Chapter Thirty-Four: A Fatal Interception

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“Solid!”

Wei Lai shifted laterally with a single step, earning an approving shout from a man in a hat standing beside the barrier.

Xue Guohao glanced left and right, making sure no one had noticed him.

Then he smiled wryly. It was not as if he were some great celebrity.

Turning his attention back to the pitch, he saw that the Willy Football Academy’s attack remained as fierce as ever.

And the foundation of each successive attack was Wei Lai’s relentless struggle for possession in midfield.

Although Xue felt that Willy’s style did not fully bring out Wei Lai’s abilities, it was undeniably ferocious to watch.

That was the hallmark of the Willy Football Academy: wave after wave of offense, crashing down on you until you were flattened beneath it.

The style ran in the same bloodline as Willy Football Club’s. Both played like rabid hounds.

They harried and surged across the entire pitch.

There was a saying in the Chinese Super League: “Let Willy build up momentum, and they’ll beat you so badly even your own mother won’t recognize you!”

But all of Willy’s relentless attacking depended on stability in the middle and at the back. Otherwise, a single counterattack from the opposition could become a goal. No matter how fiercely they attacked, it would mean nothing if they conceded even more.

And in that regard, Wei Lai was doing an excellent job.

“Don’t overcommit. Don’t chase personal glory.”

Xue Guohao nodded inwardly.

Several times, Wei Lai had the opportunity to play the ball forward, but he never forced the pass. Instead, he waited for his teammates to catch up, then delivered the ball into the most accurate positions, keeping the system in motion.

That composure in the middle and at the back continuously supplied ammunition to the front line, creating an unbroken tide of attacks.

By now, Guangfa’s youth team had been drawn into Willy’s rhythm.

Guangfa needed stability.

That was their defining characteristic as well.

They controlled possession, dictated the tempo, advanced cautiously, and slowly devoured their opponents.

That was why, when watching Guangfa play, one might see them passing the ball back and forth—then suddenly, they would score.

Their goals came without warning.

It all stemmed from their changes of tempo.

And Chen Shaojie was the metronome.

On the grand scale, this was a duel between two teams. On the smaller scale, it was a contest between their respective middle and back lines.

One side wanted to control the game.

The other wanted to seize it.

But clearly, Guangfa was on the defensive now.

“What should they do?”

Xue Guohao looked toward Chen Shaojie.

On the pitch, sweat had begun to bead on Chen Shaojie’s forehead. He was growing increasingly anxious.

He knew they had been caught in Willy’s rhythm. If they did not slow the game down, Willy would eventually tear through their goal.

“One-touch passing! Pull the ball out!” Chen Shaojie pointed to the space beneath his feet. “Keep it on the ground!”

Guangfa’s youth academy possessed the finest fundamentals in traditional youth football.

That was beyond dispute. Their demands regarding technique were extraordinarily strict.

Soon, with Chen Shaojie at the center, Guangfa began circulating the ball rapidly with crisp one-touch passes, gradually pushing it forward.

Chen Shaojie, meanwhile, continued edging farther up the pitch.

Watching Chen Shaojie advance, Xue Guohao narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Danger is coming.”

Chen Shaojie was not merely a playmaking midfielder. It was simply that his control of the tempo and the game was so conspicuous that it concealed his other abilities.

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Chen Shaojie kept moving forward while constantly scanning his teammates.

As Guangfa continued its one-touch passing, Willy Football Academy’s pressing grew increasingly intense, and the physical clashes became more frequent.

Chen Shaojie gritted his teeth.

A little farther forward. Just a little.

The moment he reached the center-circle area, Chen Shaojie nudged the ball outward, shook off his marker, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Ali! Make your run!”

Ali immediately curved toward the wing.

His movement dragged the opposing player in the center away, and a vast opening appeared at once.

At the same time, Chen Shaojie drove the ball forward with a powerful touch.

Ali was only a decoy.

The true weapon was Luo Xiang.

Guangfa’s center forward, Luo Xiang, was known for his runs into space. Positioned between Yang Fan and Mao Biao, he took advantage of Yang Fan’s attention being drawn toward Ali and suddenly burst diagonally forward.

At the same moment, he saw Chen Shaojie complete the pass.

“My one-on-one!”

