The whistle signaling the end of the training match did nothing to dissipate the tension on the field.
The main team players were all crestfallen, their faces as ugly as if they'd swallowed flies. They had lost, lost to the substitute team they usually bossed around, or more precisely, lost to Luo Xiaoxiang, whom they had always considered a burden.
Zhang Hao's face was the most somber. He stared intently at Luo Xiaoxiang, who was being excitedly tossed into the air by the substitute players, his fists clenching audibly.
Those two goals, especially the last one, were an absolute humiliation to him, to the entire main team. How could someone on the verge of falling, surrounded by three defenders, kick the ball into the corner with such an incredibly awkward posture?
This wasn't skill; this was sorcery!
"Brother Hao, that kid... he definitely got lucky!" a main team player leaned over and said indignantly, "He just got incredibly lucky. Look at that shot; his fundamentals are terrible. He can't even control the ball properly in training."
"Yeah, it's just good luck. How else do you explain it? What normal person could kick a ball like that?"
"Damn it, how annoying, to actually lose to a guy like that."
His teammates' discussions did nothing to improve Zhang Hao's expression. He wasn't a fool; once could be luck, but twice? That bizarre positioning, that unbelievable goal, both had an air of strangeness.
What he couldn't stand the most was his ace status being challenged, and by the very person he looked down on the most.
On the other side, the substitute team players were immersed in euphoria.
"Xiaoxiang! You're awesome!"
"Holy cow, how did you kick that last goal? Teach me!"
Wang Lei put his arm around Luo Xiaoxiang's neck, grinning from ear to ear: "You're something else, kid, you've been hiding it well! You usually act like a newbie, but today you just exploded?"
Luo Xiaoxiang was surrounded by everyone, listening to their praises, feeling both joy and a hint of unease. He could only chuckle foolishly, vaguely responding, "Luck, it was all luck..."
He couldn't exactly say, 'I activated a basketball cheat, could I?'
"Everyone, gather!"
Just then, Li Tiejun's booming shout echoed across the entire field.
The previously chaotic players instantly quieted down, quickly running to the sidelines and lining up in two rows, main team and substitute team, standing ramrod straight.
Li Tiejun's face showed no discernible emotion. His sharp gaze swept over each player's face, one by one, finally settling on Luo Xiaoxiang.
Everyone's hearts tightened, especially Zhang Hao's; he even had a faint glimmer of anticipation. He felt that the coach would definitely question Luo Xiaoxiang's two illogical goals, and might even scold him. After all, Li Tiejun hated opportunism the most.
"Luo Xiaoxiang," Li Tiejun spoke, his voice not loud, but clear for everyone to hear.
"Here!" Luo Xiaoxiang instinctively straightened his back.
"That last goal of yours, how did you score it?" Li Tiejun stared at him, asking word by word.
Here it comes!
Everyone's gaze focused on Luo Xiaoxiang.
Luo Xiaoxiang felt his back instantly dampen. His mind raced, and he stammered in response, "Reporting, Coach... I... I was trapped by the three of them, my body was about to fall, so I instinctively poked it with my foot... I don't know how it went in..."
He felt guilty even saying this excuse himself.
Zhang Hao's lips couldn't help but curl upwards, waiting to see Luo Xiaoxiang's lie exposed by the coach.
However, Li Tiejun just looked at him deeply for a few seconds, didn't press further, and instead changed the subject.
"Instinct..." He chewed on the word, then suddenly raised his voice, announcing to all the players, "Sometimes, this kind of instinctive reaction is what we call talent!"
Talent?
The entire field erupted in an uproar.
Zhang Hao's smile froze on his face.
"I don't care if you're convinced or not, today, Luo Xiaoxiang, with two goals, helped the substitute team beat your main team, and that's a fact!" Li Tiejun's gaze swept over every person on the main team. "If you lost, then admit it! Don't you dare make a bunch of excuses!"
"Starting today, Luo Xiaoxiang, you're joining the main team!"
This decision was like a bomb, exploding among the crowd.
"What? Join the main team?"
"Is the coach mistaken? Just for two lucky goals?"
"This isn't fair!"
Zhang Hao couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward and loudly declared, "Coach! I don't agree! His performance isn't stable at all; it's completely based on luck! I don't approve of him joining the main team!"
Li Tiejun looked at him coldly: "Zhang Hao, are you questioning my decision?"
"I'm not questioning, I'm doing it for the good of the team!" Zhang Hao retorted, his neck stiff. "We have a friendly match against Second Middle School next week. How can we win if we let a newcomer, someone who only gets lucky, play as a starter?"
"Whether we win or not is my concern as the coach." Li Tiejun's tone became stern. "Not only will I let him join the main team, but I'll also make him a starting forward!"
"What?!" This time, even the substitute players were stunned.
From perennial substitute to main team, then to starting forward—this triple jump was too fast!
