Champion’s Heart

The next day, when Zhou Yi got up from the bed and stretched himself, he heard Mark's weak voice next to him: Did you sleep well yesterday, Zhou Yi?

Zhou Yi turned his head to look: Could it be that you didn't sleep well?

Mark pointed to his dark eye sockets and said, Do you think I'm sleeping well now?

Well……

I don't know when I fell asleep, and then I woke up very early... Mark said with a sad face.

You can't do this, Mark. There is a final today. If you don't rest well, how will you score goals on the court then?

It's because of the final! Mark said. When I think about the final, I get nervous, and when I get nervous, I can't sleep...

We seem to have a lunch break after lunch, so don't even think about sleeping well. Zhou Yi got up. If you still can't sleep by then, I can help you.

How? Mark asked.

Knock you out!

Mark rolled his eyes.

After lunch, Mark did listen to Zhou Yi's words and obediently went to take a lunch break. Maybe it was because he was too sleepy because he didn't have a good rest, so Mark fell asleep this time.

When Mark woke up from the bed, Zhou Yi was reading a book on the sofa in the room.

Hearing the movement on Mark's bed, he asked, How did you sleep?

Excellent. Mark stretched his waist and yawned again.

That's good, we're champions! Zhou Yi closed his book and said.

Hey, don't make it sound like you're expecting me to win the championship... Mark complained, I'll be nervous if you do that...

We are a trident. If anyone in the trident is wrong, you can't play the full power of the trident. In addition, if this puts you under pressure, the pressure will be even greater when you go to the first team. Aren't you going to retire early? Zhou Yi rolled his eyes at Mark, What about holding a press conference when you retire? Ah, I think the competition for the first team is too fierce, and there are 80,000 people watching a game. So many The camera is on me, I'm under too much pressure, I won't play, I'll go home and be a normal person!' What do you think?

Awful.

That's it? Zhou Yi spread his hands. Mark, if you want to be who you want to be, treat this DFB-Pokal final as a drill.

I see, Zhou Yi. Mark nodded.

What Zhou Yi said was right, to become a qualified professional player. You must be able to withstand the pressure. If you can't, then give up as soon as possible.

※ ※ ※

Did we come too early? Mrs. Wagner stood on the stands of the Berlin Olympic Stadium and looked around. There was nothing in sight.

This is a comprehensive stadium that can accommodate 75,000 people, with a blue and white track and field track, but there are not many people sitting in the stands of this stadium. People were scattered in the stands on all sides, sparsely.

How many spectators are there for a youth team game? Cortana said.

But this is the German Cup final! Mrs. Wagner retorted to her daughter.

It's the German Youth Cup, Mom. We wouldn't have watched the game on TV if it wasn't for my younger brother who made it to the final. It's great to have so many people watching the game, Cortana said.

Mrs. Wagner sighed, and regretted that her son's performance in the German Cup final could not be seen by more people.

※ ※ ※

When the bus of Dortmund U19 players arrived outside the Berlin Olympic Stadium, they did not see the scene they imagined that countless fans gathered on both sides of the road to cheer for them.

This made everyone a little disappointed.

Why is there no one there? Mark looked around for a long time and only saw a few Dortmund fans.

Youth team competition. Zhou Yi said while looking outside.

The German Olympic Stadium, which he saw during the live broadcast of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but today is the closest he is to the World Cup finals.

Zhou Yi, why do I think you're not nervous at all? Mark looked back at Zhou Yi and said.

What's there to be nervous about? Zhou Yi said, pointing to the empty outside.

No, it has nothing to do with the number of people. It's also the final of the German Cup. Mark said.

Hey, we are going to play in the Champions League final in the future. How can a mere youth German Cup final make me nervous? Zhou Yi scoffed at Mark's words.

The Champions League final? I heard Zhou Yi say that. Mark was a little lost.

Now he has only played in the final of the German Youth Cup in Dortmund U19. Zhou Yi even thought of the Champions League final. Should he be said to be whimsical, or courageous?

Gotze, who was sitting in the back, heard Zhou Yi say this. He simply leaned over and said, Yes, Zhou Yi is right. And not only is it the Champions League final, I will also play the World Cup final in the future!

