Reincarnated As A Wonderkid-Chapter 530: Rotation.

"Mr. Finch," the Professor asked. "How do you avoid diminishing returns?"

Alex looked up.

"Rotation, Sir," Alex said. "You change the input. You refresh the resources."

"Correct," the Professor nodded. "Innovation requires fresh energy."

Mark was sitting next to Alex. He was wearing a monocle and a top hat. He looked like the Monopoly Man.

"I AM A TYCOON!" Mark whispered loudly. "I AM BUYING HOTELS! I AM COLLECTING RENT!"

"Mark," Alex whispered. "Put the hat away. You are blocking the view of the person behind you."

"I am blocking the view with my success!" Mark argued. "Also, I have a question. If I eat ten pizzas, I am not sick. I am just full. Is that an economic anomaly?"

"It is a biological miracle, Mark," Alex sighed.

The lecture ended.

Alex packed his bag.

Rotation. Fresh energy.

Arsenal needed it.

Tonight was the Carabao Cup Third Round. Arsenal vs Leeds United. The Emirates.

It was a chance for the young players. The next generation.

And a chance for Alex to rest?

No. Steve had other ideas.

"Professor," Steve had said. "You are the captain tonight. Lead the kids."

Alex walked out to the car park.

Milo was waiting.

Milo was dressed as... a Kindergarten Teacher.

He was wearing a bright jumper with ABC on it and holding a whistle.

"CLASS IS IN SESSION!" Milo shouted. "ALEX! I AM THE HEADMASTER! I AM SELLING GOLD STARS! STICK THEM ON YOUR SHIRT FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR! ONLY FIVE POUNDS A STAR!"

"Milo, I am not five years old," Alex said.

"EVERYONE LOVES A GOLD STAR!" Milo insisted. "IT VALIDATES YOUR EXISTENCE!"

They drove to the stadium.

Steve gathered the team in the dressing room.

It was a different team.

Ramsdale was there. But the rest were kids. 17-year-olds from the academy.

There was Leo, a tiny winger with huge hair. There was Sam, a defender who looked terrified. There was Max, a striker who was chewing gum very fast.

And there was Alex. The veteran. At 19.

"Listen up," Steve said. "Tonight is your chance. Show me you belong."

He looked at Alex.

"Professor. Guide them. Teach them."

"I will," Alex said. He put on the captain’s armband. It felt heavy. But good.

The Emirates Stadium.

It wasn’t full, but it was loud. The fans loved seeing the academy kids.

Alex stood in the tunnel.

He looked at the kids behind him. They were shaking.

"Hey," Alex said softly.

They looked at him.

"It is just football," Alex said. "The pitch is green. The ball is round. Just play."

"But it is Leeds!" Sam squeaked. "They are big!"

"They are just people," Alex smiled. "Big people fall harder."

The whistle blew.

The game started.

Leeds were aggressive. They wanted to bully the kids.

In the tenth minute, a Leeds midfielder smashed into Leo.

Leo flew into the air.

The referee waved play on.

"Welcome to the men’s game!" the Leeds player laughed.

Leo looked like he was going to cry.

Alex ran over. He helped Leo up.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

"He hurt me," Leo sniffed.

"Get the ball," Alex said. "Make him chase you. Make him tired. Then he cannot hit you."

Leo nodded.

The game continued.

Alex controlled the midfield. He didn’t run much. He let the ball do the work. He was the lighthouse in the storm.

Twenty fifth minute.

Alex got the ball. He saw Max making a run.

Alex played a simple pass.

Max controlled it. He shot.

Wide.

"Unlucky!" Alex shouted. "Keep going!"

The kids started to settle. They realized that Alex was there to protect them.

In the fortieth minute, Alex got the ball deep.

The Leeds midfielder came to tackle him again. The bully.

Alex waited.

He did a "Cruyff Turn".

The midfielder slid past him and ended up in the advertising boards.

The crowd cheered.

Alex drove forward.

He saw Leo on the wing.

