As David Carter rushed toward the sidelines, John Carter also ran all the way down from the stands, almost tripping on the steps out of excitement. He stumbled, but luckily he had already reached the front, grabbed the railing, and managed not to fall. Still, he looked quite disheveled.

But John Carter didn’t care about that. Holding onto the railing, he pulled himself up and gave his son a thumbs-up: “Well done! Well done!” But as a father, he didn’t forget to remind his son not to get carried away. “Stay calm, the match isn’t over yet! Play well!”

David Carter saluted his father: “Don’t worry!”

His son turned and ran back onto the field, while John Carter turned to look at the other parents. From their eyes, he saw envy and jealousy, and he sat down, feeling very satisfied.

Why didn’t you think of this when you were making fun of my son before?

……

After David Carter scored, he not only broke the deadlock on the scoreboard, but also shattered the subtle balance in everyone’s hearts.

Before, although everyone wanted to score, at least no one had scored before them, so no one had stolen the spotlight.

Now, David Carter had taken all the spotlight.

And you couldn’t even accuse David Carter of hogging the limelight—ever since coming on as a substitute, David Carter had focused on passing and assisting his teammates. Many people owed their shooting opportunities to David Carter.

Even Matthew Reed’s final shot, which led to the goal, was a rebound off the post from his own attempt, and David Carter was there to follow up. Of course, you could say he was just in the right place at the right time, but why was it him who seized the chance?

When the others saw Matthew Reed take the shot, they all switched to spectator mode, but only David Carter kept cutting in, and in the end, hard work paid off, giving him this chance to shine.

What more could be said?

Even if they were unwilling, they had to accept it.

After someone scored, the rest suddenly lost the motivation to keep fighting—everyone could see that David Carter’s performance was better. He could organize and pass, and also score himself. Compared to him, did anyone else have anything to show for themselves?

With this mood, the last ten or so minutes of the match flew by, and the referee blew the final whistle.

The finals were over, and it was time for the results to be revealed.

Eric Grant once again stood in front of these panting, exhausted young players.

“Does anyone remember the last thing I said before the match, kids?”

Eric Grant’s question left everyone confused. Some shook their heads, others didn’t react at all, or didn’t know how to respond.

“I reminded everyone that football is a team sport. Unfortunately, none of you heard it, or you forgot. Only one person did it, and I think you all know who that is, even if I don’t say his name.”

Someone turned to look at David Carter, who was standing in the last row.

“So, I think there’s no objection to him being the last one selected, right?” Eric Grant asked.

Some shook their heads, some stayed silent, but no one objected.

Even Matthew Reed, who had been so confident in himself, just lowered his head and said nothing. He had thought that if he’d scored that goal, he would have been the winner.

But after hearing Eric Grant’s words, he realized that even if he had scored, the substitute would probably still have been chosen.

Seeing no one object, Eric Grant tilted his head slightly and said to David Carter, “David Carter, come here.”

David Carter, under the envious gaze of everyone, walked to the front of the group and stood before Eric Grant.

Eric Grant pulled David Carter to his side, facing the players and their parents.

David Carter didn’t feel embarrassed at all, standing confidently next to his idol. He immediately spotted his father.

His dad was in the crowd, holding a camera in one hand and giving him a thumbs-up with the other.

“Congratulations, you’re qualified to go to Europe!” Eric Grant gave David Carter a firm pat on the shoulder.

Chapter 6: Reporting In

A taxi stopped in front of a gate hidden among green trees.

John Carter and David Carter, father and son, got out of the car, walked to the back, opened the trunk, and took out their luggage.

The taxi drove away, leaving just the two of them and a suitcase, plus two bags.

“I didn’t expect the training camp to be in such a remote place. Even the taxi driver couldn’t find it…” John Carter remarked, looking at the inconspicuous location.

“Dad, the car’s gone. How will you get back later?” David Carter was concerned about his father.

“There’s a bus stop over there. I’ll go check which buses go where in a bit, so don’t worry about that.” John Carter pointed to a bus stop across the road. “But you, during training, make sure to get along with your teammates, build good relationships, don’t joke around all the time, watch what you say, and think before you speak so you don’t offend anyone.”

David Carter pouted, “I know, Dad, I’m not a little kid anymore!”