"RememberwhatIsaid?Don'tgetcoldfeet!"YuanGangstaredexpressionlesslyatZhangJunashehuffedouteveryword.

Atthesightofthefamiliarface,ZhangJunfeltasifthenoisesaroundthegroundswerefadingandthathewasreturningtohismiddleschoolyears.

"Theschoolsoccerteam?"ZhangJunsaid,staringattherecruitmentnoticeontheboard.Theword"soccer"wasenoughtograbhisattention."Shouldwego,YangPan?"

YangPanyawned."Whatever.Ifyougo,I'llgo."

"Wonderful!We'llmakealotofgreatfriends,right?Justlikethetwoofus."

"Fool"

"I'manewmember,ZhangJunfromYear1,Class1.I'mastriker.Ihopetogetalongwitheveryoneintheteamandbecomegreatfriends!"

"I'mYangPan,sameclassasZhangJunandmypositioniseitherarightmidfielderorwinger."

Twomoremembersjoinedtwodayslater.Attackingmidfielder,YuanGangandcenterback,LiuPeng.

WhenZhangJunfirstsawYuanGang'sface,hethoughthewaslookingatamonkeythathadescapedfromthezoo.Whenhefinallycametoarealization,herolledwithlaughter,clutchinghisstomach.YuanGangstoodalonestaringblanklyathim,notunderstandingwhatwassofunny.

"Hey!Whatareyoulaughingat?"

IttooksomeeffortforZhangJuntostoplaughingandapologizeashewipedthetearsoffhisface."I'msorry,I'msorry.Ididn'tdoitonpurpose,Monkey"

Takenbysurprise,everyotherteammemberroaredinlaughter.ZhangJun'saccidentalutteranceof"monkey"wasaperfectlyaptdescriptionofYuanGang'sfacialfeatureshislipsjuttedoutandhishighcheekbonesaswellashislong,untidyhairdidmakehimlooklikeanape.

Ashewatchedtheothersburstoutinlaughter,ZhangJunbegan to laugh again.

ThejeerswokeZhangJunupandhefoundthathehadlosttheball.Hestoodrootedinfrontoftheopposingteam'sareawhileKaiTahadsomehowadvancedintoShuGuang'shalfalready.

"Thisisthekeycharacter?"XiaoZhanglaughed,glaringatChenHuafeng."Hedidnothingwhenhegottheballanditwasstolenfromhimalmostimmediately.Hedidn'tevenreact."

ChenHuafengsmiledinreturn."It'snormal."Heknewwhatwashappeningfromhisfirstglanceatthestriker.TherewasnomistakingthatZhangJunwasapillarforShuGuangandtheteamwould beindangerifanythinghappenedtohim.

NowallHuafengcoulddowaspraythatZhangJuncouldwakeupassoonaspossible.Afterall,afriendwasafriend,andamatchwasamatch.

AnKedidallhecouldtoblockYuanGang'sdrivewhileLinXiaofangclearedthedangerwithalongball.

KakastoletheballinfrontofYuWenjunandwentonacounter.LiuPengstoppeditwithaslidingtackleandKaiTa'sleftmidfielder,ZhongZhiqianggottotheballbeforedeliveringittoYuanGang.ThecaptaineludedWangNingwithmuchagility.HeexecutedananklebreakonLiHaoandpassed!

KaiTa'sstriker,ZhangYicarriedtheballforwardandtookashot!

AnKehuggedtheballtightly.

YuanGangshookhishead,disappointedthattheballdidnotgoin.EvenifZhangJunwasnullified,againstanoffensiveformationconsistingofamonsterlikeYangPan,thatskilledBrazilianhunkandRenYuDe'sfancydribbles,itwouldhavebeenbettertostartofstrongandscoreagoalasinsurance.

ZhangJunfinallygottotheball.Althoughhe behavedabnormallyearlier,Kakastilltrustedhim enough topasstheballtohim.

Once again, YuanGangwasthere.

YuanGangwasshowingoffhisdribblingskillsagainstZhangJun, andnotonetobeoutdone, thestrikershowedoffhisownfootworkinreturn.

Lookingatthepairofthem,YangPanjoinedintoo."Makeway!Makeway!Lookatmydribbling! Feastyoureyesupon this world class act!"Hebroughtinanewfirst-yearrecruittobehistarget."You have to beserious,nolettingup!"

Theotherboynoddedwithutmost earnesty.

However,ZhangJunhadasuddenbadfeelingashelookedatYangPan,whowasstretchinghislegsandtwistinghiswaist.

YangPancarriedtheballslowly.Butashemadehisapproach, he suddenly proddedtheball totheleftandacceleratedtowardstheotherdirectionbeforerunningbacktotheball.Thepoor"livetarget"wasleftrootedwherehestood.

"Asexpected"

"Yeah!"YangPanshouted.

