Chapter 1 Zhou Yi

Zhou Yi looked at the several large pieces of beef on the plate, but didn't start eating. Instead, he leaned closer, squinting and carefully observing, burying his head and sniffing continuously.

"Are you a dog?" Kotana asked, watching him.

Zhou Yi ignored her, carefully cutting off a very small piece with a knife, and then cautiously putting it in his mouth.

"You're eating beef, not a bomb," Kotana continued to complain.

Zhou Yi continued to ignore her, closing his eyes and slowly chewing.

He was a little surprised after chewing a few times. Although the piece of meat was small, it was full of juice when chewed... tender and delicious.

Although surprised inside, Zhou Yi didn't show it on his face. After swallowing the meat in his mouth, he continued to cut the meat with a blank expression, only this time he cut it much larger than last time.

Then he didn't speak, cutting and eating until he finished the entire plate of meat.

"Didn't you say it was weird? Aren't you afraid of food poisoning?" Kotana asked, looking at the empty plate.

Zhou Yi then looked up at her: "I have to admit, your roasted meat is indeed a little bit better than mine."

Kotana sneered and then spread her hand out in front of Zhou Yi.

"What?" Zhou Yi didn't understand.

"Give me the money."

"You want money?" Zhou Yi was surprised.

"How novel! Isn't my labor worth anything?"

"No, aren't we roommates? Why do you charge me for cooking a meal?"

"Hanna and I also clean up for you, and you have to pay more rent. Didn't you say that was reasonable?"

Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head to feel for his wallet.

He pulled out a fifty-euro bill and slapped it hard into Kotana's palm: "I was going to say thank you, but now I'll replace it with this!"

Kotana held the money in her hand, smiling at Zhou Yi and saying, "Thank you. Tell me what you want to eat next time."

"No need, fifty euros a meal, I can't afford it," Zhou Yi snorted.

"Who told you to give fifty? I'll take it even if you give me five," Kotana smiled slyly.

Zhou Yi was stunned. Realizing what she meant, he reached out to grab the money in Kotana's hand: "Then give it back to me, I'll give you five!"

"Much obliged, much obliged." Kotana stuffed the money into the pocket on her jeans and patted it triumphantly.

Zhou Yi watched the elastic jiggle of that area under the canvas material as her hand patted her butt pocket, and he was stunned, no longer mentioning the money to Kotana.

Seeing Zhou Yi suddenly silent, Kotana looked at him strangely, only to realize that Zhou Yi's gaze was aimed in the wrong place. She immediately realized what was happening.

So she left the sentence, "Remember to do the dishes," and turned back to her room.

Zhou Yi stood there for a long time before going to wash the dishes.

He still seemed absent-minded while washing the dishes.

He didn't know if he was savoring the beef between his teeth, or savoring that rippling flesh...

※※※

After taking an afternoon nap, Zhou Yi went out to the open soccer field for training with the soccer ball.

He originally had something to ask Hanna that night, but Hanna didn't come back at all.

So he had to knock on Kotana's door.

Kotana opened the door and saw it was him: "What's the matter?"

Zhou Yi asked, "Do you have a printer?"

"What for?"

"I need to print something," Zhou Yi said.

Kotana stepped aside.

But Zhou Yi didn't go in, but first asked clearly: "Do I have to pay?"

"I wouldn't mind if you were willing to give me some," Kotana said.

"I'm not willing," Zhou Yi shook his head.

"Then it's up to you," Kotana shrugged.

Seeing that Kotana didn't ask him for money, Zhou Yi came in and saw a printer on Kotana's desk.

"Only a black and white laser printer," Kotana said. "I usually use it to print forms and documents."

"It's okay, black and white is fine," Zhou Yi didn't care.

Zhou Yi sat in front of Kotana's computer, opened the Dortmund official website, and then clicked on the first team column, but didn't find himself in it.

"Eh?" He found it strange.

Hearing his voice, Kotana leaned over to take a look and understood what Zhou Yi was going to do. She laughed, "Are you planning to print out your name on the roster and show it to the security guard?"

"What else can I do?" Zhou Yi asked, "But why isn't my name on the first team list? I'm obviously training with the team..."

"The official website doesn't update that quickly. Maybe it hasn't been updated yet. Go look for it in the U19 team," Kotana said and sat back down.

