Hao Junmin nearly jumped out of his seat when Su Bai spoke.
Just then, Li Qian walked out of the kitchen with a plate of food.
Seeing her husband had spat tea all over the floor, she picked up a mop and muttered as she came over.
"Slow down! We have a guest. What's your hurry?"
"It's not that, Qian! Guess what — Xiao Bai made the matchday squad!"
"I was just about to brag that I made mine too, and he hits me with this!"
Li Qian was just as shocked.
"Really? You only just signed, Xiao Bai! It's only been a few days!"
Having been with Hao for years, Li Qian knew football inside out.
A new player needed at least a month to settle in before even making the bench — star players included. Very few stepped into the squad days after signing.
Su Bai had been at Schalke barely five days, and he was already in the 18-man list?
"I'm not starting, though. Kinda disappointed," Su Bai added, thinking they were just being nice.
"Xiao Bai, you don't understand. At the start of the season, the team's system is already fixed. The 18-man squad is picked after thinking through every emergency.
Making it means you have a real chance of playing.
For a rookie like you — someone who's never played a proper competitive match in his life —
getting into the squad is a huge deal. It means Daniel believes you're good enough to step onto the pitch."
"Finish eating and head back early to rest. You might not sleep tonight — I know I didn't. When I made my first squad at Shandong Luneng, I was so excited I barely closed my eyes!"
"Oh right!
I almost forgot — I've got something cool to show you!"
Hao stood up, fetched his laptop from the study, and sat back down next to Su Bai.
"Take a look!!!"
He opened the screen to the post he'd uploaded on the Chinese football forum.
4,700+ comments, 30,000+ shares, pinned to the top.
Su Bai stared in surprise.
Schalke 04's Chinese Youngster — the title left no doubt who it was about.
"Haha, I posted that pass of yours. Look how many people are praising you!"
Su Bai read through the comments:
Holy shit, that La Croqueta and pass are miles better than the useless national team!
OP, spill! I checked Schalke's official site — no other Chinese player besides Hao Junmin!
That pass is beautiful, pure Barça style!
I swear no one in China could pull that off.
The touch, vision, and awareness are world-class. That's natural talent — you can't train that.
With just that one play, our national team players look useless by comparison.
Su Bai felt awkward.
Was it really that big a deal?
Chinese fans really were starved for good football — they went crazy over a single pass from a kid abroad.
"Haha, Xiao Bai, you're China's new hope!
Wait, I need to add an update: Chinese youngster makes Schalke 04's 3. Liga matchday squad for opening day!"
Eagerly, Hao typed away.
Soon the already-hot post exploded again.
Satisfied, Hao closed the laptop.
"C'mon!
Dinner time!"
Without waiting for Su Bai to react, he dragged him to the dining table.
Being in Germany, Su Bai hadn't eaten proper Chinese food in ages.
And as a Sichuan girl, Li Qian cooked amazing Sichuan dishes.
Su Bai barely put his chopsticks down once he sat down.
Li Qian and Hao laughed watching him eat so hungrily.
"Slow down, there's plenty more. Whenever you want a home-cooked meal, just call your sister-in-law. Eat your fill!"
...
It was past seven when Su Bai left Hao's place.
Hao offered to drive him back, but Su Bai refused.
He'd eaten too much — a walk back would count as extra training.
Hao's apartment wasn't far from the club.
After about an hour's stroll, Su Bai was back.
He tidied up quickly in his dorm, then headed straight for the training ground.
Under the bright moonlight, he trained alone in the quiet, repeating the same boring drills.
High up in the club building, Daniel walked to the window every few minutes and looked down.
Above him was the moon. Below him, he saw hope.
...
Schalke 04 was founded on May 4, 1904. Based in Schalke, a district of Gelsenkirchen, the club took its name from the area.
It was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963.
Despite its long history, Schalke had never won the Bundesliga title.
Yet it still had some of the most loyal fans in Germany.
Before noon, a crowd gathered outside the Parkstadion.
They'd come to watch Schalke's youth team play in the 3. Liga.
Among them were scruffy-looking homeless men and sharply dressed professionals.
They looked like they had nothing in common — but once inside the stadium, they chanted in unison.
"Su, hurry up! We're on!"
Su Bai was still staring at the small crowd in the stands when a teammate tugged his arm.
This wasn't at all what he'd imagined.
No fanfare, no banners, no welcome.
There weren't even a thousand people in the stands.
The Parkstadion could hold 61,524 — seeing fewer than a thousand inside felt almost sad.
The starting eleven had already walked out with the referee.
As a substitute, Su Bai had to take his seat on the bench.
"The first team uses the stadium in the evenings, so our matches are scheduled for noon.
That's how it is in the 3. Liga. Only towns without a Bundesliga side get decent crowds. Most other U18 teams have even fewer fans than us."
Wycliffe noticed Su Bai's confusion and explained quietly.
"Thank you, sir."
Su Bai thanked him politely.
For some reason, Wycliffe had been looking out for him lately. He'd given Su Bai a special diet plan, even told the canteen to prepare a tailored breakfast for him — exactly what Su Bai needed right now.
Wycliffe smiled at his politeness, then turned his eyes back to the pitch.