Perhaps you haven't noticed
A fleeting dream of the boy beside me.
Perhaps I've already fallen into...
That bottomless abyss of longing.
Pick up a ginkgo leaf,
I want to borrow a gentle breeze,
Delivered to your hands
In return, you gave a faint smile.
Enough to melt the world's ice,
Thaw everything.
But you ignored it and walked past.
Leave that ginkgo leaf in the wind.
Only one piece was left for me.
A misty rain fell over the empty space.
After writing the greeting card, Chen Xu casually put it into an envelope and sealed it. But the moment he sealed the envelope, Chen Xu felt as if he had sealed away a very precious memory.
The desire to show off vanished instantly, and Chen Xu, feeling rather bored, tossed the envelope into the drawer, deciding to send it to whomever he wanted!
Chapter 15 Goalkeeper
Chen Xu has been playing Pro Evolution Soccer for a full ten years.
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) is an excellent football game developed by Konami, also known as Winning Eleven.
Logically speaking, someone who has played football games for so long should have a great interest in football. But strangely, Chen Xu is very clear about the rules of the game and knows a lot about the internationally renowned teams, but he has never formally learned to play football!
It's not that Chen Xu hadn't studied it. As a passionate and energetic person full of hope and longing for life, how could he not participate in football?
Chen Xu first played football in 1999, when the Chinese women's football team, the "Steel Roses," was in full bloom.
But fate had other plans, or perhaps God didn't want to see such a promising young man fall into the dreaded sport of football... Because back then, a few of these kids, who loved playing football so much that they skipped school every day to play, ended up with disastrous grades... So, on that occasion, in a match between two teams of complete beginners, Chen Xu had only been on the field for less than five minutes when, on that bumpy football field, he tried to poke the ball with his toe (his toe, because without formal training, kids usually use their toes, not the instep, to shoot the ball with force), and unfortunately, he poked a protruding rock on that dilapidated field...
Then Chen Xu was rushed to the hospital, clutching his foot and weeping. His right big toenail had split open in the middle, and half of it was dead…
Chen Xu felt he had experienced a true human tragedy, even more tragic than when Ouyang Feng, played by Tony Leung, used his Five Elements Earth Escape Technique and crashed headfirst into a granite rock. Thus, the football dream of a passionate young man was shattered. While his injury spared him a mixed-gender spanking from his parents, the daily nagging was still inevitable.
Ten years later, Chen Xu finally stood on the football field again. To look cool, he even went to a stall near the school gate to buy a pair of football shoes... Double Star brand, eighteen yuan a pair.
People who have never played football can hardly imagine that there are so many tricks to a football. Chen Xu was yelling anxiously on the field. After playing for so long, he realized that he couldn't even control the ball properly... In the game, you might only see some trash players who are terrible at dribbling and shooting, but he never expected that he couldn't even hold the ball properly... He's really at the level of those idiots on the national team. They can't even control the ball for dozens of meters...
Chen Xu, exhausted and covered in sweat after running a lap, walked off the field in frustration, having barely touched the ball. Wang Dong patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay, everyone's like this the first time they play football. I was like that when I was in elementary school."
"Does that mean my current level is about the same as yours when you were in elementary school?" Hearing Wang Dong's words of comfort, Chen Xu felt even more like crying.
"Hey kid, now you know that's not how you play football, right?" Gao Xiaojie walked over at some point and said, mimicking the tone from Shaolin Soccer.
Gao Xiaojie was dressed very casually today, wearing a sleeveless tank top and very short hot pants. Her fair thighs were exposed, attracting the attention of countless guys on the playground.
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat and said, "I just accidentally said something wrong, is it necessary to hit me like this?" Then, just as he was about to retort, he suddenly saw a pretty girl standing behind Gao Xiaojie, quietly watching the training on the field.
Zhan Jing?! What's she doing here?
Zhan Jing was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of cropped blue jeans. She stood there casually, her light blue hair gently swaying in the evening breeze, making her look like a beautiful scene.
