"John, could you help me get in touch with Dundee United?"
During breakfast, Bruce managed to grab his family's attention with just a single sentence.
"Really, Bruce? You've changed your mind?" Old John looked a little incredulous at the sudden shift, but he quickly added, "Don't worry, I'll make sure it gets done for you."
Seemingly afraid that Bruce might change his mind again, Old John didn't even bother with his breakfast and immediately started making calls to his contacts.
"Bruce, are you really sure?" Kate Lee asked, her tone tinged with doubt.
Just two days ago, he had been frustrated after failing to break into the first team and had even considered giving up professional football. Now, seeing him so determined was surprising to her.
"Don't worry, Mother. This is a choice I've made after careful consideration. No matter what happens in the future, I'll stick with it," he said, reassuring her, aware of her concern.
"I'm planning to go find Luca later and ask him to help me with my practice."
"Bruce, just get ready. I've already called Scotland, and I'll head back there after breakfast." Old John returned, excitement evident in his voice after making the call.
"Bruce, even if you plan to continue playing football, I still recommend that you stay in London. Although Crystal Palace is only a Championship team, the Championship has much more influence than the Scottish Premiership…"
Before Kate could finish, Old John frowned and interrupted angrily. "We're in the top tier of European leagues! How can we be inferior to the second tier of English football?"
"In fact, whether you look at media attention, player salaries, broadcasting fees, or stadium attendance, the English Championship is far ahead of the Scottish Premiership."
Kate's cold, matter-of-fact reply left Old John unconvinced. After a long pause, he muttered, "They're just good at creating hype… what's so great about that anyway?"
Bruce, of course, knew that Kate was telling the truth.
Scotland's geographical proximity to England, combined with the commercial appeal of the English leagues, means that many Scottish league players transfer south. However, only a small fraction of these players make it to the Premier League. The majority end up in the Championship, with a significant number even playing in League One, England's third tier.
From a purely athletic perspective, the English Championship and the Scottish Premiership are roughly comparable in level. However, the Championship benefits from greater commercial advantages, making it generally more attractive than the Scottish Premiership.
Despite this, Bruce still prefers to play in the Scottish Premiership—more specifically, for Dundee United—because of John Sr.
John Sr. was a professional footballer who joined Dundee United's youth academy at a very young age. He was regarded as a talented player within the academy, but after suffering a serious injury in a youth match at 16, he never reached the heights that had been expected of him.
Although injuries hampered his career, John Sr. still became a professional player once he reached adulthood. He played for Dundee United for several seasons. While he was mostly a rotation player, he was known for his hard work and dedication.
As injuries became more frequent, John Sr. decided to hang up his boots and retire before turning 30. He then transitioned to working for Dundee United.
John Sr. has now been with Dundee United for over 30 years. While he is not a top executive, he holds a certain influence within the club.
This is why Bruce was willing to join Dundee United. At Crystal Palace, he would likely have to wait for his chance. At Dundee United, with John Sr.'s support, his prospects are much better.
Although he cannot rely solely on John Sr.'s connections to immediately secure a starting position, he will almost certainly have more opportunities to play and prove himself than he would at Crystal Palace.
※※※
After breakfast, he went out. He was driving his first car, a Volkswagen Polo—a modest but popular model in Europe—that he had bought with his first month's salary.
Starting from near his home in South London, he drove north, crossed the Thames via Chelsea West Bridge into the Chelsea district, then turned east, passing through the entire Chelsea area before entering Fulham. He parked near King's Road and walked a short distance to Fulham Preparatory Primary School, the school he had attended after coming to the UK.
Fulham Preparatory is one of London's top primary schools, with most students coming from middle-class or affluent families. The school also has a high success rate in sending students to leading secondary schools. When he first came to England, Kate had spent a significant amount to enroll him here.
However, Bruce's visit was not to reminisce about the past—it had another purpose.
He skillfully made his way to the school's staff housing area, identified his target, went straight upstairs, and knocked on the door of one of the rooms on the third floor.
"Bruce? What brings you here?" The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with distinct Eastern European features: blond hair, a high nose typical of Europeans, and a slightly more pronounced hook.
"Because it's been so long since I've seen you, Luca." Bruce stepped forward and embraced him.
Lukasavich had been Bruce's elementary school soccer coach.
When Bruce first arrived in England, he had tried out for several professional clubs but faced rejection after rejection—a major blow for someone who had believed he was a highly talented footballer.
However, after enrolling at Fulham Preparatory Primary School, he successfully joined the school's football team and received strong encouragement from Coach Lukasavich. Lukasavich also took excellent care of him during training, which later played a significant role in Bruce being accepted into Crystal Palace's youth academy.
However, after Bruce graduated from elementary school and successfully joined a professional club's youth training camp, his relationship with Savic became less close. Fortunately, although they met less often, they still kept in touch through phone calls and text messages during the holidays.
"Sir Luca, I've decided to play in the Scottish league." Although slightly embarrassed, Bruce still addressed him as "sir" in an attempt to maintain their relationship.
"Is it Old John's team?" Savic knew a bit about Bruce's family.
"Well, I think opportunities at Crystal Palace are limited, so I'm planning to try my luck in Scotland."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Bruce had been hoping to hear these words, so he immediately replied, "I would like to invite Master Luca to give me some special training. Otherwise, I'm worried that even if I go there, it will be difficult to get an opportunity."
Savic paused for a moment before saying, "Okay, school's on summer vacation, and I happen to be free."
The blue Joaquin card that Bruce had activated last night showed the number 21. This represents the fusion percentage, meaning his current fusion level is 21% after activating the Joaquin card.
To unlock the next card, he needed to raise both his physical and technical attributes above 60 and increase the Joaquin card's fusion rate to over 33%. Achieving all of this would require serious training.
This was also why he had come to Lukasavich for help.
He could have gone directly to the club's youth training camp, but he wasn't sure how effective the system would be. He had already trained there for five years, and if the system suddenly boosted his strength dramatically, it could create unnecessary complications.
Although the chances were slim, it wasn't uncommon for players his age to experience sudden breakthroughs that greatly improved their skills—but he didn't want to take that risk. Besides, he had already planned to play for Dundee United, so there was no need to return and provoke Crystal Palace.