The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 54 Top Scorer! Huge Reward! This is a Miracle! Regarding Wang Shuo's Underestimated Potential

Wagner was a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Six months ago, he came to London, but he has been troubled by one thing.

In this international metropolis, not a single person knew his hometown.

Mainz, Germany.

When he introduced himself, his classmates didn't even know where Mainz was in Germany.

Even some seasoned fans only have a vague impression of Mainz.

"Oh, right, this is a team that has played in the Bundesliga."

That's it.

Where is Mainz?

Who is Klopp?
No one cares at all.

This troubled Wagner greatly.

But this situation is gradually changing.

With the start of the new season, more and more people have heard of Mainz.

They found Mainz to play passionate football, have good jerseys, and perform well in the new season.

The key point is that they have a very handsome Asian striker who is also exceptionally good at scoring goals.

Gradually, and without knowing when it started, Wagner's troubles were relieved.

When he met friends on the campus of the London School of Economics and Political Science, he would always proudly say when introducing himself, "I'm from Mainz, Germany!"

Most people would be surprised, or even excited, after hearing this.

"Wow, is that the team that's been at the top of the Bundesliga for so long?"

"My God, you're from there!"

"Incredible, have you ever watched a Mainz match?"

"God, can you get me the autograph of striker Wang Shuo?"

Wang Shuo?

Wagner didn't actually know him.

He only vaguely knew that Wang Shuo lived in the southern part of the University of Mainz, quite close to his home. He had tried his luck there several times, but later heard that Wang Shuo had moved away.

But he still proudly says, "Of course, my whole family are Mainz fans."

He studied economics.

Among his classmates was a girl from China who was very pretty and loved to laugh.

Her smile is like cherry blossoms blooming in early winter on campus, her eyebrows curving into two gentle crescent moons, like the warm sun in the cold winter, melting into everyone's heart.

Every time Wagner saw her smile, he couldn't help but recall all the beautiful memories of the past.

The male students in the economics department, and even the men throughout the entire university, all liked her.

Some people sent her flowers and all sorts of gifts, and some even placed a giant red rose heart at school on her birthday.

But she refused them all.

Wagner felt that he was the only one who was truly special to himself.

Because every time he took the initiative to chat with her, she would talk about his favorite hometown, his favorite team, and his favorite star player.

They are all from China!
"I love China! Because of Wang Shuo! And...you!"

Wagner had countless impulses to say those words to her, but he lacked the courage.

She had already made it very obvious.

If there was no reason for her to want to know everything about his hometown or his favorite sports team, why would she want to know everything about it?
But he still didn't dare.

The morning after Mainz won the mid-season championship, Wagner felt as if the sky over London had cleared up.

The originally gloomy, damp, and cold weather was finally replaced by warm sunshine.

He was very excited.

I bought a lot of newspapers at once.

The above all mention Mainz's mid-season championship, considering it a miracle!
Every newspaper mentioned Wang Shuo.

Wagner rushed into the campus, eager to share his joy with the Chinese girl.

Unfortunately, she had to skip her morning classes.

My close female classmate said she had caught a cold.

Just as Wagner was debating whether or not to visit her, she returned to campus that afternoon.

She walked with light, breezy steps, her laughter still like a clear spring in the mountain stream, though her face showed some fatigue.

"hello."

Wagner, suppressing his pounding heart, walked toward the Chinese girl.

"Hello, Wagner, congratulations! Your favorite team has won the mid-season championship!"

"My God, you know?"

"Of course, I also know that Wang Shuo scored a very, very beautiful dragon kick. You don't know, the Bochum fans at the scene were stunned. Nobody knew how he scored. There were screams all over the stands."

"Really? The live stream I watched didn't show any close-ups of the stands. That's a shame. I really wanted to see the reactions of those Bochum people."

"By the way, which channel's live stream do you watch? You're so particular about that."

The girl was taken aback for a moment, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. "I watched the broadcast back home."

"Oh, no wonder, you must all be proud of Wang Shuo."

"Definitely, my dad was so excited last night he couldn't sleep."

The girl's smile was so warm that even Wagner was somewhat mesmerized.

"I can't say any more, I have to go now."

The girl smiled and waved to Wagner before quickly leaving the campus.

Wagner was left standing there, gazing at the girl's retreating figure, lost in thought.

The girl lived not nearby.

She hopped on her bicycle and rode through the vintage streets of London's West End.

The air was filled with the cheerful laughter of the cycling girls.

Back in her rented room, she found a treasured stamp album on the bedside table.

