Summer.
The muggy weather in the south was like a steaming basket. Jin Hayes was drenched in sweat and radiating heat, almost visibly emitting wisps of white steam. Anna, on the other hand, was pale-faced, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her steps were unsteady, and she almost fell. Jin Hayes quickly stepped forward to support her. Touching her hand, the icy cold sensation made him want to hold it longer.
Seeing Anna in such a pathetic state, Jin Hayes not only felt no pity but found it amusing.
"Was it exciting? Want to go again?"
"It wasn't exciting at all! Bring it on!" Anna raised her chin defiantly, but her slightly trembling hands betrayed her.
"Forget it, I'm a bit tired. Let's go eat something."
"Okay."
Anna visibly sighed in relief.
After two days of shopping in the city, Jin Hayes had taken Anna to try all kinds of Chinese delicacies. Not only were there substantial dishes like steamed chicken, roast goose, crispy pork belly, and beef hotpot, but also snacks like double-skin milk, crystal shrimp dumplings, and radish beef offal. Anna, who usually ate like a bird in Germany, completely let herself go in this culinary paradise.
Of course, it wasn't good to just eat and sleep all day. Jin Hayes decided to take Anna to get some exercise. The two went to the newly opened Chimelong Paradise in Panyu and had a blast all morning. Anna was having a great time, and Jin Hayes helped her check in and take photos everywhere—until she was talked into riding one of Asia's first 80-meter vertical drop roller coasters by Jin Hayes.
When they were suspended at the highest point with their feet dangling, it was too late for Anna to regret it. After one round, Anna was in her current state. The originally quiet, aloof beauty was completely deflated, her steps weak and unsteady, with half of her body almost leaning on Jin Hayes.
"Ow!"
As they walked, Jin Hayes's arm suddenly felt a sharp pain. He looked down to see Anna gazing at him resentfully.
"Why are you pinching me out of nowhere?"
Anna was definitely a quick learner. She had clearly picked up some habits from Ding Ru over the past few days. Ding Ru really was something—not teaching good things, but instead teaching this trick to the German beauty.
"Didn't you say that ride was for children? You lied!"
"You just said it wasn't exciting and wanted to ride it again."
Jin Hayes used Anna's own words to leave her speechless. Just as she was about to retort, a group of university students passed by, their eyes all drawn to the pair.
"Wow, they're both so good-looking!"
"He's so young and he's already with a foreign beauty—that's impressive!"
"What a well-matched couple."
Anna could already understand a fair amount of Chinese. Her pale face, which had been frightened, regained some colour, and she instinctively pushed Jin Hayes away. She quickly walked off, head down, with quick steps.
"Hey!! You forgot the bag!"
This silly girl.
Jin Hayes was speechless. He quickly used his ticket to open the locker and retrieve their bags.
Anna's heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was from the roller coaster or some other reason. She realised she was indeed a bit out of line—too intimate with Jin Hayes. The key was that he hadn't shown any signs of affection so far, and Anna couldn't figure out his thoughts at all.
If he didn't like her, why was he so caring towards her, whether in Germany or in China? His daily habitual thoughtful gestures always made Anna's heart flutter. If he did like her, many of her subtle hints were ignored by him—he didn't seem to get it at all. There was no ambiguity whatsoever.
Perhaps he only sees me as family, or a good friend, like Frank?
Anna didn't know.
After walking a long distance, feeling both shy and annoyed, Anna finally calmed down and turned back. She found Jin Hayes on the phone by the locker, his expression quite serious.
Had something happened?
After hanging up the phone, Jin Hayes turned and found Anna standing gracefully behind him, seemingly expecting to play other attractions together.
"I'm sorry, Anna. We probably have to go back. If you haven't had enough fun…"
"It's okay. Let's go."
Before Jin Hayes could explain, Anna just smiled faintly, not showing any displeasure. This made Jin Hayes feel even more guilty. Although she occasionally threw inexplicable tantrums, she was generally so sensible and well-behaved that it made one's heart ache.
If nothing unexpected happened, their planned trip to China was very likely about to be cut short.
…
"Hello, Jin. I'm Michael Carter, the Gestifute agent who contacted you before. This is my business card and agent qualification certificate."
Inside a quiet private room at a coffee shop in Tianhe District, Jin Hayes and Anna sat side by side on the sofa, facing a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, wearing glasses, and speaking with a crisp British accent.
Jin Hayes took the documents and examined them carefully. Everything seemed in order.
"Thank you for coming all this way, Mr. Carter."
"Please, call me Michael." The agent smiled warmly.
Hearing the other party's name, Jin Hayes nodded calmly. "Please continue."
