"We played well and could have won, but the individual abilities of some of the opposing players influenced the result. This kind of unexpected situation won't happen again. We will chase as many points as possible and try to contend for the title."
At the post-match press conference, the veteran coach Jupp Heynckes praised Jin Hayes's performance in a roundabout way. As for the claim of contending for the title, the media present only took it as a joke.
Borussia Dortmund was currently leading the table by a comfortable margin, over ten points ahead of Bayern Munich. How on earth could Bayern contend for the title with Borussia Dortmund?
The only one who could threaten Borussia Dortmund was Wolfsburg. This was because Wolfsburg had just gone on an 8-game winning streak, while Borussia Dortmund had lost to Stuttgart in the previous round.
The gap between the two sides had narrowed to 8 points.
Assuming Borussia Dortmund gave more opportunities later, it was somewhat possible for Wolfsburg to come from behind.
....
So it was Borussia Dortmund's turn for the press conference. After defeating Bayern, Jürgen Klopp was not smug; instead, he appeared very cautious.
"We won't open the champagne while there are still months left in the season and nothing is set in stone. In every game, we have to be ourselves. The team has some injury problems recently, and the players' form hasn't been adjusted to the best. We will try our best to return to peak condition."
At this point, a member of the media raised their hand. "Mr. Klopp, I am a reporter from the Münchner Abendzeitung. Is the current Borussia Dortmund suffering from 'Jin Hayes Dependency Syndrome'?"
This term was not new; many people had mentioned it last season.
Klopp did not avoid it, nor did he deny it. "Yes, I have to admit that the current Borussia Dortmund does indeed have a serious 'Jin Hayes dependency' problem. But I don't think this is a bad thing. It shows that everyone in the team is willing to believe in him and support him. There is a strong enough foundation in the team. What we need to do is not to reject it, but to build on it. Winning is enough, don't worry about how we win."
Klopp was no fool; many media outlets were happy to see news of internal strife within the team. They would even go as far as to deliberately provoke and misinterpret everyone's statements.
Often, when there was clearly no conflict, it would gradually become a real conflict after being distorted and provoked by the media.
"Jin Hayes Dependency Syndrome" is actually a sign of an unhealthy team. There are problems from tactics to other players.
But Klopp had to stand up and defend his players.
Of course, saying this would also cause some problems. In the dressing room, watching the live broadcast of Klopp's press conference interview, the other players were celebrating the victory, opening beers and spraying them everywhere.
Nuri Şahin, however, felt a bit uneasy.
Jin Hayes, Jin Hayes, Jin Hayes, Jin Hayes—his ears were filled almost entirely with the young player's name. As the core of the midfield, he had also contributed to the victory. But did anyone notice?
No. The former prodigy of Borussia Dortmund could only be reduced to a supporting role. Looking at Jin Hayes, who was surrounded by his teammates like a star among moons, Şahin's gaze was incredibly complex.
"Hey, Nuri, why aren't you joining the celebration? What are you thinking about?"
Jin Hayes noticed his good brother sitting silently in the corner, looking very downcast, and quickly came over to pull him in to join the fun. They should be happy after winning.
"Well, no, nothing. I'm just a little tired."
Jin Hayes looked at Şahin suspiciously, and the Turk suddenly felt guilty, as if he were being seen through by the young man.
"In the past, you'd already be clamoring to go to a nightclub."
"Sigh! Playing against Bayern today was a bit exhausting. I'm not in the mood to play, I just want to have a good rest."
Şahin strategically stretched to dissolve the awkwardness.
"Alright, you really were tired enough today. You not only had to limit the opponent's midfield but also had to cover the wings for Arjen Robben. Hard work, brother."
The neutralisation of Bayern's right wing was precisely because Şahin repeatedly helped Marcel Schmelzer cover. Tireless running, interception ability covering the midfield and defence—Şahin had indeed grown a lot this season.
It was just that Jin Hayes's light was too dazzling, and many of his teammates' improvements were overlooked by people. Jin Hayes, however, saw it all.
"Brother, to me, you are the world's number one midfielder, understand?"
"You're joking, right?" Şahin smiled without confidence.
"Do I look like I'm joking? Dummy."
"You mother—thank you, Jin, thank you. This sentence means a lot to me."
Şahin finally managed to squeeze out a smile.
Jin Hayes wanted to say something more, to have a heart-to-heart talk with Şahin. Mats Hummels came over holding a beer bottle and put his arms around both of them. "What are you talking about? Discussing nightclubs again? I'm telling you, Nuri, Jin is a good kid, don't lead him astray."
