Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 26: Is His Head Really Made of Iron?

Xu He fixed his eyes on the incoming ball and swung his leg with ferocious speed, roaring inwardly, “Get in there!”
Bang!
His right leg was like a baseball bat, smashing hard into the flying ball.
In a flash, the football changed direction, streaking toward the goal of the Class 58 United team like a bolt of white light.
Danger!
The players of Class 58 United were startled, their faces paling.
The number one goalkeeper stood before the goal, frozen, unable to react.
On the sidelines, many supporters of Class Ten waved their fists, certain the ball would go in.
Lin Xuefeng was already punching the air in celebration.
But, alas, the ball shot swiftly over the crossbar and out past the end line.
No goal!
Xu He had launched a high shot!
He had already prepared himself to celebrate in passion, but seeing the result, he was in disbelief, clutching his head, regretful.
How did it not go in?
He should have scored.
Xu He was full of remorse, but he did not avoid responsibility; immediately, he waved to Lin Xuefeng on the flank, indicating the error was his, that he had squandered the opportunity.
Though disappointed, Lin Xuefeng did not blame Xu He.
After all, no one can guarantee a goal with every chance—even superstars like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo cannot.
Lin Xuefeng gestured to Xu He, telling him not to dwell on it.
The captain, Zhu Ge, walked over, patted Xu He on the shoulder, and said, “Good job. Keep going, aim for the next goal. Come on.”
Other teammates also offered encouragement.
Xu He was deeply moved, warmth filling his heart, gratitude welling within him.
He looked firmly at his teammates, thinking, “Next time, I’ll definitely score!”
Xu He glanced at the opposing goal, then jogged slowly back, ready to continue the match.
On the sidelines, Li Liying shouted, “Go, Xu He!”
Xu He couldn’t help but look her way, waving his fist in promise that he would try his best.
As he retreated, Xu He noticed a guy with black-rimmed glasses approaching him, saying, “You scared me half to death, almost gave me a nasty surprise!”
Xu He took a closer look and recognized him.
It was Yuan Fang, a former teammate, now unexpectedly playing for Class 58 United.
Xu He knew him—his speed wasn’t great, but his passing from the wing was precise, and he could spot gaps; a formidable player.
Xu He immediately became wary; the opponent was no pushover.
Xu He joked to Yuan Fang, “What surprise? It was clearly a high shot! I really embarrassed myself, and you’re teasing me.”
Yuan Fang shook his head slightly, replying, “I know how good you are; don’t try to fool me!”
With that, Yuan Fang ran ahead to join the attack.
Class 58 United launched their attack, Yuan Fang joining in.
Because Xu He was quick, good at moving up and down the field, and had decent stamina, Mu Yang had tasked him with both defense and attack.
So Xu He dropped back to defend.
But before he could get into position, Yuan Fang sent in a beautiful curling cross from the wing, looping over the heads of Class Ten’s central defenders, landing precisely on the head of Class 58 United’s number nine striker.
The number nine headed the ball toward goal, but failed to control it, sending it over the crossbar.
Class 58 United’s players were full of regret, so close to scoring.
Unfortunately, their number nine wasn’t skilled at heading, otherwise the ball would surely have gone in.
At that moment, all the players of Class 58 United turned their eyes toward the big bald man in midfield, full of disappointment.

