Five successful dribbles in a single match!
One foul drawn, earning the opposing defender a yellow card, and indirectly leading to a goal;
One direct assist, helping De Bruyne score his first goal for Wolfsburg;
And all of this was accomplished within a mere five minutes!
Ultimately, he helped the team score two goals to equalize from a two-goal deficit, securing a valuable point.
Such a debut performance, for an eighteen-year-old Bundesliga newcomer who had never played in a professional League, was nothing short of stunning!
"The match has concluded!"
"Wolfsburg drew at home with Hannover, failing to capitalize on Borussia Mönchengladbach's loss, and remains in fifth place in the League, ahead of Schalke 04 on goal difference."
"And the most exciting moment of this match was, without a doubt, the final five minutes of the game!"
"Even though Wolfsburg's midfield maestro, Diego, is about to bid farewell to the team, I believe every Wolfsburg fan need not be too sad."
"Because not only did their heavily-invested Belgian talent, De Bruyne, perform brilliantly in his debut for the team, scoring the equalizer."
"A genius has also emerged from their youth team!"
"Let us remember the name of this young man—Mark Lane!"
After the match, both head coaches shook hands.
"We could have taken three points."
Facing Hannover's unwilling coach Korkut, Wolfsburg's coach Hecking merely smiled faintly:
"Haha, perhaps."
"However, that number 45 kid is definitely a genius!"
This unequivocal statement made Hecking pause for a moment, then he couldn't help but look up at the stands.
And Wolfsburg's Sporting Director, Allofs, also happened to be looking in his direction.
Their eyes met, and this pair, who worked seamlessly together off the field, had already come to the same conclusion… After the players shook hands, the Wolfsburg players also shook hands and embraced one by one.
Although they failed to win the match at home, this was definitely a great comeback.
De Bruyne, who scored the equalizer on his debut, also stepped forward to shake hands and embrace Mark.
"Cheers, mate! Great working with you!"
Looking at the teacher whose blush had not yet faded, Mark also smiled:
"Great working with you!"
And other teammates also came forward one by one to greet him and congratulate Mark on completing his professional debut.
Everyone could see that this kid's dribbling was too outstanding; it was simply impossible for him to return to the youth team… Afterwards, the Wolfsburg players also went to the stands where the die-hard fans were located for the post-match appreciation.
Especially Diego, who was about to transfer, went to each stand one by one, waving goodbye to the fans who had supported him for two and a half years.
Amidst the applause of the fans, the captain and goalkeeper, Benaglio, also smiled and pushed Mark to the front of the team:
"Say hello to the fans!"
Seeing the dark-haired youth step forward, the Wolfsburg fans in the stands immediately gave him a warm round of applause.
They, of course, knew that if it weren't for the performance of this youth team player in the final moments, they would not have been able to get this point.
"Kid, well done!"
"That's the way!"
And Mark was not shy at all, smiling and waving in acknowledgment.
His handsome and dashing smile also made many female fans in the stands get stars in their eyes.
After the appreciation, the Wolfsburg players also returned to the locker room.
Since he was only temporarily promoted from the youth team.
Therefore, Mark did not have his own exclusive locker in the locker room.
He could only temporarily sit in front of an empty locker in the corner, taking off his shoes and socks.
And at this moment, led by the team captain Benaglio, they also held a farewell ceremony for the departing Diego.
The club gave him a framed Wolfsburg jersey with the number "87" printed on it.
This was exactly the number of appearances Diego made for Wolfsburg!
Diego also invited the club's first-team players and coaches to his farewell party tomorrow.
Subsequently, the team's head coach Hecking, who had finished the post-match press conference, also returned to the locker room.
"In today's match, under the gaze of our home fans, we should have taken all three points!"
"However, in the final moments, you did not give up, which makes me very pleased."
Hecking did not specifically praise Mark, who came off the bench and made a significant contribution in this match.
This was also his usual low-key and pragmatic style.
Subsequently, Hecking announced the team's dismissal.
And the players went to shower, or went home, leaving only Mark alone.
So, here's the question!
He only played for five minutes and didn't even break a sweat, so should he take a shower or not?
Looking at the grass stains on his body from when Hiroki Sakai tackled him, Mark thought about it and decided to take a shower.
After showering and changing into a hoodie and sweatpants, he carried his sports backpack and went straight to the parking lot outside the training base.
Looking around, he found his target:
A black Volkswagen Beetle!
It is worth mentioning that eighteen-year-old Mark Lane is an orphan.
His father was Chinese, surnamed Ma.
He met his mother while doing business in Germany, they married and had Mark, and thus stayed in this country.
And Lane is his mother's surname.
It is said that his mother's ancestors were once nobility, and to commemorate the family's honor, Mark was given this surname.
However, his parents both died in a car accident several years ago, leaving him alone.
Fortunately, Germany's child welfare policies are very comprehensive; he was placed in a foster family and received a monthly subsidy of four hundred euros.
And after turning eighteen at the end of last year, the relatively introverted Mark officially moved out of the foster family and began living alone.
The club's youth contract monthly salary, plus various monthly subsidies, gave Mark an income of two thousand euros per month, enough to support himself.
And in Germany, getting a driver's license is the first thing every adult goes to do.
Although it was difficult, Mark still spent several months getting his driver's license and bought this used Volkswagen Beetle as a means of transportation.
Just as he drove out of two blocks, Mark's iPhone 5 suddenly rang.
An unknown number called in.
"Hello?"
"Is this Mark Lane?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"I'm Allofs, Sporting Director of Wolfsburg…"
Hearing the other party introduce himself, Mark's eyebrows instantly raised, "Hello, Mr. Allofs."
"First of all, young man… congratulations on completing your Bundesliga debut, your performance on the field was amazing."
"Thank you."
"The club has seen extraordinary potential from your performance, so we would like to talk to you about a new professional contract!"
Originally, eighteen-year-old Mark was a substitute for the U19 youth team, only earning five hundred euros a month on a youth contract.
Because he performed averagely in the youth team and did not show the potential to establish himself in the professional League, the club had been slow to sign a professional contract with him.
And originally, promoting Mark to the first team and having him come off the bench in the match was merely to give him a Bundesliga appearance record, making it easier for him to find a new club later.
But who would have thought that this youth team player, whom no one had high hopes for, would display such astonishing dribbling ability?!
After tonight's match, everything was different.
Just his five-minute debut performance coming off the bench was enough for Wolfsburg to offer him a professional contract with both hands!
Therefore, when Mark heard this good news, he was not surprised at all.
"Let's discuss it in detail at the training base tomorrow morning. You'd best bring a lawyer; if you don't have one, the club also has lawyers…"
"I understand, Mr. Allofs."
Hanging up the phone, the car continued to drive west.
On the streets, Wolfsburg fans who had just watched the match were also visible everywhere.
Mark's home is located in the Laagberg district, in the central-west area.
It is about a dozen kilometers from the Volkswagen Arena, which is about a twenty-minute drive.
It is an old apartment building.
He lives on the third floor, unit 304.
Although the apartment is only fifty square meters, with one bedroom and one living room.
But though the sparrow is small, it has all the vital organs.
Casually tossing the car keys into the bowl on the shoe cabinet, Mark flipped the switch, and the entire living room was immediately illuminated by soft light.
Taking off his backpack, he plopped down on the soft sofa.
Looking at the ceiling, the young man became lost in thought:
"I didn't expect that even after transmigrating, I'd still be alone…"