American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

At this moment, he had a familiar smile on his face, and there was no trace of the trouble he had caused George earlier.

"Stop pretending, I've already resigned from the team. Are you satisfied now?" George frowned and stared at Gretel, not giving the other a chance to get close.

"Don't say that. Your leaving the team has nothing to do with me. It's entirely because you're not good enough..." Gret's fake smile disappeared, and his tone became gloating.

"Say what you want!" George, who had already decided to leave, didn't argue with the other person any further. He took one last look at the Melford campus, then turned and walked away.

"Coach, I'm sorry, I didn't know my dad would do this..." Sam, who was following behind his father, took two steps forward, as if he wanted to take his father to apologize to George.

Sam was aware of his father's actions. His previously bad temper had softened, and he vaguely realized that his father's methods were wrong.

“No need to apologize, Sam. This is an adult matter, it has nothing to do with you.” George looked at his teammate, his expression softening. Then he encouraged him, “You have some talent in football, so if you decide to pursue this path, remember to train hard.”

Strictly speaking, Sam's football talent isn't top-tier, but it surpasses many others. If he trains his skills as a running back or defensive end, even if he doesn't become a professional player, he could still easily play in a local league.

“I will, Coach.” Sam nodded seriously.

After the experience of this summer league, he can be considered to have turned over a new leaf and felt the charm of rugby.

“Alright, Sam. He’s not your coach anymore. Now, we should go meet the new head coach and prepare you for being a quarterback next year…” Gretel called out to his son, while giving George and Mike a smug look.

This year, he donated money to the school's football team, infiltrated the sponsors' group, and deliberately targeted George. All of this preparation was ultimately aimed at ensuring his son could become the team's starting quarterback.

After all, to outsiders who don't know much about football, the quarterback is the most glamorous player on the football field.

Watching Sam being led away by his father, George initially wanted to say something. However, he ultimately realized that he was no longer the team's head coach, and it was best to leave the problem to Coach Wayne to solve.

In reality, given Sam's personality and skill ceiling, he's simply not suited for the quarterback position. If he insists on developing in that direction, he'll not only drag the team down but also waste his talent as a running back and defensive end.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of distractions, George said goodbye to Mike again and left the school.

George drove home alone and saw his wife in the living room.

Mary's job at the church was actually quite good, except for the low salary.

Mary only needs to work full-time on weekends when the congregation attends services. On weekdays, when there are few church services, she only needs to work half-days at most.

"George, why are you back? Doesn't the team need to practice?" Mary, who was knitting gloves on the sofa, asked.

With the Texas summer drawing to a close, Mary is preparing to knit some gloves and scarves for her family as a backup.

"I was just about to tell you, I've quit my job with the team." George put down the things he was holding and went to the refrigerator to get himself an ice-cold beer.

Under normal circumstances, George is not allowed to drink beer due to health reasons.

However, Mary couldn't care less about that now. She put down her knitting needles and asked in surprise, "Why? The team's performance this year is so good, isn't the school planning to give you a raise? Besides, if you don't have this job, how will the family afford to live?"

The Cooper family's financial situation had just begun to improve. Now, George has suddenly lost his job, which is undoubtedly a major blow to the family.

Mary's meager salary at the church was simply not enough to support the family's three children.

Money is a very real and important issue for a family of five.

"Don't get excited, I haven't finished yet." George took a sip of his beer and said calmly, "Actually, other schools tried to recruit me. They offered very high salaries..."

Upon hearing her husband's words, Mary's expression changed instantly, and she immediately smiled: "Which school? Austin, or Houston?..."

When it comes to teams that can offer high salaries, Mary can only think of the top teams in Texas.

“No, no, no, none of those!” George shook his head. After his wife guessed several schools in Texas, he smiled and pulled out a letter: “It’s Oklahoma High School!”

During this period, not only Mike received many invitations from schools, but George also attracted the attention of other universities because of his team's excellent results.

The precious letter George held in his hand was the very reason he dared to resign so readily.

Mary's smile froze when she saw the letter in her husband's hand. She asked, "Is it from a school in Oklahoma?"

