Chapter 131: The Resistance of the Liberation Army

November 5th, Qingdao.

The Tiantai Stadium, capable of holding twenty thousand spectators, was packed to capacity. Qingdao Sea Breeze’s opponent for this match was the Nanchang PLA. For the visitors, trailing Qingdao Sea Breeze by five points, only a victory here followed by another win in the final round would give them a chance to squeeze out Qingdao and secure a spot in the promotion-relegation playoffs.

The Nanchang PLA currently trailed Dalian Waves by seven points; direct relegation survival was already mathematically impossible.

The predecessor of the Nanchang PLA was the once-fearsome PLA Bayi Football Team. However, after the professionalization of the league, lacking sufficient capital investment and constrained by a unique system that prohibited the signing of foreign players, the former Jia-A powerhouse had struggled for several seasons before being relegated to Jia-B. They had been unable to climb back up since, and this year, despite moving their home ground repeatedly, they remained mired in the struggle of the China League.

As things stood, this historically renowned team seemed destined for relegation to the China League Two, and they might face dissolution. Unlike other teams across China, they lacked the support of a corporate entity and remained a publicly-owned institution.

Yet, the Nanchang PLA still clung to a sliver of hope. Even though they could not see the end of the tunnel—not knowing when they might receive the healthy capital injection and stable operations enjoyed by other clubs—the players remained determined to fight until the very last moment.

Long Bisheng stood in the players’ tunnel, staring in a trance at a figure in the opposing line.

Qi Zhi, standing behind him, nudged him with his elbow. "Long, what are you daydreaming about?"

Long Bisheng snapped back to reality. "Nothing..."

"You need to perform well later. I’ll be sending you crosses from the wing," Qi Zhi said with a confident smile. "Don't be nervous. We’ll definitely take this match."

Long Bisheng returned the smile. In training, aside from the captain Liu Ziyan, it was Qi Zhi who provided the most crosses for him. At first, he had assumed Qi Zhi’s surname was Qi, only to learn later that it was "Qi," a rather rare surname.

Long Bisheng didn't mention that his distraction wasn't due to anything else, but because he had seen an acquaintance—someone he had grown up with, yet who had always been cold and indifferent during their rare encounters.

Having come from the Bayi youth team, Fan Pengfei had been loaned by Dalian Oriental to the Nanchang PLA after being promoted from the reserve squad this year. After initially sitting on the bench, Fan Pengfei had gradually secured a starting position through excellent performances as a substitute. In the last two league rounds, Nanchang Bayi had relied on his goals to win, keeping them in the difficult pursuit of Qingdao Sea Breeze and maintaining a thread of hope for survival.

Meeting again in a China League match after their encounter in a youth invitational, they were once again serving different masters. But this time, the outcome was tied to the brutal battle for relegation. Unlike last time, Long Bisheng did not rush over to greet him with excitement. From the calm expression on Fan Pengfei’s face, he sensed a faint dissatisfaction from this proud boy he had grown up with.

With the match about to begin, Long Bisheng kept his questions to himself. This game was crucial for Qingdao Sea Breeze, and it was equally important to him.

***

A reconnaissance battalion of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Several lieutenants and second lieutenants watched with helplessness as two middle-aged men argued. One was their battalion commander, the other their political instructor. Usually, they were a perfect match; the commander’s ferocity and the instructor’s meticulous kindness were models of civil-military cooperation. But today, they were locked in a dispute that left everyone else unable to intervene.

The focus of the argument was not military affairs, but their two outstanding sons. Having two professional footballers emerge from a military compound was remarkable, but now that their teams were facing off, the two fathers, usually the best of friends, began a fierce debate over which team would win. Long Yuyun kept rolling up his sleeves in a display of physical intimidation, while Fan Yuhan utilized his skills as a political instructor to leave Long Yuyun unable to decide whether to actually throw a punch or not.

The argument eventually evolved into a bet: the two red-faced men wagered on who would treat all the commissioned officers in the battalion to a meal on their next day off—not at the base canteen, but at the best hotel in the nearby town!