Zhou Yi went to look for it in the youth team, and this time he found himself.

Whatever, as long as he could prove that he was a Dortmund player.

After Zhou Yi printed out the page introducing himself, thanked Kotana, and returned to his room.

Then he folded the paper and put it in the pocket of the jacket he was going to wear tomorrow, feeling like he was carrying a pass.

After packing his luggage, Zhou Yi washed up and went to bed.

While sleeping, Zhou Yi entered the world of FIFAoL3 and trained with his teammates on the first team.

In fact, the reason why he was so familiar with each teammate during the day was not because he had searched for everyone's information in advance—he didn't have that much free time. It was just because he had already trained with his new teammates in the virtual world for many days in advance. By training and checking their stats, he could naturally know how capable the player was.

※※※

The next day, because Zhou Yi had to pull a suitcase, it was really inconvenient to run, so he took the bus to the training base.

There were still a lot of people gathered outside the training base, but the number was much smaller than yesterday, especially the number of media.

After all, yesterday was the first day of training, and everyone was paying attention. The media also had to produce special reports on the Dortmund players returning to report, so there would be many reporters coming.

After yesterday, there were much fewer reporters here. Reporters couldn't just stay outside the team's training base all day.

But the fans were as infatuated as ever, hoping to wait for the stars to come and ask for their autographs and photos.

Zhou Yi got off the bus, pulled his suitcase, and walked through them with his head down, arriving at the gate of the training base again.

The middle-aged security guard he saw yesterday seemed to be working at this time. He was still standing at the gate today.

After seeing Zhou Yi appear, he recognized him at a glance.

"Hey, kid! This time you..."

He rushed up aggressively, but waiting for him was a piece of paper in Zhou Yi's hand.

"This is... what?" He was stunned for a moment.

"A pass," Zhou Yi smiled at the middle-aged security guard, signaling him to look.

The security guard took it over and saw that it was a printed webpage. The webpage was a profile of a Dortmund player, and the photo on it was clearly the teenager in front of him...

"How is it? Do you believe I'm a player now?" Zhou Yi asked, seeing that the middle-aged security guard was looking at the paper but not saying anything.

"You... how could you?" The security guard still found it incredible.

"I'm from the youth team. I've been transferred to the first team for training this summer," Zhou Yi explained.

The middle-aged security guard looked Zhou Yi up and down and shook his head: "It's really unbelievable... can you even come to the first team with that physique?"

"Hey, what do you mean?" Zhou Yi rolled his eyes.

"Ah, no, ha! Good kid!" The security guard also realized that what he said was wrong, so he quickly praised Zhou Yi, "If you can come to the first team, your ability must be fine. But young man, I still have to remind you, can you not dress like a fan? It's really difficult for me to let you in like this..."

Zhou Yi spread his hands out: "Then how can I dress like a first team player?"

The middle-aged security guard opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Yeah, how should he dress to look like a first team player? Or rather, if a first team player isn't a star, how can he judge whether he's on the first team or not?

The middle-aged security guard couldn't answer Zhou Yi's question, so he opened the gate and let Zhou Yi in.

The fans waiting for the first team players next to him saw Zhou Yi enter the training base again, and this time no first team player brought him in. They were all very strange.

※※※

After Zhou Yi arrived at the locker room, GroBkreutz also came after a while. The first thing he said when he saw Zhou Yi was: "Zhou Yi? Didn't they stop you outside today? I was waiting for you at the door for a while."

"I told the security guard that I was transferred from the youth team to the first team for training, and he let me in," Zhou Yi said.

"So that's how it is. Then I don't have to wait for you anymore?"

"No, no, thank you, Kevin," Zhou Yi said quickly, then he noticed the two boxes GroBkreutz was carrying and was a little surprised.

"We're going to a training camp, Kevin? Why do you look like you're going on vacation?" Zhou Yi found it strange.

"Isn't it a vacation?" GroBkreutz took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. "What did you bring?" He looked at Zhou Yi's small box. "You can't fit anything in that little box, can you?"

"Just some changes of clothes, what else do I need to bring?" Zhou Yi said.

"What do you think we're doing?" GroBkreutz asked.

"Aren't we going to a training camp?" Zhou Yi felt strange.

