[{"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-110":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},2300080,4499,"Chapter 110: Oh No, I Might Have Bought the Wrong Guy","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-110",110,"\u003Cp>At the sideline, Escrivá remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before pushing for Tang Ye’s transfer, he watched many videos of Tang Ye’s matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the kind of pass in the game—Escrivá had seen it with his own eyes on today’s training ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That exact pass!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá sank into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s passing creativity is extraordinary; he possesses the ability to break open defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But La Liga is not the Eredivisie; Huang Qian cannot build their entire system around Tang Ye like Utrecht did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This opportunistic approach won’t work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá made a decision—one he had already made before Tang Ye even arrived in Spain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would transform Tang Ye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would preserve Tang Ye’s creativity while also giving him exceptional ball control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consistent match performance, combined with the occasional ability to create chances—that was Escrivá’s vision of Tang Ye’s final form!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Montford’s lazy pig is about to be tamed by the Spanish matadors!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beep!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assistant coach Ma Di blew the whistle to resume the scrimmage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scheduled scrimmage was 30 minutes, but Tang Ye performed well, so Escrivá wanted to observe him further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because for the upcoming friendly against Porto, he wanted to bring Tang Ye and Ale!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Switch! Switch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá shouted to the field: “Sebastian and Bakambu swap positions! Ale, just play like a striker!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Qian’s players had strong discipline; after the next dead ball, Ale ran straight over and put on Bakambu’s jersey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bakambu spread his hands toward Escrivá: “Ferran, I just started feeling it—can we not substitute me yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá gave Bakambu a stern look: “Switch! It’s a training requirement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to argue with Escrivá, Bakambu had no choice but to head over to Team B.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a shame—he’d just begun to grasp what Ale had said, and now he was swapped out in the next round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Training continued; Escrivá watched Tang Ye with full attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to say nothing for now and see how this guy actually played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after just a few minutes of silence, Escrivá immediately ran into a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye started strolling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Tom, get off!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá substituted Tang Ye off; the latter slowly jogged off the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Escrivá!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know why I called you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this… a training requirement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye mimicked Escrivá’s earlier words; the latter stared at him, speechless: “No! Tom, do you know you haven’t run a single step in five minutes? This is a training match—only 45 minutes long—you don’t need to conserve energy for a second half!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at the players sprinting on the field, Escrivá explained to Tang Ye: “Tom, understand? You need to run, run constantly, then link up with your teammates—that’s what a proper training match looks like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Mr. Escrivá.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye nodded seriously, but his blinking eyes always made Escrivá feel this guy wasn’t entirely reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tom, do you understand what I’m saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Mr. Escrivá!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, good…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the afternoon training ended, Tang Ye felt his body aching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his current skill progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【De Bruyne curved through pass Lv3: Simulation】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiency: 320\u002F400\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【De Bruyne 45-degree cross Lv3: Simulation】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiency: 8\u002F100\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【De Bruyne far-corner curler Lv3: Simulation】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiency: 89\u002F250\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing training at Utrecht, Tang Ye’s proficiency in these three skills had stopped increasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until today, with his new club, Tang Ye finally saw these three template skills again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, the one closest to leveling up was the 【curved through pass】—Tang Ye’s most important skill as a playmaking midfielder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just didn’t know how much it would improve when it reached Lv4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was good news: since arriving at Huang Qian, his skill upgrades had become easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He discovered this during today’s training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season at Utrecht, each successful through pass earned him 0.2 proficiency; a perfect one gave 0.4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at Villarreal, his proficiency gains changed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each through pass, as long as the positioning was roughly accurate, now granted him 0.5 proficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect one gave him a full 1 point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curved through pass worked this way; the other two skills were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Tang Ye’s guess, this was likely due to increased training rewards from the stronger team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sebastian, I just realized something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the physio room, Tang Ye lifted his head and looked at Ale, who was lying to his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We should have more ambition—we must climb higher! The higher, the better!