Six hours quickly passed, and everyone gathered in the Central Link Hall.
The survivors had arrived, filled with a mixture of tension, unease, and excitement. The top 7 players were also there, with the sole exception of Shidou Ryusei. After all, his wild behavior, even during training, had earned him several red cards.
This led Ego Jinpachi to confine him to isolation.
At this moment, Ego calmly walked in, his expression as indifferent as ever, with a strange smile on his lips. He opened the record book in his hand and slowly began, "Before I announce the roster, I solemnly declare that scoring is the sole value of a striker."
"The team assembled will be centered around egoists, with the highest scoring rate as the premise."
"First, the lone striker, Ye Liangqiu."
"He averages 3 goals per game."
"This is the highest among everyone present. In other words, I will build a team around him, and this team will fight with him as its core."
"Goalkeeper, Igaramaru. His judgment for sudden shots and his body's flexibility make him highly compatible with the goalkeeper position. From now on, he will be the guardian deity of the entire team."
"Two center-backs, Yi Sheng and Yoichi Isagi."
"Right-back, Chigiri Hyoma, left-back, Bachira Meguru."
"Defensive midfielder, Otoya Eita; right-wing, Otoya Eita; left-wing, Yukimiya Kenyu."
"Attacking midfielder, Nagi Seishiro."
"The last player is someone who has had a chemical reaction with Ye Liangqiu, and his scoring ability also reached an average of two goals among all players."
"Attacking midfielder, Itoshi Rin!"
"This team now needs to maximize Ye Liangqiu's abilities."
"Not only must you assert your own value, but you must also coexist with Ye Liangqiu. Of course, you must also possess individual ability and talent that surpasses Ye Liangqiu."
Hearing his name announced last, and that he would need to cooperate with Ye Liangqiu, Itoshi Rin's face seemed to contort in a grimace.
Most of the players who weren't selected felt a tinge of regret.
Among them, Ma Lang glared fiercely at Ye Liangqiu... Why couldn't he play? Even that bastard Yoichi Isagi could get into the U20 match, so what about him?
As he thought about this, the violent aura around him grew even thicker.
He was on the verge of exploding in rage.
Ego Jinpachi put away the data board. "These are the eleven chosen ones from Blue Lock for this match. Since there's only one day left, there will be a particularly important meeting tonight that everyone must attend."
"This will determine whether tomorrow's match is victorious."
"However, before that, our team still has many incomplete areas."
"As for the list of substitute players, I will distribute it at tonight's meeting."
"Gentlemen, a brand new world awaits."
As he slowly walked out of the Central Link Hall.
The entire Central Link Hall immediately erupted into noise.
Although they couldn't be starters, becoming a substitute player still offered a chance to play, so everyone was somewhat excited, except, of course, for those who had already been selected.
For instance, Ye Liangqiu seemed to be lost in thought. Regarding the upcoming major battle, his heart couldn't help but race with excitement, even sparking a hint of mischievousness.
......
On the eve of the match.
In the conference room, all the players sat like obedient children, waiting for Ego Jinpachi to enter. Ye Liangqiu, sitting in the front row, watched the others discussing information about their U20 opponents, his mind seemingly drifting into a blank state.
At this moment, Bachira asked, "Qiu, what are you thinking about?"
"By the way, Xiao Hui Jie even called me, asking why you haven't contacted her these past few months."
Ye Liangqiu blinked, and an image of a woman in a black jacket and a hip-hugging skirt seemed to appear in his mind. He sighed helplessly, "I actually never told her I came here, and even less that I'm participating in this experiment."
"Ah?" Σσ(・Д・;) Bachira, "Then aren't you afraid Xiao Hui Jie will come looking for you?"
Ye Liangqiu shrugged, "There's nothing I can do... Besides, didn't I come here to improve my life? She'll understand."
"After all, I did promise her I'd appear on TV."
Bachira couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Really? Is that why you didn't answer her calls? Aren't you afraid she'll find out you're here, or even show up in the stands tomorrow?"
Ye Liangqiu's eyes widened, "You didn't tell her, did you?"
Bachira blinked his big eyes and stuck out his tongue, "What else could I do? Xiao Hui Jie calls me almost every week, so I had no choice but to tell her..."
"Besides, my mom and she are friends."
"Even if I didn't say anything... she would have found out."
"It's over... everything's over." Ye Liangqiu was completely distraught at this moment, his face almost turning gray.
"Hahaha... Seeing Qiu Bao like this, who exactly is this Xiao Hui Jie that she can make the Great Demon King of the football field so scared? I really want to see her with my own eyes."
"To the person above, may I ask how old Qiu Bao's sister is? Do I have a chance?"
"Talented, truly talented... Damn it, this scheming has reached my house."
Bachira comforted him, "Don't worry, Xiao Hui Jie won't get angry, but I still advise you to call her back, after all... she already knows about this. Even if I didn't say anything, you couldn't possibly have been outside for these past few months, right?"
"Besides, Xiao Hui Jie isn't some kind of devil."
Ye Liangqiu looked utterly defeated, "Meguru... you don't understand. She's not a devil, but she's my nemesis."
Just then, Ego Jinpachi's figure entered. He glanced at everyone and then immediately began the meeting.
"There are less than twenty hours left until the match."
"Therefore, the main purpose of this meeting is to discuss how you can exert your maximum strength on the field. You must have also experienced moments in a match where you poured everything into a single play."
"I call that FLOW."
Upon hearing this, Yoichi Isagi immediately recalled the moment he shot the goal that day, and Hiori Yo's words echoed in his ears.
He knew about this Flow state.
And he had clearly experienced this state.
"What I want to talk about is this moment. The Flow state is your only chance against U20 players. After all, you are just players who have trained for less than half a year. Facing players who have already participated in professional leagues, their strength is still terrifying."
"Plus, with the intervention of Itoshi Sae of the 11."
"The odds for your victory in this match are 1:100 worldwide."
"In other words, you have no chance of winning at all."