"Did you watch it yesterday? Lord Jin is awesome!"
"Using a Marseille Turn on the goal line to get past the last defender—that was so cool!"
"Seriously, I wouldn't even dare to play like that in Pro Evolution Soccer."
Tianhe District, the staff canteen of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University. Chen Jianping came here for lunch as usual and heard the interns nearby discussing last night's Bundesliga match. Those interns even pointed at Chen Jianping secretly.
"I heard Lord Jin is Section Chief Jin's son."
"Huh? Really?"
"It's true. Last time, Pearl River Channel even interviewed Section Chief Jin, and the Dean showed up too."
"Holy cow, that's awesome!"
"The main thing is that Lord Jin has been getting fiercer over these two seasons. It just depends on whether he can join a powerhouse club this new season."
"Didn't he just officially sign? It can't happen that fast, right?"
"Not necessarily. What if a powerhouse club takes a fancy to him? Borussia Dortmund would definitely sell."
"It would be great if he came to my Real Madrid."
"Forget it, unless Florentino takes office and builds the Galácticos. Real Madrid is a bit weak this season…"
"Who says that? Next match against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid will definitely win."
"I bet Borussia Dortmund wins. With Lord Jin there, he'll crush your Real Madrid."
That Real Madrid fan was left speechless.
Jin Hayes is now a phenomenal young talent attracting attention across all of Europe. Both his strengths and weaknesses are very obvious; he is a player with a very distinct personal style. If you say he's fast, he still doesn't compare to Kaká; if you say his passing and organisation are strong, he's not as good as Xavi or Andrés Iniesta; not to mention his shooting—he can miss from point‑blank range, and he only seems to score when the degree of difficulty is high enough.
Sometimes he frequently tries to dribble alone, getting past four or five people in a row, only to mess up the shot in the penalty area, wasting an excellent attacking opportunity.
But anyone who dares to underestimate Jin Hayes will certainly be punished. In the last match, Stuttgart relaxed their vigilance against Jin Hayes for just a moment and was dribbled right through by him, ending in a goal.
In the end, Borussia Dortmund won 5–3 at home, completing ten unbeaten matches in all competitions this new season. In the Bundesliga standings, Borussia Dortmund has five wins and one draw in six rounds, standing alone at the top.
Jin Hayes contributed another assist hat‑trick, one goal, and one key pass; all five goals were related to him. With seven goals and thirteen assists, he continues to dominate the Bundesliga top scorer and assist charts. With a player like this, I ask you, is Real Madrid afraid or not?
"Should we ask Section Chief Jin to see if we can get Lord Jin's autograph?"
"Ah, I'm not familiar with the Information Section."
"I'm not familiar with them either, but that's Lord Jin's autograph!"
"Forget it, don't disturb Lord Jin's family. He should be coming back during the summer vacation; we can ask him then."
Chen Jianping had been pricking up his ears, eavesdropping on these youngsters bragging about his child. He had originally prepared himself mentally, waiting for them to come over and strike up a conversation so he could happily show off his son. As it turned out, they actually chickened out.
Ever since Jin Hayes appeared in the Champions League and put on a brilliant performance against Juventus, more and more mainstream media have taken notice of this newsmaker. Media outlets like Southern Weekly and Guangzhou Daily have used large layouts and column space to introduce the only Chinese player playing abroad to the public. P
earl River Television Channel 2 even sent a reporter for a simple interview, which caused the entire hospital to treat it with great seriousness, with the Dean personally accompanying Chen Jianping for the interview.
For the first time, Chen Jianping felt what it was like to be on television. After the interview, the Dean smiled very happily. It turned out that the application for the Information Section to replace computers had never received any follow‑up.
After this media interview, it was approved almost instantly. In less than a week, Chen Jianping was already using the latest computer equipment. When he sent his son to Europe to play football, he never would have imagined that he could actually bask in the reflected glory at work.
