Chapter 002: The Future

Occasionally, he would lift the ball high, using his forehead, shoulders, and bending down to touch the ball with the back of his neck, yet he was always able to keep the football from touching the ground

During the meal, the two chatted casually. Essentially, Freddy asked Qin Xiong where he had been during the day, what he had done, and if there was anything new to share. Qin Xiong responded nonchalantly, not showing any annoyance towards Freddy, but he seemed somewhat distracted.

To him, this world is such that even though he resides in an apartment that others perceive as comfortable, he still possesses nothing, not even a small stool that belongs to him

We will depart at 5 PM

One is Liu Yi, who is two years older than Qin Xiong. He joined the German football scene last year, playing for the 2. Bundesliga club Nuremberg, where he serves as a defensive midfielder

Freddy closed the sketchbook with a gentle sigh; as Qin Xiong's guardian, he could roughly understand the thoughts that were occupying Qin Xiong's mind at that moment

Qin Xiong is often silent and solitary, and his only hobby is painting, in which he excels remarkably. Additionally, he has displayed significantly stronger football skills than his peers since the age of 8, leading to his focused cultivation. He possesses a personal apartment and receives considerable attention from the coaches, doctors, teachers, and others here, which easily stirs feelings of jealousy among others

He has come of age

Last month, he celebrated his 18th birthday

After dinner, Freddy took the initiative to carry the plates to the kitchen for cleaning. Before leaving, he said to Qin Xiong: "By the way, I have something to inform you m.hetushu.com. Tomorrow is Tang Tian's fiftieth birthday. In Chinese, we say that Tang Tian is celebrating his fiftieth birthday, and I invite you to attend with me."

However, a month has passed, and he is still "trapped" here, in a place where nothing belongs to him

At this moment, he is alternating juggling the ball with his feet, the football like his puppet, lightly and naturally bouncing up and down on the surfaces of his feet, rising and falling.

The Jiangcheng Youth Football Home has been established for nearly 20 years, nurturing children's football abilities from a young age. Over the years, more than 1,000 children have participated; some gave up early, while others faced unfortunate outcomes. As of today, excluding Qin Xiong, only two individuals can be considered to have achieved some level of success

When Freddy turned to the latest page, he stared blankly at the magical dragon hovering over the majestic mountains. Indeed, perhaps in China, the dragon symbolizes auspiciousness, representing favorable weather and national stability, but in Western culture, the dragon is a symbol of disaster and misfortune

In the darkness, he gazed up at the ceiling

Not only will they not secretly go outside to explore the world and engage in entertainment, but they also will not chat and joke around with enthusiasm during their breaks

Qin Xiong walked out of the kitchen holding two plates, each containing tonight's dinner, one for him and one for Freddy

Another individual is Zhang Pengfei, who obtained a professional contract after a trial at the Marítimo Club in Portugal six months ago. He plays as a winger and is one year older than Qin Xiong

He believes that the arrival of this milestone moment is a time for him to strive for everything he deserves

This does not imply that he possesses an innate inspiration for football; anyone who has lived with football continuously from the age of 3 for 15 years should be able to accomplish this with ease

Alright, I remember. Do I need to prepare a gift

He has no parents, indeed, from the moment he became aware, he has had no parents

He is a person with a high degree of self-discipline

Over the past decade, Freddy, as Qin Xiong's guardian, would often recite one or two biblical verses before meals as a prelude. Qin Xiong had grown accustomed to this; at times it would provoke self-reflection, and at other times, he would simply regard it as Freddy letting out a non-offensive fart

Starting from the age of 8, when he first made a remarkable impression, over the past ten years, Qin Xiong has consistently widened the gap in both physical fitness and football skills compared to his peers each year. By the age of 18, he was both revered and distanced by his contemporaries

At 9:30, he entered the bathroom to take a shower, and close to 10:00, he lay down on his single bed

Qin Xiong harbors a suppressed strength within, which reflects his aspirations for life and the future

Qin Xiong arrives earlier than anyone else. He appears energetic in every training session, which stems from sufficient sleep and guaranteed physical recovery. He completes his jogging warm-up and stretching exercises before others arrive, and then, prior to the official training, he familiarizes himself with the ball and the playbook