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale buried his face in the pillow—he couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a very sensible statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did Tang Ye say it in such a hilarious way???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was August. The Villarreal players traveled to Porto, Portugal, preparing for a friendly against the Primeira Liga powerhouse at the Estádio do Dragão.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the international friendlies between AC Milan and Chelsea during the same period, the Villarreal-Porto match had low global attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Global attention was low—but in China, it was hot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Guys, should we be able to watch this friendly?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I haven’t seen Tang the King play in months—I’m trembling all over】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Same as the guy above—we’re both addicted! Damn, why does La Liga only start mid-August? Can’t they kick off earlier?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Come on guys, where can we find this match?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Broadcast isn’t the issue—the issue is whether Tang the King will play】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He’ll definitely play in a friendly—why else would Villarreal have bought him? Tang the King’s rental fee alone is worth millions!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On match day, Tang Ye arrived with the team at the famous Estádio do Dragão.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be cautious with attacking passes—our opponents are excellent at counterattacks; we must pay attention. Keep the ball on the ground, raise our possession rate—that’s the key!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá emphasized tactics in the locker room; Tang Ye chewed gum, head down, eyes vacant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá’s eyes were sharp—he immediately noticed Tang Ye’s distraction: “Tang, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Oh! Sorry, Mr. Escrivá, keep going—I’ve been listening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye sat up straight, speaking earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá didn’t believe him. He walked over, crouched down: “Tom, it’s fine—tell me what you’re thinking, tell me your problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye nodded: “Why is this place called Estádio do Dragão?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha! Ferran, damn it, you better explain this to Tang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Villarreal players laughed harder and harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you were thinking about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá sized up Tang Ye: “Honestly, I don’t know either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a shame…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But! The focus now is the match—the match—we must win this game!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá gestured for Tang Ye to stand up from the chair, then pushed him toward the door: “You can head to the pitch now, Tang. You’re playing today—focus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you promise me one thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá squinted; Tang Ye turned to look at his head coach. “Of course, Mr. Ferran. Stop thinking about why this place is called the Dragon Stadium—it’s not the point today!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, guys, this is Wang Chao’s livestream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The video quality isn’t great today, but there’s no choice—warm-up match broadcast equipment is always trash. Just deal with it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao frantically adjusted the livestream’s video feed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had livestreamed every recent Villarreal match, even when Tang Ye wasn’t on the roster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No choice—the La Liga season was about to start, and domestic fans would have official channels to watch then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it was free, Wang Chao couldn’t compete with the official channels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the official channel’s name was “China Central Television”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao had a sharp instinct—he could feel this warm-up match was his last chance to absorb Tang Ye’s traffic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The match has started. Today, our King Tang is sitting on the bench—this is Tang Ye’s first time making the squad since joining Villarreal on loan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me introduce the starting eleven for the home team first. I’ll introduce the away team’s starters once King Tang comes on as a sub.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Porto, 4-3-3 formation, goalkeeper Casillas!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director’s camera cut to Tang Ye on the bench—still chewing gum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked sleepy; casual fans thought he hadn’t rested well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowledgeable fans were already waiting for Tang Ye to enter the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting on the bench, Tang Ye noticed the intensity of this warm-up match was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porto and Villarreal had reached an unspoken agreement: this match was about regaining rhythm, not playing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the 34th minute, Porto’s midfielder Ruben Neves suddenly unleashed a long-range shot, shattering the balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, that was accurate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neves’s shot nearly made Tang Ye spit out his gum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough of that, Tang—get ready to go on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, Escribá waved Tang Ye over; Ale was called at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guys! Here he comes! Tang Ye’s on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Any Porto fans in the livestream? The assist king and top scorer of the Eredivisie are warming up—scared yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which team’s fan are you, streamer? Oh, you’re a Villarreal fan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao turned on his camera; the red-and-white Utrecht jersey hanging on the wall had been replaced with Villarreal’s yellow jersey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You thought Wang Chao was a Utrecht fan? He wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fans of non-Big Five league teams are usually few; Wang Chao was never a Utrecht supporter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regular viewers should know—I’m a Villarreal fan. I’ve been watching La Liga for over twenty years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half began; both teams made substitutions. Villarreal’s head coach Escribá was ruthless—he substituted seven players at once, completely changing the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New signings from this season and bench players from last season all took the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them: Tang Ye, his old teammate Ale, and his new friend Rodri!