The agent continued his introduction in a serious tone: "I'm here today mainly to represent Mr. Jorge Mendes, to formally invite you to join us and become a signed player under Mendes. We will prioritise the player's interests, making the most reasonable decisions possible to help the player achieve maximum benefits during their professional career. Additionally, for young players, we also have a special care plan to assist in their growth…"
After a lot of official jargon, Carter ceremoniously pulled out a printed copy of the contract from his briefcase.
"This is the agent contract. You can review it first with the assistance of your legal counsel. If you are interested in our team, willing to trust Mr. Mendes, and find no issues with the contract, then we can discuss the signing."
Jin Hayes could find no fault with the other party's professional attitude. Moreover, the electronic version of the contract had already been sent over, and Jin Hayes had asked a lawyer relative to review it, finding no legal risks.
Regarding commission, the current international football scene was actually not as regulated as the NBA. Many agents were relatives of players, or just some random fly-by-night operators, charging commissions ranging from 5% to 15%. Some even directly took 20% of a player's income, like vampires. Relatively speaking, the agency contract proposed by Mendes's organisation was remarkably standardised.
The commission did not include the player's weekly salary, bonuses, or other direct payments from the club; it was only drawn from image rights, commercial revenue, transfer fees, and other such aspects. Within 200,000 US dollars, 5% was charged; For the portion above 200,000 US dollars, after deducting 200,000, 3% wass charged. A 10% commission was charged on player transfer fees. It was written in black and white in the contract, and the commission percentage remained unchanged for subsequent renewals after the five-year contract period expired.
The contract also stipulated that commercial activities and transfers were subject to the player's wishes, and there was no clause allowing the agent to maliciously exploit the player. If Mendes exploited anyone, it was the clubs—trying to negotiate sky-high transfer fees, as that was the bulk of his income. That was why many club managers disliked Mendes, but his relationship with players was quite good. Cristiano Ronaldo's break with him was purely a matter of the player's own stubbornness. From an outsider's perspective, Mendes had already done his utmost for Ronaldo.
Jin Hayes and Anna carefully checked the terms together, comparing them with the previous electronic version on the computer. There were no discrepancies whatsoever between the lines.
Seeing a young player, just turned sixteen, handle matters with such calm and experience, the agent Michael Carter couldn't help but be secretly impressed. He was in no hurry, allowing Jin Hayes to meticulously compare. He quietly drank his coffee and worked on his laptop on the side.
It wasn't that Jin Hayes was overly cautious; it was simply that contract issues were not to be trifled with. Some unscrupulous agents would hide unreasonable clauses in the paper contract, and even if the electronic version had been confirmed by legal counsel, one could still be tricked.
Finally, when the contract review was complete, it was already dark. Jin Hayes was ready to sign.
"Please wait a moment."
Carter turned his laptop around and opened a Skype video chat. A familiar face quickly appeared on the screen. Though the resolution wasn't high, Jin Hayes recognised him instantly.
The European super-agent, Jorge Mendes.
"Hello, Jin. I've heard much about you, and I finally get to meet you."
…
The coffee shop was not far from home. After the signing, Jin Hayes and Anna strolled down the street.
"You… can you stay now?" Although Anna hadn't heard all of Jin Hayes's conversation with Mendes, she caught the key points. She looked at Jin Hayes with anticipation, her excited eyes unable to hide it any longer.
"Do you want me to stay?"
"Of course! I mean, everyone at home wants you to stay. The fans also want you to stay…"
"No. I just want to know your personal wish."
Jin Hayes stared into her clear blue eyes until Anna no longer averted her gaze.
"I also hope… you can stay at Borussia Dortmund."
Anna thought Jin Hayes had asked this because he cared about her opinion. He was willing to stay for her! Before Anna could get too excited, Jin Hayes changed the topic.
"Well… but it's not certain. Besides Borussia Dortmund, there are also clubs in Italy and Spain that want to sign me. I heard Madrid is pretty good too—Atlético Madrid's contract isn't bad…"
"Narrchen!" (Big idiot!)
Anna pouted and walked away quickly.
"Hey! Wait!" Jin Hayes quickly caught up. Anna thought he was going to apologise, but then Jin Hayes pointed seriously to the other side: "Wrong way. My house is over here."
"Oh my goodness…" Anna was completely defeated by him.
…
At the same time, at the Borussia Dortmund training ground.
CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke led a weathered man with a baseball cap, a full beard, and black-rimmed glasses to the head coach's office.
"Jürgen, after the tour, how do you feel about this place?"
"It's really good! You've put a lot of effort into the facilities here."
"As long as you're satisfied, this will be your territory from now on."
"By the way, what about the transfer list we discussed last time? Can it be done?"
"Of course. Anything within five million is fine. I know you're more concerned about that Chinese lad, aren't you?"
"Exactly!" Jürgen Klopp took off his cap, his eyes filled with seriousness. "My main reason for coming here this time is because of a few young players in the team. Jin holds a crucial position in my plans."