"I just finished watching World Football. Lord Jin is so handsome!"
"This episode was so interesting. I didn't expect our great Dortmund locker room to have so many funny guys."
"Lord Jin's thinking was so clear on the show; he doesn't seem like a football player."
"It's said he had good grades in high school in Germany and has a chance to get into a prestigious university."
"He's handsome, a top student, and plays football so well. How can such a perfect person exist?!"
"I feel Lord Jin's analysis is very accurate. I think he could be a coach after he retires."
"He's only 17. His professional career has just begun; it's too early to talk about retirement."
"By the time he retires, it will be 2032. That's too far away."
"Can Jin Hayes really play until he's 40?"
"His professionalism should be top-tier. Zanetti and Ryan Giggs could both play that long, so Lord Jin definitely won't have a problem."
Typically, live broadcasts of World Football, apart from Duan Xuan's parts, have other segments pre-recorded. This time, for the "Splendid Europe – Jin Hayes Special Program," due to Jin Hayes's schedule, he couldn't participate in the recording beforehand. After negotiations, both sides decided to broadcast the entire episode live.
In the 50-minute special, the first half featured Duan Xuan and Jin Hayes discussing recent major news in world football, including the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa and Real Madrid's Galácticos transfers. The CCTV production team was initially worried that Jin Hayes, as a professional player, might not have good on-screen presence, his verbal expression might not be clear enough, or he might get nervous and stumble, affecting the quality of the show.
Before the live broadcast, the production team even briefed him on some of the content and did a brief rehearsal. Later, the production team found that Jin Hayes's thinking and expression were very clear, with no issues whatsoever. Duan Xuan even felt it wasn't like interacting with a high school student or a young player; it was as if he was talking to an experienced host or media professional. At this point, the production team was finally relieved.
The live broadcast proceeded smoothly. After discussing the progress of the Confederations Cup, the topic shifted to major news in the summer transfer market. Florentino Pérez officially took office, signing superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká consecutively, which caused a sensation in the football world.
Jin Hayes also sharply commented on Real Madrid's Galácticos 2.0:
"Actually, football is not a game of stacking superstars. The most important thing is the chemical reaction of the eleven players on the field."
"This summer, Real Madrid invested heavily to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Xabi Alonso, and also my former teammate Nuri Şahin—"
"With so many big-name stars, no one will yield to anyone. The most headache-inducing person must be Real Madrid's coach."
"No matter who comes to coach, this is a hot potato. I really can't imagine anyone who can manage them."
Since it was already a sensation, the director of World Football decided to go all in, reminding Jin Hayes through his earpiece to predict Real Madrid's performance next season.
"From a purely subjective perspective, Real Madrid will still be suppressed by Barça in La Liga next season. Barça's tiki-taka football is already mature, while Real Madrid's cobbled-together team will struggle to form a cohesive fighting force and will find it hard to match Barça. In the Champions League, Real Madrid's best result will be the Round of 16. Unless they get a particularly good draw, they won't be able to handle tough matches."
Jin Hayes wasn't just making a casual prediction; from a professional player's perspective, he meticulously analysed the characteristics of each player for the new season, as well as the rumoured traits of coach Manuel Pellegrini. Even Real Madrid fans in front of their TVs who wanted to complain couldn't find an angle to refute him.
Seeing that the show's effect was truly explosive, with the backstage phones almost ringing off the hook, the director quickly had the two change topics to review the past season's Champions League and Borussia Dortmund's Champions League journey.
After playing the VCR for "Splendid Europe," Duan Xuan and Jin Hayes naturally used the Champions League topic to conduct a special interview. The content of the interview wasn't particularly unusual, but Jin Hayes spoke from the heart, sharing many first-person insights with the domestic audience, some amusing anecdotes from the Borussia Dortmund locker room, and his thoughts on this Champions League journey.
What seemed like a simple conversation between two people saw a terrifying surge in backstage viewership, alarming the director.
"It's at 0.58%! Highest for a sports program this week!"
"Still rising! 0.6… 0.8!"
"It's 0.97%!!"
Even Jiang Heping, the director of the sports channel for the World Football program, was stunned.
"It's a record!"
Normally, the program's viewership ratings hovered between 0.4% and 0.6%; anything over 0.6% was considered a hit. What does 0.97% mean? The most popular Beijing-Shanghai Derby in the Chinese Super League was only about that much!
"As expected of Jin Hayes, his popularity is so high."
Osaka, Japan.
"Shinji!! You bastard!!! Are you really leaving? What about our agreement to go to the J-League together?"
"I'm truly sorry, Takashi, Yoshito! You know, I've always wanted to play football in Europe. I can only entrust Cerezo Osaka to you!"
