Chapter 5 - "POWER PLAY" AND SHOPPING

"Welcome everyone to the Power Play here in London! Today, we witness the strongest academy teams in England clash. The rules are simple: the tournament consists of intense 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 matches played on a half-pitch to restrict space and force lightning-fast decisions. To secure victory, a team must be the first to score either 3 or 5 goals. And just like every Power Play event, we have some incredible background music blasting to set the mood!"⠀"This unique event structure was specifically designed to develop young U14 talents, pushing them to maintain absolute focus even with loud music echoing through the venue. Personally, I absolutely love this tournament because it forces players to showcase their raw, beautiful dribbling skills."⠀"With the whistle blown, the 3-on-3 match between Liverpool and Chelsea is officially underway. It is bound to be an electrifying contest!"⠀The moment Mike stepped onto the pitch for his first 3v3 match of the tournament, he immediately put his newly acquired dribbling skills on full display. With a breathtaking Marseille Roulette that would have made Zidane himself jealous, he effortlessly danced past the last of the three defenders and drove hard toward the goal. Throughout the game, he toyed with the Liverpool U14 players, dominating the pitch alongside Charlie to lock in an easy victory.⠀Following that spectacular opening match, Chelsea faced off against the remaining teams. They dominated the field, winning almost every single game and dropping only one. For the highly anticipated final 3v3 showdown, the coach decided to pair Mike with Charlie Holland and Josh Acheampong.⠀"Mike, Josh, Charlie—you three are starting in this 3v3 match against Fulham," James Simmonds called out.⠀The coach gathered the three players, pulling them aside to speak with them privately.⠀"You three are the core pillars of our squad. I want to see you completely dominate this match. Treat this as your final test before we hit the international stage."⠀"All right, mister!" they replied in unison, their voices filled with determination.⠀As expected, the match was a completely one-sided affair. Chelsea overwhelmed Fulham, closing out the tournament with a flawless clean sheet victory. As soon as the competition ended, Mike headed straight home to refuel his body and get some well-deserved rest.⠀A few days later, the official announcement finally arrived. Chelsea's U14 squad had been invited to the prestigious international tournament held in Madrid, Spain.⠀The Madrid Football Cup was widely recognized as the ultimate proving ground for U14 youth academies, gathering 32 elite teams from every corner of the world. The lineup was nothing short of legendary: Real Madrid, Rayo Alcobendas, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Getafe, Leganes, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Charlton Athletic, Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Juventus, Milan, Inter, Roma, Napoli, PSG, Lyon, Bayern Munich, Ajax, SK Brann, Hammarby IF, Spartak Trnava, Dinamo Tbilisi, Maccabi Haifa, PSV, and Dortmund.⠀The tournament structure was brutal. The first phase was a ruthless group stage featuring eight groups of four teams. Only the top two teams from each group would advance to the second phase, a high-stakes knockout stage. From there, the surviving teams would fight their way to the grand final, where the true champion of the Madrid U14 Football Cup would be crowned.⠀Mike immediately scanned the tournament brackets to check his opponents. His group was a true gauntlet, consisting of Chelsea, Benfica, Napoli, and Rayo Alcobendas.⠀With the tournament exactly three weeks away, Mike felt a surge of pure excitement. He rushed downstairs to share the massive news with his parents.⠀"Mom, look at this! In three weeks, I am heading to Madrid for a massive international tournament!"⠀His parents beamed with pride, sharing his immense joy, even though they wouldn't be able to travel to Spain to watch him play live from the stands.⠀Three days later, Mike and Charlie made their way to The Bowl at Selfridges, where they were scheduled to meet up with Gim.⠀"Hey Gim, meet Charlie. He is my teammate and a future star in the making," Mike introduced him with a smile.⠀Charlie offered a polite greeting, looking a bit embarrassed by Mike's high praise, and the three friends headed inside together to do some shopping.⠀The Bowl was an incredible indoor skate park nestled right within the luxury store, completely surrounded by high-end streetwear brands like Supreme and Off-White.⠀"Come on, Charlie, we need to stock up on some serious drip so we can represent London in style over in Madrid, haha!" Mike joked, pulling his friend along.⠀Mike quickly picked up a classic Nike Tech Fleece tracksuit. Then, heading into the exclusive VIP section, he grabbed a limited Nike x Off-White training kit along with a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor football boots customized with his initials, M.W. To round out his shopping spree, he visited Moncler to purchase a sharper, more elegant outfit from their Enfant collection, perfectly balancing a sporty look with high fashion.⠀With their shopping done, the three friends split up and headed back to their respective homes.⠀The moment Mike stepped through his front door, he changed into comfortable athletic gear. He had no time to waste; he needed to complete his daily system mission.⠀Daily Goal:Complete 100 push-upsComplete a 7km runComplete a 10-minute plankReward: 2 points⠀For the past couple of days, the system requirements had scaled up significantly. The push-ups had doubled, and the running distance had increased. Planning his workout efficiently, Mike decided to break it down. He started with a 5-minute plank and 50 push-ups, then knocked out the grueling 7km run, and finally closed the session with the remaining 50 push-ups and another 5-minute plank.⠀"Mike, go straight to the shower right now! You absolutely reek," his mother called out the second he walked back inside, wrinkling her nose.⠀Laughing it off, Mike followed his mother's orders, thoroughly washing up and changing into fresh clothes before heading down to the dining room for a hearty dinner.⠀Once dinner was over, he followed his father into the study to discuss a serious matter.⠀"Dad, can I ask you for a favor? I want to turn the empty room in the basement into a private gym, fully equipped with the best, most cutting-edge training gear available."⠀Their home was a beautiful two-story villa boasting a massive basement with four rooms. Three of those spaces were already occupied by an indoor swimming pool, a home cinema, and a billiard room, leaving just one room completely vacant since they moved in.⠀"And one more thing, Dad. I have decided to take my football career completely seriously. It is no longer just a hobby for me. Along with the home gym, I would really appreciate it if we could hire a dedicated support team—a professional nutritionist and a physical therapist. I want to make sure my body stays in peak condition at all times," Mike explained, his eyes full of resolve.⠀His father smiled warmly, nodding in approval. "All right, son. We will get everything set up the moment you return from Madrid. You know I support your dreams one hundred percent. Now, get some sleep."⠀"Thanks, Dad. Good night."⠀Mike walked back up to his bedroom, his mind racing with ambition.⠀As soon as I hoard enough points, unlocking the speed stat is my absolute priority, he thought to himself. If I want to completely dominate the world-class talents waiting for me in Madrid, I have to be sharper, stronger, and faster than everyone else.⠀With his goals locked in, Mike closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift into a deep, well-deserved sleep.