It was already noon when Ihe woke up.
Jiang Wei opened his eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling of his dorm room, recalling how his mood had plummeted from rock bottom to peak, then back to despair, and finally soared to the sky in the middle of the night—it felt just like a dream.
Was it real?
It was already 5 AM after watching the game, and his excitement kept him from sleeping. He scrolled through Tieba until dawn, and only felt sleepy around 7 AM. Looking around, his other three roommates were nowhere to be seen. Jiang Wei had no choice but to wash up and go to the cafeteria to get a takeout order of fried rice.
On Thursday noon, the cafeteria was packed, and a long line snaked in front of the fried rice window. Since he had already skipped his morning classes, and his two elective classes in the afternoon weren't important, Jiang Wei wasn't in a hurry and just stood in line, lost in thought. The TV above was broadcasting the CCTV1 noon news when a keyword suddenly popped up, catching his attention:
"…Next up is a sports news brief. In the early hours of this morning, Beijing time, a historic moment unfolded in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Borussia Dortmund, featuring Chinese player Jin Hayes, challenged Barcelona away from home. The first leg ended in a 5-5 draw, with Barcelona holding the advantage of away goals. Back at Camp Nou, the match unfolded in a fierce contest amidst controversial referee decisions. Our player, Jin Hayes, performed brilliantly, contributing a spectacular goal in both the first and second halves.
"In the 28th minute of the first half, a suspected foul occurred in the Dortmund penalty area, giving Barcelona a penalty, which Lionel Messi converted. Barcelona led 1-0, with a temporary aggregate score of 6-5. Just one minute later, Dortmund equalized. Jin Hayes, dribbling from midfield, performed a miraculous run, weaving past seven players, and successfully broke through the Barcelona goalkeeper to score.
"In the second half, both teams were deadlocked, and referee Tom Henning Øvrebø's decisions repeatedly sparked controversy. In the 93rd minute of injury time, Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets fell in the penalty area, and Dortmund was awarded a penalty. Mats Hummels, the player suspected of the foul, was shown a second yellow card and sent off. Slow-motion replays showed that the foul call on Busquets also had some controversy. At this point, Dortmund's chances of winning and advancing were only theoretical.
"A dramatic turn of events occurred: Messi's penalty was saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, who then made successive saves on Barcelona's follow-up shots. Dortmund launched a quick counter-attack, Marco Reus advanced with the ball to the goal, and Jakub Błaszczykowski chipped a pass into the middle. Our player, Jin Hayes, scored a magnificent bicycle kick in the final moments, pulling off a miraculous last-second winner! Ultimately, Barcelona lost 1-2 at home. Dortmund eliminated the title favourites with an aggregate score of 7-6, advancing to the Champions League final for the third time in their history!
"Regrettably, due to Chinese player Jin Hayes being shown a yellow card in the match, he has accumulated three yellow cards in this Champions League campaign. Jin Hayes will miss the Champions League final."
This news brought Jiang Wei back to the field of last night's match, and recalling this exhilarating battle, he felt a mix of emotions. Clearly, Jin Hayes's influence was gradually expanding beyond the football circle; students in line around him were all discussing last night's Champions League match.
"Did you watch the game?"
"Yeah, holy crap! Lord Jin is too awesome!! I stayed up all night and went straight to my 8 AM class without sleeping."
"Me too!! It was absolutely amazing! I thought Dortmund was done for, who would have thought Lord Jin would be so incredible!"
"Killing Barcelona with a solo run goes without saying, that's Lord Jin's basic move. But that last bicycle kick was truly spectacular!"
"Cool! Super cool!"
"Are you guys talking about Jin Hayes? Did they win or lose yesterday?"
"Of course they won, didn't you watch?"
"I saw Barcelona get a penalty, got angry, shut down my computer, and went to sleep. Holy crap, they actually won?"
"Yeah, Messi missed the penalty, and Weidenfeller was incredible too, with two divine saves!"
"Honestly, the entire Dortmund team exploded. Reus and Błaszczykowski also played well."
"Too bad Hummels got sent off and is suspended for the next match. Lord Jin is also suspended—sigh, Chelsea will just pick up an easy win in the final."
"One can only say Barcelona is truly strong. They say Nuri Şahin also got injured after the match; this tough battle really took a toll."
"I thought Barcelona was going for a grand slam this year, but Dortmund has our Lord Jin."
"Jürgen Klopp still has something special. If they can buy a few wonderkids next season, they might even make another run at the Champions League."
