A little over a month ago, when The Dark Knight was released, the Heinrich family had gone to the cinema together after training. Regardless of how brilliant Christopher Nolan's film was, Jin Hayes's deepest impression remained a line spoken by Alfred, the butler: "Take the Lamborghini, it's much more low-key."
Subsequently, Bruce Wayne drove a black Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 through the rain-slicked streets of Gotham. In that moment, Jin Hayes clearly heard Anna muttering beside him, "So cool!"
That Lamborghini—the same model as Batman's—became Jin Hayes's dream car.
After finishing the Vogue magazine photoshoot, the two walked from the elevator to the parking lot. As they got into the Volkswagen Golf and started the engine, a blonde supermodel—Karlie Kloss, dressed brightly with a striking figure—blocked their car.
"I'm so mad. Henry ran off early by himself. Can you give me a ride?"
Jin Hayes glanced at Anna, whose expression clearly showed rejection. Yet she still couldn't bear to refuse and nodded reluctantly. Karlie Kloss, however, opened the back door with great familiarity and slid in, crossing her long legs. She also subtly leaned forward, making sure her assets were on full display. As Jin Hayes turned to look, Karlie Kloss bit her red lip and gave him a suggestive glance.
"Thank you! I'll treat you to dinner sometime."
For an ordinary sixteen-year-old high school boy, how could anyone resist such a move? Karlie Kloss knew very well how to use her natural advantages and had long been in her element at school. Even the school board chairman's son had been wrapped around her finger, let alone a hormone-fueled football player.
Anna, in the passenger seat, subtly changed her expression. Jin wouldn't be tempted by this annoying person, would he? She couldn't help but become anxious. Her level of tension was comparable to the final match of last season against Bayern Munich.
However, Jin Hayes's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was flat: "Fasten your seatbelt in the back."
Karlie Kloss's efforts were completely ignored. She was utterly mortified. Anna, in the passenger seat, secretly chuckled and gave Jin Hayes a silent thumbs-up. In reality, Jin Hayes had seen everything there was to see, but with his social instincts currently on an unexpected cooldown, Karlie Kloss's efforts were destined to be in vain.
All the way, Karlie Kloss kept complaining about the cramped rear space, weak power, and crude interior of the Volkswagen Golf. She constantly boasted about how comfortable her boyfriend's Bentley GT was and how exciting it was to cruise in it. Jin Hayes glanced at Anna. She clearly wanted to kick the other person out of the car but couldn't bring herself to do so out of politeness.
A supercar sped past them, and Jin Hayes suddenly had an idea. "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"
"Mm." Anna nodded softly. She didn't ask another question, nor did she show any impatience. No matter where Jin Hayes wanted to go, she was willing to follow—even if it was just to drive thirty kilometres for ice cream. It would be even better if Karlie Kloss wasn't in the back seat.
Soon, the car stopped in front of a car brand dealership. The large golden bull logo at the entrance and the top-tier supercars filling the hall needed no explanation; Anna naturally knew what kind of place this was.
"What are you doing here? Do you want a test drive?" Karlie Kloss was utterly confused.
Two sixteen-year-old high school students, walking into a Lamborghini showroom—did they actually want to buy a car? How could that be! Even if the handsome Asian guy was a professional player, this was a Lamborghini. Young players with weekly salaries of a few hundred or a thousand euros still couldn't afford a Murciélago. Could it be that they had heard her boasting just now and wanted to come over and show off?
Karlie Kloss crossed her arms and stood aside with a half-smile, watching what they would do.
"Oh, Mr. Jin, you've come at just the right time." The stout, manager-like man in the showroom was quite enthusiastic upon seeing Jin Hayes. "We contacted that car owner. We heard you wanted to order a car, and he didn't hesitate to give up his spot directly. If everything goes smoothly, you can drive the car away today."
"Okay, please thank him for me."
"He only wants your autograph. If possible, could you sign one for me too?" The stout sales manager of Lamborghini was also a die-hard Borussia Dortmund fan.
"Of course."
While Jin Hayes signed autographs and took photos, Anna simply sat on the sofa in the lounge area, quietly watching him. Karlie Kloss, still in disbelief, quickly came over.
"Anna, he's not really going to buy a car, is he?"
"Why not?"
"I just asked around. He paid in full. Including taxes and insurance, this car's on-road price is €333,200. Are professional players really that rich?" Karlie Kloss was stunned. Jin Hayes's demeanour while signing the contract indicated it was already a done deal. Getting a supercar worth hundreds of thousands of euros at the age of sixteen seemed a bit too surreal for her.
Anna, however, wasn't surprised at all. Jin Hayes's new contract was Borussia Dortmund's top salary. It had come into effect on July 1, 2008, and so far, Jin Hayes had only played three matches. Roughly calculated, he had already earned well over €400,000 in these two months. Buying a supercar worth over €300,000 was as simple as breathing.
Soon, the stout manager led them to a black supercar. Everyone's eyes lit up. No need for excessive description—the visual impact of a Lamborghini in reality far exceeded the feeling of watching it in a movie. Even Jin Hayes couldn't suppress his excitement, wishing he could get in immediately and floor the accelerator. He could no longer hear the manager's incessant introductions.
"…The naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine can output up to 640 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 330 kilometres per hour—"
Standing in front of the Lamborghini, Jin Hayes completed the photo op for picking up the car. Originally, Anna didn't want to be in the picture, but the stout manager kept encouraging her.
"Miss
, with your boyfriend—yes, just like that, a little closer, perfect!"
