"Jin, over here, over here!"
"Hey! Pass!"
"I'm open here! Here!"
Jin Hayes was a bit dazed for a moment. The noisy shouts from all directions made it difficult to make a quick judgment. He simply steeled his heart, dribbled, turned, and glided past his new teammate Subotić in one smooth motion, then accelerated past goalkeeper Weidenfeller before slotting the ball into the empty net from the goal line.
"Goooooal!!"
"Noooo!"
"That's too unfair! It's not fair!"
"Jin is cheating!"
"He relied on his own ability to get past them. Why can't he?"
"Exactly. You guys are just too bad!"
At the Borussia Dortmund training base, the two teams mocked and teased each other. The players in the second team, wearing bibs, were indignant, while the first-team players gloated.
With nearly a month of physical conditioning training now behind them, the calendar had already reached the end of July 2008. Borussia Dortmund, under the guidance of new coach Jürgen Klopp, gradually began practicing new tactics and formations. Jin Hayes had been moved back to the attacking midfielder position—a role he hadn't played regularly since his early days in the Arsenal youth setup.
He had originally thought it would be easy, just like playing casually in the football kid training camp back in China. But facts proved that the attacking midfielder position in professional football was far more complex than Jin Hayes had imagined. Especially under Klopp's high-intensity pressing system, which demanded quick transitions, rapid passing combinations, and constant forward movement—the attacking midfielder's performance was particularly crucial.
In high-speed attacks in the final third, there was no time for him to slow down and observe on his own. He had to get the ball to the most dangerous position as quickly as possible, often within a split second. At that moment, teammates on the left, center, and right were all calling for the ball, each attempting to run into space behind the defense. Jin Hayes hesitated for a moment, unsure who to pass to. In his urgency, he simply relied on his old habits—forcefully breaking through the middle, dribbling past the goalkeeper, and scoring all by himself. This was Jin Hayes's default way of playing last season on the wing.
The first-team players were thrilled after the goal, while the second-team players felt it was grossly unfair. Especially Nuri Şahin, who was playing as the second team's central midfielder. He couldn't help but complain to coach Klopp on the sideline.
"Coach, didn't we agree this was a tactical drill? His individual breakthrough was a foul on the spirit of the exercise!"
"Exactly. No matter which team Jin is assigned to, he's too overpowered. It's not fair." Neven Subotić also threw up his hands in protest. He hadn't even had a chance to show his strength in the Bundesliga yet, but Jin Hayes had already made him doubt his footballing existence.
Last season at Mainz, he didn't have many opportunities to defend Jin Hayes one-on-one as a right centre-back, and he hadn't yet felt the terror of this rising star. Now Subotić realized why the entire Bundesliga was afraid of Jin Hayes. You could never predict how this guy would trick you. Besides fouling him in the box, Subotić couldn't think of a better defensive method. He even doubted his own defensive level. It wasn't until Mats Hummels was also easily dribbled past that Subotić felt a bit more balanced.
Seeing the second-team players protesting one after another, Klopp was quite helpless—but also secretly pleased. His players were already treating internal drills with the seriousness of a real match.
"Okay, we'll play another round," Klopp announced. "Next, Jin is not allowed to dribble past opponents. He can only organize attacks through passing."
"Huh?" Now it was the first-team players' turn to protest.
"No problem!" Jin Hayes, however, agreed very readily. Dribbling was indeed his sharpest weapon, but as an attacking midfielder—as Borussia Dortmund's most important tactical pivot in the final third—he had to shoulder greater responsibility. When teammates were in better positions, the speed of a pass was always faster than an individual breakthrough. Banning his dribbling would more effectively train his on-field game reading ability and passing vision.
After forty-five minutes, the second internal training match ended. The second-team players drank water on the sideline, laughing as the first-team players dropped to the ground to do push-ups for losing. Nuri Şahin deliberately walked in front of Jin Hayes, squatted down, and pointed: "Jin, push harder. Go down further."