"The main striker is too weak; Alexander Frei is invisible every game."
"Ah, my Lord Jin! I really want to see a Chinese player in the Champions League final."
"It will happen, brother, it will happen."
Yes, Jin Hayes's first Champions League journey was almost perfect. With a Dortmund lineup that wasn't top-tier, he eliminated powerhouses like Real Madrid, Juventus, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona along the way. The quality was immense, with goals or assists in every game. He was the key player in every match. Moreover, Jin Hayes didn't just play well when things were going smoothly. Whether it was the 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid or the epic comebacks against Manchester United and Barcelona, Jin Hayes could influence the game single-handedly, whether things were going his way or against him.
It could be said that as long as Jin Hayes was standing, his team always had hope for a comeback. Last night's match against Barcelona further proved this point. Even with the referee helping them so much, disallowing a certain goal for Dortmund and awarding two penalties to Barcelona, Messi's final miss had elements of luck and Weidenfeller's heroic performance. But Jin Hayes's ability to score a bicycle kick in the last second of injury time was a testament to his being a natural big-game player.
How could one not love such a player? Even if this season ended here, there was still reason to believe in him next season.
"What are you having, student?"
"Student?"
"Oh, right, one Yangzhou fried rice to go."
"Six yuan, card payment."
Jiang Wei's heart had already flown with Jin Hayes to the Champions League field, and being suddenly pulled back to reality felt a bit disorienting. Since he had no talent or hope of playing professional football, being able to see a Chinese person shine in Europe already made Jiang Wei very happy.
...
"Alright, welcome back to Sky Sports 'Daily Events' Champions League special. I'm Gary Lineker. Also in the studio are your old friends, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. We've just reviewed Chelsea and Liverpool's 4-4 goal-fest, and now let's turn our attention to the Iberian Peninsula. At Camp Nou, an equally epic battle unfolded. When the score was fixed at 1-1, an aggregate 6-6 draw, and Barcelona got a penalty in the last minute of injury time, at the moment Messi stood over the ball—I believe everyone thought Barcelona was about to have the last laugh. But football is round. Anything can happen here. Even with less than a 1% chance of winning, this group of young Dortmund players managed to pull off a miracle. What are your thoughts on that goal?"
In the studio, Gary Neville smiled a complicated smile: "Actually, when Dortmund eliminated us, I wasn't convinced. Manchester United could have made it to the semi-finals; we should have won. But after watching yesterday's game, I can only say that Manchester United's loss was not unjust; Dortmund truly performed better. Especially the young talent, Jin Hayes; he is simply a player who cannot be described by ordinary logic. Only by playing against him in person can you feel the pressure emanating from this player. You never know how he will create a goal. Oh my god—"
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher sneered disdainfully beside him: "Is it possible that you guys were just too weak? You couldn't even handle a 16-year-old kid."
"You haven't personally faced Jin Hayes; go try it yourself, and you'll see. He can toy with you in 100 ways—Oh, right, you guys don't even have a chance. Liverpool can't even get past Chelsea, let alone face Dortmund in the Champions League final?"
"Gary, you are a ***"
"Gentlemen, we're recording a show, please mind your language. Let's get into the game and review this epic battle—"
"93 Minutes from Hell to Heaven: Dortmund's Steel Nerves Complete the Impossible Mission"
"Young Star Stuns Camp Nou! Solo Goal + 94th Minute Decisive Strike Against Barcelona"
"Dortmund's Great Comeback! Last-Second Miracle Winner Rewrites Football's Ultimate Aesthetic Formula"
Overnight, the European media were undoubtedly the happiest. Newsstands were filled with headlines and photos about Jin Hayes, and students at school were excitedly discussing yesterday's Champions League battle. Excited boys holding the Bild newspaper couldn't stop talking about the match.
Anna spent the entire morning in such an environment. After watching the game last night, she had a sleepless night, barely getting any sleep. She went straight to school the next day, feeling completely dazed. She had just sent Jin Hayes a few quick messages; Dortmund's plane was landing in the afternoon, and he wouldn't be home until evening.
Anna felt that today was exceptionally long, sitting by the window and watching students playing football on the field outside. The young girl's mind was filled with the details of yesterday's match, and with the person she longed for.
"Anna?"
"What?"
"Could you answer this question—"
"Uh—" Anna froze in embarrassment, completely distracted; she hadn't heard a single word the teacher said. Oh no. This teacher was notoriously strict, and violating discipline in class could affect her usual grades. Just as Anna was at a loss, the teacher waved her to sit down with a sigh.
