Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 063: Xu He Is Their Savior

Substitution! Class Ten’s soccer team has requested a substitution.

Xu He replaces Jin Yubin, the fullback.

They’re changing formation. Class Ten shifts from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3. Clearly, they’re ready to go on the attack.

Li Liying shouted, “Xu He, go for it!”

On the sidelines, Lu Yiming turned his gaze to Xu He, curious to see what Xu He could do.

Taking a deep breath, Xu He ran onto the field, his heart pounding with excitement. Silently, he encouraged himself. He had to seize this opportunity.

Xu He, you can do this.

He immediately sprinted forward, joining the front line with Zhang Zhen and Yang Xin to form a three-pronged attack.

Yang Xin, as the center forward, took the central position, while Zhang Zhen and Xu He spread out to the left and right flanks.

The players from Class Nine’s soccer team grew tense, their nerves fraying as they watched Class Ten remove a defender and bring on a striker. Their anxiety was palpable.

Class Ten was already a formidable side, and now they had another forward to contend with—this would be no easy match.

Li Bo shouted loudly, “Everyone fall back! Pay attention to defense—defend, defend!”

His intention was plain: to defend their one-goal lead, hold the score until the end, and thus secure their place in the next round.

Class Nine’s players all shared this resolve.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the players from the joint team of Classes Five and Eight felt hope rekindled. It was clear Class Ten wasn’t just going through the motions—they were going all out.

This meant the Five-Eight joint team might still have a chance to advance.

They began to shout, “Come on, Class Ten! Score quickly—what you need now is a goal!”

The students from Class Nine looked askance at the Five-Eight joint team’s players.

Xu He, now on the attack, immediately felt crowded. It seemed every Class Nine player had packed into the defense, leaving little room to maneuver.

This match wouldn’t be easy.

The opponents had parked the bus—every inch of space before the penalty area was filled with bodies.

Breaking through would be tough for Xu He, but he didn’t back down. He continued searching for a crack in the defense.

Observing the defenders’ positions, he quickly drifted out wide, signaling his teammates for the ball.

Xu He pulled wide, but the defender didn’t follow, trusting the fullback to cover. However, midway through his run, Xu He suddenly burst forward through the gap between the defender and the fullback.

A brilliant run.

Li Liying’s eyes lit up. Xu He’s feint and diagonal run were impressive.

Unfortunately, Zhu Ge, the midfielder, didn’t pass to Xu He. Instead, he launched the ball across to the opposite wing.

Lin Xuefeng sprinted forward and managed to control the ball near the byline.

The girls on the sideline cheered, “Lin Xuefeng, you’re so handsome! Go for it!”

As soon as Lin Xuefeng settled the ball, a defender closed him down.

Feigning a breakthrough, Lin Xuefeng gently laid the ball back. Li Jie, arriving in support, didn’t hesitate. He swung his leg, curling in a cross towards the far post.

Class Nine’s defenders assumed the ball was aimed at Yang Xin in the box, so three of them converged from all directions, swarming him.

Yang Xin was so tall they could only hope to contain him with sheer numbers.

The three defenders worked in perfect unison and quickly surrounded Yang Xin, making it nearly impossible for him to jump.

This time, Class Nine’s defense held firm.

On the sidelines, Class Nine’s classmates breathed a sigh of relief. The danger seemed averted.

But suddenly, Li Bo shouted from the field, “Danger! Far post! Watch the far post!”

Li Bo’s heart went cold as he watched the trajectory of the ball. It wasn’t heading for the center at all—it was arcing towards the far post.

“Dammit, shameless!” he cursed.

Yang Xin had been a decoy, drawing everyone’s attention. The real threat was at the far post—the new substitute.

Li Bo felt a surge of despair.

Now, the defenders of Class Nine tried to react, but it was too late. The ball sped over their heads, dropping rapidly towards the far post.

There, Xu He from Class Ten had already shaken off his marker with a burst of speed and was charging toward the descending ball.

Class Ten’s classmates leapt to their feet, eyes sparkling with hope.

The players from the Five-Eight joint team also jumped up, thrilled—this was the perfect chance for Class Ten to equalize.

Beautiful!

Xu He, you must put that ball in the net.

Xu He had lost his marker with a change of pace, then used his extraordinary speed to break free. Alone, he raced to meet the ball.

