Chapter Twenty-Six: Evolution

"Hey! Zhao!"

The head coach of Team A approached with a smile, greeting Zhao Xiaotang.

Zhao Xiaotang grinned, "David, I really don't like seeing that look on your face."

David paused, bewildered. "Why?"

Zhao Xiaotang sighed. "Because every time you wear that smile, you end up taking Wan Tao, Yang Fan, and Weng Shaojie away from me!"

David burst into laughter. "That just goes to show how well you’ve trained them; they are all exceptional."

He paused, gesturing toward the pitch. "Of course, that number 4 is also exceptional!"

Zhao Xiaotang turned his head. "He’s making mistake after mistake!"

David raised an eyebrow. "Is that really how you see it? I think it would be more accurate to describe the state of number 4 as 'evolution'!"

Zhao Xiaotang grimaced; that foreigner had such a sharp eye.

"I watched the first day of the tournament. To be honest, his performance was good, but not exactly stunning," David said, turning his gaze back to the field. "But now, that number 4 is like a pupa breaking out of its shell; he is going to become a beautiful butterfly!"

Zhao Xiaotang retorted, "A pupa breaking its shell could just as easily turn into a moth!"

David persisted, "Give him to me. He belongs in the A-tier squad!"

"It's the Premier Tier!" Zhao Xiaotang corrected him.

"It’s all the same!" David looked at Zhao Xiaotang. "So, what is your answer?"

"Fine."

Zhao Xiaotang nodded.

David looked crestfallen. "Alright, but I will try to talk..."

"What?" David looked up in surprise. "Did I hear you say 'fine'?"

Zhao Xiaotang turned away. "Yes, is there a problem?"

David immediately grew excited.

"No, no, no!" he exclaimed. "I’m just amazed by your generosity, but... are you really giving him to me?"

Zhao Xiaotang nodded. "Yes, but it will have to be in a month. Once the Future Star Cup is over, I’ll let him move up."

"This is truly thrilling news! With number 4, my diamond midfield will finally be able to unleash its full power!" David laughed heartily.

Zhao Xiaotang asked, "You still haven't given up on that?"

David replied, "There is no such thing as an outdated tactic; it only depends on how you use it. He can become the most crucial piece of the puzzle in my lineup!"

Zhao Xiaotang added, "But you won't be able to use him for long."

"What do you mean?" David looked confused.

***

Zhao Xiaotang explained, "The FIFA U-17 World Cup is going to be held in Japan, and next year, they will all be exactly sixteen!"

"The national youth team has already confirmed that the new batch of players will be selected from our current roster. I'm certain that He Chaoyue, Yang Fan, and Wei Lai will be chosen."

David said, "Then I can wait until the U-17 World Cup is over!"

Zhao Xiaotang pondered for a moment, looking up at the sky with a sigh. "I have a feeling that after this World Cup, we won't be able to keep them anymore."

"Just like... eagles that are finally destined to soar into the blue sky."

Lately, Wei Lai had been constantly experimenting.

He played match after match!

During training, he tested his limits in confrontations with the Premier Tier squad. Even though Wei Lai’s play was sometimes truly absurd, Zhao Xiaotang never called a stop to it.

His teammates occasionally complained, and during those moments, Wei Lai would rein it in, playing more simply and reverting to his usual role as a reliable defensive midfielder. Once the teammates had vented their frustrations, he would immediately revert to his bizarre style of play. Over time, his teammates grew accustomed to it.

He practiced not only in scrimmages but also in the simulation arena. The "Iron Wall" coach was very encouraging of this training method. Whenever Wei Lai felt he was pushing too hard without making progress, the coach would console him: "Training is for making mistakes. If you don't make them now, do you plan on making them during the actual matches?"

With those words, Wei Lai began to make mistakes with abandon.

He played a fixed schedule of fourteen matches a day! Ten in the simulation arena and four during team training. Wei Lai was improving steadily. After half a month of this, his error rate in the simulation arena had dropped significantly.

"How do you feel?"

The Iron Wall coach squatted nearby, smiling at Wei Lai.

Wei Lai rubbed his temples. "I feel like my brain is about to explode!"

Observation, reading the game, anticipation, and then gathering information to make a decision—in every match, Wei Lai had to constantly repeat this process.

The Iron Wall coach said, "You just need to keep practicing. Once these become habits and integrate into your instinctive reactions, you’ll find it much easier."

Wei Lai rubbed his head. "Is that really possible?"

The Iron Wall coach replied, "Trust me, you can do it!"

He sat down next to Wei Lai, his tone filled with emotion. "Time flies. Before I knew it, a month has already passed!"

***

"It really does!" Wei Lai nodded. "I've been learning from you for a month now!"

The Iron Wall coach smiled. "Your progress is too fast. I thought it would take at least six months to finish the program, but you might be ready to graduate in another month!"

Wei Lai turned his head and smiled. "By then, I’ll finally know your name."

"Of course!" the coach said. "And I’ll have a gift for you!"

Wei Lai stretched out his legs, bracing himself with his hands, squinting as he smiled. "That's awesome!"

"What is?"

"This feeling!" Wei Lai said, looking satisfied. "Seeing the results of the effort I've put in, rather than just mindlessly grinding away without seeing any progress."

"Both Coach Casemiro and you have given me so much help!"

The Iron Wall coach said softly, "It is my duty."

He paused, then asked, "Kid, what kind of player do you want to become?"

"Me?" Wei Lai pointed at himself, thought for a moment, and said, "Like you and Coach Casemiro—I want to be that kind of player!"

The Iron Wall coach remained silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "Like us? But perhaps... we don't wish for that!"

"Huh?" Wei Lai looked puzzled.

The Iron Wall coach continued, "Our work is very hard, but compared to the effort we put in, the rewards are far less."

"Defending is a grueling job. You can make a hundred brilliant defensive plays, but if you make one mistake, you'll be singled out, and that problem will be magnified endlessly."

"I don't know what Casemiro thinks, but... I hope you can play more freely and more joyfully!"

"You should be more dazzling, standing in the spotlight, becoming the center of praise!"

"I will teach you how to defend, but I would much rather... you learn how to attack!"

Wei Lai looked at the coach, stunned. "I really hadn't thought about that. Coach Casemiro told me that when my abilities are lacking, I should learn to be a piece of the puzzle."

The Iron Wall coach nodded. "Yes! When you lack ability, you must be a piece of the puzzle. But when you are strong enough, you must learn to be the core—an attacking core, an organizational core, or even a tactical core, perhaps even the cornerstone of a team!"

"Of course, that requires you to fill in your technical gaps: passing, dribbling, shooting, shaking off markers, and so on..."

"For your next course, you will have to choose for yourself!"

Wei Lai asked in surprise, "I get to choose?"

The Iron Wall coach nodded. "Once the advanced course is over, you can choose for yourself. When the time comes, I’ll give you a hint as to which course you should pick. Consider that another gift I’ve prepared for you."