Chapter 1 The Beginning

First team base.

Roger Schmidt, the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, met Li Kang.

After looking him up and down.

He smiled and said, "You're much more handsome than you look in the papers. No wonder... Let's go, follow me to the training ground."

The two didn't communicate much along the way.

Just as they were about to reach the training ground.

Schmidt suddenly remembered that Li Kang suffered from aphasia.

He tried his best to say in a very gentle tone:

"Li, you won't be my first choice, but I'm not Hecking from Wolfsburg either."

"I hope to see you grow."

Li Kang nodded.

He didn't take the words to heart.

....

On the training ground.

Bayer Leverkusen's stars were warming up.

The first team's training session started an hour later than the youth team's.

Bellarabi approached Kiessling.

"That Dragon-blooded kid actually snatched Hakan's number 10 jersey."

"But he took down the youth teams of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern!"

"I watched the highlights... well, it's hard not to see the highlights with the club's big publicity push. Apart from a long shot, that kid is terrible in every other aspect... He definitely can't defend against me!"

"I think his football IQ is very high... Shh! The boss is coming!"

Kiessling gestured for silence.

"Beep!"

The assistant coach blew the whistle for everyone to gather.

The Bayer Leverkusen players stopped training.

They looked at Schmidt and Li Kang walking towards them.

"Welcome our new member!"

Clap... clap... clap...

Sparse applause.

Most of the players' expressions were indifferent.

They glanced at Li Kang a few times and then looked away.

The Bayer Leverkusen club was a lapdog of Yan Country.

But they weren't.

Schmidt sighed and didn't say much.

Even in the giants of the top five leagues, this situation was not uncommon.

The situation of "commercial mascots" was similar.

For example, in the Premier League...

But after all, the Dragon-blooded kid wasn't a starting player, so he didn't need to worry about whether he could integrate into the team.

...

Li Kang's expression was calm, and he was not affected in the slightest.

Even with these players standing in front of him, he couldn't recognize everyone's name.

"Li, welcome!"

Son Heung-min was the first to step forward, smiling and squeezing Li Kang's shoulder, "Wow! Very strong!"

Li Kang didn't react for a moment. He didn't expect this guy to be so enthusiastic towards him.

Didn't the news say that Son Heung-min was very shy?

Kiessling also came over and pointed to his forehead, "I've watched your game videos, remember to smash the ball at my head during positional warfare!"

Kramer scratched his head, "Do you play Pokemon?"

Even though the three tried their best to liven up the atmosphere, they couldn't stir up the enthusiasm of their teammates.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward.

...

Schmidt gave the assistant coach a few instructions and then turned to leave, as he had to attend a meeting.

The assistant coach took the tactical board and began to read out the list for the scrimmage.

After reading the names of Team A and Team B.

He threw a vest to Li Kang and said:

"Li, you can... train on your own for now!"

Li Kang nodded.

He put on the vest and started warming up along the track.

Bellarabi smiled disdainfully, "Why are you guys so enthusiastic about a mascot?"

Son Heung-min ignored him.

Kiessling spread his hands.

Kramer was about to retort.

Captain Bender roared, "Don't waste time, hurry up and start training!"

Çalhanoğlu looked at Li Kang's back, feeling a sense of resistance in his heart:

Bayer Leverkusen actually deprived him of his number 10 jersey for commercial reasons...

....

Li Kang ran along the sidelines.

His eyes occasionally glanced at the scrimmage on the field.

In God's perspective.

A bird's-eye view was automatically constructed.

Bayer Leverkusen's style characteristics were very obvious: high pressing in the middle and front, and tight contraction in the back.

Kramer and Bender were the team's defensive hubs.

Çalhanoğlu was the offensive core.

The two full-backs moved forward and back.

This seemingly simple tactic.

After Schmidt's detailed adjustments.

Last season, even the giants suffered.

In the Champions League Round of 16, they stunned Simeone's Atletico Madrid.

In the Prince's Cup friendly match, they once forced Guardiola's full-strength Bayern to play defensive counterattacks.

...

Training ended.

Son Heung-min walked towards Li Kang and smiled:

"I'll take you to the first team's cafeteria!"

"Don't take it to heart. When I first joined Hamburg's first team, my teammates were also very indifferent... You know the reason."

"I didn't get much playing time in my first season at Hamburg either."

"Keep it up!"

Li Kang didn't like Koreans.

Especially the Korean sportsmanship.

He couldn't understand why Son Heung-min was so enthusiastic.

....

Li Kang's days that followed.

Were calm and boring.

Because he wasn't on Schmidt's tactical list.

So he didn't have the opportunity to play in the scrimmage.

Even the first team's tactical meetings.

Schmidt didn't need him to participate.

Li Kang felt like he was back in his time at the La Masia youth training camp.

Training alone every day.

Undergoing physical tests every Monday.

Taking two days a week to listen to Professor Berent's lectures.

Völler cared about his physical condition every few days, asking photographers to take pictures of him juggling the ball.

Havertz would take him out for a walk on his days off.

Son Heung-min occasionally imparted some game experience and feinting skills.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye.

It was the opening match of the Bundesliga.

....

BayArena.

Every seat was filled.

When the players from both sides walked out of the tunnel.

The Bayer Leverkusen fans erupted in a tsunami of cheers!

"Ctv5! Ctv5! Now broadcasting live for you is the first round of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season!"

"Bayer Leverkusen at home against Hoffenheim!"

"The fourth-place team in the Bundesliga last season against the eighth-place team in the Bundesliga!"

"I am the commentator for this match, Duan Xuan!"

"I am He Wei!"

"We see that there is another Asian face on the Bayer Leverkusen bench this season!"

"The Dragon-blooded youngster from the La Masia youth training camp! Li Kang!"

"We hope that he will have the opportunity to play in this match!"

Dragon Country's Ctv5 live broadcast room.

The barrage of comments flew.

-【Why are Duan Xuan and He Wei commentating on the Bundesliga?】

-【Because La Liga hasn't started yet, the Premier League doesn't have broadcasting rights, and the matches of Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke 04, and Borussia Mönchengladbach are tomorrow!】

-【It's still more comfortable listening to Ctv5's commentary. Those messy little streamers only know how to use words like "f*ck," "awesome," and "666"! F*ck! Li Mingdeng has entered the roster, awesome! Bayer Leverkusen is sure to win this match!】

-【Who is Li Mingdeng? That water dispenser Dragon-blooded one? Bayer Leverkusen is still better than that one in Wolfsburg in this regard, at least they brought the person to the scene, hahaha!】

-【Brother Li is very awesome! You guys watch!】

-【Even if he doesn't enter the roster, it's difficult for Bayer Leverkusen to lose!】

-【Awesome? You guys are shills hired by the Germans, right! Laughing to death, the groundwork is done really well!】

....