this! Please read it again!]
As a new signing who only joined Wolfsburg in the winter transfer window, De Bruyne, like Mark, was renting an apartment.
His rented apartment was just a few streets away.
Wolfsburg in late February was still a bit chilly.
Donning a khaki trench coat over a black sweater, Mark also headed straight out.
He didn't drive; he just went to a nearby cafe, bought two coffees, and then walked to De Bruyne's apartment.
However, he seemed to have underestimated his popularity too much.
Especially in Wolfsburg!
He hadn't walked far when a middle-aged man recognized him!
"Mark! Mark Lane?!"
Along the way, any passerby could call out his name.
Immediately after, they would excitedly come up and ask for an autograph or a photo.
Fortunately, German fans aren't that crazy; most of them are quite well-behaved.
After getting autographs and photos, they all left and didn't follow him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to go directly to De Bruyne, fearing to expose De Bruyne address.
Finally, realizing that going out like this was too eye-catching, someone bought a mask at a pharmacy, then took a detour before arriving at De Bruyne's apartment.
Ding-dong!
When De Bruyne opened the door, he saw a masked man wearing a face mask standing in front of him.
He was startled immediately, almost slamming the door shut.
Fortunately, Mark spoke up in time, revealing his identity:
"It's me! Mark!"
"Why are you so late? Also, what's with your outfit?"
"Don't even ask, I should have driven…"
This was his third time visiting De Bruyne's home.
So, Mark didn't stand on ceremony, casually handed the coffee to De Bruyne, and walked straight into the living room.
Compared to his own apartment, Ding Ding's apartment was almost three times larger.
This was also very normal.
One was Wolfsburg's new core with an annual salary of three million euros, and the other was a youth academy prospect with an annual salary of one hundred and twenty thousand euros—a difference in income of nearly thirty times!
After sitting on the sofa, Mark also explained the reason for his lateness.
"Haha, next time, besides a mask, you'll also need a pair of sunglasses."
Following that, Mark went straight to the point:
"Kevin, my agent has arranged an exclusive interview for me. I don't quite understand how an exclusive interview works. Can you share some experience with me?"
As a Belgian prodigy who once joined Premier League giants Chelsea, De Bruyne was no stranger to exclusive interviews.
Whether it was joining Chelsea from Genk or joining Wolfsburg from Chelsea, he had experienced various exclusive interviews.
Facing Mark's request, Ding Ding agreed without any hesitation.
Having only transferred to Wolfsburg for a little over a month, Ding Ding, unfamiliar with his new surroundings, was very quiet both on and off the field.
The enthusiastic Mark and his compatriot Miranda were perhaps the few people he would talk to both inside and outside the locker room.
Especially Mark's proactive approach made the naturally introverted and sensitive Ding Ding feel a touch of warmth in the cold winter.
This was also why he allowed Mark, whom he had known for less than a month, to come to his home.
"If this is your first exclusive interview, they usually start by asking about your family background…"
"School, and why you wanted to become a professional player, and so on…"
After sharing his experiences with Mark, he also conducted a simulated exclusive interview with Mark on the spot.
During this time, the two ordered two pizzas, ate them, and played NBA2K on PS3 for a while.
Of course, Mark, who was new to basketball games, was no match for an old hand like De Bruyne?
It wasn't until the afternoon, when De Bruyne's girlfriend Michelle made a series of urgent calls, that the two, immersed in their game, realized how quickly time had passed.
Before leaving, Mark, who had been thoroughly beaten by De Bruyne in the game, didn't forget to leave a "challenge letter":
"You wait for me, I'm going to buy a game console to practice at home right away. Next time, I will defeat you!"
"Haha, I'll be waiting…"
Watching Mark leave, De Bruyne couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
He increasingly found Mark to be very pleasing.
Because this guy, like him, was very persistent about victory!
...The next morning, Raiola arrived in Wolfsburg first.
After going through the exclusive interview process with Raiola, Mark's performance surprised him.
"Who taught you all this?"
"Kevin, my teammate."
"It seems you've already made quite a few friends…"
Around noon, Kicker's interview team also arrived.
Both parties went to the media room at the Wolfsburg base to conduct this exclusive interview.
Facing the camera and the interview reporter, Mark, having received wisdom from Ding Ding, appeared calm and composed.
And the start of the exclusive interview, indeed, was as De Bruyne had advised, with standard questions about family background, football idols, and the like.
"So, do you feel lonely by yourself?"
"Sometimes, definitely. But I think loneliness is something everyone experiences."
"Moreover, I have football to keep me company…"
Sensing that the topic was getting a bit heavy, the reporter immediately changed the subject:
"By the way, you might not know, but according to data, your jersey has been the best-selling in all of Bundesliga over the past month!"
Yes.
Over the past month, Mark's Wolfsburg number 45 jersey became the best-selling jersey! There was no other!
In just one month, ten thousand units were sold!
Ranked second was none other than number 14 Kevin De Bruyne, who joined the team as a record signing in the club's history!
It's worth noting that both of them only arrived in Wolfsburg's first team in January.
And they both made their Wolfsburg debut on the same day, in the same match!
Of course, compared to the already famous Belgian prodigy De Bruyne, Mark, as a rising star and a native German player, received more attention and praise from the domestic media.
Especially the viral German Cup goal video on YouTube, which extended his fame beyond Germany.
Besides Wolfsburg fans, some other neutral fans and many foreign fans were also captivated by his brilliant skills, and they all bought his jersey.
A genuine jersey cost eighty euros, selling ten thousand units meant a sales revenue of eight hundred thousand euros!
The sales revenue for just one month was enough to pay Mark's salary for seven years… Hearing this news, Mark also smiled slightly:
"I am very grateful for the fans' support, I feel that I have received a lot of love."
"Can you tell us why you chose the number 45 jersey? Is there a story behind it?"
Upon hearing this, Mark couldn't help but inwardly complain:
These media outlets really like to stir up trouble.
Actually, there aren't that many stories behind choosing a number.
Especially for a youngster like himself, promoted from the youth team, he had no right to choose a number at all.
And this number 45 was just casually given to him by the first-team fitness coach.
Perhaps that coach was a fan of Balotelli, or perhaps that was the only number available at the time, so he was given it.
Of course, such an answer would be too perfunctory.
After thinking for a moment, Mark casually fabricated a reason:
"I watched the 2012 European Cup, and I was attracted by Balotelli's personality!"
"Therefore, when choosing a jersey number, I saw that 45 was still available, so I chose this number…"