The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 2: The Future of the Next Generation of the Hall Family

In the days that followed, aside from attending school, Aldrich would go to the pub with his two brothers in the evenings to watch football matches. Though he was repulsed by the chaos of the East London community, he had become accustomed to it since becoming part of it.

As the World Cup in Mexico progressed, Aldrich appeared preoccupied. His eldest brother returned home every day filled with laughter, as his betting teams had promising chances to advance. Andrew, too, came home each day shouting in joy about their victories. Arthur and Amelia saw their children swept up in the World Cup excitement, indulging in betting on matches, but they did not scold them; instead, they cautioned them not to get too carried away and to avoid dreaming of instant wealth.

The Hall family was, at heart, working-class with little in the way of refinement or sophistication. Their neighbors came from various walks of life, and betting on matches, drinking, and occasionally getting into fights were but ordinary occurrences. As long as they avoided gang involvement and illegal businesses, the adults refrained from chastising the children.

After the group stage concluded, Barnett returned home somewhat dejected, handing Andrew one hundred forty pounds — the amount Andrew had won, including his principal.

Andrew took the money with a grin and said to his brother, "Don't be down, who would have thought Portugal would be going home?"

Barnett shrugged dismissively, "It's just a pity; I only made under two hundred pounds."

Barnett's mistake lay with Group F; he thought both Portugal and England would progress. In reality, Portugal had shockingly defeated England in their first match, leading many to believe they were on track to advance, yet they ended up losing twice and heading home instead.

Andrew, however, was notably luckier. He had simply bet on England making it to the knockout stage. The night Portugal triumphed over England, he barely slept, prompting Aldrich, who shared a room with him, to find humor in the situation while comforting him throughout the night.

Winning money only fueled the desire for more. Andrew dashed into the bedroom, addressing Aldrich, who was lost in thought at his desk, saying, "Let's guess the quarter-finalists next."

Aldrich snapped back to reality and sighed, "The only teams I'm confident about are Argentina, England, and West Germany. Don't bother with any others."

He recalled only the finalists, knowing that Argentina had not faced England in the round of sixteen, indicating that England must have advanced.

After mulling it over, Andrew nodded, "Alright, I'll go tell Barnett."

Aldrich watched his brother sprint out of the room and muttered to himself, "What will I do in the future?"

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person with a singular interest in football. Though Aldrich was biologically only ten years old now, he was resistant to conforming to the routine of attending school.

After the round of sixteen, Barnett and Andrew were elated, clearly having made some more winnings.

When they excitedly appeared before Aldrich to discuss the final four teams, Aldrich could only helplessly state, "West Germany and Argentina are the only two teams worth betting on."

Barnett appeared reluctant, saying, "Argentina might not definitely beat England."

Andrew stared at the over two hundred pounds in his hand — after deducting his principal, he had made over a hundred pounds, a remarkable achievement for a thirteen-year-old. He didn't want to rush into making choices.

Aldrich didn't say much, pulling open a drawer at his desk and holding up a lottery ticket, saying, "At this moment, shouldn't I support myself?"

More than half a month had passed since, and Barnett and Andrew now remembered that Aldrich had placed a bet on the finalists with that ticket. Upon reviewing it, they realized it predicted Argentina as the champion and West Germany as the runner-up.

The two brothers showed camaraderie, and with that, the trio decided to bet on Argentina and West Germany advancing.

On the day of the England-Argentina clash, Aldrich watched in the pub as fans vehemently criticized Maradona. He was both astonished by Maradona's miraculous solo goal against England and then left in stunned silence as England ultimately lost 1-2 and exited the tournament.

Back home, Aldrich, along with his brothers, felt a sliver of consolation amid the disappointment.

Although Andrew and Barnett had won money, they were not truly happy; nothing felt worse than watching the team they supported be eliminated.

With the teams advancing to the finals now clear, there was no need to deliberate further. They would continue to support West Germany and Argentina.

When the final day arrived, Barnett had over thirteen hundred pounds, while Andrew approached four hundred.

However, they realized with frustration that Aldrich's lottery ticket, if it won, would yield a return of sixty-five times his stake. In other words, should Argentina lift the trophy, Aldrich would gain six thousand five hundred pounds.

As Aldrich watched the final in the pub, he appeared relaxed, while Andrew and Barnett were on pins and needles, continuously drinking and cheering for Argentina, albeit silently due to the presence of other patrons, since Argentina had controversially eliminated England.

In the end, Argentina triumphed over West Germany with a score of 3-2, claiming the World Cup. Maradona ascended to legendary status, while Aldrich's brothers could no longer contain their excitement and shouted joyfully, quickly fleeing the pub under the astonished gazes of other patrons.

