At 7 in the morning, the whole of Manchester resembled a large machine with the start button pressed. Every person living in the city seemed to be a small cog in this machine, embarking on a new day of bustling work.
Scarlett Elland emerged from her single apartment right on time, shielding herself from the drizzle with a gray parasol and murmuring to herself, "Another day in this hell."
The morning air was thick with humidity from the overnight rain.
Scarlett worked for the Manchester City Evening News Agency. As a newly graduated intern, she had impressed many veteran reporters within just over a month. She seemed poised to leave her mark.
The Manchester City Evening News held some sway in Manchester, and Scarlett, as an intern reporter, found herself assigned to the sports section. It was said that this was because she had listed sports writing on her resume.
However, in Manchester, where football reigned supreme, Scarlett quickly learned that most readers cared little for marathons or race walking; football was their passion.
"Scarlett, the editor wants to see you in his office!" A colleague informed her as soon as she entered the office.
Diligent as an intern, Scarlett wasted no time. She wanted to make a mark quickly, so she promptly made her way to the editor's office.
"Scarlett, please take a seat," said Johnson, the editor-in-chief, a charming middle-aged man.
Scarlett sat down across from him.
Johnson looked at Scarlett thoughtfully before speaking, "So, Scarlett, how long have you been with the paper?"
"A month and 21 days," Scarlett replied promptly.
"Well, that's not short. Your colleagues speak highly of you, especially regarding your knack for news. I've been thinking, perhaps it's time for you to spread your wings a bit. What do you think?" Johnson asked, his smile oozing charm.
Scarlett was taken aback by the unexpected opportunity. "Really?"
"Yes, but for now, we won't be handing you big stories. You know, newspapers have their rules."
"I understand," Scarlett replied, feeling no disappointment. She knew it was all part of the process.
"Just today, the wire service provided some leads. I heard there's a warm-up match in the Droisten district. Two local amateur clubs are participating. Normally, we wouldn't pay much attention to such a match, but today we've decided to give it some coverage."
"Are you referring to... New Manchester United?" Although Scarlett wasn't a football fan, she had been with the paper for over a month. It was impossible not to know that New Manchester United was currently training in Drouyden. On her first day as an intern reporter, she had even interviewed the owner of New Manchester United, Levi.
At the mention of the club, Scarlett recalled the fervent demonstrations of its fans marching to Old Trafford to demand the creation of their own football club.
"Indeed, it's New Manchester United. It's a peculiar club that's been making headlines. I hope you can follow this story and dig up more news. Can you handle that?"
Scarlett felt she couldn't refuse such an opportunity.
Stepping out of the editor's office, Scarlett was filled with excitement. This was her first solo assignment. Though it might be a minor story, the tone of the editor's voice suggested it would have a significant space in the paper. It filled her with anticipation.
"I must do a great job with this report!" Scarlett encouraged herself.
Eager to prepare, Scarlett quickly armed herself and arrived early in Droysten.
With the game still hours away, there were only a few sparse fans milling around the stadium, likely early birds.
Standing before the old and dilapidated stadium, Scarlett couldn't help but feel surprised. Compared to the grandeur of Old Trafford, this place felt remote and desolate. Would people really come here to watch a match?
Scarlett walked up to the stadium's security office and approached the ticket window.
"Hello, sir. Could I have a ticket for the afternoon warm-up match?" Scarlett asked politely.
"Sorry, sold out," the elderly security guard inside replied proudly. It was rare for the Butcher's Knife Stadium to sell out tickets.
"Well, can I purchase standing tickets then?" Scarlett asked, unfazed. She was willing to stand if it meant covering the game.
"Sorry, all gone," the guard replied with a hint of pride. Even the half-price tickets for children had sold out five days ago.
"Five...five days ago?" Scarlett repeated, incredulous.
"Yeah, even those who called in couldn't get tickets. Nothing to be done about it. We just can't keep up with demand," the guard grumbled to himself. "If only every game had this kind of attendance, Mr. Nape would have to upgrade the stadium."
Scarlett didn't catch the last part of his muttering. She walked toward the gate, peering into the stadium. The grass inside was in poor condition, perhaps the worst she'd ever seen, resembling sand more than grass.
Would they really play in such conditions?
"Are you a reporter?" A voice startled Scarlett from behind.
She turned to find a young man with black hair and gentle skin standing before her. He looked handsome and sunny, but Scarlett couldn't shake the memory of him from the demonstrations.
"Yes, I'm an intern reporter for the Manchester Evening News. My name is Scarlett Elland." She showed him her press card, wondering why she couldn't recall interviewing him before.
"Oh, come in. You're the first reporter to arrive for our team's first game, so your ticket is complimentary," the man, Levi, said with a smile, opening a small door next to the security room and ushering Scarlett inside.
"Um...Mr. Levi, there's still some time before the match. Could I interview you first?" Scarlett took a step forward.
Levi stopped and shook his head. "Sorry, if you want an interview, you'll have to wait for the head coach and players to arrive. You can speak with them. I prefer not to be interviewed."
With that, Levi turned and disappeared into the office, closing the door behind him.
Watching him go, Scarlett pursed her lips thoughtfully. She then made her way out to the stadium aisle and walked over to the field, camera in hand. She took several photos of the Butcher's Knife Stadium from various angles, including the stands and the pitch.
After completing her circuit around the stadium, Scarlett had taken a dozen photos and made several pages of notes about Butcher's Knife Stadium, all in preparation for her report.
As she heard the stadium doors opening, Scarlett assumed it was the players arriving and hurried out.
To her surprise, it was just a few early-arriving fans. Disappointed, she was about to turn away when she noticed a figure emerging from a black Volkswagen parked nearby.
Steve Bruce!
The former Manchester United captain, renowned as one of the greatest central defenders in the club's history, had been without a team since terminating his contract with Birmingham. The Manchester City Evening News had previously sought an exclusive interview with him, but he had politely declined. What was he doing here?
Was he here for the match?
As Scarlett hesitated over whether to approach Steve Bruce, several more cars pulled up on Marquette Street. What Scarlett saw next left her utterly shocked. People emerged from the cars one after another—people she never would have expected to see here.
Peter Schmeichel, David May, Denis Irwin, the Neville Brothers, Wes Brown, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Solskjaer, Scholes, ronaldinho, even David Beckham, who had just been sent off at the World Cup and had become a pariah across England, was there.
Wasn't this the Red Rebels, which had been criticized as a Manchester United renegade?
Why were all the main Manchester United players here?
Scarlett's mind raced with questions as she observed the unexpected gathering.