Book One: Our Own League — Chapter 141: My Heart Goes Out to Zhong Haokun and Zhu Ge

Xu He sat in the stands, observing the match. His primary focus was the combined team of eighth and ninth-grade seniors across the field; they would be their future opponents, and gaining insight into their style of play was crucial.

He watched with great intensity. As the match began, the two sides seemed evenly matched. Or perhaps, they were both in a tentative phase, holding back their full strength, which created the illusion of parity.

Zhuo Jun, sitting beside Xu He, suddenly remarked, "The balance will be broken soon."

Xu He turned to look at Zhuo Jun, then back at the pitch, suddenly understanding why his companion had said that. The players on both sides were desperate to showcase their individual skills to stand out from the crowd. Consequently, there was an overabundance of individual play and a distinct lack of collective cohesion.

This was particularly evident in the Grade 7 Team A. They knew there were too many players and limited playing time for each, so they were determined to highlight their own merits to the coaching staff during their brief stints on the field. Gradually, the team began to fall into disarray.

Even though Zhu Ge was in the middle, constantly shouting, waving his arms, and directing traffic, the Grade 7 players ignored him. This left Zhu Ge feeling helpless, frustrated, and angry. He had never encountered such a situation before.

At this moment, Zhu Ge found himself in a difficult position. Yet, Xu He noticed that Zhu Ge did not let his anger manifest on the pitch; he remained calm and composed. Setting aside his emotions, he focused on supporting those who were eager to shine, acting as the team's anchor. He spent the game organizing the midfield and facilitating attacks. However, more often than not, once the ball left his feet, it never returned, leaving him exhausted.

Naturally, this gave his midfield partner, Zhong Haokun, more opportunities to stand out. It was clear that individual heroics could not overcome the opponent's superior teamwork. Those obsessed with showing off often found themselves cornered, only to have the ball easily intercepted by the seniors, who would then launch fierce counterattacks.

It was here that Zhong Haokun’s exceptional defensive ability shone. His defensive coverage was immense, and his aggressive tackling created immense pressure. Even the older seniors felt intimidated by his presence. Thus, Zhong Haokun stood out as the best-performing player for Grade 7 Team A so far. He effectively contained most of the combined team's attacks.

Seeing this, Zhuo Jun couldn't help but sigh, "As expected, Zhong Haokun is still Zhong Haokun. The defensive pressure he exerts is truly immense; few can withstand it!"

Xu He nodded in agreement. They often faced each other in training, and Xu He knew exactly how stifling that pressure was. Even after training against him daily, he still felt it. That was what made Zhong Haokun so formidable.

"Zhong Haokun is one of the few bright spots," Xu He added. "Our side is playing far too loosely; it doesn't look like a team at all."

Zhuo Jun nodded, fully agreeing. Xu Dongsheng, sitting not far away, overheard their conversation and his eyes lit up. *These two young men are sharp,* he thought. *They can actually see the bigger picture.* His expectations for the duo rose.

Aside from Zhong Haokun, the next best performer was Zhu Ge. Because Zhong Haokun habitually passed to him after winning the ball, Zhu Ge saw plenty of action. Yet, unlike his peers, he didn't play recklessly. He dictated the tempo, only attempting to shine when a genuine opportunity arose.

Moments ago, he had received a pass from Zhong Haokun and surged forward. The combined team, expecting another one of his routine passes, lowered their guard. Zhu Ge seized the moment, accelerating with the ball to break through the defense, catching the opposition off guard. He executed a series of sharp changes in direction, reached the edge of the penalty area, and fired a long-range shot. The ball whistled toward the goal with high quality, though the opposing goalkeeper managed to tip it over the crossbar. It was the best chance Grade 7 Team A had created thus far.

Zhu Ge turned to applaud Zhong Haokun, acknowledging his stellar performance. Aside from that instance, Zhu Ge’s play was otherwise unremarkable. But to Xu He and Zhuo Jun, he remained outstanding because his play was incredibly rational—like a precision machine. His stability was his strength.

Xu He looked at Zhuo Jun, as if to say, "The coach must see it now, right?"

Seeing Zhu Ge’s success, the other Grade 7 players became even more stimulated, obsessively chasing individual glory. Once they touched the ball, they lost all sense of tactical discipline, diving into reckless solo runs. This quickly paralyzed the team's attack.

To be honest, the match was far too easy for the combined team. They controlled the flow, with the "Beckham" of the wings, Chen Wei, and the "Zidane" of the midfield, Qi Dan, working in perfect sync. After a series of crisp passes, the Grade 7 defense collapsed. Chen Wei sent in a beautiful, curling cross. The ball flew toward the center, but Liu Peng, the Grade 7 defender, leaped ahead of the opposing striker and headed it away.

"Beautiful," Xu He and Zhuo Jun smiled. Liu Peng never disappointed in aerial defense.

However, the combined team soon found the net. After "Zidane" bypassed several defenders with quick changes of direction, he sent a through ball past the defense just before Zhong Haokun could close him down. The combined team’s No. 9 striker charged into the box, held off the center-back, and blasted the ball into the net with his right foot. 1-0. The deadlock was broken.

"The opposition is quite strong," Zhuo Jun noted. "They are balanced and play like a cohesive unit. It will be tough to beat them."

Xu He agreed. On the field, the situation worsened for Grade 7 Team A. Zhu Ge continued to plead for teamwork, but the others remained self-absorbed. Zhu Ge was speechless; he found himself missing teammates like Xu He, Lin Xuefeng, and Zhang Zhen. *This isn't football,* he thought, feeling disgusted by the display.

On the sidelines, Yang Tongmingxiong and Luo Dongqing looked grim. They had emphasized collective play repeatedly, but the players had clearly ignored them. They were furious yet helpless. Yang almost called a halt to the match to reprimand the players, but he refrained, feeling it would be unfair to the others and that these particular players weren't worth the effort.

Xu He turned to his teammates and said, "When we play this afternoon, we must not be like them. Look at those who are obsessed with showing off—have they actually demonstrated their true ability? No. Individual excellence is only possible when the team performs well. If the collective fails, individual efforts are meaningless."

His teammates listened intently, nodding. Xu Dongsheng, watching from nearby, looked at Xu He with deep admiration.

"Those who only care about themselves usually end up performing poorly, and the team suffers too," Xu He continued. "It leaves a terrible impression on the coaches!"

The others, witnessing the chaos of Grade 7 Team A, realized he was right. The team was abysmal, and those desperate to stand out looked amateurish. They felt a sense of relief.

The combined team scored again. Chen Wei’s precise cross found the No. 9 striker, who took a moment to adjust before blasting it into the net. It was a risky move, as he nearly lost the ball to Liu Peng, but the shot was clinical.

Xu He couldn't help but feel sympathy for Zhu Ge and Zhong Haokun. They were being dragged down by their teammates. Despite the frustration, the duo never gave up. Finally, late in the first half, their efforts paid off. Zhong Haokun intercepted the ball and fed Zhu Ge, who threaded a perfect through ball to He Xiaoke. The striker timed his run perfectly and poked the ball home.

However, the disarray returned immediately. The combined team surged back, with "Zidane" and "Beckham" executing a wall pass before Beckham lofted a beautiful cross into the box. The No. 9 striker leaped and diverted the ball into the goal with his right foot.

3-1.