Shi Jisheng took Xia Xiaoyu to walk around the team's youth team training base, dormitory, and locker room, and finally led him to the first-team training ground.

"At this time, the first-team training should not be over, you can still see them training when you go." Dai Zetao said beside him.

Although Xia Xiaoyu was very anxious, he still smiled and nodded.

In fact, according to what he meant - those youth team training grounds, dormitories and locker rooms don't need to be seen at all, they can be put in the back, anyway, he will stay here for a year in the future, and there is time to get acquainted with it.

But if he misses Hu Lai's training because of this, it will disappoint Xia Xiaoyu.

Thinking so, he couldn't help but speed up the pace under his feet.

Shi Jisheng and Dai Zetao were also unconsciously brought up by him.

Sun Yonggang, who was filming in the back, couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene.

I'm really anxious......

It stands to reason that the documentary about the football teenagers of Dongchuan Middle School was finished when they were eliminated, but why did he insist on adding such a piece of Xia Xiaoyu to the shining star?

thought that Sun Yonggang knew very well that as long as Xia Xiaoyu came to Shining Star, he would definitely go to find Hu Lai.

The scene where the two met on the side of the training ground of the Shining Star Club was what Sun Yonggang wanted to film.

A football teenager with all his expectations and apprehensions about professional football meets the "seniors" who provide him with courage and goals on the training ground of a professional football club, which is the best symbol of the handover and integration of school football and professional football.

※※※

"Sure enough, the training isn't over yet!" Before they reached the first-team training ground, everyone heard the muffled sound of the shoes hitting the football, Dai Zetao said excitedly.

Xia Xiaoyu sped up his pace a little more, and led the group around a bush.

That's how the training ground for the first team came into view.

But when they saw the situation on the training ground, they were all stunned.

The imaginary training scene did not appear, only a figure with his back to them on the pitch alone, shooting the football at his feet towards the goal.

Sun Yonggang, who saw this scene, was shocked, and he exclaimed in a low voice: "Hu Lai is still practicing shooting?!" ”

With Hulai's marksmanship, he even practiced shooting alone?

Or is this the reason why he is so good at archery?

Dai Zetao came back to his senses and shook his head and said, "No." I think about it, it looks like he has been asked to be the team's number one penalty taker since yesterday...... He should have been practicing a penalty. ”

"Yes, he scored a penalty in the last game against Youjiang Honglian......" Sun Yonggang also reacted. He's a journalist who specializes in covering school football, but that doesn't mean he doesn't pay attention to what's going on in professional football, and he doesn't pay attention to Hulai.

Next, everyone very tacitly decided not to bother Hu Lai first, but to secretly observe him from the sidelines to practice.

Sun Yonggang excitedly signaled to the photographer and asked him to focus his lens on Hu Lai instead of Xia Xiaoyu.

In the shot, Hulai pulls the football under his feet, does not place the football very seriously, but steps on the penalty spot very casually, and then retreats to prepare to run.

Everyone who saw this scene couldn't help but breathe lightly, because they found that there was no goalkeeper in the goal, but a row of moving dummies were placed, which were used as props for free kick training, imitating the human wall of opposing players.

Now Hulai puts it on the goal line to simulate the range of a goalkeeper's save.

They noticed that the rows of moving dummies took up almost half of the space in the goal, leaving only a gap about two people wide on the left and right sides and space above the dummy's head.

Obviously, these spaces will be the goal of Hulai's practice – he has to kick the ball into these gaps to score a goal.

That's not a low level of difficulty!

The four theoretical dead angles of up, down, left and right are all included.

Everyone in the room knew the ball, and in their opinion, if Hulay could really guarantee that the penalty would be kicked into the space he had left behind, there would be few who would be able to save his penalty......

Xia Xiaoyu also noticed that behind the moving human wall, there were already some soccer balls in the goal!

Now looking at Hulai, who is about to play, he is actually a little nervous, as if he is afraid that Hulai will not be able to do it......

In full view, Hulai began to run, two steps to the front and back of the football, he picked up his left foot, as if ready to shoot!

Wait a minute? Left-footed shot? Hulai is not good at his left foot!

Sun Yonggang's mind flashed with such a thought, and his eyes widened just when he didn't understand.

