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April 4th, 2015.
In the 27th round of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen achieved a resounding 4-0 victory over Hamburg.
Lance contributed one assist and one goal, earning the highest rating of 1.0 for the match.
However, Lance was substituted in the 66th minute of this match.
After that, De Bruyne took over, delivering a diagonal pass in the 71st minute to assist Son Heung-min's goal from the edge of the box.
In the 85th minute, he utilised a free-kick opportunity to assist Harry Maguire's header.
Ultimately, they secured a 4-0 victory against their opponent.
During the post-match press conference, German reporters were very curious.
"Hello, Mr Lewandowski, I am a reporter from the Munich Evening News. May I ask why Lance was substituted early today, despite not being injured?"
Sascha Lewandowski on the podium was very happy; the team's recent winning streak was truly impressive.
They were only 2 points behind Bayern in the league standings, and all three fronts were advancing in parallel.
It would be strange if he wasn't in a good mood.
"It's obvious that due to Lance's excellent performance on the pitch recently, he was heavily marked by the opponents. Hamburg had quite a few rough fouls, and they incurred the cost of 7 yellow cards."
"But Lance also fell to the ground injured quite a few times; fortunately, there was no real injury. The German Cup quarter-final battle is in 4 days."
"To protect the player and consider Lance's physical condition, it was best to let him rest today. He had already contributed to 2 goals, and our other players were all excellent, winning the match without suspense and securing 3 important points."
Sascha's answer made the reporters present nod in agreement.
No problem.
Hamburg was indeed a bit rough today.
Lance has been in excellent form recently, and Hamburg focused on marking him, constantly tackling, pushing, and pulling his jersey.
In the first half alone, Lance was fouled 12 times, single-handedly causing 4 yellow cards for the opponent.
Another time, it almost seemed like Lance would have to be substituted, his pained expression clutching his leg was very distressing.
Fortunately, the team doctor came onto the pitch to examine him and found no injuries whatsoever.
There wasn't even a red mark on his ankle; it was completely intact.
The Bayer Leverkusen coaching staff finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the second half, seeing the situation stabilise, they simply substituted Lance to prevent any injuries.
As he left the pitch, Lance's black jersey was already covered in mud and grass clippings, looking quite dishevelled.
A close-up shot was even given, causing supporters across Germany and the world to feel heartbroken.
Lance himself still wore that calm, unruffled smile.
The commentator Scholl couldn't help but exclaim:
"He looks like a slender, technical player, but he's actually a tough lad!"
Kahn strongly agreed:
"If he were a Germany player, that would be great. He truly has the spirit of the former iron-blooded Germany battle tank."
Kahn also subtly criticised Löw's Germany side.
Since Germany won the World Cup, starting in 2015, Germany's playing style had become increasingly soft.
They indulged in tiki-taka and technical skills, but in doing so, lost the former fighting spirit.
In the coming years, Germany might be on a downward trend...
The press conference ended, and in the changing room, Hyypiä was still worried.
"Lance, you must go to the hospital for an X-ray."
"I'm fine, Coach."
Lance said helplessly.
He checked his inventory.
[Substitute Paper Figure (2/3)]
That "injury" in the first half had already consumed one paper figure, warding off the risk of injury.
He was certainly healthy.
However, the Hamburg defender's tackle was too terrifying; in slow motion, it went straight for his ankle, which looked twisted.
A slight misstep could have meant a season-ending injury.
How could the coaching staff be at ease?
Lance eventually couldn't resist Hyypiä and simply agreed to the request.
The next day, whilst everyone else was nervously preparing for the German Cup quarter-final, Lance was forcibly taken by the club's chauffeur-driven car to the neighbouring city of Cologne, to receive an examination at the University Hospital of Cologne, which boasts a "top service level" comparable to a domestic "Class A" hospital.
"Is it really necessary?"
"This matter concerns your health, and also the club, so please take it seriously, Lance."
Hyypiä had also specifically entrusted Hanna Mouller, the club's PR manager, to accompany Lance.
On one hand, Lance was a hot topic recently; he often made controversial remarks in interviews, which were then exaggerated by the media into verbal disputes, necessitating prompt intervention to reduce his interviews.