"Huh? Why are you blushing?" Gao Xiaojie suddenly exclaimed as if she had discovered something new, then laughed and hugged Zhan Jing, saying, "Oh my, is it because you're looking at our Jingjing? You're blushing! Jingjing, you have such great charm!"
Chen Xu felt his face turn red after her teasing, but he knew that if he tried to explain, Gao Xiaojie would definitely seize on it and beat him to death. So he deliberately said, "Yeah, yeah, I have a habit of blushing when I see a beautiful woman. You don't like it? Anyway, my face doesn't turn red when I see you!"
This guy actually dared to say I'm not beautiful! Gao Xiaojie glared at him angrily, but quickly understood what Chen Xu meant, and then pretended to be pitiful and hugged Zhan Jing, saying, "I'm not beautiful, of course you're not embarrassed. How can I compare to our Jingjing? Our Jingjing is a real beauty. If you treat me to dinner, I can give you some exclusive insider information."
Zhan Jing said, "Go to hell! Don't drag me into your argument!" Then Gao Xiaojie deliberately kissed her on the cheek, said, "It smells so good," and ran away laughing before Zhan Jing could hit her.
Now only Wang Dong, Zhan Jing, and Chen Xu are left. Wang Dong is watching the players' performance on the field, and Zhan Jing is watching too. Chen Xu feels that it's not very interesting for him to stay here, and he feels that he can't get a word in edgewise, so he tells Wang Dong that he's leaving first.
Wang Dong asked curiously, "Why are you leaving already? Let me take a look. Many of you freshmen haven't had much experience with football before. So I'd like you all to practice some basic skills later. Why don't you stay and practice with me?"
Chen Xu glanced at Zhan Jing with some embarrassment. He suddenly felt that those guys on the field who couldn't even play football, shouting and yelling, looked like monkeys performing. He felt a certain fondness for the girl in front of him, much like he had a crush on a girl in high school. He was so silly back then; to get her attention, he would deliberately cause trouble or do things that now seem childish to him, not realizing that these actions only lowered his standing in her eyes.
The saying goes, "It's better to hide your flaws than to make a fool of yourself," and Chen Xu now understands this principle very well, so he no longer wants to participate.
Chen Xu said, "I don't think I'm cut out to play football. I'd better just stay on the sidelines and cheer you guys on."
Wang Dong thought for a moment and then asked, "Have you ever measured your 100-meter speed? What was it?"
Chen Xu scratched his head and thought for a moment: "Not fast, probably around 14 seconds."
"What about 1,500 meters?"
"Uh, I don't remember the specific results," Chen Xu said shamelessly. "Anyway, every time I ran a long-distance race in high school, I was usually one of the last to arrive, and then I was exhausted like a dead dog."
Uh, what I mean is that he lacks both speed and stamina. And since he's new to playing football, he obviously lacks technique as well.
Wang Dong really wanted to say, "Since that's the case, then you should go back and save your time to read books instead of wasting it on sports." However, he felt that saying that would hurt a young man's pride too much. Just as he was thinking of a more tactful way to say it, Zhan Jing suddenly said, "When I watched you handle the ball just now, although your movements were quite amateurish, your reaction time was pretty good, and your jumping ability seemed quite good too. Have you ever thought about practicing goalkeeper techniques?"
goalkeeper?
Gao Xiaojie suddenly appeared out of nowhere and shouted, "Jingjing, really? Do you think someone that tall can be a goalkeeper? Hey, kid, how tall are you?"
Chen Xu rolled his eyes and tapped the grass with his toes: "172..." Chen Xu's height was indeed not considered tall. 172 cm was not considered short for a guy, but at most, one could only shamelessly say it was okay. However, 172 cm was definitely a bit short for a goalkeeper.
Zhan Jing tugged at Gao Xiaojie and said, "The goalkeeper doesn't need to be too tall, 1.72 meters is about right. I mainly think his reaction time and jumping ability are good."
