Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 623 - 159: The Final Battle (Part 2)

"Don't overthink it. As President Wang said, grown eagles must soar in the sky. Let's talk about the future later. At least for now, he is still our player, isn't he?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"True, let's enjoy the victory now—We are champions, hahaha, we are champions again, we are always champions! Ole ole ole ole—"

As the fans in the stands cheered, Takeshima Shinya, having securely caught the ball in his glove and realizing they had won this series, jumped up excitedly from the ground and quickly dashed to the pitcher's mound to lift Lin Guanglai high in the air.

More and more teammates gathered around from the infield, outfield, and dugout, surrounding the battery duo in the center. They unabashedly patted Lin Guanglai's body, having lost the ability to speak, just singing, dancing, and laughing, as the pressure accumulated throughout the series erupted in ecstatic release.

Yet, on the other side of the field were the disappointed Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players, standing in a daze, with feelings of bitterness and pain swirling within them:

The opportunity for victory had been right before them, seemingly within reach; this season was supposed to be their season of harvest, but they lost both the regular season championship and Japan Series to the same opponent.

Especially for Ohtani Shohei, who was determined to overthrow SoftBank's reign and prove himself as good as Lin Guanglai, these emotions were even more intense:

This series was the closest Ohtani Shohei and his Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters came to victory, but even at such proximity, he couldn't take that final step;

Even though he had given his all and performed outstandingly in this series, it didn't change the outcome—as he sat on the bench, Ohtani Shohei lowered his head and covered his face with his hands, unable to stop the hot tears from flowing from between his fingers.

He cried not just because his team lost the series, but more importantly, knowing Lin Guanglai would officially leave after the season, Ohtani Shohei realized he wouldn't have the chance to defeat this rival on the Japanese stage again.

And if he wanted to face him again, it would only be… Upon thinking this, the tears on Ohtani Shohei's face abruptly ceased, and the long-standing desire to head to the Major League grew stronger.

Briefly escaping the agony of losing the game, Ohtani Shohei silently made up his mind:

The next season would be his final year in Japan, and he vowed to give his all for the team, to bid farewell to Japanese baseball with a championship honor;

Then, he would strive once again on the world stage to achieve the goal of defeating Lin Guanglai!

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With Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks battling through six games and leveraging the advantage of winning one more regular season match, they defeated the second-place Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters with a total score of 4:3, setting the stage for the 2016 Japan Series.

On the Central League side, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, having won the regular season with ease, maintained their dominance throughout the climax match, effortlessly sweeping the Yokohama BayStars, who had upset the Giant Team, and returned to the Japan Series stage after 25 years;

On the Pacific League side, SoftBank Team returned once again after winning both league championships and Japan Series consecutively for two years. Their goal this time is to be the fourth team in Nippon Professional Baseball history to achieve three consecutive Japan Series victories, engraving everyone's names into history.

This year's Japan Series host is the Central League, so Hiroshima Toyo Carp will have a home-field advantage in this series;

However, neither SoftBank's players nor fans paid much attention to this: most people believed the series wouldn't even reach game seven—having defeated their strongest opponent, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, SoftBank's momentum soared to an even higher level, and now their form was even better than before.

The plane departing from Fukuoka landed on time at Hiroshima Airport, and SoftBank players slowly walked out from the cabin; Yanagida Yuuki's mood was decidedly complex compared to the other relaxed players:

Being born and raised in Hiroshima, he grew up as a fan of Hiroshima Toyo Carp, watching the team grow, even dreaming of playing at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima as one of them;

But today, as the Japan Series was about to kick off, he returned to his hometown as an enemy, aiming to shatter the dreams and glory of his hometown elders, which filled him with bittersweet sentiment.

"What's wrong, Brother Yuuki? Why the heavy face?" Lin Guanglai teased as he walked up behind Yanagida Yuuki. "Are you scared because you're back home?"

Yanagida Yuuki rolled his eyes at his friend, retorting, "Go away, you've ruined the good atmosphere… Guanglai, you should concentrate on tomorrow's game. Hiroshima's lineup is strong, so as the starting pitcher, don't get bombarded by them!"

"Don't worry," Lin Guanglai laughed heartily, speaking with absolute confidence, "I said I'll bid farewell to Japan with three consecutive championships, and my biggest trait is honesty—I always do what I say!"

Saying this, he patted Yanagida Yuuki's shoulder and said slowly, "Brother Yuuki, this is my last season with SoftBank. Whether for the team, the fans, or myself, I won't let any surprises happen—this team will be in your hands from now on!"

Feeling the undertone of farewell in his friend's words, Yanagida Yuuki sighed slightly:

Previously, Major League scouts also approached him about his potential interest in playing in the United States. Had it not been for joining professional baseball at a later age and not developing as rapidly as Lin Guanglai, he might have chosen to accept the Major League offer and explore the world across the Pacific with his good friend;

But considering various factors, Yanagida Yuuki ultimately decided to stay with SoftBank. On one hand, the top brass wouldn't let him leave, especially after losing Lin Guanglai, the core player of their lineup; on the other hand, his agent communicated that SoftBank was offering him a three-year contract worth over 400 million yen annually, which he couldn't refuse.

Since they were destined to go separate ways after the season, winning this series and capturing the Japan Series trophy for Lin Guanglai would be the grand farewell Yanagida Yuuki envisioned—his ultimate promise as a friend.

On October 22, amid enthusiastic cheers from local Hiroshima fans, the 2016 Japan Series officially kicked off at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima:

The series generally aligned with pre-game predictions by various professionals—while Hiroshima Toyo Carp were energetic but lacking experience, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks boasted a battle-hardened lineup advantage.

Moreover, Kodama Komei was known for his adeptness in making adjustments and rotations in short series, and having Lin Guanglai, who could almost secure victory whenever he took the mound, served as the super ace.

In the first game at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium, SoftBank Hawks, as the visiting team, defeated the hosts 5:0, securing their first win of the Japan Series;

The following day's second game saw Wada Yu, supported by active hitters, deliver a strong 7-inning, 1-run pitch, extending their lead to 2:0.

Securing two victories at the opponent's home ground nearly guaranteed SoftBank Hawks' success.

After a day of travel, the two teams moved to Fukuoka's Yahoo Dome, where in game three of the series, Chika Huangda also showcased stellar pitching with 7 innings, conceding 2 runs, as SoftBank Hawks battled Hiroshima Toyo Carp for 10 innings, ultimately winning the game with Lin Guanglai's walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th inning, expanding their series lead to 3:0, poised for Japan Series victory.

Now, SoftBank Hawks were just one game away from creating a dynasty with three consecutive Japan Series wins.

The final battle was about to begin.