"Fuck off." Jin Hayes couldn't be bothered with him.
After his dribbling was banned, he had indeed played poorly. Previously, on the wing, he could rely on the "Heartfelt Pass" effect—that uncanny ability to deliver inch-perfect crosses under pressure. But with more options in the middle, it actually interfered with Jin Hayes's judgment.
Plus, a player's perspective on the pitch and a spectator's view from the stands were completely different things. Many opportunities that looked obvious from the outside were difficult to spot in the chaos of real-time play. That was why world-class playmakers all possessed top-notch vision and spatial awareness.
After finishing his one hundred push-ups, Jin Hayes lay sprawled on the grass, staring up at the sky. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. Then Coach Klopp appeared beside him, handing him a bottle of the club's specially formulated electrolyte drink.
"It's okay," Klopp said, sitting down on the grass next to him. "You haven't played as an attacking midfielder for a long time. It's normal to feel out of sorts."
"Perhaps I'm better suited to the wing," Jin Hayes admitted, already doubting himself. From the talent enhanced by the Golden Finger, he had indeed thrived on the wing last season. Maybe his true position was winger after all?
"No, no, no." Klopp shook his head firmly. "Jin, after these days of experimentation, I actually believe you are indeed suitable for the attacking midfielder role. You could even play as a B2B midfielder if needed."
"Huh?" Klopp's answer completely surprised Jin Hayes.
"In most situations, your passing ideas are correct. You can even spot opportunities that are difficult for ordinary players to see." Klopp's face glowed with conviction. "Compared to your dribbling, your vision also possesses top-tier talent. You might not feel fully comfortable as an attacking midfielder at first, but after a period of adaptation, I believe you will master the knack."
"The only drawback," Klopp continued, "is that your basic passing technique is decent, but you lack precise control under pressure. Occasionally, you can deliver some incredible line-breaking passes, but most of the time you default to the safest, most basic option. To become a world-class midfielder, you need to become stronger in that aspect—faster decision-making, sharper execution."
Klopp patted Jin Hayes's shoulder. Before leaving, he added: "Take your time. We'll see how you perform in the warm-up matches. If it really doesn't work out, you can always go back to the wing. But I hope you can prove that you are capable of wearing the number 10 jersey."
…
There were still two and a half weeks until the Bundesliga opening match. Before that, five warm-up matches were scheduled, mostly within Germany. CEO Watzke had originally wanted to use Jin Hayes's influence to lead the team on a commercial tour of East Asia.
This plan was firmly rejected by Klopp. Pre-season preparation time was already incredibly tight; the team needed to integrate new tactics and simply didn't have time to fly off to Asia and disrupt their training schedule. Borussia Dortmund hadn't won any championships last season, and they weren't a giant club with an enormous global fanbase—how could they have the audacity to go to Asia to make money before proving themselves on the pitch?
Due to the adjusted domestic competition schedule following UEFA Euro 2008, there was no German League Cup that summer. After five warm-up matches, Borussia Dortmund would go directly into the 2008-2009 Bundesliga opening match. Jin Hayes had little time left to adapt.
Looking at Klopp's retreating figure, Jin Hayes tried to pray as he had before, hoping to activate another cheat skill. If only I had Xavi's passing level— But after closing his eyes and trying hard for a long time, no sound appeared in his mind. Instead, he heard Nuri Şahin's annoying voice:
"What are you doing, Jin? Let's go, training's over. Let's hit the hot tub."
Forget it. It's not that easy to activate my Golden Finger. Jin Hayes smiled with relief. If the Golden Finger were that easy to trigger, he might as well pray for Cristiano Ronaldo's finishing ability and become a football king just by relying on dribbling and shooting.
According to Klopp, vision was perhaps his true talent. Before he had the top-tier technical ability, Jin Hayes had stood out because of his excellent vision and was selected by the football kid program. That was how he got the chance to stay in Europe. Arsène Wenger had also praised his passing vision and game-reading ability. For Jin Hayes, this was perhaps his most valuable fundamental asset. Now, he still needed to work harder to improve his passing.
