“I’ve already lived in Germany for four years. Before this, I was studying at university in Cologne. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m traveling around to really see all parts of Germany.” He took the already opened beer. “Thank you for the beer.”

“Cologne? Did you study at the German Sport University Cologne?” The middle-aged man, upon hearing “Cologne” and “studying,” immediately thought of that university.

“Yes, sir!”

“Oh! Then you’re a professional! What do you think of that kid?” The middle-aged man, having received confirmation, seemed very pleased. He immediately put his arm around Leon Thompson’s shoulder and pointed to a young man on the field. “That’s my neighbor’s eldest son. I think this kid is definitely going to become a football star.”

Leon Thompson, suddenly encountering someone so enthusiastic, was a bit unaccustomed and stared blankly for a moment before following the man’s finger to look at the field.

“You mean the one wearing the blue jersey with number 10 on the back?”

“That’s right! That’s him!”

“The goal he just scored was beautiful!” He immediately recalled that when he first arrived at the field, that number 10 had just scored a very impressive long-range shot. The spot where he kicked from was about 27 or 28 meters out, and a bit off to the side. The shot was very powerful, and the opposing goalkeeper had almost no reaction at all.

“You saw it? That’s right, it was a beautiful goal, but the one he scored in the league this year was even better—at least 30 meters out.” The middle-aged man grew more and more excited. “You should have seen the look on the opposing goalkeeper’s face—pure disbelief, probably still wondering how the ball ended up behind him!” He finished with a hearty laugh.

“You mean, that guy is a professional player?” Hearing the man’s words, Leon Thompson suddenly became interested. But he also had a question: why would a professional player come to play in a street match?

“Ahem!” The overly excited man accidentally choked on his own saliva. “Not exactly a professional player, he just plays in the Northern Regional League.” At this, the man seemed to recall something sad and suddenly deflated. “Wattenscheid used to be a Bundesliga team, but unfortunately, in recent years they’ve fallen to the Northern Regional League. Now, they can’t really be considered a professional club anymore.”

After living in Germany for these years, he had a general understanding of the structure of German football leagues. The Northern Regional League is the fourth tier in Germany, equivalent to Italy’s Serie C2. It’s a league made up of some semi-professional clubs and reserve teams of some big clubs. Above it, you become part of a professional team; below it, you fall completely into amateur status. Its nature is a bridge from amateur to professional. In terms of club independence, the Northern Regional League isn’t even as good as England’s regional leagues or Italy’s Serie C2.

“Actually, I think Hamit should leave Wattenscheid and go to a higher-level league to show his talent.” The middle-aged man calmed down, gazing at the number 10 in blue on the field and muttering softly, not clear if he was talking to himself or to Leon Thompson.

“May I ask that player’s name? His full name, please!” Leon Thompson heard the man’s muttering and felt that the name Hamit sounded quite familiar.

“His name is Hamit Altıntop! He also has a twin brother named Halil Altıntop. He’s a player too, also playing for Wattenscheid.”

“What? What did you say his name was?” Leon Thompson was a bit surprised.

The middle-aged man found Leon Thompson’s reaction a bit odd, but still repeated, “His name is Hamit Altıntop!” Then he asked, “Have you heard of him before?”

Leon Thompson thought to himself: Of course I’ve heard of him. A future member of the Turkish national team, a midfield star for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, famous for his signature move—those unreasonable long-range shots that somehow always go in.

Just then, the phone rang. Carter had arrived in Bochum and was asking Leon Thompson for his exact location. But Leon Thompson didn’t know either; luckily, there was a helpful and enthusiastic person nearby.

He told the other party where he was, then sat there quietly waiting. During this time, he chatted with the middle-aged man and watched the game. Of course, the conversation revolved around the Altıntop brothers. Leon Thompson gained a lot, learning quite a bit about the two brothers.

Soon, Carter arrived at the edge of the field. By then, the match had ended, and the players were gathering in small groups to chat, pack up, or leave with friends waiting on the sidelines.

When Carter found Leon Thompson in the crowd, he was talking to a man wearing the number 10 blue jersey: “Hello, my name is Leon Thompson. Both of your goals were beautiful. I believe we’ll meet again.” …

“You know that guy?”

“How could I? Today is my first time in Bochum.” In response to Carter’s question, Leon Thompson acted dismissively, as if answering such a question was an insult to his intelligence.

Faced with Leon Thompson’s attitude, Carter could only feel helpless. “Alright! Let’s not worry about the footballer for now. Let’s talk business!”

“I think we should first find a suitable place to talk business.”