The Heinrich home.
The moment Aunt Maria saw her daughter, she happily went forward and pinched her cheek.
"You've gotten fatter. It seems you've been eating very well these two weeks."
"Stop pinching!"
Anna tried to resist, but her slender arms and legs were no match for Aunt Maria. Jin Hayes was still gloating, but soon he received the same treatment.
"Jin!! Welcome back!"
"Uh… me too…"
Jin Hayes felt like his ribs were about to be crushed. Now it was Anna's turn to stifle a laugh.
"It's good to have you back, hahaha! Recently, the newspapers have been full of rumours about you. The media reported that Arsenal are negotiating a permanent transfer with the club. Can you really stay?"
The first thing Uncle Hans cared about when the two children returned from China was Jin Hayes's transfer.
"I'm not sure how the clubs are negotiating the specifics, but the agent revealed that it should be settled. I estimate the signing will happen soon…"
"That's great!!"
Jin Hayes, who had just been bear-hugged by Maria, was now subjected to an excited embrace from Uncle Hans. Jin Hayes suspected that if his body hadn't already been strengthened, his ribs would have broken.
He had stayed in China for less than two full weeks. Due to the signing issue, Jin Hayes had no choice but to bring Anna back to Dortmund. He had originally wanted to take her to his junior high school alma mater to show off and enjoy the praise of his classmates, or take Anna to famous scenic spots to let her experience the beauty of his homeland.
It was also said that a national broadcaster was contacting his agent's team to invite him for an interview. Unfortunately, all these plans fell through. The next time would probably have to wait until next summer vacation.
Looking at the Bild spread out on the table, besides Germany's European Championship campaign, the media were indeed discussing Jin Hayes's transfer.
As soon as the news of Jin Hayes's permanent transfer from Arsenal to Dortmund was leaked, it immediately caused a frenzy among Dortmund fans. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the day Jin Hayes officially joined.
"Westfalenstadion may usher in a historic moment—according to an exclusive report by this newspaper, Jin Hayes, the 16-year-old Chinese youngster who single-handedly led his team to qualify for the Champions League last season, is about to make a permanent transfer from Arsenal to Borussia Dortmund for €12.5 million.
This teenager, praised by Klopp as a 'phenomenal talent,' delivered 16 assists during his loan spell—a league-leading figure—and single-handedly dragged the Black and Yellows from 13th place into the Champions League zone, attracting frantic pursuit from scouts across Europe.
It is reported that Atlético Madrid, AC Milan, Valencia, and Bayern Munich are all monitoring the Chinese star's transfer situation. Jin Hayes's agent, Jorge Mendes, stated that they are infinitely close to Borussia Dortmund. With new coach Jürgen Klopp taking charge, this newspaper predicts that the new Bundesliga season will unleash a youthful Black and Yellow storm…"
…
Westfalenstadion Media Hall.
Accompanied by his agent Michael Carter, Jin Hayes met Borussia Dortmund's new coach, Jürgen Klopp, for the first time.
"I apologise—Mr. Mendes should have come in person. He's currently busy with other matters, so I'm temporarily handling all discussions regarding Jin's contract."
"No worries. I've already felt the sincerity."
Klopp's smile was rather rugged, and his gaze remained fixed on Jin Hayes. "Jin, it's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, Mr. Klopp."
"Just call me Jürgen."
"We're all family here—no need for formalities." CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke laughed heartily and led them to a nearby sofa.
"Jin, it's an honour that you continue to choose us. We've worked together for a season, and the club has always treated you like family."
While Watzke spoke of family, the player contract he offered seemed a bit stingy.
"We've already offered it according to the standard for a first-team starter. If you look at the market, where can you find a 16-year-old player like Jin who earns more than €10,000 a week? Your previous contract with Arsenal probably had less than £6,000, right? Our offer of €18,000 is already very sincere! Borussia Dortmund's finances are currently being restructured. We were originally deep in debt, and we hope you can understand. Jin's transfer fee of over €12 million was something we barely scraped together…"
Watzke kept complaining about being poor. Klopp just sat there, zoning out, as if nothing concerned him. Watzke's initial offer for the weekly salary was only €12,000. Carter argued many times before the price was raised to €18,000. Watzke's face was already a mask of pain, but Carter was still not satisfied.