On a summer night in East London, the three Hall brothers sat on the grass, animatedly discussing the fruitful outcomes of the Mexican World Cup. They held beer bottles in one hand and fried chicken in the other, their excitement keeping them awake through the night.

As the drinks flowed, Barnett suddenly grew somber, lying back on the grass and gazing at the vast starry sky with a wistful sigh.

Andrew, persistently relieved, kept counting the pounds he held in his hands. Before the World Cup began, they had merely accumulated five hundred pounds through two years of hard work from their eldest brother, and now the three brothers held a little over ten thousand pounds. Andrew, eyes sparkling with greed, flipped through the notes excitedly.

Noticing his brother's unusual silence, Aldrich approached and asked, "What's on your mind?"

Barnett shielded his forehead with his hand and said quietly, "I don't want to keep being a glazier."

Over the past two years, he's assisted Arthur, primarily working on installations for customers. The job had little promise in terms of future prospects.

Given that he had earned significantly more than two years of savings in just this World Cup, it was reasonable for Barnett to aspire toward something greater than merely being an anonymous worker.

Aldrich countered, "What do you want to do then?"

Barnett gazed thoughtfully toward West London, speaking with yearning, "Do you know who lives in West London?"

"Rich people, obviously." Andrew interjected, still engrossed in counting his money.

Aldrich pondered, realizing that while West London was indeed affluent, a large segment of its population comprised stockbrokers who enjoyed soaring careers.

With that revelation, Aldrich understood — before the impending stock market crash next year, now was indeed the perfect time to get involved in the stock market.

Beaming at his brother, Aldrich encouraged him, "If you want to do it, just go for it. Mom and Dad would likely support you."

Though they were a working-class family, who wouldn't wish to ascend from blue-collar to white-collar status if given the chance?

Barnett stared at Aldrich dazed, seemingly invigorated by his brother's verbal support, planning to discuss his aspirations with Arthur upon returning home.

Aldrich generously handed Barnett the six thousand five hundred pounds he had won. Seeing this, Andrew followed suit, fully supporting his brother's entrepreneurial venture.

As Barnett prepared to return home with over ten thousand pounds, he felt far more confident in his endeavors.

Aldrich, however, didn't head home; instead, he went to the video rental store in the community. The store had already closed for the night. He gently knocked on the door and soon heard Sander's voice from inside.

"Who is it? If you're looking to rent a video, come back tomorrow."

It seemed Sander was still on edge, wary of wrongdoers.

The neighborhood did have a few scattered gangs, though they were not large-scale drug traffickers. However, there were still pressures on immigrants to pay protection fees.

Aldrich spoke calmly from outside the door, "It's Sander, right? I'm Aldrich. A month ago, I accidentally broke your window at night. I'm here to apologize."

Seeing only Aldrich outside through the window, Sander cautiously opened the door and welcomed him into the store.

Aldrich took a glance around the video rental shop, noting the stark contrast to the variety of selections he was used to in the modern world; this store felt rather lackluster.

Sander maintained a watchful expression, but when Aldrich reiterated his intent to apologize sincerely with a bow, Sander eased up.

Originally, Aldrich planned to leave after his apology, but he accidentally noticed a row of unwrapped videotapes arranged on a shelf. They were noted only with plain white labels marking dates and team names.

Clearly, these were match recordings.

Aldrich began flipping through the tapes and casually struck up a conversation with Sander about football.

When Sander asked, "Are you a Millwall fan?"

Aldrich paused for half a minute before honestly shaking his head, "No, but my parents and two brothers are."

In an era where entertainment was scarce, Aldrich felt energetic at night. Unable to sleep and realizing his home lacked a VCR, he pondered for a moment and asked Sander, "Are you hiring here?"

Sander was taken aback, shaking his head, "I can't afford to hire anyone."

Aldrich pressed on, "You close early at night. You must be worried about trouble, right? I have a proposition: I'll work for you in the evenings for free, as long as you let me watch videos at the store."

In the mixed community of East London, Sander indeed closed early out of fear. Although Aldrich was still a child, being a local from the nearby area gave him a bit of credibility. Even though Arthur was just a glazier, their family was well-known in the vicinity. Having Aldrich help out at the store would certainly provide a degree of security.

Sander confirmed Aldrich's proposal several times before finally agreeing.

From then on, Aldrich would attend school during the day and work at Sander's shop at night, using the free time to watch match footage. Gradually, he began to develop a clearer idea of the type of career he might pursue in the future.

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