[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back":3,"chapter-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-106":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Football: At 16, Let Me Retire and Come Back?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2300076,4499,"Chapter 106: Can La Liga Handle the Intensity of My Ball King Tang?","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-106",106,"\u003Cp>AS newspaper front page headline — Alvaro, the champion center-forward from Utrecht, joins Villarreal for a transfer fee of 15 million euros plus 3 million in bonuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht Evening News front page headline — Villarreal is reportedly interested in Utrecht’s assist king, Tom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s next club is still undecided, but his teammate Alvaro’s transfer has been finalized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A transfer fee of up to 15 million euros to join Villarreal in La Liga!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Eredivisie is not one of the Big Five leagues, Utrecht’s title win as a dark horse has drawn global football attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manchester United spent heavily to secure the key figure Ten Hag; the remaining players naturally attracted interest from other clubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvaro’s transfer is confirmed — to Villarreal, a strong La Liga side. Next is Amrabat, who is rumored to be heading to France.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Chinese fans don’t care about either Alvaro or Amrabat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only want to know if Tang Ye will leave Utrecht, and if so, where he’ll go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villarreal is said to have interest in Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will he follow Alvaro to Spain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On July 10, Tang Ye woke up in bed to a notification from his system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【2015-16 season settlement: you received a year-end bonus — 2000 Reverse Points】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Professional players over 35 receive an additional 20% subsidy — you received a total of 2400 Reverse Points】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Year-end bonus issued!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye never expected there to be a year-end bonus, but if it existed, it was certainly welcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s check his current account balance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Account balance: 3280 Reverse Points\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With nearly 3500 Reverse Points, Tang Ye was now officially a little rich!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering he would play in La Liga next season, Tang Ye quickly checked the template store for ball-control templates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, as before, ball-control templates were generally expensive — far beyond what Tang Ye could afford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was still a solution — he remembered he had once obtained a super item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【 Hazard’s Tarta Tarta Burger: If you do not train for the next 48 hours, your ball control will receive a slight boost】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Price: 25 Reverse Points\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An extremely expensive item, requiring two full days without training to activate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using this during the season was troublesome, and under Ten Hag’s pressure, Tang Ye found it nearly impossible to skip training for 48 consecutive hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now was the perfect opportunity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the upcoming holiday, Tang Ye would eat burgers every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single day!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By July 15, the European Championship had ended nearly a week ago, and Portuguese fans still reveled in their victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Xiao He, a CCTV staff member, arrived in Amsterdam — headquarters of the Royal Dutch Football Association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“25 million euros per year…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steve, a Dutch FA official, looked at the documents Xiao He pushed forward: “25 million euros per year is acceptable for the Eredivisie FA, but the issue is you’re only buying one year. If you purchase five consecutive years of broadcasting rights, we can offer you 25 million euros annually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 25 million euros for one year of Eredivisie broadcasting rights, CCTV’s offer was still quite favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye, the league’s assist king, was playing in the Eredivisie with no transfer rumors yet — so CCTV naturally wanted to secure the broadcasting rights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 25 million euros per year, plus Tang Ye’s built-in fanbase, CCTV’s risk of loss was minimal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only wanted one year because CCTV knew Tang Ye would likely not stay in the Eredivisie for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His assist level had already surpassed Eredivisie standards!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We only want one year. If 25 million euros isn’t suitable, we’ll find another price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He said this as his phone rang — a message arrived from CCTV staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China Football Daily front page headline — Tang Ye joins Villarreal on loan; Chinese player returns to the Big Five leagues!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He turned off his phone, looked up at Steve, and retrieved the documents from the table: “I’m sorry, sir, I believe 25 million euros is already a reasonable price. Apologies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He stood up from his chair; Steve stared, bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Steve also received a message — from a FA official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Romano: herewego! Utrecht’s wonderkid Tang joins Villarreal on loan for 3 million euros plus 80% salary coverage, no mandatory buyout clause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their biggest asset had just left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, I think we can discuss further — 25 million euros is actually acceptable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steve tried to retain Xiao He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Dutch FA, another broadcaster meant more revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only needed to grant one broadcasting right — a nearly zero-cost transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For zero cost, they could unlock 25 million euros — the Dutch FA was eager to make this deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, sorry, we may no longer accept 25 million euros.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“20 million euros! And we’ll sign for just one year!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steve’s iMessage kept flashing — Tang Ye’s departure had thrown Dutch FA officials into panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted to sell the broadcasting rights to China for profit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, 20 million euros is still not suitable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“15 million euros! 15 million euros is enough! Well, forget it — let’s be friends, 15 million euros is fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He apologized a few more times, then left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>15 million euros — over 100 million RMB — to buy broadcasting rights for a non-Big Five league without Tang Ye’s fanbase as a guarantee? CCTV would lose money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This deal was impossible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Romano’s and China Football Daily’s news was pinned by Dongqiudi, gathering over 30,000 comments in just 24 hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Holy shit, awesome! He’s really playing in the Big Five? And it’s La Liga?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wait, can my guy’s ball control even handle La Liga?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Bro above, I sense you’re gonna get roasted — don’t you know how many fans Tang the Ball King has in China?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Why a loan? Does Villarreal really not have 12 million euros?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Read the news carefully — 12 million euros was Utrecht’s April valuation; Villarreal used that April quote to sign him in June.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Unbeatable — I’m 17 and still in high school, while Tang the Ball King is already playing in the Big Five. Is this the gap between ordinary mortals and a Ball King?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Woke up and Guangdong leveled up — I thought Wu Lei would be the first Chinese player in the Big Five.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Haters speak up!!!!!!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Can La Liga even handle the intensity of my Ball King Tang?