Chapter 130: Those Familiar Faces in the China League One

Cai Sheng had hoped that Long Bisheng had finally had a breakthrough, but reality proved that miracles are rare in this world. Long Bisheng was no prodigy; he could not adapt to the pace of professional league football after only a few matches. Furthermore, having spent the last five or six years accustomed to the rhythm of youth competitions, he was not the type of person to change his ways easily.

In the following rounds of the league, Long Bisheng remained diligent on the pitch. He ran extensively, ending every match as the player who had sweated the most. Yet, beyond pinning down the opposition's defensive line and creating space for others, he contributed little. In three rounds, he managed only one headed goal. Qingdao Haifeng’s performance was mediocre, earning four points from one win, one draw, and one loss. Meanwhile, Dalian Botao recorded one win and two losses, leaving Qingdao Haifeng trailing them by two points.

The relegation battle had become clear. The teams ahead of Dalian Botao had secured enough points to effectively guarantee their safety, while the two teams behind Qingdao Haifeng were now four or five points adrift, leaving them only a theoretical chance of overtaking Qingdao in the final three rounds.

The China League One format dictates that the top three teams are promoted directly with no playoffs. However, relegation involves a playoff: the third-to-last team in League One faces a two-legged knockout series against the third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams from League Two. Inspired by the promotion playoffs in English football, this system consisted of only four matches spanning two weeks, yet it was designed to maximize fan enthusiasm. The Football Association planned to test its efficacy before deciding whether to implement similar rules for promotion in the future.

This meant Qingdao Haifeng was essentially safe from direct relegation; they had at least secured a spot in the playoffs. For a team that had been mired in the relegation zone ten rounds ago, this was a significant improvement.

However, Cai Sheng was not satisfied. He wanted to avoid the playoffs, as no one could guarantee emerging as the sole survivor among four desperate teams. His goal was to surpass Dalian Botao in the final three rounds and secure safety early.

To hell with the playoffs! I don't want to put my heart through that.

Achieving this, however, would be difficult. Qingdao Haifeng’s final three opponents were mid-table Henan Zhongyuan, second-to-last Nanchang Liberation Army, and third-placed Guangzhou Qingquan. While Henan Zhongyuan had little left to play for, Nanchang was still fighting for a playoff spot, and Guangzhou Qingquan was desperate for points to secure promotion. Facing Guangzhou in the final round was far from ideal news for Qingdao.

Of Dalian Botao’s three remaining opponents, only the second-to-last match was against the league leaders, Xiamen Lions; the other two were mid-table sides. Qingdao Haifeng had to win all three of their remaining games to have even a glimmer of hope for direct survival.

Fortunately for Cai Sheng, the national team’s participation in the final two matches of the 2006 World Cup Asian qualifiers provided a two-week break for all teams above the amateur level. During this time, Cai Sheng had the opportunity to make the team’s attack more efficient, specifically by establishing an effective system with Long Bisheng as the focal point.

China’s qualification campaign had been relatively smooth. Despite being drawn into a group with traditional powerhouses like South Korea and Iran, the team remained excellent. Their attack, featuring world-class talents like Adriano, Messi, Nie Fei, and Deco, was unstoppable. Under the guidance of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, the squad was disciplined and efficient. Their 3-1 home victory over old rivals South Korea was a classic performance.

After six matches, China sat atop Group A, three points ahead of second-placed South Korea. With the final two opponents being the relatively weaker Bahrain and Uzbekistan, qualification seemed only a matter of time.

Yet, no matter how well the national team performed, Qingdao Haifeng’s players were more concerned with their own league standing. Although they would gather to cheer for the national team like ordinary fans when matches were televised, they would return to their rooms immediately afterward to recover and prepare for the next day's training. For most professional players in China, the national team was a distant dream; the reality was securing a starting spot at their clubs. With over five thousand registered professional players in China and fewer than one hundred capable of making the national team, the odds were slim.

The Chinese team’s home matches for these qualifiers were held at the Fengyun Stadium in Yunjia Tianyu. Watching the familiar stadium on television, Long Bisheng couldn't help but miss his days there.

If I hadn't come to Qingdao, would I be watching the match in person right now? Watching it with Ning Xi... I’ve been in Qingdao for over two months, and we haven't chatted much on QQ. How is she doing? Has she graduated from the football academy? She only has one underperforming player like me under her wing, and it’s not easy being a newcomer in the agent business.

At this thought, Long Bisheng clenched his fists. In the next three matches, he had to perform well and prove himself a truly excellent striker. Even if he couldn't return to Yunjia Tianyu’s first team next season, he had to at least secure a stable position in League One.

Long Bisheng understood his situation clearly. While he was a starter for Qingdao Haifeng, it was a unique circumstance: the team needed to avoid relegation, and he was their only hope for offensive variety. If he couldn't maintain a consistent scoring rate, Qingdao could easily find a better, more reliable striker in the transfer market next season. Qingdao Haifeng was built on a defensive foundation and preferred a forward with standout individual skills. He was only starting because the relegation battle forced them to play offensively. Next season, his speed and technical profile might not fit the role of a lone striker for them.

Back in the Yunjia Tianyu youth team, he had Dai Guangming and Hu Gandang organizing the play, Zhang Yi and Zhou Wei crossing from the wings, and Zhong Tao cleaning up loose balls. Here in Qingdao, he had none of that; he had to become stronger to meet the team’s demands.

In recent matches, League One opponents had begun to figure him out, using physical, close-marking pressure to disrupt his focus when shooting. There truly was a massive gap between youth football and the professional league.

On October 29, the league resumed. Qingdao Haifeng defeated Henan Zhongyuan 1-0 away, executing their "defend and counter" strategy to perfection. Long Bisheng and Lu Baozi spent most of the match harassing the opposition in the middle. The deadlock was broken by a corner kick: right midfielder Qi Zhi delivered the ball, Long Bisheng fought for a flick-on at the near post, and Lu Dashan headed it home—the two tallest players on the pitch teaming up for the goal. In another match, Dalian Botao predictably defeated a mid-table side at home, maintaining their two-point lead over Qingdao.

Dalian Botao had performed exceptionally well in the second half of the season. Despite losing to Qingdao in their head-to-head, they were consistent against other teams, aided by several young players on loan from their city rivals, Dalian Dongfang.

Several of Long Bisheng's old rivals—striker Dong Fanghong, defensive midfielder Jiang Qi, and center-back Zhang Jian—had become starters for Dalian Botao, helping them achieve far better results than in the first half of the season.

Many players from Long Bisheng’s generation were now scattered across League One and League Two. Strong academies like those of Yunjia, Dalian, Shanghai, Shandong, and Liaoning produced more talent than their first teams could accommodate. Clubs preferred to loan these young players out to gain match experience, foster relations with other clubs, and earn some income. While few would eventually return to their parent clubs' first teams, such was the tradition of big clubs: sow widely, reap sparingly.

Thus, in recent months, Long Bisheng frequently encountered familiar faces from youth tournaments. Some were thriving as starters, while others were still waiting for chances on the bench. Compared to them, Long Bisheng was lucky.

And in the next match, he would encounter another old acquaintance—a very, very familiar one.