Chapter 071: The Man with the Wolfish Nature

Bian Xuedao's voice wasn't as weathered as Zhang Yu's, nor did he have the same cinematic quality when singing, but his high notes were much higher than Zhang Yu's, especially his ability to convey the profound sentiments of a man with a storied past.

Dan Rao, like Li Yu, understood the significance of the song Bian Xuedao chose.

Dan Rao knew she wasn't the "one flower," and she also knew she was the successor to the "one flower." Now that Bian Xuedao had said a loud goodbye to the "one flower," she believed that as long as she and Bian Xuedao were good together, the "one flower" would no longer be an issue.

Many people were hearing Bian Xuedao sing solo for the first time, and Li Xun understood why Li Yu had told her, "I can't compete with Lao Bian in singing."

Bian Xuedao's singing was more delicate than Li Yu's, his voice brighter, and his high notes lacked the oppressive quality of Li Yu's. The last few notes of "Single Love for One Flower" had three layers in Zhang Yu's original version, but Bian Xuedao managed to sing six layers, leaving Dan Rao wide-eyed in amazement. She had thought Bian Xuedao might be a good singer, but she never expected him to be so impressive.

The more she interacted with him, the more curious Dan Rao became. The Bian Xuedao she knew could swim, play soccer, drive, cook, play the guitar, sing, fight, and seemed to be very good at making money. She was eager to discover more of his hidden talents.

At the same time, she was a bit worried: could she really hold onto such an excellent guy?

The music in the private room was loud, and everyone was having a great time, but Bian Xuedao's mind was elsewhere.

He was reflecting on the graduate team from yesterday's match.

Putting aside their soccer skills, the resilience of the graduate team, their unwavering determination and refusal to give up, left a deep impression on Bian Xuedao. He felt that understanding the spirit of the graduate team would greatly benefit his future path.

Bian Xuedao spent the entire evening thinking about how to summarize the lessons from the match, but he had no clear ideas until Ai Feng sang "Wolf" by Chyi Chin, which suddenly opened his mind.

He recalled an essay about wolves he had read in the newspaper's literary supplement. The article said that wolves were particularly adept at adapting to environmental changes. As one of the three most perfectly evolved top predators among carnivores, they had integrated the principle of "survival of the fittest" into their instincts. While other animals went extinct, wolves survived and became the most competitive top predators in the food chain.

Wolves have three characteristics: keen senses that allow them to seize opportunities and act immediately; a strong sense of initiative and aggressiveness, never giving up and persisting until the end; and a strong sense of teamwork and unity, moving forward and retreating together.

In Bian Xuedao's mind, wolves had another important characteristic: an unyielding pride that would never be tamed for a few scraps of food.

Bian Xuedao believed that to live a free and easy life in this world, he needed to not only make full use of his decade of foresight but also draw strength from the wolfish nature, becoming a man with the spirit of a wolf.

The "Dongsen Cup" final was more popular than anyone expected.

Not only was the "Sanmu Garden" forum on campus buzzing with discussions and predictions, but forums at other universities in the city also had posts about it, especially those with international students participating in the "Dongsen Cup" final. Some students were even forming groups to go watch the match at Dongsen University on the weekend.

Actually, a single university's intramural soccer tournament wouldn't have such a significant impact, but the special nature of one of the teams in this "Dongsen Cup" final—the international student team—drew a lot of interest.

Especially before the final, the international student team had recruited two powerful reinforcements, rumored to have trained at a prestigious European youth academy.

"Prestigious" from another angle means "well-known."

The words "prestigious European youth academy" had an almost magical appeal.

Similarly, these words put immense pressure on Yang Enqiao, the leader of the Media team.

Facing a team of international students from eight different countries, the Media team could lose, but they couldn't lose too badly.

Although the reinforcements he had found through Dan Rao were strong, and he knew that foreigners who came to China for study often exaggerated their backgrounds, the words "prestigious European youth academy" were too intimidating. Out of a strong sense of responsibility, Yang Enqiao tried every means to contact the only professional soccer club in Songjiang City—the Gran Club.

