The training sessions were numerous, more arduous and monotonous than ever before. When the rain stopped, everyone would resume training. During rainfall, they took shelter under the eaves, sometimes reviewing academic subjects, other times staring blankly at the field.
And every afternoon, Wang Fa would go to a certain spot and stay for a while.
...
Day Twenty-One.
The continuous spring rain had persisted for several days.
On the twenty-first day, the players of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School football team stood on the turf of Hongjing Pearl Stadium.
The Hanling Victory team members had already begun their warm-up.
In the quarter-finals, Hanling Victory defeated Fengchun City Team with a crucial penalty kick in the final moments of the match, advancing to the semi-finals. Rumors circulated that they were the notorious "godson" team - since Hanling Electronics sponsored the National Youth League, the organizers would ensure their progression to the finals.
This information was disclosed by Jiang Xun.
When Wang Fa received the call, he showed little reaction, merely stating they would prepare thoroughly.
Jiang Xun felt somewhat concerned.
Now there were hardly any secrets left, as the behind-the-scenes groups had stepped directly into the spotlight.
A spectator group appeared at the match venue. Not only were all four teachers from the school's physical education department - Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li - present, but Chen Weidong and another sports student had also been brought to the substitute bench as precaution against potential extreme situations.
The weather was clear and pleasant, with warm, humid air currents bringing moist breezes.
Chen Weidong kept his head down, zipping his jacket up to the collar. Still haunted by his previous desertion, he buried half his face in his uniform collar, fearing confrontation with former teammates.
Yet upon seeing him again, his teammates no longer harbored their previous anger.
Qin Ao even took a sip of water, patted his shoulder, and gestured for him to join in some warm-up exercises.
Chen Weidong stared wide-eyed, somewhat incredulous, sensing these teammates had changed from before.
An unfamiliar female teacher bustled about arranging seats along the sidelines.
After completing two laps with the team, Chen Weidong couldn't contain himself any longer. Approaching the most approachable Fu Xinshu, he hesitated before finally asking: "Where's Teacher Lin?"
The team, previously focused on warming up, momentarily faltered in their steps before quickly resuming their running pace, nobody uttering a word.
By the sidelines.
Jiang Xun settled into the spectator stands.
This morning, he had traveled by high-speed rail from the provincial capital to Hongjing, enduring the journey's fatigue just to watch a youth football match.
Before the game, he had hoped to exchange a few words with Coach Wang Fa and the young players. However, they had sequestered themselves in the locker room, emerging only recently for warm-ups.
The afternoon sun carried considerable warmth. Old Chen patted Jiang Xun's shoulder and sat down beside him.
Having spent considerable time with the team, Jiang Xun understood well the relationship between team morale and match performance. In his view, teams should exhibit high spirits before important matches. Yet the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players clearly communicated little among themselves, their emotions not particularly intense.
Exchanging a worried glance with Old Chen, he felt growing concern.
Pregame, sideline tunnel.
Players from both teams lined up as the head referee and linesmen stood at the front, preparing to lead them onto the field.
The sudden blare of the athletes' march echoed across the stadium.
The Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players maintained calm expressions, remaining unfazed.
The spring football field's grass appeared exceptionally vibrant green.
On the pitch, the head referee inspected the match ball before placing it on the center spot, synchronizing watches with the linesmen.
The loud music cut off abruptly at a high note.
The head referee produced a coin as both team captains stepped forward for the toss.Hanling Victory's captain stood a head taller than Fu Xinshu, and the entire team wore rare black uniforms. With red characters against a black background, coupled with the selection of tall and sturdy players during recruitment, they presented an overwhelmingly intimidating presence on the field.
After communicating with the referee, Fu Xinshu chose heads.
Fu Xinshu won the coin toss, opting for the left half of the field, and finally shook hands with the opposing captain.
Jiang Xun sat in the stands, watching the young captain on the field.
From start to finish, Fu Xinshu remained calm-faced. He didn't even glance at the opposing captain or players, as if immersed in his own world.
If Jiang Xun were on the sidelines, he would have wanted to remind the players again that Hanling Victory played brutal football. Their players had excellent physical conditioning, with forwards strong in confrontations and defenders fierce in tackles, often executing beautiful counter-attacks. Combined with slightly biased refereeing, they were undoubtedly opponents that would give even strong teams headaches.
If he were the coach, he would certainly hope the players could avoid direct clashes, focus on solid defense, and not engage in head-on battles with the opposition.
Thinking this, he felt so immersed that he broke out in a cold sweat.
Fu Xinshu bent down to tighten his shoelaces and stood up. The referee put the whistle in his mouth as a gust of wind swept across the field.
"Go for it!" Jiang Xun shouted in unison with several physical education teachers beside him.
At the start, Hanling Victory launched their offensive with a powerful through pass.
Hanling Victory's number 10 received the ball on the left wing, suddenly cutting inside, only to find Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's number 10 immediately blocking his path. Remembering the coach's pre-game instructions, the Hanling Victory player didn't hesitate. He immediately passed the ball, aiming to play quickly.
