Volume One: Our Own League 128: This Sudden and Startling Turn of Events

It was a bright, sunny Friday with a gentle breeze. The weather was perfect—not a drop of rain. Xu He was in a wonderful mood; it was truly a glorious day for soccer. Naturally, he was also bursting with excitement, as the school team tryouts were finally upon him. He could hardly wait.

In fact, he had noticed people preparing on the field as soon as he arrived at school. They were setting up the testing grounds, readying everything for the afternoon’s selections. Yes, the tryouts for the Jingguancheng No. 17 Middle School team would take place that afternoon. To accommodate the event, the school had dismissed classes early, leaving Friday afternoon free. Upon hearing the news, Xu He had been understandably thrilled.

Still, he remained diligent throughout the morning, completing all his lessons. After all, while the tryouts were important, so was his education. Once the morning session concluded, school was out. While students who hadn't signed up for the tryouts left early to begin their weekend, those participating remained behind, eager for the challenge. The other students were overjoyed at the prospect of an unexpected half-day off, especially since there were no extracurricular classes to worry about—it was a true holiday for them.

Xu He and his friend Li Jie went to the school cafeteria for lunch together. Xu He treated himself to a hearty meal: a braised lion's head meatball, a serving of fish, and vegetables. He felt he deserved the reward.

After lunch, there was nearly an hour of downtime before the tryouts officially commenced. Impatient and restless, many students headed toward the field to catch a glimpse of the setup. However, they returned empty-handed, as the field was still being prepared and off-limits to everyone. Xu He, who had intended to go, decided against it once he heard the news. Not knowing how to kill the remaining hour, he soon found his crowd.

The players from the Class 10 soccer team had gathered, chatting nervously. The tryouts were a massive deal to them, and despite their outward appearances, a sense of anxiety lingered. After all, no one was truly certain they would make the cut. Even the usually confident Zhu Ge seemed tense.

However, Xu He noticed one person who looked completely unfazed: Mu Yang.

Mu Yang was sitting with the rest of the team, right next to Zhu Ge. He displayed his usual cool, detached expression, showing no signs of nerves. Xu He walked straight up to him and asked, "Captain Mu, it’s good to see you! I was starting to think you weren't going to participate in the tryouts."

"The school team? Of course I'm participating," Mu Yang replied coolly. Ever since news of the team’s formation broke, Mu Yang had been even more enthusiastic than the others. It was clear from the start that he had set his sights on joining. He possessed absolute confidence in his ability to make the squad.

Xu He nodded slightly. "I figured you would. It would be a huge loss for our school if you didn't!"

The others chimed in, echoing his sentiment. They held Mu Yang in high regard; his skill was arguably the best in the school. His absence would undoubtedly be a significant blow to the team's strength.

"You exaggerate," Mu Yang replied with characteristic modesty.

"Why haven't you been training with the team lately?" Xu He asked.

Everyone turned to look at Mu Yang, eager for the answer to the question that had been on their minds.

"Family matters," Mu Yang said dismissively. Zhu Ge had asked him the same thing earlier, and Mu Yang had given the same vague answer, shutting down any further inquiries. Now was no different. Seeing his reluctance, Xu He and the others let the subject drop.

"Captain, you must be confident you'll pass the tryouts and make the team, right?" Xu He asked. Everyone agreed that if someone with Mu Yang’s talent—his exceptional physique, his solid, textbook-perfect technique, and his natural leadership—couldn't make the team, then no one could. Even Xu He, who had learned a great deal from watching Mu Yang, was sure of his success. And, he hoped, he would pass as well.

Mu Yang nodded coolly. "We will definitely pass."

The confidence was palpable. Nobody doubted him; they all believed he would breeze through the assessments. Xu He gave him a thumbs-up, truly impressed. He secretly hoped that one day, he, too, could speak with such conviction. *Keep working hard, Xu He,* he told himself, clenching his fist. *You'll get there one day.* His first goal was simple: pass the tryouts.

"Old Mu," Zhu Ge suddenly interjected, "why don't you tell everyone how soccer schools usually test newcomers? Let us know what to expect so we don't panic."

Everyone leaned in, Xu He included. Mu Yang, feeling the weight of their collective gaze, didn't seem pressured. "The assessment is simple," he said coolly.

The group shared a wry smile—simple for him, perhaps, but daunting for the rest of them.

"It consists of two parts," Mu Yang continued, "without the ball and with the ball."

"Without the ball and with the ball?" Xu He asked, puzzled.

"Without the ball tests your physical fitness; with the ball tests your technical fundamentals," Mu Yang explained.

Just as the group began to grasp the nature of the test and prepared to ask for more details, the school’s loudspeaker crackled to life. "All students registered for the school soccer team tryouts, please report to the field immediately and assemble by class. The tryouts will begin in twenty minutes. Please hurry."

With that, the discussion ended. Mu Yang stood up and walked toward the field, eager to begin. Xu He and the others followed, heading toward the pitch.

Along the way, Xu He saw many familiar faces from the first-year soccer league, as well as many strangers. *Our school really is full of hidden talent,* he thought. He noticed some seniors from the second and third years as well. The competition for a spot on the team was going to be fierce, and for the first time, Xu He felt a flicker of doubt.

Once assembled on the field, Principal Wang stepped up to the podium. "Today, the Jingguancheng No. 17 Middle School soccer team is officially formed! We are now beginning our inaugural tryouts."

The crowd erupted into applause.

"Time is short," the principal continued. "We will begin immediately. Please welcome the head coach of our school team, Mr. Yontong Mingxiong, to the stage."

Xu He was stunned. *What? Who is Yontong Mingxiong? Wasn't Zheng Xiao supposed to be the coach?*

As Xu He stared in confusion, an elderly man wearing a black suit and sporting a samurai-style topknot walked onto the stage. Xu He was shocked, but Mu Yang’s reaction was far more intense. As he stared at the man on stage, the veins in Mu Yang’s forehead pulsed, his fists clenched, and his eyes burned with rage.

"Bullshit," Mu Yang hissed, his voice trembling. He hurled his water bottle onto the grass, turned on his heel, and stormed away.

Xu He stood frozen. Was Mu Yang really walking out on the tryouts?