The stamp album contains no stamps, but rather photographs, negatives, plane tickets, train tickets...

There are 18 tickets left.

Each ticket will have some photos taken underneath it.

The main subject of the photos is Wang Shuo on the basketball court.

Several of the photos were clearly taken at very close range, as if you could reach out and grab him.

But Wang Shuo obviously didn't notice.

Only the bottom of the 8th ticket is blank; there is no photo there.

Below is a line of elegant small regular script: German Cup, second round, Mainz hosts Cologne.

The girl flipped through the stamp album page by page, caressing each photo, ticket, and plane ticket as if they were precious memories, until she reached the latest page.

She took out the 19th ticket and plane ticket from her backpack.

In the 17th round of the Bundesliga, Bochum will host Mainz.

The flight ticket is from London, England to Düsseldorf, Germany.

The name on it is: Shen Qinghe.

……

The news that Mainz won the Bundesliga mid-season title quickly went viral!

As a newly promoted team, they were able to surpass traditional powerhouses such as Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga mid-season title.

This is incredible in any league.

The German football magazine Kicker published an article titled "The Civilian Uprising".

In this article, Kicker magazine argues that Mainz is not a particularly strong team.

But why were they able to win the mid-season championship?
This is something all the top Bundesliga teams, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen, should reflect upon.

"Before the season started, everyone considered Mainz the top favorite to be relegated."

"No star players, no national team players, no signings, and even... no money."

But it was precisely this team with no resources that, through sheer tenacity, defeated one opponent after another and won the mid-season championship.

Kicker magazine believes that Klopp's team still has a variety of problems.

For example, their form clearly declined significantly after October, which is a recurring problem for Klopp.

Injuries are also starting to increase.

The team has a thin roster and relies too heavily on Wang Shuo for goals...

But this team ultimately won the mid-season championship!

This is an undeniable fact!

"I remember before Mainz played Bayern in the fourth round of the Bundesliga, some media outlets said that one Bayern star player was worth the entire Mainz team, and that's certainly true!"

"In that match, Bayern Munich took a commanding 3-0 lead."

"But did they defeat Mainz?"

The answer is no!

"Not only did they not, but under Wang Shuo's leadership, Mainz broke through Bayern's goal with a brilliant long-range run and launched a counter-attack, making Bayern look very embarrassed."

"Apart from winning the score, Bayern lost everything else."

Kicker magazine believes that this civilian riot serves as a wake-up call for Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions' strength is beyond doubt, but the problem is that their team suffers from severe internal strife.

Klinsmann has consistently failed to integrate the dressing room and coordinate relationships within the management team, resulting in Bayern Munich being unable to unleash their full fighting potential on the pitch.

"This is just the beginning!"

Kicker magazine noted.

"Don't forget, Hoffenheim also finished fourth, and this newly promoted team is equally ambitious!"

……

Bild, on the other hand, offers a different perspective on the first half of the Bundesliga season.

subversion!

In the first half of this season, almost every one of the best-performing teams in the Bundesliga had a disruptor behind them.

Klopp of Mainz, Rangnick of Hoffenheim, Labbadia of Leverkusen, and Klinsmann of Bayern Munich.

Of the four, the oldest, Rangnick, is only 50 years old.

However, Hoffenheim, which he coached, was the youngest team in the entire Bundesliga.

Four young coaches brought a fresh new way of thinking about attacking football.

Most importantly, they are all German coaches.

In contrast, foreign coaches are finding it difficult to succeed in the new Bundesliga season.

"This is the most beautiful half-season in German history!" Bild newspaper gave it extremely high praise.

The reasons are: two newly promoted dark horses have been running wildly, the dominant powerhouses started slowly but finished strong, attacking football is all the rage, and the competition in the league is more intense than ever before.

Bild believes that this season's Bundesliga is completely different from the past.

To take last season as an example, let's not go too far back.

Hitzfeld built a superb defense for Bayern Munich, leading them to the league title.

Stevens brought his defensive philosophy from Schalke 04 to Hamburg, almost allowing the North Great King to enter the Champions League zone.

Magath declared in Wolfsburg: "Only defense can win the championship!"

But now?

Wolfsburg's improved performance stemmed from Magath's ability to unleash the attacking potential of the trident of Misimovic, Grafite, and Dzeko.

Hoffenheim's Demba Ba, Ibisevic, and Obasi were arguably the most terrifying attacking trident in the first half of the Bundesliga season.

Klinsmann's Bayern Munich was also known for its attacking firepower.

