Chapter Seventeen: Am I... Really That Incompetent?

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Bang!

Wei Lai executed a sliding tackle, disrupting the ball, then quickly got back on his feet.

“Take it slow! Don’t rush!”

Beside Wei Lai, Guo Fan stood awkwardly, casting a resentful glance his way.

It wasn’t just Guo Fan; the entire Red Team was watching Wei Lai.

“How many times has this happened?” Ma Chenchen asked, a look of frustration on his face.

Mao Ning grinned and said, “No idea. What the heck? Is Guo Fan really that bad?”

He wasn’t sure either, but this was at least the third time Wei Lai had stolen the ball from Guo Fan’s feet.

Not only had he stolen it, but Wei Lai had intercepted several times.

Guo Fan’s position on the right flank was their main attack route, yet it overlapped with Wei Lai’s territory as the defensive midfielder on the left side.

When they clashed head-on, the Red Team ended up battered and bruised!

Repeated attacks were consistently thwarted by Wei Lai.

Several times, passes sent back under pressure were intercepted.

Though they controlled possession, they felt immense pressure.

Guo Fan shared that feeling.

His performance this game was nothing short of disastrous.

He hadn’t launched a single successful attack down the wing.

Time and again he was driven back, surrounded, and dispossessed or cut off.

And throughout it all, Wei Lai’s presence was omnipresent.

Guo Fan held position on the wing, stretching the space.

His eyes constantly flicked to Wei Lai’s location.

Wei Lai was moving around the ribs area, seemingly at some distance.

“Too far to catch up, huh?” Guo Fan mused silently.

He immediately raised his hand to call for the ball.

Mao Ning, having pulled the ball back and turned, prepared to pass it.

After all, Guo Fan was their primary attacking player.

Guo Fan glanced back at Wei Lai one last time—and to his shock, Wei Lai was charging straight at him.

Good grief!

Guo Fan sprang into action to receive the ball.

But Wei Lai closed the distance faster.

He stepped on the ball and used his back to shove Guo Fan, standing firm no matter how fiercely Guo Fan clawed and flailed.

“Zhao Jun!”

Wei Lai delivered a steady pass to Zhao Jun, who immediately turned and launched an attack.

Guo Fan stomped in frustration.

“Man! You can only defend me, huh? Every time I get the ball, you come to steal it or crash into me!”

Wei Lai looked back and saw Guo Fan shouting in exasperation.

“Cut me some slack, will you?”

Wei Lai paused, then said, “...No can do!”

Guo Fan walked away, disheartened.

There was no way past him; he could only suffer defeat repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the Blue Team had already developed a smooth rhythm in the offensive third, with successive passes and overlapping runs tearing through the Red Team’s defense.

Center forward Wang Tianyou eyed the opposing center back and set up the play; Mumu Ti followed through with a powerful strike to score.

The Blue Team led 2-0 against the Red Team.

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“Beautiful!”

“Two goals!”

“Hahaha! This game feels amazing!”

Zhao Jun laughed excitedly.

Indeed, it felt great!

There was no need to worry about defense because a beastly defensive midfielder held down their half.

Wei Lai’s energetic running and precise tackles, combined with his aggressive, coordinated defense, completely neutralized Guo Fan—their most threatening offensive threat.

What should have been their toughest spot was tightly controlled by Wei Lai.

With the defensive pressure lifted, their offensive momentum surged.

Repeated attacks led to two more goals, showcasing their attacking prowess.

“Wei Lai!”

Zhao Jun ran up to him, raising both arms high.

Wei Lai raised his arms in return.

Smack!

They exchanged a powerful high-five.

“Great partner!”

Zhao Jun loved this type of defensive midfielder—it was like having a fortress at the back.

The stadium was filled with cheers.

On the sidelines, Zhao Xiaotang kept his head down, eyes glued to his notebook.

“Twelve successful tackles out of twelve attempts!”

“Seven interceptions, five successful!”

“Ten body challenges, all won!”