In fact, not only Sun Yonggang, but everyone else also widened their eyes, they saw that Hu Lai's right foot, which was supposed to be a supporting foot, stepped next to the football, but suddenly smacked his ankle and stabbed the football with his toe!

At the same time, his left foot slashed over where the ball had been, but it didn't hit the ball – the ball had already been stabbed at the goal by Hulay's right foot!

The ball bounced forward on the turf, not very fast, and headed straight for the bottom left corner of the goal.

Everyone involuntarily opened their mouths wide to watch such an amazing scene.

Xia Xiaoyu couldn't help but clench his fists, as if he was expecting something......

But instead of rolling into the goal, the ball grazed the outside of the goalpost and rolled out of the line!

"Damn!!" Hulai, who shot the goal, held his head in his hands and cursed.

At the same time, he heard an exclamation from behind him: "Ah! ”

Only then did he realize that there were a few more people on the sidelines, and one of them was still holding a camera to his side.

They all looked like they had seen a ghost, and they were dumbfounded, so that Hulai didn't know who made the ghost cry just now.

※※※

"You're even here for the shining star?!" Hu Lai looked at Xia Xiaoyu in front of him, his eyes widened and he asked in surprise.

"Yes, Team Hu, when Brother Tao came to me, I didn't hesitate to agree when I thought that you were also Shiningxing!" Xia Xiaoyu said excitedly.

Dai Zetao next to him coughed: "I was really going to use you as a reason to persuade him, but before I could say it, he had already agreed......"

When he said this, Xia Xiaoyu stood in front of Hu Lai and looked at him with a smile.

"Yes, Twinkle is a good place for young players. Chen Xingyi is also here, you know? Hu Lai said to Xia Xiaoyu.

Xia Xiaoyu nodded vigorously: "I know, I know, we were discussing this before the national competition, and the fate is really amazing......

Hu Lai heard him hear the "National Competition", and suddenly remembered that the National Competition should have been played at this time, and he didn't know what the results of Dongchuan Middle School were. Since he became a professional footballer, there has been little attention paid to school football......

So he asked, "What are your results in this national competition?" ”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he asked this, he saw Xia Xiaoyu's expression instantly become depressed.

"Uh, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Team Hu, we only played to the top 16 in this competition and were eliminated......"

Hearing Xia Xiaoyu say this, Hu Lai was stunned: "You were eliminated after two rounds?" ”

Xia Xiaoyu lowered his head, bit his lip, and didn't say anything, as if he didn't mean to defend himself.

At this time, Sun Yonggang, who had been standing next to him, stood up and explained for Xia Xiaoyu: "Dongchuan Middle School was unlucky, it ran into Yuntai Middle School when it was sixteen and eight, and then it was eliminated from the competition......

"Wait a minute." Hu Lai raised his hand to interrupt Sun Yonggang's narration and asked, "Where is Yuntai Middle School?" Why haven't I heard of it before? ”

"Oh, Yuntai Middle School in Nam Gia City, Jiang'an Province is not the kind of traditional football powerhouse, their best result in the national competition is the fifteenth place, that was five years ago, and they haven't even made it to the national competition since. Until a transfer student named Lin Zhiyuan came to the school and joined the football team......" Sun Yonggang introduced.

"Wait a minute, who is this Lin Zhiyuan?"

※※※

“…… In the eighty-fourth minute of the game, the injury time had reached the last moment, and Qingyang Yigao launched an attack towards the goal of Yuntai Middle School! This is most likely their last offensive...... Break through the wings! Cross! Zhou Zijing - Header!! Wow! Lin Zhiyuan! He made an incredible save! He saved Zhou Zijing's header! It also ruined Qingyang Yigao's hope of equalizing! ”

"The referee blew the whistle for the end of the game! The game is over! The game is over! Qingyang high drinking and hating finals...... This contest between the two dark horses finally ended with the darker Yuntai Middle School having the last laugh! Who would have thought that Yuntai Middle School, whose previous best score was the fifteenth place in the national competition, could go all the way to the finals and win the championship?! That's football! This is youth! ”

"Lin Zhiyuan! This talented goalkeeper is the key figure and the biggest contributor to Yuntai Middle School's historic national championship! It was really he who made high and low blocks again and again in the game, trying his best to keep the goal from losing, and finally let Yuntai Middle School, which is not strong in overall strength, defeat so many strong opponents and lift the championship trophy...... The goalkeeper, who has received a full system of training in the echelons of German professional football clubs, has shown his ability to be a step above his peers in the game......"

