Chelsea Football Club is the only Premier League-level club to send scouts to Southampton High School. When the news broke that Chelsea was sending a scout, the entire board of Southampton High was stunned. After all, the other scouts attending the semifinals were from League One or League Two clubs. Chelsea, on the other hand, was like a shark in a pond of turtles.
What shocked them even more was that Chelsea wasn't sending just any part-time or low-level scout—they were sending their assistant coach, Michael Emenalo! Emenalo is a key figure in Chelsea's recruitment strategy. The school board repeatedly confirmed with Chelsea to ensure this wasn't a joke, and the response they received was, "This is absolutely not a joke."
This was huge.
Southampton High immediately took the matter seriously and prepared for the visit. But there was something even more impressive than Chelsea's visit: the arrival of Southampton Football Club's top brass.
Why was Southampton FC's visit more significant than Chelsea's? Although Southampton FC was relegated from the Premier League three years ago and later dropped to League One due to financial issues, the club holds a prestigious place in English football history, especially in the southern region. Southampton FC is one of the original 12 professional clubs in England, a founding member of the league.
In the early days of English professional football, many southern cities didn't have their own clubs, so they adopted Southampton FC as their home team. Similarly, in the north, where professional teams were scarce, many fans supported Newcastle United. While Southampton FC doesn't hold the same level of reverence in the south as Newcastle does in the north, it is still highly regarded locally. Generations of Southampton residents have been born as Saints and will die as Saints.
So, even though Chelsea sent a high-profile scout, Southampton High was more focused on the visit from their local club. This time, for the national high school semifinals, Southampton FC sent its top seven executives: a representative from the Liebherr family (the club's owners), five board members, and the current first-team manager. This wasn't just a first for Southampton High—it was the first time in Southampton FC's history that its top brass had collectively visited a school to watch a match.
Their sole purpose was to evaluate Gu Ran.
After the match, the seven executives would formally vote on whether to activate the "Special Talent" clause for this Chinese youngster, potentially investing the club's full resources into his development. This was the real reason Coach Carter emphasized the importance of this match to Gu Ran.
To prepare for the visits, the school board renovated the main stands. Although this national high school semifinal wasn't a professional match, it was set to be the most significant event in Southampton High's history. The entire school was buzzing with anticipation.
You know about village basketball, right? Often, grassroots matches are more passionate than official ones because the fans in the stands and the players on the field usually know each other!
Today, the training for the Bucks' Horns team moved from their small practice field to the freshly renovated main stadium. This was the advantage of playing at home—the Bucks' Horns could familiarize themselves with the pitch's conditions better than their opponents, Angel Wings.
Training on their home field energized the players. Not long ago, they had defeated the arrogant Golden Fleece team on this very pitch, fueled by the roars of their classmates. The memory of that victory still burned in their veins.
Captain Bread couldn't help but shout, "Bucks' Horns! Fight to the end!"
"Oorah!"
"Bucks' Horns! Fight to the end!"
"We're going to make history for Southampton High!"
"We're the best!"
Every player on the team raised their arms and cheered.
The warm-up run began, and Gu Ran took the lead, sprinting at full speed. He channeled all the energy he had built up the previous night into pushing his teammates.
Teammates: ???
"How is Gu still this energetic after training all day yesterday?"
"Is this guy even human?"
"Damn it, run faster! He's about to lap us again…"
After the warm-up, bubbles of energy dropped from the main players. Gu Ran quietly gathered his focus, picked up a blue skill bubble for one-two passing, raising his one-two passing skill to +4. He also collected eight white bubbles related to stamina training. However, since his training hours hadn't accumulated to 100, they didn't convert into talent points.
The morning training focused on teamwork, defensive drills, and tactical formations. These high-intensity drills, combined with Gu Ran's relentless pace, left most of the main players exhausted by noon. Gu Ran continued his intense training during lunch, with only a few players able to keep up. The rest were too drained.
In the afternoon, an 11v11 intra-squad scrimmage took place between the main team and the practice squad. The practice squad was eager to prove themselves, knowing the main team's fatigue gave them an edge. They were familiar with the main team's tactics and knew how to target Gu Ran, the core of the team.
