“Heh heh! Don’t mind him. My name is Frank Bolton, and this is Henry Clark…” The leading boy pointed to the short guy who had just spoken, “We’re all from Hefei, and we’ve been working hard for the National High School League finals, but our skills just aren’t enough, so we’ve never had the chance to compete in the national tournament. His name is Liam.” He then pointed to the tall guy behind him, “He took part in the most recent National High School League finals, but was eliminated in the second round. Originally, their third-round opponent was your team, Shuguang, but, but…”

“Hmph!” Liam cut in, “If it hadn’t been for my foul at the last moment, giving the other side a penalty kick, you might not have won two championships in a row!”

Committing a foul in the penalty area and causing the team to lose is the kind of embarrassing thing most people would be ashamed to mention, but he could say it so openly, with a hint of regret in his tone, but even more self-confidence. Paul Young actually found this boy with the odd name “Liam” rather endearing.

“So you mean you could stop our offense?” Paul Young asked.

Liam shook his head, “Shuguang’s offense is well-known. I’m not strong enough to stop it alone, but I can stop you from scoring!”

“You mean…”

“One-on-one, I’m confident I won’t lose to you!” Liam suddenly pointed at Jason Bolton, “Top scorer, Jason Bolton!”

“Ah…” Jason Bolton was momentarily stunned.

Frank Bolton immediately knocked Liam’s hand away, “Hey! It’s really rude to point at people!” Then he smiled at Jason Bolton and said, “Don’t mind him, he’s just making excuses for losing, heh heh! I haven’t been there myself, but I’ve watched all the recordings. The way you guys played, as we say around here, was ‘crazy strong’! Even just now, when Mr. Young kicked the ball at the goal, it had the style of a long-range shot—so fierce (pronounced Se Qi)!”

“Yeah, yeah! Mr. Bolton is basically a goal-scoring machine, the next Vieri!” Henry Clark chimed in.

Even though he knew they were just flattering him, Jason Bolton still felt sweet inside, smiling happily. Even in high school at Shuguang, he’d never received such treatment, and it was the first time anyone had called him “boss.” Jason Bolton began to imagine a scene in his mind:

He slicks his hair back, wears a black trench coat, a white scarf around his neck, a sharp suit, sunglasses, the wind blowing, his coat and scarf fluttering, and a row of little brothers standing behind him…

“So, the three of you are also special football recruits?” Paul Young didn’t seem moved by the compliments, his tone unchanged.

“Yeah, heh heh! Never thought two idol-level figures would be at the same school as us, and even in the same dorm—what a coincidence!”

There was still one day before the official start of school, and all the newcomers were making the most of their time to get familiar with the campus where they’d spend the next four years. Of course, the five guys in Dorm 701 were no exception, but the place they got to know best was the soccer field behind the dormitory.

“Wanna go play some soccer?” Frank Bolton spun the ball in his hands and asked everyone.

“In the middle of the day?” Paul Young squinted out the window; the sunlight was blinding.

“Heh heh! It’s fine, a little sun is nothing!” Jason Bolton didn’t object, already putting on his cleats—maybe eager to show off in front of his “little brothers.”

Seeing Jason Bolton didn’t object, Paul Young said nothing more and grabbed his cleats to change.

With both “bosses” agreeing, the others were more than happy to join in.

No one would come to the soccer field at high noon, except for the five football special recruits. But with only five people, what could they play? Not even enough for a three-on-three. On the wide-open field, the sunlight made the ground dazzlingly white.

Frank Bolton seemed eager to show off in front of the “bosses,” energetically dribbling the ball. But in Paul Young’s eyes, after being used to watching Ren Yudi’s dribbling, Frank Bolton’s style was just kicking the ball forward, chasing after it, kicking it again, chasing it again… over and over. Luckily, he was physically strong, so dealing with average short defenders shouldn’t be a problem. But since he claimed to be a center forward, how many center backs are actually short?

But then, after a few crosses from Paul Young, he discovered Frank Bolton’s greatest strength: headers. At 1.85 meters tall, with a good vertical leap, his control of the ball in the air seemed even better than Jason Bolton’s! With the balls passed to him, he could, depending on the situation, shoot, head back, flick on, or glance the ball, all with great accuracy. A football special recruit really does have special skills.

Henry Clark, on the other hand, was a bit unusual. He was only 1.68 meters tall and a bit chubby, not the ideal build for football, but his sharp judgment on the field and excellent passing skills made him a natural attacking midfielder. His dribbling was much better than Frank Bolton’s, but his movements were a bit… Watching him twist his somewhat plump waist to get past Frank Bolton was actually pretty funny. But he always managed to get past Frank Bolton, and on the field, that was enough.

As for Liam…

“Liam!” Paul Young flicked the ball up with his toe and caught it in his hands, “How about you and Jason Bolton do a one-on-one?” He pointed to Jason Bolton beside him.

Both Jason Bolton and Liam were momentarily stunned.