Ye Ruiyang told me that going to the second year of junior high school is like a middle-aged person, with the busiest career and the greatest work pressure. The first year of junior high school is carefree, and the third year of junior high school only needs to concentrate on preparing for the high school entrance examination, while the students in the second year of junior high school have the most main subjects, adding one physics, and there are a total of eight courses to be examined (although there is chemistry in the third year of junior high school, biogeography has been withdrawn from the scope of the exam, in fact, there are only seven courses), and there are many activities that need us to take the lead.

As expected, the pace of life in the second year of junior high school is much faster than that of the first year of junior high school. The two of us, together with Miller and Brother Chuan, signed up for cram school at the school gate, making up math every Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday morning from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in physics. In fact, there is an English class on Saturday morning, we haven't reported it for the time being, maybe it will be reported in the third year of junior high school, anyway, I can't sleep lazily on Saturday.

We're very happy. Ye Ruiyang also told me that Ah Fang is now in No. 54 Middle School, and he went to make up classes on the first weekend of his first year of junior high school, even making up for Chinese, and he also studied physics a year in advance. Looking at it this way, my first year of junior high school was "chic" for a year.

I was almost late for the first make-up class in the second year of junior high school, and on Friday afternoon, I went to Beichuan Middle School with my coach to participate in the draw for the Mayor's Cup for the new season. The new president of the football club finally decided, not me, but our manager Yue Yin. She was in charge of recruiting new posters, publicity, and pushes, and she pulled everyone to distribute flyers in the school that afternoon. I'm really embarrassed to deal with other people, and it's nice that I only wear the armband when I'm playing. As a result, Yue Yin became the boss of all of us, one level higher than Ye Ruiyang. He didn't disagree at all, after all, he was just "Xiaoye" in Boss Yue's mouth.

This summer, the Mayor's Cup Organizing Committee issued new requirements for participating schools, requiring each school to submit the "four haves" team emblem of "creativity, depth, culture and design", and the school emblem cannot be copied. Before the lottery ceremony in the lecture hall of the defending champion Beichuan Middle School, the organizing committee displayed the team emblems submitted by 16 schools one by one. Everyone is also the Eight Immortals who have crossed the sea to show their magical powers, and the team emblems they make are wonderful, no worse than some professional football teams. The defending champions' crest has a long twist and turn of the Beichuan River running through the city, with stick figures of cities and trees on both sides, and a jagged wall on the edge of the round crest, and "Beichuan River Athletic F.C." written in Chinese and English directly below, presumably this is their official team name, much like a hidden professional team. The team emblem of 54 Middle School is also eye-catching, with three coyotes of different colors and expressions in the center (their new captain Chen Yanba made a point of emphasizing that they are not huskies in his introduction), and behind the wolves are towering chimneys and factories. No.54 Middle School is located in the old industrial zone of Jiangbei, and this kind of content with local characteristics has been unanimously recognized by everyone. The rest of the crest of the emblem is embellished with pine trees, which Chen said shows the new concept of sustainable development of Jiangbei people, where industry and nature live in harmony.

I was listening, and suddenly someone patted me from behind, and when I looked back, it was Taotao. I didn't expect to meet again so soon. He greeted me and the coach and walked up to the podium. It turned out that he became the captain of the team directly after transferring to Xinjian Middle School. Xinjian Middle School has become a branch of No. 1 Middle School in this semester, but in order to commemorate the past history, the team name is still called "Xinjian", the full name is "Jiangyuan No. 1 Middle School Branch Xinjian Team", the team emblem is a small dandelion, but the stamen is drawn in the shape of a football.

The team emblem that attracted me the most was from Yuki Middle School. I heard the coach say that Yuqi was also a strong team before, but last year they had to withdraw from the Mayor's Cup because of the lack of numbers, and this year their recruitment was very successful and made a comeback. Thinking about it this way, it is really a pity that the group of seniors who are now in the third year of junior high school have been delayed for a year in vain, and now the team has successfully rebuilt, but they are not eligible to participate. Hopefully, they'll be a little happier when they see the new crest, because it's the best design among the 16 schools. At the center of the motif is a long mountain path with an antique temple at the top and a towering pavilion behind it. The trail is lined with colorful cherry blossoms, and every stroke is carefully drawn from the first stone staircase at the foot of the mountain where the soccer ball is placed to the pavilion at the top. There are also eight beautiful words below the team emblem: "Under the ancient temple, cherry blossoms are in full bloom".

