Chapter Sixty-Four: The List of Twenty-Three Names

Center Forward Without a Popup

Unlike others who were full of anticipation for the upcoming national football school youth team tournament, Long Bishi was not excited. It wasn’t that he didn’t value the competition, but that he believed his own abilities offered little chance of making the twenty-three-man roster. In his class, there were seven forwards, and at most, five would be selected. Long Bishi did not think he could outcompete the others.

Those who had persisted this long were all remarkable; the other six forwards each had their own strengths—some were fast, others technically skilled, some excelled at scoring, others had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Compared to them, Long Bishi’s only advantage was his physique. Unfortunately, on the football pitch, physicality alone was never enough.

Therefore, during this period, Long Bishi carried on as usual, showing no more enthusiasm than in ordinary days. In training, he neither rushed nor lagged, never appearing particularly excited. His usual diligence meant that, even these days, he blended in with the others, not standing out at all—especially now that even the laziest among them were working hard.

Another universally acknowledged candidate unlikely to make the roster was Liu Lin, the peculiar character from Dormitory 101. After a month of training, everyone had noticed his lack of skill; his efforts during practice were half-hearted. Strangely, though, the strict Ding Yu rarely chastised him, sometimes even chatting with him on the sidelines, which baffled everyone. Rumors began to circulate that Liu Lin was a relative of a high-ranking club official, but few believed this. After all, the only true executive at Yun Jia Tianyu Club was President Pei Wei, with everyone else working for him. Pei Wei was an orphan, with no family, and his wife Su Mei had no relatives named Liu. Besides, given Pei Wei’s character, such nepotism would never be tolerated.

Thus, Liu Lin became a mystery in everyone’s eyes; nobody could guess why Yun Jia Tianyu Football School had chosen him.

Liu Lin never bothered to explain, but thanks to his eloquence and social skills, he had good relations within the class and with students in other grades, making him the most well-connected among them.

Faced with the strong likelihood of not going to Beijing, both acknowledged underdogs seemed unbothered. Liu Lin continued to roam from dorm to dorm—except the girls’ dormitory—while Long Bishi kept up his extra training until nightfall, unchanged from his usual routine.

Except for the other six members of Dormitory 101, all the students believed that, though these two lagged behind in football skills, they deserved respect for their self-awareness.

******************************************

“Hey, I heard you’re about to go to Beijing for the tournament?”

With only three days left before departure, Long Bishi was about to take a nap during the classroom break to save energy for training later, when Ning Xi spoke up beside him.

Long Bishi looked up in confusion, turning to ask, “You’re asking me?”

“Who else would I ask, blockhead?” Ning Xi replied, a little annoyed. This guy could sleep anywhere; every break he was slumped over the desk. The more he did this, the more it irritated Ning Xi—was he so unwilling to even chat with her? Spurred by this thought, she decided to ask the question everyone in the school already knew as Long Bishi prepared to nap again.

He then realized the classroom was empty except for himself and Ning Xi; everyone else had gone out for some air.

“Heh.” Long Bishi scratched his head sheepishly. “Yeah, our class can send twenty-three people, but I doubt I’ll go. The other forwards are all better than me.”

“How can you give up without seeing the results? Are you just convinced you won’t make the roster?” Ning Xi said, frustrated. “You have to believe in yourself, comrade! Have you ever seen ‘Slam Dunk’? There’s a line in it: ‘Never give up until the end. If you give up, the game ends early.’ Isn’t it the same for you? If you give up now, you lose any chance of making the list!”

Page 2/3

“Hey, that’s actually pretty reasonable. I shouldn’t give up.” Long Bishi asked curiously, “What’s ‘Slam Dunk’? A novel? Is it any good?”

“It’s a manga! And it’s great,” Ning Xi replied.

“Manga? Not interested. I only like novels. Plus, isn’t ‘Slam Dunk’ about basketball? I don’t like basketball.”

