Chapter 20 The Heat of Summer

On April 4, 2002, after a short period of training, the team boarded the train to Xiamen, where they would compete at X University's stadium for one of the three national final spots.

Sophie wasn't part of the team, so she didn't go. This was the first time Zhang Jun had participated in a major competition without her since high school. Sophie wasn't entirely at ease, so she specially made a lucky charm for him to wear on his wrist. Just like in high school, it was a hand-woven bracelet with Zhang Jun's name and number: 11.

Remaining at school, Sophie began to frequent the internet. Zhang Jun didn't have a cell phone, so she could only learn about everything happening thousands of miles away through the web.

U University also reported frequent victories, winning all three group matches and advancing to the quarterfinals. However, for some reason, Zhang Jun didn't display the same sharpness as he had in the Anhui competition area. He only scored four goals in three games, not even making it into the top five on the scoring charts.

Quarterfinals to semifinals, semifinals to finals.

In the final match, Zhao Yu didn't let Zhang Jun and Yang Pan play at all. Since they had already secured a place in the national competition, it was pointless to use all the main players. It was better to let the substitutes get some practice. In the end, U University lost to X University, who had the advantage of playing on their home field, with a score of 1:2, and took second place. Zhang Jun ended up fourth on the scoring charts, while Yang Pan was third on the assists chart. Considering their abilities, this wasn't a great result, but it was Zhao Yu's deliberate strategy—to keep a low profile in the preliminary rounds and then surprise them all in the national competition.

X University, U University, and S University, the top three schools, ultimately secured tickets to Dalian in May, where 13 other schools from across the country awaited them. May in Dalian would be very, very hot...

Li Yongle's curved shot at the last moment allowed R University to advance to the national finals as the Northern District champion. Having only achieved second place last year, R University was listed as the number one seed for the championship. Li Yongle's emergence caught many people's attention. He constantly roamed the midfield during matches, able to attack and defend, with no lack of speed—truly a midfield all-rounder.

In May, in Dalian, many people expected R University to reach the summit, with Li Yongle taking home the Golden Ball for best player. But Li Yongle only looked forward to playing against Zhang Jun.

Brazil, Sao Paulo.

Kaka's father watched in surprise as Kaka put on his shoes at the door: "Where are you going?"

Kaka didn't even look up: "For a morning run!"

His father was about to say something, but Kaka had already opened the door.

A burst of noise erupted outside. Kaka was stunned by what he saw. The yard was surrounded by reporters and fans. Some reporters even climbed into trees and onto the opposite house to take pictures!

"He's coming out!" Someone shouted. Instantly, flashes went off like machine guns.

"Kaka! Talk about your feelings!"

"Kaka, look over here!"

"Kaka, sign an autograph!"

"Kaka..."

It took Kaka several seconds to react. He suddenly turned around, rushed back into the house, and closed the door, shutting out the flashes and terrifying scene. But the noise still found its way in.

"What... what's going on?" Kaka leaned against the door, looking at his father, who was eating breakfast, with a surprised expression.

"Haven't you forgotten?" His father put down his milk. "The news last night—you were officially selected for the Brazilian national team to prepare for the World Cup."

"Oh, right!" Kaka slapped his forehead. "Yesterday's news. Now that I think about it, I'm also a member of the Brazilian team..."

"Aren't you happy? Kaka, being able to play for the Brazilian national team is every Brazilian boy's dream. Aren't you proud of it?"

"It's not... it's just..." Kaka remembered the happy times he had playing soccer with Zhang Jun and Yang Pan during high school. He pulled up a chair and sat at the table. "Dad, you're Chinese, and I have Chinese blood. Can I play for China?"

His father looked at Kaka as if he were an alien, then shook his head. "It's strange. You have a spot on the Brazilian national team, but you insist on going back to China... Chinese soccer isn't that good! Besides, you were born in Brazil, so you naturally have Brazilian citizenship. But Brazil also recognizes your Chinese nationality because your father is Chinese. However, if you go back to China, you can only be considered a returned overseas Chinese, not a Chinese citizen. Because China doesn't recognize dual citizenship, your Brazilian citizenship is confirmed, so you can't play for China unless..." His father paused, leaving a suspenseful note.

"Unless what?" Kaka asked eagerly.

"Unless... you live in China for more than eight years, then you can obtain Chinese citizenship. But at that time, eight years later, what good would it do for you to play for the Chinese team? You'd be almost thirty..."

Kaka was disappointed. It seemed he was destined not to play soccer with Zhang Jun again. "That's a shame... Well, being opponents isn't bad either!" Kaka casually picked up the newspaper on the table. A large photo of him occupied a prominent position on the front page.

