Midfield virtuoso

Raul comes to watch the training

In a somewhat befuddled and dizzy state, Su Bai was gently tugged along by Hao Junmin and guided to take a seat at the table. Although Su Bai had unwittingly strayed into the wrong cafeteria, Hao Junmin, being a kind-hearted and amicable fellow countryman, cordially invited him to sit down nonetheless. In short order, Hao Junmin deftly fetched a sumptuous and appetizing lunch and proffered it to Su Bai with a warm smile.

"Do hasten to eat! Once we've concluded our repast, we shall engage in a most agreeable conversation!"

Su Bai, having partaken in two consecutive and rather strenuous training matches since the early morn, was by this juncture truly ravenous and famished.

With a voracious appetite and in a veritable whirlwind of consumption, he devoured the meal with great relish.

Finally, with a contented sigh and a satisfied grin, he leaned back, his hand gently caressing his now amply-filled stomach.

Apart from Hao Junmin, not a single soul paid Su Bai the slightest heed or regard. Su Bai was merely possessed of a mild curiosity about the assemblage of star players but was far too sensible and circumspect to approach them unbidden and without due cause.

Witnessing the sated and replete Su Bai, Hao Junmin hastily scribbled down his telephone number and handed it to the young lad before taking his leave and following his teammates. He had initially harbored the intention of engaging in a more profound and extensive conversation with Su Bai, but Coach Magath had long been in the habit of conducting a rather elaborate and detailed tactical lecture in the aftermath of meals. Thus, Hao Junmin was compelled to bid a rather hasty and somewhat regretful farewell to Su Bai.

Having finished his meal, Su Bai collected his bag and set off with a sense of purpose in search of Daniel. That rather hasty and impetuous fellow had directed him to the first-team cafeteria. Had it not been for Hao Junmin's fortuitous intervention, he might well have been unceremoniously ejected and rebuffed by the staff therein.

Descending the stairs with a measured tread, Su Bai soon encountered a familiar visage.

"Hi! Su, you're rather tardy. Hurry up and procure some sustenance!" Ben Cahill greeted Su Bai with a broad and friendly smile.

"Oh! Thanks, but I've already partaken of a meal. Whereabouts might Mr. Daniel be?" Su Bai was now singularly focused on resolving the rather pressing issue of his lodgings. The morning's exertions had left him thoroughly fatigued and drained.

"Hey! Su, I did direct you to come hither for a meal. Why did you not make an appearance?" At that moment, Daniel emerged from the cafeteria and regarded Su Bai, who was still clutching his bag with a somewhat quizzical and bemused expression.

"Sir! You did indeed direct me over yonder, and I ended up in the first-team cafeteria in a rather muddled and confused state!" Su Bai replied, a touch exasperated and flustered.

"Ha ha, that was my error. Have you not eaten yet? Hurry up and partake of something to eat."

"I've eaten. Right now, I just yearn to find a bed and recline for a while."

Observing that Su Bai did indeed appear rather weary and worn, Daniel dispensed with further ado and prevarication.

"Ben Cahill, do escort Su Bai to the dormitory. He shall room with you. Have you not been residing alone?"

Upon hearing that Daniel had assigned Su Bai to his dormitory, Ben Cahill nodded in assent and acquiescence.

As the captain, he had witnessed the most rapid turnover of roommates in the entire youth team. Such was his affable and gregarious nature that he had become something of a communal resource and mainstay for new arrivals. At the very least, with his presence, he could promptly and accurately apprise new teammates of the idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of each member of the team.

Of course!

Not everyone possessed the requisite wherewithal and ability to maintain a permanent berth at Schalke 04.

It should be noted that he had already had two roommates this season.

Alas, they had both since packed their bags and departed in a rather ignominious and unceremonious fashion.

He wondered whether this Chinese lad, who had seemingly descended from the heavens like a bolt from the blue, would be able to establish a firm and unshakable foothold at Schalke 04.

Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say at Schalke 04 U18.

The first team?

That was a rather distant and elusive prospect. Even he himself had yet to make an appearance therein.

This season, the first team, under the stewardship of that rather obstinate and unyielding old coach, was hell-bent on clinching the Bundesliga title. The team had sold twelve players and acquired several reinforcements, including Metzelder, Hoogland, Uchida, Raul, and Escudero.

Contemplating this, Ben Cahill shook his head with a resigned and somewhat rueful air.

Although many proclaimed him to be a prodigy of the Schalke youth academy, he was acutely aware of the true extent of his abilities and the limitations thereof.

"Let's be off!"

Noticing Su Bai's fatigued and weary countenance, Ben Cahill wasted no time and tarried not.

Su Bai nodded and followed in his wake with a somewhat listless gait.

The Schalke 04 club boasted an expansive and sprawling area. However, the lion's share was reserved and set aside for the first team.

There were twelve training grounds, of which the four finest were allocated and apportioned to the first team.

As the U18 team was competing in the 3. Liga, they had been assigned two reasonably good ones.

As for the dormitory?

