Chapter 57 – We are losing?

Next day.

Yuetan Stadium.

The air in the stadium was tense. It was the calm before the storm. Deputy Bureau Chief Xu Yan lead the Western District team into the stadium from the side gates. Across the field, the eastern district team, in their red jersey, were doing their warm up. Xu Yan had a stern look on her face. She looked at every player on her team. “I will repeat this once more! We aim to win! Do your best out there! Don’t embarrass the Western District branch!”

“Yes!”

Today’s match was crucial, and many people from the branch bureaus were there to support their team. Tan Limei, Changjuan, and even Old Yan were there. Guo Panwei and Zhuang Zhi were in the starting line up as usual. Maybe it was because Xiao Gao and another regular player were injured in yesterday’s match, Guo Shunjie was in the starting line-up. The players took off their jackets and started their warm up on the field. Dong Xuebing and two other reserves were standing behind Xu Yan and Li Qing, facing the field.

Deputy District Political Commissar Xu was standing about 10 meters away from Dong Xuebing and the rest.

Deputy Chief Xu Yan stared at Deputy District Political Commissar Xu coldly.

Deputy District Political Commissar Xu turned and smiled at Xu Yan. “If your team prepared to lose?”

Xu Yan frowned. “This is the question I wanted to ask you.”

“Hahaha, where did you get your confidence from?”

Deputy District Political Commissar Xu should have given her team orders to win at all cost. The spectators could feel the tension between both teams before the start of the match. The referee was still the same referee from yesterday’s match. When both sides were ready and in position, he blew the whistle to start the game.

The Eastern District Team kick off, and they immediately broke through the midfield defense.

Commissar Xu shouted loudly: “Attack! Put pressure on them!”

The Eastern District players were rushing forward. They did not even care about their defense. Bang! A misjudged pass was intercepted by Western District player from the branch’s Commission for Discipline Inspection. But before his teammates could counter-attack, a boot with the studs facing him came rushing towards him. He got a shock and quickly avoided that player. In the end, he lost control of the ball, and the Eastern District team got the ball back.

The match was exciting.

Dong Xuebing clenched his fist and prayed silently in his heart. Please have a foul or penalty kick. Huh? He suddenly felt bad. All his teammates and leaders wished for a win, but he was praying for his team to be in trouble. If anyone from the Western District knows what he was thinking, he would surely be beaten up.

Beep!!! The referee blew the whistle for a foul.

Dong Xuebing look up and saw Zhuang Zhi on the ground, holding his feet and shouting in pain. A player was standing beside him with his palms facing up, talking to the referee. The referee looked at Zhuang Zhi’s condition and hesitated for a few seconds before showing a yellow card to the other player.

Xu Yan was pissed. “That is dangerous play! That kick is above waist level! Why is that only a yellow card?!”

Dong Xuebing skipped a heartbeat when he saw Zhuang Zhi could not get up on his feet. He immediately ran over with a reserve player with the first aid kit. They sprayed some medicine on Zhuang Zhi’s leg. “Zhuang Zhi! How bad is your injury?” Dong Xuebing knew Zhuang Zhi well. He was not the type who would feign injury. He must be really in pain from his facial expression.

Zhuang Zhi gritted his teeth and shook his head: “Ahhh……. I …… Can’t carry on with the match……”

“It’s okay. I will help you off the field.” Dong Xuebing helped support Zhang Zhi to the sidelines. The other reserve player made some gesture to Xu Yan.

Xu Yan stared at the referee with a long face.

The Western District players were unhappy with the referee’s decision. They crowded around the referee: “He is not aiming for the ball! He is aiming for his legs!”

“Red card! He should be sent off!”

Commissar Xu looked at Xu Yan and said: “I think it is your player who is diving.”

Damn! Feng Yu was furious.

The tempers were rising. It was only 5 minutes into the game, and there was 4 dangerous play by the opposing team. If this were not instructions from Commissar Xu, the players would not dare to be so aggressive. Even the World Cup finals matches were not so rough, let alone a friendly match between two government branches! This type of play was explicitly targeting the Western District team and Xu Yan!

Tan Limei ran over and took the medical spray from Dong Xuebing. She continued to spray the medicine on Zhuang Zhi’s injured leg. She was almost in tears.

Dong Xuebing was furious. He glanced at the smiling, Commissar Xu I will remember this!

In the end, the reserve player who went on the field with Dong Xuebing earlier replaced Zhuang Zhi. After this incident, the Western District players became more aggressive in their play. Curses and swears could be heard throughout the match. They no longer care if leaders were watching the game.

10 minutes……

20 minutes……

The Eastern District players were still tackling from behind, aiming for the players’ legs. They did not care even if they will get yellow cards or got sent off.

“Ahhhhh!!!!!”

When the first half of the match was about to end, there was a horrible shriek!

Eastern District team’s no, 13 had elbowed one of the Western District players in the back when they were fighting for the ball. The Western District player was sent flying on the pitch and could no longer get up on his feet!

The referee could not see what happened from his position, and he just awarded a foul. There were no yellow cards.

Dong Xuebing and many others saw what happened. Everyone shouted: “That’s a red card!”

The Western District players surrounded the referee: “He had elbowed him!”

“Are you blind? You did not see what happened?”

The referee stick to his decision and even showed the yellow card to the player who scolded him!

Xu Yan had a terrible expression on her face. But she remembered yesterday’s phone call from her higher-up, asking her to think of the big picture. She took a deep breath and said: “Stop it and carry on with the match!”

The first half was over. The Western District team got a yellow card, and the Eastern District Team got 4. The score was still 0:0/

During the half time break, a player from the Public Security Sixth Bureau shouted: “Leader, they are playing dirty. Can this even be considered a football match?”

Another player complaint. “The referee is siding with them! There is no way we can win!”

Xu Yan frowning and not saying a word. She was also furious by the actions of the opposing team. She suspects Commissar Xu did not want a win from this match. She was only aiming for a draw and wanted the Western District team to have zero wins from 8 games. She might also be trying to get the Western District team to use up all their reserve players. This way, the Western District team will have to play with lesser players!

Because of injuries, the Western District team only have 3 reserve players today. Dong Xuebing was the reserve goalkeeper. With the injured player injured substituted out before halftime, the Western District team does not have any more reserve players except for Dong Xuebing. If there were still players injured in the second half, goalkeeper Dong Xuebing might have to go on the pitch to play. A goalkeeper playing as a defender or a striker?

We are losing?!

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