Chapter 58 Farewell

Mark and his parents were waiting for Zhou Yi outside, excitedly discussing the details of the contract.

"I signed for four years! An annual salary of eighty thousand before taxes!" Mark said excitedly and proudly. This was much more than he earned under his youth contract in the youth team.

As they talked and laughed, the door opened and Zhou Yi walked out.

"Finished?" Mark greeted him.

Zhou Yi nodded. "Can go back now."

"Good! We'll have a proper celebration. We won't eat out this time. I'll make you something delicious!" Mrs. Wagner announced happily.

Mark cheered too. Zhou Yi looked at his happy friend, a smile squeezing onto his face. He really felt complicated facing Mark now.

※※※

Back at Mark's house, Zhou Yi checked the time. It was three in the afternoon, which was past nine in the evening in Beijing.

So he called his parents again to tell them he couldn't come home.

But Zhou Jianliang seemed very happy. "It's good you're not coming back. This is a big opportunity for you. Stay there and train hard, try to stay in the first team. Your mom and I don't need you to worry, we're doing fine. Just take care of yourself."

"What did Mom say?" Zhou Yi asked cautiously.

"Your mom? Didn't say much. Just 'oh'."

"Won't I make her regret not having me home?" Zhou Yi asked.

"If you don't come back, I'll be less tired for a few days. What do I have to regret?" His mother's voice immediately rang out on the phone.

Zhou Yi said with a mournful face, "Dad, can you give me a warning next time you put it on speakerphone?"

"I didn't turn on the speakerphone, it's your mom..." Zhou Jianliang didn't finish his sentence, because his wife, who had been holding the receiver close to her ear, pinched him. The pain made him gasp, and he didn't continue.

"What's wrong with Mom?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing. Anyway, son, rest assured, we are your strong support. Compared to going home, striving over there is more important, so train hard!"

With that, Zhou Jianliang hung up the phone hastily—he couldn't bear the pain any longer.

Zhou Yi held the silent receiver, wondering why Dad was so decisive today...

※※※

In the evening, Cortana also returned to participate in the family dinner celebrating her brother's signing of a professional contract.

In fact, for Cortana, this could be considered a failure.

Because she never believed that her brother had the ability to become a professional player. She always felt that her brother's talent in playing football was mediocre.

She didn't expect her brother to actually become a professional player.

She glanced at Zhou Yi.

These things only started happening after this kid came to the house.

Come to think of it, a lot has really changed in the family in the eight months he's been here...

While eating, Zhou Yi noticed someone staring at him, so he turned his gaze and saw Cortana.

"Am I handsome?" he asked.

"Moron." Cortana rolled her eyes.

Zhou Yi pouted at her, then continued to eat.

"Hey, Zhou Yi, you're a bit quiet today." Mark, who had drunk some beer, was in high spirits. He put his arm around Zhou Yi's shoulder, leaned in, and said with a mouthful of alcohol.

Mrs. Wagner echoed, "That's right, Zhou Yi, you are indeed a bit quiet today. Today is a good day!"

Hearing what they said, Zhou Yi put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and looked up at everyone.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wagner, because I really don't know how to say goodbye to you..."

Zhou Yi's words stunned everyone.

"Say... goodbye?" Mrs. Wagner asked in surprise.

"Yes, according to the club's requirements, I can only live in your house until the end of this season, so I have to move out and find another place to live starting next season..." Zhou Yi said.

This was what Ricken had told him in the youth training director's office this afternoon.

He said that youth team players should not stay in homestays for too long. Generally, one season is the longest period. After the period expires, they have to find another place to live. Either they continue to find a host family, which is the case for younger foreign youth team players, or they live alone, which is the case for older players like Zhou Yi.

This is done on the one hand to avoid a player disturbing the normal life of a fixed family for a long time. After all, letting a stranger live in their home is purely because the family has love and enthusiasm for the club, but the club should not allow this love and enthusiasm to become a burden on the fan family.

On the other hand, it is hoped that players can learn to be independent. The ability to live independently is very important in society, whether they are professional players or engaged in other professions. European clubs value a player's ability to manage themselves. If a player cannot even take care of their own life, generally speaking, even if such a player is talented, it is unlikely that they will achieve great success in the field of professional football.

So players who reach a certain age must become independent.

Moreover, players themselves often prefer to live alone rather than stay in someone else's home for a long time. Because that way, at least... it's not convenient to bring a few girls home to play games...

"Ah... so, it's already been a season..." Mrs. Wagner also realized. She naturally knew this rule, but living with Zhou Yi made her very happy. She didn't feel any discomfort from living with a stranger with completely different habits, so unconsciously she automatically ignored this rule in her mind.

