Chapter 1 The Beginning

"The game is over! Volendam defeats Ajax and wins their only championship this season! They will qualify for next season's UEFA Cup!"

Silver confetti rained down, flashing lights shone, "We Are the Champions" blared, the stadium was in a frenzy, and the crowd cheered...

Zhang Jun took the trophy from Louis Link and raised the gleaming championship trophy high. The trophy was icy cold, the feeling so real. But suddenly, Zhang Jun found there was no weight in his hands, the trophy disappeared!

...

Zhang Jun sat up abruptly and looked down at his hands. The sunlight outside shone on his hands, there was nothing there.

Yang Pan heard the noise, turned over and saw Zhang Jun was also up. "I got up early, saw you were sleeping soundly so I didn't wake you. How did you sleep?"

Zhang Jun thought of that dream again, "I had a dream."

"Oh?"

"I dreamed the trophy was gone, disappeared from my hands..." He looked down at his hands.

"Dreams are the opposite, idiot."

"I know... but, I still feel like all of this is a dream!"

"Zhang Jun, do you still think this is a dream?" Yang Pan pulled the gold medal from under his pillow, shining brightly in the midday sun. "This is what we earned with our own sweat, the real deal."

"The real deal..." Zhang Jun also pulled out his own gold medal, dangling it in his hand, using his other hand to fiddle with it. The gold medal kept spinning, reflecting the sunlight, a little dazzling. He looked at it in a daze, seemingly deeply trapped in last night's crazy night.

"Zhang Jun, Zhang Jun!"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"..."

※※※

In the afternoon, teammates came to the club's restaurant one after another. Because the season was over, Adriaanse didn't require the players to arrive at a certain time, so people came in waves. Those who came early sat in the restaurant and ordered a glass of juice or something else, then sat in groups of three or five chatting.

Bayes, holding a glass of juice, sat next to Zhang Jun and Yang Pan. "What are you doing for your holiday?"

"Going back to China, seeing parents, friends," Zhang Jun replied.

Bayes curled his lips, "So boring, holidays should be spent on sunny beaches, dating swimsuit babes."

"Hey, Maris (Bayes), you think everyone's as horny as you are? Haha!" Louis Link also came over to join in the fun. "Zhang, Yang, I heard that sArs over in China hasn't been lifted yet, you can't go back yet, right?"

The two nodded, "We'll go to Dortmund, Germany first, to see a friend."

Kozel walked in. Actually, he had arrived early, but first went to the coach's office. Kozel finally agreed to Volendam's contract, another year on loan. And the negotiations between the clubs had long been completed, in the end it was waiting for the player himself to agree. Now that UEFA Cup qualification had been obtained, Kozel, as a key player of the team, would be able to show his skills on the European stage, this was the biggest reason to attract him to stay.

Following closely behind was coach Adriaanse. As soon as he came in, the restaurant gradually quieted down, everyone looked at the coach, waiting for his final speech.

Adriaanse stood by the bar and spoke to everyone. "Last night was a wonderful night, wasn't it?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes!" The players shouted loudly, and some whistled.

Adriaanse smiled and gestured for everyone to be quiet. He was no longer able to speak in his usual loud voice, because last night's revelry had made his throat hoarse. When everyone calmed down, he continued, "I don't have much else to say, thank you all again, thank everyone last night, thank you very much! Now don't think about anything, enjoy your holiday! We'll see you in July!"

A huge cheer almost lifted the red triangular roof of the restaurant.

※※※

It is said, just said. After the game, a well-known Dutch football commentator took a picture of Zhang Jun's goal-scoring moment and looked at it for a long time, then suddenly had the idea of pinning this enlarged photo on the wall, standing very far away to admire it. This was taken from behind Zhang Jun, the moment his right foot touched the ball, his arms were slightly open to maintain balance, his head was slightly tilted, his right foot was up, and his left foot was down.

The commentator squinted, one hand supporting his chin, and maintained this pose for a long time. Then he rummaged through a pile of pictures for a long time, and found another picture about the same size as the photo. He pinned it next to the photo, then stood at the far end again, squinting, with one hand supporting his chin.

It was a constellation chart of Scorpio.