Xu He was puzzled.
Why were they all looking at the bald guy? Was he really good at heading?
Xu He didn’t dwell on it, immediately turning to attack.
Class Ten began their offensive, the girls on the sidelines calling Lin Xuefeng’s name, hoping that every attack would start with him, so he could get the ball as much as possible.
This time, however, Class Ten didn’t attack from the wings.
Mu Yang and Zhu Ge organized an attack through the center, then Mu Yang shouted, “Xu He, push up!”
He sent a mid-height ball, splitting the defense.
Xu He saw the pass and his heart leapt—what a chance.
He raced forward, waiting for the ball to arrive so he could go one-on-one with the keeper.
This time, he was confident he’d score.
Bang!
A loud crash sounded.
The ball was intercepted halfway by none other than the big bald man from Class 58 United—and to everyone’s shock, he had used his shiny, gleaming head to stop the pass.
Faced with the powerful, fast mid-height ball, the bald man showed no fear, bent low, and crashed his head into the ball with a thud, sending it flying out.
The ball shot forward, leaving everyone dumbfounded, rocketing toward the front.
The players of Class Ten were caught off guard.
Even Xu He was stunned.
He shrank back a bit, an ache forming in his head.
The way the bald man intercepted the pass with his head was truly terrifying—the pass had so much force, yet he stopped it with his head…
Just watching was enough to make your head hurt.
Xu He was speechless with shock.
Was the guy’s skull made of iron?
The spectators were also startled by the fierce header, many instinctively shrinking their heads in fear.
Even the players on the field felt a surge of dread.
They played football and knew how painful heading could be. Many times, during matches or training, they’d pull back their heads in fear just before heading the ball.
They never expected to encounter such a fierce player today.
Counterattack!
Class 58 United had a golden opportunity.
The ball, sent flying by the bald man’s head, traveled more than thirty meters, landing straight at the feet of their number eleven striker.
Just as Class Ten pressed forward, leaving their defense exposed, their minds were still reeling from the bald man’s interception, unable to react in time. By the time they did, the number eleven had already broken into the penalty area. The defenders of Class Ten rushed in, swarming him from all sides.
At that moment, the number eleven gently pushed the ball sideways, passing to the far post.
Yuan Fang, arriving at the far post, easily slotted the ball into the net.
Goalkeeper Wang Xu reacted well, but his hesitation to dive quickly meant he didn’t move; the ball rolled into the goal.
Clearly, they were not professionals.
Sometimes, they even seemed quite amateurish.
But they still played with joy.
Yuan Fang, the scorer, was ecstatic—he ran to the sidelines, leaping in the air, spun around, and when he landed, swung his thin arms back fiercely, roaring, “Rua～～”
Yuan Fang celebrated in the style of Cristiano Ronaldo.
His teammates rushed to him, gathering in excitement, and even classmates on the sidelines called his name, their voices sounding distinctly feminine.
Did the bespectacled Yuan Fang have his own fangirls?
Xu He cared nothing for that; his mood was heavy.

The opponents had scored, and he needed to respond.
The match restarted, and Xu He grew more active, running back and forth up front. Suddenly, he received a diagonal long pass from Li Jie on the wing, moved to the flank, glanced at the penalty area, and sent in a cross.
The ball whistled into the box.
It was a pinpoint pass, the ball speeding toward Zhang Zhen’s head in the penalty area.
A golden chance!
All the Class Ten players thought the opportunity had arrived—this would surely be a goal.
Bang!
A gleaming bald head beat Zhang Zhen to the ball, hammering it out.
It was truly fierce!
The ball shot rapidly toward midfield, a clearance so powerful the crowd gasped.
The thunderous sound made everyone clutch their heads in sympathy. They wondered, did the bald man not feel pain?
Was his head truly made of iron?
After landing, the bald man was unfazed, rushing forward, signaling his teammates to attack with all their might.
This time, Class 58 United’s attack didn’t materialize.
Zhong Haokun pressed aggressively, intercepting the ball.
Zhong Haokun covered a huge area defensively and was very aggressive; opponents were intimidated by his large frame. When they tried to match his strength, they quickly lost control of the ball.
Gradually, Zhong Haokun helped stabilize the team’s situation.
His presence as a defensive midfielder was invaluable.
Bang!
Once again, the bald man headed the ball out.
This time, everyone was even more astonished.
The pass was barely off the ground, almost a rolling ball, but the bald man bent down and still managed to head it clear.
Hiss!
Everyone sucked in a breath!
The guy was a true monster!
Xu He was dumbfounded—could it get any more exaggerated? Why not lie flat on the ground and head the ball?
Absurd!
The bald man was truly a phenomenon.
Seventeen or eighteen minutes into the match, the bald man had touched the ball about thirteen times—eleven of them with his head. It was as if he really played football with his head.
Xu He was amazed.
Today he had seen it all.
“Xu He, incoming!” Suddenly, Li Jie on the wing shouted, sending the ball rapidly toward Xu He.
Seeing the ball approach, Xu He raised his leg with ease, bringing it under control.
On the far side, Lin Xuefeng was surging forward, hand raised.
Xu He’s eyes lit up—an opportunity.
Bang!
Xu He delivered a low, slicing pass, sending the ball hard toward the far post.
It flew straight to Lin Xuefeng.
Chance!
Lin Xuefeng, facing the ball, swung his left leg and struck it fiercely.
Bang!
His left leg made solid contact, the ball streaking toward Class 58 United’s goal like a lightning bolt.
All the supporters of Class Ten rose to their feet, eyes fixed hopefully on the speeding ball, hearts roaring, “Goal!”