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Gold Medal Coach: Chapter 18

ACE’s Past

At 12 noon, the players of the national team came to the cafeteria. The newcomers, who wrote the self-criticism, saw Coach Jiang and turned to hurry away like a mouse seeing a cat. They were afraid they would be caught and scolded.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingming came over cheekily. He was too skilled when it came to writing self-criticisms. He finished writing it at 3 o’clock last night and slept until 11 o’clock. He shaved his beard, took a shower, combed his hair and changed into clean clothes.

Last night, he had answered Lao Lin’s phone in a daze and was woken up by Jiang Shaoyu’s icy voice. He was in such a hurry that he didn’t wash his face and went to the meeting like the leader of a beggar gang.

Now he tidied up and looked very handsome.

Ye Qingming had a pair of peach blossom eyes that were full of affection. It was easy to make people feel soft when he smiled gently at people. However, Jiang Shaoyu’ had long been accustomed to this person’s thick skin. He saw Ye Qingming approaching with a smile and immediately tapped the table with his chopsticks. “Sit further away.”

Ye Qingming moved to the side while pretending to feel aggrieved. “Are you so ruthless to your old teammate? I’m not a germ.”

Jiang Shaoyu casually told him, “Come to the office to find me after you finish eating.”

Ye Qingming blinked. “In order to reminisce about the past?”

“In order to submit your self-criticism.”

Ye Qingming: “……”

Jiang Shaoyu continued, “In addition, let’s talk about why you got suspended.”

Ye Qingming: “………”

Did this person intend to scold him again?

Zhou Yiran and Lao Lin saw the familiar scene of ‘Ye Zi being lectured’ and walked over with a smile. They originally wanted to talk to their old friends about the past. As a result, Jiang Shaoyu looked up and told them calmly, “Lao Lin, Xiao Zhou, you should also come to the office to find me after you finish eating.”

The two people: “……”

Why did they have the bad feeling of hitting the muzzle of a gun?

The three of them finished eating and formed a team to find Jiang Shaoyu.

There was an office in the corner of the top floor of the training building. The entrance had a sign that read ‘Coach of the National Team’s Office’. It could be expected that in the future, this would probably be the place where the national team’s players were most afraid to come to.

Lao Lin knocked on the door and heard a cold voice coming from inside. “Come in.”

The three of them entered the room one after another.

On the first day that Jiang Shaoyu took office, he vigorously cleaned up his office.

There were two computers on the spacious desk. One was a high-end desktop computer and the other was a thin and light laptop. There was a bookshelf on the wall behind him with a row of folders neatly arranged. Based on the markings, it contained information about the national team’s players and the major clubs.

He also kept a notebook with a black cowhide cover next to him that was apparently for casual note taking.

Whoever made a mistake in the future would be written down in this small book…

Then they would have to ask for more blessings.

The three of them stood beside each other with serious faces like students going to find their teaching director. They said in unison, “Coach Jiang.” They even almost bowed.

The three of them were now the main players of first-tier teams. In their own teams, the team members would listen to them and respectfully call them ‘Brother’. Yet in front of Jiang Shaoyu, they were still little brothers.

Jiang Shaoyu pointed to the sofa next to him. “Sit down. This isn’t a criticism meeting so there is no need to be so serious. I called you because I wanted to have a good chat.”

The three of them exchanged looks before turning to sit on the sofa.

Jiang Shaoyu had been in front of so many people yesterday and it wasn’t good for him to show favoritism. The matter with Ye Zi was also done by Ye Zi himself. Now he was chatting with old teammates privately and there was no need to put on the air of a coach.

He stood up and poured tea for them. Then he looked at Ye Qingming and asked, “Why is Ye Zi suspended? I just called the league and the answer that Vice-chairman Qi told me is that you had a quarrel with a reporter when you were participating in an interview abroad. You threw someone’s camera and the impact was too bad. What was the reason?”

Ye Qingming took the teacup and scratched his head with a bitter expression. It seemed as if he didn’t know how to answer.

Lao Lin took the initiative to speak for him. “In fact, Ye Zi can’t be solely blamed for this matter. The reporter’s words were too hard to listen to.”

Jiang Shaoyu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How hard was it to hear?”

Old Lin coughed lightly, squeezed his throat and spoke in a hypocritical, nice manner, “Are the people who came out of ACE all at this level? You can’t even hit the corner of your opponent’s clothes. Is this what God Wing taught you? Have you ever thought about retiring early and going to reunite with your old captain, God Wing?”

Jiang Shaoyu: “……”

Ye Qingming irritably scratched his hair before brushing it back. “It just so happened that I was playing in that game with Lao Lin and Xiao Zhou. The reporter was an anti-fan of the ACE team. I could bear it if he said I was weak. The thing I couldn’t stand was him mocking the ACE team and dragging our old captain into the water. How many years have you been retired yet they are still pulling you out to whip the corpse!”