Mainz?
This team also doesn't subscribe to conservatism.

Klopp continues to adhere to his old philosophy of high-pressing and fast-paced attacking.

Mainz was one of the most passionate teams in the first half of the Bundesliga season.

Another truly astonishing statistic is that the Bundesliga leads the entire European football scene.

He averaged 3.02 goals per game, the most since 1988.

In more than 60% of the matches, the number of goals reached 3 or even more.

34.64% of the matches had 4 or more goals.

18.3% of the matches had 5 or more goals.

This is something that no other league in Europe can achieve.

Attacking football has taken the Bundesliga by storm!
The new atmosphere and new situation have naturally led to the emergence of a new generation of people.

Wang Shuo is undoubtedly one of the best among them!
With 19 goals in 17 Bundesliga matches, this 18-year-old Chinese striker has quickly become the most dazzling and promising young talent in the Bundesliga.

"What's most amazing is that Wang Shuo's goals included not only poaching, but also long runs, dragon tail swings, pendulum dribbles, and dribbling past multiple players..."

"Even in the final round, he had a brilliant turn and a precise long pass that assisted Schürrle to score."

"After the match, Bochum head coach Marcel Kohler said that Wang Shuo was almost unstoppable on the field."

Bild reports that 19 league goals would be enough to contend for the top scorer award in other seasons.

"Wang Shuo is rapidly becoming a phenomenal player in the Bundesliga!"

Coincidentally, Hoffenheim's Ibisevic also scored 18 goals.

The star strikers of the two newly promoted teams put on a goal-scoring contest in front of numerous powerhouse teams such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

How can the star strikers of top teams bear this?
Bayern Munich star Franck Ribéry openly expressed his ambition during a media interview.

"Bundesliga top scorers?"

"That's not one of my goals, I want the Golden Globe!"

This rising French star performed admirably after recovering from injury at the beginning of the season, winning the Bundesliga's Player of the Year award at the halfway point, which sparked considerable controversy.

The reason is that Ribery has neither delivered an impressive performance nor ranked in the goal and assist charts. Bayern Munich is not the champion at the halfway point of the season, so why should he be selected as the best player at the halfway point?
But Bayern Munich has a deep and rich history.

Moreover, Ribery is currently the most influential superstar in the Bundesliga.

French legend Zinedine Zidane said after Franck Ribéry was named Bundesliga Player of the First Half of the Season, "He's so great! Bayern is lucky to have him."

"Everything Ribery brings will exceed people's expectations."

Bayern Munich legend Netzer famously said, "Bayern's strength or mediocrity hinges on Ribery."

However, Bayern Munich's football legend Franz Beckenbauer praised Wang Shuo highly in an interview with the media.

"He's absolutely unstoppable on the field!"

With 19 goals, Wang Shuo ultimately won the top scorer award at the halfway point of the season.

Klopp won the Coach of the Year award thanks to Mainz's historic mid-season championship.

Despite winning the mid-season championship, Mainz only had one player selected for the mid-season best XI.

That's Wang Shuo.

He and Ibisevic appeared together in the two strikers position in the best lineup.

Hainaul actually performed very well, but he couldn't compete with the even better performance of Misimovic.

Subotic's overall performance was also excellent, but unfortunately, he was thrashed by Luca Toni in the match against Bayern Munich, which was a huge disappointment and ultimately cost him a spot in the best XI.

……

After the match against Bochum, the league was suspended.

Wang Shuo stayed in Mainz for a day, where he saw off his best friend, Neven Subotic.

Although the official transfer will not take effect until January 1st when the transfer market opens, Subotic decided to go to Dortmund in advance to look for a house and familiarize himself with the environment.

His world champion girlfriend will accompany him, so they can enjoy some alone time together.

That's somewhat comforting.

In a few days, Wang Shuo's best friend Zhao Yifan from Huai Ren Football School will be coming to Germany and will be staying in Subotic's room.

We became good friends through our interactions.

But Wang Shuo had a strange feeling about it.

He hasn't fully adapted to the constant movement of players in European football.

The following morning, accompanied by his agent Thomas Essien, Wang Shuo departed from Mainz for Turin, Italy.

Throughout the journey, Wang Shuo kept his mind to himself.

Subotic's departure and Zhao Yifan's arrival are both things he needs to consider.

For example, Mainz general manager Christian Heidel set a goal for the second half of the season in an interview with the media: "I hope that by the end of this season, we can be on the roster for the UEFA Cup."

