Fox in the Penalty Area

The cheers at the Provincial Sports Center were much smaller than before. After the initial excitement, everyone started to get nervous now, worried that the penalty kick would not be scored—although it is said that penalty kicks are the best way to score goals in football games, but Unable to bear the pressure at critical moments, it is not uncommon to miss penalty kicks.

Just because penalty kicks are so easy to score, every player standing on the penalty spot will be under tremendous pressure.

Therefore, the Fans of Shining Star quickly calmed down and did not dare to continue cheering, for fear of losing their character.

The players of the Golden Arrow on the field have already exited the penalty area. They have protested and justified, but they have not changed the referee's penalty.

Flash Star's players also stood outside the penalty area.

There are only three people in the penalty area, one is Golden Arrow goalkeeper Zheng Donglin, one is the referee, and the other is Hu Lai.

He is the Flash Star's number one penalty shooter.

He has placed the football on the penalty spot and has retreated to a suitable run-up distance, waiting for the referee to blow his whistle.

Then he took the time to look back towards Dashun Golden Arrow's coaching bench, and saw Wang Xianke standing on the sidelines.

When a penalty kick was awarded just now, Wang Xianke, who was still sitting on the coach's bench crossing his legs, rushed to the sideline excitedly and yelled at the referee, as if to say that Chen Xingyi flopped.

Hu Lai thought to himself, fortunately, Little Xingxing has decided to renew his lease for another season, otherwise it would be embarrassing if he went back...

Then he grinned at the man and turned back.

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Wang Xianke stood on the sidelines, staring nervously and uncomfortably at the court, when he saw Hu Lai who was standing behind the penalty spot suddenly turned around and took a look.

Although there was no evidence, Wang Xianke felt that the kid was looking at him.

He looked at himself, and then smiled at himself?

Wang Xianke suddenly felt a little flustered—that kid already knew, right?

By the way, isn't there a post on the Internet that mentions his relationship with his father? If he saw it, would he take this post and ask his father? How would Hu Lixin answer?

For a while, Wang Xianke became even more upset.

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Qin Lin stood outside the restricted area, looking at Hu Lai's back.

This is his third penalty kick this season. The previous two penalty kicks were scored without any suspense, and his performance can be said to be very stable.

But the sum of the first two penalties cannot be compared with the current penalty.

It is also a penalty kick, and the pressure he has to bear when standing on the penalty spot is completely different from before.

For Xingxing, this is an excellent opportunity. If this penalty can be kicked in, then Xingxing still has hope to break the wrist with the golden arrow.

But if you can't get in...

The collapse may have started from this moment.

Qin Lin has experienced too many such moments.

In the history of Chinese football, there have been similar situations. A penalty kick may change the fate of a country's football.

But it is a pity that at those turning points of fate, the people standing on the penalty spot failed to withstand the mountain-like pressure.

Of course, what Hu Lai is facing now is not the expectation and pressure of the whole country, but the eyes of the fans in the whole province are not light.

Can his thin body hold it up?

Thinking of this, he took half a step forward and put one foot on the penalty area line.

He was ready to rush in immediately.

"Brother Lin."

At this moment, he heard Zhang Qinghuan calling him in a low voice beside him.

He turned to look at the latter.

"That kid is fine." Zhang Qinghuan stood half a meter behind him, arms folded, not intending to come up and prepare for a follow-up shot.

"Even if he is an enemy of the whole world, he is not afraid."

Qin Lin withdrew his gaze, turned his head and looked at the back again.

He couldn't see Hu Lai's face, so he didn't know what that kid's expression was at this moment.

But after hearing Zhang Qinghuan's words, he still stepped back a little bit and moved his feet away from the white penalty area line.

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A close-up of Hu Lai appeared in the TV broadcast.

Standing in front of the penalty spot, he was staring at the goal ahead.

In the camera, his eyes are sharp, his brows are slightly wrinkled, and his expression is dignified.

