Chapter 17: We Have to Play in the Chinese Super League
"Jiang Yuan, you're back?"

Wang Hairong was correcting homework in the office. When he saw Jiang Yuan coming over, he put down his pen.

"Good evening, Mr. Wang!"

Jiang Yuan did not state his purpose directly. He was trying to get Wang Hairong to agree to approve his request for leave for evening self-study.

Wang Hairong handed Jiang Yuan a bottle of mineral water and said, "I watched your game this morning. You ran really fast! Especially the last kick in the first half. That weird arc made me dumbfounded, haha!"

Jiang Yuan frowned: "Teacher, did you watch my game this morning?"

"Yes, as the homeroom teacher I must watch it."

Wang Hairong looked very happy. In the morning, several class teachers in the office made an appointment to watch the Qingshan Middle School's football game, and they boasted about how awesome the players on their football team were.

As a result, Wang Hairong was the one who made a fortune without any effort. As a student in the back row of the class, although Jiang Yuan was not good in exams, he was really competitive when it came to playing in the game.

Jiang Yuan nodded. If Wang Hairong had seen his performance, then it shouldn't be too difficult to get the leave note.

Just when Jiang Yuan was about to get to the point, Wang Hairong brought up the question.

"Why are you looking for me in my office so late? Evening study is about to start in 2 minutes!"

As he spoke, Wang Hairong opened his cell phone and showed Jiang Yuan the time.

Jiang Yuan licked his lips and decided to confess: "Teacher, I want to ask you for a leave from evening study!"

Jiang Yuan was so nervous that he almost held his breath when he spoke. In the concept of Chinese education, teachers are a kind of superior leader.

Asking for leave from Wang Hairong reminded Jiang Yuan of all the times he was bullied by his superiors when he was working.

Hearing what Jiang Yuan said, Wang Hairong smiled as if he had expected it, and then motioned Jiang Yuan to sit down.

"Please sit down first."

“I don’t sit”

"..."

Jiang Yuan’s refusal was somewhat unexpected, and Wang Hairong took a deep breath.

"You know, you should be aware that your current academic performance will not be good enough for the football recruitment, right?"

Jiang Yuan was silent for a while. Although what Wang Hairong said was heartbreaking, it was the truth.

If Jiang Yuan were to take the university entrance exam now, even if he could get high scores in football with the help of the system, he would still be killed by his academic performance in the end.

If you ask Jiang Yuan why he still can't cope with the exam after being reborn, Jiang Yuan can only answer you awkwardly.

Sorry, I really didn't read any books in college.

Jiang Yuan swallowed his saliva, his brain working rapidly: "Teacher, I want to stand out in the provincial supermarket, which requires more training time."

The conversation between the two also attracted Gong Zhenhua, but he just sat on the side and listened. The situation was a bit complicated, and as a physics teacher, it was not convenient for him to get involved in this matter.

"I'm a Chinese teacher and I don't understand these training things. So, tell me clearly, in your opinion, it is worth using the evening self-study time for training, right?"

"That's right"

"Teacher, to be honest, the possibility of me getting into university is very low. I want to play professional football, which is different from campus football."

“My academic performance may not be good enough for university entrance exams, but it’s good enough for playing professional football!”

Jiang Yuan answered without any hesitation, and there was no change in his facial expression.

Wang Hairong looked into Jiang Yuan's eyes, listened carefully to every word he said, and finally took out a leave application from the drawer and signed his name for Jiang Yuan.

At the same time, he also helped Jiang Yuan write down the reason for his leave: feeling unwell, taking a night's rest. "As your class teacher, I should urge you to study hard and send you to a good university. I should tell you that professional football is an unrealistic teenage fantasy..."

Wang Hairong paused here, pouted and said again: "But the essence of education is to educate people. I can't just watch a young man full of dreams standing in front of me and I do nothing."

"I approve your leave!"

After saying that, Wang Hairong solemnly stuffed the light red leave note into Jiang Yuan's hand, as if entrusting something important to Jiang Yuan.

At this moment, Jiang Yuan only felt that he had been entrusted with a new mission.

So he bowed to Wang Hairong and said, "Thank you, teacher!"

Thousands of words were condensed into four simple words. In Wang Hairong's eyes, hearing these four words now sounded more powerful and sincere than at any other time.

After saying that, Jiang Yuan ran towards the football field, leaving Gong Zhenhua and Wang Hairong in the office.

"Old Wang, sometimes I really admire you!"

After Jiang Yuan left, Gong Zhenhua sat down opposite Wang Hairong.

"Admire me? Admire what?"

Wang Hairong took a sip of tea and stuffed the remaining note back into the drawer.

"In Qingshan Middle School, you are the only teacher who is willing to give sports students extra practice leave notes! And at this critical time."

The critical period that Gong Zhenhua mentioned refers to the joint entrance examination of three provinces in one and a half months, which is the largest-scale examination that students of Qingshan Middle School will face after entering high school.

"What's there to admire about this? He's quite right. If he really wants to play professional football, he should spend his time on training. That's it."

Gong Zhenhua raised his eyebrows at Wang Hairong: "Do you think he really has a chance?"

"Why is there no chance? Are you questioning my students?"

Wang Hairong rolled his eyes at Gong Zhenhua in annoyance. After all, they were deskmates when they were students.

"No, no, no, of course not. It's just that Qingshan Middle School has had many cases like this in the past. They pursued their careers with all their heart, but ended up failing..."

“I have a feeling that he is the special one.”

Wang Hairong's expression was calm.

"Lao Wang, what do you think is the upper limit of this kid?"

Wang Hairong raised his head and thought carefully: "I have been teaching for more than 100 years. I have taught at least football students at Qingshan Middle School. Based on my experience..."

"Jiang Yuan has to play in the Chinese Super League anyway, right?"

Gong Zhenhua fell headfirst into the recliner as if he had heard some shocking news.

"Chinese Super League? Do you expect so much from him?"

Wang Hairong shook his head: "Watch one of his games and you will understand what I mean!"

Wang Hairong picked up the textbook, patted Gong Zhenhua on the shoulder and left. He still had to supervise the class during evening self-study today and the class was already 5 minutes old.

"Chinese Super League..."

Gong Zhenhua was muttering to himself in the deserted office, no one knew what he was thinking about.

……

(End of this chapter)