Zhou Yi squinted at him, feeling that Goetze had something to say—the Champions League final is not too far away for me, but I am Chinese, and the World Cup final is too fucking far away for me!

The World Cup finals? Mark said with great enthusiasm.

Zhou Yi patted Mark on the shoulder: Come back to your senses. The World Cup final is still too far away for us. Be realistic and keep your feet on the ground to go further.

Gotze said: It seems that the Champions League final is very realistic. Let's play today's game first. I don't want to come to Berlin and go back empty-handed.

While talking, the car stopped and they arrived.

The young players followed the coaches and got out of the car. There were no cheers from the fans gathered, and no media reporters greeted them with long guns and short cannons.

Compared with the senior team's German Cup final two days later, there are not many people interested in the youth level competition.

※ ※ ※

After entering the locker room, everyone began to change clothes and prepare to go out to warm up. But after Zhou Yi changed his clothes, instead of going out with everyone, he took out his digital camera and asked Mark to take a photo of himself in front of his wardrobe.

Holding the camera, looking at Zhou Yi in the viewfinder, Mark pressed the shutter, and then he wanted to return the camera to Zhou Yi, but Zhou Yi waved his hand: Wait, I'll take a few more pictures in a different position.

Mark rolled his eyes: We still have to go out to warm up, Zhou Yi...

It won't take much time. Come on, Mark! While speaking, Zhou Yi changed his posture again.

In this way, Mark took several photos at Zhou Yi's request. After Zhou Yi checked the quality of the photos one by one, he put the camera back in the bag, and then went to warm up with Mark. At this time, only There were only two of them left.

I haven't seen you taking pictures before the game? Mark was very strange.

After all, it's the final. I took a photo and sent it to my parents. They can't watch the game live, and there is no live TV broadcast in China. Zhou Yi explained. Show them the photos and let them know that I'm playing in the German Cup final.

Oh, so that's how it is... Mark understood Zhou Yi. His parents and sister would watch the game from the stands. They were so close to him. If the audience was small, he might be able to I heard my mother cheering for myself.

But what about Zhou Yi? His parents were both in China, so it was impossible for him to watch the game, and Zhou Yi couldn't hear their cheering.

Thinking of this, Ma Ke suddenly felt that he was simply weak.

Ren Zhouyi was so optimistic and strong when he came to Germany, an unfamiliar place, far away from his hometown alone.

And what about myself?

You don’t have to be far away from your parents, you can go home after training every day, eat delicious meals cooked by your mother, and play football in your favorite team since childhood.

How can I be so weak that I can even feel nervous about a youth German Cup final?

He used to think that Zhou Yi was smart, intelligent, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, so he was willing to listen to him. But now, he really understood why he was willing to listen to Zhou Yi.

Because Zhou Yi's strength and self-confidence have always been what he envied and longed for.

I also want to be like Zhou Yi, confident and strong, and walk unswervingly towards my goal.

So let's start from today, from this game.

Be a confident and strong person who can not depend on others.

Mark followed behind Zhou Yi and walked towards the court.

The nervousness of the final game faded from him.

※ ※ ※

Isn't it done yet?

In Zhou Yi's home in China, Li Cuiyun sat next to her husband with a cup of hot water.

Her husband Zhou Jianliang is nervously pressing these buttons in front of the computer, constantly switching between the desktop and the web page.

I'm still working on it. These are all in English. I can't understand... Zhou Jianliang pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, then lowered his head and flipped through an English-Chinese dictionary spread out on the table, gesturing on the dictionary with his hands.

When does the son's game start?

Our time here is zero o'clock on the 30th.

Li Cuiyun glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen: It's already 11:50, can you do it in ten minutes?

I'm trying hard, anyway, I promise to let you see our son's game!

Hey, isn't that what you want to read the most? Li Cuiyun finished speaking and took the dictionary, Go online and look up how to use this software. If there are any words you don't understand, I will look them up for you.

good.

This means registration, right? You need to register an account first...

What does that just mean?

Facing the computer screen, the couple flipped through the dictionary and studied together. (To be continued.)