Old Jess had talked about a full professional contract, but when the document was placed in front of Su Bai, he wasn't the least bit surprised.
175 euros per week—easily the lowest contract in the entire team.
Of course, as a complete newcomer, it was about what he expected.
Daniel, who'd brought him here, didn't think much of it.
But Old Jess looked embarrassed.
He'd called the club's director personally, yet that old guy had offered Su Bai the lowest possible deal.
To be honest, this contract was barely different from the youth trainee contract Daniel had mentioned earlier—the only real difference was that Su Bai's had a 500,000-euro release clause, while trainee contracts had none.
"Su, this is just the start. Don't be discouraged. As long as you get playing time and perform well, Schalke will raise your weekly wage in no time. Right, Daniel?"
Old Jess turned to Daniel for backup.
"Absolutely! Su, don't worry about it!"
For Daniel, who was desperate for a playmaking midfielder, the most important thing was to keep Su Bai at Schalke first.
But Su Bai wasn't paying them any attention at all.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host! You have completed the quest: Secure your first youth trainee contract within 7 days!
Completion Rank: SSS!
System Reward: Golden Treasure Chest! (Random high-level reward triggered for exceeding quest expectations!)
Su Bai was thrilled by the system's announcement.
If it weren't for the two men beside him, he would have dived into the system right away to see what amazing reward awaited him.
A Golden Treasure Chest—just the name sounded incredible, especially for a random high-level reward for exceeding the quest.
"Hello? Su? Don't be discouraged!"
Seeing the Chinese kid staring blankly, as if crushed by the low contract, Daniel grew worried.
He'd finally found a promising prospect—if he lost his nerve now, Daniel would be devastated.
"Oh, it's fine, sir. I'm very satisfied."
Daniel let out a small sigh of relief when Su Bai finally snapped out of it.
After leaving the office building, Old Jess took his leave.
Before he went, he gave Su Bai his phone number and told him to train hard and call if he ever had any trouble.
Watching the old man's departing figure, Su Bai felt a twinge of gratitude.
This stubborn yet kind German old man was practically his savior.
If it weren't for him, Su Bai would probably be at the airport right now, ready to slink back to China in defeat.
"Come on, lad. Back to the training ground."
Daniel smiled and shrugged, urging Su Bai to follow.
"Mr. Daniel, I don't have a place to stay. Dortmund's dorm won't let me back tonight, I'm sure."
Su Bai was still fixated on his Golden Treasure Chest. Training could wait.
"Haha, don't worry—everything will be arranged later. It's almost mealtime anyway. Go eat first, and I'll have someone show you to your dorm."
"Oh, and there's a physical test this afternoon. You're in a hurry—you haven't even done that yet!"
Pointing toward the canteen, Daniel walked off.
Once Daniel was gone, Su Bai slung his bag over his shoulder and wandered toward the canteen.
...
Meanwhile, the Schalke staff member who'd just processed Su Bai's contract looked confused.
Schalke hadn't signed such a low-level professional contract in nearly five years. The last one had been an African teenager who'd left in less than two weeks, tail between his legs.
"Should we announce this on the official website?"
"Forget it. He's Chinese—there's no way he'll last. Haven't you heard Hao Junmin is almost being sent to the reserve team?"
"No way! Coach Magath still thinks highly of him!"
"There's a new Japanese player now, better than Hao. Even Magath is struggling to choose between them."
"Right, the Japanese guy is better than the Chinese one. Anyway, this kid won't amount to anything. Why waste our time?"
With that, they tucked Su Bai's contract into a drawer and left work.
By this time, Su Bai had just reached the canteen entrance.
As soon as he walked in, he froze.
Something was off.
Right by the door, he saw a familiar figure with black hair sitting at a table.
That…
That was Brother San!
As China's best midfielder, Hao Junmin had played professionally until 2022.
In Su Bai's memories, he'd even become captain of the Chinese national team back then.
Hao Junmin, who was eating, also noticed the Asian face—black hair, black eyes.
"Brother San?"
Su Bai couldn't help but call out.
Hearing the familiar Mandarin, Hao Junmin stood up immediately and walked over.
"You are?"
"Hello, Brother San. My name is Su Bai. I just signed with Schalke."
Hao Junmin's face lit up with surprise.
This was a Bundesliga club, after all.
If he was here, he must have signed a contract.
But why had he never heard of Su Bai before?
"Which club did you transfer from?"
The warmth of meeting a fellow countryman abroad made Hao Junmin excited.
He'd been at Schalke for half a season. Though he didn't get many minutes, he still managed to play occasionally under Coach Magath.
It meant Chinese fans could see one of their own on TV every week.
After all, at this time, he was the only Chinese player in Europe's top five leagues.
The sudden appearance of a compatriot filled him with joy.
"I didn't have a club before."
It was true—Su Bai had been selected through a national talent search.
He'd never had formal training; to put it bluntly, he was just a product of the Chinese FA's publicity stunt…
"What? Then you're…"
Hao Junmin looked confused. No club? Could he be a Chinese-German?
"I just signed a professional contract, but it's with the U18 youth team."
Though a little disappointed, Hao Junmin still encouraged him warmly.
"U18? The youth team is still good—they're in the top ten of the 3. Liga. Keep up the good work!"
"By the way, what are you doing here?"
Seeing Su Bai with his bag, Hao Junmin thought he might be lost.
"Mr. Daniel told me to eat first and pointed this way, so I came here."
"Hm…"
"But this is the first team canteen, Xiao Bai. The U18 canteen is downstairs."
That's when Su Bai noticed who was sitting at Hao Junmin's table—Raul!
The Real Madrid legend, one of the greatest No. 7s of all time!
And Huntelaar!
Over there, even German international Metzelder!
Oh my god!
These were all total superstars!