"Bruce, don't worry so much. Sure, Dundee United is just a Scottish side, but we're in Europe. Compared to Crystal Palace — they were fighting relegation in the Championship — we're still miles stronger."
In a modest but nicely furnished living room, a young boy lay sunk deep into the sofa, staring up at the ceiling without saying a word. Beside him, an elderly man with a white beard kept rambling on and on, gesturing animatedly — even spraying a bit of spit into his own beard as he spoke.
"Relax, Old John. I'm not trying to disrespect Dundee United," the boy replied weakly, still not turning his head. "I'm just… a bit confused right now."
He continued staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts, while the old man kept talking beside him.
"Alright, Dad, let's go prepare breakfast first. Let Bruce relax by himself for a bit." At that moment, the middle-aged woman sitting next to him stood up.
"Alright, Bruce, just rest for now." The two of them got up. The old man continued walking toward the kitchen and added, "Remember, you have to trust yourself. Don't get discouraged. As long as you keep working hard, you'll definitely succeed in the future and you'll play for Arsenal one day…"
"Sigh…" As he watched the two figures disappear into the kitchen, Bruce finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
He remembered everything. He was hit by that drunk man who jumped off the building — he should've died on the spot. But somehow, instead of dying, he ended up in this world.
Bruce was convinced he had crossed over into a parallel world.
And in this world, he had become a half-Chinese boy living in London, England.
Bruce believed this truly was a parallel world, because although his situation and identity had changed, his name hadn't — even his father's and grandfather's names remained the same.
In this life, his grandfather had gone to Europe and made a lot of money through illegal work, and later brought that wealth back to his home country.
In Bruce's previous life, his grandfather never went to England, so his family never got that huge opportunity.
Bruce's father benefited from that difference in this life — he grew up as the heir of a wealthy family, just like he always wanted. He was even sent to Europe to study and gain status.
While studying in London, Bruce's father — handsome, sociable, and popular — soon got together with a British woman. She later became Bruce's mother in this world. Eventually they had a child together, and that child was naturally Bruce.
Since both of his parents were still studying at the time, and Bruce was the first child of the third generation of the family, he was sent back to China to be cared for by his grandfather.
Bruce lived in China for several years. When he was ten, his grandfather passed away from cancer, leaving Bruce in an awkward position, so he returned to England with his mother.
The reason Bruce's situation was considered awkward was that his parents had never married. In fact, their relationship didn't even last until he graduated from university before they separated. Later, Bruce's father returned to China and married a woman of equal social standing. As a result, Bruce could only be considered an illegitimate child, which made his status somewhat complicated.
While his grandfather was alive, Bruce had lived a relatively comfortable life thanks to his care. After his grandfather's death, Bruce grew older and more aware of his unique position. Understanding his circumstances, he followed his mother, who had always wanted to bring him back to England, and settled there with her.
Bruce was born in 1993. During his years living in China, he witnessed major events in world football. In addition, football ran in his blood, making him a passionate fan from a very young age—and also a skilled amateur player. Almost none of his peers could beat him on the pitch.
That was how it was when he was young.
But after moving to England, he quickly became just another player and lost his reputation as a child prodigy. There were so many talented kids playing football here that standing out was much harder.
Fortunately, after two years of aimless wandering, he managed to join the youth academy of Championship side Crystal Palace and became part of a professional club's youth setup.
Now, at 17, Bruce had received his first professional contract two months ago. He felt that his big opportunity had finally arrived. After all, signing a professional contract at 17 was a significant achievement, and he believed it was only a matter of time before he got his chance with the first team.
However, after his mother communicated with Crystal Palace, the club stated that he would need to continue training with the youth team for the next two or three seasons and was not in the first team's plans.
Bruce, who was full of enthusiasm, felt quite disappointed. On top of that, the England national team he supported was eliminated in the round of 16 by their arch-rival Germany, losing 4-1 due to a shocking referee decision.
All of this left Bruce feeling depressed. He drank heavily that night, and in doing so, Bruce—from another world—completed his time travel.