The officers nearby beamed. They welcomed such bets; regardless of who won or lost, they were the ones who benefited. It was a shame, they thought, that such situations were rare. Why couldn't their commanders' sons meet more often?

They were just starting their professional careers, so there would surely be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. The political instructor was usually stingy, and the once-generous battalion commander had become tight-fisted after sending his son to play football, so such opportunities were truly rare.

As the officers mused, Long Yuyun and Fan Yuhan turned their eyes to the television screen. The players were taking the field!

The Nanchang PLA was desperate.

This team, composed mostly of military children, had lacked morale due to issues with compensation and structure, but facing the threat of relegation, the grit and blood of soldiers had been fully ignited. None of them wanted to see their pride relegated to League Two, as everyone knew that would likely mean the team’s dissolution. With the Football Association banning the relocation of clubs, even being sold as a whole unit was a pipe dream. Two years ago, the FA had made a special exception for the PLA team to move to Nanchang, but their stance was clear: "This is the only time, no exceptions!"

So, in the final rounds, despite the lack of bonuses and low morale, they displayed a soldier’s tenacity, keeping their survival hopes alive until today.

At kickoff, the Nanchang PLA seized the initiative and launched a massive offensive. Within ten minutes, they had three shots, forcing goalkeeper Han Feng to make a brilliant save.

Seeing his team on the back foot, Cai Sheng on the sidelines was not overly concerned. The previous match had given him a taste of success. While he needed this win, it was clear his opponents needed it more. Given their situation, this疯狂 (frenzied) attacking style was likely just a flash in the pan. Once the opponent's momentum faded, launching a counterattack would achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Cai Sheng had great confidence in Qingdao Sea Breeze’s defense.

However, Cai Sheng had not been a coach for long, and he did not fully understand the energy the PLA team could unleash in times of crisis. Fifteen minutes passed, and the Nanchang PLA’s offense continued to surge like a raging tide without the slightest sign of weakening!

People always burst with energy in times of crisis, but it rarely lasts. If the Nanchang PLA could have maintained this form throughout the season, they wouldn't be considering relegation—they’d be thinking about promotion to the Super League!

***

Human spiritual strength can sometimes overcome physical limitations, but only sometimes.

Li Erlong was in a bad mood.

As one of the well-known "butchers" in the China League, he didn't just rely on fouls to hold his place on the pitch. In fact, he was an experienced defensive midfielder, active in his running and fierce in his tackles. He was a formidable barrier in front of the penalty area, making him an indispensable starter for Qingdao Sea Breeze despite his tendency to collect cards.

But in this match, that skinny little forward from the other side had already slipped past him twice. To Li Erlong, this was not just a loss of face; it was an insult.

So, when Fan Pengfei tried to dribble past him for the third time, Li Erlong unceremoniously tackled him, sending the small but arrogant kid rolling on the ground.

Li Erlong was arrogant himself, and arrogant people often dislike seeing others act the same way. After the tackle, he showed no remorse, instead wearing a smirk that further incensed the opposing players.

Although the referee stepped in to prevent a full-scale conflict, the atmosphere on the pitch had clearly grown more volatile.

The Nanchang PLA was awarded a direct free kick twenty-five meters out. It was a dangerous position, and all of Qingdao Sea Breeze’s players retreated to defend, with Long Bisheng even dropping into the box to prepare for a high ball.

But the opponents didn't shoot directly. Instead, they played a short pass to Fan Pengfei at the edge of the box.

Fan Pengfei executed a beautiful stop and turn, immediately breaking into the area. Facing the rushing Lu Dashan, he feinted repeatedly with his feet, leaving the hesitant Lu Dashan dizzy. After shaking him off, Fan Pengfei suddenly struck the ball from a tight angle before anyone could react!

The ball carved an arc through the air, bypassed Han Feng’s outstretched hand, and buried itself in the top right corner of the net!