“…Alright, you win,” Ning Xi said, speechless, ready to abandon the conversation—clearly, they had no common ground!

“Thank you, really. Thanks for your encouragement. I won’t give up. Even if I don’t make the twenty-three this time, I’ll fight for it next year!” Long Bishi looked at Ning Xi, sincerity in his eyes. “I hope you become a pro player and play in the women’s league!”

Looking at Long Bishi’s genuine expression, Ning Xi suddenly felt cheerful again. Smiling, she said, “That’s right, we both have to work hard… Desk mate, when you become a big star, don’t forget to thank me.”

“Heh…” Long Bishi didn’t know how to respond, so he just scratched his head and smiled.

********************************************

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

September 27 was a day all the junior students at Yun Jia Tianyu Football School had long anticipated. Today, the coaches would announce the twenty-three-man roster for each grade to go to Beijing for the tournament.

Perhaps by coincidence, all three grades had their training scheduled at the same time that afternoon, and the roster announcement would happen almost simultaneously, making it seem as if the coaches had conspired to heighten suspense until the very last moment.

“Alright, I think everyone knows. In five days, on October 2, the national youth team tournament organized by the Football Association will take place in Beijing. To avoid the tourist rush during Golden Week, we’ll leave for Beijing tomorrow. Now, I’ll announce the twenty-three-man roster reported to the event committee.”

As Ding Yu spoke, everyone listened intently; even Long Bishi was all ears. Only Liu Lin stood among the crowd with a relaxed smile, unaffected by any tension.

“Three goalkeepers: Wu Bufan, Cui Dayong, Li Tao.” Ding Yu didn’t refer to any list, simply calling out names. “Step forward when your name is called.”

Wu Bufan was the first to step forward, the undisputed top goalkeeper of the grade. For him, making the roster was a given.

With three goalkeepers selected, everyone realized that competition for other positions would be even fiercer.

Page 3/3

“Defenders: Li Jie, Liu Jun, Zhao Yi…” Ding Yu called names one by one, and the chosen students stepped forward. The once-dense formation grew sparse.

“Midfielders: Hu Gantang, Dai Guangming, Zhang Yi, Zhou Wei…”

When it came to the forwards, all seven tensed. They had counted: Ding Yu had already named nineteen players, so only four forwards would go to Beijing—almost half would be cut!

“Finally, the forwards.” Ding Yu glanced at Long Bishi, who tried to stay calm but couldn’t help standing straighter.

Ding Yu smiled inwardly. “Zhong Tao, Li Yajun, Zhang Yi… The last one, Long Bishi!”

Long Bishi’s mouth fell open. He had hoped, but he never truly expected to see his name! The three forwards who didn’t make the list stared at him in disbelief, unable to accept how they had lost out to the most technically clumsy forward in the school.

“What’s so hard to understand?” Liu Lin, also left off the roster, said calmly. “Among the seven forwards in our class, not one is tall, strong, and good at headers. Even just to diversify tactics, Long Bishi was bound to make the team! That’s his unique trait—the one no coach can ignore!”

“Alright, why are you just standing there? Don’t you want to go to Beijing?” Ding Yu, seeing Long Bishi still among the crowd, shouted impatiently.

Long Bishi replied with an “Oh,” quickly stepping out. The three excluded forwards were so ashamed they wanted to disappear, stunned to have been outcompeted by someone like him.

But Long Bishi wasn’t dumbstruck by anything else—he’d heard Liu Lin’s words and felt a twinge of sadness.

So, it was his body that got him selected… When would he finally make the team on true merit?

“Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t make it. Just getting into the junior division proves your skill; missing out only means you’re lacking in one area.” Ding Yu smiled. “And here’s some good news—the club has decided that all junior division members from all three grades can go to Beijing. Even those not selected can experience the atmosphere firsthand!”

Moments later, a massive cheer erupted across the training field, echoed by the neighboring fields as well.