Chapter 75

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Standing at the entrance of the classroom, Bian Xuedao ran quickly to the media team's rest area and stretched out a finger at Shan Rao. The crowd erupted in applause.

Wu Tian finally changed the gesture for Yang Enqiao.

Yang Enqiao, following the pre-game plan, brought on two fast substitutes, a left-back and a winger, to use their stamina to attack the opponents' defense in the last 10 minutes.

The international students' team also used their last substitution, bringing on a defensive midfielder, and moving a midfielder forward to become a second striker.

In the final 15 minutes, both teams engaged in the most intense attack of the "Dongsen Cup" since the tournament began.

The attacks were intense, pure, and relentless.

The speed of the transitions on the field left the spectators in the stands momentarily speechless.

The players on the field ran, tackled, turned, and fought, then ran, tackled, and turned again... When they fell, they got up and continued to run, chasing the opponents they were supposed to deal with...

The students watching the game opened their eyes wide, mouths agape, completely forgetting the drinks they had opened but not yet drunk, the wafers they had only half-eaten, and the chips they had only half-finished...

At the 81st minute, the international students' team won a direct free kick from a central position, but the shooter, overly focused on the angle, was blocked by the wall.

Bian Xuedao continued to play as a free-roaming forward, like his idol Pavel Nedved.

He moved, tackled, and marked, making the media team's midfield seem like it had an extra player. What was particularly noteworthy and anticipated was his ability to shoot powerfully with both feet.

At the 83rd minute, Duan Qifeng received the ball in the front field, passed it to the recently substituted winger, who crossed from the baseline. The ball was headed out by the opposing defender, and an international student midfielder got the ball, kicked it over the halfway line, and passed it to the black forward. Before the ball could reach him, Bian Xuedao intercepted it and passed it to Wu Tian on the right wing.

Bian Xuedao moved to the left wing, drawing defenders to create opportunities for Xu Zhiyou and Duan Qifeng.

Wu Tian passed the ball to Xu Zhiyou, who cleverly chipped it over two defenders. Duan Qifeng used his agility and speed to shake off the defender and shot with the tip of his right foot.

The ball, a low roller, went through the legs of the international students' goalkeeper!

The entire field fell silent.

3:3!

No one had expected such a score at halftime.

There was no time to celebrate.

The international students' team quickly kicked off and counter-attacked. The media team was still basking in the joy of scoring, and the international students' team, with a few quick passes, moved the ball past the halfway line. A cross from the wing found the black forward, who cut into the small penalty area. A media team defender, in a moment of panic, tripped the black forward.

The referee's whistle blew, a penalty!

The international students' team's coach seemed to have given some advice, and the players deliberately delayed the game. In their minds, a penalty almost meant victory, and every second of delay reduced the chances of the opponents equalizing.

The black forward took the penalty. He tied his left shoelace, then his right. He then looked at the top right corner of the goal, ran up, swung his leg, and shot—

To the center! The ball was saved!

The black forward shot to the center, and the ball was saved by Cheng Daqi!

Cheng Daqi silently raised his fist to the sky.

Then he shouted loudly, urging everyone to push forward and kicked the ball long to the front field.

In just a few minutes, Yang Enqiao experienced the extremes of joy and despair.

With only 3 minutes left, every touch of the ball was precious, and the spectators were already looking forward to a penalty shootout.

Time ticked away, and the ball continued to be contested in the midfield.

The sun shone unobstructed on the field, and a drop of sweat rolled down a player's forehead, over his eyebrows, eyes, cheekbones, and jaw... The player suddenly turned and sprinted, and the sweat droplet detached from his body, falling to the grass.

Finally, Wu Tian tackled and won the ball, passing it to Xu Zhiyou, who kicked it long to find Bian Xuedao in the front field.

The most classic moment occurred: Under the close marking of two defenders, Bian Xuedao squeezed through the gap between them, moved forward half a body length, and kicked the ball before it hit the ground.

A chip shot, the ball grazed the crossbar and hit the top of the net, then bounced to the ground.

4:3, a miraculous comeback.

Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

The noise was so loud that the school leaders, who were accompanying the deputy minister, paused their explanation and smiled, explaining, "The school is holding a football match, and today is the final. The students are very enthusiastic."

Bian Xuedao ran to Shan Rao again, happily extending two fingers.

Before he could stand still for 2 seconds, he was tackled and pushed to the ground by his ecstatic teammates.

The game continued, and the media team held on for 2 minutes until the final whistle blew.

Harry ran over, insisting on exchanging jerseys with Bian Xuedao. Bian Xuedao thought it wasn't a World Cup or European Cup, but he couldn't resist Harry's enthusiasm and exchanged on the spot.

Wu Tian led his team to shake hands with the international students' team, giving each other thumbs up and saying words of praise, whether understood or not. Bian Xuedao, holding Harry's wet jersey, couldn't bear to put it on and shook hands with the opponents bare-chested.