"But you only came to our house at the end of November last year..." Mark also remembered that there were indeed such rules in the club, but he didn't want Zhou Yi to leave, and wanted to nitpick the wording of the rules.

Zhou Yi turned to look at Mark, smiled and said, "Actually, I'm also reluctant to part with you..."

Mark heard Zhou Yi say this, and his mouth was pouting, almost crying. He didn't expect Zhou Yi to follow up with, "...your game console, Mark."

"Huh?" Mark looked at Zhou Yi blankly.

"Pfft." Cortana, who was on the side, preparing to watch a tender and affectionate scene, sprayed out the wine she had just drunk.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to her. Cortana glared at Zhou Yi, somewhat embarrassed and resentful, and quickly wiped the wine that she had sprayed on the table with a napkin. At the same time, she kept coughing—she was choked by the wine that had entered her trachea.

Mark glanced at his sister's predicament. He was not surprised or interested in her rare embarrassment, but turned his gaze back and glared at Zhou Yi, shouting, "You don't care about our friendship?!"

"What are you talking about? Don't you think your game console is the best witness to our friendship? This is a rhetorical technique, do you understand, Mark? It's called seeing things and thinking about people. When I see that game console, I will think of you..."

Zhou Yi's words made Mark feel a little better, and he grinned.

"...and your terrible gaming skills." Zhou Yi finished his sentence.

"Huh?" Mark was stunned for a moment, then reacted and grabbed Zhou Yi's neck. "Ahhhhh! You're dead, Zhou Yi!! You're making fun of me!"

Zhou Yi, with his neck grabbed, quickly raised his hands in surrender, rolling his eyes and shouting, "I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!!"

"Mark, stop it!" Mrs. Wagner was really afraid that something might happen to Zhou Yi, so she quickly stopped her son. "You're hurting Zhou Yi!"

Mark said aggrievedly, "Mom, who exactly is your biological son, me or Zhou Yi?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mrs. Wagner glared at Mark. "Zhou Yi is more like my son than you are!"

"Ahhhh! Zhou Yi, you stole my mother's love!" Mark shouted again.

Zhou Yi rolled his eyes and spat out two saliva bubbles. "Blame me?"

"Okay, Mark, stop! Look, Zhou Yi is foaming at the mouth!" Mrs. Wagner said anxiously.

At this moment, Mark's family's dining room was more lively than ever before...

※※※

Zhou Yi supported Mark to the door of his room, and then asked, "Mark, want to play a round?"

He gestured towards the game console.

"I'm drunk, Zhou Yi..." Mark slowly shook his head, his words not very clear.

"I know, Mark." Zhou Yi nodded and said, "That's why I want to play a round with you, to teach you a lesson!"

Mark rolled his eyes at Zhou Yi. "Taking advantage of someone's vulnerability is not honorable!"

"It's called strategy, strategy, do you understand, Mark? Okay, I know this word is a bit difficult for you... Simply put, tactics are about using your strengths to target the enemy's weaknesses. If I can easily defeat you, why should I fight you head-on?" Zhou Yi said seriously.

Mark smiled when he heard this: "That's right, Zhou Yi, you always do this. On the field, you always run to a space that no one has noticed to receive the ball. You are so cunning..."

"It's not like you wouldn't do the same." Zhou Yi rolled his eyes at Mark.

"That's different, that's different..." Mark waved his hand weakly. "I don't even know how I did it, but you know how you did it. Zhou Yi, that can be replicated countless times, but I... I don't know when I won't be able to do it anymore. I feel like it's always just luck..."

"Mark, luck is also part of strength, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, even a blind chicken can peck rice." Mark nodded repeatedly. "But I still admire you, Zhou Yi. You are the most amazing person I have ever met, even more amazing than Mario. You have to continue to be so amazing when you go to the first team next season!"

Zhou Yi was stunned.

Mark smiled triumphantly when he saw Zhou Yi's surprised expression: "Didn't expect that? Hehehe! Don't think I'm really stupid! Why did Mr. Ricken leave you alone? I think he certainly didn't just want to talk to you about the accommodation rules, right? You've performed so well in the youth team, how could you continue to stay in the youth team? If I were Mr. Ricken, I wouldn't let you continue to stay here either, that would be a waste for you. Staying here, you won't improve at all, Zhou Yi. You are super amazing, the youth team is too childish for you!"

※※※

Cortana came up from downstairs with a book in her hand. Just as she turned the corner of the stairs, she heard her brother's voice from upstairs.

So she stopped, didn't continue to walk up, but stood quietly at the corner, leaning against the wall, and continued to read her book.

※※※

"Go to the first team and surprise those first team stars!" Mark said loudly, patting the stunned Zhou Yi on the shoulder. "I believe in you, Zhou Yi! You can definitely do it!"