"Never mind, never mind. Just pay attention from now on. I know you're all happy about yesterday's game, but the match is over, and we still need to return to our normal studies. Everything I'm going to cover next is important, so I hope everyone will focus."
All the students in the class breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, those who were chatting about the game or sleeping had been a bit brazen, expecting the 'Dark Lord' to erupt in fury. They hadn't expected him to be so accommodating today. Thanks to Dortmund winning! If they had lost, who knows how terrifying the 'Dark Lord' would have been!
..
"Thank you, Jin Hayes!"
"Jin, let's go."
"Oh, okay."
Catalonia, Barcelona Airport. Jin Hayes followed the team into the VIP lounge. He was already eager to return to Dortmund and rest properly in bed. If he could hold a certain, soft girl in his arms, that would be even better. After yesterday's match, the entire team was exhausted. Even Nuri Şahin, who usually loved going to nightclubs, wasn't in the mood. Everyone just briefly celebrated the victory in the locker room, then returned to the hotel and collapsed into bed.
His phone had dozens of congratulatory messages. There were Arsène Wenger, Cesc Fàbregas, and even Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. After playing Manchester United last time, Jin Hayes and these stars had exchanged contact information. They weren't exactly friends, but they were acquaintances. Cristiano Ronaldo's tone clearly had a hint of defiance: "Congratulations on defeating Barcelona. I hope we can meet again next year; I won't hold back then."
Yes, yes, yes, bring it on next year.
Speaking of this, Jin Hayes couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic and regretful in the lounge. After his solo goal in the first half, why did he get a rush of blood to the head and take off his jersey to celebrate, provoking Barcelona? He thought a yellow card was nothing, and he just needed to be careful with his defence afterward. But even after celebrating the victory, Jürgen Klopp inadvertently let slip some bad news.
"Jin, no matter what, you've been amazing. We'll try our best to win you a championship in the final."
Only then did Jin Hayes realise that he had already accumulated three yellow cards. A yellow card for defending Cristiano Ronaldo against Manchester United. In the first group stage match against Juventus, Jin Hayes got another yellow card while assisting in defending Claudio Marchisio. He usually received fewer cards in matches, relying on anticipation for defensive actions and rarely committing rough fouls, so he wasn't sensitive to yellow cards. He didn't expect this turn of events.
"Don't the yellow cards reset automatically in the Champions League semi-finals?"
"No, no, Jin, you might be mistaken. UEFA did reveal that new rules would be implemented later—but for now, Champions League yellow card accumulation still starts from the group stage, with no reset clause." Klopp's eyes were filled with regret.
Even if Dortmund made it to the Champions League final, they would be playing with a depleted squad. First, he himself received a red card suspension and definitely couldn't be on the sidelines to coach in the final; Şahin was diagnosed with a muscle strain after the match, effectively ending his season; Mats Hummels was sent off with a red card and suspended for the final; also accumulating three yellow cards were starting left-back Marcel Schmelzer and right-back Patrick Owomoyela; plus Jin Hayes's suspension.
Good heavens, they lost five key players and a head coach in one go. What would they use to play against Chelsea in the final?
The absence of others might be manageable, but Klopp was already heavily reliant on Jin Hayes in the squad; all tactics revolved around him. As long as this player was on the field, he provided a stable ball-holding point, and they never had to worry about being dispossessed.
Whether it was passing to advance or individual breakthroughs, Jin Hayes was a relatively unsolvable presence. With Jin Hayes's mental attributes, Dortmund could defeat any team. Now, losing Jin Hayes and many key players in midfield and defence—Dortmund would at best be considered a second-tier European team, mid-table Bundesliga quality.
In the locker room last night, Jin Hayes and Klopp fell into a somber silence, a stark contrast to the wild celebrations of the other Dortmund players behind them.
"Jin, still thinking about it?"
"Coach—"
"It's okay. Next season, I believe you'll do it again, won't you?"
"Yes, that's right."
"So, let's aim for the two domestic championships first! There are still matches ahead, let's give it our all together!"
"Coach, I don't want any regrets with these two championships."
"I believe you."
At Barcelona Airport, Klopp and Jin Hayes bumped fists, both seeing the unwavering belief in victory in the other's eyes.
***
Generating the Bicycle kick is the hardest thing I've done so far. I'll keep trying though.