Zhou Zijing opened his eyes, and he was greeted by the ceiling, and he turned his head to look out the window, outside the thin curtain was the gray sky, and the iconic city skyline of Shanhai City.

He was in a hotel room on the banks of the Chunhui River in Shanhai City, waiting alone for his father to return.

Then, for some reason, he fell asleep in bed without even changing his clothes.

He dreamed of the final of that national competition again.

Dreamed about how his team was defeated.

Dreamed of the team's last attack.

At that time, he jumped hard in the forbidden area of Yuntai Middle School, it was really a desperate jump, and after he jumped, he even had a feeling of "being on the verge of the top and seeing the mountains at a glance".

No one can stop me from scoring this goal!

This is how Zhou Zijing felt at that time.

He shook his head at the flying soccer ball and threw the ball to the back point.

He thought it would be impossible for the man on the other side of the ball to save again......

But I didn't expect that Lin Zhiyuan to pounce back from the front point, and then unbelievably scooped the football off the goal line!

At that time, Zhou Zijing, who landed on the ground after the header, almost raised his arm to celebrate the goal, but as soon as his hand was halfway up, he saw Lin Zhiyuan hold out the football that was almost flying into the goal from the side of the far post with one palm......

His hands were clasped back to his head.

This was Qingyang Ichigao's last attack in the national competition.

After that, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game, and he failed to lead the team to achieve the previous "small goal".

Zhou Zijing, who is in his third year of high school this year, also lost the opportunity to win the national championship forever.

The sound of unlocking sounded at the door, and Zhou Zijing's father, Zhou Shenghai, walked in, and when he saw his son lying on the bed, his eyes were in a daze, he frowned: "What kind of decadent expression are you?" ”

"I accidentally fell asleep just now, and I dreamed of the final of the national competition." Zhou Zijing looked at the ceiling and said.

"You just fell asleep?" Zhou Shenghai was a little nervous, "I don't change my clothes, I don't cover the quilt...... You're not afraid of catching a cold, aren't you? Let me tell you, this is the time when I just signed a contract with Shanhai Shui and Hairen, and I can't afford to make a mistake. In case you catch a cold, it will affect your training and performance in the team, which will not be good for you in the future......"

"Dad, you don't care about the national championship I lost!" Zhou Zijing sat up from the bed and glared at his father.

"Alright, almost." Zhou Shenghai waved his hand, "You are now a professional player, and you are still thinking about what you did when you were a student?" If you don't, you don't have it...... Will winning a national championship make your career in professional football smoother or what? Look at that Chen Xingyi, the champion of two consecutive national competitions plus the top scorer, what is the result? Isn't it mediocre in the Golden Arrow, and can only go to the middle league? ”

Zhou Zijing said loudly: "That's my youth!" ”

"That's right."

"By the way? Right, what's right? Zhou Zijing was confused.

"Youth is always full of pain and regret."

“……”

"Okay, okay, don't think about the national competition...... If you are not happy with that Lin Zhiyuan, the two of you go to professional football to continue fighting, isn't he going to the South China Tigers? Isn't it cooler to score in the professional league than in the national tournament? Zhou Shenghai patted his son's broad shoulder. Look ahead, son, you still have a long football career. ”

※※※

“…… We at South China Tigers are delighted to be able to sign a talented player like Lin Zhiyuan, who has been impressive at the National High School Football Championships......"

In the press conference hall of the Lotus Stadium, a ceremony is being held to sign new players.

And at this time, it is no longer the transfer window, so this is not a joining ceremony for first-team players, but for the youth team.

It's just that if you look at it by the standards of the youth team, the scale of this press conference is a bit "over-standard".

Not only was the venue used for the first team to hold the press conference, but the number of reporters from more than 20 media outlets on the scene almost caught up with the number of media reporters at the press conference of the South China Tigers first team.

