"What do you mean? Did we not beat Yuzhou Silver Elephant last time? Are you the only one boosting their morale while dampening our own?"
"Haha, you're really impressive," Qi Liang laughed.
"Do you really think I won't hit you?" Qin Ao clenched his fist.
"Even more impressive now," Qi Liang whistled.
Qin Ao glared furiously, his fist swinging mid-air.
But the next moment, he suddenly froze, staring intently at the front of the field.
Following his gaze, someone appeared at the entrance of the field.
The only person who could instantly cast a spell on Qin Ao was Wen Chengye.
From a distance, Wen Chengye's figure seemed to emerge from the misty, thin air, with the undulating hills of Yuzhou behind him.
It reminded Lin Wanxing of those hunting dogs seen only in certain animal documentaries, called greyhounds. They had sleek black fur, slender ears, and arrogant eyes.
They seemed naturally solitary, never close to anyone.
The moment Wen Chengye appeared, the team's atmosphere froze once again.
The boys stood together, no one willing to speak to this person who had skipped training without reason and bullied his teammates.
The cold wind was biting, and a whistle blew.
Putting aside other factors, Lin Wanxing still enjoyed bringing her students to the field to watch them play matches.
When the sharp whistle sounded and the students began running on the field, everything seemed to become focused and simple.
Arguments and disputes were like the wind rushing past their ears during the run, temporarily left behind.
Yuzhou Silver Elephant was under immense pressure, teetering on the edge of elimination.
This match was equally crucial for them. Logically, pressure should make people anxious, yet on the field, Yuzhou Silver Elephant's players displayed remarkable composure.
They coordinated seamlessly, moved frequently, and positioned themselves ahead of every pass, making their plays proactive and effective. The entire team moved as one, weaving a well-organized net.
This gave Lin Wanxing the illusion that her students were like struggling fry caught in this fishing net, completely controlled.
Compared to their first encounter, Yuzhou Silver Elephant was now showing their true strength. Their calm and unhurried attitude made Lin Wanxing certain that today's Yuzhou Silver Elephant was entirely different from the last time.
"Yuzhou Silver Elephant seems reborn this time, they're really impressive," Lin Wanxing said, tightening her down jacket and turning to Wang Fa.
Wang Fa glanced at the opposing team's bench and said to her, "They're well-prepared and mentally steadier than last time."
That was high praise for the opponent.
As they spoke, Jin Ziyang, who was watching nearby, suddenly tensed up.
On the field, Yuzhou Silver Elephant's passing found an opening. Their winger dribbled into the space between defenders and lofted a cross into the center of the penalty area.
Zheng Feiyang moved to cover the center, while Wen Chengye was supposed to guard the back post. However, Wen Chengye didn't fulfill his defensive duty at the back post. After Zheng Feiyang moved to cover the center, he chose to make a forward run, moving out of the penalty area.
Zheng Feiyang failed to outjump the opposing center forward in the challenge. The Yuzhou Silver Elephant center forward barely managed to head the ball, flicking it towards the back post. There, the Yuzhou Silver Elephant striker sliced through like a blade, following up unmarked and easily taking his shot.
The ball traced a ghostly arc and flew into the net.
Lin Wanxing gasped, surprised by how quick and concise this goal was.The mist hung thick, the grass blurred, rain threatening but not yet falling.
People’s chests felt clogged with damp cotton, making it hard to breathe.
The players of Yuzhou Silver Elephant did not celebrate the goal but quickly gathered at the center line, waiting for the restart.
The referee’s whistle blew, signaling the goal was valid.
Goalkeeper Feng Suo picked up the football and tossed it to Qin Ao, but his eyes remained fixed on Wen Chengye.
As the goalkeeper, no one understood better than Feng Suo the problems caused by Wen Chengye’s positional lapse. Originally stationed at the far post, Wen Chengye had left the entire defensive line intact. Yet he abandoned his position and left the penalty area, making Yuzhou Silver Elephant’s goal absurdly easy.
Qin Ao caught the ball and immediately lashed out at Wen Chengye: "If you don’t want to play, get lost!"
On the sidelines, Lin Wanxing couldn’t hear the specifics of the students’ exchange.
But the moment Qin Ao strode over to Wen Chengye with the ball, she could feel the palpable tension—the atmosphere icy, as if a fight could erupt at any moment.
She couldn’t help but tense up.
Beside her, Jin Ziyang also sensed the danger: "Should we call a timeout?"
Lin Wanxing froze, surprised by Jin Ziyang’s question.
"In principle, football matches don’t allow timeouts," Wang Fa explained calmly.
"What if they start fighting?" Jin Ziyang asked.
"Fighting? On-field brawling is a serious violation. They’d be sent off with red cards." Wang Fa’s tone remained even. He paused, then added, "Because conflicts beyond the scope of football are particularly egregious, they’d also face additional suspensions."
Wang Fa spoke these words coldly, as if this weren’t the team he coached.