"You guys go take a bath first. I want to do some extra work."
"Extra training again?" Nuri Şahin said with a long face. This guy was clearly a genius, yet he insisted on working hard and sweating to overwhelm his teammates. Damn it!
"Alright! I'll join you for extra training!"
"Count me in." Marco Reus heard this and turned back to join them. Unlike Jin Hayes, who was highly valued by Klopp, Reus was unsure of his own standing. He needed to work harder to earn Klopp's trust.
"You guys are unbelievable! Fine, I'll come too!" Hummels cursed and turned back. It was like when the top students in the dorm were all studying hard—he had no choice but to turn off his game and pick up a book to join them.
"Huh?" Newly joined Subotić and Gündoğan were both stunned. What was wrong with these people?
"Should we go too?"
"Let's go. Maybe this is just the Borussia Dortmund way."
The 18-year-old Gündoğan pondered for a moment and decided to integrate into this group. He saw it clearly: the Asian teenager Jin Hayes was the soul of the team. Joining a new team and following the 'unofficial leader' was definitely the right move, even if this 'leader' was two years younger than him. Gündoğan could never have imagined that this single thought at that moment would accelerate his growth by three years compared to the parallel timeline.
In five warm-up matches, Jin Hayes could only give himself a seven out of ten for his performance.
Against third-division side Union Berlin, Jin Hayes played a full 45 minutes in the first half, contributing two assists. Dortmund won 4–1.
Against second-division Ingolstadt, Jin Hayes contributed one assist in 45 minutes. Dortmund narrowly won 3–2.
Against second-division Freiburg, Jin Hayes came on as a substitute in the second half, indirectly orchestrating one attack in 45 minutes. Dortmund drew 3–3.
Against traditional Bundesliga powerhouse Stuttgart, Jin Hayes played 65 minutes, scoring one goal with a solo dribble and finish. Dortmund lost 2–1.
Against Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, Jin Hayes came on as a substitute for 45 minutes, with zero assists and zero goals. Dortmund lost 3–1. The only goal was scored by Reus through an individual breakthrough on the wing.
Jin Hayes was still adapting to his attacking midfielder role. Against second- and third-division opponents, he could play with complete ease in the final third. But when encountering more resilient Bundesliga teams, Jin Hayes found it much more difficult to perform. He really couldn't resist making solo dribbles through the middle—but Klopp had warned him.
"Jin, in warm-up matches, the important thing is to practice tactics and let you adapt to your position. Winning simply by relying on dribbling is meaningless. You are not allowed to break through from now on."
Jin Hayes's strongest weapon was banned. Even though he could use his top-tier technique to shield the ball in midfield, it was difficult to tear apart the opponent's defense through passing alone. Two consecutive defeats against Bundesliga teams concluded the warm-up series.
Seeing Jin Hayes's performance, the German media couldn't help but stir up controversy before the new season.
"16-Year-Old Genius Fades into Obscurity? Borussia Dortmund Winless in Last 3 Warm-Up Matches—New Season Form Concerning."
"Klopp's New Tactics in Chaos? Jin Hayes Hits Bundesliga Rookie Wall."
"08/09 Bundesliga Title Odds: Bayern Lead, Dortmund Rank Only 7th."
Jin Hayes hadn't expected that his warm-up form would push Borussia Dortmund into the eye of a media storm. Even the fans started to worry.
That night, Jin Hayes was in his bedroom, reviewing his academic studies for the new semester. His door was suddenly knocked. It was Anna. She had just showered, and a faint scent of shower gel emanated from her. Her loose pajamas covered her slender figure, but her fair, long legs were inevitably exposed, making Jin Hayes unable to resist glancing a few times.
"Jin, can we talk?"
"Huh? Now?"
Jin Hayes's heart pounded uncontrollably.