The Freckled teenager

Qi Ce could feel Zhou Feng's concern for him. On their journey, Zhou Feng spoke about the beauty of the Rhine Valley, sparking Qi Ce's interest in visiting. However, he knew he didn't have time to travel so far in Europe this time, so he had to give up the idea.

Nevertheless, Zhou Feng arranged for them to stay at the Mainz Hilton Hotel on the banks of the Rhine River. Staying in such a river-view room wasn't cheap, and Qi Ce certainly couldn't afford it on his own.

Opening the curtains revealed a beautiful view of the Rhine. If he wanted, Qi Ce could order a coffee or juice at the terrace cafe downstairs, read a novel in the river breeze, and occasionally watch ships passing by on the Rhine. These could be cruise ships, cargo ships, or work boats cleaning the river surface, all slowly sailing into the port.

The Rhine River where the hotel was located marked the city center of Mainz, with suburbs on the other side. There were no high-rise buildings, and the area looked peaceful in the afterglow of the sunset.

Sitting at the terrace restaurant of the Hilton Mainz, Qi Ce held a glass of juice and gazed at the Rhine in a trance. A passing waiter couldn't help but glance at him. Though not handsome, Qi Ce considered himself not ugly either. He thought his eyes, inherited from his mother, looked quite deep and added a melancholic temperament to his mature appearance.

The melancholic boy from the mysterious East, he thought, must have impressed the young hotel waitress who secretly exclaimed, "Wow, so handsome!"

In reality, Qi Ce wasn't feeling anything significant; he was distracted, actually focusing on a virtual stadium.

[New task: Score at least three goals in the trial match. Progress: 0/3. Task reward: 10 football coins, 1 intermediate language skill book.]

It came at the right time!

Qi Ce was pleased. He knew that language skill books were expensive, with the basic ones costing 100 football coins. This reward was much needed. However, scoring three goals in a trial match wouldn't be easy.

Despite his excitement, Qi Ce felt the pressure. Scoring a hat-trick was tough even in the second team. Who knew what kind of opponents he would face in Europe?

It was already night, and though it was summer, the German weather wasn't too hot and was getting cool. He finished his juice and returned to his room.

The virtual game didn't start soon. Early the next morning, Wu Jiawen sent Qi Ce to the training ground without Zhou Feng's guidance. Huangbeard Smith didn't come to receive them again. After bidding farewell to Wu Jiawen, Qi Ce entered the training base alone.

Compared to the recently built Chongming football base, this place seemed old and full of historical weight. As Qi Ce walked, he observed his surroundings until he encountered another person.

The boy, also a teenager, appeared to be a player here. He had blond hair and freckles around his nose.

"Ah! It's you, the kid who made mistakes yesterday!" The freckled boy exclaimed when he saw Qi Ce. He spoke in English, which Qi Ce understood.

Qi Ce didn't care about the boy's provocation. At thirty years old, Qi Ce felt mature enough not to be bothered by a child. He smiled to show he noticed the boy and then walked past him.

"You ignore me? Hey! Maybe you don't understand English?" The freckled boy felt frustrated.

"No, I can understand and speak," Qi Ce turned and replied. "I'm sorry, I should have greeted you."

"You won't pass the trial here! Your skills are terrible!" The freckled boy gloated. "If it were me, I wouldn't make such mistakes even a hundred times!"

"Who knows?" Qi Ce shrugged. "I should go to training to pass the trial."

"If you don't believe me, I can compete with you!"

"There will be a chance."

After parting from the boy, Qi Ce reached the court. It was still early, and not many people were around. Soon, the freckled boy ran over with a bag of footballs. Seeing him in training uniforms, Qi Ce recalled seeing him yesterday. This boy was one of the onlookers.

The boy tossed a football to Qi Ce. As Qi Ce caught and controlled the ball, he noticed the freckled boy showing off his skills. The boy could skillfully control the ball with his feet, knees, head, shoulders, and even his back. Despite his arrogance, Qi Ce felt the boy wasn't as skilled as him in this aspect.

