Before Levi left England, he had called to inform Curtis's parents to reassure them that their son was doing well in Manchester. During Levi's absence, Curtis's parents frequently called and asked Curtis to return to London. However, Curtis was never ready to go back, insisting on staying.
Now, more than half a month had passed, and Curtis's father, who was busy with work, finally rushed to Manchester.
As a mixed-race family, Curtis's father was an African immigrant and his mother an Englishwoman. The former worked in a logistics company and was very busy, while the latter was a housewife, typical of an ordinary British low-income family.
Out of consideration, Levi arranged for a meeting at a restaurant on the outskirts of club stadium.
The four of them sat face to face. Curtis's parents sat side by side, staring at Curtis the whole time. Curtis, looking like a child who had done something wrong, kept his head down, not daring to look at anyone.
The silence made the atmosphere stiff.
"Oh, I heard from Curtis that your family enjoys Italian food. The Italian food here is quite famous. Please, try it and see how it compares to London," Levi said with a smile, breaking the silence.
Mr. Davis retracted his gaze, turned to Levi, and nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much, Mr. Levi. Curtis must have caused you a lot of trouble. Please forgive our negligence."
"It's nothing. He likes playing football, so he mostly stays at the training field."
Mr. Davis sighed, taking a deep look at Curtis. "It's all my fault. I'm busy with work, otherwise I should have come to take him back."
"I don't want to go back!" Curtis suddenly looked up, yelling.
"What are you talking about? If you don't go back, what do you plan to do?"
"Yeah, Curtis, come on, go back with us. You can play football in London. There are more children who like to play football in Luton. You can play with them," Mrs. Davis persuaded.
"No, I won't go to Luton. I will stay at New Manchester United!" Curtis remained stubborn.
"New Manchester United is just a newly established amateur club. Luton is a formal professional club. Many people want to train there..." Mr. Davis was getting agitated until Mrs. Davis nudged him to calm down.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Levi, really sorry, I didn't mean that," Mr. Davis apologized, clearly flustered.
"It's okay, you're right. We are indeed a newly formed club, but we're not amateurs. We have signed a few full-time contracts, though the pay is not as high as Luton's."
Hearing this, Mr. Davis was more at a loss, trying to explain but afraid of making it worse. Finally, he sighed.
"Frankly, Mr. Levi, I am a Manchester United fan and I support you 100%. But Curtis is my son. Everyone says he has a talent for football. Our family isn't wealthy, so we can't provide him much. But he's managed to gain recognition from the Luton Club."
Mr. Davis smiled proudly, like all fathers proud of their son's achievements.
"Although there's no salary as an apprentice for the youth team, Luton covers the costs of his education, training, and living expenses. This is a great help for families like ours. Luton is a long-established club, even though they were relegated from the Premier League in 1992 and from English B in 1996. As a professional club, Luton can provide Curtis with a better development environment."
What Mr. Davis said was true, and Levi couldn't refute it.
In his memory, Luton had never returned to the Premier League since relegation but had been in the English Premier League (Championship), English League One, English League Two, and even the National League.
As a veteran club, Luton was indeed more established in English football than New Manchester United.
"You are right, Mr. Davis. I do not deny that, for now, we are inferior to Luton in many aspects. But we can offer something Luton cannot: more opportunities for Curtis."
As soon as Levi paused, Curtis interjected excitedly.
"Yes, Dad! Do you know who our opponents are in New Manchester United's internal training? Giggs, Ryan Giggs, and Roy Keane! They come to train with us every day. You can't believe I can play with them."
Curtis's face lit up, recalling playing with Giggs and Keane.
"You don't know how amazing it is to play with them on the field. Roy and Ryan often give me advice, and Steve Bruce, the greatest central defender in Manchester United history, is my partner now. He teaches me all the time. From them, I can learn a lot."
"Dad, this is a different club. I like it here. I like Levi, even though he's always worried about my education. I admire Steve; he's an outstanding, almost perfect central defender. I also like everyone here. They are very enthusiastic, unlike Luton's cold training camp."
Curtis had never spoken so much before. His parents stared at him in shock, wondering if Levi had given him something.
But Curtis's enthusiasm about Manchester United's big names made Mr. Davis skeptical.
Isn't New Manchester United just a splinter from Manchester United?
"Steve Bruce has promised to be our team's head coach. Ryan has just returned from vacation and trains with our club. Roy is recovering from a serious injury, but they support our club."
Mr. Davis finally understood but was still surprised. He didn't expect that Levi had recruited Steve Bruce as head coach, with Keane and Giggs supporting him. This was indeed unexpected.
"Mr. Davis, I believe that a talented player doesn't necessarily need to go to a professional training camp to succeed. With Steve Bruce as a mentor, the help is significant. Although we're playing in the Northwest Division B now, I am confident we can be promoted to the National League within five years. By then, Curtis will be 18, just in time to get ample opportunities."
Seeing Mr. Davis still hesitant, Levi made a bold proposal.
"If you don't believe it, we can make an agreement. After five years, if New Manchester United cannot advance to the National League and a higher-ranked team is interested in Curtis, we are willing to release him unconditionally without charging a penny."
Levi's determination, combined with Curtis's enthusiasm, finally convinced the Davis couple.
"But you don't seem to have a youth camp," Mr. Davis pointed out another concern.
Levi also felt the headache. Establishing a youth training camp took time, money, and personnel. But how could New Manchester United attract young players and coaches?
"For now, we will let Curtis train with the team, taking his age into account and arranging his training accordingly. Bruce is already working on it."
Mr. Davis and his wife, unfamiliar with the intricacies of football, trusted Levi's plan since Curtis had no objections.
Though they decided to let Curtis stay in Manchester, they had many questions about his living arrangements and schooling.
Levi patiently explained the club's arrangements for Curtis in detail, reassuring the Davis couple about their son's well-being in Manchester.
Finally, after addressing all their doubts and confirming Curtis would be well taken care of, they began to warn Curtis to train hard, study well, and strive for success.
Levi sat aside, feeling both touched and helpless. Parents' love was evident, but sometimes their concerns extended too far. At 13, they were already worrying about whether he could have a girlfriend.
Since Mr. Davis had to work the next morning, the couple rushed back to London after dinner. Levi and Curtis saw them off at airport, sending them to a taxi before returning to club.
"Hey, you promised my dad that we would be promoted to the National League in five years. Don't brag!" Curtis looked at Levi skeptically. He had heard about the funding issues, which were crucial for a club's success. But Levi didn't seem wealthy.
"Don't worry. Five years is enough time. Maybe even less. But you should focus on improving yourself. Even if we can't promote New Manchester United, you can still join a big club. Understand?"
Curtis nodded, wanting to say something but holding back.