That means top five in the league!
Heidel also revealed that Subotic's departure would not have much impact on the team's fighting strength.

Neustädter, Bungert, and others will quickly step up.

The aging midfield is a serious problem, but Kirchhoff performed well.

Simply put, after selling players during the winter break, Mainz does not intend to reinvest the money in the transfer market.

In the second half of the season, we should vigorously promote young players.

Haider was simply putting it more tactfully.

Wang Shuo's biggest concern is the team's morale and form.

Germany's winter break lasts for more than a month, during which there are no matches.

Even training might not be possible.

Because it will snow.

Therefore, almost all German teams choose to train in the south, in warmer Spain or Portugal.

There's nothing we can do about it.

Wang Shuo even wondered if Mainz's decision to sell Subotic was also due to concerns about winter training.

So many people are heading south; their food and horses' supplies are all money!

The suspension of more than 40 days, while giving Mainz a chance to catch their breath, will also completely disrupt the team's form.

Subotic's departure will inevitably damage the team's morale and confidence.

If this were an ambitious team, they wouldn't be selling players during the winter break; they would be focusing on acquiring new talent.

Selling Subotic, to some extent, indicates the attitude of Mainz's management.

For Wang Shuo, this situation was not unexpected.

What he needs to do next is to further solidify his performance and strive to continue the momentum from the first half in the second half.

How Mainz performs is not important.

Wang Shuo's continued outstanding performance is his bargaining chip in attracting the attention of big teams!
This will also give him the confidence to negotiate a better price when joining a new team in the future!
"Don't be sad. That's the advantage of playing for a top team. You'll get used to it eventually!"

Thomas Essien, who was driving, thought Wang Shuo was feeling down about winning the mid-race best award.

The main problem was losing the best player award.

Many media outlets and fans are speaking out in support of Wang Shuo.

Was Ribery's performance in the first half of the season really better than Wang Shuo's?
The good thing?

After hearing this, Wang Shuo chuckled, knowing that his agent had misunderstood, but he didn't explain.

"I am fine."

"You need to understand, Bayern Munich is a dominant force in German football. Look at their sponsors and board of directors: Deutsche Telekom, Adidas, Audi..."

Have you ever seen another team like this?

Wang Shuo was well aware of Bayern Munich's immense influence in Germany.

He was just being stubborn.

"Actually, even if you went to Bayern now, you would still be second to Ribery, because Ribery is Bayern's favored superstar, understand?"

"What if I score more goals than him and perform better than him?" Wang Shuo countered.

Thomas Essien chuckled, "The head coach's tactical design already favors the team's core stars. So what if you score more goals than him?"

"At Barcelona, ​​Eto'o scored more goals than Ronaldinho, right? Who was the real ace?"

"These were all agreed upon and stipulated in the contract."

"Even if you help Bayern win all the titles, in the end, it will still be Ribery who competes for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year!"

"Why is Toni Kroos making a fuss? Because Bayern promised him playing time in the contract but didn't deliver. Bayern is in the wrong, so they agreed to loan him out."

"The same applies to Podolski."

"If you go to Bayern Munich, when you sign the contract, they will tell you what your position is."

"Gattuso was destined to be just a midfield enforcer at AC Milan, while Mascherano, despite his excellent playmaking abilities, was destined to be a defensive midfielder in Europe."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo let out a cold snort.

"Then I'll go to the team that's willing to let me be their ace, and then crush them!"

In the end, Wang Shuo's attitude was also extremely firm.

In Mainz today, he has already tasted the benefits and thrills of being an ace.

The whole team plays around you, that feeling, that freedom to play freely, it's absolutely amazing!
In order to get Wang Shuo to work for Bayern Munich, would you have him act as an assistant to Ribery or other star players?

He won't do it!
……

Massimo Franchi personally picked me up from the plane when I flew from Frankfurt to Turin.

The headquarters of Turin Sports Daily is located in the center of Turin, north of Dorra Park, adjacent to the Dorariparia River.

Along the way, Thomas Essien had already explained a lot about the rules of European football to Wang Shuo.

Including these awards.

In fact, top-tier athletes receive numerous awards every year.

Especially top stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Messi, and Ronaldinho, they receive so many awards they can't keep up.

However, awards are also divided into different levels.

For example, the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards must be received in person.

Who can blame them for being so authoritative?
Some authoritative media outlets also invite players to the ceremony to receive their awards; the Golden Boy award from Turin Sports Daily is one such example.

Of course, there are also selections by authoritative media outlets and magazines in various countries.