"This kid…" He chuckled. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't drink during workdays, Chen Jianping would really want to have a drink and enjoy himself.
…
After a day of training, dragging his exhausted body to school for tutoring, Jin Hayes's body and mind were fully occupied. Returning to the two‑story house of the Heinrich family, he found Uncle Hans and several neighbours busy making something.
"What is this?"
"Jin, you're back. This is a surprise for Real Madrid!"
"That's right, hahaha, we must let those Spaniards experience German passion."
A group of members from "Yellow Black Prussia" laughed a bit menacingly. It looked like in the Champions League home game in a few days, they were going to use a huge TIFO to create a hellish home atmosphere again.
This was naturally spearheaded by the Borussia Dortmund club and handed over to core fan organisations to produce together. Everyone holds a board, and when people across the entire stand raise different boards, it forms a spectacular pattern. They could even move the panels to achieve some simple "animation" effects.
Ever since Jin Hayes came to Borussia Dortmund, he had gained some insight; this group of fanatical fans had truly mastered the art of home stadium culture. In contrast, some teams appeared quite rough in this regard.
He recalled one team that, on the important stage of the Champions League semi‑finals, displayed a "TIFO" that was just a simple piece of cloth, which was mocked by fans on social media. Some people even roasted it, saying that wasn't a TIFO, but a shower curtain. Not only did it fail to pose a threat to the opponent, but it also became a laughingstock.
*Champions League 24/25 semis: Arsenal Vs PSG at the Emirates. It was Arsenal, obviously, even though they just won the league yesterday.
Recently, Jin Hayes could feel that the entire city of Dortmund was waiting for the arrival of Real Madrid. In the 2008‑2009 season, Real Madrid during the Calderón era was not as star‑studded, but as the most successful football club of the 20th century, the oppressive feeling of a European powerhouse still existed.
As the challenger, if Borussia Dortmund wanted to break out of the Group of Death, they had to go head‑to‑head with the White Legion.
On the training ground recently, Klopp's expression was quite serious. If anyone dared to slack off, he would surely get right in their face and give them a good scolding.
"Mats!! Run! Don't force me to kick you!"
"Nuri!! I saw you slacking off! I'm punishing you to run ten more laps after training!"
"Jin—well done!"
Nuri Şahin was unhappy. Why did they all have to get scolded? The coach was really biased toward Jin Hayes.
"This isn't fair."
"No, this is very fair. Look at Jin's attitude; he gives his all in every task. Look at yourself…" Captain Sebastian Kehl couldn't watch anymore; Şahin really was slacking off just now. While Klopp was chatting with his assistant, this guy turned back during the shuttle run without reaching the finish line.
"Isn't it enough if I perform well on the pitch?"
"No, if you don't tighten up in training, you will slack off on the pitch too."
Nuri Şahin could also be considered one of Borussia Dortmund's own. He debuted with exceptional talent and was selected for the Bundesliga Best XI last season. On Transfermarkt, Nuri Şahin's market value had already soared to €30 million.
Being interviewed by the media and crazily sought after by fans, especially by England's The Sun, which directly rated Nuri Şahin as the "world's number one midfielder for the next ten years," it's inevitable for an average young player to get carried away in such a situation. Nuri Şahin hadn't even become a world‑class superstar yet, but mentally, he already considered himself the world's number one.
Sebastian Kehl wanted to say something but hesitated; he didn't know how to persuade this young man. If he spoke to him seriously as the captain, the other party might disregard it, thinking he was acting like an arrogant veteran. Sebastian Kehl could only look at Jin Hayes with a pleading gaze.
"Me?"
"You have a better relationship with him; try to persuade him."
"Alright, I'll try."
Although Jin Hayes could predict some things, he usually rarely interfered with other people's futures. So far, he had only reminded Philipp Lahm. After all, a person's destiny still depends on themselves.
In his prophetic dreams, this guy did indeed get his wish and went to Real Madrid, having the opportunity to become a world‑class superstar on the big stage of the Spanish capital. But in the end, he couldn't grasp it.
