Chapter 16 Finally

After the finals, the team returned to Dortmund the next day with the championship trophy.

Unlike the grand parades that usually accompany the first team's championship wins, the Dortmund youth team, despite their victory, was not greeted by fans lining the roads.

They went directly back to the Brackel training ground by bus, without cheers or applause, without flowers or beautiful women.

But the youth team players seemed used to this kind of uncelebrated situation, and no one complained.

At the same time, this was also one of the motivations for them to enter the first team—who wanted to remain unknown in the youth team? Who didn't hope to become a real star in the first team and win the cheers of the crowd?

At the Brackel training ground, Jebara said to the entire team as they got off the bus: "Two championships, this season couldn't be more wonderful for you, and I'm also very happy that we can achieve such good results. The championship is a very good reward for us. Now, thank you for your hard work this season, you can take a good rest for a while. On July 15th, let's regroup. Now, dismissed!"

The players cheered excitedly, finally able to take a good rest!

"Great!" Mark clapped his hands and asked Zhou Yi next to him, "Zhou Yi, are you going home?"

"Yeah." Zhou Yi nodded. Eight months, eight thousand kilometers, this was the longest and farthest he had been away from home, and he really missed it. Of course, he also wanted to go home and show off his achievements in Germany. "Mark, do you want to come to China with me?"

Zhou Yi extended an invitation to Mark.

He had told Mark many times how developed and modernized China was now, and he had also said that he would take Mark to China to see the real modern international metropolis and taste Chinese food.

At that time, Mark also expressed a strong desire to go to China.

So Zhou Yi thought Mark would agree without hesitation.

But Mark's reaction surprised Zhou Yi. He shook his head!

"Uh, I think I'll pass, Zhou Yi."

"What's wrong? Are you afraid I'll take you to China and sell you?" Zhou Yi asked strangely. "Don't worry, with your looks, you can't be sold in China."

Mark rolled his eyes and then explained seriously: "That's not the reason, Zhou Yi. Actually, I'm not going anywhere this vacation. I'm staying in Dortmund, at home. Although I really want to go to China, this summer, I have something more important to do than go to China."

"What is it?"

"These eight months have been the eight months in which I've made the most progress, Zhou Yi, thank you for your help. But I don't think my progress is fast enough or good enough. So I want to use the vacation time to improve my abilities at home, whether it's physical or technical..." Mark said. "So, China will have to wait until next time, Zhou Yi."

Zhou Yi didn't expect Mark to be so self-aware. He was stunned for a moment and then laughed: "That's good too. If I didn't miss home, I would definitely stay and accompany you, Mark! Because I also feel that I'm not strong enough yet!"

Mark was a little embarrassed to scratch his head when he saw Zhou Yi praising his actions: "Say hello to your uncle and aunt for me, Zhou Yi. I will definitely go back to China with you next summer!"

"Okay, don't stand me up next year!"

"Definitely, definitely!"

※※※

Back at Mark's house, Zhou Yi couldn't wait to dial the home phone.

At this time, it was 1:30 p.m. local time in Dortmund, which was 7:30 p.m. Beijing time in China.

His parents had just gotten off work and returned home.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up.

"Hello, who is this?" It was his father's voice on the phone.

"Dad. It's me, Zhou Yi," Zhou Yi said.

"Yo, you know how to call home, huh?" Zhou Jianliang's tone changed when he heard his son's voice.

Li Cuiyun, who was busy nearby, stopped what she was doing and listened carefully.

Zhou Jianliang noticed his wife's small action, so he turned on the speakerphone and put the microphone down.

Zhou Yi's somewhat real voice immediately sounded from the other end: "International calls are too expensive, I'm saving you money..."

"Since you think international calls are expensive, then hurry up and get to the point."

"Ah, we just won the league championship, Dad. Double crown! How awesome is that?"

Zhou Jianliang didn't expect Zhou Yi to use this word and coughed awkwardly. Li Cuiyun's voice sounded next to him: "So that's how you father and son usually talk."

Zhou Yi on the other end of the phone was also stunned when he suddenly heard his mother's voice, and then he quickly changed his tone: "No, no, no, Mom. I just won the double crown, I'm a little excited. Ha, a little excited. My attitude when chatting with Dad is always very serious and upright... Well, our season is over, we have half a month's vacation, I plan to go back..."

