DEFYING FATE

Chapter 55: Saving the penalty

"You?" Xu Yan looked at Dong Xuebing from top to toe. DongXuebing had average height. "Are you sure?"

Dong Xuebing replied. "I will try my best."

Li Qing, who was standing beside, was relieved. He knew thatat times like this, Dong Xuebing would surely step forward to help. This was nolonger whether if the penalty kick could be saved or not. It's an attitude. LiQing was lucky to have a subordinate which will offer to share his burden. Thiswas also why Li Qing did not wish for Xiao Dong to play in this match. Thatno.21 will not miss this penalty kick. Li Qing did not want Xiao Dong to beresponsible for their loss. "Chief Xu, this is Dong Xuebing. He is from ourGeneral Affairs Office. He is the one who ran into the burning office toretrieve the documents. He was injured by the fire and had just been dischargedfrom the hospital a few days ago. Can we don't let him..."

Xu Yan frowned and remembered about that incident: "He is thefirefighter?"

Li Qing smiled. "Yes, that's him."

Xu Yan turned and look at Dong Xuebing in his eyes. "Thispenalty will affect our Western District Branch Bureau's image. We cannotafford to lose this match. Are you sure you will be able to save this penalty?"Xu Yan paused and then continued in a firm tone. "I don't want you to try yourbest! You must save it! Can you do it?"

Li Qing immediately interrupts: "Chief Xu, Xiao Dong doesnot know how to play football. He...

Dong Xuebing knew Li Qing was trying to protect him. Hereplied: "Chief Xu, I will definitely save this penalty!"

"Good!" Xu Yan nodded. "Get on the field!"

Dong Xuebing quickly ran to the sidelines. "Brother Gao, canI borrow your gloves?"

The injured goalkeeper, Xiao Gao, looked at him and passedhim his gloves. "Please do your best!"

Guo Shunjie's uneasy feelings were gone. He thought Xu Yanwould order him to be the goalkeeper. But when Dong Xuebing had volunteered, healmost cried out in joy. Foolish! What a stupid person! You are not even 1.8mtall, yet you want to be a goalkeeper? If that player kicked the ball slightlyhigher, you can't even touch it! Hah! You are just finding trouble foryourself. Once this penalty was scored, the whole Western District will put theblame on you! You really think you are a firefighter?

Dong Xuebing was not tall and strong enough, but he walkedcalmly towards the goal. Everyone from the Western District was covering theirfaces or rubbing their temples. They looked like they had already lost thematch. 7 losses in a row!

Guo Panwei also felt they had already lost. He walked overand said: "Xiao Dong, are you confident? Why not let someone take over?" He wasthe one who had knocked into another player, no. 21 would not be able to breakthrough their defense and be awarded the penalty. He did not want this penaltyto be scored. Everyone will pin the blame on him too.

Tan Limei, Zhuang Zhi, and Changjuan also move closer.

Zhuang Zhi asked: "Bing Zhi, have you played goalkeeper before?"

"Errr... No..." Dong Xuebing was also not very confident.

Tan Limei stared at him and shouted: "You have never playedas a goalkeeper? Then why did you volunteer? Are you crazy?"

Changjuan added: "That's right. It is not easy to be agoalkeeper. Did you even see how that no. 21 play? He is on a different level!"

Dong Xuebinng also knew about this. But he does not want tomiss this opportunity.

"Hurry up! Stop wasting time!"

"Hurry up! We are waiting for more than 10 minutes!"

"Are we still playing?"

Chaoyang District Bureau team shouted impatiently.

The referee points at the goal post, indicating Dong Xuebingto get over there immediately.

Seeing that they could not change Dong Xuebing's mind, TanLimei, Changjuan and the rest walked off the pitch. "Bing Zhi! Just dive withall your might!"

Zhuang Zhi also cheered: "Bing Zhi! You can do it!"

But other than the few colleagues from the General AffairsOffice, no one cheered for Dong Xuebing. All of them were listless. It was asif they had already lost the match.

Dong Xuebing was pissed. Damn! How come no one else cheeredfor me? Do I look like a loser?