Jin Hayes and Anna—this striking couple—standing next to the stylish supercar, formed a very harmonious picture. Karlie Kloss couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. The emotion surged again. She excused herself to the restroom to avoid seeing them.
The instant camera produced the photo. Looking at himself and Anna close together, with the coveted Lamborghini beside them—a beautiful car and a beautiful woman—Jin Hayes was very satisfied with this image. Speaking of which, this was his and Anna's first photo together. He intended to carefully preserve it.
Karlie Kloss couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, and the emotion surged again. She excused herself to the restroom to avoid seeing them.
The instant camera produced the photo. Looking at himself and Anna close together, with the coveted Lamborghini beside them—a beautiful car and a beautiful woman—Jin Hayes was very satisfied with this image. Speaking of which, this was his and Anna's first photo together. He had intended to carefully preserve it as a keepsake.
Unexpectedly, Anna suddenly looked at him with hopeful eyes: "Jin, this photo—can you give it to me?"
"Of course." Anna had given him gloves and personally made lucky stickers. He realised he had never given her anything in return. If she wanted this photo, he would gladly give it to her.
Anna took the photo and carefully placed it inside her small bag for safekeeping, a faint smile playing on her lips.
The stout manager then eagerly leaned over again: "Mr. Jin, I just noticed you drove here. How about we drive your original car back for you? The new car's temporary licence plate and paperwork have been processed, so you can experience your new car right now!"
"Okay." Jin Hayes and Anna exchanged glances and decisively handed over the keys to the stout manager. As expected of a luxury car dealership, the service was truly thoughtful.
Pulling open the scissor door, Jin Hayes finally sat in the Lamborghini's cockpit. The driver's seat was much lower than he had imagined—his whole body was almost touching the ground, like driving while lying down. The leather seats felt very hard; he suspected they would be uncomfortable on a long journey. The space was also narrow and cramped; Jin Hayes's 185 cm frame almost brushed the ceiling.
Supercars lack the user-friendliness of family cars in many ways, but this was a supercar, a Lamborghini after all. Being cool was all that mattered.
Anna was also clearly unaccustomed. After sitting down, she fumbled with the seatbelt, unable to figure out how to fasten it. Jin Hayes happened to lean over and help her pull out the passenger seatbelt. In that moment—like a clichéd scene from a romantic drama—their eyes met, faces inches apart. He could feel Anna's fragrant breath, and the scent of Chanel on her became even more intoxicating. Jin Hayes only needed to lower his head slightly to touch her luscious red lips. Their heartbeats were clearly audible in the confined space.
"Mr. Jin, please rest assured, we will drive your other vehicle to the designated location today! Thank you for choosing our Lamborghini, and remember to come in for maintenance on time!"
The accelerating heartbeats of the young man and woman were interrupted by the stout manager. The two sat up straight and rigid in their seats, like students nearly caught dating by a teacher in a classroom.
"If you have any other requests, please feel free to contact us at any time." Through the car window, the stout manager smiled and handed over a business card. Jin Hayes casually put it away and, with an excited heart, turned the key to start the engine. The legendary V12 engine behind him roared like a deep, fierce beast—incredibly pleasant to the ear.
"Are you ready?"
"Huh?"
Before Anna could respond, Jin Hayes suddenly stepped on the accelerator, and the strong push-back sensation instantly launched them forward. Anna realised that Jin Hayes was deliberately teasing her. The roller-coaster-like thrill almost made her scream.
"He's so naughty!" Anna wasn't angry; instead, she lightly bit her lower lip, unable to escape the thrill of the moment.
Back at the Lamborghini showroom, when Karlie Kloss walked out of the restroom, she only caught a glimpse of the Lamborghini Bat's taillights disappearing around the main entrance.
"Hey!! I didn't even get in the car yet!"
Not again, really?
…
Good news: he now owned a Lamborghini. Bad news: there was no time to fully enjoy it, as Jin Hayes had to fly with the team to Madrid.
The next day, Jin Hayes drove his Murciélago to the training base. The roaring engine quickly drew the attention of his teammates. As soon as the car stopped, a crowd gathered around.
"Holy shit!! Jin, you're so rich?!"
"A Murciélago Bat—Batman's model!"
"That's so cool!"
"Jin—damn it! Comparing people makes you mad!" Seeing Jin Hayes's brand-new Lamborghini, Nuri Şahin's recently purchased Audi R8 suddenly didn't feel as good. He also wanted to buy a Lamborghini, to buy more luxury cars. He wanted to earn more money.
However, Nuri Şahin also knew very well that Borussia Dortmund's salary cap was limited. Even someone as strong as Jin Hayes could only command a top salary of €50,000 per week; the club couldn't afford more.
In contrast, the giants of the Premier League and La Liga boasted players whose weekly salaries often exceeded six figures. Cristiano Ronaldo was already earning £120,000 a week, and Messi in La Liga also took home at least €80,000. If Şahin moved to a top club for a few years, he might also secure a weekly salary of over €100,000. Regarding his agent's suggestion from the other day, Nuri Şahin was inevitably tempted. That was Real Madrid. It was hard for anyone to refuse their call.
"Nuri, why are you spacing out? Are you still going to Madrid?"
Borussia Dortmund's yellow bus was already parked at the base entrance. The players were about to board and head to the airport, flying to Madrid for the second leg of the Champions League qualifier. His teammate turned around and found Nuri Şahin lost in thought, quickly calling out to him.
"Of course I'm going! Wait, I'm coming!"
Nuri Şahin's gaze gradually firmed.
***
Images need more work.