Chapter 15: The Goalkeeper

Chen Xu had been playing the game Pro Evolution Soccer for a solid decade.

Pro Evolution Soccer, developed by the Japanese company Konami, is a standout football game, also known as Winning Eleven. You'd think someone who'd spent so long immersed in a football video game would naturally have a deep passion for the sport. Strangely enough, though, while Chen Xu knew the rules of the game inside out and could rattle off details about famous international teams, he'd never actually learned to play football for real!

It's not that he hadn't tried. As a lively, spirited guy brimming with enthusiasm for life, how could he resist getting involved in a sport like football? His first attempt came back in 1999, during the golden era of China's women's football team, the "Iron Roses," who were blooming like flowers on the pitch.

But fate—or perhaps the heavens—had other plans. Maybe it was the universe's way of sparing a promising young man from sinking too deep into the "evil clutches" of football. Back then, a few of his buddies who were obsessed with the game—skipping classes just to kick a ball around—ended up with grades so bad they were painful to look at. So, during that first match, played between two teams of absolute beginners on a bumpy, uneven field, Chen Xu lasted less than five minutes. With no proper training, he did what most newbies do: instead of using the top of his foot, he jabbed at the ball with his toe. Hard. And unfortunately, his toe found not just the ball, but a jutting rock on that shoddy field.

Next thing he knew, he was clutching his foot, tears streaming down his face, being carted off to the hospital. The nail on his right big toe split right down the middle, half of it effectively dead.

Chen Xu felt like he'd endured a tragedy of epic proportions—worse, he reckoned, than Tony Leung's character Ouyang Feng smashing his head into a granite slab while using some mystical martial arts move in a movie. And just like that, the football dreams of a vibrant young man were snuffed out. Sure, the injury spared him a mixed doubles thrashing from his parents' hands on his backside, but the daily nagging that followed was inescapable.

Fast forward ten years, and Chen Xu found himself back on a football field. For a bit of flair, he'd even splurged on a pair of football boots from a stall near the school gate—Double Star brand, eighteen yuan a pair.

If you've never played football, it's hard to imagine how much complexity a simple ball can carry. Chen Xu was a mess on the field, yelling in frustration. After all this time, he couldn't even control the ball properly. In the game, the worst players might fumble a shot or a pass, but in real life? He couldn't even keep the ball steady. It was like he was channeling the national team's finest moments—stopping the ball only to watch it roll dozens of meters away.

After running around for a bit, drenched in sweat but barely touching the ball, Chen Xu trudged off the field in annoyance. Wang Dong clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it. Everyone's like that the first time. I was the same back in elementary school."

"So you're saying my skills are on par with you in elementary school?" Chen Xu groaned, feeling even worse despite the attempt at comfort.

"Hey, buddy, now you get that football isn't as easy as it looks, huh?" Gao Xiaojie sauntered over, mimicking a line from Shaolin Soccer with a teasing grin.

She was dressed light and breezy today—a sleeveless crop top and tiny hot pants that left her pale legs on full display, drawing every guy's eye on the field. Chen Xu wiped his brow and muttered, "All I did was misspeak once. Do you really have to rub it in like this?" He was about to fire back when he noticed someone standing quietly behind Gao Xiaojie, watching the training session unfold.

Zhan Jing?! What was she doing here?

Zhan Jing was wearing a simple white T-shirt and blue three-quarter jeans. She stood there casually, her light blue hair fluttering in the evening breeze, looking like a living piece of scenery—effortlessly beautiful.

"Huh? Why's your face turning red?" Gao Xiaojie suddenly yelped as if she'd stumbled onto a goldmine. She burst out laughing, throwing an arm around Zhan Jing. "Oh my gosh, is it because of our Jingjing? You're blushing just looking at her! Jingjing, your charm is unreal!"

Chen Xu felt his cheeks heat up even more under her teasing, but he knew arguing would only give Gao Xiaojie more ammo to bury him with. So, he leaned into it instead. "Yeah, yeah, I've got this thing where I blush whenever I see a beauty. What about it? Guess I don't blush when I see you, huh?"

"You little—! How dare you say I'm not a beauty?!" Gao Xiaojie glared at him, fuming, but she quickly caught his drift. Switching tactics, she pouted dramatically and clung to Zhan Jing. "Fine, I'm no beauty, so of course you wouldn't blush. How could I compare to our Jingjing? She's the real deal. But hey, if you treat me to dinner, I might just spill some exclusive insider info about her."

Zhan Jing rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. Don't drag me into your bickering." Gao Xiaojie planted a playful kiss on her cheek, chirping, "So sweet!" before darting away with a laugh as Zhan Jing swatted at her.

Now it was just Wang Dong, Zhan Jing, and Chen Xu left. Wang Dong was focused on the players on the field, and Zhan Jing was too. Chen Xu felt out of place, like he had nothing to contribute, so he turned to Wang Dong. "Hey, senior, I think I'll head out."