“Five aerial controls, all secured!”

“At 175 centimeters tall, with a sturdy build, boundless stamina, relentless running, excellent defensive leadership, and calm judgment...”

Ha~~~~~

Zhao Xiaotang leaned back and exhaled, his eyes slightly dazed.

He murmured, “Master, I think I’ve uncovered an incredible little talent!”

The match ended with the Blue Team thrashing the Red Team 4-0, completely dominating them.

Red Team players were panting heavily.

Though they held more possession and showed greater attacking intent, their efforts were repeatedly nullified and countered.

Of the four Blue Team goals, three came on counterattacks.

Wei Lai alone made two crucial interceptions.

Guo Fan stood stunned on the sidelines.

After the match, he felt utterly defeated.

“Am I... really that bad?” Guo Fan asked Mao Ning, dazed.

Mao Ning shook his head, “No! You’re not bad!”

That was the truth.

Guo Fan’s burst of speed was unmatched in that instant.

Guo Fan pointed at Wei Lai, dejected, “Then why can’t I get past him even once?”

Mao Ning fell silent.

Guo Fan wasn’t bad.

It just meant Wei Lai was simply better.

To be honest, Mao Ning had never seen anyone like him.

Guo Fan felt the pressure heavily, but Mao Ning felt it even more.

Rather than Wei Lai targeting Guo Fan, it was more accurate to say he was targeting Mao Ning himself.

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Every pass Mao Ning intended seemed anticipated by Wei Lai, who always appeared in critical spots—either intercepting or tackling.

Five direct interceptions had shattered their defensive line.

Since then, Mao Ning’s passing became cautious and hesitant.

This further stifled the Red Team’s offense, and by the second half, the Blue Team had pressed them deep into their own half.

By the 70th minute, they abandoned Guo Fan and shifted their attacks to the left flank.

Away from Wei Lai’s interference, things improved slightly.

If Wei Lai had disrupted both sides, it would have been a total disaster.

However, morale had already plummeted; lacking offensive strength, goals were impossible.

“Now, we announce the starting lineup!”

Zhao Xiaotang gathered everyone together.

The players wore mixed expressions—excitement for some, disappointment for others.

Based on this game’s performance, some would make the starting eleven, others would not.

Among the crowd, Guo Fan looked nervous.

Though he was the offensive core, after such a poor game, confidence was lacking.

“Starting goalkeeper: Zhao Xuan!”

Zhao Xuan clenched his fist tightly.

He had finally beaten Zhong Wenhui to become the first-choice keeper.

“Left back Wang Wenbin, left center back Li Kai, right center back Mao Biao, right back Shen Haoxuan.”

“Midfielders Ma Chenchen, Zhao Jun... Wei Lai!”

Everyone turned to look at Wei Lai.

It wasn’t unheard of for a promoted player to immediately become a starter, but it was rare.

Wei Lai’s performance left no room for doubt.

“Left forward Guo Fan, center forward Cheng Chong, right forward Mumu Ti!”

Guo Fan exhaled deeply, relieved to have made it but still uneasy inside.

As for Yuan Kai, he looked dejected.

He had been a starter last semester but got pushed out.

No choice—the outstanding performance of Mumu Ti, who scored twice and assisted once, was impossible to ignore.

Wei Lai also exhaled, feeling his performance had been solid.

Yet, he didn’t feel fully satisfied.

Something still felt a little off.

“Buddy!”

Wei Lai turned to see Mumu Ti giving a thumbs-up with a distinctive accent.

“You’re a real man, son!”

“Ah?”

Wei Lai froze.

Who was he calling “son”?

“He said you’re a real man—that’s their dialect,” Zhao Jun explained with a smile.

Wei Lai nodded in understanding.

“Buddy, you’re strong, so I’m strong too!”

Mumu Ti gave another thumbs-up, praising him repeatedly.

Wei Lai understood.

Thanks to his solid defense, Mumu Ti could focus more fully on attacking.