Luo Xiang charged ahead excitedly, bursting through the crowd. But after a few steps, he realized that the ball... had not arrived.

Where was it?

Luo Xiang turned around in bewilderment. Through the mass of players, he saw a player in a red jersey with yellow stripes and the number five on his back rising from the ground.

And right beside his instep was the ball he had intercepted.

“Damn it!”

Even Chen Shaojie could not help crying out in shock.

His through ball had been disguised by Ali’s decoy run and sent along a concealed passing lane.

Yet this perfectly crafted, razor-sharp pass had been intercepted by Wei Lai with a sliding tackle.

The entire Guangfa team had pushed forward. Their defenders had advanced all the way to the center circle, leaving a vast expanse of open field behind them—a natural running track.

Wei Lai’s long passing was not especially accurate, but it was just good enough.

As soon as he rose, Wei Lai drew back his leg without the slightest hesitation and unleashed the ball.

“Guo Fan!”

Wei Lai roared.

Whoosh!

Guo Fan sprang forward like a cheetah, sending blades of grass flying.

His speed was astonishing as he sprinted diagonally toward the landing point.

To be honest, Wei Lai’s pass was poorly placed. It was aimed almost directly at the edge of the penalty area, dangerously close to the goalkeeper.

But then again—

“My speed is simply the best!”

Guo Fan was a cheetah. His rapid footwork combined with his long strides, sending his speed surging even higher.

Guangfa’s goalkeeper also rushed toward the ball, hoping to clear it, but Guo Fan was faster.

The moment the ball bounced, Guo Fan launched into a sliding tackle. The tip of his boot poked the ball forward, and then he collided heavily with the goalkeeper.

Ignoring the pain, Guo Fan lifted his head and looked toward the goal.

The ball continued skimming rapidly forward, spinning as it slipped into the net.

Whoosh!

The net trembled.

In the thirty-first minute, after a fierce contest, Willy Football Academy scored the opening goal.

“I’m the greatest!”

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Guo Fan rose to his feet and pumped his fist.

The spectators erupted in amazement.

“That number seven is incredibly fast!”

“He really is like a cheetah!”

“He looks like he’s flying across the grass!”

“That number seven is unbelievable!”

Faced with the crowd’s praise, Guo Fan laughed loudly, standing with his hands on his hips.

The spectators grew even more excited.

“Brilliant, kid!”

“Awesome! What speed!”

“That was a fantastic goal!”

“Great play! That number seven is amazing!”

Everyone nearby was praising Guo Fan. The scorer was naturally the center of attention.

But Xue Guohao’s eyes were fixed on Wei Lai.

Guo Fan had run quickly and reached the ball at exactly the right moment.

But the true key to the attack had been Wei Lai.

He had transformed his own crisis into an opportunity.

He had been steady when steadiness was required, and decisive when decisiveness was needed.

Most importantly, he had appeared exactly where he needed to be.

Even from the spectators’ angle, Xue Guohao had been fooled by Chen Shaojie’s through ball. He had thought Ali was the true attacking outlet.

Yet Chen Shaojie had held the ball for a full second before tearing open the defense along the central axis and attempting the through pass.

Had it succeeded, Luo Xiang would certainly have been sent through one-on-one.

But Wei Lai had seen through everything.

“Holy crap! Old Wei, you’re a god!”

Yang Fan came rushing over in excitement, completely ignoring Guo Fan.

He knew that Wei Lai deserved eighty percent of the credit for the goal.

A crucial interception, the launch of a successful counterattack, and an assist.

Wasn’t that the pinnacle of a defensive midfielder’s ability—the power to cover the entire defense?

It was simply incredible.

Wei Lai himself was still somewhat dazed.

At the time, he had also been deceived by Chen Shaojie’s shout and movement.

But he had kept part of his attention in reserve and had not committed himself immediately.

Sure enough, Chen Shaojie had waited for a second.

He had been waiting for the central axis to open a gap—and that pause had given Wei Lai the time to launch his interception.

Still, it had been extremely dangerous. If he had failed to stop the ball and it had slipped through, the opposition’s pass would have sent their attacker straight through.

He had been dancing on the edge of a blade.

Wei Lai was beginning to understand why the Iron-Wall Coach had said that playing as a defensive midfielder was exhausting.

It demanded not only physical stamina, but also an enormous heart.

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