Seven-time champion

Chapter 31: Lightning Goal As Lu Wenbin dribbled past Song Haitao with a juggling-like step-over, a wave of gasps rippled through the stands. “Holy crap, the ‘Step-Over Kid’! That was awesome!” “Amazing! The speed and fluidity of that move—you rarely see that even in the Chinese Super League!” “This striker from Meijiang High School is so confident!” Amid the spectators’ gasps and chatter, Lu Wenbin—having beaten Song Haitao—had already dribbled the ball to a spot about 30 meters from No. 4 High School’s goal, where one of their center backs came rushing out to meet him. Having witnessed Lu Wenbin dribble past their captain with a bicycle kick move, this No. 4 High School center back was already taking him very seriously and playing with extreme caution. However, in the face of Lu Wenbin’s sheer skill, his caution and vigilance proved ineffective. Whether it was his dribbling or his speed, Lu Wenbin was simply too fast. Just as the two were about to collide, Lu Wenbin skillfully separated the ball from the defender and sprinted past the caught-off-guard No. 4 Middle School defender. The No. 4 Middle School defender reached out and tugged at Lu Wenbin’s jersey, but instead of bringing him down, he was knocked to the ground by Lu Wenbin’s powerful physique and speed, losing any chance to get back on defense. Because they didn’t take Lu Wenbin seriously enough, and because he was so fast, the two fullbacks from No. 4 High School didn’t even move toward the center. They believed that with captain Song Haitao and two center backs, there was no way Lu Wenbin could actually break through the defense and score a goal. However, just a few seconds later, everyone was surprised to see that Lu Wenbin had already dribbled past Song Haitao and one center back; only the last center back stood in Lu Wenbin’s way. And judging by Lu Wenbin’s performance in dribbling past two players in a row, it seemed unlikely that the last center back could stop him either. At that moment, the two No. 4 Middle School fullbacks were taken aback and immediately abandoned Han Dapeng and Nie Yingkun, who were making runs to disrupt play on the wings, rushing toward the center to provide cover. But how could Lu Wenbin possibly give them a chance to double-team him? After dribbling past the second No. 4 Middle School player, Lu Wenbin was only a few meters away from the edge of the No. 4 Middle School penalty area. Facing the last No. 4 Middle School center back, Lu Wenbin used two extremely quick, consecutive changes of direction to dribble past him, directly sending the final defender sprawling to the ground. Then, standing before Lu Wenbin were only the charging goalkeeper and two fullbacks rushing in from both sides. Lu Wenbin, of course, wasn’t going to hesitate any longer, waiting for the three opponents to close in and challenge him for the ball at his feet. Before the No. 4 High School goalkeeper and fullbacks could block his path, Lu Wenbin lifted his leg and unleashed a thunderous shot. The ball flew past the toes of a sliding No. 4 High School fullback and the fingertips of the goalkeeper diving to make the save. It was a powerful, low drive with no curve. Seeing that neither their defender’s tackle nor the goalkeeper’s dive had managed to touch the ball, the No. 4 Middle School players held their breath, watching the ball’s trajectory and hoping it would go out of bounds. However, Lu Wenbin’s 14/14 shooting rating—combined with the fact that he had dribbled past the last center back with virtually no interference—left the No. 4 High School players, coaches, and cheerleaders all disappointed. The ball flew straight into the net, grazing the lower corner of the near post—a shot that was practically an unstoppable corner. The referee looked at Lu Wenbin in shock, then pointed to the center circle and blew the whistle to confirm the goal. Less than 10 seconds into the game, Lu Wenbin used his formidable individual skill and the opponent’s lack of preparation to dribble past three players and score a lightning-fast goal, putting Meijiang Middle School up 1-0 over Zunyi No. 4 Middle School. After seeing the ball fly into the net, Lu Wenbin let out a roar, turned, and sprinted back toward his own half. Han Dapeng, Nie Yingkun, Xiang Youming, and others rushed over excitedly to high-five and hug Lu Wenbin in celebration. Han Dapeng exclaimed excitedly, “Holy crap, Lu Wenbin, you really scored!” Xiang Youming said excitedly, “That was so fast, I bet the No. 4 High School guys are still in shock! Lu Wenbin, you’re awesome!” Nie Yingkun also gave Lu Wenbin a big hug and said, “Lu Wenbin, you’re amazing. This will make our counterattacks much easier now.” Bi Rui, Yu Yuanhang, and the other defenders all rushed over, forming a huddle to celebrate, and expressed their admiration for Lu Wenbin’s performance—dribbling past three players and scoring right off the kickoff. Lu Wenbin took the opportunity to boost morale: “Are you guys still afraid of the fact that they were last season’s runners-up?” His teammates shouted in unison: “Screw that!” Lu Wenbin continued, “Do you have confidence we can win?” Everyone roared in unison, “Yes!” Then, they dispersed, took their positions, and waited for No. 4 Middle School to kick off. In the stands, the spectators were still applauding and buzzing with excitement over Lu Wenbin’s goal. The speed, dribbling skills during his run, mental toughness, and shooting ability that Lu Wenbin displayed in this goal left the spectators thoroughly amazed. Witnessing such a spectacular goal—where he beat three defenders right at the start of the game, including a bicycle kick and a step-over move—couldn’t help but fill everyone with anticipation for the rest of the match. On the field, the players from No. 4 High School were still reeling from Lu Wenbin’s lightning-fast goal. No one had expected that Zunyi No. 4 High School—last season’s runner-up, who had thought they’d drawn a favorable matchup—would concede a goal less than 10 seconds into the game after the opponent dribbled past three players. They hadn’t even touched the ball yet, but they had to start the match already trailing by a goal—leaving them completely dumbfounded. As a result, after the restart, the No. 4 Middle School players were still in a daze. Consequently, their distracted passes were naturally intercepted by the Meijiang Middle School players, who then passed the ball to Xiang Youming. Xiang Youming dribbled a few steps before passing to Nie Yingkun. Then, Xiang Youming, Han Dapeng, and Lu Wenbin launched a three-pronged attack, charging together into No. 4 Middle School’s half. After scoring that spectacular goal by dribbling past three defenders, No. 4 Middle School naturally paid more attention to Lu Wenbin, loosening their defense against the others. As a result, Nie Yingkun didn’t pass to Lu Wenbin at all; instead, through a combination play with Han Dapeng and Xiang Youming, he drove the ball forward to the edge of the penalty area. This distance was quite dangerous. Song Haitao, who had been guarding Lu Wenbin the whole time, had no choice but to hand Lu Wenbin over to the center back and rush toward Xiang Youming, who was in possession of the ball. However, Lu Wenbin has always been the offensive linchpin of Meijiang Middle School. When marked by only one or two defenders, Lu Wenbin has a very high probability of breaking through. So, seeing that only a center back remained in front of Lu Wenbin, Xiang Youming didn’t wait for Song Haitao to close in; he decisively passed the ball to Lu Wenbin. Lu Wenbin received the ball with his back to the goal. The No. 4 Middle School defender, panicking, immediately closed in, ready to shove him from behind or poke the ball away. As a result, Lu Wenbin flicked the ball with the back of his heel, spun past the defender, and not only found himself facing the goal but also entered the penalty area. The No. 4 Middle School defender didn’t even dare to commit a foul.