On the other hand, someone needed to keep an eye on Lance to ensure he underwent the examination diligently.
The diligent and responsible Hanna Mouller was perfect for this task.
"Hanna, let's discuss this. Just say we've been checked, and I need to go back to training. It's still early enough to get off the motorway."
All the way there, Lance tried to find a way to avoid this examination.
Going to the hospital for X-rays, possibly CT scans, MRIs, and blood tests, would take half a day and just thinking about it gave him a headache.
Lance knew he was fine, and that was enough; he'd rather use this time to train.
At worst, going home to play games was better than wasting time at the hospital.
Recently, Hidetaka Miyazaki's "Bloodborne" had just been released.
Besides training, Lance was addicted to the Cthulhu world at home, unable to extricate himself; his craving was intense.
"No."
Hanna, in the back seat, firmly refused.
"Please."
"..."
Lance and she were both in the back seat, his handsome, East Asian face close to hers, and Hanna felt her heart beating a little fast.
If he weren't a professional player she was responsible for, and so much younger, Hanna might have made a move herself.
Now, she was having a hard time resisting Lance's clear gaze.
"Sorry... Lance, your ankle yesterday was... a comprehensive check-up will also benefit your future career development. Let's follow the club's arrangements, okay?"
"Alright."
When the usually decisive and capable blonde beauty softly pleaded with him, Lance, who always responded better to gentleness than to force, reluctantly agreed to the hospital examination.
"Such a good boy. Here, have a sweet."
Hanna brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled, magically producing a sweet and offering it to Lance.
"Do you think I'm a child?"
Lance pouted, but still took the sweet from Hanna's hand, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth.
"You are a child, after all."
Hanna chuckled, and took a sweet for herself.
Whilst Lance was looking out the window, she secretly stole a few glances at his profile.
Perhaps that sentence was also meant for herself.
Lance was already a celebrity in German football, and it was inevitable he would be gawked at in the hospital.
His arrival at the University Hospital of Cologne caused a bit of a stir.
Fortunately, with the intervention of the driver and bodyguard, and Miss Hanna's deterrence, Lance was able to calmly undergo various examinations.
At the same time, in the hospital's administrative building, the director's office.
Administrative Director Susan House was busy at her computer; nearing 40, her attire made her look barely past 30, exuding considerable elegance.
Opposite her, on the sofa, sat a petite, short-haired Barbie doll, idly playing on her phone.
"...Anyway, my message has been delivered. Whether you go back or not, you can tell him yourself."
"Chloe, these things can be handled by phone. Why did you have to come all the way here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"Please, it's Sunday today. Besides, I have a flat advertisement shoot in Cologne... and you don't reply to my messages anyway, so sending them is useless."
"Sorry, I've been quite busy lately... but you still haven't terminated your contract with the modelling agency? If you need money, you can come to me, or your father. Why bother..."
"Stop talking about it, can't I just like photography?"
Chloe shook her head; she always ended up arguing with her mother after a few sentences.
She was used to the director's strong-willed tone, no wonder she always argued with her father at home, no wonder they were talking about divorce.
"Chloe, we need to have a good talk."
Susan took off her glasses, took a deep breath, and tried to sit on the sofa to have a heart-to-heart with her daughter.
Public hospitals were usually busy, leading to neglect of family.
Chloe's father was also often busy, and their daughter was always neglected by both of them, which Susan felt quite guilty about.
Just as Susan was about to have an open and honest conversation, Chloe gasped, having scrolled to a photo on Twitter, and quickly fled.
"Goodbye, let's talk again later if there's a chance!"
"Hey!! Chloe!!"
Susan thought her daughter was trying to avoid talking again.
Little did she know, Chloe had seen a photo taken by a netizen on Twitter.
Who else could it be but Lance!
"Oh no, is he really injured? Please, nothing serious!"
All this time, Chloe had deliberately kept her distance, fearing she might disturb Lance's training and preparation.
She had witnessed his dedication to football and his earnest pursuit of his dream.
Today, with Lance so close, Chloe simply couldn't resist.
She just wanted to be by Lance's side!