Chapter 28: Magic City! Magic City!

"Yuan Kai, which of these teams do you think poses the biggest threat to us?" Hao Ren asked.

Yuan Kai, while packing his luggage, replied, "Hongyuan and Bohai Port No. 3 Middle School are both quite strong, but if we're talking about the biggest threat, it has to be Guangfa Youth Academy."

Guo Fan rolled his eyes. "You might as well just say Chen Shaojie!"

Yuan Kai nodded. "Chen Shaojie's impact on a team is not insignificant. With or without him, the Guangfa U15s are essentially two different teams."

Guo Fan grinned, adding, "Playing against him is incredibly frustrating. He’s slow and deliberate, but he just toys with you! I wouldn't say his technical skills are necessarily superior, but with a slight nudge to the left and a flick to the right, he turns me into a lamp post as he glides past."

Wei Lai corrected him, "It's not 'past,' it's 'dispossessed.'"

"Exactly!" Guo Fan nodded immediately. "It’s disgusting!"

Wei Lai smiled, though he felt a pang of melancholy in his heart. Chen Shaojie, a playmaker midfielder, was commonly known as a "football-ignorance filter." Watching him play, there were no flashy tricks, yet he could organize the midfield rhythm with impeccable precision. His footwork wasn't fast, but his sense of tempo was second to none. He was particularly adept at switching play between the flanks, helping the team stabilize the midfield and defense while freeing up his own team's attacking midfielders.

In this regard, he was similar to Wei Lai, though they employed different methods. What made it lamentable was that the "Golden Generation" of the future would never have Chen Shaojie. The reason was simple: he was a talent lost to injury, never given the chance to reach his full potential. If Chen Shaojie hadn't succumbed and had instead grown steadily and fulfilled his talent, China's Golden Generation wouldn't have suffered from a weak midfield, which forced Xiang Ming to frequently drop deep to handle organization and attacking duties. Pei Le was certainly an excellent attacking midfielder, but his ability to handle pressure was too weak to carry the midfield alone. This forced Xiang Ming to sacrifice his own attacking breakthroughs to drop back and support the midfield.

"Let's just take them down!" Guo Fan said viciously. "We always get worn down by Guangfa until the end, and then we concede. This time, Wei Lai will definitely be able to withstand their attacks, and we can play more boldly and aggressively!"

"Exactly, let's do it!"

Wei Lai shook his head. "Guangfa won't be that easy to beat. The other teams are also very strong; I might not be able to hold them off."

Guo Fan countered, "Big brother, have a little more confidence! You’ve been playing brilliantly against our Grade A teams; in the Future Star Cup, you'll be a dimension-crushing force."

Yuan Kai and Hao Ren nodded in agreement, clearly validating Guo Fan's words. Although Wei Lai had only recently been promoted, his rate of improvement was terrifying. Today, Wei Lai was more than capable of dominating the Future Star Cup. Wei Lai’s caution was merely the self-doubt of one who had not yet fully tested his own strength.

Wei Lai smirked. His caution was justified; after all, this was his first time representing the Weili Football School’s Grade B team in a tournament. Furthermore, he didn't have a deep understanding of the composition of the Future Star Cup.

***

The next day, a Weili Football School bus pulled up to the school gate. Led by Zhao Xiaotang, the U15 Grade B team set off for the tournament. Some members of the Grade A teams came to see them off, though their tone was laced with teasing.

"Don't lose! Losing to Guangfa twice in a row—our Weili Football School can't afford that kind of shame!"

"Guo Fan, stay sharp, and stop running with your head down!"

"Good luck! We’ll be waiting for your good news!"

"Don't come home after just one game! At least make it out of the group stage; otherwise, it’s really embarrassing!"

Yang Fan glared. "Get lost, all of you! With me and Old Wei here, how could we possibly lose?"

Wei Lai turned to see He Chaoyue looking at him, silently giving a thumbs-up.

