Xia Xiaobing had changed into her football jersey when she got out of the car because she was playing football today. It was still that black and white Juventus jersey, which looked particularly stylish on her.
Xue Xiaodie, of course, didn't change; she wore the same clothes as she did to work: a light blue short-sleeved shirt, a plaid skirt, sneakers, and white socks, exuding a youthful and vibrant charm.
As Xue Xiaodie stood at the entrance of the stadium waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, she stared at the woman in front of her, silently observing her.
Xia Xiaobing suddenly asked, "What are you looking at?"
Xue Xiaodie thought for a moment and asked an obvious question: "Are you a Juventus fan?"
Xia Xiaobing smiled and shook her head: "No, I just prefer black and white clothes. As for teams, I don't have any particular preference. I've always been a neutral fan, except for the Chinese national team."
Xue Xiaodie: "So you're a fan of the Chinese national football team?"
Xia Xiaobing: "I support the national football team, but I don't watch it."
Xue Xiaodie couldn't help but smile: "Me too...it seems like a lot of fans are like this."
Xia Xiaobing: "Actually, it's not just the national football team; I also have limited time to watch football. I'm so busy these days, it's a bit of a luxury to take 90 minutes to sit there and watch a game without doing anything else."
Xue Xiaodie: "Hey, look, they're here."
As they were talking, five men, including Lu Zhe and Mao Kai, got out of the car and walked up to the two of them.
Xia Xiaobing called out to them, "Come in and warm up! Look, your opponents are here."
Indeed, the opposing team had already arrived at the court. Ji Chunqiu's team had six cheerleaders, and the opposing team also had six. The court was a small five-a-side court, and each side had one substitution slot, so the numbers were just right.
Judging from their appearances, the opposing team seemed older, with more than half of the six men sporting noticeable bellies; while Ji Chunqiu's side was mostly composed of players in their thirties, plus a female contestant who appeared to be a weaker opponent. So, at first glance, the two sides seemed to be evenly matched…
“They are no match for us,” Xue Xiaodie whispered to the only female contestant.
Xia Xiaobing was busy warming up at the time. Hearing her words, she didn't stop moving, but asked in return, "How did you know?"
Xue Xiaodie: "Because Lu Zhe is very strong on the court."
Xia Xiaobing glanced at her sideways: "Have you seen this many times?"
Xue Xiaodie nodded: "Yes, and I've heard Lu Zhe say that you, President Xia, are also very good. These middle-aged men on the other side look like the type who would be out of breath after running a few steps, they definitely can't beat us."
Xia Xiaobing smiled.
She could roughly guess the girl's intention: to use these words of shared hatred to bring the two of them closer. However, although she understood the girl's intention, she didn't find it annoying.
It's never a bad thing when someone takes the initiative to build connections, is it?
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At this moment, Mao Kai was also doing warm-up exercises before playing football.
Suddenly, Zhang from the algorithm department came over, put his arm around his shoulder, and whispered, "What you just said makes sense!"
Mao Kai was taken aback: "What?"
Brother Zhang chuckled, "It's President Xia and that girl... Look, look, they're chatting and laughing. I've never seen President Xia laugh this happily when she's talking to us."
Mao Kai said with a bitter face, "Can you please stop making fun of me? I was shocked when I came to my senses after you made that kind of joke in the car."
Brother Zhang: "So, are you complaining that your position is too high, or that your salary is too high?"
Mao Kai: "It's not that serious, is it..."
Brother Zhang laughed and said, "Of course it's not that serious. Otherwise, would I be here talking to you? President Xia isn't that petty. Besides, we won't gossip about her."
Mao Kai nodded solemnly.
Zhang patted him on the shoulder again, then ran to the other side to get the ball and started juggling it. Although he couldn't juggle it more than ten times at a time, Zhang was still having a great time, perfectly demonstrating what it means to be bad at something but have a huge addiction.
Mao Kai approached his subordinate and said solemnly in a low voice, "Xiao Zhe, I have something to tell you."
Lu Zhe flexed his ankles: "Brother Kai, what's wrong?"
Mao Kai looked around and lowered his voice even further: "Didn't you really hear the joke I made in the car just now?"
Lu Zhe looked completely innocent: "What kind of joke are you talking about?"
Perhaps because of the training he received from the three girls in recent days, he is now able to tell lies of this degree with ease, leaving no room for doubt.
Mao Kai was still a little worried: "I know you and President Xia have a good relationship, but... uh, you know what you should and shouldn't say."
Lu Zhe nodded blankly: "I'll only say things that you, Kai-ge, told me to say."
Mao Kai smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and finally turned and walked away.
Lu Zhe secretly wanted to laugh—you see, when he was with Xia Xiaobing, they talked about many topics, but Mao Kai was the only one that never came up.
So, while the joke in the car earlier was a bit reckless, it wasn't really a big deal. He knew Xia Xiaobing wouldn't hold a grudge against such a minor offense. Her mind was preoccupied with the company's business development and how to poach employees.
Of course, whether or not he is now considered Miss Tang's love interest is also a question that makes him hesitate and waver...
Before long, both sides finished warming up, and the amateur friendly match, which didn't even have a referee, began.
The opposing team got the ball first, slowly passing it around, looking for an opportunity to attack. Lu Zhe, however, remained at the forefront, leisurely strolling, waiting for the opponent to make a mistake.
Soon, the opponent attempted a through pass, but Xia Xiaobing immediately saw through the intention and intercepted the pass in the first place.
The football was blocked by Xia Xiaobing and rolled to Mao Kai's feet. Mao Kai didn't dare to be careless and, before the opponent could press him, quickly passed the ball to the dashing boss.
Xia Xiaobing touched the ball again, paused for a moment, and then pushed it out with the instep of her foot.
The football rolled along the ground to Lu Zhe's feet, almost in a straight line.
At that moment, an older man from the opposing team happened to be next to him and stretched out his leg first, trying to steal the ball.
However, Lu Zhe was a step faster, lightly touching the ball with his toe, allowing it to pass between the opposing man's legs, completing a one-two pass.
Immediately after, Lu Zhe accelerated past the opposing defender and unleashed a shot that sent the ball into the bottom left corner. The shot was so fast that the opposing goalkeeper didn't even have time to react.
The soccer ball went into the goal, and the girl on the sidelines instinctively raised her arms and cheered, "Great goal!"
Lu Zhe smiled at Xue Xiaodie, then looked at Xia Xiaobing and gave her a thumbs up. Xia Xiaobing's assistance was as satisfying as ever.
The expressions on the faces of the people opposite them were not very pleasant.
It's one thing to play well, but to have a cheerleader, and a young and pretty girl at that, is just ridiculous.
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