The emblem of Jieqi Middle School is a combination of art and calligraphy, and there are indeed ancient temples and towers with a history of thousands of years outside their campus. Every spring, cherry blossoms bloom near Yuki Middle School, welcoming countless people to enjoy spring. At night, under the flickering street lamps and the deep blue sky, the campus of Yuki Middle School and the ancient temple pavilion on the stone mountain are silent, as if suspended in the gentle fragrance of cherry blossoms, which is a scene of the city. The new uniforms of Yuki Middle School are also quite beautiful, probably rose red, between the intensity of red and the elegance of pink, like a dream, not lacking passion but also a bit of elegance, I couldn't help but take a few photos. After that, Ye Ruiyang watched it and told me that there is a Sakura team in Osaka, Japan, with pink jerseys, which is a powerhouse in Japanese football, and the well-known star Shinji Kagawa debuted from the Osaka Sakura team. The color of their jerseys is indeed very similar to that of the Sakura team, which may be a reference. The design of the team emblem is also very creative, with a lot of local elements, which is completely different from the Osaka team on the other side.

Our own crest is no slouch. Boss Yue and "Xiao Ye" worked hard to design it, not only asking each of us for advice, but also deliberately checking the school history, wanting to dig out a little inspiration from the pile of old papers. Eventually, she decided to use the name of the Literary Society, "Hunters and Hussars". The Literature Club is the club with the longest history in No. 1 Middle School, and it also has a certain reputation in the city's middle school literature club, which is equivalent to a business card of our school. However, because the "Hunter and Light Cavalry" was really a bit long, Yue Yin reduced it to "Hunter Cavalry". She looked up the information again and told us that this class of troops existed in history. It was first born in France, and in order to become a chaser cavalry, it required a high level of horsemanship, as well as the use of muskets and sabers. The Chasseurs were the main force of the French light cavalry during the Napoleonic period, and they fought in the east and west, and achieved outstanding results. It is said that the uniforms of the Guards Chasseurs were Napoleon's favorite attire, and a generation of heroes even muttered the name of this unit before they died. Later, the Russian cavalry unit was also formed, and its commander was the famous General Kutuzov, a hero who played a great role in the defense of the Fatherland, Tolstoy wrote about his confrontation with Napoleon in his magnum opus "War and Peace". After listening to Yue Yin's "flickering", everyone seemed to think that the Chassar was a good name. After a few nights of typing on the computer, Boss Yue and "Xiao Ye" drew the image of the hero on the team emblem. He rode a white horse, wore a simple and close-fitting leather jacket, wore a northern Chinese hunter's velvet hat on his head, and held a double-barreled shotgun, galloping forward. This light and brave figure leaps into the shape of a football-shaped coat of arms, the lower part of which is inlaid in the middle of the neat city wall. Coincidentally with Beichuan, everyone thought of the city's famous ancient city wall when designing the team emblem. To be honest, I really admire the students who are proficient in the use of computer technology. Today's 16 team emblems are all designed by junior high school students themselves, and although many teachers feel that today's students are "not as good as one class", our predecessors may not have this kind of imagination and technical ability.

"It is the so-called combination of Chinese and Western, learning from others' strengths. The emblem of No. 1 High School not only reflects our international vision, but also attaches great importance to the local spirit, and realizes the integration of traditional history and culture with the world's excellent culture. In addition, the hunters who rushed to the battlefield and the impregnable city walls embody the football concept of the first lieutenant colonel's team of attacking and defending, and attacking in defense......"

It's not easy to hold back a smile and read out the nonsense that Ye Ruiyang wrote to me on the stage seriously, but I'm the captain now, so I have to work hard to be serious.

After the release of the new team emblem, it was time for a tense draw ceremony. The draw for the Mayor's Cup is quite professional, according to the results of the past three years, the 16 teams are divided into 4 pots, and each team is drawn to form a group, which can avoid the strong teams meeting early, and also provides the weaker teams with a chance to qualify. Last year, as a third-pot team, we were divided into the "Group of Death" with Beichuan Middle School and Polytechnic High School, but fortunately, we were undefeated and reached the semi-finals, and our points increased significantly. It's a pity that we didn't make it to the finals, and counting the results of the past three years, we just ranked behind Xiling Middle School, ranked fifth, and fell into the second gear. However, according to the coach, no matter who the opponent is, as long as we play wholeheartedly, it is natural for us to qualify from the group.

The captains of the fourth pot team took the stage first to draw the first pot team's position. Tao Tao represented the new team to draw the foreign school to Group A, the defending champion Beichuan in Group D, and the 54th Middle School and Xizhong in Group B and Group C. Then the captain of Pot 3 drew the team in Pot 2, and we were the first to be drawn and settled in Group A. The coach didn't have any expression, and I couldn't help but beat a drum in my heart. It's only been a few months, and we're going to meet up again in the competition.

Just as I was thinking, Ah Hua suddenly lifted my hat from behind.

"We're going to meet again, please give me a lot of advice." He said that, and the coach and I both laughed.

"Well, you can't win us this time." I responded.

Before the words fell, the host invited the captain of the second pot team to come to the stage to draw the third pot team. The coach and Ah Hua patted me, and Ah Hua also told me to be angry with my opponent and draw a good lot. It seems that everyone does not want to face too strong opponents in the group stage.