No wonder Li Bo was so tense, even desperate.

Class Ten’s number 17 was through on goal, and at such close range—even if Li Bo had superhuman powers, this would be hard to stop.

Li Bo’s heart sank.

Yet outwardly, he remained calm, adopting an air of confidence as he roared at the onrushing Xu He, trying to intimidate him, to pile on the pressure and force a mistake.

Xu He, sprinting in, had no stray thoughts—he saw only the ball, with a single idea in his mind: score!

Li Bo’s lion-like roar made Xu He’s heart flutter, its impact undeniable.

But Xu He gritted his teeth and quickly steadied himself.

With everyone watching, Xu He flashed like a white bolt of lightning, racing to the ball. He pivoted, swung his arm, and raised his leg. His right leg, tensed like a drawn bow, was brimming with explosive power.

Zhang Zhen watched him intently, inwardly shouting, “Xu He, it’s time to show what you’ve learned!”

Li Jie’s eyes never left Xu He either, silently cheering him on. Zhu Ge, too, willed him to seize this chance.

All of Class Ten’s players fixed their eyes on Xu He, hope shining in their gazes.

Li Liying stared at him, her eyes sparkling.

As Xu He took aim, Li Bo spread his arms, charging toward the far post and roaring, “Come on, show me your so-called shooting skills!”

Li Bo glared fiercely at Xu He.

But Xu He paid him no mind. His gaze was locked on the ball, calculating the distance.

He waited and waited—and finally, the ball dropped before him.

Xu He read the ball’s trajectory perfectly, then, with a resounding snap, unleashed his right leg at the plummeting ball.

A volley without taking a touch!

The hearts of Class Ten’s players clenched with worry. They knew Xu He’s shooting ability, and such a difficult attempt would be hard to convert.

Was this golden chance about to be wasted?

They all prayed for a miracle.

Zhang Zhen watched every movement, his eyes brightening. “Yes, yes! That’s it—you’ve done it perfectly…”

In his eyes, Xu He’s shooting form was textbook—every movement executed flawlessly. He hadn’t expected Xu He to master the technique so quickly.

In fact, Xu He seemed to have surpassed his teacher, not only improving his basic shooting but also handling more complex finishes with aplomb.

Zhang Zhen clenched his fists. He was sure this shot would go in.

Yang Xin watched anxiously. Was he worried about Xu He wasting the chance—or about Xu He scoring and taking his starting spot?

Zhu Ge and Mu Yang fixed their gazes on Xu He, both inwardly shouting, “Xu He, score now!”

Go in!

With a burst of effort, Xu He swung his right leg, slicing through the air toward the falling ball.

Bang!

The ball thundered off the instep of his outstretched foot, deforming under the force, then rocketed away like a cannonball.

Li Bo’s pupils contracted in shock. The ball was too fast—heading straight for the goal, no float, no skyward shot, just a clean, powerful drive.

The quality of the volley was exceptionally high.

Li Bo panicked for an instant. He had little confidence in stopping this one.

But he didn’t give up. With a roar, he threw himself sideways, arms outstretched, diving with all his might to cover the near post.

Out! Get out!

Li Bo’s desperate dive sent a shiver through the Class Nine supporters.

With a piercing whistle, the ball shot like an arrow, slamming into the upper corner of Class Nine’s net.

The sheer power and speed were breathtaking.

Li Bo’s reactions were quick, but not enough. The ball flashed through his hands and into the net.

He had read the direction correctly, but his actions were just too slow.

No, it wasn’t that he was slow—the ball was simply too fast.

With a thud, Li Bo’s hefty frame crashed into the turf. It sounded painful, but he felt nothing but heartache.

Their hard-won lead was gone—his heart ached with the loss.

Class Ten’s supporters hadn’t even begun to cheer before the Five-Eight joint team erupted, leaping and shouting with joy. For them, this was a goal from heaven, lifting them out of despair and into hope once more.

Their hopes of advancing were reignited, the fire of belief burning anew.

Some who knew Xu He even shouted his name in jubilation.

Xu He was their savior.

As he watched the ball rocket into the net, Xu He himself was stunned. He hadn’t expected to score with his very first touch as a substitute. He was almost too surprised to react.

He stood there, dazed.