[{"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-107":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},2300077,4499,"Chapter 107: Villarreal","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-107",107,"\u003Cp>Valérie had tutored Tang Ye in Spanish for many days, but in the end, Tang Ye gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After studying hard for several days, Tang Ye understood nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought Valérie was a good teacher, but now it seemed she wasn’t reliable at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, learning something still depends on yourself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The club didn’t want language issues to trouble Tang Ye, so after communicating with him, they moved up his registration date by five days—to July 22nd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, Tang Ye’s family arrived in Villarreal, Spain, pushing four large and small suitcases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s about it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong clapped his hands, then pushed a suitcase beside him toward Tang Ye: “Go register at the club first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are too many suitcases—I can’t carry them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pointed to the four large suitcases around him: “Can you first come with me to the base? I’ll drop off my things, then you can leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qingqing moved to help, but Tang Zhengxiong stopped her: “What’s this? Didn’t the team say they’d send someone to pick you up? Just wait at the train station—we’re busy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Busy? What are you going to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye froze for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought his parents would stay in Spain for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Rio Olympics—I’m going to watch the games, then travel around Brazil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong rubbed his hands together; he was clearly a little excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had gotten a ticket with an excellent seat for the Olympic 100-meter final!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye looked at the four large suitcases beside him, expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Tang Ye’s expression, Zhang Qingqing grabbed Tang Zhengxiong’s arm to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, don’t be like that, Qingqing—we’ll come back later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong simply dragged Zhang Qingqing away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pushed two suitcases with one hand and stopped in front of a bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phone rang—it was Aile calling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black Volkswagen will arrive in five minutes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stood waiting when an elderly white woman walked up from his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, hello?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye greeted her in the Spanish he’d just learned, but for some reason, the woman said nothing—instead, she pulled at the corners of her eyes with both hands, making a “squinting” gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was completely baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Tang Ye’s lack of reaction, the woman lost interest and shuffled off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are Spaniards all this weird?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye shook his head, focusing on his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his first time ever in Spain—he felt an inexplicable tension in this unfamiliar environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, Tom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Volkswagen stopped across the street; the window rolled down, revealing Aile’s familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come over—oh, all these things? Never mind, wait here, I’ll turn around up ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile drove fast in his newly bought car, zooming to the traffic light ahead and stopping smoothly right in front of Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile got out and quickly loaded Tang Ye’s suitcases into the trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two new Villarreal players appearing together on Villarreal’s streets had already drawn two or three onlookers—if they didn’t leave soon, Aile and Tang Ye might get stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go, let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye quickly got in and sat in the front passenger seat; Aile drove him to the base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sebastian, have you learned Spanish yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye turned to look at Aile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he could have said it in Spanish, he chose Dutch for greater precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve learned quite a bit—I came over last week; I already knew English and Dutch, so I picked it up faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you, Tang? Did you sign up for language classes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile answered in Spanish, but Tang Ye didn’t catch the first half—he was distracted by something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 38, you were loaned from the Eredivisie to a La Liga club—joining a top-five league at an age when most players have retired, demonstrating your passion for football and pursuit of honor.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Middle-aged players learn languages slower than young ones—the balance mechanism has triggered: Language University module unlocked.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Language University?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden information left Tang Ye stunned—he immediately manipulated his system in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Language University Module: As a middle-aged man, you benefit from social welfare—you can directly spend Revival Points to boost language proficiency.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Dutch (Fluent): Revival Points *1282】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【English (Fluent): Revival Points *2432】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Spanish (Fluent): Revival Points *2378】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【German (Fluent): Revival Points *2500】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【French (Fluent): Revival Points *2500】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system was impressive—creating a “Language University” that ultimately just let you buy language skills with money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon reflection:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t university just paying tuition to learn? The system simply skipped the learning step and gave you the result directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn—it was exactly the kind of learning Tang Ye wanted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly checked his account balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2,680 points!