However, it turned out to make me gasp - it was Yuki Middle School that entered Group A. The coach was just saying that Yuki might be the strongest team in Pot 3. And the last opponent in Group A also quickly surfaced, which happened to be the No. 1 Middle School Branch. Meeting Taotao in the group stage will be a very special thing, but I don't know what level Xinjian is, if only it was similar to the experimental middle school. But judging from the face of the coach, this opponent is definitely not so easy to deal with.

Did we draw a draw that was worse than last year? On the way back, I wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask, but the coach told me when he left, as the captain, don't make everyone too nervous when telling the players about the draw results, after all, we are the third place last season, the strongest team in the second pot, and no opponent will want to take the initiative to meet us. After hurrying to the cram school to finish the class, I did exactly what I told my friends. Ye Ruiyang smiled helplessly after hearing this, and said that we are indeed the strongest team in the second gear, but we have also drawn the strongest opponents in other gears, and it is estimated that it is the deadliest death group in the history of the Mayor's Cup. He didn't forget to hurt me and asked me if I didn't wash my hands before going to the toilet before the lottery. Millet gave him a hard push. Well pushed, I usually pay the most attention to hygiene, and I am especially afraid that someone will say that I am not clean.

"So how are you recruiting today? Can I still hold my country? ”

Ye Ruiyang and Brother Chuan sent me and Mi Le to the school gate. As I was leaving, I asked.

"Come on, isn't it the captain, you really think of yourself as a character! Jiangshan belongs to the boss of the family. Ye Ruiyang smiled.

"What? Do you still think you're the boss? Our current boss is Keco. Miller stuck her tongue out at him, "You're honorably retired." ”

"Hmph, so what? Isn't Ke Ke still two months younger than me? Not counting his sister, I'm still the biggest. ”

"Looking at this guy's bullish appearance, he almost said that he was the captain when he recruited a new recruit today." Brother Chuan pointed at Ye Ruiyang and said, "What is this called?" Bully people by flaunting one's powerful connections! ”

As soon as the words fell, Ye Ruiyang picked up his schoolbag and "hunted" him. Millet and I watched under the streetlights as they drifted away. Although we were busy chasing each other, we could still hear them shouting "see you tomorrow" to us from afar. yes, I'm going to get up again tomorrow morning for class.

"Actually, we failed to recruit new recruits today. Ten people were not recruited, but Yue Yin and Ye Ruiyang had already worked very hard, and they called the band to cheer us on. Today, Mu Zheng is not here, and only Xuexue plays alone. But he played so badly, he played a few wrong notes at the beginning, and he didn't attract many people. There have never been so many mistakes before. Millet shrugged, his shadow stretched out by the streetlights.

Miller has grown taller, probably nearly one meter six, but the length of the shadow still does not match his body shape.

"It's fine. It's good to have you. The two of us can finally start together, and I've been waiting for a year. I put my hand gently on his shoulder, "I feel like you're going to score." ”

"Is that not it?" Miller gave himself a thumbs up and then told me that he wanted to help me put on the captain's armband on the day of the game. Of course I'd love to.

"Are there any good ones among the new players?"

"There are no trials, just names. However, there is a junior who should be very strong. He is a foreigner, from Australia, Ye Ruiyang chatted with him in English for a while, he said that he plays on the left, from fullback to winger. We also have 'foreign aid' like Beichuan. ”

"Really?" When I heard this, my eyes lit up, "What's his name?" ”

"His name is very long, and we can't read it for a long time, it's not like English. Later, he spoke in Chinese, and we just called him Luka. His eyes are particularly good-looking, green and super clean. ”

Your eyes are clean, too. I'm not embarrassed to say. He told me about Lucca for a while, and Ye Ruiyang said that he had stayed in many countries, usually after living in a year or two and then changing countries. It sounds like a lot of places, but in fact, many countries are quite small in size, and there is often movement of people between them, and crossing countries may be similar to us crossing provinces. Luca changed countries, probably the same as Miller changed provinces. However, crossing from Australia to New Zealand and crossing to China are two different concepts, not only to cross the ocean, but also to adapt to new cultures and lifestyles. Fortunately, there is football, and I believe we can find a common language.

First round matchup

Jieqi Middle School VS Jiangyuan No. 1 Middle School

Jiangyuan Foreign School VS Xinjian Middle School

Jiangyuan Mayor's Cup Football League (Junior High School Group) Group Stage Standings (Group A)

Jiang Yuan Foreign School 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, 0 goals difference, total 0 points

Jiang Yuan No.1 Middle School 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, 0 goals difference, total 0 points

Jieqi Middle School 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, 0 goals difference, total 0 points

Xinjian Middle School 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, 0 goals difference, 0 points