September in London remained a dreary, rainy day.
On this day, Chen Tao left the training base with his backpack, ready to head to a new map.
The new leveling map most favored by rising football stars: the Bundesliga.
Before leaving, Chen Tao felt a bit of regret. His last lesson to Fabregas on the "compass spin" seemed to have led Xiao Fa astray.
Even as he dragged his suitcase to the base entrance, he could still see Xiao Fa on the field, diligently practicing the compass spin.
"Can you do it? If not, stop practicing."
"Are you leaving already?"
Fabregas, who had been a bit wild at first, now seemed somewhat more composed.
"Yeah, if I stay on the first team, you won't get any playing time."
"That makes sense."
Seeing Fabregas seriously pondering his words, Chen Tao almost burst out laughing.
This kid actually believed him.
After a simple goodbye, he turned and left Colney Training Base.
A week ago, when he arrived here, he had thought he could start a new dynasty in English football.
Now, he could only wait for a future return as a king!
"Farewell, Arsenal."
… …
"I'm here, Borussia Dortmund!"
Dortmund, one of the two major cities in Germany's Ruhr Area, is Germany's seventh-largest city.
The city's natural label is its century-old club—the "Yellow Black Prussia" Borussia Dortmund!
In the 1990s, they reached their peak, winning the Bundesliga title twice and clinching the Champions League, ascending to the pinnacle of Europe!
The advent of the era of money in football brought turmoil to this publicly listed club.
Currently, they are in a dire situation, with team performance lingering in the lower-middle ranks, truly a minnow among minnows.
Forget revival, the club was nearly on the brink of bankruptcy and dissolution.
Debts exceeding 100 million pounds left the management in a frenzy, and the club from top to bottom was in disarray.
As a result, when Chen Tao arrived at Dortmund Airport, no one was there to pick him up.
"I'm very sorry, the club has something I need to deal with. Please take a taxi to the base yourself; someone will be there to receive you."
The liaison, a Borussia Dortmund scout, explained for a long time with a thick German accent before Chen Tao finally understood.
Chen Tao had been stood up.
He could only take a taxi. After stating his destination, the taxi driver curiously glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
"Are you here for a trial? Then you've come to the wrong place."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
The driver wore a Yellow Black Prussia jersey, and a Borussia Dortmund pendant hung from his rearview mirror; he looked like a die-hard fan.
"If you're talented, I advise you to go for a trial elsewhere. No one can save Borussia Dortmund now."
"If you're not talented, go somewhere else too. You might find a kind coach who can guide you… "
"Don't expect anything here."
Chen Tao was amused by him:
"What if I've already signed?"
"Oh?"
The driver scrutinized Chen Tao again.
"God bless you, Asian."
He was practically holding a sign that read "Run Away."
This made Chen Tao very curious: just how bad could Dortmund be?
… …
It turned out, it was indeed quite bad.
The club staff only helped him register as a player and complete basic procedures, after which there was no further follow-up.
Chen Tao still chose the vacant number 24 jersey.
For some reason, he always felt this number was strangely familiar, as if calling to him.
The liaison, Hans, continued to communicate remotely via phone.
"I'm really sorry, I can't get away. Please find a hotel to stay in for now; the dormitory is undergoing maintenance and cannot be occupied."
"Once the procedures are complete, you can come for training on Monday morning according to the training schedule in your email."
"The club recently underwent layoffs, and we are understaffed. I hope you can understand, thank you."
Clearly, the club didn't take this 15-year-old kid seriously.
It really seemed like an amateur setup, completely unprofessional.
What could Chen Tao do?
The training base was located in the Brackel district, in the northeast corner of Dortmund—it was practically the countryside of the countryside. On the way, let alone people, he didn't even see a dog.
He had to ask the on-duty nurse at a nearby dental clinic to find out that the nearest hotel was 4 kilometers away.
