He unleashed a world-class goal with a single kick; you're saying this is Su Chao?

Next, Chen Xun completely immersed himself in grinding for skill proficiency.

To practice dribbling, he placed four mineral water bottles on the cement floor as markers, spaced 1.5 meters apart, in a straight line.

This is the most basic cone-driving exercise, which trains ball control and change of direction at low frequencies.

Why is Messi's dribbling so terrifying?

It's not because his movements are particularly flashy.

Messi touches the ball extremely frequently, always keeping it within 30 centimeters of his body. Defenders can only extend their legs 50 centimeters, so they can never reach him.

The core is the frequency of ball contact and the precision of control.

Chen Xun slowed down.

Prioritize stability over speed!

He can increase his proficiency by completing a standard action once.

[Ding! Dribbling proficiency +1%]

Current dribbling proficiency: 14%

……

Chen Xun grinned.

He practiced stopping the ball for another half hour.

Practice tossing and catching the ball yourself, and use the inside of your foot to stop a high ball.

Toss the ball up and catch it with the instep of your foot.

At the moment of contact with the ball, pull your ankle back to dissipate the ball's kinetic energy, allowing the ball to stop at your feet instead of bouncing away.

It's easier said than done.

At first, it was good if I could stop two out of ten balls; most of them bounced far away.

He had to run all over the field like a dog chasing a frisbee.

Gradually, he began to find his footing.

When receiving the ball, you need to seize the right moment. At the instant you touch the ball, slightly tuck your ankle in and hold the ball steady, like catching an egg.

[Ding! Ball control proficiency +1%]

Current ball control proficiency: 13%

……

As the words reappeared, Chen Xun plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

Cool!

When I was training in track and field, progress was measured in units of 0.01 seconds.

After three months of training, my 100-meter time improved from 11.8 seconds to 11.6 seconds. I couldn't even feel the change myself; only the timer knew.

The panel now directly quantifies his progress into numbers.

We've seen every bit of growth.

Just like in a game, the experience bar keeps increasing, and the level will always go up.

He sat on the ground for a while until his breathing calmed down, then took out his phone to check the time.

9:20.

He opened his contacts and found the number labeled "Dad".

The last call record was from half a month ago.

He asked his family for the physical education exam registration fee, and his father transferred it directly to him via WeChat.

Not a single unnecessary word was spoken.

This is typical of his conversations with his father.

Get to the point and hang up.

It's not that we don't get along, it's that we don't know what to say.

The most common Chinese father-son relationship in real life.

Chen Xun took a deep breath and pressed the dial button.

beep...beep...beep...

The phone rang many times.

Just when Chen Xun thought the call wouldn't go through, it connected!

"Hello!"

The voice of my father, Chen Jianguo, came from the other end of the phone. The background noise was very loud, the rumbling of machines.

His father works in a hardware factory in the county, working two shifts.

He should be on night shift at this time.

"Dad, it's me."

"I know, what is it?"

Chen Jianguo's voice was not loud, and it was almost inaudible amidst the roar of the machines.

Chen Xun could imagine what his father looked like now.

He held his phone to his ear with one hand, while operating the machine with the other, his eyes fixed on the mold on the punch press, afraid of producing defective products.

Their workshop is strictly managed; they're not allowed to answer phone calls during work hours, or they'll be fined if the workshop director sees them doing so.

"About the physical education exam..."

Chen Xun paused for a moment, then told the truth: "I sprained my ankle and couldn't take the physical exam."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

The roar of the machines continued.

Tell Chen Xun that the phone call hasn't stopped.

How serious is it?

There was no blame or much concern in Chen Jianguo's voice; it sounded more like a routine inquiry.

Chen Xun was already used to it:

"I'll be fine after a few days of rest, but I missed the physical exam, so I can't travel this year."

"So what are your plans?"

"I want to repeat a year and take the exam again next year!"

When Chen Xun said those words, he was actually a little unsure of himself.

He didn't mention that he had given up track and field, which he had trained for six years, to switch to soccer.

Another silence followed.

The roar of the machine became clear again.

"How much does it cost to repeat a grade?"

Chen Jianguo asked.

"Tuition fees... a few thousand yuan, plus living expenses, it might be a little over ten thousand."

"Ten thousand?"

Chen Jianguo's tone was emotionless: "I earn 5,200 a month, and your mother works in a garment factory, earning 2,800. That adds up to 8,000!"

"The mortgage is 2,300 a month, your grandma's medicine is 600 a month, food and utilities are 1,500 a month, and the rest of the money is used for your schooling."

Chen Xun remained silent.

This is true.

"When you graduated from junior high school, I told you to go to a vocational school, learn a trade, and you could start earning money in two years, but you insisted on continuing to train in sports."

"Those six years of travel expenses, accommodation fees, equipment—everything cost money!"

"How many pairs of spiked shoes have you worn out? Have I ever said a word of dissent to your mother?"

Chen Jianguo speaks slowly.

But every word struck Chen Xun like a bullet.

"Now you're telling me you want to repeat a grade."

"Do you think you can pass the exam if you repeat a year? And what happens after you pass? University tuition and living expenses, another four years. What will you achieve after four years? Will you make it into the provincial team or the national team?"

Chen Xun opened his mouth.

He meant to say, "I can!"

But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Dad, I really want to try for another year."

Chen Xun's voice was low: "Just one year. If it still doesn't work out next year, I'll listen to you and go work."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

The roar of the machine suddenly stopped.

It's probably time to change the mold.

Chen Jianguo sighed, his voice sounding tired: "Your cousin works in an electronics factory. Ask him if he needs any more people. If it's possible, go work there for a few months, save some money, and then we can talk about retaking the college entrance exam."

"dad……"

"I'm not saying you can't practice."

Chen Jianguo interrupted him, his tone helpless: "We really have no money left at home!"

"Last month, your mother had a physical examination and it was found that her blood sugar was high. The doctor said she needed to control her diet and not do heavy work. She didn't let me tell you that the factory's orders have decreased by half this year, and they may have to lay off people next month."

"If you could pass the exam, I'd sell everything I own to support you, but now you're telling me you want to repeat a year..."

He fell silent again before he could finish speaking.

"I see!"

Chen Xun's voice trembled.

"Call your cousin first. We can talk about repeating the year when you get back."

"it is good."

"Take good care of your foot."

"Um!"

"Hang up."

"dad……"

The call has ended.

Chen Xun sat on the cement floor, holding his phone.

The night breeze blew, drying the sweat on his body.

The moonlight shone on the cement ground in front of us, casting long, crooked shadows of several mineral water bottles, like a few dejected little people.

Ten thousand yuan is not a lot of money for many families.

But it's a considerable sum of money for his family.

The key issue is that he doesn't even have the courage to tell his family the truth now.

If his dad knew he was skipping track and field to play soccer, his reaction would be even more intense.

At least track and field is a path that you can see.

Physical education exams, going to university, becoming a physical education teacher...

This is a path that has been verified by countless people.

And football...