"How much did you drink today, Mark?" Zhou Yi asked.

"I'm very sober now." Mark shook his head and said. "Don't you think you can do it?"

"Mark, do you know why I like being friends with you?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Huh?"

"I just like your way of seeing people!" Zhou Yi said proudly, "Nonsense, of course I will surprise them!"

Mark laughed, laughed very happily, laughed so hard that he couldn't stand still. He put his hands on Zhou Yi's shoulders, lowered his head, his head touching Zhou Yi's chest, and laughed so hard that his body trembled.

"What, is it very funny?" Zhou Yi asked strangely.

"No, no..." Mark straightened up, grabbed Zhou Yi's shoulders with both hands, looked at him and said, "Come on, Zhou Yi, come on! And me, Zhou Yi, I will continue to work hard in the youth team. I'm very happy to have met you, but in the days with you, I always seem to want to rely on you. I always hope you can help me solve any problems, and even on the field, I always score with your assists. I think, if it weren't for me, you might have gone to the first team sooner, right?"

"That's not true, you're overthinking it, Mark." Zhou Yi shook his head and said. "My physical condition is not up to standard yet."

"No, Zhou Yi. If it weren't for me, you could have spent more time exercising and improving your physical fitness, instead of practicing shooting with me..."

"That's also a special training for my passing." Zhou Yi explained.

"I know, I know, Zhou Yi. But I can't always rely on you, right? I can't always be your burden, dragging you down. My dream is my dream, and you also have your own dream. To realize my dream, I have to rely on myself, not anyone else. So I will train hard in the youth team and work hard to improve myself. I will learn to be a qualified professional player without relying on anyone. When the time comes, I will go to the first team, upright and honest, and go to the first team with my own ability, not your assists!"

Zhou Yi looked at Mark's eyes, which were close at hand. He didn't know if it was the illusion of drinking, but he felt that Mark's eyes were particularly bright today.

"I believe in you, Mark," he said.

※※※

Cortana closed her book, stepped onto the stairs, and appeared in front of them.

"Are you two going to hug and kiss next?" She tilted her head and looked at the two friends.

The two were startled by this uninvited guest. Mark released Zhou Yi's shoulders reflexively, and Zhou Yi also took a step back. Then they both turned their heads to look at Cortana.

"You're eavesdropping on my privacy, sister!" Mark protested.

"Tch!" Cortana snorted, "Who wants to listen to your childish conversations? You're really just kids who will never grow up. What your dream, my dream..."

She shuddered, then stepped past the two of them.

But just as she walked past Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi suddenly asked, "Do you have a dream, big sister?"

Cortana spread her hands and said, "Sorry, I'm a mature adult. Dreams are just fantasies of youthful ignorance, and they are impossible to achieve."

After speaking, she walked straight to her room door and put her hand on the doorknob.

"What if it comes true?" Zhou Yi turned his head and asked her.

Her hand paused.

Zhou Yi said with a smile, "Look at me, when I was still in school, I didn't dare to think that I would become a professional player. It wasn't until later that I had this dream, and now I am a professional player, and my dream has come true."

"That's just an ordinary professional contract." Cortana snorted.

"Yes, that's right, but it's also a professional contract. I'm a professional player now, right? I realized my dream, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, you realized your dream, and then what? What can you do?" Cortana pouted.

"Then I have a new dream. I want to enter the ranks of the best professional players in the world," Zhou Yi said. "Become one of the best."

"Big words."

"That's right, you always have to have some ambition, right? What if it comes true?"

Cortana turned her head and glanced at Zhou Yi. He had a smile on his face that was hard to tell whether it was sincere or cynical, and what he said was also hard to tell whether it was sincere or nonsense.

"Then good luck, boy." She waved her hand, "Good night."

She twisted the doorknob, walked in, and then closed the door, with a click, and locked it.

Zhou Yi retracted his gaze and looked at Mark standing opposite him.

During his and Cortana's verbal battle just now, Mark, who had been talking eloquently just now, couldn't even get a word in.

"Good night, Mark." Zhou Yi said goodbye to Mark, also walked back to his room, and then closed the door.

There was only one Mark left in the corridor. He stood at the door of his room, muttering, "What if it comes true..."

(End of Volume Two, "The Boy's Dream")

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ps, Volume Two is also finished, written in a month, 240,000 words, still not writing fast.

I feel that this is basically the rhythm of my book, I can't write fast, I can't explode, but compared to the explosion, I value the quality more.

Next, there is a volume end speech, which was originally planned to be placed at the end of the chapter like the first volume, but I accidentally wrote it too long, and everyone will have to pay more money to put it at the end of the chapter.

So it was made into a free single chapter, and I will send it to you later.

It is about the creative journey of this second volume, and it can also be regarded as a behind-the-scenes story...