"According to Mr. Mendes, Jin deserves the club's top salary."
"Impossible. He's still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities to raise it in the future. Demanding top salary now is a bit excessive! Alexander Frei is at least a long-established Swiss international and one of the club's top earners…"
Watzke was starting to panic. There was no way around it—giving a top salary to a player like Alexander Frei, who had been brought in for a significant fee, was one thing. A weekly salary of €50,000 might not be much for giants like Manchester United or Real Madrid, but it was an exorbitant amount for Borussia Dortmund. Watzke simply couldn't give such a high amount to a 16-year-old youngster.
Michael Carter gestured for Jin Hayes not to speak. He slowly stirred the coffee in front of him like an English gentleman, lightly adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and said unhurriedly: "Alexander Frei is indeed an excellent player, but Mr. Watzke, you know very well how he got to be second in the scoring charts last season."
"This…" Watzke was speechless.
If Alexander Frei was the Bundesliga's silver boot last season, Jin Hayes was the league's assist king—16 assists in a single season, a remarkable feat for any player, let alone a 16-year-old in his first professional campaign. Moreover, a significant portion of Frei's goals had come from Jin Hayes's deliveries. Anyone who had watched the matches knew this, and Watzke had no way to use it to drive down the price.
"Indeed, Jin was the most important part of the team last season, contributing immensely. How about this… the club will make another concession and can offer €25,000…"
"Mr. Watzke." Carter remained calm and composed. "To my knowledge, your club still has several players earning over €30,000 per week, including young talent Nuri Şahin. Is Jin's contribution less than his? If the club still believes Jin is a replaceable player, I can only say that this transfer might not be a good idea. Perhaps Atlético Madrid or AC Milan might realise Jin's true value…"
"This…" Watzke was dumbfounded.
Jürgen Klopp quickly gave him a sharp glance. "If you mess up this deal, I'm quitting too."
"Alright, alright, geez!!" The coach they had finally managed to bring in specifically wanted Jin Hayes to stay. If they messed it up and angered Klopp, it would indeed be bad for the club.
Jin Hayes was also genuinely loved by the fans. Even when he was still on loan last season, fans had already created songs for him. Many even called him the "King of Westfalen" or the "Dortmund Saviour"—a genius who had rescued the team countless times in desperate situations. Perhaps he truly couldn't be defined by age or nationality. Watzke admitted that his purely commercial perspective was indeed a bit narrow-minded.
"Alright." Watzke sighed as if he were bleeding heavily. "How about this new contract?"
He presented another prepared version of the contract, marked with the words "Core Player." Jin Hayes and Carter curiously leaned over to read it, then exchanged glances and nodded subtly.
"That's more like it. I believe you won't regret it. You know, the Champions League qualification for the new season was earned with Jin's help. The additional broadcast revenue the team will gain—all of that is thanks to Jin's contribution."
"You're right, you're absolutely right." Watzke responded with a wry smile. It seemed they were really going to be heavily fleeced this time.
Carter continued to meticulously debate the specific details of the contract for several more rounds, eventually bringing in Jorge Mendes directly to speak with Watzke. From early morning until afternoon, the issue of Jin Hayes's contract was finally settled.
"Final confirmation: Contract duration: five years; Basic salary: €50,000 per week; Appearance bonus: €3,500; Goal or assist bonus: €4,000; If playing more than ten matches per season, annual salary automatically increases by 25%; Signing fee: €150,000…"
After the contract was finally confirmed to be correct, Jin Hayes signed it together with Watzke. Once the transfer documents from Arsenal were faxed over, Jin Hayes would officially become a Borussia Dortmund player.
"Welcome to truly joining us! Looking forward to a pleasant cooperation in the new season!" Klopp immediately found Jin Hayes and shook his hand.
"Pleasant cooperation!"