So what if I'm just strolling around the field? My shots are guaranteed to go in.

Lin Fan returned to his dorm and before he could even process this bombshell news, his phone exploded.

First, Maister posted a brief announcement in the U19 group: "Congratulations to Lin Fan on his promotion to the first team!"

The group chat was instantly flooded with messages like "Congratulations!", "Awesome!", and "Treat us to a meal!"

Following this, Borussia Dortmund's official website and social media simultaneously released an announcement:

"[Official Announcement] Borussia Dortmund is pleased to announce that U19 player Lin Fan (18 years old) has officially signed a professional contract with the club and will join the first team for training immediately. Lin Fan performed outstandingly in the recently concluded Youth League Finals, helping the team win the championship. Welcome to the first team, Lin Fan!"

The announcement was accompanied by a photo of Lin Fan celebrating a goal in the final.

This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples everywhere.

German media quickly followed up, with Bild updating its website: "Effective immediately! Borussia Dortmund promotes youth final hero Lin Fan to the first team!" The article stated:

"Less than 24 hours after Lin Fan's miraculous performance in the final, Borussia Dortmund reacted swiftly. The 18-year-old Chinese prodigy has signed a professional contract with the club and has gone directly into Klopp's first-team training camp. This is the greatest affirmation of the player's ability and also demonstrates Dortmund's tradition of daring to use young players."

"It's worth noting that Lin Fan's promotion speed is astonishing. He only joined Dortmund's youth academy at the beginning of this year, and within six months he jumped from the U19 team to the first team. If he can impress Klopp during preseason training, we might see this young talent on the Bundesliga pitch in the new season."

Kicker's commentary was more cautious:

"Dortmund's promotion of Lin Fan was expected, but the timing was surprising. Usually, clubs let youth team players train with the first team for a period of time before deciding whether to offer them a professional contract. Klopp's quick inclusion of Lin Fan in the first team plan shows that he has extremely high hopes for this young man's potential."

"However, success in the youth league does not guarantee a place in the Bundesliga. In recent years, several Dortmund youth academy players have struggled to establish themselves in the first team after being promoted. For example, Schneider was briefly promoted last season but was sent back to the U19 team after only two substitute appearances. Lin Fan will face fierce competition, and he needs to prove that he is more than just a 'youth team star'."

Sport1 has launched a poll: "How much playing time do you think Lin Fan will get in Borussia Dortmund's first team next season?"

The options ranged from "regular starter" to "zero appearances" in five tiers. Over 50,000 people voted within two hours, with 35% choosing "occasionally coming on as a substitute," 28% choosing "mainly playing in the German Cup," and only 8% believing he could become a "regular starter."

In China, the shockwaves from this news were unprecedented.

After Borussia Dortmund's official Weibo account released a Chinese announcement, the number of reposts exceeded 100,000 within half an hour, and the hashtag #LinFanPromotedToDortmundFirstTeam# quickly rose to the top of the trending topics list, followed by a red "Explosive" sign.

The People's Daily official Weibo account reposted and commented: "Congratulations to Lin Fan! His promotion from the youth team to the first team is a testament to his ability. We look forward to seeing even better performances from Chinese players in top European leagues!"

CCTV's sports channel interrupted its regular programming to broadcast a breaking news report: "We have just received news that Lin Fan, the Chinese player who performed outstandingly in the German Youth League final, has been officially promoted to the first team by Borussia Dortmund! This means that Lin Fan is likely to appear on the Bundesliga pitch in the new season!"

Major media outlets urgently adjusted their front pages:

Sports Weekly: "Historic Breakthrough! Lin Fan Promoted Directly to Borussia Dortmund's First Team!"

Football News: "From Youth Champion to the Bundesliga Stage, Lin Fan's Fantastic Journey"

Sina Sports: "The next Asian superstar? Lin Fan handpicked by Klopp for the first team."

