Football Card System

The next day, The Hat Seller featured a large photo on its front page, occupying half the page. The photo, taken from the opposite side of the coaching bench, showed Gao Bo raising his arms in celebration under a sea of orange-clad fans. It captured the moment he celebrated Luton's first goal.

Gao Bo rubbed his slightly swollen head. The coaching staff had celebrated their victory at the bar the previous night. With back-to-back wins, including a home triumph over Championship team Nottingham Forest, the entire team's staff was brimming with confidence. For Gao Bo and his core team, it validated all their hard work leading up to the season.

Closing the mailbox, Gao Bo unfolded The Hat Seller to read its report.

> "Two consecutive victories have made Luton, the most underestimated team before the season, the center of attention. This success must be credited to Luton's Chinese coach, Gao Bo. His work has been remarkable, especially in defeating Nottingham Forest at home, which has greatly boosted the team's confidence.

"It might be premature to say that Luton has been reborn, but their fighting spirit is undeniable. Judging by these two games, had Luton not been docked 30 points, they might genuinely have been contenders for at least a playoff spot for promotion."

We can still push for promotion even after losing 30 points!

Gao Bo smirked and glanced at the byline: Roy Sol...

The thought of the stern Miss Roy writing this article while possibly fuming with anger amused Gao Bo greatly.

As usual, when he stepped outside, he saw Roy returning from her morning run.

"Miss Roy, great article! I've kept a copy for myself!" Gao Bo waved the newspaper, greeting her with a broad smile.

Roy nearly stumbled in frustration. Every morning, she would run into this annoying man, and it always put her in a bad mood.

"Hmph..."

The ever-proud Miss Roy tilted her chin upward and walked past Gao Bo disdainfully.

"Watch your step…" Gao Bo advised.

"Mind your own business!" Roy snapped, walking confidently in her eight-centimeter high heels. Unfortunately, she didn't notice a small hole in the ground ahead...

---

After much effort, Roy finally freed her stuck high heel from the hole.

Meanwhile, Gao Bo, under her furious glare, casually whistled and walked into the apartment.

"We have a saying in China," he called out from the hallway. "If you don't listen to wise advice, you'll regret it! Miss Roy, this is what happens when you ignore sound advice..."

---

Gao Bo dismissed the encounter with the reporter. He knew that as long as the team kept winning, media pressure would be minimal. For a small club like Luton, national media rarely took interest. Most fans seeking news about the team were loyal locals. And if anyone dared criticize him, especially calling him a "fraud," the newspaper's doors would likely be stormed by furious supporters.

The League Cup game had been midweek, so Luton's next match was on Sunday, giving them four days to prepare.

After granting the team a day off to celebrate the victory, Gao Bo returned to his apartment, ate a simple breakfast, and opened the Football Card System.

Before the Nottingham Forest match, the system had issued him a task. Gao Bo was still unsure how the mission system worked.

Having played video games before, he understood that quests were a way to speed up progression and enhance gameplay. In games, completing tasks often yielded generous rewards.

So far, the system had issued two missions.

The first was the main mission: Save Luton. Its completion depended on the season's overall performance. Gao Bo assumed it was a season-long goal, such as winning a championship.

Before the Nottingham Forest game, a secondary mission appeared. However, no mission had been triggered for the first league game, leading Gao Bo to suspect it depended on the strength of the opponent. Defeating a Championship team like Nottingham Forest likely met the criteria for a mission reward.

Sure enough, the mission Defeat Nottingham Forest was now highlighted. Gao Bo opened it.

> Mission Completed!

Reward: 600 experience points

Bonus: One random yellow card draw

Hearing a voice in his head announce the completion, Gao Bo watched as the rewards were displayed.

Six hundred experience points were equivalent to two league victories. The victory over Nottingham Forest indeed came with a significant bonus.

On the experience panel, his progress read: 1500/3000—halfway to the next level after just two games!

Cross-level victories clearly came with extra rewards.

Gao Bo grinned, pinching his chin thoughtfully. While Nottingham Forest was a Championship team, Luton's current squad wasn't far behind in strength. However, their young lineup, including players like Vardy and Kante, still had room to grow before reaching their future Premier League-winning potential.

---

Next was the lottery draw for the yellow card.

The system's screen flickered rapidly before settling on a glowing yellow card:

> Yellow Card

Effect: Increase running speed by 7%

Usage: Assign to a designated player

Gao Bo's eyes lit up. A 7% speed boost was a significant upgrade, especially for a player like Vardy, whose speed was already one of his greatest assets. Without hesitation, Gao Bo applied the card to Vardy.

Finally, there was a secondary white card reward from the victory.

> White Card

Effect: Increase strength by 1%

Usage: Assign to a designated player

"Not much use," Gao Bo muttered, closing the system in disappointment.

For now, his focus shifted back to preparing for the next league match. With Nottingham Forest defeated, his confidence in his team and tactics only grew.