In Majadahonda, a small town northeast of Madrid, Spain, within the Espino training base, players in red and white striped jerseys were actively preparing for the Champions League qualifier three days later. After the morning training session, they were about to depart for Germany.
Head coach Javier Aguirre's expression was not relaxed. The Mexican's brows were furrowed, as if permanently fixed on his forehead.
"What's wrong, Javier? Are you still worried about Borussia Dortmund?"
"Yes. I watched their match last night. The content of their play was not to be underestimated."
Atlético Madrid's research on their opponents had mostly consisted of match recordings from last season, when Jin Hayes was active on the right wing. To counter the threat from Jin Hayes on that flank, Javier Aguirre had designed numerous defensive tactics.
In the new season, Klopp had taken over, and in the warm-up matches, playing Jin Hayes as an attacking midfielder had not yielded good results. The Atlético Madrid coaching staff still thought Borussia Dortmund would keep Jin Hayes as a right winger.
Who would have thought they would be so bold—directly employing a new system at the start of the season and achieving good results? Fortunately, the Bundesliga had kicked off earlier, giving Atlético Madrid time to study. Otherwise, facing Borussia Dortmund's 4-3-3 formation right away, they would probably have a hard time resisting.
"Don't worry. Our squad is very strong, especially the two forwards. They might not be able to withstand our attack." Assistant coach Alfonso was full of confidence. With Atlético Madrid's current squad, it would be unreasonable not to advance to the Champions League group stage.
But head coach Javier Aguirre still had a bad feeling. Watching the 16-year-old Jin Hayes play, it was hard not to think of a former opponent from Barcelona: Ronaldinho. Their playing styles were very similar—both using elegant technique for individual breakthroughs, disrupting the offensive and defensive balance in local areas, with one player able to attract the attention of multiple defenders and create opportunities for teammates.
Fortunately, that summer, Ronaldinho had transferred to AC Milan. Atlético Madrid's main rival was still Real Madrid; Barça should not be a cause for concern, right?
Now the key issue was how to defend Borussia Dortmund's attacking system and how to stop the 16-year-old. Did they really have to go head-to-head with them? Javier Aguirre looked at the two star strikers running on the training pitch—Diego Forlán and Sergio Agüero. They might be Atlético Madrid's winning weapon.
"A direct attack might really work. They can't stop our attacking combination."
On the pitch, the Atlético Madrid players looked relatively relaxed, chatting and laughing about their upcoming Champions League qualifier opponent.
"Did you guys see? Yesterday in the Bundesliga, that Asian kid played pretty well."
"I've been following him since last season. He's really a bit of a monster."
"Damn, has this kid been playing football since he was in his mother's womb? I was still playing on concrete streets when I was fifteen."
"Where did he come from? You don't see many players from Asia making this kind of impact."
"You guys, why are you afraid of a kid? Our squad's overall strength surpasses theirs—there's definitely no problem!"
"Exactly! We also have a genius, right, Sergio?"
"Uh-huh..." Facing the gazes of many teammates, Sergio Agüero smiled broadly. "Don't praise me too much. What if I get overconfident?"
"Don't be modest. You're already very strong!" Diego Forlán was not stingy with his praise for his strike partner. The 2007 European Golden Boy award was not something just anyone was qualified to receive. Agüero himself was the most dazzling talent in the crowd. As long as he had the ball near the box, no one dared to underestimate him.
Compared to the 16-year-old Chinese kid who could play flashy tricks, Agüero was undoubtedly a sharper blade. Shooting, dribbling, speed, and goal-scoring instincts—Agüero was world-class in all of them. Diego Forlán even felt that he himself was only more experienced; in terms of raw talent, he was still inferior to his younger brother.
"I actually think that Chinese player is stronger than we imagine," Agüero said seriously. "Many of his ways of handling the ball—to be honest—are very bold, but very effective. They look flashy, but in reality, they are always the best choice at that moment."
Agüero had to admit that after watching Jin Hayes's match, he had a new definition of talent. His own skills suddenly felt less impressive. Fortunately, the opponent couldn't shoot consistently—otherwise Agüero would truly feel inferior.
"Hahahaha, of course his teammates are not as good as ours. We will definitely win!"
"That's right, Sergio! Let's fight for this match and get into the Champions League group stage!"
Agüero's praise was well received by the Atlético Madrid players. Everyone liked this cheerful and easygoing Argentine teenager.
After training, they returned to the dressing room. Everyone else was busy showering, but Agüero pulled out his phone and couldn't resist sending a message to his good friend.
"Leo, in a couple of days I'm going to face that guy directly. Do you have anything to say?"
Soon, there was a reply. "Oh, try to take him down. See you in the Champions League group stage."
"Of course!"
…
Barcelona, the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground.
Lionel Messi, who had also finished training, put down his phone. An image of a young Asian face dancing on the green pitch involuntarily appeared in his mind.
Sigh, too bad I don't get to play against him this year.
Last season, when the 15-year-old had shone in the Bundesliga, Messi and Agüero had both noticed him. His playing style inevitably reminded them of Ronaldinho. He still remembered that night when they watched a match together in a bar. Jin Hayes's performance had made Messi and Agüero exchange surprised glances. From that day on, both had wanted to face this talent on the pitch and see his strength with their own eyes.
Unfortunately, Borussia Dortmund's draw was against Atlético Madrid. Based on Messi's understanding of his friend's team, they would eliminate Borussia Dortmund without breaking a sweat.
"Dani, do you think there's any suspense in Atlético Madrid playing Borussia Dortmund?"
"No problem. There won't be any suspense." Dani Alves shrugged and replied without hesitation.
"I think so too."