Luo Xiaoxiang himself was bewildered. He stared blankly at Li Tiejun, wondering if he had misheard.
"Coach! You're being reckless!" Zhang Hao was completely agitated.
"Reckless?" Li Tiejun sneered, pointing at Zhang Hao's nose and scolding him, "What kind of garbage did you play today? You took over a dozen wild shots the entire game, and besides hitting the post once, what other contribution did you make? Who do you think you are? The team won't function without you?"
"I..." Zhang Hao was speechless from the scolding, his face turning a purplish-red.
"Listen up, everyone!" Li Tiejun scanned the crowd, his voice as hard as steel. "In my team, whoever has the ability plays! Whoever can score is the core! Luo Xiaoxiang scored two today, so he is a genius!"
"As for you, Zhang Hao," Li Tiejun's eyes turned icy, "if you can't adjust your mindset, and if you focus on creating internal team conflicts instead of on how to win..."
He paused, then said word by word: "Then you're expelled; you don't need to come tomorrow!"
These words silenced the entire field.
Everyone was stunned by Li Tiejun's words. To threaten to expel an ace player for a newcomer?
Zhang Hao trembled. He looked at Li Tiejun's unquestionable gaze and knew the coach was serious. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only swallow all his words, grit his teeth, and lower his head.
"Does anyone else have an opinion?" Li Tiejun asked again.
No one dared to speak.
"Very good." Li Tiejun nodded, then looked at Luo Xiaoxiang. "Luo Xiaoxiang, starting tomorrow, train with the main team. Dismissed!"
With that, Li Tiejun turned and left, leaving behind a group of players with mixed feelings.
The substitute players immediately gathered around, excitedly patting Luo Xiaoxiang's shoulders.
"Xiaoxiang, you've made it big! Starting forward!"
"You'll have to look out for us from now on!"
Wang Lei was even more excited, giving him a bear hug: "I knew you had it in you, kid!"
Meanwhile, the main team was in dead silence. They looked at Luo Xiaoxiang, who was being celebrated, then at the livid Zhang Hao, their expressions complex.
Zhang Hao didn't look at Luo Xiaoxiang again. He just swept a cold gaze over the main team players who had gone to congratulate him, then turned and walked silently towards the locker room. His back was filled with resentment and hostility.
Luo Xiaoxiang felt that bone-chilling coldness, and his joy was significantly diluted.
He knew that from today on, he had completely offended the team's ace. His future days would likely not be easy.
Just then, the system's notification sound rang in his mind.
【Ding! Detected that the Host has completed a hidden achievement: Rising to Prominence.】
【Triggered Main Quest: Battle of Renown!】
【Quest Objective: In the next friendly match against Second Middle School, as a starting player, score at least one goal and help the team achieve victory.】
【Quest Reward: System Store officially opened.】
【Quest Failure: All abilities obtained by the Host will be revoked, and the system will automatically unbind.】
Luo Xiaoxiang's heart sank.
The penalty for failure was to revoke all his abilities? This system was too ruthless!
This wasn't a reward; it was clearly a knife hanging over his head!
He instinctively opened his personal attribute panel.
【Host: Luo Xiaoxiang】
【Stamina: 65 / 100 (Due to continuous skill usage, stamina consumption is high, temporarily decreased)】
【Speed: 58】
【Strength: 55】
【Shooting: 60】
【Dribbling: 50】
【Defense: 42】
【Awareness: 75】
【Remaining Points: 0】
【Free Attribute Points: 5】
Looking at his dismal Dribbling attribute, Luo Xiaoxiang felt a headache. In the training match, he had already discovered that Misdirection's effectiveness would be greatly reduced when Dribbling the ball. If his Dribbling ability couldn't keep up, even if he ran into open space, the ball would easily be intercepted after he received it.
In the match against Second Middle School, the opponents would definitely be stronger than his own main team, and their defense would be tighter. With his current Dribbling level, wouldn't he just be serving himself up as fodder?
"Must add points!"
He silently chanted in his mind, allocating all 5 free attribute points to "Dribbling."
【Dribbling: 50 -> 55】
After adding the attribute points, he immediately felt a surge of Dribbling techniques and insights in his mind, and his feet seemed to become a bit more agile. But this was still far from enough.
"System, is there any way to quickly improve my strength?" Luo Xiaoxiang asked in his mind.
【Please, Host, train diligently to improve basic attributes and skill proficiency. Or complete system quests to obtain points and exchange them for items or new skills in the System Store.】
Another official response.
Luo Xiaoxiang sighed. It seemed he still had to rely on himself.
From today until the match, there was less than a week. He had to desperately improve himself during this time, otherwise, what awaited him was to be reverted to his original state.
He clenched his fists, his gaze becoming resolute.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, or how many people looked down on him, he had to win this match! For himself, and for this hard-won opportunity!