"Leo! Go!" Alex yelled.

Leo ran. He was fast. Small and fast.

Alex hit a pass.

Leo caught it. He remembered Alex’s advice. He didn’t stop. He ran at the defender.

He did a stepover. Then another.

He crossed.

Max was there.

Max didn’t shoot. He laid it off.

To Alex.

Alex was on the edge of the box.

"Shoot!" the crowd urged.

Alex looked at the goal.

He saw Sam, the terrified defender, who had run all the way up from the back.

Sam was unmarked.

Alex passed.

Sam looked shocked to have the ball.

"Kick it!" Alex shouted.

Sam closed his eyes and swung his leg.

He hit it perfectly.

Top corner.

Goal.

One zero. Arsenal.

Sam ran around in circles screaming. "I SCORED! I SCORED!"

Alex grabbed him. "You did it!"

"I closed my eyes!" Sam yelled. "Just like Mark!"

"It is a valid technique," Alex laughed.

Halftime. One zero.

The dressing room was happy. The kids were buzzing.

"You are doing great," Steve said. "But Leeds will be angry. They will come at you."

He looked at Alex.

"Professor. Manage the game. Keep the ball."

Second half.

Leeds pressed. They were physical.

But Alex was calm. He was the eye of the storm.

He passed. He moved. He talked.

"Left, Leo!" "Hold it, Max!" "Back, Sam!"

He was the conductor.

Seventy fifth minute.

Leeds scored. A messy goal from a corner.

One one.

The kids looked nervous again. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Heads up!" Alex shouted. "We are still in this!"

Eighty fifth minute.

Penalties were looming.

Alex didn’t want penalties. Not for the kids. The pressure would be too much.

He got the ball in the center.

He looked at the clock.

He looked at Mark, who was on the bench, eating a bag of crisps.

Mark gave him a thumbs up.

Alex took a breath.

He started to run.

He dribbled past one player. Then another.

He was like a ghost.

He got to the edge of the box.

Three defenders surrounded him.

Alex looked left. He looked right.

Then he looked down.

He did a "Scoop Turn".

He lifted the ball and spun 180 degrees in the air.

He landed facing the goal. The defenders were left behind.

He was one on one with the keeper.

He didn’t shoot.

He saw Leo.

Leo was at the back post.

Alex chipped the ball.

It floated over the keeper.

Leo jumped. He was tiny, but he jumped high.

He headed it.

Goal.

Two one. Arsenal.

The stadium erupted.

Leo ran to Alex and jumped into his arms. He was light as a feather.

"Thank you!" Leo cried. "Thank you Professor!"

The final whistle blew.

Arsenal 2. Leeds 1.

The kids had won.

Alex walked off the pitch. He felt proud. Prouder than when he won the Ballon d’Or.

He had helped the next generation.

Milo ran onto the pitch. He was wearing a mortarboard hat.

"THE GRADUATION!" Milo screamed. "THEY PASSED THE TEST! ALEX! I AM SELLING DIPLOMAS! SIGNED BY THE PROFESSOR! ONLY TWENTY POUNDS!"

"Milo, give them a break," Alex laughed.

"BUSINESS NEVER SLEEPS!" Milo yelled.

They walked into the dressing room.

The kids were celebrating. They were drinking apple juice like it was champagne.

Alex sat down. He was tired.

He checked his phone.

A text from Maya.

"Leadership analysis: Exceptional. You increased the performance metric of the academy players by 40%. You acted as a force multiplier. Also, Professor Money emailed. He wants to know if your ’Rotation’ theory applies to homework. He says no."

Alex smiled.

He looked at the kids.

They were the future.

And the future looked bright.

Mark walked over. He offered Alex a crisp.

"Good job, Captain," Mark said. "You were like a dad. A young dad who plays football good."

"Thanks, Mark."

"Can I have the armband?" Mark asked. "I want to wear it as a headband."

"No, Mark."

"Fine," Mark ate the crisp. "But I am the Captain of Speed."