Chapter 35: I Just Can’t Figure It Out! (Please Add It to Your Favorites)

Chen Shaojie stared blankly at Wei Lai.

How did he manage that?

Was it a guess?

No way—it can’t just be a guess!

But why did he run the opposite way?

No matter how you think about it, it just doesn’t add up!

So, this guy did it on purpose?

Good heavens!

What kind of confidence is that?

Chen Shaojie’s head was buzzing; he had never seen anyone like this before.

“Old Wei, what were you thinking at that moment?” Yang Fan was still savoring the moment—it was just too fierce.

Wei Lai pursed his lips. “At that moment, I felt the central axis was the weak point, so I paused for a second. Sure enough, Chen Shaojie also hesitated.”

“You actually dared to rush straight down the middle?” Yang Fan’s eyes widened.

Wei Lai shook his head. “When Ali is in motion, even if he gets the ball, you can still apply pressure to slow down their attack. If I guessed wrong, I could immediately fall back to help you. But if the central axis is exposed, we’re finished!”

Yang Fan blinked and tapped his temples with both hands.

Just hearing this was giving him a headache.

“So you thought all that in just one second?”

“No way!” Wei Lai rolled his eyes. “I just had a feeling the center was vulnerable. As for the flanks, strangely enough, I felt at ease.”

Yang Fan pointed to himself. “Is it because of me? You think I can mark that little black guy one-on-one?”

Wei Lai couldn’t really explain it either. It was just a feeling.

Maybe his mind couldn’t process it fast enough, but his body already told him the danger was at the center.

Or maybe his mind did realize it but didn’t form a complete thought process—he just sensed the threat at the center and acted instinctively.

He couldn’t say for sure.

But Wei Lai didn’t dwell on it.

Because even Coach Iron Wall couldn’t explain it clearly.

Anyway, as Coach Iron Wall put it...

“Maybe it’s just intuition!”

Yang Fan gave a thumbs-up. “Awesome!”

A brilliant attack turned into a counterattack, and they even lost the ball.

That was a huge blow to morale.

It also put even more psychological pressure on Chen Shaojie.

Now, whenever Chen Shaojie tried to pass forward, he first had to watch Wei Lai’s positioning.

But this made his passing slower, and his accuracy steadily declined.

***

Soon, the match reached halftime.

Both teams left the field.

Wei Lai headed toward his team’s resting area when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned to see Chen Shaojie staring at him.

“No way! Bro, how did you stop me?”

Chen Shaojie looked conflicted.

He couldn’t figure it out and wouldn’t be able to sleep all night.

Wei Lai was silent for a moment.

“Intuition.”

Chen Shaojie was stunned.

Intuition?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Damn it! Now I’m even more restless!

Meanwhile, Brother Goat’s livestream was buzzing with excitement.

“Guo Fan’s playing well, but the real beast is number five, right?”

“Exactly! Number five is incredible at winning the ball!”

“He hasn’t lost a single aerial duel, has he?”

“Not once in physical contests either—so strong!”

“I started counting in the second half—three successful interceptions and five steals! He was even more active earlier, but we didn’t catch that.”

“Even Chen Shaojie’s through ball was anticipated by him!”

“Guessing, maybe?”

“Try guessing that! He ran the opposite way! That’s pure anticipation!”

“Bold and meticulous, and super confident!”

“Chen Shaojie’s pass was blocked, and his whole performance went downhill!”

“If it were me, I’d be baffled too! I’m already excellent, but the other side’s player is even crazier! How can you take that?”

“When did Willy’s academy produce a player like this?”

Then, a comment suddenly appeared.

“Guys, don’t you think that’s coverage?”

A stone thrown into still water.

“Coverage? Are you kidding? That’s high-level stuff! A youth academy player covering the field?”

“But look at his tackles and interceptions—he’s everywhere! How do you explain that?”

“Yeah! He’s a left defensive midfielder, so his zone should be the left flank, but he seems to be everywhere!”

“Exactly! His interception and tackle rates are terrifyingly high!”

“Holy crap! It really looks like coverage!”

“Damn! Fifteen years old and a coverage-type defensive midfielder?”

At that moment, Brother Goat spoke slowly, his voice a bit dazed.

“Guys, it really does seem like coverage!”

Brother Goat stared at Wei Lai, his pupils trembling slightly.

“In the second half, I kept my eye on number five. He’s not running around aimlessly; his positional sense is excellent. When teammates are out of position, he’s the first to cover the gaps. He’s mostly defensive, very aggressive in challenges, but the key is he’s constantly moving. Every aerial duel, interception, disruption, and tackle features him somehow.”

“Whether assisting defense, marking one-on-one, physical confrontation, or interference, he always manages to snatch the ball from the opponent’s feet in the most appropriate way.”

“In the first half, Willy’s academy’s fierce attack depended a lot on number five’s incredible ball-winning. I’ve never seen him lose even a 50-50 ball, and every time he gains possession, he passes it to the safest and most suitable spot!”

Brother Goat sighed. “He’s steady beyond what you’d expect from a fifteen-year-old!”

At the same time, the Guangfa Football Academy players were also discussing.

“What is number five? He’s so good at winning the ball!”

“He’s got me beat—I can’t out-tackle or outmuscle him!”

Yu Jiahe gave up, pointing at Zhuang Ali. “I’m holding Ali, but the two of us together can’t handle him.”

“Beastly waist!”

Zhuang Ali nodded. “His waist is really strong!”

“We’re not talking about the same kind of waist, right?” Yu Jiahe narrowed his eyes.

Zhuang Ali said, “No, didn’t you see? That guy leaned back at that angle but managed to pull himself back when he landed. What kind of core strength is that? That’s a beast’s waist!”

At that moment, everyone noticed Chen Shaojie silent and unmoving.

Yu Jiahe frowned. “Shaojie, pull yourself together. Don’t overthink it!”

Chen Shaojie suddenly looked up, face full of confusion.

“How exactly did he stop me? I just can’t figure it out!”

The coaching staff also remained silent. Not just Chen Shaojie—their vantage point in the stands gave them a broader view. Seeing Wei Lai run backward and still manage to tackle and intercept almost seemed to make their CPUs overheat.

Halftime ended, and the teams switched sides.

“Good performance in the first half, keep it up!” Zhao Xiaotang patted Wei Lai on the shoulder to encourage him.

Wei Lai was truly the team’s key player this match.

Chen Shaojie was completely marked by Wei Lai.

Wei Lai nodded and smiled coolly. “I’m on fire!”

Zhao Xiaotang smiled approvingly.

The second half began with the whistle.

Thanks to the first half, the crowd’s enthusiasm only grew.

Even the spectators at the A1 field were drawn over, leaving very few watching the match between Hongyun Football Academy and Bohai Port No. 3 Middle School.

After all, compared to that match, this one was far more intense and thrilling.