After Lu Heng, general manager of the South China Tiger Club, finished speaking, the press officer signaled that the reporters could ask questions.

Immediately, more than a dozen hands were raised, and their eyes were all focused on the tall young man beside Lu Heng.

The press officer clicked on one casually, and the reporter who was named stood up and went straight to the point after reporting his home: "May I ask Lin Zhiyuan, you have been training in the Westin Athletic team in Germany since you were a child, if nothing else, you can continue to play in Westin Athletic, why did you choose to return to China?" ”

"My dad's job in Germany is over, and our family has to come back, so I'm back." The tall young man spread his hands in a tone of course.

"Would that be a pity? After all, your future at Westin Athletic will definitely be better than back home......"

"It's okay...... Lin Zhiyuan shrugged, "the South China Tigers are one of the top championship clubs in China, and I think it's better to join the South China Tigers than to stay at Westin Athletic." ”

These words made the local reporters laugh, and also made Lu Heng, the general manager of the South China Tiger Club, who was sitting next to him, laugh very happily.

After laughing, the press officer ordered another reporter to get up: "Then may I ask Lin Zhiyuan, why didn't he join the professional team directly after returning from Germany, but went to high school, and also participated in the national competition for high school students?" ”

"Ah, this...... I think life experiences should be as rich as possible, so that it can be fun. ”

"Then why did you decide to play professional football after only one year of school?"

"I've won all the national championships, and it doesn't seem interesting to play for another year......" Lin Zhiyuan pouted. And our school stipulates that the third year of high school is to quit the team, even if I don't leave, I can't play in the national competition if I continue to go to school, why stay? ”

The last reporter whose name was called stood up: "As we all know, Hulai is now recognized as the most successful representative of the development of school football to professional football, and you have also stepped into professional football from school football, do you have the confidence to reach the same height as Hulai?" ”

Lin Zhiyuan chuckled: "This height is too low, right?" ”

※※※

"So that Lin Zhiyuan received professional training in a foreign club, and then returned to a domestic school as a transfer student, and then participated in the national competition as a student player...... Can it still be like this? Hu Lai asked after listening to Sun Yonggang's account. In this case, wouldn't those schools that want to win the championship directly poach players from the professional echelon to represent their schools in the competition? ”

"Theoretically, yes, provided that the echelon players who are poached from the school must give up their status as registered players in the original club and become a real student in terms of identity." Sun Yonggang explained. "But very few players who have been trained in a professional football club for a long time would be willing to do that. After all, leaving the original echelon and going to play in school, whether it is the level of training or the quality of the game, may not be as good as a professional football club. And those who are willing to leave, most of them are people who can't play in the original club and feel that there is no future if they continue to practice...... There's no reason why you can't stop people from leaving the talent training system of professional football and going to school, right? ”

Hu Lai felt that what Sun Yonggang said made sense and nodded.

Sun Yonggang continued: "Moreover, neither the Football Association nor the Ministry of Education has any objection to this kind of thing, because they actually hope that in this way, they can find another way out for those who have no room for improvement and no talent in the professional football talent training system." If you can't play professional football, then go back to school, honestly take the university or junior college exam, get a diploma, and learn skills, isn't it better than crashing to death on the south wall in the professional football system? ”

Hulai thought of his father, who learned to play football since he was a child, and was seriously injured in the end, but he didn't play professional football, and he didn't have any education, and his education level was not high, so he could only work as a security guard......

"And when these people leave the professional team and return to school, they can't be controlled by others if they want to play football, and there is no non-compete agreement...... Of course, the practice of stepping on two boats is strictly forbidden. In the first two years of the national league, the situation was really serious, and the Football Association was very bad at that time - anyone who was found out would be banned from all levels of the national competition for ten years. After the ten-year ban expired, it was basically abolished. The school, on the other hand, is banned from participating in all football competitions under the Ministry of Education's sports association, ranging from three to five years. After severely punishing a group of unbelievers, there were far fewer people who dared to do so.

"To put it bluntly, rules are established by implementation, and if there are rules that are not enforced, or not strictly enforced, there will be many people who take advantage of loopholes. And once you strictly enforce the rules, everyone will consciously follow the rules. Now that the level of the national competition is getting higher and higher, many schools may not be able to take advantage of even if they rely on absorbing those retired echelon players to participate in the competition, so in fact, that phenomenon is not very prominent, and it is still within a range that everyone can accept.

