Football Card System

It was just shy of 4 PM, and Worth Field was already packed to the brim.

This was the first match of the new season, and while outsiders had written off Luton Town as a team destined for relegation, the fans still flocked to the stadium to show their support.

On the field, John Aston was guiding the players through their warm-ups, while Gao Bo stood in a private box at the top of the stands, surveying the entire field from above.

Beside him stood David Morton, the club's owner.

"Gao, is everything in place for this match?" David asked, pacing back and forth anxiously before checking his watch again.

"Relax, David," Gao Bo replied calmly. "You saw the results of our warm-up games. No team in League Two can match us."

David glanced at him skeptically, but Gao Bo remained composed, watching his players warm up. Then he glanced up at the sky and nodded approvingly.

"Looks like we've got good weather today," he said, pulling up his sleeves.

"The warm-ups should be done soon. I'm heading to the locker room." He turned to leave but stopped at the door. "David, you might want to start planning how to celebrate after we win."

The calm confidence radiating from Gao Bo seemed to steady David's nerves, at least a little. This was Gao Bo's first official game as head coach, but it was also David Morton's debut as the club owner.

---

In the media box, Roy was observing the warm-ups, her blonde hair tied neatly back as she wore a sharp black business suit.

She scanned the Luton players, her face betraying skepticism. Based on warm-ups alone, it was hard to judge their abilities, but Roy's confidence in this team was almost nonexistent.

Her eyes fell on N'Golo Kanté, a skinny Frenchman with a somewhat naïve expression. He didn't look remotely like a star player. Danny Drinkwater seemed more polished, but his youthful appearance made her doubt his maturity on the pitch.

Jamie Vardy's muscular build and fierce expression stood out, but football wasn't about brawling, so what good was aggression?

Roy shook her head. She wasn't optimistic about Gao Bo's ragtag team. If Luton wanted to turn things around, they needed an experienced coach, not a reckless novice.

The mere thought of Gao Bo brought anger to Roy's face.

---

Meanwhile, in the visiting locker room, Sam Parker was briefing his Port Vale teammates.

"This team is nothing. Just watch out for Kevin Keane; the rest aren't worth worrying about. And those amateur players Gao Bo brought in? They don't even have basic skills. They'll crumble in League Two!"

Sam Parker, a former Luton player, was thrilled to face his old club in this match. He saw it as the perfect opportunity to humiliate Gao Bo publicly.

The Port Vale head coach seemed content to let Parker take the spotlight, believing the former Luton player's inside knowledge made him invaluable.

---

Gao Bo, oblivious to the chatter in the visiting locker room, was focused on his own team.

He had studied Port Vale's matches from last season. They were a typical lower-league English side, relying on high balls and long passes. In his mind, they were nothing more than a mid-table team in League Two and posed no significant threat.

In the Luton locker room, Gao Bo's final pre-match pep talk was underway.

He held up a stack of newspapers.

"These," he began, "are what the media think of us."

The players watched as Gao Bo tossed the newspapers to the floor.

"They think we're already dead! That we'll be out of the professional league system by next season!"

His voice rose as he kicked the newspapers aside.

"Well, to hell with them! Only we decide our fate! One game at a time, one three-point win at a time!"

Turning to the tactical board, Gao Bo erased everything and scrawled a massive number: -30.

"This is where we are now," he said. "But after today..."

He wrote another number beneath it: -27.

"Ten games!" Gao Bo held up his hand. "That's all we need. Ten wins, and we'll wipe out this deficit!"

He clenched his fists.

"This game is the start. Win this, and it's nine more to go. Imagine it—ten wins in a row, and suddenly, we're not the ones heading for relegation. We'll be the ones to watch out for!"

"Now go out there and show those doubters what we're made of!"

He punched the air. "Victory!"

Jamie Vardy jumped to his feet, grinning fiercely. "Victory!!!"

The entire room erupted in cheers, the players' spirits ignited.

---

As the teams lined up to enter the pitch, the stadium announcer began calling out the Luton players' names.

"First, our captain! Kevin..."

"Keane!!!" the crowd roared.

The youth academy players received varying levels of applause, but when Vardy's name was announced, the cheers noticeably waned. Still, a few fans managed to offer polite claps.

The same lukewarm reception greeted Kanté and Charlie Austin, both of whom were seen as unproven amateurs by the fans.

From the media booth, Roy smirked.

See, asshole? Even the fans don't believe in you or your players.

But when Gao Bo's name was called, the atmosphere shifted.

The stadium grew quiet, and then sporadic boos broke the silence, gradually growing louder.

The English fans, conservative and proud, were skeptical of a Chinese coach in their league. To them, Gao Bo was an outsider who didn't belong.

As the boos reached their peak, Gao Bo walked toward the dugout, his face calm and composed, as if the noise around him didn't exist.