Jiang Shaoyu’s voice was cold. “What whipping the corpse? I’m not dead yet.”

“Cough cough!” Ye Qingming almost choked on the tea and had to hurriedly put down the cup. He said in an aggrieved manner, “I was in a bad mood from losing the match and he kept talking while shooting photos of my face. I smashed his camera in a fit of rage…” The more he spoke, the lower his voice became. He obviously had no confidence.

Lao Lin acted as a mediator beside him. “Brother Yu, don’t be angry. Ye Zi just wanted to defend you. In our hearts, your strength has always been unquestionable. The reporter sneered at ACE and Ye Zi couldn’t hold back his anger for a moment. The broken camera was paid for and he was suspended for half a year. Ye Zi has also accepted the punishment.”

Jiang Shaoyu calmly said, “The ACE team had many anti-fans back then and I thought you were used to it. Ye Qingming, you are too impulsive. If you throw a tantrum in front of media reporters, they will definitely say bad things about you again.”

Ye Qingming shrugged. “Whatever. In any case, in their eyes, I am just a cynical, debauched and rubbish person who doesn’t understand etiquette. I don’t care about them.”

Jiang Shaoyu was silent for a moment before changing the subject. “Didn’t the reporter say you should retire early to reunite with your old captain?”

The three people looked at Jiang Shaoyu.

His expression was very calm and he didn’t look angry at all.

Ye Zi was wondering why he wasn’t being scolded this time when he heard Jiang Shaoyu add, “Then you should strive to improve and reunite with your old captain.”

The three of them were stunned.

Reunion? What reunion?

Xiao Zhou quickly reacted. “You mean… the national team?”

Jiang Shaoyu nodded. “That’s right. Your old captain has now become the coach of the national team. If you have the ability then you will continue to play in the national team next year—we will be reunited in the national team.”

The three people: “!!!”

The ACE team had long disbanded but the feelings they developed in their youth was very deep. They weren’t just good brothers who fought side by side. They were a ‘family-like’ existence.

A reunion in the national team?

Could the members of ACE really be reunited again?

Lao Lin’s heart trembled slightly. He clenched his fists and his voice was hoarse. “But I…I’ve retired…”

“I took your application form back today.” Jiang Shaoyu turned around and took out a form from a drawer, handing it to Lao Lin. “The alliance hasn’t approved it or stamped it, so the procedures haven’t been completed. You aren’t officially retired.”

Lao Lin received his application form with surprise.

He looked at the name he had personally signed and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Jiang Shaoyu walked up to him and gently patted him on the shoulder. “I have seen your training videos. Your hand speed and reflexes are indeed not as good as the teenage players but your advantages are your stable mentality and rich experience. Playing games isn’t only about hand speed. Experienced veterans also have a place.”

Lao Lin looked at him with excitement. “You mean, I still have a chance to enter the national team again?”

Jiang Shaoyu nodded. “There is indeed an opportunity but it depends on whether you can grasp it or not. Give yourself another year. You aren’t bad this year, right?”

Lao Lin nodded vigorously. “Okay! Then I’ll play for another year! Hahaha, if I had known you would be the next coach, I wouldn’t have submitted this retirement application.”

He tore the application form in half on the spot.

Ye Qingming and Zhou Yiran looked at each other.

Lao Lin had planned to retire before and all their persuasions were useless. As a result, Brother Yu just opened his mouth and Lao Lin was convinced with a few sentences?

Jiang Shaoyu looked at his three teammates and told them in a calm voice. “I am now the coach of the national team. You are my old teammates but I can’t show favoritism and directly select you for the national team. You will just be scolded.”

“For the next national team, players in each position will be selected fairly.”

“That is why I said—”

“Come and reunite with me using your own strength.”

The long-lost passion and fighting spirit ignited in their hearts when they heard this!

Come and reunite in the national team through strength?

In the past, ACE started from scratch and won the league championship. The current performance of the national team was very poor. Under the leadership of the new coach Jiang Shaoyu, could it create the miracle of that year again?

It definitely could!

They had always believed in their captain.

Lao Lin’s eyes were red with excitement. He was a player who had always been bold and it had been a long time since he showed such tears in his ears. He nodded vigorously and choked out, “I will definitely re-enter the national team next year!”

Ye Zi and Xiao Zhou cried out in unison, “Me too!”

Ye Zi paused before suddenly frowning. “However, Xiao Chen, he… he hasn’t played for a year and he also failed to qualify for this year’s national team. The medic recommended by their club to enter the national team was Zhang Yue.”

Was it the first medic who was killed by a knife in the training match?

Jiang Shaoyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Xiao Chen is in the TNG Club. right?”

