Chapter 68: The Core Dragon Must Prevail

Lei Guangpu certainly wasn’t refraining from settling scores with Ding Yu simply over the promise of drinks that evening. He understood that, although Ding Yu’s actions were rather shameless—deceiving his sincere emotions—they were, in fact, highly effective. The crushing defeat dealt to Tianjin Binhai was a humiliation, especially considering the longstanding rivalry between Tianjin and Beijing football. To lose so badly in front of Beijing university students was a disgrace. Yet, the stark reality of this loss was more persuasive than a hundred warnings from his own mouth.

Youth knows no true defeat. For young players, a single setback can be worth ten victories, at the very least making them soberly aware of their shortcomings. After the match, Lei Guangpu saw the expressions on his three prized pupils and knew they had begun to sense their own weaknesses. Though the loss stung, it was not so hard to accept after all.

Ding Yu, though gaining the upper hand, had also provided something valuable to Lei Guangpu—this approach was just like his boss’s, confirming the old adage that one takes on the colors of those around them. Back in Germany, Ding Yu had never been this cunning.

So that evening, Lei Guangpu still went out for drinks with Ding Yu. He ordered a dozen dishes, causing Ding Yu visible distress, and then plied him with fifty-six proof Red Star Erguotou until Ding Yu’s legs were shaking, finally venting his own frustration.

The following morning, Ding Yu awoke with a slight headache but was in high spirits. Dai Guangming had performed brilliantly in the match, showing the qualities of a true playmaker—not only scoring a goal, but also orchestrating several successful attacks and delivering a direct assist. Both the process and the outcome convinced Ding Yu that his choices were right.

“For the second match, we’ll build the team around Hu Gandang.”

As per custom, after training that day, Ding Yu gathered everyone in his room for a tactical meeting. His very first statement left everyone questioning his logic—hadn’t their strategy of centering on Dai Guangming worked excellently in the first match, resulting in such unstoppable attacking play? Why change now?

“Hu Gandang, you understand the role of a defensive midfielder, don’t you? In defense, you’re the first barrier ahead of the backline; in attack, you can initiate the first wave, dictating play and launching counterattacks. When play is locked, you can break the deadlock with a sudden forward run. In the next match, I need you to fulfill this role. Tell me, can you do it?”

“I can!” Hu Gandang nodded forcefully.

“A defender’s job is to defend. When Hu Gandang pushes forward to assist, you must cover his back. Midfielders and forwards should run to receive his passes and support his playmaking. Hu Gandang is the general—everything, both attack and defense, revolves around him. Understood?”

“Understood!” the players chorused, still a little bemused but responding loudly nonetheless.

Two days later, their opponent was the Henan Provincial Schools Football Training Center. This team, much like their club, was unremarkable on the surface but extremely solid.

Yunjia Tianyu still emerged victorious, but it was a hard-fought win. While the Hu Gandang-led defense gave nothing away, their own attacks struggled to break through the opponent’s disciplined backline. Only a scrappy goal from striker Li Yajun early in the second half secured the lone goal of the match.

Despite two consecutive wins and an early qualification from the group, Hu Gandang wasn’t pleased. He felt he hadn’t performed as well as he could have—certainly not as comfortably as when Dai Guangming had been the focal point.

“Do you know the difference between an attacking and a defensive midfielder? The former focuses on attack, the latter on defense. In our system, you’re the only dedicated defensive midfielder—no one to shield you. Today, your defensive work was excellent, and the goal came from your long pass. You’ve already exceeded my expectations!”

Ding Yu knew his disciple well. Hu Gandang was mature beyond his years, steady and reliable, but his competitive spirit and desire to win were almost too intense. While generally a good trait, it sometimes caused him to become overly self-critical. Being so tightly wound was not sustainable; not every effort could result in success, and sometimes that led to failure.

So that evening, Ding Yu sought out Hu Gandang for a private conversation. He knew that, though Hu Gandang and Dai Guangming got along, there was always a hint of rivalry. He didn’t want Hu Gandang to feel frustrated that Dai Guangming seemed to do better in the core role.