“Yes, Oklahoma High School is the best high school in Oklahoma, and their football team is very strong…” George didn’t notice the change in his wife’s expression and continued to look forward to the future with excitement: “The school’s board of trustees has promised me a high salary, and that’s not the most important thing.”

You know, good teams are more likely to achieve good results. I might even get a college invitation based on my good performance at Oklahoma High School…”

George usually seems indifferent, but he won't let an opportunity slip by.

Due to the format of the competition, high school football leagues do not charge admission fees. However, college football leagues do sell tickets.

In other words, if George can return to his college coaching position, his salary could increase several times over.

With money, the family's quality of life will naturally improve.

George's ultimate goal is to achieve self-worth while also taking care of his family.

“Wait a minute, George, I’d love to support your work. But what about Mom if our whole family goes to Oklahoma?” Compared to her husband’s excitement, Mary’s smile had vanished.

If the family were to move to Oklahoma, Mary would not only lose her church job, but also have to readjust to the local social dynamics, which would be very difficult and troublesome for a housewife.

Mary was somewhat unable to accept this change.

“It’s okay, Oklahoma isn’t far from Texas, we can come back to see Connie often,” George said optimistically.

Oklahoma and Texas are adjacent states and not too far apart; you can drive one way in a day.

“Well, George. Your new job involves the whole family, so I think I should ask the children for their opinions again,” Mary said, her eyes sparkling.

“Of course, the children’s opinions are important. But I will persuade them…” George said confidently.

He still hasn't noticed that his wife's expression is a little off.

Chapter 105 Math Olympiad Team

Meanwhile, Mike followed his memory and arrived at the classroom where the school's math Olympiad team studied.

"Look who's here! Our big star Mike!" Kevin, the captain of the math team, who was looking around in the classroom, spotted the person coming in at the classroom door at a glance.

Then, he stood up and expressed his welcome to Mike in an exaggerated and quirky tone.

"Sit down, Kevin. It's still time to work on the problems." The instructor, Ms. Sharon, frowned and stopped the impulsive math team captain from the podium.

"But I've already finished..." the lively Kevin tried to justify himself. Then, he received a glare from Ms. Sharon that was as cold as ice.

"Okay, I got it. I'll keep quiet." Kevin immediately admitted defeat and sat down, making a zipping motion over his mouth as if he were doing so.

The rigid and inflexible teacher, Sharon, also noticed Mike's arrival. She forced an unnatural smile to appear more approachable. Then, she said, "Come in, Mike. Find a place to finish this worksheet first."

“Okay.” Mike took the test paper and looked into the classroom.

There were only four students in the classroom. Besides the lively Kevin and the stylish Katie, the other two students wore thick glasses and looked like bookworms at first glance.

At this moment, all four of them turned their gazes to Mike. The two bespectacled math team members looked on in surprise.

After all, Mike was at the height of his popularity on the football team, and the two bespectacled teammates never expected him to join the math Olympiad team.

“Over here, Mike,” Katie called out to Mike.

After Mike sat down next to her, the girl thoughtfully handed him a pen to answer the questions.

"Alright, everyone, focus on your work. You have half an hour left." After Mike sat down, Ms. Sharon reminded the other students who were still observing.

After exchanging a glance with the girl at the next table, Mike began to seriously examine the test paper in his hand.

Chicken and rabbit problem, spatial geometry problem solving...

The single-sided test paper had only ten questions, and Mike didn't think it was very difficult.

On the podium, Ms. Sharon, watching Mike write so swiftly, nodded slightly.

Half an hour passed quickly, and led by Kevin, the team members all handed in their test papers efficiently.

When Ms. Sharon received Mike's test paper, she said, "You're a little late, so I'll give you an extra half hour to answer the questions."

“No need, I’ve already finished,” Mike said.

"Okay." Ms. Sharon glanced at Mike's test paper and made up her mind. Then, she picked up a math olympiad problem set from the table and instructed, "Your progress is much slower than the other students. Take this book home and take a look. If you don't understand anything, come and ask me."

“Okay.” Mike took the question set and returned to his seat.