In front of the goal post, Dong Xuebing stretched both hisarms out. He was trying to imitate the professional goalkeepers he watched fromthe English Premier League on TV. He was jumping lightly and waving his arms.After some simple warmup, he stood on the line and bend forward slightly. He wasstaring at no. 21.

No. 21 had placed the ball on the spot and had moved a fewsteps back.

Beep! The referee blew his whistle, signaling them to start.

Everyone was watching quietly.

It was tense. Dong Xuebing swallowed his saliva and prayedin his heart. Please shoot off target! Please kick the ball over the post!

Ta.... Ta... Ta... No. 21 had started his run up to the ball!

1 step...

5 steps...

10 steps...

Dong Xuebing was concentrating on the ball. It's here!

Bang!

No. 21 kicked the ball, and the ball was curved towards thetop left corner!

Dong Xuebing did not gamble by choosing a direction to dive.He waited until after the ball was kicked and made an ugly save attempt.

"Ah!" Dong Xuebing shouted as he jumped and stretched out hishand!

But before his arm was fully stretched, Zoom! The ballentered the net!

It was a goal!

It was a beautiful goal.... Maybe even a professionalgoalkeeper could not save it!

It was curved, and the ball had entered at an angle.

"Yay!!!! We won!!!"

"Hahahaha! 1:0!"

Beep, beeeeeep, beeeep! The referee blew the full-timewhistle!

Xu Yan and everyone from the western district was pale. 7losses in a row! Shame!

Dong Xuebing took a few deep breaths and was deep inthoughts. Seems like it was impossible for him to miss this penalty. He was outstanding!

2 seconds later, Dong Xuebing had a firm look in his eyes."BACK!"

...

The scenes changed! The cheers were gone!

It was dead silent.

Almost 90% of the people in the stadium felt it wasimpossible for Dong Xuebing to save this penalty kick. But Xu Yan and everyonefrom the Western District was looking at Dong Xuebing nervously.

Beep! The referee blew his whistle, signaling them to start.

1 second...

2 seconds...

No. 21 looked at Dong Xuebing and thought in his heart. Ihad been playing since young and had got into the youth team. I am still practicingnow. No one in this City Public Security can match my skills. If you allswitched to a tall and big size goalkeeper, you all might still have a chanceto save it. But this goalkeeper is short and small in size. How can he block myshot?! Are you all looking down on me?!

Dong Xuebing did not move an inch. He was still in the sameposition as before. He was worried that if he made any movements, that No. 21would kick the ball to another direction.

No. 21 took his eyes off Dong Xuebing and slowly ran up tothe ball.

1 step...

2 steps...

3 steps...

No. 21 was getter closer and closer to the ball!

Bang!

No. 21 gave a hard kick!

The ball flew towards the goalpost. No. 21 and the rest ofChaoyang District team were relieved. There was no mistake! No one would beable to save this ball! No even professional players!

Xu Yan and the Western District team were shocked. That'sit!

But when everyone felt the ball was surely a goal, theyrealized Dong Xuebing was no longer in his previous spot. He had moved beforethe kick. No. 21, Xu Yan and everyone else stared disbelievingly. Xiao Dongseems to be able to know the direction of the ball. Dong Xuebing did not have abit of hesitation and stretched out both his arms and dived towards the topleft corner of the goalpost!

Dong!!!

The ball hit Dong Xuebing's gloves!

The ball was stopped by Dong Xuebing and dropped onto theground!

Dong Xuebing shouted and dived again to stop and hug theball tightly under his body. He did not give the other team any chances toshoot again!

Saved!

The penalty kick was saved!

Guo Shunjie, Tan Limei, and Changjuan could not believetheir eyes!

No. 21 was standing there in a daze. Cannot be... How come heknows I am aiming for the top left corner?

The whole stadium was dead quiet for a moment. Xu Yan wasthe first to recover from the shock. She shouted: "Terrific! What a terrificsave!"

"Good diving save! Hahahaha! He saved that penalty kick!"

"Xiao Dong! You are the best!"

"Yay!!!!!!"

The Western District Team were celebrating!