Chapter 36: The First Battle! Champion! (Please Add to Your Favorites)

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Bang!

Wei Lai knocked Zhuang Ali down with his shoulder, stopping another dangerous attack in the process.

If Zhuang Ali had managed to slip the ball forward, Luo Xiang would have been able to make a run into the space.

Those guys were taking advantage of Mao Biao’s slow turns, always trying to play through him. But that was no use when Mao Biao had such a super sweeper guarding the space in front of him!

“That number three center-back ought to be grateful he has number five sweeping in front of him!”

“Absolutely! Number three is physically formidable, but not very agile. If number five weren’t constantly sweeping up in front of him, he’d have been perforated by now.”

“But number five is seriously strong! He was clearly a step late this time, yet he committed a tactical foul without hesitation. Ice-cold!”

“That booking was worth it! If the ball had gone through, it would have been a one-on-one!”

“He saved them! He really saved them!”

Before anyone realized it, the fans in the livestream had begun staring intently at Wei Lai. Even Brother Goat, while directing the camera, was focusing on Wei Lai more often.

Not even the smallest details escaped them—his positioning, his covering runs, and so on.

“Yang Fan’s gone forward! Damn! Number five drops back to cover. I swear I’m going to cry! Every time I push up, I have to run back panting like a dog!”

“Luo Xiang is having a miserable time. Number five is sweeping everything up in front of him, and number three is holding him off from behind. He’s barely had any presence in this match.”

“The ball can’t even reach him! Guangfa are just passing it around in their own half!”

“They’re missing someone who can carry the ball forward!”

“If Guangfa had Xiang Ming, this would be easy!”

“If Xiang Ming came over, do you think He Chaoyue would immediately parachute into Magic City?”

“It’s really cagey! Willy’s run out of steam. Their attacks aren’t nearly as fierce as they were in the first half!”

“Guangfa are also just passing the ball around pointlessly. Chen Shaojie doesn’t dare play it forward anymore.”

“How many times has he been intercepted?”

“Three in total! Number five got two of them. If you count that through ball in the first half, then it’s four!”

“Damn! If I were him, I wouldn’t dare play it through either! Lose the ball, and the other side will pin you down and batter you again!”

In the seventieth minute, both sides made wholesale substitutions.

Guangfa replaced their entire lineup, essentially accepting the score as it stood.

Willy, meanwhile, took everyone off except Wei Lai.

“They didn’t replace number five?”

“What a beast! His stamina reserves are incredible!”

“Isn’t he the most active runner on the pitch?”

“He must cover the most distance per game by far. Everyone else is exhausted, but he’s still bursting with energy! I want a defensive-midfield dad like that! Then I wouldn’t have to track back!”

“You’d still have to make a token run or two, otherwise he’d really chew you out!”

The match descended into a stalemate, and the fans in the livestream began joking around to pass the time.

As for Wei Lai, he remained outstanding, running tirelessly as ever.

“Yang Fan!”

Chen Shaojie approached Yang Fan and nodded toward the pitch.

“What’s the story with this Wei Lai? I’ve never heard of him before. Was he sent down from the First Division too?”

“Sent down? Old Wei was promoted from the Third Division just this year!”

Chen Shaojie’s eyes widened.

“You’re kidding!”

Yang Fan shrugged.

“Believe it or not.”

“Really?”

Seeing Yang Fan’s attitude, Chen Shaojie began to believe him.

“Old Wei is an expert at winning the ball and making interceptions. He’s incredibly strong and has endless stamina! Old He once said this guy puts more pressure on him than those German foreigners.”

Chen Shaojie stared in astonishment.

“Even He Chaoyue is wary of him?”

He knew exactly what He Chaoyue was capable of. The man was a first-rate finisher—one feint, one shot, and the ball was in the net.

Though Xiang Ming was as famous as He Chaoyue, Xiang Ming was primarily a dribbler and breakthrough specialist, while He Chaoyue was a super striker.

Yang Fan nodded firmly.

“My God!”

Chen Shaojie felt slightly dizzy.

“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Guo Fan has the most experience with this. The guy had nightmares for several nights, afraid that he’d lift the covers and find Wei Lai suddenly crawling out from underneath!” Yang Fan said with a grin. “How about it? My super defensive midfielder—once you’re both with the national youth team, you two will be partners!”

At those words, Chen Shaojie’s body jolted.

