Chapter 32: The Powerhouse Arrives

"Rare guest indeed!"

At the Jiaozhou Willie Football Academy, Old Chen looked at the middle-aged man before him with a tone of mock surprise.

The man scratched his head awkwardly. "Are you chiding me for not keeping in touch all these years?"

"Your talent was mediocre back then. Despite your hard work, you chose the wrong path," Old Chen said, looking at him. "You were full of clever ideas and had a sharp mind, developing quite a few free-kick and corner-kick tactics. I told you to pursue coaching, but you insisted on grinding it out as a professional player!"

Xue Guohao sighed. "I just wanted to prove a point, but I don't regret my choice."

Old Chen asked, "Tell me, what brings the head coach of the national youth team—the hero who led our boys to the World Youth Championship—to see me? Surely you didn't just come to pay a visit?"

Xue Guohao cleared his throat. "I’ll get straight to the point."

Old Chen nodded.

"Do you have a player here named Wei Lai who plays as a defensive midfielder?"

"Oh? Has the wind already blown that far?"

Old Chen smiled, lit a cigarette, and then pulled a document folder from his drawer, placing it gently on the table.

"His personal profile, growth trajectory, technical characteristics, physical test data, and even match tapes are all here. Even if you hadn't come, I would have sent this to your office."

He stood up and continued, "The national youth team is mostly composed of players from Willie Football Academy, Guangfa Youth Training, and Hongyun Football Academy. Since the 18 players from Willie and Guangfa who were on the last roster can't compete in the World Youth Championship, you have to recruit a new batch."

"I know the composition of the U16s, so you’re skipping them and planning to promote from the U15s, right?"

Xue Guohao nodded.

Old Chen exhaled a cloud of smoke. "That’s a lot of pressure, isn't it?"

"It’s certainly stressful, but I can handle it!" Xue Guohao smiled. "After all, having secured a spot in the World Youth Championship gives me more leverage; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to bypass the U16s and select directly from the U15s."

Old Chen didn't waste time. "How many of our boys have you set your sights on?"

Xue Guohao didn't mince words either. "He Chaoyue, Yang Fan, Wan Tao, Weng Shaojie, Mao Biao, and..." He pointed to the documents on the table, singling out Wei Lai.

"You play a defensive counter-attacking style. Your U17 defense was very solid—you put a lot of effort into that—but now that they’re moving up to the U18s, that line is going to be dismantled. How do you plan to handle it?"

Xue Guohao replied, "First, for the center-backs, I plan to pair Mao Biao with Xiang Yu!"

"Xiang Yu? The one from the Capital University Affiliated High School?" Old Chen stroked his chin. "One steady, one active—Mao Biao as the deep sweeper and Xiang Yu as the destroyer. But if you pair them with Yang Fan, you’re asking for an attacking defender! That makes you very vulnerable to counter-attacks."

"Exactly! That's why I need a powerful defensive midfielder—someone capable of neutralizing threats, with a defensive range that covers half the pitch!" Xue Guohao said earnestly.

"You really are ambitious!" Old Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"I wouldn't have dared to think of it before!" Xue Guohao pointed at the folder. "But now I have the right player for it!"

"He’s not seasoned enough yet," Old Chen remarked. "Are you going with a single or double pivot?"

"Definitely a double pivot," Xue Guohao said. "Chen Shaojie will handle the organization and control, while Wei Lai will handle the defensive coverage."

Old Chen added, "And that will fully liberate Pei Le. As long as he isn't under extreme pressure, that kid performs brilliantly!"

"For the front line, you'll have Xiang Ming and He Chaoyue. But you're missing a target man."

Xue Guohao sighed. "Zhao Lei would be a great choice, but he’ll be 18 next year."

"So?"

"I have a candidate in mind, but I need to observe him a bit longer before making a decision."

Xue Guohao pointed at the files. "For now, this is the top priority. Wei Lai’s ability will determine the hardness and strength of this lineup. If the team is a hammer, Wei Lai is the handle. If the handle isn't strong enough, it will shatter before it even swings."

"Nine starters are 16 years old! Will the others accept that?"

Xue Guohao smiled. "That’s where I need Guangfa and Willie to stand by me. After all, these 16-year-olds are your players, and you know their value better than I do, don't you?"

Xue Guohao stood up. "I'll take this file with me. But why don't I see the B-team players here?"

Old Chen replied, "They're away playing a match."

"The Future Stars tournament in Shanghai?" Xue Guohao raised an eyebrow, and Old Chen nodded.

"Then I'll come visit you again soon!"

With that, he walked out.

Watching him leave, Old Chen chuckled. "What a stubborn mule, but only a mule like him can actually get things done! Next year’s World Youth Championship... it’s truly something to look forward to!"

...

At the Shanghai Jihong training grounds, the third day of competition arrived.

After two days of fierce battles, the four semi-finalists were decided:

Jiaozhou Willie Football Academy!
Guangdong Guangfa Youth Training!
Shanghai Hongyun Football Academy!
Bohai Port Third High School!

As expected, these four seeded teams emerged, each displaying dominance in their respective groups. So far, only Shanghai Hongyun had conceded a goal; the other three had kept clean sheets throughout.

However, moving into the semi-finals, the intensity of the competition would increase exponentially.

These were true clashes of titans!

The final brackets were set:
Jiaozhou Willie Football Academy vs. Guangdong Guangfa Youth Training.
Shanghai Hongyun Football Academy vs. Bohai Port Third High School.

The winners would advance to the finals.

The atmosphere on the third day was noticeably more vibrant, and the topics of discussion were plentiful. During the first two days, these four teams had maintained a massive gap in skill, coasting through their matches. But now, there were no "weak" teams left. Even if they were relatively weaker, the scorelines would be much tighter.

In particular, the rivalry between Willie and Guangfa—two old foes—attracted significant attention.

One club from the north, one from the south, echoing each other across the country.

The Jiaozhou Willie club was a perennial powerhouse in the Chinese Super League, having once set a record of reaching the FA Cup final ten consecutive times and winning multiple league titles.

The Guangdong Guangfa club, while currently less prominent, was a former CSL hegemon and the first to bring an AFC Champions League trophy to the country.

Their rivalry at the club level was fierce, and their youth academies were equally competitive. They had faced each other many times, each with their own victories, which only added to the anticipation.

Wei Lai crouched by the sidelines, tying his laces and checking his shin guards and equipment.

He stood up slowly and took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a mix of seriousness and anticipation. He knew this match would not be a walk in the park like the previous two.

It would require their absolute focus and attention to every detail—only then could they win.

As this was his first official tournament since joining the B-team, he was determined to defeat his opponents and take home the championship.