German newspapers such as Bild and Kicker magazine each have their own selections and best lineup lists.

But for the vast majority of awards, top players don't attend the ceremony to receive them. They're too busy.

If he had to attend every award ceremony, he wouldn't need to play football or train.

Generally speaking, those with a bit of influence can arrange for someone to come to the club to present the award, and the player and the club will cooperate to take photos and promote the event.

Others simply send the award over, unilaterally announce who won, and that's it.

In short, whoever has the most influence can get the players to come.

The Golden Boy award from Tuttosport is undoubtedly the Ballon d'Or for young people; although it's short-lived, it has a significant impact.

From Van der Vaart to Rooney to Messi, and now Wang Shuo, they've all basically come.

Of course, with limited funds, Tuttosport won't be making a big fuss about it.

Forget about live streaming.

It involves taking photos, receiving an award, and then doing an interview.

Interestingly, on the day Wang Shuo arrived, Tuttosport announced the top ten shortlist for the 2008 European Golden Boy award, along with the final scores.

Of the top 10 players, only two are from the Bundesliga.

Besides Wang Shuo, there's also Rakitic from Schalke 04.

Wang Shuo ranked first with 237 points, far ahead of Anderson in second place and Walcott in third place.

Both Manchester United and Arsenal's young players are in the early 100s.

Bojan of Barcelona didn't even get a perfect score of 100.

Massimo Franchi said that this score surpasses Messi's score in 2005, when Messi only got 225 points.

In the subsequent interview, the main topics were Wang Shuo's past experiences and his rapid rise this season.

Wang Shuo had been prepared for this for some time.

As Thomas Essien and Klopp have said before, when answering these kinds of questions, one must show determination without being offensive.

No one likes arrogance and conceit.

Wang Shuo also used this as a premise when answering Massimo Frankie's question.

This wasn't something he was very familiar with, but it wasn't unfamiliar either.

Thank you to the team, thank you to the coach, thank you to my teammates, thank you to my family and friends, and so on.

The most sensitive issue, of course, is being compared to previous Golden Boy Award winners.

Especially Messi.

"Messi is the kind of genius that makes anyone's eyes light up when they watch him play, but I'm definitely not!" Wang Shuo said with great certainty.

"I have never considered myself a genius, nor have I ever thought about surpassing anyone. I just run a little more during training and work harder during competitions."

“Every night before I go to sleep, I ask myself, am I stronger today than I was yesterday?”

"I am still young and have a long way to go. I hope to become stronger by constantly honing my skills and accumulating experience so that I can help my teammates and my team."

"I believe that when my entire team has the opportunity to stand at the top, I will naturally be standing there too."

Upon hearing this, Thomas Essien, who was not far away, couldn't help but clench his fist in excitement.

Wang Shuo's answer was really good!

It doesn't flaunt its talents, but it reveals its ambition to continuously strive for progress.

The key point is that no one thought he was arrogant or conceited; in fact, he had a strong sense of team honor.

This is good!
Massimo Frankie was also very satisfied with the interview with Wang Shuo.

The main reason is that the players cooperated very well.

At the end of the interview, it was time for the awards ceremony.

Only then did Wang Shuo truly receive the gleaming European Golden Boy Award from Massimo Frankie!
It was at this moment that Wang Shuo received a notification from the God of Football System.

"Congratulations on winning the 2008 European Golden Boy Award, becoming the first Asian player and the first Bundesliga player to receive this honor."

"Reward: One National-Level Passive Skill Card or 150 Passive Values. Please select..."

This reward... is absolutely amazing!
Previously, when Mainz secured the Bundesliga mid-season championship, the reward from the God of Football system was either a regional-level passive skill card or 100 passive points.

Wang Shuo thought it was a bit stingy at the time.

But after thinking about it again, I realized it wasn't so bad after all.

It's like eating five steamed buns in one meal. You can't just focus on being full after the fifth bun; you also need to consider the first four.

The Ball God System has played a crucial role in Wang Shuo's journey, and the rewards have always been generous.

The reward for the European Golden Boy award is more generous than that for the Bundesliga mid-season champion.

Wang Shuo speculated that the former is an individual award, and it is unique, can only be won once, and cannot be won after the age limit.

Mainz, the newly promoted team, is the mid-season champion?
Kaiserslautern won it once before, and who knows who might win it again in the future.

It was very difficult, but it was ultimately a matter of team honor.

Wang Shuo stuck to his old ways and chose the passive value reward.

Upon entering the personal attribute panel, it was discovered that the passive value had reached 267 points.