Xie Zelin couldn't help muttering: "I'm nervous when I lose the chain at the critical moment..."

Peng Hao put his hand in front of his lips: "Hush!"

Being treated like this by a junior was like being slapped face to face. Xie Zelin was very upset and couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to scold him.

But at this moment, he heard He Feng, the commentator on the TV, sigh: "There are... knives in these eyes!"

He looked at the screen in astonishment. On it was a close-up shot of Hu Lai's face, and the camera focused on his eyes.

The light from the night lights of the stadium reflected in his pupils, shining brightly.

It's as if there is a knife light hidden in it.

Xie Zelin was stunned.

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Hu Lixin was sitting on the sofa, and his wife was holding his hand tightly, painfully.

He could even feel the sweat on his wife's palm.

He wanted to comfort his wife, but didn't know what to say.

So he also pursed his lips tightly.

The previously noisy Provincial Sports Center on the TV fell silent.

In this quiet environment, the whistle was very clear.

At the same time as the whistle sounded, Hu Lai ran up!

He ran to football.

Zheng Donglin in front of the goal line stared at Hu Lai's feet, and then realized that according to this pace, Hu Lai would shoot with... his left foot!

left foot?

Zheng Donglin froze for a moment.

Never heard of him shooting with his left foot...

Before the game, he watched the only two videos of Hu Lai's penalty kicks, both of which were with his right foot...

Why did you suddenly switch to your left foot?

He practiced his left foot secretly, and then kept hiding it, waiting for this time to use it?

Just when Zheng Donglin had various thoughts in his mind, he saw that Hu Lai really kicked the football with his left foot!

So he ignored those thoughts, took a step forward to shorten the distance between himself and the football, widened the angle of blocking shots, and then slammed towards his left and Hu Lai's right—according to his prediction, Hu Lai If he shoots with his left foot, nine times out of ten he will kick the football to his own right, because that is the safest way to shoot for a player who is not very skilled with his left foot!

But at the same time he threw it, he saw Hu Lai's left foot swiping past the football!

He missed it!

Do not!

Immediately afterwards, he found that his right foot, which was supposed to be the supporting foot, shrugged behind him, and the football suddenly jumped out and rolled towards the goal on Zheng Donglin's right...

He completely turned the other way!

The ball was not fast, but helplessly, he was still flying in the air, and he had nowhere to rely on his body, so he couldn't turn around in the air and then throw himself back.

He can only look back at the football bouncing and rolling forward on the turf, and at the same time pray in his heart, hoping that the ball will miss the goal...

Under the gaze of Zheng Donglin, under the gaze of the players from both sides behind Hu Lai, under the gaze of 60,000 fans in the audience, and under the gaze of countless spectators in front of the TV.

The football rolled into the goal of Dashun Golden Arrow.

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"Hu Lai's run-up... shot..."

Hu Lai's kick not only deceived Zheng Donglin, but also almost broke the commentator He Feng.

Just as he was amazed at what he saw, he realized that the football had entered the door!

"The ball went in!!!" he raised his arms and shouted.

"The ball has been scored!! Hu Lai!" The commentator of Anton Satellite TV was at the commentary booth at the scene, a little far away, and he couldn't see the action of Hu Lai's shooting very clearly, so there was no such problem.

He only saw the football fly into the goal, and then saw Hu Lai running towards the corner flag with open arms...

"Good shot!!" Peng Hao yelled suddenly in front of the TV, startling the stunned Xie Zelin. He trembled and almost jumped up from his chair.

Then he tried to turn his head to express his anger and disgust to Peng Hao with his eyes, but when he turned his head, he found that Peng Hao was waving his fist at him fiercely.

His eyes retracted...

In the whole living room, not only Peng Hao, but also other people, such as his sister, were clapping their hands and laughing.

As for his old father, he sat on the sofa without moving, but judging from his flushed face, he must be very excited.

