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Chapter 19 — Headlines Across Two Worlds
📅 November 17th
📍 Germany
The match had just ended when Su Long heard the familiar ding of his system.
> [Ding — Congratulations to the host for scoring a goal. Reward: +1 Achievement Point.]
[Ding — Congratulations to the host for scoring a goal. Reward: +1 Achievement Point.]
[Ding — Congratulations to the host for scoring a goal. Reward: +1 Achievement Point.]
[Ding — Congratulations to the host for scoring a hat-trick. Reward: +1 Achievement Point.]
Four points in total — not much, but as Su Long thought with a grin, even mosquitoes count as meat.
A four-point game.
Four matches a month.
That meant one full simulation in less than thirty days.
Scoring in the senior league didn't feel that hard.
Still, next time… maybe he should tone it down a little. No need to draw that much attention.
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As he walked out of the stadium, he spotted a group of familiar blonde waves at the entrance.
The girls waved eagerly the moment they saw him.
"Sue! Over here!"
His teammates behind him howled in envy.
> "Damn, Sue — you walk your own path!"
"A model man right here!"
"No need to come back to the dorm tonight, huh?"
Su Long rolled his eyes, ignoring their teasing, and walked toward Nelly and her friends.
"Hey, girls. Thanks for the support today."
Nelly grinned. "Thanks? Just words? Shouldn't we get dinner as a reward?"
The girls giggled in agreement.
Su Long chuckled. "Alright then. Where to?"
"It's still early — let's skip dinner. Afternoon tea instead!"
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And so they went.
Germany's afternoon tea, Su Long quickly realized, was nothing like back home.
Even the snacks were meat-heavy — including a so-called 'tea sausage.'
But with his strict body fat control, he could only stare.
Nelly laughed. "You're even more careful about your figure than we are!"
Su Long smiled awkwardly and sipped his tea.
After chatting for a while, he finally excused himself and returned to the dorm.
---
The moment he stepped in, his teammates erupted again.
> "Back so fast?!"
"Su Long, you can't do it, huh?"
He sighed, rolling his eyes again, and ignored them.
After showering and changing, his Nokia phone buzzed.
It was a QQ message from his agent, Xu Gao.
> "Su Long, you're in the newspaper!"
A photo followed — a German sports page with the headline:
> "5–2 Victory! 17-Year-Old Chinese Forward Scores Hat-Trick in German League!"
"Young Star Secures His Place in the Starting Lineup!"
Su Long snorted. Sensationalist clickbait.
Still, Xu Gao had made it happen — a small 1,000 yuan "red envelope" to the editor had done the trick.
Xu Gao had advanced the payment himself, planning to deduct it from future ad fees.
Su Long didn't mind. As long as it didn't involve any cringe ads like:
> "Oh! So refreshing!" or "So free!"
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Xu Gao chatted for a bit longer before suddenly mentioning a "big deal" in the works.
> "This one's huge. Might finalize within half a year. Remember that thing I mentioned — if you join the Shide project, it might be you."
Su Long blinked. "Wait, you mean… Manchester United?"
Xu Gao chuckled. "You remember King Dong?"
"Of course. The King Dong?"
"Yeah. Don't tell anyone. It's not confirmed yet."
Su Long froze for a moment. His agent… was also King Dong's agent?
> "Don't say a word," Xu Gao warned.
"Even if people ask, you don't know anything."
"Got it," Su Long said. "I don't know anyone, and I won't say a thing."
They chatted a bit more before ending the call.
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Later that night, his QQ group — the 1986 class from Datai Youth Football School in China — suddenly pinged alive.
> "Su Long, are you really in Germany?"
He hesitated, then typed back:
> "Yeah."
> "Knew it! Saw you in the newspaper!"
"Damn, you actually made it abroad!"
"Which team? Is there a livestream?"
The once-silent group suddenly exploded with messages.
Out of 65 members, fewer than ten were still playing football — a harsh reminder of how brutal professional elimination could be.
Most had returned to school. A few lucky ones got into sports universities.
The rest just faded away.
Some of those who were still trying messaged Su Long privately, asking about opportunities abroad.
He wasn't sure about the process, so he just passed along Xu Gao's contact info.
Two others — former teammates forced out by corrupt coaches — also asked for help.
Su Long gave them the same contact.
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Then, his QQ pinged again.
It was his mom.
> "Son, how was the match?"
Su Long smiled.
> "5–2 win. Your son scored a hat-trick."
Back home in China, his mother turned to her husband.
"Hey, is a hat-trick two goals or three?"
Su Long's father looked up from his newspaper and chuckled.
"Three. Our boy scored three."
His wife grinned proudly.
"See? He's already better than you!"
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Meanwhile, on the Chinese internet, football forums and media were buzzing.
Headlines lit up across major sites:
> "Oe II Triumphs! Su Long's Hat-Trick Seals the Win!"
"A Perfect First Test Abroad — Su Long Delivers Three Goals!"
"China's Future Star? Teen Forward Shines in Germany!"
Comment sections were on fire.
> "Isn't the German Senior League basically D-tier? Let's not overhype."
"Still, D-tier in Germany is stronger than most of our domestic teams."
"Agreed. Even the lowest German divisions have structure and pace."
"Give him credit — he's only 17!"
"Promising striker! Maybe the next 'Big Mouth' successor!"
"Don't jinx him — last time they said that, look what happened."
"Come on guys, just support him. We all want Chinese football to rise again!"
For the first time, Su Long's name was spreading —
across Germany, across China, across two worlds.
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