Volume One: The Young Man’s Western Expedition

Prologue: I’m Going to the Tryouts

“Thump, thump, thump.”

David Carter stood in front of the living room sofa. The coffee table that was originally there had been pushed aside by him, now tilted to one side.

He needed space to juggle the ball, and the coffee table was in the way.

The continuous thumping sounds were made by his foot striking the soccer ball.

While juggling the ball, David Carter was also gripping the remote control, his finger on the next channel button, mechanically pressing it over and over, causing the TV channels to keep switching.

For a moment, it was “Hey! Monster! Take a blow from your Grandpa Sun!”

Then it switched to, “Er Kang, tell me, how can a broken me help a broken you...”

Next, a bald monk shouted angrily, “Enough nonsense, Bai Suzhen! You have violated the heavenly rules and committed evil in the human world—your sins are grave! Now you even dare to unleash demons and flood Jinshan Temple, causing the people to lose their homes and families. This is truly unforgivable...”

A deep male voice sang, “The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward...”

“...Swallowing wind, kissing rain, burying the setting sun, never hesitating; braving mountains and seas, treading snowy paths, never despairing; picking flowers, raising a glass, yet breaking the hearts of the passionate; with these two eyes and a hundred arms or a thousand hands, still unable to defend...”

...

All the hit summer dramas appeared one after another, like a parade of passing scenes.

As for David Carter himself, he would occasionally glance up at the TV screen quickly, and if he wasn’t interested, he’d keep pressing the remote.

Multitasking was never a problem for him. Since childhood, he’d learned to listen to lectures while reading novels, or do homework while dribbling a soccer ball under the desk with his feet.

His mind was always active; doing just one thing felt unfulfilling. Even in his sleep, he dreamed a lot—strange and wonderful dreams, good and bad, and even serialized dreams, where each night’s dream continued from the previous one. So David Carter had always felt he was gifted, different from ordinary people.

If it weren’t raining heavily outside, David Carter certainly wouldn’t have wanted to juggle the ball in the living room. If he accidentally broke the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, he’d definitely get a scolding from his mom when she got home. Of course, that only happened when David Carter first started playing football; now that he was in high school, it almost never happened.

He longed to play football on the field with his friends, but the rain had been falling for days, keeping him indoors. If he didn’t juggle the ball at home, David Carter felt like every joint in his body would rust.

His finger kept mechanically pressing the remote, the TV screen flickering and switching rapidly.

Suddenly, a scene of a young man playing football appeared on the TV, and at the same time, a female announcer’s voice said: “...Yesterday afternoon, Northern Hemisphere Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd. held a press conference in Beijing, officially announcing the launch of China’s first large-scale football reality show in the capital...”

David Carter, who had been looking down at the ball, snapped his head up at these words, staring at the TV screen. His feet, however, kept juggling the ball mechanically.

“...According to the person in charge at Northern Hemisphere, this football reality show, called ‘Greenfield Heirs,’ will gather the strongest players in China at the age of seventeen to form a team, and then go to Europe to challenge the youth academies of top clubs. The confirmed targets include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan, Inter Milan...”

“...These young players are basically elite talents selected from the youth teams of professional football clubs in China, with our country’s famous striker, former top Asian forward Eric Grant, serving as the team’s head coach... At the same time, the person in charge at Northern Hemisphere also revealed at the press conference that, in addition to selecting from professional club youth teams, this reality show has a major difference: it reserves a spot for ‘grassroots geniuses’ who have not come from professional football clubs. As long as you pass the nationwide open tryouts, you can join the team and take part in the journey to challenge Europe’s top youth academies!”

“Grassroots football talents, what are you waiting for? Quickly log on to the website at the bottom of the screen or call the number below to sign up! Note: Only those who have never received training in a professional football club youth team are eligible to apply...”