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news of Tang Ye’s loan to Villarreal was still too explosive for domestic fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Dongqiudi — “Chinese Player Returns to the Big Five Leagues” surged to third place on Weibo’s trending list that day, making Tang Ye a nationwide sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transfer was settled. Tang Ye was satisfied with the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spain, like the Netherlands, is a Schengen country — Tang Ye could travel directly to Spain using his Dutch visa without additional paperwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only downside was the late timing — Villarreal was already urging him to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>La Liga’s new season began at the end of August, and Villarreal still had Champions League qualifiers to play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was tight; Tang Ye seized the chance to return home briefly. “You didn’t go to Manchester United…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he truly hoped Tang Ye would play in the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Tang Zhengxiong himself followed the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagine the feeling — Tang Zhengxiong standing on the home stand at Anfield, pointing at a Manchester United midfielder and shouting: “That’s my son!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tang Ye hadn’t gone to Manchester United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering Tang Zhengxiong’s earlier advice, Tang Ye explained: “Man United said they wanted Pogba. If Pogba joins, I’d be stuck on the bench — better not go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True — Pogba, wow, Man United still has money. But their coaching staff has terrible judgment — they shouldn’t have let Pogba go when he was playing U21. Now buying him back will cost 80 or 90 million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong was happy Man United lost money, but the thought of Pogba joining next season made him miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong walked in and gestured for Tang Ye to take off his backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the backpack, they slowly climbed upstairs: “It’s a pity you didn’t go to the Premier League, but La Liga is still impressive. Villarreal… I remember they qualified for the Champions League, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They still have to play qualifiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They play qualifiers in August — only if they advance can they enter the Champions League; otherwise, it’s the Europa League.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You got the short end of the stick then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong turned his head: “You’re the Eredivisie champions — Utrecht already secured a Champions League spot, right? Wait, no…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong suddenly realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Utrecht’s first-ever Champions League qualification, and given their level, they’d likely be eliminated in the group stage and dumped straight into the Europa League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that, it’s better to go to Villarreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Utrecht, Villarreal’s strength gives them a real chance to reach the knockout stage if they qualify for the Champions League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they don’t make the Champions League, Tang Ye can still play in the Europa League with Villarreal—anyway, it’s better than staying at Utrecht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong casually placed Tang Ye’s backpack on the table in the second-floor living room, his mind racing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye has now won the Eredivisie title; he’s no longer the slacker Tang Zhengxiong remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his son wants to climb higher, as a father, he must think more carefully about Tang Ye’s future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Tang Ye will truly make it in La Liga one day!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head, squinting at his son: “I mean, if you play in the Champions League or Europa League, will you actually get playing time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question caught Tang Ye off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will he get playing time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he didn’t even know the answer himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget European competition for now—can you guarantee a starting spot in the league? You didn’t go to Manchester United, but you’re still playing in La Liga.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong rubbed his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Tang Ye starts for a team like Villarreal in La Liga, how much face would that bring him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong was already thinking that once Tang Ye became famous, he’d open a social media account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Live streaming was all the rage in China now—he planned to become a football commentator once Tang Ye blew up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could secretly trash players he disliked, so he wouldn’t be bored all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong was about to have his own job!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A real job—one earned through hard work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Starting in La Liga? That…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye scratched his head and sat down on the sofa: “Hard to say, hard to say—I’ll do my best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a completely unfamiliar environment, Tang Ye hadn’t even met his teammates or coach yet—starting was too soon to worry about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht RTV: It was rumored that Utrecht originally planned to sell Tang to Villarreal in La Liga for 12 million euros in April, but after the season ended, Utrecht raised Tang’s transfer fee to 24 million euros. Faced with this nearly doubled price, Villarreal had no choice but to change the deal from a permanent transfer to a loan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Romano: Utrecht’s asking price of 24 million euros for Tang was negotiable—they’re willing to accept 20 million euros.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di: After winning the Eredivisie, Tang Ye signed a new contract with Utrecht, earning 18,000 euros per week. During the loan period, Villarreal will cover 80% of Tang Ye’s salary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye only learned from the news that his loan had been influenced by Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag manipulated the transfer window one last time before leaving Utrecht!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s management had always trusted the words of this legendary coach—no wonder the already-agreed transfer suddenly became a loan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this didn’t affect Tang Ye much—he’d still be playing in La Liga in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Off to Spain, away from that damn Mr. Eric!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And while he’s at it, away from that damn minor protection law!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staying home for two days, Tang Ye’s girlfriend (female friend) from the Netherlands, whom he’d just met, flew to Guangdong to find him, and the two toured some Chinese tourist spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life during the offseason was this relaxing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, even though he slept enough every day, Tang Ye felt constantly drained—not nearly as energized as when Ten Hag forced him to wake up at Utrecht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 8 p.m., Tang Ye was eating at a restaurant outside the Jiuzhaigou scenic area when he received a call from Villarreal’s head coach, Escrivá.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hanging up, Tang Ye’s expression suddenly drooped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valerie, sitting across from him, laughed at his expression and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My coach wants me to learn Spanish…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye clasped his hands behind his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it—he’d completely forgotten about the language issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d only just learned Dutch, and now he was heading to Spain next season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to learn Spanish too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s no problem!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valerie blinked, motioning for Tang Ye to lean in: “Tom, do you know I’m half-Spanish, half-Dutch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I grew up in Madrid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valerie smiled: “I can teach you Spanish—standard Spanish. Tonight, or every night, as long as you’re willing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That actually sounds reliable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Volume One ends here, but there’s more—today’s update is still over 20,000 words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please vote for monthly tickets, guys!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2236,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","103a32c81b03ead60c20fff61f83ed3300423529fe1e91710ff599b7a7578cb4","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-107","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-105",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]