The students’ football training logs had gradually accumulated into a thin stack.

The study folders Lin Wanxing had prepared for each of them were getting thicker.

The books on Yuanyuan Tutoring Center’s desks multiplied, autumn winds began to rise, and on the day when the first wave of lettuce seeds they had planted sprouted, they welcomed the day of their first official Youth Super League match against Yuzhou Silver Elephants.

In the morning, the students woke up early.

According to the schedule, the match would begin in the afternoon. Lin Wanxing had originally arranged for everyone to rest well in the morning, eat lunch at home, gather at the school gate in the afternoon, and travel together by bus to Hongjing Pearl Football Club’s base.

The students, however, rejected this proposal that would let them sleep in, insisting on gathering at her place and departing together after lunch.

At first, Lin Wanxing thought this was because the students had developed good habits and didn’t want to disrupt them.

But when the boys ran up to the rooftop early in the morning, bustling about to prepare scrambled eggs with green onions, she suddenly realized that this was actually about a damn sense of ceremony.

The students insisted on eating some of the vegetables they had grown with their own hands before setting off.

There wasn’t any necessary connection between these two things, but the students were convinced it represented some kind of good omen.

After lunch, the warm autumn sun shone gently.

For the first time in more than twenty days, the students returned to the front gate of Hongjing Eighth Middle School.

The small shops selling things at the school gate were the same as always, with colorful merchandise hanging at their entrances.

The bus that would take them to the match venue was waiting at the school gate.

Lin Wanxing thought this was probably also a kind of strange sense of ceremony.

The students boarded the bus one by one from the school gate. As the vehicle started moving, they embarked on a brand-new journey.

Hongjing Pearl Club Football Stadium.

After entering the official Youth Super League, the match venue had also undergone some changes.

The environment was more formal, switching from a training field without stands and surrounded by iron fences to the club’s standard football field with rubber tracks and stands.

Before the match, the students and Wang Fa were setting up tactics in the locker room, while Lin Wanxing came out first to scout the situation.

Her concept of the Youth Super League was probably still at the level of their previous match against Lüjing International High School.

Everyone was a student, but other schools were richer than them, so they had better logistics staff.

But this match was different.

Directly across from the midfield line was the monitoring station where the fourth official was located, with a camera mounted next to it, connected to a computer on the monitoring station.

In the rest area by the field, there was someone who looked like a reporter with a work badge, holding a long-lens camera waiting for the match.

The Yuzhou Silver Elephants Club players emerged from the players’ tunnel in a single file, and he took several photos of them with a series of clicks.

As the flash went off, Lin Wanxing felt an inexplicable pressure.

She knew clearly that this was the real Youth Super League official match, completely different in standard from the qualifying tournament they had participated in before.

Their opponents had also undergone a qualitative change.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants was a completely “regular army.”

Just the physique of the players was more imposing than the school teams they had encountered before.

They had tanned skin and bright, spirited eyes.

During warm-up, the Yuzhou Silver Elephants players seemed relaxed, in pairs, chatting casually with each other. But in reality, with each warm-up movement, they thoroughly activated every muscle in their bodies with textbook-like standards.

Under the sunlight, every inch of those muscles seemed to contain tremendous power.

After a while, the students from Hongjing Eighth Middle School also walked out from the players’ tunnel in a line.

The boys were noisy, and the camera that had just stopped clicked again.

Lin Wanxing turned her head. The brilliant afternoon sunlight also fell on her students.

The Hongjing Eighth Middle School football team players had changed into brand new unified team uniforms, white with blue lettering. Behind them was the vast green field and even vaster stretches of meadow.

It was at this moment that Lin Wanxing suddenly realized that her students seemed to have changed as well.

Perhaps it was the high-intensity training for over a month, with daily exposure to the sun, that had thoroughly darkened their skin, making them look very spirited.

Or maybe it was the results of a month of physical training that were finally gradually showing on their bodies.

The boys’ muscle lines were more defined, their figures more upright, and even their temperament more refined.

Lin Wanxing looked back and forth, comparing the players on both sides.

It seemed that her students, compared to the professional reserve team players of Yuzhou Silver Elephants, didn’t have such a big gap in physique and spirit.

