Beijing, China.
Passing by the CCTV building, which was still under construction, Jin Hayes couldn't help but feel a little dazed. He remembered when Football Kid passed the open audition, he came to Beijing for training with his camp companions. At that time, the bus was filled with the excited voices of teenagers.
"If you become famous, where do you want to play?"
"Of course, Beijing Guoan."
"Don't you want to go to a foreign club?"
"How could we?"
"Why not? What if we beat Everton and Everton notices us?"
"That makes sense. Then I want to go to Manchester United."
"I want to go to Real Madrid!"
"Jin Hayes, what about you? Where do you want to go?"
"I—"
In a trance, the young faces in the bus were still there, looking at him with anticipation.
"Lord Jin, Lord Jin?"
"What?"
"Excuse me, Mr. Jin, I wanted to ask if there are any dietary restrictions on our side? The production team wants to treat you to a meal first… Mr. Jin?"
Last year, the domestic entertainment industry had just broken out with a major news story. Why was someone still calling him Mr. Jin? I don't even like photography. No—
Jin Hayes remembered that he had a DV and often filmed daily life in the locker room, and he often took it to Anna to play with. In a sense, he was indeed Mr. Jin. But he always felt a bit unaccustomed to being called Mr in the domestic film and television, performing arts, and general entertainment circles.
I'm just a football player, not some domestic entertainment star.
After returning to China, after a brief reunion with his family in Guangzhou, Jin Hayes had no choice but to start working. First, he went to Shanghai to participate in promotional activities for brands like Coca-Cola and Armani. He shot print ads with celebrity guests and held simple media meet-and-greets.
At the Armani event, there was only one other spokesperson: Zhang Ziyi, the internationally renowned actress who had received numerous nominations and awards in Hollywood for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha. Facing Zhang Ziyi, Jin Hayes maintained basic politeness and limited conversation. However, Zhang Ziyi was very interested in Jin Hayes and kept finding opportunities to pull him into conversation.
"Jin Hayes, my dress zipper seems a bit loose, could you help me?"
"Look, is my makeup smudged?"
"Oh, this outfit is a bit itchy today."
In a corner not noticed by the private cameras, the coquettish International Zhang opened Jin Hayes's eyes. No, buddy? Are we that close? Who asks someone to help with their zipper on the first day of meeting? That backless dress of yours is a bit too revealing! But honestly, Zhang Ziyi was really thin. Jin Hayes felt he could pick her up with one hand. Pfft! Why am I thinking about this?! Jin Hayes quickly composed himself.
In China, it seems entertainment stars are dominant, and everyone is focused on those in the performing arts circle. But as long as a sports star achieves influence, he will quickly become a top-tier celebrity. For example, Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, and the future top players in table tennis. The commercial value of Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, and Fan Zhendong far surpasses that of many popular entertainment stars.
Jin Hayes's dominant performance in the Champions League this year—he didn't even know how high his influence was in China. Although he was a step below national top-tier celebrities like Yao Ming and Liu Xiang, he was at least comparable to sports stars like Lin Dan, Ma Long, and Zheng Jie. When he scored the winning goal against Barça to advance to the Champions League semi-finals, the next day, on the noon News 30 Minutes on CCTV-1, Jin Hayes was featured for a full 30 seconds. And he didn't notice that in the Xinwen Lianbo at 7:00 PM that evening, Jin Hayes also appeared, for 15 seconds!
Based on this alone, Jin Hayes's current status in China already far surpassed Zheng Jie and was close to that of Lin Dan and Ma Long. His agent, Mendes, had his phone blown up. Countless domestic sponsors were scrambling to collaborate with Jin Hayes. To avoid collaborations like Golden Throat Lozenges, Mendes was quite cautious in screening Jin Hayes's commercial promotions, blocking many people behind the scenes for him.
Therefore, Zhang Ziyi seemed to understand Jin Hayes's private gestures. Putting aside influence, Jin Hayes was at least handsome enough. But—she had just been exposed to the beach gate incident with a foreign wealthy businessman in the first half of the year. Is this really okay?
When it was time for the Coca-Cola video commercial shoot, the scene wasn't as awkward.
"Asia Flying Man" Liu Xiang, Wilber Pan, Angela Chang, and S.H.E were all together, and they were very excited to see Jin Hayes.
"Lord Jin! Can I have an autograph?"
Uh...
Jin Hayes couldn't hold back. When he was in junior high, he often sang Can't Help But Love with his classmates, competing to see who could learn the rap parts of Happy Worship and Tell Me first. As a result, in just a few short years, Wilber Pan was already like a fan, eagerly asking for autographs and photos in front of 17-year-old Jin Hayes.
"Of course."
Jin Hayes took his newly acquired Nokia N97 and took a selfie with its 5-megapixel Zeiss lens. Angela Chang and the female celebrities of S.H.E were more reserved, occasionally chatting with Jin Hayes in a casual manner.
Liu Xiang, however, looked a bit dejected. During the commercial shoot, it was clear that he was being forced to work, purely smiling out of politeness. To be honest, Jin Hayes felt that the controversy surrounding Liu Xiang's withdrawal last year was very unreasonable. Some media even stirred up trouble, calling Liu Xiang a coward, a liar, disappointing the hopes of the whole country, and even suspected him of faking injury or deserting in battle.
Jin Hayes found it laughable to think about. How could Liu Xiang voluntarily miss such an opportunity on home soil? It was precisely in preparation for the Olympics that he neglected his Achilles tendon injury, which ultimately led to his forced withdrawal. Compared to the external public opinion storm, Liu Xiang was even harsher on himself, so much so that he hadn't recovered almost a year later.
