Starting from a Fake University-Chapter 1548 - 818: Sir, The Times Have Changed (Please Subscribe)

A fierce soccer battle has erupted.

Mist City Arts and Science University’s Feiyue Soccer Club is facing off against Mist City Shuangjiang Football Club, and the attention this match has been receiving has been skyrocketing.

First, it’s because Feiyue Soccer Club has quite a strong fanbase. In the last National University Sports Games, Feiyue Soccer Club showcased exceptional skill and managed to clinch the championship of the soccer competition. Because of that, Feiyue Soccer Club earned the qualification to challenge Mist City Shuangjiang Football Club.

In this match, if they manage to defeat Shuangjiang Football Club, they’ll take the ticket to the Xia Super League right out of their hands.

Second, Mist City Arts and Science University is broadcasting the match live, and many news outlets have jumped at the opportunity to ride the wave, reporting on the showdown between Feiyue Soccer Club and Shuangjiang Football Club. This has drawn even more attention, and the match even briefly made it to trending topics on Twitter.

"Mist City Arts and Science University, go get them!"

"This is a newly rising soccer team. I have really high hopes for Feiyue Soccer Club."

"I’m so looking forward to this match."

"If Feiyue Soccer Club makes it into the Xia Super League, I wonder what kind of impact they’ll have."

"I bet the old-timers in the Xia Super League must be panicking right now."

"Attack, Feiyue Soccer Club, crush them for me!"

"The country’s soccer scene—bunch of good-for-nothings. Well, except for Feiyue Soccer Club, of course."

"They’ve got the public’s support!"

Most of the online commentary is overwhelmingly in favor of Mist City Arts and Science University’s Feiyue Soccer Club. It’s hard not to be. Before this, Feiyue Soccer Club’s performance was indeed stunning, drawing countless fans.

On the other side, Mist City Shuangjiang Football Club, representing Mist City in the Xia Super League, has pretty much been in a slump these past two years. Its rankings within the league haven’t been impressive, and one can’t help but wonder—does such a team have any future?

As the game started at the Shuangjiang Sports Center, neither side displayed any overly aggressive offensive moves.

Ding Yue was watching the match live. It’s understandable that his Feiyue Soccer Club isn’t pressing the attack right now; under the coach’s plan, this initial stage is all about figuring out Shuangjiang Football Club’s gameplay style.

Only after thoroughly understanding the opponent’s tactics can the team mount a better counteroffensive.

However.

From what Ding Yue observed so far, the players on Shuangjiang Football Club didn’t seem to have any distinctive playing style. In fact, the entire team looked sluggish—no energy at all. Whenever they got the ball, they passed it back to midfield, then advanced slightly forward. But as soon as they faced defensive pressure, they retreated back to midfield again. The whole process was utterly uninspiring, to the point of making people bored enough to want to take a nap.

"Yue, why does Shuangjiang Football Club look so weak? Did they skip dinner?"

Huang Youjie grumbled to Yue as he watched the game.

"Could it be a smokescreen tactic?"

Ding Yue frowned, unable to stop himself from thinking deeper. As someone who usually considers the bigger picture, he couldn’t help but wonder.

After all, Shuangjiang Football Club is supposed to be Mist City’s premier soccer team—how could they possibly be playing this weakly, with no momentum? There’s probably something fishy going on here.

"That’s plausible."

Xu Bin nodded, agreeing with Ding Yue’s assessment.

This kind of overly soft gameplay was puzzling, to say the least. Was it a tactic? Or could Shuangjiang Football Club truly be at such a poor state and level right now?

It’s only natural for smart folks like Ding Yue and Xu Bin to overthink things under such circumstances.

"Wow, I can’t believe this is actually a tactic now."

Huang Youjie couldn’t stop himself from complaining.

"Let’s see how we respond to this."

Ding Yue rubbed his chin, anticipating unexpected twists and turns on the field.

Judging by Shuangjiang Football Club’s current state, they likely don’t have much in store. The focus now is on how his Feiyue Soccer Club will play going forward.

Three to five minutes later, players from Mist City Arts and Science University’s Feiyue Soccer Club also found themselves at a loss.

Originally, they intended to probe Shuangjiang Football Club’s fighting skill and gameplay style. But now, seeing the opponent’s current performance—it was just too terrible!

The players were now waiting for directives from the coach.

At the sidelines, Feiyue Soccer Club’s coach, after assessing the situation on the field, quickly reacted and provided the players with some subtle hints. These cues were only understandable to team members; essentially, they were in-game instructions from the coach, signaling whether they should attack, quickly shift to defense, or some other strategy.

Of course, if a rapidly changing situation unfolded on the field, the coach might not have enough time to issue new orders. In such cases, the players’ ability to coordinate and adapt to the evolving circumstances would come into play.