After leaving Real Madrid in disgrace, he was loaned to Liverpool but couldn't regain his form. It was only after returning to Borussia Dortmund that Nuri Şahin regained his former brilliance under Jürgen Klopp.
Unfortunately, he was limited by injuries and couldn't maintain his peak; his professional career started high and ended low, eventually retiring quietly. Logically, Jin Hayes should persuade him to stay in Borussia Dortmund for a few more seasons. But this guy's head was full of going to a powerhouse club; Jin Hayes simply couldn't persuade him.
"Nuri."
"What's wrong? Are you going to lecture me too?" Nuri Şahin was a bit unconvinced. Having just been chewed out by the coach and then lectured by the captain, the young man's rebellious mentality flared up, and he couldn't listen to anything.
"No, I'm just saying, the next match is a good opportunity for you."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you want to go to Real Madrid? At that time, the Real Madrid president and sporting director will all be on‑site, seeing your performance with their own eyes."
"How do you know—" Nuri Şahin's expression changed. His discussions with his agent were strictly internal. He had only heard that Florentino Pérez was running for president of Real Madrid and might take office to build the Galácticos.
If he could make a connection then, he might be able to transfer. This was something with no concrete progress; the media couldn't possibly have news about it, and Şahin hadn't told anyone else. How could Jin Hayes know?
"It doesn't matter. We are professional players; going anywhere is normal. I'm just saying, rather than being scouted, it's better to perform perfectly right under their noses. Brother, play out your value."
"Well... alright." Jin Hayes's words struck a chord with Nuri Şahin. Yes, isn't the next match the best opportunity? If he could lead the team to defeat Real Madrid, he would definitely be noticed by Florentino.
"Jin, don't you steal my spotlight; I'm going to carry next match!"
"I'm not stealing your spotlight; I'm just better than you."
"Go to hell!" Şahin, annoyed and embarrassed, kicked at him, but Jin Hayes dodged it easily. This guy! After spending a long time together, including Mats Hummels, Jin Hayes, and even Marco Reus, these seemingly honest and steady guys had all become cheeky. A bunch of bad friends!
Nuri Şahin clenched his fists and buried his head in serious training. He had made up his mind to perform well in front of his prospective new employers. Jin Hayes looked at Şahin's back as he trained hard, contrary to his usual behaviour, and couldn't help but sigh.
This season's Bumblebees youth storm was actually not the full version; everyone was still getting familiar and gelling, and they were still adapting to the 4‑3‑3 high‑pressing total football tactics. Being able to win 5‑3 against Stuttgart in a thriller was enough to prove that the current Bumblebees were not very stable.
If they were allowed to gel for one more season, the Bumblebees of the coming years would be the complete version—a youth storm enough to make all of Europe tremble.
It's just a pity that judging by Nuri Şahin's stance, he couldn't wait to fly away. Assuming the team could achieve a good result this season, the main players in the squad would definitely be targeted. Jin Hayes couldn't guarantee if the original lineup would still be there next season, or how long the brothers could continue playing together.
"Forget it, thinking too much is useless. This season, let's try not to leave any regrets!" Jin Hayes quickly composed himself and threw himself into the training tasks.
"They are the best team!"
"They are the ultimate team!"
"The most important competition!"
"Play Barça—play Barça—play Bayern Munich!"
"My team has collapsed!"
The familiar string music of the Champions League theme song began to play, and Jin Hayes felt as if he had returned to the excitement of getting up in the middle of the night to stay up late watching the Champions League.
But before, he was just sitting in front of the TV, watching the performances of Galácticos members like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Ronaldo Nazário, Roberto Carlos, and Raúl as a fan.
Now, the legendary figure from the television of the past—Raúl—was genuinely right beside him. Jin Hayes would participate in his second Champions League group stage match as a player.
The opponent was the world‑renowned powerhouse, Real Madrid.