Chapter 70: Guo Fan Goes Abroad (Seeking Collections)

Second half, 71st minute.
Under Xiang Ming's relentless turbulence in the attacking third, the overall defensive structure of the Porto Athletics team was thoroughly suppressed.
Xiang Ming's performance continued. After executing a sharp drag-back to bypass the opposing defensive midfielder, he drove straight forward, intending to break directly into the penalty area.
However, the opposing central defender was extremely decisive, seizing the opportunity to slide in and execute a direct block.
Bang!
The ball rebounded out of the penalty area.
Xiang Ming spun around: "Control the landing point! Don't lose possession!"
At that moment, he saw He Chaoyue suddenly appearing precisely at the trajectory of the falling ball.
"Lao He, steady..."
Xiang Ming caught He Chaoyue's gaze.
It was like that of a beast, glowing with a eerie light, radiating an aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
"...Damn it!"
Xiang Ming abruptly ducked, lowering his head to dodge the ball.
He Chaoyue swung his right leg in a full arc, his instep locked rigid, and the moment the ball bounced off the turf, he unleashed a ferocious strike.
Boom!!!—
The ball whistled through the air toward the goal like a cannonball, grazing just inches above the top of Xiang Ming's head before hurtling past.
Hearing the crisp rustle of the net, Xiang Ming turned his head to look. The ball had bulged the netting deep, a testament to the immense power behind the shot.
"Holy cow! Another world-class rocket! That must be at least fifteen meters out, right?"
Zheng Yang's mouth hung slightly open.
Previously, he hadn't thought much of He Chaoyue, believing that a flashy player like Xiang Ming was in a completely different league.
That assessment, however, was made before they had ever played together in a competitive match.
Now, as teammates after just a few matches, he finally understood the true value of this super striker.
"Another brace?" Yang帆 laughed loudly. "Lao He, you're really farming stats!"
Ignoring YangFan, He Chaoyue trotted over to Xiang Ming and extended both hands.
Xiang Ming looked up: "What?"
He Chaoyue: "High five!"
Slap!
The two slapped palms.
He Chaoyue nodded and said, "The chances I squandered in the first half, I've earned back myself!"
With that, He Chaoyue glanced at the awkward-looking Luo Xiang, gave a slight nod, and turned away.
This time, the ponytail tied at the back of his head bobbed up and down, exuding a hint of smugness.
Luo Xiang sniffed: "Was he taking a dig at me?"
Xiang Ming grinned: "Don't overthink it, the guy is simply showing off!"
Leading by three goals, Porto U15 were beginning to fall apart.
At the very least, their flank matched up against Xiang Ming had completely collapsed.
The coaching staff of Porto U15 wore expressions of sheer helplessness, feeling they had underestimated their opponents—or rather, that they had severely misjudged the true caliber of this team.
Who could have guessed that the number ten, who had looked so mediocre in the group stage, would suddenly erupt.
They had expected a flop of a number ten, only to watch him systematically dismantle their entire flank.
Another person who realized he hadn't fully grasped the potential of the Green Lion squad was Tong Xianfeng.
"I feel like I underestimated our squad depth!" Tong Xianfeng grinned. "I thought this match would be a grueling battle, but I never expected this kind of outcome!"
Leading by two goals in the first half and sustaining continuous pressure in the second.
The dominance displayed by the Little Lions in this match was unprecedented in the history of the Green Lion youth program.
Especially Xiang Ming; although he wreaked havoc down the flank, without He Chaoyue's clinical finishing, Xiang Ming alone couldn't have sustained that pressure for so long.
What was most commendable was that while the attack went wild, the defensive line remained completely composed.
Even amidst such an electric atmosphere, they maintained an exceptionally rigorous defensive discipline.
This balance of tension and relaxation completely suffocated any lingering hopes of a comeback for Porto U15.
In this match, the Green Lion youngsters held an overwhelming advantage in both flow and scoreline!
Entering the final ten minutes, Tong Xianfeng made substitutions to give the remaining three bench players some playing time to find their rhythm.
At the same time, he pulled Xiang Ming and He Chaoyue off to rest, shifting the entire Green Lion team into a conservative defensive block.
