Chapter Two: Victory Has Been Paid For

Chen Sui raised her head. When she next received Wei Lan’s throw, she did not immediately pass to Qiao Ran. She dribbled past one defender and won a free kick. Qiao Ran scored. In the second half, Xiaoman equalized with her heel. In the final minute, the Foxes keeper charged out. Qiao Ran won the ball but did not shoot at the empty net. She squared it to Wanxing, sprinting from deep. Three-two. Exactly as predicted. The changing room filled with badly sung victory songs. The landlord granted them another week. Two thousand viewers flooded Wanxing’s stream, and every remaining shirt sold within ten minutes. Jianxia only felt cold.