"How could it be? Of course it's... a concentration camp." GroBkreutz deliberately lowered his voice when he said this. "It's super boring. Except for playing video games and ping pong and billiards in the hotel, you'll hardly have any entertainment. So if you don't think of some ways to entertain yourself, then this training camp will be miserable. It's like living like a Puritan..."

"Wow, that's really boring."

"Right? So if you need anything, you can ask me. I even brought condoms!"

Zhou Yi was really impressed by GroBkreutz. He even brought condoms to the training camp... he was really well prepared.

But Zhou Yi didn't plan to ask GroBkreutz for help, because he felt that his time was probably limited.

This was his first time following the first team for training camp, and his performance during the training camp would directly determine whether he could stay on the first team after the training camp.

Zhou Yi certainly hoped to continue staying on the first team. He didn't want to go back to the youth team, of course. He didn't want to go to the U23 reserve team either.

That place used to be said to be a place to train reserve talents for the first team. If you wanted to go to the first team, you had to go to the reserve team first. But now it has gradually become a place to punish those disobedient first team players and injured players to find their form.

Zhou Yi's goal was very clear, which was to stay on the first team and then strive to get a chance to play in official matches.

Later, Zhou Yi observed and found that GroBkreutz was a special case. Not everyone would bring so many things to participate in the training camp. Basically, like him, they only brought some necessary changes of clothes, and at most a game console or movie discs.

After the players were all there, they collectively took a bus to the airport to go to their training camp in Rad克斯堡, Austria.

That was a mountain city located in the Alps.

※※※

After the players got on the bus, the last person to board the bus was the team's coach, Klopp.

The players who had been playing for Dortmund last season were used to the coach riding in the same car with them.

Every coach has his own style of doing things. Some coaches like to keep themselves away from the players, and do not have any contact other than training and work. If they meet in private, they just nod.

But some coaches like to get along with their players.

Obviously, Klopp belonged to the latter.

After getting on the bus, Klopp took off his Zhou Yi-style baseball cap and combed his messy hair with his hands—although it was even messier after combing it...

Then Klopp stood next to the first row of seats on the bus, picked up the microphone, and looked like a tour guide.

He held the microphone and said to the players sitting in the back of the bus: "Welcome everyone to the trip to Rad克斯堡, Austria. I am your full-time tour guide, and my name is Jurgen Klopp."

Some players in the car laughed, and some shouted: "We know, coach!"

"Of course, but there are still some players in this team who just joined this summer." Klopp pointed to the back of the car.

Zhou Yi felt that his gaze paused briefly on his face.

Then Klopp asked: "How was your holiday, boys?"

"Very good!"

"Very good!"

"I haven't had enough..."

Hearing everyone's various answers, Klopp waved his hand: "I congratulate those who said they had a good time, and I feel sorry for those who said they haven't had enough, but that's not my responsibility. Anyway, I had a very good time myself. Because the more I think about the upcoming pre-season training, the more I cherish the time I spent on vacation. I hope you are the same. The upcoming training camp will definitely be unprecedented for you!"

This time everyone didn't burst into laughter, but looked at each other, and they all smelled an unusual taste from Klopp's words.

Because such a statement was not available during Dortmund's training camp last season.

What does this mean?

Could it be that this year's training camp will be different from previous years?

"I hope you have no regrets during the holiday, and you have all relaxed to the fullest. Only in this way will you have the strength to support the next training." Klopp said, while scanning the audience, taking in the expressions of each player.

"I have already received your physical test reports from yesterday. What I want to say is that I am very happy with the physical condition of some players. You are like you are in the middle of the season, and your bodies are ready at any time. But many people have obviously indulged too much during the holidays. But it doesn't matter, I won't criticize you, because it is normal to relax during the holidays, and this is also the reason why we do physical training every season."

After speaking, physical coach Oliver Bartlett stood up, supported the back of the chair, turned around and said to the players: "I am very happy to be able to spend a pleasant fifteen days with you. I will be responsible for formulating different physical training plans for each of you and supervising you to complete them. I hope we can all cooperate happily."

Zhou Yi looked at the physical coach who had given him extra lessons in the youth team, and the days when he trained his physical fitness under him came to his mind. He already had a bottom line in his heart for the upcoming physical training.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Zhou Yi felt that Bartlett also looked at him when he said these words...