First Advertising Contract?

Brandt, Son Heung-min, and Kramer excitedly hugged Leo Kang.

The other teammates looked somewhat awkward.

After thanking the away fans who had traveled with the team,

a system notification rang out in Leo Kang's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Shine at the Theatre of Dreams!]

[Personal performance rating: SSS!]

[Mission reward being issued... Congratulations, Host, you have received: Platinum Chest!]

Post-match press conference.

Facing the sharp-tongued Premier League media,

Van Gaal verbally sparred with the crowd.

Furiously clutching a tactics board, he repeatedly explained the changes Leo Kang had brought to Bayer Leverkusen's attack and defense after coming on!

"You lot don't know shit!"

"That Chinese kid brought the entire Bayer Leverkusen team to life!"

"It was like Manchester United had suddenly been handed a different opponent!"

This sort of thing

was not surprising coming from Van Gaal.

But he had never praised an opposing player before!

The reporters all lowered their heads and scribbled furiously.

On the other side,

in Bayer Leverkusen's media area,

Schmidt still had hardly anyone in front of him.

It was as though the entire world believed that the team's two goals to draw level had nothing whatsoever to do with him, the head coach!

Çalhanoğlu, the player representative, also wore an awkward expression.

That night,

Leo Kang declined his teammates' invitation to hang out.

He returned to his hotel room alone.

He eagerly opened the system panel!

A radiant treasure chest floated before his eyes.

[Platinum Chest is being opened]

[Congratulations, Host, you have received: Injury Immunity Physique!]

The instant the chest opened,

it transformed into a streak of white light

that enveloped Leo Kang.

In the distant East,

major online platforms across China

went completely wild.

The Super Chinese Shining at Old Trafford!

Bayer Leverkusen's Secret Weapon!

Turning the Tide! A Dazzling Rising Star!

<Van Gaal: I Didn't Lose to Bayer Leverkusen—I Lost to a Chinese Player!>

The comments and likes skyrocketed.

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[Nothing left to criticize. Even if I'm not buying his jersey, he's still descended from us Chinese people. Keep it up! Play well abroad, and whatever you do, don't come back!]

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[He can't come back! He represented Spain's youth national team in continental competitions! Exactly the same situation as Arteta!]

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[I told you Brother Leo is fucking awesome. My Happy Beans have multiplied several times over! Hehe!]

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[Can Manchester United even compare with their old selves? Can one dazzling performance in a single match represent his true level? Leo Kang will definitely shine all season! Wherever he plays, that's where I'll put my Happy Beans!]

The next day,

shortly after returning to Bayer Leverkusen,

the staff took Leo Kang to Völler's office.

"My little genius, you were absolutely brilliant!"

"Congratulations on landing the first advertising contract of your life!"

"It's from your homeland! Dragonware Phone!"

An advertisement?

Dragonware Phone?

Völler vigorously patted Leo Kang on the shoulder.

He handed over a contract.

Leo Kang gave it a quick look.

He was slightly surprised by the terms concerning image rights and the share of compensation.

Half an hour later,

Leo Kang arrived at Bayer Leverkusen's dedicated filming base.

This filming base had been built after Völler took charge. Its facilities and equipment were first-rate, but it was rarely used.

"Leo Kang! My fellow countryman! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Familiar Chinese.

A tall Chinese man eagerly stepped forward

and extended a large hand.

"I'm Zhang Wei, the head of Dragonware Germany Branch!"

Leo Kang responded with a polite smile.

He had always been warm toward fellow Chinese people.

Zhang Wei gripped his hand tightly and refused to let go, launching into an endless stream of chatter.

Völler frowned and urged, "I hope your company can hurry things along..."

On the way to the filming set,

Zhang Wei said excitedly, "Leo Kang! Your performance at Old Trafford last night was incredible! China's online platforms are filled with your highlight videos! All by yourself! Turning the tide! Us Chinese people can..."

Leo Kang did not pay much attention.

Zhang Wei's words were a little exaggerated.

It was 2015. The buzz from a Champions League qualifier should not have been enough for Dragonware Company to decide so quickly on signing him, right?

Based on the timeline from his previous life, perhaps some Bundesliga star had canceled his partnership with Dragonware Phone.

And he had become the replacement.

The filming location was already set up.

Most of the staff on site were Chinese.

A very eye-catching, adorable girl walked over.

She smiled lightly. "Leo Kang, I'm Wang **! You play football so well!"

Zhang Wei hurriedly said, "Right, right, ** is your partner for this advertisement endorsement."

He patted Leo Kang on the shoulder, then had a sudden inspiration and added, "You must have heard her songs when you were little."

Wang **'s smile stiffened.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

The Dragonware Phone commercial was very simple.

Leo Kang looked around but did not see a football.

The bearded director sized the two up. "No need to look at a script. You two just keep tapping the phone screen together!"

"Both of your fingers need to tap it at the same time!"

"Get closer! Come on! Stand even closer!"

"Leo Kang, don't stand so far away from Wang **!"

"Right! Use your index finger! Why are you sticking out your middle finger? You're not picking at it—you're tapping it!"

"Harder! Put some force into it, beautiful! Come on! Smile at the camera together!"

Leo Kang struggled to control his expression.

The shadow in his mind spread wildly.

That wave of female body odor hit him head-on, carrying a pungent, nauseating stench.

It did not end that quickly.

The two put on the latest Dragonware watches.

Next, they had to demonstrate the interactive functions of the Dragonware Phone ecosystem.

The advertising director stared at Leo Kang and Wang **, stroked his thick beard, and turned to Zhang Wei. "We could shoot a Valentine's Day limited commercial in advance!"

Zhang Wei quickly nodded and smiled. "Makes sense. China has many Valentine's Days throughout the year. Mr. Völler, we can pay extra!"

Völler shook his head. "But there can't be any intimate contact! Our Bayer Leverkusen players must maintain a positive, healthy image!"

That night,

a forty-second phone commercial was completed.

It was released simultaneously across various short-video platforms in China and quickly shot up the trending charts.

The short film was very simple.

It opened with an animated beating heart.

Cheerful background music.

Leo Kang and Wang ** stood together.

Their index fingers tapped the new phone on the table.

The background colors began to change.

The entire setting instantly became a matador's palace.

The music also changed into a B minor waltz.

On the second tap,

the background around them had turned into the Steam Age.

The music became the long call of a steam whistle.

The third tap.

The fourth tap.

The fifth tap.

The two seemed to travel through time, finding themselves in different eras.

In the end,

the image darkened.

The entire advertisement's background palette turned pink.

Comments and reposts soared.

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[Holy shit! Dragonware Pictures is keeping up with the times! They didn't hire some Bundesliga superstar!]

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[A Valentine's Day limited edition serving up some seriously toxic couple content.]

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[Leo Kang is pretty warm toward his fellow Chinese people!]

Thanks to Heart Stained with Blood and Tears for the 1,500-coin tip and monthly vote.

Thanks to Dragon Baby 0o0 Meat for the 2,300-coin tip and monthly vote.

Thanks to reader 160712193226339 for the tip and monthly vote.

Thanks to Braised Tiger for the tip and monthly vote.

I must have missed some people I should have thanked; I'll make it up in the next chapter.

Thanks to all the readers who voted with recommendation tickets.