"Young Kaka Selected for the Brazilian National Team, Lone Wolf Rejected Again!"

"...Scolari would rather go against the wishes of the entire Brazilian people than kick Romario out of the national team, all to make room for this 19-year-old called 'Kaka.' He rose to fame with two brilliant goals in last year's Rio-Sao Paulo Championship final, securing a starting position for Sao Paulo, and has since performed exceptionally and consistently. Brazilian soccer legend, 1994 World Cup-winning coach, and current Sao Paulo Club coach, Pereira, once commented on this new type of player: 'He is a genius that Brazil only produces once every thirty years!'"

Zhang Jun held the new issue of *Sports Weekly*, reading this news over and over again.

"...Professional team, national team, World Cup... Li Yongle, it's no longer 1:0, he's scored another goal..."

Zhang Jun finally threw the newspaper aside, looked up at the glaring sunlight outside the window, and suddenly felt like the dorm was a big steamer. It was so hot!

At this moment, Li Yongle was training hard on the field, sweating profusely. It was noon, when the sun's ultraviolet rays were at their strongest. Few people would come to the soccer field, which had very little shade, at this time. Therefore, the tall figure constantly dribbling the ball on the sun-baked white field was particularly eye-catching.

R University's head coach, Bai Hongfei, stood outside the track, where there was a bit of shade and where he wouldn't easily be noticed by the person training on the field. He was watching this solitary training session from afar. R University's successful entry into the finals had once again caused a stir on campus, and had also caused some problems in the thinking of some players. There were many players who weren't taking training seriously, but only he, the player who was recognized as the best player in the selection competition and the regional finals, was training even harder than before. It wasn't the first time he had seen Li Yongle training alone on such a hot noon, and this person, who had accurate long passes and could score goals himself at crucial moments, was always repeating the most basic training. In today's environment, where even youth soccer is impetuous and eager for quick success, it's really not easy to find someone who can bury himself and willingly do the basic drills that have long been abandoned!

From the back view of this tall guy, who usually said the least in the team, Bai Hongfei saw endless strength.

R University's championship this year would no longer be a dream.

The cicadas in the trees made Bai Hongfei look up. The sunlight dazzled him, and he squinted, using his hand as a visor to look up at the sky: "It's a little hot this summer!"

"It's a little hot this summer!"

Zhao Yu stopped his hurried footsteps, looked up at the blinding sky, and squinted. The sun was overhead.

Less than a month remained until the National University Soccer League finals held by Wu Yuezhong in Dalian. He was the busiest person right now, grabbing the team's training during the day and staying up all night studying the data of teams that might become opponents in the national finals, and formulating corresponding strategies. In this non-stop busyness, the increasingly noisy cicadas made him feel that summer had arrived.

Sophie was considering what to wear to class this afternoon—a long skirt or a short skirt. Girls often worry for a long time about what to wear when going out. It's not that they have nothing to wear, but that there are so many things they *could* wear. Sophie was no exception.

It had rained the day before yesterday, and the temperature was cool. She even needed a thicker blanket to sleep at night. How could the temperature rise so quickly after it cleared up today? Not only was the thick blanket stuffed into the box, but even the clothes she wore were out of season.

Faced with all kinds of skirts, t-shirts, and tank tops on the bed, Sophie's forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat in the midday sun.

This summer came as soon as it said it would, completely ignoring other people's feelings! she thought with some annoyance. At least warm up a little first, and then slowly get into the mood! It's easy to get injured and leave the court if you rush onto the field without even warming up.

"It's so hot!" she finally cried out, unable to bear it any longer.

Luoyang, Shuguang High School.

Liang Ke, wearing a baseball cap, stood on the sidelines shouting loudly. The twenty-two players on the field were running hard and seriously. A soccer ball bounced between them. Another dozen or so players sat on the sidelines, attentively watching the game on the field.

"Pay attention to positioning!"

"The defender is leaking someone! Don't rush up like a swarm of bees!"

"The forward drops back to receive the ball!"

"Pass the ball after breaking free, don't dribble too much!"

...

Chen Huafeng sat quietly on the stands, which were burning hot from the sun, watching the field. As his assistant, Xiao Zhang kept drinking water and fanning his clothes: "It's too hot! Why did we have to come and watch an internal training match on such a hot noon?"

Chen Huafeng didn't turn his head to look at Xiao Zhang panting with his tongue sticking out, but only watched the twenty-two players on the field and Liang Ke, who was shouting loudly, and casually replied, "This summer seems to be a little hotter than usual..."

The summer of 2002 seemed destined to be very hot from the very beginning...