“I understand, coach. I’ve thought it through. After all, the jobs of attacking and defensive midfielders are different. I don’t need to demand of myself that, besides excelling as a defensive midfielder, I also have to shoulder the attacking role.” Hu Gandang spoke candidly. “Since Alon joined the school, I realized that it’s enough to do the best you can. Forcing yourself beyond that is meaningless.”

Ding Yu was a bit surprised, then smiled knowingly and patted his shoulder. “Go get some sleep. We have training tomorrow.”

After Hu Gandang left, Ding Yu felt momentarily lost in thought.

He had only become the coach of the 1989 youth team the year Long Bisheng joined, but he had already been interested in this group. The three players recruited from Dalian and Liaoning—Hu Gandang, Li Jie, and Zhang Yi—were all outstanding, with Hu Gandang standing out as a potential leader for his sense of responsibility, courage, and commanding presence. When three equally talented players—Dai Guangming, Zhou Wei, and Wu Bufan—were recruited from Wuhan, Ding Yu immediately applied to take charge of the 1989 group as well. He sensed that these six could create another legendary youth team for Yunjia Tianyu, following in the footsteps of Nie Fei, Zhu Guosheng, Ai Lin, and Wu Jiang.

Since the first youth team produced four undisputed first-team regulars, Yunjia Tianyu had contributed other key players—Zhang Yiming, Yu Xiaowei, Tang Yong, Adriano, Sun Bing—but never again had they sent a whole batch of starters up at once.

As for Long Bisheng, Ding Yu hadn’t paid him much heed at first. The boy trained diligently, but Ding Yu thought that if he could become a qualified professional, that would be enough. It wasn’t until several conversations later that Ding Yu realized Long Bisheng possessed a unique quality.

That quality was a sense of crisis.

Unlike Hu Gandang and Dai Guangming, who had shown outstanding talent from the start and set their sights on professional football early, Long Bisheng was less gifted. This gave him an undercurrent of insecurity, which in turn made him throw himself into training with reckless abandon.

It was this effort that eventually put him ahead—even surpassing the always-hardworking Hu Gandang.

Long Bisheng hadn’t played in the first match and only got a few minutes as a substitute in the second, but he never showed a hint of impatience. Ding Yu observed that, even in those last few minutes, he threw himself into the game as if it were a training session.

Now, Ding Yu’s opinion of Long Bisheng had completely changed. He believed that as long as the boy continued as he was, he would surely earn his place in a club as prestigious as Yunjia Tianyu.

Humble, dedicated, hardworking, never complaining even when benched—such a player is every coach’s dream. As long as his ability is up to par, no coach would let him go easily.

For a top club, sometimes a good substitute is even harder to find than a regular starter.

“My instincts were right. Now is the time to give this child a chance,” Ding Yu thought to himself.

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“I trust you all know that for the third match in the group stage, we’ll be adopting a new tactical core,” Ding Yu announced directly at the next evening’s meeting of the 1989 Yunjia Tianyu squad. “In this match, we’ll still use a 4-4-2: Wu Bufan in goal; defenders Yang Yong, Li Jie, Liu Jun, Zhao Yi; midfielders Hu Gandang, Shan Xiaowu, Zhou Wei, Zhang Yi; forwards Zhong Tao…and Long Bisheng!”

The room erupted. Not only was Long Bisheng starting as a forward, but Dai Guangming, the previous two matches’ undisputed mainstay, was now on the bench. The formation had also changed to two holding midfielders—Shan Xiaowu as the other defensive midfielder—with no attacking midfielder. Did this mean they would play long balls and aerial attacks?

Dai Guangming raised his eyebrows in surprise, then shrugged and smiled. Hu Gandang glanced at him but said nothing.

Long Bisheng’s mouth fell open. After a stunned moment, an overwhelming sense of happiness coursed through him—he was starting! Was he dreaming?

Unbeknownst to him, an even greater surprise awaited.

“For this match, Long Bisheng is our core!” Ding Yu declared, leaving no room for doubt.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Long Bisheng muttered to Wu Bufan beside him. “Pinch me and see if it hurts.”

“No problem,” Wu Bufan replied.

A scream split the night.

ps: Damn it, my sinusitis is acting up again. My head’s spinning all day. I’m off to bed...