In comparison to the luxurious and opulent single rooms of the first team, the U18 dormitory could only be described as passable and adequate.

It was a somewhat dilapidated and ramshackle three-story building, with a colossal Schalke team logo adorning the front. Alas, the logo was so begrimed and sullied as to be scarcely recognizable.

"The conditions are a bit rudimentary and Spartan. Do not hold it against us! I do not usually sojourn here,"

Ben Cahill remarked as he led Su Bai into the dormitory.

Fortunately, although the exterior appeared rather shabby and unkempt, the interior was spick and span, clean and tidy.

“This was specially arranged by Mr. Daniel this season. The previous conditions were so abysmal and deplorable that even a canine would have balked and recoiled at entering."

"This is it!"

Ben Cahill's dormitory was the first one on the second floor.

After ushering Su Bai into the room, Ben Cahill took his leave in haste and with a sense of urgency.

As he departed, he enjoined Su Bai to make himself at home and to inform him if he lacked anything or

required any assistance.

Having bid farewell to Ben Cahill, Su Bai finally exhaled a long and weary sigh and reclined on the bed.

The dormitory was neat and tidy. Ben Cahill's bed bore few signs of use or habitation, leading Su Bai to surmise that the fellow was likely a local resident.

Closing the door with a quiet click, Su Bai entered the system, his heart brimming with eager anticipation.

He had yet to open his Golden Treasure Chest.

He was aflame with curiosity to discover what surprises the system had secreted within for him.

Once inside the system, his rather lackluster and mediocre attributes were laid bare before him in all their unvarnished glory.

With the exception of passing, which was denoted in a vivid and sanguine red, the rest were a rather dismal and dreary shade of grayish-white.

However, behind the lackluster data lay a resplendent and gleaming Golden Treasure Chest.

"How does one go about using this?" Su Bai inquired, his gaze fixed intently upon the chest.

"Host can open it directly! The reward is unknown!" The system's response was as terse and laconic as ever, offering little in the way of elucidation.

Su Bai, overcome by impatience and a burning desire to know what lay within, reached out with his right hand and tapped the Golden Treasure Chest with a tentative and somewhat nervous gesture.

The instant he made contact, the entire system space was instantly enveloped in a blinding and dazzling golden radiance.

The sudden and unexpected display startled Su Bai, causing him to jump back in surprise.

"Dingdong!!!"

"Congratulations, Host!"

"Acquired Golden Star Skill Card 1!"

A Golden Skill Card?

Su Bai's face lit up with delight and elation. This sounded truly remarkable and extraordinary!

Whose skill could it be?

Ronaldo's electrifying dribbling? Maradona's legendary solo run? Or Zidane's sublime volley?

Su Bai excitedly opened the skill card with a trembling hand.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Host, acquired the 'Fried Meatballs' skill of legendary star Iniesta!"

"Skill Card has been automatically bound to Host!"

The moment the skill card was bound to Su Bai, his body was suffused with a strange and tingling sensation, akin to an electric current coursing through it.

Scenes of Iniesta executing the "Fried Meatballs" move during matches flashed through Su Bai's mind like a rapid-fire slideshow, each image seared into his consciousness.

"Is it over?" Su Bai queried, once the slideshow had concluded and the images had faded from his mind.

However, it seemed as if the system had retreated into a deep slumber, for he received no response or acknowledgement.

Perceiving the system's lack of reaction and communication, Su Bai's interest waned somewhat. He turned his attention to his training value, a rather mysterious and inscrutable metric.

After all, the system had only recently been activated, and his training value was a resounding and conspicuous zero.

Su Bai was at a loss as to the purpose and significance of this training value.

When he inquired of the system, he was met with stony silence. It seemed that he would have to figure it out on his own, one painstaking step at a time.

Emerging from the system, Su Bai reclined on the bed and closed his eyes, intending to snatch a brief and much-needed respite.

However, he had scarcely dozed off when Ben Cahill called to summon him to the training ground.

Daniel's training regimen was notoriously rigorous and did not accommodate a midday siesta or any form of relaxation.

In preparation for the upcoming weekend's 3. Liga match, Daniel had been driving his players relentlessly, affording them no respite or reprieve.

Su Bai hastily wiped his face with a towel and donned the team uniform that Ben Cahill had provided for him.

Number 38!

This was not a number of Su Bai's choosing. It had belonged to the player who had previously occupied this dormitory and had since been cut from the team, a rather ignominious fate.

Dressed in his uniform, Su Bai hastened downstairs with a sense of urgency.

At that moment, the first-team's tactical lecture had just concluded.

Hao Junmin was eager to call Su Bai. After all, as a fellow countryman, he was keen to offer the young lad some support and guidance.

"Hi, Hao, where are you off to?" Hao Junmin was halted in his tracks by a voice.

Turning his head, he beheld Raul.

"Oh! Gonzales, I was planning to head over to the U18 side to check on something."

For some inexplicable reason, since arriving at Schalke, Raul had found in Hao Junmin a kindred spirit, the only person with whom he could engage in meaningful and engaging conversation.