Lin Wanxing recalled what Wang Fa had said before the match.

At that time, the students surrounded their coach, insisting that Wang Fa say something to boost morale and give them confidence for winning the match.

Comrade Wang Fa maintained his consistently plain and calm style of speech. After distributing the new week’s physical training schedule, he let the players feel the thickness of the schedules they had accumulated over these days.

Wang Fa: “Trust me, accumulation is always useful. Your training over so many days will pay off on the field. It will give you abundant physical strength to complete the entire match.”

The sunlight poured down vigorously, making the grass tips gleam.

Various colored football boots shuffled restlessly among them, then suddenly all went quiet.

The referee took the position, a clear whistle rang out, boot studs kicked up grass, bringing out soil, and the match officially began.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants did not underestimate their opponents this time; they were different from Lüjing International.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ coach Zhou Hongbo knew very well that a team capable of eliminating Lüjing International High School, even if amateur, must have unique strengths.

Therefore, he repeatedly warned his players not to underestimate this campus football team and made targeted arrangements for the opening.

Zhou Hongbo understood that when amateur teams face professional teams, the biggest gap is often not in technical and tactical aspects, but in mentality.

Amateur teams need a long time to get into the match state.

Lüjing International made this mistake; they didn’t seize the best opportunity. Their initial attacks were too lukewarm, giving Hongjing Eighth Middle School the chance to get into the match.

So, Zhou Hongbo required his players to attack aggressively right after the start, to strike quickly and decisively, swiftly dispatching their opponents! To let these amateur players feel the cruelty of professionalism right from the beginning.

With this in mind, Yuzhou Silver Elephants launched a fierce attack immediately after the opening whistle.

The Yuzhou Silver Elephants players were all semi-professional players with refined footwork and long-established teamwork.

All the opponents Hongjing Eighth Middle School had faced before looked down on them, often controlling the ball and bombarding their goal relentlessly.

The situation with Yuzhou Silver Elephants was different.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants tried to penetrate their penalty area gently, like flowing water, through layer upon layer of dribbling and continuous pressure, with a fluid attack.

When you realize the problem, the killing intent suddenly appears.

After kickoff, Yuzhou Silver Elephants patiently passed the ball back and forth, slowly sending it into the defensive line.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ number 10 confidently delivered the final pass, number 9 took advantage to break free from the defender and inserted forward, and the football traced a gentle arc, sliding into Hongjing Eighth Middle School’s penalty area.

But just then, two brutal figures inserted forward like lightning, slicing Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ flowing attack with one cut.

With a “bang.”

Qi Liang and Chen Weidong double-teamed, directly intercepting the ball.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ number 10 player stumbled, somewhat dazed.

When he passed the ball, he had clearly noticed that Hongjing Eighth Middle School’s players were still some distance from his teammate number 9, but at the moment he passed, the opponents suddenly pounced, so that his number 9, with excellent footwork, didn’t even have a chance to control the ball before it was intercepted.

The situation on the field changed in an instant.

Before he had time to think carefully, Hongjing Eighth Middle School’s counterattack had suddenly begun.

Lin Lu was unmarked; he received the ball and directly passed it to Fu Xinshu, who was a bit further forward.

Fu Xinshu took the ball, turned, and before the opponent’s midfield came to pressure, he long-passed to Qin Ao!

The football, like white lightning, cut across the green field.

Although Lin Wanxing had seen this scene countless times in training, when it appeared in a real match, it still made her jump up with excitement.

According to the counterattack route Wang Fa had drawn on the tactical board countless times, next was Chen Jianghe.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ defensive speed was beyond imagination. Just as Chen Jianghe was inserting forward, two returning center backs immediately tightly marked him.

The passing line between Qin Ao and Chen Jianghe was completely cut off.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ head coach Zhou Hongbo wasn’t nervous; this was also different from Lüjing International.

Their Yuzhou Silver Elephants was a team with tacit coordination, with a measured rhythm between attack and defense. A team like Hongjing Eighth Middle School, with only one fast counterattack tactic, wouldn’t have many opportunities to exploit them.

Next, the ball should be intercepted…

Zhou Hongbo judged.

But just as Qin Ao raised his foot, he suddenly changed direction and did not force a pass to Chen Jianghe at the front. Instead, before Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ defender could pressure him, he quickly raised his foot and forcefully kicked the ball toward the flank.

