Chapter 1 Zhou Yi Takes the Lead

Zhou Yi's goal gave Borussia Dortmund their first lead of the game, but a one-goal lead wasn't much of an advantage in a match, especially in a hard-fought derby like this.

So, anyone could guess that Schalke 04 would launch a fierce counterattack to try and equalize again, or even take the lead.

Schalke 04 was bound to be anxious at this point.

That meant Borussia Dortmund needed to make some corresponding changes in tempo.

The change was simple—you want to go fast, right? Then I'll force you to slow down.

When Zhou Yi got the ball, he stopped passing it forward. Instead, he passed it horizontally and backward more often, then moved to receive passes from his teammates.

When his teammates passed the ball to him, he would anticipate his next passing target, and then quickly pass the ball.

He did this to avoid being entangled by opposing defenders, and also to gradually slow down the pace of the game.

The Schalke 04 U19 players became more impatient after falling behind, and their tackles became rougher.

As Borussia Dortmund's passing core, even though Zhou Yi moved as quickly as he could, he was still kicked several times and knocked to the ground countless times. His jersey was stained reddish-brown with dirt.

The referee's whistle blew constantly, and the game was frequently interrupted.

Every time Zhou Yi fell, Mrs. Wagner on the stands would cry out in alarm.

"Mom..." Kottana looked at her mother helplessly. "It's just a game, can you not be so jumpy?"

"Aren't you worried about Zhou Yi!" Mrs. Wagner glared at her daughter.

"Worried about him?" Kottana forcibly suppressed the urge to roll her eyes in front of her mother. "He's very cunning. Look how badly he falls, but nothing really happens to him. It's just an exaggerated performance."

"Nothing happened? He's going to be bruised all over and that's nothing?"

"That's grass stain, Mom," Kottana explained. "His falls are very exaggerated, it's a kind of self-protection... Of course, maybe there's a hint of diving. Anyway, nothing serious is happening to him right now, you don't have to worry too much."

Mrs. Wagner didn't believe her daughter's words. She still clenched her fists, shrugged her shoulders, and craned her neck, watching the field intently. When Zhou Yi was hit, she would involuntarily twitch, as if she had been hit herself.

Although Kottana wasn't as nervous as her mother, her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Zhou Yi.

※※※

Yeballa, who had been happy for Zhou Yi's goal, was no longer happy.

It was clear that the Schalke 04 players were targeting Zhou Yi.

He couldn't keep him on the field any longer. Even if his stamina allowed him to play until the eightieth or ninetieth minute, he had to be substituted now.

In Yeballa's view, the loss from Zhou Yi getting injured would be far greater than losing a Ruhr derby.

Zhou Yi had conquered the picky Yeballa with his passing ability and excellent control of the game, and had also won the trust of his teammates. He was now the undisputed core of Borussia Dortmund U19. The core could not be injured easily.

So, in the seventy-seventh minute, Zhou Yi was substituted off by Yeballa.

Three assists and one goal, Zhou Yi's performance couldn't have been better.

After Zhou Yi left the field, Borussia Dortmund U19 began to shrink their defense, while using Götze and Mark's cooperation in the frontcourt to launch some counterattacks, threatening Schalke 04's goal and preventing their defense from recklessly pressing forward.

It was strange to say, but Kinczek was one of the main strikers, but his cooperation with Götze wasn't as good as Mark's.

This was perhaps because Mark was more flexible and had a more versatile style of play, while Kinczek, who was one meter eighty-eight tall, was still a somewhat traditional center forward.

Mark wasn't a traditional center forward. He had flexible movement, could hold the ball at his feet, could shoot, and could also pass to his teammates.

These characteristics made it easier for him to coordinate with Götze.

Even without Zhou Yi, Mark's performance wasn't bad.

Although he didn't score any more goals, Mark's role now couldn't be measured by goals alone.

In the end, Borussia Dortmund U19, with the unity of their defense and the harassment and containment of Götze and Mark on the front line, finally defeated Schalke 04 4:3 away from home, winning the U19-level Ruhr derby.

In this way, they also completed a double-kill against Schalke 04 U19 in this season's U19 league—in the eighth round of the first half of the season, Borussia Dortmund defeated Schalke 04 2:1 at home.

After the game ended, the Schalke 04 fans in the stands left one after another, and the youth team players watching the game on the sidelines also quickly disappeared. Losing the game made them feel depressed and unwilling to stay any longer.

In the U17 level competition, Borussia Dortmund was not as good as Schalke 04, while in the U19 level, Schalke 04 was not as good as Borussia Dortmund.

The competition between these two rivals was all-round, permeating every youth team.