"Damn it! Then get lost! We can still get promoted without you!"
"I believe it, I've always believed it!"
"Damn it!"
Takashi Inui and Yoshito Okubo watched Shinji Kagawa's retreating figure, carrying his suitcase. They really wanted to go over and punch him. They had agreed that he would leave after the 2009 season, after helping the team get promoted to the J1 League. But this guy deserted at the last minute! He got an invitation from Borussia Dortmund and just scurried off? What about the previous agreement, the previous dream?
Shinji Kagawa didn't even look back!
Takashi Inui clenched his fists in anger:
"Just you wait, if I get a chance to go to Germany, I'll definitely tear you apart!"
Yoshito Okubo, however, sighed deeply:
"Forget it, Takashi. We can still make it back to the J-League on our own. No need to bother with that heartless bastard."
Little did they know, Shinji Kagawa in the taxi was equally heartbroken. Not because the taxi meter was furiously ticking up, but because he had betrayed his brothers and their past agreement. However, Shinji Kagawa couldn't refuse the invitation from Borussia Dortmund. Even if it meant becoming a rogue ninja, he had to go to Europe and fight in the Champions League alongside Jin-san!
Originally, Shinji Kagawa planned to transfer to Borussia Dortmund in 2010 after getting promoted to the J-League. But ever since he watched that thrilling battle between Dortmund and Barça, Shinji Kagawa didn't want to wait another second; he just wanted to go to Europe and play high-level football.
Poland.
In Poland, a similar scene was unfolding.
"Robert, if you leave now, the Polish Footballer of the Year will be mine. Are you really willing to let that happen?"
"Sorry, Maciej. Polish Footballer of the Year no longer means anything to me. I just want to go to Germany."
"If you finish this season with a championship and a Golden Boot, you could get a bigger contract and a higher starting point at Borussia Dortmund."
Maciej was frustrated with his brother, feeling he wasn't living up to his potential.
"But if you go now, you're just a nobody. They won't take you seriously; you'll have to start from scratch and fight your way up."
"Even so, I'm prepared for it."
"Then why do you have to go so early?"
"Well, I need to go ahead and find a place to live."
It was the same kind of plea to stay, and the same resolute departure. Robert Lewandowski's eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
Germany.
Compared to Shinji Kagawa and Lewandowski, Sven Bender was much more relaxed. On the spacious lawn in his backyard, he was currently lounging in a deck chair, sunbathing with his brother, who was on vacation.
"Next season, we'll be opponents."
"Oh, come on. You need to become a starting defensive midfielder first."
Lars Bender, Bayer Leverkusen's starting defensive midfielder, chuckled.
"Can you tell me what kind of person Jin is?"
When discussing Borussia Dortmund, it was impossible to avoid the soul of the team for the past two seasons—the prodigious star who led Dortmund to the Champions League final and clinched a double: Jin Hayes.
"Him, huh."
Mentioning Jin Hayes made Lars Bender's heart skip a beat. On the field, the person he least wanted to encounter was Jin Hayes. He would rather defend Messi one-on-one than be toyed with by Jin Hayes. If Messi broke through him, he would only feel that his skills were inferior, and Messi's dribbling was at least within his comprehension. If Jin Hayes broke through him, Lars Bender would only feel like a wooden stake, not even a person.
You could never predict Jin Hayes's movements. When you thought you were absolutely certain to win the ball, that was often the real trap. Jin Hayes would use incredible ways to bypass the ball from your blind spot, exploiting the gaps left by defenders to break through. At this point, defenders would experience deep self-doubt, directly hitting their confidence.
The next time they encountered Jin Hayes, their attempts to press and tackle would become hesitant and timid, making it even easier for Jin Hayes to seize the opportunity and get past them. After a match, defenders who had been toyed with by Jin Hayes would have their mentality shaken and remain in poor form for several games.
Lars Bender had personally experienced this horror, even being endlessly toyed with by a faceless Jin Hayes in his nightmares.
"You'll know when you experience it yourself."
Even now, Lars Bender felt a lingering fear.
"Is he really that terrifying?"
"More exaggerated than you can imagine. Anyway—why are you laughing?"
Sven Bender suddenly couldn't hold back his laughter, which annoyed Lars Bender.
"He'll be my teammate now, which means I can also dominate you."
"Bastard! Come on, one-on-one!"
"I'm not afraid of you!"
The two brothers, without another word, started a 1v1 on the lawn in their backyard. The afternoon sun cast long shadows as they battled, their competitive spirit burning bright. For Sven, the chance to train alongside Jin Hayes every day was an opportunity he intended to seize with both hands.
Santiago, Chile.
