Volume One: Our Own League 120: The First-Choice Center-Back Perfectly Neutralizes Xu He

Xu He turned his head toward Xu Donglai, who stood before the goal of the Class 16 football team. After a long moment, he said with unwavering determination, "I will definitely break through your goal."

Xu Donglai paused slightly, then gave a cold smile and replied, "I'll be waiting."

Their gazes met, hidden beneath the surface like the glint of swords.

Xu He immediately turned and walked slowly toward his own half, his hands clenched into fists. To himself, he thought, "Don't get cocky. I will break through the goal you are guarding, I promise."

With a loud thud, the Class 16 football team launched an attack.

Unfortunately, their offensive capabilities were truly abysmal. The ball was intercepted by Zhong Haokun as soon as it crossed the halfway line. Zhong Haokun’s defensive sweeping in the midfield was simply too overwhelming; the Class 16 players could not handle it at all.

However, the Class 16 players were not discouraged. They immediately turned and ran back to defend. Their primary thought was defense; offense was merely an afterthought, of little importance.

The Class 16 team set up a solid defensive block, guarding their territory tightly.

The ball reached Deng Ning, who immediately passed it to Zhu Ge up front. After receiving the ball, Zhu Ge turned with ease. Since he was still quite far from the Class 16 goal, the opposing players did not rush out to challenge him.

Once he turned, Zhu Ge immediately dribbled toward the Class 16 penalty area. Only then did the defensive players rush up to block his path.

Facing the incoming defender, Zhu Ge suddenly executed a sharp stop and a change of direction to bypass his opponent. But another defender moved too quickly, appearing right before him in an instant—a dangerous situation.

Zhu Ge had no choice but to poke the ball away. The ball rolled rapidly toward the flank, where Li Jie charged up and dribbled forward. Under pressure, he immediately played a through ball, and the ball rolled quickly to Lin Xuefeng’s feet.

After receiving the ball, Lin Xuefeng suddenly saw Xu He raising his hand to call for the pass at the far post. It was a prime position.

Xu He had originally been cutting diagonally into the penalty area, but halfway through, he suddenly changed direction and sprinted toward the far post. This caught the defender off guard; panicked, the defender turned and lunged toward Xu He with all his might. Even Zhuo Jun shifted horizontally toward Xu He, preparing to block him.

Xu He had reached a fantastic position; it was a perfect opportunity.

However, Lin Xuefeng did not pass the ball to Xu He. Instead, he suddenly whipped a low, sweeping cross toward the near post, where the ball rolled rapidly toward Zhang Zhen.

Zhang Zhen shook off his defender, locked his eyes on the incoming ball, and swung his leg for a sweeping shot. The ball flew toward the Class 16 goal with a whistle.

It was a dangerous shot, and the angle was incredibly tricky. The Class 16 students on the sidelines grew nervous, filled with worry. This goal was going to be lost!

Zhang Zhen even raised his right hand—he knew the shot was good.

*Snap!*

The monstrous Xu Donglai dove sideways and used a single palm to parry the ball over the end line.

Zhang Zhen’s shot had been beautiful; both the angle and power were superb, showcasing his exquisite shooting technique. Yet, Xu Donglai had managed to save it.

Zhang Zhen held his head in disbelief, muttering, "Damn it, is this guy using a cheat code?"

It was truly unbelievable. To be able to save that ball—Xu Donglai was playing like a god.

Xu He was equally shocked. *Is Xu Donglai even human? How could he save that?* This guy was proving to be an incredibly difficult opponent.

Corner kick. Class 10 had earned a corner.

Xu He immediately entered the Class 16 penalty area. Zhuo Jun followed him instantly, sticking to him like glue and refusing to give him any space.

Xu He frowned slightly, turned to look at Zhuo Jun, and said, "Do you take me for Yang Xin? Why are you sticking to me like this?"

Zhuo Jun gave a faint smile and replied, "I am well aware of your abilities. I certainly won't give you any chances. I’ll be following you for the rest of the match."

At that moment, Xu He didn't know whether to feel frustrated or flattered. Zhuo Jun acknowledged his talent, but this man-marking meant that breaking through Xu Donglai's goal would be even harder.

However, Xu He felt neither fear nor the urge to give up.

He looked back at Zhuo Jun and said calmly, "Follow me if you want. But let me tell you this: even if you follow me like this, I will definitely score in this match."

Zhuo Jun kept smiling at him. "Is that so? Then I look forward to it!"

Xu He nodded at Zhuo Jun and quickly moved toward the far post. As promised, Zhuo Jun followed him, clinging to him tightly and denying him any space. Xu He’s brow furrowed—this match was becoming difficult.

He walked toward the far edge of the penalty area, almost stepping out of it entirely. Yet, Zhuo Jun followed closely. Xu He frowned again. *Does Zhuo Jun overestimate me this much? Or does he underestimate his own teammates?* If you've run all the way out here, can the other Class 16 defenders really stop Zhang Zhen and the others?

Xu He walked directly to the edge of the large penalty area near the touchline and just stood there, far away from the heart of the attack. He wanted to see if Zhuo Jun would really stick to him as he claimed.

And sure enough, Zhuo Jun did exactly that. He arrived by Xu He’s side, seemingly ignoring the situation in the penalty area, as if he were intent on shadowing Xu He for the entire game.