"Gotohell!"YuanGangandLiuPeng took shots atYangPanasone.

ZhangJunlookedatthetrioof buddiesoverat the corner,laughing.

YuanGang then proceeded to take theballoffZhangJunquietly.He was probably soakinginhis memoriesofthepastagain.Memories were suchawonderfulthing

Thebooswerelouderthistime.Everyonesimplycould notunderstandwhatwasgoingon.Zhang JundidhavesomedegreeofpopularityinKai Tahewasanalumnusafterall.Manyhad come to watch, expecting an exciting performance; no one expected such an unappetizing performance just 10 minutes into the game.

TheNational Middle SchoolChampionships.

"Qingdao!Qingdao!"YangPanwhoopedcheerfully."Thesun!Thebeach!The sea!Thebikinis!Thebabes! I'mcoming!"

"Thelasttwo are his main objectives," YuanGangpointed out tohistwofriends as Yang Pan spread his arms like he was soaring.

Theopeninggame in the nationalswas betweenKaiTaandYucaiMiddle SchoolofJinan, Shandong.Theywerevisitinganotherteaminthefirstround andanyonecouldguessthepressure thatwaspilinguponthedebutingteam.

Itwaspitchblackinthehostelroom, where thefour ofthem were staying in, but apair ofeyesglittered amid thedarkness."Anyonenotasleepyet?"LiuPengaskedsoftly."Talktome."

Twohandswereraisedimmediately.

"Youguysarenervoustoo?"LiuPengkepthisvoicedown.

"Alittle."ItwasYuanGang.

"Iwasn'tatfirst.NowIam, thankstoyou. Damn it,LiuPeng.Goingtothetoileteveryotherminute, I'mhavinganervousbladdertoo!"ZhangJungotupfrombedandfelthiswaytothetoilet.

"Hehe,don'twetyourbed!"LiuPengchortledquietly.

"Gotohell!"ZhangJunshotbackfrominsidethetoilet.

"IreallyenvythisYangPanbrat."YuanGanglookedatthebunkbeneath them,wherethepersonin questionwasinsweetslumber."Hecan reallysleep."

ZhangJunheardYuanGangasheleftthetoiletandwenttoYangPan'sbedforalook."He's always beenlikethatevenasakid. I'veneverseenhimnervous before."Reachingout,heswitchedoffhis friend'sWalkmanbeforereturningtohisown bed.

"Canwewintomorrow?"LiuPengpondered."They'rethehometeam!"

ZhangJunmerelysmiled."Won'tthatbeevenbetter? Destroying theminfrontofalltheirsupporters! It'llbeinteresting!"

Ashepredicted, the debutingKaiTa teamdemolishedtheiropponentsinthematchthe nextday,rightinfrontofhundredsofhomesupporterswhocametocheerfortheirteam.5:0,Zhang Junwasahat-trickherowhileYangPanandYuanGangeachscored a piece.

Withabeautifulstart,KaiTa gainedthewindintheirstridesandbroketheirwayintothegrand finals!

Thelinesmanraisedhisflagwhiletherefereeblewhiswhistle.

Offside!

Kakahadjustmadeanexquisitethroughpass;butbecauseZhangJunremainedrootedwherehewas, itbecameanoffside.Thelinesmanmadetherightcall.

Thistime,thejeerscameevenfromtheShuGuangcheerleaders."Whatonearth!That guy's been standingthere like a fool fromthe very start!Ishedreaming?"

LiuQiglaredviciouslyattheoneswhowerejeering;theywerefirst-yearfreshmenandhadneverseen ZhangJunplay although, theyhadheardmuchaboutYangPan's exploits.Still,thecheerleading captain glancedworriedlyatZhangJunonthefield;evenhefailedtounderstand.

ZhangJun,what'shappeningtoyou?

PointingatZhangJun,XiaoZhangtoldhissenior, "Thegamehasgoneonfor 15minutes and the main characterisstill sleepwalking."

ChenHuafenghadgottentiredofdealingwithhimandchosetowatchthegamequietlyinstead.

"One could shrug it off to coincidence if it was once or twice, butthreetimesmustbe"LiangKemumbled. "Ah,ZhangJun"

SuFeididnotunderstandwhather coachwassaying."Coach,whatareyou"

"SuFei,can'tyouseeit?"

"IknowthatZhangJunisbehavingabnormally.I don'tknowthereason,hewasn'tinjuredlately."

"Don'tyouknow?KaiTa isZhangJunandYangPan'salmamater.They mademanygreatfriends there throughtheyears."

"That'swhy Zhang Jun'smisfiring?"

LiangKesighed."ZhangJunvaluesfriendshipmorethananyoneelse.IfheholdshisfriendshipwithYangPansodearly,it'snaturalthathewouldcherishhisotherfriendsatKaiTa.Argh!Ishebeingkindoran idiot"

"Whyisn'tShuGuang'scoachsubbinghimoff?"XiaoZhangwasstillchatteringaway."It'sacompletewasteofhumanresource!"

