"Damn it!" Sebastian hissed under his breath, scrambling to turn back for a second attempt.
But as he lunged forward in a desperate, clumsy rush, the ball was flicked upward by a black boot once more, sailing clean over his head.
It was as if two rainbows had suddenly arced across the training pitch.
David Qin didn't give Sebastian a second look as he brought the ball down with his left foot; he already had all the space he needed to play the pass.
He squared the ball to the oncoming Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian used his strength to shoulder Junior Malanda aside and threaded a lethal, grass-cutting through-ball into the box. Maximilian Arnold, a product of the Wolfsburg academy, sprinted onto the ball and rifled a shot into the near corner.
Two-one!
Arnold laughed as he pulled De Bruyne into a celebratory hug. He always found it easy to play with the Belgian; the passes were always right there—perfectly weighted, perfectly timed, and delivered with exactly the right pace.
He didn't forget David, either. He extended a hand toward the trialist. "That was quite a show you put on back there."
"I thought so too," David replied, shrugging with a grin rather than feigning modesty as he accepted the gesture of goodwill.
"Hey! Who the hell plays like that?"
Suddenly, a voice filled with indignant rage shattered the harmony. Sebastian Jung stomped toward them, his eyes locked onto David's. To the onlookers, David's maneuver was a piece of entertaining skill. To Sebastian, it was a deliberate humiliation.
"Hey, if your skill isn't up to par, work harder. Don't take your emotions out on someone else. No one here owes you anything," Arnold cut in before David could speak.
As a homegrown player who had been with the Wolves for five years, Arnold's word carried significant weight. In his eyes, Sebastian's anger was nothing more than the lashing out of a man who had been thoroughly beaten.
Sebastian seemed to regain his senses. Causing a scene the moment he joined the club would be a major black mark against him. He couldn't bring himself to apologize, so he simply turned and trudged back to his position in silence.
"Thanks," David said, his tone sincere. As a trialist in a foreign land, anything he said would have likely been misinterpreted or held against him. It was better that Arnold had stood up for him.
"Don't worry about it. I was the same when I was younger," Arnold said, clapping David firmly on the shoulder. "Don't let it bother you. We're all teammates now."
Though the club hadn't officially announced anything, Arnold had already accepted David as one of their own. "If you ever need anything, just ask."
"Same here," the introverted De Bruyne added quietly. Once, he too had been far from home, bullied by teammates. He knew what it felt like to be caught in the rain, and he wanted to hold the umbrella for someone else.
"Kevin, has anyone ever told you that you're a good man?" David asked suddenly.
De Bruyne froze. A memory of Caroline Lijnen—the woman who had betrayed him—flashed through his mind. He rubbed his face vigorously. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm not a good man."
"Fine, you're not a good man. I'm the good man then," David nodded, suppressing a smirk. He could guess the reason for the reaction.
A few jokes were all it took to bridge the distance between them.
The first half ended shortly after. When the second half began, Hecking took David off. The two found a quiet spot to talk—an informal interview of sorts.
"Care to tell me why you're out here trialing?"
"Because I have a conflict with my reserve coach."
"Can you be specific?"
"He wanted me to transfer back to the Chinese Super League, to a team in my home country. But I want to stay in Germany, so..." David let the sentence trail off, the implication clear.
"I see," Hecking nodded. A coach pressuring a young player was a story as old as the sport. "Well, I can tell you now: you've passed the trial."
Hecking paused before adding, "However, your transfer is a bit complex. It involves other moving parts. We need to prepare, and there are certain promotional events you'll need to attend."
Even though David had proven his worth on the pitch, Volkswagen's primary objective remained unchanged: using a Chinese signing to salvage their declining sales in China.
"I understand," David replied. He knew his transfer was a calculated business move, but he was more than happy to play along. If Volkswagen wanted to push him for the sake of their sales, it meant they would be invested in his success. The more he played and the better he performed, the more successful their plan would be. It was a powerful tailwind for his career.
"We'll handle the negotiations with Bayern and ensure both parties are satisfied. As for your wages, the club won't be stingy," Hecking added. He saw David's potential and wanted to clear away all distractions so the boy could focus entirely on football.
"That sounds perfect."
David nodded. Looking at his bank balance a few days ago, he had realized he was essentially broke. He wasn't sure if the wages at Bayern II were just that low or if he was just poor, but without the club providing room and board, he wouldn't have made it this far. That damn Ten Hag, even trying to ban me from the canteen. Truly malicious.
August 1, 2014. Volkswagen Arena.
The transfer had moved at lightning speed. Wolfsburg launched a Chinese version of their official website, signed a sponsorship deal with a prominent Chinese tire manufacturer, and convened a massive press conference.
The room was packed with journalists from Xinhua News, Kicker, Bild, and the Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung. David sat before the backdrop like a lucky charm, quiet and composed. The banner behind him read: Ni hao, David Qin!
"Mr. Allofs, is David Qin an athletic asset for Wolfsburg, or is this just a clever marketing transfer?" a reporter from Kicker asked bluntly, leading with the most difficult question.
"There is no need to deliberate on that," Klaus Allofs replied with a smile. "Signing David is not a marketing stunt. This was a decision reached after serious discussion. He is a talented young man, and we believe he can deliver an outstanding performance in the Bundesliga."
"He will be working with the staff here for the next two and a half years. Could you tell us a bit about Coach Dieter Hecking?" Zhang Wei, a reporter from Xinhua News, asked. Having been stationed in Germany for years, he knew more about David than the average Chinese fan. He had often watched Bayern II and had honestly been disappointed by David's unremarkable, middle-of-the-road performances. He was certain this transfer was purely commercial.
"Dieter Hecking is a man who lives and breathes football. He eats, sleeps, and dreams of the game," Allofs said. "He knows how to build a team tactically and is excellent at managing his players. He communicates constantly with his squad, possesses an intense hunger for success, and is eager to show the world what Wolfsburg is made of. We believe the club will reach new heights under his leadership this season."
Allofs' description was perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but in essence, he wasn't wrong.