But before he could move, a white flash shot forward, sweeping the ball away with lightning speed.
The decisiveness of the attitude and the clarity of the intent were astonishing.
The ball flew out of bounds, "clanging" against the guardrail as the referee's whistle sounded!
Hanling Victory's number 10 staggered, barely keeping his balance, even forgetting he could fall and raise his hand to appeal for a foul.
He saw the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School defender quickly rise from the grass, patting the grass stains off his shorts, his gaze cold and resolute to the extreme.
Seeing that look, he instinctively clenched his fists.
From the very beginning, both teams displayed strong tactical intentions.
For instance, Hanling Victory's offensive intent was clear—no matter what, they would push the ball into the opponent's half. Meanwhile, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School employed a midfield pressing tactic, willing to commit fouls, intercepting and tackling relentlessly.
The sounds of passes and tackles filled the field, while banners and fences along the sidelines trembled continuously.
Soon, the students' jerseys were stained with bright green grass marks, speckled and uneven.
Sitting on the sidelines, Jiang Xun sensed an unusual atmosphere.
Even Old Chen felt something was off: "Why are they playing so aggressively?"
As soon as he spoke, the referee's whistle sounded again.
A Hanling Victory attacker forcefully knocked down Lin Lu.
The young man rolled on the ground, unable to get up immediately.
However, the referee signaled that Lin Lu had committed a defensive foul. The Hanling Victory players pressed their advantage, urging the referee to show Lin Lu a yellow card.
The head referee called Lin Lu over and gave him a warning. The young man lowered his head to tie his shoelaces, showing no resentment or protest. He nodded and directly retreated.
The Hanling Victory player was displeased, complaining to the referee, "Look at him."Lin Lu remained composed, as if no conflict had occurred.
Jiang Xun lowered his head slightly, glancing toward the man on the coach's bench.
By this point in the match, he understood clearly. Wang Fa simply didn’t care that the opposing side had the referee’s favor. What he wanted was a "head-on confrontation."
The aggressive tackles sent a clear signal: 'I won’t hold back.' Rather than blocking the opponent near the penalty area, it was better to intercept them farther away near the midfield line. As long as the tackles were clean, the referee couldn’t issue a card.
Jiang Xun explained this to Old Chen, but his brows remained furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” Old Chen asked, puzzled.
“In a ‘head-on confrontation’ match, both sides easily lose their cool and emotions escalate. It’s hard to maintain tactical discipline from start to finish. If the referee loses control of the game, at best it turns into a card battle; at worst, it could lead to outright fighting.”
The clouds parted, and the afternoon sun blazed down.
The Hanling Victory players were also growing heated.
Anyone would be frustrated when their attacks were repeatedly disrupted by fouls. Moreover, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School consistently maintained their fouls within acceptable limits—clean and purposeful—making it impossible for Hanling Victory to break through.
So they intensified their physical play as well.
After the physical clashes intensified,
the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School high schoolers were knocked down far more often.
Hanling Victory knew exactly how to leverage their physicality and the referee’s bias. Sometimes they used their elbows to jostle for position, other times they made ruthless tackles.
The referee rarely blew his whistle, forcing the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players to defend even more vigorously and frequently. They fell to the ground again and again. In just half an hour, the students’ jerseys were completely stained.
The intense back-and-forth continued until the 41st minute.
A Hanling Victory attacker fell once more near the edge of the penalty area. The referee’s whistle sounded, and Hanling Victory was awarded a free kick in an excellent position.
The Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players quickly formed a wall.
Over the past few days, they had practiced defending free kicks extensively. They swiftly got into position, focusing intently and observing their opponents’ movements.
The Hanling Victory captain stood over the ball, the afternoon sun glaring.
He took a deep breath as he eyed the wall ahead.
The referee’s whistle blew.
He began his run-up, accelerated toward the ball, swung his right foot, and struck it hard!
The ball shot like a cannonball toward the wall. Zhi Hui leaped high. His positioning was perfect, poised to cleanly block the shot.
But just as he jerked his head, he felt a heavy pull on his shoulder. Someone yanked him down forcefully. Zhi Hui’s back slammed into the ground, his vision went dark, and his chest churned violently.
The referee didn’t blow his whistle.
The ball was deflected by an opposing player, changing trajectory. Another Hanling Victory player rushed in and unleashed a powerful follow-up shot!
The rebound was swift and fierce. Goalkeeper Feng Suo had no time to react before the ball flew past his right side and slammed into the net!
1-0.
The referee’s whistle confirmed the goal.
The Hanling Victory players immediately began celebrating.
The goal left the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players momentarily stunned.
So many days of training, so many extra evening sessions. Their coach had stood at various free-kick positions, patiently teaching them how to read their opponents’ intentions and defend against different types of set pieces.Although their coach had warned them that there would inevitably be situations where the opposing team committed fouls without the referee blowing the whistle, when it actually happened, the anger and suffocating frustration were enough to drive them mad.
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