There was Lin Lu, rapidly inserting forward!

The usually cute teenager, at this moment as he inserted forward, was so swift, so decisive.

A month of training, and days of sweating profusely, had given Lin Lu enough explosive speed at this moment. He received the pass, took a big step forward with the ball, and started running at full speed.

On the broad green field, his previous foot injury was completely forgotten. He chased the ball in front of him with only one goal.

Faster, even faster!

The Yuzhou Silver Elephants defensive players immediately repositioned, rumbling toward Lin Lu like trucks.

The seemingly thin teenager was fearless. Just at the moment when he was about to collide with the opposing defensive player, Lin Lu calmly raised his foot and passed the ball back to the middle.

And there, it was Chen Jianghe inserting forward again.

Chen Jianghe was behind Lin Lu but in front of all the returning Yuzhou Silver Elephants players.

Chen Jianghe received the ball, and facing the oncoming Yuzhou Silver Elephants goalkeeper, calmly placed a shot into the far corner!

Just as the Yuzhou Silver Elephants goalkeeper dived, the blade-like arc had already rolled under him and into the goal!

1-0!

Only five minutes into the game, through a lightning-fast counterattack, Hongjing Eighth Middle School had scored first!

Chen Jianghe was overjoyed; this was his first goal in this league’s official matches.

The teenager with the buzz cut was no longer cold; he excitedly ran toward the sideline and made a diving gesture toward Wang Fa and Lin Wanxing!

The other players followed suit, all diving toward the coaching area.

The sun was shining brightly as the students opened mineral water bottles and poured them liberally over Chen Jianghe’s head.

Lin Wanxing touched the students’ wet heads and applauded vigorously. The sideline rest areas were like heaven and hell.

One side was boiling with excitement because of the goal, while the other side was frozen due to conceding.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants coach Zhou Hongbo’s face was ashen as he glanced at Hongjing Eighth Middle School’s rest area.

He was the one who wanted to strike decisively, yet he was cut down by the opponent’s almost perfect defense and counterattack in the first five minutes.

His good coaching quality prevented him from shouting at the players on the field.

Taking advantage of the break in play, when the players came to the sideline to drink water, he still very calmly encouraged the main players: “It’s okay, they scored early, which means we have plenty of time to equalize. Attack patiently, don’t give them a chance to breathe.”

The players looked at the coach and nodded.

Zhou Hongbo put on a confident face. When the players returned to the field, he glanced at the adjacent rest area.

Unlike their fully staffed situation, the adjacent rest area was quite empty, with only a young man wearing a black baseball cap and another excited girl.

Zhou Hongbo’s gaze lingered on that young man for a while.

Although he couldn’t see his face clearly, he instinctively felt that the opposing coach was very young, perhaps not long after graduating from a sports school. Such a young person’s experience and coaching ability would not be sufficient to handle the rapidly changing situations in the Youth Super League.

Zhou Hongbo told himself to relax and forcibly ignored a hint of unusual feeling in his heart. For some inexplicable reason, he felt he had seen the other person somewhere before.

Contrary to his wishes, the rhythm of the following match gradually left Zhou Hongbo’s control.

At 20 minutes into the match, perhaps Zhou Hongbo himself hadn’t realized that he had been “completely read.”

But Lin Wanxing knew.

When she saw the Yuzhou Silver Elephants players’ flowing passing attack on the field, she couldn’t help but recall what Wang Fa had said before the match.

“Yuzhou Silver Elephants is a team with refined technique. They excel at ground attacks; in other words, their playing style is relatively artistic. But in this world, things that are too delicate are always easily destroyed by decisiveness and violence.”

“Destruction” was Wang Fa’s only requirement for the players before the match.

He required the students to strive for the ball, not to fear physical collisions, and to disrupt Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ attacking rhythm with constant violent pulling.

He required the students to be brave in counterattacking; whenever there was an opportunity to counterattack, they should go forward, forward, and forward again.

He told the students that any failed counterattack was not frightening because they had enough physical strength to support the entire match. As long as they dared to seek, opportunities would certainly exist.