He just looked around and found that everyone around him was cheering, even including his son and wife...

He suddenly became a loner.

This made Xie Zelin very uncomfortable. He was a little dazed amidst everyone's cheers.

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Xie Lan screamed and threw her husband down on the sofa, then pointed at the TV screen and shouted to Hu Lixin: "He is your son! He is your son!"

While she was yelling, Hu Lixin, who was lying on the sofa, tilted his head and watched the TV.

The broadcast screen happened to cut to the camera seat at the top of the stands of the Provincial Sports Center. From his perspective, in the trembling screen, the Provincial Sports Center seemed to have collapsed.

Hu Lai's goal turned the world upside down...

"...Listen to the cheers from the Andong Provincial Sports Center, it's like thunder!" The commentator He Feng's voice came through the noisy background sound. "Although this ball does not allow Flashing Star to take the lead in the total score, it can bring hope! When the Flashing Star fans felt the darkest, helpless, and desperate, he struck with stones and shot out The spark ignited the dead grass, and lit the first bonfire in the night..."

In his lyrical commentary, Hu Lai jumped high and then fell firmly to complete the celebration.

Then he turned around and opened his arms to greet the teammates who rushed forward.

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Zhang Qinghuan and Chen Xingyi took the lead and ran towards Hu Lai, they flew up one from the left and the other from the right, sandwiching Hu Lai in the middle.

When Hu Lai took the penalty kick, Wang Guangwei, as a central defender, dragged at the end to prevent the opponent's possible counterattack.

After seeing Hu Lai's goal, he rushed up immediately.

But they still couldn't surpass Zhang Qinghuan and Chen Xingyi who were near the water tower.

Running on the way to celebrate, looking at that scene, Wang Guangwei suddenly remembered that a year ago, he, Zhang Qinghuan, and Hu Lai took the bus to train for the last time—after that, because Zhang Qinghuan pretended to expose his identity, they I can no longer take a bus to the training base.

Both he and Zhang Qinghuan were complaining that people didn't understand professional players. In fact, there were endless complaints and distress behind the glamorous professional players.

Only Hu Lai said very well that they are full men who don't know hungry men hungry.

These words were quite offensive, but both he and Zhang Qinghuan laughed.

Hu Lai, who shouted in front of them, "I will succeed no matter how much I pay", is like a child who said "I want to be a scientist/athlete/artist/singer/astronaut..." when I grow up.

Are you childish?

It's quite childish, because only children who don't understand anything can have so many dreams.

When children gradually realize that dreams are not so easy to realize as they grow older, and they have to fully consider the difficulties of reality, they will grow up.

But is this a kind of maturity, or a kind of begging for mercy?

Wang Guangwei suddenly understood why Zhang Qinghuan said he was envious of Hu Lai back then, and wanted him to keep going, hoping that he would be a boy forever, young forever.

Maybe it's because Brother Huan himself can no longer be a teenager, so he envies Hu Lai who still has so many visions for the future.

When Brother Huan was called the number one genius in Chinese football, did he have the same mentality as Hu Lai?

I feel that although the world is big, with my ability, is there any place I can't go?

I once dreamed of walking the world with a sword, making great achievements and becoming famous, leading the Chinese team out of Asia and going to the world.

Of course, in the end, all the crazy ones died, all the awesome ones collapsed, and all the ignorant ones became silent.

Brother Huan, who is such an awesome genius, finally lost to reality, to this cruel world and fate, and had to kneel down and beg for mercy.

On that sunny bus stop, he must have seen the gleam of dreams in Hu Lai, and also saw the difference between Hu Lai and himself. Holly's blessings.

Be a teenager forever, stay young forever, Hu Lai.

And we, your teammates, will always be proud of you...

Wang Guangwei plunged headlong into the celebrating crowd.

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Note 1: This passage is quoted from Pu Shu, including the title of this chapter is also taken from the lyrics of this song.