"Idiot!"Finallyunabletostandthehugeflybesidehim,ChenHuafengyelled."You'reacolossalidiot!KaiTa isZhangJun'salmamater;hisbestfriendsarestillhere;heistroubledbecause he's been thinking about their olddays!"

"Thenwhynotsubhimoffsincehe'stroubled?"Thinkingthathehadapoint,theinternpersisted.

"Whatqualitydoyouthinkmakesanoutstandingyouthsoccercoach?"Huafengdidnotanswer, instead he shotbackwithanotherquestion.

"Quality?Strategicarrangements, good trainingregimes andambition.Oh,right!Andresults!"

"That'swhyyou'reahugeidiot!Thosearequalitiesforaprofessionalcoach.Foranoutstandingyouthsoccercoach,themostimportantqualityislove."

"Love?Ha!It'snotlikethey'renurses"

"Whatwouldyouunderstand,recentlygraduatednerd?Youthsoccerisapartofyouthdevelopmentandnaturally, apartofeducation.Coacheswhodonotcareaboutthelittleplayers'physicalas well as spiritualgrowthandonlyvalueresults, donothavetherighttotakethecoach'sseat! Thosewho don't careaboutthechildren'sbodiesandfutures but fortheirownvictories or results, their ownprofitas well as ambition;thosewho,fortheirowngood, fixgames,briberefereesandfake players' ages,whatdoyouthinktheiractions will do dotothekids'minds?Thosepeoplearescum!Thrash!"

XiaoZhangfroze.ItwasthefirsttimehehadseenChenHuafengactingsoemotional.

"IfZhangJunwassubbedoffjustbecausehewasn'tperforming,whatwoulditdotohismind?Haveyouthoughaboutit?Itwouldprobablybealrightiftheteam ends up winning,butiftheylosehe'llbelabelled 'guilty' and he won't be able to raisehisheadagainashewallows inregretand self-pity. Wouldhekeepplaying?Wouldhehavethecourage?Aplayerwithan infinitebrightfuturewouldthenbelost!It's cruelforhimtoplayagainsthis old friends buthehas tofaceit!Andhemustovercomeitsothathecam makehugestridesforward,orelse"

Huafengsighedanddid notcontinue.

Whetherhewasscaredorconvinced,XiaoZhangwasquiet.Eitherway, theworldwascleanerwithoutafly.

ChenHuafengleanedonabarinthestands,notfarbeneathhimwasthecoach'sseat.HesawLiangKe'ssideprofileclearlythe facethatwasexpressionlesswhenevertherewasamatch.

Hereallywasanexcellentyouthsoccercoach!ItmatterednotthatShuGuang'sresultwashorribleduring thelastfewyears,theplayerswerealwaysplayingsoccerhappily.Wasitnotgoodenoughtohavesomehappymemoriesofplayingsoccerinhighschool?Thekidsweretrulyfortunatetobeabletoplayunderhistutelage.

WhileitwasinconceivablethatZhangJunhadmadethreeerrors,everysingleteammateasifinquietagreementkeptsendingtheirpassestothestriker.

YuanGangclosedinonhim yet again.

Thistime,thejeerscamebeforeZhangJun even madeanyerrors.Asifoncuewiththeheckling,YuanGanggottheballeasily.

ThatwaswhenYangPanfinallyunderstoodwhyYuanGangwasmarkingthestrikertheirformerteammate washavingZhangJunwallowinsentimentality ashe relivedhismemoriesofthepast.People likeZhangJunwere easilytricked andwhenhewasdistracted. theballwaseasypicking."Thisguy!"

YangPan took hischance toconfronttheotherteam'scaptain, who was coming his wasy as the ball went out."Don'tyoufeelembarrassed?UsingZhangJun'sfeelingsagainsthim!"

YuanGangsmiled."Onlytheweak gets usedbyothers.AndIdidn'tevenusehimoranything,he'sjust beingamoron.I haven't violatedanyrules, orhaveyouforgottentoo?Soccerisasport wherewinners arekings!"

YangPanwasforcedtoadmitthatYuanGangwasright,buthewas notabouttosimplyletitslide."I won'tletyoudoasyouwish!"

"YoushouldsavethatforLiuPeng."Passinghimby,YuanGangwaved him off withoutlookingback.

Thatmuchwastrue; 20 minuteshad passedandYangPanwasstillbeingmarkedtodeathbythegiant, makingonlyoneshot. Even that was aforcedshot, which wentnowherenear the opposingteam'sgoal. This meant thathismosturgenttaskathandwas tofindawaytoshakeoffLiuPeng's almost affectionatemarking. But, facingaguywho couldalwayspredict hismoves, did YangPanhave theconfidencetolosehim?