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

86,000 pounds. Not an astronomical amount, but not small either.

What truly excited Gu Ran, however, wasn't the money—it was proof that his knowledge from his past life was accurate.

This was a successful test.

If he encountered another match he remembered well, he could repeat the strategy for some extra cash.

Of course, he couldn't get greedy.

Gambling was like trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth—it was a game where the house always had the advantage.

A small bet on an upset wouldn't raise any red flags. After all, bookies expected a few lucky winners while raking in cash from most bettors.

But if he kept winning big upsets, it wouldn't take long before the betting company noticed and started investigating.

And even if they couldn't find anything shady, they might void the bet entirely and refuse to pay out.

So the best approach was:

Occasional, small bets. Just enough to make some side cash.

Comfortable, steady, and risk-free.

But real wealth? Real success? That had to come from football.

There was nothing more exhilarating than standing on the field, feeling the dopamine rush of competition.

That was the real dream.

For that, he needed to kickstart his football career as soon as possible.

Gu Ran cleared his thoughts and focused.

A cold mechanical system notification rang in his mind.

Ding~

"Reminder: Current system rating: D-level."

Gu Ran frowned.

D?

Trash tier? Are you kidding me?

"System ratings are based on the host's overall skill level. Currently, the host's primary strength is academic knowledge."

Oh…

It made sense.

Even though he had absorbed some football training from skill bubbles, it wasn't enough to shift the system's assessment.

After all, he had just started.

Ding~

"Reminder: When the host reaches C-level, the pickup range will expand from 5 meters to 10 meters. Additionally, bubbles will display their contents before pickup, and a mental collection feature will be unlocked."

Whoa!

C-rank sounded amazing.

Double pickup range. See what's inside each bubble before collecting. Mental collection—no need to move physically.

No more accidentally picking up useless skills.

No more awkwardly stepping forward in public.

This was a huge upgrade.

He needed to level up fast.

But… how?

"Reminder: To reach C-level, the host must obtain and use 10 Talent Points."

"To reach B-level, 20 Talent Points are needed."

"To reach A-level, 50 Talent Points are needed."

Wait… Talent Points?

What the hell is that?

He had never picked up a Talent Point before.

"Talent Points can be acquired in two ways:

Collecting 'Perfect Skill Bubbles' from 100+ negative emotion values. Accumulating 100 hours of professional training, which converts into 1 Talent Point."

Oh!

So all those football training bubbles he picked up weren't wasted.

If he collected 100 hours of football training, he'd earn a single Talent Point.

Right now, his total training hours sat at 40.

To get his first Talent Point, he needed 60 more hours.

This system was pretty well-designed.

But a 100-point negative emotion bubble sounded rare as hell.

Maybe… Sophie was the key.

She had been furious all day.

If he could push her over the edge, maybe she'd drop a Perfect Skill Bubble.

He just needed to keep frustrating her a little longer.

For now, he had other matters to handle.

He grabbed the football newspaper he borrowed from Andrew and started flipping through it.

In his past life, he wouldn't have wasted time on a tabloid.

But now?

This was serious business.

In two days, on Monday, he had to face Rusty in their one-on-one match.

He needed to win.

Not just win—win convincingly.

If he could beat Rusty in front of the school coach, he might earn a spot on the school team.

Joining the school team meant access to more training, matches, and skill bubbles.

It was his gateway to professional football.

With his current skill set, he could juggle no problem.

But a real match against Rusty?

That was a whole different challenge.

He needed more professional-level skills.

Suddenly, an article caught his eye.

"This Sunday, football legend David Beckham will be filming a Pepsi commercial at Sand Dunes Beach in Southampton. The beach will be closed until filming ends."

Beckham…?

Wait.

Wasn't this that one iconic Pepsi ad?

The one where Beckham barefoot-kicked a ball into a trash can from 40 meters away?

Gu Ran's eyes lit up.

A bold idea surfaced in his mind.

Evening

"Gu! Dinner's ready!"

Sally Turner called from the kitchen.

"Coming, Aunt Sally."

Gu Ran washed his hands and sat at the table.

Across from him, Sophie's face was still full of resentment.

Gu Ran smirked internally.

Good. Stay mad.

That 100-point emotion bubble was within reach.

"Sophie, have some lamb kidney."

He pushed his plate towards her with a smile.

Sophie glared daggers at him.

"I'm full!"

She stood up and stormed upstairs.

Andrew frowned.

"That girl… so ungrateful! Gu was being nice, and she just throws a tantrum?"

"Gu, if you're not eating it, I'll take it. This stuff doesn't taste good cold."

"Go ahead, Uncle," Gu Ran said with a smile.

Sally sighed.

"That girl barely eats. No wonder her chest won't grow!"

"She's already 17! When I was her age, I was already a D-cup!"

Gu Ran buried his face in his plate.

Nope. Not getting involved in this conversation.

NOPE.

"MOM!!!"

Sophie's furious scream echoed from upstairs.

"DON'T THINK I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

Sally yelled back.

"SO WHAT IF YOU HEARD?! I'M JUST STATING FACTS! EVEN YOUR DAD'S CHEST IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Sophie lost it.

Andrew blushed hard and focused on eating his lamb.

Gu Ran almost spat out his drink.

Damn. Aunt Sally went for the double kill.

Western families were way too open.

Late Night

After an hour-long stroll, Gu Ran returned to his room.

At exactly midnight, he grabbed his phone and texted Sophie.

[You asleep?]

...No reply.

Gu Ran sighed.

Guess today's not the day.

A 100-point emotion bubble was harder to get than he thought.

Maybe he should push her buttons more tomorrow.

Just as he closed his eyes to sleep…

Ding!

A message popped up.

Sophie: [What do you want?]

Gu Ran grinned.

Hook, line, and sinker.

(End of Chapter)