“I refuse. What if I don’t accept?” Leo retorted.
“You can decline, but then you’ll have to kneel in front of Miranda and call yourself trash, unworthy of her,” Carey crossed his arms, “Otherwise, you won’t leave this soccer field today!”
Leo was getting a little tired of Carey’s aggressive approach, so he decided to teach Carey a lesson.
“Alright, I accept your challenge. So, tell me, what’s the competition?” Leo asked.
“Since you’re the goalkeeper, let’s have a shooting contest! One person guards the goal, and the other takes three shots each. The person with the most goals wins,” Carey explained the rules.
“What’s the wager?” Leo inquired.
“The loser has to take off their clothes, run three laps around the field, and shout ‘I am trash’ while running,” Carey’s face lit up with excitement. This prank was definitely entertaining.
Now, not only Miranda’s team members were present on the field, but also spectators in the stands. If they could get Leo to streak on the field, it would definitely be more satisfying than beating him up.
As for Barry’s request to break Leo’s hands, they could deal with that after Leo finished his streaking and left the soccer field.
Hearing Carey’s words, his lackeys were also excited. They had followed Carey in beating people up countless times, and it had become a bit monotonous. Now, with this new prank, they were naturally filled with interest and excitement.
After Carey laid out the challenge, all eyes were on Leo, waiting for his response.
Nicola stepped up beside him and whispered, “Leo, don’t accept his challenge. Carey used to be a forward in the national team, and you can’t beat him.”
“It’s alright. It’s just catching balls and shooting balls,” Leo replied quietly to Nicola and then turned to Carey, “Alright, I’ll take on your challenge!”
Leo’s agreement excited everyone around them. They were eager to witness the spectacle.
Miranda initially tried to involve Leo to deflect Carey’s attention away from her, but she didn’t expect him to accept so readily. Now she was unsure of what to do and looked apologetically at Leo.
“Would you like to defend first, or should I?” Leo asked.
“Since you’re already wearing the goalie gear and gloves, you should defend first,” Carey replied.
“Alright.” Leo nodded and walked to the goalpost.
A female player readily handed the soccer ball to Carey.
Being able to defeat his romantic rival in front of the girl he liked filled Carey with a sense of empowerment.
The game was about to begin, and to get a clearer view, spectators from the stands had already gathered, forming a circle around them.
Carey stretched out his arms, and one of his lackeys immediately took off his windbreaker for him.
“Miranda, could you be the referee for us? Would you mind?” Carey asked softly.
At this point, Miranda knew there was no turning back, so she reluctantly nodded. She had made up her mind that even if Carey won, she wouldn’t let him punish Leo by making him strip and run around the field.
Carey adjusted his body and then held the soccer ball as he walked to the penalty spot, placing the ball on the grass.
He savored the feeling of being the center of attention; it made him feel like the brightest star in the night sky.
As both players got ready, Miranda blew the whistle, and then loudly announced, “First penalty, begin!”
Carey wore a confident smile and took a few steps back before a run-up and shot. The ball flew up, drawing a perfect arc, aiming for the top right corner of the goal.
Leo, standing in the center of the goal, watched the ball approaching, slightly surprised.
Carey’s shot was indeed skillful, with a tricky angle and considerable power. Most goalkeepers would have trouble blocking it.
But in a flash, Leo’s figure moved, and he made a graceful leap, securely catching the ball just before it entered the goal, then landed firmly on his feet.
“Wow, a one-handed save! So cool!” Some starry-eyed female audience exclaimed, gazing admiringly at Leo.
The crowd erupted in cheers. They thought that Carey’s shot would be impossible to catch, yet Leo had managed it with a single hand. It was impressive.
Seeing the soccer ball in Leo’s hand, Carey’s mouth twitched. His original plan was to score an opening goal, but he didn’t expect Leo to catch it.
“Interesting,” Carey thought to himself.
He realized that in his first shot, he had relied solely on brute strength without using his inner power, which made it easier for Leo to catch the ball. He could rationalize that Leo’s success was just luck.
Carey comforted himself with this thought.
“First ball, no goal!” Miranda declared.
Miranda couldn’t help but glance at Leo with a newfound interest. His save was truly impressive, and she now understood why their main players failed to score against him earlier.
Leo kicked the ball back to Carey.
Carey caught it and returned to the penalty spot.
One of his lackeys looked worried and asked, “Josh, do you think Carey will lose?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. How could Carey possibly lose? Just wait and see; the second ball will definitely go in!” the guy named Josh glared at his companion.
Carey looked at Leo, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes. “You can enjoy your moment of triumph with the first ball, but just wait for the second one. I’ll show you!”
In such a place, no one could steal his limelight! He secretly activated the inner power within his body, causing his leg muscles to slightly swell with explosive strength.
“Second penalty, begin!” Miranda blew the whistle again.
Carey took a short run-up and then kicked the ball. “Bang!”
As the ball made contact with Carey’s instep, a muffled sound echoed on the field. The second shot was aimed directly at the center of the goal, devoid of any fancy techniques or tricks. It was more like a shot aimed at Leo himself. If Leo dared to intercept it, the inevitable outcome would be the ball slamming forcefully into his chest, possibly knocking him into the goal along with it.
Carey’s mind played out the scenario he had envisioned – Leo sprawled on the ground, possibly coughing up blood, with a few broken ribs, unable to get back up.
A cold smile formed on Carey’s lips as he eagerly anticipated this outcome.