"You're coming back?" Zhou Jianliang was a little surprised. "That's great, hurry up and book a ticket! What do you want to eat? Tell me, and I'll have your mom make it for you!"

"Meat, lots and lots of meat!"

"Aren't you going to be a professional player? Eating so much meat, it's easy to get fat..." Zhou Jianliang suddenly realized, "You still need to gain weight?"

"Yeah, the coach said I'm still a bit thin."

"Okay, then just eat beef." Zhou Jianliang glanced at Li Cuiyun. His wife was already writing down the recipes in her notebook, and at the same time asked without looking up: "When can you go to the first team, Zhou Yi? Didn't the school keep your enrollment for a year when you left?"

"Hey, Mom, I've already won two championships in the youth team. Why go back to school!" Zhou Yi, who had just become a double champion, was now full of information, and he wouldn't have dared to say such a thing in front of his mother before.

Zhou Jianliang was a little nervous looking at his wife, afraid that she would get angry.

"Oh, okay." Unexpectedly, Li Cuiyun just asked and didn't say anything.

Zhou Jianliang breathed a sigh of relief, and Zhou Yi was also a little surprised by his mother's reaction. For a moment, the phone fell silent.

Li Cuiyun asked, "Anything else?"

"Uh... nothing." Zhou Yi replied.

"Hang up if there's nothing else, it's an international call." Li Cuiyun was still thinking about the fact that international calls were more expensive than domestic calls.

"Oh, okay..."

Zhou Yi obediently hung up the phone, holding the receiver, he was still in a daze—why didn't his mother say anything about his idea of not going back to school? Usually, she would always scold him a few times.

He stopped thinking about it if he couldn't figure it out. Anyway, it was a good thing for Zhou Yi himself that his mother didn't nag.

Zhou Yi, who had hung up the phone, was about to go upstairs to book a ticket back to China when the phone rang again downstairs.

Mrs. Wagner, who was baking cookies in the kitchen, wiped her hands and came out to answer the phone, while Zhou Yi didn't stop.

But he had just reached the door of his room when he heard Mrs. Wagner shouting, "Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! Come down and answer the phone!"

Zhou Yi was strange. No one ever called Mark's house to look for him...

He went downstairs suspiciously and saw Mrs. Wagner winking at him with the receiver: "The club is calling."

Zhou Yi took the receiver: "Hello, this is Zhou Yi."

"Hi, Zhou Yi, this is Licken."

"Ah, Mr. Licken." Zhou Yi didn't expect it to be youth training director Lars Licken calling him. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, can you and Mark Wagner come to the club this afternoon?"

"Brackel?"

"Yes."

Zhou Yi was very strange: "Um... can I ask what it's about, Mr. Licken?"

"Of course, good news, the club plans to sign professional contracts with you two."

Zhou Yi was stunned holding the phone receiver.

"Hello, Zhou Yi? Are you still there?" Licken didn't hear Zhou Yi speak and thought the line was broken.

Then he heard Zhou Yi's wolf howl coming from the other end.

"woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo——!!"

This sudden shout scared Licken so much that he almost dropped the mobile phone in his hand. Even though he quickly took the phone away from his ear, he was still grimacing from the shock.

※※※

Mark was playing games in his room. The Dortmund he was controlling was playing against Barcelona in the Champions League final. The game had reached the eighty-eighth minute, and the score was still 0:1, with Dortmund behind Barcelona.

Mark looked very nervous—he forgot to save the game before this match! If he lost this game, it would mean that all his efforts this season would be in vain, and Dortmund would lose the club's highest honor, the European Champions League.

He was so anxious that he was almost squeezing water out of the controller.

At this moment, after a series of exquisite and lucky passes, Mark passed the ball to Barcelona's penalty area. The virtual character he had rebuilt later received the ball.

He could shoot!

Just as he was about to press the shoot button, suddenly!

A sudden wolf howl came from downstairs outside the door!

"wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo——!!"

Mark, whose hands were already full of sweat from squeezing the controller, slipped tragically when he pressed the shoot button... The controller flew out of his hand and fell to the ground.

And in the game, he was stunned in place after receiving the ball, without any action, and then the Barcelona center-back Pique intercepted the ball...