But Gu Ran dominated the match with three assists and two goals, leaving the practice squad in disbelief. Despite their efforts to contain him, Gu Ran's speed and skill were unstoppable. His outside-the-box runs and relentless attacks overwhelmed the practice squad. If not for the shorter 30-minute halves and the main team's fatigue, the scoreline would have been even more lopsided.
Coach Carter was pleased with Gu Ran's performance but frustrated with the others. Gu Ran delivered several pinpoint through balls that sliced through the defense, but the forwards—Watergate, Sissy, and Glider—failed to capitalize due to poor positioning and fatigue. Carter didn't hold back, berating the players for their lackluster performance.
The truth was, despite reaching the national high school quarterfinals, the Bucks' Horns were still a relatively weak team. Their midfield struggled to control possession, their forwards lacked penetration, and their finishing was inconsistent. The team's defensive counterattacking style wasn't by choice but necessity, given the players' limitations.
The team's strengths lay in their unity, fighting spirit, and stamina. And, of course, their secret weapon: Gu Ran, the attacking full-back.
After the scrimmage, Carter had the team practice set pieces, a crucial aspect of their counterattacking strategy. By the end of the session, the players were completely drained. This level of training was tough for non-professional players, but every member of the team pushed through, knowing the importance of the upcoming semifinal.
Even Rust, the least skilled player, understood what this match meant for him and the school. How many chances does an ordinary person get to shine in their lifetime? This was their moment to fight for glory.
After training, Carter announced that starting the next day, the training load would be halved to conserve energy for the semifinal. Despite this, Gu Ran stayed behind to train, and many of his teammates joined him, pushing themselves to the limit.
By 7 PM, most of the players were walking out of the school leaning on the walls for support. Gu Ran drove home and collected another red talent point bubble from Anne. He decided to save it for the match.
After dinner and a walk, Gu Ran returned to his room to continue sketching storyboards for *The Dark Knight Rises*. At night, Anne snuck into his bed again, and Gu Ran distracted himself by solving calculus problems in his head.
This routine continued from June 12th to June 14th. By June 15th, the day of the semifinal, Gu Ran had accumulated five talent points, enough to handle any surprises during the match.
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### Morning of the Match
Gu Ran woke up early and gently patted Anne's hip. "Anne, wake up."
Anne groaned sleepily and instinctively arched her back.
*Damn…*
Goddess, do you miss me that much? It's too early for this!
Gu Ran quickly said, "Anne, wake up. It's match day! Do you want to come watch me play?"
Anne's eyes shot open, and she sat up. "Gu! You're finally playing? Great! I can finally have some fun again!"
…No complaints there!
Whether it's watching the match or *that*, you're definitely going to have fun.
Gu Ran said, "If you want to watch, get dressed quickly. I'll make breakfast, and we'll leave in half an hour. You can watch our training this morning and then stay for the match in the afternoon."
"Yay!" Anne cheered.
Just one more day to endure!
Gu Ran took a deep breath, steeled himself, and left the room.
After preparing a nutritious breakfast, Gu Ran noticed Anne hadn't come out to eat. Did she fall back asleep?
"Anne? Anne?"
As Gu Ran reached the door—
*Ding~*
A clear system notification sounded in his mind.
No way…
Did Anne's negative emotions spike again this early in the morning? Even with her morning grumpiness, this shouldn't happen.
Gu Ran hurried into the room. "Anne, what's wrong?"
Anne looked at him with teary eyes. "Gu… I can't button my shirt!"
Gu Ran saw that a button on Anne's white blouse had popped off.
*Damn…*
This scene!
Gu Ran felt all the blood rush to his head.
How did Anne's chest grow so much in just a few days?
Anne said sadly, "I must have gained weight! You're going to stop liking me…"
Is that all?
Gu Ran hugged her. "Don't worry, Anne. You haven't gained weight. Your chest just got bigger. Look, the other buttons are fine."