That's why many people watch sports, not caring about sports itself, but only about whether they can win championships, whether they can show off. Those who can't win championships, can't win gold medals, and can't bring glory to themselves are all considered useless. It's just a pity that very few netizens at this time were aware of this. Perhaps it would take another 10 years for everyone to truly view such matters rationally.
"Congratulations! You've performed wonderfully in Europe this year—I often watch your games, especially the one against Barça. Hey, that was exciting."
When the Champions League semi-final was mentioned, a genuine smile, long absent, appeared on Liu Xiang's face.
"Thank you, it's my honour."
If anyone proved through action that East Asian athletes could compete at the highest level of track and field, Liu Xiang was the first to do so. Jin Hayes genuinely gave him a thumbs up.
"How's your recovery recently?"
"It's okay, I've started training and am preparing to see how I perform at the National Games."
When his injury was mentioned, Liu Xiang could already face it with a smile. If Jin Hayes remembered correctly, Liu Xiang, who made a comeback at the National Games in September, would win the championship. His performance would be far from his peak, but it was at least a positive step. Barring any surprises, he should briefly approach his peak and achieve some good results next. But it would be difficult for him to run under 13 seconds again. The Achilles tendon injury, psychological factors, and age, all combined, would inevitably lead to a decline in his competitive level.
From "the god who pursues speed" to "the man who defies fate"—the journey of an athlete was never just about physical ability. Many voices flashed through Jin Hayes's mind, and he hesitated to speak. He couldn't do anything. Even if he gave Liu Xiang spoilers about his future results, the man would probably just smile it off. He and his coaching team knew much more about how to train and challenge himself than Jin Hayes did.
"You will come back. I believe that."
"Thank you."
Liu Xiang was very surprised. At the lowest point of his reputation, the young man who was struggling in Europe was still willing to believe in him. Liu Xiang also hesitated, not knowing what to say. Two athletes fighting in different fields, both grown men, didn't need so many fancy things. A simple thank you was enough.
The commercial activities in Shanghai wasted a week of Jin Hayes's time. By mid-June, Jin Hayes had to rush to Beijing again. Facing the overly polite staff of the CCTV World Football program, Jin Hayes found it hard to keep a straight face.
"There's no need for dinner, right? I'll just grab something quick, and go directly to the recording tomorrow."
"AUV, how can that be?"
The CCTV5 business reception staff were in a difficult position.
"It's okay, I'm not particular about those things. I've been quite tired with some activities recently, and you're also working overtime here, so let's just keep it simple."
"Alright, since you say so, we won't bother you. Let's go straight to the hotel."
"Okay, thank you."
Jin Hayes felt that if he chatted with him for a few more sentences, he would also start speaking with a Beijing accent. After resting for one night at the Ritz-Carlton in the China World Trade Center, the next day, Monday evening at 7:30 PM, viewers across the country eagerly turned on their televisions and tuned to CCTV5 Sports Channel.
After a series of cool special effects in the opening credits, everyone saw two familiar faces appear in the studio.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to World Football, exclusively presented by Flyco Group—Today is quite special, as we are honoured to invite Chinese player Jin Hayes, who recently won a double championship in the Bundesliga, as a special guest to accompany everyone through this episode of 'Splendid Europe.'"
"Hello everyone, I'm Jin Hayes."
One day, his own smiling face actually appeared on his favourite football program since childhood. Jin Hayes sat in the familiar studio, the bright lights of the set shining down on him, and for a moment, he felt like he was dreaming. He remembered watching World Football as a kid, glued to the screen every Monday night, dreaming of one day being good enough to be mentioned on the show. Now, here he was, not just mentioned, but sitting across from the host, a Bundesliga champion and German Cup winner, about to talk about his journey.
The host, a veteran of the program, smiled warmly. "Jin Hayes, welcome. First of all, congratulations on an incredible season. A domestic double at 17 years old—that's unheard of. How does it feel?"
Jin Hayes laughed modestly. "It still hasn't fully sunk in, to be honest. When I was a kid, I used to watch this show and dream about playing in Europe. To actually be here, talking about winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal... it's surreal."
"You mentioned watching the show as a kid. Did you ever imagine you'd be sitting here one day?"
"I dreamed about it, but I never thought it would happen so fast. Everything has happened so quickly—the move to Dortmund, the Champions League run, the title. I'm just trying to enjoy every moment and keep improving."
The interview continued, covering his early days in England, the loan to Dortmund, the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, and his ambitions for the future. Jin Hayes answered each question with the same humility and quiet determination that had become his trademark. When the topic turned to the national team, his expression grew more serious.
"I know Chinese football has a long way to go, but I hope my performances in Europe can inspire more kids to chase their dreams. Maybe one day, we'll see more Chinese players competing at the highest level. That's something I want to be part of."
The host nodded. "You mentioned the national team. The 2010 World Cup qualifiers are coming up. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
Jin Hayes paused, choosing his words carefully. "I'll always answer the call if I'm needed. But I also know that one player can't change everything. It has to be a collective effort—better youth development, better coaching, better infrastructure. I'm just one piece of the puzzle."
The interview wrapped with a light-hearted segment where Jin Hayes was asked to predict the upcoming Champions League season. He smiled, naming Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Inter Milan as the favourites—but added, with a grin, "And Dortmund. Never count us out."
As the cameras stopped rolling and the studio lights dimmed, Jin Hayes shook hands with the host and the crew. He had come a long way from the teenager who used to watch this show in his living room. But as he stepped out into the Beijing night, he knew the journey was far from over.
The 2009–10 season was waiting. And so was the world.