In the end, Wolfsburg still lost, even though they managed to score a goal in the final moments.
Returning to Wolfsburg with a defeat, the team was clearly frustrated and downcast.
After all, no opening win meant no bonus—who could be happy?
Rumor had it that De Bruyne even had a heated argument with the coach.
The issue?
He didn’t want to play as a winger.
He believed he should be in the attacking midfield position, controlling the game as a playmaker.
This took Qin Ming by surprise.
Normally, De Bruyne looked like a shy, quiet guy.
Who knew he had such a temper?
“You probably didn’t know… When he was 19, he once scolded a teammate for not training hard enough.
That teammate just happened to be me.”
Malanda shrugged nonchalantly.
“Last season during a league match, he got fined and almost suspended for yelling at a ball boy.
He thought the kid was wasting time.”
“So, don’t get on his bad side on the pitch—I won’t be able to help you then.”
Malanda’s tone carried a trace of fear.
And who could blame him?
Anyone who’s seen De Bruyne angry never forgets it.
“Didn’t expect him to be so interesting.”
Qin Ming wasn’t fazed—instead, he felt De Bruyne’s fierce desire to win.
Geniuses are often stubborn.
“Junior, maybe it won’t be long before I argue with him too,” Qin Ming said suddenly.
Because his playing style was the complete opposite of De Bruyne’s.
Extreme flair meets extreme logic.
One could only imagine the clash.
Whether the two styles could coexist, or even complement each other in a new tactical setup—that wasn’t his concern.
That was the coach’s job.
Days passed, and Qin Ming’s online buzz began to fade.
After all, no one pays attention to players who never make it onto the pitch.
So the higher-ups at Volkswagen soon gave new instructions to Dieter Hecking.
“Let him play?
Fine.
In the next match against Frankfurt, I’ll include him in the squad.”
Hecking had already been considering it.
If you trust someone, you use them.
If you doubt them, don’t bother.
He used to care little about age, focusing only on ability.
Now that Qin Ming was performing well in training—
What was there to hesitate about?
Hecking made up his mind.
No more overthinking a single match result.
If Qin turned out to be soft during games, they could just bench him again and save him for less important matches.
August 29, 2014
Inside Wolfsburg’s training base, the players gathered in the locker room.
“Let’s talk about our opponent: Frankfurt.
They finished 13th last season—not bad overall.”
“In the last round, they beat Freiburg 1–0.
The goal was scored by Seferović, a tall Swiss striker who’s their primary offensive threat.”
“Frankfurt likes to attack down the wings and swing crosses into the box.
They also rely on their defensive midfielders to make late runs into the final third and take long shots.”
Hecking explained in detail.
But Qin Ming’s eyes had already locked onto one name—Frankfurt’s defensive midfielder: Makoto Hasebe.
The Japanese holding midfielder’s passing ability had often been compared by fans to Pirlo’s.
In the 2008–09 season, he helped Wolfsburg win the Bundesliga as a starter.
In 2011, he captained Japan to the Asian Cup title.
He also held most of the Bundesliga appearance records for Asian players.
“Makoto Hasebe is a key figure in Frankfurt’s system.
Last season, he played 28 matches, picked up only 4 yellow cards, and averaged 42 successful passes per game—that says a lot about his style.”
“So don’t lose possession around him.
Frankfurt will counter fast and hard.”
Hecking looked directly at Qin Ming.
“Qin, you’ll likely get playing time in this match.
If you come up against him, what will you do?”
“Hmm… I’ll dribble past him.”
Qin Ming didn’t mention wall passes with teammates or smarter off-ball movement.
What gave him confidence wasn’t just the system—it was the intense, unrelenting training he’d been doing.
“I thought you’d say something like, ‘Since Hasebe never gives the ball back after a tackle, I’ll be extra careful with possession.'”
Hecking pushed up his glasses, a faint smile on his face.
“But that’s not how a young man thinks.
I know you’re good at 1v1 dribbles.
If you do get on the pitch, play your way.”
No longer second-guessing himself, Hecking chose to give Qin Ming full trust.
Because what he saw in Qin’s eyes was confidence—not arrogance.
Besides, isn’t it natural for young people to be a little bold?
“But you better show me something out there.
If not, I can’t keep giving you chances.”
Hecking’s tone turned serious.
“Thank you, coach.”
Qin Ming didn’t make any verbal promises.
He was used to proving things with action.
Nearby, De Bruyne looked at Qin Ming and suddenly felt something strange…
Like he was staring at a kindred spirit.
Once upon a time, he too had unique ideas—he wanted to influence every aspect of a game.
Even if it meant disagreeing with coaches or teammates, he always believed he was right.
The next day, under a blazing sun—
At Volkswagen Arena, it was Wolfsburg’s first home match of the season, and nearly all the fans had shown up—even those without tickets.
After all, it was the weekend.
No better way to spend it than soaking in the stadium atmosphere.
One hour before kickoff, Wolfsburg’s official website released the squad list.
And while Chinese fans had been grumbling about tuning out, they still sat down in front of their TVs.
[An Asian showdown?]
[Qin Ming better actually play.
Seeing Hasebe start just made me eat three extra sour tangerines.]
[Not even the same level.
The man’s Japan’s national team captain and only the second Japanese player to win a Bundesliga title after Yasuhiko Okudera.]
[Japanese players always seem to thrive in the Bundesliga—Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki, Makoto Hasebe…]
[I’m tired of being jealous.]
[And Hasebe was the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in a top five European league!]
[I don’t expect Qin Ming to win any titles.
I’ll be happy if he just gets more playing time.]
[…]
Exhausted by all the fake media hype, Chinese fans voiced nothing but disappointment.
Suddenly, the camera panned to Volkswagen Arena.
The players finished warm-ups and, led by the referee, walked out of the tunnel.
At the edge of the frame, on the bench, the figure of Qin Ming could be seen.
(END CHAPTER)