Lost in thought, Lin Wanxing murmured, "If someone gets sent off, won’t we be short-handed for our next match against Yongchuan Evergrande?"
Jin Ziyang stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend why she would let the situation escalate without intervening.
On the field, Qin Ao’s fist ultimately didn’t strike. He merely issued another stern warning to Wen Chengye before placing the ball back at the center of the pitch.
The match resumed.
Already leading 1-0, Yuzhou Silver Elephant showed no signs of impatience. They moved with disciplined coordination, far from the reckless attacks often seen when strong teams dominate weaker ones.
Honestly, such suffocating, wave-like pressure was something Lin Wanxing had only witnessed in their match against Yongchuan Evergrande.
Yuzhou Silver Elephant’s hallmark was teamwork.
"That’s their greatest strength. In a way, Yuzhou Silver Elephant resembles a senior team more than a youth squad." Wang Fa seemed unconcerned with the game’s flow, instead elaborating on the team’s characteristics after her query.
"Senior team?"
"A senior team’s goal is to function as a cohesive unit, striving for collective victory. The team’s interests always come before individual ones," Wang Fa replied.
"Is that not how youth teams play?" Lin Wanxing was taken aback.
"Youth teams are a business." Wang Fa’s voice was tranquil.
The valley breeze brushed past Lin Wanxing’s ears, her exhaled breath forming faint white puffs by the pitch. For some reason, many words sounded colder when spoken by Wang Fa.
What did "business" mean?
It meant identifying the most outstanding player in the squad, building the team around him, molding him into the brightest star, and ultimately selling him for a high price.
Lin Wanxing turned her gaze back to the field.Whether on or off the field, this football team was trapped in a state of emptiness and confusion. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and it was uncertain whether they would ever see the sunlight break through.
The situation appeared complex and ever-changing, but in reality, it was merely a relentless push in one direction. The players of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School seemed to be struggling desperately within the net woven by the Yuzhou Silver Elephant team.
Even Wen Chengye had become much more subdued.
He began to dutifully play his role as a defender on the backline, adhering to positioning rather than following his own whims, recklessly charging forward and leaving gaping vulnerabilities behind him.
Yet such resistance was akin to trying to extinguish a blazing fire with a cup of water or stopping a chariot with a mantis' arm—utterly futile.
Soon enough, Yuzhou Silver Elephant scored again.
They managed three consecutive shot attempts within the penalty area. The first two were blocked by Zheng Ren and Fu Xinshu, who threw their bodies in the way, but the third shot finally breached Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's goal.
The ball settled into the net and rolled gently to the ground.
2-0.
In the movements of her students, Lin Wanxing saw numbness.
During halftime, the students wiped away their sweat.
Lin Wanxing could only offer encouragement from the icy sidelines.
"I think our defense has improved a lot!" she attempted to say.
"Letting in three goals directly is considered good defense?"
"At least they didn’t extend their lead further."
"And even if we’re down 0-3, we can still turn it around in the second half."
"How is that even possible?" Qin Ao said coldly.
"Even if we can’t turn it around, we can rely on our defense to prevent the score from widening," Fu Xinshu said, wrapped in a large towel. Staying warm during winter halftime was crucial, yet he still looked cold. His lips trembled as he stared at Wen Chengye, forcing out the words with difficulty.
Wen Chengye did not respond.
But the collapse of the match was much like the sudden chill of winter.
One day, you think the weather is warming up, but when you open the window the next morning, the world is entirely blanketed in silver-white.
At the start of the second half, Yuzhou Silver Elephant launched another attack.
It was a cross from the wing directly into the penalty area. Such crossing attacks were generally not highly efficient, but Yuzhou Silver Elephant’s coordination was exceptionally seamless.
Moreover, this was just the beginning of the second half. The students of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School had yet to recover from the frigid conditions off the field.
Their minds and bodies were still numb, and Yuzhou Silver Elephant’s sudden acceleration left them completely unable to react.
They first watched the ball fly past, then began scrambling to reposition themselves.
Lin Lu sprinted back from outside the penalty area to join the defense.
The ball moved somewhat slowly through the air. Fu Xinshu kept his eyes on it while quickly adjusting his footing.
Wen Chengye was doing the same.
All their teammates’ attention was fixed on the ball.
The next moment, Wen Chengye and Fu Xinshu converged on the same spot and leaped simultaneously…
Yet neither of them made contact with the ball.
In the next instant, the wet turf caused Wen Chengye to slip, and he crashed directly into Fu Xinshu.
A dull thud of colliding bodies echoed across the field, followed by the agonized cries of Wen Chengye and Fu Xinshu, which resounded throughout the stadium.
Center-back Zhi Hui stepped in and kicked the ball far away.
The ball landed at the feet of a Yuzhou Silver Elephant player, who hesitated briefly before kicking it out of bounds.
The referee blew the whistle to pause the game. Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa had already rushed onto the field.
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