“Holy crap! Wouldn’t we tear everyone apart? Pei Le would be completely liberated, Xiang Ming wouldn’t need to drop back and organize play, our attacking power up front would improve even further, and Wei Lai is such a beast at sweeping up behind us. The back line would be impenetrable. This lineup…”

The more Chen Shaojie thought about it, the happier he became.

A player who defended for you, covered for you, did all the dirty work, acted as your personal bodyguard, ran tirelessly, and never complained.

Someone like that…

“It wouldn’t be excessive to call him Dad!”

Yang Fan pointed toward the pitch.

“Your dad’s here!”

Wei Lai walked off the field.

“What dad?”

“Nothing!” Yang Fan tossed him a bottle of sports drink and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You were awesome!”

“Your tackles and interceptions must have reached double figures this match, right?”

Wei Lai smiled but said nothing.

Nearby, Chen Shaojie thought back over the match and felt even more miserable.

Soon, the final whistle blew.

Though there had been only one goal, it had still been a thrilling battle of attack and defense.

Right up to the final moment, both teams had been searching desperately for chances to attack, while the defenders fought just as hard to preserve their shape.

In the end, Jiaozhou Willy Football Academy defeated Guangdong Guangfa Youth Training Academy 1–0, completing their revenge.

“I’m going to head out once I’ve packed up.” Chen Shaojie looked at Wei Lai with a smile. “Let’s add each other on WeChat. We should play together sometime!”

Wei Lai nodded, took out his phone, and scanned the code to add him.

The next second, Wei Lai froze.

“I think I added the wrong person!”

Chen Shaojie grinned.

“No, you got the right one!”

Wei Lai: “…”

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A cartoon girl with blonde twin ponytails served as the profile picture, paired with the username “Piglet Boy.”

Signature: “The soul is cyan fireworks.”

“You’re into anime and that sort of thing?”

Chen Shaojie scratched his head.

“Everyone’s got to have some kind of hobby, right?”

Wei Lai: “…I respect that.”

Nearby, Yang Fan burst out laughing.

“I told you he was a flamboyant weirdo! Hahahaha!”

Both matches had now concluded. In the end, Willy Football Academy and Hongyun Football Academy advanced to the final.

…

The final on the last day brought a few problems.

Hongyun Football Academy’s Kang Jianbin was just as physically imposing as Wei Lai. Unable to win the ball from him, Kang Jianbin began deliberately body-checking him.

Wei Lai refused to back down. He was no pushover either.

The two of them kept crashing into each other, back and forth, until… Yang Fan lost his temper!

Yang Fan went over and slapped Kang Jianbin, who responded by kicking him.

Seeing Yang Fan stand up for him, Wei Lai couldn’t hide behind him. He rushed over and pinned Kang Jianbin down, while Yang Fan came running over and kicked him twice more. Only then were the two sides pulled apart.

In the end, Yang Fan, Wei Lai, and Kang Jianbin each received a red card and were sent off.

The funny thing was that Willy Football Academy, playing with one fewer man, somehow held on until the eightieth minute. Then, at the very end, Guo Fan raced clear of everyone and scored the winning goal.

After the match, both coaching staffs unanimously demanded that the three players apologize to both teams.

Once the apologies were made, the coaches also ordered the three of them to hug and make peace.

All at once, the three men became more awkward than the next.

“Hug! Anyone who refuses is a coward!”

Looking at Zhao Xiaotang’s livid face, Yang Fan finally gave in. Otherwise, his return to the First Division would remain a distant dream.

The three men embraced while still struggling against one another. It could hardly be called a hug—they were clearly trying to crush each other.

To everyone else, however, the sight was hilarious, and they burst out laughing.

With everyone laughing, the three men felt embarrassed and began laughing along as well.

Young people’s tempers flare quickly and fade just as fast.

Rivals on the pitch, but off the pitch…

“We’ll settle this next time! I’ll knock you flat for sure!” Kang Jianbin shouted at Wei Lai.

Wei Lai curled his lip.

“You still won’t win the ball!”

Kang Jianbin’s face reddened slightly. It was true that he hadn’t won the ball, which was why he had resorted to body-checking Wei Lai.

After throwing out one last threat, he turned and left with his team.

Jiaozhou Willy Football Academy had won the Future Star Cup, bringing their mission to a successful conclusion.

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