"Bastard, you really think my head is full of nothing but nightclubs?" Şahin was very indignant.
"Otherwise?" Hummels asked back.
"Fair point, want to go out and have some fun tonight?" Şahin suddenly smiled brightly.
"Sure! Let's call Neven too. He's injured, so letting him have some fun might help him recover faster."
"You're such a dog."
"Jin, we won't invite you today. Go back early to be with your girlfriend. The night scene isn't for kids."
"You two have really had enough."
In his impression, Hummels was quite well-behaved, and his relationship with the TV presenter Cathy Fischer was very good.
Why the sudden change in personality?
Sure enough, Hummels then added: "I'm bringing Cathy with me tonight, you don't mind, do you?"
"Forget it, you two have your private time, I won't join the party."
Şahin suddenly lost interest and even lost interest in the nightclub.
As Jin Hayes and Hummels turned to talk to their teammates, Şahin took out his phone and typed quickly on the keyboard. After a brief exchange, the two lines of text that appeared on the screen made Şahin's gaze shift constantly, and he finally let out a long sigh.
[It's done. Florentino agreed to the final proposal. A formal transfer request will be sent in April at the latest.]
[Congratulations, your dream has come true. ]
Has the dream really come true?
Before everything was set in stone, Şahin fantasised every day about landing at the Bernabéu and becoming the protagonist under the spotlight. Now that the moment had finally come, Şahin felt an indescribable melancholy instead.
...
On February 24th, the first leg of the 2008/09 Champions League Round of 16 was about to kick off.
Borussia Dortmund would play away first and then home, traveling to North London's Emirates Stadium to challenge the Premier League powerhouse Arsenal.
As for the Bundesliga Round 22 match on February 21st, Klopp was forced to use a rotated lineup.
With a lead of nearly 10 points, Borussia Dortmund still had enough room in the league.
Relatively speaking, the Champions League knockout stage was more important.
To let the players recuperate, even Jin Hayes was not included in the squad. Unsurprisingly, Hannover 96 easily defeated Borussia Dortmund 2‑0 at home.
Combined with Wolfsburg's 9‑game winning streak, the gap between the two sides was narrowed to 5 points. This score was already quite ambiguous.
....
Facing media interviews, Jürgen Klopp did not regret his rotation. "I admit, there was a gambling element to the rotation in this game, and I lost the bet. But I believe in my players; they will definitely maintain a sufficient lead in the league next. Everyone is criticizing Borussia Dortmund for being greedy, wanting everything, and giving their all in the Champions League even though they know they can't touch the trophy. But let me ask you, isn't the Champions League worth going all out for?"
Klopp's strong performance in the interview left the reporters speechless. Reporters could only catch Jin Hayes, who did not play in this game, in the player tunnel.
"What is your view on this defeat? Is it worth it for the coaching staff to give up this league match for the Champions League?"
Jin Hayes looked at the reporter like they were an idiot. "This was a joint decision by the team and the coaching staff. Losing a league game isn't the end of the world. Why did we work so hard to get a 14‑game winning streak before? Wasn't it to increase our margin for error? As long as we can win the title in the end, we are confident in staying at the top and won't let anyone threaten our throne."
The reporter was shaken by Jin Hayes's tough tone and quickly changed the subject.
"This time you're going to your former club Arsenal to face Wenger's team. What are your feelings?"
"I respect Coach Wenger very much; you could say he was my guide in football. But unfortunately, this is a life‑or‑death knockout stage. To show respect to Arsenal, I will do my best to defeat them."
"Jin is too arrogant, isn't he?"
"Is this kid so wild now? I remember he used to be very humble—"
"No, no, no, he was always wild." Cesc Fàbregas felt this deeply.
Seeing Jin Hayes's interview, Fàbregas felt that besides growing a bit taller and stronger, there was no change in his inner self. When Jin Hayes was still an obscure young player, he was just as confident as he is now.
At that time, Fàbregas was already a well‑known star in the Premier League and the core midfielder of Arsenal. Jin Hayes wasn't polite to Fàbregas at all, playing with him whenever he wanted. In Fàbregas's impression, this guy had always been sharp and flamboyant.
"Just wait, I must teach him a lesson this time!" Fàbregas clenched his fists in righteous indignation.
"That's right!! Let Jin see the intensity of the top league!"
"Yeah! We must give Jin a warm welcome home!"
The Arsenal players responded one after another, shouting and declaring war from afar. Morale in the dressing room reached its peak, and the desire to fight exploded. However, Fàbregas, who was the first to shout, calmed down, and he found that his hands couldn't help but start to tremble. An idea irrepressibly formed in his heart, like Jack's beanstalk in the fairy tale, growing from a seed into a towering tree in an instant.
