From Marquette Street, there's a bus stop not far from the intersection, where Levi could wait for a ride back into the city.
Originally, Levi had another option, which was to call a taxi directly, but suddenly he didn't know what happened, he wanted to take a bus. Perhaps it was because of the routine crowded bus rides during his commute that it became a sort of habit.
Levi wasn't sure if it was just luck or if all buses were like this, but there weren't many people waiting for the bus, leaving several seats vacant. He took advantage of this and found a good seat next to the window. As the bus slowly moved forward, the gentle wind blew on his face, offering a pleasant sensation.
The places passing by along the way always gave Levi a strange yet familiar feeling, leaving him feeling somewhat perplexed.
The unfamiliarity stemmed from everything here being absent from his memory and never appearing in his life, yet he had to admit that he had lived in this place for 23 years, and everything he saw before him felt familiar.
As for the sense of wonder, it was because as he traveled along, he hardly ever saw any tall buildings.
In the past, Levi's city was filled with high-rise buildings. The suburbs were either industrial areas or real estate developments. But seeing Manchester in front of him now, without the peace of mind, plus the occasional luxury car passing by, Levi might have mistaken it for a small, backward township.
After entering the urban area, there were occasional sightings of several high-rise buildings, but most of the structures were still not tall and appeared quite old. However, with unified planning and a reasonable layout, the entire city's appearance and atmosphere were quite comfortable.
The bus terminated at Piccadilly Park as the central station. Upon disembarking, Levi didn't rush home but instead caught another bus passing through Old Trafford.
Trafford Park, situated on the outskirts of the city and surrounded by open spaces, was renowned as the largest shopping mall in Europe. Nestled within this expansive shopping garden was Manchester United's home stadium, Old Trafford Stadium.
After alighting at Sir Matt Busby Road, Levi made his way to Old Trafford.
Sir Matt Busby Avenue lay between the shopping mall and a large open-air parking lot. Generally quiet on non-match days, it provided an easy view of Old Trafford Stadium from the intersection. The giant star advertisement prominently displayed on the stadium's facade featured the most popular Manchester United stars of the day.
As Levi walked along, he arrived at the advertisement and looked at Ryan Giggs, the star of the display, with a sense of amusement.
"The two brothers do look alike. Maybe someday I'll hang a large Rodrigue Giggs advertisement on the stadium's facade, and perhaps some fans would stumble into the stadium thinking it's a Manchester United game!" Levi mused to himself.
In his previous life as a fan, one of his dreams was to visit the homes of all the football giants in continental Europe, to experience the football atmosphere firsthand.
However, now that he had taken the first step, his feelings were quite different.
Now he was the rival of Manchester United!
While Manchester United might not care about this new opponent, Levi wouldn't allow himself to remain in the lower leagues forever. One day, he would lead New Manchester United from the bottom of the league to the Premier League. Though the journey would be arduous and filled with challenges, Levi was determined not to give up!
Though Levi had been passionate about football in his previous life, he couldn't rely on football for a living. He lacked the talent to play professionally and the opportunity to work in the football industry. He had only been able to secure jobs that barely paid enough to make ends meet, leading a rather mundane existence.
But now things were different. Given the opportunity to go back to 1998, Levi wouldn't allow himself to settle for mediocrity.
"At the very least, I've been given a chance, and I'm going to make the most of it!" Levi clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination within him.
At that moment, a train rumbled past Old Trafford, as if carrying away all of Levi's past. From now on, he would embark on a new journey in life!
For this new life, Levi set himself a goal—to surpass Manchester United!
Standing in front of Old Trafford for a while, as Levi was about to leave, he noticed a familiar figure standing under the bronze statue of Sir Matt Busby in the distance, gazing up at it with reverence.
"Do you like Manchester United?" Levi asked.
"Well, I've come all the way from London specifically to see Old Trafford. Sir Matt Busby is someone I greatly admire. He's a legend!" Curtis Davis pointed at the bronze statue and spoke reverently.
"Since you like Manchester United, why did you come to try out for the Red Rebels?" Levi inquired.
The Red Rebels was the nickname of the new club. Although the official name of the club hadn't been finalized yet, the nickname was already well-known among fans, and discussions about the Red Rebels had already begun in Walsh's bars. Fans of the Red Rebels were beginning to organize themselves.
"I don't know. I just love them, but I also love Manchester United. My dad said that the Red Rebels aren't traitors—they chose to rebel because of their extreme love for the game. That's worthy of recognition and respect!"
After a brief pause, Curtis looked despondent. "Unfortunately, they don't plan to establish a youth team anytime soon. I'm only 13 years old and don't meet the requirements, so..." He trailed off, wearing a helpless expression.
"In that case, aren't you going back? Your parents must be worried about you," Levi remarked, patting the boy's head and noticing that he was almost as tall as himself.
At just 13 years old, Curtis was almost as tall as Levi. Given his sturdy build, if he continued to grow for a few more years, he would undoubtedly be a formidable presence on the field.
This kid's physical prowess was impressive! A budding football talent!
As Levi thought about it, he realized that although the boy was still young, his mentality was quite mature. He knew how to discern what was good for him and what wasn't.
Not all children who loved playing football would have a successful future. For example, the name Curtis Davis didn't ring any bells for Levi.
But as he thought about how to encourage the boy, a piece of news suddenly came to mind.
In 2008, when Capello first took over England, he finalized the first England national team list, which included Curtis Davis's name. Starting out at Luton and later moving to West Bromwich Albion, he was loaned to Aston Villa during the 2007 winter break and put in impressive performances in several Premier League games, earning him the nickname "Ferdinand II".
If this young boy was indeed Curtis Davis, it would be a real coup!