For a club that hovered between the second and third tiers, with the goal of avoiding relegation, defensive players were invaluable. They received better treatment and were subject to more restrictions, and they wouldn't easily play in amateur matches, as any injury would be too costly.

After much effort, Yang Enqiao finally managed to bring in a veteran winger named Wu Tian.

Even though he was a bench player for a professional team, Wu Tian's skills still amazed Yang Enqiao.

There was a reason Wu Tian could come.

He was past his prime and had opened an indoor soccer training facility in the development zone a year ago. He had thought it would be a good fit for Songjiang's long winters and short outdoor soccer seasons, but the business hadn't performed as well as expected.

Most of their money was invested in the facility, and they couldn't afford advertising, so they had been struggling.

In the past six months, the Gran Club had been having financial issues, and as a veteran bench player, Wu Tian had fewer concerns and often played in amateur matches with gambling stakes.

This time, he didn't ask for a fee. His only request was to hang four advertising banners for his indoor soccer training facility on the sidelines. Wu Tian wanted to use this opportunity to tap into the potential market of college students.

Yang Enqiao called the college leadership, who agreed to help.

Yang Enqiao was shrewd and didn't immediately agree to Wu Tian's request. Instead, he feigned difficulty and negotiated for a while before agreeing, on the condition that Wu Tian would also serve as the Media team's coach and captain.

Yang Enqiao's skills didn't stop there.

Wu Tian's request gave him an idea. He contacted the marketing department of Pepsi and a local sports goods chain store, then quickly drafted a proposal. It wasn't much, just a few photos from the semifinals showing the crowd and the names of the schools the international student team's reinforcements came from.

Yang Enqiao didn't have high hopes, but he succeeded.

The next day, Ai Shen Sports agreed to sponsor 60 sets of match uniforms and equipment, while Pepsi requested naming rights. Yang Enqiao handed over the follow-up negotiations to the school's external affairs department, but he didn't receive the praise he deserved.

Wu Tian, the new coach, took charge and demanded full authority.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bian Xuedao had planned to go swimming with Dan RAO, but Yang Enqiao called a team meeting.

When he arrived, he learned that Yang Enqiao had brought in a big name to reevaluate the starting lineup and form a new team.

Wu Tian didn't have time to conduct a full assessment like in a physical education class. His method was simple: dribble past him and then defend against his dribbles.

Bian Xuedao laughed when he heard this. A small, fast winger, even if he was a professional, wouldn't be easy to defend against. This was clearly a way to establish authority.

Indeed, no one except Cheng Daqi and Xu Zhiyou could stop him.

After the so-called test, they played a small-sided match.

Wu Tian's high-speed dribbling and quick cuts gave the Media team players a glimpse of what a professional player looked like.

Wu Tian played with the team for about 20 minutes, then watched from the sidelines, noting the jersey numbers of the players he favored.

By Thursday, the starting lineup was mostly set, with the biggest change being the addition of two tall, strong defenders.

Wu Tian was satisfied with the Media team's forwards and goalkeeper but was most concerned about the defenders. He repeatedly warned them to focus on their marks, not the ball, and to be decisive in their play.

Also on Thursday, the school received a notice from a higher authority that a deputy minister from the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Department would visit the school on Sunday.

The school leadership's first reaction was to postpone the soccer match, but at an emergency party meeting, some leaders disagreed. They argued that the tournament had already gained significant attention, both within and outside the school, and postponing it could cause student unrest, which would be detrimental.

"Why now, of all times?"

"Let them come. The leaders can do their thing, and the students can play their game. We just need to tidy up the field a bit. What if the leaders get interested and decide to watch the match?"

Immediately, the student council and the student councils of each college received instructions to inform the students to behave civilly and maintain cleanliness during the soccer match on Sunday. Student leaders were to maintain order and ensure no disturbances.

On Friday, the large Pepsi advertisement banners were set up around the stadium, and the banners for Ai Shen Sports and Wu Tian's indoor soccer training facility were also hung. The students were thrilled to see that their school's soccer match had attracted sponsors, and some boasted to their friends from other schools. With it being the weekend, they managed to bring in a crowd.

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