Chen Tao could only follow her recommendation and go to a guesthouse in a nearby residential area, which finally solved his accommodation problem.
Starting at the club so unluckily, Chen Tao gradually began to doubt if his choice was truly the right one.
… …
As it turned out, Chen Tao's luck was actually pretty good.
Hearing that Chen Tao was Borussia Dortmund's newly loaned first-team player, the guesthouse landlady, Maria, was exceptionally enthusiastic, immediately halving the 200 Euro accommodation fee!
She even provided food for free: German sausages, German roasted pork knuckle, and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes.
After enduring a week of English food, Chen Tao feasted on his first day in Germany.
If not for professional players needing to control their calorie intake, he would have loved to devour the entire roasted pork knuckle.
Considering the close proximity, only a 500-meter walk to the training base, Chen Tao simply paid three months' rent for the attic guest room on the third floor.
It only cost him 300 Euros in total—a fantastic deal.
The guesthouse landlady, Maria, was a plump housewife.
Their entire family were Borussia Dortmund fans.
Her husband, Hans Heinrich, was a core member of the fanatical fan organization "Yellow Black Prussia."
Hans's father, 80-year-old Fritz Heinrich, a World War II German veteran, had been supporting Borussia Dortmund since the 1950s.
Yellow and black had completely permeated their blood!
Their eldest son, Frank Heinrich, was Borussia Dortmund's team doctor, a full-time employee.
Only their youngest daughter, Anna Heinrich, seemed to have no emotional attachment to the team.
On Chen Tao's first weekend there, the whole family gathered around the TV to watch an away match, Rostock vs. Borussia Dortmund.
When Captain Sebastian Kehl scored a long-range winner, the living room erupted in wild cheers, and Chen Tao couldn't help but applaud and cheer.
Only Anna remained indifferent, sitting in a corner with headphones on, her mind wandering.
… …
When the Borussia Dortmund team returned, Chen Tao finally met the current Borussia Dortmund head coach, Thomas Doll, led by the assistant coach.
"So you're the player Arsene recommended. You'll train with the team for a while first."
"Although the loan contract stipulates that first-team appearances must not be less than 10, I need to arrange according to tactics."
"Whether you actually play depends on your form, understand?"
The former German National Football Team player, 41-year-old young coach Thomas Doll, was rather taciturn.
He gave a few simple instructions, said no more, and didn't even introduce Chen Tao to the team.
He simply had Chen Tao join the squad and train with the first-team players.
On the training ground, the Borussia Dortmund players whispered to each other, curiously observing Chen Tao.
"Who's this kid? From the youth academy?"
"Why is he Asian? Can they even play football?"
"I heard he's on loan from Arsenal, someone Wenger scouted, a talented rising star."
"My God, you believe those pigs from Fleet Street in England? Anyone can be hyped as a genius."
"Yes, he looks physically frail. He'll probably cry on the field."
"Enough. Regardless, he's already our teammate."
Captain Sebastian Kehl was a kind man.
It wasn't good for teammates to criticize the new young player.
Kehl proactively approached him, trying his best to force a friendly smile:
"Hello, I'm the Borussia Dortmund captain, Sebastian Kehl. You can call me Seb… Do you speak German?"
Clearly, Kehl's English wasn't fluent; it sounded quite strained.
"A little bit, basic communication, OK!"
Chen Tao hadn't been idle these past two days over the weekend.
He had been cramming German at the Heinrich's home, hoping to integrate into the new team as quickly as possible.
To get the ball and opportunities on the field, this was undoubtedly a shortcut.
"That's great then. I'll introduce you to the players."
On his first day joining the team, Captain Kehl was very enthusiastic, and Head Coach Thomas Doll also seemed quite normal.
Perhaps, my legendary career was about to begin?
Chen Tao was still fantasizing about his journey to fame with a single goal, dreaming of his first appearance on a professional pitch.
He could never have imagined the circumstances under which he would eventually play.