This time, quickly, he suddenly jumped up, lunged at the computer, and wrote a word after this sentence.

"...As the game neared its end, Zhang Jun, a Volendam striker from faraway China, scored the winning goal for the team, a--'Scorpio'..."

Perhaps this commentator didn't expect that this word, which he had pondered for a long time, would become the loudest name in Europe in the future, and even become synonymous with Zhang Jun in the eyes of Europeans. Look at Zhang Jun's movements of opening his arms to maintain balance, doesn't it look like a pair of pincers of Scorpio? Looking at his legs, one up and one down, doesn't it look like the curved tail of Scorpio? And the moment he touches the ball is simply the most poisonous barb of Scorpio, the scarlet fifteenth star. And Ajax was killed by this fatal sting.

Of course, there is also a very important argument to illustrate why Zhang Jun is so related to the word Scorpio: his birthday, October 30th, shares the same birthday as the King of Football Maradona, Scorpio.

"I'm really sorry, An Ke! It's not that we went back on our word, it's just that plans can't keep up with changes. We originally said we'd go to Dortmund to find you, but last night Sister Hua--you know, me and Yang Pan's agent--she called and told us to go to Milan immediately, saying there was new progress in the transfer. There's no way, it's related to our future... I'm really sorry! When are you going on holiday? End of June? That's great, we'll see you in Luoyang! Don't worry, we won't stand you up this time!"

Zhang Jun finally hung up the phone, the car was heading towards Amsterdam Airport, he took the time to call An Ke, to explain the situation clearly, so An Ke wouldn't go berserk again when he got back.

"What did An Ke say?"

"Didn't say anything, just said we'll see each other back home." Zhang Jun looked at the watch on his wrist, there was still an hour and a half, in time.

"Then you should apologize to him quickly, I thought he was going to whine on the phone again."

"It's our fault, after all, we promised but can't go temporarily, of course we have to apologize. Even though this is serious business... By the way, you said Sister Hua is rushing us to Milan so urgently, could it be that one of the two clubs in Milan has taken a fancy to us?"

"Hehe! Maybe one for each of us? I go to AC Milan, you go to Inter Milan, haha!" Yang Pan joked.

"That's not funny at all, Yang Pan." Zhang Jun was unexpectedly serious, "I don't want to be separated from you."

Looking at Zhang Jun's serious expression, Yang Pan reached out and put his arm around his shoulder: "Silly, I'm just kidding. We've been together since we were little, and we'll continue to be together in the future, how could we be separated?"

※※※

More than two hundred years ago, when the Frenchman Napoleon Bonaparte led his army across the Alps and appeared in the southern part of the mountains, an incomparably glorious period in French history began. And when, more than two hundred years later, two Chinese teenagers flew across the Alps to Italy, south of the mountains, does it also mean that they will create an incomparably glorious period in the history of Chinese football? Does history really repeat itself?

These are things our protagonists didn't consider at all. On the way from Milan Malpensa Airport to the city center, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan only cared about admiring the legendary city of Milan, marveling at every part of it. They forgot the purpose of their trip. Hua Fang had to remind them that they were not here for sightseeing, but to be warriors who would conquer this place.

"The situation is roughly like this. It should be said that your performance in the Dutch Cup final really impressed the officials of Milan Club. They finally decided to introduce you. But things are not simple, because the Italian Professional Football League is about to introduce a policy this summer, and you cannot directly transfer to Milan. Therefore, Milan is looking for two suitable clubs for you. You must transfer to these two clubs separately, and Milan will own 50% of your ownership. This way you can transfer to Milan at any time. But this also means..." Hua Fang glanced at the two of them. As an agent, she knew how deep the friendship between the two was. They had never been separated since childhood. This was not just simple friendship, but brotherhood. But for the sake of their future, this was the only way. "...You have to separate."

Zhang Jun and Yang Pan looked at each other and were silent. The car with the windows closed was very quiet, and even the sound of breathing could be heard for a while.

"Sister Hua, do we have to separate? Is there no other way?" Zhang Jun was disappointed as soon as he asked, because Hua Fang shook her head and said, "This is the only feasible way for you to land in Serie A."

There was another moment of silence, and Yang Pan finally spoke: "Are there really two Serie A clubs willing to introduce us?"

