Chapter 73 - Onside (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“The second half kicks off at the referee’s whistle!”

“There’s so much to look forward to!”

Zhang Jun rolled the ball to Ren Yu De, who dashed into Dingding’s half instead of passing it to Kaka in the rear. Many were shocked by his action.

Isn’t he supposed to be worn down? Why is he so aggressive as soon as he’s back?”Bin Fei thought. He felt suspicious as he was left dumbstruck by Ren Yu De.

“The halftime break allows a little recovery, but is there a need for Ren Yu De to push forward immediately after?” Mr. Zhou was also doubting Ren Yu De’s endeavor.

Liang Ke however, disagreed.

He knew what his player was thinking: since his pathetic amount of stamina was not going to last, instead of wasting it on futile runs back and forth, he could better utilize it by dribbling ahead and creating chances for his teammates. It would help his team to avoid Dingding’s offside trap too.

Ren Yu De was like a candle nearing the end of its life; he would shine with every last bit of his strength, leaving no regrets behind when falling down in utter exhaustion.

Since when did a troubled teenager who fought, got drunk and smoked every day become willing to sacrifice himself for others? Liang Ke really hoped that his parents could bear witness to this very moment at the stands—how radiant the rebellious child that they almost sent to reform school was.

Fan Cunjie was hesitant.

He was considering the option of chasing for the ball; there was no doubt that with Ren Yu De’s current condition, he would soon be dispossessed. As such, it was wiser to stay up front rather than track back to challenge for the ball—he would wait for Cao Po to get the ball to him, and then go for the counter.

So, with one last glance at Ren Yu De’s stumbling shadow, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. He had faith in Cao Po’s ability, which he came to know after three years of partnership.

As expected, Cao Po closed in with his intimidating mannerisms, showing that he was not going to be merciful towards a player who was barely holding his legs up.

There seemed to be no escape for Ren Yu De, but it was in that moment that Zhang Jun ran up and ingeniously latched on to Cao Po. This way, he kept him off his teammate.

Such a trick did not even cross Cao Po’s mind and he lost his chance to win possession of the ball. Hence, Ren Yu De slipped past Zhang Jun like a basketball screen and pushed forward.

Shi Yan was up. Ren Yu De had gotten one over him just before the break and he wanted revenge!

Seeing the path of Ren Yu De’s progress, Shi Yan dived in for a fierce tackle!

Under stunned gasps, Ren Yu De made an emergency brake! This resulted in Shi Yan striking empty air!

At the next second, Ren Yu De quickly accelerated again, leaving Shi Yan completely behind!

“A quick stop and turn! How does he have so much strength left?” Liu Wei could not keep himself from crying out.

It was true that each of those movements was a huge challenge for a fatigued person; in fact, it was virtually a heart-attack for Ren Yu De’s scattered breathing. However, he pulled himself together and dribbled so perfectly—how many physically fit players could have copied the exquisite timing of his instant stop?

“Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De!”

Liu Qi began to chant his name, and that section of the stands quickly followed suit.

“Ren Yu De has gotten past three players! Su Rui is now approaching. Will he stop Yu De’s advance?”

It seemed that his last move against Shi Yan had taken away the last vestiges of his strength. Ren Yu De was now positively faltering and his movements were all over the place.

It’s probably the end for this guy,  Su Rui thought, and he prepared to close in.

Ren Yu De began to sway around without a heading, looking ready to drop to the ground at a moment’s notice. Relieved, Su Rui daringly went up for the block and as soon as he stuck his foot out, the unsteady Ren Yu De knocked the ball to the right and burst off to the left!

“He’s off! Ren Yu De has gotten past another one!”

Su Rui could not believe he had lost in a single duel! He stood still for moments, forgetting to give chase.

Ren Yu De did not dawdle, passing the ball to Zhang Jun.

He had just received the ball, but Cao Po was already in pursuit behind him, while Yao Wang was waiting just in front.

Without pulling any tricks, Zhang Jun sprinted onwards with the ball! The burly Yao Wang could not catch up and fell behind within seconds. Cao Po kept running with all of his might, following him tightly and preventing him from having a comfortable shot.

Forced into an angle that continued to get more skewed, Zhang Jun paused. Seizing the brief second that Cao Po was still turning, he passed!

“It’s Ren Yu De! Ren Yu De is going to shoot! Yao Wang is up to block! It’s a shot!”

Xia Bo dived and palmed the ball away. It bounced off to Ya Dong, who kicked it out of bounds.

After his shot, Ren Yu De was slightly shoved by Yao Wang. He rolled onto the ground and Zhang Jun pulled him up.

The ensuing Shu Guang corner was fruitless. While Yao Wang’s agility was not on par with Zhang Jun or Ren Yu De’s, he had absolute confidence in the air. He headed the ball away from the box.