Football: He suffered a broken leg at the start of the game, but partnered with Haaland!

Bangkok International Hotel.

As night deepened, a bus emblazoned with the national flag slowly pulled up in front of the hotel.

As soon as the car door opened, a strong smell of sweat mixed with the pungent aroma of excited hormones wafted out. The national Olympic team members filed out of the car.

Sun Yang walked at the front of the group, carrying the golden Golden Boot trophy in his left hand and the MVP crystal figurine in his right. His steps remained steady, showing no signs of fatigue from just finishing a final match.

The hotel suite was brightly lit. Sun Wu, Diana, Catherine, and Uncle Henry had already taken over the sofa area.

Seeing his son walk in, Sun Wu strode forward to greet him. This usually serious and austere man from a family of Peking Opera performers had slightly reddened eyes. He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and patted Sun Yang's strong shoulder twice.

"I didn't disgrace the Sun family." Sun Wu's voice was loud and clear, revealing undisguised pride. "Your grandfather was watching the live broadcast on TV in Beijing just now. The old man was so excited that he took two nitroglycerin pills. He called me and scolded me, saying that I shouldn't have let you carry the national team alone. Now he brags to everyone he meets that the Sun family produced an Asian champion."

Sun Yang smiled and handed the two heavy trophies to his father: "Take them back and put them in the main room of the courtyard house as decorations for the old man."

Catherine, who had been unable to contain herself any longer, stepped forward and hugged Sun Yang. Her gaze immediately shifted downwards, and her professional instincts kicked in as she began to examine his legs.

"Honey, that sprint you made in the second half, tearing through the opposing defender, was insane. Do you feel any tearing in your hamstrings? You need to get a deep fascia massage right away; the lactic acid buildup in your muscles is definitely above the warning level." Catherine's tone was stern; as a personal therapist, she was paid.

Sun Yang squeezed her soft fingers and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly healthy."

Henry, like a grown-up kid, snatched the Golden Boot trophy from his brother-in-law Sun Wu, struck an exaggerated goal-scoring pose, and took several selfies with his phone's front camera.

"That was awesome, man!" Henry exclaimed. "I just tweeted about that powerful shot you took from the edge of the box. Arsenal's official comment section crashed again, with those extreme fans in London calling the management a bunch of idiots for letting go of a real stadium tyrant."

Diana remained seated on the sofa, with two cell phones and a tablet in front of her, and Bluetooth earphones still hanging in her ears.

This powerful woman, dressed in a smart business suit with her blonde hair tied up, was speaking rapidly in English into the phone.

"Mr. Smith, I'll repeat myself. Back then, you assessed that Asian-level tournaments lacked commercial exposure and demanded the termination of the betting clause in the contract." Diana sneered. "Now? Look at the trending topics on Twitter. Hundreds of millions of people across Asia are watching this Asian Cup; my son's exposure is more terrifying than when the Bundesliga started. Continue to execute the contract at double the original amount!"

A hurried explanation in German came from the other end of the phone.

Diana interrupted without hesitation: "Excuse me. I currently have letters of intent from four top Chinese internet companies in my inbox. They want to sign lifetime buyout contracts. I need your Greater China president to personally bring his team to Cologne to meet with me. My time is precious. Goodbye."

Diana abruptly ended the call and tossed her phone onto the coffee table.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Sun Yang walked over and sat down, asking casually.

"The situation is that you're about to become a money-printing machine, son." Diana crossed her arms, her face full of shrewdness. "Before, because of the suspension of European sporting events, those brands that wanted to take advantage of the situation and terminate their contracts with us are now lining up with checks begging me to sign them. This Asian Cup trip has not only secured your ticket to the Tokyo Olympics, but also completely ignited your commercial value in this market of over a billion people."

Diana named several well-known luxury brands, each with a starting price of millions of euros. This was merely a short-term image rights license for two years.

Not long after, Cannavaro knocked on Sun Yang's hotel room door.

The young Italian coach changed into a casual sweatshirt and held a bottle of mineral water in his hand.

"Coach," Sun Yang gestured for him to sit down in the chair.

Cannavaro waved his hand and said in a mix of Italian and English, "Just call me Fabio. I came to say hello. We're leading a team back to China tomorrow morning for a work report. You guys are going back to Germany too, right?"

Sun Yang nodded and handed over a clean towel.

Cannavaro wiped the sweat from his brow and looked directly into Sun Yang's eyes: "Sun, I've played football for so many years and coached quite a few young players. But you are the most special number 10 I've ever seen. Your stamina and football IQ are top-tier in the top five leagues. Don't waste your time when you return to Dortmund. Asia is too small a pond for you; your battlefield is the Champions League and the World Cup."

"I know what I'm doing," Sun Yang replied calmly.

Cannavaro stood up and gripped Sun Yang's hand tightly: "If I have the opportunity, I hope to coach the national senior team. I'll need you to carry me then."

Before long, several key players from the national Olympic team also came over for a visit.

Zhang Yuning had a thick bandage wrapped around his left calf and walked with a slight limp.

"Yang-ge, we won't be going to the airport to see you off tomorrow. The brothers have to pack their bags tonight." Zhang Yuning held up the electrolyte water in his hand. "I won't say thank you. Once you make it into the senior national team, we'll play in the World Cup qualifiers together."

Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Shenglong also gathered around.

"Yang-ge, I heard that cities are under lockdown all over Europe. Please be careful when you go back."

"Yeah, I heard that group of Australian players were taken into quarantine as soon as they landed. You, a Bundesliga star, better not get infected."

Sun Yang gave each of them a high-five. These young men in their early twenties, after six intense, real matches, had long since lost any trace of their former nonchalance and timidity. In competitive sports, only championships won by stepping over the corpses of others can truly transform a person.

The next morning, at Bangkok International Airport.

The terminal was eerily quiet. Due to global travel restrictions, a large number of international routes had been cancelled.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant. Ground staff in white protective suits had cordoned off a designated passageway with caution tape.

The special permission granted by the Chinese Football Association and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proved effective. Sun Yang and his entourage of five, carrying only simple luggage, quickly boarded the plane through the green channel.

Inside the cabin. Diana checked her tablet with Sun Yang to confirm their schedule after returning to Cologne.

"I received an email from Borussia Dortmund. Coach Favre has asked you to report your temperature and muscle condition daily. Director Zorc said the details of the new contract have been drafted and will be signed immediately after the lockdown is lifted." Diana adjusted her glasses. "This means your position as the tactical core of Borussia Dortmund is completely secure."