※※※

The Borussia Dortmund players were very happy to have won the game. They couldn't wait to start celebrating in the locker room, and they continued to celebrate all the way onto the bus.

The happiest person was none other than Mark.

Before the game, he hadn't even imagined that he would be able to play in this match.

Unexpectedly, he not only came on as a substitute, but also scored two goals and one assist in the game, becoming a key figure in the team's ultimate comeback.

The results of more than a month of hard work were concentrated in this one game. What he gained was not just the joy of winning, but also confidence.

The greatest effect of this confidence on Mark was that it made him realize that the path he was sticking to was the right one, and if he continued to stick to it, he would inevitably reach the other shore where his dreams lay!

※※※

After the bus arrived at the Brackel training center, the team disbanded. Because they had won the Ruhr derby, the strict Yeballa rarely gave the team a day off. All the players who had participated in the game didn't have to come to the training center tomorrow. Those who hadn't participated in the game still had to come for recovery training.

Zhou Yi and Mark went directly to the Brackel training center to get into the car driven by Mark's father to go home—old Wagner had been following the Borussia Dortmund team bus all the way from Schalke to Brackel.

In the car, Mrs. Wagner kept praising her son and Zhou Yi, complimenting their performance.

The two boys were also in a good mood. The atmosphere in the car was full of laughter all the way. This was the best family atmosphere since Mark was promoted to the U19 team.

As usual, after winning the game, Mark's family and Zhou Yi went to their usual restaurant to celebrate the victory before returning home.

As Zhou Yi took his towel and a change of clothes, preparing to go to the bathroom for a hot shower, Kottana leaned against her bedroom door, arms crossed, staring at Zhou Yi, her eyes following his every move.

Zhou Yi noticed Kottana's gaze and simply stopped, turning his head to ask her, "Am I handsome?"

Kottana snorted. "Crazy."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing, just want to give you some advice, Asian boy."

"What advice?"

"Take a cold bath."

"Hey, I don't have any grudge against you, do I?" Zhou Yi asked in surprise when he heard this suggestion.

"What do you mean?" Kottana didn't understand.

"You want me to take a cold bath?"

Hearing Zhou Yi say this, Kottana finally rolled her eyes: "Taking a cold bath after an injury can speed up your recovery... Don't tell me you're not injured."

Zhou Yi closed his mouth again.

He was indeed injured, not just the bruises from being hit, but also the bumps from being kicked and stepped on his feet. Although it wasn't very serious, it was still considered an injury, but such injuries were common for people who played football, and Zhou Yi didn't take it too seriously.

"Why should I listen to you?" Zhou Yi retorted.

Kottana hummed, "Believe it or not, it's just a suggestion from someone who studies sports medicine. The decision is in your own hands."

Kottana took the initiative to mention her major, which aroused Zhou Yi's curiosity: "By the way, I've always had a question. You hate athletes so much and don't want your brother to play professional football, why did you choose sports medicine as your major in college?"

Kottana didn't intend to answer his question: "That's confidential."

Seeing this, Zhou Yi knew that Kottana wouldn't tell him, so he shrugged his shoulders: "Okay. But if I catch a cold, it's your fault!"

"Idiot, a cold bath won't cause you to catch a cold! Colds are caused by viral or bacterial infections, and have nothing to do with whether you take a cold bath or not. Of course, you should keep warm after a cold bath, otherwise don't blame me if you catch a cold."

After speaking, Kottana turned around and went into her room, closing the door and ignoring Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi looked at the closed door, tilted his head and pondered for a while, then continued towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, he filled the bathtub with cold water, then took off his clothes, looked at the water that had no heat at all, and hesitated for a long time.

Then he raised his head and tried to put his foot in the water, but as soon as it touched the surface, he pulled it back—“Damn, it's so cold! Is she trying to trick me?"

Zhou Yi considered it for a long time, and finally made up his mind, gritting his teeth, closing his eyes, and quickly got into the bathtub…

After that, a horrifying howl rang out in the bathroom: "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!"

Hearing Zhou Yi's howl, Mark quickly opened the door and ran to the bathroom: "What's wrong, what happened, Zhou Yi?!"

"No, nothing... Aaaaaah!!!" Another howl came from Zhou Yi in the bathroom.

"What exactly happened? I'm coming in!" Mark twisted the doorknob.

"Don't! Don't come in! It's really nothing, the water's just too cold... Ahhh!!" Zhou Yi moved his arm, and the skin that had just gotten a little used to it suddenly felt the cold again, stimulating him to scream.

Sitting in her room, reading a book, Kottana, unmoved, smiled as she listened to Zhou Yi's wailing.