"Hey, did you see that?" The freckled boy balanced the ball on his head and shouted. Qi Ce stopped the ball, put a hand on his waist, and gave a thumbs-up.

The boy stopped the ball and shouted angrily, "Isn't it a game? Why did you stop?"

"I didn't say I wanted to play against you."

"But you said there will be a chance."

"That's not now either."

"If not now, maybe there won't be a chance in the future! You won't pass the trial!"

Qi Ce scratched his head, feeling helpless. Wasn't it said that most Germans are stable? Why was this boy different?

"Victor! And you... Oh, it was yesterday. Come and clean up the balls and prepare for today's training!" The youth training coach's appearance helped Qi Ce out of the situation. It was the same coach who supervised him yesterday, Peter Neustedt.

On the second day of trial training, the activities were like those of ordinary youth players. They ran laps, warmed up, and then mixed into random groups for basic training. The main focus was on passing and receiving the ball. Whether by luck or misfortune, Qi Ce ended up in the same group as the freckled boy.

The boy's name was Victor Meyer. At fifteen, he was a midfielder and one of the best U15 members of Mainz Youth Training. He often trained with older youth teams, and his skills were exceptional for his age.

Meyer's football skills were as remarkable as his arrogant temper. He was well-known in the youth team for his chic and arrogant demeanor. During training, Meyer deliberately targeted Qi Ce. During short pass training, his passes were always difficult for Qi Ce to handle. Despite Qi Ce's improved skills, ball control wasn't his strong point. Since crossing back, Qi Ce's ball-stopping attribute had increased from 6 to 8.

Generally, this data was sufficient for training passes, but Meyer's deliberate mischief made things challenging for Qi Ce. The ball bounced unpredictably, making it difficult for Qi Ce to handle.

"You saw it, you definitely can't stay here!" Meyer boasted during a break. Qi Ce was drinking water alone, while Meyer chatted loudly with his teammates.

Qi Ce looked at Meyer, trying to recall if he had ever heard of a star named Victor Meyer. With his deep understanding of European football, Qi Ce knew Mainz well, but Meyer didn't ring a bell.

However, Meyer's skills were indeed impressive. In football, professionals could easily make things difficult for ordinary players. For Meyer to challenge Qi Ce, a professional with good strength, he had to be highly skilled.

"Has no one told you that your technique is good, but your personality is terrible?" Qi Ce said calmly, putting down his kettle. These words angered Meyer.

"What did you say? You're just a foreigner who will leave in a few days. But before you go, I don't mind teaching you a lesson!" Meyer's freckled face twisted with anger.

"Many stars have their own personalities, but it's hard to become a star with your attitude. Maybe you'll understand in the future," Qi Ce replied, not worried about Meyer's threat. Despite his teammates' support, they wouldn't let Meyer act impulsively.

"Don't act so high and mighty! Your skills suck! You have no right to say that to me! If anyone becomes a star, it will be me, not you!"

After his teammates persuaded him, Meyer cursed and left. Qi Ce watched him go and then closed his eyes.

Meyer was annoying, but he was right about Qi Ce's technical weaknesses.

During the training break, Qi Ce entered the virtual stadium to check the vending machine. Sure enough, Meyer was listed.

The kid cost seven football coins!

Qi Ce was surprised. As the main player of the Chinese Super League, Bian Jun only cost three. Though a Chinese Super player, Bian Jun was the main player of an adult team.

Despite the surprise, Qi Ce bought Meyer and trained with him in the virtual stadium. The virtual stadium could mimic any player's real-life playing style and even Qi Ce's.

Meyer's passes were difficult to receive. Qi Ce used this as special training. Not all passes in a game were easy to handle.

The short-term training on the virtual stadium didn't have much effect. In the afternoon, Meyer's targeting increased. Neustedt noticed and reprimanded Meyer, who only slightly improved his behavior.