21.

Gu Ran smiled calmly. "Rust, weren't you going to teach me what real football is? When are we starting?"

Rust sneered, full of arrogance. "What's the rush? Right now isn't the time! Can't you see we're in the middle of training? This Wednesday, we're competing in the National Talent Cup group stage! Just wait till I'm done—I'll teach you a proper lesson then!"

Gu Ran glanced around and noticed the coach wasn't present. "Alright, no problem. I've got plenty of time. You go ahead and train hard."

With that, he casually turned around and found a seat at the side of the field, looking completely at ease.

Rust's face twisted in irritation at Gu Ran's nonchalant attitude, but he didn't dare act out during training. He clenched his jaw, then hurried back to join his teammates in their 2v3 rondo drill.

Gu Ran observed carefully. Rust's approach to pressing was aggressive, relying mostly on pushing and shoulder charges to win the ball.

In lower-tier leagues with lenient refereeing, players like Rust had an advantage—they could dominate purely through physicality. No need for fancy technique or awareness, just brute strength to bulldoze their way through.

But in higher-tier leagues, that kind of play wouldn't get him far. Strength alone wasn't enough. Defenders had to be smart—one mistimed challenge, one reckless foul, and the entire team could be in trouble.

Of course, before reaching the pro level, players needed to dominate at lower levels first. Football was about adaptation—adjusting to different situations was the key to long-term success.

Even in terms of system upgrades, blindly pumping Strength to 100 wasn't the way to go. Flexibility mattered.

As Gu Ran was deep in thought, a bald, beer-bellied man stormed onto the pitch, his face red with fury.

"F***! Motherf***er!"

Coach Carter stomped onto the field, violently throwing down his tactics board, cursing like a sailor. "That bastard Olin! That ungrateful piece of s***! He transferred to Westminster Academy right before our fing group stage match! The final roster submission is today! Where the hell am I supposed to find a left-back that fits our system now? Does he think one's gonna fall from the damn sky?! F!"

His furious rant was laced with so many expletives that Gu Ran felt like he was learning a whole new language. Way more interesting than French class.

The entire team froze.

Westminster Academy. Their biggest rival.

Historically, Westminster had crushed Southampton Private countless times.

And Olin—he wasn't just a regular player. He was their best. A complete package—defensive presence, attacking threat, precise passing, and even long-range shots.

He was the heart of their wing play, their key to victory.

Everyone knew Coach Carter had personally trained Olin. He was Carter's prized pupil, the future star destined for a professional contract.

Now, at the most crucial moment, he had turned his back on them, betraying them for their arch-nemesis.

The fact that Carter hadn't strangled someone on the spot was impressive in itself.

"You useless morons!" Carter's voice thundered. "What the hell are you standing around for?! Are you watching an old man's tragedy for fun?! Or do you think staring at me like idiots is gonna fix this?!"

Spittle flew as he raged.

Even from a distance, Gu Ran could feel the sheer intensity of his anger.

The players snapped out of their daze, lowering their heads and silently continuing their drills.

These so-called bad boys of the school—tough, rebellious, feared by teachers—were nothing more than obedient little chicks in front of Carter.

A familiar notification popped up.

Ding—

"Detected 90 points of negative emotion from Lamar Carter. Generating system bubble..."

Oh?

Gu Ran raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't even done anything yet and was already getting free rewards.

Too bad he was over five meters away from the other players. Otherwise, he could have maxed out his collection for the day.

A vibrant blue bubble appeared near Carter's feet.

Judging by Carter's personality, he seemed like a legitimate coach.

Probably.

Gu Ran stood up and casually strolled toward him, making sure to touch the bubble with his foot as he approached.

The bubble burst into brilliant light, flowing into his body.

Ding—

"Acquired Skill: Trash Talk +1. Collection Progress: 2/10."

Gu Ran blinked.

Trash Talk?

"Skill Explanation: When using Trash Talk, opponents will experience psychological damage, increasing their negative emotions. Additionally, you will be immune to psychological pressure from others' insults."

…

Well.

Not exactly useless.

But still, wasn't this a bit off-brand for someone as suave and composed as him?

Carter suddenly noticed him standing up close, looking as if he was ready to bite his head off.

"You got a problem, kid?" Carter growled, eyes sharp as a hawk's.

Gu Ran quickly took a step back and said smoothly, "It's an honor to finally meet the legendary Coach Carter. Forgive my excitement. I'm an international student here—Gu Ran, from China. I want to join the school team."

Carter swept his gaze over him, completely unimpressed. "A Chinese kid? Trying to join my team? Have you lost your damn mind? Get your feet off my grass before I start cursing you out properly."

Gu Ran didn't flinch. He straightened his posture and met Carter's fierce stare head-on. "Coach, I'm not joking. I want to play football. I am the player you need. Just give me a chance to prove it."

Carter frowned.

Most students would have backed down by now, intimidated or even brought to tears by his scolding.

But this kid was different.

He wasn't scared.

There was something in his gaze—maturity, confidence—something that didn't belong to an ordinary high schooler.

Either this guy had a ridiculously thick skin… or he actually had skills to back it up.

Carter's lips pressed into a tight line.

After a brief moment of thought, he waved dismissively. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But we don't need players right now. We're days away from the national tournament—there's no time for tryouts. If you're serious, come back after the competition and submit an application—"

Gu Ran cut him off, his voice brimming with confidence.

"Coach, I can play left-back."