In the end, Wolfsburg lost, despite finding the back of the net in the dying moments of the match. Returning to the city empty-handed, the squad was visibly dejected. No opening-day win meant no bonuses, and in professional football, no one smiles when the pockets stay empty.
Rumor had it that Kevin De Bruyne had even engaged in a heated argument with Dieter Hecking. The bone of contention was simple: he refused to play as a winger. He wanted to shine in the hole behind the striker, controlling the rhythm of the game as a true attacking midfielder.
This surprised David Qin. In daily life, De Bruyne seemed as shy as a schoolboy, but it appeared he possessed a volcanic temper when it came to his craft.
"You have no idea," Junior Malanda said, shrugging noncommittally. "When he was nineteen, he publicly blasted his teammates for not training hard enough. I happened to be one of them. Last season, he got fined and nearly suspended for swearing at a ball boy because he thought the kid was wasting time."
"So, whatever you do, don't get on his bad side on the pitch," Malanda warned, a trace of lingering dread in his voice. "Once you've seen 'Angry Kevin,' it leaves a bit of a psychological scar."
"Actually, he sounds interesting," David replied. He didn't find the behavior off-putting; rather, he respected De Bruyne's win-at-all-costs attitude. Genius is often inseparable from stubbornness.
"Junior, maybe before long, we'll be the ones arguing," David added suddenly.
He and De Bruyne occupied two different ends of the footballing spectrum: absolute flair versus absolute rationality. When those two styles eventually collided, sparks were guaranteed. Whether those styles could coexist or be fused into a new tactical framework wasn't his concern—that was the manager's headache.
As the days turned into weeks, the hype surrounding David began to cool. The public has a short memory for players who never leave the bench. Consequently, the directive from Volkswagen's executive board soon reached Hecking's desk.
"Put him on the pitch? Fine. I'll put him in the squad for the next match against Frankfurt," Hecking decided. He had been leaning toward this anyway. If you trust a man, you use him; if you don't, you let him go. In his younger days, Hecking never cared about age, only ability. David had been exceptional in training. Why hesitate any longer?
Hecking stopped overthinking the win-loss column for a moment. If David turned out to be a "training ground world-beater" who choked in real matches, he'd simply send him back to the reserves or save him for unimportant fixtures.
August 29, 2014. Wolfsburg Training Base.
The players were gathered in the dressing room for the pre-match briefing.
"Let's talk about our opponents: Eintracht Frankfurt. They finished 13th last season, a solid side. In the last round, they beat Freiburg 1-0 thanks to a goal from Haris Seferović. That Swiss giant is their primary target man," Hecking explained.
"Frankfurt likes to push through the wings, looking for any opportunity to whip crosses into the box. Their other main threat is their defensive midfielders making late runs to the edge of the final third for long-range strikes."
David's gaze was fixed on one name in the Frankfurt lineup: Makoto Hasebe.
The Japanese defensive midfielder was a legend in the making. His passing was so precise that Japanese fans frequently compared him to Andrea Pirlo. He had been a key starter when Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title in 2008-09, and he had captained Japan to an Asian Cup title in 2011. Most Asian player records in the Bundesliga were currently held by him.
"Hasebe is the pivot of their system. Last season, four yellow cards in 28 matches and an average of 42 successful passes per game tell you everything about his discipline and style," Hecking noted, looking directly at David. "Don't lose the ball in front of him, or their counter-attack will be on us in seconds. David, there's a high probability you'll get minutes today. If you face him, what will you do?"
"I'll... I'll go past him," David said simply.
He didn't talk about wall-passes or tactical positioning. The confidence he felt stemmed not just from the System, but from the relentless, uncompromising training he had put in over the last few weeks.
"Fair enough," Hecking said, a faint smile touching his lips. "I expected you to say that Hasebe is the type of player who doesn't give the ball back once he wins it, and that you'd play it safe. But that's not the way of the youth. I know you're a specialist in 1-on-1s. If you get out there, play your game."
Hecking decided to grant David his full trust. He saw confidence in the boy's eyes, not arrogance. Besides, if a young man isn't spirited, is he even young?
"But," Hecking's tone turned stern, "you must show me something tangible. Otherwise, I can't keep giving you these opportunities."
"Thank you, Coach," David replied. He made no verbal promises; he preferred to let his boots do the talking.
Nearby, De Bruyne watched David, feeling a strange sense of kinship. He had been that way once—possessing unique ideas, wanting to influence every facet of the game. Even when he disagreed with coaches or teammates, he remained steadfast in his conviction that his way was the right way.
The following day, the sun was scorching.
The Volkswagen Arena was packed. As Wolfsburg's first home game of the season, almost the entire city seemed to have turned out, even those without tickets. It was a weekend, and soaking in the atmosphere was the perfect way to spend a Saturday.
An hour before kickoff, Wolfsburg released their matchday squad on the official website. Despite their constant grumbling about "not watching anymore," Chinese fans across the globe dropped what they were doing and sat down in front of their screens.
—
@Cantonona_7: An Asian Derby?
@Simp4Qin: Let's see if David even gets on the pitch first. Seeing Hasebe as a starter makes me so salty.
@TacticalWanker: They aren't even in the same league. Hasebe is the national team captain and the second Japanese player to win the Bundesliga after Yasuhiko Okudera.
@GoalMaker31: Japanese players just thrive in Germany—Kagawa, Okazaki, Hasebe... the list goes on.
@MoneyBaller: I'm tired of being jealous.
@GoalKeeperStats: Fun fact: Hasebe was actually the first Japanese player to play as a goalkeeper in a Top 5 league (due to a red card).
@Doomer_99: I don't expect a trophy from David. I just want him to actually touch the grass.
—
The fans, weary from the marketing barrage, sounded more resigned than hopeful.
Suddenly, the cameras cut to the pitch. The warm-ups were over, and the teams were emerging from the tunnel led by the referee. On the edge of the frame, seated on the bench, was the unmistakable figure of David Qin.