Anne stomped her foot. "Gu, don't lie to me. I tried on my old dress, and it's so tight I can barely fit into it!"
Well… her hips *have* gotten curvier.
Gu Ran said, "This isn't fat. It's just you becoming more womanly. It's like you were a beautiful flower before, but now you're a fully bloomed, mature flower."
To be honest, Anne had gained a little weight, but it all went to the right places. Her figure was now absolutely stunning, radiating femininity. With her new curves, Anne had no reason to feel insecure. In fact, she was even more suited to play a role like Catwoman.
Anne blinked. "Gu… do you still like me like this?"
Gu Ran declared, "More than like—I'm completely obsessed."
Anne giggled. "You're so annoying!"
Then she whispered, "What exactly does 'completely obsessed' mean?"
Gu Ran leaned in and said, "You'll find out tonight."
Anne's face turned bright red.
Gu Ran patted her hip. "Alright, get dressed. Don't make me late for training, or you'll have to go to the school on your own later."
Anne immediately said, "I'm coming with you!"
She quickly changed into a loose black dress.
Gu Ran took the opportunity to collect the red talent point bubble Anne had dropped.
He now had six talent points saved up.
Anne gave him one first thing in the morning—what a champ!
With nine more collection opportunities today, Gu Ran planned to gather five white training bubbles during the morning session, bringing his total to seven.
…This was going to be great!
After breakfast, Anne put on her sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, and they left together. To avoid the frenzy of GR fans at the school gate, Gu Ran parked the car and led Anne to a low wall.
Anne: ???
Gu Ran cleared his throat. "Don't just stand there. Climb."
"Oh…" Anne hesitated but couldn't refuse Gu Ran. She carefully climbed the wall, her movements awkward.
…Not as agile as the real Catwoman. She'd need more training in that department.
But still, the fact that a Hollywood star, the goddess of millions of male fans, was climbing a wall just to watch him play… heh.
Gu Ran stood by the wall, admiring the sight.
Anne blushed. "Gu, this is my first time climbing a wall… Don't laugh. Help me—I think I'm stuck."
Her stockings tore, adding to the visual impact.
"Coming, coming."
Gu Ran effortlessly climbed over the wall, then reached up to help Anne down.
So bouncy~
Gu Ran couldn't resist giving her a little squeeze.
Anne pouted. "Ugh, my new stockings are ruined."
Gu Ran laughed. "When are they not?"
Anne cooed, "You owe me a new pair."
Damn…
When the goddess acts cute, it's irresistible!
Forget stockings—if she asked for his life, he'd give it to her tonight!
But not now. He had a match to play.
Gu Ran cleared his throat. "Fine, fine, I'll buy you new ones. Let's find you a place to rest first."
He led Anne to the Bucks' Horns' home stadium and brought her to the physio room next to the locker room. This was the same room Maria had prepared for Gu Ran during the last home match.
"Anne, rest here for now. Take a nap, and you can come out to watch the match at noon."
Anne pouted. "Gu, I want to watch you train."
Gu Ran quickly said, "Better not. You can watch from here—there's a small window."
He was worried Anne's presence might distract the team. Today was match day, and he couldn't afford any disruptions.
Seeing his reluctance, Anne nodded. "Fine. But come find me as soon as you're done training."
"Of course."
As Gu Ran turned to leave, Anne suddenly hugged him and kissed him. "For good luck~"
Gu Ran changed into his kit and joined his teammates on the field for warm-ups. The morning session focused on recovery and relaxation. After a light run and stretching, the team played a passing game. Anyone who made a mistake had to dance in front of the group, sparking laughter across the field. It was the most relaxed training session they'd had in a while.
By the end of the session, Coach Carter gathered the team to head to the school gate and welcome their opponents, Angel Wings from Rosalind High.
Meanwhile, the school gate was already packed with hundreds of parents, all eager to secure the best seats. Some had even skipped lunch to queue up early. The crowd grew by the minute as more parents rushed to the school, determined not to miss the match.
Even the parents were caught up in the hype!
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(End of Chapter)
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