When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 51 I hope for twenty years from now. (Please continue reading!)
Roy wants to settle his family in Monaco.

Monaco provides compulsory education for children aged 6 to 12, and its education system is the same as that of France.

There are 7 kindergartens and primary schools, and 1 public junior high school, Charles III Secondary School. In the future, Chinese will be taught as a second foreign language. By 2024, Chinese courses will have been offered for nearly 20 years.

In 2015, Monaco also began a teaching collaboration with the Confucius Institute on the French Riviera, a project jointly run by Tianjin University and the University of Nice.

In 2003, the monthly rent for an apartment with three or more bedrooms in Monaco was between 8000 and 15000 euros (depending on location and decoration), which was still a considerable expense for Roy at the time.

Roy recently asked a real estate agent named "La Costa Properties" to help him find a house, and he finally found one that he was satisfied with and comfortable.

Unexpectedly, the landlord, Jean-Pierre Monardi, a 75-year-old local gentleman from Monaco, came in person, dressed in a custom-made three-piece suit and leaning on a silver-handled cane.

The old man's hands trembled with excitement:

"Roy! I've had a regular seat in the south stand of the Stade Louis II since Le Dijk's first stint as manager in 1958! In 1978, when Le Dijk took over for the second time, I watched Jean Petit, Christian Dalgrie, and Leo Onnes win their second title!"

Monardi trembled as he pulled out his 1978 Monaco season ticket, the edges of which were already yellowed.

Roy smiled politely.

"Thank you for your support, sir. I'm very satisfied with this apartment; the rent and the renovation are both excellent."

Monardi suddenly interrupted:

"Rent? No, no, no! As long as you agree to stay in Monaco, you can live here for free!"

He patted his chest and said, "I have a stent in my heart, and the doctor said I need happiness—and happiness is watching Monaco win! Every goal you score adds a month to my life!"

Roy's inner monologue:

"Good heavens, are they using me as a life-saving pill?"

He took the pen and paused on the old man's 1978 season ticket.

"The 1978 Ligue 1 title belongs to you and Mr. Petit, but I would prefer to sign your 2002-2003 season ticket so that twenty years from now you can say to others: Hey, I watched that kid Roy score a goal at the Stade Louis II twenty years ago! We won the Ligue 1 title that year!"

Monardi was overjoyed:

"Fine, fine! If you can lead the team to the Champions League, I'll give you this house! The one next door will do too! Anyway, my grandson only likes Arsenal—traitor!"

Monardi was so angry that he jabbed the floor with his cane.

"Respecting Wenger doesn't mean respecting all the teams he manages!"

Roy ultimately declined the offer of a free apartment, but at the old man's insistence, he rented it for half price.

The condition is that if they win the Ligue 1 title this season, he needs to receive a signed version of the match jersey.

On April 20, 2003, in the 34th round of Ligue 1, Monaco hosted Strasbourg.

Canal+ Live Commentary Transcript:

The opening shot pans across the electrifying stands of the Stade Louis II, as the background music fades out.

Commentator Jean-Pierre's voice was full of passion: "Good evening, everyone! Welcome to the Stade Louis II in Monaco! Just yesterday, Lyon was held to a draw at the Stade Gerland – 0-0! What does this mean? If Monaco takes all three points at home tonight, they will widen the gap to five points! With four rounds left in the league, this is practically a 'safety belt' for the championship!"

The camera cuts to the Monaco players' tunnel, where Roy is tying his shoelaces.

"Deschamps fielded a highly attacking lineup tonight – Roma in goal! The defense, from left to right: Evra, Squillaci, Rodriguez, and Elfaqiri! Bernardi and Marquez partnered in the double pivot, while Rothen and Giuly remained on the wings! And up front – long time no see! Shabani Nonda is finally back in the starting lineup! But the most eye-catching player is still that 18-year-old prodigy – Roy! Tonight he's playing as usual at left center forward, ready to create a dangerous chance at any moment!"

The camera focused on Strasbourg goalkeeper Fernandez nervously wringing his hands.

Jean-Pierre grinned mischievously:
"Strasbourg, after their 2-0 victory over Nantes last round, are now ranked 13th in the league. Next up, they will face Monaco and Lyon in succession! What a grueling schedule! The match is about to begin, let's wait and see!"

The referee blew his whistle, and the match began.

Pierre suddenly raised his voice:
"Roy's first touch! Cheers erupted from the stands! Monaco fans knew—this boy might be the answer to the championship they've been waiting for!"

The 7th minute of the game.

Roy dropped back to the left side of midfield and completed a quick one-two with Rothen, shaking off Strasbourg midfielder Camadini.