Xu He frowned slightly and asked, "Are you really going to follow me the whole time?"

Zhuo Jun nodded. "In my eyes, you are the most dangerous player. Naturally, I must follow you and not give you any opportunity!"

Xu He couldn't help but offer a wry smile. Zhuo Jun was being ridiculous.

Just then, Lin Xuefeng curled the corner kick toward the center of the penalty area. Zhong Haokun jumped high to meet the ball for a header.

Unfortunately, the ball grazed the top of his head, flew across the width of the penalty area, and landed right in front of Xu He. Xu He immediately extended his leg to trap the ball, but with a sharp *thud*, Zhuo Jun’s leg shot out and poked the ball over the end line.

Another corner kick for Class 10.

Zhuo Jun looked at Xu He and said, "See? Isn't your team always relying on you as the spearhead of their attack?"

Xu He curled his lip and ignored him. He turned and walked quickly back into the penalty area, heading toward the opposite edge of the box. Zhuo Jun didn't know what Xu He was planning, but he followed closely, sticking to him like a shadow.

Xu He felt the pressure; Zhuo Jun had truly become his personal burr today.

Lin Xuefeng switched to the other side to take the corner. He whipped an arc into the box, and the ball flew in rapidly. At the near post, Zhang Zhen jumped to contest the header, but he couldn't get high enough, and the ball sailed over his head.

In the center, Zhu Ge jumped high, towering over the Class 16 defenders to head the ball toward the goal.

Unfortunately, he couldn't keep his header down, and the ball flew over the crossbar.

Class 10 had wasted another opportunity.

However, they soon mounted a comeback, with Zhong Haokun intercepting the ball in midfield once again. He passed it to Deng Ning nearby, who played a diagonal through ball to Lin Xuefeng on the wing. After receiving the ball, Lin Xuefeng looked up into the penalty area and saw Xu He sprinting toward the far post.

Unfortunately, Zhuo Jun was right on his heels; Xu He hadn't managed to shake him off completely.

If he passed the ball now, Xu He might not have a clean shot. He hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation, Zhuo Jun completely caught up to Xu He, leaving him with no chance at all.

Xu He sighed. He had just managed to find a pocket of space, but Lin Xuefeng’s hesitation had ruined it. Otherwise, he would have had a chance to shoot and break through Xu Donglai's goal.

It was a real pity.

Seeing Lin Xuefeng hesitate, he passed the ball to the overlapping fullback, Li Jie. The Class 16 defenders rushed toward Li Jie, but instead of stopping the ball, Li Jie quickly pushed it back to Lin Xuefeng.

Lin Xuefeng dribbled inward toward the penalty area. The girls on the sidelines cheered loudly, rooting for him.

Lin Xuefeng shimmied past one defender and unleashed a powerful shot. The ball whistled through the air but veered just wide of the goal.

Class 10 had missed another great opportunity.

Class 10 had completely seized control of the tempo and the flow of the game. Soon, they launched another attack. Zhu Ge played a through ball to the sprinting Xu He. Xu He used his speed to shake off Zhuo Jun and found himself face-to-face with the goalkeeper, Xu Donglai.

*A chance!*

*Thud!*

Zhuo Jun, who had been behind Xu He, suddenly slid in with a tackle, stretched out a leg, and poked the ball away from Xu He’s feet. The ball rolled safely into Xu Donglai’s arms.

Zhuo Jun had successfully defended the play, destroying Xu He’s golden opportunity.

Xu He’s brow furrowed. He had thought he had completely left Zhuo Jun behind and was certain he would score, but he hadn't expected Zhuo Jun to slide in from behind and clear the ball first.

Xu He glared at Zhuo Jun, feeling immense pressure. Ever since Zhuo Jun began marking him, his chances had become fewer and fewer. Moreover, the few chances he did have were being dismantled by Zhuo Jun. He felt like he had almost no impact on the game.

He was completely suppressed by Zhuo Jun.

Xu He felt a jolt of alarm. *This Zhuo Jun is truly formidable. He is truly worthy of being the number one center-back of Jinguancheng No. 17 High School!*

Xu He glanced at Zhuo Jun and thought to himself, "But I won't give up. I will score in this match. I will break through Xu Donglai's goal!"

Xu He clenched his fists and swore in his heart that he would score.

He became even more focused and dedicated, working harder, expanding his range of movement, and actively searching for a breakthrough. He firmly believed that he would not lose to Zhuo Jun or Xu Donglai; he would score today.

Xu He looked at Zhuo Jun once more, then quickly ran out of the penalty area to prepare for the next attack.

On the other side, Deng Ning intercepted a long ball from the Class 16 team and launched a long pass, sending the ball directly to Xu He as he retreated out of the box.

Xu He was open—this was a good chance!

Seeing the ball flying toward him, Xu He’s eyes lit up. *My chance has arrived!*

*Watch this, Zhuo Jun, Xu Donglai—Xu He is coming!*

Xu He immediately glanced at Zhuo Jun, who was running toward him. He used his body to block Zhuo Jun’s path, puffed out his chest, and brought the ball down.

As soon as the ball came to a stop, Xu He felt Zhuo Jun rushing up behind him.

Zhuo Jun had not yet planted his feet firmly.

*A chance!*