Fox in the Penalty Area

Hu Lai stopped his mother from stuffing things into his suitcase: "It's okay, it's okay, Mom, I'm going to participate in the science and technology team competition, not to work... Why are you stuffing me with so many clothes?"

Then he glanced at his father with some guilt: "Dad, you don't go to work yet, aren't you afraid of being late?"

Hu Lixin stared at his box with a straight face, shook his head and said, "I can't be late, don't worry about me."

"Oh..." Hu Lai shrank his neck, he really didn't want his father to be by his side, for fear that he would have any doubts.

In fact, until now, before he left home, he was worried that his father would find out about his plan and lock him up at home...

Xie Lan helped Hu Lai lock and lock the box, "Okay. Take good care of yourself when you go out, build a good relationship with your classmates, and don't cause trouble... In addition, when you should be generous, be generous, treat your classmates to dinner or something... ..."

Hu Lai nodded again and again, automatically ignoring the last sentence: "I know, I know, don't worry, Mom. I'm not the kind of person who would cause trouble everywhere! I'm leaving, and if I don't leave, I won't be able to catch up with the meeting time..."

After finishing speaking, he dragged his suitcase, put his schoolbag on his back, and stepped out of the gate.

"Be careful on the road, pay attention to safety, and call us when you arrive." Xie Lan gestured to him behind him.

Hu Lai turned back and waved to them: "Don't worry!"

Then he took the suitcase and went down the stairs.

After going downstairs, he turned around and looked up, and sure enough, he saw his mother's figure again on his balcony. Seeing him looking over, he waved at him.

He had no choice but to wave his hand again as a gesture of goodbye.

It wasn't until he carried the suitcase and got on the bus that he breathed a sigh of relief, making sure that his father wouldn't suddenly rush down from upstairs and take him home.

Thinking of the upcoming national competition, he couldn't help laughing, and even hummed happily.

At this time, he is like a bird that has been released from the cage. The sky and the earth are so vast that he is allowed to soar.

The familiar street scenes outside the window are much more pleasing to the eye than usual, and the strangers on the bus also look better.

He faced every curious gaze cast on him with a smile, and he expressed his mood with singing.

But the people on the bus were just thinking: Damn, this kid sings so badly!

※※※

It is not the first time that Hou Lai stands on the podium of the stadium with his football teammates.

For the matter of standing on the rostrum during the flag-raising ceremony, Hu Lai used to dare not even think about it, but he did not expect that he has come up twice in a short period of time.

After today's flag-raising ceremony, under the witness of the national flag, all the teachers and students of the school are holding an expedition ceremony for all the players of the football team.

"...We hope that our football team will be able to play at the level and play style in this national competition! We can show the style of our Dongchuan Middle School to the fans and audience all over the country at the national competition!" Holding the microphone to speak generously, all the teachers and students in the audience looked up at the team on the stage. Many boys were full of enthusiasm and envy, and the girls looked at each other with jealousy.

Song Jiajia glanced at Li Zhiqun again, and found that Li Zhiqun's expression was a little sluggish.

hehe.

He sneered in his heart.

Then he turned his attention to the rostrum again.

Hu Lai was also among them, wearing the uniform of the school team, he really looked like a football player...

Hu Lai on the stage puffed up his chest and stood as straight as a javelin, with an unstoppable smile on his face.

"... Now, please invite Principal Zhai Guangming to present the flag to our Dongchuan Middle School football team! I wish the team success!" The dean waved his hand, pointing to the old principal standing beside him holding a flagpole.

On the flagpole he was holding, a flag hung low, and he held it in his hand.

The teachers in the audience took the lead in applauding, and then more students applauded.

Amid the applause, Principal Zhai stepped forward,

Pass this flag to the captain of the team, Chu Yifan.

"Kick it well, but don't put too much pressure on it." When handing the flag to Chu Yifan again, the old principal said to him.

"Thank you principal, we will work hard!"

Chu Yifan took the flag with both hands, and waved it vigorously on the rostrum. The yellow flag shook away in the wind, revealing the Dongchuan Middle School emblem embroidered inside, and the following two lines of words:

2020 The 6th National High School Football Championship Anton Provincial Team:

Dongchuan Middle School Football Team

This flag will appear at the entrance ceremony of the national competition, held high by Chu Yifan, walking past the rostrum where the leaders from the Football Association, the education department, and guests from all walks of life are, making Dongchuan Middle School It was the first time that his name appeared on the field of the national competition, and it appeared in everyone's field of vision.

Under Chu Yifan's waving, the flag roared in the morning wind. In the audience, the eyes of all the teachers and students were attracted by the waving flag, and behind him, the thoughts of all the players of the football team fluttered with the flag, across the mountains and rivers, across the plains and hills, and to distant lands. The capital city where the current national competition is held.

At this moment, at the gate of Dongchuan Middle School, a red banner was hung above the gate:

Warmly send off our school's football team to represent Anton Province in the 6th National High School Football Championship in 2020!

※※※

"Chen Xingyi, where is Chen Xingyi? Who saw Chen Xingyi?" Under the bus, Huang Hai, the captain of Shuguang Middle School, was looking around.