Messi didn't take Borussia Dortmund seriously. This season, with Pep Guardiola becoming first-team coach, Messi was confident that he and his teammates could challenge for the La Liga title and the Champions League trophy. Borussia Dortmund? They were just another team in the way.
…
"Jin, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Jin Hayes always felt like someone was talking about him. Facing İlkay Gündoğan's pass, he was momentarily distracted and failed to control it cleanly. But he reacted in time, turned around, and with a light pull and flick, deftly passed the ball back to Gündoğan. The brilliant piece of skill drew applause from his Dortmund teammates.
Jin Hayes, meanwhile, was wondering who was thinking of him.
Could it be Anna? No, no, impossible.
She had been looking so calm and distant lately. Their relationship seemed to have returned to the unfamiliar stage. Jin Hayes sometimes wanted to talk to Anna, wanted to get closer to her, but he didn't know what to say. Plus, with the heavy training schedule recently, his mind was more focused on the Champions League qualifiers, so he didn't have time to dwell on Anna's matter.
Then who else could be thinking of him? Forget it, it didn't matter.
In the evening at the Borussia Dortmund training base, you could see a few young players putting in extra practice every day. Jin Hayes voluntarily stayed to practice passing, encouraging his teammates to join him.
At first, it was only a few, like Reus, Hummels, and Nuri Şahin. Later, teammates like İlkay Gündoğan, Subotić, and Jakub Błaszczykowski also became regulars. In addition to passing and rondo drills, they even spontaneously organized small-sided games like 4v4 and 2v2. For this group of young men at Borussia Dortmund, football was not just a job. Like schoolboys who don't want to go home after class, they simply enjoyed the fun of football.
It just so happened that August wasn't the school season, so Jin Hayes didn't need to attend his online cultural classes, giving him more time to spend in the gym, on the training pitch, and in the jacuzzi.
After working up a sweat with his teammates, he would contentedly soak in the base's hydrotherapy pool. The young men would talk about their ideals, chatting about everything under the sun. Afterward, they would bid farewell in the parking lot under the sunset and go home, living each day fully and beautifully. Football occupied his entire life; Jin Hayes absolutely loved such days!
"Jin, do you want me to give you a ride?" Reus, Hummels, and others had already driven away. Nuri Şahin, driving his newly bought silver Audi R8 2007 4.2 FSI Quattro, pulled up beside Jin Hayes. The roar of the V8 engine was pleasant to the ear. Ever since Iron Man had been released, Nuri Şahin had set his sights on this "Tony Stark-esque" car, showing it off to Jin Hayes every day.
This kid's weekly salary last season had been €27,500, plus appearance fees, bonuses, and a €1 million sports endorsement deal. Nuri Şahin earned at least €2.5 million in salary a year. A fully loaded Audi R8 cost around €133,000—a luxury car that ordinary people could hardly ever afford, but players like Nuri Şahin could easily buy. It just goes to show that if professional players have talent and put in a little effort, making money is easier than drinking water.
"No thanks, I'm not far. I can just walk back."
"Speaking of which, are you still living at Mr. Heinrich's house? Have you considered buying your own apartment?" Nuri Şahin suggested, a mischievous smile on his face, giving Jin Hayes a "you know what I mean" look. "You're earning quite a bit now. A large luxury apartment would be so comfortable. And you could bring different girls home anytime."
"I'm used to living at the Heinrichs' house. Living alone might be a bit boring." Every time he went back, he saw Uncle Hans watching the match with a beer, Aunt Maria tending to her flowers and plants, Grandpa Fritz leaning back in his rocking chair listening to the radio, Frank playing Pokémon on his GBA handheld, and Anna curled up on the sofa, bare feet exposed, quietly reading a book. These warm scenes made Jin Hayes—far from home—not feel lonely. They were indeed his family in Germany.
Last season, with a youth contract of just £100 per week, Jin Hayes had earned about £176,000 after tax, solely from appearance fees, goal and assist bonuses, and the Champions League qualification bonus. That was equivalent to over €200,000. A child not yet fifteen years old, in less than a year, could already afford an Audi R8 outright. It was quite something when you thought about it.
"Actually, the main reason you don't want to leave is because of Anna, right?"
"What?"
"I knew it. I could tell from your eyes—you definitely have a thing for her."
Jin Hayes didn't refute Nuri Şahin's words. It would be false to say he had no feelings for Anna. But now, the two of them were stuck in some kind of bottleneck, unable to break through and get closer. What good was liking her anyway?
"I feel like you two are a good match, like a prince and princess from a fairy tale. Go for it, my brother. Also, since you have a driver's license now and have signed a big contract, buying a car to drive around for fun is fine. See ya!"
Nuri Şahin stepped on the gas, and with the roar of the engine, drove out of the training base. He thought he looked very cool, but just a few metres out, he was surrounded by frantic fans.
"Jin! Can I get an autograph? Jin!!"
Rolling down the window, seeing Nuri Şahin, these fans were clearly disappointed.
No, seriously, dude? Am I not a star? What do you guys mean? Damn it!!
Nuri Şahin quickly felt unbalanced—envious, jealous, and hateful of Jin Hayes, yet helpless. Jin Hayes's popularity was in a league of its own; no one in the team could compare right now. Fortunately, he was also Borussia Dortmund's central midfielder, a product of the club's own youth academy. There were still quite a few fans who asked Nuri Şahin for autographs. He then beamed with joy and eagerly began signing and taking photos.
Jin Hayes stood in the parking lot and saw Nuri Şahin surrounded by fans. He had originally planned to walk out but suddenly had the idea of buying a car.
I really should buy one. Otherwise, I can't even get out of the main gate.
The crazy fans, especially the female ones, were almost like a swarm of hungry animals. Jin Hayes would be eaten alive in minutes if he got stuck among them.