As the erstwhile king of Real Madrid, Raul Gonzales, in the twilight of his career, had come to Schalke. To be honest, he was rather indifferent to Coach Magath's obsession with the championship.

He had amassed a sufficient number of trophies. As for a Bundesliga title?

It held little allure and attraction for him.

"Is it that young lad from lunch? He's also Chinese?"

Raul had, in fact, noticed Su Bai during the meal. However, he had initially assumed that Su Bai was a relative of Hao Junmin's. He was somewhat taken aback to learn that he was a U18 player.

"Anyway, I've nothing better to do. Shall we go together?"

Hearing that Raul was interested in accompanying him, Hao Junmin nodded shyly and with a touch of diffidence.

"You should be more confident, Hao. You're always so reserved. If you want to succeed in European football, you need to learn to assert yourself, starting from your daily life!" Raul remarked with a smile, observing Hao Junmin's diffident and retiring demeanor.

Nevertheless, despite his words, Raul draped an arm around Hao Junmin's shoulders and they exited the room together, a picture of camaraderie.

Perhaps it was Hao Junmin's modesty and humility that had endeared him to Raul.

He had little patience for the muscle-bound bruisers on the Schalke team.

Ahem!

This attraction was, of course, entirely platonic.

The U18 training ground was some distance from the first team's.

After a brisk and invigorating walk, the two finally arrived at the training ground.

"Control the midfield!"

"Mind the ball at your feet!"

"Helim O'Shea, damn it! Can you keep the ball under control instead of just hoofing it? Look where you've passed it!"

"Benedict, stop running around aimlessly. Do you think Helim can get the ball to you?"

As soon as they arrived, Daniel's stentorian voice reached their ears, booming across the field.

Witnessing the irascible and choleric Daniel, Hao Junmin was rendered speechless and somewhat bemused.

Were all German coaches of this ilk?

Coach Magath was equally vociferous on the training ground, although he was somewhat more refined in his language and refrained from using expletives.

"Where's your little friend?" Raul inquired, surveying the rather chaotic and frenetic scene on the field.

Hao Junmin scanned the area but failed to spot Su Bai. Upon closer inspection, he finally located the young lad, who was warming up on the sidelines.

Evidently, Su Bai had not even secured a place on the U18 B team.

"Is that Raul?"

"Wow, it really is! Raul has come to our U18. Is the first team here to poach our players?"

"Damn, it really is him. I hadn't heard that the first team was short on players."

"What's going on?"

Raul and Hao Junmin's presence on the sidelines quickly attracted the attention of the players on the field.

After all, Raul's reputation preceded him, a veritable legend in the footballing world.

At that moment, Daniel also took note of Raul and Hao Junmin.

"Mr. Raul!" Daniel greeted Raul, approaching him with a deferential and respectful air.

"Hello!"

"I wasn't aware that you were here on behalf of Coach Magath."

Clearly, Raul's arrival had led Daniel to misinterpret the situation. Not only was he mistaken, but he was also rather pleased. It had been a year!

Finally, Coach Magath had sent someone to observe his U18 team. Although it wasn't the man himself, Raul's presence carried even greater weight.

"Apologies. I'm here with Hao to check on his fellow countryman. It seems that the lad hasn't taken the field yet," Raul replied, glancing at Su Bai, who was standing on the sidelines.

Upon hearing this, Daniel looked at Hao Junmin and immediately grasped the situation.

"Ha ha, he just signed today. Let him warm up. He'll go on now!"

The astute and perceptive Daniel understood the implication of Raul's words. The fact that he had accompanied this marginalized player from the first team was a clear indication that he wished for Su Bai to be given some consideration.

Moreover, he had intended to field Su Bai anyway. This was an opportune moment to do a favor and earn some goodwill.

With that, Daniel turned his head.

"What are you looking at?"

"Su, you're in. Replace Helim!"

At Daniel's command, Su Bai promptly took to the field with a sense of determination.

However, the player being replaced, Helim, was far from pleased.

Everyone was aware of the reason for Raul's visit. To be replaced at this crucial moment by a new arrival?

Muttering under his breath, Helim cast a disdainful and resentful glance at Su Bai and stalked off the field with a surly gait.

"Thank you, Gonzales!" Hao Junmin knew that Su Bai's swift entry into the game was due to Raul's intervention.

Thus, he hastened to express his gratitude.

"Ha ha, let's see how your fellow countryman performs!" Raul replied with a cryptic and inscrutable smile, turning his attention to the field.

Hao Junmin understood that Raul did not wish for him to feel indebted.

Nevertheless, he was deeply touched by Raul's gesture.

"Su! Remember, your task is to pass the ball to that hot-headed lad up front!" Daniel shouted to Su Bai as he entered the field.

Once on the field, the passing lines once again materialized before Su Bai's eyes, a veritable web of possibilities.

Glancing at Hao Junmin, who was cheering him on from the sidelines, Su Bai smiled faintly, a glimmer of confidence in his eyes.

Schalke 04!

Here I come!