Long-distance running and swimming had sculpted Bian Xuedao's body to perfection.

Guan Shunan, who loved athletic men, poked Shan RAO and whispered in her ear, "Such a great body, have you...?"

Shan RAO's face turned red instantly, and she nudged Guan Shunan, saying softly, "What are you talking about?"

Because the school's main leaders were accompanying the deputy minister, the planned award ceremony was canceled. After the game, everyone went their separate ways.

The spectators gradually dispersed, leaving varying amounts of trash in different areas, but overall, the performance was decent, not unbearable.

Whether they were true football fans leaving with immense satisfaction and admiration, or those who had lost bets and left in tears, the "Dongsen Cup" came to an end.

It began with a notion to divert attention and vent emotions and ended with a spectacular and miraculous comeback. However, no matter how exciting, it was only within those 90 minutes of strategic and skillful play. It might be a topic of discussion for a couple of days at "Sanmu Garden" or the subject of many dorm room conversations that night, but it would soon be forgotten, the goals that made them shout, the brilliant shots, the final score, and even the fact that they had watched an amateur football match years later, just like many passionate romances that ended in separation.

Team leader Yang Enqiao and the student council president Gao Jian warmly shook hands with every player on the field, thanking them. The student council president said on the spot that they would rest today and he would treat everyone to a meal tomorrow, hoping everyone would honor the invitation.

This was mainly said to the five foreign players, as the media college players had no issue with the invitation.

Xu Zhiyou, Duan Qifeng, and Cheng Daqi looked at Bian Xuedao, waiting for his response. Bian Xuedao sought Shan RAO's approval with his eyes, and seeing her nod, he agreed to the dinner.

Wu Tian's original task was to end with the game, but he considered that he might need the media college student council's help in the future and was interested in Bian Xuedao and the three young players with excellent football skills. They had met for too short a time, and there was no suitable occasion to ask personal questions.

This was a good opportunity, and Wu Tian agreed readily.

After saying goodbye, everyone tactfully left Bian Xuedao with Shan RAO. Guan Shunan stood next to Shan RAO, smiling at Bian Xuedao.

Shan RAO introduced Guan Shunan to Bian Xuedao: "Sister Shunan, my childhood friend."

Then she linked her arm with Bian Xuedao's and said, "Bian Xuedao, my boyfriend."

Guan Shunan just nodded and smiled, saying nothing.

Bian Xuedao had recognized Guan Shunan, whom he had met a few times at the bank, but he didn't show it. He politely said, "Hello," to Guan Shunan and turned to Shan RAO, saying, "I'll go home to change and take a shower. You two go to Xuefeng first, and we'll meet at the Korean restaurant outside the school in two hours."

As soon as Bian Xuedao entered his home, Shan RAO called, saying Guan Shunan had to leave early and would invite them another time.

Bian Xuedao was indeed very tired, and this news suited him well. He wondered if it was Shan RAO's consideration or Guan Shunan's tact, but it was probably Guan Shunan, as Shan RAO wouldn't have the heart to cancel the dinner, and Guan Shunan, working at the bank, was good at reading people's minds.

Gao Jian and Yang Enqiao put a lot of thought into the dinner on Monday evening.

First, after the group stage, the entire team of 30 players, whether they played or not, should be invited to the dinner.

Second, the team was all male, and without some female students to mix things up, the dinner would be very单调 (monotonous). Gao Jian knew that Shan RAO must be invited to the dinner. After much consideration, he decided to invite some female students from the arts and women's departments to the dinner.

Gao Jian shared his idea with Yang Enqiao, who thought it was good but wondered how to invite the female students.

The two discussed it, and Yang Enqiao said, "We can't call it 'accompanying drinking' or 'paid companionship.' How about 'social gathering'? 'Champion Team Social Gathering Dinner'?"

Gao Jian slapped his thigh, "That's a good idea!"

Immediately, another problem arose: too many people, making the arrangement difficult.

After some inquiries, Gao Jian and Yang Enqiao found a restaurant with a private room that could fit two 20-person tables.

Adhering to the principle of inviting the best, the two went to the restaurant to check the environment, which was very nice. They estimated that adding a few more chairs to each table wouldn't be a problem, as they were all classmates, and a bit of crowding wouldn't be an issue.

Returning to the school, Gao Jian called Shan RAO and the arts department head, explaining his idea and arrangement, hoping each would bring 5 female students to the "Champion Team Social Gathering Dinner." Both agreed without hesitation and started contacting the selected students.

Shan RAO looked at the list of female students in the women's department, recalling those who were good drinkers, outgoing, and enthusiastic about socializing.

Seeing Xu Shangxiu's name on the list, Shan RAO suddenly realized this was an opportunity to test her and Bian Xuedao's relationship.