On the field, Hongjing Eighth Middle School’s players ran howling back and forth defending. Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ attacks often reached just outside the penalty area before being “destroyed.”

All those days of complex and detailed physical training, various projects that could be considered torture, the hard work in the gym, the gradually accumulated physical fitness schedules…

All of this has given the students significant progress in their forward insertion speed and endurance.

Wang Fa would watch their training videos with the students every day, letting them review their training data.

The body can easily be deceived by feeling, but numbers don’t lie.

Physical progress was reflected in the schedules.

And in training, as Wang Fa said, many movements they once couldn’t complete on the field had become possible due to improved physical fitness.

All the clear sense of their progress gave the students enough confidence in this “destruction” operation.

And confidence brought resilience.

The 1-0 score remained throughout the first half.

The Yuzhou Silver Elephants coach’s face became increasingly grim. He could no longer maintain his usual scholarly demeanor. Given the current situation on the field, his team was very likely to lose the match like Lüjing International.

Facing an amateur campus football team that was technically not smooth, lacked coordination, yet charged fiercely with strong destructive power, Zhou Hongbo clearly recognized that his team was too soft.

The half-time whistle sounded, and the Yuzhou Silver Elephants players dejectedly left the field.

Various strange thoughts filled the Yuzhou Silver Elephants players’ minds. They felt like the situation had always been under their control, and Hongjing Eighth Middle School had only organized one attack from beginning to end, yet they were trailing.

Even though they controlled most of the possession, they couldn’t penetrate at all. No matter how they adjusted, they couldn’t find any gaps.

This amateur team’s running and defensive abilities were surprising.

The players told their coach these things, but instead of receiving gentle encouragement and comfort, they got stern demands: “In the second half, no matter what method you use, tear open their defensive line for me! If one attack doesn’t work, try two; if two attacks don’t work, try three!”

Hard must be met with hard.

Zhou Hongbo was very certain.

The Yuzhou Silver Elephants coach’s shouts drifted over from afar. Lin Wanxing glanced at Wang Fa.

The young man’s face remained calm, simply waiting for the match to begin again.

Like all opponents Hongjing Eighth Middle School had faced before, Yuzhou Silver Elephants couldn’t resist. In the second half, they launched fierce attacks like mercury flowing across the ground.

And according to Wang Fa’s arrangement, Hongjing Eighth Middle School smoothly deployed their three center-back defensive formations.

There were three lines of defense here.

The midfielders at the edge of the penalty area were the first line, the two center backs were the second line, and the sweeper Zheng Feiyang behind the center backs was the third line.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ attack initially resembled a surging river. But after passing through these three filters, even the muddiest water would become clear and transparent, posing no threat.

The more unsuccessful their attacks, the more restless the Yuzhou Silver Elephants players became.

The pressure on them came not only from the opponents in front but also from the head coach on the sideline demanding aggressive pressing and physical play.

The coach’s emotions spread like a plague to the players.

Yuzhou Silver Elephants’ attacks became increasingly fierce, but this went against their characteristics.

They excelled at possession and short passing penetration. When such a team begins to attack recklessly, not only does their attack weaken, but the holes in their defense also correspondingly increase.

As a result, Hongjing Eighth Middle School players’ counterattack opportunities became more and more frequent.

The students deeply believed what Wang Fa had said before the match; they were convinced they would have enough abundant physical strength to support the entire match.

The more anxious Yuzhou Silver Elephants became, the calmer and more confident they were.

When the match reached seventy minutes, Hongjing Eighth Middle School seized a counterattack opportunity.

Chen Jianghe’s shot was saved by the Yuzhou Silver Elephants goalkeeper, but Qin Ao, who had followed up, scored on the rebound.

The referee blew the final whistle to end the match, and Lin Wanxing raised both hands and stood up.

With the final shrill whistle ringing in his ears, Zhou Hongbo’s head burned, and he couldn’t help but look again at the opponent’s rest area. Looking at the young man wearing the black baseball cap, a flash of insight struck his mind, and he remembered where he had seen him before.

The players, like unbridled horses, ran wildly toward the rest area.

The next moment, a hot sweaty smell hit her face. Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa were surrounded by hot, hard arms.

The sun was bright, the wind was gentle, and the autumn sun radiated brilliantly.

2-0!