However, Porto U15 had already been thoroughly beaten down mentally; with their morale cratered, they posed no real attacking threat.
Their supposed biggest threat—the 189-centimeter tall target man—managed only two aerial duels all game, both of which were decisively cleared away by the combined efforts of Jacob and Wei Lai.
As for Bele, he attempted a breakthrough and succeeded only once, but even then, he failed to deliver a decent pass.
It could be said that the Green Lion side executed the tactical game plan to absolute perfection.
In the end, the Green Lion youth team defeated the Porto youth academy 3:0, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals of the Spanish Football Federation International Invitational Tournament!
...
Shanghai Airport, departure lounge.
Guo Fan pushed two suitcases and followed the team toward the boarding gate.
Amidst the night, the neon lights of Shanghai flickered, but Guo Fan's mind was a whirlwind of mixed emotions.
He was about to leave his homeland for an unknown continent.
What would his prospects be?
What did the future hold?
He couldn't guarantee any of it!
Yet, he harbored no regrets about his choice; rather than languishing away at the Willy Football School, he might as well venture out and test his limits.
He knew that if he continued down that path, the gap would only widen further.
"Guo Fan, we're going to grab some food. You coming?"
A youth player from the Willy Football School called out to Guo Fan.
Guo Fan shook his head: "I'll just eat on the plane!"
"We'll bring you something then. Airplane food is terrible, and it's a long flight!"
After a moment's thought, Guo Fan nodded: "Thanks!"
"Don't mention it! Keep an eye on the luggage, will you?"
"Got it! Go ahead!"
His companion left. Guo Fan sat down on a bench, silently pulling his phone from his pocket. He opened the messaging app and tapped on Wei Lai's profile picture.
Having been roommates for three months, bonds were forged; before leaving, a proper farewell was in order!
Yet, he wasn't fond of direct conversations, finding them overly sentimental, so he opted to leave a message instead.
Guo Fan's fingers tapped rapidly across the screen.
[By the time you read this text, I've probably already landed in Brazil!]
[That's right! Your Brother Guo is heading abroad ahead of schedule. Even though it's South America, it still counts as going abroad, right?]
Pausing for a moment, Guo Fan continued typing:
[I won't be participating in this upcoming Youth World Cup, so your Brother Guo won't be able to back you up. But that show-off He Chaoyue should just about suffice. When the World Youth Championship rolls around, Brother Guo will be back to help you conquer all foes!]
[Xiao Lai, I'll just call you that since I'm older than you by a month! When I return, I'll definitely come back in glory!]
[I'll spare you the nagging. With this parting, it might be years before we meet again. Don't miss me too much! The world is vast, until we meet in the jianghu once more!]
"Send!" Guo Fan nodded with satisfaction. "That phrasing hits just right."
Turning his gaze toward the window, the floor-to-ceiling glass of the departure lounge offered a clear view of the aircraft taxiing slowly into position.
"I'm really leaving this time!" Guo Fan sighed with emotion.
Bzz, bzz, bzz!
His phone vibrated in his hand.
[Wei Lai initiated a video call]
Guo Fan: "..."
Declined!
Bzz, bzz!
[Answer! If you don't answer, I'll leak your embarrassing photos! (Fierce)]
"What the hell? When did this kid take photos of me?"
Panicking, Guo Fan immediately accepted the video call.
As the connection went through, Guo Fan saw Wei Lai seated in the front, with He Chaoyue and Yang Fan standing behind him, all three munching on individual halves of a watermelon.
Wei Lai: "What made you decide to run off to Brazil? So suddenly?"
Yang Fan, taking a bite of watermelon: "Yeah! With your skills, won't you just get played like a dog over in Brazil?"
He Chaoyue, also eating watermelon: "I also think Brazil isn't a good choice. Your technique isn't up to par; it's easy to get lost there!"
Guo Fan flew into a rage: "Can you guys for once say something nice?"
"Wait, how did you even get the message all the way in Spain?"
Wei Lai rolled his eyes: "I'm abroad, not stuck in some ditch. We have internet, you know?"
Guo Fan: "......"