[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-foresight":3,"chapter-foresight-foresight-chapter-251":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","FORESIGHT",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1847749,2452,"Chapter 251 251: World Cup Friendlies – China vs Japan End","foresight-chapter-251",251,"\u003Cp>Wang Yi kept scanning from left to right, studying Japan's back line while measuring his own routes and the timing for a potential burst forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he would've dropped deeper to receive the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with Kai now anchoring China's midfield, he no longer needed to. He could stay higher, press the defensive line, and threaten them directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also stayed alert for any opening to make a run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Kai would see it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Wang Yi noticed Chen Man drifting wide. Yuto Nagatomo followed him instinctively, leaving a small pocket of space between himself and centre-back Masato Morishige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi seized the moment, darting diagonally from behind Maya Yoshida.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoshida's pulse spiked. He prepared to recover and glanced forward—but a cluster of bodies blocked his view of Kai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, a streak of white flashed across his peripheral vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Through ball!!\" Duan Xuan shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoshida froze for half a second, then raised his hand for offside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the referee pointed forward—play on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it!\" Yoshida dropped his arm and sprinted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, Wang Yi was already four or five strides ahead. Yoshida had the advantage of a straight-line sprint, while Wang Yi ran diagonally, but the gap was still dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi accelerated into the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoshida caught up enough to challenge—just in time to see Wang Yi slow down and shape for a shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoshida threw himself into a slide tackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Yi hooked the ball away with a gentle touch, watched Yoshida slide past, took an extra step to adjust, and curled the ball left-footed toward the far post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eiji Kawashima flung himself across the goal, brushing the ball with his fingertips—but it still nestled in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China led 2–0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goal!! Wang Yi!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a run! And what a pass!\" Duan Xuan yelled, practically lifting off his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe a China match could produce such a clean, incisive combination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when it came from Kai and Wang Yi, it suddenly made perfect sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Wei let out a sigh of admiration. \"Kai's pass was inch-perfect. Wang Yi's timing was brilliant. And Chen Man's wide run created the whole chain reaction. These players were completely in sync. One misstep and this chance wouldn't have existed. Amazing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China was leading a full-strength Japan side 2–0. Even in a friendly match, it felt surreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the biggest shock was Kai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tempo, the transition speed, the spatial awareness, the execution—everything felt upgraded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a version of the China Team anyone had seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was what a true midfield core brought to a team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the technical area, Coach Liu Hongbo clenched his fist, barely containing his excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This goal thrilled him more than the first. The first goal highlighted Kai's personal ability. This one showcased the team's tactical cohesion—and the feasibility of Liu's blueprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Win the ball, break quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they took two extra passes, those passes created the opening. And once the opening appeared, Wang Yi and Kai didn't hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One pass. One finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A direct strike straight through Japan's defence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's working!\" Liu Hongbo broke into a broad smile, then turned toward the bench to prepare substitutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the 28th minute, China made a full rotation. Japan rotated as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the second batch on the field, Japan's rhythm improved. China's mixed lineup showed signs of fatigue and inconsistency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Wang Yi and Chen Man exited, Kai had to link up more with Jia Zhenhua. Ouyang Fei also tried to shoulder responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid clearly had talent, but his tactical sense and match reading were still raw. Experience was something only time could fix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai didn't give up on him. It was a warm-up match, after all, so he kept feeding Ouyang Fei the ball. You never knew—sometimes a young player adapted suddenly and exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Football was unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai kept encouraging him, passing, supporting, pushing him to find rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But youth was youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 68th minute, Japan pulled one back through a brilliant long-range strike from Keisuke Honda, arrowed straight into the top corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could stop that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes ticked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chinese supporters had already begun singing the national anthem, their faces glowing with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Football was just a sport, yet somehow more than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When your national team stepped onto the World Cup stage, carrying the hopes of millions, every victory in preparation heightened that shared pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That feeling didn't belong to one person, or a small group—it belonged to a nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honor wasn't something you talked up—it was something built, match by match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on the national stage, nothing symbolized it more than playing in the World Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the anthem echoed, the sense of unity was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match eventually ended: China 2, Japan 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a result most were delighted with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the post-match press conference, Coach Liu Hongbo smiled brightly. \"The result exceeded my expectations. The boys did very well, and their execution matched what we've been training for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for Kai… I originally hoped he wouldn't attract too much attention—but today he was outstanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled. \"He played just like he did in the Premier League. In midfield, he can tackle, he can pass—he does both the clean and tough work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he laughed. \"I think our 'weak midfield' problem has finally been solved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chinese reporters burst into relieved laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had suffered from this issue for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With players like Wang Yi, Chen Man, and Fernando Kairui emerging abroad, the team finally had talent up front and on the wings. But the midfield had always lagged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai's rise changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fans had watched him grow ever since he joined Arsenal—transforming from a pure defensive sweeper into a core midfielder in just three years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become the solution to China's biggest weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China finally had its tough midfield general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, headlines exploded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Football News\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"China 2–1 Japan! Victory in the first warm-up match!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Titan Sports Weekly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kai with a goal and an assist — a perfect national-team debut.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinhua Sports\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wang Yi links up with Kai — China's new midfield-to-forward connection is born.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People's Daily – Sports Edition\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brazil World Cup, we're coming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match video went viral, pulling in even non-football fans and inspiring many to plan a trip to Brazil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The World Cup group stage would start on June 13.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On May 20, China would depart for Europe for two final warm-up matches before heading to Brazil for the World Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please do leave a review and powerstones, helps with the book's exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visit the link:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[email protected]\u002FGRANDMAESTA_30\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Change @ to a\u003C\u002Fp>",1118,"2026-06-09T07:00:21.885Z",1,"novelbin.me","b02a04aba2ca63849bde3c6ec84160aed62440c3511f72aa1dc922b3f291da44","foresight-chapter-252","foresight-chapter-150",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fforesight-cover.jpg"]