Chapter 051: Fiery Passion

Rain fell gently from the sky, rendering the playground a mire of mud. Zhang Tan felt as though his legs were filled with lead, weighed down and heavy. The shouts and cheers from his classmates echoed in his ears, urging him onward, but they could not summon much strength in him.

The damned mud made every step a struggle.

The score on the field remained locked at one to one, the tension mounting as the ninety minutes drew to a close. With only a short midday break, there would be no overtime; if no one scored soon, the outcome would hinge on penalty kicks. Class 4 of the second year boasted five school team players—one more than Class 2—making their chances of winning on penalties much greater than Class 5 of the first year.

"We can't let it go to penalties!"

Anxiety gnawed at Zhang Tan's heart.

Just then, Zhou Yuxi suddenly shouted, "Detective!"

With his cry, the football, now wrapped in mud, rolled slowly toward Zhang Tan. On the other side, Zhu Ran had drawn the attention of three opposing defenders, and Zhou Yuxi had originally intended to pass to him. Yet the ball reached Zhang Tan instead—a brilliant pass—leaving no one in front of him.

He could charge freely and shoot.

"What an opportunity!" Zhang Tan snapped to attention, surging forward with the ball, exerting every ounce of strength he possessed, inching ever closer to the opponent’s goal. Then, swinging his leg with all his might, he kicked fiercely—he shot!

Off the field, the students of Class 5 watched anxiously.

On the pitch, all the players from both classes stared at him, stunned.

This shot would decide their fate.

Bang!

No, the sound never came. At the crucial moment, Zhang Tan’s foot faltered; he failed to hit the ball with force, and instead of soaring, the football rolled slowly toward the opponent’s goal, only to be gently scooped up by their goalkeeper.

"Ah!" Zhang Tan felt himself branded as the culprit; he sensed disappointment in the eyes of his teammates, felt contempt from the spectators. He grew dazed and numb.

The penalty shootout ended as expected, with Class 4 of the second year taking the championship.

All strength drained from Zhang Tan’s body; he collapsed onto his knees in the mud, covering his face and crying silently. The light rain fell upon him, droplets slipping through his fingers, streaming endlessly downward.

...

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Tan shook his head, casting aside the memories of his previous life, the bitter defeat etched into his soul. He vowed that today, it would not repeat.

He turned to his teammates, already in position, and shouted, "Keep your spirits up! Crush Class 4!"

---

"Crush Class 4!" his teammates echoed in unison.

Students by the playground joined in, shouting together, "Crush Class 4!"

The captain of Class 4 sneered, "Zhang Tan, your class talks big—don’t let your words outrun your abilities."

Zhang Tan snorted in reply, "Just wait—you’ll see that our strength matches our words."

"I’d like to see what makes you so confident."

The rain fell sharply, just as it had in that match from his memories.

At the sound of the whistle, the game began.

Zhang Tan banished all stray thoughts, throwing himself resolutely into the match. Though history seemed to repeat itself—with Class 5 facing Class 4 in the finals once more, and again on a rainy day—Zhang Tan was no longer the person he once was. He was stronger, sturdier, more skilled, and more aware!

"No high balls, no long passes—keep it short and tight!"

"Zhu Ran, don’t dribble—focus on passing!"

"Zhou Yuxi, if you can’t break through, play it back!"

"Xiao Qiang, watch for openings!"

With Zhang Tan’s commands, Class 5 quickly overcame their discomfort with the muddy field and found their rhythm. Zhang Tan was experienced with playing in muddy conditions; he knew that if they didn’t seize the chance to score early, the ball would only become heavier with mud, making it harder to play.

Winning the championship was his sole thought now.

His body surged forward, fueled by passion!

That was all!

He truly loved football; if he went a while without playing, his feet would itch. Perhaps he wasn’t a true football fanatic—he barely followed the national team, rarely watched the top leagues, and certainly not the local matches. It wasn’t until Evergrande won the Asian Champions League that he paid a bit more attention.

Unfortunately, there were no matches in Anhui or Hefei, and he wasn’t about to travel to another province just to catch a game or two.

Back in college, he had fervently supported his hometown team—the old Mingguang Blue team.

Historically, Anhui was a barren land for football, with hardly any moments of glory. After professional football took hold, there was a team called Leprosen, which later bought the qualification to play in the second division from Guangyou Yinli, with high hopes of breaking into the first division. Three years of striving, three years of collapse.

The investors lost hope and sold the team, but the players were still strong, moving to Sihuan Mianyang and successfully entering the first division.

Then came the infamous "Five Mice" scandal in the league, resulting in many players being banned.

After that, Anhui’s sports authorities made some efforts, establishing football schools and renovating stadiums, hoping to attract investment. In 2001, after the national team qualified for the World Cup, football fever swept the country, and Anhui announced plans to form a professional team—but nothing came of it.

---

In early 2002, Gansu Tianma planned to relocate to Anhui, but was stopped by the government and fans. That year, Qingdao’s first division team, Hailifeng, moved to Hefei, renamed itself Hefei Chuangyi, and finished fourth in the league. Anhui fans cheered, but at the end of the season, the Qingdao team quietly departed.

In 2003, new rules stated that if a team wasn’t registered that year, any newly registered team would have to start from the fourth division, forfeiting second division status. Overcoming many obstacles, Anhui Whirlwind Football Club was finally established, sponsored by the old Mingguang Group—this was the first team Zhang Tan considered his home team.

Listening to broadcasts of Mingguang’s matches, Zhang Tan successfully entered college.

Whenever he had time, he would rush to the Hong Sanhuan stadium to cheer for Mingguang at their home games, watching the players in blue shirts sprint across the pitch, wishing he could join them himself.

But when the first division became the top league, and the second division became the first league, Mingguang still struggled year after year in the second division. Eventually, the Mingguang Group neared collapse, the team changed its name to Anhui Jiufang, and Zhang Tan graduated and entered the workforce, carrying countless regrets.

It wasn’t until 2007 that the team climbed into the first division, but by then, Zhang Tan was working and rarely paid attention. He only heard that after a few years of glory, disputes with the authorities left them without even a training ground, forcing the team to withdraw and sell to Tianjin.

After that, Zhang Tan knew nothing more.

Perhaps his love for football was quietly buried in the repeated disappointments and failures. With age, the passionate days faded away.

Now, with hormones surging once more, that long-lost fervor swelled through him again.

"Race ahead!"

Zhang Tan dribbled, splashing sweat freely across the muddy field.

His abundant energy overcame gravity, and the mire; he beat one defender, then another, arriving before the goal.

"Ah!" A roar of fury.

Bang!

The football rocketed like a cannonball, piercing the goal of Class 4 in an instant. The opposing goalkeeper stood frozen, unable to react.

"Ooooh!"

No longer was there a sigh of disappointment in his ears, but the thrill of excited cheers.

Standing in the rain, Zhang Tan raised his arms to the sky, head held high, letting the rain strike his face, cold and refreshing.

His heart burned like fire!

We are the champions!

The next moment—

He was engulfed by his teammates, swept up in their jubilant embrace.