how Ronaldo ended up getting injured all the time?"

"Wait, do those quick shifts really damage the knees?" Long Bisheng asked, his concern growing as he listened.

"Yeah," Zhou Guangming explained. "Back when Ronaldo was at his peak in Europe, he was famous for his 'pendulum' dribbling, using rapid leg movements to shake off defenders—he was practically unstoppable. But after 1999, his legs were constantly injured, mostly around his knees. They say it was because of those quick, repetitive movements that kept his knees in a state of extreme fatigue, making them prone to injury. If his physical fitness hadn't been so incredible, he wouldn't just have missed out on being top scorer at this year’s World Cup—he probably would have retired long ago!"

Long Bisheng fell silent. He looked up at the field, his heart filled with anxiety.

What others didn't know, he knew all too well. Over the past year, while they were training in that small, secluded pine forest, Ning Xi had practiced this move every single time. That was why she was so proficient now. She had even twisted her ankle several times, though it never seemed too serious. Being someone who rarely got injured himself, he didn't know what constituted a "serious" injury. But judging from what Zhou and the others were saying, if Ning Xi got hurt while doing this move, it could be devastating.

At that thought, Long Bisheng instinctively took a step toward the pitch, thinking, *No, I have to tell her to stop doing that move...*

"A-Long, what are you doing? The match isn't over yet," Zhou Guangming noticed him moving and pulled him back.

Long Bisheng snapped out of it and stopped. *I'll tell her after the match. That shouldn't be too late, right?*

With less than ten minutes left, the Shanghai women's team pushed forward aggressively, while the Yunjia side began to bunker down. Whenever they won the ball, they would clear it long to the front, where Ning Xi would try to hold it up or run onto it to kill time.

Another counterattack came. This time, the ball dropped accurately in front of Ning Xi, though a bit far. She stretched her right leg to bring it down, then surged forward!

The opposition was committed deep in the Yunjia half. Only the goalkeeper and one defender remained. With another burst of quick shifts, Ning Xi left the defender spinning. She poked the ball past her and accelerated, leaving the defender in her wake.

Ning Xi stumbled slightly upon landing but quickly regained her balance. Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, she circled her right foot around the ball and used the outside of her boot to cleverly push it in the opposite direction. The keeper was instantly sent sprawling to the ground!

"Beautiful!"

The sidelines erupted in cheers. Even the worried Long Bisheng couldn't help but shout in admiration at Ning Xi’s brilliant display. It was a spectacular sequence of dribbling; while perhaps not on par with the world-class stars on television, such performances were rare, even in professional or national team women's matches.

Ning Xi seemed pleased with herself. A smile played on her lips as she cleared space and lifted her right foot to strike the ball...

If she scored this, the game would be as good as over.

But she didn't shoot.

As she swung her leg, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly shot through her right knee, radiating instantly throughout her entire body. Ning Xi tried her hardest to force the shot, but she couldn't. A moment later, her left leg—the supporting leg—also flared with pain. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Ning Xi—" Long Bisheng’s smile froze. He was the first to sprint onto the field, followed by Jian Ying and the others who had finally realized what was happening.

Ning Xi’s face was twisted in agony. She clutched her right knee tightly, moaning, "It hurts... it hurts..."

It was as if she couldn't say anything else. Long Bisheng knelt beside her, at a complete loss.

"Get the hell out of the way!" The team doctor, who had run over in a panic, kicked Long Bisheng aside and immediately began to examine Ning Xi. His expression shifted instantly. He stood up and shouted, "Get her to the hospital! Two of you, carry her to the bus and tell the driver to head straight to the hospital!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Long Bisheng surged forward, scooped Ning Xi up in his arms, and sprinted with his long legs toward the school gate.