Perhaps it is the fear of being overshadowed by his own "weakness" when with him, or perhaps it is Qin Xiong's terrifying seriousness and astonishing perseverance in daily training. Clearly, in this restless social context, it is not surprising at all that someone like Qin Xiong is referred to as a monster

It is time for change

Outside this training base, some football-loving youths admire Qin Xiong, but they do not understand that inside this training base, Qin Xiong is not liked by the majority of people

Tick-tock, tick-tock, the alarm clock on the bedside table struck ten o'clock in the evening, and Qin Xiong closed his eyes and fell asleep

Sitting opposite each other at the table, Qin Xiong did not rush to eat, as if waiting for something, quietly gazing at Freddy

Moreover, the dragon painted by Qin Xiong, regardless of the angle from which it is appreciated, cannot possibly represent the aspect of light.

Most people here are orphans, and they have been trained in football skills since childhood. However, on the path of growth, Qin Xiong is seen as an eccentric individual in their eyes

On the following morning, on the playground neatly divided into four sections, the young individuals arriving from the dormitory or dining hall to prepare for training inevitably encountered a unique figure.

Qin Xiong has never harbored resentment towards anyone; he calmly accepts everything and keeps his eyes fixed forward

Adopted by the Tang Group 16 years ago and having settled in this place, 70% of his time during his growth has been dedicated to sports, with a particular emphasis on football. The remaining 30% of his time is spent on personal activities, with a focus on cultural studies leaning towards the humanities. In addition to Chinese culture, the other focal points are European culture and language learning. He has already mastered English to a basic level and has been learning Spanish for a year and a half.

Indeed, Freddy is also a Christian, and in the Bible, the dragon often represents Satan, the embodiment of evil.

No need.

Indeed, those who dislike Qin Xiong privately refer to him as a strange person, yet no one dares to confront him face to face. This is because in the few fights Qin Xiong has been involved in, he has sent his opponents to the hospital; the least injured suffered a fracture. The three individuals who provoked Qin Xiong ultimately left this place, and no one knows where they are now. Perhaps they are working in some factory to make a living, or maybe they are drifting along in some corner of society.

Freddy's expression became solemn and serious, sitting upright, and spoke slowly in a deep voice: "When you stop your anger and abandon wrath, do not harbor resentment, lest you commit evil."

In the Jiangcheng Youth Football Home, the most notable figure, Qin Xiong, what does the future hold for him

Qin Xiong closed his eyes as if to remember and savor this moment. After approximately 15 seconds, he opened his eyes, and Freddy across from him smiled warmly. The two of them picked up their utensils and began to eat, with Qin Xiong using chopsticks and Freddy using a spoon

This is also the positive and optimistic mindset that he has been nurtured with and taught since he arrived here.

Qin Xiong's apartment is not large, approximately 50 square meters, consisting of one bedroom and one living room, and the interior appears simple yet orderly

During the learning process, Qin Xiong would wander aimlessly around the room, stroll in the living room, or go to the balcony to enjoy the breeze. After an hour of study, he would engage in some light exercises in the room before continuing his studies, ensuring that he dedicates two hours to studying every evening

Even for those who have parents, once the day of turning 18 arrives, regardless of how their future days unfold—be it in hardship or sorrow—they can no longer blame their parents

Qin Xiong placed the shoulder bag on the clean table, then walked straight to the kitchen, first replenishing some water, and then opened the refrigerator to begin cooking

However, Qin Xiong himself is clear-headed

Freddy entered and sat down at the table. He inadvertently noticed a sketchbook peeking out from the shoulder bag. He casually pulled it out and flipped through it, from the first page to the latest. Each drawing was a sketch, half depicting real-life scenes and the other half featuring fantastical characters that seemed to emerge from thin air. For instance, one of Freddy's favorite drawings depicted a sunrise by the river, yet above the rising sun were a pair of beautiful and magnificent wings

Specific time

After Freddy left, Qin Xiong returned to his bedroom, which surprisingly had a decent amount of space, considering it only contained a single bed against the wall. He walked over to the bookshelf, took out a Spanish language textbook, and also retrieved a portable cassette player. Putting on the headphones, he began his self-study session for the evening