Chen Xu's jumping ability was indeed impressive, but he was puzzled as to how Zhan Jing had noticed it. Zhan Jing looked at him and said seriously, "I noticed it when you jumped up to head the ball."
Chen Xu remembered that he did jump over something just now, but she saw it? At this moment, Gao Xiaojie shouted from the side, "Then let's try it."
As he spoke, Gao Xiaojie went to the side and picked up a soccer ball, saying, "Hey kid, why don't you jump first and let me see how high you can jump?"
Chen Xu felt that if he listened to her, he would be making a fool of himself, so he beckoned with his finger and said "COMEON." Gao Xiaojie said "Damn," and then threw the ball over.
Gao Xiaojie was still quite despicable, or rather, quite clever. Before throwing the ball, she made a feint, first deliberately darting to the left, and then throwing the ball to the right.
It was obvious that Chen Xu was fooled by his feint, but he quickly reacted, made a beautiful dive to the right direction, and blocked the ball!
"Holy crap!" Wang Dong was startled by the save. He came over, pulled Chen Xu up, and punched him in the chest, saying, "Not bad, kid, have you been trained before?"
Chen Xu laughed and said, "Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? I play Pro Evolution Soccer every day, but I didn't expect that making a save would feel so comfortable. This grass is so soft."
"What a character!!" Gao Xiaojie was very displeased with Chen Xu's smug look and said, "Young man, you were just lucky just now. Don't believe me? Let's do it again."
"No way, no way!" Chen Xu laughed heartily. "You're sure you'll throw the ball really far this time, but I'm not going to fall for your tricks! Besides, you just wanted to prove my reaction speed, and I've already proven it, haven't I?"
Gao Xiaojie was furious with him, but at this moment Zhan Jing pulled her aside and said, "Alright, stop making a scene. Didn't you come here today to see if there are any talented people? I think he's good enough to be a goalkeeper. Why don't we train him for a while and see?"
Wang Dong also came over and said, "I think he's good. That save he made was pretty cool. Besides, our college team's starting goalkeeper is a senior this year and basically won't be playing anymore. If Chen Xu really has talent, his short stature doesn't matter. If he performs well, he might even make it into the college team and take over from the senior team."
Hearing this, Chen Xu became very proud and deliberately gave Gao Xiaojie a demonstrative look, saying, "How about that? I really am very talented, right? I'm a genius like Sakuragi Hanamichi, wahahahahaha!"
Seeing Chen Xu's smug expression, Gao Xiaojie felt quite annoyed. Actually, she wasn't intentionally targeting Chen Xu; it's just that she's the type to be easily swayed and can't stand anyone challenging her. Just as she was about to retort, a better idea suddenly struck her. She immediately changed her expression and said sweetly, "Alright then, you really are a very promising animal. To help you unleash your potential faster, I'll be your goalkeeper coach from now on."
"Huh?" Chen Xu's smile froze on his face...
Chapter 16 of the main text: Two games on the BC platform
When Chen Xu returned to his dormitory, every part of his body ached.
"You little wench, you win! Don't let me get my hands on you next time!" Chen Xu groaned and moaned on the bed, inwardly complaining about why it was summer and there was no air conditioning in the dormitory. The hard bed with the straw mat was comfortable, but for someone whose whole body ached terribly, what he needed most was a soft, thick blanket he could sink into… if he wasn't afraid of dying of heat.
Qin Xiaoan looked at Chen Xu with great sympathy and said, "Brother, how did you offend this female devil?"
He had witnessed Chen Xu's training today, and to be honest, it was absolutely grueling and earth-shattering. If it were him, Qin Xiaoan didn't think he could have endured it.
Goalkeepers are a special group on the field, and the only ones who can openly touch the ball with their hands. Their training methods are also different from those of others.
The basic training for goalkeepers is to hold the ball firmly in their arms. The training method is very simple. Often, two goalkeepers train each other by throwing the ball hard at each other and then reaching out to catch it.