Self-media and bloggers are producing content like crazy:

"Klopp's ability to judge people is legendary, isn't it? The fact that he directly promoted Lin Fan proves that Lin Fan definitely has something special!"

"Borussia Dortmund's first team! Bundesliga runners-up! Champions League regulars! Lin Fan is about to take off!"

"Calm down, friends. Being promoted to the first team doesn't mean you'll get to play. Let's see how they perform in preseason training first."

"Regardless, this is the closest a Chinese player has ever come to joining a Bundesliga powerhouse!"

Amidst the praise, there were also calm and even pessimistic voices. Wang Tao, a columnist for *Football Night*, published a lengthy article:

"While everyone is cheering for Lin Fan, I want to pour some cold water on his enthusiasm. Lin Fan's promotion has been too fast, it's worrying. It only took him half a year to go from joining Dortmund's youth academy to entering the first team. This certainly proves his talent, but it also means that he lacks the necessary transition and adaptation period."

"How fierce is the competition in Dortmund's first team? Up front, there's Reus (German international), Götze (German Golden Boy), Blaszczykowski (Polish captain), Kuba (Polish international), Aubameyang (Gabon's speedster)... Lin Fan will have to compete with these players for playing time. Realistically speaking, he's more likely to appear in unimportant matches in the German Cup or Champions League group stage next season."

"I'm worried that Lin Fan will repeat the mistake of his teammate Schneider—being briefly promoted, sitting on the bench for a few months, and then being sent back to the youth team due to a lack of playing time, which damages his confidence. For young players, consistent playing time is more important than sitting on the bench at a big club."

"The Chinese Football Association previously revealed that it was contacting a German second-division team for Lin Fan, which may be a more pragmatic option. Playing as a starter in the second division and accumulating professional league experience is much better than being a benchwarmer in the Bundesliga."

This article received a lot of support, and the comments were divided into two camps:

"Teacher Wang is right, the higher you're praised, the harder you fall. Lin Fan needs to be down-to-earth."

"Stop being so sour! Making it into Dortmund's first team is a success! So many people can't even get close!"

"Schneider was indeed a lesson, but Lin Fan's talent is clearly a level above Schneider's."

"Even the most talented individuals need time to develop. Will Klopp give young players opportunities?"

"Dortmund has promoted quite a few young players in recent years. Weren't Götze and Reus both starting players when they were young?"

At the same time, Yang Zhi called again, this time his voice trembling with excitement:

"Lin Fan! I saw the news! My God! He's going straight to Dortmund's first team! That's fantastic! This is a hundred times better than going to the 2nd Bundesliga!"

"lead..."

"Listen to me, this is a fantastic opportunity! But the pressure will be immense. Don't worry, the Football Association will fully support you! We'll immediately organize an overseas player support group to help you with all aspects of your life, including living arrangements, language, and media!"

"Actually, no need, I've lived in Germany for a long time..."

"That's different! You're in the spotlight now! Lots of business collaborations will come your way, and you'll need a professional team to handle them. Here, I'll connect you with a few reliable agents; you can choose one. By the way, we absolutely must meet after we get back to China to properly plan your promotional strategy!"

Lin Fan subtly indicated that he needed to focus on training and adapting to the first team first, and that business and publicity matters could be dealt with later.

Although Yang Zhi was somewhat disappointed, he still expressed his understanding.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Fan looked at the hundreds of unread messages on his phone and the explosive attention on social media, feeling a sense of unreality.

Just 24 hours ago, he was a youth team player who had just won the championship;

24 hours later, he became a member of Borussia Dortmund's first team and the focus of media attention in both China and Germany.

He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

Klopp is right, media hype comes and goes quickly. The football world only cares about performance on the field.

He turned off his phone and started packing the things he needed to bring when he reported to the first team tomorrow.

Training clothes, shoes, protective gear... and most importantly, a mind ready to face any challenge.

At 8:45 a.m. the next morning, Lin Fan stood outside the gate of the Borussia Dortmund first team training base.