At the Heinrich home, Chen Tao felt utterly defeated.
He was held firmly by Aunt Maria's plump arms, almost choked to death.
"No!! Chen!! We'll miss you!!"
Aunt Maria pleaded, her voice choked with tears.
"That's right, you're already part of our family. Aren't you comfortable living here?"
Uncle Hans chimed in from the side.
Frank sat on the sofa, legs crossed, drinking beer, sighing with a hand on his forehead.
"Oh, my God, enough already! Can you guys not be so dramatic?"
"Chen is almost 16, he's practically an adult. He needs his own space, OK?"
Aunt Maria retorted, unconvinced:
"Chen is still a child! He's a little darling just like Anna!"
Anna, sitting in the corner, rolled her eyes.
Frank was amused to the point of laughter:
"Have you ever considered Chen's own opinion? What if he has a girlfriend and wants to spend time alone with her?"
"Really? Chen! You have a girlfriend!"
Only then did Aunt Maria release Chen, both surprised and delighted.
Chen Tao felt like he had come back to life; breathing the air felt incredibly good!
"Nothing of the sort."
Before he could finish, Anna, still glued to her phone, didn't even look up:
"What do you mean 'nothing of the sort'? Claudia even confessed to him."
"Wow—"
"You really have a girlfriend?"
"Claudia? I've seen her, the one with the hot body."
"Chen, what did you say?"
Looking at the Heinrich's eager expressions, gossiping, Chen Tao felt numb:
"I rejected her. She's not my type."
Chen Tao was telling the truth.
That Claudia was only 16, but her figure was already comparable to a mature woman in her twenties, a typical hot girl in the eyes of Europeans and Americans.
Chen Tao preferred girls with an Oriental temperament and wasn't keen on this Western aesthetic with sharp facial features.
Relatively speaking, Anna was much prettier than her.
"So what kind of girl do you like? I can introduce you to someone."
Aunt Maria was still as warm-hearted as ever.
Before Chen Tao could speak, Grandpa Fritz, who had been motionless watching TV in the living room, suddenly blurted out:
"He likes the Anna type."
At these words, the Heinrich exchanged glances.
Frank looked down, smiling but saying nothing.
Aunt Maria's eyes lit up, and with an auntie smile, she was about to say something.
Anna, who had been detached from the family, blushed, then rushed up the stairs and back to her room.
Uncle Hans quickly stopped his wife:
"Alright, getting back to it, are you really moving out?"
"Probably not in the short term, I haven't found an apartment yet."
Chen Tao wasn't sure.
The season would end in half a year; if he returned to North London next season, wouldn't renting a place now be a waste?
Across all of Germany, there was no living space as comfortable, or rent as cheap, as the Heinrich's.
Especially this month, the money-loving Aunt Maria didn't even charge him rent.
Chen Tao secretly slipped the money into Maria's pocket when they weren't looking,
but later, Aunt Maria used it all to buy ingredients specifically to make nutritious meals for Chen Tao.
Chen Tao truly couldn't bear to leave this place.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Are you celebrating Christmas with us? Are you going back to China?"
"I'm not going back to China. I've already arranged with Arsenal to train with them over Christmas."
"Ah? You're going to London, not even taking a holiday?"
The entire Heinrich was shocked.
"My fundamentals are still relatively weak, and I need to work on things like physical confrontation and passing."
"I can't train alone at the base; I need professional coaching, so..."
Maria still wanted to persuade him, but Hans gave a thumbs-up.
"Well done! You're a born superstar!"
Any other young player with a certain level of fame would have succumbed to external praise and the allure of nightlife.
Many talents, famous at a young age, quickly fell from grace.
Chen Tao had been praised to the heavens by the German media these past two days; English and Spanish media were also paying attention to the 15-year-old Chen Tao.
Turning on the TV, they were all playing Chen Tao's 'Heavenly Flying Immortal' goal against Bayern.
He was almost the hottest new star in the entire Bundesliga, unrivaled in his momentum.
Chen Tao at this time didn't accept commercial endorsements, nor did he appear on TV shows.
He actually chose to use the winter break for focused training, which was incredibly rare among players his age!
"Training is fine, but the Premier League has high intensity, so try to protect yourself.
Also, without sufficient rest during the winter break, it's easy for muscles to become fatigued.
You are too young for high-load training. I hope you pay more attention to your physical condition."
As Borussia Dortmund's team doctor and half a brother, Frank Heinrich sincerely hoped Chen Tao could stay healthy.
At the club, Chen Tao had been repeatedly warned by the medical team for overdoing it in the gym.
From Frank's perspective, he was still young, and natural growth was enough; why push himself so hard?
Only Chen Tao himself knew that
his talent was a sudden gift, and unlike a system, there were no mission prompts. Maybe one day he would wake up, and the talent would be gone.
Chen Tao could only seize the opportunity while his talent was still present, to improve himself as much as possible.
Furthermore, having maxed-out skills didn't mean he was invincible. Sometimes, he would inevitably have to rely on physical strength and speed. Without a strong physique, even perfect skills would be useless.
Don't let Barça's new star Messi dominate the La Liga pitch; despite his short and slender build, he still dribbles and breaks through.
In reality, his core muscles are very strong, allowing him to burst and escape quickly in small spaces, and withstand collisions from opposing defenders while maintaining balance. He's not as weak as fans might imagine.
"Then I wish you good luck, my child. We will all miss you."
Aunt Maria once again gave him a bear hug; this time, Chen Tao truly felt like he was suffocating.
...
"Damn it, that kid really made it in the Bundesliga."
"I said it a long time ago, Chen is a genius."
"I heard he's coming to train with the team today, is that true?"
"Look, he's already there."
"I don't get it. Why not go on vacation during the winter break? I really wish I could swap places with him."
"Then give him your starting position too; Chen has been excellent at right-wing lately."
"Uh..."
Walcott gave an awkward smile.
He certainly wouldn't give up his starting position; the recent packed schedule just made him feel tired, and he simply envied the Bundesliga's winter break.
Relatively speaking, playing opportunities were more important.
The Premier League has many teams, and the schedule is already dense, plus the League Cup, FA Cup, and the insane 'devil's schedule' during the Christmas period.
Players were all struggling to cope.
Not only Walcott, but others also didn't understand why Chen Tao was enduring such hardship.
A few months ago, this cheerful Chinese teenager had left a deep impression on them.
Recently, he had caused quite a stir in the Bundesliga, and everyone was even more curious about him.
"Welcome back, Chen. I've watched all your recent matches, and your performance has been very good.
Arsène Wenger smiled at this Chinese talent.
He was more and more satisfied the more he looked!
If it weren't for the one-year loan contract without a recall clause, Wenger would have loved to call Chen Tao directly into the squad.
A few rounds ago, Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United at home. If Chen Tao had been there then, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
On the League table, Arsenal were only 4 points behind leaders Manchester United, making a title challenge possible this season. Chen Tao might truly be a crucial piece of the championship puzzle!
"Thank you, Professor." Only Chen Tao in the entire team called Wenger by his nickname to his face.
Putting down his bag, Chen Tao had already taken off his jacket, revealing the training kit underneath.
"What should I train now?"
"Oh, damn it! Chen, you just got off the plane, aren't you going to rest?"
"No need, I feel great."
Wenger reached out, hesitating to speak.
This Asian lad was simply the most insane player he had ever seen!