"Bologna and Milan have already reached an agreement. They lack a younger right winger." It seems that things are developing very smoothly, and buyers have come to them so quickly. "As for the other one, Milan is actively looking for it, and I believe they will find it soon. After all, the silver boot in the Dutch league and the golden boot in the cup are still very attractive to many teams, hehe!" Hua Fang wanted to use her smile to comfort Zhang Jun, but this time it seemed to be of little effect, Zhang Jun always frowned and had a gloomy face.

The car didn't go to Hua Fang's residence, but drove directly to the Milan office building. There, Galliani was waiting for the two young men.

Galliani, with a big belly, met Yang Pan and Zhang Jun in his office. He shook hands with the two young men very enthusiastically: "Milan welcomes you! How do you feel about Milan?" His seemingly ordinary greetings were of great significance. Asking them how they feel about Milan is not only about the city of Milan, but most importantly, asking them about their impression of Milan Club. If they answered correctly, everything would be easy to say later, otherwise...

Yang Pan replied with a smile: "A very beautiful city, a great club! We are excited about everything we see."

Zhang Jun nodded: "Yeah, it's a very beautiful city."

After a brief greeting, the two sides sat down, and Ferrio was still the translator.

"We watched the video of that final, a very exciting game, three very exciting goals. Especially Zhang, how did you do that goal? Haha!"

Zhang Jun was still a little unaccustomed to this kind of praise from Galliani, he just smiled a little restrainedly, and didn't say anything.

"Well, Miss Hua should have introduced you to everything. Milan has always paid attention to your performance in the Netherlands, and has always focused on the introduction and training of young players. Therefore, Milan decided to introduce you, but due to the introduction of the new transfer policy, the original plan has changed. I want to hear your opinions."

The two were silent for a while, and Yang Pan spoke first: "I don't think there is any problem, it's good for us to train like this."

Zhang Jun hesitated for a while before whispering: "I don't have any problem either."

"Very good. Yang, Bologna Club has contacted us and hopes to introduce you and share your ownership with Milan. They need a winger with speed, skill, and impact, and you are perfect for them. What do you think? If there is no problem, we will notify Bologna and Volendam to contact."

"No problem!" Yang Pan answered decisively. There was really nothing to hesitate about now. Sister Hua was right, if they wanted to enter San Siro, this was the only way, and it was a good way. On the one hand, they could train themselves and adapt to Serie A; on the other hand, they could also give Milan an opportunity to observe themselves up close.

"Okay, as for Zhang." Galliani looked at Zhang Jun again, but Zhang Jun turned his gaze away unnaturally. He always felt that this bald manager's way of looking at people was terrible, always giving people a kind of pressure. "As for Zhang, we will also determine your destination as soon as possible. Please believe in Milan's ability in Italy, she will find you a suitable Serie A club."

※※※

Almost a lightning signing, the next day, under the leadership of Hua Fang, the two signed a contract with Milan. Then Galliani invited the three to go to Manchester, England with the team, to Old Trafford there, the home of Premier League powerhouse Manchester United (manchesteru). To watch the 0203 season European Champions League final held there, with both sides being Italian teams: AC Milan and Juventus (juventusfC).

"You will be proud of your choice for the rest of your lives!" Mr. Ferrio, the scout who strongly recommended the two to the club and their temporary translator, said excitedly to the two. As he said this, Dida had just saved Davids' penalty in the penalty shootout in the final, and the next player to appear would be Milan's number one striker, the Ukrainian nuclear warhead Andriy Shevchenko. As long as this ball goes in, Milan will lift the European Champions Cup!

In his first season in Milan, the Ukrainian scored twenty-four goals in Serie A, which is known for its defense, and was elected as the Golden Boot winner. He is known as Van Basten's successor in Milan, but in fact, to be fair, the two are completely different types of strikers.

Shevchenko carefully placed the football on the penalty spot, then retreated. Old Trafford, which can accommodate more than 68,000 people, was silent, and everyone was waiting for the referee's whistle.

Zhang Jun stood up nervously, leaning over to look down from the vip box.

After a crisp whistle, Shevchenko ran up and shot hard! The football broke through the blockade of Italy's number one goalkeeper Buffon and slammed into the net!