However, Chen Xu might actually have some talent as a goalkeeper; he could easily catch most of the balls Gao Xiaojie threw at him. Overjoyed, Chen Xu burst into laughter, declaring himself a once-in-a-century goalkeeping prodigy, and that the responsibility of maintaining world peace would fall on his shoulders. Then, he arrogantly beckoned to Gao Xiaojie with his finger and said, "Hey girl, let's try something new!"
That's just asking for trouble!
Even Qin Xiao'an felt that if Chen Xu's current appearance wasn't so pitiful, he wouldn't deserve any sympathy at all! This guy brought it all on himself! But seeing Chen Xu lying on the bed groaning and moaning incessantly, he couldn't say anything more.
No wonder Chen Xu got beaten up so badly. Actually, Gao Xiaojie wasn't that willful. After seeing Chen Xu's goalkeeper-like potential after just a few moves, she genuinely wanted to give this beast a serious workout. But Chen Xu's words made her feel like a courtesan in a brothel, and this beast was like a wicked customer beckoning her: "Hey girl, give this guy a smile!"
Gao Xiaojie was furious!
How terrifying is an angry Gao Xiaojie? No one at Hexie University knows for sure, but her former friends witnessed her devour fourteen large bags of Lay's potato chips in one go during an outburst…
Now, Gao Xiaojie vented all her anger from eating fourteen bags of Lay's potato chips on Chen Xu, and the result was predictable.
Advanced goalkeeper training involves lying on the ground while an assistant stands in front of him and throws the ball into his vicinity for him to catch... This is how to practice basic goalkeeping skills.
Chen Xu is practicing this now. At first, he felt pretty good at it, but after a while, he couldn't keep it up.
Because she had to sit on the ground, Gao Xiaojie deliberately threw the ball to the far sides... Moreover, this woman was very ruthless. She didn't intentionally throw the ball far away so that Chen Xu couldn't catch it, but every time she threw it to a place where Chen Xu had to bend over and stretch out his claws to reach it. This way, Chen Xu had to exert all his strength every time he fell to the ground.
Furthermore, this training isn't simply about the assistant throwing the ball and the goalkeeper catching it. After catching the ball, the goalkeeper must quickly throw it back to the assistant, who then throws it again… and the second throw will almost always be in a different direction, by which time the goalkeeper is already on the ground, not even having had time to sit up…
This is a training program designed to improve a goalkeeper's reaction speed, but the training itself can be incredibly demanding and exhausting.
Just look at Chen Xu's current state and you'll know. He made at least five hundred saves this afternoon, and his back is almost broken from exhaustion!
Chen Xu had several moments when he really wanted to give up, or rather, take a break, but the problem was, looking at this arrogant Jiangnan girl in front of him, how could a man like him say no?!
Gao Xiaojie was also stubborn. Seeing Chen Xu exhausted like a dead dog, practically panting with his tongue hanging out, she actually softened. But the problem was that this beast kept pushing himself, and she couldn't help but push herself too. So the two stubborn mules collided, and it served Chen Xu right that he was exhausted to the point of death!
Finally, Zhan Jing couldn't stand it anymore and said she was hungry and needed to eat. Gao Xiaojie then took the opportunity to say that today's training was over, and happily followed Zhan Jing away. Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to say, "We'll continue tomorrow."
"She won't be satisfied until she's completely destroyed! Ouch!" Seeing Chen Xu gritting his teeth, Qin Xiao'an shook his head helplessly, put on his underwear, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Seeing that no one was in the room, Chen Xu secretly called Xiao Min. Now he had discovered something else: he could use the Bluetooth headset connected to his watch to contact Xiao Min, so that others would think he was making a phone call.
"Xiaomin, does this supercomputer have any way to massage me? My whole body is in so much pain!"
"According to the health doctor's test, your current physical fatigue index has exceeded its capacity, and your muscles are sore due to excessive lactic acid. It is recommended that you avoid such excessive exercise in the future, as it is not good for your health."
"But the problem is I'm already exhausted..." Chen Xu said with a long face, "Can you conjure up a massage machine? I'm so tired!"