"In fact, every year in the national tournament and the qualifiers around the country, there are student players who have been trained in the echelon of professional football clubs, some of them have been training for a long time, some have been training for a short time, and no one pays attention to them. Lin Zhiyuan is so concerned, mainly because he came back from abroad, he was in the Westin Athletic echelon in Germany before, and it is said that he is still the main force, which has attracted a lot of attention, otherwise no one usually cares at all. ”

Before Hulai crossed over, he had never heard of a team called "Westin Athletic" in German professional football, but he now knows very well that this is a football club in this world, an old Bundesliga team, but the strength is not very strong, the club's history is not very glorious, and he has not won any weighty championships.

It's just that no matter how brilliant people are, it's also compared with the giant clubs in Germany. With more than 100 years of professional football experience, more professional youth echelon construction, and talent training system, it is still much more advanced than Chinese football.

A person who can be the main goalkeeper in such a Bundesliga professional team echelon naturally has nothing to say about his strength.

"That's why I said that Dongchuan Middle School was unlucky." Sun Yonggang said with emotion. "In fact, the worse luck is Qingyang Yigao, this time under the leadership of the more mature Zhou Zijing, they have hope of winning the championship, and they met Lin Zhiyuan in the final. Zhou Zijing, who scored ten goals in the first five games, did not score a goal in front of Lin Zhiyuan and lost the national championship. ”

Hu Lai recalled Zhou Zijing's performance in the Dongchuan Middle School competition, and nodded: "Oh, that Lin Zhiyuan still has some ability." ”

Then he turned to Xia Xiaoyu and said, "Don't take it too seriously. Whatever the result, the national tournament is over, and you don't get a chance to play again. If you come to Shining Star, train hard, your career has just begun, if there is anything to find me and Wang Guangwei, I will help you solve it. ”

Xia Xiaoyu nodded again and again: "I will work hard, Team Hu!" ”

"Don't call me Team Hu, I'm not the captain." Hulai waved his hand, "Let's go, I'm going to continue to practice penalty." ”

"You're still practicing?" Dai Zetao next to him was a little surprised, "I thought you were done practicing......

"How can you finish the practice? I have to practice 100 penalties every day at the end of my training, and I only practiced 56 when you came. Hulai said as he turned and walked back onto the field.

As soon as he took two steps, he suddenly stopped and turned to point at the photographer, and said to Sun Yonggang: "Brother Sun, let you photographers delete all the content that I just photographed for my practice." ”

"Huh?" Sun Yonggang was surprised, and the photographer was also a little nervous.

"This is my secret weapon, even if you steal it, the video must not be leaked!" Hulay was serious.

Sun Yonggang thought to himself that Hu Lai was worried that the content of not kicking the penalty kick into the goal just now would affect his image after it was broadcast......

After all, he is now a young talent who has been pinned on by countless Chinese fans, or is he known as the most successful person in the development from campus football to professional football, so he doesn't want to lose face?

So he nodded again and again: "Don't worry, Hulai." Delete it now. ”

Then he stared at the cameraman and deleted a video he had just taken.

Hulai nodded, turned around and ran towards the court again.

He continued his retraining.

Xia Xiaoyu and the others didn't linger on the sidelines, and turned to leave.

After walking away, Xia Xiaoyu in the camera said to Shi Jisheng, the director of youth training: "Coach Shi, can I come to train tomorrow?" ”

Shi Jisheng nodded: "If you want, of course you can...... But don't you have to prepare first? ”

"I'm ready, Guiding Shi." Xia Xiaoyu said with a firm expression, "I will do my best in this year to try to meet the requirements of going to the first team." ”

Shi Jisheng thought to himself, it seems that it is right to take this kid to the first team to watch Hulai train, and his motivation is obviously more sufficient.

"Wow, come on, lad."

※※※

Note: It is not uncommon for players from professional soccer clubs to leave their original clubs, go to school, and then continue to play soccer and participate in national competitions.

Many players who feel that they do not have many opportunities in the professional echelon will turn to the road of campus football, find another way, save the country and realize their professional football dreams.