I Just Wanted to Play Soccer, But I Became a Hollywood Heartthrob

As soon as Gu Ran popped the white bubble at Albert Beaton's feet, a notification rang in his mind:

"Ding! Host has acquired: Dynamic Dribbling Training +10 hours. Progress: 9/10 today."

Holy sh*t!

Dynamic dribbling training!

This was high-level training—way beyond the usual dribbling drills.

Ordinary dribbling exercises just involved weaving around cones.

But dynamic dribbling training was a realistic simulation—with defenders actively trying to intercept the ball!

The benefits of this training were ten times better than standard dribbling drills!

Getting such a high-quality skill from Albert was a huge win for Gu Ran.

A smirk crept onto his face.

At that moment, Albert looked up—and saw Gu Ran smirking directly at him.

Albert shuddered. "Y-You… what are you looking at?"

Gu Ran's expression turned cold. "…Looking at you. Problem?"

Before Albert could react, Drummer suddenly ran over and grabbed Gu Ran's arm.

In a dramatic, exaggerated voice, he shouted:

"Gu! No! Don't do it! You swore you would never use your Chinese kung fu to break someone's ribs again!"

What the f*ck?!

I… I just accidentally flexed!

Not every Chinese guy knows kung fu, okay?!

Gu Ran almost burst out laughing but forced himself to stay serious.

With a deep, calm voice, he cleared his throat and said:

"…Yes. I made that vow. I won't do it this time."

Albert stared at Gu Ran in shock, watching as he and Drummer walked away.

Albert wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"F*ck…" he muttered.

"These Southampton hillbillies are full of sh*t… but that Chinese guy actually looks kinda scary…"

As the team stepped into Manchester Grammar School, Captain Bread patted Gu Ran's shoulder.

"Gu, you were incredible just now. That was real southern grit! I didn't expect you to be so loyal to the team after just a few days."

"Yeah! Well done, Gu!"

"Gu, from now on, you're one of us!"

"We are the Southampton Stags!"

"Anyone who disrespects us—we f*ck them up!"

The teammates clapped Gu Ran on the back in approval.

Even Watergate, who usually talked sh*t, nodded slightly at Gu Ran.

Only Rusty looked pale, hesitantly whispering:

"Gu… d-did you really break someone's ribs before?"

"F*ck… I was so lucky I stayed calm at the café that day…"

Gu Ran didn't even know how to respond.

Thankfully, Coach Carter turned around and barked at the team:

"Hurry up! Eat quickly! Rest up! Train hard! We're not here for a f*cking vacation!"

"Yes, Coach!"

The Southampton players straightened up and walked proudly through the Manchester Grammar School campus.

Despite not being a noble private school, Manchester Grammar was ranked among the UK's top 50 schools and had excellent facilities.

The entire campus looked like a massive park.

Besides classrooms, labs, libraries, sports halls, and theaters, there was even a church.

The paths weren't particularly wide, but the grass was perfectly maintained. Lining the walkways were ginkgo trees, tulip poplars, elms, goldenrain trees, dogwoods, apple trees, cherry blossoms, and many other plants Gu Ran didn't recognize.

Since it was lunchtime, students were scattered around, chatting and laughing on bench swings.

"Are those the Southampton guys?"

"Why aren't they wearing suits? Their hairstyles look so outdated."

"Haha, they're southern hillbillies—probably never been to a real city before."

"Wait… do my eyes deceive me? Is that an Asian in their team?"

"Wow… Southampton must be desperate if they needed an Asian guy to fill their squad."

"Although… that Asian guy is kinda handsome."

The Southampton players heard every word.

But they didn't react—they had already expected this kind of treatment.

For Gu Ran, who had twelve more years of life experience, this wasn't even worth getting mad over.

The campus was huge—it took over ten minutes before they finally reached Cafeteria No. 5.

The buffet had a decent variety and was reserved exclusively for the visiting team today.

Coach Carter waved his hand. "Eat quickly."

"Yes, Coach."

The players grabbed trays and started loading up their plates.

Rusty took one glance at the buffet and scoffed, "Hah! These Manchester Grammar punks act all high and mighty, but their buffet isn't even that special."

As he spoke, he piled his plate with five lemon cheese lobsters and a full plate of herbed lamb kidneys.

Bro… didn't you say earlier you lost your appetite?!

Gu Ran silently roasted him in his mind while selecting nutritional options:

Pan-seared chicken breast A few pieces of roasted rabbit Some steak A small plate of steamed shellfish

These were all ideal meals for athletes.

After finishing his main course, Gu Ran was 70% full.

To top it off, he took:

Two boiled eggs A bowl of creamy mushroom soup

By 80% full, he stopped eating—if he had to play as a substitute later, he couldn't afford to feel bloated on the field.

The 30-minute lunch break ended, and at exactly 1:00 PM, the team headed upstairs to the cafeteria's second-floor lounge to rest.

At 2:00 PM, the Southampton team emerged, looking refreshed and energized, heading toward Training Field No. 9.