As head coach of Schalke 04 U18, Daniel had been tearing his hair out lately.
His youth team sat fourth in the 3. Liga, but that didn't ease his worries.
As the feeder side for the first team, his squad hadn't produced a single player for the senior setup in two straight seasons.
Many at the club were already calling for his head.
Daniel was starting to panic. Even as a youth coach, Schalke paid well, and he had no idea where he'd go if he got sacked.
Now he stared at Su Bai on the pitch, thrilled.
"Jess, how did Dortmund miss this kid? With passes like that, they'd never let him go!"
Old Jess turned to the excited Daniel.
"I have no idea. Probably just too much talent at Dortmund."
Naturally, Old Jess had no clue that Su Bai had been truly awful during his entire Dortmund trial. His system had only just activated, so Dortmund never realized they'd let a passing prodigy slip away.
After the second goal, the match paused for a moment.
But everyone's gaze toward Su Bai had completely changed.
From mockery at the start to deep respect now.
In just twenty minutes, Su Bai had won over these Schalke talents.
"Su! Great passes!"
Whit Benedict, the striker who'd scored both goals, hurried over with a grin and held out his hand.
For a striker, a midfielder like Su Bai was a dream come true.
Su Bai smiled and shook his hand.
"Look, the gaffer's in a rush. He's definitely gonna sign you right away."
Whit winked at him.
Not only Whit, but Ben Kersey, who'd linked up well with Su Bai, also walked over.
"Su, those two passes were absolutely beautiful."
Ben didn't hold back his praise.
On the football pitch, strength spoke louder than anything.
Su Bai knew that well.
Compared to being ignored at Dortmund, the Schalke lads were far more pleasant. Even early on, he hadn't felt the same arrogance he'd faced from Dortmund's youth players.
"Hi! Su! Over here!"
Old Jess called him over as soon as the play stopped.
"See? I told you to try Schalke. Interested in signing with us?"
Su Bai's heart settled when he heard that.
The system quest was still hanging over him. If he slunk back to China, who knew when he'd ever complete it?
Schalke 04 was a Bundesliga giant in its own right. Maybe not quite at Dortmund's level, but more than good enough.
Old Jess had expected the kid to be over the moon at the offer, but Su Bai stayed completely calm.
This was Schalke 04!
Didn't he feel even a little excited?
Daniel was also surprised by Su Bai's composure.
Teenagers his age in Germany were a dime a dozen. Thousands would kill to get into Schalke's setup.
"Su, do you have an agent?"
Confused as he was, Daniel didn't dwell on it. He needed to sign Su Bai fast.
A talent this good would be swarmed by clubs the second he walked out the door.
"No, sir."
Su Bai was a complete rookie—he didn't have an agent.
"Alright, Hank! Hank!"
Daniel called for his assistant.
A blond young man sprinted over.
"Take him to sign the contract."
"Sure, gaffer. Which one?"
Daniel hesitated.
Su Bai had only shown off two great passes. His all-round game was still weak. Handing him a full professional contract would be reckless.
Besides, he didn't have the authority for that anyway—only Jens, the club's director, could sign off on professional deals.
He could approve a youth trainee contract himself… but if he did that, any club could poach Su Bai easily.
He'd have no recourse.
"I'll call Jens."
Old Jess smiled and pulled out his phone.
Daniel relaxed immediately. He knew how close Old Jess and Jens were.
The two had started out as scouts together. Jens was the shrewd one and had climbed all the way to director.
Stubborn Old Jess was still a scout, albeit a very well-paid one.
Old Jess dialed the number, and it picked up within seconds.
"Hello, you old fool. What made you call? Did you blow all your money on women again?"
Jens's first comment made everyone cringe.
Who knew the white-haired old man had such a reputation?
"Goddammit, I never did that! I've got serious business. I brought in a top prospect we need to sign."
"I don't care about youth team stuff. Talk to Daniel if you want a trainee contract."
"I'm right next to Daniel. This isn't a trainee deal. We want a full professional contract."
Jens on the other end sounded surprised.
In recent years, even Old Jess had struggled to find real talent for Schalke. The internet had made traditional scouting far harder.
Young stars around the world were no longer hidden gems.
Most new signings only got a youth deal and faded away.
A direct request for a professional contract was extremely rare.
It piqued Jens's interest.
"Who is this, to make you push for a pro contract?"
"He's one of a kind. Trust me."
Jens laughed at Old Jess's confidence.
Professional contracts came in all shapes and sizes.
Given Old Jess's stubborn, no-nonsense character, he didn't argue.
"Fine, fine. Your eye's still good. Send Daniel over with him. I'll arrange it over the phone."
Old Jess grinned happily once Jens agreed.
He hung up and winked at Su Bai.
Daniel let out a sigh of relief.
"Congratulations, lad. You're about to become a Schalke 04 player."
Su Bai smiled and nodded.
All he cared about right now was finishing the quest—and what the mystery reward would be.