The people from the football team gathered in front of him. Everyone was wearing the uniform of Shuguang High School, waiting to get on the bus when everyone was full.

Outside the crowd, there were teachers and leaders of the school, as well as three journalist-like people, holding SLR cameras and video cameras, waiting to interview the protagonist of this time——Chen Xingyi.

But Chen Xingyi was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it, we are about to leave, and this kid is gone again!" Captain Huang Hai cursed.

"Call him, Captain!"

"Let me call." Someone took out his mobile phone and waited for a long time before the call was connected.

Chen Xingyi's lazy voice sounded from inside: "Hello..."

"Chen Xingyi, where have you been!" Captain Huang Hai snatched the phone and shouted. "The reporter is waiting for you! Come here quickly! We are going to the high-speed rail station after the interview!"

"Here we come..." The voice in the phone receiver became clearer and clearer, and finally appeared behind Huang Hai...

"Hey, everyone is here? You are too slow!"

As soon as Huang Hai turned his head, he saw Chen Xingyi standing in the door of the bus behind him, holding a mobile phone to his ear with one hand, and pointing at everyone with an air of air.

"Why are you in there?" Huang Hai asked in surprise.

"I came a long time ago. Seeing that none of you came, I went up and squinted for a while..." Chen Xingyi put away his mobile phone, jumped out of the car, and walked straight to the reporter: "I'll accept it." The interview is over, get in the car quickly. Really, we are going to participate in the national competition, and everyone is not active at all..."

Seeing him like this, Huang Hai shook his head helplessly.

After Chen Xingyi stood still in front of the camera, the reporter asked him such a question: "Student Chen Xingyi, what is your specific goal for participating in the national competition this time?"

"Of course the champion!" Chen Xingyi said, "Oh, and I want the top scorer too."

What he said was very firm, but everyone present felt that he was bragging.

Because the top scorer of the last competition had such confidence, and should have such confidence.

"This year's national competition will be linked with professional football... It is said that players who perform well can be favored by professional clubs and may become professional players. Would you choose to become a professional player?"

This question does not need to be considered by many football teenagers, and their answer can be blurted out immediately after the reporter finishes asking.

But Chen Xingyi tilted his head and thought for a while, then frowned and smacked his lips: "I don't know..."

The reporter was a little surprised: "Don't you want to be a professional player?"

"It's not that I don't want to..." Chen Xingyi frowned and wanted to explain to the reporter, but he didn't seem to know what to say, so he sighed, shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's talk about it later."

"Ah?" The reporter was a little confused, can this still happen? Can this opportunity to become a professional player be decided so casually?

Seeing the reporter's appearance, Chen Xingyi straightened his body a little, cleared his throat, and changed into a very serious tone: "I will not consider this issue before helping the team defend the national championship, and now I will wholeheartedly prepare for the national competition .”

After he finished speaking, he asked again: "Is this all right?"

The reporter nodded blankly.

※※※

After Chen Xingyi finished the interview, he waved to the reporters and jumped on the bus.

The school leaders stood under the bus, waving goodbye to the bus as it slowly closed its doors.

Chen Xingyi jumped over the front seat all the way, fighting with his teammates along the way. The sealed car windows prevented people outside from hearing the sound inside, but from the excited smiles on the faces of the children and the exaggerated body movements, one can still imagine what a happy scene it was inside.

"It's really enviable..." Outside the car, the reporter who was in charge of interviewing Chen Xingyi just now murmured, "National competition, teammates, dreams...how come I didn't have such youth in middle school!"

The cameraman is still working, and he has been pointing the lens into the window. In his camera, Chen Xingyi finally walked back to the last row. Instead of sitting down, he lay on the back of the seat and waved at the camera lens.

After taking this shot, he lowered the camera from his shoulder: "In the past, a student like Chen Xingyi might just become an ordinary student, maybe not very likable. But now... I heard There are already fans talking about him online, almost star treatment."

"These children have caught up with a good era..."

On this day, twenty-two provinces, five autonomous regions, and three municipalities directly under the central government (Note 1) all over the country have trains or planes departing from the stations and airports, and there is only one destination—the political and cultural center of the country, the provincial Administrative regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, national central cities, megacities... the capital.

These trains and planes are different from other trains and planes bound for the capital. They carry a group of teenagers full of dreams and longings.

They all wore the uniforms of their respective school teams, showing their identities to the world and telling everyone who looked at them: We are football players going to participate in the national competition!

Some people gave them thumbs up, some took out their mobile phones to take pictures, and some loudly encouraged them to win glory for their hometown.

Football is no longer just a game for them to entertain themselves, but it carries the hope of more people. When every teenager goes out, he will know that they are not fighting alone.

Will this be a burden for them?

No, because they like the feeling of being expected to fight.

※※※

Note 1: Two separate administrative regions and Taiwan Province do not participate in the National High School Championship, and the host of this competition is a municipality, so there are three municipalities left.

There are a total of 32 participating teams. Apart from the defending champion, they are the championship teams determined by 22 provinces, five autonomous regions and four municipalities directly under the Central Government.