Sorry for the late update!
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Walking into the restaurant called Vinkeles, Qin Xiong was surprised to see that it was not just him and Snede for dinner. There were three teammates sitting at the table in advance waiting for them.
Stekelenberg, Heitinga, and De Jong.
The First Team had won the match today. Perhaps it was because the opponent was not strong, but the players were happy in the locker room, but they were not as excited and proud as children. But after leaving the club, many players would end the day with a delicious dinner.
Dinner was initiated by Snede and Heitinga. Of course, in terms of happiness, Stekelenberg and De Jong were very calm. After all, they did not play in the game.
Qin Xiong gave a simple greeting to his teammates and sat down.
Stekelenberg had already opened the menu to place an order. The waiter standing at the table deliberately glanced at Qin Xiong, but his expression was normal.
Perhaps Qin Xiong was different from the rest.
The other four were all Europeans, and Qin Xiong was Asian. The other four were dressed casually. They couldn't be said to be classy, but at least they gave people a comfortable and fashionable feeling. As for Qin Xiong, he was wearing cheap sportswear, which was really out of place in this dining environment.
But the waiter did not say anything. He instinctively glanced at Qin Xiong. When it was Qin Xiong's turn to order, he still smiled and asked Qin Xiong what he wanted to eat, and recommended the restaurant's signature dishes for the day.
Qin Xiong opened the menu and found out that this was a French restaurant. Then, when he saw the price of the dishes, he turned to Snede and said, "The food here is too expensive. I can't afford it."
Stekelenberg was probably the third to place an order. De Jong and Heitinga had both ordered. Based on Stekelenberg's standards, Qin Xiong found that this meal alone cost him more than 400 euros.
After all, this kind of restaurant did not rely on quantity to win, but on delicacy. Just look at the big plate in the picture, and the food was half the size of a palm. With the appetite of an athlete, not to mention four or five dishes, if he really ate to his heart's content, a dozen dishes would not be a problem.
Besides, Stekelenberg hadn't participated in a match, so this dinner was a normal amount. Qin Xiong, on the other hand, didn't consume much energy, but after thirty minutes of intense competition, his appetite was naturally a lot stronger.
He really couldn't afford it here.
The other four teammates were dumbfounded.
It wasn't that he was surprised that Qin Xiong couldn't afford it. Snede called Qin Xiong over to invite him to dinner, but he didn't tell him in advance.
Instead, it was Qin Xiong who said it out in the open. It was as if all of them had been "implicated". It was as if they were all putting on a facade to spend money.
When he came back to his senses, Snade smiled helplessly.
Qin Xiong's straightforwardness was both annoying and amusing.
The waitress couldn't help but smile. She didn't look down on Qin Xiong. Judging from his clothes, her first impression was that he couldn't afford it in this kind of high-end restaurant.
"Just order whatever you want. It's my treat. Don't worry."
Snede shook his head with a smile.
Qin Xiong said again, "But it's really expensive here. I'm sorry to make you pay."
Snede said helplessly, "Then you can treat me when you have money in the future. Okay, let's not waste any more time. Hurry up and order."
"Oh," Qin Xiong replied. Then, he really began to order. He was quite honest and ordered whatever he wanted to eat. He avoided meat, greasy, and sweet dishes. Although he still preferred light dishes, he ordered quite a lot.
This was Qin Xiong's first time eating in such an elegant and high-end restaurant. He was curious and looked around. The other customers were quiet and the atmosphere was quiet. This had a certain impact on his concept of life in Europe.
Qin Xiong felt that it was a kind of "luxury" for Freddy to spend 5 euros to buy a roast chicken and bring back a dozen beers in the supermarket. Usually, in Dekoiz's restaurant, 10 euros per person was the highest. If you wanted to save money, you could go to the supermarket. A catty of bread would only cost 5 cents, yes, 0.5 euros.
Snede was the last to order. Derong sat on Qin Xiong's right. He asked curiously, "How are the benefits in the contract given to you by the club?"
