Reincarnated As A Wonderkid-Chapter 539: There is always a solution.

The university campus was buzzing with freshers. People were carrying boxes, getting lost, and trying to look cool.

Alex walked through the quad. He wasn’t carrying boxes. He had hired a moving company (Milo’s "Rapid Relocation Services," which turned out to be Milo and a shopping trolley).

Alex was studying Sports Science. He wanted to understand the biomechanics of a perfect pass.

He walked into the lecture hall.

Professor Muscles (probably not his real name) was at the front. He was huge. He looked like he could bench press a small car.

"Anatomy," Professor Muscles boomed. "The machine. Bones. Ligaments. Tendons. If one part breaks, the machine stops."

Alex sat down. He touched his knee. It felt fine. But in football, you were always one bad tackle away from a broken machine.

Mark sat next to him. Mark was wearing a stethoscope around his neck and a white coat.

"I AM DR. SPEED!" Mark whispered. "I AM HERE TO DIAGNOSE SLOWNESS! THE CURE IS PIZZA!"

"Mark," Alex said. "You are studying Culinary Arts. Why are you in a Sports Science lecture?"

"Because food is fuel!" Mark argued. "Also, I got lost. This campus is a maze."

The lecture ended.

Alex checked his phone.

Tonight was the Champions League. Matchday 3. Real Madrid vs Arsenal. The Bernabeu.

Again.

It was becoming a tradition. The El Clasico of Europe.

Alex walked out.

Milo was waiting.

Milo was dressed as... a Surgeon.

He was wearing scrubs, a mask, and holding a plastic scalpel.

"PAGING DR. MILO!" he shouted. "ALEX! I AM THE SURGEON OF SUCCESS! I AM SELLING BANDAGES! FOR WHEN YOU BREAK THEIR HEARTS! ONLY TEN POUNDS A ROLL!"

"Milo, that is toilet paper," Alex said.

"IT IS HIGH GRADE ABSORBENT MATERIAL!" Milo insisted. "MULTI-PURPOSE!"

They drove to the airport.

Steve, the manager, was waiting.

"Real Madrid," Steve said. "They are angry. We beat them in the final. We beat them in the semi-final. They want revenge."

He looked at the team.

"They have signed a new defender. A monster. Gvardiol. He is fast. He is strong."

He looked at Alex.

"Professor. Gvardiol will try to bully you. Do not let him. Use your brain."

"Brains over brawn," Alex said.

Madrid. The Bernabeu.

The stadium was a fortress of white. The noise was deafening.

Alex stood in the tunnel.

Jude Bellingham stood next to him.

"Welcome back," Jude said. "Ready for another lesson?"

"Always learning," Alex smiled.

Mbappe stood behind Jude. He looked serious.

"No races today," Mbappe said to Mark. "Today, we play football."

"I can do both!" Mark said, doing a little jog on the spot.

The whistle blew.

The game started.

Real Madrid were aggressive. They pressed high.

In the tenth minute, Vinicius got the ball. He ran at Ben White.

Vinicius did a chop. He crossed.

Mbappe volleyed.

Raya saved.

"They are sharp!" Rice yelled. "Close them down!"

In the twentieth minute, Gvardiol stepped up. He smashed into Alex.

It was a hard tackle. Fair, but hard.

Alex fell.

"Welcome to Madrid," Gvardiol grunted.

Alex stood up. He brushed off the grass.

"Physics," Alex thought. "Force equals mass times acceleration. He has more mass. I need more acceleration."

Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm.

In the fortieth minute, Rodrygo scored. A curl from the edge of the box.

Goal.

One zero. Real Madrid.

The stadium erupted.

Alex stood in the center circle.

"Reset," he said. "Analyze."

He looked at Gvardiol. The defender was aggressive. He stepped out of the defensive line to tackle.

Observation: He leaves a gap behind him.

Hypothesis: If I drag him out, Mark can run into the gap.

Halftime. One zero.

Steve was calm.

"They are overcommitting," Steve said. "They want to crush us. Use their aggression against them." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He looked at Alex.

"Professor. Be the bait."

"I will be the worm," Alex said.

Second half.

Alex changed his game.

He dropped deep. He called for the ball.

Gvardiol followed him. He wanted to dominate Alex.

Fifty fifth minute.

Alex got the ball near the halfway line.

Gvardiol came sprinting.

Alex didn’t pass. He held the ball. He waited.

Gvardiol got closer.

Alex looked at Mark. He gave a tiny nod.

Mark started to run.

Gvardiol lunged.

Alex flicked the ball over Gvardiol’s head. A "Sombrero".

Alex spun around him.

But he didn’t chase the ball. He let Mark chase it.

Mark was running into the space Gvardiol had left.

Alaba tried to cover, but Mark was too fast.

Mark got the ball.

He was one on one with Courtois.

"DOCTOR SPEED!" Mark screamed.

He smashed it.

Goal.

One one.

Mark ran to the corner. He pretended to listen to the corner flag with his stethoscope.

"THE HEARTBEAT IS STRONG!" Mark yelled. "THE PATIENT IS ALIVE!"

Alex ran over. "The trap worked!"

"I diagnosed the gap!" Mark laughed. "Surgical precision!"

Real Madrid were furious. They attacked again.

Seventy fifth minute.

Mbappe ran down the wing. He cut inside.

He shot.

It hit the post.

Eighty fifth minute.

The game was tied.

Alex had the ball.

He was tired. His legs ached from Gvardiol’s tackles.

But his mind was clear.

He saw Rico.

Rico was on the edge of the box.

Alex passed.

Rico did a shimmy. He passed back to Alex.

Alex was in the box.

Bellingham came to tackle him.

Alex did a "Drag Back".

He pulled the ball back. Bellingham slid past.

Alex looked at the goal.

Courtois was huge.

Alex saw a tiny gap at the near post.

He remembered the Anatomy lecture.

Precision.

He didn’t blast it. He poked it with the outside of his boot.

The ball spun.

It squeezed between the post and the keeper.

GOAL.

Two one. Arsenal.

Alex ran to the crowd. He pointed to his head.

"Intellect!" Alex shouted.

The final whistle blew.

Arsenal 2. Real Madrid 1.

Another win at the Bernabeu.

Alex fell to the ground.

Bellingham walked over. He shook his head.

"You are annoying," Jude said. "You always find a way."

"It is a puzzle," Alex smiled. "There is always a solution."

Milo ran onto the pitch. He was wearing a lab coat and holding a skeleton (plastic).

"DR. BONES!" Milo screamed. "WE DISSECTED THEM! ALEX! THE WIN! I AM SELLING ANATOMY CHARTS! ’WHERE ALEX HIT THE BALL’! ONLY FIVE POUNDS!"

"Milo, that skeleton is missing a leg," Alex laughed.

"IT IS A BATTLE SCAR!" Milo yelled.

They walked into the dressing room.

The team was singing.

Alex checked his phone.

A text from Maya.

"Biomechanical analysis: Optimal. Your center of gravity during the drag back was perfect. Also, Professor Muscles says you need to ice your knee. He saw the tackle."

Alex smiled.

He looked at Mark.

Mark was examining the skeleton.

"Hey Professor," Mark said.

"Yeah?"

"Do skeletons eat pizza?"

"No, Mark. They don’t have stomachs."

"That is sad," Mark said. "I will eat a slice for him."