In an instant, I felt completely comfortable!
They say money gives a man courage.

For Wang Shuo, as long as he keeps accumulating passive points, he has the ambition to fight anyone!
Of course, 267 points isn't actually that many.

[Breathing] It took 100 passive points to upgrade from national level to intercontinental level, but it would take 500 points to upgrade from intercontinental level to world level.

267 points, only enough for half an upgrade.

Of course, after Wang Shuo upgraded [Breathing], the effect was simply a complete transformation.

Therefore, he believed that spending passive points would definitely yield good results after the upgrade.

However, at this stage, there is no need to continue upgrading [Breathing].

The key is to level up the other passive skills as soon as possible.

And then, let's try our luck again.

……

My trip to Turin was brief.

Upon returning to Germany, Wang Shuo had no time to rest; he immediately had to film commercials for Adidas, KFC, and Coca-Cola.

KFC plans to launch a special meal co-branded with Wang Shuo before the Chinese New Year.

The slogan is: "Wang Shuo is calling you to eat fried chicken!"

Of course, this is a narration, and Wang Shuo doesn't need to shout it out.

Currently, Coca-Cola doesn't have many star players under its wing; the biggest name is Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

However, this was a Lunar New Year advertisement targeting China, so only Wang Shuo participated in the filming.

The content is short and consists mostly of special effects, so filming was quick.

Wang Shuo basically filmed one advertisement per day, completing the advertisements sponsored by the two companies.

When Wang Shuo arrived at Adidas, he met an old acquaintance.

"Hey, nice to see you again."

When Lina Gerke saw Wang Shuo, she greeted him with a smile.

The blonde girl clearly knew that she had a particularly beautiful smile.

"What are you doing here?" Wang Shuo asked, somewhat surprised.

"Shooting an advertisement," Lina Gerke replied with a smile.

“I’ve worked with Adidas before, and they asked me if I was free today. As soon as I heard that you were the main character in their advertisement, I immediately agreed.”

"cough."

Wang Shuo almost choked on the water and looked at her in astonishment.

Lena Gerke wore light makeup, which made her skin look great. She was dressed in Adidas sportswear and exuded youthful energy.

I have to say, models are truly professional; their figures, their aura... so radiant!
Lina Gerke, on the other hand, was quite open and allowed Wang Shuo's gaze to linger on her, then suddenly asked, "Did you add me in?"

"What?" Wang Shuo guiltily withdrew his slightly greedy gaze.

"Hey, have you added me in your contacts?"

Wang Shuo was speechless.

So...it wasn't added, right?

"Sorry, I forgot."

Lena Gerke still had a smile on her face, her eyes seemingly saying: I knew you would forget.

"Is now... a convenient time?"

"of course."

Wang Shuo quickly took out his Nokia phone, which was a bit old. It was a cheap model that Thomas Essien had bought for him when he first arrived in Germany.

Lina Gerke was surprised.

Logically speaking, a player like Wang Shuo, even though he's a rookie, should be earning quite a bit.

Why is your phone so cheap?
Wang Shuo took out his phone, selected the contacts, and started looking up Galina Gerke's number and name.

"No, the name is misspelled, it's Gercke..."

Lina Gerke leaned closer to Wang Shuo, pointed to the phone screen, and read her name aloud.

A refreshing fragrance wafted over, instantly making Wang Shuo's mind wander.

Fortunately, Thomas Essien arrived.

"Hey Thomas."

Hello, Lina.

The two greeted each other familiarly.

After watching Wang Shuo enter her name into the system, Lina Gerke smiled at him and walked away.

"Could this girl have a crush on you?" Thomas Essien stared at Lina Gerk's retreating figure and said to Wang Shuo in an ambiguous tone.

Wang Shuo really wanted to say: I think so too.

But what he actually said was, "Impossible, I don't know her well."

"You two have been rumored to be dating."

"Rumor, it's false!"

“She offered to give you her private phone number.” Thomas Essien emphasized the word “private.”

"Friends, after all." Wang Shuo was secretly pleased.

“I think that if you really want to replicate Beckham, then she would be a very good candidate for Victoria.”

Wang Shuo neither confirmed nor denied the claim.

“You know what, Victoria is a year older than Beckham and she is two years older than you, it’s quite a good match.”

Does it fit?

Wang Shuo didn't know.

"By the way, are you very close to her?"

"Not familiar."

"Then you two..."

"She came to watch your match not long ago."

"Have it?"

"You do not know?"

"How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?"

"I thought you knew..."

