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

Two Pirate Ship defenders charged at Gu Ran with aggressive tackles, their hands full of dirty tricks.

Gu Ran relied on his superior stamina and strength, using his elbows and arms to fend off their rough play while passing the ball to Watergate.

Watergate dribbled into the Pirate Ship's penalty area.

Their defenders quickly closed in to block his advance.

With no immediate opening to break through, Watergate hesitated.

Gu Ran shoved off the defender tugging at him and used his sprinting speed to overlap, providing Watergate with an immediate support option.

Watergate wasted no time, passing the ball to the onrushing Gu Ran.

Their coordination was seamless!

Gu Ran was now inside the penalty area, dead center, with the goal right in front of him.

He lifted his head and locked onto the goal.

From this position, his past experience as a street football striker told him he could shoot directly.

For a split second, his thigh muscles tensed, ready to unleash a shot!

But…

Not safe enough.

Under the False Nine system, fullbacks weren't given shooting rights—unless they had an almost guaranteed chance to score.

The Bucks Ironhorns were still trailing, and time was running out. They needed efficiency, not reckless shots.

Wasting a golden opportunity like this would put them at a serious disadvantage. They had fought too hard to create this chance.

As the thought of shooting flashed through his mind, two center-backs rushed to block his angle, while another defender charged straight at him.

The defender he had pushed away earlier also caught up, aggressively pulling on his arm.

The Pirate Ship's defense was not only fast—but dirty.

With this level of physical harassment, it would be difficult to generate power for a shot.

Good thing he didn't act impulsively.

If he had taken the shot, it would have likely been a weak attempt easily blocked by the defenders.

This wasn't just some random street match. These British high school players' defensive skills were far superior to amateur teams back in China.

Gu Ran swiftly flicked the ball with his toes, faking a shot to bait the center-back into lunging—

And the moment the defender stepped in, Gu Ran coolly slotted the ball to the left side of the penalty area where Sissy was waiting.

That feint—calm, composed, showcasing elite football intelligence—completely nullified the defender's positioning.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Gu Ran passed the ball away.

Sissy controlled it, cut inside the box, and took quick steps to set up for a shot.

The Pirate Ship's goalkeeper quickly shifted toward the left post, preparing for the save.

But at the last moment, Sissy calmly passed the ball toward the center.

Watergate, completely unmarked, surged forward and struck a precise shot toward the center of the goal.

The Pirate Ship's keeper reacted with a desperate dive, extending his hand—

The ball brushed his fingertips, slightly deflecting—

But still bounced into the net!

Goal!

The referee blew the whistle, pointing to the center circle, signaling the goal was valid!

A textbook triangle play!

At the 85th minute of the second half, the Bucks Ironhorns' left-back, Gu Ran, sliced through the Pirate Ship's central defense like a scalpel.

His speed was too fast, and his one-two combination with Watergate was so fluid that it looked as if they were one person, seamlessly shifting from left to right foot.

The second goal for the Bucks Ironhorns even had a hint of tiki-taka finesse!

A moment of hesitation from Albert in attack had snowballed into a disaster for the Pirate Ship team.

The scoreboard changed: Pirate Ship 2 - 2 Bucks Ironhorns!

The underdogs had equalized!

The Bucks Ironhorns—ranked as the weakest team in the group—had managed to draw level!

And on the Pirate Ship's home turf.

Despite leading by two goals in the first half, they had allowed their opponents to claw back.

A massive upset!

The pressure now completely shifted to the Pirate Ship team.

If this match ended in a draw, they would only secure one point at home—

Which would put them in a precarious position for qualifying.

The Pirate Ship's suit-clad head coach had a dark expression, his hands no longer tucked in his pockets as he anxiously scratched his crotch.

Meanwhile, the Bucks Ironhorns' coach, Carter, was running along the sidelines like an excited child. "HAHAHAHA! YES! THAT'S HOW YOU PLAY! MY BOYS! TEAR THEM APART!"

The drum leader's voice was already hoarse, but he kept pounding away, chanting at full volume. "BUCKS IRONHORN! HAI HAI! UNDEFEATED!"

This felt amazing!

Adrenaline and dopamine surged through Gu Ran's bloodstream.

Even though he didn't officially get credited for an assist, his involvement in this equalizer was undeniable.

In post-match ratings, playing time and participation in key plays carried the highest weight.

Since he had only played in the second half, his overall rating might not be high—

But his involvement in a crucial goal ensured he wouldn't score too low either.

Post-match ratings were critical for a player's career.

For professional players, these ratings influenced contract negotiations and salary increases.

For amateur players hoping to go pro, every official match rating was like a graded exam for their future.

Gu Ran estimated that his performance in this match should earn him at least a 6.5 rating… right?

There was still time left in the game—still a chance to boost his rating even higher!

"♪ Dun dun dun dun~ ♪"

All around Gu Ran, within a five-meter radius, system bubbles started popping up!

Several blue skill bubbles were among them.

The Pirate Ship team was mentally shattered!

Gu Ran scanned the field—there it was!

Albert was just five meters behind him, and right at Albert's feet was a glowing blue bubble!

Hah! Gotcha!

Without a word, Gu Ran casually walked toward Albert.

Meanwhile, the Bucks Ironhorns players sprinted to the east stands, gesturing for the Manchester school students to "listen."

The Manchester fans lost it!

Curses, obscene gestures, and trash rained down onto the field.

Rusty, the loudmouth of the team, smugly made the listening gesture at the cheerleaders.

The girls flipped him off repeatedly.

"Gu Ran! Come on! We're waiting for you!"

Watergate called out to him.

"Hold on…"

System bubbles only lasted three minutes.

Even though celebrations wouldn't take that long, it was safer to grab Albert's blue bubble first!

Gu Ran replied, "Let me get a running start—"

The Pirate Ship players were fuming!

This Chinese kid was too arrogant!

It was one thing to taunt them with the listening gesture—

But now, he was intentionally running straight at their captain, Albert!

Was he seriously flexing right in Albert's face?!

Given Albert's short temper, he had to throw a punch this time!

The Pirate Ship players eagerly prepared for a fight.

Gu Ran jogged up to Albert, ignoring his expression, and made a quick empty-kick motion in front of him.

Since no one else could see the system bubbles, he didn't care how it looked.

Albert's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.

What the hell are you doing?!

Are you mocking my ball control?

Are you saying I can't score?!

Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you know Chinese kung fu?!

This is the British Empire!

Albert clenched his fists aggressively—

Then took a step back.

"Ding~"