"Can I really defeat him?"
…
"Jin, look at how the Tangyuan I cooked turned out? I just bought them from the Chinese supermarket today."
Night of February 21st, the Heinrich household. Anna brought a bowl of steaming hot Tangyuan(Glutinous rice balls) to the table, her small hands red from the heat. Hastily putting down the bowl, the girl quickly pinched Jin Hayes's earlobe with her burning fingers.
This was a life hack Jin Hayes had taught her: pinching your earlobe when your fingers are burnt can cool them down quickly. Anna hadn't dared to do it before. Now that the two had confirmed their relationship, she would pinch Jin Hayes's earlobe every time.
The girl's cute appearance made Jin Hayes unable to resist reaching out to put his arm around Anna's waist.
"Don't, they're in the living room, don't mess around." Anna was both shy and annoyed, slapping Jin Hayes's hand away.
"What's there to be afraid of? We're dating openly."
"Oh!! You're so annoying!"
Anna's face turned red with anxiety, so Jin Hayes stopped teasing her and quickly let go. Jin Hayes knew that the girl would still feel awkward being affectionate with someone in front of her parents.
There was no rush; they could get used to it slowly.
...
Since entering 2009, he felt that time was slipping away faster and faster. After the winter break training and four league matches, it was suddenly the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.
Busy with training and matches lately, Jin Hayes had even forgotten about the New Year. His parents didn't care over the phone either, only telling Jin Hayes to focus on training and matches and to take good care of his body.
Just as the whole team was about to set off for London the next morning, Anna had a sudden idea to make a meal of Tangyuan for Jin Hayes. As the girl learned more and more about China, she became quite interested in these traditional customs and holidays. Using the Lantern Festival, she wanted to taste what Tangyuan was like.
"Here, I'll let you have the first bite."
As an athlete, it wasn't convenient for Jin Hayes to eat such high‑sugar foods. They only cooked one bowl, which had about ten black sesame Tangyuan. Jin Hayes ate two just for the sake of it, and the rest were Anna's. He picked one out, blew on it, and handed it to Anna's lips.
"Be careful, it's hot."
"Hehe."
For the first time, the girl felt the feeling of being pampered by Jin Hayes. Before even eating the Tangyuan, she already felt its sweetness. She gently sipped the fragrant and slightly sweet broth, took a small bite of the chewy texture, and watched the black sesame filling ooze out.
Mmm, it really was very sweet.
Anna was just about to eat the rest when Jin Hayes took it away and ate it in one bite.
"Hey!! You—" So embarrassing!! How could he eat someone's leftovers? Jin Hayes didn't care at all, gave a chuckle, and gave a thumbs up: "Mine is even sweeter than yours."
"You're annoying." Anna gave him a helpless glance, but seeing his silly look, she couldn't help but laugh.
"In 10 years, will we still be like this?" Anna had already begun to look forward to their married life together in 10 years. Jin Hayes's eyes were also full of her reflection.
He hadn't played today, and the team's loss meant their lead in the standings was shrinking, making the Bundesliga title race gradually uncertain. Jin Hayes was actually under quite a bit of pressure.
...
The sense of responsibility weighed heavily on his heart.
What 16‑year‑old player has to shoulder the responsibility of the entire team winning the title?
Originally, before the departure for Arsenal, this heavy feeling would have weighed on his heart, becoming more and more stifling. Fortunately, after returning, there were the Tangyuan Anna cooked.
The girl had specifically travelled over ten kilometres to a Chinese supermarket to buy Tangyuan and sweet fermented rice to spend the Lantern Festival with him. The steaming hot Tangyuan went down, seemingly dissolving the gloom in his chest at the same time.
Whenever the pressure and burden of his professional career became unmanageable, he only needed to be by Anna's side, and it would all cease to exist. This was also why Jin Hayes, despite being young and wealthy and able to rent a luxury apartment and live a life of luxury, still chose to stay at the Heinrich household.
If it weren't for Anna, and if he hadn't chosen to rent a room at her house in the beginning, Jin Hayes believed he would likely have become the stereotypical star. Carrying heavy pressure and gradually becoming addicted to the high life.
Just like Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, and other talented players—waking up every day with a different partner by their side, but the emptiness in their hearts could never be filled. Until complete downfall.
....
"In two days, we will beat Arsenal. Do you believe it?"
"Of course." Anna beamed and held Jin Hayes's hand.