Li Tiejun was silent for a long time.
The entire training ground was eerily quiet, so silent you could hear a pin drop.
All the players held their breath, awaiting the coach's final 'verdict'.
Finally, Li Tiejun slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, before finally resting on Luo Xiaoxiang again.
A smile, inscrutable to all, appeared on his face.
"Very good."
He only spoke these two words.
But these two words, coming from his mouth, carried the weight of Mount Tai.
Because everyone knew that Li Tiejun was an extremely strict coach, and in his dictionary, the word 'praise' barely existed.
To receive a 'very good' from him was harder than getting a 'Three Good Students' award.
"Today's training match ends now."
Li Tiejun's voice returned to its usual authority.
"Main team, if you lost, you lost. There's nothing to be upset about. Go back and reflect properly on why an opponent you looked down upon managed to score two goals against you!"
The main team players all lowered their heads, their faces burning with shame.
"Especially you, Zhang Hao!" Li Tiejun's gaze turned to the team's ace.
"As captain, the core of the team, when the team was falling behind, you weren't thinking about how to lead the team out of its predicament, but instead throwing a tantrum on the field and complaining about your teammates! How exactly are you acting as captain?!"
Zhang Hao's body trembled violently, and he buried his head even lower.
"After you go back, write me a thousand-word self-reflection and hand it in tomorrow morning!"
"Yes... Coach." Zhang Hao's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
After scolding the main team, Li Tiejun turned his gaze to the reserve team.
The reserve team players immediately perked up, each puffing out his chest, awaiting the coach's praise.
However, Li Tiejun merely said indifferently, "Don't get too happy too soon. Winning a training match is nothing extraordinary. You still have many problems, go back and summarize them properly."
After speaking, he paused, then dropped a bombshell.
"I have an announcement."
"Starting today, Luo Xiaoxiang will join the main team as a forward."
"He will start in next Saturday's friendly match against Second Middle School."
Boom!
Li Tiejun's words were like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake.
The entire team instantly erupted in chaos.
"What?! Luo Xiaoxiang joining the main team?"
"And starting as a forward?"
"Is the coach mistaken? Just because of his performance in one training match?"
Everyone was stunned.
Especially the main team players, each showing an expression of disbelief.
They couldn't accept that someone who was a 'waste' in their eyes yesterday would now be their equal, or even steal their position.
Zhang Hao suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot.
"Coach! I object!" He practically roared.
"Oh?" Li Tiejun raised an eyebrow, looking at him. "What do you object to?"
"Luo Xiaoxiang, he... he just got lucky! He doesn't have the strength to be a main player at all!" Zhang Hao said excitedly, "If he starts, we'll definitely lose next week's match!"
"Lose?" Li Tiejun sneered.
"Zhang Hao, I ask you, who was it today who twice pierced your main team's goal?"
Zhang Hao's face instantly turned a purplish red, unable to utter a single word.
"I ask you again, who was it who moved through your defense, made up of over a dozen people, as if no one was there?"
Zhang Hao's lips began to tremble.
"On the football field, strength isn't talked about, it's kicked out," Li Tiejun's voice became incredibly stern.
"Today, Luo Xiaoxiang proved with his performance that he has this strength. And you, you don't."
"I don't care what he was like before, nor do I care if he was lucky or truly had a breakthrough. I only look at the results."
"Today on the field, he, Luo Xiaoxiang, is a genius!"
Li Tiejun extended his finger, pointing far off at Luo Xiaoxiang, his voice resonating forcefully.
"My team needs such a genius!"
The entire field fell into a dead silence.
Everyone was stunned by Li Tiejun's words.
Genius!
The coach actually used the word 'genius' to describe Luo Xiaoxiang!
What an incredibly high evaluation!
Luo Xiaoxiang himself was completely bewildered.
He stood rooted to the spot, feeling as if he were dreaming.
Joining the main team?
Starting?
Can I... can I really do it?
An unprecedented surge of excitement and joy welled up in his heart, making the blood throughout his body begin to boil.
He clenched his fists.
He knew that from today on, everything would be different.
He was no longer the perennial substitute that no one paid attention to.
His life would turn a new page because of this unreliable basketball system!
And Zhang Hao, after hearing Li Tiejun's words, staggered back two steps as if all his strength had been drained.
His eyes became incredibly dim.
He looked at Luo Xiaoxiang, who was being publicly praised by the coach, his heart filled with endless jealousy and unwillingness.
He knew that from this moment on, this guy he had always looked down upon would become his biggest rival... Training ended, dismissed.
The players walked in twos and threes towards the locker room, and along the way, the focus of everyone's discussion was Luo Xiaoxiang.
"I really didn't expect that kid, Luo Xiaoxiang, to be so discreet!"
"Those last two goals he scored were simply divine!"
"With him in the main team now, plus Zhang Hao, won't our school's attacking power be out of this world?"
Meanwhile, Luo Xiaoxiang was surrounded by his former reserve team teammates.
"Xiang Ge, when you get into the main team, don't forget us old pals!"
"Exactly, exactly! When you make it big, you have to treat us to a meal!"
Right-back Wang Lei even put his arm affectionately around Luo Xiaoxiang's shoulder.
"Xiaoxiang, tell me honestly, did you secretly apprentice yourself to some master? Otherwise, how could you suddenly become so amazing?"
Luo Xiaoxiang could only chuckle foolishly, making vague replies to brush off these questions.
He couldn't exactly say that his master was named "Aomine Daiki," could he?
After dealing with his enthusiastic teammates, Luo Xiaoxiang walked alone to the faucet, turned on the water, and buried his head under it, thoroughly rinsing himself.
The cold water greatly calmed his heated mind.
He looked up, saw himself in the mirror, his face covered in water but his eyes shining incredibly brightly, and he grinned.
"A new beginning..."
He murmured softly to himself.