Step on the ball and turn! He deftly dribbled past the recovering Martins, then subtly flicked the ball to change direction, before dodging Delof's tackle!

A diagonal cut directly behind the defensive line!

Nonda successfully broke the offside trap and unleashed a powerful shot on a one-on-one situation – bang!

The ball slammed against the crossbar and bounced back!

Shabani stood there, his expression complex—frustration, resentment, and self-doubt.

He stared down at the grass, as if questioning his shooting boots.

Roy didn't shrug, didn't complain, and didn't walk over.

He simply clapped his hands from a distance, his eyes calm, as if to say, "I'll get in next time."

After a long silence, Shabani walked up to Roy and said in a low voice, "Good pass! It was my fault."

Roy smiled slightly and patted his back gently: "Take your time to get back into form. We'll have plenty of opportunities."

Commentator Jean-Pierre said, "Roy's magic almost led to a goal! Shabani, he was so eager to prove himself! But look at Roy's reaction, not a single complaint, that's the chemistry of a title-contending team!"

The 19th minute of the game.

Bernardi observed Roy's tendency to start near the center circle in his own half and used the outside of his right foot to send out a 30-meter long pass over the top. The ball was fast and had a flat arc, accurately bypassing the head of Strasbourg's defensive midfielder, Camadini.

"Bernardi has got it all figured out! A long, penetrating pass with the outside of his foot—this ball is aimed right at Roy!"

Just before Bernardi touched the ball, Roy feigned a retreat, then suddenly accelerated in the opposite direction, unleashing his full power!

He lobbed the ball and sprinted, getting past Fisher who was trying to block him, creating a one-on-one situation.

"Roy's acceleration is like a cheetah! Devor was completely fooled by his feint! Offside trap successfully—it's a perfect combination of speed and anticipation!"

Devor, who was covering the play, desperately chased back, but seeing that he couldn't catch up with Roy, he grabbed Roy's jersey collar tightly with his right hand, trying to foul him to stop the one-on-one opportunity!

Roy tensed his upper body muscles, unleashed his core strength, and stubbornly withstood Devor's pull to continue sprinting!
His jersey was torn and deformed, but Roy's sprinting rhythm did not slow down at all. He sprinted the ball forward 5 meters with his left foot and used his absolute speed to outrun his opponent!

He outmaneuvered Devor in three strides and stormed into the penalty area!
"Roy's gone off the rails! DeVos couldn't even hold him back! It's like he's racing a Ferrari while dragging a bicycle!!!"

The Stade Louis II erupted like a tsunami.

The die-hard fans in the south stand instantly erupted in excitement.

The roar of "ROOOOOOOI!!!" swept across the entire venue like a thunderstorm!
People in the north stand started stomping their feet frantically.

The rhythm of "Allez! Allez! Allez!" shook the stands!

A shirtless fan waved a Monaco team flag, shouting, "This kid is a monster!!"

The Strasbourg fan section was deathly silent, with a few away fans clutching their heads and staring wide-eyed. "Is he even 18?!"

Roy dribbled the ball to the left flank, made no adjustments, straightened the instep of his left foot, and unleashed a powerful low shot!
The ball, like a cannonball, hurtled straight into the bottom left corner of the goal at extremely high speed, its trajectory almost entirely without spin.

Without hesitation! Roy took the shot immediately! This shot was incredibly sudden!
Strasbourg can only hope that Fernandez is possessed by the god of goalkeeping!

The god of goalkeeping doesn't belong to capitalist goalkeepers!
Fernandez dived to the side, but the ball struck the inside of the left post before bouncing into the net!

My fingertips barely grazed the ball, unable to stop it.

"Bang! Even the post couldn't stop it! Goal! Roy's low shot left the goalkeeper helpless! 1-0! Monaco takes the lead!"

"From midfield to the net, it only took 4 seconds! Roy tore apart Strasbourg's defense with a textbook counter-attack! From start to finish, this ball was a display of top talent—the 18-year-old played with the flair of a superstar!"

After scoring, Roy slid down three meters on his knees with his arms outstretched, leaving two deep marks on the grass, before suddenly standing up!

With arms crossed in front of his chest, he sports the signature "metal salute"!
A deafening roar erupted from the stands—"LE DIABLE! (Demon King!)"

The cheers grew louder and louder!
Roy suddenly turned around and pointed at Bernardi, who was sprinting towards him in the distance. The two collided violently near the center line. Bernardi, who was not tall, was almost knocked over. Roy laughed and grabbed him!
(End of this chapter)