"What? Leaving already?" Wang Dong looked surprised. "Stick around. A lot of the freshmen here haven't really played football before either. I was planning to run some basic drills with you all later. Why not join in?"

Chen Xu hesitated, glancing at Zhan Jing. Suddenly, the guys on the field—yelling and stumbling over the ball like amateurs—reminded him of monkeys putting on a show. He'd started to feel a little something for Zhan Jing, a quiet fondness reminiscent of a high school crush. Back then, he'd been an idiot, pulling pranks or doing dumb stunts to get her attention, not realizing how childish it made him look in her eyes.

Better to play it cool than make a fool of himself, he thought now. So he shrugged and said, "Nah, I don't think I'm cut out for this. I'll just cheer you guys on from the sidelines."

Wang Dong tilted his head. "Have you ever tested your hundred-meter speed? What's your time?"

Chen Xu scratched his head. "Not fast. Maybe fourteen seconds or so?"

"What about fifteen hundred meters?"

"Uh, I don't remember the exact time," Chen Xu said with a shameless grin. "But in high school, I was always one of the last to finish long runs, panting like a dead dog."

So, no speed, no stamina, and as a newbie, definitely no technique either.

Wang Dong was tempted to say, Well, if that's the case, maybe you should just head back and hit the books instead of wasting time here. But he didn't want to crush the guy's spirit. As he mulled over a gentler way to put it, Zhan Jing spoke up.

"I noticed how you handled the ball earlier," she said. "Your movements were amateurish, sure, but your reaction speed was solid. And your jumping ability seems pretty good too. Have you ever thought about training as a goalkeeper?"

"Goalkeeper?"

Gao Xiaojie popped back out of nowhere. "Jingjing, seriously? You think he could be a goalkeeper with that height? Hey, you, how tall are you?"

Chen Xu kicked at the grass with his toe, mumbling, "172…" At 172 centimeters, he wasn't exactly short for a guy, but he could only stretch the truth so far and call it "decent." For a goalkeeper, though? That was on the shorter side.

Zhan Jing tugged Gao Xiaojie's arm. "Height isn't everything for a goalkeeper. 172 is fine. What stands out to me is his reaction speed and jump."

Chen Xu's jumping ability was decent, but he couldn't figure out how she'd noticed. Zhan Jing met his gaze, her tone earnest. "I saw it when you jumped for that header earlier."

He vaguely recalled leaping once during the mess of a game, but she'd picked up on it? Gao Xiaojie, meanwhile, was already buzzing with excitement. "Alright, let's test it out then!"

She grabbed a football from the sidelines and grinned. "Hey, you, jump for me. Let's see how high you can really go."

Chen Xu smirked. If he followed her orders, he'd feel like a performing monkey. Instead, he hooked a finger at her and said, "Come on."

Gao Xiaojie huffed, "Tch," and tossed the ball. But she was sneaky—faking left before throwing it to the right.

Chen Xu fell for the feint for a split second but recovered fast, diving to the side in a clean motion and blocking the ball perfectly.

"Holy—!" Wang Dong's jaw dropped. He hauled Chen Xu up and punched him lightly in the chest. "Not bad, kid! Have you secretly been practicing or something?"

Chen Xu laughed. "Never eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run. I play Pro Evolution Soccer every day. Didn't expect diving for a ball to feel this good, though. The grass is pretty soft to land on."

"Show-off," Gao Xiaojie muttered, annoyed by his smug grin. "That was just luck, buddy. Wanna go again?"

"Nope, I'm good!" Chen Xu chuckled. "You'd probably chuck it miles away this time, and I'm not falling for that. Besides, didn't you just want to test my reflexes? I think I proved myself."

Gao Xiaojie fumed, but Zhan Jing stepped in, pulling her back. "Enough messing around. Didn't you come here to scout talent? I think he's got potential as a goalkeeper. Why not train him for a bit and see how it goes?"

Wang Dong nodded. "I agree. That dive was slick. Our team's main goalkeeper is a senior this year and barely plays anymore. If Chen Xu's got the knack, his height won't matter much. Could even take over for the department team if he shines."

Chen Xu puffed up at that, shooting Gao Xiaojie a triumphant look. "See? I've got talent after all. I'm a genius like Sakuragi Hanamichi! Ha!"

His cocky attitude grated on Gao Xiaojie's nerves. She wasn't out to get him specifically—she just couldn't stand anyone challenging her head-on. Ready to snap back, she paused, then smirked as a better idea hit her. Switching to a syrupy tone, she cooed, "Alright, fine. You're clearly a beast with tons of potential. So, to help you unlock it faster, I'll be your personal goalkeeper coach starting today."

"Huh?" Chen Xu's grin froze on his face…