Which match?

"She came to both the home games against Hoffenheim and Hamburg."

"Is that right?"

"Of course, why would I lie to you?"

"Then why didn't any media reporters take pictures?"

"Hey bro, you play for Mainz, not Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund. What reporters come to a home game? And even if there are, who pays attention to the stands?"

"Besides, don't you know that many of those so-called celebrity street photos or photos of celebrities watching games are actually provided to entertainment magazines and newspapers by the celebrities themselves?"

Wang Shuo realized that he was still too inexperienced.

It's all my fault for being too naive!

……

Adidas's filming process was also very quick.

The male and female leads are Wang Shuo and Lina Gerke.

In reality, the two didn't interact much; it was mostly just posing for photos.

Because everything had been communicated and coordinated beforehand, the filming process was very fast.

The entire shoot was completed in one afternoon.

After filming, at Thomas Essien's suggestion, Wang Shuo treated Lina Gerke to dinner.

During the meal, Lina Gerke offered some suggestions regarding Wang Shuo's usual attire and personal image.

Despite being only 20 years old, she entered the modeling industry at a very young age and has a fashion sense that Wang Shuo or Thomas Essien cannot match. Her advice is also quite professional.

Not only that, she also readily agreed that Wang Shuo could call her if he had any questions about this in the future.

So, don't delete my contact information.

Wang Shuo had no choice but to agree.

Upon returning to Mainz, Wang Shuo received a phone call from Lina Gerke that very evening.

She asked Wang Shuo with concern if he had arrived home safely.

I also took the opportunity to chat with Wang Shuo about some football-related matters.

It was mostly Lina Gerke asking the questions, and Wang Shuo answering them.

Do you play Football Manager?

"I don't play much. I used to play Pro Evolution Soccer a lot back in China, but I was really bad at it."

"Hey, did you know there was some news about Football Manager recently?"

"what?"

"About you."

"Oh?"

"Didn't Football Manager just release FM2009? Wang Shuo's stats in it are really bad, which caused players to start cursing and defending you."

"why?"

"Anderson, Bojan, Pato, Balotelli and others have a potential of -10, Walcott has a fixed potential of 182, Aguero has 189, and even Rakitic has 172. Guess what your potential is?"

"150?"

"Hehe, you think too highly of yourself. He only gave you 126."

"how is this possible?"

"Yeah, so the players started complaining. Football Manager is known for its detailed data, but they made a big blunder with you. They explained that it was based on your performance in the 2. Bundesliga last season, which gave you a potential valuation of -6."

-6? How much is that?

"Minimum 90, maximum 120."

"Isn't that too low?"

"Hehe, that's why you got scolded. But you already have the highest potential among Chinese players under the age of 20."

After hearing this, Wang Shuo sneered twice.

"Then they will definitely continue to be scolded."

"Why?" Lina Gerke asked rhetorically.

"Because my teammates in China are all very promising, and they will soon be moving to European football. They will prove themselves with their performances!"

Wang Shuo thought of his teammates at Huai Ren Football School, and his heart was filled with anticipation.

They agreed to work together to conquer European football and revitalize Chinese football!
Wang Shuo has already taken the first step, and they will surely catch up one after another.

Coach Gao, Coach Ma, and Jiang Pengju will continue to work hard in China because they all believe that China, with its 14 billion people, can not only create the miracle of economic take-off, but also play football well!

……

The following day, Wang Shuo, accompanied by his agent, went to Frankfurt Airport.

The flight was delayed, but he finally met his best teammate back home, midfield maestro Zhao Yifan.

"Old Zhao!"

"Pharaoh!"

Wang Shuo hasn't returned for a year.

Seeing my good friend in this foreign land made me incredibly happy.

He almost cried.

"Missing home, aren't you?"

Zhao Yifan guessed it.

“Let me tell you, before I came here, Jiang Pengju specially traveled from Quanzhou to Shanghai and asked me to bring you some things from your hometown. He said they were brought to you by your parents, your aunt, and your brother. It’s quite a large package, and you have to reimburse me for the shipping fee.”

"Reimbursement, reimbursement."

Wang Shuo was overjoyed.

Back in Mainz, Wang Shuo saw Zhao Yifan taking out hometown foods that his parents and relatives had sent over from his suitcase. These were mostly dried goods that were easy to preserve, such as dried meat, candied fruit, nougat, and spiced peanuts...

These are all Wang Shuo's favorite snacks.

These things are actually not expensive in Quanjiang and Lingshan.

My cousin He Jianwei wrote me a letter.