In South America, Santiago, the capital of Chile, Lucas Barrios, wearing headphones, had just boarded the plane. After placing his luggage in the overhead bin, he squeezed past the chubby passenger next to him and struggled into the narrow economy class seat of the budget airline. At 188 cm tall, he felt very cramped in the seat.
Thinking about the upcoming flight of over ten hours, Barrios felt quite a bittersweet feeling. Looking out at the increasingly distant South American land from the cabin, Barrios felt both anticipation and determination. He was about to play football on a new continent, and his professional career was finally entering its official chapter.
He had heard that Borussia Dortmund's starting striker was Alexander Frei, but the Swiss veteran was leaving. That left an opening. He would likely be competing for a starting spot, perhaps rotating with the young Polish striker who had just signed. His contract position was merely "rotational player," but Barrios could wait. Even sitting on the bench in Europe was far better than the rough leagues of South America. If he didn't play well there, he could be shot by someone sent by a local big boss at any time.
Hopefully, this time at Borussia Dortmund, he could forge a bright future.
"Father, I hope everything you said is true. As long as I persevere, there will be a day when I become a superstar."
Dortmund, Germany.
"Kevin!! Over here!"
"Hey, Marcel, you rascal!"
"Look who it is?"
"Wait, Marco, why are you here too?"
"I heard you were coming back, so I specially came to welcome you."
"I wouldn't dare. You're a big-name star now; how could I let you welcome me?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Let's go, get in the car quickly. We can catch up properly."
"Thank you."
Seeing that his good friend from the old Borussia Dortmund youth team hadn't changed, Kevin Großkreutz breathed a sigh of relief. Marco Reus, after a season of experience, had become one of Borussia Dortmund's mainstays, shining brightly in the Champions League. Meanwhile, he, who had trained with him, was languishing in the German 3. Liga. The gap between them was like that between a celebrity and an ordinary person; their statuses were now incomparable.
He didn't expect Reus to still be the same; good brothers could still joke around.
"Just thinking that you'll all be big stars next season makes me sad."
On the way, Marcel Großkreutz shook his head and smiled bitterly. As the cousin of Kevin Großkreutz, and also having debuted in the Borussia Dortmund youth team, while the two of them subsequently joined the Borussia Dortmund first team, he himself had no football talent to speak of, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
Kevin Großkreutz, however, turned back and grinned:
"Then, I'll inherit your dream. When we win the Champions League in the future, you'll have a share."
"You rascal—"
His cousin had already come to terms with it. If Kevin Großkreutz really became a star and Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League, it would also be an immense honour for the family.
The friends talked about Borussia Dortmund, and inevitably, two people came up. One was the younger brother from the youth academy, Mario Götze, and the other was the current sole true core of Borussia Dortmund, Jin Hayes.
"Marco, is that Chinese guy really that amazing? Will he become a team tyrant?"
"Don't worry about that. Jin is a very good person; you'll definitely become friends."
"Really?"
Großkreutz wasn't very confident. His talent was actually average; he relied entirely on his hardworking and fighting spirit to be noticed by the Borussia Dortmund club and recalled to the first team. If all went as expected, he would be rotating with Jakub Błaszczykowski next season. As a midfield utility player, he would have opportunities to fill in every position, and he would inevitably have contact with Jin Hayes, serving him tactically. Großkreutz couldn't help but feel a little insecure. With his fiery temper, what if the two of them didn't get along?
"Großkreutz, don't think so much. Come back and enjoy your vacation first, and come to the gym with me every day to train, so you can prepare early for the new season."
"Huh? You're that competitive?"
Großkreutz was stunned. Was this still the Reus he knew? However, Reus had been as thin as a monkey before, but now he looked much sturdier, with a very noticeable change in his physical condition.
"Yes, if we want to contend for the championship this season, we must also work hard."
Reus couldn't help but feel that all of this was thanks to Jin Hayes; his professional attitude had influenced him. Ever since he increased his training intensity, maintaining exercise day after day without interruption, Reus felt that his potential could still improve! Even if he couldn't reach Jin Hayes's height, he could at least get infinitely close!
At the same time, at Borussia Dortmund's train station, airport, and highways, the newly signed players were all filled with anticipation for the brand new season about to begin! Shinji Kagawa, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin Großkreutz, Lucas Barrios—the light of hope burned in everyone's eyes!
Each of them had left something behind to come here. Kagawa had abandoned his brothers in Osaka. Lewandowski had postponed his Polish farewell. Barrios had endured a gruelling journey from South America. Großkreutz had swallowed his pride and returned to the club where his cousin had failed. But none of them regretted it. Borussia Dortmund was a team on the rise—a team that had just won the double, a team that had reached the Champions League final, a team led by a 17-year-old phenomenon who seemed destined for greatness.
They were about to become part of something special.