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You purchased Spanish (Fluent).】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Tang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile waved a hand in front of Tang Ye’s face; Tang Ye snapped back: “Oh? What? What’s up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you sleep on the plane? Haha, I just asked if you’ve made progress with Spanish—did you sign up for a class?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t sign up,” Tang Ye said. “I hired a Spanish tutor before, but she was a scammer—taught me barely any words in days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can join my class—I think my teacher’s great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile added: “But classes are in the evening—you might not have time to play games.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need—I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye turned to Aile and smiled: “I learned Spanish as a child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile’s mouth hung open in disbelief: “You learned Spanish before? As a child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye nodded: “Aile, remember what I told you? I love learning—the feeling of gaining real progress. You know that feeling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aile took a deep breath: “Learning’s tough—I couldn’t even sit still in my language class.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not afraid of hard work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, at the base, with Aile and club staff’s help, Tang Ye put his suitcases in his room, then went to the club’s administrative building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Club staff followed Tang Ye with a camera the whole time—it was common practice for teams to film a short video when a player joined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, Tang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly appointed head coach, Escrivá, extended his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Villarreal expressed interest in Tang Ye, Escrivá wasn’t yet the team’s head coach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the former coach, Marcelino, had confirmed his departure, so Escrivá had already gained authority over the transfer window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, Mr. Escrivá.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye extended his hand in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá led Tang Ye into the administrative building, surrounded by Villarreal staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at the press room on the first floor, Tang Ye and Escrivá sat on opposite sides of a table, where a thick file lay before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Borja had already negotiated all the details of the loan with Villarreal; Tang Ye’s signature was merely the final confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá handed Tang Ye a ballpoint pen; without hesitation, he flipped the document to the last page and signed his name beneath the team crest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shake hands!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff below reminded them; Escribá and Tang Ye shook hands again, and the staff resumed clicking away with their cameras.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, this is standard procedure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá was now slightly awkward, unsure whether Tang Ye liked such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine, really. When I was at Utrecht, many Chinese reporters came specially—back then, the flashlights nearly blinded me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, so you’ve already been a star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá laughed, but then noticed something odd: “Wow, your Spanish is very fluent. Have you been studying it for a while?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could say that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye decided to be vague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could say that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá raised an eyebrow: “Knowing the language helps a lot. Players with linguistic talent usually integrate into the team faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted briefly, then stood up at the staff’s prompting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head coach Escribá took a pure yellow No. 99 jersey from a staff member: “Come on, hold this corner of the jersey—we’ll take a few more photos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye and Escribá each held one end of the jersey; finally, Tang Ye put it on and went to an adjacent room for a photo session.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These photos will be posted on the team’s media. Many newspapers will republish them too, Tang—remember to strike some nice poses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, is that important?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s very important!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá patted Tang Ye on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the official portraits were done, Tang Ye returned to the press conference room, where local Spanish football journalists were already waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tom? That’s how you’re called, right? Moving from a Dutch Eredivisie champion to Villarreal is a huge leap—the intensity gap between the Eredivisie and La Liga is significant. Are you aware of that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’m fully aware.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye nodded: “Before coming here, I watched many La Liga matches on TV. I think this will be a challenging place for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think you’ll get a good opportunity within the team?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journalist asked the same question Tang Zhengxiong had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 17-year-old player moving from the Eredivisie to La Liga would naturally face skepticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll do my best to prove myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journalist turned to head coach Escribá: “Last season, Tom was reported to have disciplinary issues at Utrecht. Were you aware of this before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. Of course I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá had prominent forehead wrinkles, giving him an approachable yet authoritative demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe Tang will improve significantly in this regard after joining Villarreal. I’m confident I can handle the disciplinary matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to look at Escribá beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…a bit problematic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villarreal official: Vamos! Utrecht’s Eredivisie champion midfielder Tang Y. joins on loan, wearing jersey No. 99, for one season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1613,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","01b7b39e81d83bd2a3c78d024e0db701a2d1f26b9d3b2fe679e0908218122ba7","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-108","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-106",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]