Just this June, he was admitted to the best key high school in Quanjiang City. In his letter, he told me about his studies and life at school.

“I heard from Jiang Pengju that your cousin is really good at studying, and he might get into Tsinghua or Peking University in the future.”

Wang Shuo laughed and laughed until his eyes reddened.

He Jianwei had been with him since he was a child. His uncle was a bricklayer and his aunt was a helper. The two often lived on the construction site. He Jianwei always lived at Wang Shuo's house, just like a younger brother.

In the letter, He Jianwei also said that Wang Shuo's parents used the money he sent back to build a house for their home, saying that it would be used for Wang Shuo to get married when he returned home.

He Jianwei's house was also renovated, supposedly as an advance payment for Wang Shuo's uncle's renovation costs.

But they all knew that it was Wang Shuo's family who were helping them, and they all remembered it.

In his letter, He Jianwei said that there were some things he couldn't say over the phone, so he wrote a letter.

He also said that the teachers and classmates at school took extra care of him when they heard that he was Wang Shuo's cousin.

"Brother, keep up the good work over there, play your best, take care of yourself, and remember to come back and visit us when you have time!"

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo really missed home. After calculating the time, he made a phone call to He Jianwei's school in China.

This is the contact information that He Jianwei left for him before.

The call was made to the teacher's office.

Upon hearing that it was Wang Shuo, the office erupted in chaos; the person on the other end of the phone was clearly surprised.

Then a man claiming to be the principal came over to answer the phone and chatted with Wang Shuo for a few minutes.

For the first time, Wang Shuo took on the role of a parent, showing concern for He Jianwei's studies.

Wang Shuo was overjoyed to learn that his cousin had ranked in the top 10 of his grade in all three monthly exams after enrolling in school. He kept thanking the principal on the phone and said that he would definitely visit the school when he had time.

When He Jianwei arrived, Wang Shuo chatted with him for a few minutes, telling him that he had received the items and that he should focus on his studies.

"Let me tell you, now that I've made some money, you don't need to worry about anything. Just focus on your studies. Every month, I'll have Lao Jiang transfer money to your account. Don't bother with summer jobs, winter jobs, or tutoring. Do you understand?"

"I understand, brother." He Jianwei's voice on the other end of the phone was choked with emotion.

They've never been apart for this long before, from childhood to adulthood.

Even when Wang Shuo was playing football in Shanghai, he was still able to go home for holidays.

The earliest it will be is June 2009.

Although there is a holiday around Christmas, it's too short.

I flew back to China, then to Shanghai, then from Shanghai to Quanjiang, and then to Lingshan County. I went around in circles, and in reality, I hardly spent any time at home.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to stay here and focus on training.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Shuo took Zhao Yifan to Bruchweg Stadium to walk around and familiarize them with the environment.

Zhao Yifan has now realized that Wang Shuo is really popular in Mainz.

Along the way, I greeted everyone I met warmly, and we seemed to know each other well.

"As long as you perform well on the court, everyone will naturally like you."

Zhao Yifan nodded in understanding.

Wang Shuo even took him to visit his U19 youth training camp, only to find that Tuchel, the workaholic, was still in his office, so he went in to say hello.

But it was just a greeting, a pre-meeting, to get acquainted.

After they came out, Wang Shuo told Zhao Yifan about Tuher's personality.

"He is very passionate and dedicated to football. He likes players to give their all, so under his guidance, you can't be lazy or slack off, whether in training or in a match."

"In addition, his football philosophy is really advanced. I think with your ability, you will definitely have no problem adapting to it."

Zhao Yifan nodded repeatedly.

"Of course, don't worry, we have connections."

With that, Wang Shuo took Zhao Yifan out to eat.

At the same table were Schürrle, Kirchhoff, Hofme, Medinitz, and others, all of whom were Wang Shuo's teammates in the U19 team.

Hofem, Medinitz, and others are still playing for the U19 team and are teammates with Zhao Yifan.

With someone you know leading the way, it's much easier to integrate into the community.

With Wang Shuo serving as a model, Mainz is now placing even greater emphasis on Zhao Yifan's trial.

Moreover, Hofem and Medinitz, among others, had close relationships with Wang Shuo and were naturally happy to help.

Having done all that, Wang Shuo had done his best.

Whether Zhao Yifan can establish himself in Mainz depends on his own abilities.

After returning home, Wang Shuo began to access the scouting system.

He currently has 267 passive points.

I feel restless if I don't spend all my money in a day.

(End of this chapter)