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jogging onto the pitch, Tang Ye noticed many teammates touched the grass and kissed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why they did it, but he copied them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You purchased Valdi’s Red Bull】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Control the ball! Control the ball!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same as always—Escribá demanded his players keep possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodri, Soriano, and Trigueros kept passing and moving, making Porto’s forwards frantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this problem wasn’t just affecting Porto’s defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was facing it too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t get the ball!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move! Run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá shouted at Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking harder, Tang Ye realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammates weren’t passing to him because he wasn’t in the right position?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly found a better spot and sprinted there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he arrived, Rodri passed to him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The training paid off—he now actively looked for teammates after receiving the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Short pass delivered!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball reached Soriano’s feet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye found the feeling—the rhythm of playing possession football with his teammates!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clap! Clap! Clap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escribá applauded Tang Ye on the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was lazy, unenthusiastic in training, easily distracted during coaching talks, asked weird questions, and always stayed in his room gaming…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once you ignored all his flaws, his strengths were plenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A classic “sow-type” player—he wouldn’t listen, but once he touched the ball, he’d run!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on! Come on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye trapped the ball, executed a flashy stationary bicycle maneuver, then passed to Ale ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale passed to Bakambu, but Porto’s defender intercepted the moment Bakambu touched the ball and cleared it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the 45th minute to the 75th minute of the second half, Villarreal controlled 74% of possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But check the score: 1-0, Villarreal trailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In chances created: Villarreal had five, fewer than Porto’s seven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Porto’s form this new season was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As last season’s fourth-place finisher in La Liga, Villarreal’s bench squad couldn’t beat Porto’s bench squad!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff… puff…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constant passing was wearing Tang Ye down—worse, he was playing central midfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Villarreal’s classic passing system, midfielders bore an enormous passing burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Tang Ye now had a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the ball roll toward him, a wicked thought suddenly surged in Tang Ye’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck it—I can’t take it anymore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let the ball roll past him, then turned and controlled it with his left foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because of Zhou Botong’s Left-Right Combat technique, Tang Ye now couldn’t tell his left foot from his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever—it didn’t matter. Dribble straight ahead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assistant coach Ma Di, responsible for recording team issues, pulled out his pen and wrote one line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tom, consistent with scout report: poor discipline】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go! Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye shouted ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bakambu hadn’t reacted yet, but Ale had already started his run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye trapped the ball, then curled it with his outside right foot, sending it rolling from right to left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Ale!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale scores!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the goal-scoring instinct of the Eredivisie’s top striker!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 38, you joined Villarreal in La Liga and recorded your first assist in your debut—unthinkable for a 38-year-old in La Liga】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Unfortunately, warm-up goals aren’t celebrated—you gained 1 Reverse Point】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Di raised an eyebrow and kept writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tom, consistent with scout report: poor discipline, but high creativity】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Ale’s goal, players slowly returned to their positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera cut to Escribá in front of the away team’s bench—the Spaniard noticed something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very, very serious problem!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, why is Tang Ye passing with his left foot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some fans didn’t notice, but Escrivá, standing on the sideline as coach, saw it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye is passing with his fucking left foot—and using the outside of his foot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I watched the Utrecht match footage, Tang Ye was passing with his right foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did we... buy the wrong player?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2205,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3ac6acebdfd75b5c0731e4082bbdfe983390c4e61767b35db06e5302e13ac3ed","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-111","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-109",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]