In the following period, Meemaw Connie, unwilling to admit defeat, seemed determined to rebuild her status in Professor John's heart. So, she visited Professor John at the University of Texas significantly more often.
As for Mike, he was at school in the morning, at the University of Texas in the afternoon, accompanied Mia to see her grandmother on weekends, and took time to communicate with Lena.
Life was busy and fulfilling.
However, as time reached July and the Summer High School Football League began, Mike really felt a bit overwhelmed.
First, on Mia's side, as the time for the Genovia royal gathering approached, the etiquette lessons the girl needed to learn became increasingly heavy.
Therefore, the areas where she needed Mike's help increased.
Secondly, although Professor John's research project hadn't encountered any major mess, the research process was accelerating repeatedly.
No choice, although the annual Nobel Prize results were selected in early December, the submission for selection qualification was around October.
That meant the Thruster Recovery research project needed results within the next three months.
Under these circumstances, Professor John wished he could split each researcher into two.
Under this urgent situation, Mike's "elite" group inevitably had to bear more work.
Finally, the school's Summer Football League.
Not only did Coach George express a strong desire for Mike to return to the team, but even old Principal Tom personally sought out Mike.
Principal Tom had confirmed his resignation after Christmas this year. Therefore, he hoped to see the school gain more honors in the last half-year of his tenure.
This seemed to have become the old man's obsession.
With the situation this serious, Mike found it hard to refuse the football team's activities.
So, he could only transform into a time management master, rotating among the three teams.
The only good news was that there was no melodrama in the school football team.
Mike became the team captain very smoothly, and the team members were also very willing to cooperate with his style and tactics.
Just like this, in early July, Mike led his new teammates to easily win the first game. At the same time, Mike took time to visit the state newspaper office to discuss poster distribution with Manager James.
However, due to the previous "star-making" effect of the newspaper office, Manager James stammered that if Mike wanted to continue cooperation this time, he needed to yield more benefits.
But times have changed; Manager James obviously misjudged the situation.
Mike, with a booming stock portfolio, really didn't lack this small money. So, too lazy to argue, he turned around and found Reporter Jack for cooperation.
Reporter Jack was the one from the TV station who bet on Mike first.
Now he had been transferred back to the TV department and became a team leader there.
Seeing Mike seek him out again, Jack was very happy and immediately expressed that he could take less share.
However, Mike insisted on a fifty-fifty split.
Jack needed to find people for poster production and distribution. Mike was just a hands-off boss waiting to split the money in the end, so there was no need to take more advantage.
The actual situation was that Jack's attitude made Mike recognize him as a friend, so he was willing to win-win with the other party.
A week passed, and it was mid-July. Before the second elimination match began, Jack brought Mike bad news.
Manager James from the TV station's newspaper department announced that no matter how well Mike performed in this year's summer league, his news would not be published in the newspaper again.
At the same time, Jack also brought Mike good news. The leaders of the TV department stated that as long as Mike continued his hot performance from the first half of the year, the TV department promised to make a special sports documentary feature for him after the season ended.
"This is probably your idea again!" Mike stared at Jack and said with a smile.
The other party brought a larger professional filming team this time, obviously preparing for the subsequent TV special.
"Do your best, strive to lead Medford to the finals, there will be a live broadcast then..." Jack answered irrelevantly, but the meaning was already very clear.
Subsequently, in the second round of elimination matches, Mike lived up to expectations and led his teammates to defeat the opponent again with a brilliant performance.
Thus, Mike's title of football "rising star," even without newspaper promotion, reappeared in the view of many football fans.
At the same time, with the support of the old principal on campus, halfway through the season, Mike became the hero of Medford High School again.
For a time, in the land of Texas where strength speaks, Mike's limelight even surpassed ordinary second-rate celebrities.
Fame and wealth were within easy reach.
And what Mike had to do now was to continue winning more games.
Another week passed, and the Medford football team advanced triumphantly, defeating opponents with strong strength again and successfully advancing to the finals.
Under this series of victories, the star tactic also showed its power, which was the "star-making" ability.
Mike, at the core position of the team, rose in prestige again, unmatched for a time.
This was the charm of "March Madness" (though it was July)...
Time came to the end of July. On the day of the finals, Medford's opponent this time was Austin High School, which had looked down on them in the invitational tournament in the first half of the year.
This live-broadcast final was chosen to be held in the Texas Stadium.
Texas Stadium, a sports venue specially prepared for various large-scale events, had a full 50,000 seats in the audience alone.
Various sports facilities in the venue were also very complete and advanced.
At this moment, this grand open-air sports stadium was filled with football fans from all over Texas.
"Don't be nervous, kids. We have already created a miracle. Next, I just hope you can enjoy this game." In the pre-match preparation area, Coach George guided the team members.
Saying not to be nervous, but facing such a grand array, Coach George's own hands were shaking a bit.
"Go Mike... Go Mike..."
"Go Wonder Boy!!!"
Ideally, there was still a while before the game started, but huge cheers came from the audience.
Everyone loves Mike!
It might be that there was a mole in the TV station. A few days ago, this person exposed the conflict between Mike and the newspaper department.
So now Mike inexplicably got the nickname "Wonder Boy."
Many people seemed to regard Mike as their spiritual sustenance; these people liked the "resistance" spirit in Mike.
Thanks to James, his deliberate difficulties seemed to give Mike the opportunity to be "deified."
"Go, take the team members to warm up..." Coach George, who had been watching the time in the rest area, reminded Mike when there were ten minutes left before the game started.
"Follow me~" Mike, wearing the captain's armband, got up and called his teammates.
At the same time, dense camera flashes lit up on the sidelines. Obviously, this scene of Mike getting up to greet his teammates was recorded by many people.
Shiny lights filled the eyes, and cheers like tides filled the ears.
Because it was a semi-enclosed venue, standing in the center of the stadium, one could feel that the audience's cheers were exceptionally enthusiastic.
In the venue of 50,000 people, dense crowds of frantically cheering people were everywhere.
Facing such a big scene, athletes on the field being able to keep their movements from stiffening was already considered having a big heart.
At this time, Mike, who circled the field, returned to the center of the field and saw many teammates so nervous that they couldn't even move their legs.
Obviously, this batch of new players of the Medford football team had never seen such a big array and was a bit scared.
"Medford~"
Seeing this, Mike extended his hand and shouted.
"Victory!"
Teammates gathered around tacitly and put their hands together.
"Medford~"
"Victory!!!"
...
Sure enough, at certain moments, a good leader can transmit positive emotions to teammates.
"Being able to appear here proves that you are excellent. So you don't need to be afraid of anyone, even if the opponent is last year's league champion team..." Mike encouraged his teammates.
Soon the warm-up time ended, and this year's Summer Football League Finals officially kicked off.
The Medford football team luckily got the ball right in the coin toss, and the offensive and defensive teams of both sides walked onto the midfield line simultaneously.
"Like before, everyone follow me closely. Trust me, victory belongs to Medford~"
During the preparation time, Mike loudly reminded his offensive team members.
The tactics of the Medford football team were simple, just playing the star tactic around Mike. Anyone who knew about the recent games of the Medford football team knew this.
However, this simple and crude tactic used by the Medford football team was surprisingly powerful, only because they had a powerful core.
This was also another interpretation of Mike's "Wonder Boy" title.
He always seemed to bring the audience the surprises they wanted.
Beep—
The game whistle blew.