A Multiple-Choice Question!

"Leo, are you really going back to Barcelona?"

Brandt suddenly asked.

The first-team cafeteria was unusually quiet.

Leo Kang shook his head.

Barcelona?

He had already transferred to Bayer Leverkusen.

How could he possibly return to Barcelona within the same transfer window?

Where had this rumor come from?

Brandt studied his expression in confusion. "Everyone in Bayer Leverkusen knows about it! You really don't know? No one from Barcelona contacted you?"

"Your release clause is so low, I could buy you myself if I saved up some money!"

"We thought you'd end up like Fàbregas."

Leo Kang thought it over carefully.

No one from Barcelona had contacted him.

His foster mother only called occasionally to check on his health and life. She had not mentioned anything else.

Brandt muttered, "I really thought you were going back to Barcelona. The fax machine in the sporting director's office... Hmm. Who could refuse Barcelona or Real Madrid?"

Before he could finish, hurried footsteps interrupted him.

A sharply dressed staff member called out, "Leo, you forgot your phone again. Mr. Völler wants to talk to you about something. Are you free now?"

A moment later.

The sporting director's office.

Excited commentary and cheers occasionally blared from the television.

Völler clipped the end of his cigar and handed Leo Kang a sheet of fax paper.

Barcelona's crest was printed on it.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

The young assistant smiled sheepishly. "Leo, don't be surprised. There's no limit to the number of transfers within the same window, just like Demichelis and Hamann..."

Völler waved a hand, signaling for the assistant to leave first.

Then he handed Leo Kang a contract extension bearing Bayer Leverkusen's crest.

Smiling, he said, "No rush. Watch this match first, then give me your answer."

One old man and one young man.

They sat in Bayer Leverkusen's office, watching Bayer Leverkusen's home match.

Bayer Arena.

The two teams traded attacks fiercely.

Magath's Hertha Berlin struck Bayer Leverkusen with a heavy blow right from the opening stages!

Bayern Munich castoff Wiese charged wildly down the wing, dribbled past Borges, and sent in a cross from the byline!

The ball dropped into Bayer Leverkusen's penalty area.

Genki Haraguchi headed it into the net.

0:1.

"Hertha Berlin have made the perfect start."

"Genki Haraguchi doesn't have much of a height advantage! That was not an easy aerial challenge, but he still seized the opportunity!"

"Magath is also a German coach who really likes using Asian players."

The camera suddenly cut to the sideline.

Magath looked calm and composed, as though the goal had been entirely expected.

Schmidt slammed his fist into the ground in fury.

The match continued.

Bayer Leverkusen had possession.

Çalhanoğlu began directing his teammates' runs.

Unfortunately.

The team's attacking tempo had become even slower.

Hertha Berlin seemed to have found a way to crack Bayer Leverkusen by studying Manchester United.

Wiese and Darida relentlessly harassed Çalhanoğlu.

Whenever Bayer Leverkusen's midfield core showed even the slightest intention of receiving the ball,

the two of them would swarm him with vicious challenges.

In the 18th minute.

Darida successfully won the ball.

Hertha Berlin broke quickly.

Genki Haraguchi scored his second.

0:2.

In the 43rd minute.

Wiese once again charged wildly forward, burst into the penalty area, and was tripped.

He won a penalty.

Ibisevic converted it with ease.

0:3!

Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno furiously punched the turf.

The BayArena fans were going mad.

The Happy Beans players were going mad too.

Over the previous two seasons.

Bayer Leverkusen had beaten Hertha Berlin four times!

The market values of the two teams' stars differed by several times.

So how had they conceded three goals to them in the first half tonight?

Was that damned Magath really so magical?

What was wrong with Bayer Leverkusen now?

Going two goals down against Manchester United could be forgiven.

But their opponent now was Hertha Berlin!

Why didn't that idiotic Schmidt bring on the Chinese prodigy who could turn the tide?

After failing to spot that black-haired figure,

the Bayer Leverkusen fans finally realized.

That Chinese prodigy had not even made the matchday squad!

In the end.

The 90-minute match came to an end.

Bayer Leverkusen lost 0:3 to Hertha Berlin.

Their midfield had been completely disconnected.

Çalhanoğlu argued with his teammates.

If Hertha Berlin's players had not kept blasting their shots over the bar,

this match would have become another massacre.

Bayer Leverkusen's coaching staff were devastated.

The club hierarchy had already been extremely dissatisfied with the Manchester United match.

And now they had lost by three goals at home to Hertha Berlin?

Their opponents had been a relegation side everyone bullied last season!

The BayArena was filled with abuse!

The players hung their heads in dejection.

The fans were beside themselves with rage.

At the post-match press conference.

Magath said calmly, "Bayer Leverkusen's players are individually very capable. They are fully capable of establishing themselves at a top club."

Hertha Berlin's player representative, Wiese, spoke bluntly. "Van Gaal taught the rest of the Bundesliga a lesson. Bayer Leverkusen's tactical system has been thoroughly figured out. It's far too one-dimensional! It's not easy for a car mechanic to coach in the Bundesliga. I think a more suitable place for Mr. Schmidt might be the Chinese Super League!"

"Perhaps... even in the Chinese Super League, he'd be sacked!"

They had not only won, but twisted the knife.

The entire room erupted.

The cameras turned to Bayer Leverkusen's head coach's seat.

Schmidt was nowhere to be seen.

The assistant coach, wearing an "innocent" expression, was bombarded with questions by reporters.

"How does Bayer Leverkusen's coaching staff view this crushing defeat?"

"Does Mr. Schmidt lack the courage to face the cameras? He already showed a severe lack of tactical ability against Manchester United!"

"Will Bayer Leverkusen improve and alter their tactical system going forward? Will the Chinese youngster Leo Kang become part of the lineup..."

China's livestream chat.

The comments were a chorus of wailing and despair.

The young streamer cursed Schmidt until his voice went hoarse.

"Brothers, don't panic. I'll check the foreign news! What's going on? Bayer Leverkusen didn't let Leo Kang make the matchday squad..."

"Holy shit! Brother Leo is going back to Barcelona? The summer transfer window is about to close!"

"He can't go back to Barcelona. Not only would his pay be cut by more than half, he'd just be sent out on loan again."

"Super-talented midfielder Little Denis joined Barcelona in 2013. From the reserves to a loan at Villarreal... he was a key player everywhere, with explosive goal and assist numbers. He even dribbled through an entire La Liga giant by himself and became the Europa League's assist king."

"He was even better than Leo Kang at Old Trafford, yet he still hasn't made it back into Barcelona's first team."

"Enrique and Schmidt are the same kind of coach."

"As long as Rakitić stays injury-free..."

"No matter how well the other youngsters perform, they're just being raised as backup options. They won't get many chances!"

"I'm just afraid Leo Kang has caught the same disease as Fàbregas!"

Late that night.

Bayer Leverkusen released an official announcement: the club had unilaterally relieved Schmidt of his duties as head coach. He and his assistant coaches would leave the team together.