Ye Zi helplessly nodded., “Yes. TNG has a lot of money. When they bought Xiao Chen, they promised to let him be the main medic. Later, they wanted to support the newcomer so they had him give up to make way for the newcomer. You know Xiao Chen’s personality. He doesn’t dare to talk to people or to fight for himself. He just sat on the cold bench for a year.”

Xiao Chen was a bit afraid of people. During his time in ACE, he could only hide behind Jiang Shaoyu when he was interviewed. Jiang Shaoyu had always considered him a younger brother. It seemed that Xiao Chen had suffered a lot of grievances after he left?

Jiang Shaoyu’s expression darkened and his voice was cold. “I will personally go to the TNG Club to investigate this matter.”

The three of them were happy. Xiao Chen would definitely be super happy once he found out that Brother Yu was back, right?

Jiang Shaoyu was silent for a few seconds before following up with another question. “What about Pei Feng? I heard Sister Yu saying that he doesn’t play professionally any longer. What happened?”

The expressions of the three people became somewhat complicated when it came to Pei Feng.

The ACE team actually had six players back then. In addition to the five main players, there was a unique youth trainee. He was the youngest member Pei Feng, who was also Jiang Shaoyu’s personal apprentice.

Jiang Shaoyu saw that they were silent and glanced at Zhou Yiran, who had the best temper. “Xiao Zhou, you say it.”

Zhou Yiran touched his nose and explained in a gentle voice, “Brother Yu, didn’t you hand over the captain’s position to Pei Feng after you retired? We originally planned to let Xiao Pei take over your sniper position. The four of us wouldn’t change our positions and we would continue to play in the league. However… the boss didn’t think so.”

“Pei Feng was the number one student at the youth academy and all his data was ranked first. He is also the apprentice you personally taught. The coaches in the circle thought he would be your successor and have the strength to win the championship. Therefore, all the rich clubs tried to rob him at the time. They were scrambling over him and there were three clubs whose asking price exceeded 10 million.”

Jiang Shaoyu raised an eyebrow. “A 10 million transfer fee to dig out a newcomer? Are they crazy?”

This was the transfer price for first-tier players. It seemed these managers believed the statement that ‘Fred is Wing’s successor’. They thought they could win the championship if they got Pei Feng.

Ye Zi complained. “Right? At that time, many club managers called ACE every day in an attempt to get Pei Feng to transfer. The conditions offered kept getting better. The boss didn’t have much vision. He saw the huge interests in front of him and didn’t hesitate to put Pei Feng in the transfer window, wanting to make a lot of money.”

Lao Lin sighed emotionally. “Unfortunately, Xiao Pei’s temper is as stubborn as a donkey. He puts too much importance on comradeship. He said that his skills were taught by his master and he couldn’t go to other teams to play against ACE, nor would he shoot us on the field. He got into a fight with the boss and offended all the major clubs in the circle.”

He didn’t want a transfer fee worth tens of millions?

A career with a bright future was ruined just because of ‘loyalty’ and ‘important sentiment.’

This child was so stupid.

If he hadn’t told Pei Feng before he retired ‘After Master is gone, the ACE team will be handed over to you,’ perhaps Pei Feng might not have been so stubborn as to provoke a life or death struggle.

Jiang Shaoyu gently pressed a hand against his temple. “Later on?”

Lao Lin answered, “Pei Feng insisted on not going to other clubs and we had some conflicts with the boss. Therefore, we simply collectively entered the transfer window in order to leave together.”

Ye Zi spread open his hands. “We didn’t want to leave an unrecognizable ACE behind so it was better for all of us to leave.”

Jiang Shaoyu’s heard this and there was a slight tingle in his heart.

He had always felt guilty about these people, which was one of the reasons why he returned to China. ACE had investors and bosses and these players were too young to have the right to speak.

Jiang Shaoyu had arranged for Pei Feng to take over as captain when he left. Pei Feng was his successor and was very familiar with the other members of the ACE team. They could easily cooperate with each other and this was the best ending.

It was a pity that this world was unpredictable and these teenagers couldn’t fight the capital behind them.

There only thing they could decide was:

Leave ACE and let this once legendary team become history forever.

It was better than letting ACE be smashed to the ground by other teams or even Jiang Shaoyu’s apprentice, who was personally trained by him. The decline in performance would make it a laughing stock.

It was this type of action that made ACE become the white moonlight in the hearts of many e-sports fans.

It became the legendary existence that no team could ever surpass.

Jiang Shaoyu inwardly sighed and asked in a low voice, “If Pei Feng isn’t a professional player, what is he doing now?”

Zhou Yiran smiled. “Your apprentice is very promising. He is now the most popular streamer of the Xing Network. What is 10 million in transfer fees? His income in a quarter is more than this number.”

Jiang Shaoyu was a bit surprised. “A streamer?”

He wasn’t a professional player. It turned out he changed professions to become a streamer?

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