There is joy, there is sorrow, there is hope, and there is disappointment.

Chinese football moves forward with the ups and downs of Jason Bolton's professional career.

There is progress, there are setbacks, there is darkness, and there is light.

The climax of the book is when the Chinese team wins the World Cup, but that is not the ultimate message the book wants to convey.

The true meaning of "We Are the Champions" is not about winning a historic world championship, but rather, as revealed at the end of the novel: What kind of champion does Chinese football truly need?

Part One: In China

Prologue: There Is Such a Story

Legend has it—though it is only a legend...

The story goes that deep in the mountains, there is a temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva in this temple is said to be very responsive to prayers. Despite the long and treacherous journey, devout men and women still come in an endless stream to pray and seek answers.

One day, three special guests arrived at the temple. They came from three different countries, but shared the same dream in their hearts. After hearing that the Bodhisattva here was especially efficacious, they endured countless hardships to find this place. The difficulty of their journey was evident from their tattered clothes and disheveled appearances.

The Bodhisattva was moved by their persistence and passion. Even though none of them were her followers, she still agreed to answer one question for each of them. The three were overjoyed.

The Korean was the first to ask: “Respected Bodhisattva, I am Korean and a loyal fan of the Korean national football team. May I ask, when will the Korean team win the World Cup, the highest honor in the world of football?”

The Bodhisattva thought for a moment and calmly replied to the Korean: “In forty years.”

The Korean, upon hearing this, realized that in forty years, he might still be alive to witness it. He thanked the Bodhisattva happily and stepped aside.

The Japanese, seeing that Korea would win the championship in just forty years, thought to himself that Japan was now at least a top Asian team and should win even sooner. With hope, he asked: “Bodhisattva, I am a devoted supporter of the Japanese team. When will Japan win the World Cup?”

The Bodhisattva thought for a moment and, just as calmly, replied: “In one hundred years.”

The Japanese, hearing this, felt as if struck by lightning. In a hundred years, he would already be dead; it seemed there was no hope in this lifetime. He broke down in tears in the temple hall.

The Bodhisattva paid no attention to the grieving Japanese. She turned to the last person and asked, “And you?”

The Chinese thought for a moment and asked, “Well, I am Chinese. May I ask, all-knowing Bodhisattva, when will our Chinese team win the World Cup?”

After asking, he lowered his head and waited for an answer, but heard nothing. He looked up, only to find the Bodhisattva was crying...

Chapter 001: Please Call Me Kevin

“Ole! Ole, ole, ole! We are the champions! Ole! Ole, ole, ole! We are the champions! We are the champions! Ole! Ole, ole, ole...”

Everyone was singing “We Are the Champions” together, jumping up and down on the podium, the gold medals around their necks bouncing with their movements, shining brightly. In front of them sat the championship trophy of the National High School Football Championship. It was the second year in a row—winning the national championship for the second consecutive year was a tremendous joy and honor for the entire Dawn team. For senior players like Kevin, seeing this trophy also meant it was time to say goodbye. Today, they hugged each other and sang “We Are the Champions” together; perhaps tomorrow, they would be hugging each other to say farewell...

“Are you still going to play football, Jason Bolton?”

“Of course!”

“That’s good. As long as you keep playing, and I keep playing, we’ll definitely meet again...”

Kevin opened his eyes and found the morning sunlight a bit dazzling. Although the winter temperature was low, sunlight had nothing to do with the temperature. He rolled out of bed; today was the last club trial, so he got up early to get ready.

After washing up, he saw his father and mother in the living room. His young brother was running circles around the dining table, unable to sit still for even a moment. Looking at his brother’s innocent smile, Kevin smiled too. In the three years he’d been away, this mischievous brother must have caused their parents quite a bit of trouble.

“Big brother is up!”

His parents turned their heads. His mother got up to bring him breakfast, while his father looked him over carefully.

Kevin teased his brother while eating breakfast. His mother watched the two brothers with a gentle smile.

“Are you ready?” his father asked Kevin, putting the newspaper down on the table.

“Yeah.” For some reason, he was talkative with his father on the phone, but after coming home, he didn’t know what to say.