Qin Xiong replied honestly, "200 euros per week, 150 games, 100 goals, and 50 assists."
Originally, there was a weekly salary clause in his contract.
Although Freddy did not ask Ajax for a "fixed salary" increase, he unyieldingly added other bonus clauses.
Probably at that time, Ajax did not think that Qin Xiong would be able to play many games for Ajax's First Team in the next two years. But taking a step back, even if he played.
It should be Ajax who made a lot of money!
After all, among the players who represented the First Team, Qin Xiong's bonus was not as good as the basic salary of the other players.
Derong nodded and was not too surprised. He was a young player who was not an EU player and did not have Ajax's youth training background. Qin Xiong's treatment was considered good.
Qin Xiong also asked Derong curiously, "What about you?"
Derong shrugged and said, "2000 euros per week. I get an extra 1000 for games. There are no other bonuses. Let's see how I perform this season. Next spring, I have to renegotiate the contract with the club."
His contract had started in 2000, and it had been three years. Although his weekly salary had been much lower at that time, it had been increased every year according to the contract. Even now, De Rong was still dissatisfied.
Qin Xiong turned his head again to ask Snede, the friend who had invited him to dinner today, if he was puffing himself up at his own cost.
Snede handed the menu to the waiter and finally added a bottle of red wine. He said to Qin Xiong, "I make 2,400 euros per week. I get an extra 700 for games. I get an extra 100 for assists. By the way, the four of us are about the same."
The four people Snede spoke of, of course, excluded Qin Xiong: Stekelenberg, Derong, Heitinga, and himself.
Qin Xiong felt relieved. According to their income level, although they could not come to this kind of restaurant every day, they could come once a week, so there was no financial pressure. Plus, if they played games on game days, they could make an extra 700 or more.
He thought about it and said to Snede, "I don't make much, so the next time I want to treat you to a meal, it may be a long time."
Snede smiled and nodded. He did not take it to heart at all.
The service in the restaurant was very considerate. The waiter was not careless when serving the food. He clearly remembered who ordered what. When everyone was ready to eat, Qin Xiong declined the red wine. Snede and the others did not insist.
Smoking was bad for professional athletes because it was not good for their health at all. It was especially harmful to the lungs and had the most direct impact on motor function.
But alcohol was not so strict.
Although there were indeed precedents in the professional football world like Gascoigne, who was addicted to alcohol and eventually destroyed himself, it was normal for athletes to drink before 2000. For example, when Wenger first went to Arsenal, the first thing he did every day during training was to have the whole team run around the field in order to dissipate the smell of alcohol on most of the team's players, or simply use exercise to sober them up …
Now there was also a saying that drinking alcohol was good for the body, so it was normal for athletes to drink a little.
However, Qin Xiong did not smoke or drink since he was a child. It had become a habit. No matter whether the wine was good or not, he was not interested in trying it. It was not a discipline, just a habit.
Although the restaurant was very high-end, these players really could not be gentle. They would even play around like primary school students after eating.
Qin Xiong thought that Snede and Stekelenberg had the best relationship. He did not expect that Snede and Heitinga would crumple up napkins and throw them at each other. It was a very childish play, but it could be seen that they were very close.
After thinking about it carefully, he understood.
The Ajax youth training system was divided into age groups. The oldest of the four Dutchmen was 20 years old and the youngest was 18 years old. They would be in the same group as they grew up. However, Snede and Heitinga were both 19 years old, which meant that they were partners who had been in the same group for a long time.
In addition, the two of them had entered the Ajax youth training camp very, very early. They had known each other for almost ten years, which was very rare. Qin Xiong also deeply understood this point.
Because growing up in such a competitive environment, the partners one year might disappear the next. The faces around them changed frequently, and the ones who could stay by each other's side without changing could be counted on one's fingers. This friendship was indeed very precious.
Dinner ended with the fight between Snede and his best friend Heitinga. For this, Snede specially gave the waiter a small tip. Then he drove Qin Xiong back to Wardell Street.
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