Soccer: Maxed-out ball control, the skill is too overpowered.

Bundesliga Round 2: Stuttgart vs. Bayer Leverkusen.

This was Lu Xiao's first time traveling to another city in a black bus from Leverkusen.

For some reason, I suddenly felt like I was going on a picnic.

When I was in primary school in Belgium, the school organized scientific expeditions every year.

It's basically a group trip, supposedly similar to a school field trip in China.

Every time Lu Xiao sat on the bus and listened to her classmates' noisy chatter, she felt full of anticipation.

In a daze, Lu Xiao seemed to have returned to the time when she was 8 years old.

Julian Brandt, sitting beside Lu Xiao, interrupted his recollection.

"Lu, let's have an interview. What are your thoughts on making the roster for the first time?"

"I don't have any particular thoughts, since I might not even get to play."

"Don't be so pessimistic! Maybe if we both team up, we can crush those bastards in Stuttgart!"

Julian Brandt had a habit of spouting German profanities, which Lu Xiao habitually ignored.

"If you were the coach, would you put me on the field?"

"Well……"

Julian Brandt gave an awkward laugh twice.

"Of course, someone as strong as you will definitely be sent."

Lu Xiao's performance in the warm-up match against Freiburg truly surprised Julian.

I initially thought the 16-year-old Asian boy was just there to make up the numbers.

The result... Holy shit! He's really strong!

Putting aside physical attributes and speed, Julian Brandt alone is inferior in terms of technical finesse.

Fortunately, football emphasizes all-around ability and requires even higher physical fitness.

In a real 1v1 match, Julian is confident he can utterly crush Lu Xiao.

Of course... specifically referring to before the age of 18. After Lu Xiao turned 18, Julian Brandt lost his confidence.

"How can you be so sure you'll get to play?"

Lu Xiao then posed another thought-provoking question.

"Well... I'm so handsome, I'm sure I have a chance!"

Julian Brandt has a very loud voice.

But the head coach in the front row heard it.

Sasha Lewandowski turned around and glared at him.

"With your training attitude, you still want to play?"

"No, no, Coach, I'll definitely train hard." The blond young man immediately backed down.

"You'd better be," head coach Sasha warned menacingly.

On the other side of the corridor, the starting left winger, Mexican international Guardado, glanced at him disdainfully and muttered:

"What a moron!"

"Fu..."

He hesitated before saying the word that started with "F," and then decided against it.

They're the starters, and I'm just a substitute, so I should be a little more timid.

Lu Xiao watched from the sidelines, feeling that his Leverkusen teammates were a bunch of clowns.

When I watched football matches before, I always felt that the stars of top European clubs were high above everyone else, and were all stars with an aura.

In actual experience, there are far too many mentally unstable people in the locker room.

Everyone makes silly mistakes in private, just like everyone else.

Most star players dropped out of school to play football, so they don't have much education to begin with. Apart from playing football, they are not as good as ordinary people in other aspects.

This thoroughly demystified Lu Xiao.

He just hopes he can get a chance to play in tomorrow's game, even if it's only for one minute!

If it appears in just one minute, it can increase the template integration!

Lu Xiao was filled with anticipation.

……

Two days later, at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart's home stadium.

Lu Xiao looked at the numbers on the scoreboard and sighed softly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

90:00+

VFB 0-1 SVB

33′Stefan Kießling

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Bayer Leverkusen's star striker, 191cm tall Stefan Kiessling, scored a header in the 33rd minute of the match.

He scored the only goal of the game.

With Leverkusen dominating the game, their solid defense and counter-attacks left Stuttgart with no chance.

With the team in a dominant position, there's no reason to suggest substituting a striker for a desperate effort.

In the second half, Leverkusen substituted three defensive players, completing their second consecutive victory of the new season.

Julian Brandt and Lu Xiao sat on the bench for 93 minutes until the end of the match.

Son Heung-min has become a key player for Bayer Leverkusen. He started the game and was substituted after 68 minutes, creating three scoring opportunities but failing to score.

It must be said that the top Korean star's performance was quite remarkable.

Even Lu Xiao couldn't help but give him a thumbs up for his performance.

In a dream, Son Heung-min was predicted to be Asia's number one player in the future. Later, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League and apparently even won a title.

Unfortunately, Lu Xiao easily forgets things after waking up from a dream, and doesn't remember what championship Son Heung-min won.

After being substituted, Son Heung-min politely bumped fists with each of his teammates on the bench.

When it was Lu Xiao's turn, Son Heung-min nodded and bumped fists with Lu Xiao.

"Well played."

"Kansamida... Oh, Danke."

Upon seeing Lu Xiao, Son Heung-min instinctively wanted to speak in Korean, but then changed his mind and said thank you in German.

After Lu Xiao proved himself last time, Son Heung-min no longer harbored any resentment towards Lu Xiao.

On the contrary, he was somewhat looking forward to seeing just how strong this East Asian boy really was.

However, due to his pride, Son Heung-min has to maintain his image as a master and try to be aloof.

When faced with a Chinese person, the inferiority complex that Daehan harbors is deeply ingrained in his subconscious.

……

"Hey! Lu, you're back. It's a shame I couldn't play yesterday."

"Thank you, but it's okay. I just joined the team and need time to adjust."

"Yes, that's the right mindset. You'll definitely shine."

After returning victorious, the club gave everyone a half-day off.

Lu Xiao also took the opportunity to use the base's gym for free and worked out for two hours.

Afterwards, dragging her slightly tired body, she returned to her apartment.

The club originally arranged for Lu Xiao to stay in the youth training academy dormitory, where he lived for nearly a month.

Later, because there were too many young players staying at the youth training camp, there weren't enough dormitories to go around.

Lu Xiao is facing the prospect of having to move out of the dormitory again.

Unlike last time, this time the club arranged Lu Xiao's accommodation, finding a high-end apartment for him about 5 kilometers from the base.

The apartments are mostly occupied by faculty and staff of the neighboring Theodor House-Science High School.

It just so happens to be the high school where Lu Xiao received tutoring, making it easier for him to catch up on his academic subjects on days when he's not training, so he can get his high school diploma sooner.

Bayer Leverkusen is indeed very meticulous in its humanistic care for its players.

The dormitories are all single rooms of more than 40 square meters, with private bathrooms, and are fully equipped with appliances such as water heaters, microwave ovens, air conditioners, refrigerators, and TVs.

The club covers the water, electricity, and rent costs, so Lu Xiao can live comfortably until he buys his own house.

The apartment also has a professional receptionist and doorman.

Lu Xiao has become quite familiar with Uncle Hans, the gatekeeper, over the past few days.

Uncle Hans and his entire family, spanning four generations, are staunch Bayer Leverkusen fans, frequent visitors to the South Stand where die-hard supporters reside, and long-time season ticket holders.

Uncle Hans was very enthusiastic about the team's newly signed young players.

"By the way, the German Cup is in 4 days, you might have a chance to play."

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course." Uncle Hans knew the club's customs like the back of his hand.

"We might be more conservative in the league, but in the first round of the German Cup, our opponents are all teams from the 2nd and 3rd divisions, so we will definitely field a reserve and rotation lineup."

"You'll have at least a 9% chance of playing. The exact amount of time will depend on the coach's arrangements."

Lu Xiao's hope was rekindled.

Four days will pass quickly. Is my debut really that close?

Lu Xiao still harbored some reservations at this point.

When the roster for the German Cup was announced, I saw my name!

"I hope I won't be sitting on the bench for 90 minutes this time!"