"Good luck!"

Wei Lai nodded. Having finally fought his way up, he wouldn't stumble here.

The players boarded the bus one by one. Following Zhao Xiaotang’s command, the bus slowly started and headed toward the airport.

***

July in the Magic City was like a giant steamer. It was a bright, sunny day, with temperatures soaring to 37 degrees Celsius; even the breeze felt scorching. At the Magic City Jihong Football Base, a large balloon arch stood at the entrance, draped with a massive banner: "2025 Future Star Youth Football Championship."

Passing through the arch, a straight road extended toward the pitches, flanked by 16 flags on each side—32 in total—representing the emblems of different youth academies. The influence of youth football was limited, but in this era of developed self-media, the scale and audience had increased significantly through various live streams and promotions.

For this edition of the "Future Star Cup," the organizers had invited a large number of online football bloggers to expand its reach and attention, hoping to leverage their influence to boost the profile of youth football and the tournament itself. These bloggers were diligent, filming and providing commentary from the very entrance. Some were recording videos, others were live-streaming, and some were even participating in exhibition matches before the main event.

The tournament also attracted some interest from local residents. In their spare time, they came to watch the free matches, finding it quite entertaining. They didn't care much for youth football, but they were there for the atmosphere.

"Here they come! The hosts of this tournament, the Magic City Hongyuan U15 team! It’s a pity their top scorer, Qian Xi, couldn't participate, but they still have outstanding young players like Kang Jianbin and Yu Panpan! As the hosts and a seeded team, the Hongyuan U15s are clearly aiming for the championship throne!"

A young man of about 25 held his phone, filming the Hongyuan Football School bus. His online handle was "Goat Maker," though fans affectionately called him "Brother Goat." He was a blogger who traveled around European leagues, sharing firsthand reports of European matches with fans. Thanks to his passionate and infectious commentary, he had attracted a large following.

Brother Goat looked at his live-stream comment section and saw that the audience had already reached ten thousand, all engaged in heated discussion.

"Hongyuan’s pedigree is still strong! Even though Qian Xi went to Europe for trials and couldn't make it, Kang Jianbin and Yu Panpan can still lead the charge. That forward duo is formidable!"

"Qian Xi’s talent is absolutely top-tier, but Kang Jianbin and Yu Panpan are no slouches either, especially Kang Jianbin. His physical attributes are second to none—he’s like a monster plowing through the field!"

"Are you kidding me? A monster plowing the field? Is this a monster or an ox?"

"Using the opposing defense as a field to plow, any problem with that?"

"Hongyuan might be strong, but Weili Football School and Guangfa Youth Academy are here too! Those two aren't pushovers!"

"Holy crap? Weili is here? The Grade A team is here?"

"I heard it's the Grade B team!"

"Ah~~~ Grade B! I won't be able to see He Chaoyue!"

"He Chaoyue definitely wouldn't come to this kind of tournament; he’d be a massive bug if he did!"

"But Guangfa’s Chen Shaojie is here, and they're definitely gunning for the title!"

"Weili is holding a grudge. After losing in Water City last time, they’re definitely looking for payback!"

"Bohai Port No. 3 Middle School shouldn't be underestimated either! After all, they’re the national champions!"

As the fans discussed the tournament, a red bus slowly pulled up. A team leader stepped off first, holding a flag emblazoned with a shield containing a fiery-maned lion, its front paws pressing down on a football.

Seeing the emblem, many fans from Guangdong Province couldn't help but feel emotional.

"My great Guangfa! To think it has fallen like this!"

"The former overlord of the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League—who would have thought it would just disappear like that!"

"Guangfa was truly something in those years!"

"It’s a tragedy for these kids. Without a professional pathway upward, their futures are shrouded in uncertainty!"

"How many more years can the Guangfa Youth Academy last? They’re just living off past glory now!"

"Sigh! It’s too painful to talk about!"