No one mentioned the football reality show during dinner. After the meal, Mom washed the dishes and did the chores, while Dad went into the bedroom, sat down in the small study converted from the balcony, and turned on the computer. He needed to look up information about the football reality show his son had mentioned. Even though his son said it had been reported on the national TV news, he was still worried his son might be deceived. As a father, he had the duty and responsibility to protect his son.

As for David Carter, he locked himself in his room, doing who knows what. But his parents didn’t care; after all, it was summer vacation, and as long as he’d finished his homework, he could play however he liked.

When Helen Thompson finished the chores, she entered the bedroom and brought her husband a cup of tea.

Seeing her come in, John Carter took off his glasses and gestured for his wife not to leave.

“About that talent show…”

As soon as Helen Thompson heard this, she turned to leave again: “That’s not going to happen. I never planned for our son to become a professional football player. Just look at all those people who get injured playing…”

John Carter quickly waved his hand: “Let me finish, let me finish.”

So Helen Thompson turned back.

“I’m not saying that joining this reality show means he has to go down the path of professional football. You know how much our son loves football. You say he never sticks to anything for long, and I admit that, but football is the one thing he’s stuck with since he was little…”

“Isn’t that because of you?” Helen Thompson shot John Carter a look.

John Carter nodded repeatedly with a smile: “Of course, of course, like father, like son…”

Seeing his wife about to say something else, John Carter hurried on: “What I mean is, it’s rare for our son to be so persistent about something—we should encourage him. Besides, it’s just a talent show. I checked just now, it’s a nationwide competition, and in the end, only one person is chosen out of so many. Look at those odds. Even if our son participates, he might not make it in the end. It’s only the start of summer vacation now, and any extra classes won’t be until August. I was thinking, why not let him give it a try? Treat it as having fun. Who knows, maybe he’ll be eliminated in the first round? Don’t you think?”

After John Carter finished speaking, he kept looking at his wife.

Helen Thompson lowered her head, lost in thought.

After a while, she finally looked up and said, “I have to work every day, I don’t have time…”

“I’ll take time off to go with him. I still have ten days of annual leave I haven’t used,” John Carter said quickly.

“You’re going to use your annual leave for this?” His wife was a bit reluctant, but still nodded. “Fine, let him go. How can he give up if he doesn’t try?”

She sighed at last: “It’s bad enough you love football, but now you’ve got our son obsessed too…”

“What’s wrong with loving football? It’s good exercise, helps build teamwork, and teaches you how to handle failure and setbacks…”

Helen Thompson quickly raised her hand: “Spare me your big speeches. I’m leaving—my show’s finale is on tonight!”

“So I’ll go tell our son?” John Carter stood up with a smile.

“Whatever.” His wife left the study without looking back and went to the living room to watch her TV drama.

……

David Carter sat in front of the computer, still fiddling with a football under his feet, his mind wandering. He was thinking, if his dad couldn’t convince his mom, how could he go to the audition?

Sign up in secret?

That might work in this city, but according to the rules, the finals would be held in Beijing. If he made it to the finals, how would he get to Beijing? All his New Year’s money was in a bankbook held by his mom—he couldn’t get it out…

He opened QQ on his computer and clicked into the class group. Everyone was chatting excitedly—some talking about where they’d gone to play, others asking how to do the summer homework.

Seeing everyone there, David Carter was happy. He clattered away on the keyboard, typing a message and sending it to the class group:

“Classmates! Do you have dreams? Have you ever felt the urge to do whatever it takes for your dreams? Can you bear to see someone collapse, exhausted, on the road to chasing their dream? Do you know that sometimes, a tiny gesture can save someone’s dream and life! My journey to my dream needs your help! Just ten yuan from each of you! Only ten yuan! Ten yuan can’t buy you a fancy meal, ten yuan can’t get you a new phone, but ten yuan can save a dream! Ten yuan from each of you, every little stream makes a river, nourishing the parched soil, and my dream can sprout and grow under your care, blossoming into beautiful flowers!”

After he sent it, someone in the group asked, “David Carter, are you on 1024 again?”

“Nonsense, I don’t even know what site you’re talking about!”

“Then how did you get infected?”

“Who’s infected? Every word was typed by me!”

After David Carter sent that, the class group, which had been buzzing with chatter, suddenly went quiet. Not a single person spoke again.

It was as if no one had ever been in the group at all.

“Damn! A bunch of heartless people!” David Carter grumbled at his computer.