As if a silent volcano suddenly erupted, Old Trafford erupted with huge cheers with Shevchenko's kick!

forzamilan!

European champion Milan! After being away from the European Champions Cup for ten years, AC Milan finally stood at the peak of Europe!

Dida and Shevchenko are the great heroes of this game! They determined the outcome of the game!

Except for Juventus fans, no one will care about how the Old Lady is doing. All the cameras, flashes, and eyes were aimed at AC Milan, at the king Milan! When captain Paolo Maldini raised the European Champions Cup high, red confetti and ribbons fell from the sky, dyeing the entire Old Trafford red, the red symbolizing the king's aura!

※※※

Zhang Jun and Yang Pan's transfer was so sudden that they didn't have time to notify the media, so many media didn't know that the two had "privately agreed for life" with Milan. But when they went to Old Trafford to watch the Champions League, the sharp on-site cameras captured their figures. While routinely scanning the field, one of the cameras swayed past the vip box, then flashed back, and then froze.

This game was broadcast live to the world through television, so everyone who watched the game clearly saw Zhang Jun and Yang Pan in the lens. They were sitting in the vip box, watching the game intently, unaware that they had been exposed.

So the next day, many media, especially Chinese media, had only two big news stories, one was Milan's victory, and the other was sensational.

Zhang Jun and Yang Pan meet with Milan secretly!

Subsequently, this news led to many related reports. Someone said that they saw Zhang Jun and Yang Pan on the plane from Amsterdam to Milan, so reporters flocked to Milan Club to verify this, but Galliani replied very cleverly: "Milan is indeed interested in the two, but everything is still just interested. When there are results, Milan will naturally notify you."

※※※

When Li Yan called the two, they were in Milan's famous Via Monte Napoleone, wanting to buy some gifts for their family and friends. But along the way, people kept stopping them to ask for autographs and saying something to them in Italian, but the two couldn't understand at all.

"Hey, Zhang Jun? I heard you're planning to go to Milan?"

"It's not that simple! Yang Pan and I have to go to other clubs first, and then meet in Milan later."

"What's going on?"

"Isn't it all because of the upcoming new transfer policy! It stipulates that one club is only allowed to introduce one non-EU player per season. Because Milan is determined to introduce Kaka this summer, if we want to come to Serie A, we can only go to other clubs to play first. Then go to Milan as a domestic transfer later."

"So complicated?"

"There's no way, it's the only way."

"Oh, is that so, I understand. By the way, when are you going back to China?"

"This, I still want to ask you! How is the sArs situation in China? We are now waiting for the sArs alert to be lifted so that we can go back to China!"

"Well, it's almost over, you can go back to China soon. What are your arrangements after returning to China?"

"Hehe, you want exclusive news again? There are no arrangements, just going back to see a few old friends, this is an interview that is declined! Besides... I heard Sister Hua say that there seems to be a business activity, I don't know the specifics, she is fully responsible."

"Well, well, that's already very good. Hehe, bonuses are promising!"

After ending the call, the two continued to stroll. The things they wanted to buy for their parents had been bought. Zhang Jun bought a camera for his dad and a bottle of Chanel perfume for his mom. He also wanted to buy Su Fei a Louis Vuitton (Lv) wheeled suitcase. With such a suitcase, it would be much more convenient for Su Fei to go to school. But when he looked at the price again, fifteen thousand euros! He gasped in shock: a suitcase is so expensive! But...

Compared with priceless love, this sky-high price suitcase is nothing! Anyway, there's a salary and a championship bonus, it's enough to buy it.

The two put all the things they bought into the suitcase, dragged it back to the hotel, Hua Fang was waiting for them.

"You can go back to China in two days. I have already asked, and the situation in China has stabilized. In addition, I have negotiated with a domestic beverage production company. You two will be the spokespersons for their new product. This time you will go back to China to sign a contract and participate in the filming of an advertisement. So, don't think your holiday will be very easy, there are many things to do. Professional players, of course, have to work harder than others!"

Zhang Jun sighed in his heart, he had to be busy even on vacation. In the past, he only saw the glory of being a star, but who can understand the hard work behind the star? He had to put in sweat on the training ground, and continue to sweat in the studio...