December 6th. Matchday 14 of the Bundesliga.
"The Wolfsburg winter engine shows no signs of cooling down!" Derek Rae's voice cut through the biting German air as the international broadcast flared to life.
"David Qin! He collects it in midfield and ignites the jets. Oh, a cheeky nutmeg! He's left him for dead!"
"A sudden stop, a shimmy, and he whips a cross toward the far post!"
"Perišić! Ivan Perišić with the sliding finish! He's hammered it home, and Hannover 96 are picking the ball out of their net once again!"
...
"It's as if putting on the gloves has given David Qin some sort of mystical buff," Wolff-Christoph Fuss added. "There's no winter stiffness in those legs; his movement is actually becoming more fluid, more expressive!"
"A beautiful sequence of one-twos with De Bruyne—they've completely unzipped the Hannover defense! Through-ball! One-on-one! The finish! Clinical!"
"In the 57th minute, David Qin doubles the advantage for the Wolves!"
...
"The final whistle blows! A dominant display from the visitors as Wolfsburg walk away with a 3-0 victory!"
"A goal apiece for Qin, Perišić, and De Bruyne. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich edged out Leverkusen 1-0. It's a high-stakes sprint at the top of the table; neither side is willing to give an inch!"
Back at the AWD Arena, David Qin took a heavy parka from the assistant coach and bundled up. He'd never been a fan of the German winter; the landscapes were picturesque, sure, but the bone-chilling cold was a different story. Pre-match warm-ups took twice as long just to get the blood flowing. Andrea Pirlo, currently at Juventus, famously said he hated warm-ups because they made him feel like he was performing a solo act for the coach's benefit. David was starting to agree.
"So, Kevin," David said, nudging De Bruyne as they headed for the tunnel. "How's life with your online sweetheart?"
David had noticed that for De Bruyne, it wasn't winter—it was spring. The Belgian was perpetually glued to his phone, a goofy, lovestruck grin plastered on his face. The man was a goner.
"It's... good," De Bruyne said, his voice soft with genuine affection. "She invited me to see that new Scarlett Johansson movie, Lucy. I was looking for an opening in the schedule. I think I can make it happen this weekend."
"Kevin! Have you forgotten?" David clutched his chest in mock agony. "We agreed on a team dinner this weekend! Are you really going to ditch your brothers for a girl?"
"Exactly! Kevin, you can't do this to us!" Junior Malanda chimed in, grinning.
"Enough, you two!" Perišić stepped in, giving David and Malanda a playful clip around the ear. "I've met the girl; she's lovely. Kevin's finally caught a break, so don't you dare mess this up for him."
"Fine, fine!" David held up his hands in surrender. "But Kevin, your fashion sense is strictly 'Average Joe.' I'm taking it upon myself to give you a makeover. We're turning you into a proper style icon to sweep this girl off her feet."
"David, you're the last person who should be giving style advice," Perišić deadpanned. "In the summer, you're in flip-flops and gym shorts. In the winter, you look like a giant sleeping bag with legs. My father back at the poultry farm has more drip than you."
"Hey! Fashion is about comfort," David defended himself, patting his long down coat. He suddenly thought of Arsène Wenger and began fiddling with the double zipper.
Up, down, up—click. The zipper jammed. He tugged at it with increasing desperation, but it wouldn't budge. Perišić doubled over with laughter. He loved how David could turn a mundane moment into a comedy sketch without even trying.
Despite the victory, the atmosphere at the club turned somber as Wolfsburg faced its first real injury crisis of the season. The combination of freezing temperatures and a congested fixture list was taking its toll.
Bild reported: "Wolfsburg's depth is being tested. With Ochs (ACL), Träsch (shoulder), and Felipe already out, the casualty list has grown to include Schäfer, Klose, Caligiuri, and Seguin. Dieter Hecking is down to just twenty-one fit senior players."
Kicker noted: "With Dortmund falling away from the title race, the Wolves are the only ones left hunting Bayern. Hecking's 4-2-3-1 has become a versatile weapon—through-balls, overlaps, and set-pieces are all firing. De Bruyne and David Qin have become the most lethal duo in the league."
Münchner Merkur added fuel to the fire: "Rumors suggest Bayern Munich is preparing a massive bid for David Qin. The Chinese sensation could very well be the record-breaking transfer of the winter window."
The footballing world was waking up to the kid with magic in his boots. Much like the R-madas—Ronaldo and Ronaldinho—David's style was visually intoxicating. Fans weren't just watching him for the goals; they were watching for the show.
Taking advantage of the buzz before their next Europa League match, David finally set up his official social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook, and Weibo.
Wolfsburg-DavidQin:Thanks for all the support! I'll be posting updates here whenever I can.
He didn't have an agent yet, though the big sharks—Mendes, Raiola, Struth—were all circling. He planned to wait until after the Asian Cup to make a decision, so for now, he was a one-man media team, refusing to let the club's PR staff take the reins.
Browsing through the Facebook follower rankings, he saw Cristiano Ronaldo at the top with a staggering 107 million followers, followed by the likes of Shakira, Ariana Grande, and the Kardashian-Jenner clan. Among footballers, it was CR7, Messi, Beckham, and then Neymar.
"Everyone on this list is a model," David muttered. But then he saw Ronaldinho sitting at sixth and reconsidered. On a whim, he posted a highlight reel of his recent skills.
@Ronaldinho, Dinho! How's the technique looking? Do I have even a fraction of your magic?
Ronaldinho hadn't retired yet; he was currently playing for Querétaro in Mexico and had just found the net a few days prior. David didn't actually expect a reply—he was just a rookie, and his account was hours old.
But as training ended that afternoon, his teammates came running over, phones in hand.
[Double Thumbs Up!] [Double Thumbs Up!] You remind me of myself when I was young, David—just enjoying the game. Come to Brazil sometime! I'll take you to a 3v3 street match. Together, we'd be unstoppable!
David beamed. He hadn't necessarily grown up as a Ronaldinho "fanboy," but no one who loved the game could hate the "Field Magician." Beside him, Naldo watched with pure envy. Despite his talent, Naldo had rarely made the cut for the stacked Brazilian national team. Seeing a kid get a personal shout-out from the King of Joga Bonito was almost too much to take.
December 12, 2014. The final matchday of the Europa League group stage beckoned. David and his teammates boarded a flight for France. Destination: Lille.
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