While Ms. Sharon was grading papers, Mike saw that the other members of the math Olympiad team had all taken out their study materials and started studying seriously.

Even Kevin, who has a carefree personality, seems to be studying very diligently at this moment.

"Katie, is our daily task just to study?" Mike asked curiously.

"Of course not. After Ms. Sharon finishes grading the papers, she will explain a major category of Olympiad math problems to us," Katie explained.

To put it simply, the daily task for the math olympiad team is to complete one math olympiad test paper. Then, after grading the test paper, Ms. Sharon will help everyone identify and fill in any gaps in their knowledge.

Another half hour passed, and after grading the papers, Ms. Karen said, "Everyone has improved on this paper. Kevin and Mike even got full marks. Mike, in particular, deserves praise..."

Upon hearing that Mike had achieved a perfect score on his first math Olympiad test, the rest of the math Olympiad team members were initially slightly surprised, before offering a sparse round of applause.

This also indicates that several veteran members of the math Olympiad team have recognized Mike's abilities.

"Mike, you're amazing!" Katie smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Then, it was time for Teacher Karen to explain the error collection to everyone.

The afternoon was spent doing problems and correcting mistakes.

"Alright, that concludes today's lesson. After class, I hope those of you who got some questions wrong will review the key points carefully." After explaining the last question, Ms. Sharon announced the end of get out of class.

Then, the teacher left the classroom first.

"Mike, there are still some questions I don't understand. Can you explain them to me?" Katie handed over her notebook of mistakes and took the opportunity to ask.

"Okay, I'll go back and study it, and I'll explain the steps to you tomorrow," Mike replied, taking the notebook of incorrect answers.

With Mike's intelligence, the current math olympiad problems are not difficult for him.

Seeing Mike's straightforward actions, Katie hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. Actually, the girl's real purpose was to spend more time alone with Mike.

Before the girl could muster the courage to invite Mike again, Captain Kevin approached from the side.

"Mike, I knew you were a genius like me," Kevin said with a grin. "How about we go sing karaoke later?"

Although Kevin is the captain of the math team, his hip-hop style clothes make him look less like a bookworm and more like a fun-loving person.

"No, I'm going straight home in a bit," Mike refused.

"That's a real shame," Kevin said with a regretful expression. "If you were with us, we could definitely have met up with a lot of pretty girls."

……

After shaking off the enthusiastic Kevin, Mike arrived at the school gate and, as expected, ran into little George.

"You quit the football team?" George Jr.'s first words to him were straight to the point.

“Yes, I’ve joined the school’s math Olympiad team,” Mike said.

"What kind of math olympiad stuff is this... You're so talented in football, why don't you continue playing?" George said somewhat anxiously.

This afternoon, George was quite surprised to learn from Coach Wayne that Mike was leaving the team.

Moreover, the departure of two familiar faces from the team has made George very uncomfortable.

"There's no reason why, I just want to quit," Mike gave a generic answer.

“You…” Little George didn’t know what to say to Mike. Then he asked, “Does George know about this?”

"know."

"And what was his reaction?"

"My reaction is similar to yours."

……

"No, I still think you should continue playing. The team really can't do without you..." George hesitated for a while, and finally decided to persuade Mike with his family at dinner time.

As soon as little George got home, Mary pulled him aside.

“George, do you know that your father is going to teach at a high school in Oklahoma?” Mary asked with a serious expression.

"Oklahoma High School, is that the school that's really good at football? If George goes there to teach, can I play there too?" George asked with a look of surprise.

“The University of Oklahoma is in another state. Would you like to leave?” Mary continued, her face grim.

“Of course, that’s Oklahoma High School!” George’s voice was full of longing.

He's already fantasizing about joining a strong team, easily achieving good results, and being admired by everyone.

“You have friends and people you know here. Are you really willing to leave here and live in a strange place?” Mary asked, her words clearly aimed at guiding him.

“Uh, that is indeed a problem…” George hesitated.

Seeing that her eldest son's attitude had changed, Mary's expression softened. She instructed, "Think about it again. We'll discuss this again at dinner."